Seaside Gazette

La Herradura Fiesta Programme

Editor — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:19:27 +0000

Del 18th – 21st March

Thursday18th  

16.30 h. Tradicional Corrida de Cintas en la Calle Real amenizada por de la Agrupación Musical San José.  (categories: children and adults).  

18.30 h. Pasacalles y Ofrenda Floral a San José. Floral procession accompanied by a Rocio choir. Everybody is invited to participate by dressing in tradition flamenco attirement, bearing flowers. Starts of at the Civic Centre

20.00 h. Pasacalles a cargo de la Agrupación Musical San José y Encendido del Alumbrado del Ferial.   Another procession, accompanied by the San José music band. The official lighting up of the festival lights.

22.00 h. Castillo de Fuegos Artificiales a cargo de Pirotecnia Martín. Firework display, synchronised with music

22.30 h. actuación del grupo de baile “Sabor Andaluz” y del Coro Rociero “Cosas Nuestras”.   Dancing display

23.30 h. Verbena en la Caseta Municipal amenizada por el grupo “Alalba” y “Orquesta La Tentación”. Traditional dance band in the municipal festival bar installations

Friday 19th  

10.00 h. Alegre despertar y diana floreada, amenizada por la Agrupación Musical San José.   Distress rockets going off and a musical band to wake everybody up…

10.15 h. Inicio de los Juegos Deportivos en el Club Las Palomas (Torneo de Tenis y Torneo de Ping – Pong.   (self explanatory)

10.30 h. Muestra rociera de caballos en el Barranco de Las Tejas. (Si el tiempo lo permite). Weather permitting a horse and cart display   

12.00 h. SANTA MISA en honor a nuestro Patrón SAN JOSÉ, Acompañamiento Musical por el Coro “Bahía de La Herradura” dirigido por D. Roberto Ruggero. Ofrenda Musical a cargo de la Agrupación Musical San José.   Official Mass in the village church, accompanied by the Bahía de La Herradura choir

16.30 h. Campeonato de Dominó en el Club del Pensionista.   Domino championship in the pensioners’ club – expect fighting and plenty of blood (joking)

17.00 h. Exhibición de Doma y Carrera de Cinta a Caballo en la Playa del Carbón.   Equestrian taming display

18.00 h. Actuación del Grupo de Teatro Infantil “Los piratas” que pondrán en escena la obra “En busca del tesoro” con mucha animación en la Caseta Municipal.   Kiddies’ theatre plays in the festival installations

20:00 h. Solemne Procesión en Honor a Nuestro Patrón San José acompañada por la Agrupación Musical San José. Itinerario: Salida del templo; C/ Canalejas, C/ Las Flores; C/ Real; Acera del Pilar; Paseo A. Segovia, C/ Eucalipto, C/ Alhambra; C/ Barranquillo; Encierro en el templo.   Solemn religious procession through the before-mentioned streets, end at the church.

22.30 h. Verbena en la Caseta Municipal amenizada por los grupos “Alalba” y “Orquesta La Tentación”.   Village dance bands at the festival installations

Saturday 20th  

10.00 h. Alegre despertar y diana floreada, amenizada por la Agrupación Musical San José.   Distress rockets going off and a musical band to wake everybody up…

10.00 h. Jornada de Escuela Deportiva de La Herradura, con la participación de los equipos de Fútbol Sala y Baloncesto del IES Villanueva del Mar en el Pabellón de Deportes y el equipo de voleibol femenino en el Polideportivo del CEIP Las Gaviotas (valederos para la clasificación de los Juegos Deportivos Provinciales).   School sports tournament

10.15 h. Inicio de los Juegos Deportivos en el Club Las Palomas (Torneo de Tenis y Torneo de Ping – Pong.   Self explanatory.

10.30 h. Muestra rociera de caballos en el Barranco de Las Tejas.   Horse and cart display in traditional dress (Rocio)

10.00 h. Inicio de los Juegos Deportivos.   More sports

16.30 h. Campeonato de Dominó en el Club del Pensionista.   More brawling and blood… still joking

17.00 h. Juegos y Cucañas para los más pequeños en la Caseta Municipal.   Kiddies’ Games in festival installations

19.00 h. Exhibición de Artes Marciales la Caseta Municipal de Feria. Con el Club Kosho Ryu Kempo de La Herradura y el club de Kárate de La Herradura. Exhibición de aerobic y pilates de Gymnastic Sport Marian que realizará una muestras de ejercicios cardiovasculares.   Martial arts display and aerobic & pilates gym

21.30 h. Actuación de las Escuelas de Baile “Alma Flamenca” dirigid por Olga Rodríguez. Entrega del Premios del Concurso de Redacción “Virana” en la Caseta Municipal. Flamenco dancing display

  22.30 h. Verbena en la Caseta Municipal amenizada por los grupos “Alalba” y “Orquesta La Tentación”. Knees up at the festival installations to the music of the village dance bands

Sunday 21st   

10.00 h. Alegre despertar y diana floreada, amenizada por la Agrupación Musical San José.   More distress rockets to remind people that they’re having fun

10.15 h. Inicio de los Juegos Deportivos en el Club Las Palomas (Torneo de Tenis y Torneo de Ping – Pong.   Self explanatory.

