And another update: ferias, fiestas and hangover days for Jimena

Top of the list

For the first time in history (according to Prospero's not very reliable memory) we have a complete schedule of dates for the various events, ferias and fiestas in the municipality of Jimena, with only a couple of tentative ones yet to be set. The first of these is Carnaval, scheduled for the weekend of February 24, 25 and 26, and for which we have stolen the poster from TioJimeno, who is closer to these things than we are (well, he works right next to the Ayuntamiento). We can but thank the Councillor in charge of the municipality's festivities (don't ask who, 'cos we don't know but will find out) for what we hope is a degree of forward planning we are unaccustomed to here. The list is below.>>>

Special Valentine's Day menu, including riddles and erotic gifts

JIMENA / San Pablo La Estación Restaurant in San Pablo de Buceite will offer their clients a special Valentine's Day Menu on Tuesday the 14th of February. When you read the menu you will realize the dishes contain a riddle. Whoever finds the answer will be rewarded with a bottle of Champagne. The Saturday night dinner will include a special flamenco guitar and dance performance by Camilo and Purificación and the venue will be decorated for the occasion and also there will be a raffle for a basket of erotic gifts.
Call 956 642 244 for reservations, now! The menu and excellent price is below!>>>

Marcus Myer at La Estación tomorrow

SAN PABLO Nieves and Samuel, of the justly famous Restaurante-Bar La Estación, in San Pablo de Buceite, are hosting a gig by Marcus Myers tomorrow, Saturday, December 3 from 10pm. Marcus is a singer songwriter who plays the acoustic and the electric guitar in his own inimitable style. His band, Equis, plays a selection of music from the  Stones, The Beatles, Van Morrison and Oasis, to name just a few. Myers moved to the Ronda mountains some years ago, seeking peace, quiet and inspiration away from the bustle of London. You can check him out on his website or on YouTube. To book ahead, call 956 642 244.

San Pablo's 'illegal' Junta still functions three months after new Councils were established

San Pablo de Buceite

JIMENA / San Pablo (Agencies) Three months after new, post-electoral Councils throughout the country came into official being, the so-called Junta de Distrito (District Council) of San Pablo de Buceite still exists. Although this might not surprise anyone, it is in fact presided by Andrés Beffa (PSOE), who was named as such at the session that constituted the Council of Jimena (of which municipality San Pablo is part) on June 11. The political and administrative entity is holding a plenary session next Tuesday with seven of its eight members (5 representing political groups and 3, local associations), all except Beffa as 'acting members'. Beffa sees this as 'an aberration' according to Europa Sur, because there will be members present who were not even on the electoral lists at the May 22 elections. According to statutes, says Beffa, the Junta should have been constituted 45 days after the Municipal Council. The Junta de Distrito is therefore illegal.>>>

Former UNESCO chief accepts invitation to San Pablo's Workshops for Peace

Federico Mayor Zaragoza

JIMENA / San Pablo (Source: buceite.com) Federico Mayor Zaragoza headed UNESCO (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) from 1987 to 1999 and since 2000 presides the Foundation for the Culture of Peace, has accepted an invitation to inaugurate the tenth edition of San Pablo de Buceite's Workshops for Peace, scheduled for July, 2012. His acceptance is viewed with great pride by the organizers of what has become an unusual and effective event, and growing in importance in the Campo de Gibraltar.

Dogged politics mar agreements on San Pablo 'divorce proceedings'

JIMENA/SanPablo (Agencies) As we announced here, San Pablo is in 'divorce proceedings' against Jimena. The matter has taken on a different tone now that a new local government (PP) is in place in Jimena, while that old PSOE warhorse, Andres Beffa, is still in (apparently unelected) power in San Pablo. As part of the municipality, San Pablo must meet certain requirements in order to continue the process towards becoming an ELA (Entidad Local Autonoma) like San Martin del Tesorillo. The first of these is to set up a Junta Municipal de Distrito, which needs Jimena Mayor Guillermo Ruiz to designate which local associations will be on that council. Only three such will have 'voice and vote', according to municipal rules. Ruiz has met with some of the main associations to enable an agreement, but this has not happened. The matter is urgent as the 'mini-council' must be constituted by next Friday. The Mayor is in a quandary: "It is a strange, difficult situation because if I designate the associations there will be those who will be unhappy." (Prospero note: There are always those who could never agree even with their own shadow. Jimena is rife with the sort who prefer to put party and personal interests before those of the municipality's well-being. The latter is desperately needed at this desperate (financial) time.)

