Double whammy at Agaden on Friday

JIMENA (Agencies) This coming Friday, March 4, there is a double presentation at Agaden's Casa Verde, (C/Sevilla 51, just below the town hall). The book by Mario Ocaña, titled Corsarios del Estrecho (Corsairs of the Strait) is about the "battles, shipwrecks, assaults, corsairs, conspiracies, relative victories and absolute defeats, voluble alliances and false armistices" that occurred throughout history in the Straits of Gibraltar. On a related subject, the documentary by Prospero's good friend Juan Manuel Díaz Lima, De Estraperlo (a word meaning 'imported/smuggled goods') is the first-person stories of those who chose to make smuggling from Gibraltar a way of life during the hard years. (We told you about it a year ago, with a trailer.)

Reader's Choice (My first record): 'I'm a Believer' by The Monkees

News is that The Monkees are getting back together again. Oh joy, oh rapture! An onlooker said, as we were putting this up, "They look really manky, worse than the Stones." So be it. As it happens, someone called Shirley sent this in about a month ago, with the comment that she was only four when someone gave her this 45 r.p.m. (no, youngster, we're not going to tell you what that is - ask Granny!). That was back in 1966, apparently...

Top speed goes down to 110 'to save energy'

SPAIN (Agencies/Photo montage by EuropaSur) The Government announced this morning that it had decided to lower the top speed on autovías and autopistas (highways) from 120 Kph to 110, starting on March 7. According to Vice-President Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, this is a "temporary measure" and part of more plans aimed at saving energy, and is "closely related" to the rise in oil and petrol prices resulting from the situation in North Africa. Aside from this speed reduction, another two measures are being put in place:>

FOR SALE: Caravan

Caravan For sale (click on pic for all the info)

(If you want to buy or sell anything on JimenaPulse, just e-mail us. See CONTACT US on the sidebar)

Yes, it's open but...

LOS BARRIOS Our good friend Phil Heinzl sent this photo in this morning with the comment, "I misread this and had to look twice....yes it should read ABIERTO, but I couldn't help to adapt it." So on behalf of Yours Truly (that's Alberto to the rest of you), many thanks, Phil! You might have to click on it to get the point, but the management at the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel at Palmones may have something to say about it...

Welcome to a new advertiser: you've heard of them but have you tried them?

You know them because you've seen their trucks. Your friends have been using their products for years, and we can personally vouch for the excellent service from the Jimena distributor, Antonio (610 755 037, but he's happy to pass you on to a colleague in any other area), who not only is a truly nice person but a professional as well. Then, of course, there's the products. The quality is unimpeachable, the variety and selection cannot be improved, and the service, well, they bring everything to the door.You can order your free catalogue from any of the drivers or online at the Bofrost website. We will soon be offering access to their products and services via this site, so watch this space ... while you're enjoying a nibble of something from your well-stocked freezer.

Roadworks begin on Calle Yustos; Romo is almost finished

JIMENA (Press release) Work began earlier this week on Calle Yustos (photo) while that on Romo is almost concluded and the street expected to be open to traffic again very soon. Similarly to the latter and that on Calle Sevilla last year, the aim is to replace the old sewer and water pipes with new ones. This means that Yustos is now closed to traffic, as are all the road's accesses to garages. The Council apologises for the inconvenience.

53 NEW POSTS SINCE SUNDAY ON

... and only a few below ...

Nora Tisnes holds exhibition at Casa Henrietta this weekend

JIMENA Well known painter Nora Tisnes, a resident of Jimena, is holding an exhibition of her latest work at Casa Henrietta this weekend, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8pm. Come and see a variation of themes in her inimitable style, have a drink and meet your friends. Sounds good to us!

Jimena and Castellar receive €115,902 from municipal employment plan

JIMENA/CASTELLAR (Press release/Photo: file) Some thirty mayors, among whom were those of Jimena, Castellar an Tarifa, recently subscribed to the 2nd Plan de Ayuda Municipal al Empleo with Diputación Provincial de Cádiz. This refers to the renewal of the first such plan that is still current. Jimena is to receive €83,331 in 2011, and Castellar €32,571. Thus, some 40 people will have employment under the plan, which starts next month. 80% of the amount will go to contracting workers, the remaining 20% to purchase of material needed for repair or rehabilitation of public roads and/or buildings. Castellar has employed 37 workers under the scheme, with two-month contracts for plumbers, albañiles, gardeners and painters. (This item is also published on CampoPulse)

Flamenco dance classes in Tesorillo

JIMENA/San Martín del Tesorillo (Press release) Flamenco dance classes will be starting soon under the direction of Isabel Núñez, who has offered her expertise for a number of years now. At a price of €20, these classes are aimed at adults. Classes will be held at the ELA building, where more information is also available, as it is on 956 618 096.

