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Vol. 1 Issue 3 www.gibraltarolivepress.com
October 15th - October 28th 2015
Doing it for Gib! Rock sensation appeals for understanding over Spain/ Gibraltar identity mix-up as she reaches semi-final of huge Spanish TV talent show
Hooked on Gib artist Christian Hook praised by UK galleries as one of the greatest
PICTURE: Tom Powell
Page 13
The secrets are out
Our new columnist lifts the lid on the Estate Agent world
THE VOICE: ‘It’s about Elisha’s singing, not where she’s from’, says dad Scott
Battle of the flags
Page 19
Time for the youth
Gibraltar boss looks to kids after dire Euro campaign Page 31
FREE
IN a week in which Chief Minister Fabian Picardo delivered a scathing speech to the United Nations regarding Spain’s actions towards Gibraltar, both sides have defiantly unfurled their flags. But merely hanging them from a flagpole won’t do anymore, it appears... Page 5
A GIBRALTAR schoolgirl in the semi-final of Spain’s biggest childrens talent show has called for the Rock’s support following confusion over her identity. Elisha Lang, 12, has asked for understanding after she was dubbed as being from Cadiz on the massive hit TV show La Voz Kids. She now wants the Rock to get behind her, as she competes in the penultimate round next Monday. The talented singer - who has sung at National Day and at numerous charity events - has fought off an incredible 20,000 applicants to reach the last 15. But the Westside pupil, whose family also has a home in Los Barrios, caused a stir on the Rock when she told the show’s judges she ‘came from Cadiz’. Ironically, the show aired just hours after Elisha had performed the Gibraltar national anthem of ‘llevame donde naci’ (Take me where I was born) at the Evacuation anniversary concert in September. “I know people might have been offended that I said I came from Cadiz on the show, but I didn’t know what to say,” Elisha told the Olive Press. “I have made it clear I am from Gibraltar in Spanish interviews. This is my home and I’m proud of it. “I want to thank everybody in Gibraltar who has supported me, especially at my school,” continued Elisha, who started
EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell performing at the age of three. Her father Scott added: “It should be about her voice, not where she is from.” The show’s producers initially had no issue with Elisha registering under a Gibraltar address. However, after succeeding at preliminary auditions in Sevilla and two in Madrid, her family were told by the show’s legal team she MUST have a Spanish address and town hall registration. Her mother Claire admitted: “We were worried that because she was from Gibraltar, it might affect her chances in the public vote.
Hindsight
“But it turns out that only the judges decide who goes through until the final, when it is up to the studio audience.” She added: “With hindsight, everyone has been so kind on the show that we don’t think mentioning Gibraltar would have made a difference.” Elisha, who now counts 10,000 Instagram followers, was actually born in Northumberland, in the UK, but moved to Los Barrios while two weeks old and has always been schooled in Gibraltar. Both her mother Claire and father Scott have Gibraltarian parents.
Opinion Page 6
NEWS
October 15th - 28th
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
Prison break IT may well be the shortestlived prison break in history. Following a tussle with a police sergeant an 18-year-old man escaped from his cell at New Mole House, sparking an ‘intense manhunt’ on the Rock. However, just one hour and
Gibraltar’s answer to notorious prisoner Charles Bronson is tracked down after ‘intense’ twohour manhunt 45 minutes later and Sean Casey was back in handcuffs, with a bruised ego and a bitten thigh to boot. Tracked down in Rosia Dale, Casey was taken down
He was originally charged with threatening to kill a RGP officer, however those charges were dropped after Casey ‘showed remorse’. His lawyer insisted his dash for freedom was not a premeditated action, but rather an ‘extremely stupid’ opportunist reaction. He said Casey showed remorse and had entered an early guilty plea.
by police dogs after threatening to kill a policeman with a broken glass bottle. He has now been sentenced to six months in prison for escaping police custody.
Batten down the (cyber) hatches ONE of Britain’s greatest online fraudsters has given businessmen and technology experts a lesson in cybercrime. Once considered ‘underworld royalty’, convicted cyber criminal Tony Sales has issued a word of warning to online companies on the Rock. Speaking aboard the Sunborn, he said Gibraltarbased businesses would become an increasing target for cyber criminals unless they tightened their virtual defences. “The online world is a fraudster’s playground,” Sales said. “The amount of online companies, especially in the gaming industry makes Gibraltar a prime target for online crooks.” Under false identities, Sales masterminded the theft of everything from high performance cars to property. Over a six year period he allegedly stole £30 million from retailers, leading the British media to dub him ‘Britain’s Greatest Fraudster’.
GIBRALTAR police’s biggest ever murder inquiry into the tragic death of a family of four in March has been concluded. The findings confirm there was no third party involved and also show the services of Estepona police were enlisted to investigate the family life of the British male, John Shannon, who was a resident there. Rumours suggested postnatal depression was at the root of a brutal murder-suicide of Spanish woman Anarda De La Caridad Perez Friman, 37, Liverpool man Shannon, and Friman’s two daughters aged four and six-weeks in a Boschetti’s Steps flat.
SALES: Fraudster
GIBRALTAR has been warned about a new online sex and blackmail scam. Facebook users have been targeted by a fraudster using a fake account, according to the Royal Gibraltar Police. Victims receive friend requests from females who, after a brief interaction, ask them to engage in a sexual act in front of their webcam. The extortionist then threatens to distribute the images or video on the internet, demanding payments ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds to stop. There have been three confirmed victims of the scam in the past week alone, all men in their 20s and 30s, according to police. “The advice in these cases is to never accept a friend request from anyone you do not know, and if you do become the target of any criminal activity, you should report the matter,” a spokesman said.
Case concluded
TRAGIC SCENE: At Boschetti’s Steps
The investigation, Op- Charles Pitto. eration Indigo, has been The Olive Press will report handed over to HM Coroner on the coroner’s findings.
You read it here first! W
HERE the Olive Press goes, others follow. Our story about a Gibraltar chocolate thief finally coming to a sticky end after 17 years on the run, was picked up in the Daily Mail, the Sun and the Rock’s own Panorama. Meanwhile our sister paper’s exclusive story of a woman given an ‘unnecessary’ double mastectomy due to a translation mixup at a Spanish hospital was also followed by the Daily Mail. And in a fortnight hat-trick a recent Al Jazeera feature on the growing tensions between Spain and Gibraltar linked to an Olive Press article from 2013, about a jet skier shot at by a Guardia Civil vessel in Gibraltar waters. R IN GIBRALTAR OUR SECOND PAPE BE LAUNCHING WE’RE PROUD TO ish-language
TODAY
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l, claiming memorial’s remova permission. ordered the have planning apthe body didn’t insisted it had, in fact, , The university to then PP-led city council 2011. plied twice erecting it in before finally d with four surviving memIt was unveile including British Brigadistas, . Lomon joined ber David British peopleto fight Around 4,000 Brigades tional dying Interna ds the with hundre Franco’s forces, Islington MP Corbyn in Spain. The
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Hit-andrun tragedy
Expat sues hospital after translation mix up leads to an ’ ‘unnecessary double mastectomy
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Back to life THE first ever commercial flight has touched down at Spain’s infamous ghost airport in Castellon, affour-and-a-half years ter it first opened.
Friendly fire SPAIN’S friendly with England in November has been moved from afMadrid to Alicante ter Gerard Pique was booed by Real Madrid for fans while playing Spain this month.
High tide SPANISH customs offiof cers seized ten tonnes off cannabis from a yacht the Almeria coast, which of was at ‘serious risk its sinking’ because of enormous hidden load.
Salt shakedown Scottish FOURTEEN off tourists were marched a flight to Tenerife when bag attendants mistook a of salt for drugs.
SWEET JUSTICE! d in Gibraltar after two Chocolate box thief fingere had must have thought he of IT will go down as one the sweetest crime breakthroughs in living memory. the Nearly two decades after theft of a box of chocolates has in Gibraltar, the culprit
EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan hand been caught with his in the jar. thief The Quality Street
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lifeguards, two NO less than four a tractor were council staff and evenone unwelcome enlisted to dispose of beach dweller in Estepona. 50cm wide was The huge jellyfish around bin bag on Playa first scooped up into a ceremoniously de la Rada before being of beachgoers. buried, to the amusementthe award for Should Estepona win Hall in Spain? the most efficient Townnewsdesk@theSend your answer to olivepress.es
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30th 2015
a jellyfish? does it take to bury EXCLUSIVE How many workers
Page 14
ear living hell.” been an eight-y left me comhospital it hasadded: “The operation has ce is shatRicky Wilson nfiden She is suing a Spanish Kaiser Chief’s Fest in her hav- pletely broken. My self-co A BRITISH expat , let alone let on the edge at Gib Music tion mix up resulted even touch myself after a transla ssary’ double mastectomy. tered, I can’t Page 20 me.” ing an ‘unnece has gone through ‘eight years someone else touch her case heard at trial is set to have Teresa Tarry, 49, for a benign lump in 2007. €600,000 in the op- Tarry month and is seeking ng e. followi of hell’ after surgery practic nt to next incapacity Left with 55% r-of-two Tarry was led her compensation for neglige eration, mothe a cancerous tumour in Incapacity believe she had red the a chamber maid, right breast. later she discoveand doc- Forced to quit her job as ty, Tarry has been ous However, weeks d mobili fact, not cancer in incapacity hospital due to her reduce lump was, in ’s Abente y Lago just €190 a month tors at A Coruna d her medical records. ta- living offplus savings since 2007. provided her benefits oing preven had misinterprete the hospital never while underg h being led It emerged that a translation mix up had r She claims tor, despite her Spanis transla a mothe with Tarry’s tive treatment, ‘alat the time. that both . ‘very limited’ breast cancer insisted that they doctors to believe suffered from to Spain from The hospital, however, when requested’. had sister and ual e translators – who moved iate chefs wowed In reality, Tarry 2000 – has no immed re ways provid comment on this individ Which Costa in cannot told the Olive Kate Moss and the Queen? therefo ester “We was man it Manch l spokes of cancer and 38 case,” a hospita Pages 36 and family history remove her breasts. night. 6 to last torrid a Page ssary on Press, such unnece Opini gone through “I have never the Olive Press. told reality In Tarry life. time,” to start a new “I came to Spain
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Breast op horror! Continued Page
SPAIN OP, 222: Teresa Tarry’s tragic translation mix-up
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get her QUEEN Letizia is to very own Barbie doll. wife King Felipe VI’s stylish Russian is being honoured by which company AFD Group, Gaga has also designed Lady and Elizabeth Taylor dolls.
On yer bike!
at the A €12,000 bike stolen reVuelta a Espana has beenseccovered from a Malaga ondhand shop. pilfered The bike, which was race on the third stage of the Malaga, was on offer through charge of animal cruelty. “I for just €120. a jerThe policeman added: “We are going to offerperson with stripes for the think he will remember bicycle,” long sey these chocolates for a came who stole the Orica “The said a police spokesman. time. They certainly final stage is jail.” to haunt him.”
decades on run
the got away with stealing £3.50 (€4.77) box of chocolates from a shop in 1998. over But, after chewing the back the crime for 17 years, Rock’s crack crime agency him. to it finally stuck Javier Now Spaniard Carlos been Aguilar-Ballester, 47, has taken to court over the theft. pleadresident Linea The La and ed guilty to the crimea sixhas been sentenced to month conditional discharge. beHe was fingered aftersepaing arrested over a rate animal cruelty offence drunk last month; allegedly by the dog his swinging and hind legs. residents’ after up Picked detectives complaints, to the quickly matched him inolder case, which was credibly still on file. we “When we arrested him, found he had the outstanding warrant for the chocolates,” a police spokesman told the Olive Press. in He is now set to appear on a court later this year
Tearing off a strip!
is deAN Italian woman in manding nearly €500,000 webdamages after a Spanishphoto site published a nakedIslands of her on her Canary
holiday. was The 38-year-old artist papped unaware she had been in the nude and was horrified a Spanwhen a friend found to ish website using her photo promote nudism online. the “It’s one thing to spend but it’s day on a nudist beach, can another when everybody see you naked,” she said.
GIBRALTAR OP, 1: Chocolate thief caught 17 years postcrime
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NEWS
the Gibraltar Olive Press October 15th - 28th
3
Walking in Main Street THE Rock became the backdrop for US rapper Beniton the Menace’s new video last month, and now it is the turn of pop rock group Lawson. The English band told revellers at Gibraltar Music Festival they would be filming their new video after the show… and they stuck to their word. Clips at the airport, up the Rock and of the band performing in Victoria Stadium all made the video for We are kings. We are Kings is the second single from the album, Perspectives, out later this year.
