Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 187 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 8 Issue 187 www.theolivepress.es R A T I N G

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Nigel Goldman

May 14 - May 28 2014

nigel.goldman@euroweeklynews.com

Real rogues gallery Service

Cleanliness

FOOD

EWN

Food

Overall

15 - 21 September 2011

Costa del Sol

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Restaurante Valparaiso, Mijas

They are the photos runaway Costa Paint job for fraudster Nigel Goldthe Algarrobico ED 2011 man and ‘sidekick’ CONVICT See Page 4 Barrie Nathan hoLaurence Levey INN AND ABOUT ped would never be published again. For [OUT AND ABOUT ] they prove the pair w i t h N i g e l G o l d m a n regularly entertaiED 2012 CONVICT Priceless find ned hardened gloRoy Dinsdale at flea market bal criminals while Restaurante See Page 17 writing restaurant reviews for the Euro OUR JOURNEY to the Mughal A slightly dry, young wine, Everything was totally and Village Indian restaurant abounding in woodland berry utterly fantastic. Weekly News from ED 2013 started off badly. Ricardo tastes. Excellent value and My shashlik was such a large CONVICT decided to stay a few more very quaffable.2008 - 2012 portion I gave most of it away. days and volunteered to drive. Barrie asked if the battered I tried Ricardo’s lamb handi. Richard Pope

Goldman: New UK police probe RUNAWAY fraudster Nigel Goldman is being investigated by UK police, following a rollercoaster fortnight since the Olive Press revealed his UK hideout. Meanwhile more victims have come forward, including Australian Lee Cubit who paid €3,000 for three gold coins two months ago which have still not arrived. He has filed his report to Thames Valley Police, who confirmed they are looking into the complaint against a ‘Howard Del Monte’. In an email to Cubit, Goldman claims ‘these coins were put away by Suzanne’s father in the 1970s’. In fact, it was Suzanne Couling, Goldman’s partner, who sold Cubit the first coin on March 7. Goldman, who claims hitmen are after him, then sent an email to Cubit listing €1.5 million worth of coins available for sale. Action Fraud is also looking into Goldman’s movements, while the Olive Press has uncovered fresh links to a company in Gibraltar and a firm in Tangier, which helped to open bank accounts for victims in Morocco.

THE Morelli family collect restaurants like Dr From left: Dr Roy Dinsdale collects stamps Dinsdale, Barrie, and I have been a fan of Vittorio, Pino and Nigel all of their establishments at Valparaiso’s new for years. Chill Out Bar. Most establishments on this coast ignore Sunday night potential, so The Euro Weekly News, 20th - 26th November 2008 Costa del Sol • www.euroweeklynews.com when I discovered that Valparaiso were open on a Sunday with Nigel Goldman evening I was keen to put their menu to the A weekly review of restaurants where diners can test. count on something special. The setting of goldman@euroweeklynews.com www.euroweeklynews.com/gourmet-dining Valparaiso is picturesque, and their alfresco dining terrace is very inviting 5-FORK RATINGS Laurence Levey, Elisabeth, Olivera and Nigel. indeed. Live music always accompanies dining • Service there, so a very pleasant • Cleanliness evening is in store for diners. • Food As I have said many THE last time I ventured up to We ventured in. My first Laurence tucked into his salad times in this column, a the terrace. Costa Blanca was up backand in Roy impression was of delight as with gusto. • Overall good meal starts with a Sonya was adored their delice was November. Then, away; everything an inviting wellThe wine was openingasupwas drink, and Kremena came there singing starters.there Then was my sea enormous, and took our order. She terrific voice. Not sure if bass arrived, covered my fruit salad. Both was in full swing. The stocked walk-in bodega. nicely and we were eagerly ran the ticket to Pino, the she’s single, in salt. Anis wasmy friend the exquisite. Barrie’s restaurants were though. packed, the Laurence, anticipating our main courses. barman, who has been Roy were is a professional poured jeweller over it, and lady also scored bars lively and the andsetwatch dealer from Dennis chose awhite medium steak, there for years, and few. All sounded singer and could tell she alight. I have had fish well. This streets full of people enjoying the North of England, grabbed Angie a T-Bone, Laurencewas knows his drinks. Barrie mouthwateringly good was brilliant. We decided in salt a few times, another terrific themselves. hold of the wine list, eager to went for the Rabo de Toro and I had ordered Bloody and complemented the to put the house red and but this is the FRIENDS: first evening at Valparaiso. Goldman James Hewitt started. while Iwith selected themeal suckling Marys, while the good extensive white time to thethe test,place and was time I get have seen itHe had had a poor menu This A good ends with He knew exactly where to prawns were actually battered Awesome, witha la carte incredible much quieter. pig. doctor chose a Sherry perfectly. I chose from much, ordered some waterWe as asked served Christmas, this way. Itthe snow keeping a drink, so where go, but just as we approached and not in breadcrumbs. spices. towell. receptionist the hotel his four shops very quiet. You When the better mainthan courses with ice. Both the Bloody Totally The water atarrived was totally awesome; the specialssuperior and went for the to visit weunopened, were staying what the wouldn’t have thought so arrived, we were all astonished the front entrance to the Assured that they were, he terrific, most noIndian restaurants Marys were whichat kept beautiful flaky fish the moules and the seayou Valparaiso’s exclusive ice, and properly shaken. bass cooked in salt. Barrie Barrie happy. The house with a hint of the and newly refurbished food was like in the hotel when he chose a Vega Sicilia as to the size of the portions. See Page 24-25 restaurant, Barrie instructed chose them to start with. will find on the coast. Deepak So good we ordered chose prawn cocktail and restaurant. white was eminentlyeatanis. outthe of ten. Chill Out Bar as you “I wouldn’t in Ten from wine list. “A bargain,” Fabulous food, properly served him to turn right down a road Ricardo and I shared a seconds! chicken Dr and Arturo usacceptable Dinsdale duck, looked while Roy after decided there,” andhonest served Barrie’s was see in the and photo. was her reply. I heduck announced - a mere 95 with great canpotatoes his Sherry.well. on the seafood salad and hope veryshe cold, just how we perfectly prepared, Beautiful. One thing is away from the place. tikka for our first loved course. keeps her job! We all euros. vegetables. Meanwhile, Vittorio had veal. Cristobel pointed out like it. Then the starters too, while Roy was for certain, the Morellis “We’ll park down there and Having been there before, we When we had finished piled into the Range Rover and The waitress went into the A magnificent feast indeed. wandered over to tell us a girl to me in a blue arrived. I was presented very quiet and giving rare to see in have stamped out,to ages fetch the Laurence’s Rabo de right) Barrie,totoArturo (waiter) and Nigel.themselves use the back entrance,” Barrie knew the size of the portions. was“She’s photo about their eating, specials. itdress. single,” time. he ventured with a(Left cloth bibspending designedRicardo, nods ofbodega approval his Spain - wine delicious broccoli firmlyToro on the trying to find excellent Laurence’s cash- and simply off theforbone,excellent my Moules marinière to start and said. I Turned out hethe like a jacket and the tie - very veal. Allinvestment. the main courses and carrots roastfell map announced. The battered prawns were Ranjit discussed Spanish steakMyhouse we had godswith pliedatheir magic as suckling was perfect, with, rack of lamb, sea meant singer! becoming! moules were flow served potatoes. We tried the pig restaurants here and on the We piled out of the car and truly excellent, just right. This merits of Jermyn Street shirts last trip. Benidorm, sheof returned handed - the were bass in salt to name a We wandered out to the attended were delicious, and Barrie selection vegetablesempty - house red with mains,steaks a Costa del succulent. Sol. And the Barrie marched straight into is an easy dish to muck up, so and cufflinks. He noticed I had Leon from the aValparaiso continues in case you don’t know, is a the Vega Sicila wasCastillo all gone! Service tad slow and to North of Spain. Vittorio deliver. plethora of streets that all look Instead we were offered a slipshod, though, and the the doorway of a Spanish we were very impressed. forgotten my collar stiffeners. told meAnta they still crushcouldExpect to pay about exactly the same. Eventually Ribera del Duero called place do with being restaurant. The tikka rated as the best Unforgivable! the grapes with their per person we came across the restaurant A16 Banderas. It was a 2006, tidiedfeet up a €40-45 bit. He insisted this was the ever, a huge portion perfectly The Mughal Village is a great in this vineyard. It was including bottle of wine we were looking for only to and it was terrific - a real rip at Photo time. Elisabeth and full-bodied with an and welcome drink. back entrance to the Mughal cooked and just spicy enough. find. discover it was closed until only 34 euros. While the wine Olivera, our waitresses, joined excellent finish, even Restaurante February. Then we spotted was breathing, some excellent us. We decided to have our Village, even though the Totally superb. They do takeaway, too. Their better than the white. Valparaiso, Ctra de a really decent looking warm roast bread with ali oli picture taken by the bodega. I For pudding I chose a mijas Km 4, 29650, building was a good couple of The Navarra, Vina Orvalaiz, phone number is easy millionaire to A BRITISH claims Spanish restaurant a stone’s sauce arrived. It fruit wassalad. veryRoy asked couldn’t for help but notice Mijas that hundred yards away. was going down well. Barrie remember 902 INDIAN (902 could he has beenthrow extorted in an a ‘delice de chef’,Laurence a small 952 48 them 59 96 away. One of those perused the was make checking the models. els, good cashindeed. and We paintings from David Blaine couldn’t have asked for another case! 46 34 26). The restaurant isassault ruse traditional one! Barrie for the or corner 952 professional 48 of 59his 75 and Ioptedstock out Butof the the relaelaborate sexold-fashioned, to me.”menu. Angie, Dennis white lady dame www.restauranteval managed that trick! For the main course, situated on Avenida de million Jerez,restaurants, 3 euros with a tapas bar chose the prawns eye. I tionships swear he wassoon lookingbecame sexrob €10 of jewSpeaking ongarlic bailblanche. fromtoRoy’s his ‘small’ paraiso.net to the left with cheap glasses start with while Laurence went for the Vega Sicila!