For sale: Two single beds, exc. condition

Two Single Beds

In very good, clean condition

Mattresses with protectors on metal frame base

70€ for the two

Tel : 956 640 079

(If you want to buy or sell anything on JimenaPulse, just e-mail us. See CONTACT US on the sidebar)

Another art course by Rod Stokes

JIMENA Artist Rod Stokes is holding another art course at the Reina Sofía Cultural Centre in Los Ángeles (Estación) during the Spring. Having offered numerous classes over the years, this time they will concentrate on drawing, figure, portrait and landscape, and last for 12 mornings in March, April and May. Registration will be taken on Saturday, 26 February at 12 noon at the Centre. For more information, call 956 641 093.

If you got a reduction on your water and sewer rates last year, this is for you

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR (BOP) Users of the water and sewer services offered by ARCGISA (almost, but not all of the Campo municipalities) and were the beneficiary last year of a discount in rates (available for pensioners, unemployed, etc.), you will get the same reduction this year without having to renew your request. The Boletín Oficial de la Provincia (BOP) says so, so it's the law. Renovation for 2012, however, will be applied for between October and December this year. More information on 902 550 199, or at your local Town Hall.

Great-great-grandmother of San Pablo

Five generations

SAN PABLO DE BUCEITE (Source: www.buceite.com) It isn't that easy to become a great-great grandmother while one's still around. But Juana Zarzuela Quirós, aged 93, has made it! Juana, born on January 20, 1918, is the mother of Isabel, 62, grandmother to Juanina, great-grandmother to Saray and now, great-great-grandmother to Tristán, who was born twelve days ago. We offer our very best wishes to the whole family, which is delighted by the new arrival. (Jimena readers will recognize great-grandmother Isabel as the charming, helpful butcher at the supermarket in the village, who retired at the beginning of the month.)

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It is probably Sunday, so perhaps we ought to laugh

From 1989, these are comedy versions of 4 popular adverts of the day (zit cream, Hamlet cigars, Yellow Pages, and British Airways). It's up to you if you laugh, of course... we'll just try to keep a straight face.

Another way to give La Estrella a hand: come one, come all!

JIMENA/San Pablo The local handicapped association, La Estrella del Regüé, is holding a flea market on Sunday, March 6th at the main square in San Pablo de Buceite, Plaza Miguel de Cervantes from 12 noon. The weather being somewhat unpredictable at this time of year, we are told that if it rains, they will be under cover at the Sports Centre in the village (see map below). If you would like to have a stall (only €10) please call (in Spanish) 661 385 390 or 687 279 997, or (in English) 666 157 917 to bookone - they're going fast. There will be all kinds of things going on aside from numerous stalls, including a bar, food, lots of music and something they're calling 'Parodies From Our Elders', which is intriguing. Your support is important to the organizers as the funds they raise go to extra curricular activities for their stars, which they may not otherwise be able to do.

What have you missed?

Above are just some of the illustrations we've used on CampoPulse recently and here are just some of the headlines posted over the last three days on CampoPulse: Family denounces disappearance of three babies in the 1970s; 'Greg Norman fails to acquire Valderrama Golf Club' says PR company; What (not) to do with a drunken sailor; Gibraltar link to missing La Línea baby?; Red palm weevil wreaks havoc; Tesorillo independence is closer and unstoppable; Madrid socialists choose transexual candidate; Six-star hotel gets initial appoval; "This machine gun is not mine" says alleged drug dealer; First criminal sentence for land grabbing; World Cup comes to Algeciras; Over €3.72 millions land in Tesorillo; Spanish Foreign Minister reaffirms commitment to Tripartite Forum - and there's a lot more: WE POSTED OVER 30 ITEMS IN THREE DAYS, and there's more to come...

Reader's Choice (My first record): 'Maggie May' by Rod Stewart

'This one did my head in," says Stuart, who sent us this. Well, it would do wouldn't it? If you had to hear it all over again, and interminably since 1971! Anyway, thanks, Stuart...

Over €3.72 millions land in Tesorillo

JIMENA/Martín del Tesorillo (Agencies) A single winner on yesterday's Primitiva tFirst Prize grabbed €3,727,450.63. The news came down early this morning when people began gathering at the stand on the main square, Plaza de la Constitución, where the ticket was sold. There was no news about the winner's identity as this was written, but there was a noticeable absence of bank managers at their desks this morning...