'Picnic' this year's winner of the Short Film Competition of San Pablo

JIMENA /San Pablo de Buceite A busy weekend in San Pablo: among preparations for this year's Workshops for Peace (July 21 to 30), was choosing the winner of the Short Film Competition for Peace. Some 52 short movies came in from all over the country and from Argentina and Puerto Rico. Prizes were €600 to the winner - 'Picnic' by  Gerardo Herrero, of Asturias, about the consequences of war, which has won prizes at several festivals. In second place, with prize money of €300, was Entre pañuelos y Sueños, by Alejandro G. Salgado, of Sevilla, who tells us the story of Howard Jackson, a black character who earns his living at a traffic light in Sevilla. Prizes will be given on the 22nd at the Casa de la Cultura in San Pablo, as part of the Workshops for Peace.

Monday is a local holiday - but will the pool be open?

If you haven't got a hangover today, it's okay to have one on Monday. It is a holiday in the entire municipality of Jimena (including San Pablo, Marchenilla, Tesorillo and stops in between) because this weekend is the Feria de San Pablo (See the full programme here) and it is officially assumed that you will be heading there until Sunday, in which case you will need Monday to recover. So, banks, many shops  and all official offices will all be closed. There is still a question about the pool in Jimena, though. As we said in our Interview with the Mayor, negotiations are still going on with the power company about putting the electricity back on there. The latest is that this morning we saw the swimming lesson lists stuck on the door, and they started on Monday. It is still an official mystery as to its opening...

Full programme for the Feria de San Pablo

This year's Feria de San Pablo is almost here. Perhaps a little more modest than in the boon years, this is nevertheless one of the quieter (except for the Youth Marquee) ferias in the area. Much tradition, something for all ages, a day for riders, music, also for all ages, dancing and a lot more. Everything starts out with the parade of the Queen of the Fair and her Cortege, their Coronation ... well., you can see the whole programme for yourself below.>>>

Collective exhibition of local artists this weekend

(Click to enlarge)

JIMENA/San Pablo de Buceite The by now famous restaurant in San Pablo, La Estación (because it's in the actual real live railway station), is once again showing the rest of us what can be achieved. This time Nieves and Samuel are holding a collective art exhibition from Friday 17 to Sunday 19, from 7pm, with music by Michael Kevin Jones (cello) and Daniel Herrera (guitar). Participating artists include Nora Tisnés, Melissa González Morgan, Clodagh Thornton, Juan Soler, Roderic Stokes, Gonzalo Polo, Esther Emberley Soria, Marta Fuster Barutell, Debora Knight and Olivia Lowsley Williams, a plethora of good work and a wide variety of styles and media. Let's hope this is only the beginning of at least an annual event. An aperitif will be served when you arrive. (It is wise to book for dinner if that is your intention - it gets pretty full!

Beffa to return to his job as teacher at Xemina Adult Education Centre

JIMENA/San Pablo de Buceite (TioJimeno) Andrés Beffa, Jimena Councillor and president of the Neighbourhood Association of San Pablo, confirmed this morning that he will be returning to his old job as a teacher at the Xemina Adult Education Centre in Jimena, from which he has for a long time been absent. Beffa will be part of the PSOE group on the Council, in opposition. He is also president of the Consorcio de Bomberos (Fire & Rescue Consortium) of the Campo de Gibraltar, from which he will probably be ousted in September. San Pablo is undergoing the process that will eventually lead to its separation from the municipality of Jimena de la Frontera, its declaration as an ELA (Autonomous Local Entity) being the next step, which is not expected for at least a year.