Starr seeking Lawyers heading to Spain to track down disgraced comedian Freddie Starr over million-euro legal bill A WOMAN who claimed to be groped by Freddie Starr has revealed she is following him out to Spain. Karin Ward’s representatives are set to slap a writ on the fallen comedian on the Costa del Sol, where he has fled to avoid a massive legal bill. Her lawyer in the UK told the Olive Press he was set to slap a writ on Starr, 72, at his new home in Mijas. Lawyer David Price insisted the funnyman was breaking the law by not paying the £1 million legal bill he owes her. As reported in our last issue, Starr fled to La Cala after he
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan lost his libel claim against Ward, in which he was seeking £300,000 in damages. Her lawyer estimates the costs to be around £400,000, plus a win fee and VAT, amounting to around £960,000. “He has to pay up,” Price told the Olive Press this week. “He lost the case in court and
LOOKING HOT: But not that often
Singing to be sexy! SHE has been singing in the shower and studying Katy Perry and Beyonce videos in a bid for lingerie longevity. Elsa Pataky has also been warbling to her husband, US actor Chris Hemsworth and her kids in the car to improve her singing prowess. All part of her role as the public face of lingerie brand Women’s Secret, the Spanish model and actress, certainly still looked stunning at a photoshoot in Madrid. However, she admitted she hardly had time to feel sexy any more, despite looking amazing in the video clip of her singing. “You have to search for sexy moments when you’re a mum,” she said at the launch. “When you have children you can’t spend too long looking in the mirror.”
is now trying to get out of paying up anyway he can.” However, when the Olive Press tracked Starr down to his La Cala Hills bolthole he said he was ‘skint’ and couldn’t afford to pay up. “I didn’t run away because of the court case,” he said. “If you haven’t got socks, you can’t pull them up. “I’ve got no money, plain and simple.” In August, court officials attempted to serve a statutory demand order to his UK home when his first payment of £334,000 was missed. But the comedian had already fled the country and was hiding out in Spain.
Silva dust THEY may have a 34-year age gap between them, but Richard Gere, 66, and Spanish lover Alejandra Silva, 32, have plenty to help them click. The daughter of a former Real Madrid vice president, she has revealed how the pair’s mutual humanitarian work and beliefs as Buddhists brought them close. In her first interview, confirming their relationship, the Spanish socialite told how they bonded through their ’love of helping those in need’, especially refugees and the homeless.
ESCAPE TO THE COSTA: Freddie Starr in Mijas and (inset) Ward
What’s he got that I haven’t? THE intention was to toast the Madrid launch of an alcoholic drink. But things got personal in a provocative selfie between television presenter Risto Mejide, 39, and David Beckham, 40. In a Twitter post, Mejide wrote: “Okay, he has more hair, more success, better looks, he’s nicer and has more money than me. “But what has David Beckham got that I haven’t?” The answer? Aside from his glamorous model girlfriend Laura Escanes who, at 19, is 20 years Mejide’s junior... GLAM: Escanes is just 19
4
the Gibraltar Olive Press October 15th - 28th
NEWS IN BRIEF
London calls GIBRALTAR Day in London was marked by an annual mass at Our Lady of Dolours Sevite Church in Fulham to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the World War Two evacuation.
Open fire THE Gibraltar Fire and Rescue service is set to celebrate its 150th anniversary with an open day in Casemates Square on Saturday 17.
Opportunity knocks THE government has released a draft paper to establish an equal opportunities commission to promote good practice in the fight against illegal discrimination in all fields.
Tartan charm SIX Scottish fans from the Tartan Army Sunshine Appeal delivered a £5,000 cheque to St Bernard’s Hospital’s Rainbow Ward as well as a Scottish Parliament motion praising hospital staff.
NEWS
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
We’re no colony! By Tom Powell
CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo has blasted the United Nations for ‘consistently thwarting’ Gibraltar’s fight to be removed from the list of non-self-governing territories. In a fiery New York speech, the Rock’s leader warned the UN that the Spanish were acting like the ‘last colonists of Europe’ in ignoring Gibraltarian wishes. He also emphasised that Gibraltar has repeatedly invited the Fourth Committee
Picardo issues scathing attack on Spain and United Nations in keynote New York speech
of 24 members to send a mission to the Rock, but has never even received a formal response. “We are better prepared to be removed from the list than many who have already been removed,” he insisted. “It is only because of the objections of the Spanish Government that we remain on the list of non-self governing territories.”
LEADING THE CHARGE
His address came just days after Spain’s foreign minister Jose Margallo told the UN’s General Assembly that Gibraltar is a colony which ‘plays unfair’. Strongly refuting Margallo’s words, he slammed the PP government’s ‘neo-colonial and expansionist approach’ and reminded the committee that Spanish ships had trespassed in Gibraltar waters 119 times in September alone.
Accusations
HE’S done his time spearheading NATO’s military operations in Turkey. Now, Royal Marine Lieutenant-General Edward Davis is to lead the charge as Gibraltar’s new governor. Born in Herefordshire, the senior military figure will succeed Sir James Dutton, who stepped down just two years into a three-year stint. He is to take up his position in early 2016, leaving the role to current deputy governor, Alison MacMillan, until then. The third of the last four governors to come from the Royal Marines, he is currently Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Land Command at Izmir, Turkey. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: “I am delighted at the news... and like many others I am proud of the long history that Gibraltar has with the Royal Marines.”
“There is no impediment to our delisting other than Spain insisting that the inalienable principle of selfdetermination should not apply to us as a people,” he said. “Our nation is the third largest in the world in GDP terms per capita. And our financial services are among the most highly regulated in the world. “Our sales of tobacco are also the most highly regulated in Europe, despite the annual criticism.
DEFIANT: Picardo pulled no punches in UN speech
“But on each occasion I have come here I have heard, like today, the baseless accusations of the distinguished Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain,” he added. In an equally feisty speech earlier in the week, Margallo
complained to the UN that Gibraltar’s government is damaging the Campo de Gibraltar, Spain’s treasury and the European Union. He said: “Spain cannot accept that the Gibraltarian authorities play unfair.”
Supreme ruling LOCAL barrister Suresh Mahtani, 48, has been cleared of all charges at the Supreme Court after being accused of perverting the course of justice.
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unit 36 harbours Deck, new harbours, Gibraltar NEWS
5
October 15th - 28th
Superyacht tel: 200 72210 Fax: 200 78874mystery email: Gibsn@dhl.com
IN PORT: But who owns Ecstasea, originally built for Abramovich (inset right)
Giant boat slides in to refuel and stock up, alongside visits from Paul Allen and Abramovich’s yachts this summer
BATTLE OF THE FLAGS
Opening hours Mon-Fri 08.30-18.00
In a week of tit for tat patriotism, flagbearers continue Spain and Gibraltar’s three-century-old border dispute in unusual places
Flagging it up... TWO British politicians have caused controversy by unfurling a Gibraltar flag in the European Parliament moments before a speech by the King of Spain. Eurosceptic UKIP MEPs James Carver and Julia Reid,
who represents Gibraltar, posted a photo on Twitter and Facebook of them holding the flag aloft. The pictures spread rapidly on social networks as the pair gained support for their move.
SCUBA stunt A SPANISH SCUBA diver is causing a storm on Twitter after he took to the Straits of Gibraltar to unfurl his country’s flag. The SCUBA stuntman posed for a photo with the Spanish flag tethered to a rock, while inside Gibraltar’s territorial waters. The photo went viral on social media, sparking thousands of comments for and against the diver’s actions.
MYSTERY surrounds the owner of a multimillion pound super yacht which has been docked in Gibraltar for a week. Ecstasea was built for Russian billionaire and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich in 2004, but was sold five years later. It has since been linked to everyone from American philanthropist Sonja Zuckerman to the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Pakistani billionaire Alshair Fiyaz. What is known is that the 86-metre luxury yacht boasts eight ‘staterooms’ for 12 guests, a helicopter pad, room for 25 crew members, a gym and a Jacuzzi. It is registered in the Cayman Islands. “It was here for a week or so and is now enroute to the Caribbean for the winter, as I understand it,” a source told the Olive Press. He added that Abramovich’s current superyachts had also been on the Rock this summer. “Both his boats Grande Blue and Eclipse have been in this
EXCLUSIVE summer, although Eclipse is so big it cannot dock anywhere and has to lay anchor in the bay.” He added that software tycoon Paul Allen’s boat Octopus was also in Gibraltar last month. “It was here just after a submarine from the ship located the bell from HMS Hood off Denmark. “It is an amazing boat, with a hanger inside big enough for two helicopters and bigger than a frigate.” The superyachts generally cost around £40 to 50 million a year to run and around £300,000 to fill up. Gibraltar is a popular place to fill up, thanks to its cheap fuel costs, and it is a busy docking off point. “It is not unusual to see a few members of crew stocking up the ship with 15 trolleys of goods from Morrisons,” added the source. “It is great for the local economy.”
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OPINION Nothing else matters IT was apt that Elisha Lang was tasked with singing Metallica’s ‘Nothing else matters’ in the most recent episode of Spanish hit show La Voz Kids. Because when this 12-year-old girl opens her mouth and sings, the politics over whether she is Gibraltarian, Spanish, English or otherwise really don’t matter. With her breathtaking voice, who cares where she is from! She will surely go far in life, irrespective of this particular competition. And that is something Gibraltar can be immensely proud of.
Reaching for the sky YOU can’t deny that Gibraltarians get about. While artist Christian Hook is signed on for a Sky Arts series and creates a Scottish ‘masterpiece’, Jonathan Lutwyche is training to dance at a prestigious New York academy. Family-trained cook Justin Bautista meanwhile, has put Gib on the food map and is it some strange coincidence that the Pope’s translator is – you guessed it – a Gibraltarian too. The Rock may be small, but it is a perfectly formed melting pot of ideas, first-rate education and heaps of ambition. Maybe it’s something in the water but one thing’s for sure… young, inspirational Gibraltarians are on a roll, and may the upward trend continue.
Out, but not down GIBRALTAR’S Euro 2016 campaign ended as it began - with a lacerating defeat. A 6-0 Scottish hammering underlined the size of the task facing Jeff Wood’s men as they grapple with the demands of competitive international football. Their inauspicious Group D qualifying campaign will go down as the worst in UEFA history - played 10, lost 10, goals conceded 56, goals scored 2. But from the rubble of such crushing defeats, glimmers of hope emerge. Head coach Wood gave skilful forward Jamie Coombes his debut, with Germany manager Joachim Low singling out the youngster for praise. Wood has also seen schoolboy Jayce Olivero ascend through the West Ham ranks since arriving there in March. The well-travelled Wood hopes by nurturing these young talents the national team’s fortunes will improve. This was Gibraltar’s first dip in the treacherous waters of a UEFA tournament. An injection of youth will hopefully invigorate an ageing squad.
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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Gibraltar Olive Press represents the local and expatriate communities working or living on the Rock with 10,000 copies distributed fortnightly on a Wednesday. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 (+34) 951 273 575 Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5 Calle Espinosa 1 Edificio centro comercial El Duque, planta primera, 29692 San Luis de Sabinillas, Manilva Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618
Dubbed the Costa del Crime, southern Spain has long harboured some of Europe’s most dangerous gangsters. Rob Horgan and Tom Powell take a look at the most notorious from the past and present
T
RAFFICKING drugs, robbing millions and pulling rivals’ teeth out with pliers can become tiresome after a while, even for the most hard-bitten of gangsters. So it makes sense that Europe’s biggest criminal firms of the last 50 years have pitched up on the Costa del Sol and Gibraltar to enjoy the fruits of their ill-gotten gains. Some, the clever ones, realised they could
make as much, even more, by getting involved in prostitution, drugs and peoplesmuggling. After all, Andalucia is one of the key entry points for not just immigrants, but cocaine, heroin and, of course, marijuana grown just across the pond. No surprise then that the coast has been a notorious playground for the most depraved criminal masterminds and nefari-
Polish Al Capone DUBBED the Godfather of European organised crime, Ricardo Fanchini is the slick-haired crook behind a multitude of trafficking and money-laundering operations. He founded his empire on fencing bootleg vodka throughout Europe, before moving onto the more sinister stuff - drugs and firearms. More recently, he organised ‘crime summits’ consisting of Europe’s most important mafia figures. Described as the ‘CEO of European organised crime’ by the BBC, it hardly comes as a surprise that there is a palatial villa, hidden up a long, winding driveway in the hills above Marbella, with two ornate ‘F’s decorating the iron gates; welcome to Casa
Fanchini. But the man described as the Polish Al Capone hasn’t been able to relax by his pool and enjoy the views out to Africa in some five years. He is currently languishing behind bars in an American prison, sentenced to 10 years in 2010 after agreeing a plea bargain. Fanchini admitted a single charge conspiring to distribute 424 kilos of ecstasy. His main link to the Costa del Sol currently comes in the shape of the Majestic urbanisation in Casares, the illegally-built complex which has seen former mayor Juan Sanchez facing 18 years imprisonment for his illicit agreements.
rob@theolivepress.es Iona Napier iona@theolivepress.es Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Admin / Distribution / Accounts: Maria González accounts@theolivepress.es Mirian Moreno admin@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: Chris Birkett Head of Sales (+34) 652 512 956 Stephen Shutes (+34) 671 834 479 Sarah Adams (+34) 655 825 683
ous gangland enforcers for decades. But with the demise of ‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser, the Mijas mobster and John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer of Brink’s-MAT infamy, some would think the hey-day of the Costa del Crime might be over. However there are certain ‘businessmen’ from Ireland, Eastern Europe and elsewhere who would suggest they think again...
