For the weekend

The next exhibition

 

Update

FOR BIG ARTE READ BIG HEART!!

 I am delighted to report that another of the paintings from the exhibition by BigArte has now been sold. 

So far we have sold two paintings and six photographs. 

I am hoping that the band will want the three photographs; one of Manuel Moya conducting his last concert, Francisco Grau conducting his last concert and the one of the Concert Band performing at the Certamen in Alicante where they won first prize. 

The more we sell, the more we can donate to AECC in Bigastro. 

If you haven't already done so, please visit the Sala Polivalente in the Auditorium. You may find something to your liking in which case you can make a donation to AECC and own the picture in return. 

Bigastro Recycle

Bigastro will begin its pilot test of smart containers for waste collection.

Bigastro is the first municipality in the province of Alicante to launch the separate collection system for the organic fraction with a digital system, which allows the implementation of the Generation Payment Rate with which to reward neighbors committed to the good management of their household waste.

During the next Thursday market, its operation will be explained.

Information meetings will be called for all residents of the municipality.

The power of the sun

The increase of solar panels on the roof of the Francisco Grau Municipal Auditorium has begun, with this the supply will be expanded by 12 kW to 22 kW, with an investment of €15,000 thanks to the Alicante Provincial Council.

Consumption in the Auditorium can reach up to 70 kW at times of maximum activity, which is why work continues with the aim of reducing the cost of the electricity bill, such as increasing the use of renewable energies and air conditioning equipment with more sustainable performances.

We can see clearly now

Today a new work has been completed, in this case the placement of LED lighting using solar panels on the Lo Guardamuro sidewalk, next to the flood park and the climb to the reservoir from the La Pedrera intersection.

With an investment of €18,000, road safety has been improved, with busy areas for walking.

In three weeks, the execution of a new phase will begin, placing similar lighting in the Vereda La Balsa (Alquibla route, in its section from the Health Center roundabout, in the direction of the leisure orchards), which will include with a subsidy of €20,000.

Both grants obtained, thanks to the Alicante Provincial Council.

The objective set is to increase the installation of solar LED lighting, in order to reduce the municipality's electricity consumption.

An end to the leaks

Barely a day goes by without Hidraqua repairing a leak in the water pipes somewhere on our estate. 

We have already had three leaks repaired outside our house and I notice that there is probably a fourth one that is showing up as a damp mouldy patch on the inside of the wall to the street. 

The problem lies with the existing polyethylene pipe network, where breaks and water cuts in homes are continuous. It is therefore good news to read that work has begun on the installation of a new water supply network in Sector D9.  

The first phase covers Calle Holanda, Calle Escocia and part of Calle Inglaterra. Hopefully, they will move on to replace the defective pipework in the remaining streets.

This is all thanks to a subsidy of 146,060.06 Euros from Alicante Provincial Council and will allow the installation of 914 meters of cast iron pipe, including the connections to each of the existing homes.

The expected duration of the works will be until the end of December, with temporary cuts to the supply service and traffic during that period. 

The pity is that this could have been avoided if Star Sol had installed cast iron pipework in the first place. 

Trouble at mill!

Daily right-wing protests against Spain's acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez have become increasingly violent - especially in Madrid.

The reason is that Sánchez is attempting to form a government with the support of Catalan separatist groups. 

The issue is that the separatist groups, Together for Catalonia (JxCat) and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) have demanded an amnesty for  several hundred Catalan politicians and activists who face legal action mainly for activities linked to a failed bid to secede from Spain in 2017.

The Sánchez administration have already issued pardons for nine of the  leaders who were jailed for their part in the failed secession bid; they subsequently revised  the penal code to eliminate the crime of sedition and alter the crime of misuse of public funds, changes which benefitted Catalan separatist leaders.

Among those who would benefit from a change to the law is Carles Puigdemont of JxCat, the former Catalan premier who led the independence bid six years ago and who has been living in Belgium ever since, out of reach of the Spanish judiciary.

