The Leader Newspaper 02 October 2023 – Edition 991

There will be no expansion of the Aguamarina health centre, the only facility that currently serves Orihuela Costa’s 30,000 + residents. The project, inherited from the previous PSOE government, is not among the priorities of the PP-Vox coalition.

According to Irene Celdrán, the Councillor for Health, the commitment of the current council is for the construction of a second health centre in a totally different location from that currently positioned between Cabo Roig and Campoamor.

This was confirmed by the councillor during the ordinary plenary session last Thursday in response to a motion presented by the PSOE, that was rejected with the votes of PP and Vox.

EXP EXP ANSION OF ORIHUEL ANSION OF ORIHUEL A

A A MEDICAL CENTRE SCRAPPED MEDICAL CENTRE SCRAPPED

A

The Socialist councillor, and former head of the municipal Health area, Luis Quesada, stated that he had already made all the preparations to carry out the transfer to Valencia of a plot of land attached to the Aguamarina health centre that residents and market traders currently use as a parking lot. Even the previous Consell President, Ximo Puig announced, that the drafting of the project would go out to tender last May, although it was a commitment that he failed to meet. Councilor Celdrán said that she is very much against this project, arguing that it is not the right location and highlighting that the implementation of this measure would generate a problem with parking in the surrounds of the medical centre next summer.

She recognised that the current medical facility in Aguamarina is "far too small" and that "we all agree that it is necessary to urgently enlarge the health system on the coast."

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In her speech she also criticised the PSOE which, despite having an autonomous community government presided over by the same political party, did not fight for a second health centre. "They have been governing for eight years in Valencia and one in Orihuela," she said of the socialists.

In his reply, Luis Quesada defended his management stating that, in his 14 months in government, he had three meetings with the Ministry on this matter and in all of them he was told that Orihuela Costa did not meet the minimum requirements of a second medical facility.

If that second centre had been built, he said, "there is only one similar precedent in Madrid at the national level." He warned Celdrán that the only way for the current government to achieve its goals would be because the Ministry will have changed its criteria. "If we do not continue with the planning for an extension that I put in place, we will go through an entire legislature, at the end of which we will still not have achieved the necessary improvements of either an extension or of a second health centre."

Cambiemos also considered it necessary to build a second health centre stating that the criteria set by the Department of Health does not correspond to the reality of Orihuela Costa. Although Valencia considers that the coast does not have enough registered inhabitants to have a second health centre,

FEIJÓO LOSES IN THE FINAL VOTE OF HIS INVESTITURE DEBATE

The Prime Minister in waiting,Alberto Núñez Feijóo,was defeated in the second and final vote of his investiture debate with 172 votes in favour and 178 against,the same result as Wednesday,two days earlier.

The PP leader had his own 139 parliamentarians,plus 33 from Vox,one from the Canarian Coalition and another from the Navarro People's Union.The PSOE,Sumar,ERC,Junts, EH Bildu,PNV and the BNG all voted against.

Feijóo thus ends a key week following the general election,which he won but only barely. He was not able to convince any more deputies. In reality,almost since the night of June 23,the PP knew that it was almost impossible to obtain the four votes it lacked to gain a majority.

In 2020 the former mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, made the land available to Ribera Salud, on the promise of them building a second health centre for the coast, at a cost of 6 million euro

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the reality is, according to councillor Leticia Pertegal, a large part of the resident population is not registered, and that is not to mention the large floating population that has its second summer residence on the coast of Orihuela.

Ciudadanos, in turn, took the opportunity to highlight that the PP, during the mandate of former mayor Emilio Bascuñana, already announced that it had a plot that it was going to give to the Ministry

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Their efforts depended on the Basque nationalists,who closed the door on the PP because of their support from Vox.

Following his failure to secure approval,acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will now get a chance to try.

If no new head of government emerges by November 27,parliament will be dissolved and new elections called for January 14.

to build this supposed second health centre on the coast. The proposed site was located in the La Ciñuelica urbanisation, but this transfer of land was never carried out. In the opinion of the Ciudadanos spokesperson, José Aix, the PP only sought to put pressure on the Generalitat, which was then immersed in the reversion of the Torrevieja health authority bringing it back from private into public management. P O

E T R Y C O R N E R

SPANISH AUTUMN

A black-clad, widowed, British lady sits silent in a yawning dark doorway: a gentle smile on her lips; hands blue-veined as marble at peace in her lap; warmed by her treasured memories.

A marmalade cat sits sentry

and all the while, pale sunshine flits in shadowy corners. The air, while still, is pregnant with the sweet

By Joy Lennick

odours of warm earth blending with sharp citrus groves: oranges and lemons. A church bell chimes, splicing the quiet; (a faint memory stirs, ‘The bells of St. Clements’?) Out of nowhere, stealthy breezes blow through the palms.

They keep their counsel, but she knows it is Autumn.

To see your poem published on this page send to: office@theleader.info

EVENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTS IN TORREVIEJA

Summer might be over, but there is little let up in the activities taking place in Torrevieja this autumn, with the publication of the cultural calendar this week, coinciding with one of the major musical events in the town, and sports in the shape of the European Police and Fire Games.

In addition to these activities, the Department of International Residents also has their own schedule, specifically aimed at the international population of the town, with events that will ease anyone into the cultures and societies of the place many now call home.

For example, during October and November, there is a weekly activity where some of the town hall run facilities are showcased, partly so you can have a better understanding of some of the administrative procedures, but also you can visit and learn about some of the buildings and their functions. These tours, for which you don’t need to speak Spanish, are every Tuesday at 11:00, and they are completely free, although you do have to make your own way to the locations.

Whereas we have said that you don’t need to speak Spanish to enjoy those tours, there is a possibility to learn, with fellow international residents, so everyone can be eased into integration together.

The first activity on the 3rd of October is where you will be able to find out more about the very popular Spanish courses for foreigners. This activity starts at 11am in front of the Pangea office (which is the little blue house in Plaza Capdepont) next to Paseo de Libertad in the centre of Torrevieja.

As well as learning about the Spanish courses, which again are completely free, you will also be escorted on a short, guided tour through the centre of Torrevieja, over a short distance of approximately 1 kilometre, where you will be able

to also learn about some of the key points in the town. The next activity, on the 10th of October, consists of information on the increasingly necessary digital signature and a guided tour in La Mata. It starts at the La Mata town hall in Plaza Gaspar Perelló, which is located next to the large square in La Mata.

Then activities are organised on transport services in Torrevieja, explaining how you can obtain a bus card, and a presentation of some of the sports facilities, where disciplines such as gymnastics, swimming, and water sports can be enjoyed, amongst many other activities in the internationally renowned Sports City.

Participating in the activities is an opportunity not only to get to know Torrevieja better but also to meet more people of various nationalities and also have an introduction to the administration in Spain, and remember, all for free. Events are led by staff who speak Spanish, English, French and German. If the need to serve in more languages is detected, the team with try to find staff or volunteers who can assist to translate.

The program is published on Facebook: Torrevieja Residentes Internacionales and on the website: www.torrevieja.es.

To register for any of the activities, all you have to do is send an email to: eu@torrevieja.eu, or you can make an appointment with the International Residents department, by going to: www.torrevieja.es -

Appointment - International Residents.

You should then choose the event that you wish to attend, at Pangea in the centre, the La Mata town hall or at Calle Paganini in La Siesta.

PHOTO CREDIT: TVTORREVIEJA

The Mayor, Eduardo Dolon, with the Councillor for International Residents, Gitte Lund Thomsen

AT LEAST 13 DEAD IN MURCIA NIGHTCLUB FIRE

Murcia Police Headquarters who were at the scene investigating the fire in order to determine its origin. Members of the Homicide Group have also joined the investigation.

Nearby sources confirmed that an investigation is being carried out to see if the fire could have been started by an electrical short circuit in one of the nightclubs.

The same sources said that the flames spread very quickly, that the roof partially collapsed, and that it ended up completely falling in an hour after the firefighters arrived. It is said that the deceased were on the upper floor, they were surprised by suddenness of the flames and could not get out. These sources indicate that some of the bodies were unrecognisable.

The Murcia City Council has set up an area in the Palacio de los Deportes for families and those affected, where they will receive psychological support as well as specialised units for the more serious cases.

Murcia Local Police joined the emergency teams and was controlling traffic in the area. A number of roads in the vicinity of the fire were closed.

THREE DAYS OF OFFICIAL MOURNING

The mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, travelled to the site of the fire and quickly declared three days of official mourning for the victims. The General Director of Security and Emergencies, Ricardo Villalba, was also on site coordinating with the Murcia City Council the necessary means to manage the tragedy.

At least thirteen people have died following a fire at two adjacent nightclubs, the Teatre nightclub and Fonda, in the Atalayas area of Murcia on Sunday morning. Four more people, two women aged 22 and 25 and two men aged 41 and 45, have been hospitalised due to smoke inhalation.

Firefighters attended the scene shortly after 6am where they initially tackled the fierce blaze. Once the fire was extinguished, they began searching for the victims. So far, at the time of writing, in addition to the thirteen deceased, there are four more people who are injured, all

due to smoke inhalation. It is suspected, however, that there could still be more deaths.

Medicalised and transport ambulances from the Health Emergencies and Emergencies

Management area attended the scene where they treated a number of revellers for minor burns and smoke inhalation. At least four of those affected were taken to the hospital.

By late afternoon on Sunday there were still 12 fire vehicles and 40 personnel working, after putting out the fire, to secure the area and search for additional victims.