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Trying a few more587 different Ricardo chose his favourite, Bajo, Mijas Costa. T: 952 573 F: 952 587 543 info@grupo-protec.com ellery, gold and carpets from sumptuous home in Sierra ual, with Shojai turning his and dispensed paper tissues, for an endive salad. The garlic www.grupo-protec.com back doors without he the lamb handi. Just remember 10-bedroom mansion into an him.when you go Protecluck, Group Blanca, long-time Costa Restaurante and a formal restaurant to the prawnsthe were totally superb El Meson, eventually reluctantly agreed I went for a chicken shashlik there to park nearby, unless harem’ and allegedly Marbella-based del Sol denied reportsCalle‘Arabian right, all businesslaid up with linen and tycoon were served with burnt Gerona-Esperanto, forcing(Alicante) them to stay under his ‘Sacha’ to walk to the front door of while Barrie chose the lamb you want toman try Shoja the back tableclothes, Shojai, cloth napkins, chilli national sauce. The sauce was soand Benidorm in the Spanish proper glasses aand a lobster goodpress we allthat asked more Tel 965 858 521 he kept ‘hathe Mughal. korma. doors of insists lots ofclaims other British heforwas some roof. tank.captive in his breadmonster’ to mop it upwho with.had kino@elmeson.infoA The women have now filed a rem’ of women The minute we entered, we As a joke he asked for chips restaurants on the way. sort roast of ‘sex slept with nine women who joint complaint with Spanish were warmly greeted by Ranjit with it. That seemed possible, And, guys, €7,000-a-month wear your best rented manpolice, claiming he psychosion want were to ‘completely crazy’. lived with him. the manager. Ranjit takes too. shirts. You don’t be anmanager, exclusive He is alleged to have conned logically abused, threatened enormous pride in his We ordered sag aloo, outdressed byInthe do interview with the Olive Press, he revealed: the attractive young women and controlled them. appearance, wearing Jermyn pashwari nan bread and rice. you? “This was a very clever plan to into living with him in Mar- They say he took turns to Street shirts and cufflinks. I steal millions of euros of jew- bella after promising them he sleep with each of them and was glad I was wearing my Harvie and Hudson. Barrie wanted us to go to the back door so he pointed out where it led to.We followed him, totally bemused. It opened out onto a totally different street. Priceless! The Mughal Village is an exceptional establishment, beautifully appointed. There are booths which are almost private to dine in. The service is immaculate. Ricardo was in charge of the wines. He decided to opt for the house red, a Navarra at 11 euros.

Atrium at San Roque

HOUSE: Guarded by lions that seven children, now aged between nine months and seven years old, were born as Continues on Page 2

CRIME NEWS

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

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SLAIN OVER SACKING THE mother of a sacked town hall employee has shot dead the right wing president of a Spanish province. The PP head of the provincial government in Leon, Isabel Carrasco, 59, was killed in broad daylight in ‘personal revenge’ after the woman, 35, was fired from her job and ordered to return a €12,000 euro overpayment. Police confirmed Carrasco died at 5.20pm, and that the mother, 55, and daughter have been arrested. Both were staunch members of the

PP politician killed by mother of sacked employee whose father was a cop PP party which Carrasco represented and the husband was a local police inspector, from where it is believed she got the gun. Carrasco’s body lay on a pedestrian river bridge, just outside the headquarters of her local PP party office, for some hours. A local resident said: “She was shot

when the street was full of people, and you could hear her cries. A lot of people were walking dogs. “It sounded like firecrackers. Then I saw the attacker running away,” he added. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, a friend of hers, condemned it as a ‘wretched crime’.

SLAIN: Carrasco was gunned down on busy river bridge

EXPAT: I was set up over sex lies while these women ransacked my life’s treasures Continues from front page

a result. He allegedly threatened to harm the women’s children and families if they disobeyed him. Marbella’s Court Number Two is now investigating the case, with claims that detectives found the date rape drug Rohypnol in his house, which might explain why the women complained of suffering headaches. The women, aged between 20 and 30 and mostly eastern European or Asian, all lived in an extravagant Arabic-style villa inside Shojai’s plot, which is surrounded by palm trees, and has an indoor pool, a huge ballroom and once had a mini zoo and a tennis court. Shoja, who lived in an adjoining palace called Casa Nabil, was known as ‘Sasha’ to the women.

Fashion

However, the businessman, who has lived on the Costa del Sol for years, insisted he had been ‘set up’. The former Moosh Moosh beach club owner, in Puerto Banus - who has links to the oil business in Iran - claimed he had been helping the women set up a fashion business, as well as a local language academy. He had also been looking to set up a university in Marbella last year, over which he had consulted the Olive Press for a potential advertising campaign. (see panel right) He didn’t deny that he had slept with three of the women, two who were exgirlfriends and one who was his ex-wife, a 33-year-old Dane, with who he has two children, a seven-year-old and a baby.

LUXURY: Tycoon’s huge mansion and garden (ringed), while (inset) second gate and (right) ‘Sacha’ “Now I have filed my information with the did not seem to be getting held against court and I am expecting to clear my name.” their will.” Meanwhile a neighbour revealed that However a lawyer representing the there had been some big parties at the women, Sonsoles Rosales, insisted the compound that was only part rented by women were telling the truth. Shoja. “Weddings, events, that sort of “They remained in this situation out of thing,” he said. fear,” she said. “They were free to come The local estate agent said he had freand go, but needed his prior authorisa- quently seen cars from Russia, Lithution, and he decided when they had to be ania and the UK outside but none had back home, whether they could travel or been there recently. not, and if so when they had to return.” “But you often saw the women outside, They also claim that one of his drivers smartly dressed and polite and with would accompany them at all times if their children playing around, they they left. didn’t look abused,” he said. He claimed the house was owned by Parties a Basque developer, who planned to knock down the buildings and build 20 A local computer business who worked town houses. with the tycoon however, doubted this. He believed it was bought for around He told the Olive Press: “Well quite a lot € 12 million five years ago from a Gerof the women came in to see me on their man, who owns a string of Burger King own with issues with phones, etc, and they franchises in Germany.

But he claimed: “I have been completely framed. It was all arranged by one of the girls Medina, the daughter of a minister of a Russian republic. “She knew that all they had to do was say I had beaten and raped them and I would be locked up in Spain. “Hence one day I was suddenly arrested and accused of family violence and beating people up. “It meant being dragged straight to the police station where I was held for 48 hours. “During that time my house was completely cleared out. The girls robbed everything, all my jewellery, lots of clothes and cash, as well as paintings and 75 Iranian carpets, worth € 5 million alone. “They piled it into two huge 45-foot lorries from a well known removal firm and were set to drive my stuff to a fashion business in Berlin, but luckily I found out before the lorries left the coast.

Strangest night on the coast

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HAD been summoned to meet ‘Sacha’ at his emperor’s palace by one of the coast’s more unusual characters David ‘the Dogman’ Klein one windy night in September 2012. Described as being long-time Estepona expat Klein’s ‘very dear’ long-time friend, the premise was to discuss a lucrative marketing deal for a university Sacha was planning for Marbella. Why it couldn’t have been during work hours was never explained, but it was soon clear this was to be a rather mysterious night. As soon as I arrived outside the huge gate of the massive Sierra Blanca mansion, my car was whisked away by a valet and I was ushered to the front door. It was a little unnerving. It was like being led into Kubla Khan’s lair, this huge compound opening up into a pleasure ground of clipped hedges, soaring palm trees and a phalanx of water features. Above all, it was enormous.. All around were massive paintings, rare Persian rugs and antiques from around the world. This was very much a man of substance and he was certainly intriguing,

By Jon Clarke Who visited millionaire villa last year discussing his past in Iran, his upbringing in the UK and his time on the coast. He claimed to know the likes of President Putin and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, and insisted he knew the Russian and British secret service. There was talk of assassinations, spying and the super-rich in Zagaleta. How much could be believed I wasn’t sure, but I also got the impression I was in some way being sized up. Later, as we sat down to dinner I was introduced to three willowy girls, probably in their early twenties, each undeniably attractive, model-like in stature. They were said to be graduates and ‘running the programme’ but they hardly added anything to the conversation. It didn’t instill confidence in the project. It is anyone’s guess if Marbella’s police will ever manage to fathom the truth of what really went on behind these hidden walls. Rather them than me.

Clifford’s big eight MAX CLIFFORD has been sentenced to eight years in prison, following his conviction of eight charges of sexual assault. He was found guilty of sexually abusing four young girls - two on the Costa del Sol - for which his sentences will be served consecutively. The celebrity publicist, who spent much of his time at his Marbella mansion, faced 11 counts of indecent assault between 1966 and 1984 in the UK. Judge Anthony Leonard said his offending was of ‘a very serious nature’ and that he ‘showed no remorse.’

NO REMORSE: Clifford

Train crash suspects

AN incredible 22 rail executives have been accused of negligence over the horrific Galicia train crash last year. The judge investigating the crash that killed 79 people said the officials had a lot of questions to answer over last July’s crash near Santiago de Compostela. All those recalled held positions of responsibility within the rail administrator Adif – including the company’s three most recent presidents. They are facing questions about possible crimes against public safety, as those responsible for safety on the stretch of rail where the crash happened. The train driver, who admitted going too fast when the train crashed, has already been provisionally charged with multiple counts of negligent homicide.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

Bloody shambles By Giles Brown

ESSENTIALLY A POET: Pete Doherty and (right) a painting

Unlikely trio IT is bound to be the strangest trio to appear together this year. Des O’Connor, Amy Winehouse’s dad and former iTalk boss Maurice Boland will all be joining forces for a charity auction in Marbella next month. The event at restaurant Villa Tiberio will see Mitch Winehouse performing with a big band, while O’Connor will be doing a routine. It is the first public event for Boland since his radio station closed last summer. The former TRE DJ is hosting the auction and event which is raising money for Children with Cancer UK. SUPERSTAR DJ David Guetta will play a one night set in San Pedro this summer. The French mix master, who has produced tracks for Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Flo Rida, as well as having worldwide hits in his own right with When Love Takes Over, Where Them Girls At and Titanium, will play the municipal stadium in San Pedro Alcantara on August 1.

