On the 7th November, 2005, in the early afternoon, the construction platform on the bridge over the Río Verde fell from its mountings, dragging with it six construction workers, the majority of whom were Portuguese.

On Saturday the 28th of October, 2006, a commemorative ceremony was held on the site of the accident.

I waited round until all the politicians, TV crews and reporters had left. I had also taken my fair share of photos and had stuck my mini-recorder under the nose of all the bigwigs that had something to say, but I decided to stay behind underneath the bridge along with the few neighbours that had been eclipsed by the flashlights and suits.

There was one man, looking thoughtfully at the point of impact of one of the falling arms of the bridge. “This is where that poor soul was found,” he said, after I had stood staring at it for a while myself. He lived in a cortijo just across the river and, like most of us, had not stepped onto this building site since before the accident. We didn’t say much; just looked around us, pensively. What was there to say?

Back up on the road where the new plaque was, sat a woman, whose house sits next to the bridge site. I just said to her, “One year – where has it gone?” She gave a complicit nod, like a secret Mason’s handshake, that identified us both as belonging to the same club; members of the Tempus Fugit Club.

“Was your house damaged,” I asked. She replied that they had been sitting in the small backyard when the accident happened. She did not need a plaque to remind her of those that had died. “One of them fell, just over there, beyond the fence… he never moved. I have seen that image every night since then, in my mind’s eye – it won’t go away.”

Trying to lighten the atmosphere, I said that with the bridge work stopped for a year now, at least they were getting some peace, but she wasn’t to be budged from the gloom, saying, “I would gladly suffer all the noise that this site can offer for the rest of my life, if only what happened could be undone.”

I said my goodbyes and rode off, stopping at the Peñuelas Bar for a coffee and to check my recordings. There, sat outside, were the Portuguese families of the victims, about twelve of them, between adults and kids, for all the world like a group of tourists. They had digested their grief during the last twelve months and were getting on with their lives. The kids were jumping around and the adults were chatting; the occasional smile and titter.

So who was the plaque for, really? Was it for the passing tourist that happened to stop at the neighbouring fountain – something to read idly? For the politicians’ photo albums, or for the likes of me, with my camera and column to fill?

The plaque and commemorative event was necessary, of course, but for me, looking up at the bridge from below, listening to the wires pinking in the wind, seeing the scars on the pillars left by tormented metal plunging past, the unfinished bridge was commemorative enough.

Bridge Disaster - The Political Side

To mark the first anniversary of the Torrecuevas Bridge Disaster, we decided to ask Almuñécar’s Mayor, Juan Carlos Benavides, and the two opposition parties, the Conservative PP and the Socialist PSOE, their views on the actual state of the affair: what has not been done, what they feel should have been done, and vice versa. I asked both the PSOE and the PP not to exceed 500 words in length.

First of all The Mayor was kind enough to find a few minutes to answer the questions in an interview:

Ed.: Is there any news on what caused the A-7 Bridge Accident?

The Mayor: This is an affair that is in the hands of the law courts, therefore, we can only let them get on with this task. What cannot be so readily understood is, one year having elapsed since the accident, why work remains halted. There is no explanation at all that work along the whole stretch has slowed down; not only at the scene of the accident itself, but even where there hasn’t been any. It appears to be that the [Central] Government is ‘saving the money for other ends.’ Perhaps for the Catalan Government, now that they are having elections there.

Secondly, here is a communiqué from the PP on the subject, which was supplied by Fernando Callejón, Concejal del PP de Almuñécar:

We have explained what damage is being caused to the economy of Almuñécar and all the people of the coast here. The delays and failings of the Socialist [Central] Government on infrastructure work – according to Chairman of the Almuñécar PP and ex-mayor, González Montoro – have caused many investors to pass Almuñécar by, upon seeing the communication difficulties that the Costa Granadina has. Likewise, he reminds us that the PSOE criticised the PP during its time in office because the [autovía] work was going very slowly, “nevertheless, the work was carried out within the timetable established and everybody is witness to that fact.” According to González, now that the responsibility falls upon the PSOE, they have fallen down on at least four occasions concerning termination dates for the Nerja-La Herradura section, which should have been finished by the first quarter of 2005. It was then put back to the second quarter and, finally, upon being questioned in Parliament, they stated that it would be finished by February 2006. Ten months having passed since then, still nobody is capable of giving reasonable explanations to the citizens why it has not been not finished and isn’t operative.

Sr. González has stated that, “The people of the coast cannot continue to permit the PSOE to laugh at the Granadinos.”

On a previous occasion the Socialist Minister for Development (Fostering), when asked by the PP MP about the La Herradura-Almuñécar stretch concerning terminations dates, replied that it would be the last quarter of 2006. However when asked again recently, the reply was the first quarter of 2007.

For this reason, the PP has forwarded the motion, in all the town councils along the coast, that the autovía should be given priority (classified as urgent) and that periodic reports about the state of the work should be given so that people could know at what stage development stands.

