What's this about a Tapa Route?

In an effort to attract business to local bars at this financial junction, the Council's Festivities department has organised a Tapa Route. The idea is to collect a 'passport' (see picture below) from one of the participating bars or restaurants, have a drink and at least one of their featured tapas (each place has one obligatory tapa; tapa + drink only 2 euros!!) get the passport stamped and go on to the next establishment. There are 8 bars taking part, and you only need 4 stamps to participate in a draw with a prize of dinner for two. Have fun!!

Passport, front and back cover

Inside the passport, must be stamped and filled in to participate in draw

La Estrella to present this year's August Fair

All ferias and such events in Spain begin with an official opening called a pregón. Jimena's feria this year will be officially opened by two representatives of what has been for years our favourite charity: Asociación de Minusválidos de Jimena de la Frontera La Estrella. That's it's long, long official title, but our long-time readers know them simply as La Estrella. Over the years our readers have raised funds for the handicapped children of the village by holding car boot sales, markets, lunches, etc. Long may that continue. The President of La Estrella, our friend Antonio Mario Andrade Saraiva, and another stalwart friend and member of the board, Eloisa García Palacios, will be making the speech this year, onstage at El Paseo at (about) 10 on Friday evening, before the coronation (See full programme). To quote from the feria programme, written by La Estrella: "Our needs are many, and our resources too few. We are a total of 50 members and our membership fees only €3 per month, to which we add raffles, charity events, markets, concerts and precious little else."

The association began officially on November 18, 1999. A group of parents and family members got together to find a common front with which to face the challenges their children presented daily. They started by locating and hiring the services of a speech therapist, a basic need for these children's various handicaps, as a way for better integration, a way to diminish the consequences of marginalistaion.

The parents do as much as they possibly can but they have very little time for leisure or relaxation, absorbed as they are by the needs of their boys and girls. So they therefore need the rest of us to set up as many events as we can - anybody out there willing to take anything on?

As this is written, the stars of La Estrella are headed to the swimming pool having just taken part in their daily workshop, which is fun as well as an educational experience. The summer activities are possible only through the funds raised by the rest of us. And, we're told, a continuation of their daily school-term routine is very important for them, because they remain active and stimulated. 

You can easily become a member even if you do not have a challenged child. Just e-mail us at CampoPulse with your details, and we will make sure you get the minimal paperwork needed. (Prospero takes a big interest in La Estrella just because of how grateful he is that his children are not handicapped the way La Estrella's kids are.)

You will see some of the kids at the coronation ceremony on Friday evening (See programme)

Q & A about the Feria

Monday is NOT a local holiday, but Wednesday is a regional one

We are often asked as to procedures, schedules, traditions and customs regarding the fair. Below you will find what we hope are useful pointers. (PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ITEMS SUCH AS THIS MAY BE SUBJECT TO SUBSCRIPTION IN THE FUTURE. You can DONATE through our sidebar PayPal feature to help keep this site FREE)

Q. Why is everything scheduled so late?

A. Because it is summer, and hot. In any case, there are a number of children's activities planned during the day (See programme)

Q. Why is everything so late?

A. (No, it's not the same question as above - this one refers to the difference between the planned schedule and reality) Because a feria is a time to relax and have fun, and because nothing in Spain starts on time except the trains and the bullfights - with the regional exception of Catalonia, whose inhabitants don't think they're part of Spain anyway.

Q. When do you wear your feria dress?

A: We don't.

Q. No, seriously, when are the women supposed to wear their lovely flamenco dresses?

A. Whenever they like. But, depending on their age, it is advisable to wear them on Saturday and Sunday (it is a tradition to have at least two dresses for each day - just kidding, it used to be a tradition but became too expensive). Children, in the evening; middle-aged+ at any time they can get away with it; the rest, in the evening. (Get it? Wear them in the evening for the August Fair, and at other times of the day at the May Fair.)

Q. Is Monday a hangover day?

A. Depends on how much you pour down your gullet, dunnit? In fact, Monday this year is NOT a local Hangover Monday, it's business as usual. Wednesday, August 15, though, is a regional holiday and many things will be closed.

Q. What about parking?

A. Leave the car at home if possible. If not, leave the car at home. Or as far away as you can walk. Parking at Feria time is hell off wheels. See our separate item.

Q: How do we know what's happening where?

A. Read the blessed programme that we took so much trouble putting up. It is also printed in Spanish in the official programme. Please note, too, that nothing at all happens after lunch (local lunchtime starts at 2pm, not at noon), except on Sunday at the pool.

