Newspapers and writers have what is known as slow news days. Basically you’re scraping around for something to write about but if you add a dramatic headline to this non story you’ve found or thought about people will read it. Some might say I do this every week! The UK is hotter than Ibiza’ is always a popular one and will create talk-ability. Last Saturday The Express ran a headline ‘British tourists vow never to visit Magaluf again as booze crackdown has made it boring’

Now Magaluf and boring are two words you don’t see together that often, so there’s the intrigue. You would be forgiven for thinking that this was a survey carried out by someone in the travel industry on thousands of holiday makers who’d visited our well known resort. Well actually no, step forward holidaymaker Sarah Stewart, 45, from Holywood in Northern Ireland, who has been holidaying in Magaluf for 22 years with a group of travellers now aged between 40 and 70.

Ms Stewart said: ‘I’m not sure we’ll return. To be frank, there is zero attraction. The beaches, bars and restaurants are empty. There’s no music, no atmosphere and the regulations are ridiculous.’

So they’ve picked one group of travellers who obviously didn’t enjoy their holiday and tried to turn it into a full news story. I tweeted the girl who wrote it, her name was Hanisha Sethi. Her bio says she’s a freelance digital reporter. She’d asked for peoples opinions on whether Magaluf had become boring. I’m still waiting for a reply. Now my bet is these people came out of season and Hanisha has never actually been to Magaluf. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Magaluf has one of the best beaches on the island. All the beach clubs, restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels have invested huge amounts of money to upgrade their premises and turn the resort around. Having lived here for over 30 years I don’t think I’ve seen it looking so vibrant. The one thing I would change and once again I’ve said this before is the ‘zona de excessivos’. Whilst I agree with what it’s trying to do, how can you have one half of the resort able to do things that the other half can’t? There’s a great saying in Spanish which says ‘todos Moros o todos Cristianos’ which basically means everyone should receive the same or be held by the same. I hope the new Mayor of Calvia, Juan Antonio Amengual, who was sworn in this week looks at this and either makes it a law for all or remove it all together.

I read that in Playa de Palma things hadn’t improved and the Germans were still doing what they were doing before the zone was put in place.

I asked my good friend Martin Makepeace who lives in Ibiza whether the ‘zona de excessivos’ had changed San Antonio. Martin like me here in Mallorca has lived in Ibiza for over 30 years and there’s not much he doesn’t know about the White Isle. He said ‘The West End is a lot quieter these days. Also the youngsters seem more discerning, wanting beach clubs and boats. He thinks the new Government led by the PP will look to change how the ‘Zone’ works but not straight away. 

Now the newspapers love to bash Magaluf but I have a story that whilst it started off bad, had a good ending. 

Thirteen lads, from Chester-le-Street, County Durham, believed they had paid £12,500 to a third party travel representative who made a booking through Blue Sea Holidays for their flights and 10 nights all inclusive at a hotel here in Mallorca. But Blue Sea Holidays were forced to cancel the accommodation on the day they were due to travel after only receiving a deposit for the holiday, with £9,000 outstanding. With their flights paid, the group flew to the Spain but faced a scramble to find and pay for new accommodation. They were supposed to be in Magaluf but ended up in Santa Ponsa. Andy from Blue Seas Holidays who is a friend of mine contacted me and asked is there anything we could do. 

We decided to invite them to a VIP night at Gringos. I met them at Pirates and they were a lovely bunch of young guys who were really grateful. So much so that one of them sent me an Instagram message after the night out which read ‘Thank you for what you have done for us all we appreciate it massively.’ A few days later I got this message on my messenger account. ‘Hi, I am one of the parents of the young lads that were scammed. I just wanted to thank you personally for such a kind gesture. Your kindness and that of others has given me hope that there is still goodness in the World. Thanks very much again.’

Now those messages alone made it all worthwhile and I hope those boys remember Magaluf in a more positive way now. I should also add that Andy and Blue Sea Holidays were totally blameless in all of this. Andy even organised a free transfer back to the airport for the boys. 

I mentioned earlier that lots is being done in Magaluf to upgrade the resort. As you know I’m the Managing Director of Pirates and along with Catherine the owner we are constantly looking at ways of bettering and improving our three shows of Pirates Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos. 

