The Madrid train blasts and the subsequent events have been, and will long be, interpreted by many sectors in different ways. Everybody agrees that a message has been sent out, although there is serious disagreement as to whom it was sent and what exactly the 'words' of the message read. However, whatever one's political point of view or interpretation of the facts might be, let us all agree on one point - the words of the message were written in the blood of human beings. It is to these people and their families that we need to show our respect. Even while politicians squabble, there exist, half obscured by the dust created by everyday life, one universal truth that we cannot ignore - and that is that pawns bleed.

On the 11th of April the Mayor and various council members were on their way up to Madrid to present the project for a new 4-star hotel in Almuñécar. The trip had already been postponed once and the events of the day up in Madrid would lead to its postponement again. Upon hearing the news of the train blasts, they aborted the journey about half way there. The name of the hotel in question is Juan Carlos I, (named after the King of Spain, and is, by coincidence [?], the Mayor's name). It will be built in the avenue of that same name in Almuñécar. Avenida Juan Carlos I is the road that runs down from the bus station, down to the beach. The company that will build the hotel is called Hogesa, which is owned principally by elite football players - this is also the case with the Bahia Hotel in Taramay.

What a cad! Salvador V.F. has been sentenced to one year imprisonment for swindling his 'friend' out of 378,333 euros. 24-year-old Salvador decided that he would use his friend's name to sign a contract with a mobile telephone company - he even gave the others man's bank account details!

A burglar has been arrested. The Guardia Civil has arrested 37-year-old R.R. from Lithuania for his participation in six different burglaries during one weekend at the beginning of last month. He was not shopped alone because he was with another Lithuanian and a Russian, who appear to be here illegally. The police have linked R.R. to the theft of a computer and a safe from one house and tools from another in the same residential estate. Apparently, he had entered a house via the terrace and had bagged the computer, camera and video when he saw the safe. As he didn't have the tools to remove it, he entered into the neighbouring house that is under construction and 'borrowed' a hammer and chisel. Convincingly armed, he loosened the safe and ripped in out, in it were jewels belonging to the owner.

Everybody knows that this summer will be chaos for parking and circulating in cars - Semana Santa, which is on the second week of this month, will be a foretaste. So, somebody please tell us the Town Council thinks it will be the perfect moment, and for the first time here, to introduce horse and buggy rides around the centre of town? It was four Nerja businessmen who run this sort of 'attraction' over the border, who requested and received permission for mounting this 'tourist attraction.' The horse and carriage rank will be in the small square next to the cross on the rocks (El Santo). Almuñécar, it would seem, is being steered by a band of cross-eyed helmsmen. Perhaps the Captain would like to instil some order on the bridge?

The Casa de Cultura is going to have a twin panoramic lift (elevator) installed. The Ed would like to point out that on a recent visit to the building he discovered that the normal lift is still not working, which seems to be its habitual state. The open-view lift will be installed in the centre patio and is being built with a view to making the building ' physically-handicapped friendly.' Anyway, it will cost 16,596 euros. You won't need to be told when it is finished because the commotion caused by a squadron of airborne pigs doing barrel rolls over the town will suffice.

You've probably heard the rumour already - Bob Dylan will be playing live in Motril in July. But this is not an idle rumour because it has been confirmed by the Motril town council. The gig will be part of the summer entertainment programme. The only thing that is not certain at the moment is the actual location of the concert - a suitable spot has to be found. This legendary musician from Minnesota will also be playing in Madrid, Barcelona, Córdoba, Benidorm, León and Santiago. Tickets will be on sale from this month on at around 35/40 euros. It is the aim of the present Town Council to make Motril into an important musical venue each year, so this won't be a one off event.

The regional elections have had a direct effect on two local party leaders. The Mayor stood as the provincial PA candidate for the Regional Parliament. Local party leader, Rocío Palacios, on the other hand, stood as the provincial PSOE candidate. The Mayor, however, will have to be content with being just that - the Mayor of Almuñécar, as his party received not a sausage. Sra. Palacios, borne aloft by the massive awakening in the socialist' ranks, can now turn her back on the wreckage that she has caused in the local branch and concentrate on nobler things - a handsome salary as Socialist MP for Granada in the heady political stratosphere of Sevilla. We tend to think that the local elections are of less importance than the national or regional ones but they are not - yet they are as different as night and day. In the local elections just over 8,000 mayors are elected, whose combined political weight is awesome. As for the voters in both elections, their choice is akin to selecting white over red wine it depends on what the dish is. In the local elections here the socialists were crucified and the PP, despite a massive national ill feeling towards their foreign policy, came reasonably well off - which led the chiefs in Madrid to suppose that they were exonerated. Yet, come the national elections, the socialist voters here, despite their total rejection of a candidate who had sacrificed them in favour of personal advancement, had the disagreeable necessity of fostering her ascension as a side effect for supporting the national candidate. Such is politics.

