Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 86 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

Get in the spirit of the festive season with our 10th anniversary Sierra Nevada special inside S A Sierra Nevada AXARQUIA

November 12 2014 the olive press - October 30 19www.ll about theolive-ll about

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December 19th - January 3rd 2019

ierra Nevada

December 19th- January 3rd

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2019

COSTA DEL SKI www.theolivepress.es

Vol. 13 Issue 307

Jon Clarke (right) returns for his 15th season in southern Europe’s top skiing resort

they’re shivering WHILE it’s foggy in the Pyrenees and top of Spain’s in the Alps, I’m taking the sun near the second highest mountain. Nevada still reIt’s early December and yet the Sierra are skiing in mains warm during the day. Some people t-shirts and everyone is looking tanned. apple and a Even better, my elevenses of a croissant, and that is at a Coke come to less than €10 euros... restaurant halfway up the slopes! of kilome“Here we sell the weather, not the number boss of EOE ski tres,” explains Juan Luis Hernandez, up for years.” school. “And the prices have hardly gone from the beaOn top of that you are just over an hourthe celebrated ches of Almunecar and half an hour to Alhambra. That is hard to beat. Nevada though What is certainly changing in the Sierra is the dedication to move forward. and this is Believe me, I’ve been coming for 15 years... special supplethe 10th anniversary of the Olive Press’ ment on the resort. every year and added are New kilometres of pistes so heavily this year - by amazing fortune - it snowedearlier than in November, the resort opened a week enjoying the Deexpected, with a record 40,000 skiers Continues on next page

LIGHTING THE WAY: A new lighthouse

on the kids play park area and (main

pic) the slopes lit up at night

Est. 1946

LT D

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Vol. 4 Issue 86 www.gibraltarolivepress.com December 19th - January 3rd 2019

BRITON’S PRISON NIGHTMARE CONTINUES INTO FESTIVE SEASON

Un-merry Xmas

Friends send festive gifts to ‘innocent’ Brit spending Christmas in solitary confinement in Algeciras prison FRIENDS and family are rallying round a seriously ill British man set to spend Christmas behind bars in Andalucia. Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, 51, still insists he known nothing about a €5.5million haul of hashish found in a San Roque Airbnb rental property he stayed at on a business trip six months ago. The Chichester engineer, (pictured right) who has severe liver disease ascites, is ‘miserable’ and ‘confused’ at having to spend the festive season locked up.

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

Neither an appeal from his local MP or UK press reports have helped him get bail over the offence, for which he has still not been charged. Mansfield-Hewitt, who has a PhD, has been in Algeciras’ Botafuegos prison - which houses ETA terrorists - since June after 1.5 tonnes of drugs were found in the garage of the rental home in Campamento. His PA, Pilar Ford, 54, told the Olive Press she has

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Five causes worth supporting this festive season See page 6 Mariah Carey gave punters a Christmas to remember See page 3 Will drones replace Santa? See page 22

now organised a raffle and raised €200 for him to buy books, shampoo and pens as Christmas presents. “He’s locked up in a hell hole and is absolutely devastated to spend Christmas there,” said Ford who works alongside the Brit at electrical company Genco Holdings Ltd in Gibraltar.

Concerned

“He’s been stuck in solitary confinement. Imagine that, an innocent man and keeps asking ‘why am I here?’ We just don’t know what to

do.” Ford, who visited him a fortnight ago, is extremely concerned about his health, after doctors said his ‘liver was functioning at 15%’ having collapsed following his incarceration in June. “Robert is not well - he needs a walking stick and he’s not been given one. He also told me he has to go back into hospital. Meanwhile, friend of 20 years, Vicar Rebekah Cannon, based in Chichester, has also described the ‘hopeless’ situation as ‘a stalemate’. She is exasperated that she cannot reach him on the telephone and while her letters have arrived in Spain, they are all returned to sender without being opened. “It’s all one way, he sends us letters but we can’t get in touch. I don’t even think his family have got their letters through the prison,” she told the Olive Press. “Robert has to request permission for our visits, but since we can’t talk to him and none of us speak Spanish, we just don’t know what to do.” She said one friend has managed to get in touch and is planning to fly to

Spain in the New Year to visit him in prison. According to his colleagues he may finally be charged this week and could face up to six years in prison if found guilty. He has been denied bail twice, with one reason being that a Japanese ‘Katana’ Samurai sword was allegedly found in the house, the Olive Press has learnt.

Appeal

The judge refused bail in October given the ‘quantity of drugs seized, which were located in the garage, and the presence of a Katana weapon in the living room’, stated in court documents obtained by the Olive Press.

The owner of the rental property - a 62-year-old Moroccan-Gibraltarian - has still not been arrested in connection to the stash. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged last year with the possession of cocaine coming into Gibraltar with intent to supply. The case was later dropped. Chichester MP Gillian Keegan has been demanding answers since the Olive Press brought the story to her in September. Our story was followed up in the Mirror, the Sunday People and the Metro in September. Mansfield-Hewitt’s lawyer is set to appeal for bail for a third time in the coming weeks.

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Troubled water OVER half of Spain’s 66 bridges with ‘serious safety problems’ are in Andalucia, government data has revealed.

Mafia suicide POLICE believe the Irish Kinahan mafia member Michael Cumberton who plunged to his death in Marbella took his own life.

Jogging fears NINE out of 10 women feel unsafe when out jogging alone, according to a study by Runners World Magazine España.

Rapist caged A TAXI driver has been sentenced to seven years in prison and fined €6,000 for the ‘moral damages’ after raping a British tourist on the Costa del Sol in June 2014.

CRIME

Fobbed off

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

HARDLY CIVIL

CHRISTMAS WARNING: Expats targeted by key cloning gangs on Costa del Sol A GANG of youths are ‘cloning’ car keys to rob vehicles on the Costa del Sol. Expat Dave Gosley, 61, has sounded the alarm after he had €2,500 worth of speakers and equipment stolen from his van, despite NO signs of a break in. The entertainer claims various neighbours have also had equipment and valuables stolen from their cars

Rape law changes SPAIN is to change a law that makes any non-consensual sex act defined as rape. A legal panel of experts was assembled after protests over the infamous wolfpack ‘La Manada’ gang being cleared of rape in Pamplona. The group are recommending that the maximum sentence for rape remain 15 years, while the proposal is still being worked on. Under current law, violence or intimidation has to be proven for a sex attack to be classed as rape.

EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

in Calahonda Park, in Mijas. “This is the third such incident in my urbanisation,” singer Gosley told the Olive Press. “One builder woke up to find thousands of euros of tools stolen from his van.” The robbers are believed to

be using key fob cloners that receive a radio frequency as you unlock your car. They then encode that frequency into another fob – gaining access to your vehicle at a time to suit them. “It means they are watching and monitoring their targets, it’s really unsettling,” added Gosley, from Basingstoke. He claimed the thieves

Claim: Police are firing at smugglers POLICE have allegedly shot at drug traffickers in the Campo de Gibraltar. The incident occurred at around 3am on December 10 after a RHIB boat carrying two people came close to the shore off La Linea, near the football stadium. A British expat, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Olive Press he filmed the incident from his balcony after hearing numerous gunshots being fired at the boat. He added that a van with around seven Guardia Civil officers arrived

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

shortly after and scanned the beach for half an hour. “I heard boats going up and down the coast from Gibraltar, then around 10 gunshots over a 15-minute period. I saw police fire at this smuggler boat as it came close to the shore,” the Leicester-born Brit said. The expat, who has lived in La Linea for five years, said he ‘always sees and hears RHIB boats’ near the shore but he had never heard them fired on.

SHOOK: Dave Gosley can stand by roundabouts where you pass slowly, or in superstore car parks where they can roam the frequencies at will. “Another neighbour was ‘blipped’ and the doors locked as she passed a group of young men, one who pointed his arm at the car.” A quick search on eBay reveals that such cloners are available at the click of a button. For just €70, anyone can buy the small gadgets which can clone practically any wireless key. Shipped from China, products like the ‘Duplicator Copier Writer Programmer’ even come with a selection of key fobs to create the new keys which, in some cases, will be used to rob cars. “Do not leave anything valuable in your car or van, especially over the Christmas period,” added Gosley. Police in Mijas did not comment in time for press.

A CIVIL servant who ran a multi-million euro drug empire has been arrested with 56 others. The town hall employee was behind the importation of over 62 tonnes of marijuana a year to Spain. During Operation Albarraxín police found 10 tonnes of hashish and €3.3 million in goods hidden in Manilva, Casares, Estepona, Tarifa and San Roque.

Laundering

Police started probing the ‘very active’ gang, who used speed boats to import the drugs, in August. A judge investigating the case has now sent half of the men to prison. “This was one of the most important criminal organisations dedicated to drug trafficking in Andalucia,” a police spokesperson said. “They were heavily involved in money laundering and other types of crime.”

902 123 282 * Fu l l y c o m p r e h e n s i v e o f f e r v a l i d f o r n e w c u s t o m e r s o n l y. G u a r a n t e e s u b j e c t t o c o v e r, r e p a i r a t a p p r o v e d g a r a g e , a n d c o u r t e s y v e h i c l e a v a i l a b i l i t y. S u b j e c t t o c o n d i t i o n s . O f f e r e n d s 3 1 / 0 1 / 1 9 .