The PP of Almuñécar is carrying out an informative campaign for the people of the coast, urging them not to vote PSOE in the coming elections, because they have lied to everybody and are investing the money, that has been allocated to the coast, in other places where they can obtain a greater number of votes.

Lastly, we spoke to Rocío Palacios, who is a PSOE Member of Parliament of the Regional Government in Sevilla.

This coming 7th November will mark one year after the unfortunate accident that occurred on the Río Verde bridge, which forms a part of the A-7 Autovía del Mediterráneo. The accident claimed the life of six workers - five Portuguese and one Spaniard - when the structure collapsed.

For the PSOE this is a day to be remembered; to remember the victims, and for us to continue to demand that site-safety be a guarantee for all workers.

This accident has also caused all work to stop on the Autovía del Mediterráneo, as the courts is in the throes of its investigation into the cause of the accident. By order of the judge, a reconstruction of the events and circumstances of the accident was called for.

At present, these proceedings have finished and work on all the stretches of this autovía are underway again. It is true that on the actual bridge no work has recommenced yet, but on the La Herradura-Taramay stretch, it has.

The construction of the Nerja-Adra leg of the autovía is a priority for the Government of Sr. Zapatero. Since the PSOE has taken up office [in Central Government, i.e. 2004] all parts of the autovía are underway, and those parts that didn’t have projects compiled, have now had them drawn up and assigned; 122.087.680€ has been earmarked. The completion date for the A-7 will be 2009. And as for the Granada-Motril (A-44), which has a budget of 17.497.860€, it will be finished during 2008.

The Socialist Government has increased its overall budget for the province of Granada, surpassing the last Conservative (PP) budget for this area by 62%. During the eight years that the PP governed in Madrid, only 24 km of autovía within the province were built. There was no logic to the order of building, with isolated stretches being inaugurated without any form of connection.

Within a short time, the Nerja-La Herradura leg will be inaugurated, with construction work well advanced, however, there have been delays concerning projected termination dates, owing to a modification to improve the project for the Maro connection.

Some might resort to demagogy and political criticism, but the facts can be demonstrated with figures and data. Today, the construction of the very necessary autovía for the Costa de Granada, under the Socialist government is a reality.

Well, let’s start off on a bright note… for some, at least. The 19th March, which is San José and has been, up till now, a holiday in La Herradura, is now a holiday in Almuñécar, too. The truth is, that as far as the schools go, it always has been, because none of the kids from Almuñécar turn up for classes on that day, anyway. Secondly, the 16th of July, the Virgen del Carmen, which has been the fiestas for the barrio, Los Marinos, will also be a fiesta for the whole of Almuñécar, too. So, Troops, remember to mark off on your calendar these two days and adding yet two more to the ones when you will not be able to get anything done down town.

Talking of getting things done, I was nearly ‘undone’ one Saturday morning, having run out of butane and having no transport to pick up two bottles from the parked butane lorry behind the football stadium. Arghhh! It’s a damned long hike with a full bottle on your shoulder, when you live up near the Casa de la Cultura, as I do. So I tentatively phoned Jordi, the taxi driver and asked him if he fancied turning his nice, new and spotlessly clean taxi into a butane lorry? Much to my surprise and gratitude, he thought that it was a simply spiffing idea and off we set. The two-way trip cost a very reasonable amount and I was back home, drooling over two full butane bottles in no time. Anyway, I asked Jordi whether he would consider doing this type of trip on a general basis, or whether this present keenness was due to a fleeting possession by minor devils, from which he would soon recover. Yes, he said, he would gladly provide such a service on a general basis. I pointed out that he was a reckless soul and that this little episode would be plastered all over the Gazette! Thanks, Jordi. (Mobile: 606 317 461)

Now, be prepared to be depressed because at least 60% of the available press clippings on Almuñécar this month are about politicians hair-pulling and scratching each other’s eyes out. So let’s start off with the PSOE laying into the Mayor for allegedly keeping a condemned policeman on the Local Police staff. They suggested that any actions carried out by Agustín Martínez (the said policeman) could be considered null and void regarding third parties; i.e. if you get fined by him, you can just tear it up in his face, sort of thing. This was the chap, by the way, who was found guilty of leaking the correct answers to police entrance exams to those he favoured. Consequently, he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment and banned for three years from holding public office. It should be pointed out that if somebody receives a sentence for more than two year’s imprisonment, they don’t actually have to go to prison. Nevertheless, the ban holds and is effective from the day of passing sentence. However, although the court findings were plastered all over the press and were common knowledge, the Mayor countered by saying that the Town Hall had received no official notification from the law courts. The Mayor suggests that the only reason that the PSOE brought this up was to ‘try to slight this municipal institution.’ The Mayor, it is worth pointing out, made this declaration on the 1st October, but even at the end of that month, Agustín Martínez, was still functioning as a Local Policeman in Almuñécar.