CELEBRATED expat bullfighter John Fulton became famous in his latter years painting with bulls’ blood. Tragic UK rock star Pete Doherty has gone one step better using his own blood to create a series of paintings. But the Babyshambles singer’s latest guise didn’t go down well when he failed to show for the launch of a solo exhibition of his work Flags from the old regime in Barcelona. The bad boy of British pop - who dated model Kate Moss for two years - failed to leave his hotel room for the launch, which included 30 journalists from around the world. The singer, who has a history of drug abuse, instead decided to stay in his hotel room for an entire 48 hours.

Pete Doherty’s new guise as a ‘blood artist’ starts badly when he misses key exhibition launch

The exhibition of 30 paintings, a number using his own blood, is all part of Doherty’s attempt to be taken seriously as an artist. “I am essentially a poet,” Doherty had earlier told a journalist in France after moving to Paris two years ago to further his artistic ambitions. Quoting Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde and Rimbaud as influences, one of Doherty’s works is a large collage featuring images of Marilyn Monroe. “I have always been interested in her as she suffered the problems of both fame and notoriety,” he said.

Pump up the Volume EXCLUSIVE By Giles Brown

A FREQUENCY war between two rival expat radio stations has caused an unlikely international incident. It came after Spectrum FM used such a powerful transmitter in the Almanzora area to drown out rival Smooth FM that Morocco’s national radio station across the Mediterranean even got blocked.

Expat radio station war leaves national Moroccan radio off air and protests landing in Madrid The incident led to protests from Morocco to Madrid and both stations were swiftly ordered off the air.

Guetta Heaven

Coverage

90.8 we have had to turn our transmitter off as well. “They accepted that it was nothing to do with us as our signal only covered the Almanzora valley but the situation stands.” Spectrum FM said in a statement: “Spectrum FM Mojacar will soon have further coverage as it increases the TSA of its 96.1 frequency. “The new coverage will provide eight times the signal strength, leaving the old 90.8 frequency redundant.”

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EX-BLACK Crowes guitarist Marc Ford stopped off at Louie Louie, in Estepona, during his recent Spanish tour. Promoting his latest solo album Holy Ghost, Marc brought his distinct brand of southern rock to the packed club before heading to Cadiz the following night. Marc plays Bilbao and Pamplona this week on the final leg of his Spanish tour, with support from his son Elijah.

FORMER Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant has cancelled his summer tour of Spain due to ‘tiredness’, claim Olive Press sources. While it has been officially put down to ‘scheduling conflicts’ the 65-year-old is said to exhausted from continual touring and work pressures. He had been due to play Bilbao, Murcia, Malaga, Madrid and Girona during July with his band the Sensational Space Shifters.

The row centred on the disputed 90.8FM frequency around the Almeria town of Albox. Both stations have claimed it as their own and fight to keep a hold of it. While local station Smooth FM has a small transmitter on its studio roof in the town, Spectrum FM, which claims to be ‘Spain’s largest English radio station’, uses a powerful transmitter on a nearby hilltop. A spokesman from Smooth FM revealed: “We had a visit from the ministry of telecommunications. They were very polite and explained the problem. “90.8 FM is a national radio station in Morocco and they have been having serious problems with Spectrum broadcasting on 90.8 so much that they denounced them, which is why we stopped. “The problem is that because we have always used

Marc crows on the Costa

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NEWS

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

News IN BRIEF European elections SPAIN’S European election campaign officially kicked off this week, with a new poll suggesting the vote on May 25 will be a head to head between the governing Popular Party (PP) and the opposition socialists (PSOE). In third is the coalition of left-wing parties, the United Left (IU).

Mother’s plight A SPANISH mother who killed her daughter’s rapist - by setting him on fire in 2005 - has been sent to prison for five-and-ahalf years. The mother’s controversial plight led to thousands signing a petition asking for a sympathetic sentence.

Plan approval MIJAS Town Hall has given the green light to plans to regularise some 3,000 homes, previously deemed as illegal constructions. The local development plan (PGOU) now enters a 30-day public comment period.

Privacy battle GOOGLE must delete sensitive information about people from its search results if asked to do so, according to the European Court of Justice. The landmark decision comes after the Spanish Agency for Data Protection took on the tech giant over privacy.

www.theolivepress.es

BLACK SPOT The writing is on the wall for the ‘illegal’ Algarrobico hotel in Greenpeace’s biggest ever action in Spain

By Imogen Calderwood THE message could not be clearer. In the largest action environmental group Greenpeace has ever launched in Spain, 100 activists have daubed their feelings on the walls of the ‘illegal’ Algarrobico hotel. Over the weekend, the activists painted an enormous black circle, with an area of 8,000 square metres, with its message ilegal hotel spelled out in giant white letters. Greenpeace’s paintwork symbolises their description of the hotel as ‘the black spot on the Spanish coast’. In their sixth Algarrobico action (they daubed the word ‘ilegal’ on

its facade before) activists swarmed into the 21-storey unfinished building in the Cabo de Gata Nature Park in the early hours of Sunday morning. Their banners, which demanded ‘Demolition, NOW!’, made their objective very clear. They are demanding that the Junta applies the existing coastal law (la Ley de Costas y la del Patrimonio Natural y de la Biodiversidad), that the group claims would allow the immediate demolition of the hotel.

Greenpeace has previously denounced the Junta for its indifference to the hotel, claiming that it is hiding behind the legal process in order to delay the demolition of the building.

Eyesore

Controversy around the hotel has rumbled on for nearly a decade, in what the Junta’s Environmental minister described as a ‘judicial tangle’. Construction on the hotel ceased in

2006, after it was ruled illegal due to the fact it is built in a nature reserve just metres from a virgin protected beach. Since then, the eyesore has sat unfinished - a ‘black spot’ on the otherwise beautiful coastline. In an Olive Press poll, it was revealed that more than 80% of readers agree that the Algarrobico is an eyesore that should be torn down immediately. Follow the action on Twitter with #AlgarrobicoDemolicion.

Conquering the Camino

EXTREME: Dani on the camino

INSURANCE expert Danni Worth and son Tom, 15, have raised nearly €12,000 for charity by cycling the infamous 800km Camino de Santiago in just 10 days. The pair raised the money for a Malawian school despite various mechanical problems and extreme mud. “This project has been a long time in the making,” said Danni – the Olive Press’ own ‘Insurance Doctor’ from Op de Beeck & Worth, who has lived on the Costa del Sol for 25 years. “I’ve been fascinated by the camino for years and once my son reached an age where he could tackle the challenge, we decided to go for it.” Despite punctures and thick mud on the route between Roncesvalles and

Cycling the silk road

Santiago, the pair averaged 80km a day, despite minimal training. “Neither of us are keen cyclists, to be honest we’re more golfers than anything,” insists Danni, 50. “It’s such a good way to experience authentic Spain, with all the old churches and monasteries.” El Camino de Santiago – or St James’ Way – is a popular Christian pilgrimage route, with many starting points across Europe that converge at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. The money raised is going to charity Mary’s Meals, which provides meals in schools around the globe. Launched in 2002 by two Scottish brothers, in just 12 years Mary’s Meals has grown dramatically, and now feeds more than 800,000 schoolchildren every day worldwide.

TWO British expats are about to set off on Save the Children. the journey of a lifetime, cycling the silk Simon Perry and Robroad from China to Italy to raise money for ert Bartrum, who live in Madrid, were inspired to unAFTER cycling 1,700 miles in just 17 days, an dertake exhausted pair completed their final ascent up the epic challenge the Rock of Gibraltar where they were met by a after learning about the welcome party including chief minister Fabian plight of children in the Picardo. third world. Paul Sampson, a retired professional rugby After a year of preparing, player, and Darren Kenny, a paralympic cyclist they are now ready to beand world record holder, began their epic jourgin the almighty 14,000km ney in Bradford. route across Asia and EuThey raised money for both the Marie Curie rope, cycling alone and selfCancer Care charity and the Royal Marines supported for an estimated Charitable Trust Fund. five months.

A real rocky ride

Kilimanjaro

“I was first introduced to the charity through my son’s school and it just struck a chord with me,” added Danni. The money raised by Danni and Tom will go to funding the kitchen at Chigwaja Primary School in Malawi, which feeds 952 children a day. Despite still aching from taking on the Camino, Danni is already talking about tackling Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, hoping to be able to fund the Malawian school for a further two years.

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

OPINION Risks of cleaning up the coast OUR in-depth investigation into Nigel Goldman and his dodgy group of friends should make genuine, law-abiding folk more aware of some of the scum whom they unknowingly rub shoulders with... and possibly meet...‘out and about’ on the coast. As the investigation into the complex web of criminals has unearthed increasingly dark lifestyle secrets, threats have been made against this newspaper, its journalists and even its families. Exposing law breakers and their cronies is not for the weakhearted. It is not for nothing that in a poll of professions recently, journalism came 199th out of 200, due to its low pay, stresses and dangers. But, whatever the risks, the Olive Press will continue to campaign against those who cheat, flout the law, and sadly all too often leave innocent victims with broken lives. Because after all, nobody else is going to. Despite the threats, exposing such people remains a top priority, and one that will not be abandoned.

Don’t forget mummy THE ‘disappearance’ of British traveler Andy Cunningham triggered an international search, spearheaded by the Olive Press and involving Derbyshire Police and Interpol. But the hunt for the 48-year-old ended in sheepish smiles last week when he arrived home safe and sound, to a ticking off about not staying in touch with mummy and daddy. The visit from Derbyshire Police to instruct him in alternative ways of contacting home when his phone dies undoubtedly produced a few awkward laughs. Safe to say, the next time Andy goes gallivanting in his campervan he’ll probably be texting, skyping and tweeting his parents every minute every day in an effort to stop them launching another international search.