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NEWS

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December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Off with their heads

HALF of Spain would like to see the end of the monarchy. A YouGov poll found that 48% of Spaniards favour a republic compared to just 35% who want to keep the royal family. The shock news comes as Spain celebrated 40 years of its constitution and constitutes a drop of 27% on a similar poll taken in 2010. According to the poll, a worrying 59% of 18 to 24-year olds would like to see a republic. The majority questioned would also like to see a vote on the future of the monarchy. King Felipe VI had initially

Carey carol SANTA came early for a group of Madrilenos when their night out was interrupted by a live performance from singer Mariah Carey. The RnB diva wowed punters in the Madrid bar starting a singalong of her famous smash hit, All I Want For Christmas Is You. The 49-year-old, donning a plunging sequin mini dress, teamed with knee-high boots, was enjoying a night out at the end of her festive tour. The five-times Grammy-winning star has toured during the Christmas period for the last five years, ending this year in

restored some credibility to the monarchy following the abdication of his elephant-shooting father, Juan Carlos I in 2014. However, his popularity took a dive following his blistering attack on the Catalan independence movement last year. In Catalunya, some 64% of people are pro-republic. The Spanish royals are at least still popular with Queen Letizia frequently lauded in the media for her fashionable and youthful appearance. In the UK, nearly 80% of the country remained in favour of a monarchy in a recent poll.

Thrown in the towel

Just 22 days after winning a third Michelin star Dani Garcia announces plans to shut DANI Garcia has thrown in the towel, less than a month since achieving every chef’s dream of winning three Michelin Stars. Spain’s most recent arrival to the world’s premier division of cooks has announced he

will close his Marbella restaurant next year. The decision to shut his seminal eaterie just 22 days after winning the third star has rocked the global gastronomy scene. After taking over 20 years to

BREAKING BOUNDARIES A TRANSGENDER model has appeared in the final of Miss Universe. Miss Spain, Angela Ponce, 27, from Sevilla, made history in Thailand, but failed to make the top 20 in the final. "My hope is to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone, simply for us all to understand that we are human," she said. Ponce received a standing ovation as she walked down the catwalk proudly raising her Miss Spain sash, with one hand over her heart. Host Ashley Graham said: "She’s smart. Driven. Beautiful. But her path has been anything but ordinary. And nothing short of extraordinary.” Miss Philippines Catriona Gray took home the Miss Universe crown.

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win the world’s highest culinary accolade, he will close the doors of his Puente Romano hotel joint at the end of 2019. It comes after Garcia, 42, won the highly-coveted third star on November 21 in Lisbon. The Marbella-born chef announced the shock news on Instagram this week, with a video of a team meeting in which he reveals there will only be 314 days left in business. He explained that he was closing in a bid to focus on his next challenge of making the world fall in love with Andalucian cuisine. “What is life without a dream ahead?” the chef questions his staff in the video. “Now we will chase another dream, to conquer the world in reverse, inverting the pyramid. I’m sorry to do this but we are not only haute cuisine - we are chefs.”

Ronaldo

However, Garcia made it clear that they will have ‘three stars for the rest of our lives’ and asked the team for the ‘utmost respect for Michelin’ as they owe their careers to the organisation. “Achieving this dream, I will take my vision of Andalucian gastronomy to every corner and every audience in the world,” the father-of-two wrote on Instagram. The chef has always been somewhat of a visionary, having achieved his first star in Ronda at the age of 25 - the youngest in Spain at the time. The closure will come as a blow to the many famous faces who have eaten at his restaurant over the last few years, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Jean Christophe Novelli.

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Beautiful liar? SHE has been a regular fixture of Spanish gossip columns for nearly a decade. But Columbian pop star Shakira has fallen foul of the authorities, who accuse her of owing €14.5 million in tax. The Singer, 41, who is married to Barcelona star Gerard Pique, is facing tax fraud charges relating to her time in the country between 2011 and 2014. Prosecutors believe the mother-of-two spent more than 183 days in the country during each of those years, meaning she would be considered a ‘fiscal resident’ and liable to taxes on all of her global income. Shakira’s lawyers claim she was outside of Spain for more than 183 days of those years and filed her taxes in the Bahamas.

NEWS

Celebrating a century in business www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Family affair

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

How Gibraltar’s leading jewellers have remained relevant after 100 years in business

UCKED away on Gibraltar’s Main Street stands a store that tells a long story of heritage and his-

tory. Celebrating 100 years since it first opened its doors to the public, Essardas has survived two world wars, a civil war and the Suez Crisis. The Budhrani family established the business in 1918 and four generations later Essardas still remains one of the go-to jewellers on the Rock. But how has the family-run business stood the test of time and remained relevant in an ever-changing competitive market? It’s down to community spirit, first rate customer service and above all remaining versatile, says coowner Vikram Budhrani. “We operate by the phrase ‘treat a customer how you would like to be treated’. We’re

doing something right because the majority of our clientele are returning customers,” adds the 34-year-old who started working in the shop at the age of 18. The story of Essardas began during the First World War when Vikram’s great grandfather, Essardas Budhrani, set up the store that is still there today. The British merchant began working with everything from brass wear to ivory, before his son Kishinchand took it on in the 1930s and started the next generation of the business. Moving into the wholesale food market the store developed over time and has started trading jewellery in the last 20 years, now offering everything from watches, jewels and accessories at prices that are suitable for all tastes and budgets. And as Essardas grew, so did

other local businesses off the back of it. The jewellers has maintained a strong partnership with Jyske Bank Partnership - formerly known as Galliano’s - since the 1940s, ensuring the businesses grew together.

“Not many companies can boast that a bank has grown because of them - we always send our customers over there and they do the same with us. It’s been a brilliant community partnership,” says Vikram. Now recognised as the larg-

est quality jeweller in Gibraltar with six boutiques, Essardas offers a wide selection of gold, diamond and gemstone jewellery along with brands offering affordable and luxury watch brands. Essardas offer services such

as engraving, diamond mounting services, jewellery repair and cleaning, insurance valuations and customised jewellery. “There have been good times and bad times. The business has shrunk and grown. Given everything that has happened in Gibraltar over the last century, we were there throughout it all. “But one thing we have always done is adapt ourselves to the changing market and embrace it,” says Vikram. Next the Budhrani family plan to ‘diversify’ the business by venturing into the health and beauty market under the name of Pure Wellness. Offering something different to your typical health stores, the brand will offer a range of natural cosmetics at a new site at 9 Parliament Lane. The first health store which is set to open in the new year will be in La Linea, named Lifestyle Essardas - offering more affordable ranges. “It’s exciting and we’re looking forward to the next chapter in our story,” adds Vikram. With new stores, a changing market and a new generation of the Budhrani family, the next 100 years are sure to be eventful for Essardas.

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TAX-FREE SHOPPING 64 MAIN STREET, GIBRALTAR T: +350 200 78441 E: CUSTOMERSERVICES@ESSARDASGROUP.COM WWW.ESSARDASGROUP.COM

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Arrests over baby death A TRIO of employees of the Gibraltar Health Authority have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. It comes following the death of a newborn baby as a result of suspected negligence at St Bernard’s Hospital. It comes after a Royal Gibraltar Police investigation was launched after the case was brought to its attention by the Coroner. All three persons are assisting police with enquiries and are currently on police bail. The investigation is at a very early stage and no charges have been filed. “We would like to thank the GHA who are being fully cooperative and transparent in the process,” said a police spokesman.

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

PREPARE THE TROOPS

British army being prepared to help deal with chaos of no-deal Brexit

THOUSANDS of troops are being sworn in and prepared in case of a no-deal Brexit, the UK government has revealed. With just 101 days before the UK and Gibraltar leave the EU, businesses and households are also being warned to ‘make preparations’ as it looks more and more likely that Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal will fail to pass through parliament. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed to the House of Commons thats 3,500 troops would be ‘held at readiness’ to help in the ever-increasing chance of a no-deal scenario.

Meanwhile, 80,000 businesses across the UK will be sent a 100-page guide on possible border changes

SPANISH PLEASE THE number of Brits applying for Spanish citizenship has tripled since 2015 when David Cameron reiterated his promise of a Brexit vote. After the Tory leader made an election promise to hold an in-out referendum on the UK’s EU membership, swathes of Britons applied to be recognised as Spanish. In 2015 just 50 British people registered Spanish citizenship applications, but in the first 10 months of 2018 that number had soared to 166.

later this week. As part of the more than 2 BILLION contingency plan, members of the public will be advised on how to prepare for a crash out of the EU via specialised websites, adverts and direct communications over the coming weeks. The advice will cover travelling, pet transport and bank card payments in the EU. The string of precautionary measures come as the Government said its ‘top priority’ is still to deliver May’s Brexit deal - despite them still not having enough votes and after having to delay the

first meaningful vote until January 14. Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay warned:“Parliament needs to back the deal because the consequence of not doing so is we risk the default of no-deal, and a responsible Government must prepare for that eventuality. “That is what we agreed at Cabinet. That is what we are going to do.” He went onto dismiss a second referendum and other plans being pushed by ministers. ““There are a number of scenarios being floated in Government without, I think, people really engaging on the consequences of that – either the consequence to our democracy of not delivering on the referendum, not having Brexit – or the idea that we can cherry-pick and have some managed no-deal where the EU will suspend its own red lines, which I don’t think is feasible.”

