Horror strikes the town

The parade for Halloween last night clearly fuelled the imagination of the townsfolk who came out in some very imaginative costumes. 

The bottom picture is of our new neighbours.

You may recognise the father as a member of the local police force.

Celebrating Halloween

Not so fortunate

The risk of heavy rain has now finished for us. However, Castellon is still on red alert for more rain.

The graphs for the different weather stations in that province tell the story from yesterday of persistent heavy rain throughout the day. It was a similar story in Murcia but less extreme.

You can find videos of torrents flowing down streets from both areas and those who visited Orihuela yesterday would have seen the Segura in full flow.

The cause of this bad weather

Although cold drops are a regular feature of Mediterranean autumns, we need to go back to October 2008 to find a storm of similar intensity to the one forecast for the next few days.

The cause of this particular storm is the conjunction of two areas of low pressure. By themselves, both areas of low pressure  are capable of producing heavy rain, but by "interacting and joining", they will create a very pronounced instability in the upper layers.

A  cold drop is a normal feature of the Mediterranean climate in autumn However, in the past few years, cold drops have been conspicuous by their absence.

Just to remind you, cold drops are caused by Arctic air meeting the humid wind that runs along the length of the Mediterranean Sea

According to AEMET, there could be long periods of intense rain totalling over 100 litres per square metre in 12 hours, particularly in Castellon. 

Fingers crossed

Looking at this map, it looks like we should be spared the worst of this weather situation. But who knows, weather patterns can change rapidly Sometimes we are warned of heavy rain and all we get are a few drops. Other times, we are forecast mild weather and we get strong winds and rain.

Let us hope that our neighbors up the coast follow the advice and remain safe.

A note for your diary

 The U.K. Consul for Spain, Sarah Jane Morris, will be in Rojales on Wednesday, 7th November 2018 to talk to residents regarding a Brexit update and procedures to be followed.

The meeting will be held at 11 a.m. in the Cultural Centre, Calle El Pino, Ciudad Quesada.

If my understanding is correct though, it is unlikely that a deal will be signed by the time that meeting takes place. The parties involved are now talking about December and some are wary that even then the issue of the Irish border will not be resolved.

It fell inland

We were expecting rain all day. When it came it was pretty much full on but fortunately short lived.

I've watched a video of a stream running through the streets of the town but it hardly came close to videos from Mallorca, Granada and elsewhere last week.

As you can see, coastal areas had barely more than a shower whilst inland there was over 10 times the amount of rain.

What was strange because we weren't warned about it, was how the wind suddenly picked up at about 8pm. Pam and I quickly took the sun umbrellas down and moved the chairs outside only to find that half an hour later all was calm again. Most strange!

Signing up

The growing list of prizes ready for the fifth edition of this show of solidarity for AECC.

That was some downpour

Look at these pictures taken from Sant Llorenç des Cardassar. Mallorca yesterday and you appreciate just how much rain they had in such a short time.

Spanish weather forecasters said 20cm (8in) of rain fell in four hours on the island of Mallorca on Tuesday evening. A British couple were feared to be among ten people to have died. They were said to have drowned in a taxi as flood water engulfed the town of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, about 40 miles east of the capital.

Torrential rain hit other areas of Spain too, with Catalonia in the north-east and Málaga in the south among the areas badly hit.

Just what they need

As you all know, today is a local holiday in the Valencian region. The shops are shut, everyone is off work looking forward to a day out in the sun.

Instead, what we have is deep cloud cover, the chance of some rain and possibly thunder. Don't worry though, tomorrow, when people return to work, it will likely be fine with sunny intervals.

One in a million

That is how this rare white sparrow is described. It isn't an albino, this is a leucistic bird.  Dark eyes keep it from being an albino.

Most know albinism, but have never heard of leucism. There is a range of colouration in leucistic birds with pure white, like this one, being the rarest.

One of our neighbours, Caroline James, tells me that this bird comes to her garden four or five times a day. She's taken photos of it and kindly sent me this one to publish on my blog. Thank you Caroline.

Like a different language

There are similarities but also important differences in this version of Spanish.

Learning English

 Ready for official exams in the language that will help young people find work abroad.

Such a good film

Not sure I would be able to follow it in Spanish though.

