Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 138 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 6 Issue 138

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June 28 - July 11, 2012

DRIVEN TO DESPAIR A GROUP of expats are launching an action group after claiming to have been ‘ripped off’ by a Spanish-based financial services company. They are taking legal advice after the boss of company Offshore Investment Brokers (OIB) returned to the UK from Spain without warning. The dozens of victims claim to

Costa action group setting up to reclaim ‘millions’ taken by boss of unregulated financial company EXCLUSIVE by James Bryce have been mis-sold by David Driver, whose company was not regulated by the Financial

Services Authority (FSA) or its Spanish equivilent, the CNMV. The Olive Press can reveal that

Who lives in a house like this... ...and makes a Kil-ing?

Turn to Page 30 to discover the famous faces who have made a home (or two) here

ACCUSED: Driver Driver, a former policeman, has now moved back to London to work as head of Middle East sales for finance group ATSG Funds. He has apparently cut all ties with his company OIB, announcing to friends on his Twitter feed recently: “Some news, we’ve sold our company! I’m moving back to the UK, York.” Group action organiser Paul O’Connell, who lives in Mijas, is furious that Driver is apparently ‘washing his hands’ of his Spanish company. Irishman O’Connell, 55, had been advised by Driver to take out a €260,000 10year loan secured against the value of his property. But the investment failed and the value of the loan is currently 50 per cent down. Turn to Page 4

NEWS

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The Olive Press - Number One for crime

Fraud ‘students’ hunted POLICE are trying to track down 11,000 users of an online ‘fraud school’. The search has intensified after leaders of the gang were jailed for running web forums that taught users how to commit fraud in return for payment, as reported in the Olive Press last issue. Under the name ‘Confidential Access’, the criminal enterprise provided fake identities including false bank statements, driving licences and utility bills. Those who bought the documents went on to commit more than €1 million of fraud, ruining the credit history of real people in the process. Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Tim Dowdeswell said: “We’ve already brought many of their students in crime to court. “And we will continue to work to bring those people who bought and used these identities in their own frauds to justice.”

Twin arrested for murdering brother EXCLUSIVE by Wendy Williams A BRITISH teenager has been arrested for killing his twin brother over a ‘stupid’ argument. Ryan Goodman, 19, has confessed to killing sibling Michael Goodman in Spain over some money stolen from their mother’s purse. The body of 17-year-old Michael was discovered on April 21 this year just 10 metres from his front door. The discovery was made by a local man hunting for asparagus 14 months after Michael vanished from his home in Vallada, near Valencia. Although he disappeared in February 2011, his mother only reported it to police in May that year. According to neighbours she believed he might have returned to England and was ‘prone’ to disappear for periods of time.

Body found by an asparagus hunter just 10 metres from the home he shared with his family

MURDER SCENE: Home in Vallada and (inset, top) Ryan’s arrest His twin has now confessed to the killing, but insists it was an ‘accident’. He told the police they had been arguing about ‘something stupid’ after their mother had shouted at them for taking money from her purse without permission. After she left, a fight broke

out between the brothers, with them each blaming the other. During the argument Ryanpushed his brother, who hit his head on a door knob. Seeing his brother had no pulse, Ryan reportedly told police he was ‘very scared’ and decided to hide the

body. He is alleged to have then dragged the body into undergrowth near the house. The Goodmans still live in the country house between the villages of Moixent and Vallada. According to neighbours the twins, originally believed to be from Nottingham, have lived there for a couple of years with their mother, grandmother and a younger brother and sister and attended school in Vallada. A resident of Moixent collecting wild asparagus found the bones in April this year. While the body had completely biodegraded a DNA sample given by the mother last year confirmed it was Michael. The case has now been forwarded to the youth court in Xativa as Ryan was a minor at the time of the incident. He will spend the next six months in a juvenile detention centre.

Road rage shooting in Banus A MAN has been arrested following an apparent road rage shooting in Puerto Banus. The incident happened at 7.30am last Friday when an argument broke out between the accused and a 36-yearold Moroccan. According to police, the fight most likely started over an argument about parking. The accused, a 33-yearold also from north Africa, shot the victim in the back from behind the wheel of his car before fleeing in the direction of the beach. The victim was taken to the Costa del Sol Hospital where his condition was described as ‘mild’.

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Dancing with the deputy

NEWS SPANISH CHARM: Miriam Gonzalez

TRUE to her Spanish roots Miriam Gonzalez has revealed she dazzled a young Nick Clegg with traditional tortilla and dance moves. The successful international lawyer - referred to as Britain’s Third Lady – confessed to Spanish magazine Telva that she fell for her husband, the Liberal Democrat leader, after he came to one of her Flamenco-style dance classes while they were studying in Bruges more than 20 years ago. The pair, who married in Miriam’s home town of Olmedo in September 2000, also went to see Spanish films in Brussels to help ease her homesickness. “When we Spanish used to go abroad back then, the other students would always ask us to make Spanish omelette or teach Sevillanas classes,” explains the 44-year-old. “That’s what I did, even though I’m from Valladolid and Nick signed up to my classes. When I saw him there, trying his hand, I took it as a declaration of love. “To put the icing on the cake, the first films that Nick saw in Brussels in Spanish were Wait for Me in Heaven and Welcome Mr Marshall.” The mother-of three also revealed the current role models in their family home were Barcelona FC star Lionel Messi and outgoing manager Pep Guardiola. “We play football a lot. I know the full line-up of Arsenal and Barcelona,” she added. The Cleggs are expected to spend a month in Spain, as usual, this summer.

Spiderman comes to Spain

WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?

Born to Run… and run

AN enterprising businessman has sprouted a novel idea to attract customers to his car wash and help local businesses. Among a series of daily offers Segundo Martin, the manager of the Garaje Espronceda in Madrid, has begun giving drivers a sack of spuds, or a bottle of Rioja, to entice them in. “We have had fewer customers for some time and were only cleaning 15 cars a day compared to the previous 20. We had to do something as five families live from this business,” said Martin, who negotiated with local businesses for discounts and sent his clients on to them to collect their gifts.

US rock legend Bruce Springsteen has performed an impressive four-hour gig in Madrid – the longest ever in his five-decade career. Proving he is very much still ‘The Boss’, the 62-yearold danced, sang and strummed for an awe-inspiring three hours and 48 minutes, with the E Street Band in the capital’s Bernabeu stadium.

IMOGEN Thomas (above) has been showing off her tan following a jaunt in Spain. After touching down in England the glamour model, who was filming for a TV show in Barcelona, took to Twitter to post a couple of pictures of herself in some rather revealing dresses.

IT was a case of life imitating art for Spider Man co-stars Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield on the red carpet in Spain last week. The pair cosied up during a photo shoot to promote The Amazing Spider-Man film, in which Stone plays Garfield’s love interest, Gwen Stacy. The couple are also enjoying an off-screen romance and looked suitably smitten as they posed for photographers at Villamagna LOVED UP: Stone Hotel in and Garfield: Madrid. Stone, 23, wore an eye-catching burgundy dress with zebra-print heels, while 28-year-old Garfield, who plays Peter Parker in the blockbuster, opted for jeans and a t-shirt.

Spanish wife of Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, used tortilla and flamenco to woo her husband

Tantastic Thomas

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Longoria enjoys Spanish stroll EVA Longoria is quickly becoming a regular fixture in Andalucia following a number of recent trips with her Spanish boyfriend. The latest of which saw her cuddling up to beau Eduardo Cruz during a romantic stroll around Sevilla. The former Desperate Housewives star looked relaxed in a floaty white dress, baseball cap and flip flops as she browsed items in a number of shops. The 37-year-old and her man, 26, were in Marbella last month to promote a charity gala, which the actress also co-hosted last year.

Katie Price puts pen to paper GLAMOUR model Katie Price has been parading her Latino side for the launch of her latest novel. In The Name of Love follows feisty sports presenter, Charlie, who falls for the handsome Felipe Castillo, a Spanish horse rider tipped for a medal at the Olympics. Getting into the theme of things, Katie – who admitted the male lead, was inspired by her own Latin lover Argentinean Leandro Penna - sat astride her horse wearing an eye catching red and gold halter neck costume with a long train.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

NEWS

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‘Junk’ status as Spain asks for bailout SPAIN’S economic troubles have taken yet another twist after 28 of its banks were downgraded. Ratings agency Moody’s took the action, against lenders, including Santander, on the same day that Spain formally requested a €100 billion bailout of its

banking sector. Some of the banks were downgraded by as much as four points and taking them deeper into ‘junk’ status. Moody’s claimed it had acted because of Spain’s reduced ability to support its lenders and due to the vulnerability of the banks to

Muldoon faces fraud charges TIMESHARE entrepreneur Toni Muldoon will appear before a judge in the UK on Thursday charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud. The 65-year-old is being held in connection with an alleged €7.4 million internet escort and debt elimination scam said to involve 15,000 victims in the UK. He was arrested in Fuengirola last month following a long-running investigation led by police and trading standards in Suffolk. Muldoon was remanded in custody after appearing before magistrates for an initial hearing on June 16 with the case now been referred to Ipswich Crown Court.

the failed property market. Economy minister Luis de Guindos however was much more upbeat, claiming the rescue package would cover all banks’ needs as well as providing a security buffer. Two independent audits of Spain’s banks last week estimated the need for up to €61 billion, although the full results of the audit will not be delivered until September. Spanish borrowing costs had soared past the critical seven per cent mark last week, but later settling down again, falling back to 6.5 per cent. The announcement of Spain’s formal request for help was followed by reports suggesting that Cyprus may ask for financial aid due to its exposure to the ailing greek economy.

FURY: Paul O’Connell and (left) the former Estepona office

Expats take financial action From Page 1

“Driver kept saying: ‘Sit tight, things are only going to get better’, but suddenly I was unable to get hold of him. “I’ve been told I’ve got toxic debt, which means creditors can start calling in this money and I could lose my apartment at any time. My impression was that Driver was in it for when times were good and would get out when things went bad. “All these people do is pack up and start up somewhere else. “He didn’t tell me he was going, I heard it second-hand. That doesn’t bode well.” The Olive Press has been inundated with calls and emails from investors since running a story about OIB earlier this year. The European Commission agreed to start investigating ‘rogue’ firms after a dossier, using OIB as an example, was sent by the Costa del Sol Action Group to Brussels earlier this year. The report stated the company was able to trade ‘collecting unsuspecting clients who are soon relieved of their money’. One victim, pensioner Carol MaxtedMassey, based in Almeria, claims to have lost nearly €200,000 to the company. She told the Olive Press: “I ended up buying myself out of a 10-year loan agreement on my house, and it took all my savings and left me

with no money apart from my pension.” Another victim added: “Driver is a clever trickster who gains the confidence of his clients and then acts like a parasite. “Who would have thought that an Englishman would leech the lifeblood out of his own countrymen.”

Reputation Even his former partner Jane Hilborne revealed that she had been ‘conned both financially and emotionally’ by him. After a two-year relationship, living with him in Estepona, she ended up with ‘no home, no job, no car and £10,000 poorer.” OIB claims on its website that its ‘reputation and years of experience enable us to offer a highly personalised and confidential service to the most demanding of clientele’. But that ‘personalised service’ is not immediately obvious when attempting to contact the firm, with the only option being a generic form on the website. Despite numerous calls and emails Driver did not respond to the Olive Press, neither via OIB, nor his new company ATSG. A woman answering the phone at his current company ATSG insisted that neither he nor the boss John Ferguson was available to comment.

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NEWS

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

DRIED OUT Expat forced to move as town hall fails to provide her with water despite paying €1,500

THIRSTY: Knowles beside her 3,000 litre tank

AN expat is being forced to fork out nearly €3,000 relocating to the coast for the summer after her water supply dried up. Jennifer Knowles, 34, has been left without water for weeks after Coin town hall failed to provide for her. This is despite the Irish expat paying the town hall €1,500 to be put on the grid two years ago. “For half the year, the supply of water is fine, but last summer was a nightmare,” explained Knowles, a social media specialist, who lives in the hamlet of La Carreta. “Since this Easter we have had 17 days without water and we have been lucky to get our 3,000 litre tank

EXCLUSIVE by Eloise Horsfield

filled once a week. “It normally gets to the stage where we have to eat out or buy plastic plates and utensils to avoid washing up. “We are also having to farm out our washing and showers are a big no-no, so you can imagine how much we are enjoying the current heat.” She continued: “The worst thing is, despite not getting any water your bills don’t get any cheaper because there is still a standard charge.”

Spain in danger of ‘chronic drought’ SPAIN is at risk of ‘chronic drought’ due to the march of desertification. Rain shortage has meant crucial underground aquifers have not been filled for years, which has caused soil to erode – leaving it incapable of absorbing moisture. Instead, heavy rain washes straight into ravines then into the sea, meaning the ground remains

dry and unable to provide moisture to vegetation. the figures say it all – reservoirs in Andalucia are currently only 70 per cent full, while this time last year they were 89 per cent full. “Unless urgent measures are taken, we will end up in a situation of chronic drought,” said Patricio Garcia-Fayos of the Spanish research centre SCIC.

But Dubliner Knowles, who moved to Spain 13 years ago, says complaints to the town hall have been ignored. There have even been protests at the town hall involving a group of neighbours in a similar predicament. “I have got nowhere,” she said. “When you complain they say there is not a problem. We feel like they treat us like idiots.”

Pressure

Antonia Sanchez from Coin Town Hall’s water department initially tried to insist there was no problem and that all the area’s meters were full. She tried to fob it off on the Guardia Civil’s 24-hour plumber before admitting: “La Carreta is a rural area that is beyond the town hall’s normal water coverage. “All those who are signed up are aware of that. “The town hall cannot provide water 24 hours a day, with the correct pressure, for those houses outside the main network.”

News IN BRIEF

Bumper catch

A BUMPER Red Tuna catch in Cadiz has seen 8,000 fish released after fishermen caught four times the quota, providing real hope the species is recovering.

Orphans

Seven Andalucian villages are part of a new advertising campaign for sports drink Aquarius which offers urban dwellers a chance to be ‘adopted by a pueblo’.

Abuse

Last weekend was a particularly tragic one for domestic violence in Spain – with one death and four serious injuries.

All aboard

A new high-speed train link between Sevilla and Valencia will cut the journey time from eight hours to four.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

OPINION OPINION On the fiddle THE unemployment figures in Spain are alarming. And not just for the huge numbers of people – the highest percentage in the developed world – but for what they are hiding. What these alarming figures really show is the complete lack of control the government has over the country and the economy. With the black economy estimated to make up nearly a quarter of GDP, and a large portion of the unemployed actually taking home a pay cheque, it seems the system is largely redundant. Certainly it is lacking in common sense. Taxes are too easy to avoid and too expensive to pay, leaving the country with a problem that is nothing short of endemic. But Spain needs to be careful; while over-estimating the figures may seem like a cushion at the moment, it could soon turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. The higher the figures, the lower the market confidence, leading to a weaker economy and higher unemployment.

Digging out of trouble An increase in the popularity of gardening may not be the first side-effect that springs to mind when considering Spain’s economic crisis. But as the Spanish economy sinks deeper into the red, its residents are turning increasingly green. A boom in the number of urban gardens springing up across the country is primarily out of a practical necessity to pool resources and share the fruits of a community’s labour. But they also serve an important social purpose by increasing community spirit and allowing solidarity among neighbours at what is a difficult time. Perhaps most importantly of all, they allow those who are unemployed to learn practical skills that they may otherwise never have had. It also boosts their self-esteem to a level that could help them to find a job, literally digging themselves out of financial hardship.