The Mayor of Otívar has announced the creation of a park that will cover some 25,000sqm. The purpose of the park is twofold. It will be to embellish the village and to stabilise the area of hillside that has a tendency to slip. About five years ago, after a month of very heavy rains, this part of the village became unstable, sending a couple of houses down the valley. Just about everybody in the village knows that this area just as you come into the village from the coasts and above the Guardia Civil post is in constant movement. Huge earthworks were carried out to try to stabilise it, which seems to have done the job. However the area remains unsuitable for housing. The answer? Lay down retaining walls, plant lots of trees and shrubs, and before you know it you have a park. Not all of it will be a green area, though - there will also be much needed parking space.

A Danish company is going to build 200 dwellings on the hillside between Cotobro and Marina del Este. The project, which will cost around 70m euros to carry out is aimed at pensioners. The company is called Keops and plans to begin work by the beginning of April - in other words, this month. The plot, which is situated above what is known as El Peñon del Lobo, is very steep and, according to the locals, very unstable. Keops claims that the view will be magnificent from any one of the new houses/flats. The company had explored other possible sites along the coast towards Málaga but had opted for Almuñécar because of its climate. This Danish company has a Spanish branch, which has an office in Almuñécar. When the company points out that this residential estate will target pensioners, it means rich ones - mostly from Northern Europe. The cheapest house, for example, will have only two bedrooms and will cost 240,000 euros, whilst those of five bedrooms will cost 600,000 euros. If you're thinking of retiring on your UK pension and little else, the only way you will get to enjoy the view there will be working as a gardener.

Jete and Lentegí are not happy bunnies. They're completely fed up with having no post office - they only get post deliveries twice or three times a week. More than one unfortunate inhabitant of Rio Verde's smallest villages has lost a job opportunity or missed an official appointment because of this Donkey Express postal system. The two mayors are demanding that the Spanish postal system does something about it immediately. They are even willing to tolerate a provisional system, whilst a permanent one is devised. Both villages have set aside premises for a village post office. At the moment, if the recipient of a certified letter is not at home when the postman calls, then they have to traipse down to the Almuñécar post office, which in the case of somebody in Lentegí means a 36kms round trip - a veritable '3-day camel trek and a packed lunch.' If things don't improve soon, it won't only be the proverbial dog that the postman has to be wary of.

If you want to get your child into a state or subsidised play school then you had better shift your sitting tackle. Families with children under three and over four months have until the 15th of this month to reserve a place in one of the 77 public play schools during the 2004/05 school year. The necessary requisites are that both parents must be working, except in the case of single-parent families or if there is a handicapped person in the household who requires care. The state play schools (there are 14 in the province) open from 09.00 to 17.00. In the case of Almunécar and La Herradura there are four play schools where you can put your child's name down: G.M. La Herradura, Paseo Andrés Segovia 958 827 948; G.M. Reina, Barriada de la Paloma s/n 958 880 238; G.M. Los Marinos, Plaza de la Constitution 958 880 232; G.M. La Carrera, Carrera de Constitución 1, 958 881 773. The payments vary between 24 euros and 240 euros, depending on the income of the family. The family income should not exceed 37,144 euros.

With Semana Santa only days away, the Town Council has taken steps to tidy the beaches. Three local businesses won contracts for 78.350 and 22,800 euros for such a task. The beach care contracts will run for six months - from April through to the end of September. The beaches will be cleaned daily - Sundays included, from the promenades to the water's edge. Twenty workers will work part time, emptying litter bins. But don't think that Almuñécar's beaches only stretch from San Cristóbal to Velilla - the municipality of Almuñécar stretches from the beaches of Cantarriján, on one side through to the Curumbico in Taramay, which is the last beach before the municipal limits with Salobreña. That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a lot of beaches: 14, all told.