The Auroros of Bigastro

Last Friday,  Pascual Segura presented his new book,  "The Auroros de Bigastro. Songs of History and Tradition ". The book is the result of an investigation carried out by the author on the aurora bigastrense tradition which dates back to 1721.

The act of presentation of the book was the starting point for activities scheduled this month in the municipality.  On Sunday, 21st October, Bigastro will host the XXXV Regional Encounter of Auroros de la Vega Baja and Bajo Vinalopó, a meeting that will bring together the auroros groups from more than twenty villages.

Teresa María Belmonte Sánchez, mayor of Bigastro, said: "I invite bigastrenses, neighbors of all the towns of the region and tourists, to participate in this traditional day of coexistence, an essential part of our cultural identity, enjoying the visit to our town, knowing our history, tasting our gastronomy and feeling the hospitality of the bigastrenses. "

The mayor also stressed the need for the declaration of this ancestral tradition as an Asset of Cultural Interest in its Immaterial form , "an initiative for which Bigastro City Council shows all its support, since the one of the auroros is one of the most old and beautiful traditions of the region of Vega Baja and Bajo Vinalopó, and therefore requires all necessary measures to disseminate it, as well as to ensure its conservation so that future generations enjoy it and participate in it. "

Program of events for October 21, 2018.

At 5:30 am. Concentration of the participant groups of aurors, in the Plaza de la Constitución.

At 5:45 am. Tour of the Auroros by Bigastro singing the traditional songs of wake up.

At 7:30 am. Prayer of the Holy Rosary in procession presided by the image of Our Lady of the Rosary.

At 8:30 am. In the Huerto del Cura Park, celebration of the Holy Mass.

At 10:30 am. Lunch.

Coming home

We’ve had a great time in Sale with the family but now it is time to come home. The case is packed and in the boot. Soon it will be time to take the hire car back and check in at the airport.

Looking at the CCTV cameras, it looks like the sun is shining ready for our return. Let’s hope it stays that way because we have a fair bit of washing to do. 

Manchester weather

We arrived at Manchester Airport last Thursday to be greeted by torrential rain. That made the journey to our hotel “interesting” in a strange car where we couldn’t work out how to change the heating.

Friday was no better but at least our journey was just local. By Sunday it was sunny and the weather has stayed mild and dry since.

Looking at the weather for Bigastro, we might not have faired any better there.

Sadly, by the time we return, we will have missed a couple of events that we would have preferred to attend. Still, time with the family is just as rewarding so we have no regrets.

Keeping you safe

I’ve had a message from Scout John telling me about a talk about security for the elderly. This will take place at the Auditorium on Tuesday, 2nd October at 11am. There will be a translator on hand to help those who have limited understanding of Spanish.

Halloween

Window decoration competition and pumpkin decorating class for this year's Halloween.

I have no idea

From the title, this is the 35th edition and on this occasion it will take place in Bigastro.

We know that it is musical and involves two choirs and is the synthesis of the three cultures: Christian (Gregorian chants), Arabic (chants of alborada) and Jews (similarities with the Sephardic chants of the synagogue).

The end of the Anniversary

The Closing Ceremony of the Anniversary of Thomas Villanova, will take place next Saturday.

 First there will be the opportunity to hear views expressed by Agustín Pastor Fuentes (Bigastrense  and Head of the Arrhythmia Unit of the University Hospital of Getafe), Gregorio Canales Martínez (Professor of Human Geography at the University of Alicante) Pascual Segura, author of the biography of Thomas Villanova) and direct testimonies by the descendants of the Villanova family.

Then the theatre group,  Lugarico will  represent their biographical work on the life and work of the illustrious scientist.

Although I have a personal invitiation from the Town Hall, unfortunately, we will be away then.

Much ado about nothing

We all know that weather forecasting is an imprecise art at best. When it comes to predicting DANAs though, trying to make accurate predictions is in another league.

You only have to search the internet to find videos of parts of Spain where the effect of the cold drop was intense. In particular, there is a video of a river rampaging down a street in Granada taking cars and vans along with it. There is a similar video taken in Ronda where the river is part way up the walls of houses. Both locations are where the streets are narrow and there is a hill.