All on your doorstep What great news to hear the Junta has launched a ‘staycation’ appeal to encourage people to take their holidays right here in Andalucia. Certainly at the Olive Press we all agree this part of the world provides everything you could want from a holiday – unspoilt beaches, quaint villages, breath-taking scenery, and not to mention blazing sunshine. What’s more, it’s much greener to stay local than to take a polluting jet plane to the other side of the world. And to help you decide where to go, well there are no less than 40 destination guides available on our sister site www.allaboutandalucia.com. All are completely free, and give tips and advice on where to stay, eat and what to do during your trip.

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ITH a quarter of the population out of work, Spain – officially at least – leads the developed world for unemployment statistics. It has been the case for four years and the current crop of supposed ‘jobseekers’ currently stands at a shade over five million people – or a staggering 24.4 per cent of the workforce. The good – and bad - news is that the data is only based on the number of people who register for unemployment benefits. The fact is that many people in Spain collect a pay cheque while still claiming dole. It is actually endemic and results from weak controls and penalties, as well as high labour charges... and some people believe it could number half a million or more. “Clearly, with so much underground economic activity, all the official figures are false,” says Javier DiazGimenez, economist at IESE Business School in Barcelona. “In this country people show off about dodging taxes. The consequences of that level of tolerance to fraud are devastating for the economy.” Of course no one who lives in Spain would deny the crisis has had a profound impact on the country and is leaving the economy on the brink of collapse. Daily headlines scream about families being evicted as they cannot pay the mortgage, people whose benefits have expired and can no longer put food on the table and young people who have graduated but never find work. These stories are not made up or exaggerated. The majority of people who live here know someone that fits into at least one of those categories. However, in spite of this, it is

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Spain’s not working (or is it?)

With a quarter of all business ‘in the black’ and many working while claiming dole, Wendy Williams takes a closer look at the real job situation in Spain and why the official employment figures may be hiding the truth

MISLEADING: Up to half a million work while claiming dole taken for granted that the official unemployment figures are well wide of the mark. The real figures of course are difficult to ascertain and opinion is always skewed by perspective of the people you know, and whether they are working or not. But it has been estimated that the whole underground economy could make up as much as 20 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In Andalucia this figure is bound to be much higher. “A quarter of all work is off the books,” claims fellow

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economist Jose Ramon Pin, who estimates that at least 400,000 out of the three million people eligible for benefit are working illegally. “The government doesn’t get any tax revenue from these people, because they’re theoretically out of work. “And worse than that we are paying them unemployment benefit,” he adds. However, working cash-inhand or dodging taxes (depending on which way you look at it) is a safety net for millions in hard times. In Andalucia, in particular, ask anyone and they will tot

up - albeit in a hushed voice – the amount of friends and relatives who are earning cash from construction jobs, cleaning jobs and gardening jobs. The list goes on and on and includes nurses, barmen, and even teachers. It is not only accepted as the way things are, but the way things have always been. “In a sense, Spain’s reverted to its previous model,” says Vanessa Rossi, an economist at British economic think tank Chatham House. “It seems to be partly a structural issue in the way the employment laws operate.

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COMMENT

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COMMENT

“There’s a reluctance to give people full employment. There are relatively few fixed jobs with full employment security.” Often the pull towards the black economy stems from the fact some people quite simply cannot afford to be officially employed. “It is just too expensive,” a cleaner, who works without a contract, told the Olive Press. “Almost everyone I know who is officially unemployed is working at least part time. It is one of those things that everybody does. “I am not entitled to receive unemployment benefit so I CONTROVERSIAL: Huelva residents complain that have to work. But if I was on jobs are going to immigrants who work for less a contract or self-employed I to work for. would have to pay so much in ment by rogue employers. social security it wouldn’t be Some of the worst abuse is by It leads to the ridiculous situwealthy landowners, who actual- ation where large numbers worth it. “At the moment I pay €80 a ly charge people to buy so-called of Andalucians – as was month for private insurance peonadas or ‘days work’ in order the case in the 1960s and which covers my health care for them to qualify for agricultur- 1970s – are actually leaving towns like Almonte to take and pension. I have had it al assistance, or ‘PER’. for five years but I would lose “These can often cost €20 to fruit-picking jobs in France or everything I have built up if I €30 each and people need Germany. 35 to qualify right now,” said As one woman, from Alcala went on a contract now.” To be self-employed (or autono- autonomo-paying masseur del Valle, leaving for France mo) you must pay a minimum Antonio Coca, based in Arri- with her husband, this week social security payment each ate. “It is a sick system and is explained. month in the region of €225 being abused by hundreds in “I am being forced to leave my five-year-old behind with my village alone.” regardless of your earnings. And even those who only The cleaner confirms this. his grandma and look for earn around €200 to €300 a “There is a lot of abuse that work abroad when there are month, must still pay it if they goes on,” she added. “Em- jobs just five minutes away. It ployers make people work is crazy.” wish to be legal. According to economist Diaz- long hours, for low pay. But the Meanwhile the government, Gimenez this is an example Andalucians are very proud. which is losing millions in tax of the failure of legislation to They would rather not work at revenues, is keen to crack down on the situation. reflect the needs of the work- all than be abused. “They want a good contract, and A raft of new measures are force. employers are now being ushered in to at“It is a snaptack ‘black unemployment’. often reluctant. shot of reality; “But it is not This includes employers who people need Very few truly because Span- pay part of the wages officiallabour flexibildon’t ly with the rest under the taity but the only believe there are iards ble, people on part time conwant to work.” way to get it is by flouting the nearly five million This is an is- tracts working full-time hours that came and fake companies set up so law,” he said. people with no sue to a head in that workers will benefit from An English Huelva this being made unemployed. teacher living work year, when “In my opinion this reform is in Spain and hundreds of not only necessary but vital to working illegalu n e m p l oye d fight the enormous drain that ly agrees. “It is a ludicrous system that people gathered in Almonte the underground economy is completely lacking in com- to complain that all the straw- has on our country,” one blogmon sense,” she told the Ol- berry picking jobs were going ger Aurelio Jimenez wrote on the internet. to immigrants. ive Press. “It seems so obvious that Protesters demanded that The unemployment figures it shouldn’t cost the same companies give priority to that loom large over the counamount as you earn to be- the 6,000 unemployed locals try’s ability to bounce back come legal, no one is going to who are struggling to find from the crisis do not tell the whole story. pay that. If the law does not work. change, it is no surprise that “We have had enough of see- There are very few who truly ing buses with immigrants ar- believe there are nearly five the black economy is so big. “The government doesn’t of- riving for the strawberry sea- million people with no work fer any encouragement, and I son. When we go to the finca at all. think most people working il- to ask for a job they tell us The good news is that more legally only earn a little amount they don’t want a Spaniard,” people are working than it might seem which gives the so they think it doesn’t matter.” said a spokesman. Of course it is not only work- He added that the companies government an important ers taking advantage of the only want to hire immigrants safety valve. system but employers as who are cheaper and who But, this is not to suggest that Spain is not struggling or that well, who either choose not to ‘don’t know the laws’. put workers on a contract, or This however stands in con- the figures should not be takwho pay part of the salary le- trast with comments made en seriously. gally with the remainder paid by Manuel Martinez the presi- The unemployment number under the table in a bid to re- dent of agricultural union Asa- broadcast to the world is unja in Cartagena, who contro- deniably important as to how duce the tax bill. Certainly in times of crisis this versially claimed that despite the country’s current economproblem is worsened as em- the five million people unem- ic challenges are perceived by ployers feel they can get away ployed ‘no Spaniard wants to outside forces, and with confidence at an all time low, overwith it because workers are work in the countryside’. terrified of losing their jobs, “Only the immigrants want to reporting the unemployment situation - perhaps by as much aware that if they refuse the work in agriculture,” he said. terms there is a queue of peo- This may well have been the as five to nine per cent - could case in the past, but now actually make things worse. ple willing to work illegally. Those most affected are of- Spaniards seem more willing But until the government makes it affordable for the ten low-paid and low-skilled to try their hand at anything. workers, with many unaware The problem is, the wages country to be legal, the dole of their rights, leaving them being offered are often less queue shows no sign of getvulnerable to unfair treat- than what they are prepared ting shorter.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

NEWS

Councillor: How did 690 kilos of hash get in my van? AN ex-councillor found with 690 kilos of hash in the back of his van has claimed he has ‘no idea’ how it got there. The former politician was arrested in Ceuta as he was about to get on the ferry to Algeciras. When questioned by the police he denied all knowledge of the drugs and claimed he had only borrowed the van to help him move. But he failed to give clear details of who he had borrowed the van from. “What?, 690 kilos of hashish in the back of my furgo? How did that get there?” he said when confronted by police. But his ignorance failed to win over the police or the judge and he is currently awaiting trial in Los Rosales jail. Meanwhile police believe the drugs are not from Morocco but come from plantations in Pakistan, the first time such a seizure has been made. It suggests a new drug route.

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Cash isn’t king! THE Spanish government has given the green light to a new law banning companies making cash payments of over €2,500. However curiously non-resident foreigners can use up to €15,000 in cash in the new crackdown on tax evasion. Under the new law individuals and companies will also face sanctions for failing to declare all assets held overseas. The tax office hopes the new measures, which will come into effect next year, will encourage taxpayers to qualify for the tax amnesty. Individual and corporate taxpayers have until November to voluntarily disclose unreported income or assets by paying a special 10 per cent levy.

Staycation please! Restrictions also loosened for Latin Americans to encourage more Andalucian holidays

IU tourism boss Rafael Rodriguez has launched a summer campaign to promote Andalucia under the motto ‘You need a holiday. You need Andalucia’. He argues that if all residents in Andalucia stayed here for the summer they would make a substantial contribution to sustaining the regional economy during the crisis.

“I invite all residents of the region to discover Andalucia,” he said. “It’s important to get to know the world, but that world starts with what we have to hand’. It comes as Spain is also set to reduce the entry conditions for non-European tourists. It will make it much easier for Latin Americans to have holidays in Spain. Previously any nonEuropean tourist who wanted to enter Spain for an unlimited time had to show a visa, a return ticket, a hotel reservation and enough money to cover the stay. Meanwhile if they were staying in a friend’s house, they had to supply all the details of that person and the house, including proof of purchase or rental agreement. But following complaints from Brazil and Mexico tourists only have to say who they are visiting and give the address. Visit www.allaboutandalucia.com for plenty of good local suggestions

NEWS

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Eyes peeled for posh frock thieves

THEFT: Four designer dresses, including this one by Cavalli, were stolen from Harrods by (top right) suspects Annette and Jean

IT is a story that does not need dressing up. The facts are simple: Posh frock thieves Annette Daniel, 50, and Jean McGovern, 45, are thought to be on the loose on the Costa del Sol. Police believe the pair fled here, after the audacious theft of four designer dresses – worth €30,000 – from Harrods. They are among five suspects being investigated over the heist of Roberto Cavalli and Ralph Lauren originals in May. The pair are part of a skilled thieving gang who use wigs and hats to disguise themselves, often distracting staff and stashing items WITHIN the store that are later

Two notorious shoplifters ‘head to the Costa del Sol’ after allegedly nicking €30,000 worth of dresses from Harrods By Eloise Horsfield picked up by other gang members. Incredibly nobody noticed the dresses were gone until the following day, with Scottish criminals Daniel and McGovern the prime suspects after they were identified on CCTV with three accomplices. Daniel, sister of gangster Jamie Daniel, was first arrested in 1985 when she attempted to leave Harrods with a haul of suits for her then lover.

Her criminal record was named ‘disgusting’ in 2006 by a Glasgow sheriff. McGovern, too, whose cousin is murderer Paul McGovern, faced 14 charges of shoplifting and one of fraud two years ago – but mysteriously the case against her was dropped.

Middle aged

One police source told the Daily Record: “If I was a shopkeeper in Marbella, I’d be keeping my eyes peeled for a pair of middle-aged Scottish women.”

THEY’VE PALMED US OFF! TORREMOLINOS has learnt the hard way that nothing in life is free. The donation of 20,000 palm trees in April – worth around €2 million – could actually end up costing the town hall more due to the huge risk of infestation from red palm weevils. Indeed, prevention alone is expected to cost the town hall at least €150,000 a year. “The donation obliges us to pay for these treatments,” admitted councillor Jose Ortiz.

Dentist sleeps in car

A DENTIST is being forced to sleep in his car as he cannot afford to pay his rent. Javier Castilla, who works as a supply dentist for the Andalucia Health Service (SAS), has been without a fixed contract for a year. Castilla, from Sevilla, only gets a contract for a few days in different centres in the region. The situation has left him living out of a suitcase and sleeping on a mattress in his car, an old Hyundai, which he is currently parking next to the health centre in La Carihuela, in Torremolinos. The union CSI-F has now denounced the case and blames the situation on the health cuts in the Junta.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

NEWS

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BANK ‘BALE’ OUT TAKES IMMEDIATE EFFECT SPAIN’S banks might have just secured a €60 billion bailout – but it looks like it’s business as usual at this branch of Barclays in Estepona. In a different sort of ‘bale out’ these mules were parked up by their owners attending the regular artisanal market in Calle Real last week.

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NEWS

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

British family asks Olive Press readers to help locate their Spanish relatives

Help us find our family A BRITISH family is on a quest to trace their Spanish relatives after losing touch three decades ago. Sisters Maria, 39, and Josephine Shepperd, 46, insist the two sides of the family were torn apart after their Spanish mother Josefa Ruiz Jaen died when they were still children. Their father was very strict and according to Maria’s son Paul he beat them if they even dared to 'mention a word about their mum' after she died. “They were simply too scared to say anything growing up,” explained Paul, who is now appealing to Olive Press readers to help in their search. Based in Southampton, they are hoping they can find aunts or cousins, who they

believe live in Murcia or Andalucia. “But we have simply not had any luck so far,” explained student Paul. “We have been trying for years and years but have not heard a peep. We have tried the consulate, the internet and family records with nothing.” He understands that his grandmother Josefa and her family were extremely wealthy and originally owned a huge estate in Murcia, but during the war things changed. “Murcia was raided by an army and my grandmother, who was only five or six, had to hide with her three siblings while soldiers brutally murdered their mother and father and raided their house,” he continued.

By Wendy Williams “They ran away and she never went back.” His grandmother managed to travel to Germany, where she met her husband Eric Shepperd in the 1960s. Together they moved to Southampton where they married and had four chil-

dren - Maria, Lolly, Josephine and Steven. For a time the sisters went over to visit their Spanish relatives and got on really well. But after their mother died in 1981 this was stopped by their father, a disciplinarian who didn't even let them have photos of their mother. Mother-of-four Josephine

Father kills drug addict son A PENSIONER has been arrested for killing his drug addict son and throwing his chopped up body in the river. The 67-year-old from Sevilla, Jose Reina, was allegedly fed up with being mistreated by his son, 26, who has the same name. Local residents in Villanueva del Rio y Minas alerted the Guardia Civil after they saw a foot hanging out of a rubbish bag the father was carrying on his moped before throwing it from a bridge into the river.

News IN BRIEF

Thanks THE RAF Benevolent Fund has donated €8,000 to ACASA, part of Age Concern Spain, to support its casework service.