Eyesore war Greenpeace’s environmental warriors have pulled out all the stops in their latest effort against the Algarrobico. And you can understand their frustration. With the land that the monstrosity is built on being bounced back and forth between owners, it seems like the whole thing is going round in circles. We need someone to act decisively, stop hiding behind bureaucracy and demolish this stain on the Spanish coastline.

Olive Press Blacklist THE following companies have been blacklisted from doing business with the Olive Press (Luke Stewart Media SL - CIF B91664029), due to long standing debts: - MWM Investments Ltd - Petersham Coins, Marbella - Investor Spain - Simple Care - Autotunes Manilva

the

- Hotel Embrujo, Arriate - Jaipur Purple, Estepona - Reservatauro, Ronda - As seen on TV.com - Webuycarsinspain.es The details are being published in support of other companies that may be unaware of the problems that might be faced by providing credit facilities to the businesses and their present individual owners. The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía

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Tel: 951127006 (admin/editorial/sales/advertising) or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 Urb Casares del Sol, bloque 21, portal 70, bajo b, Casares 29690, Malaga Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Reporters: Newsdesk Newsdesk@theolivepress.es Giles Brown Giles@theolivepress.es Tom Powell

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the Olive Press INVESTIGATES

COMPANY MEN

Perverts, fraudsters and robbers; words that describe the social circle of close friends Nigel Goldman and Barrie Nathan, conveniently catalogued in their regular EWN newspaper column

By Tom Powell and Imogen Calderwood

OU can tell a person by the company he keeps, runs a famous adage. And in the case of fraudster Nigel Goldman and his trusty ‘sidekick’ Barrie Nathan, it has never rung truer. In a sensational investigation, the Olive Press has discovered how the two expat elders kept regular company with a string of unsavoury characters up and down the costas. Whether it be serial cad James Hewitt, paedophile PR Max Clifford or a string of convicted criminals, they lavished them all with complete impunity. Always insisting on sumptuous food and expensive wines, most incredible of all, their sinister champagne lifestyle is backed up by a series of columns in rival newspaper the Euro Weekly News (EWN). Legitimising Goldman’s life on the coast (and further supported by slots on Nathan’s radio shows at Talk Radio Europe) they were able to put potential victims of Goldman’s ponzi scheme at ease. But, as the pressure ramps up on runaway conman Goldman - aka Howard Del Monte - the other spiders in his sticky web are starting to sweat too.

Pic by Martyn Wood

GOOD LIFE: Goldman and pal Nathan kept company with a rough bunch The Olive Press’ discovery of his quaint Berkshire village hideout has spread like wildfire through the UK press, and both Action Fraud UK and Thames Valley Police have confirmed they are investigating complaints about Goldman. Police in Spain meanwhile continue to investigate the twice-imprisoned former gold dealer, with victims mounting up.

Dangerous

This week, the Olive Press spoke to two new victims, both of whom have filed official police reports, while the estimates of how much has been taken run from three million to €15 million. But what is also emerging is the extraordinary web of criminal friends the addicted gambler kept on the coast, from the perverted to the downright dangerous. Indeed, thanks to his regular EWN column written between 2008 and 2012, we know of at least six convicted criminals that he and Nathan entertained. In ‘Out and about with Nigel Goldman’, the best friends pose for photographs with drug dealers, prostitutes, con-artists and violent gang-members.

THE spider at the centre of the web, the man now parading as Howard Del Monte essentially speaks for himself. Much thanks to a book High Stakes which he wrote (with help from journalist Wensley Clarkson) about his numerous scams, tax dodging and two prison stints. But now life for naughty Nigel is a far-cry from the champagnesipping, fine dining and fancy cars he loved in Marbella.

One of these is Richard Pope, a particularly close friend of the pair, who accompanied them on various occasions. Imprisoned in the US for fraud, City of London Police described him as one of the ‘most arrogant, ruthless and destructive criminals they have ever dealt with’, but to Nigel and Barrie he was a ‘good friend and dining companion’, sometimes referred to affectionately as ‘Ricardo’. In fact, so close was their relationship that the Olive Press can reveal that Nathan even flew to America to act as a character reference at his trial in Florida. It should also be pointed out that pensioner Nathan - who trawled the length of the country with Goldman, sharing a chauffeur - was used as the ‘contact’ for the restaurant reviews in the EWN column. Meanwhile, despite publicly insisting he is suing this paper, the radio DJ has still failed to explain his links to Goldman’s investment scams, with one victim even paying money into his account. Here, the Olive Press details the pair’s sinister network of friends, who include a drug dealer, a violent jeweller and even recently convicted paedophile Max Clifford.

Man from Del Monte: Nigel Goldman Sharing a simple cottage and a Vauxhall Zafira in rural Berkshire with partner Suzanne Couling probably isn’t where a 20-year-old Goldman imagined his life going, at a time when he was ‘eating well, drinking well and screwing well’.

But this larger-than-life crook is back to what his younger self knew best, the dealing of coins. Including the selling of gold krugerrands to unwitting punters who aren’t aware they may never actually see their coins or hear from ‘Del Monte’ again...

The tireless ‘sidekick’: Barrie Nathan

THE right-hand man of runaway conman Goldman, Barrie was affectionately referred to as his ‘tireless sidekick’ in Goldman’s dining columns. In fact, in order to appear in his column - or to advertise - readers were told to contact Barrie, a man with whom he shared a car, a chauffeur and quite a lot more. Best known for hosting radio shows Viewpoint and Barrie’s Big Band Bonanza, the cat-loving 74-year-old made the front page of the Olive Press in March when we revealed details of a certain big cash transfer. Bank statements from one of Goldman’s investment victims – Geoffrey Whitton - show he was instructed to pay £10,000 into Barrie’s Natwest bank account, and received £5,536 back (in two instalments). But, according to his former chauffeur Michael Scarett and two ‘close friends’, this may just be the tip of the iceberg. The friends - who later became victims losing €550,000 euros to Goldman’s scams - revealed that Goldman blamed part of his losses on Nathan and his close friend, convicted fraudster Richard Pope. Asking to remain anonymous, one of the Spanish-based expats, said: “Goldman told me on the phone from the UK that he had driven all the way to Bilbao with Barrie to

see some artwork and on the way back Barrie insisted on going home to feed the cats and as a result they had missed a big trade and lost a million pounds. “Nigel also insisted much of it was due to a Mr Pope in America and a big silver deal.” The expat, who has filed an official police denuncia, added: “Barrie was the first person I contacted when I knew Goldman had gone. I called him while he was on air at Talk Radio Europe and he called me back and said he had no idea where he had gone. I didn’t believe him, but he insisted it was true. He has called us about once a week since then.” While Nathan has denied any involvement in the scams, he has yet to explain his links

to bank transfers and has failed to answer our previous questions. And now there is one more sensational link we would like him to explain. For the Olive Press has discovered that it was actually Nathan - and not Goldman who may have been closer to conman Pope. Indeed, we can reveal that Nathan flew to the US to appear as a character witness in his 2011 trial. This week, The District Court of Tampa confirmed that he had indeed spoken on Pope’s behalf in advance of his sentencing on July 23 2013, as a ‘friend of the defendant’. And he may have been back since, if the words of a DJ colleague at TRE are correct. “I overheard him talking at a party about having to visit a friend in America in prison,” says the respected long-term DJ. “But when I sidled in and asked a bit more he said it was his ‘very dear friend Richard’ who was ‘feeling down’, before ‘clamming up and turning his back’.” And finally, despite Nathan’s claims that he is no longer connected to Goldman, the Olive Press can confirm that he has actually spoken on the phone to Goldman within the last few weeks and the Olive Press has even seen recent emails between them.