Our new terrace bar ‘Jacques’ named after our founder and Catherine’s father Jacques Sasson has more than enhanced our pre-show offering. New to Reloaded this year are our celebrity DJs who are playing before the show. Woody Cook, Charlie Sloth and Billy Clements have played so far. The Irish DJ Marty Guilfoyle is playing this Sunday June 25th, followed by Ben Rainey next Friday June 30th. Not forgetting the legend Judge Jules who is playing on Sunday the 9th of July. There are more DJs coming through the months of July and August It has added a totally new dimension to our Reloaded offering meaning you get to see a DJ and a truly amazing show. Book your tickets early at Reloaded.com 

Enjoy your weekend!

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

There’s a four letter word doing the rounds here in Mallorca. It’s a word that’s known the World over but here on the island it’s never actually surfaced. Until now that is. I know what you’re thinking but it isn’t that! I’m talking about UBER.

Now for the uninitiated, like me for instance who has never actually used the service. Here’s how it works. 

It is an independent taxicab company that hires drivers who use their personal vehicles while logged into the Uber app on a mobile device. Passengers request rides using the app, inputting pick-up and drop-off locations, and all payment is done through a pre-authorised credit card right through the app. 

You basically choose which car and driver you want and order the service. 

As of early 2023, Uber’s monthly users had grown to 130 million. It operates in 72 countries, in over 10,000 cities with over 7.6 billion trips carried out. But guess what? In Spain it hasn’t really taken off. The City in Spain with the biggest number of Uber drivers is Madrid, whereas Barcelona only has a few. Although unpopular amongst many normal taxi drivers I’m told that on the mainland quite a few of them will download the Uber app and work extra hours as an Uber driver. Here in the Balearics Uber has been a dirty word up until now mainly because of the Spanish regulations around taxi drivers. 

In Spain, to gain a normal taxi license, you have to:

• Submit a medical certificate proving that you do not suffer from an infectious or contagious disease or any physical disability that would prevent you from operating a taxi.
• Pass a theoretical and practical exam.
• In certain areas, prove that you can speak Catalan.
• Continue to pay for mandatory licensing and maintenance fees.

The cost of a licence in Palma is 120,000€! Yes you read that right. That’s just the licence it doesn’t include a car, that’s an extra expense. Quite a lot of the licences are bought by big companies who employ drivers to drive for them. Or some drivers share a car and then the costs and profits between themselves to gain the maximum from a 24 hour working day. 

So 40 Uber cars have started working here in Mallorca much to the angst of the normal taxi drivers. Now on the one hand I understand their arguement because of the expense they’ve laid out. But let’s look at this logically and I probably don’t know anyone who hasn’t had a problem trying to get a cab in the summer. They’re just aren’t enough to go around and if we want to keep tourism as our biggest industry and people to keep returning, then we need to move with the times. We need to think of the consumer and there are more than enough tourists as well as residents to go around to accommodate both the taxi drivers and the Uber drivers. I understand that in the winter that is not always the case but that’s the problem with the Balearics as a whole, it’s either feast or famine. And that’s an argument for another day. Competition never hurt anyone and in reality it should drive(no pun intended)to better customer service. 

Congratulations to Manchester City on their treble win last weekend. As an Arsenal fan it pains me to say it. But I’m pleased for one of the coaching staff who is from the island. Carlos Vicens who was born in Colonia de San Jordi and started his career as the academy director and assistant manager at CD Llosetense. He joined City’s academy in 2017 and after a successful season in 20-21 as a Head Coach of the U18s, winning the FA Youth Cup and being crowned U18 Premier League National Champions, he was promoted to the first team as Assistant Coach under Pep Guardiola in the summer of 2021.

I hope they take a back seat next year and give the rest of us a chance. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

I thought long and hard about writing this particular column but there’s certain things that you just can’t ignore. 

I’m talking about racism in football and in particular the case of Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior. Firstly let me say I find any type of racism abhorrent and I firmly believe that if caught the perpetrators should suffer the consequences. 

But let us not be fooled that this is just a football problem as it most certainly isn’t. It’s a society problem and something that unfortunately happens in most countries around the World in some form or another. 