They were joined by specialised units from the

DOLÓN ACCELERATES HYDROTHERAPY CENTRE IN TORREVIEJA SALT FLATS

Torrevieja mayor, Eduardo Dolón, is keen to speed up the projects that he promised in his electoral manifesto, one of which is the hydrotherapy centre that he wants to put in place in the salt flats. Travelling to Valencia last week for a meeting with the Environmental Secretary, Javier Sendra, he demanded that permits be put in place as quickly as possible.

The viability of the project currently depends on the Generalitat, as the facilities are located within the Natural Park. The planned uses include the restoration of the buildings for use as a museum, research on salt and the natural environment, as well as the rehabilitation of the old ponds to establish a bathing area with controlled access for the public.

Torrevieja Salt Flats

PINK LADIES

CANCER AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATED AT THE BOULEVARD

He said that the project is "fully respectful of the natural environment, which will also solve the problem of uncontrolled access to the park in order to bathe in the salt lagoon, an activity not

permitted by current regulations and Management of the Natural Park."

ORIHELA APPROVES ORDNANCE FOR THE ABOLITION OF PROSTITUTION

Orihuela has agreed to pursue the abolition of prostitution in the municipality. The municipal ordinance was approved at last weeks plenary meeting with votes in favour of all political groups except Ciudadanos, which abstained.

The proposal was approved last April by the previous PSOE-Cs government and was prepared by the former socialist councillor, Carmen Moreno.

Councillor Aynara Navarro, also PSOE, said that the approval of the new law is the best way to celebrate the International Day against sexual exploitation and trafficking of women, which was observed on September 23, but above all, she said, “it represents a significant commitment on the part of the municipal administration to address a complex and urgent social problem, sending a clear message about the importance of addressing this issue, positioning women as victims for the first time and recognising

that prostitution is "a form of exploitation that must be eliminated to build a more just and equitable society.”

The councillor for Social Welfare, Agustina Rodríguez (PP), approved the text without any amendment despite the fact that it was inherited from the previous mandate and pointed out that the PP will always be “on the side of human rights.”

The Pink Ladies will be out in force once again as we approach International Breast Cancer awareness month. This year they will be holding their event on the 6th October, once again at Zenia Boulevard.

Both the Pink Ladies and the Pink Panthers will be there showing their support for all those who are fighting, those who have beaten, and those that lost the fight to this heinous disease, breast cancer.

The talented artists performing on the day will include Nikki G, Blues Brothers tribute, Chloe Leigh, Rebecca Holt and many others that are still to be confirmed. So go along and show your support for the fight against breast cancer. You can even book an early detection screening test on the day with the Pink ladies, at a much reduced price.

Police carry out a raid on a hostess club

FINES UNDER THE NEW ANIMAL WELFARE LAW

As we bring this series of article about the new Animal Welfare Law in Spain to a close, it is important to note that overall, the new legislation is all about animal welfare.

We must care for our pets, include them into the family home, or provide adequate shelter of their own. Breeding is not allowed. We must have civil liability insurance for dogs, and possibly even healthcare insurance. We cannot allow dogs to wander freely, and we cannot leave pets home alone for too

long, dog owners have to do a training course, and many more rules all aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of our companion animals.

For those who do not comply with the requirements of this new law, a sanctioning regime has been set up, and fines can be hefty.

1. The offences provided for in this law will be penalised:

a) Minor offences with a warning or a fine of five hundred to ten thousand euro.

b) Serious offences with a fine of ten thou sand one to fifty thousand euro.

c) Very serious offences with a fine of fifty thousand to two hundred thousand euro.

2. If there is a recurrence in the commission of a minor infraction, or it is continuous, the penalty of warning will not apply.

3. The Government and the autonomous communities and cities of Ceuta and Melilla, by means of a regulatory provision, may introduce specifications or graduations in the table of infractions and sanctions typified in this law that, without constituting new infractions or sanctions, nor altering their nature and limits, contribute to the most correct identification of the conducts, to the most precise determination of the corresponding sanctions or to the updating of their amounts.

4. In any case, the income from the sanctions will be used for actions whose purpose is the protection of animals.

The law is now in force, and therefore the sanctioning regime is active, so if you don´t comply with the requirements, you can see that the financial penalty can be considerable. We echo once again our first message in this series, that is this new law is not just about insurance, but about many more requirements that all pet owners have to abide by, in the best interests of our companion animals. Remember, the actual rules are more complex and more detailed, and you can read the full legislation, translated into English, at animalwelfarelaw.es, including a simple list of basic rules for dog and cat owners, and for street cats.

Do cats really wear Pyjamas?

If you watch fish through a layer of water -- I was running out of ways to amuse myself during lockdown -- you will see them remaining absolutely still for a long time, for no particular reason, judging by their glassy eyes. And then, with a slight twitch of their fins, they dart away so that they can do nothing again, somewhere else.

"Are you gazing at those fish again?" asks my better half, and I dart quickly back to my writing desk/kitchen table.

A fish tank, I hope you don't know this already, is slang for a section of a prison for newly arrived inmates. As slang goes, a fairly unimaginative example. Not as precise as a 'chinwag', nor as entertaining as referring to shoplifting as a 'five-finger discount'. Slang is often a simple way of saying something more complex. I was once informed in Honolulu that the expression "da kine" was the most versatile phrase on the planet. Apparently it is a verb, an adjective, an adverb, and an all-purpose noun capable of referring to objects, events, and people. "What does it mean?" I asked, all agog, and was told it meant 'Aloha'. I said goodbye and left Hawaii. Where exactly is the end of one's tether?

Slang words have arrived in English from all directions, originating in many different cultures and brought home by soldiers and empire builders. 'Decko' is from the Hindi 'dekho', meaning 'look', and in WWI, 'backsheesh' became 'buckshee', free of charge.

Naval parlance has given us swinging the lead, talking bilge and a loose cannon. They sound like a scurvy crew, these sailors. Some slang sounds quite poetic. In wet Washington, rain is called 'liquid sunshine', and I suspect 'the cat's pyjamas' won't be returning to popular vernacular any time soon, so you might as well take them back to the pet shop. Which saddens me, because as slang phrases go, I felt it was, well, the cat's whiskers. Not everyone likes cats: a chaplain visiting a prison cell remarked,"No room to swing a cat in here," to which the prisoner replied, "Yes, there is that to be said for it."

Inevitably, new words have emerged because of Covid-19, corona coinages, I suppose we should call them. A covidiot is a moronavirus who ignores vaccination advice; a coronacut is a selfadministered hair disaster; a quarantini is something you drink during virtual happy hour, which probably leads to an unspecified

JERUSALEM SAGEDISTINCTIVE SPIRALS OF YELLOW, PINK OR MAUVE!

CATS WHISKERS? YOUíRE JOKING! Sheís just an old tart, the only cat in the neighbourhood with extensions!

'Blursday' the morning after.

I gather our vile acquaintance is now sometimes dubbed 'Rona', which has transmogrified -- yes! -- from a decent Scottish girl's name into a companion that would ruin any date.

Bad enough, you might think, but pity the singer Miley Cyrus, whose name rhymes with.... um, I think I'll go back to staring at my goldfish. I enjoy taking a butcher's at them every so often.

Phlomis - a summer flowering shrub or perennial - is also known as Jerusalem sage,as the leaves are very similar to the herb,but have no scent and are not edible. There are different variations,which all have a distinctive hooded flower that appear in whorls (spirals) around the stems.Most are yellow,but some flower in pink or mauve.

Grow phlomis in moist,but well drainingsoil in full sun to partial shade,perfect for dry gardens as they are a drought tolerant plant - as such they will not tolerate wet winter.

Phlomis can be a little untidy in their shape, so cut the plants back in Spring to contain them.Feed fortnightly in summer with a general fertiliser.

However,leave the seed heads on,as they will provide ornamental value through winter.

They are propagated easily,either by division in Spring,or by taking cuttings.You can also save some of the seeds in Autumn.

Orihuela to reactivate municipal company to manage collection of waste and street cleaning.

The council is to reactivate the public company Surpal (Sociedad Urbanizadora del Polígono Industrial Puente Alto de Orihuela), which has been without any activity since 2015,providing it with a new task, that of dealing with waste management in the municipality.

The service has been municipalised since 2012 but now the Orihuela government team of PP and Vox has said that a public company model will be assumed as in other municipalities,such as Guardamar.

The board of directors of the public company will be chaired by the mayor, Pepe Vegara,and will have eight councillors,one from each political group (PP, Vox,PSOE,Ciudadanos and Cambiemos) and three other members who will be appointed by the board.

The mayor has already commissioned a report on the effectiveness and efficien-

E Scooter Tuition

Dear Editor

I am amazed that your newspaper could publish such an inflammatory article as that in your edition of 25th inst.

How can you publish such a hypocritical article!! Mr. Hopp is pictured proudly visiting schools, etc., giving talks to underage children on the basics of e-scooters, whilst at the same time his company is flooding the Orihuela Costa with his machines which are a constant hazard to pedestrians, persons with mobility problems or having poor sight and all other road users alike. These machines can be found scattered on pavements, bus stops, car parking spaces, 'ghost' islands and many other places; most of which are not permitted for parking by licenced vehicles.

And this is before they are even used by the renters, for whom the only qualification necessary is to be in possession of a valid credit card.

There have been numerous incidents, accidents and some deaths involving these machines but practically no action is being taken to safeguard the general public from the antics of the hirers.