GOLDM OSSIER

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Doing time: Richard Pope

RICHARD Pope - the man said to have introduced Goldman to his sidekick Barrie - is currently in prison in the US for his leading role in what police described as ‘the UK’s biggest boiler room scam’. OUR JOURNEY to the Mughal A slightly dry, young wine, Everything was totally and This is a man who Det. Superintendent Bob Village Indian restaurant abounding in woodland berry utterly fantastic. Wishart of the City of London police destarted off badly. Ricardo tastes. Excellent value and My shashlik was such a large decided to stay a few more very quaffable. portion I gave most of it away. scribed as one of the ‘most unpleasant, most days and volunteered to drive. Barrie asked if the battered I tried Ricardo’s lamb handi. He knew exactly where to prawns were actually battered Awesome, with incredible arrogant, ruthless and destructive villains out go, but just as we approached and not in breadcrumbs. spices. Totally superior to the front entrance to the Assured that they were, he most Indian restaurants you there’. restaurant, Barrie instructed chose them to start with. will find on the coast. Deepak him to turn right down a road Ricardo and I shared a chicken and Arturo looked after us But he made for a splendid dining companaway from the place. tikka for our first course. well. Nathan, Goldman and Pope (far ion - on various occasions, as it turns out, “We’ll park down there and Having been there before, we When we had finished use the back entrance,” Barrie knew the size of the portions. eating, it was photo time. (Left to right) Ricardo, Barrie, Arturo (waiter) and Nigel. right) at Los Cano, Las Chapas as proved by cuttings in the Euro Weekly announced. The battered prawns were Ranjit and I discussed the We piled out of the car and truly excellent, just right. This merits of Jermyn Street shirts News - and is initially given Barrie marched straight into is an easy dish to muck up, so and cufflinks. He noticed I had the doorway of a Spanish we were very impressed. forgotten my collar stiffeners. the name ‘Ricardo’ in Norestaurant. The tikka rated as the best Unforgivable! He insisted this was the ever, a huge portion perfectly The Mughal Village is a great vember 2008, sharing a back entrance to the Mughal cooked and just spicy enough. find. chicken tikka at the Mughal Village, even though the Totally superb. They do takeaway, too. Their building was a good couple of The Navarra, Vina Orvalaiz, phone number is easy to restaurant, in Mijas. hundred yards away. was going down well. Barrie remember 902 INDIAN (902 David Blaine couldn’t have asked for another case! 46 34 26). The restaurant is At a time when the fraudmanaged that trick! For the main course, situated on Avenida de Jerez, 3 Trying a few more different Ricardo chose his favourite, Bajo, Mijas Costa. ster is on the run for his back doors without luck, he the lamb handi. Just remember when you go eventually reluctantly agreed I went for a chicken shashlik there to park nearby, unless scams that had been closed to walk to the front door of while Barrie chose the lamb you want to try the back down in March that year, he the Mughal. korma. doors of lots of other The minute we entered, we As a joke he asked for chips restaurants on the way. smirks at the camera next were warmly greeted by Ranjit with it. That seemed possible, And, guys, wear your best HIS self-professed ‘middodge a €40,000 debt collecthe manager. Ranjit takes too. shirts. You don’t want to be to a grinning Barrie Nathan. e n o r m o u s p r i dle-class de in his We aloo, outdressed by thehearing manager, do callordered girl’ sagis right tion in 2007. appearance, wearing Jermyn pashwari nan bread and rice. you? Nathan insists on going in the I centre of the web Street shirts andat cufflinks. She was handed a four-month was glad I was wearing my ‘via the back entrance’, perand more closely consuspended sentence after a Harvie and Hudson. haps in a bid to protect his Barrie wanted us to go to the nected to the group than anysix-month police investigation back door so he pointed out friend. And, in what must where it led to.We followed him, one except Nigel himself. that cost more than €16,000. totally bemused. It opened out have been hilarious for the ontoStarting a totally different out street. as secretary to She also narrowly escaped a Priceless! trio (wink, wink, nudge, Donald Beskine (see page 9) The Mughal Village is an prison sentence in 1997 and exceptional establishment, nudge), the back door even at appointed. the Marbell a again in 2004, after debeautifully becomes the headline for There are booths which are Business Cenfrauding the almost private to dine in. The the piece. service is immaculate. Ricardo tre, she later British governwas in charge of the wines. He Later in March 2009, perdecided to opt for the house became editor ment of nearly red, a Navarra at 11 euros. haps believing their chum is of his defunct €50,000 in not going to get caught, he magazine LifeAtrium at San Roque benefits. appears again at a restautimes, before In her book rant in Marbella, this time in being lured she claims glasses and more brazenly away by Nigel to have sold named as ‘Richard’. Goldman to herself for But his luck was soon to run work for him €300 a pop, to out and the following year instead. cover massive Pope was finally snared in Exactly what school fees Barcelona (allegedly after she did for and to fend off having dined with Nathan Goldman is the bailiffs. and Goldman) and jailed last not known, but But in reality, year - along with two other the 46-yearshe fled the famBrits Paul Gunter and Simon old also coinily’s four-bedOdoni – for combined total EWN Euro Weekly News, 28tha January - 3rd February 2010 cidentally a room home in F O O D Costa years Blanca• www.euroweeklynews.com of 43 last year. // 38 close friend of Kent and pulled He did, after all, con invesRichard Pope. the children out tors out of €100 million, All this cerof school. UT AND BOUT selling w i t hworthless N i g e l G o and l d m a nfake tainly helped to get Dawn on About her life as a prostitute stock. the top table for Nigel’s restauDawn insists: “The morals innigel.goldman@euroweeklynews.com Sadly, we will never know R A T I N G rant jaunts and on one trip she volved didn’t really get a look what effect his friend Nawas found tucking into some in”. Service Overall reference Cleanliness Food than’s character Tournedos Rossini, along with at his Miami trial had. For, Barrie and coin man David Allegations as Tampa court confirmed Bark. COLOURFUL LIFESTYLE: Annandale, a former prostitute this week, ‘what Nathan It is a line straight out of the Author of ‘Call me Elizabeth’ and benefit fraudster, is closely linked to Goldman said does not appear to mouth of her former employer and ‘Call me Madam’ - the have been transcribed.’ est, kindest person and I am Goldman. And also interesting memoirs of a despairing mothas shocked about the alleto note that the moment we er driven to prostitution by fi0 gations against him as I am contacted her about the fraud nancial troubles – Dawn was 201 about the allegations against and the links to Nathan, she later exposed as a liar and conFEB Max Clifford, who I have met.” was immediately on the phone victed benefits cheat. A month later, Clifford was to her friends in Spain. But, her worst conviction was convicted of eight counts of But not before telling us: when the mother-of-six was sexual assault. “Barrie is the sweetest, nicfound guilty of crying rape to w i t h

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Don’t try to get into this place by the back door!

Shrouded in mystery: David Bark MORE questions than facts surround UK-based coin-dealer David Bark, a friend of Nigel’s for ‘over 40 years’, according to Nigel himself. A one-time member of the British Numismatic Trade Association, Bark has since slipped off the radar of most current members. Nigel and David have known each other since childhood, when they whiled away afternoons swapping stamps and coins. While there is no suggestion that he was involved in Goldman’s fraud, Bark was allegedly reunited with Nigel after he got out of prison and is a regular ‘business contact’ buying and selling a lot of his goods.

Holiday

Either way, he has been the lucky recipient of Nigel and Barrie’s generosity on at least three occasions, first dining alongside Nigel, Barrie and Dawn Annandale in a restaurant review from June 2010, while he was ‘10 days into a two-week holiday in Spain’. He appears again in September 2010, over for another ‘couple of weeks’ holiday’, for the second time in just four months. Bark went for the hattrick in October 2011, when he appears in a photo with Nigel as he wines and dines his victims Roy and Jennifer Feather.

The stamp collector: Roy Dinsdale

Call me Madam: Dawn Annandale

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Levey (left) and Goldman (right) with waitresses at Restaurant El Meson, Benidorm.

Violent jeweller: Laurence Levey Restaurante El Meson

XFORD-educated Roy Dinsdale is a good friend of Nigel and Barrie, and another who often benefitted from their generous wining and dining. Like other friends, ‘Dr Roy’ (as referred to in Nigel’s column) he too has a criminal record. It can be revealed that the retired banker was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Kingston Crown Court in May 2012, for offering to supply class A drugs, party drug MDMA. Dinsdale is also an avid dealer of coins and stamps, and owns a company called Petersham Coins and Stamps, based in Richmond in the UK. Goldman himself advertised this company here on the coast, claiming it was his, and bringing in a lot of customers for Dinsdale and himself. Dinsdale, who has a com-

Laurence Levey, Elisabeth, Olivera and Nigel.

JUST months after enjoying a well-publicised night out on

Nathan, Goldman, Annandale and Bark (all foreground) at the Aroma Restaurant, Fuengirola, while right Dinsdale and Nathan at Valparaiso, in Mijas pany, Dinsdale Investment Services, allegedly sells donated stamp collections for charity. Having been involved in the investment world for 36 years in London he writes very knowledgably on his blog about both the stock market and gold. He is full of disdain for Goldman’s own favourite precious metal, adding: “A final word for

the Gold Bugs. Actually I would prefer the final word to be just ‘Goodbye’ - but fat chance unfortunately.” He concludes: “Gold as an investment yields nothing.” He is also a professional singer – according to Nigel’s column and divides his time between Kingston-upon-Thames, in London, and his spectacular holiday home in Provence, in France.

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THE last time I ventured up to We ventured in. My first Laurence tucked into his salad theBlanca town Laurence Levey the Costa waswith back inGoldman, impression Liverpool was of delight jeweller as with gusto. wasThen, sentenced 10 was years prison, selling out a cusNovember. everything to there an in inviting well- forThe wine was opening up was in full swing. The stocked walk-in bodega. nicely and we were eagerly tomer to a violent attack. restaurants were packed, the Laurence, my friend the anticipating our main courses. The perfect dining companion Levey, 59, was photographed bars were lively and the jeweller and watch dealer from Dennis chose a medium steak, night the out with his chum the Restaurante El streets enjoying full of people a enjoying North of England, grabbedatAngie a T-Bone, Laurence Meson in Benidorm, inthe February 2010. themselves. hold of wine list, eager to went for the Rabo de Toro This The time ‘friend’ the place enjoyed was get started. He had had a poorand while I selected the suckling an endive salad Rabo de Toro, and much, much quieter. We asked the expensive snow keeping wines, pig. clearly has a softChristmas, spot for picking out a the receptionist at the hotel his four shops very quiet. You bottle of Vega Sicilia at ‘a mere € 95’. When the main courses we were staying at what the wouldn’t have thought so arrived, we were all astonished However hehotel himself picked out inas an expensive misfood was like in the when was he chose a Vega Sicilia to the size of the portions. take when eat heinand Gary Warner restaurant. “I wouldn’t fromfellow the wine Liverpool list. “A bargain,”gangster Fabulous food, properly served there,” attacked was her honestand reply.robbed I he announced - a mere 95 with great potatoes and an elderly couple of £100,000 in cash hope she keeps her job!than We all £40,000 euros. vegetables. and more worth of jewellery in August 2010. piled into the Range Rover and The waitress went into the A magnificent feast indeed. Peter and Jacqueline Davies, both in their 60s, were doused ventured out, spending ages bodega to fetch the wine Laurence’s Rabo de Toro petrol, stripped nakedLaurence’s and tied a snooker by trying in to find the excellent investment. cash-to simply fell off thetable bone, my masked Spanishthree steak house we hadmen. flow gods plied their magic as suckling pig was perfect, and attended last trip. Benidorm, returned empty handed - attack, the steaksLevey were succulent. Described as theshe ‘mastermind’ of the picked in caseDavies you don’t as know, a the after Vega Sicila all gone!a £13,000 Service a Rolex tad slowfrom and a istarget hewas bought plethora of streets that all look Instead we were offered a slipshod, though, and the one of his five shops. exactly the same. Eventually Ribera del Duero called Anta place could do with being Sensationally, has been frequent we came across the restaurantLevey A16 Banderas. It was a a 2006, tidied visitor up a bit. to Spain, often watches forripsale, with a number of we were lookingtouting for only toRolex and it was terrific - a real at Photo time. Elisabeth and discoverwell-known it was closed Costa until only 34 euros.having While thebought wine Olivera, our waitresses, joined figures them. February. Then we spotted was breathing, some excellent us. We decided to have our a really decent looking warm roast bread with ali oli picture taken by the bodega. I Spanish restaurant a stone’s sauce arrived. It was very couldn’t help but notice that throw away. One of those good indeed. We perused the Laurence was checking the old-fashioned, traditional menu. Angie, Dennis and I stock out of the corner of his