GODFATHER: Fanchini ruled in Marbella
Lasting legacy Spain could do without
TWISTED: Gaspar (left) with convicted paedophile Max Clifford at Costa del Sol bash
WHERE Fanchini is involved, two other names are rarely out of the picture: Frank Mani, 55, and Robert Gaspar, 54, who together led the Polish criminal’s Kremlyovskaya gang. Police believe Gaspar, a French national of Ukrainian origin, is the mastermind behind the Majestic scandal. He is still the subject of an international arrest warrant, while Robert Mani, an Armenian, was arrested at Malaga airport last year. Their network, launched in 2004, included the now defunct Majestic TV station, as well as Sol Mijas developers and Blue Sky Television. The pair also took over the running – and subsequent ruining – of the now-deserted Mijas racecourse, under the guise of Carrera Entertainments. Gaspar even launched REM radio station with Costa celebrity Maurice Boland at the helm, into which he pumped hundreds of thousands of euros. It’s fair to say they have left quite a legacy, and not a proud one, in this part of the world.
Citizens arrest for the PP
A
S the general elections approach on December 20, many in the ruling PP party have already recognized that they may not win a clear majority to stay in power. The latest polls show that Prime Minister Rajoy might need the help of the up-andcoming centre-right force, Ciudadanos, if he intends to govern for a second term. Ciudadanos (Citizens), which grew from a Catalan conservative citizens movement 10 years ago to a budding political party, has been gaining strength in many regions as PP moderates sway towards its side. Ciudadanos’ charismatic lead-
RIO ALEG MA
RIA
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Gangsters’ paradise
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GIBRALTAR
Tom Powell tom@theolivepress.es Rob Horgan
FEATURE
the Gibraltar Olive Press October 15th - 28th
MADR Mario Alegria takes a look at the problems Prime Minister Rajoy faces in run up to MATTE ID RS winter elections and policy.
er Albert Rivera seems intent on splitting the PP to leave behind the harsh right-wing remnants from the Franco regime, which have guided public policy since Rajoy has been in office. His strategy could work if he publicly came out and denounced many of the party’s political shortcomings and antiquated thinking. But that may not happen. Political partnerships are the products of negotiations and silence. The PP has already
spread the word that it won’t broker any change of leadership within the party. In other words, Rajoy is the only candidate for prime minister and there won’t be any challenges against him. Rivera may not have the political savvy to become prime minister, but he is coy enough to push the PP into some tough talks if he intends on forming a pact. The conversations will no doubt centre on power-sharing
One sticking point where Rivera won’t budge however, are the issues of corruption and cronyism – problems that have plagued the PP for decades. Ciudadanos wants tighter measures to ensure that former officials are brought to justice. The problem with this demand is that there will a lot of collateral damage within the PP itself. This, no doubt, is a situation that Rajoy does not want to find himself dealing with.
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FEATURE
the Gibraltar Olive Press October 15th - 28th
7
The fearsome Irish Kinahan clan CONNECTED to drugs and money laundering on a global scale and linked to a string of brutal murders, the Kinahan clan could have stepped straight out of a Martin Scorsese movie. But this is real life and the notorious crime organisation is active here, on the Costa del Sol. The Irish-run gangster clan has established itself as a modern day Mafiosa, running riot along the Spanish coast since landing in 2003. Worth an estimated €500 million, the gang’s leader Christy ‘the Dapper Don’ Kinahan is considered Ireland’s wealthiest criminal in history. The clan however, was dealt a heavy blow in 2010, when a covert Spanish-Irish police operation put 34 of his gang behind bars - 22 in Spain, including the Dapper Don himself and his righthand man, John Cunningham. Codenamed Operation Shovel, 20 vehicles, over €1 million in cash and several firearms were seized. But a string of brutal murders over the past 18
months suggest the gang is back in action. Out of jail since April 2013, Christy has wasted no time reestablishing himself at the helm of the organisation and allegedly settling scores with foot soldiers who fell out of line during his time behind bars. Shot three times by a balaclava-wearing hitman at his Mijas swimming pool, Gary Hutch’s execution last month is being reported in Ireland as a show of strength by the clan. Coming after the killings of major drug players, Gerard ‘the Hatchett’ Kavanagh and brother Paul, Irish and Spanish authorities fear more murders will follow. Mown down in broad daylight at a bar in Marbella, leaving bullets sprayed across a public square, the ‘Hatchett’, like Hutch, met his end after allegedly stealing over €100,000 from the drugs lord. It was third time unlucky for Hutch who survived
two previous hits - one leaving former British boxing champion Jamie Moore fighting for his life after he was shot outside the Kinahan’s €10 million Estepona pad in a case of mistaken identity. (Big boxing fans themselves, the Kinahans are regularly seen ringside, cheering on Marbella-based fighter Matthew Macklin.) Now the next disloyal member is alleged to be in the clan’s sights - Dublin-based ‘Fat Freddie’ Thompson. A former partner of Hutch and the Hatchett, the trio set up operations in Spain in 2009 but a hit on all three in Puerto Banus saw partner Paddy Doyle killed, leaving the others little choice but to team up with the Kinahans. It was in fact that hit which put Operation Shovel in motion. Like his former associates, Fat Freddie is allegedly suspected of dipping his hands in the CLAMPING kitty, leading to fears that a gangland war is ‘in DOWN: Kinahan danger of exploding’ on the Costa del Sol, with Kinahan ‘heavies’ Dublin-bound to meet with key enforcer Paul Rice. Rice himself fell out of favour with the KinaTHE crooks behind the the record Brink’s-MAT gold bullion robbery Meanwhile, Olive Press sources claim Noye could be set for a return hans last year but apwere no strangers to Spain’s shores. to his Costa de la Luz property when he is released from UK prison in pears to have mended Both John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer and two-time convicted killer Kenneth the next year. relations. But it is not Noye owned property in Spain, probably quite a lot of it. Hiding out near Zahara de los Atunes for four years before he was just internal affairs that Palmer - who spent most of his time in Tenerife - was murdered by caught, Noye allegedly flew in and out of Gibraltar numerous times could bubble over. The Spanish hitmen earlier this year. while police searched for him. Kinahans are also out to get a number of rival FROM LEFT: gangs, it is reported. A long-running turf war Charlie Wilson, with the notorious Lon‘Mad’ Frankie don and Spain-based Fraser, Ronnie Adams family could Knight and John reach boiling point as Palmer the long arm of the law finally comes down on leaders Terry and PatLondon gangland brutality than ‘Mad Frankie del Sol during the hey-day of cockney gangsy Adams. sters, where he became known as the king Fraser’. While Terry - reportedly The notorious enforcer spent 42 of his 90 of the lot. worth tens of millions years in prison but still found time to build a He even married his third wife, Sue Haylock, of euros - has been reputation for carrying out horrific attacks on in Fuengirola in 1987. Unable to resist taking pinned on ill-gotten TWO key figures in Britain’s most iconic heist - his rivals - with razors and pliers. a cheeky shot at the law, their wedding cake gains, Patsy’s €4 milthe Great Train Robbery - hid out on the Costa He worked for the Krays - the rulers of London was in the shape of a prison. lion villa in Mallorca del Sol to avoid the heat. in the 1960s, as well as the Richardsons, a But Knight’s Spanish dream came crashing was stormed by poCharlie Wilson - also involved in the Brink’s- similar force to be reckoned with. down when he was jailed for seven years in lice in June and the MAT robbery - owned property on the coast Fraser, who died last year, was certified in- 1994 for his role in a multi-million pound crimelord was picked but came to his end in 1990 when a hitman sane three times. armed robbery in London. up in Holland in Auriding a bicycle took him out in Marbella. He was certainly crazy about the Costa del Nowadays the 77-year-old lives in a rented gust on an attempted His former partner in crime, Gordon Goody, Sol, having owned a villa in La Cala de Mijas flat in Cambridge on a £130 a week pension. murder charge. moved to southern Spain after his release where he enjoyed regular sun-drenched holiThe clan may also turn from UK prison in 1975 and still resides in days. His son is said to still live in the area. their attentions to the Almeria today. Dundons trampled emAnd while his criminal associates – Ronnie pire in Ireland - reportBiggs and Bruce Reynolds (to name just two) FREDERICK Foreman enjoyed the good life in edly teaming up with – became cult figures in the UK, Goody esSpain for more than a decade before returnLimerick-based travelcaped to Spain to run beach bar Chiringuito ing to the cold reality of a UK jail sentence, ler gangs as well as the Kon Tiki in Mojacar. just like his coworker Ronnie Knight. Keane family to take OF all the villains who fled to the so-called The Krays’ former henchman, Brown Bread what’s up for grabs. Costa del Crime in the 1980s, Ronnie Knight Fred was part of the 1980s Marbella scene There is no doubt the was arguably the most colourful. which led to the Costa del Crime nickname. Kinahan clan will conThis was largely due to his marriage to East- But time catches up with everyone eventutinue to flex its musenders star Barbara Windsor, who even gave ally, and Fred was convicted of the disposal cles over the next 12 evidence in his defence in court. of Jack ‘the Hat’ McVitie’s body after he was months. Where and how Knight spent 11 years hiding out on the Costa killed by Reggie Kray. THERE are few names more synonymous with remains to be seen.
Looking back on Golden Oldies
Runaway train robbers
Gangster King of the Costa del crooks
Brown Bread Fred
Mad mobster of Mijas
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OLIVE PRESS – 105mm x 256mm – Colour
30th September / 14th October
CAMPO DE GIBRALTAR NEWS
8 NEWS IN BRIEF Roman record Story time THE Roman remains of Baelo Claudia welcomed a record 17,347 visitors during the month of September.
CHILDREN in San Roque are in store for the return of afternoon storytelling sessions at the town’s libraries.
Housing boom
Car boost
PROPERTY sales in Algeciras increased 42% in the first half of the year, compared to 2014.
THE sale of new cars has risen by 30% in Cadiz province, with more than 12,000 registered in one year.
Water works
Rainy day
A COMMITTEE has been launched in Sotogrande to study waste collection and water supply in the municipality.
THE annual Algeciras bike festival suffered a poor turn-out due to the rain, with only half of the 500 registered for the cycle actually taking part.
October 15th - 28th 2015
Mayor’s defence
THE mayor of San Roque has appeared in court over claims he illegally prevented the recording of a plenary session. He was denounced by the local police over the incident, which took place in 2013. The mayor claimed that ‘none of the actions concerned are a criminal offence’. Furthermore, he insisted the case had only come to court due to pressure from the opposition PP party. The lawyer who pushed the case was allegedly named on the PP’s 2011 voter list. The case continues.
Fishermen fiends
ABUSE: Dolphin death
Illegal fishing crew denounced for killing dolphins
TWO Spanish environmental groups have denounced illegal fishing crews for killing dolphins in the Bay of Algeciras. PACMA and Verdemar have both submitted complaints that illegal tuna fishing in the Straits of Gibraltar is leading to the ‘unnecessary deaths of dolphins’. PACMA, a political party that champions animal rights, is leading calls for an investigation into whether the crimes are being committed in Spanish or Gibraltarian waters. “The death of these dolphins is done with clear malice,” a PACMA spokesman told the Olive Press. “The abuse of these dolphins should not go unpunished by any legislation, be it Spanish or British.
Books are back
THE old pastime of heading to the library and burying yourself in a book appears to be making a comeback in Algeciras. The municipal library achieved record summer figures, with more than 5,300 visitors in August alone. The provincial councillor for culture, Pilar Pintor, has called on residents to make the most of the network of local libraries, and the numerous activities they put on throughout the year.
Killed
“We demand the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries opens an investigation to shed light on the horrible death of these sensitive animals.” Both groups claim dolphins are regularly killed after being caught up in nets from boats illegally fishing for tuna. Verdemar claim there are ‘at least 15’ boats regularly fishing in the Straits without appropriate licences.
Tuna thief caught THE Guardia Civil has caught a van driver transporting 14 unregistered bluefin tuna in Tarifa. Officers first became suspicious when they noticed a large amount of water gushing from the back door of the van as it left the port. When they stopped the vehicle, they discovered the fish inside, with the driver having no proper documentation showing where they had been caught. There are strict quotas and regulations on bluefin tuna fishing on the Costa de la Luz, to avoid overfishing. The 550kg of tuna was deposited with the Campo de Gibraltar food bank, while the driver faces a court hearing.
Family denied human rights A TRADE union is planning a protest campaign to support a Castellar family whose water supply has been cut for five years. SAT has accused social services, water company Arcgisa and Castellar mayor Juan Casanova of denying the family’s human rights. An 89-year-old woman and her son with heart disease live in the property, which they are unable to clean or cook in. “It is inhuman that a family, with serious health problems, has no access to clean water,” said a SAT spokesperson. “We urge Casanova to urgently assist this family.”