Murky lurky SPAIN has been blasted after its navy shadowed a Royal Navy nuclear submarine as it left Gibraltar on a secret mission. A Spanish ship breached maritime regulations by following HMS Talent as it left the Rock at the weekend. According to Royal Navy sources, a British frigate had to be scrambled and sent to steer the Spanish ship away from the sub. The incident has been labelled as a ‘clear sabre rattling exercise by Madrid’ over the Gibraltar dispute. It comes just two weeks after the UK filed a complaint with Spain when a warship ‘illegally’ entered British waters blaring the national anthem.

Monkeys

Spain’s inflammatory wargames were shared in an online video and applauded by Spanish Vice-President of the European Parliament, Ramón Luis Valcárcel. The Brussels MEP labelled Gibraltarians ‘laughing monkeys’ in an explosive Twitter thread, which he swiftly deleted. “Strong applause for the patrol boat ‘Infanta Elena’ who today sailed past the Rock playing her national anthem at full volume.” British Ambassador Simon Manley confirmed he was set to send a formal complaint ‘in the next few days.’ “As we always do, we will send in the next few days a diplomatic complaint about the incursion of the ship in those waters,” he said.

FEATURE

www.gibraltarolivepress.com Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than 500,000 people a month.

OPINION Fair trial? IT is unbelievable how an apparently innocent man is set to spend Christmas behind bars having already languished for six months in prison still waiting to be charged. Brit, Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, has been locked up with some of the country’s most high profile criminals for half a year without a sniff of a fair trial. We all know the Spanish justice system is slow but one might hope a person suffering a critical health condition would be treated with greater care until found guilty. The Olive Press has been probing the Chichester engineer’s case since the summer and we find the case distinctly murky and disturbing. In particular, we worry about the lack of proof the police have, the connections of the landlord to drug smuggling, but perhaps more importantly how little information is being offered out. We are failing to get answers from police, the courts and even his own lawyer, who indicated that if we published his plight we could in some way damage his case. This comes despite the engineer not being charged. We are not here to criticise the Spanish criminal system. We are here to demand answers and we won’t stop until we get them.

Christmas cheer It is a wonderful time of year here in Spain. The sun is out again, the floods have dissipated and the atmosphere is distinctly festive, with Christmas lights out in force and a general feeling of goodwill. Please however, spare a thought for those less fortunate than us, the army of rough sleepers, the legions of mistreated children and those suffering horrific illnesses. Here, on this page we list a few of the excellent charities and individuals fighting to help others, but there are dozens more. Please dig deep to help, and above all, make sure you have as happy a Christmas as possible. Thanks to all our readers and advertisers at this festive time of year. See you again in 2019.

‘Tis the season to help

As the festive season is upon us the Olive Press has rounded up charitable causes in need of some Christmas cheer

HEY say Christmas is a time for giving. Although it has become somewhat of a cliche, the festive season is the perfect time to remind us of what we are grateful for and spare a moment for those less fortunate. Every year the Olive Press rounds up charitable causes that need help from the community. Although there are dozens of organisations worth supporting along the coast, this festive season the Olive Press has decided to focus on children and families in need. Below we have rounded up four charities and one appeal of our own, which would benefit from a little Christmas spirit.

Two British expats have set up a Facebook page, Just A Little Help, to provide Christmas presents for children at underfunded orphanages in Malaga. Housing some 36 youngsters, aged between nine months and 19, Mundo Infantil Asociacion cares for kids who have lost their parents and domestic violence victims in Malaga, Alora and Antequera. Fundraisers Elle Monaghan and Teresa Leaver set up the page after Christmas last year, having learnt how much the orphanage desperately needed help. “Although kids live at different orphanages in Malaga, they all go to the same schools,” La Cala-based Elle, 23, told the Olive Press. “So some kids from better funded orphanages were coming back after the Christmas holidays with lots of gifts, whereas other kids get nothing and feel left out. It’s sad they should miss out so we set up the page and we have had brilliant support.” The Brits also chose Mundo as it helps kids for a year and a half after they hit

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€2000 & climbing

The Costa del Sol’s annual foodbank collection, La Gran Recogida, has received an incredible 602,500 kilos of food this month. Run by foodbank, Bancosol, the event aims to provide food for Malaga’s most needy, including children and families. Now in its seventh successful year, some 343 supermarkets and shopping centres across the province took part in the charity initiative, with 4,000 volunteers taking part. But the charity needs year-round support and you can help out in a number of ways by volunteering, fundraising, food collection and donating as an individual or as an organisation. Bancosol asks volunteers to dedicate four hours at least two days a week to either work in the warehouse distributing food or helping with a Social-Labour Inclusion project.

The Olive Press launched a Christmas appeal in November to help a Torremolinos-based family needing thousands to cover medical costs for their four-year-old twins who are going blind. Little Erik and Alexia, who have a rare form of retinal dystrophy, urgently need more tests to determine if their deteriorating vision can be treated. Our campaign has received great support and raised almost €2,000 with one reader donating an incredible €500. Mum Fabiola has been overwhelmed and said she ‘won’t ever forget’ how people have helped. “I can’t say thank you enough to the Olive Press and everyone who has donated, there are so many kind-hearted people out there,” the Liverpudlian mum told the paper. But the family still need your help. The genetic tests are crippling the family, who had to opt for private health care after doctors warned it could take two years to diagnose the kids on the public healthcare system. Due to the rarity of the disease it requires a team of specialists to analyse the results in Madrid. But their eyesight is deteriorating so rapidly, they could go blind in that time. Fabiola and dad Juan feel ‘hopeless’ after being forced to sell their car to pay for the escalating medical costs. But after three rounds of medical tests costing €3,000 per child, doctors are still unable to identify the gene, meaning they cannot diagnose the severity, nor advise on treatment. Any help our readers can spare would help the family greatly.

To donate visit www.bancosol.info or call 952 179 579.

To donate please visit: www.gofundme.com/ twins-4-losing-sight-need-urgent-help-for-tests

HELPING HAND: Elle (left) and Teresa

the age of 18, unlike other organisations which stop support when they are adults. Mundo offers them rent-free apartments on the agreement that they apply for jobs or study, while allowing them to save up for their own accommodation. “They are doing something different and the teenagers really see the benefits of it so we want to make sure it continues,” added Elle. For updates on how and what to donate, join the Facebook group, Just A Little Help.

Bancosol Foodbank

Newsdesk

Charlie Smith charlie@theolivepress.es

On the up

Olive Press Twins Appeal

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

Elisa Menendez elisa@theolivepress.es

HELP NEEDED: (Left to right) Dad Juan, Alexia, Eric, and mum Fabiola meeting Santa

Just a Little Help

Publisher/ Editor

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

BANKING IN: Volunteers collecting food

Sack of Dreams for Debra A British expat singer has released a charity Christmas song in a bid to raise funds for the ‘Butterfly Children’ charity. Marbella-based organisation, Debra, cares for children who have a genetic skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa. The song, called Sack of Dreams, is composed and sung by Rashpal Singh, 37, who felt inspired to help the cause after coming across the charity this year. Sack of Dreams is available to download on iTunes, Spotify and other leading music platforms,

Santa came to town this month to offer a helping hand for the association Research into Childhood Cancer (RICC), with a grotto at Ocean Village in Gibraltar. More than £2,000 was raised at the six-day event, where kids got the chance to meet not only Father Christmas but their favourite Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Elsa and Cinderella. The charity aims to help find a cure and minimise the harmful effects of treatment for children with cancer.

Research into Childhood Cancer Founded in 1989, the RICC, supports a small team of scientists based at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital - one of the leading centres finding treatment and cures. “We are delighted with the amount raised this year by our Santa’s Grotto team at Ocean Village,” said RICC founder, Craig Sacarello. “We wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and

the very best for 2019.” To find out how you can get involved visit the Facebook page at @RICC1989.