We were forecast the high possibility of heavy rain and thunder but all we got was a short sharp downpour. That was lucky, things could have been much worse for us.

There have been some complaints about AEMET's forecasting but to be fair, it is better to expect the worst and then find things are nowhere near as bad as predicted. 

It is raining folks

Last time a DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos) was forecast, we escaped and no more than a few drops fell on us.

Yesterday, the forecast for today was up rated to orange with a threat of very heavy rain. Today it is down rated to yellow. The map below shows the accumulated rainfall expected over 10 days from yesterday.

The problem is that DANAs are very unpredictable and the rain associated with them can be very local. It can be dry where you are and a washout just 5kms down the road with a clear line between the two.

You could hear thunder in the night, well at least I did but that was coming from Murcia. It is definitely raining today and the forecast is for it to continue through to Tuesday. As I have said though, we will have to wait and see.

Our second set of visitors went home last night. We thought they were going to have bad weather during their stay but they had none of it - plenty of sunshine, warm temperatures and no more than a breeze.

The other thing to watch out for are mosquitoes. So far, this summer I have only had a few minor bites but with rain puddles everywhere, the female insects will likely go into a breeding frenzy and be out in force collecting blood.

Orange alert

Be aware that there is a possibility that we will get some heavy rain sometime in the next two days. The situation has changed and the current risk level for this area has been reduced from orange to yellow on AEMET's website. In case you were wondering, we are at the bottom of that map.

If you doubt the force of nature, watch this video from yesterday.

Make sure you are in order

A message from Scout John

HMRC has introduced new legislation that requires individuals to make sure their foreign income and assets are in order before a 30th September 2018 deadline and the arrival of tougher penalties.

These changes can affect people if they live abroad and pay tax outside the UK, for example people who rent out their UK home whilst living in another country or those who still have UK bank accounts or investments. It can affect more people than you may think.

 YOU ARE INVITED TO A CONSULATE SPONSORED PRESENTATION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY 4th SEPTEMBER 2018 IN THE CAPITOL THEATRE OF ROJALES AT 11 a.m.

The U.K. Consul will be in attendance along with HMRC representatives from the U.K to nswer your questions.

The procession 2018

You can watch the video made of the procession here. If you cut to 33mins.31seconds you can watch them rotate the throne above their heads. Cut to 22mins 20 seconds to watch the presentation projected on the church wall.

The coronation

This year Pam and I feature on the video taken. Watch us at 8mins 45 seconds in and see my wardrobe malfunction. Then again at 44mins 06 seconds in for a further minor wardrobe malfunction on my part.

Totally insane!

In case you were wondering what it is like to go down between 3am and 5am to watch La Cordá organised by the Association of Carretilleros, here it is on one of Fonta's photos.

First off, you have to have a licence before they will allow you in the cage. Then you have to wear layers of protective clothing which must leave you dripping with sweat. Finally, you need to buy your fireworks which can cost upwards of 1,000 Euros.

The reward is this spectacular display which Fonta has recorded for us.

The last of my photos

Today, La Murga will tour the streets in the final act for this year's Fiesta for San Joaquin.

Last night, the Cofradia de San Joaquin promised us something special for the Solemn Procession and they delivered.

Just before the statue was returned to the church, we were treated to an account of how San Joaquin came to the town complete with images projected onto the front of the church. I even recognised some of them as ones I took two years ago.

A quick turn around in the Plaza, first on the shoulders and then held aloft and the statue was returned to the church until next year.

One of our neighbours

Efren Pamies, who lives on our estate, at the Comparsas Parade last night.

Not only is he one of our local policemen, Efren is an accomplished singer, plays guitar, takes great photos and has a keen interest in the environment.

An all round good guy.

See my photos from last night here.

Simply beautiful

As I have said before on this blog, the Floral Offering is one of the most beautiful parades that takes place during the Fiesta in Bigastro.

See for yourselves the wonderful costumes and flowers from this year.

The statues

Santa Ana

For those of you who missed them, here are the statues of Santa Ana and San Joaquin that the Cofradia de San Joaquin have displayed in the church.

I imagine that they will need to be moved to bring our statue of the patron saint out for tonight's Floral Offering.

San Joaquin

San Joaquin

San Joaquin with Mary

Remarkably similar to our statue. 

