What if you break down on a 'non-apt road? Does your car insurance cover you?

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JIMENA During a recent conversation over a coffee in the square we heard that a friend had had a breakdown about a couple of kilometers from her home, which is a fair way out in the campo. She had good insurance coverage but when she called the recovery service they refused to come to where she'd broken down because the road was listed as a vía no apta, or 'not apt'. She had to find a friendly farmer with a tractor to pull her car to the nearest 'apt' road so that it could be rescued. This, apparently, happens a lot on the country rods in the Campo de Gibraltar, from what we hear. So what's all this about roads being apt or not apt?>>>

Why will one of Jimena's three banks have to close?

Jimena branches

News yesterday confirmed that three months' worth of negotiation has ended with an agreed share swap whereby Banca Cívica is taken over by CaixaBank. Banca Cívica owns Cajasol since a previous rush to convert and conjoin building societies into banks. La Caixa became CaixaBank in the aforesaid M&S panic. Jimena has a branch of each. The question, alas, is which one is going to be closed, and will we know any of the faces taking over? The same will apply wherever there is a duplication of these two entities. Sadly, unemployment looms for many people in the banking business - more likely, of course, in the lower echelons without golden parachutes.

A sad, sad sight

CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR If you live in the area, you've seen something like these. The driest winter in most living memories has dried out practically all the citrus groves in the area, of which San Pablo de Buceite and San Martín del Tesorillo are the most prolific. Many growers had added avocado trees to their crops. To no avail. Some orange trees might survive if they're pruned back properly in the spring, but the avocados are very dead, and have to be replanted with new trees. These take about eight or nine years to produce fruit, once they have reached maturity. Still, there are always the subsidies... San Pablo and Tesorillo are about to be declared 'catastrophic areas'.

We caught them at it!

Jorge and Ketina

On one of our frequent sojourns around the village, we dropped in to the campsite (Camping Los Alcornocales, officially) and found Jorge and Ketina at it in the kitchen. And they were at it at the bar, in the dining room, the storeroom and on the magnificent terrace. And we were there only a short while. Unfortunately, they were too busy for much conversation because they're opening on Friday. We're all invited, as from 12 noon, to come and welcome them back to the village. They stayed still just long enough for us to take the photo.

Two important meetings are taking place as we write

JIMENA We got wind of these meetings some two weeks ago, and we knew that the Mayor and Council had been approached on the subject, which is none other than creating our own Tourist Information centre. The two women entrepreneurs behind the idea are Melissa González (of Henrietta's) and Nieves Domínguez (of La Estación in SanPablo). The concept is to create an Information Centre, an effective, useful one of which Jimena has been lacking for too many years - to be done as a private . "We need to attract tourism to Jimena," say Nieves and Melissa. This evening's tandem meetings are intended to bring together the hotels and accommodation businesses (at 5pm) and then the bars and restaurants (at 6). We are informed that the Council is backing the idea, not with money (there ain't any!) but with the use of space at the entrance to the village, down by the silo, and pay for water, electricity, phone and broadband there. The Association - for that is what it is intended to become- will do the following: create an Association, hire a qualified person to attend the office, to be financed by a fee from each association member, and bring together as many similar enterprises in the municipality as possible. We will report on the meetings as soon as we can but if you missed them and would like more information, contact Melissa (956 648 130) or Nieves (956 642 244).

PA proposes high-end geriatric centre for Jimena

Jimena de la Frontera
(Photo lavinadelinan.com)

JIMENA (Agencies) The local secretary of the Partido Andalucista, José Antonio Castilla, said yesterday that he knew of a proposal for the construction of a high-end geriatric centre for Jimena, which could generate some 200 direct and indirect jobs. He intends to present the project -linked to parcels 1 and 2 at Las Tenerías - that includes four clearly differentiated green areas, as well as a hotel complex and all the equipment and accessories associated to a geriatric centre. Castilla says the interested party he knows about is German, which could in turn generate pension-age tourism from Germany. He will ask the Council to provide location facilities, basic German lessons and its intervention with the Los Alcornocales Nature Park authorities so that it can be declared an area of 'public interest'. While the interest in a Jimena location, says Castilla, stems from its closeness to golf courses, equestrian facilities, our benign climate and local gastronomy, the plans are for a project heavily linked to the environment, with the architecture blending in with the surroundings.

