Great Music Weekend

Well that was an interesting and quite enjoyable weekend, if a bit long!

Each night Friday Saturday and Sunday I was on parade for about 6.30pm and made sure there was something for Ann and Dave to do. This was usually to parade in front of the marching bands prior to the concert. Whilst they were doing that I went with Kiko and Candido to await the arrival of the bands and welcome them outside the Renfe. The bands then went and had a sandwich and drink before commencing their concerts at 9.0pm. The quality of the bands varied but I must say most of them played with amazing ability excellent. So many of them were very young mostly between the ages of 14 and 25 years. It was so heartening to see so many young people involved in supporting their traditional village/town bands. I did see quite a few ex pats in the audience but, as I was sitting on the front row I was not able to see everyone who did attend but I hope they derived some pleasure from the experience. I did get a bit of a shock on Saturday night when at about 11.0pm I heard my name called out by the presenter, but having been there throughout, I knew it was only to present a photo/diploma to the youngest member of the Tijola band.

The whole concert was broadcast live over the internet. My favourite tune was one which, I think, the band from Abla did and it was a Trumpet Boogy. Just like Glenn Miller! Another of the bands did an Abba medley but mostly it was traditional Spanish tunes and one the last night some of the favourite Spanish tunes led to dancing and clapping throughout.

During one night I was sitting next to the Delegate for Urbanisation from Almeria and I can assure you that Salvadore gave him a real satirical dousing over our difficulties.

Tried to upload some video footage of our band but failed.

For information the festival continues in Cantoria this coming weekend same times and format.

Oops Sorry

My description of the route for last nights band marches was the wrong way round. It commences outside the Bakama bar and finished at the Renfe! There were refreshments available at a few stalls. The same format will be followed Tonight Saturday and Sunday. Marching from 7.30pm and concerts from 9.0pm. Amazingly both times were adhered to last night.

The event was very good with about 300 spectators. The quality of the music was very good and besides it being broadcast live over the internet it was presented by a young and very professional presenter. The bands last night were from Huercal de Almeria, Macael, Berja, Nijar, Viator and Taberno. Each band played about 3 pieces lasting a total of 15 minutes per  band.

The two expats who volunteered to assist see photograph below processed in front of 2 of the marching bands and did a great job. Thanks Dave Belsey and Anne Cottis Karlstrom.

From Mike Foulkes,

The Post Lady in Zurgena Post Office informed me recently that she had an inspection

visit from her boss from Huercal Overa.

He was insistent that she explained to all customer that....

ALL OUTGOING MAIL should have a RETURN ADDRESS on the back 

to ensure it can be correctly returned if it does not reach the 

recipient.

It would be helpful if you can ensure this is done.

On behalf of the Lady at the Correos

Big Band Nights

I have only just been made to realise what a big event this weekends assembled bands concerts are for our area. It is probably going to be the only time in our lifetime when this happens in our town.

As I previously published the bands will assemble near to the Renfe and starting at 7.30pm one band at a time will process from there along the road towards the petrol station turning right to go down the main road and then turn right into the road towards Latinos. They will then have refreshments in the square and the concerts will start in that square and be displayed on a large screen so that all can see. I believe that the event, in part, will be televised but I do not know.

The bands come from Macael, Taberno, El Ejido, Velez Rubio Pulpi and Carboneras, to name just a few. There will be 6 bands each evening Friday Saturday and Sunday following the same route and timescale. I think it will be well worth calling to see.

La Alfoquia Fiesta & Ana

Below is the agenda for the fiesta this weekend sorry for late publication but it is hot off the press!!

Today (Thursday) kids events.
Friday 13th July

Midnight Fireworks to start the fiesta.
1100 x 1400 Music for the young  people between 12 and 17 years
1800 The corrida for kids where they have to skewer strups of fabric dangling from a wire
1900 Games for young kids
2030 x 2330 Semi finals padel tennis
2330 First concert by the orchestra.
0000 Dancing by fitness group.
0030 Election of the Fiesta Queen and maids of honour.

Saturday 14th

1100 x 1300 Games for kids in the renfe
1730 Painting exhibition in the Renfe.
1800 x 2100 Football matches at Sports school
2100 x 2300 Semi finals of football 7s.
2100 Service in the church Virgen del Carmen.
2130 Final padel tennis.
2330 Orchestra

Sunday 15th July

1030 Petanque tournament in front of La Campsa.
1800 Foam party.
2130 Horse Spectacular in the temporary ring in front of the Renfe. (Please note this is an event put on  by a private company NOT the Town Hall but the TH has allowed it by providing an ambulance) Admission s €10 for adults and €7 for kids
2330 Popular music.