One of the consequences of the 11/3 is the creation of a commemorative park in Peña Escrita in homage to all the victims of the train blasts in Madrid. There will be a tree planted for each victim who died in the tragedy, each bearing an individual's name. The name of the park, logically, will be 'El Once de Marzo' (The Eleventh of March). The Mayor pointed out that even the victims without names to date would have a plaque without a name until the identification of the body is ascertained.

The Loro Sexi ornithological park in Almuñécar might seem 'tucked away and forgotten' but no fewer than 35,000 people visited it during 2003. Consequently, the park took over 66,000 euros in entrance fees, etc. Although it seems like yesterday, the bird park was set up 17 years ago, which seems incredible, in itself. Doesn't time fly - which is about the only thing that does in the aforementioned park?

Whilst work is going ahead on the new health clinic in P4, the Town Council has just spent 5,000 euros on improvements to the existing one, which is next to the main access junction for the town, off the N-340. This work is designed as a 'patch-me-over' until the new centre opens. Last year, the health centre had to make do without air conditioning in the middle of summer, due to technical problems. May the new centre open soon, because if the old one were a ship, the decks are awash and the 5,000 euros that are being spent on it are equivalent to a last splurge on the bilge pumps.

Pepe Montalvo's exhibition carries on this month at El Convento pub, which is down a side street off the Avenida de Andalucía. We mentioned Sr. Montalvo's excellent paintings last month and recommended to all that it wasn't to be missed. Pepe uses water colours to bring to life our country side the way it was and the way it should be. He has painted scenes from Bodíjar, Lujar and Cázulas, for example. Amongst the twenty canvasses on display are before and after scenes of the recent fire. His paintings are realist and he is the first to admit that, certainly as far as his rural scenes go, what he paints should be a faithful representation of what the eye perceives. His works are a homage to the country side, especially to the trees, which have a special place in his heart.

The Guardia Civil has administered a swift blow to 'hanging humphries' of a drug ring in Almuñécar. In a co-ordinated operation in Almuñécar, Aguilas (Murcia) and Ceuta the police nabbed 3.5 metric tons of hashish, three vehicles, two revolvers, jewels, money and a stoned partridge in a pair tree. But this wasn't a, 'It's a blank week, so what shall we do today, Boys' operation, as the Guardia Civil began the investigation for the operation back in October of last year. The drug ring, which was based in Almuñécar, administered most of the Costa Granadina and Albolote prison! In December an Almuñecan was discovered with 1k of hashish stashed away in an unusual part of his anatomy. This form of 'transporting' throws a worrying light onto the drug jargon, "Got any shit on you, man?' The man had been driving a hired Opel from an Almuñecan car-hire company, the owner of which was arrested, as well, because the rear wheels were being used to hide 15kgs. The final phase took place between the 9th and 11th in Almuñécar, where the police arrested five alleged members of the gang, amongst whom was the ringleader. The bust was complete with the arrest of a little old lady who was used to smuggle the 'wares' of the gang into Albolote prison. The age of those arrested range between 36 and 72.

The failure of a mobile telephone aerial caused consternation to the addicted and professionally dependent here on the coast. Funnily enough, it coincided with the elections. I say 'funnily' because mobile telephones were used extensively in all of Spain to convoke 'spontaneous' demonstrations on the day before voting.

The project for creating an underwater park just off our beaches has received a clean bill of health from the Ministry of Environment. Consequently, things should start to move in May, (Maybe this year, Maybe the next). Soon, then, you will be able to fart around, startling the fish, exploring four fibreglass galleys, four fibreglass houses filled with fibreglass amphorae and carry out miming debates on protein with large marine predators of the 'tigerclass' rather than 'fibreglass' variety.

The temporary ice-skating rink in the marquee on the P4 went down very well, Just in the short month that the attraction was open more than 7,000 people flocked practise or just watch others skating. Despite its provisional nature, the rink was a good size one of 17.5m by 30m. More that one junior school took advantage of its presence to provide a treat for the kids. The Town Council should be commended for making possible this project, which was the fruit of months of paper work and co-ordination with the provincial sports authorities.

The Town Council has ordered the refurbishment of the small kiddies' play park next to the Majuelo Botanical Gardens (the main park). 25,000 euros will be spent on bettering the contraptions, which are designed to make small children vomit or hurtle off in a screeching trajectory for the amusement of adult bystanders.

