Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin June 5

One interview that really caught people's attention this week was with Allan McCarthy. It's a fascinating but difficult life story that clearly strikes a chord with anyone who hears it, and it's no surprise that a documentary is now being made about his journey.

Allan’s story is often told through extraordinary headlines about drugs, prison, a jailhouse rock band and a life of extremes. But beneath it all, there’s something more powerful and arguably more interesting, a story about second chances, recovery and a strange, almost fateful relationship with music that just refuses to let go.

Throughout the interview with Allan, the phrase “What's for you won't go by you,” kept popping up, and basically this idea sits at the centre of his life and this remarkable story.

He started out tinkering with music in the bars and clubs of Barrhead in Glasgow. Allan gradually moved into the entertainment industry, even finding himself around A-list circles at a young age. That path eventually led to a life of glamour on the Spanish coast. But in the 1990s, his life changed direction. After a conviction for cannabis possession, he was sentenced to six years in a Murcia prison and a fine of 65 million pesetas.

It would have been easy for that to be the end of the story, but instead it became the beginning of something unexpected.

Allan found himself in prison in Spain, when they were described as overcrowded, 'deplorable' with crumbling buildings, broken windows, and punishment cells that hadn’t changed since the days of Franco.

But in the middle of all this, there was a shining light, a literacy teacher who was also an arts teacher and musician. He inspired Allan and others to play guitar and form a band called Berlin90.

At first, there were no instruments, just an idea and encouragement. They applied for funding through an Arts Council grant from the regional Murcia government, and began performing.

Around the same time, a prison family day was being filmed by what they thought were internal cameras, but was actually a Spanish TV crew. Their performance was broadcast on national television and quickly spread across Spain as a human interest story.

Within days, radio stations were requesting access to the prison. Allan and the band were taken out to perform and interview, with two major stations competing for them. Within a fortnight, they were even performing live on Spain's national Top 40 radio show.

During this time, they were still serving their sentences, returning to their cells after every appearance.
Then everything changed again when Allan was transferred to Carabanchel prison in Madrid, one of Spain's most notorious jails. The move brought the momentum of Berlin90 to an abrupt end.

After his eventual deportation to Scotland, Allan left the story behind for almost 30 years.

It wasn't until his return to Murcia that the past resurfaced. He and a friend visited the old recording studio where Berlin90 had recorded, expecting little. But the studio owner still had the original tapes, having believed the band was long gone.

What followed was an emotional rediscovery of the recordings, which eventually reached radio legend Ángel Sopena, who brought Allan back onto the air and reignited interest in the story.

From there, the story spread again across Spain and the UK, leading to renewed attention and now a documentary in development.

For Allan, though, it's not about glamour or nostalgia. It's about recovery, consequences and second chances, and a unique story that people will now be able to see for themselves in the upcoming documentary.

And staying, it turns out, involves a fair bit of work. Eurostat figures from 2025 show that employees in Spain put in an average of 36.3 hours a week, nudging above the EU average of 35.9.

Sundays sorted

The start of June has brought a dramatic wildfire to Murcia – the biggest and scariest of the fledgling season so far. The major fire broke out in the Carrascoy-El Valle regional park on Tuesday afternoon and rapidly became one of the largest wildfire emergencies seen around the central Murcia area in recent years.

Driven, as they often are, by strong winds, tinder-dry vegetation and temperatures close to 40°C, the fire spread quickly across the mountainside, sending vast plumes of smoke across the Vega del Segura and triggering hundreds of emergency calls.

Around 100 residents in the area nearest the fire had to be evacuated as a precaution, with some homeowners taking matters into their own hands by soaking vegetation around their houses while firefighters battled the advancing flames. More than 300 emergency personnel, supported by aircraft and the military, were mobilised to contain the fire, which had already affected over 110 hectares by Tuesday night.

The sight of orange skies and thick smoke visible from towns across the Region was certainly a very visual reminder of the dangers of Murcia’s increasingly long and hot summers, and that we all need to be vigilant.