WATER WOES: Kitchen
11
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
At last!
GREEN NEWS
the Olive Press October 15th - 28th 2015
Bluefin bandits
RhiNOTeros LONG TIME COMING: Clean-up operation at Palomares, Almeria THE US government has finally agreed to clear up the nuclear fall-out at the Almerian coastal resort of Palomares. Two US Air Force planes carrying four nuclear bombs collided in 1966, killing seven crew members. Two bombs split apart, disseminating radioactive matter over nearly three square kilometres of Palomares. Nearly five decades later after what was dubbed the ‘worst
America to clear up site of nuclear disaster nearly half a century after catastrophe struck By Rob Horgan nuclear accident in US history’ and years of complaints from residents, decontamination is set to take place. Palomares, a town of 16,000
Green group’s warning AN environmentalist group has denounced Andalucian local authorities for ‘negligence’ after floods in September caused four deaths around Granada. Ecologistas en Accion criticised ‘totally uncontrolled’ building work of greenhouses on the coast’s crumbling hills, which causes ‘enormous’ erosion and land movement. The greenhouses also produce rubbish that is dragged to the sea by heavy rains. An Ecologistas en Accion spokesman said: “While it is not known when the rains will fall, it is well known that events like these are common and that the state of the land has a lot to do with the misfortunes that have occurred. “Should we wait until hundreds die, and the floods swallow schools and houses?”
- half of whom are British expats - was covered in nuclear waste and, in the ensuing years, only 25% of the radioactive damage has been dealt with. In March, more than 45,000 people signed a change.org petition demanding the US clear up the mess ‘once and for all’. The job is due to begin in the new year and is expected to take two years to complete. The US Department of Energy plans to dig up affected areas, ship them out in containers and bury them in the Nevada desert.
Sea clearly now MANILVA is leading the way in an attempt to clean up the seas. Twenty volunteer divers will be taking to the seas off Sabinillas and Duquesa until the end of the month in a bid to remove rubbish from the seabed. THE Royal Navy has been on a special operation in GibralAs reported in the Olive Press tar; bird ringing. last week (Deep sea crusadHere, twitchers have captured three redstarts, recognisaers, Issue 223) litter and polble from their reddish tails. lution are depleting the world’s The Royal Naval Birdwatching Society is open to all servoceans, with half the number of ing or former personnel, and undertakes regular excurmarine species disappearing in sions throughout Europe. AF-10-1-olivepress.pdf 1 02/10/2015 13:42:30 45 years.
Redstart head-start
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why not
DON’T let the name frighten you. Rhinoceros iguanas are only about a metre long, and they won’t hurt you as long as you behave. The reason for their name? A bony outgrowth on the snout which looks like – but most certainly isn’t – a horn. This threatened lizard species is primarily found in the Caribbean, with skin colours ranging from a steely grey to a forest green. But the Costa del Sol is in luck too, as Fuengirola Bioparc is also home to this special creature.
A MAJOR illegal fishing network has been broken up on the Costa del Sol. A total of 18 people face charges relating to marine violations after 1,800 kilos of illegally caught bluefin tuna were seized by the Guardia Civil in Estepona. The fisherman are linked to alleged illegal activities along the entire coast, using speed boats to transport their catch back to their Estepona base.
Green growth SALES of electric cars in Andalucia were up a whopping 35% in 2015, but the number was only 84 units. So the increase in green-powered vehicles means motorists are unlikely to be stuck behind one in traffic. Overall sales in Spain hit 698, up 29.02% on the same period last year.
12
the Gibraltar Olive Press October 15th - 28th 2015
POTTED POINTERS EMERGENCIES Police 199 Medical service 190 Fire 190 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.14American dollars 0.74 British pounds 1.47 Canadian dollars 7.46 Danish kroner 8.82 H Kong dollars 9.17 Norwegian kroner 1.59 Singapore dollars ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 60.59% Same week last year: 71.33% Same week in 2005: 49.44% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000
A view to miss DEAR OP, I can empathise with the former governor (I’ll miss my Med Steps runs, issue 2). When I left Gibraltar after working there for five years, there were many things I missed. But walking, running and skipping up the Mediterranean Steps as the sun was setting after a hard day’s work was certainly one of the things I missed the most. It’s such a beautiful path with stunning views that many people forget exist in Gibraltar. Celina Love, Estepona
Bull buster I HAVE been a resident in Spain for 13 years. During my time here I read that Spain had at last passed a bill against cruelty to animals. Sadly there is little evidence that the law is being enforced. Your report of the vile cruelty to a bull at the Toro de la Vega festival showed how mentally sick these revolting men are (Speared to death, issue 222). Why don’t the police stop it? Is the mayor as evil as those men on horseback or was he threatened or bribed?
In the last Gibraltar Olive Press, we reported on a controversial geocache causing a storm because it was placed at the iconic Baelo Claudia on the Costa de la Luz. Here’s just some of the reaction:
Rule breakers TOO bad the hiders and seekers have forgotten the rules of placing a cache (Hidden threat, the Gibraltar Olive Press issue 2). The number one rule is to NEVER place a cache on a monument or a historic place and to always respect the earth. We love Geocaching and finding new beautiful new places but would never, ever destroy or change any part of a place whether historic or not.
Beast of burden
what happened in Mijas is indeed a disgrace, but the wider point about these donkeys hauling overweight tourists around doesn’t hold water (Exhausted donkey kicked and dragged in Mijas, OP online). Donkeys are beasts of burden and it must be remembered that the reason for donkeys being in Mijas in the first place was to carry heavy loads of fish up to the village from Fuengirola port - a distance of over eight kilometres up a steep hill. Contrast that to their virtually flat tourist route of around one kilometre and it puts things in some perspective.
I WOULD never condone any kind of animal cruelty, and
Alan Boardman, Fuengirola
Lynne Bower, Alhaurin el Grande
LETTERS
www.gibraltarolivepress.com
Gotta cache them all!
Play fair
Simple solution
PEOPLE like this give geocaching a bad name. It’s a shame that more hiders don’t think about the location they’re hiding the cache, and how it may affect the area it’s in. I hope the issue at Baelo Claudia is sorted quickly and doesn’t hamper the fun which the geocaching community enjoys. Most hiders are responsible but some ruin it for everyone else.
I DOUBT that Baelo Claudia’s management can actually take ‘legal action’ against anyone. More importantly, I’m sure that if they contacted geocaching.com, the cache would be removed at least from the website. They would also see that the actual container – provided by geocaching.com - is removed from the site. It’s unfortunate that this has happened but it’s just a small problem with a simple solution.
Katie Lynn, Algeciras
Seth Bragg, La Linea
Food for thought WAIT a minute, the Spanish recovery was supposed to be in full swing, loads of new jobs and house prices all rising, and yet people are still struggling to put food on the table? Surely not? (Cooking up a storm, issue 223). It is crazy that we have millions of empty homes in Spain that no one can sell, and yet we still have homeless on the streets. Fred Smith, Malaga
Water works HOW are the people in Coin responsible for the flooding which took place 20 years ago? (Water fight, issue 223) It is totally crazy to think they should pay up. It is beyond cheeky from the town hall. But then again this is Spain, the town halls are skint and someone needs to top up the coffers. Stuart Crawford, Coin
Double bogey I WOULD like to clear up something from the last issue (issue 223). In the article Golf fair tees off, I am named as a sponsor. In fact, I have no part in the golf show whatsoever.
Lost in translation Little sympathy WHILE I feel desperately sorry for Teresa Tarry I can’t help but feel she is responsible for her own situat ion (Breast op horror, issue 222 Spain). If her Spanish was limited, why didn’t she take with her and have her paperwork translated an interpreter We are after all in Spain, the official languinto Spanish. age is Spanish not English. I have interpreted in Malaga hospitals for 15 more and more medical staff speak English,years and while the patient’s responsibility to understand theultimately it is Suing for €600,000 will take money from doctors. an already impoverished health service and force unnecessar y suffering for other people.
Buck stops where?
Bev Warnes, Malaga
THIS is an awful situation. I agree that Tarry should have demanded a translator or solicited one herself. However, the buck must stop with the docto duty to take as much care as possible and to rs. It is their double check her records are correct. Surely the Spanish medical authorities speak to doctors in the UK? You would think Tarry’s doctor in Spain would have spoken to her UK GP prior to undertaking such a major operation and the whole translation mix up could have been averted. Laura Robinson, Tarifa I was originally asked to sell ‘stand space’ on behalf of the organiser, Jan Cooney, which I considered and then declined. I had asked Cooney to remove my name from any promotional material where it had originally appeared inappro-
priately and incorrectly spelt. Neither my name nor my golf society has anything to do with the event despite it appearing on original PR material. Lynn Fisher, Marbella
Letters should be emailed to letters@theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.
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la cultura
Calling all artists!
BUDDING artists have been invited to compete in the 42nd Gibraltar International Art Exhibition. The winner will be rewarded with the Gustavo Bacarisa Prize of £4,000, with second and third prizes of £2,000 and £1,500. There will also be a special prize for young artists (aged 16 to 24) of £1,000, and £3,000 for the best Gibraltar-themed artwork, courtesy of the Parasol Foundation Trust.
Each artist may enter two paintings and two sculptures which are original and not previously entered competitively. Entries can be handed in at the Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries from October 19 to 23, between 1pm and 6pm. Entry forms are available from the Fine Arts Gallery, the Mario Finlayson National Art Gallery, John Mackintosh Hall or by emailing info@culture.gov.gi.
Gibraltarian artist ‘one of the 100 great masterpieces’ in Scottish gallery EXCLUSIVE By Iona Napier GIBRALTARIAN artist Christian Hook is riding an astounding wave of success. His portrait of actor Alan Cumming has been recognised as one of the 100 greatest masterpieces in Scotland’s national galleries alongside the likes of Botticelli, da Vinci, El Greco and Velazquez. Remarkably, the winner of Sky Portrait Artist of the Year 2014 is one of just five living artists to make the list. And his appearances on Sky Arts television channel are also breaking records. “I really can’t believe any of it,” Hook told the Olive Press. “I found out my painting of Alan Cumming was chosen
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Scarily good expansion! IT is already established as Gibraltar’s firm favourite for lingerie and swimwear, but AimeeJay’s at the ICC has now expanded to offer even more. The shop has operated for over 11 years and stocks more than 480 sizes. And with Halloween around the corner, the fancy dress area has been extended to offer more children’s costumes. There is a wide range of costumes for him, her, the kids and even cute baby costumes. While the great new changing rooms are twice the size with new aircon and electronic screens, all decorated in their trademark butterflies.
Realistic
TALENTED: Christian Hook, with Alan Cumming
Hooked! as a Scottish masterpiece through an online article and it was an amazing surprise.” He continued: “And I also found out the programme of me painting the work with
Libraries unite GIBRALTAR’S libraries have united to form one forum for development. The Gibraltar Libraries Forum, part of the new university, aims to improve access to collections as well as creating a unique, combined collection specific to Gibraltar. The Botanical Gardens, Garrison Library, Health Authority Medical Library, Heritage trust and John Mackintosh Hall make up the group, along with the Gibraltar Museum, National Archives, Ornithological and Natural History Society and finally the University Library. The University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Daniella Tilbury said: “Partnerships lie at the heart of the University’s mission. I am delighted with this collaborative initiative which draws on the existing wealth of information, increases access to those researching Gibraltar’s rich heritage as well as extends our knowledge base.”
Cumming received extraordinary numbers of viewers.” The show which followed Hook’s collaboration with Cumming saw the channel record its highest viewer ratings of the year and led to a string of similarly popular programmes. Hook has since been filmed painting a trio of famous portraits: Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall, BAFTA-nominated actress Sue Johnston and former Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba. His exhibition, Reinterpreting the Past, opens this week at London’s prestigious Mayfair Gallery where commissions for his work sell for as much as ₤75,000. The secret of his success? “I don’t wait for inspiration,” reveals Hook.
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Fine tunes THE Gibraltar Music Festival will go head-to-head with Spain’s Benicassim festival at this year’s UK Music Festival Awards. In the running to win Best Overseas Festival, other European nominees are Electric Picnic (Ireland), NOS (Portugal) and Lollapolooza (Germany). Nominated after hosting its biggest-ever lineup, GMF’s star acts at the two-day September festival included Kings of Leon, Paloma Faith and Kaiser Chiefs. “We are really pleased to be in the running,” a GMF spokesperson said. “A nomination for this award shows we are turning heads in the live music industry as well as keeping our ticket buyers happy.”
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Lost and found HAVE you lost touch with a friend or family member over the years? Or perhaps lost a treasured object? The Gibraltar Olive Press’ new ‘lost and found’ column aims to reunite people with anything they have lost - literally anything - through the services of our expert genealogist and researcher Robert Barrett. Please contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575 to begin your hunt.