Anybody who wants to build a house or whatever is obligated by law to leave a bank guarantee with the town hall to cover any damages caused to public property: roads, pavements, etc. The guarantee is calculated on the extent of the building work - the bigger the construction; the more you pay. It is for this reasoning that the PP is demanding, rightfully, that the Town Council should obligate the building company that is constructing the underground car park under the Paseo del Altillo to hand over a bank guarantee. The governing party, however, said that the opposition should practise what they preach, as the PP did not demand such guarantees when they ordered the construction of a swimming pool up in the mountain park, Peña Escrita. This is evidence - should anybody still doubt it - that there is one rule for ordinary townsfolk and another for politicians. Many foreign residents consider that they are singled out for this second class treatment but in reality, it's not a case of your nationality but of how well you are in with the people in power.

Goodbye, Sol Meliá. Hello, El Mirador de Almuñécar. At this moment the new owners of the hotel, which was formerly known as Sol Meliá, are busy changing the last sheet, towel and serviette that bear the company logo for new ones bearing El Mirador. The hotel staff, fearing a change in working conditions to their detriment, hastily contacted various unions and consequently elected representatives from amongst their number. The working conditions that Sol Meliá offered are unusual precisely because they abide by labour laws to the letter, i.e., eight hours maximum a day and two days free a week. Overtime is optional and not obligatory. Anybody who works in the hostelry trade in Almuñécar can tell you that normally these laws are thrown out of the window and waiters in bars, restaurants and hotels here find themselves working twelve or thirteen hours a day, six days a week. Hoteles Playa have promised not to change the working conditions in the former Sol Melía - let's see how long it lasts.

The end of the month saw plenty of rainfall, giving the mountains their last top up, perhaps, for the dry summer months. Our rainfall, however, was neglible compared with that of along the coast in Rincón de la Victoria. Whereas, most Andalusian provinces reported between 45 and 85 litres per sqm., unlucky Rincón received 248 litres per sqm in just 24 hours. Needless to say, the place was flooded out - poor sods! The good news, thanks to the rain, was a tremndous snow fall in the Sierra Nevada. Indeed, the mountains now have more snow than they have had at any point during the winter. Back here in Almuñécar, the usual puddles reappeared, swamping the roads: Velilla, in front of the Hiper and under the main road bridge. The only missing puddles were below the Paseo - because there is no Paseo, anymore!

The La Herradura pensioners have elected their new chairman - Juan Bueno Ruiz. Two hundred members of the pensioners club turned up for the voting session. Juan was born seventy years ago in La Herradura. During the sixties he emigrated up to Catalunya, like so many others, attracted by the 'city wages.' After spending most of his working life in a Seat factory, he took early retirement about 10 years ago and decided to take up residence again in his native village.

The 19th of March saw the village fiesta and, like previous years, the beach road was shut off to make room for the travelling fairground. San José, for those who don't know it, is also Father's Day in Spain. Apart from that, anybody who has the name José or Pepe in his or her name celebrates their Saint's day, which is equivalent to a second birthday. As in all Spanish fiestas, the day starts off with rocket launchings, which is euphemistically called. 'Alegre Despertar' (Happy Awakening). There were basket ball competitions, karate exhibitions, gymkhanas, children's games, fireworks and, late in the evenings disco bands or 'Verbena/pachanga.' Of course, somewhere amongst all that slurping, scoffing, dancing and vomiting, they found a chance to whip the Virgen out and take her for a spin round the village. The main thing was that everybody from the religious to the relentless, from the pious to the pissed and from the parishioners to the paralytic - everybody had a good time.

We stroll or drive around the village quite confident that those that float around above us, suspended under, 'Granddad's toe clippings,' will sail harmlessly over and settle like mutant butterflies on the beach. Yet that is not what happened to one of them - he crashed into somebody's house. The 43-year-old flyer from Germany was seriously injured, unfortunately, and such was his lamentable state that he had to be evacuated by helicopter. However, an expert flyer of this kind of guidable parachute commented, "La Herradura is one of the safest zones for practising this sport because the sea provides excellent orientation. However, the conditions on that day were not good for it." Indeed, the villagers consider that it has been a black winter for sporting accidents, with this following the death of the divers.

