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Gaspar, Melchor and Baltasar, no it’s not a firm of lawyers or a new musical group, it’s the 3 kings or wise men if you prefer, who have just arrived bearing gifts here in Tenerife and all across Spain. Tomorrow is Reyes (Kings Day) when Spanish children open their christmas presents but tonight in towns and villages everyone takes to the streets to welcome the kings.

There are some regional variations on the main theme but the kings normally arrive on camels, throwing handfulls of sweets to the crowds as they head to the main plaza and the stage where eager children are called up to receive their presents. Here in Los Cristianos, they start off from the ferry port in a big procession complete with fire eaters, musicians in traditional Canarian outfits and well known cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse,Pluto and Wayne Rooney – or was that supposed to be Shrek? All this is of course backed by a lavish firework show.

Up north in the capital, Santa Cruz, the kings arrive by helicopter and land on the pitch at CD Tenerife’s ground, where 22,000 children and their families are enjoying a live spectacular show. Let’s hope they don’t make a mess of our pitch as CD Tenerife are at home to Celta Vigo tomorrow in the league. It should be a big crowd and a great atmosphere, all we need is the welcome present of 3 points. Sounds like a good excuse to crack open a few bottles of Dorada.