The UK has a problem, the ‘Kick It Out’ campaign has a high profile within sport in the UK. It’s mantra is, it is against all discrimination, in all its forms. Racism. Sexism. Homophobia and Transphobia. Sport is used as a tool to promote this as it has such a high number of people interested in it. 

But are the UK dealing with it well? For me a perfect example is the current case of Ivan Toney. Hear me out, I know his case was a betting scandal. He was banned from football for eight months with immediate effect last week after admitting 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules. He will be banned until January 16, 2024 and has been fined £50,000. 

Remember Luis Suarez? A Liverpool player at the time who was found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra of Manchester United. His punishment? He was banned for just eight games and fined £40,000 by the FA. That tells you all you need to know. Footballs governing bodies from FIFA to UEFA to the FA and La Liga to name a few, need to seriously stamp this out in football. It’s been going on for years and nothing seems to get done. The biggest problem you’ve got is nearly all of them who couldn’t find their backsides with two hands and a funnel!

So how are Spain combatting this problem? 

I don’t think you should mix sport and politics but it is no secret that the far right political party Vox are making gains into Spanish politics. Just a point but let’s stick with the football. 

Since I started writing this Valencia have been fined £39,000 and one of their stands where the racist chants started has been closed for five matches. 

I remember going to an England football match on the Spanish Mainland and our black players were subjected to racist abuse. A few weeks ago I saw Real Mallorca play Real Madrid and a Mallorca fan was fined 4,000€ and banned from attending any sporting venues for 12 months. For shouting racist abuse against Vinicius Jr. I personally didn’t hear any racist chanting at that game. 

What didn’t look or sound good was the President of La Liga after the Valencia game saying to Vinicius Jr, “Before criticising and insulting La Liga, it is necessary that you inform yourself properly. Do not let yourself be manipulated and make sure you fully understand each other’s competencies and the work we have been doing together.”

How do you think that went down? So badly he had to apologise. Señor Tebas is always banging on about how much better La Liga is than the Premier League. But he needs to understand that players, broadcasters, sponsors and indeed fans will not agree unless they can see a definite plan to eradicate racism. 

Carlos Ancelotti the Real Madrid manager gave Vinicius the opportunity to come off of the pitch but he quite rightly didn’t. Don’t let them win would be my mantra. Some people are saying that with his actions he brings it onto himself. I couldn’t disagree more, that’s just an excuse for the abuse. He’s 22 years old and should not be subjected to this in any way shape or form. What I also can’t get my head around is Valencia and other teams where this has occurred have black players in their team, what must they be thinking?

The referee on the pitch has three options;

1st instance – referee asks a message to announced that if racial abuse persists, the game will be stopped.

2nd instance – referee stops game and takes players off the pitch.

3rd instance – match is abandoned.

I think this needs looking into as you are more or less condoning it until the referee decides to take the players off. 

A far more powerful statement would be for the players themselves to walk off. This however has consequences as the team that decides to do this forfeits the match 3-0. That too needs looking at in my opinion. 

If I was Javier Tebas, I would take this by the scruff of the neck and use Vinicius in a campaign to stamp out racism. If you want to build La Liga into the biggest and best league in the World that will attract players of all colours and creed then this is your perfect opportunity. But I seriously wonder if there’s a will to stop this. 

I’ll finish on a lighter note. The World Watercress Eating Championships took place last Sunday in Alresford, Hampshire. Entrants from all over the county including Portsmouth, Brockenhurst, Andover, Alton, Winchester and even Birmingham lined up to eat 80g of watercress in the quickest time. Although it was a tight contest between local man Glenn Walsh and former champion, fellow local Sam Batho, Glenn pipped Sam at the post with his time of 31.29 seconds, taking the title for a 15th consecutive year.

Enjoy your weekend!

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

Blue is the colour! Well that was certainly the case last Sunday as the political party PP pretty much swept the board at the local elections. Was it a surprise? Probably not but the size of the victory I think yes. To take the Balearic Parliament, the Consell de Mallorca, Palma Town Hall, the majority of the island councils and the whole of Ibiza and Menorca was a damning indictment of the ruling PSOE and it’s coalition partners. 

But now the hard work starts as there will I’m sure need to be discussions in various places with the far right Vox party. Who too had a great night at the ballot boxes. How far right they are or become I think remains to be seen. 