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

FEATURE

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

How did far-right party Vox do so well in Andalucia in the recent election... and what could it mean for Spain, asks Laurence Dollimore

E has called feminists ‘bitches’ and ‘scum’, wants to undo gay marriage and has called for a new ‘reconquista’ - which saw the violent expulsion of Jews and Muslims in Spain in the 15th century. Yet, Andalucia’s Vox leader Jose Serrano managed to secure an alarming 11% of the vote in the recent Andalucia elections… and picked up 12 seats in the regional parliament, as part of the deal. The shock result - which makes Vox potentially the kingmakers in any deal to run the region - came after polls predicted the extreme right party would win just one seat. Nationally Vox, which means ‘Voice’, would command around 10% of the vote if a general election was called tomorrow. It is a worrying time for Spain, Europe’s most tolerant country, and unsurprisingly, it has led to column inches in the international press, while pundits have been quick to claim victory for the far-right. France’s hard-right leader Marine Le Pen and former KKK leader David Duke were among the first to congratulate their ‘friends’ at Vox, who boast to being the only party in Spain to support US President Donald Trump. It’s clearly a major concern for the EU project at large, but does the Vox victory represent a change in voter opinion or were there other factors at play? Firstly we need to take into account the huge voter disillusionment with the political establishment in Andalucia. The PSOE has been in power for 36 years since the first free election after the death of dictator Franco in the 1970s and has been plagued by some of Spain’s worst corruption scandals. These include the appalling ERE scam, which fleeced around €1 billion for its leaders, while a fake training scheme scandal may well end up being even more. Its main rival, the PP, meanwhile, has also been tainted by corruption on a national level, with prime minister Mariano Rajoy being ousted this year in a no confidence vote after appearing in court to answer questions on the infamous Gurtel probe. It was probably only natural that voters would even-

olive press online Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website

Vox of the people?

tually tire of the corrupt status quo and turn to the ing here, weaponising how Quim Torra, the current newest political kid on the block. president of Catalunya, wrote against ‘the beasts’ Founded exactly five years ago, Vox was set up in who speak Spanish. response to what its leaders viewed as a weak re- There is also believed to have been an underlying sponse by the PP government to the Basque sepa- backlash against the movement for women’s rights ratist group ETA. in Spain. Vox’s current leader Santiago Abascal - seen riding The ‘La Manada’ case in Sevilla helped sparked a horse in the recent election drive, the national ‘Cuentalo’ movement with the catchphrase ‘the reconwhile new PSOE prime minister quest will begin in Andalucia’ - and Pedro Sanchez created the most Vox would fellow member Jose Antonio Ortega female-heavy cabinet in Spanish Lara were actually kidnapped by command 10% of history. the group and held for more than to pollster Narciso Mithe vote if there According a year. chavila, almost seven out of 10 Vox But it was the Catalunya crisis, was an election voters were men. which saw an initial surge in supIt’s most likely that many men who tomorrow port for the party. are against women’s rights saw an In 2017, its member numbers inally in Vox, which is seen as anticreased by 20% in just 40 days folfeminist and which wants to scrap lowing the independence referendum furore. the recent gender violence law. Vox’s tough stance on all forms of separatism will Elsewhere, and much like France and the UK, immihave struck a chord with proud Andalucians, who, gration has become a central campaign issue. living in the poorest region, are often mocked by the Vox, which campaigned hard against migrants, and rest of Spain, not least by those in wealthy Catalunya. it is therefore no surprise that it did well in areas Vox took advantage of that fact during its campaign- like Cadiz and Almeria, which have seen the largest number of Africans wash up on their shores in recent years. YOUR LOCAL VOICE! - Meet the local Vox politicians in power Now it is likely the party will enter a coalition of right wing parties led by Ciudadanos and the PP, which Francisco Serrano Manuel Gavira will seriously shift Andalucia to the right. Lawyer from Sevilla and notoriLawyer born in 1969, based in While it is excellent news to see PSOE and Susana ously anti-feminist Cadiz Diaz ousted after so many years, expect to see tougher stances on migration and Catalunya. This step to the right has already apparently influMaría José Piñero Angela Mulas enced PM Sanchez, who recently denied passage to A doctor and mother-of-seven, Lawyer specialized in commercial a ship carrying migrants, striking a deal with Malta current president of Vox Sevilla law, based in Cadiz which agreed to take them in instead. He also oddly, against the normal PSOE stance, took up the issue Luz Belinda Rodríguez Rafael Segovia of shared sovereignty of Gibraltar. Ex Armed Forces in Almeria. A GP, in Huelva, whose uncle Just this week he appeared to take a stronger tone Housewife, married to a soldier was the former city mayor on the Catalunya issue, promising a ‘forceful’ response if the region tried to hold another indepenRodrigo Alonso Francisco Castellón dence vote unilaterally. Degree in Business, with a teleCommercial pilot, who owns a What is clear is that the political elite in Spain will communications company based drone company, based in Grananeed to clean up their act if they want to hold on to in Almeria da their voters. The years of corruption by the country’s two biggest Eugenio Moltó Benito Morillo parties have left a stain on their reputations, while President of Vox Malaga, a forEx military and one of the first the temptation for the average voter to throw caumer PP councillor in Estepona Vox affiliates in Jaen tion to the wind and ‘shake things up’ is often impossible to beat - look at Trump and Brexit. Ana Gil Román Alejandro Hernández But with a possible snap general election coming to Lawyer, married and with three Former law firm employee, stood Spain next year, the country’s biggest parties better children, based in Cordoba for mayor in Estepona in 2015 get to work if they don’t want to have Vox deciding who will form the government.

For our last edition of the year the Olive Press website continues to be the number one rated English news website in Spain, bring on 2019! The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

- MISSING: Fears for British expat

who disappeared from Spain’s Costa del Sol two days ago (9,002)

- WATCH: Truck destroys archway

entry to urbanisation on Spain’s Costa del Sol

(6,307)

- PEED OFF:

Dog walkers on Spain’s Costa del Sol to be fined for not cleaning up pets urine in new crackdown

(5,804)

- Desperate wife of British expat who

mysteriously vanished from Costa del Sol four days ago reveals more details as search continues (4,692)

- REVEALED: What’s really behind

the surge in narco terrorism on Spain’s Costa del Sol as €100 million cash and 40 tonnes of drugs seized

(3,890)

Visitors: 164,182 Page views: 187,073

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LA CULTURA

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December 19th - January 3rd 2019

what’s on

mas jig FAMOUS traditional flamenco competition festival Mayor de Verdiales will take place on December 28 in Puerto de la Torre.

estive fun MIMA fair offers four to 12 year olds to take part in workshops, eco friendly games and sports from December 26 to January 4 at FYCMA in Malaga.

hristmas Carol AN English Christmas concert at St George’s Church in the English Cemetery in Avenida de Pries will be held on December 19 at 7pm.

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Banksied THE work of one of the world’s most controversial graffiti artists is being exhibited without his permission in Spain. Banksy, who recently pranked Sotheby’s in London with an auto-shredding piece of art, has been played at his own game. Banksy, Genius or Vandal? is on display at Madrid’s Ifema centre until March 10 and features 73 of his most iconic works, such as Girl with Balloon, Pulp Fiction Banana and The Flower Thrower. All displayed pieces - comprising 28 originals and 45 copies - are available to buy, with a total value of a cool €17 million. But the guerilla artist, who is famed for his politically-

Madrid exhibits UK’s graffiti artist in unauthorised show

Roman riches

UP FOR GRABS: Banksy’s works are on display in Madrid charged graffiti decorating hidden UK streets, did not authorise the Spanish show. The exhibition has already raked in half a million visitors

Summer nights THE Rock the Coast Festival has unveiled the full-belting line-up for its first edition at Fuengirola’s Marenostrum Music Castle Park on June 14 and 15. Scorpions will headline the first night while Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow takes centre stage on the second night. The action starts with a pre-festival party on June 13, with Norwegian folk band Wardruna topping the bill at Fuengirola Castle. The Rock the Coast line-up is completed by 14 other bands: The Broken Horizon, Taken, Thyrant, Debler, Absolva, Hypno5e, Aborted, Von Herzen Brothers, Tribulation, Crisalida, Seventh Wonder, Twelve Foot Ninja, Europe and Jinjer.

at previous venues in Moscow and St Petersburg, charging a €16.40 entrance fee. Banksy expressed his distaste for the seemingly ‘official’

shows on his Instagram account. “I wish I could find it funny. What’s the opposite of LOL?” the artist wrote to his 5.1 million followers. When pressed on whether he would release a statement slamming the show, he admitted he was not the ‘best person to complain about people putting up pictures without permission’. Alexander Nachkebiya, who curated the exhibition having assembled private collectors, described Banksy as a ‘phenomenon’ and ‘one of the most brilliant and important artists of our epoch’. The Bristol-based artist rose to fame in the 1990s but has never revealed his identity.

PRICELESS Roman coins have been restored in Spain after almost seven decades of restoration work. Madrid’s National Archaeology Museum has finished bringing the ancient currency back to life and will return them to the Palencia Museum after a 67-year long labour of love. The coins were discovered in 1937 when young siblings Eusebia and Tomas Roldan, discovered a cauldron on an old path connecting the villages of Valsadornin and Gramedo in Palencia.

Treasure

Weighing 45 kilos, the pot contained more than 8,000 silver and copper coins spanning the reigns of 18 Roman emperors and empresses. It is now known as the ‘treasure of Valsadornin’. Experts believe the owner of the cauldron hid the treasure due to the political instability in Spain around 270 AD but never returned.