The next accusation comes from the PP and is levelled at the Mayor… They accused the Mayor of spending 120,000 euros (20m Pts) on the TDT (Televisión Digital Terrestre) and for maintaining a private TV channel of the Benavides family, i.e. Almuñécar’s only TV channel. Back in July, the Town Council granted a contract worth this amount to Emurtel. S.A. to build the necessary installations so that Almuñécar can enjoy TDT, as many areas already can. The PP, however, says it is not the responsibility of the Town Hall to provide such installations; the onus falling on the national TV companies, themselves. The reason behind the said contract, accuses the PP, is that the Mayor wanted to include the Almuñécar TV channel, Onda Tropical, so that it could be viewed all over the municipality: Taramay, Río Seco Alto, Torrecuevas, etc, etc, even after traditional terrestrial broadcasting has been phased out. The Mayor, on the other hand, countered that one of the constant complaints received is the lack of TV signal reception of all TV channels in the municipality. He recognises that it is not within the competence of the Town Hall to provide this service, but, owing to the lack of interest shown by Retevisión, he chose to sort the problem out. On an editorial note, nobody in a sound mind would consider Onda Tropical anything other than virtually being The BBC (Benavides Broadcasting Company), but on the other hand, if the inclusion of Onda Tropical is the price to pay for being able to enjoy decent TV reception on all the national private and public TV channels, then it is a cheap one to pay.

Leaving the political squabbling aside for one moment, we come to something that deserves mentioning for its merit: the new sculptures in the Parque Majuelo. The two-metre-high sculptures, carved from Macael (Almería) marble, are the work of around ten Syrian sculptors and they now embellish this already beautiful botanical park. It is amazing! The Syrian artists are: Akham Abdul Hamid, Emad Eddin Kashout, Samah Adwan, Houmam Alsayed, Abeer Warda, Rabie Korouni, Lama Koukash, Hadi Obid, Nor Alzaila, Nizar Belal. The exhibition of Syrian artwork in the Casa de Cultura was also a pleasure to behold. I had a chance to speak with Lama Koukach - whose husband, a sculptor himself, organised most of the exhibition - about the display. She pointed out that she was very pleased with the help received from the Town Hall. She did point out that they had received no help with their travelling expenses, but this observation was made more against the Syrian authorities, rather than the Town Hall. Also on display at the Casa de la Cultura are the paintings, ceramics and Syrian handicraft of Hasan Halabi, Mohamad Hamdan and Nawar Naser. I took tons of photos, but unfortunately, there just isn’t room for them.

Which brings us to the II Simposium Los Omeyas de Damascus y Córdoba. Fantastic! As the Spanish say, ¡Qué nivel! I think that the mere presence of the Syrian Minister for Culture, Riyad Nassan Agha, and the Syrian Ambassador to Spain, Obeid Makra, here, in Almuñécar, is indication enough of the high-level quality of this conference. I attended the closing discourse given by one of Spain’s top journalists, Enrique Vázquez, who is a thoroughbred of the Vocente news group and habitual contributor to CNN Plus. Vocente, by the way, own a huge slice of the Spanish media market. Sr. Vázquez gave a very concise talk on Syria: Ineludible Factor in the Middle East, which covered the first inklings of independence and steps towards nationhood, despite the efforts of the Great Powers of the time, i.e. Great Britain and France, and the subsequent conflicts with Israel and the US. Although I have nothing but respect for Enrique Vázquez, I cannot help but notice that he bears a remarkable similarity in appearance to Mr Burns of the Simpsons.

The Almuñécar law courts have agreed to accept a case against the ex-mayor (PP) Juan Luis González Montoro, accused by the Town Hall of expenses filed and paid for from the municipal coffers, destined for the benefit of his party during an election campaign. The Electoral Board for the area, upon receiving complaints during the last election campaign, ordered such acts as the inauguration of the Fisherman’s Statue (Plaza de Madrid) to be cancelled and the distribution of a publication that sang the praises of the then mayor, Sr González, to be suspended, as the funds for such activities came from public, instead of party, funds.

The kids must have been chuffed (happy), but the parents definitely were not, when it came to light that the Mathematics teacher for the new P-4 school, Puerto del Mar, would be absent for three weeks; in other words, no Maths for the kids. Over 50 parents agreed during a parent’s association meeting to send a stiff (strong) letter to the Educational Authorities up in Granada, complaining about this. Basically, this Mathematics teacher for five different class groups is off sick but no substitute teachers had been providing during almost a month, which, during a term as short as the Autumn one, is disastrous. The situation can be best summed up thus: problems are multiplying, families are divided, angry words are not being subtracted and the whole thing just doesn’t add up to adequate education.

The town received eight additional policemen to its number last month. However, this doesn’t mean that they will be out policing the streets, because although one has been fully trained up in the police academy of Dos Hermanas (Sevilla), the other seven will be undergoing training in Motril, together with aspiring policemen from that town, and won’t be qualified until June.

The Fish and Vegetable Market, known to old timers as the New Municipal Market, had its 20th anniversary last month! The stall holders didn’t lose the opportunity to nail the Mayor during the celebrations to demand that a complete Blue-Zone parking area be made available during the summer market hours.