To make matters worse there are a couple of other companies competing with his

cy of the service to decide whether it is viable to introduce 100% municipal management or whether to opt for a private company with mixed management.

Of course,the City Council would not be willing to lose control of the service,so if public-private collaboration were chosen,the largest participation would be municipal.

What the report will reveal is whether the Council has the necessary investment capacity to carry out the Local Waste Management Plan,which will cost 20 million euro.

Surpal was created in 1982 to develop the industrial estate and in 1993 the statutes were modified.

In 2008,the PP reactivated it,initially for developing projects such as public parking and street development.

There was another modification of the statutes in 2015 but since then,nothing.

company whilst copying everything that is currently wrong.

It is rare that the UK seems to do anything right these days but at least they have banned the usage of these machines in public areas and on public roads.

Sincerely

Barry Weston

Hi Barry,

Firstly, we must correct a minor point, in that the UK has not banned these vehicles.

It is true they are banned for private use, but rental scooters are permitted in many areas as part of a trial launched by the government.

It is however safe to say that the trial is not without problems.

Regarding the matters you raised about Orihuela, we are aware of numerous issues, and through regular reports in The Leader, have been following the usage of these scooters for some time, and, along with the N332 road safety group, we have highlighted many of the complaints previously raised direct to the Orihuela and Torrevieja councils, so you can see that we are doing what we can to address these problems.

We have also contacted two of the main operators on the Orihuela Costa, Hopp and Hoppy, both of which, because of similar liveries, are easily confused, but which are very different companies, to ask what they are doing and how they propose to solve these matters.

We are in the process of compiling our report and will publish our findings once complete.

Editor

A waste collection truck in Orihuela Costa

‘It’s my siesta – and I’ll snore if I want to!’

Iwas just saying to the Lads the other night as to how lucky they are to live in an age when YCBS is available to them –and most importantly, at no extra cost.

I went on to remind them of all the useful tips they found here to improve the quality of their … what would otherwise be, miserable lives. Unfortunately, a few of the Lads seemed to be ‘short-taken’ and had to go to the loo in a hurry. Obviously, they had all eaten together and something clearly hadn’t agreed with them, because soon the others had to run too. Whether it was their stomach, or whatever, it must have been pretty bad, because none of them chanced coming back.

The Gorls had been chatting to each other until now. Then, out of politeness, they turned to me to hear what I was saying. I changed track a little, to emphasise how much this column had done for the sake of sisterhood over the years. One of them broke and headed briskly towards the Mná sign. Well, you know women; just like a sheep jumping a wall, when one breaks they’re all gone – and so it was with my audience; now all crowded into the toilet. They failed to return as well.

Maybe they got bad news or something – because they left all their drinks and coffees after them.

I now know how my granddaugh-

ter, Ciara, felt after being bitten by a big tom cat. Through her tears she kept repeating; “I was only trying to give him love!” Anyway, all I had been trying to do was promote how much better off they would be if they got around to having a daily siesta!

With global warming upon us, we need to adopt the more leisurely mode of living that comes with a hot climate. In Spain, for example, I couldn’t believe it when I first saw the building workers falling asleep in the middle of the day.

A big bread roll, along with a large bottle of ale would be consumed first. Then the grupo de hombres found the shadiest spot, parked the cap on the eyebrows and entered a deep sleep for an hour or more.

I have developed the siesta style and I love it. Mind you, I would only do fifteen minutes or so – but I love it. I can do it almost at will.

I feel the urge coming on; I rest my head in my hands, elbows on knees and it is just like flicking a switch. I can do it – not only in my own home, but in waiting rooms, airports, buses and planes. It does me a world of good. (Ah, ye’r back, Lads!)

Those who (as my late Uncle Paddy would say) ‘must know something’, are coming around to seeing the benefits of a little midday siesta and backing me up that it does wonders for your health.

They like my way of doing it; 10 to 20 minutes; and not the longer

Spanish version.

Any longer makes it harder to snap out of and can leave things worse through grogginess for a time.

A study showed that participants who napped regularly for 10 – 20 minutes, improved their performance on cognitive tests of memory. The 10-minute nappers experienced an immediate boost in performance.

It gets even better. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that the siesta habit is associated with a 37 percent reduction in coronary mortality.

This may be due to decreased blood pressure associated with the nap.

ORIHUELA’S MEDIEVAL JEWISH QUARTER

The current neighbourhood of Triana, despite being adjacent to Santa Justa, is one of the most undiscovered corners of the city.

It is hardly frequented by visitors, despite it’s Civil War air raid shelter.

According to Cambiemos, it is virtually unknown, despite being in the city’s historic centre. It is also the most degraded area and the one, they say, that is in the

greatest state of abandonment.

The neighbourhood of Triana, which in medieval times was the Jewish quarter of the city, is a small hamlet of low houses located on a slope between Mount San Miguel and the church of Santa Justa and Rufina. It is barely frequented, despite the regular opening to visitors of its Civil War air raid shelter.

To highlight the history of this traditio-

If it’s not a contradiction, and you decide to lie down for a 90 minute snooze, a University of Berkeley study tells us this will keep you calm for the entire day. (Far be it from me to name names or make recommendations on that one here!)

When all is added up, the fact is that the mind loves a siesta.

As well as the benefits we mentioned already, the noticeable difference I find is that it clears out the cobwebs from the brain. (Uncalled for Lads … uncalled for ...)

Willpower and concentration are the first thing that goes when you get tired. (That is a line from my squash coaching days – but equally true in everyday life).

nal area, Cambiemos presented a motion to the plenary session on Thursday, that the Department of Historical Heritage dedicates a special issue of the magazine 'Aurariola' to the Orihuela Jewish quarter, as well as an exhibition on Jews, and that it also establishes a tourist route for people to get to know the neighbourhood.

Along the same lines, they request that a mosaic with images of Jewish culture (star of David, hamza, menorah, grapes) be placed at the entrances to the area.

An afternoon siesta can reverse the usual willpower drain, reduce stress, improve mood, and restore focus. Coming back to our old basic hippy motto; ‘if it feels good, do it’, nothing feels better than my short siesta – especially on a hot day. July was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth and there will be more of that. According to the song, only ‘mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.’ I suggest that the rest of us head off at midday and start counting winks – up to 40 of them!

DON’T FORGET

If you want your partner to listen to what you have to say, talk in your sleep.

SPECSA SPECSAVERS ÓPTICAS’ PHOTO VERS ÓPTICAS’ PHOTO COMPETITION WINNER NAMED COMPETITION WINNER NAMED

Followers of Specsavers ”pticasísocial media channels voted on the picture they think best captures the essence of Spain in September.

Kristine Aghasyan was selected as the winner, with the largest amount of likes and comments across their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Kristineís beautiful image depicts what she describes as a ìromantic sunsetî, seen through the rocks at La Mata in Torrevieja.

This striking and well composed image encapsulates the rugged beauty of the Spanish coastal areas and the importance of the sea to the communities along the Spain coastline. It was a firm favourite amongst the jury who shortlisted the entries and the voting public, getting over 300 likes and over 100 comments to win a landslide victory.

This talented photographer visited Specsavers ”pticas in Torrevieja to collect her prize from Optical Assistant Jeanette Hampson. She won a Ä100 Amazon voucher and a pair of designer

sunglasses and chose a stylish pair of Aurora square sunglasses, with upswept eyes for a subtle cat-eye look.

She commented, ìMany thanks to the organizers of the competition and the people who voted for my picture. I am very happy that I won and that although the competition featured images from all along the Costa Blanca, Costa de Sol and Mallorca, in the end my picture and my home of Torrevieja won.

This picture took a lot of effort to achieve. In my opinion, this picture really depicts the essence of Spain, because when you look at the picture, you see the hot summer evenings and colourful sunsets of Spain, the sea with its wonderful waves, gentle winds, and of course, the beautiful view, which you can endlessly admire and wish to be there.î

Lisa James from Specsavers ”pticas in Guardamar was one of the three store directors to shortlist the top entries and commented, ìI was very impressed with the high standard of entries we received for this yearsícompetition. There were 58 entries and we thought they were so good, that we could only get the shortlist down to eight entries, before handing over to our followers to have their say and select the winner.

Thanks so much to everyone who submitted an

THEATRE MOVE FOR STUDIO32

Charity donation to Elche Childrens Home

Studio 32 Musical Theatre Group are delighted to present one of three charity donations from the show, Hello Dolly, performed earlier this year. The photo shows Lonee Hopwood and Linda Daniel handing over a cheque to Jennifer Welsh, committee member for the Elche Childrens Care Home charity.

ECH have 24 children aged between 12 and 17 and the money donated was used to get the children out and about during the long summer holidays. S32 also gave donations to AAN San Fulgencio and SATS.

After a short summer break Studio Thirty learned that the Cardinal Beluga Theatre, San Fulgencio would be undergoing major works until the end of the year. This meant a change to their November show, The Pajama

Game, which will now be performed at the Cardinal Beluga Theatre San Fulgencio in May 2024. Instead, S32 will ppresent The Studio 32 West End Party on Saturday 25th, Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th November at the Cultural Centre Benijofar.

You can purchase tickets for this show at the following outlets, all of whom have very kindly agreed to sell tickets on our behalf.

The Post Room Dona Pepa, Cards and More (Jason) Urbanisation La Marina, The Post Room Benijofar and Q Tech (near Goyas Restaurant) Quesada. Tickets for this show will be priced at 10 euros.