A new rotating touch-screen allows for easy selection of bedroom wear, fancy dress and even the option to email choices straight to your inbox. All the new mannequins are 34FF rather than the more commonly used 34B models, thus reflecting a more realistic and average size lady. Finally, all the extras needed for the perfect costume can be found, such as make-up, blood, liquid latex and even a collection of over 100 different scary contact lenses... oh and make sure you get your photo taken with vampires outside!
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la cultura
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Culture vultures
MAYBE they’re intrepid or maybe it’s the weather, but Brits are the biggest travellers in Europe, a recent survey has revealed. UK residents visit an average of nine countries and fly 16 times over the course of their lives, while the average Spaniard visits six countries and boards a plane 13 times. Unsurprisingly, less than one in 10 Spaniards travel ‘to escape bad weather’, while a similarly low 12% of Brits prioritised good weather in their holiday plans. The main travel motive for the British is to enjoy time with family (38%), while Spaniards get away to relieve stress (48%) – not such a priority for the French (19%). The LastMinute.com study on 6,000 itchy-footed Europeans across the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain was in honour of World Tourism Day on September 27.
October 15th - 28th 2015
That’s life for Lit fest! Esther Rantzen to headline Gibraltar’s biggest literary festival yet
DAME Esther Rantzen (pictured) is to headline November’s third Gibraltar Literary Festival, the biggest yet, with an array of distinguished novelists, historians, biographers and public figures. TV celebrity Rantzen will share experiences from her lifelong involvement with charities including Childline and The Silver Line. The November 12-15 event will feature a lecture from Country Life editor John Goodall about the magazine and the history of its architectural coverage. Professor Ashley Jackson will
Rose garland ONE of ‘The 13 Roses’ executed by Franco’s forces during the Spanish Civil War is to be honoured in Jaen. La Carolina Town Hall, in Jaen is to make Ana Lopez Gallego an ‘honorary mayor’ of the city. Born in the town and dead at 21, Lopez Gallego was one of 13 young women and 43 men shot by a fascist firing squad in Madrid. The executions were immortalised in director Emilio Martinez-Lazaro’s 2007 film, Las 13 Rosas, which won four Goya Awards.
discuss Gibraltar’s role during the age of imperial travel, Professor Robert Goodwin will speak on ‘Spain at the Centre of the World, 1519-1628’ and Dr Caroline Campbell, a National Gallery curator, will cast her eye over Italian Renaissance painting. Meanwhile, the biography of the late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie will be presented by his great-nephew, Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate, who knew him well. The emperor stayed at the Rock Hotel in 1936 on his way into exile in Britain. There will also be lectures from Lebanese Michelin-star chef Greg Malouf, Scottish journalist John Carlin, a foreign correspondent for El Pais and Anthony Sattin, a Middle East expert. Professor Andrew Lambert of King’s College London will talk about Gibraltar and the Royal Navy in World War II. There are many more great lectures to be enjoyed across various venues. Tickets and a preliminary programme will be available soon. Minister for Tourism Samantha Sacramento said the ‘festival has become an important part of Gibraltar’s calendar and has proved a success in opening up the Rock as a major cultural venue to the rest of Europe’.
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of Wall words A MALAGA mural is helping bridge language barriers. George Kowzan’s Word Art Portraits was unveiled at the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas this month. The 14m x 4.5m painting contains 6,909 words, painted in 11 different languages to form five types of faces - Asian, Magrebi, South American, African and European. “I knew that my portraits would, in theory, work well on such a scale and now I can see that they do,” said Kowzan. The language school’s motto of ‘I understand you’ was the inspiration for the work. The artist is also a judge at the Gibraltar Spring Art competition.
Basqueing in limelight A BASQUE-language film has been selected to represent Spain at the Oscars for the first time. Loreak was premiered at the San Sebastian film festival last year, and was the first Basque production to be nominated for best film at the Goyas. Jon Garaño and Jose Mari Goenaga’s feature focuses on a woman receiving flowers from a mystery admirer. The last Spanish film to bag a Best Foreign Language Oscar was Alejandro Amenábar’s The Sea Inside (Mar adentro) in 2004.
I am delighted to have been appointed Headmaster of Prior Park School, Gibraltar, the fourth school to join the Prior Park Schools' family. Our aim is to inspire and challenge every child by offering stimulating educational opportunities and to build a school of which all of Gibraltar can be proud. We will open for Years 8 through to 10 in September 2016, Years 11 and 12 in 2017 with full school provision in September 2018. For details of how to register your child please visit our website. Peter Watts Headmaster, Prior Park School, Gibraltar
An Education for Life
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la cultura He’s best known for his dark subject matter but a groundbreaking new portrait exhibition shows a lighter side to the famous Spanish artist, writes Joe Duggan
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CONFIDENT: And contemporary in self-portrait
new exhibition of Goya’s portraits is set to challenge the prevailing image of the exalted Spanish artist. Perhaps the London show, Goya: The Portraits, will even draw some of the capital’s more feral youth to the National Gallery, as Goya was recently credited with patenting hoodie fashion in his ‘Hat And Cloak Riots’. Goya’s portraits number around 160, about one third of his total artistic output, 70 of which have been sourced from public and private collections around the world for the groundbreaking show, some of them never seen before in the capital. These often playful and honest depictions of his subjects don’t chime with the orthodox view of Goya as an artist whose personal torments wrung horrific images from the darkest nights of his depression, caused by deafness. Goya’s depiction of Saturn devouring his son, his two gi-
Goya in a new light CHARLES IV: Spanish Royal family
ants, feet submerged in the soil, clubbing one another to death, his coven of grotesque cackling women, faces hideously distorted with malevolent laughter, are just some of
the arresting images that halt you in your tracks at Madrid’s El Prado. Seamus Heaney, gazing at the works in August 1969, saw them as a metaphor
for the re-emergence of the bloody violence that had started to convulse his native Northern Ireland. Goya’s
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ued rolling in so his superiors either appreciated, or didn’t notice, the absence of any fawning in his work. He was also fond of ‘putting himself in the picture’, a stylistic trick Velazquez also adopted in his court paintings. Goya paints the Duchess of Alba coquettishly pointing to his name - Solo Goya (only Goya) - on the ground. The gesture is freighted with erotic symbolism, and set the rumour mill rumbling about an illicit affair (the Duchess’s husband died in 1796 and Goya, in his role as royal painter, spent time with her
FAMOUS: The Family of Infante Don Luis with Goya seated HomeINS-A4.pdf 1 06/06/2013 15:34:32 (left)
DUKE AND DUCHESS: Of Osuna
between July 1797 and March 1798). In his 1784 portrait of the Family of the Infante Don Luis, Goya is depicted painting the group. The artist loved the disgraced Don Luis, the king’s brother, who was exiled from Madrid and stripped of his Bourbon title for his carousing and fondness for prostitutes. Goya presents the playboy ex-prince and his family as carefree, a depiction Don Luis would have appreciated as he yearned to free himself from the societal mores and constraints of the age. Goya’s presence in the foreground adds to the painting’s sense of playful unconventionality. In bringing together works from as far apart as Madrid, New York, Dallas and Zaragoza, the exhibition offers a unique window into the soul of one of Spain’s most celebrated and enigmatic masters.
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DUCHESS: Pointing to Goya’s name in the ground
The exhibition runs until January 10, 2016.
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Property
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the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015
Ticket to park
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EARS ago, long before starting a career in property, I remember thinking… ‘Real estate, how hard can it be?’ As it turns out, not so hard, just as long as you are a qualified psychologist, tax adviser, lawyer, accountant, relocation expert, interior designer, marriage counsellor and, very often, a good friend. I thought women were the only ones who could multitask but estate agents are something else entirely. Let me give you an example: This month a wealthy, openminded, English-educated entrepreneur became a client, insisting Gibraltar was the place for him and his young family.
Inventive
700 new spaces created at MidTown car park GIBRALTAR’S car park problems may have been solved with the addition of 350 free parking spaces to MidTown Car Park. The government has announced that a further 350 spaces – bringing the total to 700 – will be available by the end of this month. The MidTown Car Park will also provide secure overnight accommodation for taxis, as well as a new coach park. Parking will be free of charge while construction at MidTown continues. However, when fully opened, only holders of the new Gibraltar electronic ID card will be able to park for free. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: “This Government has recognised and listened to the public’s concerns about the serious car parking problem in Gibraltar that has affected the daily lives of many people.”
But while finding the perfect home to match his very specific criteria, the word ‘compromise’ kept creeping into my vocabulary. Gib is a very small place, after all, and we are limited by space! I quickly knew I would have to be inventive – especially having discovered that husband and wife both had completely disparate and conflicting requirements. “I want to renovate and improve,” stated the rather geeky husband. “I want something new and shiny,” responded the chic,
October 15th - 28th 2015
I would do everything for love (and a sale) With decades of real estate experience on the Rock, the Olive Press’ new columnist, the ‘Secret Agent’ has more than a few tales up his/her sleeve. Welcome to the first column, where one customer is looking for more than just a house, school, cars and a boat for his family... stylish wife. A session of marriage counselling over, we compromise, and went off to find the (nearly) perfect house. Next up, I was asked to explain the benefits of the state schooling system in Gibraltar versus international schools in Spain and boarding schools in the UK. While interviewing the children, I felt I was no longer an estate agent but a Gabbitas education expert. Finally, as if by magic, the possibility of being educated in a well-renowned private school right on their doorstep prevailed. “I had a mate who went to a school at Prior Park, in Bath,” he exclaimed excitedly. “He turned out to be a great cricketer,” he added. Bravo! I thought. One less
thing to worry about. “Can they attend university in Gibraltar?” he asked, almost the day the lovely new university had its official opening here. Things were getting better and better (and making my job easier). So quick update: House found, school sourced, the potential of a uni on your doorstep, money parked and deposit paid. Job over? Not yet. Next they need two cars AND a boat, and after 10 minutes of research I am a people-carrier expert, helped by a mate, a car aficionado, who was able to rattle off the CO2 emission levels. My knowledge of water transport had previously been limited to Dolphin Safari, but within 24 hours of research I was soon an expert on the luxury boat market.
So happy times, I have helped him in all of his endeavours and, I think, exceeded his expectations. After all, everything really is possible in a small place like Gibraltar; home, school, university, decoration, cars and boat. Finally, when pen has been put to paper, a celebratory dinner is in order after 10 days of 24/7 service. The client and I head for a sundowner at La Sala when I’m requested to do one last thing... “You couldn’t discretely house my mistress somewhere close; could you?” he whispered. You couldn’t make it up. Send your ideas and thoughts for our secret agent to newsdesk@theolivepress.es
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the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015
October 15th - 28th 2015
Expat victory EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan BRITISH expats whose dreams were shattered when a Spanish property developer collapsed are in line for huge payouts after a landmark court ruling.
Jerez law firm wins landmark court battle over lost home deposits Jerez law firm Abolex Abogados, led by Martin de la Herran, took on the cases of some 40 British families, many of them pensioners, who lost deposits of up to
Church goers ANTI-corruption party Podemos is fighting to make a Catholic cathedral public property. The party has filed a request with the Aragon government to annul the deeds to the Jaca cathedral as its private property. The 11th century church was registered with the local government in 1998, leaving many Catholics outraged. “They took an entire cathedral and all the property inside away from us,” the head of Podemos’s Aragon branch, Pablo Ecenique said. Podemos also asked that another 30 cemeteries and churches registered between 1989 and 2015 in Aragon be ‘given back’.
€100,000 when Herrada del Tollo folded in 2008, leaving their homes unbuilt. Scottish retiree Joan MacLachlan stood in court twice as she battled to reclaim the €38,000 deposit she put down in March 2006 for one of the 1,500 properties in Jumilla, Murcia. “There were so many lies I just did not know what to believe. We were told we would be compensated, but it was all a smokescreen,” MacLachlan told the Olive Press. “I know of people who died trying to get their money back. “We were made to feel like criminals in court. It was devastating and it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. But I was determined they were not going to spoil my dream.” Buyers placed deposits with Herrada del Tollo, which were then paid to banks BBVA, CAM or Banco Popular. The banks and insurance company SGR had general insurance policies with Her-
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Sweet home Alcaidesa HOME COMFORT: Joan MacLachlan
rada del Tollo, but British buyers were told they had lost everything when the developer went bust. A Supreme Court ruling last September stated banks were liable even if these general guarantees had not existed, allowing clients to recover their money from either the banks or the insurers. Abolex has fought in the First Instance, Supreme and Appeal Courts to win back clients’ deposits, with some of their clients’ cases still going through the courts ”I can’t praise Martin enough,” said MacLachlan. “He is worth his weight in gold.”