Talking of markets, the sprawling urban mass of Lentegí is having its fish market-cum-stall, in Calle Olivillo, modernised after 30 years of fishy history. The last time that it received a lick of paint was in 1982. Up till now, it didn’t even have running water or anywhere to wash your hands.

Back to bickering. You would be mistaken to believe that the two opposition parties are only on the offensive against the Mayor, because they often take sideswipes at each other, as well. At the beginning of last month, the Socialist PSOE demanded the resignation of two Conservative PP councillors. You see, the Provincial Chairman of the PP for Granada, Sebastian Pérez, claimed that he would throw out any member of his party that had a judicial case open against him… The PSOE immediately jumped up and pointed out that it was therefore a magnificent opportunity to expel Juan Luis González, Ex-Mayor of Almuñécar and PP Councillor, Fernando Callejón, both of whom are in the midst of legal proceedings for the incorrect use of public funds. Neither, however, have so far been found guilty, it is worth mentioning. The PP responded that the PSOE were only trying to distract attention from the Great Armilla Scandal and should sort their own party out. The party provincial spokesman, Antonio Ayllón, said that they act only if a guilty verdict were handed down. I would imagine that the PP Provincial Chairman is now regretting the exuberance of his terminology.

The Almuñécar Town Hall has asked for the very popular summer jazz festival, Jazz Costa, to be renamed, Festival de Jazz de Almuñécar. The Town Hall claims that the festival, that is well know both nationally and internationally, has a ‘strong personal character.’ The request has been fully supported by the hostelry and business sector of Almuñécar. It should be remembered, however, that the Provincial Deputation for Culture virtually pays for the whole lot, with Almuñécar collaborating, and that it has always been denominated, Jazz en la Costa, because although it takes place in Almuñécar, it is for the benefit of the all the coastal town on the Costa Granadina, and not just Almuñécar’s.

Almuñécar has a necropolis that is little known and even less visited, which is up behind the Antigua Sexi high school. The archaeological site, known as El Puente de Noy, is in a lamentable state, with the awnings that were erected decades ago to protect the excavations from the sun, either missing completely or shredded beyond use. Last January, the municipal maintenance service took down most of the damaged awnings in Zona C, but since then, the tombs beneath have been at the mercy of the Mediterranean sun and rain. This Phoenician-Punic necropolis was declared a Site of Cultural Interest in 1980 and comes under the custody of the Junta de Andalucía. The Puente de Noy holds 132 graves that were uncovered during the historical excavation works between 1979 and 1993.

And finally, the Town Hall has asked for the resignation of the Provincial Delegate for Education for permitting the present state of the Centro La Noria, which is lamentable. The educational centre that used to be, administratively, part of the Antigua Sexi was closed down just over a year ago. Since then it has been broken into and trashed (wrecked). The place is strewn with broken glass and furniture, papers and excrement. According to the Town Hall, it would take several thousand euros just to clean the place up. To date, the Delegate, Carmen Raya, has not responded to these criticisms.

Mayor Benavides’ comments on La Herradura as being set for some necessary changes in the future. Reflecting the growth of the area as a whole, it’s clear that something positive had to be done about the anarchic parking conditions, which are a particular headache every summer. With the existing ‘white elephant’ (unusable) car park under the Plaza de Independencia remaining unresolved, the Town Hall is addressing this issue with not one, but two (under the football stadium Las Tejas plus under the basketball court beside the restaurant La Sardina) major car parks that in total will give La Herradura access to virtually 800 new parking spaces – more than Almuñécar! Obviously big plans lie ahead, one of which is set to include their answer to questions about the paseo. The idea is to make the western side of the bay (around the Sunlounge and back towards the centre of the village) a pedestrian zone. The traffic will in turn be diverted to a new road system set behind the front line block, but in parallel to the beachfront. All shops and restaurants would then be accessed from this alternative route. Finally, says the Mayor, “La Herradura will have the meeting point it deserves.” Of course, defining the ‘finally’ is another matter that depends on the authorities at other government levels. Once again we’re in the hands of political manoeuvring and tug of war between resources. Time will tell.

Will there/won’t there be Segovia this year, is the question on everyone’s lips as the promised November rescheduled date swiftly approaches for the internationally acclaimed guitar competition. Despite a commitment from the Town Hall that the new Civic Centre would play home permanently to the event taking place 20th-25th November, it appears as though the La Herradura local government representative Maria Victoria has already applied to the Archbishop of Granada for the use of the local village church, San José. After last year’s confusion and failure to get a timely solution, it would appear as though the authorities have left themselves again very little time for some safety nets. Seems as though the local Civic Centre has taken just a smidgen longer than expected (although the building company says it’s very close to completion), now tallying up more than 30 months’ worth of work. On the other hand, José Guerrero (the person in charge of the local parish) would quite like the opportunity to score some positive PR for religion generally and he personally hopes to stage the event once more in the church, handing it over to the next venue on a much happier note. Either way, we should all find out by the 20th!