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Campo on yellow storm alert for rain and wind

The Campo de Gibraltar is on a yellow alert for rain and wind. The wind is expected to reach well over the 30 kph speed for this minimum alert. We don't need to be told that it's raining, though, do we? This site has had a couple of calls from people nearer the coastline (we're comfortably up the mountain in Jimena), to say that several streets are flooded in La Linea and Algeciras. Then again, it's to be expected at his time of year... Check our WeatherWidget on the sidebar for info on what to expect the rest of the week (it's not great news, alas, but we're spoiled after the weather this last week, are we not?)

Please allow us another Endesa whinge...

We spent three hours this morning gathering and translating news for you, Dear Reader, only to have a large part of the work disappear thanks to a couple of those little power cuts Endesa is so fond of giving us at no charge. Okay, maybe we haven't got the very best saving system on the computer, maybe we're not up to date in all sorts of ways, but we're much like most of our Dear Readers. To be well into the 21st century and to still get these cutas that more appropriately belong to the beginning of the last is, or should be, shameful to one of Europe's largest electricity suppliers. REMEMBER: TONIGHT AT 10PM, THERE IS A 5 MINUTE SWITCH-OFF TO PROTEST AGAINST THE ABUSIVE INCREASE IN OUR ENDESA BILLS.

He liked it so much, he's coming back!

Jamie Chiappe, who was in Jimena early in November, is coming back for another gig at Oba this coming Friday, February 18, from 9.30 'til late. Gibraltar-born Chiappe lives in Estepona, speaks and sings in English and Spanish and was a great success last time. This is yet another of Simon and Iris's many activities and events at their spot just up from the village's main square.

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"Dear Prospero, Another year another valentine just for the hell of it (no not for you...we all love you)... regards, Phil." And we were saying our readers are unromantic...! (Can't quite figure out what those cricket stumps have to do with it, but still...) HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!

Quiz writer is also a singer - at Oba's Open Mic Night

JIMENA (From our Oba correspondent Wendy Tong) Open mic night just keeps getting better. Last night they had 'Graham-who-writes-the-quizzes' making a special guest appearance and playing some excellent music (obviously a man of many talents!). Iris & Simon, of course, played - great as always, and Jim, who in my opinion has a most wonderful voice,  sang and played for us. Dave also got up and did a vey entertaining turn and as we were leaving a lady whose name I do not know, was belting out a number in Spanish with great gusto. (Prospero note: Sorry I missed Graham, have been wanting to meet him to see if he's as twisted as his Quiz questions! Apparently not, from the photo...)

Reader's Choice (My first record): 'Cats'

A complete change of pace from last Saturday's Choice, thanks to Vanessa, who says, "I was a young teen when I was taken to see this in London. I fell in love with musicals and wanted to become a singer. Didn't happen, but I'm happy anyway." Nice, that! Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, Cats first opened in the West End in 1981. It is the second longest-running show in Broadway history, and the fourth longest-running West End musical. It has been performed around the world many times and has been translated into more than 20 languages. And it was a job to find a song that has not been done to the death by every singer since Methuselah's wife Syndrome... This one is The Song of the Jellicoes.

Kiosk gets a tenant

JIMENA Just the other day we (and Melissa González-Morgan of Henrietta's, whose orginal idea it was) suggested a use for the forlorn kiosk on the main square, which has remained empty since it was finished last year. Now the Town Hall tells us that a tenant has been found for it. Apparently Francisco Manuel Jiménez met all the requirements (of which there were very many) to sell sweets, ice-cream, refreshments, more sweets, candy, nuts, pipas (sunflower seeds aimed at giving jobs to street cleaners) and other such items that delight dentists all over the world. The same note from the Town Hall says that the last remaining spot up at the El Mirador 'shopping centre' has also been adjudicated, to Josefa García, who will be selling similar items in what can only be seen as a plot in conjunction with the dentists of the upper village. (Prospero note: Glad to see how well the Council is taking care of our children's health - or are our Councillors in on the same plot?)

Music and the food of love

JIMENA Special St. Valentine's Weekend music at La Estación in San Pablo. As the poster says, Felix Slim and Hot Nasho are offering a concert at that singular spot (in a restored railway station) tonight, from 11.30 : Blues, Jazz, Funk, Bossa, Pop... Bit of all sorts, really. Then again, St. Valentine's wouldn't be the same without a bit of all sorts, would it? And speaking of Cupid, La Estación is also offering a VERY special menu tonight (See it below) for before the concert, so we suggest you book early (like right now! on 956 642 244) and make a lovely evening of it. Enjoy! (Find La Estación on GoogleMaps here)

Unromantic readers!