One of very few green shoots in the crisis

JIMENA An article appeared this morning in Europa Sur, the Spanish 'newspaper of reference' in the Campo de Gibraltar with the title as above. It talked about how people are discovering that there is money to be had from things that until recently would have been thrown away. It talked about the enterprising people who have managed to finance a franchise, etc. etc. - what it didn't mention is that Jimena has its own non-franchise version. It is called La Tiendecita and was opened by two enterprising women of the village, Liz and Connie, just last month, just opposite Cuenca Restaurant. We are reliably informed that it is doing well, and we are pleased for them! (Incidentally, we can't keep up with the way things come in and go out of the shop - and we're preparing a website to at least try to update these things. So if you have something to sell, give them a call on 956 641 583, 636 738 931 or 605 212 599 - or pop by the store with it.)

The kiosk on El Paseo to open soon

The kiosk on the main square is about to be open for business. To be called Quiosco Pau, it will be run by Francisco Manuel Jimena, who is from San Pablo. We caught him setting up his wares yesterday and can only wish him good luck.

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?)

Reader's Comment: Now, here's a good idea!

(An idea from Melissa of Hospedería Henrietta) How many times have you seen tourists wandering around the main square looking for information? How much promotion does the Council do for the businesses in the municipality? How well do events get announced in advance? This little building has stood empty since it was completed early last year. While the Council looks for someone willing to take it on as a kiosk, which could take a lot of time, why not use it as an information centre? It doesn't need staff: if it can be locked, then the windows can hold a host of information on the inside, which can be divided into sections like Alojamiento (Accommodation), Eventos, etc. It could even offer those wretched Bandos (Official Notices) that come down from the Council and are only seen in bars (to which not everyone goes nor understands). All it would need is someone to keep it updated every week.

Mushroom market closes at the end of it best season ever

JIMENA (Agencies) Sunday marked the end of the 2010/2011 mushroom season, which has been classified as the best this unique enterprise has had yet. Owing principally to the kind of weather so far, the Lonja Micológica has seen some 40,000 kilos of a variety of mushrooms sold at the plant. Most of it was the star product of the wild mushrooms available in Los Alcornocales Nature Park: the chantarelle (photo), which fetched an average price of €6/kilo. This represents production of €240,000. Other varieties have also been sold there but never in similar quantities.>

Spain's first mushroom market reopened this morning

The first, possibly the only, market (lonja) in Spain that deals exclusively with wild mushrooms is located, believe it ir not, in Jimena de la Frontera. And it reopened its doors this morning after a year in suspension owing to the construction of a new local police station next door as well as to last year's bad season for chantarelle mushrooms (photo) - the specialty of Los Alcornocales Nature Park. The species that will be sold this year, as well as chantarelles, are amanita cesareas and boletus. The auction system here is 'in reverse', that is, the starting price per kilo is usually between €15 and 16 and goes down until a wholesaler decides on a price he wants to pay. Bids are done electronically, which opens this market to other places in the area.

Another golf course for Jimena?

JIMENA (Image: Bogaris website) Apparently so, according to EuropaSur this morning. The newspaper reports that the Andalucía based Spanish company, Bogaris, is merely waiting for the Junta de Andalucía to approve some of its golf resort projects, including one called Jimena Golf Resort. According to the company, it is to be built at the Southern end of the municipality, mostly within the San Martín del Tesorillo area, and is in the 'final phase of procedure'. Aside from several projects in a range of industries in Spain, Bogaris operates in Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Chile and Mexico. (This item also on CampoPulse)

La Almoraima lost €1,7 million last year

CASTELLAR (Agencies/Photo: TioJimeno) What was once the largest estate in Europe, La Almoraima, has anounced operating losses of €1.7 million for 2009. This is below their forecast, which amounted to €2 million. Expecations for the current year amounts to a loss of €610,000, and €228.000 for 2011. The reason given by the management of the nationalised estate is that the cork market has suffered enormously since 2008 and the figures are 'dragging' since then. (You might like to read about the industry in How did that Cork get in your Bottle?)