I find it funny that two weeks before the elections, all the party’s are out during the wee small hours of the morning putting out their political posters or messages. Which are the rules by the way and each tries to get the best position on lampposts, roundabouts and anywhere else they can be seen. But you never see them rushing to bring them down do you? Let’s face it they’re a bit of an eyesore and not the greatest advert for a tourist island. Why don’t they fine them for not taking down they’re own publicity? 

I’m hoping that the incumbent people are more pro-tourism as I didn’t get that feeling with the last lot. Who seemed hell bent on damaging the number one industry on the island. Make it more sustainable I agree but that can be done much better than just saying we are too busy so let’s not market Mallorca anymore, crazy! I think the tourist tax will stay which once again I’m all for if spent in helping sustainable tourism. There were some very questionable projects where some of the money went during the last eight years. Let’s face it there are a lot more islands and countries bringing this tax in and therefore it’s becoming more and more accepted. 

I hear one of the first things the new regime will do is take away the 80kmh speed limit on the Via Cintura. A very loud cheer erupted when that news was released. I don’t know of anyone who thought this was a good idea. If you do then please feel free to drop me an email. In fact don’t just go into a dark room and have a long word with yourself. 

I interviewed the PP candidate for the Mayor of Calvia on the radio a week before the elections. Juan Antonio Amengual came across as a good man who has big plans for the region. A hotelier himself, he knows the tourist industry and it remains to be seen how he will be as a Mayor. I hope the 10 things that were part of their action plan come together.

Increase the number of local police officers. Create a drone unit for crime prevention.

Enable a public dry dock ramp service for recreational and sport boats and jet skis.

Real Estate Property Tax: To reduce by 10% the tax rate for all urban and rural properties.

Implement measures for a CALVIÀ WITHOUT OKUPAS. We will not charge the IBI to the owner while the house is occupied, we will exclude the “squatters” from access to municipal aid and social rent and we will develop a protocol, in collaboration with other administrations, to return the house to its owner in the shortest possible time.

Create CALVIÀ SPORTS CITY 365, with an integrated Olympic swimming pool.

To promote Calvià as a CULTURAL MUNICIPALITY OF THE MEDITERRANEAN, with a network of events with artists that cover the different cultural branches, becoming an international cultural reference.

Develop a Municipal Plan of tourist deseasonalization “CALVIÀ 365”

Develop parking areas in the different areas of the municipality with a shortage of parking spaces.

Promote volunteering among all citizens, especially among high school and university students, towards the elderly.

He of course will have to go into a coalition with Vox in order to govern so let’s see the outcome of those talks. 

I also hope that we will all be given the opportunity to vote next time. It was a disgrace that if we hadn’t registered our right to vote by the middle of January we weren’t allowed to vote this time. Juan Antonio promised me that will change before the next round of elections. 

I wish him well. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

I arrived in Mallorca in April 1990. I was on an Intasun training course for holiday reps at the Guadalupe Hotel in Magaluf. It was my first ever proper trip abroad. Well I’d been over to France on Sally the Viking Line a few times but nothing like this.

I remember there were around 50 of us on the course which lasted a week. Now some didn’t even last the week as Magaluf’s temptations were too much so they were sent home. At the end of the week we were all told where we would be going around the World. I could have ended up anywhere but I was lucky enough to be given Mallorca South with one other Rep. Most holiday reps will tell you that the first place you work is usually your favourite and somewhere that would be dear to your heart. Well that was certainly the case for me. Four years later I’d left repping and joined what was my favourite excursion Pirates. Just under 30 years later I’m still here and enjoying it as much as ever. Although I’m now realising that I can’t do what I was doing even 10 years ago. Something that us Men can’t get used to is seeing someone when we’re not feeling as good as we should do. “I don’t need to see a doctor”, “I’ll get over it”. Phrases which I’m sure a lot of people out there can relate to and I’m one of them. My lightbulb moment was a picture sent to me by one of my sons friends of me asleep whilst supposedly watching a live game of football. Whilst it may have looked funny, it didn’t look great and I didn’t even know I was asleep! 