We, at Studio 32, look forward to seeing you in November at The Cultural Centre Benijofar.

entry and for everyone who took the time to vote.

Kristine is a worthy winner and I would like to congratulate her on behalf of all of the team!î

You can see the shortlisted entries on

Specsavers Opticasívia social media@SpecsaversOpticas on Facebook and @specsaversspain on Instagram. Find out more about the optical group and book an eye test in your nearest store via their website

EUR EUR OP OP E COMES TOGETHER IN SP E COMES TOGETHER IN SP AIN AIN

There´s not much to say about the Spanish political situation this week that wasn´t predicted. The PP failed to secure the necessary numbers in both votes last week, in fact, support declined in the second, so now we wait to see if acting President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez of the PSOE, has more success with his coalition before it might be put back in the public´s hands in January.

On Monday, the final Purchasing Managers' Index data for September that will be published in Spain, Italy, France, Germany, the Eurozone as a whole, the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan will be the main reference for a day in which the evolution of unemployment in August will also be released, after standing at 6.4% of the active population the previous month.

In Spain, the week starts with the Bank of Spain disseminating the liquidity and financing indicators of non-financial corporations and households for August.

The National Statistics Institute (INE) publishes the August survey of occupancy in tourist accommodation and prices.

On Wednesday, IHS Markit will publish the final data on the Eurozone services PMI, which rose slightly in September in its first reading to 48.4 points, compared to 47.9 points the previous month.

Subsequently, the rate of change in retail sales in the Eurozone in August will be known, after contracting 1.0% year-on-year in July.

On account of Spain’s Presidency of the EU, European leaders meet in Granada on Thursday for the third European Political Community Summit. Rishi Sunak is expected to try to push immigration to the top of the agenda, something already being discussed at an EU level, whereas Spain is hoping to focus on the growth, implementation, and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) and Ukraine.

Depending on how you see the man and his mission, the EU summit may or may not be fortuitous for Sunak as it comes in the midst of the Conservative Party conference, which is likely to be their last official gathering before the next general election.

Jeremy Hunt takes to the stage on Monday, and on Tuesday, Home Secretary Suella Braverman continues the message she introduced last week in Washington DC, a message that received mixed reviews from

party colleagues.

In completely unrelated news, the annual hate crime statistics for England and Wales are published later in the week. Prime Minister will offer his closing speech on Wednesday, just before heading to Spain, hoping no doubt to unite the party, but with division seemingly growing daily, it is possible they leave more divided than ever before.

The UK also sees doctors and consultants on strike, train drivers implementing an overtime ban and strike, Liz Truss, somewhat ironically, speaking at the Great British Growth Rally, and the beginning of the Module 2 hearing in the Covid-19 inquiry, and we get to see what happened in Downing Street during the height of the pandemic, as ‘Partygate: The True Story’ airs on TV.

Pro-Brexit, but now he can’t get the staff and beer prices have had to go up as a result. Tim Martin, will no doubt be doing the interview rounds later in the week as J D Wetherspoon announce their current financial results.

Over on the other side of the big swamp, Donald Trump will be in the news, as following a bombshell ruling last week, finding the former president and his company persistently committed fraud by inflating the value of his assets, the trial starts on Monday.

Globally, it’s Nobel week, culminating on Friday with the announcement of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. In addition to other announcements during the week in such fields as science, economics and literature, we know only that this year there are 351 candidates, of which 259 are individuals and 92 are organisations. If you’re an animal lover, you can celebrate World Farm Animals Day on Monday, and World Animal Day on Wednesday, and if you’re not an animal lover, the same day in UK is National Vodka Day, so perhaps that will suit you more.

Cerebral Palsy, dyslexia, teachers, poetry and even James Bond have special days this week, and in the fictional world the latter might see an opportunity to crash a birthday party and correct some of the global wrongs, as Vladimir Putin turns 71 on Saturday.

Finally, with all the drama, hatred and overall bad news in this world at times, we should all take a step back on Friday and celebrate a very important day that recognises something most of us are guilty of neglecting, for October 6 is World Smile Day.

ORIHUELA COSTA TO GET NEW ECO PARK

But not everyone is happy with the location

The streets of Orihuela, including the coast, will soon be as shiny as a new pin, as the municipality is to benefit from two new eco parks, one of them located on the Orihuela Costa.

The Councillor for Street Cleaning, Rocío Ortuño, presented the “Management Project for the Eco Park Network of the Vega Baja Region”, through which the Orihuela will have two eco parks, one in the town and another on the coast.

The councillor said that currently "the Orihuela City Council is paying a fee of 200,000 euro for eco parks to the Consortium, and we are looking forward to a project that will greatly improve the provision of the waste and bulk collection service."

The Oriolano municipality must have two type D eco parks based on the size of population and the number of residents to which it must provide this service.

The eco park planned for the town of Orihuela will also serve the neighbouring municipality of Bigastro, a total of 49,580 people, while the one on the coast will serve 48,030 people.

These eco parks will provide a service for 60 hours a week, from Monday to Sunday. It will also still provide the Consortium's Mobile Eco Park Network to reinforce the service in those districts or areas of the coast that are furthest from these two facilities.

The councillor has already asked the Heritage department for the certification of plots capable of hosting these facilities thereby getting the project underway.

As for the locations of the eco parks; in the

town it will be located in the plot next to the MSW field in the Puente Alto Industrial Estate, while on the coast it will be located in the Sector Lomas de Cabo Roig EQ1.

Ortuño explained that "we are going to begin the procedures for transferring both plots to the Alicante Provincial Council to expedite the project, which must also have environmental authorisation. Once the land is transferred, there will be a project drafting period of 2 months and an execution period of 4 months, so we hope that by next summer the two eco parks will be up and running and providing service to the people of Oriola, thus fulfilling a historical demand, especially from the residents of the coast."

Once complete, you will be able to take your garden waste, bulk items, paints, lighting, batteries, glass, textiles, wood, plastic, paper, and cardboard, among other materials, just like in Torrevieja.

However, algae, scrap metal, medical waste, radioactive waste, vehicles, or explosive material, among other materials, cannot be deposited in them.

However, residents who live close to the chosen site in Lomas de Cabo Roig are criticising the choice of location on social media. Jean wrote “We need the eco park but do you want it on your doorstep? My answer is No!.

Meanwhile, on the AVCRL Facebook page, Jose wrote: “At first and second sight, very bad news for the owners in Terrazas de Campoamor. Besides the inconvenience that such a container park will bring along: noise, traffic of heavy lorries and dust, most of all, the value of our apartments will decrease in a downward spiral. A very disappointed owner”.

ASK Y ASK Y OUR QUESTIONS OUR QUESTIONS ABOUT DRIVING IN ABOUT DRIVING IN SP SP AIN AIN

We will also bring you updates and commentary about what is happening each week, and important information you might need to know, but more importantly, we want to give you a platform where you can ask the burning questions that you might have.

Although the podcast will be in audio format initially, we will then extend it to video, but very shortly you will be able to subscribe via your favourite podcast app or platform, like Alexa and Amazon Music, for example, and will also be able to listen on the website, n332.es.

We have been testing the infrastructure so there are fragments littered around, in case you stumble across them, but the official launch will be published soon.

The site will be adjacent to the parking area currently used for council waste vehicles in Lomas de Cabo Roig

Very shortly, the N332 web team will be launching the N332 podcast, a weekly broadcast where we will answer any questions you might have about driving in Spain or Spanish Traffic Law.

For now, itís over to you. Have a think of the questions you might like answering, unless you have them already, and send them by email to us at : news@n332.es, then every week we will answer you and clear up, hopefully, any doubts you have about driving in Spain.

PEPE VEGARA - MAYOR OF ORIHUELA - 1 OCTOBER 23

The coast has always been the great forgotten..........It is as Orihuela as the urban area. It is the jewel in a crown that is tarnished and forgotten, and we have to recover the splendor of its eleven blue flags.

The vast majority of the town's tourists enter through the coast. The first thing we have to do is see that Orihuela Costa and Orihuela centre are connected, and make Orihuela Costa that attractive and clean space again. DIARIO INFORMACION

QUICKIE CROSSWORD

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD

ANSWERS Week 990

QUICK QUICK

ACROSS: ACROSS: 7 Grotto; 8 Colour; 10 Operate; 11 Force; 12 Laud; 13 Guard; 17 Topic; 18 Roar; 22 First; 23 Ruinous; 24 Inform; 25 Patron.

DOWN: 1 Ignoble; 2 Hopeful; 3 Steal; 4 Comfort; 5 Board; 6 Brief; 9 Pecuniary; 14 Contort; 15 Sojourn; 16 Present; 19 Affix; 20 Craft; 21

Final.

CR CR YPTIC YPTIC

ACROSS ACROSS

1.Impartial (9)

8.Flee (3)

9.Derange (5,6)

11.Unscrambler (7)

12.Earlier (5)

13.Buccaneering (6)

15.Nullify (6)

17.Rule (5)

18.Designate (7)

20.Impassive (11)

22.Baton (3)

23.Insipid (9)

CAN YOU MASTER THE SUDOKU CHALLENGE?

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

Solution on Page 22

2.Taboo (3)

3.Dogma (5)

4.Disregard (6)

5.Specimen (7)

6.Fear (11)

7.Experienced (9)

10.Doubt (11)

11.Leaving (9)

14.Satisfied (7)

16.Renowned (6)

19.Cost (5)

21.Donkey (3)

ACROSS: ACROSS: 7 Exacts; 8 Moment; 10 Console; 11 Devil; 12 Oath; 13 Broth; 17 Lambs; 18 Take; 22 Locks; 23 Tallies; 24 Forage; 25 Tennis.