Q. What on earth is the Tapa Route?

A. Nothing to do with the Earth except in this tiny piece of it. See our separate item.

Q. Why have a feria at all, with all that noise?

A. Oh, shut up!

FERIA 2012 - Parking and traffic changes

JIMENA This year's feria takes place this weekend, from Friday evening (plus one event in the morning, see programme in another article) to Sunday night. The principal events such as the coronation of the Queen, take place in the main square. Therefore parking at the square is not allowed until the end of the feria. 'Bank street' (Calle Sevilla at the Paseo end) will be closed throughout because the craft market is going there. There will be barriers and indications to divert traffic through other streets. Parking, on the whole, will be difficult at the bottom of the village because the rides are located at the Fiday market square and the flat land behind the school (known as Llano de Jacobo).

COMPLETE FERIA PROGRAMME IN ENGLISH

COMPLETE FERIA PROGRAMME

(Translated by TranslationHELP, with comments and directions by Prospero)

Friday, August 10

11.30 to 14.00 - Children's games and activities at the Municipal Swimmming Pool. Designed and devised by Márgenes y Vínculos.

20.30 - Parade of floats for the Infant and Junior Queens of the Fair. Leaves the top of the village at La Bodega to the main square (El Paseo, Plaza de la Constitución) down Fuentenueva and Sevilla · The municipal band will be in attendance.

22.00 - Coronation of the Queens of the Fair. Official announcement (pregón) of the fair by representatives of La Estrella, Jimena's handicapped organization (see separate item) · Awards to two outstanding local sports people · Show by Juan Carlos Arauzo, of La Línea.

23.00 - Opening of the crafts market (on 'Bank Street': Lower Calle Sevilla), with the cooperation of Vendaval, who will be making pottery · Performance by Trio Aquabel onstage at the main square · Opening of the Youth Marquee (Caseta de la Juventud, in square car park, but not actually a marquee).

Saturday, August 11

11.00 - Children's theatre, performance of the play: 'La Constitución del 12'. On the main square .

12.00 noon - Children's Party, organized by the local youth association  'Mirador Joven'. Children taking part must bring 20 balloons.

13.00 - First edition of the Tapa Route, through various participating bars and restaurants. (See separate explanatory article)

19.00 - Football Tournament in the primary school playground (at the bottom of Calle Romo). Children's event by Pequeño Duende group on El Paseo

19.30 - 'High tea' (merienda cena) for pensioners on El Paseo, with entertainment by Isabel Dueñas and Trio Aquabel

21.00 - Pádel (paddle tennis) tournaments finals at the courts by the sports pavilion

22.30 - Trio Aquabel act onstage at El Paseo

23.30 - Flamenco group Arte y Compás onstage at El Paseo · Music at Youth Marquee

Sunday, August 12

12.00 noon - Gathering at El Paseo for a Domingo Rociero (festive atmosphere)

13.00 - Tapa Route

15.00 Traditional Swimming competition at the municipal pool. Registration takes place there, before the event

21.00 - Theatre group on El Paseo, by La Serda

22.00 - Musical performance by Chico Valdivia

23.00 - More music -coplas, Spanish non-flamenco- by Virginia Guerrero · And Trio Aquabel · Music and more at the Youth Marquee.

THE ORGANIZATION RESERVES THE RIGHT

 TO MAKE CHANGES TO THIS PROGRAMME

If you think we took photos ...

Ricardo Gómez, alias TioJimeno

As always, our friends at TioJimeno took photos and videos of the whole feria. Indeed, Ricardo Gómez, TioJimeno himself, could be seen behind his camera at all the events - several of which we did not cover. His madly successful site is chock full of photos - several of which were taken by Ricardo or one of his many contributors (we could do with some of those, folks! Send your photos in, please!!) long after Prospero had retired, exhausted, to bed. Well, Ricardo is younger...

Feria de Agosto - Sunday/Domingo

Feria de Agosto 2011 - Saturday/Sabado

Feria de Agosto 2011 - Friday/Viernes

The younger Queen, Mayor and their Court

This year's Infant's Queen of the Fair is Gema Delgado García, and her Ladies in Waiting: Lola Mena Navarro, Candela Paniagua Jimenez y Ana Espinosa Nuñez. And the Infant's Mayor this year is Israel Abraham Barea Baez. There are lots of things going on for kids this year - see the whole, complete, all, entire, exhaustive, faultless, full, full-dress,  imperforate, intact, integral, integrated, lock stock and barrel, outright, plenary, replete, thorough, thoroughgoing, unabbreviated, unabridged, unbroken, uncondensed, uncut, undiminished, undivided, undocked, unexpurgated, unimpaired, unitary, unreduced FERIA PROGRAMME.