Santa Ana with Mary

Small but detailed statue of San Joaquin with Mary

The full display including pictures. 

I was asleep at the time

The earthquake was recorded at 4.40 pm on Monday, 13th August, 11 kilometers deep and had as its epicenter northwest of the town of Albatera.

Words fail me

Last night's concert for San Joaquin promised to be something special. Just reading the programme, you knew that we were in for a great treat.

As you may already know, Bigastro and the Cofradia de San Joaquin are celebrating the 225th anniversary of the entrance of the statue of the patron saint to the town.

There is a special exhibition of images and documents related to San Joaquin in the church which I will be photographing shortly.

In the meantime, let's talk about the concert.

The park was the perfect location, it allowed a full audience to attend.

The music was simply delightful and the band surpassed themselves with their interpretation of the pieces.

Diego and the musicians deserve all the praise that we can give them.

Top marks to Pascual

He came as Darth Vader, his wife was Leia Organa and their son, a young Luke Skywalker.

When the parade eventually arrived, it was mainly adults accompanying  a handful of children. It was all over in the blink of an eye.

Even still, we must praise all those who made the effort to take part.

Siempre divertido

The Carrera de Cintas was, as always, great fun.

Trying to poke that stick through a small plastic ring whilst riding on a bicycle is tricky to say the least.

It helps to be either tall or stand on the carrier at the back.With someone on the carrier you have to have good balance especially when riding at a snail's pace.

Time to celebrate and reflect

Last night was the final act for Pam and I as Third Age King and Queen. We were delighted to hand over the mantle to this year's King and Queen and hope they have as wonderful a year as we did.

Pam and I are very grateful to the people of Bigastro who have given us such wonderful support. You cheered, applauded, offered congratulations and made us feel very special.

We would also like to thank the Alcaldesa for the kind words she spoke about us during her speech last night.

After the ceremony we were pleased to meet up with friends and neighbours for a celebratory drink.

NB Please note, not all those gin and tonics were Pam's and mine!

More detail in English

SATURDAY, 11th AUGUST

20:30h Procession of the 2017 outgoing courts, the incoming courts of the Fiestas Patronales 2018, accompanied by the Unión Musical de Bigastro, the local government team and the guest speaker, to the Park Huerta del Cura.

22:00h CORONATION AND OPENING OF THE FIESTA, in the Huerto del Cura Park. Coronation of the Court of Queens 2018, with the guest speaker, Sr. Rodrigo Jover Martínez,

At the end of the act of the coronation there will be a Disco.


SUNDAY, 12th AUGUST

12:00h The uncle of the tractor will tour the streets of the municipality offering refreshments. He will be accompanied by a charanga (an ad hoc band).

12:00h THE TAPE RACE will take place in Purisima Street. Participate and you could win one of the sashes that the courts have prepared for the occasion. How many sashes will you get?

20:00 h THEMATIC CHILDREN'S PARADE

Starting from Barrio Nuevo Street, following its traditional route, adults and children are invited to take part in this multicoloured parade, whose theme this year is MOVIE CHARACTERS. The parade will be presided over by the children's court.

23:00h CONCERT BY THE MUSICAL UNION OF BIGASTRO, in the Huerto del Cura Park.

Afterwards there will be a disco.


MONDAY, 13th AUGUST

12:00h The uncle of the tractor, accompanied by a brass band, will return to the streets of Bigastro, delivering cold beer.

20:30h Presentation parade of comparsas following the traditional route from the Parque de la Cruz. Don't forget to fill a bucket of water or turn on your hose to refresh the comparsistas!

00:30h Concert by LOS HAPPY'S.

A group with a great musical repertoire that will remind us of special moments in our lives.

Many of their songs we can sing together to make us feel that everything in our lives has been worthwhile.

At the end of the concert there will be a disco.


TUESDAY, 14th AUGUST

12: 00h The uncle of the tractor will say goodbye to the streets of Bigastro, until next year.

20:00h Floral offering to San Joaquín beginning with the traditional procession accompanied by the Musical Union of Bigastro, local dignatories, comparsas, and neighbours finally arriving at the Plaza de la Constitución where they will offer flowers to San Joaquín.