Twelfth Mountain Bike memorial took place on Sunday 15th October in honour of Luis Alberto Barbero, a well-known young cyclist from La Herradura who died tragically in a cycling accident.

444th Anniversary of Shipwreck of the Spanish Armada along the Herradura coast seems to have passed again during October without much of a murmur, despite the hopes last year that it could be made into quite a significant event. A conference was scheduled, delivered by Professor María del Carmen Perea Carpio and the account written by Fernando Moyano was read out. Perhaps it’s a little known fact that some 5,000 people died in this tragic wreck of 25 ships, throwing into the equation the strategic importance of this part of the world to Felipe II, then reigning as king. If you’re interested in finding out more about the history of the area, pop in to see Dori at the Tourist Information kiosk as you enter the village. (This was an important contingent, destined for the Armada Invincible that was later launched against heretic England in 1588. The loss of so many ships and men on the eve of the Great Venture, set a sorry preamble for woes to come – Ed)

Traffic will cross Rambla de El Espinar as plans are revealed that in addition to the fourth pedestrian walkway which has been completed just recently for the princely sum of over € 43,000, the Town Hall is looking at ways of building an additional bridge for vehicles circulating in the near future. It’s a real barometer of the growth that’s taken place in recent years in this part of the village and the need to ensure that traffic routes avoid getting clogged up – something we’ll appreciate when the rain really sets in and the inevitable flooding occurs.

17,000 km worth of kayaking seems to be taking a sporty approach to life just a tad too far for me, really. Meeting Werner Stolz during his brief stop-off in La Herradura just recently, I realised that this man isn’t about all things in moderation. His passion for raising R2,000,000 (approximately € 210,000) to open an AIDS shelter in South Africa, is rarely seen. After suffering a serious neck and head injury during a semi-professional rugby match, 24-year-old Werner was told that he would be unable to play most sports. But this didn’t stop him. Clearly undaunted by the prospect of a challenge, he pretty much went out directly and circumnavigated Ireland (some 1,740 km!) in a kayak in 55 days. It was then he came up with the idea of taking the arduous trip from London through to Durban (a total of 16,000 km). By the time he’d reached us in La Herradura, the weather had already started getting tricky, his first kayak had broken and he’d had less than a welcome reception from the port authorities in both Motril and Marina del Este. Werner commented, “They treated me like a dog just because I wasn’t clean shaven, or flying the right flag! Sleeping on the beach has helped me relate to the difficulties that AIDS sufferers living on the streets in South Africa face on a daily basis.”

Finally, reaching La Herradura, the welcome Werner received was far more positive, with offers of support as accommodation from Luis and Maria del Mar of Windsurfing La Herradura and a number of meals from El Ancla. It’s nice to see that some human kindness still exists in this part of the world. Remember: you too can make a difference by checking out Werner’s website www.K4A.co.ZA.com and offering to make a donation to this superhuman effort and worthy cause.

The latest email I’ve had from Werner, after setting off for Gibraltar on his way to the Moroccan coast, was that communication was going to be quite tricky from this point on - not to mention the journey itself! But, as usual, he was optimistic. We all wish him a world of luck!

Restaurante Pizzeria Italia opens its doors during November with internationally successful, chef Roberto, at the helm. Set to be a real hit with Roberto’s flare for genuine Italian cooking, you’ll be able to head on down to the western end of La Herradura’s bay and enjoy a variety of pizza, pasta and meat & fish dishes. Perfect for the whole family, as well as a romantic venue for couples, since Roberto has taken it and given it a proper Italian make over. We know it’s going to be brilliant! Phone 958 640 242 for reservations.

Felicia Hall focus on sculpture starting November 10th, with pieces in various media, including ceramic, bronze and wood. Several artists will be represented - some known by you already and some new- including Anna di Gesú, Eva Junger from Almuñécar, Ute Burger, Brian O’Rorke, Augustin Ruiz de Almódovar, as well as the sons of the very famous Miguel Moreno, Augusto and José Maria.

November 5th at Felicia Hall also marks a special date at Felicia Hall. There will be a concert of Spanish and Argentinean traditional popular music with Ángel Suárez tenor, accompanied by Roberto Ruggiero (both from La Herradura’s own choir) on the guitar. All are welcome to attend this evening commencing at 7.30pm as a chance to enjoy the work of people who have performed in concerts throughout Spain, in South America, Italy, Cuba and the United Kingdom, as well as appearing on the BBC and Antena 3.

The PP swings in again with ‘Benavides is a compulsive liar.’ Personally, I had always believed that the capacity to lie was a prerequisite for a politician, but I suppose that there are degrees. Juan José Ruiz Joya made this observation in relation to the situation of the Centro Infantil de la Herradura. According to this chappie, the PP had forwarded a motion that demanded that the Governing Council should provide sufficient classroom space in La Caleta infant centre according to demand. This motion, according to Sr. Ruiz, was rejected, thanks to the eleven votes against from the Mayor’s party (CA). However, an amendation was accepted that stated that if a number of requests, superior in number to the available places (35), were received, the necessary steps would be taken to provide a new classroom. This has not happened, says Sr. Ruiz, and the Vice-Mayoress and Services Delegate for La Herradura, María Victoria Ruiz, is doing bugger all about it, he claims.