Seeing stars

In the fifth book of the Shadow Sisters series Tiggy travels from the Alhambra to South America on a journey of selfdiscovery Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley

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oon Sister is the eagerly awaited fifth volume in the Shadow Sisters series, however, the books can also be read as stand-alone nov-

els. This novel follows one of Pa Salt’s adopted daughters, Tiggy. Tiggy takes a job caring for animals on the Scottish estate of Kinnaird where she meets Chilly, a gypsy, who informs her that she has a sixth sense passed down from her Spanish ancestors. This revelation takes Tiggy to Granada and the Alhambra. She discovers her connections to the Gypsy community of Sacromonte, who suffered appalling treatment under Franco during the Spanish civil war. From here Tiggy travels to South America and New York on a journey of self-discovery. With meticulous historical detail and a captivating narrative, Lucinda Riley’s latest offering does not disappoint. €19.50, Available from The Bookshop San Pedro www.thebookshop.es

S A Sierra Nevada

theolive-ll about 9 www.llwww.gibraltarolivepress.com AXARQUIA the olive press - October 30 - November 12 2014 about

Vol. 4 Issue 86

ierra Nevada

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+34 958 481 170 +34 675 470 669 www.alquileressierranevada.es

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Costa del Ski Jon Clarke (right) returns for his 15th season in southern Europe’s top skiing resort WHILE it’s foggy in the Pyrenees and they’re shivering in the Alps, I’m taking the sun near the top of Spain’s second highest mountain. It’s early December and yet the Sierra Nevada still remains warm during the day. Some people are skiing in t-shirts and everyone is looking tanned. Even better, my elevenses of a croissant, apple and a Coke come to less than €10 euros... and that is at a restaurant halfway up the slopes! “Here we sell the weather, not the number of kilometres,” explains Juan Luis Hernandez, boss of EOE ski school. “And the prices have hardly gone up for years.” On top of that you are just over an hour from the beaches of Almunecar and half an hour to the celebrated Alhambra. That is hard to beat. What is certainly changing in the Sierra Nevada though is the dedication to move forward. Believe me, I’ve been coming for 15 years... and this is the 10th anniversary of the Olive Press’ special supplement on the resort. New kilometres of pistes are added every year and this year - by amazing fortune - it snowed so heavily in November, the resort opened a week earlier than expected, with a record 40,000 skiers enjoying the De Continues on next page

LIGHTING THE WAY: A new lighthouse on the kids play park area and (main pic) the slopes lit up at night

www.theolivepress.es December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Sierra Nevada

www.gibraltarolivepress.com the olive press - October 30 - November 12 2014 ll about

Ski central

From Page 9

cember 6 bank holiday ‘puente’ weekend. There were 50km of runs open by mid December while much of Europe was mostly still ‘brown’ - and by the time the season really kicks in there will be over 100kms of pistes open for all the family. This includes the celebrated Laguna valley, for expert skiers, as well as the excellent Superpark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park. This includes the fabulous 165 metre long ‘half pipe’, amazing for snowboarders. And then there is the famous ‘Rio’ run that leads right down to the resort of Pradollano, which sits at 2,100 metres. You can bomb down that to get your first off piste beer! At the same latitude as Cyprus and just 30 miles from the beaches of the Costa del Sol, it is nothing short of amazing really that you can ski here through to May. This is all to do with the altitude of the Sierra Nevada, which has its highest peak in Mulhacen, a staggering 3,482m above sea level. Named after a 15th century Arabic king Muley Hacen (Abdul Hassan Ali), who is said to have been buried at the top, this is the highest peak in mainland Spain. From the top of the highest ski lift, at 3,300 metres, the views make the Mediterranean below look like a small pond, with half the coastline of Morocco clearly in view. It is an amazing place, although it can be a little nippy up there with the wind whistling past, so make sure to bring a coat and jumper. From here, competent skiers are spoilt with the amazing runs of the Laguna de las Yeguas area, including the celebrated Olympic run, which is full of twists and turns. Here, you can sometimes find yourself skiing alone midweek for five to 10 minutes and the sheer nature and landscape are spectacular. It is incredibly easy to have a day or two’s skiing in Europe’s most southerly skiing resort. Just two hours from the Costa del Sol, you head up to the resort of Pradollano, 20 minutes above Granada, where you can park easily in the underground car park right below the main square. Staying longer - or on a budget - take the turning left, marked ‘albergues’ just before you arrive and head uphill through a pine forest, before taking a right to-

MELIÃ

SIERRA NEVADA

THE LIFE: Sunbathing over lunch and (below) punters at friendly Bar Ski

wards the resort. Drive down a long windy road through the resort, keeping your eyes peeled for a free space, but beware ‘gruas’ are out in force and you will be towed away if you park badly. From here, you are a five or ten minute walk down to

the centre of the resort, where you will find dozens of places to rent skis and buy your ‘forfait’ (or ski pass) from a machine using your credit card. It is not cheap at between €37 and €48 for a day’s skiing, but it’s much cheaper than the Alps and you can get a half day for €36 kicking off at 1pm and chil-

dren get decent discounts, while those in their 70s get free passes. It certainly pays to pick your days with Christmas and Semana Santa seeing the resort rammed, with sometimes big queues for the ski lifts. Then there is Semana Blanca (literally ‘white week’)

SKI & APRÈS-SKI HOTELS

MELIÃ

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December 19th - January 3rd 2019

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December 20th - January 3rd 2019

central Old age pleasures

– or half term at the end of February – when school children can learn how to ski, while bank holidays can also be very busy and getting up to the resort can be slow. That said, problems can be missed by arriving by 8.30am or by waiting till midday when prices come down. While a modern resort, Pradollano itself is a pleasant place to simply take in the air or a spot of lunch, and there is a fair amount for children to do, with entertainers and Disney figures wandering around, particularly around Christmas. It has also, rightfully, got a good reputation as being a resort for fun, with the famous apres ski being some of the best in Europe. The resort really started to evolve quickly from 1995 when the World Skiing Championship was scheduled to be held there (it actually took place the following year due to poor snow). “Since then the infrastructure changes were huge and it is now a big resort,” explains resort marketing boss Santiago Sevilla, who has worked there for over a decade. “When the weather is favourable, and that is most of the time, this is a fantastic place to be skiing.” Giles Birch, who runs the British Ski Center,

estimates that Pradollano has one of the longest seasons in Europe, opening at the start of December and often going through to mid May. “There have even been snowfalls in June and when the snow and weather are favourable, which is more often then not, the openness of the ski terrain provides some of the most exhilarating off piste skiing to be found anywhere.” He continues: “Off piste skiing here has made a great name for itself with easily accessible zones all over the terrain, very little avalanche risk and wide open expanses for all to enjoy.” And then there is the famous adage that it is easy to have a morning’s snow ploughing in the Sierra Nevada followed by an afternoon on the beach. A few years ago local Granada newspaper Ideal decided to try it out the theory, picking a sunny day in May and a couple of foreign students based in Granada. Picked up in Granada at 8am they were skiing on the slopes from 9am to 1pm, before taking the 75 minute drive down to the Costa Tropical resort of Salobrena.“It worked perfectly and by 3pm they were settled in eating a paella on the beach,” explains Sevilla, whose company Cetursa has run the resort

All year sports for all sorts There is much more to the Sierra Nevada than sliding down it on two planks of wood. You can tackle it by tobog-

gan and snowboard, or on a snowshoe hike (akin to walking with a tennis racket strapped to each foot).

08.00am - 20.00pm

Sierra Nevada

Plaza Andalucía, Edificio Dornajo, Local 16 Monachil, 18196

And if that sounds like too much action, you can always swap icy snow for a hot steam bath and indulge in some me-time at one of several hotel spas. All year round, the Sierra Nevada is paradise for fresh air fiends. After ‘the melt’, the resort becomes a paradise for walkers, wildlife lovers and mountain bikers. Get the best views by taking advantage of the ski lifts, which in summer carry both people and bikes to the summit to enjoy breathtaking routes back down. Borreguiles, the resort’s impressive ski bowl, boasts a bike park in the hotter months. Youngsters can test their strengths in the miniolympiads zone or race against each other on the pedal car track. Guided dawn and dusk walks and a bumper running and cycling race calendar are a magnet keeping the resort busy 12 months of the year.

for decades. “Then by 9pm, not content to call it a day, they were having a tapas crawl around the Albaicin of Granada just to add the icing on the cake,” he adds.

THEY have been coming to the Sierra Nevada for decades from their home in Almeria. And, best of all, retired expats (above) Martin and Brenda Carney, 72 and 70, now get their ski passes completely free of charge. “All we have to do is rent our gear and we have been using the same shop Ski Sol since we first came,” explains former UK hotelier Brenda. “We love it up here and the snow is usually excellent.” Shop boss Montse (pictured with them) explains that they have dozens of clients in their 70s, and one Norwegian in his NINETIES. “He’s been coming down here for years,” she reveals. “He is amazingly fit and I think skiing really helps him stay that way.” Many of the local business owners still ski every day, well into their sixties. They include Jose Carlos, at Bodega Casablanca, and EOE skiing school boss Jose Luis Hernandez, 64, who explains: “It’s a great sport, using almost all your muscles, your arms, your legs and your dorsals, not to mention the heart. “My brother Manolo still skis and he’s in his 80s and I intend to ski when I’m 90.” Statistically 2.7% of skiers in the Sierra Nevada are over 60 years old.