20:30h Holy Mass in Honour of San Joaquin

00:30H Performance by the 80 Principales, in the Huerto del Cura Park. The 80 Principales recall the successes of the golden decade of the 80s both nationally and internationally. The group is formed by 5 experienced musicians, some of whom were members of Ana Torroja's band, Lluís Llach or Antonio Orozco among others.

At the end of the performance - a disco.


WEDNESDAY, 15th AUGUST

19:30H Prepare for the festive atmosphere of the multicoloured parade.

20:30h GREAT MULTICOLOUR PARADE, of comparsas accompanied by the children's court, the juvenile court and the 3rd age king and queen.

01:00 h ALBORADA

A parade to welcome in our big day, with music by the Musical Union Society of Bigastro. Neighbours, visitors and the local governement team will parade the streets of the municipality, filling them with joy as they announce that the day of our Patron Saint, San Joaquin, has finally arrived.

At the end there will be a fireworks display and in the Huerta del Cura Park, another disco.

02:00h Children's fireworks in the cage on Acequia Street.

03:00 To 05:00h, More fireworks (La Cordá) in the cage on Acequia Street, with the participation of the Association of Carretilleros de Bigastro. If you are going to this event, wear sensible clothing and stand well back.

05:00 to 07: 00h Party Remember with DJ Chumy.


THURSDAY, 16th AUGUST

08:00h Parade of the Charamita announcing the Big Day of Bigastro.

09:30h Holy Mass

11:30h Parade by the Musical Union Society of Bigastro, from Bigastrín to Our Lady of Bethlehem Church, accompanied by the Courts of 2018 and the local authorities.

12:00h Holy Mass to honour San Joaquin with songs by the Manuel Moya Choir At the end of the Mass there will be a Great Mascletá (very loud fireworks set to a rythm of sound).

20:00h Majestic and Solemn Procession of our Patron San Joaquín, carried on the shoulders of the members of the San Joaquín brotherhood, presided over by the local authorities.

Following the entrance of San Joaquín to the church, there will be a GRAN CASTILLO DE FUEGOS ARTIFICIALES (Firework Display), provided by Pirotecnia Ferrández de Redovan.

01:00h In the Huerto del Cura Park, a Great Gala of Humour presented by Gina Boss. A show by Gina Boss composed of dance, music and humour, lots of humour! Interaction with the public will be constant and laughter is assured

Kalderas Cómico, presenter, scriptwriter and actor, with more than 130 performances per year in different halls and theatres nationwide with his solo show "#bienvenidosAMisTontunas".

The magic of Lumaky Artist with more than 10 years on the stage. Humour, surprises, emotion and other sensations that take us to a world of magic and illusion, and finally, The Sangochaos, a chirigota formed by young Torrevejenses in 2008.

And at the end - the final Discomovil, until everyone drops!


FRIDAY, 17th AUGUST

LA MURGA will tour the town in the afternoon. With this show, you can expect sharp satire aimed at both the town and Spain in general.

Plan your days

Looking forward to this

All change

The forecast shows that we are in for a change in the weather. From very hot, we are moving to still hot but sticky as the humidity is due  to rise to almost 90%.

Most significant to us and Bigastro is the chance of showers at the weekend. On Friday it is rated at 65% and then on Satuday (the day of the coronation) 85%.

Shaken but not stirred

Never felt a thing!

Sad loss

Barry Chuckle, half of the comedy duo the Chuckle Brothers, has died aged 73.

Residents at Villas Andrea will likely recall that Barry had a holiday home here until recently. Some of you even played golf with him.

The entertainer, whose real name was Barry Elliott, starred in ChuckleVision with his brother Paul on the BBC between 1987 and 2009.

Financial matters

The budget for Bigastro this year has now been set as follows;  income = €4,658,522 and expenses = €4,408,522 giving a surplus of € 250,000.00 that will be used to reduce the municipal debt.

The good news for us is that a budget line has been created to improve the electricity network in the area of La Pedrera.

Market goers take note

Pity those souls

If you think it is hot here in Bigastro, just look at those temperatures for the middle of the country. Perhaps not the best time to book a trip to Cordoba!

A summer tradition

There used to be a Cine de Verano on Calle Purisima.

This one is in the new park at the top of the town.