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

A sprinkling of twisted stardust:

Max Clifford

GOLDMAN’S pal Max Clifford was recently convicted of eight counts of sexual assault after eight days of jury deliberations and then sentenced to – fittingly – eight years in prison. Paedophile Clifford, who groomed at least two of his victims on the Costa del Sol, also did a large amount of PR work in the Marbella area. One job, as it turns out, was for Polo House restaurant, charg-

ing an eye-watering €40,000 a year, plus possible extras. Clifford and Goldman met at many of the coast’s charity bashes, with the king of spin hosting the annual ‘Butterfly Ball’ in aid of the Rhys Daniels Trust. The 71-year-old has now been removed as a patron of the trust, but still hosted it last year despite the charges levelled at him.

Celebrity swordsman: James Hewitt FAMOUS for his five-year love affair with Princess Diana in the 1980s and then offering to sell their love letters, cad James Hewitt was one of Nigel Goldman’s closest friends. Indeed, it was at his eponymous Marbella restaurant Polo House (owned by the Metro Group) that Nigel courted many of his investment victims. “He and Barrie Nathan were always there and became incredibly close to James,” revealed one former friend and victim. “We ate there lots and James always joined us for drinks later on and the bill was always discounted.” So linked with Goldman and Nathan was the former cavalry officer, that when Hewitt’s restaurant won an Essential magazine award in 2011, it was Nathan himself who stepped in to accept the prize. But Goldman’s friendship with Hewitt, a big party animal, stretched far outside Polo House and the pair were frequently seen out drinking at local bars and restaurants together. “They were in regularly at night having drinks together,” revealed one barman at an Elviria restaurant. “They clearly had a very close relationship and liked to party.” The pair were said to have both put their details on a sex contact website sugardaddie. com. Indeed, Hewitt was caught by the UK press having put naked and ‘pornographic’ pictures on

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AN GOLDM R E DOSSI

the site in a bid to lure young, impressionable ladies for dates. Given the unsettling associations with Polo House, it is possibly no surprise that the restaurant failed to reopen under strange circumstances in 2013. Officially blamed by its owners on the recession, Olive Press sources insist there may well be other very good reasons. “James was quite a sleazy fellow and it was time for him to go,” revealed a restaurant insider, who refused to be pressed further. He did however confirm: “Goldman was always there as James’ chum. I never really got to know him but your revelations don’t come as a shock.” The restaurant has since reopened under a different name, while Hewitt has returned to live with his mother in the UK.

The Businessman: Donald Beskine

INCREDIBLY CLOSE: Goldman and Hewitt partied hard together

AWARD WINNER: The former Polo House restaurant on the Golden Mile in Marbella, where Goldman spent much of his time

THE disgraced owner of Marbella Business Centre, Donald Beskine also vanished from the Costa del Sol after getting caught up amid allegations of fraud. Said to be living in Miami, where Nathan’s friend Richard Pope went to trial, he had previously fallen foul of the UK tax authorities after getting involved in a fraudulent book scam. His UK company PY Communications Limited was forced into liquidation when it was found Beskine had falsely solicited businesses to back an antidrugs book for schoolchildren, selling 150,000 copies throughout 2005 and 2006. The cold calling was done from a boiler room in Spain, believed to be in the Marbella Business Centre, where Goldman had an office for a number of years. His Spain-based telesales team put pressure on businesses to buy the books and then persistently chased them until payment was received. But despite allegedly taking orders of 150,000 copies of the book over two years - at an average price of five euros - few copies were ever printed. The scam is estimated to have made the company around € 800,000. Of course Beskine ended up on the Costa del Sol, with his own business centre and perhaps predictably, his own media project, a magazine called Lifetimes. Edited by none other than Dawn Annandale (see page 7), Beskine easily convinced advertisers that it was being posted out to tens of thousands of people around Andalucia and even got the British consul Steve Jones to write for it. The only problem was many of the addresses were bogus and, in the words of two of his former editors, ‘piles were left around the office’. He also failed to pay the staff. While his exact connections with Goldman are unknown (Goldman certainly advertised regularly in his magazine) the pair eventually fell out with Goldman poaching his editor Annandale and dubbing him ‘a crook and a fraudster’. A fraudster defrauding a fraudster! You couldn’t make it up.

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Cover girl Floozy Suzy: Suzanne Couling APPEARING on the cover of a mocked up version of Time magazine, alongside her lover Goldman, it is clear there is more to Suzanne Couling than meets the eye. Under the heading “Tycoons the real story - Can they save Europe?” the pair pose grinning in a trading room, looking like business colleagues. Taken in happier times, while living in a rented multi-million euro villa in Marbella, she has since fled back to live with him in Berkshire, where she has continued to stay embroiled in his scams.

HIGH LIFE: Goldman and Suzanne lived the high life with Michelin-star meals and five star hotels while renting this multi-million euro villa opposite Santa Maria golf club, in Marbella. The couple in their ‘trading room’ (right)

Victims

Indeed, the mother-of-two is named on the coin-peddling eBay account, which goes under his new false name ‘Howard del Monte’, and bank payments go through her account. She is also coincidentally now linked to Goldman’s investment victims in Spain, after making at least one

GOLDMA the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014 N DOSSIER

payment - of €440 - to one victim. “I only made one payment. I had to pay it as Nigel did not have anything,” she said from her Berkshire home last week. “I said never again and Nigel’s business has nothing to do

with me.” Of the recent exploits she added: “He advises me what to do. We have to make a living somehow. We have to make ends meet.” On the surface at least their current lifestyle is a far cry from

their previous existence on the Costa del Sol. Aside from the regular five-star dining, they had foreign holidays, staying in 500-euro-a-night suites in the Hotel Mirage in Morocco and even went on luxury cruises around the Med.

Until her move to the UK, Couling had lived on the Costa del Sol for nearly two decades, apart from one stint in Greece. According to sources, she worked in a num-

I am appalled: EWN Publisher Michel Euesden THE EWN has nothing to hide, though I am out of the country at present so at a compete disadvantage. However, I am appalled that Goldman entertained criminals while using restaurant review columns in my newspaper to add to his credibility. Steven and I - on the Costa del Sol for nearly 20 years - were given the pictures by Barrie Nathan and there was never a need to question them given his pedigree of long-term friends including Martin Nathan (chairman of TRE), David Klein (Costa del Sol Action

Group), Mary Harboe (journalist and author) and other known residents. Printing more than 500 pages per week with six editions, EWN staff cannot go through every picture scrutinizing for possible criminals. But as managing director, the buck stops with me. If this investigation helps assist fraud victims then do what you have to, but I question your modus operandi, plus the fact that your publishing consultant worked for us when Goldman was a contributor. But that is life. Some people in the community are accusing

you of being anti-Jewish. This is absolute rubbish as we at the EWN are not Jewish and you always try to drag us into the midst of scandals, something both our readers - many of whom we share as we are both free - are getting tired with. The Olive Press worked hard and did well to find Goldman, or whatever name he is going under. You at times make the news with such investigations, and I applaud you when this helps the local community.But equally please report on all the wonderful people in Spain , for there is locally also plenty of good.

ber of jobs, including one as an estate agent in Estepona. But her reputation was never exactly perfect, according to old friend Carol Lewis, who knew her as ‘Floozy Suzy’. “There was plenty of talk of cut-throat dealings and it is no surprise to learn she is living with Nigel,” she said last night.

PS:

You can find more in High Stakes the book written by Goldman about his scams, tax dodging and prison stints

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

NEWS

Checkmate for Knight customers

RESTAURANT - MIJAS PUEBLO

Clients of long-established insurance broker left without cover for months after hiding bankruptcy THOUSANDS of expats have unknowingly been left without insurance as one of the coast’s biggest brokers has apparently gone bankrupt without telling them. Knight Insurance SA, based in Fuengirola and Nerja, has applied for voluntary bankruptcy, but failed to alert any of its thousands of policyholders. It has left clients fuming, particularly as Knight failed to pass payments they had made on to the insurance companies. They were, of course, also unprotected against incidents. Staff at two big insurance companies on the coast Ibex and Liberty have confirmed

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Exclusive By Imogen Calderwood that they are still handling the fallout, with panicked expats calling them on a daily basis. Even though Knight apparently filed for bankruptcy in October, a large number of their policyholders could still have no idea that they are no longer covered. Guy and Rosemary Dearden, who have lived in Fuengirola for 10 years, only realised they were not protected when they tried to add their son to the family policy in April.

MISSING British tourist Andrew Cunningham has turned up safe and well in England, after being reported as missing from the Cadiz area in April. UK police called in Interpol and Olive Press readers to help search for the 48-year-old, who vanished having taken out four large cash withdrawals over four days in Chiclana de la Frontera. But after nearly a month, Andy and his motorhome have turned up in England, unaware that he had been reported missing. 8 He had been planning to make his way home when he last spoke to his parents, but while travelling through Portugal apparently his mobile phone died and he could not get it fixed. His father Richard told the Olive Press that Andy had withdrawn the money for ‘extensive repairs to his motorhome’. “I would personally like to thank all at the Olive Press for their assistance in this matter,” said Richard. “We have also been visited by Derbyshire Police who have given Andy some ‘pointers’ for alternative ways of communication when travelling abroad.”