Corrupt confirmed: “I went to Murcia in 1976 when I was 11 and I saw the family, with my uncle Ramon and Paco who must now be in their 80s, and Ramon had a son also called Ramon who must now be in his 40s. “But the last contact we had was when my mum died in 1981.”

Searching

She added: “My mum never spoke much about the Civil War and the history and I was too young, it was only years later that I wished I had paid more attention. “Now we want to get the full story again and for our Spanish relatives to know that we didn’t ignore them, there were circumstances beyond our control and we have been searching ever since.”

Spain’s treasury and police are investigating the illegal funding of the Partido Popular as part of the Gurtel corruption case.

Racist UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Spain and Russia for racist abuse from fans during Euro 2012.

Chaos Coach drivers in Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca, and Formentera will carry out a series of summer strikes unless they get a pay rise and overtime.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

NEWS

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Superjudge fights back Garzon makes formal request for pardon BANNED ‘superjudge’ Baltasar Garzon (left) has made a formal request to the Spanish government to be pardoned. It comes after a group of European magistrates appealed a decision to have him disbarred for 11 years.

Malaga calls to the bar

SPANISH lawyers may soon be able to practice in the UK. The University of Malaga (UMA) wants its law graduates to become the first in Spain to be recognised by the English Bar. The project has the backing of British lawyer John Brebner who worked in London until retiring to Torremolinos in 1998. Since 2009 he has headed the university’s course on English law, which lectures in English. The university has filed a request for the Bar to recognise its degrees, so graduates can present themselves for the entrance exam. The goal is make it easier for Malaga graduates to move to England and to attract English students to study law at UMA. “Studying for a degree here will be like studying in Manchester but with a much better environment and climate,” said Brebner.

Disgruntled of Andalucia ANDALUCIAN city dwellers have some of the most dissatisfied residents in Spain, according to a survey. Granada, Malaga and Sevilla all fared badly, with locals claiming their home towns lacked a basic quality of life.

The Organisation of Consumers and Users surveyed 5,500 people, with unemployment and health being the biggest concerns. Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia did not do well either with residents in northern Spain among the happiest.

You mugs! A STAGGERING €190,000 of taxpayers’ money is being spent on a portrait of an ex-minister. Former PP public works minister Francisco Alvarez-Cascos has chosen one of Spain’s most expensive living artists, Antonio Lopez, to paint his official portrait. The commission was approved by former minister Jose Blanco in April 2010 as part of a long-standing tradition of hanging portraits in ministry headquarters.

By Eloise Horsfield Garzon was struck off after controversially recording conversations between lawyers and their clients in the Gurtel corruption case. However, the Association of European Magistrates for Democracy and Freedom (Medel), which represents 15,000 lawyers, has called the punishment ‘disproportionate’. Garzon has since thanked Medel and given his official backing to the request. His daughter Maria however remains sceptical: “I do not think it’s realistic to think he will be granted a pardon.

Priority

“It’s not the government’s first priority at the moment. “I think it’s more likely to be the European Court which will acknowledge the mistakes that were made in the judgment.” It will take between eight and 14 months for the Spanish Ministry of Justice to make a decision on whether to pardon the Andaluciaborn judge.

Party judge resigns over Banus trips SPAIN’S top judge has resigned over allegations he spent €36,000 of taxpayers’ money on 32 weekend trips to Marbella. Chief justice Carlos Divar insisted he was ‘not aware that he had done anything wrong’ and that he was the victim of a ‘cruel and disproportionate campaign’. The 70-year-old head of the Supreme Court insisted however that he held no grudges. As the Olive Press reported last month, the Judge had used a seven-strong team of bodyguards and stayed at the top hotels during his stays in Marbella. The resignation is the first time in history that a chief justice resigned from the judiciary.

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Don’t sell the Constable, stepmum! BARONESS Thyssen’s plans to sell off one of her priceless paintings has hit a snag. The plan to sell The Lock by John Constable for an estimated €30 million at auction on July 3 has caused a huge family row. Stepdaughter Francesca von Habsburg has dismissed her stepmother’s need to sell the 1824 landscape as ‘self-serving’. “She is putting her own financial needs above everything else,” she said, adding that it could undermine the international reputation of the Thyssen museums. “My fear is that this will lead to a domino effect and other paintings will be lost,” she added. As reported in the Olive Press last issue, the baroness insists her huge €100 million art collection – much of which is displayed in Malaga and Madrid – is becoming a job to maintain.

NEWS

KING’S ARTIST DIES Bayard Osborn, a contemporary of Warhol and Brenan, passes away at 89 DURING his lifetime he exhibited his work around the world and even sold his sculptures to the King of Spain. Sadly the well known American sculptor, Bayard Osborn has died shortly before his 90th birthday after a long illness. Born in Manhattan in 1922 he was one of the first foreigners to move to Gaucin where he lived for over 30 years in a house which hosted a spacious top-floor studio, where many of his works were on display. While most famous as an

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Axq IN BRIEF Help us get legal please ILLEGAL home owners in the Axarquia – many of them expats – are requesting the support of Izquierda Unida in order to speed up the legalisation of their homes.

Balcony death An investigation has been launched after a 17-yearold girl fell to her death from a balcony in Torre del Mar while taking washing off the line.

Thank you

A Maritime Rescue helicopter has saved two people - one suffering mild hypothermia - from a sinking boat 40 miles off the coast of Torrox.

Pious return

Riogordo’s 16th century church has opened its doors after two years of extensive renovation.

AXARQUIA NEWS

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Where’s our cash? By Eloise Horsfield

THE Junta is demanding a €1 million refund from Velez Malaga Town Hall after it shelved a plan to build a conference centre. It comes despite mayor Francisco Delgado Bonilla insisting he has no idea where the grant money has gone. The PP mayor had scrapped

Velez Town Hall must pay back million-euro grant, plus interest, to the Junta the plan, calling it ‘economically unviable’, on getting into power in May last year. Now the Junta is demanding the return of the money – plus interest of €70,000 – something Bonilla has described as ‘absolutely in-

WHEELY HELPFUL A TEAM of helpers on bikes will be doing their utmost to ensure bather safety in Rincon de la Victoria this summer. Members of the 30-strong team will cycle up and down 9km of beaches, providing information to day-trippers and holidaymakers. The helpers, who will be most present between Wednesday and Sunday, will have a kayak, rescue boat and quad bike at their disposal. They will also have a defibrillator, a psychologist for emergencies – and even a weather station that was kindly donated by local resident Ildefonso Aparicio. “The team is intended to guarantee the safety of our beaches,” said mayor Francisco Salado.

credible’. “They said they would not do this,” he said. “We don’t know where the money went or who it was given to. “It was obviously used for something else, which just proves there was no control over money before we came to power.”

Explanation

Bonilla has demanded an urgent explanation from the town hall’s previous socialist mayor as to where the money went. However Mari Salome Arroyo insisted she has no idea where the money is and dismissed the current mayor’s comments as ‘hateful and spiteful’. “This highlights Bonilla’s inability to move forward on a project that had already been financed. “It would have put Velez Malaga on the conference tourism map,” she added.

Hawkers unwelcome FAKE Ray-Bans and bogus Lacoste shirts are about to become scarce in Nerja following a crackdown on illegal street traders. The hawkers, who typically tout in bars and terraces of tourist areas such as Burriana beach and the Balcon de Europa, have prompted many shop and restaurant owners to complain to the town hall. Around 500 items have been confiscated by the police in recent weeks – mostly fake designer sunglasses but also dresses, toys, handkerchiefs and massage equipment. The town hall says most of the sellers, who are often of sub-Saharan origin, have no permits and are therefore unauthorised to trade.

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

NEWS EXTRA

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Safety calls after beach tragedy Off-duty policeman drowns trying to save two Irish surfers CALLS have been made for better beach safety after an off-duty policeman drowned while attempting to rescue two Irish surfers. Carlos Calderon Arias dived into the water at El Palmar beach, near Vejer, after spotting the men in difficulty. The 33-year-old, from Sevilla, was on holiday with his wife, who was left waiting on the beach as he swam out to help. Following a search operation, the Guardia Civil diving team found Arias’ body in the water, 400m away from the last spot he had

By Eloise Horsfield been seen. Meanwhile a female surf teacher helped the two surfers ashore. “It is very sad news,” said British expat Charlotte Hanson. “We visit El Palmar regularly and had no idea the currents were so strong.” Meanwhile Vejer mayor Jose Ortiz agreed the issue of beach safety needs to be taken more seriously. “People need to be warned before they go swimming,” he said.

DANGER: El Palmar Currently the only signs at El Palmar beach are those forbidding playing with balls or bringing dogs in the beach. There are no warnings about the currents. Arias has since been posthumously awarded a Gold Medal for Police Merit by Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz, who praised his courage and described the events as ‘tragic, sad and touching’.

GIBRALTAR NEWS

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

EU wades into fishing row By James Bryce

THE EU has stepped into the escalating row between Spain and the UK over disputed waters around Gibraltar. Environment commissioner Janez Potocnik warned that both countries must cooperate in their management of EU protected sites around the Rock. He added that both sides had legal obligations to protect a designated Site of Specific Cultural Interest (SCI) alongside the enclave. And, above all, they need to work together on protecting it from abuse.

False The Gibraltar government insists however, that Spain should have no say on any protected area within its waters. Backed by the UK, it refuses to recognise the ‘Spanish designations within British waters’, despite the EC approving the site near the Rock in 2008. “The response from the EU Commission is erroneously based on the false premise that the waters around Gibraltar are anything other than exclusively British,” a Gibraltar government spokesman said.

A UK foreign office spokesman added: “Neither Spain nor the Commission alerted the UK to the Spanish SCI proposal. The UK does not recognise the Spanish SCI listing and is challenging the listing in the European courts.”

Brussels warns that both sides must take responsibility over protected marine sites Potocnik’s comments came in response to a question by Gibraltar MEP Sir Graham Watson asking about

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Gib ship in Pacific rescue A BRITISH rower who got into difficulty while attempting a solo crossing of the Pacific has been rescued by a Gibraltarregistered ship. Charlie Martell, 42, was 34 days into his record-breaking attempt to cross from Japan to America when he ran into 50ft waves during a tropical storm. He was left with an anxious two-day wait for the arrival of the Gibraltar ship Last Tycoon, which had been alerted to his plight 700 miles from land by the Japanese coast guard. A message on his website read: “Charlie is hugely grateful to the crew of the MV Last Tycoon for their assistance and professionalism in recovering him and his boat.”

Spain’s failure to notify the UK before filing its designation. The latest twist in the

braltar after meeting Spanish fishermen during a visit to Algeciras. In a meeting he reportedly told them that he was there because he ‘wanted to hear them in person’ and that Spain would support their cause.

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Gib IN BRIEF Pope visit

GIBRALTAR bishop Ralph Heskett has met with Pope Benedict XVI as part of his first Ad Limina visit to Rome, held every five years.

Jazz date

Gibraltar’s first International Jazz Festival is set to take place in Casemates Square from June 28-30, including Avishai Cohen and Dan Moretti.

Boat bullies

Guardia Civil incursions into Gibraltar waters rose sharply from none in 2009 to 280 in 2011, according to government figures. There were just 33 between 2002 and 2008.

Pic talks

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo is in London for a series of meetings with potential investors and will address a Unite union conference in Brighton.

GIBRALTAR NEWS

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Bad gamble By James Bryce THE owners of a large UK bookmaker are facing court over allegations they moved part of their operation to Gibraltar to avoid paying tax.

Bookie facing huge tax hit

Stephen and Anne Fisher and son Peter - owners of Stan James - moved their

Icing on the Rock A SKATING star from Dancing on Ice will be offering expert advice this summer in Gibraltar. Natalia Pestova – who partnered England goalkeeper David Seaman on the hit show – is being joined by Alexei Kislitsyn to pass on techniques at the Summer Skating School run by Jenni Smith’s Ice Academy from July 23-27. To book a place call Jenni Smith on 600 270 131 or email: jennichampagne@hotmail.co.uk.

phone and internet betting business to a Gibraltarbased arm of its parent company in 2000. But now, HM Revenue & Customs insists the move was a deliberate attempt to avoid paying UK gaming duties, court documents reveal. The legal papers show the taxman wants to charge its profit as if it were the shareholders’ personal income, which is likely to mean paying a higher rate of income tax. Gibraltar-based companies would normally pay corporation tax at only 22 per cent on profits. The additional tax charge applies to companies who move offshore purely to pay less tax.

Helping the baby boom PARENTS-to-be looking to stock up on clothing and accessories for their new arrival now have access to a huge online selection from a Gibraltar-based company. BabyZone Gibraltar has launched a new website offering a wide range of products for expectant mums, who often face large delivery charges when ordering from the UK. The website has more than 1,000 products available with many more set to be added, as well as providing product reviews, parenting information and online resources. www.babyzonegibraltar.com

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

LETTERS

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 69.72 per cent full - Same week last year: 88.71 per cent - Same week in 2002: 59.81 per cent 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 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.2539 American Dollars 0.8042 British Pounds 1.2893 Canadian Dollars 7.4343 Danish Kroner 9.7310 H Kong Dollars 7.4865 Norwegian Kroner 1.6009 Singapore Dollars

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Breaking the rules Dear Olive Press

Regarding the blue fin tuna quota (issue 137); I wonder how many of the Spanish trawlers stick to the rules... I constantly see the Garrucha fleet breaking the rules and nothing is ever done! Who is policing the fishing fleet and who is policing the police? I haven’t seen or heard of any locally caught tuna so far this year. However, Mercadona had large Bonito on the counter today but wouldn’t confirm country of origin when asked. I also agree with Beachcomber John, why catch the quota before spawning, it just doesn’t make sense. Orca Steve, Garrucha

Dodgy dealers

As the economy gets worse there will be more of this (see article Expat driven to despair by car dealer, issue 137). My advice is sign nothing until you have had it read by an English-speaking lawyer, there are some good ones out there. Also let’s not tar all Spanish people with the same brush;

there are just as many shady dealers in the UK as in Spain. Peter, via the Olive Press

Artificial translation

It is true that Google Translate only provides approximate translations (see Lost in Translation, issue 137) but it has improved dramatically over the years and will continue to do so. People used to say that computers could never beat a human at chess but eventually they did, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if effective, accurate artificial intelligence appears that can translate accurately. Never is a very long time… As to the European Union insisting on doing business in all member state languages it is just one of its many structural problems. We are fortunate that two of the three most commonly spoken languages in the world, English and Spanish, are European languages. The EU should adopt these as its official languages and require all countries to speak one or other of them. In addition to saving a for-

A sad end

Not such a good Father’s Day for this lovely boy. He was unceremoniously dumped in the Poligono behind OpenCor in Elviria early on Sunday evening, June 17. There appeared to be a noose around his neck and a sheet over his face but no other signs of injury. He was a big, well fed animal and had obviously been looked after by someone. I’m hoping upon hope that no OP reader is missing such a lovely animal. Anonymous, Elvina

tune, it would generate a greater degree of interconnectedness and unity among us all. Christopher Rose, via the Olive Press

Tax dodgers

I live in a small village in Malaga called Almogia. In this village a considerable number of British people have decided to make their home here. The problem is, many of them do not pay their taxes, work without papers and have British-registered cars which have been here far beyond the permitted time allowed. For us law-abiding citizens, this is not on. By working as gardeners, mechanics, builders and even taxi drivers, they are stealing the food from the mouths of the Spanish living in the village, struggling to put food on the table for their children. You would think that with the current financial difficulties here, the people in power would be only too eager to act on this. They are losing a small fortune from these tax dodgers. If they have insufficient funds to live here legally they should go back to where they came from. Name supplied, Almogia

ED: See our feature on pages 6-7 on how many local Spanish are also doing the same. Times are hard for everyone!