So I took myself off to the Doctors. Now I have to say Marisa at the Juaneda medical centre in Palma Nova is an absolute star, who will put you at ease straight away. She said, ‘well you’re a little overweight’, good start I thought, so I said I’d like a second opinion, she replied, ‘you’re ugly too!’ No seriously, she sent me off for loads of tests. I didn’t think there were that many tests you could do. Not only that but I’ve been to the dentist which I’m not ashamed to say I completely hate. I had a bad experience when I was younger and it has put me off since. But I must say Howard and his team at The Santa Ponsa Dental Practice have been great with me at the 2 appointments I’ve been to so far. Not sure how I’ll be after two of my two wisdom teeth have to come out though. I’ve even been to see Pedro at the Clínica del Pie or chiropodist to you and I in Santa Ponsa. My trip to Mr Lee the barber probably doesn’t count but as always great service. 

What I’m trying to say here is that Mallorca has a whole load of good professional people that can help you if you’re feeling a little under the weather. I’m pleased to say that barring a few things which can be treated, nothing too  serious right now is wrong with me. So don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help if you think you need it. Fellas, remember don’t just think of yourself, think about your family and friends too. 

Going back to my love of Mallorca and living and working here. Last Friday and Saturday was a perfect example of why I love it so much here. Friday night at Reloaded we welcomed the DJ Charlie Sloth. 

Charlie Sloth is a British DJ, hype man, producer, and TV presenter. He worked as a presenter and presented the daily drivetime show on BBC Radio 1Xtra from September 2012 to November 2017. He hosts the Rap Show and curates playlists for Apple Music. In addition, it was announced that Sloth had signed a deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation in August 2020.

He is also an investor and brand ambassador for AU Vodka. The brand reportedly produces 35,000 bottles per day in a half dozen flavours, which are sold in more than 40 countries and 32 American states. Now as celebrities go he is one of the most genuine I have had the pleasure to meet. 

It’s the second time we’ve had him at the show and the second time he has sold out. Make sure you keep an eye out for all our celebrity DJ’s at Reloaded throughout the Summer. 

Saturday morning I found myself just outside the village of Estellencs on the west coast of Mallorca. My Son was climbing the Puig de Galatzo as part of his school work. Nothing could have been more different from where I was in Reloaded. The West coast is in my mind is the most beautiful part of the island and it’s no surprise that Richard Branson, Michael Douglas and Bob Geldof have places in the area. 

If you ever come to Mallorca I urge to get out and see the island and realise the reason why I’ve lived here for the last 33 years. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

Just before I left to go on holiday, we finished our Christmas appeal on the radio. We’ve been doing this now for quite a few years, trying to make Christmas a little more enjoyable for those that need the help. We just want to say a big thanks to everyone that helped us whether you sponsored a day, you gave us an auction prize, a raffle prize or you did a special event. Also thanks to people that donated toys, food, dog and cat food, clothes, money and those of you that sold or bought a raffle ticket or an auction prize. All the winning raffle tickets were posted on our website and Facebook pages. When it comes to charity our island always steps up to the plate and I wanted to pass on the messages of thanks from all our charities who were very grateful for your help at such a difficult time. 

Nick from Yachting Gives Back said;

Once again Yachting Gives Back is proud and grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of another hugely successful Christmas charity campaign by Richie, Ayesha and Jo, and all at RadioOne Mallorca and their always generous listeners and sponsors.

YGB supports around ten charities all in Mallorca and all helping the homeless, the hungry and other people in need. Your wonderful donations of food toys, warm clothing, toiletries and other essentials have already been distributed, and the funds we receive will enable us to carry on helping the various food banks, soup kitchens and shelters during what is always a tough start to the new year.  

Many thanks to you all and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Nick, Louise, Paddy, Anne and Aila”

Nick also helped us re-house our studio Christmas tree that had been kindly donated by Quentin at Mallorca Christmas Trees. With the help of Paula and Roy who kindly donated the use of their van we took the tree to Es Refugi in Palma. 

Jackie at Age Concern said;

Dear Ritchie & Jo

Once again the Age Concern Team and myself would like to thank you and your team for Radio One’s fantastic contribution to assist us with our very much in demand service of food vouchers for those in need.  Everyones generosity over the years and especially this year is second to none considering the hurdles life has set for us.  

Of course a very big thank you to your listeners and supporters without which we could not provide such a good service as we do, so Chapeau to you all.

