English in Madrid

Source: Héctor J. Rivas on Unsplash UK's oldest postcard firm set to close When was the last time you sent a postcard? If the pronouncement of UK publisher J Salmon is anything to go by it 's likely   to have been a long time ago. The family-owned firm, which has been publish ing postcards and calendars since 1880, will close this December. The reason? It says instead of pen n ing a card , people are putting photos up on Facebook or Instagram or using WhatsApp to show friends and family at home just how much fun they're having. Brothers Charles and Harry Salmon, the fifth generation of the family to run   the firm , said the popularity of social media had had a huge   impact on the business. People are also tending to take shorter holidays, meaning they are likely to have arrived home long before their postcards, the brothers - joint managing directors of the firm - said. As a result the business was no longer viable, they said. " In

  Source: Mathias Reding on Unsplash   Catalonia referendum: Spanish state poised to seize Catalan finances The Spanish government has given the regional government in Catalonia 48 hours to abandon "illegal" referendum plans or lose budgetary powers. Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro said a mechanism had been approved for the state to take control of the autonomous region's finances. Madrid is seeking to stop the Catalan government spending public money on its planned independence referendum. The Catalans are defying a court order to suspend the 1 October vote. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont launched his campaign for a "Yes" vote on Thursday night in the town of Tarragona, telling a rally at a former bullring : "Vote, and in so doing bring light to darkness that has lasted for too many years." The crowd shouted back, "Independence", "We will vote" and "We're not afraid", AFP news agenc