Hi-De-Hi Pat

Myself and a group of others have been searching for someone for some time and have come to a dead end. Briefly, we are looking for a guy called Pat Fairclough, aged 70, who used to be the Dining Hall Manager at Warners Dovercourt Bay, where Hi-De-Hi was filmed. We are thinking of holding a reunion and want him there. His last known whereabouts were some years ago and thought to be in Fuengirola.

1990s, often at disagreement with Russia on many questions and policies. Or is it that your newspaper’s policy is trying to undermine the image of Russians (who don’t have anything to do with the case) on the Costa del Sol? I understand your attempt to create a catchy headline, but wish you could be more accurate in your choice the next time. Elena Davydova ED: Good points Elena and yes, correct, we are confusing Ukraine with Russia, although we are told that Mani and Gaspar do also have links with the Russian Mafia.

Gwenda Robinson

Pickpocket Shady Russians warning I would like to comment on your article Shady Russians in Majestic error (issue 137). My question is: how can it have such a headline if the whole story is about (and I am quoting) the ‘French national of Ukrainian origin’ Gaspar and his number two Mani? What do Russians have to do with it (not to mention why should they be called ‘shady’)? I can only attribute it to the fact you might not know the Ukraine has been an independent country since the

May I warn holidaymakers visiting Coin to beware of a gang of pickpockets and ‘cutpurses’ operating there. My wife had her purse taken from her closed and zipped handbag while shopping there. Just be aware of your fellow shoppers and keep your valuables under close guard, or your holiday could be ruined like ours. Roger & Karen Hulett, Talgarth, Wales

Letters should be posted to Urb. Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350, Malaga or emailed to letters@ theolivepress.es The writer’s name and address should be provided. Published opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

PLE WR ASE ITE

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monthly youth and education section the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012 21

OP treme Fingers on lips By Wendy Williams PUPILS at a Malaga school have been told to keep the noise down – by the strong arm of the law. Disciplinary proceedings have been launched against Parque Clavero School after neighbours complained about the excessive noise coming from the dining hall and gym. The Junta’s Department of Education claims the school’s director is responsible for the ‘shouting and plate banging’ which it ruled ‘exceeds the noise level allowed during the daytime’. Moreover it has threatened to fine the school, which has 500 pupils aged between three and 12, unless it finds

Junta tells Malaga school children to stop making such a racket a way to bring the noise levels down. But director Reyes Duran insists the school has already adopted several measures to reduce the noise since the first complaint was made in 2010. Some classes have been moved and the school spent €6,000 on lowering the ceilings and installing soundproofing on the walls. “I’ve taken measures, but I can’t put stoppers in the children’s mouths,” she said. Meanwhile Javier Saraiba who has lived with his family on the El Bosque urbanization since 1999 and often works night shifts, has defended the complaint and argues the

neighbours are being unjustly branded as ‘monsters who want to eat children’. “We are being made out as the bad guys,” he said.

Excessive

“The noise is excessive. At 7.30 in the morning the children are already there playing music in areas right next to people’s bedrooms. “We are not against children, they make noise, and we are not against the school. We are just against the fact they don’t want to talk or find solutions.” Duran denies the neighbours have asked to meet with her on the subject.

A STAR HAS BEEN FOUND! By Eloise Horsfield IT was an explosion of colour, glitz and true talent at the Search for a Star grand final, which raised over €1,000 for cancer hospice Cudeca. The €500 cash prize – donated by the Olive Press and Heritage Resorts– went to Gibraltar’s Danza Academy for Sea of the Undead (pictured left with talent show organiser Jayne Melville and reporter Eloise Horsfield), a spectacular pirate-themed routine taking in a series of duets and lifts.

“We were so happy to win,” said academy co-director Zuleika Green, whose six dancers aged between 15 and 25 did her proud. “It was wonderful,” added organiser Jayne Melville of Marbella Stage School. “It’s the first time we have had a talent show as part of Marbella Hot Talent and we were a bit in the dark about how it would go. “But thanks to the support of the Olive Press, which really raised the profile of the event, we had an amazing response and in the end there were 41 applicants.”

Battle for education budget A BATTLE is now raging as town halls refuse to accept the level of education cuts being demanded by central government. It comes after the PP government proposed reforms to local government law, to exclude both education and health from municipal responsibility. Rajoy’s government wants to bring all education spending under central control. It argues local councils should concentrate on other responsibilities, such as town planning, water supply, and social welfare. Any overlaps in responsibility should be referred to the Constitutional Court, it says.

Divisions

Currently the Spanish constitution puts education and health under the control of the autonomous communities. New quality standards are to be set, and if smaller town halls cannot reach them, then the regional authorities will take over in towns of less than 20,000 inhabitants. Protests are expected to continue over this for a long time with civil rights activists unlikely to give in without a fight.

Spanish youth heads to Germany

S the billions of bailout money are directed at recapitalising Spanish banks, little will trickle down to Spanish youth. Unemployment among 15 to 24 year olds in Spain has already reached 51 per cent, or 1.5 million youths. And Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy recently said he expects the country’s economy to get worse before it gets better, specifically pointing out that unemployment increases are expected. The lack of work has resulted in 37 per cent of 25 to 34 year-olds having to remain at home living off the goodwill of their parents. Indeed the economic crisis has prevented a whole generation from starting careers and families, and is being dubbed

OPX editor Wendy Andersen on the Peter Pan syndrome and why the young are being forced to emigrate

the ‘Peter Pan generation’ because they cannot grow up, leave home or get on with their lives. As the time between graduation and finding a job increases, the skills graduates have learned become outdated and stagnant. Unable to practice their professions, young Spaniards risk falling further and further behind. “For the rest of their lives, they’re damaged,” says Katherine Newman, a sociologist and dean at Johns Hopkins University.

“They don’t recover occupationally, their earnings are depressed for 20 years, and they don’t marry at the same rate.” So with little hope of finding employment in their homeland, many Spaniards are looking for jobs in other countries, Germany in particular. The number of Spaniards moving to Germany increased by 49 per cent in 2011 compared to the previous year. All over Spain classes in German are oversubscribed as the unemployed try to boost their job prospects. With low unemployment, Germany has launched a campaign to attract skilled workers, through its website, www.make-itin-germany.com aimed specifically at helping foreigners who want to move to Germany. It’s certainly paying off.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

ARE YOU A DINOSAVER?

A GIBRALTAR-based building society is giving youngsters a lesson in saving. The Leeds has launched a series of competitive accounts to help instill the vital habit from a young age. The first, the ‘Dinosaver’ - aimed at children up to the age of 11 - pays a variable rate of 1.5 per cent gross interest per year, while allowing unlimited withdrawals. For older children, aged from 12 to 17, the ‘Vault’ account offers the same competitive variable rate of 1.5 per cent, until it is transferred to the Gibraltar Tracker Gold account at the age of 18. There is also a five-year fixed rate bond account, which pays a fixed rate of 3.35 per cent a year, as well as allowing access to 25 per cent of the funds without penalty at any time. The minimum investment is only £100. Branch manager Zoe Frendo (above right) said, “It’s important that children get into the savings habit from an early age. “Our three accounts for young investors are suitable for different stages of a child’s life, and all the accounts offer great benefits.” She continues: “Opening one of these accounts makes an ideal present for the birth of a youngster into the family, a Christening present or a birthday present for the children or grandchildren.” For more information, customers can visit the branch at 235 Main Street or telephone Zoe Frendo on 00350 20050602.

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As increasing numbers of European children conquer several languages, Britain’s youngsters try to play catch up BRITISH children are being left behind by their European peers when it comes to foreign languages. A major new survey by the European Commission has revealed 90 per cent of 14 and 15-year-olds are unable to communicate their personal interests, experiences and ambitions in a foreign language. Meanwhile around 80 per cent still struggle with the basics, such as ordering in a restaurant. It comes as growing numbers of pupils in other countries – including Spain - are learning a foreign language at an earlier age. At least 11 countries have lowered the age for learning a second language in the past decade, with

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A lesson in language

STARTING YOUNG: Languages are best learned as a child Spain and Belgium actually introducing the subject for pupils as young as three.

Meanwhile the UK is playing catch up with plans to make foreign languages compulsory in primary

uestion: Who on earth uses a parasol like this? (see page 25 for the answer)

schools from age seven in September 2014. The first bilingual state primary school in England – St Paul’s in Brighton – was also launched last September. Children in two school years are taught PE, art and music in Spanish and youngsters from nursery through to Year 6 are given weekly Spanish lessons.

Disservice

The 235-pupil school chose Spanish because it was the language its pupils were most likely to come across on their holidays. “We’re one of the worst countries in the world for speaking foreign languages,” said head teacher Linda Dupret. “We’re doing the pupils a disservice if we don’t teach them another language.”

Footy professors

OF E EE RG FR A CH

A GROUP of young footballers from Australia are set to learn from the best during a training camp in Spain. The 15 talented under-10 and under-11 players will spend eight days at Barcelona’s training ground and will also tour the club’s Camp Nou stadium. “Barcelona’s youth system is the best in the world. It’s something the players will never forget and it will be an invaluable trip,” said coach Nick Bosevski.

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Local council’s efforts to suppress a nine-year-old’s blog have made her an overnight international success with a school kitchen built in Malawi to be named in her honour, after she raised over £85,000

Banned to be a success...

MARTHA Payne’s NeverSeconds blog - in which she posts pictures and opinions about the state of her school lunches - has received over six million views and won the support of celebrity chefs includ-

ing Nick Nairn. But last week the nine-year-old (pictured right) was controversially told by Argyll and Bute Council she could no longer take photos to illustrate her blog as media cover-

age had apparently left catering staff fearing for their jobs. The council has since back-tracked on its decision after a barrage of negative publicity in the media and on social networking sites.

Sampling the best of the best BIZARRE: Martha was fed all sorts of unappetising school dinners

FOOD Technology students from Laude San Pedro International have been going behind the scenes at the world renowned Calima Restaurant in Marbella. The four lucky students and their teacher were greeted by the patron and two-star Michelin award-winning chef, Dani Garcia, who was previously a guest at the inauguration of the new Food Technology room at the college. The students were able to see the staff in action, and observe the making of, and taste, cheese straws wrapped in Japanese rice paper and whitebait dipped in liquid nitrogen!

They were then led into the sumptuous restaurant with magnificent views across the sea and shown the VIP area. “We are delighted with the way Food Technology has been enthusiastically welcomed by students and parents alike,” said John Foulkes-Jones, from Laude. “We passionately believe that all students should understand the advantages of eating a healthy balanced diet and taking regular exercise; a number of recent studies have also clearly demonstrated that eating a balanced diet, improves academic performance.”

The ban led to thousands of donations flooding in to Martha’s JustGiving site, which she set up to raise money for charity Mary’s Meals. This Scottish charity runs school feeding projects in communities around the world where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education. Martha far surpassed her £7,000 fundraising target, with the total rocketing from £3,000 to almost £85,000 in just four days. It means a kitchen will be built at Lirangwe primary school in Blantyre, Malawi, and all 1,963 of its pupils will be fed for a whole year, as part of the charity’s Sponsor a School initiative.

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

HANKS to Spain’s education programme to encourage computer literacy, all children between 10 and 15 currently have a school laptop at home – and these little devices are rarely out of their clutches. I am fascinated by how many hours my kids will spend distorting photos, watching cats fall over on YouTube, and of course, chatting. My daughter likes to watch TV while online so that she and her mates can comment about the show they are not really watching. However, there is also a tendency for kids to lie about

Portatil peace of mind their age in order to join all the social networking sites: Facebook, Tuenti, Google+ being the most popular here. In reality they should be 16 to sign up. But my 11-yearold has 80 friends, all from her primary school. Since none of them have repeated their school year that many times, the agesafety feature clearly is not working. If your bilingual kids are outstripping you in computer

LISTEN UP:

literacy as well as Spanish literacy, you face a double whammy of how to monitor

X Top Ten Kids Sites

www.sciencetoymaker.org features fun projects that use easily-available, inexpensive materials, and don’t require special skills, tools materials or facilities.

www.ixl.com is one of the best educational maths site for kids. It’s excellent in the way it gives the parent feedback and is simple and easy to use.

www.sciencemadesimple. com offers detailed answers to many science questions and they can read current news articles related to science, get ideas on school projects, and take advantage of unit conversion tables.

www.howstuffworks.com Do you know why earthquakes happen? How CD burners work? What the sun is made of? These questions, and many others related to computers/ electronics, automobiles, science, entertainment, and people, are all answered at this award-winning website.

www.kids. nationalgeographic.com Great site for nature and exploring the world and its geography.

www.funology.com Largely entertainmentbased, but does have some interesting educational stuff thrown in for good measure. Check out the Weird Science section to find fun experiments.

www.clubpenguin.com This Disney-owned site is not the most educational one on the web, but it is fun, friendly, and safe. You basically create a penguin alter ego and build an online universe around it and chat with other penguins in a safe environment.

www.gennasworld.com The brainchild of 10-year-old Genna, this website hosts a ‘collaborative story’ where visitors’ suggestions are used to write stories. Kids can also post stories, book reviews, and comments on children’s writings.

ing online with your kids. Once you’ve shown an interest, you can also introduce some alternatives. Find sites that are fun and educational to balance out the rubbish. It’s a long virtual summer ahead, but If they only hear about sites what are the kids really doing online, by Googling ‘free games’ asks mother-of-three Wendy Andersen and word of mouth in class, they will be playing mindyour kids’ activities online. the computer will be able to numbing games all day At the most basic level, access. and missing out on all that parents can install filters di- If you don’t know how to do CBBC, the National Wildlife rectly on the laptop. These this, meet with the class Trust or the British Science are limits you can set which teacher and they can set Museum have to offer. will restrict which websites the filters for you. For more ideas, see the box Blocking access to the on the left. obviously-bad sites is easy. As their computer skills Much harder is deciding grow, you need to make where the line is between sure yours do too. If you what’s safe and what’s decide to restrict their acnot, and depending on your cess for whatever reason, child’s age, what’s monitor- keep in mind that they have ing and what’s snooping. multiple access points to There’s really only one way the internet – not just the to approach this. Talk to laptop, but through video your kids about what they’re game players, TVs, mobile doing online. Show an in- phones, and even some terest, get cameras. involved, let If you are worthem teach Is it good or bad? ried about you about the content You can only the internet they’re viewand the Linux ing but you really decide by operating syshave no idea tem the lap- playing the game how half the tops use. Get devices work, yourself familiar with you can set how everyblanket conthing works. trols for your By playing some of the on- entire home network. line games with your kids – Check with your internet however badly you do – you provider if you don’t know will at least be in a position how to install these filters. to decide if the games are Finally, talk to your kids too violent. about safety issues. Things Stickicide (pictured top that they think are OK to right) a free online game say to their friends can be that involves finding inven- read by others. They have tive ways to kill a cartoon to avoid saying things like: stick figure, presented a “We’re going to visit Grandwhole philosophical pa- ma in London this weekrental debate for me: it is end” because the whole violent, but in a really naïve, world will know your house funny way. Is it good or bad? will be empty. You can only decide by play- They should never give ing the game yourself. information about where Another site for young girls they live, or their telephone (pictured top right) seemed numbers. They should not innocent enough, with infor- ‘friend’ people or chat with mation on horses, famous anyone they don’t know. singers and make-up. But Remind them how easy it is it also had games that re- easy for people to lie online volved around kissing boys, about their age – for examwith links to more dubious ple, saying they were 16 to sites. You only know by go- get a FB account...