The village has got its hopes up that the new President, who as a mere opposition leader spent last year's summer vacations here, will make La Herradura a regular sunny stop over. The logic, apart from the prestige, is that whereever ZP goes, thousands will follow: Shuuuuk-ching! goes the cash till. This man with Looney-Toons' eyebrows spent most of August on the Granada coast, accompanied by his wife, daughters and 'el abuelito.' During that time he chilled out and avoided making official appearances.

It's so easy to say, "we told you so," which is precisely why we're going to say it, "so there!" Just about everybody who passed by the 'crater' in La Punta de la Mona, next to El Gallo, observed that the road was undermined and that there was a danger of it caving in. You didn't have to be an expert; just a person with a little common sense. It finally happened, of course. The fortunate thing is that nobody was on it at the time, because if there had been the weight of a car, the whole lot would have gone, providing an unpleasant and painful experience for the driver. Soon after our little interview with the Chief of Town Planning at the town hall, the word went out for the building company to continue with the retention wall and nothing else, so as to stabilise the site. The workers, however, continued work on the actual structure of the hotel (the pillars), as well, until this fact was mentioned to the Mayor during a press conference. He delivered a suitably 'surprised' but not very 'convincing' look, and immediately ordered one of his councillors, present at the conference, to look into it. All work ceased. Of course, the building company will now say - without justification - that it is not their fault that they had to stop work on the retaining wall. The important thing is, though, that the direct opposition of the nearby residents and a little public pressure seems to have done the trick - for the moment. So, perhaps there is hope for us yet against the horde of unscrupulous building companies and 'lax' public officials.

We will probably never know what happened to María C.H.'s body - the girl who lost her life trying to help the divers in last month's tragedy. On the 9th of March the official search was called off, without having found a trace of the body. The following is a letter that we received from a diver from Austria and it is worth quoting here because of the points that it raises:

'I am referring to the seaside Gazette, Vol. 2, Nr. 3 dated March 2004 which was handed to us on March 6, 2004 the day of our departure from La Herradura after a very pleasant stay for three week in Las Palomas. As a diver myself, your article "Anger and Frustration" went under my skin. The day of the incident, I did speak to three divers who said they were from Malaga. Furthermore we left those divers preparing for their second dive and went to the other side of the Herradura bay under Cerro Gordo tower. We were wondering why a helicopter paid a brief visit. During the following days we observed an orange coloured boat passing in a typical search pattern in the area of the incident. Also from Marina del Este a search party went out by boat. I think it is a real case of negligence of local government not to be prepared for diving incidents such as this one, especially when diving, (although at a greatly reduced rate in winter), is done through out the year. One point I was very amazed about was that in the Marine del Este there were no tide tables available for non-boat owners. I just wanted to have a glance at the tide as I read in the Internet that the difference between high and low tides was very small. So that something good may come from this incident and its fatality, I want to use this case to show our club members what can happen when intentions are not really thought through of how to go about it in order to come back safely with the rescued person alive. Finally, where is the nearest pressure chamber to La Herradura?'

Falling foul of the Town Council. One of the latest scandals in town is the one concerning the forced closure of the Marazul Diving School. One of the opposition parties - the PSOE, accuses the Town Council of victimising this diving school for not having 'voluntarily' supported the Town Council's Programme for Tourist Promotion, which is something that the other diving schools have opted to do. The Marazul diving school was not only the first diving school in La Herradura but was also one of the first in Spain, when it opened in 1995. The owner of the club claims that this persecution is all down to 'amiguismo' (nepotism). "That took advantage of the creation of the Nautical Station to eliminate us," claims Juan Peláez, owner of said club. "When I was replaced as the secretary of the Nautical Station, the persecution began," he concluded. According to both the opposition party and the owner of the club the closing down of Marazul is plagued with irregularities. The Town Council, on the other hand, claims that only their wish to ensure that 'risk' sports are properly controlled is behind their actions. "In August 2002, we asked to see their paperwork," says Sr. Pavesio, who is the Councillor for Activities, "We made the same request the following year so the Council decided in October 2003 to go ahead with the closure of the club." The governing party says that the school will be able to reopen just as soon as it has completed the necessary paperwork.

This is the other side of the coin, as far as efficiency goes. We received this email from Harriet from the Tropicana Properties Estate Agents in Almuñécar. 'Our engine broke down just outside Marina del Este and with a force 8 wind it was not possible to sail into the Marina. It was 6.00 in the evening and we sailed all night hoping for the weather to change. By morning we were exhausted so we telephoned the Maritime Rescue service. We were not in danger but we could have been. They were fantastic, arriving from Motril within 20 minutes and efficiently and safely took us into the Marina. Their telephone number is well worth a mention 900 202 202 and the man on the desk speaks English. Keep this number in your mobile or diary. One day you could save a life. It cost us 380,00 euros.'

