A Big Week in Spain

Once again there’s a lot going on this week, and before we look at what will be making the news headlines in Spain, the UK and the world, locally this week there are a few things to touch on.

Starting on Wednesday in Torrevieja, specifically at the Park of Nations, there is a food truck market, where those little food trucks (sorry if we spoilt the magic, but some of them are actually fake) will be available serving a variety of dishes from around the world, and entertainment is being laid on to accompany it. That is one right through the weekend and is part of an event throughout the rest of October which is focussing on markets and commerce in general.

Later in the month there will be a Mariner’s Market on the Vistalegre, that starts on 20 October, and a craft market in La Mata from October 27.

Crevillente celebrates an even longer, long weekend, as it’s a local holiday there on Tuesday. Los Montesinos and Pilar de la Horadada also have local holidays on Wednesday, right in the middle of these two main holidays.

Peter Pan will be in Torrevieja at the weekend, as the musical version of the story of the little boy who never grew up takes to the stage. There will also be a more competitive streak emerging for some of the little ones in Torrevieja as the town hosts a junior athletics competition at the weekend.

Across the country this week, including through the weekend, the Guardia Civil will be focussing their attention on seeking out, educating, and prosecuting drivers who are distracted at the wheel. This campaign coincides with a European campaign by Europol, the European Traffic Police network, so you can expect similar activities across the continent.

It is a bit of an odd week in Spain, particularly for those in the Valencia region, where the regional holiday is celebrated on Monday, but on Thursday Spain celebrate the national day. More about that later, but what it means for a lot of people is two long weekends, with just a short working week in between.

The week starts without notable references on the macro level in Spain. In the eurozone, the Sentix investment confidence index for October, which will show the evolution of investor sentiment, and industrial production in Germany for August stand out.

Also, on Monday, the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank begin in Morocco, which will include the participation of the president of the European Central Bank (ECB). On a business level, Pepsico presents results.

There is also a meeting of the EU Employment and Social Policy Council.

For its part, in the United Kingdom on Thursday the evolution of industrial production and the trade balance will be published. Despite the recovery in June and July of industrial activity after a chain of year-on-year declines since the end of 2021, stagnation is expected due to the increase in the cost of inputs and the slowdown in demand.

Also in the UK, the Conservatives made their bid for the future last week, and of course showed the world once again how much they like to party whilst the country is in the current state, and this week the attention turns to Labour. Rachel Reeves takes to the stage on Monday at their party conference, for a speech that will be closely watched in the business world and beyond after the Shadow Chancellor’s attempts to show how Labour can be trusted, financially, to run the country.

Tuesday sees Keir Starmer bid to be PM in what is likely to be his highest profile attempt before the elections, which pundits still split on whether he will play it safe or jump out of his usual comfort zone and make a bold, and for once Labour centric, pitch.

Rwanda will no doubt be the most popular word out of the mouths of Tories doing the rounds this week, along with their usual catalogue of divisive dialect, as the Supreme Court will begin to consider the case for sending refugees and asylum seekers to a faraway land, after the defeat at the High Court, where then-Lord Chief Justice Baron Burnett ruled the scheme to be unlawful.

Although it would not in any way be fair to call it entertainment, in the world of TV this week, The Reckoning begins on BBC1, dramatizing the case of Jimmy Savile, played by Steve Coogan, and subsequently mixing drama and testimonies from victims to explore what was arguably the worst case of abuse in modern times.

If you’re an online shopper, hold back a few days on those essential purchases, as this week also sees the next Amazon Prime day, where an abundance of cut priced products that you neither need nor want will be offered at bargain prices, although you just might find something useful if you can cut through the clutter. You can also expect an increase in Black Friday teasers, and although in Spain it’s not Black Friday until November 24, Prime Day always starts to bring offers out of the woodwork.

Thursday is Spain´s national day, as mentioned, and although many businesses will be closed, there are a few that will remain open, so it´s always best to check before you go and visit. The main action of the day takes place in Madrid, starting at 11:00, where the Royals will preside over a parade which includes a tribute to the Spanish flag, and all those who have given their lives to Spain, along with a flypast which will include the famous “Eagle Patrol” from San Javier, and a parachute display.

Locally, Cartegena has a strong military presence in the country, although much of the infrastructure is now decommissioned, but on Thursday you can visit both the arsenal and the submarine base for guided tours. A military band will also be giving a concert in the main square.

There will also be different attentions and activities focussing on elements of Spain in a military context throughout the week, one being the celebration of women in the armed forces, in particular focussing on the four women who have been promoted to general since their integration in 1988. Currently there are 15,703 military women who can access all jobs and all levels, which represents 13% of the total number of troops.

Finally, if you are at that age where the bones are creaking and the joints are feeling a little less smooth, you might want to celebrate another day on Thursday, as it’s World Arthritis Day. No sudden movements if you are going to celebrate though, which, coincidentally, might also be good advice for Friday, as it’s No Bra Day, although that might otherwise be a distraction from the fact it’s Friday the 13^th, and so any precautions might prove prudent for the superstitious.

Footnote, before the minds of some wander into a very different place, No Bra Day is an annual observance on October 13 on which women are encouraged to go braless as a means to encourage breast cancer awareness.