............................................................................ AND FINALLY.. Increasingly, or rather exclusively, kids these days use the net for doing their research. It’s important to explain to them that the internet is like a big open book, in which anyone can write. Some people are great thinkers, some great time wasters, some are just plain stupid. These two sites will help them in their research to sort the drivel from the good stuff.

A st

www.refdesk.com This online ‘reference desk’ can help to check facts found find online. It’s a one-click springboard to many of the web’s top dictionaries, encyclopedias, calculators, atlases, news headlines and search engines.

www.factmonster.com For younger students who are not quite ready to navigate Ref Desk, this site features a layout that is designed for easy fact-finding and includes timelines and an almanac, atlas, dictionary, and encyclopedia, as well as a ‘Homework Center’. Students can also search by visually identified topics or by typing in keywords. Check out fun features such as Biographies, the Geography Hall of Fame, and the Tallest Buildings Slideshow.

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nd ticky e

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

A role reversal

25 25

This month’s recipe:

Best BBQ Pudding: ‘Home-made’ Icecream Cake THE last thing I want to do at my own party is cook, so I try to make things that I can prepare days before. This pudding is a definite winner in the summer heat, and I defy you to find a kid that will not enjoy the making, or the eating, of it. Plus it’s so easy, that honestly, I’m pushing it when I call it a recipe. Ingredients 300ml ice cream (vanilla is best) 125g honey roast peanuts 150g + 50g chocolate chips 100g of your favourite chocolate bars (Mars, Snickers, Kit Kat etc) 150g chocolate cookie crumbs Hot sauce of your choice: chocolate, butterscotch, caramel...

at cat

oo much wine

nswer:

(from page 23) This giraffe at Selwo Adventure Park in Estepona is well protected from the heat by his very own parasol

Fancy a movie?

If you want to head to the cinema this weekend, but your Spanish is not up to scratch, check out the VO/VOSE films (Original Version) available in your area Project X Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 16:30 (daily)

Cines Gran Marbella 3D 16:00 (daily)

Gibraltar: King Bastion, Leisure Ctr. Cinema

21 Jump Street Cines Gran Marbella 16:00, 18:00 (daily)

The Avengers Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 3D 13:00 (daily) 2D 15:00 (daily)

Men in Black III 18:00 (daily)

MS1: Maximum Security Cinesur Fuengirola 20:00, 22:00

The Avengers 15:30 (weekends)

Dark Shadows Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 12:35 (daily) Snow White and the Huntsman Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 12:00 17:00 (daily) Cinesur Fuengirola 16:15 19:00 21:40 Men in Black III Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 3D 12:25 (daily) 2D 15:00 17:15 (daily) Cinesur Fuengirola 16:00, 18:00

Hunger Games Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 12:30 (daily)

The Dictator 18:30 (daily)

Snow White andthe Huntsman 20:30 (daily) Mirror Mirror 16:00 (weekends)

Directions Take some store bought ice cream and let it melt enough to be able to stir it. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring-form tin with cling film so that it hangs over the edges slightly. Empty the slightly softened ice cream into a bowl and mix in the peanuts, 150g of the chocolate chips, the chocolate bars broken into pieces (my favourite for this recipe is Crunchie bars if you can find them, the honeycomb is gorgeous mixed with ice cream, or Maltesers) and 100g of the biscuits broken into crumbs. I used to use bourbon biscuits for this recipe, but have a hard time finding them here. Oreos will work, or any dark biscuit you can find. Scrape the mixture into the tin. Smooth the top and cover with cling film. Place in the freezer to firm up. Serve the cake straight from the freezer, unmold from the tin and pull away the cling film gently. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the extra 50g of chocolate chips, and the remaining chocolate cookie crumbs. Cut into slices and serve with the hot sauce. I like to use both the butterscotch and chocolate sauces – because puddings should always be completely luscious and over the top!

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Fourteen weeks!

Orgiva art attack

Mother-of-three Wendy Andersen gives tips on surviving the long, hot Andalucian summer

A GROUP of young expat artists, aged between six and 14, have put on a fabulous exhibition of their own work. The Orgiva-based group Art in Life (Arte en la Vida) showcased TALENT: The artistic a range of colourful group with a ‘big’ paintings, sculpture, message photography and more. “As you might imagine, life in true rural Spain is wonderful for children, but there are not many cultural outlets and none for the young,” explains art teacher Karolina Faulds, who organised the show with the support of the local town hall. “That is why we have our art classes. Children learn about all kinds of techniques, famous artists, they will understand the basic terminology and most importantly they will have great fun, feel free and become a part of amazing supportive community. “We might be small but our message is big,” she added.

T’S the gestation period of a lion – or seven generations of hamster. It’s enough time to lose twice your body weight on a Dukan diet. And enough time for the average parent to go insane with their children at home, bored. After weeks of desperately counting down to the last day of school, it usually takes about an hour before hearing the first of 10,000: “What can we do?” It’s an enormous void to fill. And good luck with my favourite answer: “How about you read the books on the summer reading list?” That always goes down like a bucket of sick. Thankfully, the long summers in Spain are well catered for. With so many parents having to work through the holidays, a wealth of all-day or half-day activities are available in every town. But you have to know where to look, and decide how much

you want to spend. One of the most popular options is the casal, or summer school, usually hosted by one of the local primary schools. Sign-up information will be available at your town hall. These are relatively inexpensive, and offer hours that suit working parents. Attendance is noncompulsory, so once you’ve paid you can BUSY HANDS: Science can be fun - even during the holidays! decide how many days your child atwhich are often very popular, camps? They’re fun, active, tends. so you need to sign up early and great for fitness. What’s The facilities and activities to secure a place. Activities bad? They can be expensive, will vary depending on the are great for wearing kids out there’s limited availability host school. and expending some of that and it might only be for mornSo what’s good about them? excess energy, with usually ings, depending on your local They’re inexpensive. What’s a variety of sports activities sports centre. bad? They’re too much like through the day. Another option is specialist school, with a class-based Look out for sports centres camps. approach to fun. with swimming pools so that This is a bit of a catch-all catAnother option is to check out your child can cool off in the egory and will depend on your the local sports centre. Most summer heat. location. Head to the town offer summer day-camps What’s good about these hall, casa de jouventud or library to find out what’s available. Many museums and zoos will also offer week long activities for kids, with a real mix of fun and learning.

THE END OF TERM COMETH IT’S been a fun-filled last few weeks of term at BSM. What with the school summer play, Diamond Jubilee performances, Father’s Day celebrations, end of term reports and the school fair to prepare for, the staff room coffee pot has put in for overtime. The Goblin Next Door summer production was a sell-out and received glowing reports by a self appointed panel of theatre critics-cum-parents. And there were stellar performances by all year groups including a head-banging, foot-tapping pre-nursery choreography routine timed to the backing of Queen’s anthem We will rock you. Two days later around 30 chuffed dads (right) descended en masse to celebrate Father’s Day in

By Sian Andrews, principal, British School of Marbella the school hall. Presented with a doughnut and a portrait of themselves, their budding Picassos then sang a few songs for their dads. Moving on swiftly to the weather, it’s set to be a scorcher of a day for our annual Summer Fair which is on course to raise several hundred euros for the Butterfly Children charity. But with the end of term imminent all talk in the staff room is now focused on the end of year annual parent teacher dinner to be held at a not so secret location in Nueva Andalucia.

GETTING INTO IT: British School of Marbella pupils wow audiences with all sorts of talents and outfits

Most sports clubs will also offer summer camps, though they can be expensive One of our favourites for outdoor activities is the Algaba centre in Ronda which offers one week courses, with activities such as nature walks, arts and crafts. It even includes an archeological dig. If you’re new to Spain and would like to give your kids a burst of Spanish tuition, the Don Quixote centres in Marbella, Granada, and Sevilla offer week long summer camps with fun-based intensive language training. Most specialist sports clubs – tennis, football, golf – will also offer summer camps, though they can be relatively expensive. Lastly, you can always spend a day making your own countdown calendar – to September 10 for primary schools and September 17 for ESO – when peace will return to the house for at least six hours a day.

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OK Computer! PUPILS at Swans school in Marbella have spent their summer term honing their computer skills. As well as taking part in the European Maths Challenge, they have been taught how to guide their way around databases and how to use a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Roamerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Year 2: Using the Roamer

Reception: Matching objects

Children taking part in the European Maths Challenge

Year 5 : Using databases

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Sotogrande students go on an adventure!

S the school year draws to a close, Sotogrande students were dispatched to some far corners of Andalucia for three days of high adventure in the campo. Some camped, some stayed in log cabins, but a fantastic time was had by all and it was a fitting end to an incredibly busy year. From La Paloma in Tarifa to Sierra Nevada in Granada, via El Chorro in Malaga, students were catapulted into a variety of challenging outdoor activities. These included tree-top climbing, abseiling, rock climbing, zip lining, archery, building rafts, kayaking and trekking. Beautiful lakes and beaches offered great

A WHOLE LOT OF FUN: Pupils paddle, climb and shoot their way through the last few days of term trekking opportunities and water sports. In early July some 25 students and staff are travelling to Uganda to work on the construction of Nabugabo Community School, on the shores of Lake Nabugabo near Lake Victoria, which will open its doors to sponsored local children in January 2013, as well as working at other nearby schools. This is another project which The Kindred Project has supported this year. The students will also go on safari and have an opportunity to go rafting at Jinga, the source of the River Nile. It promises to be a busy summer vacation for many of us and we look forward to welcoming everyone back in September.

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June 28, 2012

Costa del Soul FANCY yourself as the next Madonna or Justin Bieber but never got beyond singing in the shower? Well now could be your chance to shine thanks to an iTalk FM campaign to promote talent on the Costa del Sol. Nearly Famous, launched by Breakfast Show hosts Sid Olivera and Nicole King, is a chance for budding singers to get themselves heard by a wider audience. “It’s not a competition as such, just a great way to get your name out there,” explains Sid. “There will also be an exciting opportunity for a chosen few to perform at a special gala at the end of the summer.” To enter, send an MP3 to either sid@italkfm.com or nicole@italkfm.com The Breakfast Show is Monday to Friday between 8am-10am.

By Eloise Horsfield SCIENTISTS have discovered yet more Neanderthal cave art in northern Spain - which could rival the age of the seals painted in Nerja’s caves. Fresh research has been carried out on 11 caves in Cantabria and Asturia, taking in the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Altamira, El Castillo and Tito Bustillo. Using a new method that measures the radioactive decay of uranium traces in tiny stalactites that form on top of the paintings, circular scrawlings at El Castillo were found to be 40,800 years old. Barcelona University Professor Joao Zilhao believes the artwork was painted by Neanderthals, but said more convincing proof is needed. Neanderthals, who famously ate seals, roamed the earth until about 30,000 years ago before the arrival of humans from Africa. “Until now our understanding of the age of cave art was sketchy at best,” said University of Sheffield specialist Dr Paul Pettitt.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Older again The oldest cave art in Europe is in Spain but the verdict is out on whether cave paintings in Nerja predate those in Cantabria and Asturia “Now we have firmly extended the earliest age of European cave art back by several thousand years, to the last Neanderthals and earliest Homo sapiens.” As reported in the Olive Press, in February specialists dropped an ‘academic bombshell’ after claiming paintings in Nerja caves

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what’s on

enadalid July 01, 10:00 at Family Fun Day at Cortijo Ayala follow signs along the track between Benadalid and Siete Pilas, Horse riding, pony games, grooming and swimming pool... so don’t forget your costume and towel! 10€ per participant, including food and drinks 5€ food and drink for non-ridiers. Call 644449145 or visit www.time-andspace-horse-riding.com

E could be 43,000 years old, but further research is needed to confirm it. Previously it was thought the oldest known cave

Being a realist OFFERING an alternative to a day at the beach a touring exhibition of works by Cuban realist painter Roidley Navarro is heading to Marbella this summer. The stunning collection is characterised by realist drawing, with paintings achieving an almost photographic likeness of the models. “We understand that the tourists who visit Marbella and Malaga are not only looking for sun and sand but also want to enjoy our culture,” said fine art broker Yolanda Otero. The free exhibition will be held from August 1 to 15 in Club de Mar (Multifunction Hall) in Puerto Banus.

paintings in the world were those in Chauvet Cave in France, thought to be between 32,000 and 37,000 years old.

Art of Tarifa

A GROUP of artists has hosted an innovative ‘popup’ event. On The Edge, held over two days in artist studios on the outskirts of Tarifa, aimed to challenge the standard art exhibition experience – taking in audiovisual displays, sculpture and digital technology. “The event was more like a performance than exhibition,” said contributor Karen Emslie, who previously worked as a BBC journalist in Scotland.

stepona Until August 14. Estepona Port Business and Internet Centre presents The Works of Mike Emeney and His Class. Mike will be displaying his popular works interspersed with those of his pupils.

anilva June 29 The Foreign Residents’ Department in collaboration with the Camping La Bella Vista are organizing a dinner and a show. Price per person is 18€ and 35€ for a couple. We promise a great night with entertainment and a stunning location on the beach front. Call 952 89 35 48 or email The Duquesa Castle - extranjeros@ ayto-manilva.com

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Who lives in a house like this? One of Europe’s top haunts for celebrity holidays, is it any wonder a few of them have bought and settled here too, asks James Bryce

HETHER it is Saudi princes, Hollywood stars or European royalty you are looking for, there is no shortage of celebrities living in Andalucia. From the early days when Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant could be spotted chatting over breakfast in Marbella, to the current batch of publicity-hungry reality TV stars routinely spotted falling out of clubs, the trend has shown no sign of abating. An attractive combination of fantastic weather, luxurious properties and discreet locations all add to the appeal, but that is not all. “It gives them the Hollywood lifestyle just two hours from London,” reasons Giles Brown, editor of Marbella’s Hot magazine. “We’ve had the likes of Ronnie Wood and Sean Connery owning property down here over the years, and Prince even painted his mansion purple and spray-painted his logo on the front. “I also remember Oasis taking a villa in the hills above Marbella when they were in their prime and partying with the likes of Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. The list is endless.” So where exactly do all these celebs call home? From pop stars to politicians, the Olive Press takes a light-hearted peek behind the gated mansions of some of the more famous names who live or spend time in Andalucia.

JEREZ

The home of sherry became the home of Glenn Hoddle after the former England boss decided to set up a football academy in the town in 2008. Many of the players - failed English professionals coached with a view to earning a new contract - turned out for Jerez Industrial until the project ended in March 2011. Among the coaches assisting Hoddle in Jerez were Graham Rix, Nigel Spackman and Dave Beasant.

CASARES

Former MEP and TV personality Robert Kilroy Silk has a huge mansion (above left) in the hills near Casares. The 11-bedroom converted olive mill is used as a holiday home by the former Kilroy host, and when he is not in residence, rents the property for an eye-watering €12,700 a week. A local estate agent told the Olive Press in 2009: “He is a very private man and keeps himself to himself.”

