Adele’s delight at landing a seat on Spanish council

Former Blackpool resident Adele Land has been elected to Mojacar Council in Spain

Adele Land worked as secretary to the manger of the Ice Drome at the Pleasure Beach before emigrating in 1988.

The former pupil of Hawes Side Primary School and Palatine High school – now South Shore Academy – grew up in Marton and her parents Terry and Helen now live in St Annes.

She has been elected to the council in Mojacar, a small coastal resort on the Costa de Almeria, where she has lived since 2002.

“I’m delighted,” said Adele. “I have always been interested in world politics and certainly loved participating in any kind of debate at school.

“At the previous municipal election in 2015, I ran as a council candidate for the then newly-formed party SOMOS Mojacar – translated as ‘We are Mojacar’.

“It gained two seats on the opposition, unfortunately not enough for me to participate, as I was the number four candidate.

“This year, SOMOS Mojacar formed a coalition with PSOE, the current governing party in Spain nationally, and we won five seats and, as the number three candidate on the PSOE Somos list, I gained a seat on the opposition bench.

“Around 50 per cent of Mojacar’s population is foreign, most British, and our party had three British candidates. With a French candidate and an Argentine candidate we were truly representative of Mojacar’s very diverse population.

“Spanish municipal politics calculates the number of council seats based on population and Mojacar has 13 councillors. The Partido Popular won eight seats and our party five.”

Adele, who was 21 when the left Blackpool 31 years ago, says she has fond memories of the resort.

“I left Blackpool in 1988 after getting a job in Spain and worked as an overseas manager for various tour operators,” she said.

“Then in 1997 I joined British Airways as a long-haul stewardess while continuing to commute from Spain.

“In 2008 my husband, Alex Lawson, and I set up a real estate agency which we still run together, I also work part time as a freelance journalist.

“My very best wishes to anyone who remembers me.”