We applaud enterprise, especially among the young

This photocopy -actually on white paper- came through our post box this morning. It advertises 'The Brilliant Nail Salon' and says 'come to the magical world of colour for your nails at only €0.50.' The address is given as Calle Ancha, 16, and has a mobile number (699 354 273) presumably for an appointment. Judging by the handwriting, this, or these, are young entrepreneurs. We applaud the initiative and regret not having enough nail space to take advantage of the opportunity.

Old cork factory turning into industrial estate

The project to convert one of the old cork processing plants in Estación into an industrial estate is well into its process, according to Councillor for Development Fernando Gómez. Details for tendering the work involved are being completed by the Instituto de Empleo y Desarrollo Socioeconómico y Tecnológico de la Diputación de Cádiz (IEDT). The project, estimated at €300,000, is possible thanks to a provincial programme designed to create spaces for economic activity, as well as employment.>

Gibraltar company plans macro leisure project near La Línea frontier

(Agencies) New Town Corporate Ltd., a Gibraltar company with investors from the Rock and the UK, has been in negotiations with the Junta de Andalucía regarding plans to build a macro leisure complex along the bare land close to the frontier at La Línea, including part of Parque Princesa Sofía and the Ciudad Deportiva. The project includes hotels, shops, offices and a channel that would come out at Poniente beach, among other infrastructure and leisure facilities. The company has presented drawings and plans that include the elimination of some of the Ciudad Deportiva sports centre facilities, including the training grounds and swimming pool, where a line of hotels would go, plus part of the park for shops, offices, parking, etc. (See full story on CampoPulse.)

Four Castellar businesses to be honoured

It is a tradition for each town and village in Andalucía to honour their residents, businesses or associations as a way to celebrate Día de Andalucía (February 28). Castellar this year has chosen three tourism and hostelry establishments, Venta La Cantina, Venta Santa Clara,  over 80 years serving local fare between them, and TUGASA, the public organization that runs the Hotel Alcázar in Old Castellar (photo), as well as mushroom dealer Antonio Ocaña, a young entrepreneur who has become a 'reference point' throughout Andalucía, Spain and Europe, run from his small family business.

Marketers get together to tender for stalls

(Press release) Los Ángeles municipal representative Juani Jiménez, Mayor Pascual Collado and Employment & Development Councillor Fernando Gómez (l. to r. in centre of photo) got together this morning with residents interested in having a stall at the newly renovated market in Estación (see JP item here). There are a total of 10 stalls and the Council is aiming at having a variety of items for sale, including fish, meat, fruit & veg, gifts, groceries, roast chicken and churros, among others. he meeting explained the conditions necessary, with rental prices established at €1200 per annum for the 5m2 stalls and €1300 for the 7m2 ones. Grants or subsidies are also available, for which the Council will offer advice.

200 years on: the Bland Group celebrates its bicentenary

(The Gibraltar Chronicle and other sources) The Gaggero family (l. to r. James, Roseanne and Joseph), long synonymous in Gibraltar with the travel industry yesterday held a commemorative dinner attended by the Chief Minister Peter Caruana, Opposition leader Joe Bossano, Bishop Charles Caruana and other leading local figures and staff. The event marks the company’s 200 year history in Gibraltar from 1810 when the Blands first set up. Joe Gaggero emphasised the Gibraltarian focus of the event and the family’s delight in having played a major role in Gibraltar’s economic evolution.(See more on CampoPulse)