10.30 h. Muestra rociera de caballos en el Barranco de Las Tejas. (Si el tiempo lo permite)    Horse and cart display down at the barranco

11.00 h. Exhibición de Aeromodelismo en la playa de La Herradura.   model aeroplane display on the beach

12.00 h. Paseo en Bici organizado por el Club Ciclista de La Herradura.   bicycle procession around the village

14.00 h. Fiesta solidaria de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer. * Paella donada por El Chambao de Joaquín * Migas donada por El Chambao de Vicente  . Giant paella in benefit of the Cancer association

21.30 h. Actuación de la Escuela de Baile de María Gómez “La Canastera”. Dancing display by the pupils of María Gómez dancing school

  22.30 h. Festival Flamenco a cargo de la Compañía de Ricardo de la Juana en el Caseta Municipal. Espectáculo “Encuentros” Al baile: Rai Benítez y Kika Quesada Guitarra: Niño Carmelo Al cante: Ricardo de la Juana, María Gómez “La Canastera” y asunción Heredia. Flauta: Antonio Gómez “El Turri” Flamenco music and dancing festival

  00:00 h. Traca (winding up firework display) Fin de Fiestas San José 2010  

Sunday 21st  

Fairground:  DÍA DEL NIÑO. 

Monday morning: Blissful silence…

Pensioners Perish I

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:25:41 +0000

British pensioners, Christopher and Christine Martin, met a tragic end when the living room ceiling fell on them as they sat on a sofa at their friends’ cortijo in the Alpujarra village of Rubite.
The couple, who resided on the coast at La Mamola, had been invited by Caroline and Stewart to spend the day with them, but the months of almost constant rain, interspersed with violent downpours, caused an earth bank behind the cortijo to give way.
Caroline had been in the kitchen making coffee when she heard the roof give way and crash down on top of the couple, aged 63 and 64. Although she was just over a metre away from them, she escaped with minor injuries.

Pensioners Perish II

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:13:58 +0000

Courtesy of: EFE

We have all been witness to the very uncharacteristic rainfall this winter, which has been with us since the 18th of December on an off – more often ‘on’ than ‘off’. Whilst roads have subsided, houses flooded and crops ruined, up to the last week of February, there had been no fatalities in our neck of the woods. That all changed up in the tiny Alpujarreño village of Rubite on the Monday the 22nd February.
Christopher and Christine Martin had decided to spend some days with another British couple that live in Rubite in a cortijo that was built about 40 years ago. There wasn’t much to do with the rain falling, so the couple were sitting on the couch in the dining room watching television. The hostess, Caroline, was in the kitchen making coffee and her husband was at the rear of the property, seeing to the animals when, with groan, the ceiling came down, killing the couple instantly. For Caroline in the Kitchen, one moment her guests were peacefully watching TV, and the next, they were dead, crushed beneath the concrete beams and masonry. She was very lucky to have escaped a similar fate. Both Caroline and her husband, Stewart, were understandably extremely shocked, according to the Motril fire department, which had attended the emergency call.
It took about half an hour for them to clear the rubble and retrieve the bodies.
The dead couple had lived in La Mamola for seven years, which is just along from Castillo de Baños after Castell de Ferro, where they were very much a part of the community, having integrated very well in village life. Villagers commented how much the couple participated in village affairs, with the wife being an active member of the women’s association there. Both of them were taking adult education classes to improve their command of Spanish.
The family of the deceased arrived from London on the 25th to attend a funeral service, before the ashes were cast into the sea off La Mamola beach.
Both Rubite and La Mamola (which belongs to Polopos) have declared several days of official mourning.
As to the cause, nobody wants to make an official comment until inspectors have had sufficient time to make a thorough investigation into the accident. The main thesis is that earth movements behind the house due the rain added weight to the roof, bringing it down. Although the Motril fire department made an initial comment about inadequate roof structure, which has not been confirmed.

Paraglider Ditches Off Taramay

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:23:58 +0000

Have you ever watched the hang gliders and paragliders flying over the beach and wondered how they are not blown out to sea? Well, it does happen, as was the case of a female paraglider pilot, who had to be rescued by the Guardia Civil coastguards.
The woman, whose age and nationality were not disclosed ditched just of the Playa Cabría (Taramay). By the time that the Guardia fished her out, she had symptoms of hyperthermia. The Guardia took her to Motril Port and from there to Hospital Santa Ana.