Our readers are evidently unromantic. Despite the fact that we put up this image on the top of the sidebar a week or so ago, we have not had a single Valentine's Day message.

In case you wondered, they are FREE OF CHARGE.

All you have to do is e-mail them in and we'll make a nice display of them.

Power cut in Jimena on Tuesday

Endesa announces that there will be a power cut on Calle Llana and Pasada de Alcalá next Tuesday, February 15 from 9am to 1pm. The reason: repairs and reconditioning at the supply transformer. (Thank you for telling us, Endesa...)

Boleros at the Peña Flamenca

JIMENA The Peña Flamenca is opening to music other than Flamenco. Last time it was Flamenco/Jazz (and very successful it was, too), so this time it is boleros (Saturday, February 12, from 10.30pm). So what's a bolero? we hear you ask. As defined by Wikipedia: "The bolero is a 3/4 dance that originated in Spain in the late 18th century, a combination of the contradanza and the sevillana. Dancer Sebastiano Carezo is credited with inventing the dance in 1780. It is danced by either a soloist or a couple. It is in a moderately slow tempo and is performed to music which is sung and accompanied by castanets and guitars with lyrics of five to seven syllables in each of four lines per verse. It is in triple time and usually has a triplet on the second beat of each bar." Go on, give it a try...

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Vicente's Black Baccarat Rose

JIMENA Our good friend Vicente Palacín is very proud of the fact that he has managed to grow these lovely roses on his balcony at the Luipal building in Jimena. And no wonder. Also called Black Baccara, these Hybrid tea roses vary from a deep red to an almost black with redish tones, depending on the sun and climate, even the month of the year.They are almost scentless and look great in a bed with their white or cream cousins. In Britain they are often used for sympathy flowers and  floral arrangements containing dark red roses are also used for funerals and memorial services. Blacker at the early bud stage, as in Vicente's photo, they can flower well into winter in these Southern climes.

It's Sunday, why aren't we laughing?

We are, Wrinkle (that's this guy's name), we are. But over at CampoPulse now. We want to revive our Sunday laughs section, which ran for a long while here on JimenaPulse. So if you have a favourite sketch, comedy piece, any kind of funny (except the stuff that comes down the e-mail way), please send it in (instructions are over there, on CampoPulse). OH, AND WE'D LOVE TO FIND A SPONSOR FOR IT! (Correction, we NEED a sponsor!!)

Reader's Choice: Bob Marley 'Concrete Jungle'

This is a little departure from our latest Reader's Choice (My First Music) Saturday Morning items. In fact, we chose it ourselves because tomorrow, Sunday, February 6th would have been Marley's 66th birthday. His music was heavily influenced by the social issues of his homeland, and he is considered to have given voice to the specific political and cultural nexus of Jamaica. His music also influenced the development of Rock music in particular though not exclusively, and still does. (Read more about Mistah Marley on Wikipedia.)

Lots of comments, too many people called Anonymous

We're very grateful for all the comments we've been getting lately (See the latest on the sidebar), but ,alas, many of them have come in anonymously. As it also says on the sidebar 'We do not (always) publish anonymous comments'. That piece refers our less tech-minded readers -all panting to make a comment, no doubt- to an article titled HOW TO POST A COMMENT. Please read it and digest an easy step-by-step guide about ... well, posting a comment that is not anonymous. It is actually quite easy, all you need is a modicum of patience (Note: this last sentence is aimed at two very special readers who will know who they are.)

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Dogs will have to clean up - or their owners will have to do it instead

JIMENA (Photo: illustration only) - The Department of Street Cleaning at Jimena Council, headed by Councillor Juana Jiménez, announced this morning that it will soon be launching a campaign aimed at informing about the ownership of dogs and the regulations regarding these animals in the streets, their contact with people and the cleaning of their excrement. Jiménez points out that the owners are responsible for picking up the latter, and encourages us to make use of plastic bags or similar materials for this purpose. We are also reminded that dogs must be kept on leashes and under control at all times. Members of the department will be visiting local schools to increase awarenes of these matters among students and posters and informational material will be distributed.

(Prospero note: no mention is made of feral cats, mules, donkeys and horses, all of which appear to use the streets as well - and the pavements as toilets. Nor is any mention made of human excrement, all too often found, if not smelt, in some favourite corners of the village. You don't believe me? Read this: Two sides to the village - again.) (Another note: we apologize if you are having breakfast, or lunch, or if you are unduly disturbed by the language and subject of this item.)