One cannot imagine the beneficiaries faces when they receive these vouchers, they are ecstatic.  Any help is welcome when you are desperate.  Unfortunately, circumstances are not improving, so more and more cases are appearing as our population is growing older and life expectancy is extended.

On their behalf and ours we wish you all Seasons Greetings and may 2023 bring Peace, Health, Happiness and Joy to All.

Kindest regards

Jackie Codd Moore, B.E.M.

President

Laura at Fundación Nazaret said;

One more year from Fundacio Natzaret we want to thank you for your generosity of the vouchers, helping to create a more special Christmas for all our boys and girls.

Thanks to your contribution we will distribute illusion to all our children on Christmas Eve.

We say goodbye, but not before thanking you again for your kind collaboration with the Natzaret Foundation and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year.

Saludos Guiem, Antonia y Laura

Maxi from SOS Animal Mallorca said;

Everybody at SOS Animal would like to thank all the listeners at Radio One Mallorca for your fantastic donation for our shelter which we will use for buying food in December and into the New Year for our dogs and cats which together currently number over one hundred. 

Thank you so much and have a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2023.

Maxi Lange President SOS Animal Mallorca

Thanks again from all of us at the radio station. Ayesha and I are back on the Breakfast show on Monday the 16th of January. 

Enjoy your weekend. 

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

Happy Christmas, Happy New Year and Happy Three Kings, I think that covers it all! Thoughts now turn to 2023 and what it’s going to bring. One of the most important things for the us in Spain are the 2023 local elections which will be held on Sunday the 28th of May. This is to elect all councillors in the municipalities of Spain and all 1,038 seats in 38 provincial deputations. These are elections that we as Expatriates can vote in. If you want a say in how your municipality is run then my suggestion is you make your vote count. There’s no point in complaining about all the things wrong with where you live if you haven’t made use of your opportunity to do something about it. I imagine if you’ve voted before like me you thought you could rock up to your local polling station on May 28th and cast your vote. Because of Brexit that is not actually the case. 

The right to vote is enjoyed by foreigners resident in Spain whose respective countries allow Spaniards to vote in their elections, under the terms of a Treaty. Currently, these countries are: Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Korea, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago and guess who, the United Kingdom.

In addition, they must meet the following requirements:

• Be in possession of a residence permit in Spain.
• Have resided in Spain, legally and uninterruptedly, for at least five years prior to their application for registration on the electoral roll.
• Be registered on the electoral roll in the municipality of their habitual residence, which is where they may exercise their right to vote.

In addition, nationals of the United Kingdom may stand for election in municipal elections with the same requirements and exclusions as provided for by law in relation to nationals of Spain.

All nationals of the countries with agreements described above must apply for registration in the electoral census of residents in Spain of nationals of countries with agreements for the municipal elections. 

The key thing in all of this comes next, registration in the electoral census and formal declarations must be made between the 1st of December 2022 and the  15th of January 2023! So basically you have just nine days to register for your right to vote regardless of whether you have voted before. Quite why they’ve made such a small window available is not for discussion now but it’s important that everyone knows about it.

Where to submit and complete this form or letter?
If you have received notification from the Electoral Census Office (OCE), you may do so online or by ordinary post.
If not, and in any case, you may present and fill in the formal declaration form at the Town Hall where you live, that is to say, where you are registered.

If you go to http://www.votebaleares.org all the information you need is there. I am planning to interview as many candidates as possible to find out their intentions particularly in Calvia for the next four years. Please spread the word about registering to be able to vote, it is important we all have a right to say how our municipality is run.

Enjoy your weekend. 

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

Boxer Liam Jones came on my radar in October last year. My two boys had been doing some conditioning work with a local trainer called Paul Hamilton at the Shambhala Gym in Santa Ponsa, Mallorca. Liam was also training there but even a layman like me could see he was a cut above the rest. Paul told me at the time that he was pretty special and had the potential to be a future champion. 

A bold statement but Paul has extensive knowledge in this field. After a career which took him all over the world competing against some of the best Thai Boxers. Paul began passing on some of his vast knowledge to a small group in a homemade gym in his back garden in England 30 years ago. As time passed and his reputation as a coach grew Paul went on to open DBMA at a new gym on Albert Hill in Darlington in 1998, it was there that he also founded Albert Hill Amateur Boxing Club using his pro-trainer professional boxing licence. 