In Motril on the 19th March, Three Rumanians were sentenced for committing five burglaries last year in La Herradura. The crimes took place last April on the Punta and in San Nicholas. All the victims were there to witness the event and testify that they had been robbed. The criminals plead guilty and were given the choice of five years in jail or deportation for ten years. They opted for deportation, which dismayed the victims, to put it mildly, as they had wanted to see them "banged up". However the Guardia Civil officer that was in charge of the case said that they have them on another 15 counts of burglary for which they have yet to be sentenced. Deportation is only an option if the sentence is less than six years. So when they get sentenced for the other jobs they should do time. Deportation, by the way, applies to all countries who signed the Schengen agreement so they wouldn't be able to enter most other EU countries. Over a drink after the trial the Guardia officer said he had made a number of arrests in connection with the spate of crime in La Herradura. During the first two weeks of March they arrested two Italians, two Belgians, one Lithuanian and a gang from Motril. When asked if there were any Brits involved, he replied that Brits don't do burglary they concentrate on smuggling drugs and stolen cars!

The decision to move the flea market up to el Barranco Almijara hasn't pleased everybody - especially the residents of that area. In fact, they have handed in a formal written protest to the town hall, the Southern Water Board, and the Provincial Delegate for Public Works. The locals point out that the siting of the flea market in the chosen area will necessitate the digging of an underground channel for the barranco (gully).They suggest that the flea market could be sited in the El Playazo area, the old municipal market or next to the old Larios factory. However, the councillor responsible for the flea market maintains that the Barranco Almijara remains the best option, as it is the least problematic. In the meantime the market continues to be held on Tuesdays and Sundays in the Antonio Ferrandis area, next to the secondary school, El Chaparil.

A project has been drawn up for the sign posting of the Sierra Almijara footpaths, which will have a budget of 120,000 euros.

Residents on the other side of town are not happy bunnies. La Plaza de Burriana has been turned into a circuit for a skate boarders, according to the suffering neighbours. The block presidents, Lorenzo Guerrero and Venancio Ruiz have accordingly submitted a written complaint to the town hall pointing out that kids use the benches as launch pads and create a continuous and irksome row with this activity. Besides, its dangerous to pedestrians and small children, they reason. The solution: shoot the bastards! (sorry!). The solution put forward by the locals is for the town hall to transfer this practice to suitable sports areas that already exist. (boring... shoot 'em!).

A German resident, who suffered a heart attack, had to be taken to hospital in a police van, as he couldn't be transferred in the ambulance, owing to his girth. He was carried down from the 5th floor by Guardia Civil policemen, local policemen and sanitary personnel. Once at the entrance of the building, they waited for the ambulance from the emergency service, as the Nerja one couldn't take him because of overloading. yet when the awaited special ambulance arrived, it was found that it wasn't big enough, either. At the last moment it was decided to use the police van, (a Renault Traffic), not before taking out all the back seats. The ambulance staff then hurriedly nipped upstairs for the man's special mattress and placed it in the back of the van as a stretcher.

The Nerja municipal police are going to get three more vehicles and will have its staff incremented by six, one of whom will be a chief sub-official. Therefore this year the local police will count on four non-coms and 45 policemen. The Mayor, José Alberto Armijo, said that he would keep his electoral promise to increase the local police force by five members each year of his office.

After two months of being closed to traffic, on the 19th of March the old road bridge over the River Chillar was partially reopened, much to the relief of everybody, allowing one-way traffic into the town. When the bridge was closed, the Town Council said that it would only be for a month - hence the irritation at the endless traffic chaos. it is hoped that it will be completely reopened before Semana Santa to avoid traffic jams in the Avenida de Pescia. Work on the roundabout, however won't be completed until June.

The Guardia Civil arrested a man for drink-driving after abandoning his car in the middle of the N-340 at 01.45 one morning. The police asked the man to 'blow into the nice bag' but he surprisingly refused. He was immediately whisked off down to the Truncheon Club, charged with disobeying authority.