Classic Car Club of Andalucía celebrates its third anniversary

AC Cobra at La Estación in San Pablo

The Classic Car Club of Andalucía celebrated its third anniversary at La Estación Restaurant in San Pablo. The converted railway station (still in operation as a request stop) hosted some 40 vehicles and their occupants, who set out early in the morning from Estepona. The parking lot was awash with beauties such as the AC Cobra in the picture, Sporting Mercs, MGs, several E-types, Morgans, a sharp looking yellow Corvette, a rare Shelby 500GT, a Shelby Cobra - it's a long list. This is the third time the club, whose members are mostly though not exclusively foreign, celabrates an anniversary at this charming (and excellent) restaurant. UPDATE!We have just heard that the Gibraltar Classic Car Club, with the Club de Clasicos of Algeciras is heading to Jimena this coming weekend, so watch this space for more info as soon as we get it!

Jimena starts procedures for San Pablo segregation

JIMENA/San Pablo de Buceite (Press release) Jimena Council is about to begin the procedure to convert San Pablo into an Entidad Local Autónoma (ELA, Autonomous Local Entity), according to a recent announcement by Mayor Pascual Collado and the District President, Andrés Beffa, who met last week in Sevilla with the Junta's Director General for Local Administration, José María Reguera. The decision comes after careful study, analysing the pros and cons of the move for both parties. A new law passed by the Junta eases the requirements for segregation, which were considerably more restrictive when San Martín del Tesorillo began the same procedure. An ELA is the first stage of segregation, when a part of a municipality wants to separate from the original.

Council looking for funds for Barranca Bermeja road repairs

JIMENA (Press Release/Photo: www.buceite.com) Jimena and the Junta Municipal de Distrito of San Pablo (JMD-SP) are seeking finance to repair the Barranca Bermeja-El Dorado road, a stretch of which collapsed during the recent storms (photo of Guadiaro River). The estimated cost of repairs, according to Andrés Beffa, who heads the JMD-SP, is around the €100,000 mark. Beffa said that he believes there could be some help from a special Junta emergency fund, which he hopes to tap into before the road gets any worse. This is a local road that is used heavily by farm machinery and vehicles as well as the school bus.

San Pablo flea market raises €900 for La Estrella

JIMENA/San Pablo de Buceite (Photo: www.buceite.com) The 14 stalls at the La Estrella charity flea market that had to be set up in the sports centre because of the rain, collected just over €900 for the Jimena charity. The money, which came from the fees from the stalls, donations, raffles and tombolas, goes toward the extra curricular needs of the La Estrella kids, mostly during the summer holidays, imncluding special swimming lessons, studies, camps, etc. The event was organized by the Chiripi Women's Association, the Pensioners and Retired association, with the cooperation of the Los Naranjos Parent Teachers association.>

Jimena Carnival coming up!

JIMENA The Carnival in Jimena is scheduled for the weekend of March 11, 12 and 13. As usual, the main tent will be set up behind the primary school and the noisy rides, if any, on the market square. The other Carnivals in the municipality are as follows: Tesorillo, 18, 19 & 20; and San Pablo, 25,26 & 27.

El Corchado owners can now legalise their properties

(Agencies) Some 40 owners of properties in the El Corchado section of San Pablo de Buceite, of Jimena, will now be able to buy the land on which their homes sit, as well as get proper title deeds to their properties. The matter has been under scrutiny for over 50 years, the problem being that the properties were on a Cañada Real, or common cattle pass. With the process begun officially in the late 1990s, the section on which the properties stand has now been separated from the Cañada, thus allowing for the regularisation of title documents as well as no further problems in obtaining building licences. The municipal delegate for San Pablo, Andrés Beffa, has requested a meeting with the Treasury delegate in Cadiz to obtain information as to the procedure for the proprietors to buy their land.