Naturally, the PP are opposed to all of this as are a great number of Spaniards. They would much prefer another election in December to try and form a Government without the need to resort to such shenanigans.

They definitely don't want to open the door to another attempt at a referendum which could see Catalonia separated from Spain. 

Get your running shoes ready

Plenty of advanced warning for this event! And just look at prizes you could win!

 

A blustery day

 Yesterday started blustery, then it became windy and finally, by the evening it was blowing a hoolie. The brollies in the garden blew over but weren't damaged and one of the trees on the driveway blew over as it always does when the wind is strong. 

In the early days here, we had fencing that did not survive the gales and a gazebo that was not secure but survived. Nowadays we are better prepared so the damage is minimal.

We count ourselves fortunate because this latest storm has reeked havoc in northern Europe. For example, in the UK, 150,000 homes were without electricity yesterday and there were numerous flood warnings in place. 

Wisely, Bigastro Town Hall advised people not to go out unless it was necessary and they closed the sports facilities.

Please, please go along to see our paintings and photographs.

Why is it important to me that we should raise money for AECC? 

Why am I encouraging you to buy one of our paintings or one of my photographs? 

Stories about children or young people with cancer tend to make newspaper headlines, as they are often the cases which are the most shocking. Fortunately, getting cancer at a young age is rare. 

However, 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime. One of the main reasons for this being that people are living longer. Half of all cancers are in people over the age of 70. 

Getting older doesn’t mean you will definitely get cancer but the chances increase the longer you live. 

Both Pam and I have had cancer. Fortunately, we have survived, not everyone is so lucky. 

We are thankful to Associations like AECC for the work they have done to improve survival rates. 

The painting club here in Bigastro is not asking you to simply donate to AECC, we are offering you the chance to own an original piece of art in exchange for your money. 

In case you haven't seen them. the paintings and photographs are in the Sala Polivalente. To own one and make a donation to this worthwhile cause, please contact Jose Julian on +34 620 25 63 67.

What a wonderful day

 The town was out in force yesterday for the Marcha Contra Cancer. It was a lovely sunny day, perfect conditions for the event.

I'm pleased to say that there was a lot of interest shown for our paintings. However, people needed to know how much to offer if they wanted to buy one. 

For my part, I told Jose Julian (President of AECC in Bigastro) that he should expect a minimum of 50 Euros for my paintings, 20 Euros for my small photographs and 30 for the larger ones. 

I hope my fellow artists will follow suite so we can make some money for this worthwhile cause. 

Look in the sidebar for my photos from the day. 

Homage Mk 3

 So tomorrow, in the Plaza de la Constitucion, my fellow artists and I will be exhibiting paintings from the homage to me that was first held in August. 

Since it will be impossible to display my photographs, I have contributed three of my paintings (as per my previous post). 

The day is going to be much more than that though as it marks the end of the celebrations in aid of AECC that started on the 19th of this month. 

At 10am the day will kick off with a walk around the town. Then there will be all sorts going on to interest you.

• There will be commemorative T-shirts. 
• A drum ensemble will beat out African rhythms.
• A flock of pigeons is due to be released. 
• A raffle with many great prizes.
• There will be merchandise for you to buy. 
• A photocall.
• Helium balloons. 
• A glitter table. 
• Music (of course). 
• To eat there will be meatballs and rice and no doubt plenty of beer and soft drinks to cool you down.  
• And last but not least our exhibition of paintings all of which will be for sale with proceeds going to  AECC. 

After I have mounted my paintings, I'll be out and about with my camera. If you catch me, your photo may be on Facebook!

It is a great cause and as Bob Geldorf once said, "WE WANT YOUR MONEY!".

Our contribution

 

These are the three paintings that I hope to display with others from my fellow artists in BIGARTE on Sunday in the Plaza de la Constitucion as part of the party in aid of AECC (Spanish Association Contra Cancer). 

All of the paintings will all be available for sale with the proceeds going to AECC in Bigastro. 

To buy one of the pictures, please contact Jose Julian at the local AECC office to arrange your donation. Tel.+34 620 25 63 67.