The wall is finally finalised but we take no credit

It was only back in November that we posted one of our Fotos Denuncia about this wall. (More destruction just because...) Repairs got started a couple of weeks after our item appeared (on November 28, 2010), and is now finally completed. A Town Hall press release this morning said that the 'protective wall' had been finished and that a stone flooring (in the background under the trees) had also been restored. The latter is a good thing, as the floor had separated from the wall by about five centimetres. Like all of the village, it will only be a matter of time before it comes tumbling down again (still, Jimena has stood the test of time pretty well, don't you think?).

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Food handler's course to be held in Jimena

The law says that anyone handling food commercially (bars, restaurants, supermarkets, etc.) must have a Certificado de Manipulador de Alimentos, or Food Handler's Certificate. The Cámara de Comercio (Chamber of Commerce) in Jimena is to hold a course on Wednesday, February 23, at 4pm, at the Chamber offices (right by the Bomberos building between Jimena and Estación). At a partially subsidiized price of  €25, the course lasts for 2 hours, after which a certificate is issued. For more information and to make a reservation, contact Marcos Fernández (in Spanish) on 956 648 011, in person at the Chamber, or via e-mail: marcos.fernandez@camaracadiz.com. There are only 30 places available, and this is always a good thing to have.

Looking back on our history

In an effort to bring ourselves up to date, and in preparation for moving all our sites under one roof, we have spent some time looking back to the very beginnings of JimenaPulse. We realize that we have actually been pretty funny, serious, fighting-your-corner, investigative. Here are some examples of some of the items we brought to CampoPulse on the dates they were originally published: Have you ever thought what you get for the price of a coffee?; European citizens no longer need 'residencia' card; What is the sesentaycinco card? and how you can get one; Alternative energy or hot air? for Jimena (we admit we adjusted the headline to the present - its about an Irish investor); About 'huevos' and fish, not to mention female chickens (not hens) - it's about language, and funny if we say so ourselves... These are from 2007, with our fourth anniversary coming up next month. But you can peruse the old JimenaPulse site at your leisure, which we highly recommend. And we will continue bringing such items forward, slowly but surely, as it's very time consuming (any volunteers? it doesn't need any high tech knowledge, only time). This item also appears on CampoPulse.

Maggie Oram (? - 2011)

It is with great regret that we have to report the passing of our good friend Maggie, who died on Saturday morning in England, after fighting illness for some time. Maggie was a long time resident of Jimena and very much involved with the world of horses, with which she had a special kinship. We had a tough time choosing from the very few photos we had of her but decided that this one is an adequate illustration of her  participation in the life of Jimena (there's another one below but we're not sure how much she'd like it...) Our sincere condolences to her family and friends. She will be sorely missed by those who knew her here, Spanish and English.

No need for a scrum

That's right, there's no need for a scrum. All you have to do is come to Oba to watch the Six Nations Rugby series starting this Friday at 8.45pm. Meet your friends, have a drink or two, enjoy the match, have a nibble (of food, dear), bop a rival supporter - you know. Then there are other things going on, too: Quiz Night returns on the 10th, there's live music, as well as karaoke. Click here to find out more. (P.S. The photo is in colour... call it a brown-out?)

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Council and forestry students to 'embelish' the village

JIMENA (Press release) Jimena Council and the forestry unit of the local high school, I.E.S. Hozgarganta have recently agreed to cooperate. The students will be able to have practical classes in the gardens, squares and streets of the municipality, and the latter will get what is being called an 'embelishment'. The Council will provide the necessary equipment, mostly planters and earth, and the Instituto will bring in some 3,000 plants with which to decorate the Historical Quarter and elsewhere. The Council has also agreed to make available one or more municipal plots where the students will be able to learn about planting and cultivation of native trees and plants. At the meeting that came to the above agreement, he possibility arose that in the future the students could work on reforestation and maintenance of the El Risco botanical garden, which has fallen into disrepair thanks to negligence and vandalism. (Read about El Risco on DominGo, our erstwhile colour supplement. See Jimena in Flower, from May 2008.)

Jimena's bullring, 1950 to 1959

As we have often mentioned before, TioJimeno is collecting wonderful photos of the old days in Jimena. People send them in and they are collected - easy (anyone for the English blog?). This one is of the bullring that once existed here - can anyone recognize where? (Click on pic to enlarge. Click on 'comments' below to tell us where it was.)