According to a WHO report, possibly 2% of deaths from heart disease are caused by stress related to noise. Which means, some say, “Thousands of people in Britain might be dying from a lack of peace and quiet.” Applied to Spain, this would surely mean the demise of the entire population within a few decades. Except, it wouldn’t, as the Spanish are apparently born with filters in their inner ears. Or – like the baby at the deafening rock concert I recently mentioned – develop them during their early years.

I often say there’s a different attitude towards risk here in Spain. I guess this is inevitable in a country where a leading cultural event – the bullfight – is the equivalent of ballet dancing among trip wires connected to a machine gun post. But everything is relative and a recent TV report on a place in Mexico put things in perspective. Instead of the 6 bulls that are loosed down the streets of wimpy Pamplona, this town revels in 23. Hardly surprising that this year’s participants suffered one death and three very serious injury cases.

Although August’s road deaths toll in Spain has been a depressing disaster compared with last year, the relevant minister has rightly stressed that tougher rules have saved more than 500 lives so far. To me, even more significant are the many hundreds of thousands of family members whose lives have not been destroyed by the premature loss of a loved one. If even stiffer laws are required to reduce the totals even further, bring them on.

I wasn’t too surprised to read yesterday that chemical castration of paedophiles wouldn’t be possible under Spanish law. We wait to see whether it really is in France. Which does sometimes act like a country subject to the same laws as all the other members of the EU.

Here in Galicia, there’s some very good news this week. A weevil belonging to the coleopteran clan [me neither] is munching its way through the eucalyptus trees on the peninsula south of Pontevedra and rapidly heading our way. All strength to their mandibles. Though I don’t know what they will turn to when they’ve run out of their normal diet. Perhaps this needs a re-think. Over to my friend Biopolitical for a definitive view.

Finally, I have another new Galician friend, José of Raxó. Stopping off for a coffee yesterday, I was quizzed on Ryan’s gender and his suitability as a stud for José’s bitch. As ever, this led to a half-hour conversation - more accurately ‘un listening’ for me. So I was grateful he spoke in Spanish and so didn’t expose the failings in my Gallego.