Ironically, the wildfire erupted at a time when water, often Murcia’s biggest concern, is currently in relatively abundant supply. The Segura basin enters this summer in one of its strongest positions for years, with reservoirs sitting at around 60% capacity. Officials say there is enough water available to comfortably meet domestic, agricultural and industrial demand throughout the current hydrological year.

After a wetter-than-usual period earlier in the year, storage levels have recovered significantly and are now at their highest point since 2013. The continued operation of the Tagus-Segura transfer, combined with groundwater, desalination plants and reclaimed water, has helped create a much more secure outlook than residents have become accustomed to over the last decade. For a region often associated with drought concerns, it is welcome news, but that still doesn’t mean we should go wasting it willy-nilly, of course.

There is plenty enough for the swimming pools, though, and Murcia’s love affair with private swimming pools continues to grow, even if the pace of expansion has started to level off.

The municipality of Murcia now boasts almost 11,000 outdoor swimming pools, making it the fourth-largest pool hotspot in all of Spain. The trend accelerated significantly after the pandemic, as more families invested in improving their homes and outdoor spaces. According to local pool builders, many residents begin considering installations during the winter months, although demand inevitably surges again as temperatures climb.

Pools have become almost essential in many new housing developments, and advances in heating technology mean owners can now enjoy a dip from March all the way through to October. With installation costs starting at around €12,000, many homeowners view them as a long-term investment that adds both comfort and value to their property.

Not everyone, however, has the luxury of a private pool. For many people, public pool facilities and beaches remain the main way to cool off during the summer months.

In Los Alcázares, preparations for the busy season are already underway. The popular Ola Azul open-air swimming pool has reopened for the summer, offering a supervised alternative to the beaches of the Mar Menor. Open daily until mid-September, it provides affordable access to swimming facilities complete with shaded areas, a café, changing rooms and family-friendly amenities, while the Punta Calera pool is also set to reopen in July.

Yet while many people can enjoy Murcia’s coastline with ease, accessibility remains a major challenge for thousands of residents with reduced mobility. A recent assessment of 74 beaches along the Costa Cálida found that only 17 could be considered fully accessible.

For wheelchair users, the problem often begins with walkways that stop short of the shoreline, leaving people struggling across soft sand or dependent on others for assistance. Accessibility groups argue that significant improvements are still needed, from better ramps and parking facilities to additional amphibious wheelchairs and adapted toilets.

There has been progress. More beaches now offer assisted bathing services and several municipalities have received funding for accessibility improvements. But campaigners say true equality will only be achieved when everyone can reach the sea independently and with dignity. Their hope is that accessibility will eventually become as valued and recognised as environmental quality standards such as Blue Flag awards.

Meanwhile, Cartagena has added a new attraction to its growing cultural tourism offer with the opening of the Isaac Peral House Museum. After more than five years of restoration work, visitors can now explore the birthplace of the inventor whose pioneering submarine designs helped shape naval history.

The museum forms part of Cartagena’s wider ambition to strengthen its identity as Spain’s “City of the Submarine”. Combining original architectural features with interactive exhibits, historical documents and modern accessibility measures, the new attraction offers a detailed look at the life of one of the city’s most celebrated figures.

Also in Cartagena this weekend, it’s the start of the annual Folk Festival, offering free concerts of traditional Spanish music in the Parque de la Rambla (close to the football stadium), and also the Rojo & Red food festival in Puerto de Mazarrón, focusing this year on the delicacies of Basque cuisine and lasting until Tuesday June 9 – which incidentally happens to be a festivo for the entire Region of Murcia due to the Día de la Región de Murcia celebrations. Many shops and all schools will be shut on that day, but there are official events taking place in San Javier and Murcia city which you can check out here.

If there was any doubt that the Costa Blanca remains one of Britain's favourite holiday destinations, the latest travel figures released this week should put that to rest. New figures show the area was one of the most popular destinations for UK families during the May school holidays.