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Sierra

December 19thll- about January 3rd 2019

We’re fly The Sierra Nevada is fast becoming a natural haven for Spain’s top snowboarders

‘Your snowboarding centre in the Sierra Nevada'

'Lessons, gear, advice and tips’ Plaza de Pradollano 3 y Plaza Andalucía Edificio Salvia, local 16 · Granada

Tel. 958 48 07 31 LOCAL PRO: Jesus at South Star shop, the Mecca for snowboarders

Nevada

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December 19th - January 3rd 2019

ying

OCALS boast of its cream snow. So it is no wonder the Sierra Nevada is a Mecca for thrill-seeking snowboarders, who come in their droves to take advantage of a soft and sumptuous ride. For beginners and experts alike, Spain’s highest resort is a glorious setting. With its stunning scenery and top-class facilities, it was no surprise that it won the bid to host the Freestyle Ski and Snowboard World Championships last year. One of the best places to catch the top riders in action is at SuperPark Sulayr, Europe’s largest freestyle snowboard park. Sitting at an altitude of 2,700 metres on Borreguiles, the famed snowboarding park houses the country’s biggest permanent half-pipe. Measuring an astonishing 165 metres in length with a height of six metres, the spe-

13 13

CARVE UP: Some of the sections of the superpark Sulayr

cial design flattens the snow on the side of the half-pipe so boarders can jump on both sides. Rookies will also find a place to carve their niche in the resort, thanks to the gentle gradients of central station, Borreguiles. Here, lifts deposit snowboarders on a smooth and well-groomed area where they can hone their skills. Many professional snowboarders class Sierra Nevada as their home and a few shops specialise just in snowboarding. These include South Star, where Jesus and his brother juggle their passion for the snow with running their own two shops. “It’s a fantastic place for snowboarders, one of the best in Spain, if not Europe,” explains Jesus. “It has grown loads over the last few years and we are always busy.”

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Timeline of a ski station • Angel Ganivet, Spanish Consul to Helsinki, gave birth to the idea of turning Sierra Nevada into a ski resort at the end of the 19th century. He likened his Granada homeland to the ‘Finland of Andalucia’ in a local newspaper. • 1898 marked the creation of Diez Amigos Limited, a group that led skiing excursions around the area. • Thanks to their continued success, the organisation was able to create the first youth hostel in the area not long after rebranding itself Sociedad Sierra Nevada in 1912. • The main road from Granada to Sierra Nevada and a cable car were both put in place at the beginning of the 1920s, which allowed more people to discover the joys of snow-oriented fun. • The boom years of the resort began in 1964, when Centros Turísticos S.A. (CETURSA), was created, allowing its rapid development. • Sierra Nevada is the southernmost ski station in Europe and sits at the highest point in Spain. -The station hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships in 1996. It has also welcomed several Alpine Ski World Cup events, with the first in 1977. In addition, it has been the main venue for the Winter Olympics. • In 2017, Sierra Nevada will host the FIS Snowboard and Freestyle World Championships (see poster right), a major international contest put together by the board of the International Ski Federation

Sierra

December 19thll-about January 3rd 2019

Route to the It used to be a two hour bus ride from Granada and then a donkey up the slope

HE only way to get to the top of the slope was to walk... or take a friendly donkey! Indeed, until the first two ski lifts (Borreguiles and Parador) were built in 1969, this was the preferred route. The resort actually dates back to 1912 when Spain's oldest ski club, the Sierra Nevada Society was founded. However, it was not until the 1920s – with the modernisation of Granada’s roads - that the Sierra Nevada started to become known. By the last 1950s a bus used to chug its way up to the slopes, while cars would turn up in their dozens at weekends. Visitor numbers slowly grew

CHUGGING UP: An old bus takes skiers up the slopes

from then and, in 1964, Cetursa, a business dedicated to reserving ski tickets, was founded. It was around then that the resort was at its most glamourous with the likes of Principe Alfons Hohenlohe, the owner the Marbella Club hotel, regularly bringing up friends, including Sean Connery to ski. The best selection of old pictures, not just some of the vintage visitors to the resort, can be found in the charming Tito Luigi restaurant, which has been open for 30 years and counts the King as an occasional visitor. “We have had them all in here,” explains owner Javier, who heralds from Menorca. “Spain’s best footballers, bullfighters and its leading politicians... everyone loves to ski in the Sierra Nevada.” One of the longest-established workers in the resort Jose Carlos Villanueva remembers the 1960s well. “I actually had my first communion on the slopes wearing ski boots and a jersey. I was the only one in Spain,” he explains pointing at a photo of him as a child, with his sister.He had arrived there in 1961 when his father got a job running the 'alberge' one of just three

COMPETITION: There have been tournaments here since 1950

buildings in the resort back then. Living there for five years, it was no surprise that he always had a strong urge to return and at the age of 15 he became a ski

Reserves: +34 695 425 633 www.lafonduedenoa.com

Address: c/ Virgen de las Nieves, 3P29. Sierra Nevada

WHEELY MISSED: A tram used to rattle up from Granada

teacher. Now, appropriately – after 38 years teaching and an incredible 50,000 students – Jose Carlos is running the charming bar Bodega Casablanca.

Nevada

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Jetting in! World champion Jet Skier David Selles has set up on the slopes

AVING whizzed around the world as a professional jet skier David Selles has slid onto the Sierra Nevada slopes with an exciting new business. The seven-times World Champion, from Benidorm, has opened a ski shop and school in the heart of Pradollano.

PUSH: Helping get a bus up the slopes and (below) a donkey lift and cars on slopes

HOT SEAT: David with team and (top) after winning jet ski title

Be Snow is the culmination of a three-year search for the perfect way to make a living on the slopes. “Since buying a home nearby some years ago, I haven’t stopped looking,” Selles, 48, tells the Olive Press. And when decades-old ski shop Pascual Ski, in Plaza Andalucia, came up for sale he jumped at the option. Now half a year later he has finally opened with a stylish new urban look, with a few of the former staff and with tens of thousands of euros of brand new equipment. “We’ve got 650 new pairs of skis and 800 pairs of brand new boots,” he boasts. “It is the most important thing for anyone wanting to guarantee to have fun on the slopes. “Top class skis with fantastic edges and the most comfortable boots you can find. We can promise that.” It has been an exciting couple of decades for the father-of-two,

Plz. Andalucia Edif. Montebajo, Local 8, Sierra Nevada

whose Brazilian wife, Alyne, often helps out in the shop. After growing up in Finistratt, near Benidorm, he took up the sport of jet-skiing and won his first world championship in Crete in 1997. He then competed around the world in countries as diverse as Japan, Canada, Alaska and Chile, before winning his final championship in Marbella in 2008. It was a pretty full on two decades and, technically, he was not allowed to ski during all the time as a professional. “Contractually my sponsors would not allow it, but - of course - I couldn’t resist and came quite a few times incognito,” admits the businessman, who first skied in Candanchu at the age of eight. “Now I couldn’t be happier. This is my passion, not a business. I get to ski every day and make a living at the same time,” he concludes.

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Sierra Nevada

www.gibraltarolivepress.com ll about

Brits on the piste

ANT to find the cream of place to find the Brits and the reps-inBritish skiing talent in the the know,” he recalls. “Next thing in walks Jonathan with Sierra Nevada? Well look no further than just the right attitude and he was seminal Crescendo bar at the foot of soon helping me deal with the three the slopes, where Jonathan Buzzard to four flights we regularly dealt with and Giles Birch met over two decades on a Sunday.” The pair are still working together, colago. lectively running This is their second the extremely sucoffice and where cessful British Ski you will find them Center from their propping up the bar base at the resort. after a hard day’s Great mates, they teaching on the both now teach, slopes, which they as well as sort out know like a fox in a holidays for hunfox hole. dreds of clients Step back to 1996, each year. a boom time in “Of course things Spain, and Giles are completely was looking for the different to back ideal transport rep LONG TERM: Giles and Jonathan then,” explains to help him grow Jonathan, who his travel business, working with the likes of Neil- lived in Marbella in the golden years son Ski alongside First Choice and before it was ruined by corrupt leader Thompsons, that had just launched in Jesus Gil. “Sierra Nevada used to see in thouGranada. Jonathan had all the right traits with sands of foreigners every week, but his long flashers mac, ‘big hair’ and a after a couple of dry years in the 1980s the resort’s reputation suffriendly, outgoing persona. “I had no idea what was going on but fered badly and things all began to had been told that Crescendo was the change.

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

It’s over two decades since intrepid expats Giles Birch and Jonathan Buzzard started working in the Sierra Nevada, writes Jon Clarke

ON AND OFF THE SLOPES: Team in the bar and on their skis

“Luckily the snow came back, albeit not yet this year, but these days it is all independent travellers and the agencies have all but disappeared.” Of course there have been some bad years such as 1995 when Jonathan recalls cycling up Borreguiles run on a mountain bike in shorts on Christmas Day.This year however, is one of the best. “But generally it is as good as most other international resort and the

range of skiing and schools is hard to beat,” explains Giles, who is now in his benchmark 21st season in Granada. Since arriving he has married (a Portuguese girl), had three children and taught literally hundreds of clients. So what makes the Sierra Nevada so special, according to him? One aspect is the length of the season. We start in late November and stay open until early May while other resorts don’t open until mid Decem-

Your English centre on the slopes

ber and end their season in April.” This is partly due to the resort's altitude and the quality of the snow which is constantly worked on during the night. “That’s why you’ll never see slush even in the latter part of the season.” he adds. Visit www.britishskicenter.co.uk for more info.

GO UP TO THE SKY

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Wish you were here?

Insurance with the right FIT for your family.