GIBRALTAR is a wonderful place to work, but where do you go when you want to unwind? Estate agent Always Marbella might just have the answer. The firm is currently offering bank-repossessed apartments and townhouses in Alcaidesa at more than 50% off the original price. The gated community sits in a privileged position, just 20 minutes’ drive from the Rock but seemingly light years away from the hustle and bustle. Director Geoffrey Donoghue believes the classy, modern urbanisation could be the answer for Gibraltar’s rapidly growing workforce. “Alcaidesa is an ideal location and allows workers and their families a lovely, tranquil life away from the Rock during evenings and weekends,” says Donoghue. “Yet there are still many facilities, including the 21-year-old club house, café, commercial centre and chiringuitos, plus it’s right on the beach,” he adds. Always Marbella has apartments starting from £94,000 and townhouses – with underground parking, marble floors and granite surface – starting at £189,000.
Brits buy big BRITISH buyers make up 20% of foreign home purchasers in Spain, new figures say. In total 12.7% of all Spanish property sales were made to overseas buyers, according to Spain’s Colegio de Registradores. Hotspots for foreign investors include the Balearic and Canary Islands, Valencia, Murcia, Andalucia and Catalonia. In the Balearics, 33.5% of all purchases were funded by overseas buyers.
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NEWS IN BRIEF Flying high GIBRALTAR airport has recorded its busiest ever July and August with over 45,000 passengers per month.
Fair’s fair LOCAL businesses have been given protection with the launch of the Office of Fair Trading and the start of the Fair Trading Act 2015.
Swiss study A SENIOR Executive with Gibraltar Finance will attend the Wealth Briefing Geneva Summit in Switzerland to understand how to develop Gibraltar’s offering in this area.
Energy boost THE Government has launched a training scheme offering candidates the chance to become accredited Energy Auditors. The course begins on November 16.
Give US more THE Gibraltar-Washington Internship Programme - which sees students undertake 15-week fullyfunded internships in the US - has been extended for three more years.
October 15th - 28th 2015
Gib judge border blast
Ice to see you A ROYAL Navy ice patrol ship has docked in Gibraltar. HMS Protector is readying herself for a return to the Southern Hemisphere for the Antarctic summer. The ship is due to carry out a series of important inspections on behalf of the Antarctic Treaty, designed to maintain the continent for peace and science.
A FORMER Supreme Court judge has slammed the Spanish government for cross-border queues holding up thousands of Gibraltarian workers. Barrington Black, who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar between 2012 and 2014, urged closer ties between the Rock and Spain. The distinguished ex-judge also called for Spain’s flag to be flown in the Mall. Writing in the Times, he said: “Over the past three years, 28,000 Gibraltarians have been subjected to lengthy queues to pass through the Spanish border controls, often in searing heat. “The irony is that the 9,000 Spaniards who visit Gibraltar daily for employment are similarly affected by these controls, imposed at the whim of 5:34:46 PM the Spanish government.”
To the rescue! International maritime rescue group launches Gibraltar base A LEADING marine rescue firm has arrived in Gibraltar. Florida’s Resolve Marine Group has announced a deal to set up a base on the Rock, and become one of the largest emergency response operators in Europe and Africa. Resolve can now provide first class maritime fire and emergency response services in the region, as well as oil pollution control. One of the largest emergency response tugs in the
Bank busted A MULTI-MILLION euro equity release scheme that financially ruined hundreds of expats in Europe is to go to trial in France. Representatives of Icelandic bank Landsbanki are facing charges including tax evasion and money laundering, while the bank itself will be held accountable on fraud charges. The saga has seen numerous victims, largely British expats on the Costa del Sol and Costa
market, the Resolve Blizzard, is now also based in Gibraltar. A Resolve Academy is also in the pipeline, which will train up the next generation of professional marine rescuers and port firefighters. Resolve Marine Group President Joe Farrell said: “Not only will this new station be on hand to support HMGOG and the Port Authority, we will also be responding to emergencies worldwide.
“Gibraltar’s strategic location, stable modern governance and thriving economy are many of the benefits Sov Trust Gibraltar Intelligent Offshore Planning ad.pdf 1 25/8/2015 we have identified during DEAL: Rescue firm our decision process.”
EXCLUSIVE
Brava and in France. The case is linked to Rodrigo Rato, former Spanish economy minister, head of the IMF and a close friend of Prime Minister Mariano C Rajoy. The bank’s head lawyer in Spain, Domingo M Plazas, has been charged with aiding Rato to evade taxes and launder the proceeds. Y Lawyer Antonio Flores, from Lawbird in Spain, said: “This is great CM news and a relief for so many who have seen Spanish courts MY blow hot and cold over this CY massive scam.” As the Olive Press has reportCMY ed over the past few years, hundreds of British expats K lost their homes after the bank collapsed in 2008. After Landsbanki went into liquidation many expats were left owing thousands of euros on an equity release scheme sold through unscrupulous financial advisers. Allowing pensioners to borrow 100% of the value of their homes, such schemes have been banned in the UK since 1990 but were sold to Britons abroad in the early 2000s. They were told investment returns would pay off the interest and provide an income for life, but incomes plummeted when Landsbanki collapsed, leaving expats with huge interest bills.
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October 15th - 28th 2015
AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES
Mind your language! Le Breton’s Briefing
As predicted five years ago, Greece is still a country to watch when it comes to the euro’s future, writes Ian Le Breton, Managing Director of Sovereign Trust, Gibraltar
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S part of the European Union, Gibraltar takes a keen interest in developments in the eurozone – the group of 19 member states that adopted the euro. Our economic prosperity may be closely aligned to the UK economy, but we cannot ignore geography. We have intimate ties with Spain and many other EU countries. In recent months, EU policymakers have had to look again at the situation in Greece. Difficult negotiations with the country’s creditors led to yet another bailout earlier in the summer. And, although unpopular, electors ratified the deal by returning Syriza’s Alexis Tsipras to power in last month’s general election. This led me to consider what effect Greece’s economic health has on the rest of the eurozone and other countries, including the UK, that chose not to join the single currency bloc. Does the following summary sound about right? “Greece’s is a tiny economy compared to
Greece is the word
the giant financial juggernauts within the eurozone, especially Germany. Nevertheless, ‘rules is rules’, and the Greeks, as members of this rather oddly composed club, are not supposed to be bailed out by the rest. Nor are they allowed to leave the euro. That fact results in potential damage to the euro itself. The single currency’s detractors have been talking up the possibility that a current member may be forced to leave the monetary union and revert to their previous ‘legacy’ currency. Worse still, the most pessimistic commentators talk about the day that the whole project will collapse and the euro itself will be consigned to history.” Yes, I penned these words – but not recently. They appeared in the Olive Press in April 2010. This demonstrates all too clearly the difficulties Greece faces, and that recovery is a long way off. When faced with the numbers, Greece’s woes are clear to see.
Email: gib@SovereignGroup.com Tel: +350 200 76173 www.SovereignGroup.com
Deflation (where prices are falling) has set in and is running at -1.5% p.a. The unemployment rate remains one of the highest in Europe, at 25%. To be fair, GDP is expected to grow this year but this comes after several years’ sharp decline. The economy contracted by almost 25% in the five years from 2009, before registering a modest rise in 2014. After a series of nail-biting summit meetings, Greece finally managed to agree yet another bailout from its creditors. The risk remains that some type of debt write-off will still prove necessary. But why is this situation of such importance to of us? The euro has become a major, credible, international reserve currency. Moreover, there are clear signs across the eurozone of a recovery over the next couple of years. This could be blown wildly off-course if the Greek situation again becomes critical. Further economic instability could have a serious impact on the forthcoming UK referendum on Britain’s continued EU membership, which is so important for Gibraltar. I may have started writing about these issues five years ago, but we are not out of the woods yet.
Mouthing off in Spain is putting your foot in it big-style when the law intervenes, writes Antonio Flores of Lawbird Legal Practice
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TICKS and stones may break your bones but (bad) words can also harm you, and your pocket, in Spain. Using threatening, abusive or insulting language against a person can be a costly exercise if your ‘victim’ decides to see you in court. Repetitive use of bad language, the specific circumstances in which it is hurled (private or public) and, more importantly, your choice of words may all aggravate the outcome. But how do law courts evaluate the level of seriousness and what are the words that will secure a fine, or even a conviction, if reported to the courts and/or the police? The Spanish Criminal Code, for obvious reasons, has not compiled a list of offending language but has left it to the general public and society to quantify the degree of the insult. As the courts speak for society in this respect, let’s see what they say: Cordoba Court: Levied a €60 fine for a name-caller who labelled the victim ‘conceited’, ‘manipulating’, ‘blackmailer’, ‘arrogant’ and ‘a bumpkin’. Burgos Court: Fined a drunken
reveler €60 for calling someone ‘lowlife’, ‘son of bitch’ and ‘scumbag’. Barcelona Appeal Court: Fined an ex-wife for hurling abuse at her former husband. Her choice of words – ‘fucking coward’, ‘shyster’ and ‘crook’ – secured her a €100 fine. Supreme Court: Fined a policewoman €1,600 and ordered payment of €6,000 in moral damages for calling a colleague a ‘family tradition whore who has secured promotions thanks to her leg-opening skills’. In the following case, a disgruntled litigant who was serving a prison sentence sent a letter to the deciding Judge with the this content: ‘Complaint directed to the Magistrate so that everyone knows you are one drug-trafficker, arms smuggler, corrupt queer, I would kill you for free if I could you son of a bitch.’ The level of the fine - €360 was in sharp contrast to the 15-month term of imprisonment also imposed for the death threat, with publicity, as the sentencing Judge understood that the letter was openly distributed in prison, where the felon was already serving time.
Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es
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Heart of r e t t a m e th
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www.theolivepress.es October 15th - 28th 2015
Dear oc Love D
Empowerment therapist Louise Van der Velde helps expats spice up their lives and overcome personal problems My husband’s in with wrong crowd DEAR Louise, I’ve been living in Spain for three years, my husband seems to have fallen in with the wrong crowd, he goes out all the time, doesn’t invite me and I’m beginning to feel isolated. I recently lost my job and I am now thinking of moving back home. I feel torn between him and my family in the UK... what should I do?. Louise says: It’s important to plan your future from a peak state, as any decisions you make from a troubled perspective will not be the right ones. Find a quiet, inspirational space on the beach or in the campo and remember the times you felt good and empowered. Relive these moments in your mind until you get a good feeling, then stand tall and ask yourself what is right for you at this point in your life, and listen to your inner voice. Remember, the problems you have you will take with you. Perhaps you need to get out yourself, meet new people and keep the faith. Spain is a beautiful place to live and you CAN make it work. Focus on you and the rest will come.
Wife worries I suspect my wife is having an affair. She does not want to have sex anymore and seems distant, often disappearing with no good explanation. What should I do? We have been together for 12 years, I don’t want to lose her and I’m scared to ask but I do need to know the truth. Louise says: It’s important you ask her outright, the chances are you will sense the truth. Surprisingly, outing affairs can actually address issues and put couples back on track, so it’s really important you get to the bottom of this. Then, if you both agree the relationship is worth saving 100%, and you are BOTH prepared to work at it, seek a relationship therapist who will help to re-bond you and clear the pain. Whatever the outcome, you can’t go on like this. You need to know the truth, which always comes out in the end.
Tanorexia TAN-TASTIC: Spain just can’t get enough
WITH over 320 days of sunshine per year, Spain is a hotbed for sun worshippers looking for a year-round tan. But according to one Spanish dermatologist, bronzing nature’s way is no longer enough. The nation has become addicted to tanning
Hooking up to a tanning bed is an addiction in sunny Spain
salons. This bizarre habit, dubbed ‘tanorexia’, is booming in Spain, despite Madrid boasting 2,750 hours of sunshine
Email Louise at louisenlp@gmail.com or visit www.loveliferetreat.com
essentialmagazine
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Diagnose
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per year, double that of London. Jose Carlos Moreno from Spain’s dermatology academy (AEDV) believes it is an addiction. The demographics most afflicted by this ‘addiction’ are women and the under-40s who get their tan fix at least twice a week.
A healthy mind... EVERYTHING from psychic readings, massage therapists and beauty products to ‘enhance and enrich your life’ will be on offer under one roof With over 50 exhibitors, this year’s Mind, Body & Spirit Festival will take place at the H10 Andalucia Plaza Hotel in Nueva Andalucia on Saturday 24-Sunday 25 of October. And event organiser Jacinta Hannon ‘cannot wait’. “I am very excited about this year’s event,” Jacinta says. “Attending the festival will help to bring balance and harmony to your life, nourish and improve your mental, physical and spiritual health & well being. “It is an opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones. There really is something on offer for Exhibitors include ineveryone.” ternational mediums, healers, psychics, tarot unique jewelry, wellness practitioners, guest speakers and beauty therapists. You can also experience free allergy tests; free alHOSPITAL waiting lists in kaline ionized water; an Malaga have lengthened draamazing Japanese techmatically in the past year. nology which cleanses Patients face a 53-day wait and helps the body to for less serious operations, heal itself. according to figures from the The event runs from Department of Health. The 11am to 8pm and tickets corresponding figure in 2014 are €10 and includes all was 46 days. talks and demonstraPeople waiting for operations tions. on cataracts, gallbladders, bun-
Sick of waiting
ions or to remove tonsils are among those worst affected. Staff shortages and cuts by regional and central government have been blamed for the delays.