Monday 16th July

1000 Free churros for the 3rd Age in the recinto ferial (near Renfe)
1100 Childrens games in the Renfe
2030 Celebratory Service and procession accompanied by guitarists of the patron saint Senora del Carmen.
2330 Popular music
0000 Presentation of trophies
0130 End of fiesta.

Also very good news Ana is now home and out of hospital.

Civil Protection 1st Job

We had the first meeting of the newly formed Civil Protection unit for Zurgena tonight.

There were only 2 out of the 3 (expat) volunteers and 5 of the Spanish volunteers present but it was enough for Celia to be able to go ahead with planning for the first event, which is a parade of bands from all over Andalucia and is in La Alfoquia over the weekend of the 20th, 21st and 22nd July. Our role is primarily the protection of the musical bands before and during their march through the village.

The bands will be assembling at 6.30pm and marching through town at 7.30pm with the concerts at 9.0pm. There will be drinks and sandwiches at the concert.

If anyone considered volunteering for the Civil Protection but missed the earlier chance it is still not too late. If you get your names and details to me in the next week we can get it sorted. It is a great opportunity to integrate.

Good News and E Access

Firstly we can now reveal, although I think many of those affected are now aware, that the case I referred to a couple of weeks ago was one against Anthonio of New Horizons and related to the houses he had built, in part of Los Carasoles. This case has been won and not appealed. Another one down!

Went to the Town Hall for a meeting about Civil Protection at 11.0am this morning. Sat until 12 noon no sign of the meeting starting so went home!!

Discovered from Salvadore that the Catastral records are now accessible online. Although I am still struggling to work out how to access individual records you may want to have a fiddle about, until I can get more clear instructions on how to access it in depth, without an electronic signature. The site is at http://www.sedecatastro.gob.es/ and if you access through the top left box which shows free access you can then drill down to street level. It would appear that the first 230 houses to be registered for the IBI will be in the area of the Pool bar at La Alfoquia.

Pleno Friday 29th June

Got back from delivering some friends to Alicante airport in time for todays Pleno. It was chaired by Candido, due to Ana now being off sick. So, as he is 3rd in the pecking order, he is now mayor (again). Hope no one else goes off sick!

The following were some of the issues discussed,

We agreed to pass a bye law to regulate the uses , installations, and occupations of public places. This is something we have not properly regulated before. After discussions we agreed to pass this regulation and we then went on to approve the taxes to be paid for such things. This was set at €23 per annum per square metre or €2.75 per sq metre per month. (this is for the occupation of places such as footpaths and parks by private companies for heir use eg bars putting out tables and chairs etc.)

The next item on the agenda was an amendment to our financial rules governing the charging of Plus Valia. We agreed to give a discount of 90% to circumstances such as inherited or gifted properties where it can be clearly shown that the transfer of the property is not to be for financial benefit.

We then discussed and agreed a consorcio for the Medio Almanzora and promptly ruled to dissolve it. I need to clarify more fully what this Consorcio was for!

Then we had a miracle! Candido explained that the Provincial Plan for the improvement of many of the roads in the municipality 2010/11 had never been minuted by the secretary we had at that time, (personal opinion he was a waste of space) and so we had to agree to the fact that we had previously agreed to this plan. The miracle being that PSOE voted with us and I think that is the first time I have known that. So it is hoped that when we present this paperwork we should be able to get the contracts issued around September with the work (hopefully) done before the end of the year. This is the Zurgena plan (mentioned a number of times in previous blogs about the money for the roads such as Avenida Poetas and many others)

We then agreed various other bureaucratic measures and moved onto questions, of which the opposition had many. One brought out something I was not aware of and that was the reason why the Tanatorio had not yet opened. The reason for this was that the company who had built it had gone bankrupt before completing the work, they had agreed to do, which included the electrics for the place. Now we are in a tricky situation of how to find the additional monies for this work.

A second point was that Salvadore informed the Pleno that another 230 homes should be receiving IBI bills in the near future. I will try and see if Salva can let me know which areas this applies to and post on here if and when I know.

The Pleno finished at 3.05pm