Seven years ago Paul decided it was time to retire to the sun and he moved to Mallorca with his wife Simone. He couldn’t keep still though, so he kept his hand in doing some personal training sessions and also helping local kids with some boxing classes. Which is where he discovered Liam. 

Liam is from the Rhondda Valley in Wales and has been coming to Mallorca on and off all his life as his parents have a place on the island. He first entered a boxing gym at the age of 11 and his inspiration was watching the Rocky movie. Floyd Mayweather is the boxer he admires the most and he hopes one day to emulate him. He’s a softly spoken guy but don’t let that fool you, this boy can punch. 

He’s had three professional fights in Mallorca so far and he’s won them all. Paul felt it was time to test him even further and applied for a licence to become a British boxer. Liam has been training hard for a few weeks now and has been sparring with Spanish champion José Del Rio also known as El Niño and two professional boxers from the UK.

This is a big step for Liam but Paul thinks he’s ready. It’s a step up from four rounds to six rounds too so the training has been tough. I have to say after interviewing him on the radio last week he looks in peak condition. He is fighting one of the UK’s best journeyman boxers called Jamie Quinn, who’s had over 100 pro fights in his career. Now he may not win many of his fight’s, but ask anyone in the boxing game about him and they will instantly speak his name with due respect and praise. So it’s a good test for Liam who is gradually climbing the boxing ladder.

His fight is this coming Saturday in Oldham and is sponsored by Spanish company Javier James Real Estate, the first Mallorcan company to sponsor a bout at a UK boxing event. Liam is also sponsored by Cardiff Steel, Watches of Wales, Motor Connect, Sam Dry Lining, Rdx and Boxraw.

There’s a good crowd of people travelling from Mallorca to see Liam in action and there’s a lot who can’t make it will be hoping he returns with a victory. Paul tells me there’s a chance it may be shown on You Tube, so keep in touch with him on Social Media for the link. 
Mallorca has a habit of producing great Sportsmen, Rafa Nadal, Marco Asensio and Jorge Lorenzo to name a few. Wouldn’t it be great to have a Welsh born but adopted Mallorcan boxer become a champion of the World.

Sport I would say is probably my favourite past time and for those that know me, it won’t surprise you to know that football would be top of the list. I’m a massive Arsenal fan who’s been lucky enough to see them win the Premier League and FA Cup. Since I’ve been in Mallorca I have become a fan and season ticket holder of Real Mallorca. In fact I would have to say my best moment in football so far would have to be seeing them beat Deportivo La Coruña in the Play-offs to reach La liga. I do of course follow my boys around the island playing football which is where the name Dad Taxi came from. There’s nothing better than watching your own kids playing a sport. 

I do watch other sports too, cricket, F1, Rugby would be ones I look out for but over the last couple of years I’ve suddenly started to watch a lot more boxing. I don’t know why, maybe because I have done some ring announcing and watched some fights live but i’m definitely more interested now than before. I’ve been lucky enough to interview Nigel Benn and his Son Conor Benn, who used to live here on the island. Conor grew up watching Pirates which he always reminds me of when he visits the show. I watched his Dad train once after he retired, he was still frighteningly good then and not someone I would want to step into the ring with. Check the size of his fist in the photo compared to mine. I also did an event with Joe Calzaghe where we did a Question and Answer session with the audience. Known as ‘The Italian Dragon’ Joe was the former two-weight world champion who left behind a perfect 46-0 record when he retired in 2008. Unlike a startling majority of his peers, he has never felt the need to come back, knowing that he had nothing left to prove. 

Many sportsmen find giving up their sport is tough as they are suddenly out of the limelight and in particular boxers find it difficult to adapt. Which is why you see so many of them trying to return after they are well past their best. 

I used to think Tyson Fury was very arrogant and not someone you would instantly like but my attitude to him has changed over the years. I remember him out on the strip in Magaluf a few years ago and he’d become overweight and someone who liked to party. All of a sudden in 2017 he decided that being an alcoholic and taking drugs was not what he wanted to be at the age of 29 and he decided to return to the gym. I also watched a documentary on his comeback and saw him as someone who was still fighting his demons but was also helping others fight theirs too. The rest as we now know is history, he lost ten stone in weight and regained the Heavyweight Championship of the world by defeating Deontay Wilder in a thrilling trilogy. 