For more info visit www.mindbodyspiritmarbella.com or call 670 628 468
UV-emitting tanning machines have been officially classified as carcinogenic since 2012 but Brazil and Australia are the only countries to have banned indoor tanning beds. Australia sees 11,000 cases of melanoma (tanning-induced skin cancer) per year while Spanish doctors diagnose 3,600 cases annually.
Organ grinders SPAIN is the world leader for organ transplants for the 24th year running. New figures show Spain is still carrying out more of the life-saving ops than any other country, breaking its own previous record in the process. Spain eclipses the EU average of 19.6 organ donations per million people with its total of 36, according to the Health Ministry. And despite being home to just 0.7% of the world’s population, the country boasts 4% of all organ transplants conducted. During 2014, Spain carried out 4,360 organ transplants from 1,682 donations, including 265 heart transplants and more than 1,000 liver transplants. There were 118,117 transplant operations in 2014 according to the World Transplant Register, which is just 12% of the total number required.
Top Salud
www.gibraltarolivepress.com 25
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October 15th - 28th 2015
Cancer care
Better cancer survival rate in Spain than UK
CANCER sufferers are less likely to die if they are treated in Spain than in the UK, according to shocking new statistics. The cancer survival rate in Spain is almost 53%, compared to 50% in the UK which lags way behind most of western Europe. Macmillan Cancer Support described the UK’s comparatively poor performance as ‘shameful’, with patients there far less likely to survive five years than countries that spend similar amounts on health care. Patients stand a far higher chance of survival in Sweden where the rate is 65%, followed by Belgium (60.5%), Austria (60%), Germany (59%) and Norway (58.5%). Denmark was the only other ‘rich’ country that performed as badly as Britain, and also has an NHS-style system. GOOD FOR YOU: Snoozing away the day The study analysed 7.5 million patients across 29 countries in Europe.
Nap’ll do it
THE Spanish siesta may be a joke elsewhere but locals can have the last laugh, according to a new study. As well as breaking up the day and an escape from the midday sun, doctors have announced that an afternoon nap can actually lower blood pressure. The Greek doctor heading up the research, Dr Manolis Kallistratos, has applauded the Spanish way of life. “Although William Blake affirms that it is better to think in the morning, act at noon, eat in the evening and sleep at night, noon sleep seems to have beneficial effects,” he said. The study examined 500 patients with high blood pressure aged between 35 and 55.
September 17th - 30th
Health scare MALAGA’S health system is in ‘crisis’. In just three years, 370 hospital beds have been lost in the province, resulting in a bed-to-population ratio of just 15 per 10,000 residents as government cuts continue.
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EALTHY eating and weight-loss specialist Naturhouse is celebrating seven years in Gibraltar, and a total weight loss of 30,000kg to date. The Naturhouse diet plan enables customers to use healthy eating practices to lose weight and learn how to sustain that weight loss. It is proven to give you more energy, better sleep patterns and more mobility. In fact, many clients have successfully reduced blood pressure, cholesterol levels, water retention, symptoms of menopause, IBS and general well being. The diet is easy to follow with no measuring or weight involved, while all products are 100% natural, ensuring a steady weight loss. The expert nutritionist offers a weekly face-to-face service, with advice, tips and meal plans. Why not call and make an appointment? Especially s i n c e there’s a new Loyalty Card on offer.
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property GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN LA ALCAIDESA End-of-terrace two-storey, three-bed townhouse, with views of the sea and Gibraltar. The house, which is just a 10-min walk to the beach and golf course, is surrounded by private gardens with mature plants, pool and seating areas. There is also a community swimming pool. In addition, there is a large basement, with workshop/ hobby area, plus space for two cars. All bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and there are two bathrooms.
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The property is in excellent condition inside and out after extensive redecoration only 3 years ago. San Roque Golf Club is five minutes by car, Sotogrande 10 minutes, while Gibraltar is just a 20 minute commute. Incredible price. Private sale at just 199,750.00 € Contact rd.alamar@gmail.com.
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October 15th - 28th
With the summer drawing to a close, the rugby season had expats gripped… for a while anyway
T
HE last of the beach closing parties has finished, the sunbeds have been stored away and the clocks are about to change in time for the countdown to autumn. For some this may be the season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’ (and finally finding a parking space in town) but for me it means only one thing. The start of the rugby season. The noble game has always been one of my passions (the others either involve a motor and/or are highly addictive/ illegal/ immoral/ all of the aforementioned). I first picked up a rugby ball at prep school and played throughout my school days and beyond, turning out for the Bulldogs at Twickenham whose brand of champagne rugby appealed to me. We would stumble out on a Saturday morning and take on teams such as London French, Feltham (always good for a punch-up due to most of their players coming from the nearby young offenders’ institute) London Cornish (where my opposite number in the scrum complained to the ref that I smelt of the morning after the night before), Bank of England (beautiful grounds in front of an 18th century stately home), and London Irish, traditionally the last game of the season and a gigantic booze
AGONISING: Viewing for Giles and friends up! I would invariably fall asleep on the tube and spend most of the evening going round and round on the Circle Line. Back in Marbella, I soon got involved with Marbella Rugby Club. As fate would have it, most of the tearaways I used to hang out with at infamous Arturo’s bar in the port during the 80s now run the club.
Must have been the multiple bashings we gave visiting Malaga punks looking for trouble. Which is an article in itself... The only problem is that, in all honesty, I’m not very good at the game. I used to be described as an impact player but the coach wasn’t really sure what my impact was. In my final match for Marbella, I spent
30 minutes on the touchline, loudly warming up and demanding to be brought on, only to dislocate my middle finger in the first tackle and be brought straight off. With the Rugby World Cup well underway I thought that I’d support the boys and head to the clubhouse to watch the England v Wales game. In rugby parlance, the Yummy Mummy has finally red-carded me and kicked me into touch, so it was time to take the Hottie Hippie with me. When we walked in, my old ‘lucky’ England shirt was the subject of much mirth. The Spanish rugby fans have adopted the tradition of supporting their own country - Spain last reached the Rugby World Cup finals in 1999, in case you were wondering – and whoever England are playing. Cries of ‘Come on Wales’ and ‘Come on Galicia’ rang out (Wales is Pays de Galles so I suppose it was an honest mistake). We all know the result. To quote Kurtz in Apocalypse Now it was ‘The Horror’ and the Hottie Hippie remarked that I was unusually quiet on the drive back to the Casita. My chariot was certainly swinging low. ‘Here we go!’ I wrote on social media before the match. ‘There you went’, replied a friend from Cape Town straight afterwards...
It’s not only expats who get tied up in knots by Andalucia’s red tape. It happens to the Spanish too! In her eye-opening new monthly blog, Madrileña Mirian Moreno finds there’s nothing like flagrant flirtation for getting the job done
A Spanish guiri
Gushing smile, flash of cleavage – action! W HEN the opportunity arose to come back to my native Spain after eight years in the UK, I didn’t think twice. While I loved my time at university in London and Edinburgh, it was always going to be a lovely homecoming to the warmth and welcome of the motherland. Particularly with my two young daughters, who would benefit from being immersed in a new language. But then, of course, I hadn’t factored in the challenges of being a born-and-bred Madrileña settling in Andalucia. The first issue arose when I needed to register as a resident on the Costa del Sol. It pained me to change my status from Madrileña to Andalucian but it was that or a seven-hour commute every day to take my kids to a school in Madrid. So there I was, bright and early at the town hall with my three-year-old twins -- who have an English father -- armed with every piece of paperwork I had been able to gather, since we were all born. I even took my second year school grades certificate, just in case, to avoid the scenario of lacking that one super-important document and having to queue up all over again. After waiting half an hour while the gathered staff finished swapping what-theydid-at-the-weekend stories, I was asked to come in and sit down. As I explained my seemingly straight-for-
ward situation to the grumpy-looking woman, handing her my fat folder of paperwork, I knew, from that moment that becoming Andalucian was not going to be easy. The first issue was the kids who also had to get registered. This, in theory, shouldn’t have been a problem. But in Andalucia, unless you are prepared to travel 100 miles through the Gobi desert to bring back a hair of a Mongolian dragon, it’s not going to happen. “I’m confused,” she said. “Are your kids English or Spanish?” “They are both English and Spanish”, I replied, explaining they were born to an English father and expecting her to take it in her stride. But no. Such a weighty issue involved… coffee (for her, not me) and a mumbled ‘come back tomorrow morning’. I decided to ring a friend who happened to know someone ‘quite important’ in the town hall. Doesn’t everyone? She offered to speak to ‘her friend’ who ran the admin department and come back with me the next day to confront the over-paid bigwig. After the usual pleasantries and chat about the weekend (he had taken a shine to my friend some years before, it emerged), my friend explained the situation and, lo and behold, his reaction was blunt and to the point. “Sorry, but no, there is nothing I can do.” Luckily, my tenacious friend was not pre-
pared to give up. Having lived in Andalucia for over two decades, she knew all the tricks. “Would you change your mind if I agreed to go out to dinner with you?” she asked with a gushing smile, thrusting forward her cleavage. To this, he smiled, gave me back my 30-years-worth of paperwork and left in a flurry. I wasn’t sure what to expect next. Precisely five minutes later, he turned up with the paperwork stamped for both me and the twins. Everything registered. Job done! It was an interesting initiation into life in what must be the most idiosyncratic place in Europe. Oh, and in case you were wondering, my fantastic friend got away with a 15-minute glass of wine and tapas a few days later, before making her excuses and leaving!
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FOOD & DRINK
ED G IT IB IO N
the Gibraltar - June the PressPress JuneJune 11th -11th June 24th 24th 20152015 29 29 www.theolivepress.es www.gibraltarolivepress.com 29OliveOlive
Caring cuisine
IT’S fair to say hospital food has a less-than-glowing reputation, up there with airplane grub. But that is all about to change at Gibraltar’s St Bernard Hospital, where a new catering facility has just been launched. The facility replaces the old kitchen at the North Mole, meaning food reaches the diner quicker and fresher. It will no longer be presented to patients on plates with unappetising plastic lids, but rather served up on the wards from bulk containers. The purpose-built facility ensures food waste is reduced, and that the highest standards of hygiene and efficiency are maintained.
Quality
More than 2,000 fresh meals can now be served up each day. Health Minister Dr John Cortes said: “This new facility will ensure much better quality food, better prepared and served to the benefit of all patients and the other users of this service. “It has boosted the morale of staff who were working in sub-standard premises with old, inefficient equipment, as it has greatly improved working conditions and has allowed for training of the personnel.”
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“Yes but there’s more Cutie Patootie... they have some rooms at half price in November – that means from just €53,50 a night – for two people including breakfast”
Gibraltar hospital opens brand new catering facilities for patients
“Which dates are they Lover Boy?”
“8th to the 11th November 2015 inclusive Sweetness” “Why don’t we stop calling each other silly names and book ourselves in, Dewdrop?”
SERVING UP: Minister Cortes at samples facilities
Dining secrets BUDDING restaurateurs have been invited to a seminar on the Environmental Agency requirements of setting up a restaurant or bar. The event, held by the Business Support Unit, will be held on Wednesday 21 October, 3pm, at the O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel. To book a place, email business.support@gibraltar.gov.gi
Amazon.vino? ONLINE global giant Amazon is to start selling Spanish food. America’s largest retailer is to launch a range of rice, wine, coffee, cereals, biscuits and cleaning products, although frozen and fresh produce will be excluded. It expects the move to
“Have you heard Cuddle Muffin?… Molino del Santo has extended its season a week until the 15th November 2015”
help Spanish producers reach millions of new customers. A spokesman said: “As of now, customers will be able to fill the pantry at anytime and anywhere, adding their favorite milk, pasta, drink or detergent brand to the cart and receiving their orders in 24 hours.”
Yes – it’s true. Because of a late group booking Molino del Santo, the Ronda area’s favourite hotel and restaurant, is staying open an extra seven nights until the 15th November 2015. And rooms for the nights of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th of November are all at HALF PRICE – for a limited time only. You can stay from just €26.75 per person with breakfast included! First come, first served. Contact the English-speaking staff NOW to check availability. This offer is unlikely ever to be repeated so grab your room now.
Tel 952 16 71 51 or e-mail info@molinodelsanto.com
The perfect escape to show someone you appreciate them, to celebrate a special event, to spend quality time with frends, to unwind, to relax before Christmas, to walk the hills, to see the sights, to enjoy great food and wine, to spoil yourself, to do absolutely nothing curled up by a log fire. Not enough time to stay over? Come for lunch by train – or road. We can send you full directions. Contact the Award-winning Molino del Santo now.
info@molinodelsanto.com
“One of the 20 best hotels in Europe for Foodies”
Full menus available on the website www.molinodelsanto.com
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CHEERS: Barrack Obama enjoys Galician tipple
White House wine A DINNER invitation from Barack Obama is hard to turn down, but one Spanish winemaker nearly did just that. Cesar Enriquez’s Galician red, Pez do Reni, was chosen by the US president at his annual Hispanic Congressional Caucus gala dinner. It’s the third year in a row one of Cesar’s Cachin bodega wines was selected for the prestigious event, but the Gallego almost didn’t see Obama toast the White House table.