Airbnb clients do as Andalucia soars into their holiday hotlist top 20 ANDALUCIA is among the top 20 most sought-after travel destinations in the world for Airbnb customers. According to the property portal, Spain’s southernmost region was one of the most searched or reserved destinations this year, as well as one of the most popular additions to travellers’ wish lists. Its 18th place ranking represents a 100% increase in its

popularity in just one year. According to Airbnb, trending locations are more likely to boast sustainable and authentic tourism models which ‘equally benefit locals and travellers’. The good news comes as Malaga was declared the secondmost resilient province to ‘seasonality’ in Spain following huge investments in inland tourism, year-round projects and unique offerings like the

In the red

SPAIN’S national debt has grown so much that every Spaniard now owes €25,000 apiece, according to 2018’s Public Debt report. It is now the 11th most indebted country in the world according to the EAE Business School which published the report. Although Spain forks out €90 million every day to reduce what it owes, it is still in the red to the tune of €37.000 million. And 89% of that figure is just interest, compared to the original debt of only €4.070 million. While the deficit has been reducing since 2012, the interest has kept on growing, making it almost impossible to make a dent in it without external financial support. On a local level, Catalunya heads the rankings of most indebted autonomous communities, owning 27% of the national debt. Andalucia comes in the middle of the list, between Melilla and Murcia.

Sovereign Insurance Services is offering an exciting new insurance policy for expensive cars

NE of Gibraltar’s leading insurance brokers has come up with an exciting new way to insure your sports car or vintage car collection. Sovereign Insurance Services has developed a policy designed for cars valued in excess of £50,000 or for a collection of vehicles. In a bid to continually expand and improve their range of products, clients with Gibraltar registered vehicles will also now be able to insure their vehicles under the one policy through Sovereign. The company, has partnered with Chubb European Group Limited to provide the policy, the first of its kind on the Rock. “This policy has unrivalled benefits, complemented by an outstanding claims service,” explained Managing Director Neil Entwistle. “This product has radically changed the insurance landscape in Gibraltar for owners of high value cars.” “We know there are a lot of potential clients out there with classic and expensive cars,” he added. The vast majority of these cars are currently insured on standard motor policies that do not provide the specialist cover that they require. These differences become most obvious in the unfortunate event of a claim. Some of the benefits that distinguish this Chubb ‘Masterpiece’ policy from other policies available in Gibraltar include;

Caminito del Rey. “More and more people are looking to Andalucia, with the number of people adding it to their wish list doubling,” Airbnb said, noting that Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla are the ‘crown jewels’ in its collection. “It is a destination loved globally for its incredible architecture: the set of the Real Alcazar de Sevilla, the Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, the Alhambra of Granada and more,” the company added.

Authentic

“However those travellers who want a unique journey filled with authenticity can follow the route of the white villages or marvel at the beauty of locations like Malaga’s Frigiliana, whose Moorish neighbourhood will delight lovers of history.” The most sought-after destination on Airbnb’s list was the coastal resort of Kaikoura on South Island, New Zealand, with a 295% surge in bookings year-on-year, followed by the desert island of Xiamen in China, which had a 282% increase.

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Chubb, a world-renowned, ‘A’ rated, specialist in personal insurance, has provided market-leading packages to high net worth individuals and their families for over 20 years. The company is able to protect all family possessions, not just homes or cars but also art collections and jewellery, and additional properties can be included on a single policy for true convenience and peace of mind. “We are always looking for new innovative ways to help our Private Clients protect their assets. Our clients are based not only in Gibraltar, but across Europe, the Middle East and Asia,” explained Entwistle. “We have a huge variety of insurance policies available from insurance for jackpot payouts to a cameraman who spends his life travelling to dangerous places. Private healthcare also represents a significant segment of our business. We arrange bespoke plans to our Corporate and Private Clients and their families.”

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Marbella mansion where One Direction made debut, among top 10 most viewed properties this year

PROPERTY

THE Marbella mansion where boyband One Direction made their debut performance has been one of the most viewed properties of 2018. On the market for a whopping €40 million, the 12-bed villa boasts 180-degree views of the Mediterranean. Perhaps most famous for hosting X Factor’s Simon Cowell in the ‘judge’s houses’ stage of the competition, the luxury pad has been hosting a stampede of viewings this year according to Rightmove. In a list compiled by Mail Online of the site’s most viewed houses currently on the market, the celebrity pad shares top popularity stakes with a Scottish castle and a Maldives

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Villa with X-Factor SHOW STOPPER: Simon Cowell’s ‘judge house’ island resort with an ocean relaxing by the pool with waterslide. guest judge Sinitta as the pair It was back in 2010 that mu- scrutinised the babyfaced 1D sic mogul Cowell was filmed boys at their first ever perfor-

Bubble-free THERE are no signs of a new property bubble in Spain, according to the head of the bank of Spain. The Governor Pablo Hernandez de Cos made the comments after house sales rose by 15.8% in October, a seventh straight month of increases. “We’re a long way from any excessive growth in credit and the weight of construction has seen an important adjustment,” he said at a banking conference in Madrid.

mance. The fivesome famously performed after band member Louis Tomlinson was stung by a local sea urchin, before his new bandmates carried him into the audition. The Marbella mansion’s musical legacy, after hosting the seven-time Brit Award-winners, explains why the property is Rightmove’s secondmost viewed outside the UK this year. It was pipped to the top spot by a 12-bed villa on Kunfunadhoo Island in the Maldives, on the market for €12.6 million. With a swimming pool dining room, ocean views from the bedroom and even a private waterslide, it is easy to see why this house fit for a king is the most viewed abroad this year. Hollywood, Monaco and another Maldives house, were the other most viewed nonUK properties, while the UK’s most popular home is a 6-bed, €5.6 million family home in Greater Manchester.

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Flock off

AN Andalucian city has pledged to banish 5,000 pigeons amid complaints from restaurant and hotel owners that they’re driving away tourists. Cadiz is set to remove thousands of its feathered foes after Horeca, a federation of hoteliers in the city, claimed the city centre was overrun with the birds. The group slammed the issue as ‘intolerable’ having lost 20% of its business due to the pigeons, which steal food from customers and leave ‘excrement’ everywhere. Horeca, which first brought up the issue two years ago, said the pigeons could lead to health problems, with waiters constantly cleaning up faeces near customers when they are eating. Some 5,000 birds will be rounded up and relocated to the Valencia town of Riba-Roja de Turia next year.

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Lowering the bar Could it be last orders for Spain’s traditional watering holes

SPAIN’S bar culture could be in danger as hundreds of owners call time on their businesses every year, new figures have revealed. Affectionately known as the ‘land of bars’, the country is famed for its independent watering holes but experts fear the culture is under threat. Since 2010, Spain has lost a staggering 18,269 bars - a trend which many believe will continue next year. Despite this, the hospitality in-

UNDER THREAT: Thousands of traditional bars have shut since 2010 dustry as a whole has grown, with 5,000 new restaurants and hotels opening in 2017. This is good news for employ-

ment as more than 1.5 million Spaniards work in the sector. According to the Spanish Hospitality Federation, in 2017 the

La Consula come-back

BACK TO WORK: Malaga school

A TOP Andalucia catering college has finally reopened its restaurant to the public to an avalanche of over 300 bookings. La Consula, in Malaga - where three Michelin-starred chef Dani Garcia trained – took half of those reservations in the first 48 hours of its website going live. Some 145 students train at the academy, while second year students create and prepare the menu for diners in the 40-seater restaurant. The regular menu is

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

available for €20 and the tasting menu is priced at €50. The school is set in a stunning villa surrounded by gardens that was an old holiday haunt of writer Ernest Hemingway. The restaurant was much-loved by Spanish and expat foodies alike for its affordable fine dining but the school closed down in 2013 due to the financial crisis. La Consula and La Fonda, in Benalmadena, will be open to the public until June 6, 2019.

number of bars dropped for the seventh year in a row, with a total of 184,430 across the country. The industry has blamed not only the recession but also recent demographic changes such as an aging population and the rural exodus movement. Federation secretary general Emilio Gallego believes the changing property market led to a reshuffle of city dwellers. “The new neighbourhoods attracted more people and businesses moved there, while traditional bars in areas with aging populations shut down,” he added. Experts believe the rapid increase in chains has also played a significant role in the decline of independent bars.

Milking it DIOS mio but the Brits have been winding up Spanish foodies yet again. Just two weeks ago, Morrisons’ cheesy churros became a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons. A flurry of Spaniards took to Twitter to slam the Christmas treat as ‘blasphemous’, begging the UK to ‘take Gibraltar instead’. And now, it has happened again. This time it’s a ‘new vegan milk’ - horchata in Spain - made with tiger nuts that’s got everyone roaring with rage. Tiger mylk, created in Bristol, is made with tiger nuts, split peas, sunflower oil, calcium carbonate and sunflower lecithin. Social media site, NowThis describes the milk as an ‘African tradition’ which is delivered to London front doors in reusable glass bottles. Although the video does make reference to the centuries-old Valencian drink, and has additional ingredients, it hasn’t stopped Spaniards from expressing their outrage. “Attention, attention!!! The Brits have discovered horchata. Vegan milk with ‘tiger nuts’ they say. ‘African tradition’ they say. Yes,” tweeted one furious Twitter user.