Last weekend at Wembley in front of a record 94,000 people he defeated the mandatory challenger Dillion Whyte and decided enough is enough and retired. But has he? 

I can’t believe that he wouldn’t want to become the undisputed, undefeated and possibly the greatest heavyweight of all time and fight the winner of Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk fight which is scheduled for July. If he does retire you have to totally respect his decision but I wouldn’t be surprised if he took that fight. Listening to an interview with the promoter Frank Warren this week, he believes it could make upwards of two hundred million pounds. 

I bumped into Welsh born local boxer Liam Jones last week in Pirates. You may remember I wrote a piece on him and have interviewed him on the radio. His career as an undefeated Professional is still going well. Speaking to his trainer Paul Hamilton this week he told me his next fight may well be in the UK and he’s also scheduled to fight on a televised event in Marbella towards the middle of the year. I’ll keep you posted on how he is doing. 

Take care everyone and enjoy the weekend. 

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com 

How refreshing it is to see everyones faces again after we ditched face masks this week for more or less the first time in two years. It’s long overdue in my opinion and another sign that we are getting back to normality. The funny thing is I don’t know how many times since Wednesday I’ve got out of my car walked away and went back for my face mask. 

More and more businesses are reopening and as long the weather starts doing what it’s supposed to do then we can all start to do what we do best. I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago but with more and more businesses opening the problem of staffing is becoming more acute. After  two years of being on furlough some people don’t want to work anymore. And then if they do want to work it’s not actually during the hours you need them for. The problem will be that the lack of staff will make the service suffer and that’s not good for Spain as a holiday destination. I’ve spoken to many businesses and they’re all saying the same thing. Spain needs to do an employment deal with the UK that works both ways. I am interviewing the UK Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott on the radio on Tuesday May 3rd at 09.30 and it’s a question I need to ask. 

The tourist tax is not the most popular thing this Government has brought in during its time in office. The tax was introduced to help inject funds into conserving the environment and to make tourism more sustainable for the islands ever-increasing population in the high-season. The problem was some of the projects you would have to question if the money was well spent. Now remembering that the island has had two very fallow years, maybe now was the time to take a year out and let the island and its businesses get back on their feet. However if you thought the tourist tax was excessive then listen to this. 

Venice is set to bring in a €10 entry fee from June in a bid to control the number of tourists entering the historic city.

Under a six-month pilot scheme being rolled out ahead of the first full tourist season since before the Covid-19 pandemic, visitors will have to book to enter the Italian city, and pay a fee worth up to £8.30 – depending on how busy the city is on the day.

If successful, the charge could be a permanent fixture from January next year. The scheme will also put a limit on how many tourists enter the city each day.

Venice’s mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, called the scheme a ‘difficult experiment’ that was ‘the first in the world’ of its kind.

Plans to introduce an entrance fee were first touted in 2018 as a solution to reduce the masses of tourists who visit every year.

While that figure reduced dramatically over the last two years, the recent Easter weekend saw more than 125,000 people flood(no pun intended) back into its narrow streets and famous squares.

English football fans sometimes get a bad rap and in a few cases it’s deserved. This week however one group of fans decided to put their usual rivalry to one side. Step forward Liverpool Football Club. You may have read this week that Cristiano Ronaldo sadly lost his twin Son at birth. During their game with Manchester United on Tuesday the Liverpool fans did their own emotional tribute. In the 7th minute of the game (Ronaldo wears the number 7) all the fans stood up, applauded and sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Class. 

Real Mallorca produced an awful performance at the weekend against Elche where they were rightfully gubbed 3-0. But on Tuesday night they managed to turn that around and defeat bottom of the table Alaves 2-1. They lie two points clear of relegation with five games to go. They play Granada and Rayo Vallecano at home which are winnable but they have Barcelona, Sevilla and Osasuna away which are not easy. I’m hoping that they can survive which is undoubtedly good for local football and tourism too. 

Take care everyone and enjoy your Weekend! 

Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.00-10am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance! 

Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com