Leanne set to party on at the Sunlounge with all sorts of brilliant events during coming weeks. By the time you read this, you’ll know whether we’ve all survived the kiddies’ Halloween party, which promises treats like bob-apple and pin-the-nose-on-the-ghost… which should be a scream! For those of you that prefer a less violent approach to your sport, there’s the start of a new annual event, the Sunlounge Cup taking place at Bavaria Golf Course in Vélez Málaga on 26th November. You can call 626 318 051 to find out more about this sponsored golf day with TAGS, when the presentation and meal will take place in the Sunlounge that same evening. Next up, December marks the first birthday celebration of the bar, so we’ll be letting you know what will be happening within the next issue. But just in case you think Christmas is still a million light years away, be aware that Leanne is already taking bookings for Christmas dinner and New Year’s Eve. In the meantime, you should know by now that the old favourites are back at the Sunlounge as the weather starts getting cooler. Enjoy coffee and cake afternoons, plus their winter warmer menu 6-8.00pm daily and of course, the traditional Sunday lunch, including two choices of roast and a vegetarian option. Keep your eyes and ears open because Leanne’s got a lot of surprises in store for us for the New Year as well.

La Herradura’s Annual Christmas Craft Fair will be held this year below the Municipal Market, over the long weekend 8th – 10th December inclusive, from 10am through to 9pm. Local artisans will stun you with their assortment of jewellery, paintings, ceramics, home decor accessories, candles, leather products, hand painted angels and clothing – just to mention a few of the very long list of items available. What’s on offer is the product of some very talented local people we have living in the area. Every day the event will also offer entertainment in the morning (12 midday) and evening (6pm). And as happens each year, the event is a chance to raise money for the very worthwhile cause of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC). It’s also an opportunity to come face to face with the artistic and creative side of our community. For more information, contact Jenny Stewart on 958 82 77 62 or Jane Warnick on 958 64 06 32.

El Ancla is fast becoming known as the venue for all things sporty. Not only is it a great place to enjoy Mega football games such as Manchester United vs Chelsea on Sunday 26th November (kick off at 5pm) with a great team atmosphere, but the Ashes Tour starts on 21st November (and we know who’s going to win this, guys!). TAGS is still going strong for all you golf enthusiasts.

Of course, with all this sporting ‘activity,’ you’re bound to work up an appetite and Jean and Jonathan are pleased to note that Katie’s still cooking up a storm with the ever-popular Sunday Roasts. It really is essential to book to avoid disappointment. But one man who wasn’t disappointed was great adventurer and humanitarian, Werner Stolz, whose epic journey you’ll read more about further on. Suffice it to say that the team at El Ancla made sure he was well fed and watered before continuing on his marathon kayak trip to South Africa.

Salobreña rocks… quite literally, thanks to the fault underneath the Castle, according to some. The Secretary General of the Salobreña branch of the Socialist PSOE, Pedro Ruiz de la Rica, has criticised the state of the fissure under the said monument, which, he claims, puts into peril the stability of this Castle of Moorish origin. He claims that there is a lack of maintenance in the town’s main tourist attraction, and accordingly asks the Mayor to “manifest a greater interest in the local heritage and to push for a mechanism for its conservation.” In other words, he’s telling him to get his finger out before the castle ends up on the beach. He also droned on a bit about the waste bins and benches in the Tajo del Gambullón area; how they were in a less than optimum state, and which gives a bad impression to visitors. Evidently not content with the volume of his complaint, as well as the activity, or lack of, on the part of the Governing Council, he pointed out that the Mayor had gone back on his promise to plant two trees for every Salobreñero. (Editor gasps and grasps his empty whiskey glass in horror.) The Governing Council responded that it was during Mr Ruiz’s spell as the Mayor of Salobreña that the fissure was first noted (1990), but that, surprisingly, no document in the municipal archives reflects anything being done about it at the time. It was also pointed out that the Mayor had already got in contact with the Big Boys up in Madrid about funds for carrying out a geological survey on the fault, and that, consequently, it is hoped that the results of said survey will be known before the end of the year… or before the castle falls down – whichever comes first.

“Don’t panic!” assures the Mayor, “municipal taxes will only be going up by the same amount as the IPC or inflation rate, if you prefer. He also said that the IBI (property tax) and Impuesto sobre Vehículos (car tax) wouldn’t be going up. People with big families, and those that live in VPOs (state- subsidised housing), will receive up to 25% discounts on their IBI during the next three years. But that doesn’t affect you guys much, does it? Rubbish collection contributions will be going up by the accumulated rise in the cost of living during 2002 & 2003. So, what does this all mean? You will be paying a little bit more during 2007, than you did during 2006… Some things can be relied upon, can’t they?