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COLUMNISTS

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Santa versus Drones Dec 19th - Jan 3rd 2019

He’s a clinically obese fur-wearing smoker and now the world’s most unPC icon faces competition from flying robots, writes Belinda Beckett

F Santa has been keep- plastic box and rolls down a ing up with the news at conveyor belt to the drone his North Pole toy fac- docking station. Step three: tory, he won’t have found the drone lifts off with its much to ho-ho-ho about. consignment into the blue Parcel delivery by drones yonder, guided by GPS to its could be a reality next destination where it lands, Christmas, making Santa drops off the package and and his redreturns to nosed sidebase. The goal kick Rudolph is to get packIs the Amazon old hat with ages into cusdrone a serious tomers' hands bells on. Amazon’s within 30 mincontender for Prime Air utes of orderSanta? Bah postal service ing. by unmanned, Serious comhumbug! aerial vehicle petition for is a protoSanta? With type raring to baubles on go public and the website according to online mathshows how amazingly sim- ematician Greg Stevens. ple the process is. He worked out that by usStep one: the customer ing F16s which fly at Mach places an order via a tablet 2 (a sight speedier than or smartphone. Step two: at Amazon’s 50mph drones), the warehouse, the pack- a ‘Yuletide Swarm of 80 age is placed into a sealed million could see worldwide

delivery completed in just over eight hours’. ‘Besides which,’ he added, ‘reindeer are charming and all that but what child would not prefer the excitement of having a drone land on the roof on Christmas Eve?” It all sounds like ‘Pi’ in the sky but Santa is already skating on thin ice. The jolly pipe-smoking figure with the off-the-scale Body Mass Index whose name is an anagram for ‘Satan’ is not the ideal role model for children in this politically correct day and age. But robots taking over his

job? Bah humbug! Santa shouldn’t hang up his sleigh bells yet because ... He’s human. You can’t snog a drone under the mistletoe! He’s faster. Amazon drones would fly at speeds of 50mph. Scientists have worked out that Santa trav-

els at 1,800 miles per second. He’s more versatile. Drone technology hasn’t worked out how Santa fits a Clementine, a bag of nuts and a cuddly toy into a child-sized sock. He’s unlimited. Santa totes the world’s presents on one

sleigh. The maximum payload of an Amazon drone is 5lbs. He’s sexier. Jake Gyllenhaal looked hot sporting a Santa hat in the 2005 Iraq War drama Jarhead. He would have looked daft dressed as a drone. He has the parents’ vote. Santa owns the copyright of the naughty and nice list, a handy disciplinary incentive. With drones, all bad kids need is Mum’s credit card.

Festive fun? As the work Christmas party season is upon us, Giles Brown looks back at some of his most (unfortunately) memorable bashes

WRITE this on the eve of the Olive Press Christmas Party. Being the upstanding group of elegant media professionals that we are, I can assure you that this newspaper's annual event is a refined and sober soiree of charming conversation and sparkling wit. Having worked in publishing for over 30 years, however, I have been to some Christmas celebrations that have made happy hour with Pablo Escobar seem tame. Over in the US a recent poll in the New York Post found that there were quite a few things you could predict about your company’s Christmas bash, with one in three party goers doing something immediately regrettable before the night ends. “Anything can happen at an office Christmas party, which is why it’s no surprise that the majority of employees look forward to it every year," Julian Clark, Evite’s in-house party specialist, explained in a press release. Never mind the fact that 'in-house party specialist' sounds like a bad Tinder bio, Clark actually knows what he's talking about. According to his research, a Friday night is the preferred time for a holiday party. In the aftermath of weekday bashes, 35% of employees will show up late the next morning and 17% won't show up at all. One of the most infamous of these ‘no-shows’ was former Radio 1 Breakfast Show presenter Chris Evans. In the wee small hours of his

Christmas Party – and perhaps a little 'over refreshed' – he decided that it would be an excellent joke if none of the staff turned up to do the Breakfast Show the next morning. BBC Top Brass were not amused. Some of the most memorable Christmas functions took place when I was working for a publishing house in Clerkenwell. The sales department tended to get a little bit 'feisty' after a few beers and there was normally a scuffle over something as the party moved on to whatever late night drinking den we could find, normally in Smithfield Market at some ungodly hour. Then there was the hugely boozy bash for 400 journalists for one of the leading property firms who erected a marquee in the underground car park just off Hanover Square. Private Eye Editor Ian Hislop was the speaker and it got predictably messy. Not as messy as the time, however, that a sozzled journalist fell backwards over a table, showering guests, including a government minister, in festive canapés. Having to write the festive apology with a screaming hangover the next morning was not one of my finest moments, though the minister involved thought it was hilarious. The mere sight of a voulevant is enough to bring on a savage flashback... So enjoy your Christmas bash, try not to damage your professional reputation in some way and see you in the New Year!

MOTORS & GOLF www.gibraltarolivepress.com

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

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December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Holly good show

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Teenage Brit makes golfing history in Andalucia

AN 18-year-old Brit shot herself into the record books as she won the Girls Junior European Open Golf Championship at Andalucia’s El Paraiso course. Holly Haslam, from Essex, became the first girl to shoot under par in the competition’s 26-year history. The young star now joins the tournament’s previous British winners, Women’s British Open-champion Georgia Hall and US Open winner Justin Rose. “I was over the moon, it was a big moment for me,” said Holly whose mum Jo, 47, caddied for the teen champion.

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Ecstatic

Holly, who celebrated the historic win on her 18th birthday, finished three under par and seven ahead of her nearest competitor. First picking up a club at just 11 years of age, Holly’s skills on the fairway were broadcast on Sky Sports. Accompanying Holly to Spain for the tournament was her dad, Steve, 53, who

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is a restaurateur back in the UK. “It was the biggest win of her life,” he told the Olive Press. “I was ecstatic when she won the tournament.” The proud dad-of-three also revealed that the family would remain in Spain

for the festive period at their house in El Paraiso, where Holly is able to stroll straight onto the course. Steve said: “We’ll have a nice family game of golf on Christmas Day and then we’ll go back home and have our Christmas dinner.”

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Bad man with a van

H2-woah THE first hydrogen powered car has been registered in Spain. The Hyundai Nexo, available from next year, charges in just five minutes and can travel 666 km with a full charge. The car has an electric engine which mixes hydrogen and oxygen, meaning its exhaust pipe only spits out water.

VAN drivers were denounced or fined more than any other driver on the road last month, the Direccion General de Trafico (DGT) has revealed. Between November 26 and 29 alone, 3,294 van drivers were pulled up on infractions ranging from having an expired ITV to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Some 672 were fined for speeding over the same three-day period.

Crackdown

While it is quicker to charge than a purely electrical car, it comes with a heftier price tag up around €60,000, and there are very few existing charging points.

The DGT has been forced to crackdown on van drivers after the number of accidents they were involved in soared by 54% between between 2012 and 2017.

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Peking interest

FINAL WORDS

REPS from 15 Chinese football clubs have travelled to Spain to learn more about La Liga and its organization in a bid to inspire the Chinese Super League.

STARS: Antonio and Penelope Vol. 4 Issue 86 www.gibraltarolivepress.com December 19th - January 3rd 2019

Peed off

Clean up your dog’s wee or face a fine, orders town hall

Going strong THE growth of the Spanish economy could stand between 0.7% and 0.8% for the last quarter of 2018, slightly above the average observed throughout the year (0.6%).

Top of props CONSTRUCTION giant Quabit has announced it is investing €23.75 million into 700 homes in Mijas which will be completed by the end of 2020.

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

POTTY TRAINED: Pooch

DOG walkers on the Costa del Sol will now be FINED if they don’t clean up their pet’s urine. Walkers in Benalmadena will now have to wash the wee away with water and vinegar or soap. “We are responding to a demand from a majority of citizens who complain about dogs urinating on lampposts,” said mayor Victor Navas. “This change seeks to raise awareness that having a pet entails responsibility and collaboration to keep the streets clean.” The town hall said the move was aimed at reducing the odor of dog urine which in some parts has become overwhelming. According to officials some dog walkers carry a bottle filled

Global couple

THEY are definitively Spain’s golden couple when it comes to acting. So it is appropriate that Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas have each been nominated for their fourth Golden Globe. Spain’s Hollywood heroes have been nominated for their roles in two small screen roles this time around. Cruz is up for ‘best supporting actress’ for her role as Donatella in The Assassination of Gianni

Versace: American Crime Story. The blockbuster Netflix series is the second season of American Crime Story, which explores the death of fashion designer Gianni Versace. The show also got nominated for ‘best series’, ‘best actor’ and ‘best supporting actor’. Meanwhile Malaga’s Antonio Banderas is in contention for ‘best actor’ after his portrayal of Spain’s world-famous artist in Genius: Picasso.

Up in smoke with water and vinegar for when their furry friend has an urge on the street. According to the new law, dogs are now officially forbidden from urinating on street furniture, buildings and vehicles. They must also try to use dog designated areas where possible. Local police now have the right to fine dog walkers who break the new guidelines, although by how much has not been announced.

Spanish efforts to stub out smoking have backfired. A ban on smoking inside in bars, restaurants and offices has led to an increase, not decrease in the numbers of smokers. The number of Spanish smokers between the ages of 15 and 64 has actually risen from 33% in 2005, when the ban came in, to 34% today. The rise in the number of smokers may be partly explained by an increase in the number of women and young people using tobacco. Rodrigo Cordoba, the former president of the National Committee for Tobacco Prevention, said the government should address the increase urgently. “Nothing has been done in recent years. In the fight against tobacco you have to continue to introduce measures. It's like riding a bike. If you stop pedalling, you fall over,” he said.

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