Remember too that there are 35 of my photographs for sale in the Sala Polivalente. Again, the proceeds go to AECC and the contact if you want to buy them is Jose Julian in the local office. 

Homage Mark Two

 The night in August when the homage to me was inaugurated was a very special one that  I will remember for a long time to come. On the walls of the Sala Polivalente were 35 of my photographs along with paintings made by members of BigArte from some of my other photographs. It was a great honour that the town and the club had bestowed upon me. 

After the exhibition was dismantled, the photographs were stored in my house. I had no idea what would become of them.

Yesterday, Bigastro celebrated the International Day Against Breast Cancer. In the morning, children made a declaration in the Town Square and in the evening there was a talk given by the President of AECC in the Sala Polivalente. 

For the talk, the Town Hall requested that we put up the display of photographs and paintings from the homage to me. It was homage mark 2. 

The works are all available for sale with the proceeds going to AECC. 

Following the opening last night, the exhibition will continue until the 29th October when it will be moved to the Town Square for Homage Mark 3. 

Tonight 2nd time around

 Hoy, día internacional contra el cancer de mama volvemos a presentar esta exposición en homenaje a nuestro compañero Keith, ya que muchos se quedaron con ganas de verla.

Contamos con la participación de la junta local y la asociación contra el cáncer

@contraelcancer.alicante

con los cuales podéis contactar para la adquisición de las obras íntegramente para apoyar la causa.

Hoy a las 20:00 en el auditorio Francisco Grau de

Bigastro.

You have to be in it to win it

 

🍾CESTA COMISIÓN DE FIESTAS 🍾

Participa en nuestra jaula con un donativo de 2€ y llévate esta estupenda cesta‼️

¿Qué contiene la cesta?

Un queso 🧀 ,un salchichón ibérico, un chorizo ibérico, un jamón 🥓y una botella de vino 🍷

¿Cómo se puede participar?

Asiste el Ayuntamiento📍y escoge tu número ganador‼️

Mucha suerte!!!☘️🍀☘️🍀

Deserves our support

 

The sound of the Metro

 On the way out to Jacarilla is the Metro dance club. Although it is close to Bigastro, it is actually in Orihuela. 

When we say dance club, we're not talking ballroom or latin american dancing. This is full on hardcore dance music dominated by a heavy bass line. The kind my daughters used to love and listen to, the kind played all night in clubs in Ibiza. 

For some inexplicable reason, these dance clubs do not get into full swing until the time when many of us are thinking of going to bed and then continue until dawn when only milkmen and shift workers are about in the streets. 

If the wind is in the right (or more to the point wrong) direction, you can hear the music as far away as Villas Andrea where we live. No doubt you can hear it in the town whichever way the wind is blowing. 

Naturally, people complain that it is hard to sleep with that incessant beat going on. Actually, it is worse than that because at times the beat stops and you start to doze off only to be woken again a minute or so later by a return of the thump, thump, thump. 

You can call the police, but as I said, the club is officially in Orihuela so the local police here can do nothing. Probably, the police in Orihuela won't do anything either because the club has a license to play music and in any case it is too far from Orihuela for anyone there to be disturbed by the noise. 

No doubt the revelers go to bed afterwards and catch up on their sleep the next day but for some, they need to be up in the morning for work - bleary eyed and grumpy. 

Is it overkill?

 It is impossible to fathom out why anyone would want to cut down the 300 year old sycamore tree that stood in Sycamore gap in Hadrian's Wall. The tree was an icon, much loved by locals and tourists alike. 

There are many photographs of the tree, in all seasons showing that it stood up to the worst weather that nature could throw at it. It was the scene of many marriage proposals and even weddings themselves. People scattered ashes under it and hikers sheltered from the rain beneath its branches. 

Whereas most newspapers in the UK have printed an article about the incident, the Daily Mail have gone over the top with no less than 11 articles today. 

That must be a record for a newspaper that normally obsesses and prints countless articles about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.