The PSA (Partido Socialista Andaluz) has asked that the Local Police exercise more control over parking. Francisco Palomares, who is the Spokesman for the party, pointed out that uncontrolled parking is clogging up the village’s narrow streets and, in some cases, people are actually parking on the pavements… have the cads no shame? In fact, during the summer, the municipal mini bus got held up many times, thanks to this kind of parking. Each time, the minibus was only able to proceed when the bus driver, a few passengers and passers by, managed to drag the offending vehicle out of the way. Welcome to the coast, Frankie!

New leisure areas are now available up near the Castle! The parking area of the old Panteón will now have multiple uses. Well, that’s what the Mayor claims, anyway. Jesús Avelino Menéndez says that besides parking space for 30 vehicles, the spaces can be used to stage shows. Accordingly, not only has it been embellished, but the old drainage problems have been solved, and mains water and electricity provided. Around 100,000 euros have been spent on this, and the money, it should be remembered, comes from the TH2 hotel projects. All urban development projects have to provide a percentage of the total project budget to the municipal coffers, to be destined for social use, i.e. the financing of schools, parks and medical centres, etc.

Now, I normally think that the ecologists do a damned good job in pointing out all the naughty nuances around the area, and that, thanks to their efforts, some veritable brick abominations have been nipped in the bud. However, the case of the Ecologistas en Acción bitterly opposing the land clearing on the other side of the river, where the bridge-to-nowhere is to ‘land,’ so to speak, is bloody ridiculous. I mean, we’ve had a sulking bridge standing there in a determined hump, because there were no funds to finish the connection roads, and now that there are, the ecologists have thrown up their arms, saying that there has been great damage to the environment, by the clearing machinery. Duh! How the bloody hell are you expected to build a connecting road on the other side of the river, without moving earth? “They’re destroying the habitat of protected species,” claims Javier Egea, respected leader of the ecologist group. They claim that heavy machinery is wiping out a swathe of land down the eastern side of the river, between 20 and 30 m wide, and stretching some 300m in length. The whole area is going to be turned into a hotel zone, anyway, when the projects gets off the ground.

Now, this is where you can praise the ecologists! They have reported to the Department of the Environment and Seprona (Guardia Civil environmental protection department) the case of an illegal cement plant that has been built next to Molvízar. Incredibly, the plant was built in less than a week, on greenbelt land that had been badly damaged by mountain fires in 2002. It sounds like a complete cowboy outfit, knocked up without one official paper to its name – an altar to Lord Brick!

Salobreña Town Hall opens for longer hours! The administration offices, based at the town hall, have traditionally only been open during the morning. However, the council has now acknowledged that many people, particularly those who are at work in the morning, find it difficult to get to the town hall during the current opening hours. Therefore, since Monday 23rd October, it has been possible to go to the town hall in the afternoon to sort out any problems you might have, or to seek information. However, this new service is only available to you on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of each week! This new initiative has been introduced, on behalf of the current administration, by Councillor Juan de Dios Márquez Moya. He hopes that people in the village will find the new opening hours more convenient and added that this new service will not add to the cost of running the administration offices, as people have always traditionally worked in the town hall in the afternoon, even though it was not normally open to the public.

Seven-thousand, five-hundred Spanish Pensioners are to visit Salobreña. Don’t panic if you live in Salobreña, they are not all coming on the same day! The Ministry of Works and Social Services is organising the visits through their holiday programme Imserso and they will take place from now until May 2007. The programme has been running for some time and has visited other coastal parts of Andalusia in the past. However, this is the first time it will have included Salobreña in its places to visit. The local tourism councillor and the tourist office, hope that it will be a great success and add to the village economy. They also hope that the visits will encourage these pensioners to return to Salobreña for holidays and day visits, perhaps with other members of their family. The Spanish pensioners will visit the castle, be told about the history of Salobreña, its cultural inheritance and go to other places of interest. They will, obviously, be encouraged to eat here, visit the shops, bars and restaurants, in an attempt to get them to come back again. We wish the Imserso programme every success in Andalusia and especially for bringing Salobreña into the scheme.

The Yellow Book; a New Community Service. The Yellow Book is being launched as a new directory of local businesses and professional services. However, getting into this book can only be gained through personal recommendation from satisfied customers and entry will require at least two such recommendations. The Yellow Book will not take advertising directly from any businesses. Thoughts we would like you to consider before making a recommendation should include, were you pleased with their work, did you get good value for money, did they come when they said they would, etc. and would you be happy to recommend them to a good friend or neighbour? The categories will include: builders, lawyers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, gardeners, vets and others that you, the public, think are important. The Yellow Book will be widely distributed, but will only work if we, who have lived here for some time, play our part by naming businesses we have used and would be happy to recommend as a satisfied customer. To make a recommendation is easy. You fill in a very simple yellow form, obtainable from Cyber Surfer Internet Café, the Tourist Office, Supersol and from Bratan, across from the Municipal Market and return the completed form to Cyber Surfer, where there is a box to put the form in, or you can hand it to one of the staff. You can also email your recommendation directly to the1yellowbook@yahoo.co.uk. Come on; please help to launch this new community service, by taking a little time and trouble to recommend a business you were satisfied with! Please note that all recommendations are anonymous, but they do require your name and a contact number. However, your name will not be published in the book.

