We were joined by a number of members of the La Mata Lawn Bowling Club, including their chairman Alan Bramble, who are concerned about imminent plans by the owner of the complex to close the grounds to bowlers. Angel revealed that he had recommended to the Town Hall to enter into negotiations to buy La Mata and to run it as a publicly owned sports complex, and that the Town Hall is now in contact with the owner. This may prove to be impossible, and Angel’s other proposal, which he offered as ‘an election promise’, would be to build a new bowling green next to the new municipal football stadium. Alan Bramble and some colleagues have agreed to meet with Angel early in the New Year to take this project forward.
A question from the audience about tourism is worth a few lines here. Angel has reduced the money spent at FITUR, the national tourist fair held in Madrid in January, from around 80,000 euros some years ago to a current budget of 10,000 euros. The fair, together with the London Tourist Fair held in November, is important and he spends his time in meetings there with experts and politicians to discuss Mojácar’s tourism. He revealed, however, that the large tour-operators insist on paying less rather than more for hotel rooms and ask for major advertising campaigns from our town hall (and other town halls too) in their catalogues. Angel insisted that his main interest is in ‘residential tourism’ (as the European home-owners are classified in Spain) rather than in summer mass-tourism and that, like a house being cleaned up before the guests arrive, his concern is to repair, clean and improve Mojácar as far as he is able.
It is clear that Mojácar, like the other towns in Almería, is evermore under the thumb of the Junta de Andalucía, which has now taken over from the national government responsibility of the beach-bars, and an inspector from Seville has already been to Mojácar to see for himself his new engagement.
Angel spoke of his commitment towards public transport and said that he is trying to get a permanent bus-route from Almería airport to Mojácar and another connecting our town with the Huercal Overa hospital.
Bob Brook from Arboleas was at the meeting. Concerned by the issues in that town (notably, the burning issues of ‘illegal houses’, corruption and fraud) Bob and some friends have started a new party to contest the local elections there May 22nd 2011). The party, while completely independent from Mojácar, is called Ciudadanos Europeos de Arboleas. Bob calls it ‘the listening party’ which is a good and necessary quality in a political movement. Our party in Mojácar is the only party that has regular meetings throughout the four-year legislature, rather than a few hurried ones just before Polling Day).
The postal vote continues to be a problem, since Europeans can only use this system from within Spain itself (a holiday in Bilbao, perhaps) while Spaniards are able to vote through their consulates abroad.
Party officials Jill and Patrick Bennett, Alan Sykes and Mariano Novo were present last night and, together with Carlos Blanco (on a Christmas visit to France), join Angel Medina and I in wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2011.
Lenox Napier
P.S. I will be in the Mojacár Town Hall on Tuesday 21st and 28th at 12 noon to help with the padrón or registering to vote. For those who are unsure if they can vote, please ask in writing (with full name, passport number and municipality) to sede.censoelectoral@ine.es
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