DOWN: DOWN: 1 Reactor; 2 Magnate; 3 Stool; 4 Cordite; 5 Leave; 6 Stole; 9 Reprobate; 14 Massage; 15 Patient; 16 Persist; 19 Bluff; 20 Score; 21 Fleet.

ACROSS ACROSS

1.Arm a domineering woman (6-3)

8.Love to go to the museum for eggs (3)

9.Former prime minister had lain next to the room (11)

11 and 18Ac. Author writing about children's cakes (7,7)

12.Took a scarf (5)

13.Henry returns with a mineral from a Pakistan city (6)

15.Broken nose I'd given to the inventor (6)

17.Tale of a holy man or youth leader (5)

18.See 11 Ac.

20.I'm Peter Dell and I'm awfully irritable (3-8)

22.Animal found on a ship (3)

23.Time for a Beatles record (9)

DOWN DOWN

2.Has destroyed a tree (3)

3.Artist leaving the party gives a reason to sue (5)

4.Stop for a b-breather (6)

5.Awfully pleased to have passed (7)

6.Sure no coins can fool the expert (11)

7.Wine turns up with ease (9)

10.Monarch is an awful person from another time (11)

11.Heavenly tiles Alec makes (9)

14.Two men get extremely touchy with the Queen's family (7)

16.Dreads discovering snakes (6)

19.Scope to changed the thicket (5)

21.Are going back in time (3)

LEADER TRIVIA QUIZ (Answers on page 22)

1. Which evil character was born somewhere near the Caspian Sea on the 6th October, 1005 BC and died in New York City in 1985 AD?

2. According to planecrashinfo.com, which of the following has been the cause of the majority of commercial aviation accidents since 1950? a. mechanical failure, b. weather, c. sabotage, d. pilot error

3. Which 1982 John Carpenter film has an all male cast?

4. Plus or minus 4, in which year was Hip Hop born?

5. What was the Hoover Dam called from 1933 until 30 April, 1947?

6. Irenology takes its name from the Greek goddess Eirene. What is irenology the study of?

7. Which European capital was bombed by the Luftwaffe in April 1941, the RAF and USAF in April 1944, and NATO in May 1999?

8. The term Grand Poohbah stems from which 1885 comic opera?

9. Soju is the most popular alcoholic beverage in which country?

10. With eight words, what is the longest James Bond theme song title?

11. The Millennium Prize, worth one million US dollars, is awarded to anyone who can solve specific problems in which field?

12. Queen Scheherazade is the story teller and narrator of what?

13. Who had a number one album in the UK music charts with each of the following? a. 18, b. 8701, c. 1, d. 13, e. 1977. f. 1982 (or 1+9+8+2)

14. What is the largest species of dolphin?

15. Which films based on a Stephen King book starred? a. Pierce Brosnan, b. Arnold Schwarzenegger

16. Which of the following Boeing's is the best selling commercial jet airliner in the world? a. 737, b. 747, c. 757, d. 777

17. The capital of a British Dominion until 1949, which city is considered by many to be the oldest English-founded city in North America?

18. What kind of 'drive' does one associate with Zefram Cochrane?

19. Which of the following holds the record as the youngest winner of the US Open Women's singles title? a. Chris Evert, b. Tracy Austin, c. Monica Seles, d. Stefi Graf

20. Which British musician had a guest role playing a deranged FBI agent in Twin Peaks?

ENVIRONMENTALGROUPS COMBINE RESOURCES TO SAVE CALAMOSCA

The environmental groups Salvemos Cala Mosca and Friends of the Southern Alicante Wetlands (AHSA) have presented a common front to stop the urbanisation of Cala Mosca, the last remaining plot of open land on the Orihuela Costa, in the courts.

The two organisations have reached a collaboration agreement to articulate a legal response to what they consider a serious and irreversible environmental attack against the coastline and the biodiversity of the Vega Baja region. The presentation of appeals and complaints before the courts, as well as the appearance in judicial proceedings by environmental groups, has often been restricted by the material impossibility of meeting the expenses generated by these legal actions and even by the sentence to the payment of legal costs, as occurred in 2006 when AHSA and Ecologistas en Acción were ordered to pay part of the costs of the lawsuit against the contamination of the Segura River.

For several years now, the Spanish courts have recognised the legitimate right of non-profit ecological and environmental groups to benefit from free justice, but not without some resistance that was settled with several Supreme Court rulings in

that regard.

Salvemos Cala Mosca began a successful fundraising campaign a few months ago to cover the costs of hiring a lawyer to present a contentious appeal against the approval of the Cala Mosca urbanisation project, despite the expenses derived from a process legal proceedings against an urban project are outside the possibilities of a modest environmental group, which is why it was essential to obtain the so-called free legal assistance that includes exemption from the payment of court fees as well as the deposits necessary for filing appeals or assistance of free expert

opinion among other services. Among the requirements to be a beneficiary of the right to so-called free justice, similar but not exactly the same as what we might consider to be “legal aid”, is that the requesting association be more than two years old, a condition that Salvemos Cala Mosca did not meet. This is where AHSA comes into play, a veteran environmental group that for years has been opposing, through writings and allegations, the processing of the Cala Mosca urbanisation project, requesting the right to free justice and presenting an appeal before the Administrative Litigation Court in Elche.

Recently, the Alicante Free Justice Commission has notified AHSA that it recognises its right to free legal assistance for the presentation of the appeal against the Cala Mosca urbanisation, guaranteeing the opportunity to continue with legal actions.

Both organisations consider this type of short-term policies to be irresponsible in an area that lacks the basic services required by a volume of population and built area such as that which exists in Orihuela Costa. On the other hand, they insist on the complete nonsense of the destruction of one of the few coastal spaces free of

cement in the south of the Vega Baja and consider it completely suicidal, in times of global boiling and mass extinction of species.

AHSA and Salvemos Cala Mosca remain hopeful in this judicial process, since the actions of both the Orihuela City Council and the Generalitat Valenciana have been disappointment after disappointment, despite the demonstrations and writings presented in the long struggle around Cala Mosca for keeping it virgin and natural as a paradise of species and paradigm in the protection of the coastline.

The Church of JESUS CHRISTof Latter-Day Saints in Torrevieja meet at 10.00 each Sunday in their chapel at Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia, 104. All Welcome. Phone or whatsapp the missionaries on 659 016 733

Join us at the SALT CHURCH Sundays at 10.30 am. We are a friendly church, bible centred in our teaching and informal in our worship. Meets at Calle Daya Nueva 12, PolÌgono Ind. Levante 11, 03187 Los Montesinos. We look forward to meeting you. www.Saltchurchspain.

Facebook SaltChurchSpain

International Christian Assembly, Calle Beniajan 14, Torrevieja -Evangelical Church. Sunday Service 11 a.m.; - Contact 966 799 273 / 660 127 276. Evangelical non-denominational church. www.icatorrevieja.org

Come along to our large showroom in Elche and see our vast range of new and used cars or call 96 666 22 60 for all our latest offers. See page7.

We can assure you of the biggest and best choice of new and used cars in the area for price, choice and quality.

ENGLISH SPOKEN

AGE CONCERN BEREAVEMENTGROUP.

Have you lost somebody close to you?

Are you finding life difficult after a bereavement?

Come along and chat to other people in the same situation.

Starting on October 10th, then every Tuesday from 2-4pm at the Age Concern Centre, Calle Paganini, La Siesta, Torrevieja. 96 678 6887.

Everyone is welcome.

Alameda del Mar. Open 3 times a week for a programme of English speaking activities, support, information and advice with the support of Orihuela Council. Anyone wanting to join CCAsocial activities can pop along. Open 2pm -6pm Mondays and Thursdays, Wednesday 2pm - 5pm. You can register between 1pm & 2pm on those days, in the Cafe area where you will find Eva or Norah. email: communitycare@gmail.com

RAGS CLUB (previously Friendship Centre). Every Tuesday Lunchtime, From a Bun to a Banquet. At Graceys - upstairs La Zenia park in Lidl Carpark. COME AND PLAYRUMMIKUB.

bar/restaurant, Quesada. For

more info contact Chairman Tony Jenkins on +44 7576 117 222, Secretary Steve Hemingfield 0n Mob/Whats 711 011 373

The RAFACosta Blanca RMG is a social group of caring people and remains affiliated to the parent Association. Contact with the RAFAand the RMG is via the RAFAwebsite rafa.org.uk.

The Car of the Month at AUTOMOVILES CRESPO is a very attractive 2019 Ford Ecosport ST-Line Petrol which is priced at just 17,900 euro.

Los Alc·zares Digital Camera Club. Interested in photography? We invite you to come and join us at our twice monthly meetings. Please contact coordinatorladcc@ gmail.com or see http://www.los-alcazarescamera.club/ for details.