Lobres New Gymnasium Opens. On Tuesday 17th October, the Mayor of Salobreña, Jesus Avelino Menendez, officially opened the new municipal gymnasium in Lobres. He was accompanied at the event by the Councillor for Lobres, Juan de Dios Marquez. The gymnasium is housed in the old school in Lobres, which has been converted into two rooms for various sporting activities, as well as providing changing rooms, toilet facilities, a storeroom and an office. Although the opening was a little later than had been scheduled, Juan de Dios Márquez said that it was a facility that the people of Lobres had long been asking for, as they had previously been using a much smaller, single room as a centre for all sporting activities and using very old equipment. The new gymnasium will house more modern equipment, including body-building facilities and provide training for various disciplines, including aerobics, karate and rhythmic gymnastics. Much of the funding was obtained through a city planning agreement.

Just Visiting the Area? Then you are in for a treat! You might be lucky enough to catch a fiesta and be able to join in with the celebrations. You will certainly enjoy the sunshine, although there might also be a little rain, but it will only be very little, unless you are really unlucky, after all, it is the autumn/winter season and it has to rain sometime! I dare say you will visit a few bars, restaurants and shops, but what about our local open-air markets? There is a market in the village of Vélez de Benaudalla, which is near Motril, every Monday, a large market in Motril every Tuesday, which sells all kinds of things, such as shoes, towels, linen, clothes, etc; but not tourist gifts! However, there are lots of bargains to be had, especially regarding shoes; well that’s what my wife always tells me, when she comes back with yet another pair! There is also a car-boot type of market in Motril, on the third Saturday of every month, selling everything from household effects, bric-a-brac, locally crafted items, etc. Salobreña has a general sales market, near the indoor market, every Tuesday and Friday. However, if you are feeling adventurous, there is the regions largest market, selling all kind of things, held every Sunday near the bus station in Granada. You could catch the bus here on the coast to Granada, do your shopping in the nearby market, have lunch and catch the bus back!

Water; water everywhere and, perhaps, not a drop to drink! Salobreña is going to get two of them and Motril already has one, but will they reduce water supplies for we humans? What am I talking about? Why, golf courses and their abundant use of water on greens and fairways! It goes without saying, that the sunnier the climate, the warmer the weather and the further south you go in Spain, then the drier the golf courses might get and the greater will be the need for watering them. This will keep them in pristine condition, ensuring that they can be used by local and visiting golfers to produce much needed revenue. However, a leading water expert has stated, that to continue to use so much water on golf courses, could lead to a lack of supply for human domestic use! A report, about the use of water by golf courses, states that the two courses, currently in use in the Granada province, used a combined total of one million cubic metres of water on its greens and fairways last year! The current President of the Granada Club de Golf, Juan de la Chica, denies that so much water was used. He adds that per hectare, a golf course is more important than agricultural land because it produces more wealth and jobs. Never mind, we can all go and eat the grass on the golf courses when we are hungry, instead of the agricultural goods it produced in the past Juan! Golf courses were seen as money-spinners in the U.K. and other countries in the past, but many have closed down. Investors hoping to make money were ill advised, because there were too many golf courses being built, for the number of people who play golf and saturation point had been reached. Yes, golf is a relaxing but frustrating game; my wife and I play every week with friends and enjoy it. However, a balance has to be struck between the needs of those who play any game and the rest of the population who need food and water. I hope that Spain, including the province of Granada, learns from the mistakes of others, putting its people before the evil of those things called commerce and greed!

The Rules Dam: this is the dam, which is situated on the side of the Granada road, near to Vélez de Benaudalla and seems to have been there forever, but contains very little water for a variety of reasons! However, the Mayor of Motril, Pedro Alvarez, has recently announced that the proposed pipeline, linking the dam to the Los Palmares treatment works in Molvizar, will be put out to tender by the end of the year. When completed, this will provide a guaranteed water supply to the local farmers, in the Costa Tropical and lower Guadalfeo areas. That is, if it rains and the Rules Dam gets all its paperwork sorted out!

Motril and the new Motorways: the governing coalition at the Town Hall in Motril has voted against and defeated another opposition proposal. This was to ask the Central Government in Madrid, to declare the building of new motorways in the Granada province, an urgent priority and to guarantee that the work would be completed during the life of the current administration. Well it’s not going to happen, so we will all have to be patient and drive along the twisty coast road for a little while longer.

Motril is to get a new Swimming Pool. This new indoor swimming pool will be built on land to the north of the town and near the Príncipe Felipe School. The cost of the project will be shared equally by the town of Motril and the Junta de Andalucía. The total budget for the new pool is 1,700,000 euros. I wonder if they will still make you swim up and down in roped off lanes, as they do in the current covered pool, thus not allow you or your family to just laze around and enjoy a leisurely time in the water? Wake up, Motril, not everyone wants to train to be an Olympic swimmer!