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“It was a horrible shock,” Mr Dearden told the Olive Press. “As I could only get through to their telephone answering machine, I called the insurance company concerned directly. “It turned out my policy was not in effect as the payment had not been forwarded from Knight Insurance. “I had been driving my car without cover for 10 months. We were very lucky not to have been involved in an accident.” Unbelievably, Knight’s website is still up and running, with no mention of the company’s crushing financial difficulties. www.the olivepress .es Clients can apparently even fill out forms to request new policies. However, its offices are closed and attempts to phone go straight to voicemail. An email also remained unanswered.

Help fin Andy d NEWS

EXCLUS By Tom IVE Pow

UK police ell are inve the disappe stigatin ish tourist arance of a Britg , who has Appeal for having take vanishe cash with n out four larg d British tou drawals e days in And over four rist who dis Derbyshire alucia. in Interpol police have calle after maappeared Olive Pres , and contacted d four lar king search of s, to help with the ge cash the withdraw It comesAndrew Cunningham MISSING als : Cunnin alerted themafter his parents. gham that he had ling in his four large mad ber plate motorhome (nu cashpoin cash withdrawal e without success mbased himD406 URP). He had Frontera ts in Chiclana des at The British . on April la Malaga consulate of Chiclan self in Roche, sou 10 – totaling 7, 8, 9 and has confirm in a. th And €2,0 “Andy is rew is not ed His family 50. a very laid in any of that and tend region’s hos Press read have asked Oliv back the s guy pita ey he has to eke out what mon , him afte ers to help loca e Andrew, who ls or jails. to r prol te had tryi spe ong ng can spend nt tim alleged him by pho to in And the time he ne, text andcontact alternativee in the well kno ly night clubs and alucia. So no wn hang out email de jet set Meca, nea said his fath of r Vejer, is Canos er Richard.lifestyle,” travel-

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GREEN NEWS

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

Gran Canaria battling albino snake ‘plague’ EXPERTS have descended on Gran Canaria to help tackle the explosion in the population of a rare snake from the US. It comes after warnings that the Californian invaders could over-run 70% of the island. Originally brought to Spain as pets, the snakes have been decimating local bird and lizard species. Biologist Ramon Gallo is leading the campaign against the snakes through a project called LIFE+Lampropeltis. Ac-

cording to Gallo, with no natural predators and a mild climate similar to their native California, the snakes are thriving. “The word plague comes to mind,” said Gallo, adding that in the past eight years more than 2,000 snakes have been captured, yet thousands more are living underground.Although they pose no threat to humans, the non-venomous snakes have developed a worrying taste for the island’s native Gran Canaria giant lizard. Numbers of the lizard – which is unique to the is-

TAKEOVER: The Albino Californian king snake

land – have been reduced by up to 10 times in areas where the snakes live, according to a recent study. Currently the snake population is limited to two areas of about 25 square miles in

the east and north-western parts of the island. However, they can only be contained for so long. “It’s an outrage,” said Gallo. “This could push the lizard to extinction.”

Wall of death Migrating sharks face massacre by Spanish and Portuguese fishing fleets

lion sharks each year in the north Atlantic. 60-mile-long fishing lines, bristling with baited hooks, targeting blue and mako sharks as they migrate in and out of British waters, have been discovered by researchers at the Plymouthbased Marine Biological Association (MBA). This worrying find could explain why UK shark populations are plummeting. David Sims, professor of marine ecology at the MBA, explained that the team compared the POISONED: A vulture chick movements of sharks with the movements the poisoning of wildlife. of nearly 200 Spanish Hunters uses poison to remove predators, and Portuguese fishing while farmers use it to control threats to liveboats. stock, for example packs of feral dogs. “We found that the sharks But poison indiscriminately kills other wildare congregating where life. Scavengers such as vultures, which feed warm and cool currents on carrion, may also die by eating poisoned meet. These are highly animals. productive areas that atThere have also been several documented tract fish – and that atcases of the intentional poisoning of wild tracts sharks too,” said animals. In 2010 there was a mass poisoning Sims. of Griffon Vultures in the Serrania de Ronda. “However, it also attracts Silvema warns that anyone finding the body of an animal they suspect may have been poifishing vessels and we soned should never touch it and report it imfound many long lines mediately to the regional authorities or call laid in exactly the places the Guardia Civil on 062. where sharks congregate. It is a wall of death for sharks.” The fishermen, it seems, are deliberately targeting the sharks.

SPANISH and Portuguese fishing fleets are wiping out Britain’s shark populations with a ‘wall of death’. Mainly to satisfy the Far East’s demand for shark fin soup, the two countries are killing up to four mil-

Deadly trend

ENVIRONMENTAL group Silvema is calling for increased action and tougher sentences after an alarming increase in the use of banned poisons in the Serrania de Ronda. The use of poison is a crime, punishable by up to two years in prison, but many hunters and farmers continue to break this law. In 2013 the Guardia Civil made several high-profile discoveries. These included two hunting grounds where they found several poisoned baits and a significant amount of poison about to be moved. In October, the Guardia Civil discovered one of the biggest stocks of poison ever found in Andalucia, in a farm south of Ronda. The authorities, however, are yet to charge anyone. Silvema is now demanding that farmers that use poisons have their grants and aid suspended, pointing out that the use of poisons breaches the code of good agricultural and livestock practice. The group warns, however, that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of protected animals have been killed every year for decades in the Serrania de Ronda, a region notorious for

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The study plays a vital role in discovering the impact of unregulated commercial shark fishing, which globally wipes out 100 million sharks each year. The life-cycle of sharks makes them vulnerable to overfishing and population collapse, as they mature slowly and produce very few young. Professor Sims added: “These are awe-inspiring animals but it is open-season on sharks. We should hit the panic button right now rather than in 10 years time when it could be too late.”

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

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Choker! La Linea tops Spanish air pollution blacklist

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GIBRALTAR NEWS

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IT’S a finding that won’t surprise anyone living on the Rock. A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report has found La Linea to have the worst air pollution in Spain. The Algeciras Bay is home to one of the country’s largest petrochemical refineries. Four other Andalucian towns were also included in the worst ten polluted list. WHO’s urban air quality database covered 1,600 cities across 91 countries showing more cities worldwide are monitoring outdoor air quality alongside growing recognition of air pollution’s health risks. The shocking report highlighted the fact that half of the urban population is exposed to air pollution that is at least 2.5 times higher than

Ten most polluted Spanish cities

1. La Línea de la Concepción, Cádiz (18 mcg/m3) 2. Toledo (17 mcg/m3) 3. Málaga (17 mcg/m3) 4. Barcelona (16 mcg/m3) 5. Granada (16 mcg/m3) 6. Jaén (16 mcg/m3) 7. Logroño (16 mcg/m3) 8. Sevilla (16 mcg/m3) 9. Valencia (14 mcg/m3) 10. Pamplona (14 mcg/m3)

AIRS AND DISGRACES: Four Andalucian cities are within 10 most polluted in Spain the levels WHO recommends implementation of effec– putting those people at ad- tive air pollution mitigation ditional risk of serious, long- policies and close monitoring worldwide. term health problems. The WHO has called for “Too many urban centres togreater awareness of health day are so enveloped in dirty risks caused by air pollution, air that their skylines are invisible,” said Dr Flavia BusCities with the best air treo, WHO Assistant Director-General for Family, Chil1. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria dren and Women’s Health. (6 mcg/m3) “Not surprisingly, this air is dangerous to breathe. So a 2. Arrecife, Canarias (6 mcg/m3) growing number of cities and 3. Marbella (7 mcg/m3) communities worldwide are 4. Cáceres (8 mcg/m3) striving to better meet the 5. Palma de Mallorca (8 mcg/m3) needs of their residents – in 6. Santiago de Compostela (8 particular children and the elderly.” mcg/m3) The report wasn’t all gloom 7. Telde, Canarias (8 mcg/m3) and doom for Andalucia, 8. Benidorm (9 mcg/m3) however. Marbella was rated 9. Badajoz (9 mcg/m3) by the WHO as the third-best 10. San Sebastián (10 mcg/m3) city in Spain for air quality.

MP’s Gibraltar visit THE Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Cabinet member Danny Alexander MP will visit Gibraltar this week and meet Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia. Mr Alexander will deliver a keynote address on Europe Day to members of the business community, the finance centre and others at a reception which will be hosted by the Government. He will also

accompany the Chief Minister at the start of the Commonwealth Baton Relay on Friday. Commenting on the visit, the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: “I will be pleased to welcome Danny Alexander to Gibraltar. He is a senior member of the United Kingdom Government and HM Government of Gibraltar is delighted that he has found the time WELCOME: Danny to be here with us.”

GIBRALTAR NEWS

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Platini on the Rock

UEFA President Michel Platini courted controversy in Spain after he visited Gibraltar for the Rock Cup final at the weekend. Arriving by private plane the former French midfielder was welcomed by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, President of the GFA Desmond Reoch and other GFA officials. He had a series of meetings with local football clubs as well as a visit to the proposed site for the new stadium at Europa Point. Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Football Association, Dennis Beiso, said Platini enjoyed his visit and was very impressed with Gibraltar and its football association. “Mr Platini did not know that we had so many club teams,” he said. “He was very impressed with Gibraltar football as a whole.” Platini also gave a pre-match talk to both sets of players before the Rock Cup Final that saw Lincoln Red Imps FC beat College Europa FC 1-0 with a golden goal in extra time.