COMMUNITYCARE ASSOCIATION (CCA) Open to residents of Orihuela Costa over 60 years of age. Located at the Centro Civico

Age Concern Costa Blanca Sur is here to help you with problem solving and well being for the over 50ís. We need volunteer Drivers and people to join our Home Visiting Team to visit a Residential Home, and take them out for a coffee. Call into our centre at C/Paganini s/n, Urb. La Siesta 03184 Torrevieja or ring 966 786 887. Or email: costablanca@ageconcern.org.es Royal Naval Association, Torrevieja Branch now meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 5pm at the Lakeview

Business Opportunity: LOOKING FOR Silent Business Partner for small Private Care Home. Invest 10K and get 20K back in 14 months. 747 438 225 (4) Law Services: PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, Solicitor, Debt Collections, Bad Tenants. 747 438 225 (4)

FREE

CLASSIFIED ADS

If you have items that are WANTED or FOR SALE, ANNOUNCEMENTS, NOTICES and suchlike, advertise them, to a maximum of 35 words, FREE OF CHARGE, on this page. SEND BY EMAIL TO: office@theleader.info

TORREVIEJA’S HISTORIC CUSTOMS BUILDING DAUBED WITH GRAFFITI

Within just a matter of just a few months, following its 500,000 euro refurbishment, the entrance to the former Customs facilities in the port of Torrevieja has been covered in graffiti.

The building is the only one that has survived among those that populated the port area following the start of construction work on the new 'Paseo del Mar' leisure centre.

Opened by the former President Ximo Puig, its appearance, now much more pristine and closer to how it was when it was built in the 1940s, has lost part of its lustre in recent months

through pure vandalism and bad taste, its rear façade has been daubed in graffiti for several weeks.

According to the municipal ordinance, this type of graffiti is classified as a minor offense with penalties up to 750 euros. However, it is difficult to identify the perpetrators as they usually flee, despite the fact that this building stands in a central location, very close to the Paseo Vista Alegre, Plaza Waldo Calero and 'los hippies'.

The Customs building now accommodates workers from the old Maritime Captaincy, whose headquarters were demolished,

as were the old offices of the Generalitat and the old fishermen's market, which, in the name of ‘progress’ also succumbed to the bulldozer.

Six Sports Pitches refurbished at a cost of 761,000 Euros

Six sports courts have undergone a complete transformation in Torrevieja at a cost of 761,000 euros. The work was carried out by Abala Infrastructure, with the main objective of improving security and providing the best possible conditions for practicing sports in these popular municipal facilities.

The mayor of Torrevieja, Eduardo DolÛn, was accompanied by the Councilor for Sports, Diana Box, the director of Sports Facilities, JosÈ Antonio Carmona, and the

Council's Sports Activities Planner, former Olympic medallist Daniel Plaza, when he visited two of the courts in the Torreta III urbanisation.

One of the main improvements is the change of all lighting to highly energy efficient LED lights. This improvement will not only contribute to significant energy savings, but will also provide more uniform and brighter lighting on the courts, thus improving visibility and safety during sports activities.

The six courts that have been renovated are located in the Plaza de Europa, the La Siesta urbanization, the Los Altos urbanization, Torreblanca (next to the Ciudad del Mar public school) and two in La Torreta III.

MET POLICE THREATEN DISRUPTION IF ARMED OFFICER FOUND GUILTY by

Tony Mayes

It’s a sad day when an armed British police officer, finds himself charged with murder when he is doing his duty protecting the public.

An officer has been charged with the murder of black man Chris Kaba, 24, in south London, a year ago. Dad-to-be Mr Kaba died from a single gunshot to the head after the car he was driving was blocked in by a police vehicle and an officer opened fire. It later emerged that the Audi which Mr Kaba was driving had been linked to a gun incident the previous day.

The decision to prosecute has prompted dozens of Met police officers to hand in their weapons, saying they do not want to be put in a position of facing a court trial if they have to make a split-second decision to open fire if they believe they or a member of the public is at risk of harm.

This Wednesday a judge is to determine whether the officer concerned should or should not be named, as it the normal case when a defendant appears in court. Currently he is being referred to only as NX 121. If the officer is named, a large number of other officers on armed police duties are threatening to hand in their weapons too, and this will result in soldiers being deployed in their place.

This sorry situation is alarming because soldiers are trained to kill and arguably could be more likely to respond by shooting someone, they think could be a threat. With fewer armed police on the streets, or available in an emergency, a terrorist or armed criminals could see this situation as an opportunity to commit crime. The sooner the situation is resolved the better.

I also ask the question - had the person who was shot and killed been white, would there have been such a Draconian response? It seems the priority on the part of the authorities is to avoid a mass protest by the black community at all costs.

Of course, until the trial, we do not know the full facts of the case, but it’s clear that officer NX 121 was on heightened alert because of the link between the car in which Mr Kaba was in and a previous armed robbery. What prompted him to shoot we will not know until the trial.

How many of you Leader readers would be willing to become an armed police officer knowing that if you got it wrong and killed someone who you thought was about to shoot and kill you, you would be in the dock charged with murder? And it’s a sad fact that police are putting their own lives at risk every day trying to do their duty under ever greater constraints.

BILLIONS OF POUNDS SITTING IN NON INTEREST EARNING ACCOUNTS

The Bank of England has just issued the most amazing news – that people in the UK have an incredible 268 billion pounds in banks earning not one single penny in interest. Every day we hear on the news how people are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their bills – but these are hardly likely to be people who can sit back and, in effect, hand masses amount of money to the banks.

Some of this money might be owned by people who have dementia and have forgotten about their wealth.

And could it be that some are billionaires who so hate the idea of being taxed on their investment income they prefer to let the banks make megga bucks rather than have the money help those less fortunate than them? Yes, I have no doubt there are such people.

It’s a sad indictment that we have so much money just sitting in non interest earning accounts while Britain is desperate for money to heal so many ills – like the NHS, schools, a growing mental health problem, public transport and railways, HS2, etc etc.

It makes me wonder how some of these super rich people sleep at night!

BRITAIN GOING TO POT!

Over the past few weeks Mrs M and I have had to travel about 50 miles each way on horrible roads and on our journey, we have had to pass five sets of road works, four of which are controlled by traffic lights and generate bad traffic congestion.

On every one of our journeys, we have only seen workmen at one of the road works.

It seems we have a new phenomenon in Britain – dig a hole in the road at the most inconvenient spot and then just leave it. What on earth is going on?

I can believe councils or utilities have run out of money. I can also believe that there is a shortage of labour. But it is another example of Britain just going to pot!

OUTCRY IN SPAIN AS A.I. USED TO CREATE NAKED IMAGES

Imagine being a teenage girl. You go to school one day and see groups of boys with their iphones, giggling. Then you discover that they are laughing because they are looking at a picture of you, naked.

You haven’t posed naked to anyone. What’s happened is that artificial intelligence has been used to guess what you would look like naked, and then that image has been superimposed on a picture of your face.

That’s just what has happened to girls at a village in Spain. It’s disgusting and must be causing all sorts of concern for these young girls.

It’s no wonder that a growing number of children just don’t want to go to school, and as a consequence their education is suffering.

Artificial intelligence may have plenty of uses and beneficial in many ways, but it needs to

be policed far more thoroughly, or many people are going to be hurt by it.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

And finally, there is a growing number of people in Russia being killed by stupidity. After Russia invaded Ukraine and the Kremlin realised the war was going badly, they released hundreds of the most hardened criminals from jails and put them on the front

ORIHUELA COUNCIL REINTRODUCES TERRACE TAX

From 1 January 2024. Orihuela bar owners and hoteliers must once again pay a terrace tax, the fee for occupying public roads with their tables and chairs. Previously, all through covid in fact, they were exempt the tax as a result of the detrimental effect that the virus was having on their business. Last Thursday, however, at the Orihuela Plenary session, the local PP/Vox coalition government voted to reintroduce the charge, despite a motion by Ciudadanos to maintain the exemption. The local executive justified the vote because

lines. If they were not killed, they were pardoned after serving for six months.

The result now is that some are returning to Russia and committing the most appalling crimes.

In one village two families were slaughtered for no reason.

What a country to live in. Count your blessings you are where you are!

the extraordinary situation that was the pandemic has now ended with the measure adopted to help hoteliers during those difficult times, prolonging it in 2021, 2022 and in 2023.

"We must no longer discriminate between businesses, with the bar and cafeteria sector exempt from the rate, but not the merchants," justified the PPcouncillor VÌctor Valverde. In total the tax generates approximately 120,000 euros per year for the council, although now, that figure would increase because requests for licenses to establish terraces have doubled during the period of exemption, at which time establishing a terrace on a public road could be carried out at zero cost.

USING A VMP FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES

Personal Mobility Vehicles (VMP) are designed for personal use, although there is a separate definition for those used for commercial purposes.

What this means, in the most basic form, is that if you are a gig worker, say delivering food, you are not permitted to use an escooter designed for personal use. You will

have to obtain a vehicle specifically designed for commercial use, and that vehicle must have different, more restrictive characteristics than a personal mobility vehicle.

To be clear, without singling any company out, but to use them as an example, Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats, Glovo, or even your local restaurant, are not permitted to

deliver using standard personal mobility vehicles, such as electric scooters.

Most of the technical characteristics are the same as those for personal use, but some elements are more restrictive.

The VMP for transporting goods or other services are a type of VMP with at least 3 wheels, 2 of them being located on the axle closest to the load, and which have a platform or box enabled for this use.

The maximum permitted speed range is the same, between 6 and 25 km/h, but the nominal power is higher, less than 1,500 watts. These vehicles may under no circumstances be dedicated to the transportation of passengers.

The VMP for transporting goods or other services must include yellow side reflectors and red rear reflectors, on the edges and vertices of the load, which allow for clearly signalling and distinguishing in low visibility situations both the height and width of the same. VMPs for transporting goods or other services must have both front and rear direction indicators installed.