According to ABTA, the UK's leading travel association, demand for short-haul breaks remained strong during the half-term getaway, with Spain continuing to dominate many travellers' wish lists.

The Costa Blanca was singled out as one of the country's most sought-after destinations, alongside firm favourites Mallorca and Tenerife.

ABTA said May had turned into a busy month for travel despite ongoing economic pressures and uncertainty around global events. The organisation found that many families were still prioritising holidays abroad, particularly to destinations offering sunshine, beaches and relatively short flight times.

The association noted that many holidaymakers are increasingly looking for package deals that combine flights and accommodation in a single booking, giving them greater certainty over costs at a time when household budgets remain under pressure.

The continued popularity of the Costa Blanca comes as little surprise. The coastal Alicante area has long been one of the UK's favourite overseas destinations thanks to its reliable weather, beaches, restaurants and well-established tourist infrastructure.

British visitors remain the largest international tourism market for the Costa Blanca, not only filling hotels but also supporting holiday rentals and second-home communities throughout the region.

But as more and more people head online to book their holidays and accommodation, it is also worth remembering that scams are becoming increasingly common. This week, a 59-year-old man was arrested in Benidorm on suspicion of fraud, misappropriation and document forgery, after allegedly renting out properties he did not own and had no legal right to let.

The National Police say the investigation started after several people came forward reporting they had all been targeted by the same person. He is believed to have advertised both long-term and holiday rentals in Benidorm, taken deposits and rental payments, and then failed to provide access to the properties.

One of the first cases involved a woman looking for long-term accommodation in the area. After being put in contact with the suspect through a colleague, she signed a rental contract and paid a €650 deposit. However, shortly before her planned move-in date, she was told the owner had decided not to rent the property after all.

Although she was promised her money back, the refund never came, and contact eventually stopped, she was then blocked. Police believe the same approach was used with others in his workplace.

In another case, a homeowner in the same building said she had briefly left the keys with the man so that relatives could stay at her property. She later discovered the apartment had been occupied by a couple who claimed they were renting it from him for €700 a month, paid in cash.

The investigation also uncovered alleged holiday rental scams. One man from Gijón paid €350 to reserve a flat in Benidorm, but when he arrived, he couldn't get hold of the landlord and was later told others had experienced the same issue.

A more serious allegation involves the supposed sale of a parking space. A Dutch woman agreed to buy a garage space for €22,000 and paid a €2,200 deposit, arranging travel to complete the purchase. Days before the planned completion, she was told the deal couldn’t go ahead due to the seller's health problems. She later discovered the contract had been forged and the space was never for sale.

Her total losses, including travel costs, are estimated at more than €4,300.

After gathering evidence, officers from the Judicial Police in Benidorm arrested the man. Police say there may be more victims, and the investigation is ongoing. The suspect has since appeared before the investigating court in Benidorm.

On a more positive note, after years of anticipation, Torrevieja's new Paseo del Mar waterfront complex is finally ready to welcome its first visitors. Following a long construction process and a final bill of €61 million, Torrevieja's new Paseo del Mar shopping and leisure complex is ready to open. The doors swing open on Thursday June 11 at 9.30pm, giving everyone their first proper look at what's been taking shape along the port area for so long.

A formal inauguration ceremony will follow at a later date, but the opening itself is set to be anything but low-key.

The fun really gets going the following weekend, with activities, entertainment, giveaways, and surprises planned on June 12, 13, and 14 for people of all ages, making it a proper city celebration.

The complex is part of a major transformation of the Muelle Mínguez and Paseo de la Libertad waterfront. It includes more than 2,500 metres of seafront promenade and 27 commercial units, featuring Neo Cines cinemas, Ozone bowling, and brands including McDonald’s, Foster’s Hollywood, Saona and Amorino. A 12 to 14-metre-high natural pergola will also host concerts and events.

The project is expected to create around 400 direct jobs, with priority given to residents, people from the Vega Baja and those over 50.