SERRANIA DE RONDA

Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles helped put Ronda on the map during their well-documented time living in the town. These days there are fewer high-profile residents but the area is still proving to be a major draw for famous names. British Prime Minister David Cameron has visited the area on several occasions, and confided to former Spanish PM Jose Zapatero that one of the things he would miss most about becoming PM was his trips to Ronda. DJ Fatboy Slim has also enjoyed relaxing holidays in Ronda and even Jesus is said to have been to Gaucin, during a premonition experienced by a local priest.

FANS: (clockwise from top left: Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles, Fatboy Slim and David Cameron

PREMIERSHIP APPEAL: (Clockwise from top left) Hoddle, Rix, Beasant and Spackman

SOTOGRANDE Believed to have some of Spain’s most expensive real estate, it is no surprise that Sotogrande is a popular haunt for the great and the good. Princes William and Harry are known to enjoy playing polo tournaments in the exclusive enclave, while the likes of Mariah Carey, Antonio Banderas and the Duchess of York are regular visitors. Other notables often spotted in the place which inspired the novel Cocaine Nights include Formula One mogul Eddie Jordan and England footballer Glen Johnson.

LA ZAGALETA

HOT SPOT: The Royal princes, Carey, Banderas, Johnson, Jordan and the Duchess of York

Situated in the hills above San Pedro, La Zagaleta is said to be the most expensive housing estate in the world. Famous home-owners include Hugh Grant and the mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov, with controversial Russian president Vladimir Putin reportedly keen to use it as a bolt-hole. Rod Stewart is said to have a palatial pad at La Zagaleta, a far cry from his early career, when he was kicked out of Spain for vagrancy. NEIGHBOURS: Grant, Luzhkov, Stewart and Putin

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GRANADA

A far cry from the bright lights of the Costa del Sol, Granada province is home to a number of creative types including Alexei Sayle. The comedian has set up home in the Lecrin Valley and counts Paul Weller among his famous neighbours, not to mention the creator of children’s TV sensation Teletubbies. No mention of Granada would be complete without a word for Driving over Lemons author Chris Stewart, while a touch of aristocratic order is supplied by the Duke of Wellington’s sprawling estate near Illora.

CREATIVE: Chris Stewart (main pic) Alexei Sayle, Paul Weller and the Teletubbies

MIJAS

TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson is known to enjoy regular trips to his avocado farm in the hills above Mijas. “It’s remote, tucked away in the mountainside in Las Lomas de Mijas, without anyone overlooking it. It’s got sea and mountain views and it’s a nice place to escape to,” Thompson said of the property.

OJEN

Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias has long owned a property in Ojen. Straddling three town boundaries, the palace has spectacular views. The 68-year-old singer settled down there along with his wife, Dutch model Miranda Rijnsburger (right).

MARBELLA

Spain’s true celebrity town, it was obviously to ‘Marbs’ where the cast of hit UK show TOWIE decamped for a Spain special last month. The list of famous residents and visitors is as long as a magicians hanky, but among the more notable names include Mark Thatcher, the son of Margaret Thatcher, Sean Connery and Dolph Lundgren. Thatcher was given a four-year suspended sentence for his role in an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea and later set up camp at a €3 million villa in Marbella. Other high-profile names with homes in the glamour spot include Simon Cowell who is rumoured to rent a villa for €15,000 a day, Lord Alan Sugar and former England manager Fabio Capello, who has a pad off the Ronda road.

LOCALS: (clockwise from top left) Cowell, Sugar, Capello and Thatcher

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

la cultura

the olive press -32 June 28 - July 11, 2012

UR friend Judith was fully prepared for a day at the beach, and Joe loaded her stuff into the jeep. Items included a parasol, rugs, folding chair, wicker picnic hamper, binoculars, several towels and a choice of reading matter. And she looked the part. Resplendent in a cotton shift the size of a Boy Scout’s tent, she’d topped it off with a giant sombrero. Sunglasses obscured her face. Off we went, Judith holding on to her sombrero all the way down the mountain to the beach. “Coming in for a swim?” I asked Judith. “Not yet, dear. I’ll read my paper and get lunch organised. Brought enough for all of us, don’t you know.” Joe and I swam for a while then rejoined Judith. She’d been busy in our absence. Spread on a white cloth was a feast. Triangular crustless sandwiches, home-made

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Two Old Fools and a jellyfish sausage rolls, scotch eggs, bowls of fruit; it was like a piece of England. “Bottoms up!” said Judith, handing us long-stemmed glasses of Pimm’s. After lunch, contented and full, Joe and I stretched out on the sand to sunbathe. “Damned hot!” said Judith. “Think I’ll put me bathing costume on and go for a dip.” Joe politely averted his eyes while Judith wrestled with changing. She disappeared from view completely under an enormous towel. We heard her grunting, and the flailing under the towel made me think of wildcats fighting in a sack. At last the towel dropped and she was ready. Smelling faintly of mothballs, Judith’s swimming attire was serviceable, but definitely not

In the final extract from Victoria Twead’s Chicken, Mules and Two Old Fools she and husband Joe get to grips with the local wildlife… designer. It was black and large with built-in pleated skirt, reminiscent of the nineteen-fifties. “Look out for jellyfish,” said Joe as Judith made her way to the water’s edge. Famous last words. Minutes later, an almighty yell woke us from our doze. Judith, sombrero awry, was exiting the water at a rate of knots. Joe and I jumped to our feet. “Jellyfish! Bloody critter got me...” spluttered Judith, wincing and holding her leg. “Hurts like hell!” The rash on her leg was al-

ready swelling and angry looking. She sat heavily on the sand, her face creased in pain. “What can we do?” I asked. I looked around, but there was nobody on the beach apart from a family some distance away. Judith was suffering; she was writhing and clutching at her leg. Jellyfish stings are notoriously painful. And then I had an inspiration. I love TV survival programmes, the kind where they show you how to rub two elephant beetles together to make a fire, and a bit of trivia I had absorbed suddenly surfaced. “Quick, Joe! Pee on her!” “What?” “Pee on her leg! It’ll take the sting away!” “Don’t be ridiculous! I can’t just pee on Judith!” “You have to! I can’t do it; it has to be male pee.” “But…” “Good Lord,” said Judith, extending her leg. “If it’ll take the pain away, just DO it!” “Well, I could… But you’ll both have to look away.” Joe was crimson with embarrassment. “Okay,” I said, “just get on with it!” For a long moment he just stood there in horror. Then, realising that both

WIN, WIN, WIN Fools for free FOR those who want to continue reading Victoria Twead’s Chicken, Mules and Two Old Fools, the Olive Press is giving away e-books to the first three people who answer the following question correctly: In the first extract Two Old Fools go house hunting, what is the name of their estate agent and where is he from? To find out, read the extract online at www.theolivepress. es/spain-news/2012/05/06/two-old-fools-go-househunting/ Please send your answers to newsdesk@theolivepress. es Judith and I were deadly serious, he eased his trunks aside, took aim, and began

Top scribe in Spain US author Philip Roth (below) has won one of Spain’s top literary awards after being praised for his ‘fluid, incisive writing’. The 79-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner was handed the prestigious Prince of Asturias gong in recognition of his contribution to American literature. The writer - whose books include American Pastoral, Portnoy’s Complaint and The Human Stain walked away with the €50,000 prize at a ceremony in Oviedo. The award, named after Prince Felipe, is one of eight annual prizes handed out by the Asturias Foundation. “The narrative work of Philip Roth forms part of the great American novel, in the tradition of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Saul Bellow,” said a spokesman.

urinating on Judith’s leg. He was still in midstream when a shadow fell across us. We became aware we were not alone. The man from the distant family group had joined us, presumably having noticed Judith’s predicament. Politely, he held out a tube of ointment. “Medusa?” he asked quietly. “Jellyfish? This ointment will take away the sting immediately.” Joe swung away, tucking himself back into his trunks as fast as he could. The Spanish man avoided looking at Joe and didn’t comment on his bizarre behaviour. Instead, he splashed water on Judith’s leg then gently applied the ointment. The relief, according to Judith, was instantaneous. “Vinegar also works well,” said the man, now looking pointedly at Joe and nodding towards the cafe up the beach.

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Return to Spain

Classical questions for City of Dreams A PRESTIGIOUS four-day event will ask philosophical questions via a series of classical concerts and conferences. Russian cellist Mikhail Milman (right) and Malaga baritone Carlos Alvarez are just two of the musicians preparing to perform to Ronda audiences between July 9 and 12. Angels is being held in homage to the Czech poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who visited Ronda 100 years ago. Rilke famously gave Ronda its tag ‘City of Dreams’ and wrote ‘Every angel is terrible’ in his Duino Elegies collection of 1922. Entry to concerts is €10.

Author Ken Sibanda all set to turn his Spain-based novel into a feature film SOUTH African-American writer and director Ken Sibanda is set to pay a visit to Spain to scout for locations for his upcoming film. Based on his popular sci-fi novel Return to Gibraltar, published last year, the film will tell the story of Horace Bates, a young African American studying at Harvard who travels back in time to 1491 to assist the Moors against the Christian re-conquest. In his book author Sibanda takes the reader from Boston to Spain, to California and back to war-torn Africa. But this will be the first time the author has set foot in Spain. “We are in the early stages of producing the film at the moment, but we will probably begin location scouting next year so I will hopefully visit then,” Sibanda explained to the Olive Press. “It will be filmed in Spain and a big location will be the Alhambra.” He continued: “I would really like to see Will Smith play the part of Horace Bates. I

wrote the book with him in mind. “Although at the time I didn’t concentrate on making it a film, I wanted to write a good novel. “And it is going really well, I have even had feedback from Gibraltar and Spain, with people responding very positively.

Entertaining

“It is one of the first times an African writer has produced a sci-fi epic and the audience is growing and taking on a form of its own. “If I had to sum it up in one sentence I would say it is an exciting science fiction, with a black protagonist. “Mainly it is an entertaining story. Bookshelves should have entertaining books on them. “And it is a good book you can read on the beach, or when visiting the Alhambra.” Return to Gibraltar is available from www.amazon.es

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Top S alud!

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

New transplant record for Spain

SPAIN has set a new record for life-saving transplants by performing seven crucial operations in just 24 hours. The seven recipients, all operated on on June 2, were in an ‘zero emergency’ state – meaning they would have died within 48 hours without a new organ. Rafael Matesanz, director of the National Transplant Organisation (ONT), said it was the generosity of 10 families that enabled the operations to go ahead. Three of the transplants carried out were of the heart, three were lungs and one was a liver, with one of the seven patients a child. Last year an average of one such operation per two days was carried out in Spain, prompting Matesanz to call this new record ‘very relevant’.

Workers stub it out A BAN on smoking in the workplace has led to a five per cent drop in the number of workers who light up in Spain, according to a study. Researchers analysed the tobacco consumption of 413,473 workers of all ages and occupations between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2011. The study - by Madrid-

Smoking ban leads to five per cent drop in workforce smokers while consumption also falls based Ibermutuamur Prevention Society - found the number of smokers dropped from 40 to 35 per cent, while tobacco consumption in those who continued to smoke also fell.

“The results suggest that the enforcement of the law has accompanied a progressive reduction in the percentage of smokers and the consumption among the working population,” said Ibermutuamar re-

Doctors turn out the lights in protest at health cuts DOCTORS and nurses in Andalucia launched a 24-hour shut down to protest over cuts to health care. Medical staff from across the region simultaneously closed the doors to 14 hospitals in order to give the government a ‘wake up call’. “We need to call the government’s attention to the irreversible damage this will have on the health service,” said Francisco Munos, the secretary general of the nursing syndicate Satse-Andalucia.

searcher, Carlos CatalinaRomero. The findings come at a time when Spain is attempting to relax the ban on smoking in casinos and amusement arcades in an effort to support the struggling gambling industry.

Pressure

It comes after doctors in Malaga warned the Junta that the proposed cuts could put patients’ health at risk and cause an increase in incorrect diagnoses and treatment. The cutbacks will see a heavier workload for staff as well as targets reducing lab tests by 10 per cent and MRIs by five per cent. Unions and consumer and patient associations have now teamed up to offer a 21-point plan of alternatives to the cuts issued by the Junta.

The government is pressuring the health department to reform the law as it looks to boost tax revenue to help Spain’s economy. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced in November his intention to review the smoking legislation, with the ban considered the main reason for the drop in gaming income.

Planning your funeral ahead saves time, unnecessary upset and money Planning ahead with Iberian Funeral Plans SL could save you thousands Iberian provides the caring choice for your family Because the Guaranteed Funeral Plan is provided by Iberian SL, one of Spain’s foremost providers of funeral plans, you can be sure that you will receive unrivalled service and excellent value for money.

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Top Salud!

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NCREASING numbers of Britons are suffering from vitamin D deficiency because of paranoia about sun damage. But at the other end of the scale, an alarming seven per cent more people in Spain developed skin cancers in 2011 than in the previous year, clearly suggesting some are not protecting themselves enough from the sun’s harmful rays as we hit the hottest time of the year. So here is some expert advice on what to consider when choosing your sun cream this summer.

How to strike a balance between topping up your tan and your vitamin D levels without running the risk of cancer

What are UVA/UVB rays?

Radiation from the sun enters the skin through UVA and UVB rays. Both can cause skin cancer, but it’s the UVB rays that cause the skin to go red. Meanwhile UVA rays penetrate deep below the skin’s surface and damage the cells beneath, causing premature aging in the form of wrinkles, sun spots and leathery skin.

What is SPF?

A product’s Sun Protection Factor (SPF) shows how much longer you can stay in the sun without your skin burning. If you normally burn within five minutes with no lotion on, wearing sun screen with SPF 20 will mean you can spend 100 minutes in the sun without going red.

Which SPF should I go for?

Essex Dermatologist Dr Hillary Allan says anything below factor 20 is a waste of time, while Dr Veronique Bataille advises not to go below 30 in hot sun if you’re fair. Generally speaking, since most people apply sun cream badly, it’s best to go for a higher factor to make sure you are protected.

How should I apply it?

A fingerful of cream should be applied on each area – so

SUN SAFETY 35ml for the whole body of an adult. The initial application needs to be done 30 minutes before going in the sun so the skin’s top layer absorbs it, and ALWAYS reapply after swimming.

Spray or cream?

According to Dr Allan, since sprays are easier to use people are more likely to apply them thoroughly and repeatedly – although other experts warn that sometimes sprays are not applied thickly enough.

Cheap or expensive?

The main advantages of more

expensive creams are that they smell nicer or feel less greasy on your skin. As Dr Bataille says: “In terms of efficacy, deep down all these products are very good and you’re not putting your health at risk by choosing cheaper products.”

How do I make sure I get enough vitamin D?

Some experts advise even fair-skinned folk to get out in the sun with no protection for 20 minutes for three times a week – unless this makes you burn.

However, the more cautious Professor Newton-Bishop says it is best to cover up completely and make sure you get enough vitamin D through supplements.

And a stroke of good fortune for sunbathers... IN great news for sun worshippers, new research has found vitamin D can reduce the chances of suffering a stroke. The study, carried out by the University of Hawaii using 7,500 JapaneseAmerican males over 34 years, found that a lack of the ‘sunshine vitamin’ could raise the risk of having a stroke by more than a fifth.

Sunlight

Vitamin D is manufactured by the skin when exposed to strong sunlight, and is also found in foods such as nuts and oily fish.