Direction indicators installed on the front and/or rear of the vehicle must comply with the emitted light colour requirements set out in Regulation No. 50 of the United Nations

Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) or in the ISO 6742-1 standard.

The front or rear indicators must be mounted at a maximum height equal to that of the vehicle itself, and the rear indicators at a minimum height of 150 mm, and the minimum geometric visibility angle is 25°with respect to the horizontal plane.

As well as a horn or bell, VMPs for transporting goods or other services must also include an audible reversing warning.

The box, compartment or loading platform must be stable and securely anchored to the vehicle chassis (without rocking), ensuring that its centre of gravity is as low as possible.

In the event that the cargo box is mobile, the platform on which it is located must be nonslip, and must have fixing mechanisms or mooring points that prevent its movement, which must in turn be appropriately sized and designed to anchor the declared loads.

The VMP for transporting goods or other services must include 2 mirrors, to the left and right of the vehicle, with the field of vision specified in the current regulations for Class L mirrors, and with a useful surface area each of them. of at least 75 cm 2.

FINAL DAY OF LINEA DIRECTA VALENCIAN BOWLS CHAMPIONSHIP FILMED BY CHANNEL 5

EMERALD ISLE BOWLS

The Valencian Tournament concluded at the Emerald Isle on Tuesday,well done to all who took part and to thanks to the Sponsors Linea Direct for their support once again.

Emerald Isle had some success at the event with Russell and Sabrina Marks (below) winning the MIXED PAIRS while the LADIES PAIRS WINNERS were Sue Elvin & Jackie Fenty who beat Sabrina Marks and Mary Dyer in final.Mary Dyer was also beaten in final of Ladies Singles.

BY SUZI

COOPER

The last of the semi final results from last Sunday. Dave Morrison & Pete Bonsor (Greenlands) and Mel Ward & Peter Morgan (Quesada) progressed to the final.

Sunday afternoon saw the Mixed Pairs final between Sabrina & Russell Marks (Emerald Isle) and Carole Donnellan & Darren Reynolds (Country Bowls). It was Russell & Sabrina who went on to secure the Mixed Pairs title.

Monday morning & the Mens Pairs were back in action for their final.

The Ladies pairs were played at the same time & was an all Emerald Isle match. Sue Elvin & Jackie Fenty taking on Sabrina Marks & Mary Dyer. Sabrina & Mary did not get off

to a good start but gradually pulled back. It was all to play for on the final end but it was Jackie & Sue who took the honours.

The Mens pairs was a great game for the spectators. Mel & Peter went into the lead from the beginning and held onto the lead until the final end when Dave & Peter got the shots needed to secure the title. The Mixed rinks final took place between Carole Donnellan, Darren Reynolds, William Miller & birthday bot Graham Richardson (Country Bowls) and Sue Bosworth, Debbie Perryman, Andy Miles & Dave Morrison (Greenlands). It was birthday boy & his team who took the honours.

Tuesday saw the Mixed triples final between Freddie Willey, Paul Durham & Sheila

COUNTRY BOWLS CLUB with Peter Dix

Country Bowls Club are going from strength to strength with an increase in membership able to increase input into the LLB leagues this winter. For the first time entering the Wednesday Winter League and entering 3 teams in both the Monday and Friday leagues.

VALENCIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Country Bowls competed in the recent championships in all disciplines, putting up a great performance during the

14 days.

Most notably:- MIXED FOURS WINNERS, Graham Richardson, William Miller, Darren Reynolds, Carole Donnellan, Mixed Triples Semi-finalists, Tom McDonald, Steve Wailes, Della Wailes, Mixed Triples Semi-finalists, Graham Richardson, John Jukes, Carole Donnellan, Men’s Pairs Semi-finalists, William Miller, Darren Reynolds, Mixed Pairs Finalists, Darren Reynolds, Carole Donnellan

Westwood (Vistabella) against Peta Rhodes, Lisa & Peter Bonsor (Greenlands). The Greenlands team were the victors.

On Tuesday afternoon we had the 2 Premier events, the Mens & Ladies Singles which were filmed for the popular Channel 5 television programme, BARGAIN BRITS IN THE SUN. The two matches attracted a sizeable crowd with Peta Rhodes (Greenlands) playing Mary Dyer (Emerald Isle) in the Ladies final while Dave Morrison & Pete Bonsor (both Greenlands) were the protagonists in the Mens competition.

It was Peta that got the shots on the board ‘early doors’ only to be pegged back by Mary, with her local support, to ensure a fitting climax. In the end Peta saw the match off by just 3 points to win this years Ladies Singles.

In the Mens Singles it was Peter who took the game to become Mens Singles champion in a match that was tight throughout. Well done to all the Winners & finalists and a big thank you to sponsors, Linea Directa, to the organisers, the venues and to the bowlers, without who there couldn’t be a competition.

The Annual Vera Moran was played on Thursday,a Great turn out thank you all who took part.The winners were Pete Bonsor and Dave Morrison of Greenlands while Emerald Isle best pair were Mel and Glenda Odell

We are back to bowling again with the Winter League starting on Wednesday with a visit to Country Bowls

Emerald Isle is looking forward to having all our new members on the greens as we welcome them all to this great club.

SAPS will be taking place on Saturday as usual,5 Euros only for 2 hours bowling,coaching,with Shoes and Bowls supplied and the happy and welcoming face of Dave behind the bar.

ELWYN MORRIS

LA Marina Bowls Club

Saturday and we introduced a new Club Trophy to play for.It is the Tom Spencer challenge cup. Tom and his wife Val are shortly returning to friends and family in the UK.

Tom has worked tirelessly for this club for the last 20 years and alongside Alex Whyte and a small band of volunteers he has been a driving force behind many of the improvements to our green and surrounds and has always maintained and progressed the club.

His cup will be remembered also because no one won it,it was our two squads playing (Seagulls v Sharks) against each other and it resulted in a draw,each side won 2 rinks and the shots were even – really quite a rare occasion in bowls This was followed by 2 very active Club Days (Tues & Thur) where our players are getting prepared for the new season.

La Marina Bowls Club is a friendly lawn bowling club who take part in league games against various other clubs in the area.We have club days on Tuesday and Thursday morning when outsiders are welcome to join in.Or come along on a League or Club days when there are invariably spectators sitting on the terrace for a chat and a coffee/beer and learn about our activities including our social calendar.Anyone interested in joining us,please come along and have a chat,new members are always welcome.

By Dave Hadaway

CAME DOWN GOLF CLUB

CAME DOWN, originally the nine-hole Dorchester Golf Club, was founded in 1896, part of the great golf boom of the 1890’s.

In 1904 renowned golfer and course architect J.H. Taylor was appointed to extend the course to 18 holes up on the rolling downs, and it opened in 1906 with an exhibition match between Taylor and another five-times Open champion, James Braid.

In 1910 the club appointed Ernest Whitcombe as club professional, a very significant move, for shortly afterwards his mother Bessie was appointed club stewardess and she bought along her other two sons Charles and Reginald. They stayed for seventeen glorious years. In 1924 the club was renamed Came Down golf club and redesigned by Harry Colt.

VISTABELLA BOWLS CLUB

Some of our Vistabella bowlers have had a very busy September. Valencian championships came first(sept 13th26th)

with some success with Martin Foulcer getting to the mens singles semifinals, Maggie Furness & Richard Willey reaching the mixed pairs semifinal, Alan Bannister, Grahan Doel, Mo. & Martin Foulcer also reaching mixed fours semifinal. But congratulations to Paul Durham, Freddie Willey & Sheila Westwood getting to the mixed triples final only to be beaten in a close game 21-18 by Greenlands mixed triples team.

Well done to all Vistabella bowlers who took part and congratulations to our organisers from Country bowls and Emerald Isle bowls club plus a big thank you to John O'Brien who coordinated the whole event.

Also some of our bowlers had the chance on September 28th to show off their skills in the Vera Moran open pairs invitation held at Emerald Isle bowls club. 32 teams took part in a great day of bowls with Richard Willey

All three Whitcombe brothers were brilliant golfers, winning many national tournaments. They put the club on the map, and when Samuel Ryder, a keen golfer from Hertfordshire who had made his fortune selling pennypacket seeds came to Dorset on holiday he became a country member. On enquiring whether the brothers ever played in international tournaments Ernest told him they couldn't afford the travel costs and unpaid time. Ryder decided to try and set up a contest between Britain and America. He consulted his friend and golf tutor Abe Mitchell (whose image is atop the Ryder Cup) purchased a trophy from Mappin and Webb, and the rest is history. Ernest won the News of the World Matchplay and Reg the British Open at Royal St. Georges in 1938. Charles won the British PGA Matchplay twice. All three brothers played in the 1935 Ryder Cup. Charles took part in six from 1927 to 1937, and captained the team four times.

When the Ryder Cup comes around it's worth remembering Came Down golf club and the three brothers who played there all those years ago. Not forgetting a certain seed merchant from Hertfordshire.

INSPIRED BY THE FACT their original P790 irons became a best-seller, combining the look of a player’s distance iron with forgiveness,Taylor Made have launched their 2023 P790 irons with various (so they tell us) impressive improvements.

The FCG (Flighted Centre of Gravity) which enhances launch and playability across the range, a larger sweetspot, and new sound and vibration-dampening SpeedFoam Air, 69-percent lighter than original SpeedFoam. Up to 38 grams of tungsten throughout the set.