Happy Hour at the Youth Marquee

There was some doubt as to whether there would be a Youth Marquee (Caseta de la Juventud), but all doubt has been cast aside with the news (and the watching it being erected) that it is offering a Happy Hour from half-past-midnight to 2am (that's an hour and a half, lads, but hey) with drinks at half price, plus music from their DJs. And then there's the foam party and wet T-shirt and Mr. Muscles contests on Sunday. See the whole, complete feria programme.

The Queen of the Fair and her cortege

Photo and Montage: Maribel García

This year of austerity had the rumour that there would be no floats for the Queen and Her Ladies in Waiting. Well, there are floats, and they will have their parade (starting at 9pm). Without it, it would not be the same, and every Queen and Lady has had the dream of being part of the August Fair, many since childhood. So, tonight, in the best tradition, the following people will be seen in their beautiful flamenco dresses: Queen: Nuria García Andrades; Ladies in Waiting: Tatiana Herrera Rodriguez, Mari Angeles Mena Navarro,Tamara López Bueno, Anabel Megan, Nazaret Sánchez Montero y Angela Sanchéz Mena. We wish them well.

Full programme for the Feria de Agosto

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12
11.30am - Municipal Pool: Swimming Gymkhana in collaboration with 'Margenes y Vinculos' organization, for kids 4 to 12.

8pm        - Town Hall: Queen of the Fair and cortege leave Town Hall to La Bodega de Ana, at top of hill.

9pm        - Jimena Village: Queen and cortege leave top of the village in a parade of floats, down Calle Sevilla towards the main square

10pm      - Main Square/Plaza de la Constitucion/El Paseo: Coronation of the Queen of the Fair; Official announcement (Pregon) by Jose Moreno Vega; followed by live music by 'Son Tres' trio.

Later      - Llano de Jacobo (Behind primary school): Opening of Caseta de la Juventud (Youth Marquee)

Traffic changes during the feria

Click to enlarge

Follow the arrows; the changes are mostly around the primary school. Calle Romo from the bottom (school) to the bank corner will flow up the hill instead of down, and the road from Calle Larga (back of main square parking lot) to the school will go downhill. If preparations this morning are anything to go by, it will be clearly signposted. However, the objective is to keep traffic away from the main square, so if you have to do any banking, for instance, best leave the car a good distance away. And, remember, Monday, August 15, is a national Bank Holiday.

Saturday at the Feria

SPONSORED BY:

The Coronation, 2010

SPONSORED BY:

First night at the fair

It got under way at last. The rocket announcing it went off at ... what time was it? Doesn't matter. For the first time in some 30 years, Jimena's Feria de Agosto came back to the main square. But it started at the top of the village. We're preparing a slide show to be put up here, but because we're also on another (allied) project it's taking a little longer than usual. It isn't laziness, we promise! In any case, our feria slide show will cover all three days - plus some photos of 'people at the fair'. Our allied project will be called The Making of a Queen, a double-purpose effort for our readers as well as for our Queen of the Fair. Watch this space... We're rushing off to grab some pics of the pensioners' merienda (you look it up, we haven't the time to translate!) on the square.

Feria starts tonight!

Just about everything is ready for this year's feria in Jimena, one that we might call la feria de la austeridad. If municipal austerity has had a positive effect at all, it is surely that the feria returns to its origins on the village's main square, the first time in 30 years. Let's see how it goes this time, though last night's rehearsal for the coronation (photo) went well. See the whole feria programme in English here, or go to the sidebar.

Meet the Queen

Queen Laura at leisure

As we approached her home in Jimena for this interview, up a steep hill that leaves most  people breathless, we knew why the Queen was fit. Having come back to what she calls 'her village' ten years ago, she has climbed that hill at least once a day for that long. No Rollers or Daimlers at the door for Laura. Not yet, anyway.

Laura Gutiérrez Haddon was born in Bristol, England, just under 19 years ago. Her birthday is in early November, under the sign of Scorpio. Not that this latter piece of information would be of any significance to her, for Laura is a practical sort of person - at least in her own opinion.  Her opinions are, she believes, the reason she was elected Reina de la Feria this year.  As far as we can verify, she is the first British-born Queen of any annual village Feria in the Campo de Gibraltar - excluding the Rock, we suggest.>

Jimena Feria programme

FRIDAY 13
7.30 - Musical street parade
8.30 - Floats begin parade
10.00 - Coronation of Queen and Handmaidens
            Official announcement by D. José Regueira
            Music performance

Saturday & Sunday below>