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Diesel fumes as deadly as arsenic DIESEL exhaust fumes are a major cancer risk and are as deadly as asbestos and arsenic, according to the World Health Organisation. Experts have now reclassified diesel fumes from ‘probable’ carcinogens to a group of substances that have definite links to cancer. The decision was unanimous and based on ‘compelling’ scientific evidence, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO. Among the evidence reviewed was research showing that regular exposure to diesel fumes is as likely to cause cancer as passive smoking. “The working group found that diesel exhaust is a cause of lung cancer and also noted a positive association with an increased risk of bladder cancer,” said an IARC statement.

A simple test can save your life

Raymond Prats of Simplecare explains the risks of vascular disease and the importance of screening ALMOST everyone knows about heart disease - the importance of prevention, detection, and treatment, and the huge impact it has on people’s health. But they know very little about vascular disease outside the heart, which actually causes almost as much death and disability as heart disease, and more than any cancer. Here we shed light on the deadly disease…

Similarities between heart and vascular disease

It’s important to understand that vascular disease outside the heart does occur in a variety of different locations - the carotid arteries in the neck, the aorta, the arteries in the legs and arms and even disease in the veins. Most of these problems are very similar to heart disease in the sense they are also atherosclerosis (a hardening of the arteries). It just occurs in different arteries than the coronary arteries to the heart. It’s also important to understand the potential severity of these diseases. Just like heart disease, each one of those problems has consequences that can be very serious and lead to hospitalisation and severe disability long term or even death.

The most deadly types of vascular disease Carotid artery disease, PAD and aortic aneurysms are probably the three most serious non-cardiac vascular diseases. Carotid artery disease typically occurs when the carotid arteries (the main blood vessels to the brain) develop a build up of plaque caused by atherosclerosis, or a hardening of the arteries. When the build-up becomes severe, it can cause a stroke, which can be fatal or permanently disabling. However, if carotid artery disease is detected and treated, doctors can prevent

most strokes. Aortic aneurysms occur when the wall of the aorta (the main artery in the chest and abdomen) progressively weakens causing a dilation of the vessel. If not diagnosed and treated, the aneurysm will grow larger and eventually rupture. An aneurysm that ruptures has an 80 per cent fatality rate yet the vast majority of people with aneurysms are never diagnosed with some only diagnosed when they experience a fatal rupture. But if it is detected and treated electively the risk is more in the range of two to three per cent; so it really is a fatal disease that can be cured. PAD is a blockage in the circulation to the arms or legs due to atherosclerosis or other diseases, which may threaten the limbs. PAD can impair circulation to the legs and lead to serious disability or amputation. Between 25 and 30 million people over 70 have PAD. These people are three times as likely to die of heart attacks and strokes as those without the disease.

Early detection is vital

In most cases, with early detection, vascular disease can be treated effectively. There are several simple screening tests that detect these problems, all of which are non-invasive and painless.

Who should be screened for vascular disease?

Screening is useful in certain high-risk groups in the elderly population. Anyone over the age of 55-60 has a higher risk of atherosclerosis and therefore would have a greater chance of developing vascular disease. Other well recognised risk factors include: Diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking high blood cholesterol, family history of atherosclerotic problems and circulatory problems.

For more information visit www.simplecarehealthplan.com

ADVERTORIAL the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

THE TRUE STORY OF A SMOKER

Richard & Judy could change your life too! This is the true story of a female smoker who smoked more than thirty a day for thirty years. At the age of 45 she decided it was likely she would go to an early grave as a smoker. Particularly as her husband was also a smoker and worse still, was under the impression he enjoyed it! One day the couple, who lived on the Costa, saw a report on Richard & Judy about a new method of quitting the habit. Instead of being a nicotine replacement method, a chemical that possibly gave suicidal tendencies, or hypnotherapy, it was a medically proven non invasive therapy that Richard and Judy said had a 90 per cent success rate! Even more encouragingly it received positive coverage on the BBC 6 o’clock News which interviewed two sceptical journalists who had the treatment and agreed they felt it removed the addiction instead of trying to replace it. The couple made contact with the company in London. And after being told it was £350 each treatment - which meant it was going to

work out at nearly £1,000 with flights - they decided, having tried every other method, this was going to be their final attempt to quit. To their amazement, within 24 hours of leaving the clinic neither had any desire to smoke whatsoever. And after three months they began to feel this was something that all smokers should at least try. They realised the cost of the therapy plus the flights was likely to make it less than inviting and so ‘Stop Smoking In Spain’ was born! Carol, the lady in this story and now the proprietor, says: “It’s been six years now and I have successfully treated thousands of clients and even better, most are introduced by word of mouth, which is a lovely way for me to run a business particularly one that saves lives”.

So, how does it compare with other treatments? Richard and Judy quoted:

7%success rate with nicotine patches and gum 30% for acupuncture and hypnosis 15% for smoking cessation clinics 3% going ‘cold turkey’

As for the cost? The therapy has been available in places like Harley Street, London for some time but at a cost of between £295 and £395. Stop Smoking In Spain has been providing the exact same therapy for €145 with a 10% discount for two or more people.

Even better, for a short time they will even give you a FREE home visit

“

Call Carol now on 952965261 or 649123238 or visit www.stopsmokinginspain.com which has all the BBC News and Richard & Judy videos… plus a lot more! Hi Carol - Completely free of it in one treatment. It really is a miracle. I’ve been giving out your number to lots of colleagues and patients. I hope they book up. Thank you. Dr Luke Maddocks (Brighton) Hi Carol - Yes all great have not smoked any cigs since I left you. Thanks, no cravings and have changed my routine. Anne (Spain)

Some things the tobacco companies would rather you didn’t know... Cigarettes contain much more than tobacco leaf, including ‘fillers’ made from the stem and bits of tobacco that would otherwise be waste products. There are also 600 permitted additives used to make cigarettes more palatable including sugars and sweeteners to mask the taste, menthol to numb your throat and make it easier to inhale, cocoa to expand your airways and moisturisers to stop cigarettes getting stale. Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals. At least 60 can cause cancer. And there are even poisons like arsenic and cyanide as well as substances more often found in floor cleaner, rocket fuel, embalming fluid, car batteries, and exhaust fumes.

“

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Top Salud!

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Dementia drug bonanza GOOD RESULT: Possible cure

Reduction of ‘plaques and tangles’ on the brain could be significant in fight against dementia

HEALTHCARE HELP IS HERE

HELPING HAND: STM Nummos Life FOR expats living in Spain, finding the right kind of health insurance can be a daunting and complicated process. And that is without considering the language barrier faced by many when trying to make arrangements, which often adds to the confusion. But for those seeking a comprehensive and affordable healthcare package that is tailored to their individual needs, help is at hand.

STM Nummos Life - a registered intermediary of Bupa International and Sanitas - offers personalised, free advice on a range of issues. Representatives can give you bilingual claims assistance, advice on policy matters and information on new products from the comfort of your own home. For more information, call Sonia Fendley or Lesley Thomas on 956 796 148.

A SPANISH firm is set to step up its search for a cure for Alzheimer’s after reporting positive results from clinical trials. Pharmaceutical company Zeltia gave Alzheimer’s patients an oral dose of a drug known as Tideglusib on a daily basis over a 26-week period. The Madrid-based firm found the drug significantly reduced the build-up of so-called ‘plaques and tangles’ on the brain, which are thought to play a key role in the development of the disease. It also reported improved ‘spatial memory’, the part of the brain that records information about your surroundings.

Cure

The trial involved 306 Alzheimer’s patients at 55 hospitals in Spain, the UK, France, Finland and Germany. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia characterised by memory loss. Dementia affects 820,000 people in the UK, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK.

A cherry good night’s sleep

EXPATS suffering from insomnia could benefit from drinking a glass of cherry juice, according to researchers. Montmorency cherry juice increases levels of melatonin in the body, the hormone which regulates sleep patterns, according to researchers at Northumbria University. Volunteers drank 30ml of either Montmorency cherry juice concentrate or a placebo juice twice a day for seven days, as part of the study. Participants wore sensors that monitored their sleep-wake cycles and kept a daily diary on their sleeping patterns. Those who had the cherry juice saw an increase of 25 minutes in their total sleep time and a six per cent increase in sleep quality.

Top Salud!

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Branson’s weedy good idea Virgin tycoon claims legalising cannabis could solve Spain’s economic problems

SIR Richard Branson claims the best way for Spain to solve its economic problems is by legalising cannabis. The 61-year-old Virgin boss said tax from sales of the drug would ‘help the country get back on its feet’. The billionaire tycoon also praised the Spanish town of Rasquera’s ‘great idea’ after it rented out public land to a cannabis growers’ association, as reported in the Olive Press. Branson was in Spain to accept the Cannabis Culture Award 2012 on behalf of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, of which he is a member. The commission - which counts former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan among its members - wants to decriminalise drug use ‘for people who do no harm to others’. Branson attended the launch of the world’s largest cannabis museum in Barcelona, which features 6,000 exhibits chronicling the drug’s history and uses. Earlier this year the Briton claimed to have jokingly asked US President Barack Obama if he could have a spliff while attending a state dinner at the White House.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

U J

p the

ardin path

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Urban garden movement blooms Deepening recession leads to increase in public allotments SPAIN’S economic crisis is fuelling a rise in the number of community gardens springing up across the country. A need to share resources and an increased sense of community spirit as people struggle with the recession, are widely viewed as the reasons for the recent trend. Among those making a successful go of it is El Caminito in Malaga, a 100-square-metre vegetable plot tended by 15 people. The disused land has been worked since being loaned from the council last summer and is a focal point for the community, growing a variety of produce including tomatoes, maize and avocados. “I think it is essential for people to have access to spaces for activities and for getting together, because the crisis is social as well as financial,” said Jorge, an El Caminito gardener.

“The crisis we are experiencing is leading to a paradigm shift. Urban vegetable gardens are related to the breakdown of the economic system and of traditional social movements.” Urban gardens began to take root six years ago, but the movement has increased in popularity in the last couple of years with more GROWING TOGETHER: A public allotment than 260 associahood Associations, said: “Urban gartions in Madrid alone. dens not only recover unused spaces, Jose Luis Fernandez from Madrid’s but are also meeting places and open Regional Federation of Neighbour-

HE KNOWS HIS ONIONS!

Ready for the heat?

Irrigation: • The secret to good watering is to keep the amount and frequency regular. • Good regular watering should stop your plants becoming stressed and lead to good growth, flowering and, where appropriate, fruiting. • Try to avoid watering in the heat of the day as the water droplets can act like a magnifying glass and cause some damage to sensitive plants. It also wastes water through evaporation. • Also by watering during the cooler hours there is less immediate evaporation and more efficient water usage.

Pruning and dead heading: • With the higher temperatures the spring flowering shrubs are beginning to look the worse for wear and so now is a good time to cut out the older flowering stems and branches. • Cut back to a new shoot or in the case of roses go back to one or two

Peter Langdale from Garden La Palma offers some useful tips on how to get the best out of your gardens and vegetable plots this month…

Pot plants: • Daily watering is a must and in extreme conditions morning and evening. • Hanging baskets are difficult to maintain moist and need special attention. • Once again regular feeding is required.

• Keep on top of the weeding as summer weeds such as purslane and fat hen can be very invasive. Regular watering can be coupled with regular feeding and we recommend a feed high in potash for good fruit and leaf development. • If you have an abundance of herbs such as parsley, coriander, dill, thyme, do not waste them. • Now is a good time to harvest them and air dry them for future use. • Most can also be put in the freezer.

Fruit and veg plot: • From now until the middle of July there is still time to put in some summer crops such as fennel, cabbage, radish, mouli and potatoes for the autumn. • By now, good use should have been made of spring sown vegetables with some longer cycle crops such as carrots still being picked.

Thinking about going away on holiday? • If so leave your fruit and veg plots as clean as possible and dispose of any over mature fruit. • If you don’t, be aware you may come back to a plot that looks as if it has been abandoned for a year, not just three weeks!

Lawn care: • We can expect rapid grass growth with frequent cutting and so monthly amounts of a lawn fertilizer are recommended to help maintain the colour. • Cutting too short in very hot conditions may cause some scorching. buds at the base. • Take a walk among your fruit trees and bushes and you will almost certainly see suckers coming up from the rootstock. • These are an unnecessary drain on the plants reserves and should be removed. • Now is the time that our fruit plants are building reserves for later flowering and fruiting and when they most need regular feeding. • Applications of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash are essential, but must be supplemented with amounts of minor nutrients such as magnesium, iron and calcium etc.

Up the jardin path

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Continuing our series on the herbs of Andalucia, Sue Rodgers looks at some soothing natural remedies for sun burn…

Too much sun

T’S that time of year again, when despite all the warnings we strip off and soak up too much sun. Often we don’t realise the damage until it is too late, when those pink bits start to hurt. Fortunately there are a number of herbal remedies that can bring relief, often instantly. Top of the list is aloe vera, a fleshy cactus grown all over the Mediterranean. To use, slice through one of the leaves and scoop out the sticky gel inside. Apply the gel to the burnt area and relief is almost instant. Aloe vera not only soothes

SOOTHING: Sunburn and (inset) aloe vera pain and calms any inflammation it also speeds up the healing process by stimulating the growth of new tissue. I always keep a leaf of aloe vera in my fridge during the summer months as the ex-

tra cold soothes the pain even faster. But if you don’t have access to fresh aloe vera, you can buy pure 100 per cent gels from health shops and some supermarkets. Another herb that can be found in most beach bars and cafes in the form of tea bags is chamomile, known locally as manzanilla. Add ice cubes to the tea and when cool apply to the pink bits. Meanwhile lavender, the epitome of Mediterranean herbs, is one of the best to soothe the pain of sunburn due to its anti-inflammatory, analgesic and calming properties. Robert Gattefosse, a French chemist and one of the founding fathers of aromatherapy, discovered the healing power of lavender in the 1920’s when he burned his hand in a laboratory experiment and plunged his hand into the only thing nearby, a pot of lavender essential oil. The pain disappeared and there was no scarring. Essential oils - which can be bought from herbal and health shops as well as online - tend to come in small bottles, so this remedy will only treat a small area. Always seek medical advice if the sunburn is severe or covers a significant part of the body as shock and infection can set in if not treated. And remember that sunburn can also cause dehydration so drink plenty of water to help hydrate the body and skin. But sunshine in small doses not only lifts the spirit, it provides plenty of vitamin D to keep bones healthy, so enjoy!

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E are all aware that a European member nation, Greece, is experiencing what might delicately be described as a spot of financial difficulty. We have already asked the question: How did Greece get into European Monetary Union in the first place and, I might point out, we have yet to receive a credible answer. What comes to my mind at this time is: Where did all the money go? If I had a friend who was ex-

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Vanishing act periencing a little cash-flow problem I might consider advancing him a few quid to tide him over. Were I a usurer, a bank for instance, I might insist that a percentage of interest be added to the initial loan. However, if my friend defaults on the loan repayments, I would feel it within my rights

to ask where he spent the money. Now, scale up the exercise to the level of a nation state and ask the same question. Greece has borrowed squillions of euros and is experiencing difficulty in repaying the loans. So where did the money go? Where are all those euros?

