The article here on the Diario de Almería site describes plans for a modernisation of the Almería football stadium. The aim is to have the stadium open again by September 2020. My guess is that some preparation work might be done during this season. However I guess that the bulk of the work will be done in summer 2020.

The original stadium can be seen in the bottom half of the photo above. At the moment there are temporary stands on the running track behind the goals. It looks like these will be removed. With the new roof covering what was the running track when the stadium was used for the Mediterranean games in 2005. The idea is to keep the sun off the people in the stands.

A lot of fans had hoped that the pitch would be lowered. However this work is not being proposed as it would take too long.

Read More for a Google translation of the article.

I found this really useful article about cuts of meat in Spain. From the Eye on Spain website.

Following Hannah's recent request for places to go for New Year's Eve. Rob from La Envía has been in touch about their event. Plus their golf competition. Plus details of their Christmas Eve buffet dinner.

Just a couple of bits and pieces about water in Almerimar....

We are just back from England where we were representing El Ejido Bowls Club in an international short mat bowls competition. While we were there I had to scrape the ice off the windows of a car for the first time in 15 years.

On our return here it was pouring with rain overnight. Plus it continued throughout this morning. Thank goodness it appears to be clearing up a bit now.

The other water related thing is the pressure of the cold water supply in our apartment. During the few days we were appear it appears that there has been a change in the water supply. The cold water supply to our apartment is now gushing out of the taps really strongly. It was so strong it was splashing out of the sinks. So we had to turn down the main supply into the apartment.

I have no idea why the water pressure has changed. If anyone has any idea please can you let me know.

There is an interesting article here on the Olive Press site. About 90 km/h speed cameras on motorways in Spain not allowing for the fact that you can go faster if you are overtaking.

Here is a quote from the article:

"An Automovilistas Europeos Asociados (AEA) statement said cameras on motorways were fining ‘anyone’ travelling above the speed limit without acknowledging a driver overtaking is permitted to speed up to 109km/h in this situation."

I was looking at various Spanish websites and spotted the article here on the Diario de Almería website.

The article contains photos and information about film locations used in the province of Almería. It is worth having a look at the article to see the photos.

Read More for a Google translation of the article.

This idea came about following a discussion between members of the El Ejido Bowls Club. (Watch out for some advertising about the bowls club on here soon - as the EEBC committee is looking for more people to try out playing short mat bowl in a venue close to Almerimar.)

There is already a Whatsapp group for people in Almerimar who want to play bridge here on ad-hoc occasions. As yet, the group has not yet organised the first game together. However people in the group are now saying when they are in town. To see whether there is a group of 4 or more experienced players who want to play together here in the near future.

The latest suggestion is for a progressive whist group in Almerimar. So a progressive whist Whatsapp group is being set up.

We plan to play on Tuesday afternoons starting in January 2020. On Tuesdays throughout the year when enough people say they are interested in playing.

The venue will be the pensioners club at the back of Porto Fino. We will play in the afternoon for a couple of hours (with a break half way through). So perhaps starting at a time to be agreed between 16:00 or 17:00. Finishing at no later than 19:30 (as we have been told that is the latest that the centre shuts).

The timing is likely to be a bit flexible at first as we will all be learning the format of the event. Our guess is that the speed of play will improve once the group has met a few times.

It is likely that we will have our first trial event on Thursday 14 January 2020. Where some members of the bowls club will show us how progressive whist events are run.

The progressive part of the name is about moving between tables on the afternoon we play whist. Each table has 4 players and you move from one table to the next. When you have finished playing a game.

We do not need exact 4s to play. We need at least 8 players. We can cope with 1 or 2 extra from exact groups of 4. In this case everyone drops out occasionally during the event. However 3 extra players is awkward to handle. So 8, 9 10, 12, 13, 14, 16 players on an afternoon is ok. 11 or 15 players is not OK.

Entry into an event will be on a first come first served basis.

It does not have to be the same people each week. There is just a winner on the day of the event. So it would not be a commitment to play every week. We would  run an event if 8+ people say they want to play that week (and someone offers to organise the event - the organisation each week is likely to be a floating responsibility - not the same person each week).

There would be a small entry fee of something like 1 euro a person. With a prize being given to the winner(s) on the day.

If you are interested in taking part in progressive whist events in Almerimar please get in touch. We will then add you to the Whatsapp group.

It is now getting pretty chilly here later in the afternoon. So our fleeces are being seen regularly. Also it is a lot colder overnight. So we now have our heavy duvet out of storage.

Sadly, it looks like we are due for quite a bit of rain on Friday. In which case we may have to cancel the regular Friday golf competition this week.

Also, the golf course is probably the best I have seen it for a good number of years. It is great fun and difficult to play now. Particularly the fast and hard new greens.

Earlier this week Jacqui and I went to Nerja. To meet up with some of her family who had flown over to Spain. We were walking around Nerja and spotted a bar called CKs. I then remembered that CK's in Almerimar closed a long time ago. With the owners moving closer to the Costa del Sol. I have completely forgotten that they had moved to Nerja.