Honeycomb geometry on the back wall which strategically thins it out, saving mass without compromising structural integrity, and a Thru Slot which maintains ball speed on lowface strikes. Not forgetting the Sound Stabilization Bars behind the face which tune impact vibration. Impressed? The original all black P790 irons were said to inspire an aggressive mindset. I'm glad the new ones aren't black, the game's tough enough without being attacked by your opponent if he loses.

FAIRWAY WOOD TIP: “Trying to sweep the ball off the ground, as many players have been taught, is a mistake,” says School of Golf instructor Martin Hall. “Hitting slightly down on the ball and taking a small divot is the actual goal. If you can make that adjustment you'll see immediate improvement when it comes to accuracy and distance.”

I’ll try anything once.

DONALD TRUMP informed everybody that he won the Senior Club Championship at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. This was despite his not playing the first round. Members arriving the second day of the Stableford Tournament were surprised to see Trump with a five-point lead.

He told organisers he played a strong round on the Thursday, two days before the tournament started, and decided that would count as his Saturday score.

“For some reason, I am just a good golfer.” says Donald. No doubt like ex-dictator Kim Jong Il, who shot 38 under, including 11 holes in one, in his very first round at Pyongyang according to N. Korea state media.

THE PILOT of Ricky Fowler’s private jet attempting to put down in hurricane-force winds in Hawaii: “We will shortly be landing at Oahu airport, or near it anyway!”

Until next time: Happy Golfing.

Contact Mick for your regripping and repairs. 638 859 475 or visit https://mickthegrip.blogspot.com

ESQUINA PARK RANGERS WALKING FOOTBALL

Esquina Park Rangers travelled the two hour South journey on Friday to Lubrin to compete in a four Team Walking Football Tournament.

& Sheila Westwood(Vistabella) taking 2nd place, great achievement. We are now looking forward to a very busy winter bowls season starting in October.

If you would like any information about Vistabella bowl club please contact richardwilley321@gmail.com

Tel: 698925932

An early start for the lads leaving at 7.30..With Andrew , Kev ,Graham & Fred just leaving Happy Days at this time , they were thankful for the two hour journey to catch upon their sleep and with Geordie John Navigating the Bus it was sure to be an adventurous journey. By time the team walked the 5 km up through the picturesque streets to the pitch the lads needed an hour to recover.

Each Team played each other twice in 15 minute games, with the teams representing rom Portobello, Alfoquia, Lubrin & Esquina..

Esquina won five of their games & drawing one, with 12 goals for & only 2 conceded, a Great Performance by all the team . If your looking to get involved with the the Best Walking Football Team On the Costa Blanca please email...

esquinaparkrangers2018@yahoo.com

The three Whitcombe brothers taken in 1935

with Richard Willey

GOAL DROUGHT CONTINUES AS THADER STUTTER TO DEFEAT

Life in the newly formed Community League is looking decidedly grim for Thader Rojales, for this latest setback means they've now failed to score in more than 360 minutes of football.

Against La Nucia's second string team, they were always playing catch up, requiring to soak up constant pressure throughout the match.

Surprisingly, Dani Lucas and Juan Mora started this home fixture at Formentera (Moi Gomez stadium is still not fit for use) on the bench for Thader, as different permutations were being tried out. The normally reliable Chema, had a brain storm after only 5 mins, when he elected to flap at a nothing ball, only to gift Yosile with a simple tap in which put the visitors ahead. There then followed a lengthy period of chessboard football, when both sides fought a battle in midfield, leaving the keepers to soak up the red hot October sun.

Alger and Alger and Panchal in Panchal in Spain Squad Spain Squad

LAManga Torrevieja CC duo Adam Alger and Ravi Panchal have been named in Spain's squad for the T10 European Cricket Championships to be played at the Cartama Oval as National Team coach Corey Rutgers has been hit with injuries.

îIt's very exciting to be back again with a national team for the first time since February, having had a quieter programme after a very busy 2022," said Corey.

"Due to injuries and unavailability, this year's ECC T10 offers us the opportunity to look at some new talent and reward good performances," he said.

QUIZ FROM PAGE 14:

1.Kurgan (Highlander film), 2. Answer d.pilot error (32%), 3.The Thing, 4.1973, 5.Boulder Dam, 6. Peace, 7.Belgrade, 8.The Mikado, 9.South Korea, 10.We Have All The Time In The World (Louis Armstrong), 11.Mathematics, 12. One Thousand And One Nights, 13. Six answers.a.Moby, b.Usher, c. The Beatles, d.Blur, e.Ash, f.Status Quo, 14.The Orca (Killer Whale), 15. Two answers.a.The Lawnmower Man, b.The Running Man, 16. Answer a.737, 17.St John's (Newfoundland), 18.Warp Drive (human inventor in Star Trek), 19. Answer b.Tracy Austin (16 years 8 month), 20.David Bowie

Thader's first real effort of note arrived on 35 mins, as Berni's acute angled shot was pushed onto the bar, only for La Nucia's keeper Fer to safely gather the rebound. Yosile went close to doubling his goal tally 2 mins later, but thankfully he headed a left wing cross fractionally wide of near post.

When Lloyd was presented with a free kick some 25 yards out, hopes were high, but alas his effort zoomed harmlessly over the bar.

It won't be long before Yosile is promoted to La Nucia's first team if this performance was anything to go by, for the energetic front man was terrorising the host's defence at will.

So, it wasn't a surprise when Pascual illegally halted his marauding run inside the penalty area, allowing the mop haired no 9 to send Chema the wrong way from the spot kick. Berni appeared to be hacked down on the edge of La Nucia's box deep into 1st half stoppage time, but ref Pacheco was unimpressed.

"Hassan Ali, Babar Khan, Robuil Khan and Ameer Hamzah all earn their maiden ECC call up. There are familiar faces in the fold and there should be fun, with plenty of learning to be had.

"As the host nation it is always an honour to play live on the European Cricket Network, which will be going live to millions of households. We hope to put on an entertaining show," added Corey.

Fixtures got underway on September 24/25, followed by a fixture date on October 20.

The 14 man squad consists of players from all areas of Spain.

La Manga players Adam Alger and Ravi Panchal will be travelling East to join the team and local boy Lorne Burns will be available for the evening games for ìLa SelecciÛnî.

Madrid Based Rubuil Khan grabs a

SUDUK SUDUK O SOLUTION O SOLUTION

From Thader's first attack of the new half, Albert forced a good save from Fer, as a brief moment of urgency was in evidence.

Chema went some way to atone for his 1st half howler, when he pulled off a wordly save from sub Aiton on 53 mins.

New boy Juan Alberola was presented with a peach of an assist on the hour mark, but with just the visiting keeper to beat, he made a complete hash of it, and the moment was lost.

It could have been much worse for Thader,

when first Chema saved magnificently from Pablo, then Yosile squandered a glorious chance to claim a hat trick.

A highly contentious decision on 75 mins made the game safe for La Nucia. Sub Omar looked way offside when he received another precise assist, but from less than 5 yards out, his simple tap in was allowed to stand. Next weekend, Thader make the long journey to CF Tavernes, as they go looking for a first league win of the season. Check out CD Thader facebook page for further information.

Carp-R-Us report

spot to give the bowling attack an additional pace option.

The team is captained by Daniel Doyle Calle in the absence of Christian Munoz Mills through injury. The squad is completed by the strength and conditioning coach Alastair Priddle, National Team Manager Imran Malik and National team coach Corey Rutgers. Spain started their campaign against France and Greece on September 25,

After another short break, Carp-RUs resumed their Summer/Autumn Series with Round Five fished at Jacarilla/Bigastro. The river had settled quite well after the rains earlier in the month, but was still fairly high and fast but, on a beautiful autumn day, everyone expected to catch a few fish, and that’s exactly what happened.

As expected, when he drew the upstream end peg, Willy Moons ran out clear winner with 8.12kg caught on his usual method feeder tactics. Willy fishes the venue regularly and its thought he now knows

all the fish by name. Second from the other end peg was Steve Fell with 5.54kg caught mainly on feeder and maggots.

Steve’s catch included six small barbel, which was good to see. Third was Trevpr Morrey, fishing the venue for the first time. Trevor had 2.50kg to just pip Richard Crawshaw who weighed in 2.22kg which also included several small barbel.

Further information about the club can be found on its website www.carp-r-us.weebly.com or on the Facebook page Carp-R-Us Fishing Costa Blanca

Flyods impressive against Algorfa

Flyods chalked up an emphatic 8-2 win against Algorfa Top End Bar in week 3 of the 2023-24 Costa Blanca Independent Pool Winter League division one.

Josh O'Carroll, Mel Lince, John Kelly, Tim Wright and Alan Cunliff, cued victories for Flyods, with Karl Murray and Mark Knott returning wins for Algorfa.

The Laguna Tavern A gained a 6-4 away win at Catral Sheerin's. Paul Nixon, Gary Jones and Gary Hibbert won their frames for Laguna. Andy Fowkes, David Yeates, and Dave Evans cued victories for Catral.

League leaders Happy Days Too A defeated Happy Days Too B 6-4; The Cafe Almoradi and The Club Quesada B drew 5-5; The Club Quesada A defeated The La Hacienda 6-4.

The Olde 9th Young Boys chalked up a 6-4 home win against The Pines B; The Pines A defeated The Olde 9th Shakers 6-4.

CD Thader ...........0 La Nucia B ...........3

with fixtures against the Isle of Man and the Czech Republic on September 26, in their 2023 group stage games at Cartama Oval, Malaga.

Adam Alger