The Skool of Hard Knocks T

HERE are regular bad days, and then there are exceptionally bad days. For me, a regular bad day includes no sleep, stepping into a shower of Siberian proportions and the realisation that you’ve mistaken the hairspray for deodorant (again!). An exceptional bad day is all of the above, with the added pressure of starting a new job – as a supposedly ‘organised’ schoolteacher. And my fragile mood isn’t helped by ‘Troy’ – a haughty, know-it-all American who decides to try and unnerve me on my first day. Blowing out air, he looks at me and snorts: “Dude, those Year 10s are animals. I hope your behaviour management’s up-to-scratch!” My instincts are telling me to punch him in the face, whilst simultaneously screaming: “That’s for murdering OUR language, and electing George Bush…TWICE .” Not to mention all that re-writing of history, like replacing British troops with Yanks in Saving Private Ryan. Anyway, as he waffled on about suspensions and cyber-bullies, I explored the plush grounds of my

new International College. Everywhere I looked sat the happy, slender offspring of pro-footballers, award-winning architects, and expat business owners, all casually chatting and strumming acoustic guitars. Animals? These toffs? Give me a break. They couldn’t demolish a decent paella. If only Troy’d known that I’d earned my stripes in some of the most notorious schools this side of Harlem. For instance, at Burnley College we had roundthe-clock security, Orwellian CCTV coverage and classrooms with panic buttons. They even installed metal detectors in reception just in case Psycho Ste brought his samurai sword in for Shakespeare Week. Then, there was Toot Hill in Nottingham (or ‘Shottingham’ as the kids referred to it) where the head of Year 10 got chinned by a schizophrenic sixth former, and we had isolation units for aggressive pupils (or ICE, as they nicknamed it). Every time I ventured down into ICE I half-expected to find a RoboCop-style lab – or at least some-

We’re right royally p*ssed off

It’s weird how everyone in Britain is tight-lipped again – after their four-day heat wave! At one point, I couldn’t log-on to Facebook or Twitter without some peeling plonker boring me to death with pictures of bouncy castles and pony sanctuaries. Plus, after their ‘Jubilee’ double bank holiday (any excuse for a piss-up), it’s reassuring to see everyone revert back to their Royal-hating ways. Personally, nothing makes me madder than hearing twits saying things like: “Ooooh, I DO like that nice Prince Harry, going around groping lapdancers, head-butting photographers and dressing like a Nazi…he just like one of us.” B*llocks he’s like us. The Ginger Prince is so posh and privileged he was probably breast-fed on Pimm’s! No, in my opinion, the whole 60-year-anniversary thing was just one big facade. Because deep down they know the country’s knackered,

body cryogenically freezing Wesley Snipes. By the way, if the name Toot Hill sounds vaguely familiar it’s probably because it made the UK headlines last week when a Year 9 pupil went on a rampage, stabbing 26 students with an insulin syringe. Although shocking, this type of incident is depressingly common in British schools. For instance, did you know police record 65 cases of GBH every single school day in the UK? Or that 12,688 acts of ‘extreme violence’ were recorded in schools across England in 2012? And yet here’s this scaremongering Yank wazzock, rabbiting on about ‘autistic’ Antonio, ‘hyperactive’ Juan, and the ‘bitchy chicas’ in Year 9. Not exactly Dangerous Minds, is it?

Thought of the fortnight

Liven up dreary Euro 2012 national anthems by adding your own music – and lashings of casual racism. For instance, at the beginning of France v Ukraine – we muted La Marseillaise and replaced it with Paul McCartney’s Frog Song.

and they know they’re one big drain on the system. Like chimney sweeps and workhouses, the monarchy is obsolete – it’s the courts and the politicians who are the modernday kings and queens. As a result, you’re left with a confused and castrated monarchy – a relic, a gimmick, a sideshow. A bloody University Challenge mascot for little old England! And yet people still defend them: “They make a lot of money for British tourism.” Yes, so does the Jack the Ripper – but nobody’s making tacky plates of psychotic surgeons or bunting out of whores’ intestines. If it was up to me I’d turf Liz off the throne – and replace her with something modern, something contemporary. How about the cast of Queen: The Musical? Just picture the scene: 5,000 Yanks hurling their dollars at a kneeling Bryan May – as he belts out Fat Bottomed Girls, and dedicates it to their porky, peanut butter-filled posteriors.

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Did they simply evaporate? To whom were they given? Did the Greeks get receipts? Euros don’t simply vaporise overnight so somewhere, someone has a whole stack of them: more than you could stash under the mattress, more than you can stuff in a piggy bank, more than you can stick in your sock drawer.

Where are they now? I want to know where this money has gone. Where has it been spent, for what reason, when and by whom before we invest another centimo the Greek economy. This is important because it won’t be too long before the same questions will be asked of Spain.

Getting the wind up

THE Lady Bartie had an appointment with a maker of posh frocks in Granada so we decided to make a day of it and drove along the coast road to Almunecar for lunch, after which we reached the city via Salobreña and the motorway north. This road runs alongside the once picturesque Lecrin Valley, famed for citrus fruits and reservoir but now despoiled by giant wind turbines that cast their ugly shadows on the fields of gold, the oranges and lemons. Interestingly, between Izbor and Suspiro del Moro, I counted four or five nests of these appalling machines and, guess what? Not one of them was working. On this windless day they stood like ornaments in the Garden of Eden, as useful as plastic gnomes in an allotment. But worse was yet to come. Also heading north, I suspect from the port of Motril, was a convoy of lorries, each escorted by vans adorned with flashing lights, and each lorry carried another blade for another foul turbine. Violation of the Lecrin continues. On and on they came, three lorries to a convoy, five or six vans buzzing around their sacred cargo. When will this lunacy end? If you are ever unfortunate enough to meet one of the politicians who sanction this stuff, those who have cowered under the sandalista’s obscene propaganda, please ask the following questions: If wind turbines are the answer to the nation’s energy needs, why are they only viable when underwritten by massive government subsidies? Where does the money for the subsidies come from? Can you explain the paradox whereby the more we invest in wind power, the more we must invest in conventional electricity generation? Listen carefully to the answers. Remember that you are talking to a politician. If he or she tells you that wind farms are economically viable alternatives to carbon emitting power stations, ask what happens when the wind don’t blow.

Disgruntled of Andalucia (formerly of Royal Tunbridge Wells)

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

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www.theolivepress.es FOOD

& DRINK

The star of the costas

Olive Press editor Jon Clarke reviews Andalucia’s top restaurant Calima

OR two Michelin stars in Andalucia you certainly expect something special. And celebrity chef Dani Garcia’s Marbella restaurant Calima definitely provides it. Well, apart from the arrival which was a bit iffy, with nobody to welcome us. Oh, and a bizarre situation, where smokers end up wafting their smoke over diners from a cocktail terrace. That aside, this was a majestic dining experience, from the setting, to the decor, to the food. Something of a departure from the usual Andalucian eaterie, Calima is elegance in the extreme. Apart from its terrace view across palm trees and the shimmering Med, it would not be out of place in London or New York. Staff wear identical outfits – and even Calima shoes – and the table decorations and lighting were spot on. Our wine waiter Jose Godoy was a tour de force and recommended a string of interesting wines, all Spanish and most very good value, the Vallegarcia viognier from Toledo standing out. But it is the adventurous menu, with a distinct slant towards local Andalucian cuisine, that

really makes the experience. And you don’t have any choice... we were here for the 22 course, 160-euro-a-head, ‘Oximoron’ menu. Bittersweet, I hear you say? Not at all. With such chestnuts as Rocky Seabed, which was basically barnacles on a tiny shrimp crisp, Mum’s empanadilla and gacha miga of crab, you are bound to be entertained. And these were not even the stand out dishes. Cherries and cream, which was actually creamy stuffed foie was amazing, as were the snails with olive oil and parsley. A freezing tomato stuffed with bacalao was a bit wide of the mark, but Dani’s version of typical Malaga ajo blanco ‘egg with no egg’ with lychees had just the right balance of sweet and sour. There were almost no meat dishes apart from a delicious beef tartare and Moorish sweet breads, served in a fabulous cinammon sauce. The six pudding dishes made up for it though, one of them including a ‘game of chocolate chess’. But by then the man in the chef’s toque had more than got us into a check mate, and completely (well sort of) justified the sizeable cheque!

LIVING IT UP: Enjoying a game of ‘chocolate’ chess between courses

Restaurante Calima, Calle de Jose Melia 29602 Marbella, Malaga, Spain Tel: 952 764 252. www.restaurantecalima.es

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

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Wonderful watermelon There is more to this delicious fruit grown in Andalucia than first meets the eye, discovers Wendy Williams

HERE are few things more refreshing on a hot summer’s day than a slice of chilled watermelon. And those of us living in the south of Spain are fortunate that the fruit – of which there are 1,200 varieties - is grown right here on our doorstep. In fact Spain is one of the world’s largest watermelon producing countries harvesting nearly 50 per cent of all those grown in the EU. It is actually originally from southern Africa but was introduced to Europe in the 13th century by the Moors. In Spain today the main growing areas are Andalucia, Murcia and Valencia, although it is grown almost everywhere. Moreover, right now is the perfect time to enjoy the fruit, which is 92 per cent water and which grows throughout the summer and early autumn. Not only is it deliciously refreshing it is actually good for you as it is packed with antioxidants and is a good source of vitamin C. To choose a properly ripened melon the standard method is to flick the middle finger against the melon which should produce a deep thudding sound. Meanwhile if you are purchasing a ready sliced melon, look for bright red flesh with dark brown or black seeds – too many white seeds means it was picked before its prime

VERSATILE: A melon carving and it will never develop full flavour. Of course, at the opposite end of the scale, if you have more melon that you know what to do with and it is getting over-ripe and mushy, why not make it in to a drink? Simply cut it into cubes, pop it into the blender, and sip away - adding some lemonade for a bit of fizz. Watermelon can also be used as an ingredient for salads (particularly with red onion), cakes, cold soups and drinks. Another little known fact is that watermelon rinds are edible and contain many hidden nutrients. In China (the world’s biggest producer), the rind is actually used as a vegetable and is stir-fried, stewed or pickled. Here we offer some watermelon inspired recipes to make the most of this summer fruit...

DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com www.theolivepress.es Watermelon Pickles Ingredients:

2 pounds watermelon rind 1/4 cup pickling salt 4 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon broken stick cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions:

Trim the dark green and pink parts from the watermelon rind. Cut rind into 1-inch pieces. Soak watermelon rind overnight in a mixture of the pickling salt and water. If it takes more to cover, use the same proportion of salt to water. Drain and rinse watermelon rind. Cover rind with cold water in a large saucepan; cook just until tender. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, whole cloves, and one cup of water. Simmer mixture for 10 minutes, then strain. Add drained watermelon rind and lemon slices. Simmer the mixture until watermelon rind is translucent. Fill hot half-pint jars with watermelon rind and syrup mixture, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath for five minutes.

Watermelon Granita Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup water 4 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon grenadine or pomegranate juice, Optional: Sprigs of mint for garnish

Instructions:

Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water over high heat, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Place half of the watermelon and half of the lime juice in a blender and process until smooth. Repeat with remaining watermelon and lime juice, and then return all of the puree to the blender. Add the syrup and grenadine and blend. Press puree through a coarse strainer, pushing through the solids. Pour into a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Freeze, stirring and scraping with a fork every 30 minutes, until all of the liquid has frozen. This should take about three hours. Stir again before serving. Serve in chilled glasses and garnish with sprigs of mint.

the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

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the olive press - June 28 - July 11, 2012

Onwards and upwards in 2012 with 182,000 papers www.theolivepress.es (90,000 digital) and around 150,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

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FINAL WORDS

Taking their toll

TOLL roads in Spain are not making enough to break even, with €3.8 billion in debts and nine companies on the edge of bankruptcy.

Connected

A surprising 65 per cent of Spanish children between eight and 12 have a mobile phone, according to a study by analytics company comScore and marketing firm Nielsen.

Slow down

The speed limit on Spain’s B roads is being reduced from 100km/h to 90km/h, with a reduction on motorway limits currently under discussion.

June 28 - July 11 , 2012

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Spain look NOW BACK to restore TO BUSINESS feel-good RAFA factor RAFAEL Nadal grabbed a precious afterSPAIN go into their grudge match semi-final against neighbours Portugal today hoping to pull in yet another bumper TV audience. A Spanish record 18.14 million viewers tuned in to watch the final moments of Spain’s tense 1-0 win over Croatia, a peak that surpassed even Spain’s victory in the 2010 World Cup final. The whopping 78.2 per cent audience share on Telecinco dropped slightly to 76.7 per cent for the quarter final win over France on Saturday, peaking at 12.6 million. But Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque is hopeful Spain can help restore the feel-good factor to the country during the economic crisis. “I think we can give people delight at a difficult time,” said Del Bosque.

noon stroll while relaxing with Londonbased sweetheart Xisca Perello on the eve of Wimbledon 2012. The tennis ace looked relaxed as he caught up with his long-term girlfriend, who he met while at school in Manacor, in Mallorca. She is currently studying a business degree at London University. The Spanish world number two is playing for his third title of the grass-court Grand Slam, having lost out to Novak Djokovic last year.

Winner Alonso gets stick SPANISH Formula One star Fernando Alonso (below) has come in for criticism from a pressure group in Valencia, despite winning

LOVED UP: Rafa and Xisca

Balconing appeal Leave the pool jumping to the pros, says UK diving champ

BRITISH diving sensation Tom Daley is heading a campaign against a perilous craze which has already killed three Brits and a German in Spain this summer. The deadly practice of ‘balconing’, as it has become known, involves crossing between balconies – or sometimes even attempting to reach the hotel pool from the balcony. As reported in the Olive Press in August 2010, balconing is most often carried out by youngsters on

ADVICE: Daley and (inset) crazy stunt holiday – often in the early hours of the morning while

drunk. In April this year, 28-yearold Londoner Benjamin Harper suffered a fatal fall from a fifth-floor balcony in Mallorca, while in May Charlotte Faris, 23, from Hertfordshire, died after falling from a third-floor balcony. In June, a 19-year-old German tourist died in Lloret de Mar after trying to jump between seventh floor balconies in the middle of the night. In all cases alcohol plays a huge part.

Warning

Now 18-year-old Daley, a world champion diver who was Britain’s youngest competitor in the 2008 Olympics, is helping warn against the dangers of balconing. Launched by the British consul for the Balearics, Paul Abrey, the campaign will run throughout summer in the bars and clubs of Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca. And Daley’s message is clear, telling tourists to ‘leave the jumping to the professionals’. He continues: “Never jump from a balcony and never drink or take drugs before swimming.”

his home Grand Prix at the weekend. In an open letter to the driver, Street Circuit No criticised him for failing to speak out over the plans to host the European Grand Prix in the city. It claims the decision to invest €100 million in the street circuit was the result of ‘delusions of grandeur of the political authorities of this community’.

Toffee tour EVERTON are set for a trip to the Costa del Sol this summer after announcing a pre-season friendly against Malaga. The Premiership club will complete their preparations for the new season when they take on Manuel Pellegrini’s men at La Rosaleda on August 11. The match will act as the perfect warm up for Malaga ahead of their Champions League qualifying matches, after managing a best-ever finish of fourth place in La Liga last season.

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the explicit permission of the publisher. While efforts are made to ensure the authenticity of advertisements and articles appearing in The Olive Press, the publisher does not accept any responsibility for claims made, nor do contributors’ opinions necessarily represent his own. Copyright Luke Stewart Media S.L 2012