I have been asked to advertise this item for sale for one of the readers. If you are interested in purchasing it please get in touch with me. I will then put you in touch with the owners.....

"I wonder if it is possible to sell a travel cot with a mattress (11cm thick) and two sets of sheets on Almerimar Today? 40 Euros, barely used."

UPDATED 24/10/19: Spanish news article suggests Spain will keep current time zone and time changes twice a year.

Just a quick reminder that the clocks go back this coming weekend.

So from next week people will have to make sure they play their afternoon golf reasonably quickly. To get into the clubhouse before it is dark.

I am sure I read somewhere that there might be a proposal for European counties to not change the clocks in the future.

Also, I think Spain is perhaps thinking of moving their time zone back an hour at some point in the future.

Updated: A reader has highlighted the article here on the El País website from earlier today. A Google translation of the last sentence of the article is "In Spain, the commission of experts set up by the Executive has decided that it will maintain its current time zone and the seasonal time change."  I understand that this is even though the EU is recommending that the twice yearly clock changes should stop from 2021.

UPDATED 21 October 2019 - A Whatsapp group has now been set up. I guess we will find out how popular it is in due course.

In the last few weeks I have had a couple of people ask me about whether there is any group of people that play bridge in Almerimar. To my knowledge the nearest organised bridge club is in Roquetas de Mar.

Following a discussion with a friend today I have agreed to advertise bridge on here. Asking for people who are interested in playing bridge when they are in Almerimar.

The idea is that there would be an informal group set up. Communicating via a private Whatsapp group. Arranging ad hoc games of bridge in Almerimar when enough people are around.

If enough people are interested I have offered my service as the administrator of the private Whatsapp group. Controlling access to the group. However it would be down to the people in the group to arrange suitable times and venues for playing bridge in Almerimar.

If you are interested in joining such a group please get in touch with me.

There was a repeat of the Almerimar episode of A Place In The Sun at 3pm on Channel 4 today. For those that may have missed it the first time it was shown.

More nostalgia.

I had a bit of a shock when I googled my name today. I do not remember ever doing this before. So I had no idea what to expect.

Thanks to a site called The Olive Press I am on the front page of google when you search for my name.

I wrote some articles for The Olive Press in the period from 2010 to 2012. Their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) must be pretty good to have got me there and then kept me there for so long.

Later during 2012 I had to relaunch the Almerimar Today site. As the old site had some technical problems. When I did the relaunch I decided not to try to reinstate all of the old stories. So I started the Almerimar Today blog anew.

So the stories here on the Olive Press site is a little look back in history. There is a total of 35 articles on a wide range of subjects. Including, Almerimar, Middlesbrough, Almería and computer science stuff.

We had Canadian rummy the other day. Now we have another look back in time.

In 2015 we stayed at Hotel Zerbinetta in Dilar. About 15 minutes from Granada. It was part of a trip we made to the Lecrin valley.

While there I found a recipe for Cazuela Dehesa. Today I am cooking the dish again for the first time in a while.

Here you can see the article about the trip to the Lecrin valley.

You can find the recipe for Cazuela Dehasa here on the site.

Recently Jacqui and I have started playing Canadian rummy again with friends. After a break away from the game. This reminded me to check whether Almerimar Today is still on the front page of Google if you search for Canadian rummy rules. The answer is yes.

They were first published on the original Almerimar Today site. Then re-published on the updated site in 2013.

I guess that my family plus people who have played the game in Almerimar must still be looking online for the rules from time to time.

On the recommendation of a reader, Sara G, I have added the phone number for the British Consulate in Málaga to the list of number on the Emergency Numbers page on the site.

The town hall has announced the launch of their new website here.

You can see the front page of the site here.

Read More for a Google translation of the article.

Until now I have made a point of trying to make this site a Brexit free zone.

However the person who contacted me about digital signatures has suggested that I publish links to the following Brexit related information:

Brexit driving permits (In particular about expats living in Spain "You can exchange a valid UK driving licence without taking a test within 9 months of the date that the UK leaves the EU. After this 9 month period you will need to take a test in order to exchange your licence.")

Brexit and healthcare

The information may be of use to both UK visitors and residents here.

One thing I spotted myself recently was that it looks like future UK state pension increases for expats living in the EU are not guaranteed.

I read an article about this recently. Coincidentally the article here on the healthcare site linked above suggests the same thing.

It tries to add a positive spin saying that the proposal is to increase the UK state pension for EU expats over the next 3 years. However what is implied is that pension aged expats in Europe may have their pension frozen after 3 years (like expats in some other countries around the world).

I guess that this is something UK Spanish residents who are thinking about topping up their number of UK pensionable years NI payments need to consider.

The site will probably now go back to being a Brexit free zone.

The article here from 10 days ago on Diario de Almería is an interesting one. About a project to make Almería the world capital of medical marijuana.

I wonder if they will make a hash of it (I will get my coat.....).

Read More for a Google translation of the article.