Officers from the Guardia Civil have dismantled a criminal organisation which distributed marijuana to an exclusively English speaking patronage. The arrests took place in Guardamar del Segura, Los Montesinos and Rojales, with four men, all said to be British national, arrested during the search of the homes. The men have been remanded in custody pending a trial, as well as …

Brits buying an overseas home benefited immediately from the election of the Conservatives to power last week, with the news causing Sterling to bounce back against major currencies and a positive reaction in the UK property market. “Homes in t...

Visitors often forget that there is much more to the island of Gran Canaria than sunshine and beautiful beaches. Brits, Germans and Scandinavians flock to the Canary Islands in search of the sunshine and warmth that they have been missing during the ...

It's that time of the year again; time for the annual Eurovision Song Contest when Eurosceptics and Eurovision haters band together to pour sneering snobbery and scorn upon the UK's song entry, whatever it may be.

Listening to the Eurovision haters is actually great fun, particularly since they are truly passionate in their hatred of the song, and the performers, regardless of talent that they may have. Such critics tend to forget that the Eurovision Song Content will capture the attention of citizens of many nations for one enjoyable evening in May.

They will add into their argument comments, such as, "We won't win anyway, we never do", or "It's a stitch up", and even "It's nothing like Sandie Shaw", with the supposed killer comment being, “It's all based on politics". Well really? Now, that's a surprise! Didn't their teachers ever tell them that it's not winning, but the taking part that is important?

The Eurovision Song Contest is, in many ways, rather like Blackpool, Benidorm and Marmite; you either love them or hate them. In my case, I love them all, and particularly Eurovision, which I have watched and enjoyed since childhood.

This annual extravaganza taught me a lot about geography, since I would check out the countries represented in the contest in my atlas, and the people and languages represented would always fascinate me.

Maybe it also set the seeds of curiosity that eventually led me to live a life outside the UK. Of course, I still remember that old trouper, Katie Boyle, a personification of BBC professionalism, as she would make contact with the faceless juries in Rome, Madrid and Paris, whilst dreading those awful words, "nil point".

I value the cooperation and friendship that Eurovision stands for. It is refreshing to hear Europeans discussing songs instead of the usual arguments and debates about budgets and unemployment. My usual response to the Eurovision cynics is "If you don't like it, don't listen to it".

They seem to miss the point that it is not to be taken too seriously. It is just an evening of cheesy fun, high camp, glitz, and catchy showcase spectaculars. It is rarely about the quality of a song and its music. How could it be with so many countries and languages and cultures represented, and does it matter anyway?

If I go into a German, Scandinavian, Irish or Spanish bar and ask "Who likes the Eurovision Song Contest?” the overwhelming response will be positive. If I tried that in a British bar, I guess I would be booed and laughed out of the premises.

Yet come the big day, Brits will also head off to bars and parties to watch the event on the big screens, as will their European counterparts. It is almost as if Brits are afraid or unwilling to applaud anything that is remotely European, or maybe being seen to enjoy it.

In many ways, the Eurovision Song Contest represents British suspicion of Europe and its institutions.

The dislike and distrust of Europe that is now gaining ground in the UK is the result of entrenched insular attitudes of many of its citizens; flames fanned by immigration issues, unemployment and a range of other social issues, which are now finding a political voice. Sadly, I guess that the UK will never be a true and willing partner that is comfortable within Europe and sharing the European dream; negative attitudes towards Eurovision reflect many of these issues.

I am delighted that Australia is taking part in the contest this year. I have many Australian friends who are great fans of the contest, and it is my hope that Aussie enthusiasm and their usual pragmatism will help to lighten some of the more cynical British attitudes.

I will be watching the contest, supporting both the UK and Spain, although I am not that bothered who wins the contest. However, I do know that it will be a good evening spent with friends from a range of countries. Personally, I would love to see a Worldwide Song Contest, which would be a refreshing change from viewing the world through the barrel of a gun.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Barrie's websites: www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com or read his book, ‘Expat Voice' (ISBN: 9780992767174). Available in paperback, as well as Kindle, iBooks and Google Play editions. iPhone/iPad and Android Apps: ExpatInfo, CanaryIsle and CanaryGay now available.© Barrie Mahoney

One out of five British passports stolen in Alicante province are taken at the airport, and half of them are removed from vehicles there, the British Consulate has warned. Beyond the airport, a further one out of five British passports are stolen ...

“Brits retiring overseas who fail to plan for the new pension rules that come into effect in April could end up wasting thousands of pounds or running into financial difficulties after moving abroad,” said the OverseasGuidesCompany.com in F...

According to the latest data from the College of Registrars, around 13% of all property purchases in Spain in 2014 were made by international buyers, a year on year increase on the 2013 figure of just over 11%, and the fifth consecutive year of growth....

On Thursday the European Central Bank announced that it will inject at least 1.1 trillion euros into the economy of the Eurozone resulting in the international currency markets to invest heavily in sterling and the US dollar. The result has seen the UK...

Following their recent plea for members of the international community to join in their blood donation drive, the town hall ofTorrevieja wish to clarify that the prohibition to donate blood to UK citizens still in force. They also wish to extend their...

The British nation pays an extra and avoidable £530million in inheritance tax (IHT) each year according to recent analysis, which should be a warning to everyone - but in particular expats - to look closely at how their estate is set up. Richar...

Make sure they have adequate travel insurance if you don't want to risk hefty medical bills Travelling abroad uninsured can cost thousands if a trip goes wrong. Yet according to new research issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the ...

‘Twitters from the Atlantic' - by Barrie Mahoney Barrie Mahoney was a head teacher and school inspector in the UK, as well as a reporter in Spain, before moving to the Canary Islands to launch and edit a new English language newspaper. He en...