Political wrangling continues over the underground car project beneath the Plaza Antonio Villasclaras, which is next to the Verano Azul Park. The PA's complaint is that the Council (PP) would not accept the proposal that it should be the town hall that builds the park, as was the case in the main underground car park behind the town hall. "On that occasion the work was financed with a loan that the profits from the car park is paying off, as well as financing wages and the running costs. The PA also proposed that the underground car park be sited under the Verano Azul Park, instead of under Plaza Antonio Villasclaras, because this would solve Nerja's parking problems," commented Sr Navas, spokesman for the PA. The Mayor, on the other hand, says that it is the policy of the Council not to increaes the municipal debt further. He also made it clear that the company that takes up the contract will have to comply to and fulfill the specifications and time table laid down. The car park to be built will costs 462,000 euros and will cover an area of 1,985sqms.

The Spring Programme for cultural events during April will contain classical music concerts, performed by the Ukranian Symphonic Orchestra on Thursday, the 22nd and the New Philimonic Orchestra of Cologne on Tuesday the 27th. The following day will see the Día Mundial de la Danza with the debut in Spain of 'The Legend of Love,' by the Russian Ballet Gitis. The Centro Andaluz de Teatro will close its April programme with the play, 'The Seven Mortal Sins,' on Friday, the 30th.

A 63-year-old German man was arrested for physically mistreating his Spanish wife. The Guardia civil, after receiving a call from the wife, turned up at the house of the couple and arrested the man. The woman was taken to hospital because she was completely covered in bruises. The Servicio Urgente de Atención a Mujeres Maltratadas (Emergency Service for Battered Wives) has the telephone number of 010 and is a 24h service.

The Vth International Day for Foreign Residents of Nerja was held on Sunday 29th February in the Verrano Azul Park. There are about 4,000 foreign residents registered in Nerja, including 1,500 from Britain. Including those not registered, the grand total could be somewhere near 9,000! These large numbers are, obviously, the reason why the Town Council pays so much attention to its 'foreigners'. There is even a councilor, Emma Louise Hall, who has special responsibilities in this area. On a bright and breezy morning, there were about thirty residents organization's stands housed in a large marquee. Outside, there was live music and dancing, taking advantage of the fine weather. The whole event, along with the various residents' groups, was extremely well organized. All aspects of community life were covered with pet animals being prominent, alongside religion, drama, the arts, travel, plus many others too numerous to mention. One cannot see Almuñécar matching this aspect of Nerja life but it may be none the worse for that! The event was certainly well-supported by people of all ages who crowded into the floor space between the stalls. Throngs were thickest around those stalls which offered free food and drink!

Surrealist Tale wins Costa's richest short story award. Kathryn Fox, a retired teacher and industrial designer from Leicestershire, England, has won the inaugural WH Smiffs Short Story Competition, organised by the Nerja book and card store in association with Nerja Essential magazine and Sunshine Radio International 99.1FM.

Fox, 61, picked up the first prize of 500 euros at a packed awards evening in the town's Casa de la Cultura on March 18. The judges - authors Chris Stewart, Joan Lingard and Drew Launay - selected her surrealist satire, The Mule's Dream, after 101 entries had been whittled down to a shortlist of eight. "Above all, we were impressed by its originality and humour," said Lingard. Fox, who spends the winters in Frigiliana, said it was her first attempt at a competition and that she had entered because having a deadline and a goal provided the impetus she needed. She intends to write more.

Second place and 350 euros went to Sharon Balentine, 59, of Frigiliana, while the 150 euros third prize was awarded to Joan Tarver, 69, of Maro. The other shortlisted entrants were: Tom Bryson, 62, of Nerja; Jenny Twist, 55, of Sedella; Jan Lloyd, 54, of Torrox Costa; and Patricia Derrick, 64, of Haverfordwest, Wales.

The winning entry is being published in the April edition of Nerja Essential magazine, and the top three are being broadcast at 16.06 on Sunshine Radio in Paula Anthony's Soolong Oolong afternoon show on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, April 5, 7 and 9 respectively.

"The number of entries bowled us over," said Rob Stokes of WH Smiffs. "The response is a tribute to all that pent-up creativity in the community and the goodwill that we have had from all the local media." He hoped that everyone who had entered would now have the impetus to carry on developing their craft.

The judges also awarded a special commendation and 100 euros to 15 year old Alexander Shaw of Madrid, the only entrant in the Under-16 category.