Coke Bust

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:20:37 +0000

The Guardia Civil also helped out another citizen who had been flying high, but on cocaine – they generously went out of their way to take him to the police post to book him.
The 40-year-old gentleman from Almuñécar in question was discovered to have a 200-gram block of cocaine on him after he was stopped at a routine road check near Las Gabias. They noticed that he was ‘more nervous than a turkey at Christmas,’ as the Spanish say, and decided to take a peek in the glove compartment of his vehicle. Encouraged by the find they then found more drugs stuffed into his socks: speed and marihuana, so you could say, that they did him for speeding…

Almuñécar Twinned

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:17:19 +0000

Almuñécar, if you didn’t know it, is twinned with an ever-growing number of towns around the Europe, as well as other places around the globe. At the moment, the Town Hall has submitted the paperwork for a twinning ceremony with a town in the United States: Hendersonville in the County of Henderson, which is located in North Carolina.
Henderson is situated between the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Mountains (on the trail of the lonesome pine?). It has some 13,000 inhabitants, covers 15.5 sq/m and bases its economy of agriculture (mainly apples) and tourism.
During January, a municipal delegation visited Almuñécar, returning home to put the case of twinning before their mayor, Greg Newman. He says that they promoting the establishment of amicable ties with Almuñécar and working on cultural, educational, sports and business interchanges. Is it any wonder why Hendersonville has the reputation of being ‘The Friendliest Town in America’?

Torrecuevas Sports Facilities

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:14:40 +0000

Well, Torrecuevas is pretty friendly – at least they have stopped stoning passing motorists – just joking, should anybody from Hendersonville be reading this!
Now, as you drive past the Roman aqueduct, on the other side of the road from the Torrecuevas junior school, you will have seen a large flat area. This plot is to be the controversial sports facilities. I say ‘controversial’ because the Town Hall and the Junta de Andalucía are at loggerheads over the project – there’s a surprise!
During the last plenary meeting of the Town Council there was a lively debate over the project because the ruling party, after having rejected a petition to the Junta that attempted to categories the plot as ‘of public utilities,’ the motion put before the council was to submit a modificación punctual. You might recall that great swathes of Almuñécar have been built in the most surprising places, thanks to these ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ cards, because they ‘dubiously’ permit urban development where it is not permitted under the standing PGOU.
You see; the whole idea of modificaciones puntuales is to carry out minor alterations to a PGOU on special occasions, whereas many would argue that they are being used for virtually creating a parallel PGOU. Anyway, that is the ‘intermittent’ point of view of the some opposition parties. They also consider that the land will be purchased for a price too high, whereas the CA pointed out that if the project doesn’t go through, the land won’t be bought; i.e., the purchase is pending the acceptation by the Junta of the project, and will not be handed over beforehand.
As for the proposed installations, they will basically comprise of a multi-purpose sports track and changing facilities, etc.

Avenida de Andalucía Adjustments

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:10:37 +0000

You will have noticed, perhaps, that there was a bit of work on the Avenida de Andalucía going on towards the end of February – this was repair work on a section that had already been finished.
The problem was and still is that the new road surface (made from bricks) is porous, unlike the previous tarmac surface, which lets the rainwater through. This filtration has been causing considerable damp problems with the businesses along the left hand right hand side, as you go down the avenue. The Internet Café, for instance, which is just below Mari y Miguel’s meson, has plaster falling off and damp invading the power sockets.
The second fault with the new design is, as there is no curb, rainwater actually flows into the premises that have no raised thresholds – again, as is the case of the cyber café, which has been flooded out on six separate occasions since the rains began.
The IU brought these problems to the attention of the Town Hall and we also went round and chatted to the affected businesses. The repair work, therefore, appears to be in response to the IU’s press release. Whether it was motivated by this or was done off their own backs, so to speak, the IU has since congratulated the Town Hall on reacting swiftly – it remains to be seen if it has been effectively, as well as swiftly.
Although the IU congratulated the Town Hall, it didn’t lose the opportunity to do a spot of political sniping, pointing out that it was a pity that the Town Hall did not respond when the defects were first brought to their attention, but it must be pointed out that it has been bucketing it down since then, so there has hardly been the chance, really.
However a more than justified criticism made was that the municipal inspectors should have been there to make sure that the construction company did their job correctly – which it evidently hasn’t. As the IU points out, it is the obligation of the said inspectors and the Council of Public Works to make sure work is being carried out according to the project.

Leo Loses Licence

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:04:36 +0000

It was announced in the provincial press that Almuñécar first underground parking facilities (Parking Leo) is to change hands. The present concession holders are gutted, as when I spoke to them, they said that the Mayor had assured them that the renewal of the concession was a pure formality. Instead the Motril construction company, Hermanos García, have received the concession and will be taking the parking facilities over from June this year.
Now the name of this fortunate company might sound quite familiar to our readers because a high number of municipal contracts for building work put up for bidding goes to Hermanos García. The more cynical amongst our readers might find that more than coincidental.

Viking Invasion

Editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:01:36 +0000

A Viking invasion has hit Almuñécar in the form of top Norwegian Athletes, according to the provincial press. All told, 30 sports men and women, plus four trainers from the Norwegian town of Romsdal stayed in Almuñécar between the 22nd and 28th of February to carry out some training in the sun… Little did they know that we would have the longest spell of rain in the last 40 years to make them feel more at home.