“I told the Americans that my grapes need attention, and I probably couldn’t make it,” he said. But Cesar, 55, accompanied by his wife Maria Jesus, headed from Ourense to Washington. And it was a case of ‘bottoms up’ when Obama was snapped raising a glass of his wine at the ceremonial dinner. “That photo is worth its weight in gold,” said Cesar. “What fantastic promotion!”
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ESTACIÓN DE BENAOJÁN, NEAR RONDA, MÁLAGA When you need to escape the busy life in Gibraltar, you know where to head
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FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
All aboard Andalucian train station applauded for its charming eatery
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Winning wines SPAIN’s finest tipples go head-to-head in the country’s most prestigious wine contest this month. The 16th House of the Best Spanish Wines exhibition will judge a record 200 bodegas at Madrid´s Palacio Municipal on October 29. Organiser Guía Penin are bringing together the best wines from its 2016 guide. More than 11,200 wines from all over Spain were sampled for the new Guia Penin. Somelliers, distributors and importers will pour into the event from midday. Visitors wanting to sample the wines can enter from 5pm for a €60 charge. The DOP Jamon de Teruel will be serving jamon from white pigs, considered among the world’s finest. The day will also host the CORAVIN Wine Challenge, a blind-tasting of the 2016 Guina Penin’s best wines.
AN Andalucian train station has been named among Europe’s best… not for its transport links but for its restaurant. Five stops north of Algeciras, Restaurante La Estacion San Pablo de Buceite, near Jimena, was crowned Spain’s best train station restaurant and made the Guardian’s European top
10, coming in at number eight. With a ‘reputation for original food at reasonable prices’ the eatery is particularly well known for its mushroom dishes, croquettes and tapas with a twist. It is run by Spaniard Nieves Dominguez and her son Samuel, both self-taught culinary experts. “When I started I invited all my friends round to try the different dishes and asked them to rate each meal on a scorecard, and that is how I decided on my first menu,” she explained. “It is important to me that my customers are happy and there is a nice atmosphere.” Topping the list was 1e Klas, in Amsterdam’s Central station, while Le Train Bleu in Paris and Crystal, in Jungfraujoch, Switzerland made up the top three. ON TRACK: Restaurante La Estacion San Pablo
Guilt-free booze A BEER a day won’t make you fat, a Spanish study has revealed. The Spanish Academy of Nutrition (AEN) has debunked the beer belly myth by confirming a caña (200ml) contains just 84 calories. This intake represents just
3.4% of a man’s daily recommended intake and 4.2% of the female calorie allowance. In actual fact, AEN president Lluis Serra Majem confirmed that people who drink a small beer regularly tend to have a healthier BMI than those who don’t.
HEALTHY: Beer
Try, try and try again
THROW away the Big Macs and scratch off fish and chip Fridays, trying worldly foods from a young age will improve health in later life. Children however may need to be presented with an unfamiliar food up to 10 times before
accepting it, according to a 2015 Scientific American study on picky eaters. But it is worth persisting as broadening the palate from a young age can lead to a healthier lifestyle down the road. A new TV series has even been launched in the USA to promote world foods. In the latest episode of Gagging Abounds, children sample rabbit and asparagus from Spain. Comments include, BEER-DRINKING women are less likely to suffer heart attacks. ‘that smells like dog poo’ Drinking beer has been linked to the reduced chance of and ‘I don’t like asparagus, it heart attacks among women, in a new study published by makes your pee smell’. the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care. When it was revealed to be rabThe study found that one or two beers a week was good for bit almost all the children let out the feminine heart, with the danger of a coronary 30% lower a squeal of disgust and dropped than for those who drank more than that, or even none at all. their cutlery at once.
Hearty ale
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sports
31
October 15th - 28th 2015
INTRODUCING OUR NEW SPORTS PAGE
Gaelic gets going
TOUGH LESSON: For Gibraltar as Fletcher grabs hatrick
Hard work starts now Gibraltar begin major rebuilding job after recordbreakingly bad Euro campaign
Results (round one): Gibraltar 2-08 (14) vs Costa Gaels 2-04 (10) Gibraltar 2-02 (08) vs Seville 2-10 (16) Seville 4-07 (19) vs Costa Gaels 1-08 (11)
By Joe Duggan GIBRALTAR must regroup and rebuild after Sunday’s 0-6 defeat to Scotland rounded off a dismal Euro 2016 campaign. Stephen Fletcher’s hat-trick and goals from Chris Martin, Shaun Maloney and Steven Naismith shovelled salt in gaping Gib wounds in front of 12,000 travelling Scots.
THE new Gaelic football season got underway in Gibraltar this month, with teams from the Costa del Sol and Sevilla competing against the hosts. Eire Og Seville claimed back-to-back victories against both Gibraltar Gaels and Costa Gaels to take an early lead at the top of the Andalucian league. At the end of six rounds of fixtures the team top of the Andalucian league will battle it out against teams from Madrid and Galicia for the Iberian Championship. The next set of fixtures will take place on November 7 at Marbella rugby club.
STARTING AFRESH: Gibraltar coach Jeff Wood
The heavy defeat means Gibraltar’s Group D record - played 10, lost 10, with 56 conceded and two scored is the worst in Euro qualification history. But with coach Jeff Wood blooding young talents like Jamie Coombes and Jayce
Dad’s legal Messi LIONEL Messi and his father must stand trial on tax fraud charges, a judge ruled. The court ruling reversed the prosecutors’ decision to drop charges against the Barcelona star. Argentina striker Messi and his father Jorge are accused of defrauding Spanish authorities out of more than €4 million . The allegations centre on image rights earned by the player between 2007 and 2009. Messi argued he did not have any say in his tax affairs at the time. “There are rational signs that the criminality was committed by both accused parties,” said the judge. No date has yet been set for the trial. Meanwhile Barcelona stars Javier Mascherano and Neymar also face tax evasion accusations.
Olivero, Gibraltar’s future is more promising. “The basis of the senior national team is getting to the stage where players are 34, 35,” said Wood. “They are not going to go on forever. It needs freshening up, hence I’ve brought in some 17, 18 and 19-yearolds for the experience and actually capped a few as well.” While former captain Danny Higginbotham has called for the Gibraltar FA to use players with any familial ties to the Rock next time around. He claimed the FA must be more ‘open-minded’ about foreign players if the team is to progress. This was Gibraltar’s second punishing defeat in four days, following the 4-0 Georgia defeat. Gibraltar supporters’ brief moment of cheer came as they saluted Lee Casciaro, the Rock’s first ever competitive goalscorer, when he was substituted. But Wood must now build on the valuable experience gained during this often chastening campaign. Opinion Page 6
CHAMP: Marbella-based Liam Smith
Beefy bout MGM Marbella boxer Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith claimed the vacant WBO light middleweight title in spectacular fashion. Knocking out American John Thompson in the seventh round after a number of brutal jabs, Smith becomes the Marbella outfit’s first world champion. Cheered on by Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney, Liverpudlian Smith - brother of professional boxers Stephen, Callum and Paul - fought back in emphatic style after Thompson dominated the first three rounds.
Football’s coming home WITH Gibraltar’s Euro 2016 campaign reaching its conclusion, fans’ eyes turn to domestic matters as the Premier Division resumes on Wednesday. Lincoln Red Imps welcome their international players back, and Friday’s opponents Gibraltar United will be hoping the champions are suffering a bout of travel sickness. Top-of-the-table St Joseph’s play Manchester 62 FC who are one of five teams on four points.
Bottom club Angels will be hoping to find their wings against Lions Gibraltar in Saturday’s earlier match. Britannia XI and Glacis United play their second game of the season on Wednesday night, with Britannia XI back in action in Sunday’s clash with Lynx. Monday night’s Europa and Glacis United game rounds off an action-packed weekend of football.
Camp Owh!
END OF THE WORLD: At Camp Nou
CAMP Nou lays in ruins in a scene from a new sci-fi film premiered at Sitges Film Festival this month. The ruined hulk of Barcelona’s stadium features in The Second Origen, Bigas Luna and Carlos Pinta’s adaptation of Manuel de Pedrolo’s cult 1974 novel. The European champions’ home is one of several landmark Barcelona locations shown in the post-apocalyptic thriller. The Sitges festival is the world’s number one fantasy film festival - and is sure to be a hit with Real Madrid fans this year
If you have a sports story, team or event, don’t hesitate to contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575. We are are also looking for a sponsor for the sports section. Any interested parties should contact admin@theolivepress.es
the Gibraltar Olive Press September 17th - 30th
NEARLY 1,000 Gibraltarians attended the annual 5km Walk For Life from Casemates Square, raising £8,221 for Cancer Research UK.
FINAL WORDS
Go East! GIBRALTAR’S Beauty Queens are leaving the Rock to compete in pageants abroad, with Miss Gibraltar Hannah Bado destined for the Miss World championship in China.
Box clever TO celebrate World Post Day, the Post Office has installed a King Edward VIII red pillar box at Heritage Building in John Mackintosh Square.
Footy talk ESTEEMED La Liga journalist Guillem Balague will speak at the Gibraltar International Literary Festival about his new Cristiano Ronaldo biography.
Future is now CHILDREN are being urged to write letters to their adult selves by the post office. This year’s Gibraltar Post Office letters competition is titled ‘Write a letter to your 45-year-old self’. Open to school students under 15 years old, top prize is a trophy and £300, while second place scoops £200 and third, £100. Entries must be submitted by March 18.
the
GIBRALTAR
Covering Gibraltar in 2015 with over www.gibraltarolivepress.com 20,000 papers and over 200,000 visits to the website each month
olive press Vol. 1 Issue 3 www.gibraltarolivepress.com
October 15th - October 28th 2015
Freeze! Foiled IT’S a sunny autumn afternoon, you’re mooching around Main Street, minding your own business, when ‘BOOM!’... there’s a camouflaged soldier two metres away and you’re staring down the barrel of a gun. Except this local Gibraltarian seemed less than impressed with her attacker (a human statue), fending him off with a classic shoulder shrug; a military technique as old as time, yet effective as ever. The soldier had no reply, left crouching with all the gear but no idea, for an easier victim.
Dwaine FREE Pipe: He’s kicking up a stink PICTURE: Jon Clarke
32 Walk this way
Monkey business Deemed ‘too problematic’ for the Rock, 30 mischievous macaques are thriving at their new home in Scotland
TROUBLE: But the monkeys are loving Scottish life
GIBRALTAR’S most famous exports are going down a ‘storm’ in Scotland. A group of 30 Barbary macaques, who swapped the Rock for Sterling last October after being deemed ‘too problematic’, are charming their new neighbours. And after a year settling into their new five-acre space at Blair Drummond Safari Park, the macaques are finally being introduced to the public. Now home to Scotland’s only monkey drive-through, the 11 male and 19 female macaques are quickly drawing in the crowds. “Everyone loves having the macaques here, it is great for the park,” said manager Gary Gilmour. “They are very inquisitive and will investigate novel items. “For those not brave enough to take a car through, we have a bypass in place and you can see the macaques through the viewing windows of their enclosure.” The move was the first largescale export of the macaques away from The Rock since the 1990s and stopped Gibraltar’s environmental agency from culling the iconic animals.
CHAMPS: Gibraltarians
Making us proud THE home team did the Rock proud at the IDO European Show Dance Championships. Following in the footsteps of star Gibraltar dancer Jonathan Lutwyche, the troupe of 155 dancers scooped up three gold medals, two silver, and three bronze over four days of competition. The championships saw over 600 dancers from 16 European countries come head to head at the Tercentenary Hall this month. “You make Gibraltar proud,” said an emotional minister for culture, Steven Linares.
IT’S a far cry from Disney, but a poo-eating cartoon character is helping unblock Gibraltar’s sewers. Dwaine Pipe is spearheading the government’s ‘Love Your Drain’ campaign to raise awareness of damage to the sewers. The cartoon figure eats toilet paper, pee and poo, but gets sick if he nibbles on a nappy or a wet wipe. The campaign hopes to highlight the importance of disposing of rubbish in the appropriate way. Items like cooking oil, rags and paper hand towels cause damage to the sewer system.
Birdseye choice GENEROUS Brits leaving food out for birds have changed migration patterns. Birds are choosing to spend winter in the UK over sunny Spain and Gibraltar because they prefer the grub, British researchers have revealed. The Blackcaps species, which breeds in Germany and Austria, used to migrate to southern Spain but many are now heading to the UK, a study carried out over 12 years revealed.