A break for the border By Giles Brown

SPAIN has announced a major revamp for its side of the frontier in a bid to improve traffic flow. The proposed plans, recommended by the European Commission, will see the creation of six lanes for cars driving in and four coming out. The €5 million scheme will be carried out in eight phases and should be complete by the end of the year. The plans to remodel the frontier came following a high level visit by politicians from the EC last year and a deluge of complaints from both Gibraltarians and Spaniards who work on the Rock. Further pressure on the government came when a new body called the Mesa de Gibraltar (The Gibraltar Table), which includes all local political parties in La Linea apart from the PP, as well as local trades unions, demanded a solution to the issue.

ON the Rock

The Olive Press guide to What’s On in Gibraltar over the next two weeks

May 15-18

The Gib Fringe Festival Featuring Blue Lady, GA: Globe Azul, The Dopes and The Naughton Sisters Alameda Open Air Theatre For further information visit: www.gibfringe.com

May 16

Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Tours Birds and Butterflies around the Gardens. 10.30am Price £5.00 adults, children free For further information Tel: 00 350 20041235

May 17

Craft and Collectors Fair St Andrew’s Church, Governor’s Parade, 10am-2pm Entrance Fee £1.00 For further information Tel: 54023166 Ceremonial Guard Mounting The Convent, 12.00 For further information Tel: 2005001/2 Classic Car Rally Casemates Square, 10am1pm

Gibraltar National Dance Team Presentation Organised by the Gibraltar National Dance Organisation Lobby of Parliament , 10am2pm Arts & Crafts Market. Casemates Square, 10am-6pm Museum Open Day Gibraltar Museum, Bomb House Lane, from 10am Free Entrance Classic Car Rally Ocean Village, 2.30pm-6pm

May 18

EY Relay for Children Family Fun Run in aid of Save the Children Casemates Square, 10am For further information email: Janice.buttigieg@gi.ey.com

May 21

‘Hand Grenades like Cartier Clips’ – Lee Miller Art Lecture by Anthony Penrose Organised by the Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel, 7.30pm

Spain finally confirms changes to improve traffic flow into Gib The plan will involve knocking down existing buildings and constructing new ones in a layout in part modelled on the Andorra frontier. A key issue for planners on both sides of the border will be ensuring that works on either side of the frontier fence

link together smoothly. The scheme also includes plans for new facilities for searching vehicles, including a scanner, and an enlarged parking area for seized cars and motorbikes, as well as improved pedestrian access.

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

News IN BRIEF 500 Complaints OVER 500 complaints have been sent to the European Commission against the delays at the border since November. These complaints have come mainly from EU nationals who work in Gibraltar but live in Spain.

Tobacco arrests CUSTOMS officers arrested a total of 19 Spanish nationals and one Romanian in an operation targeting the illegal exportation of cigarettes via the eastern coastline. A total of 28,620 cigarettes were recovered and four cars detained.

Tax deal

GIBRALTAR has signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the US.

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

14 News IN BRIEF

Sexy bonsai THE Sexitano Bonsai Club won second place in an international Bonsai competition held in Italy this month. Some 27 international clubs took part in the event.

Good health LA Herradura will have a new medical centre by the end of the year, the Junta has announced. €240,000 has been set aside for the new building.

US visit A GROUP of American travel journalists visited Almunecar as part of a tour of the region. They visited the castle as well as some of the town’s best known monuments.

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AXARQUIA NEWS

15 face trial over expat killing

Competa man Stephen Mallon was thrown to his death in a mass brawl

AN incredible 15 suspects are being taken to court over the murder of a British holidaymaker in 2009. A Malaga court is to finally hear how father-ofthree Stephen Mallon was thrown to his death off a bar terrace in Competa during a mass brawl. One man is facing homicide charges, while 14 more face charges of aiding and abetting the tourist’s murder. Mallon, 49, had gone out for a drink with his family at the La Estrella pub, in the mountain village, when the trouble started over a local girl, who his son had been talking to. The girl’s exboyfriend allegedly threatened Mallon’s group and the situation quickly became so tense ON YOU MARKS: Rally

The event will feature prize draws a bike show and live music . Los Tiberones will also make a food donation to local charities. Last year they donated 1000 litres of milk to the Almunecar branch of Caritas.

SUSTAINABLE: New plans for construction

85 companies sign up A MASSIVE 85 companies in the Axarquia have signed up to a new plan to promote sustainable construction in Andalucia. The plan will award grants of up to €200,000 to individual projects that promote energy efficiency A GROUP of nurses from , improve facilities and the Hemodialysis Clinic, at also promote the use the Axarquia Hospital in of renewable energy Velez Malaga, are taking their patients out to lunch. in buildings and urban “We take care of lots of spaces. chronic patients from all A total of €200 milaround the region, who lion has been set come to us three times a aside by Malaga week for dialysis,” one told Province for the the Olive Press. scheme. “Most of them are elderly, The companies would and with limited financial be carrying out the resources. So we thought work using reputable that it would be great to take companies on the Anthem somewhere nice to get dalucian Energy Agenaway from their routine and cy website. out of the dialysis room.”

A healthy lunch date

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TRAGIC: Mallon was out with his family that the pub’s owner threw the Spanish out, but advised the Brits to stay inside. When Mallon and his family finally left La Estrella, a mass brawl broke out with bottles and belts being used as weapons. Mallon was hit over the head with a bottle and then pushed off the terrace of a nearby pizzeria, falling four metres. He fell into a coma from which he never recovered, dying in Malaga Hospital 12 days later. A total of 15 locals are to face trial from May 19. The Public Prosecutor has asked that 13 should spend a year in prison for the crime of ‘being involved in a mass brawl’. Meanwhile two of the accused face four years for causing injury with a dangerous object, while the person charged with homicide faces a 12-year-sentence.

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 88.52% full Same week last year: 93.48% Same week in 2003: 65.82% 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 1.39 American Dollars 0.82 British Pounds 1.51 Canadian Dollars 7.46 Danish Kroner 10.81 H Kong Dollars 8.18 Norwegian Kroner 1.73 Singapore Dollars

LETTERS

www.theolivepress.es

Criminal neglect

Only a serious move like that will force Spain to take its head out from under the sand and do something to kick racism

Dear OP,

out.

ON May 3, my son and his wife were robbed at the train station in Sevilla. A man came up and distracted him, asking about train times. A carry bag containing passport, cash and other valuables was snatched by a second person. I was alarmed at the lack of security. Tourism is vital to Spain and visitors deserve protection in key public areas such as stations and airports. That professional criminals can operate without any deterrents such as CCTV is most disappointing. In September, I am bringing a large group to Spain and do not wish to alarm them by warning of such dangers. Surely it is not difficult to provide a reasonable level of security in locations where criminals are known to be active? Steve Whysall, Vancouver

Dark skies THE Fuengirola Feria was affected by the fallout from

Chris Makin, Malaga

UK bound?

Barking mad SO there is a new dog beach in Fuengirola… Has Fuengirola recruited a Tourism Prevention Officer? I’m a dog lover, but this beach clearly hasn’t been thought through – it’s slapped between two major holiday destinations, the IPV Palace Hotel and Club La Costa. You can just see it on Trip Advisor: ‘Don’t go to Fuengirola – there’s a horrible dog beach where dog’s fight and go to the toilet’. I have seen Pitbulls, Staffies, Alsatians and chem trails – thick clouds of cotton-wool-like streams – from high-altitude spraying aircraft. The phenomenon occurs in clear blue cloudless skies and the streams do not dissipate, but linger all day. By the end of the Feria, the whole sky had practically changed from brilliant blue to dull grey. The Environmental Protection Department in Fuengirola should consider setting up a ‘24/7 sky watch video system’ and chemical analysis of soils and water where these spraying activities occur. Roy Alan Manchee, Los Boliches

Think twice WHEN your children ask to see dolphins anywhere that they are kept captive then think twice for there is a very dark side to such places. Dolphins are intelligent, social mammals that live in family groups and swim long distances in the wild. In captivity they suffer from sensory deprivation, social isolation, nutritional deficiencies and can die from captivity-induced diseases. They perform for food rewards and appear to be smiling because their faces are shaped that way. The methods by which they are acquired are also questionable, for globally the largest source of dolphins for the entertainment industry is Taiji in Japan where they are treated with brutality. Although the importation of wild dolphins is now illegal in the U.S, some Spanish outlets have taken no action against animal trafficking, and continue to provide the entertainment and business models

Rottweilers... not one of them on a lead or wearing a muzzle. The greatest concern is for the young children on the beach; it’s a disaster waiting to happen. If Fuengirola has employed a Tourism Prevention Officer, they are doing a great job.

for this unscrupulous industry. They are based on cruel and unethical practices, and should not be supported. Children have open minds. Tell them it is cruel to keep dolphins and orcas captive, that they need to swim in the ocean, and like people, be with their families.

Stuart Wright, Mijas

quickly deteriorate if players decided they had had enough with racist abuse. On top of that, FIFA should take the initiative and ban Spain from the next international tournament.

I READ the letters special ‘Age-old British Dilemma’ (Issue 186) with interest. Most British people enjoy living in Spain, however, there have been reports that increasing numbers of British retirees are returning to the UK. I am conducting research supervised by a British University which focuses on older expatriates contemplating returning to the UK. I need individuals to share their experiences and stories. All information will be strictly confidential and anonymous. Please contact me on cbetty47@gmail.com or Charles.Betty@northampton.ac.uk or tel 952 447 637. Charles Betty, Benalmadena

Carina Sewell Zahara de la Sierra, Cadiz

Kick it out THERE is no question that Spain has a problem with racism (Football world scorns Spain’s racist fans, OP online), and that not enough is being done to stop it. The banana-eating pictures campaign was all well and good, but just days later the fans were back with their monkey chants, this time at Levante player Pape Diop. If all black footballers stopped coming to Spain the message might get through that it is simply not acceptable. The Spanish league would

Small world I READ your account of Phil Donneson and Trivial Pursuit (A not-so-trivial pursuit, issue 185) with interest and found it spot-on. Chris Haney, one of the inventors, was my best buddy until his death. Scott, the other inventor, is still a great friend and we are still in contact. I sent a photo of your front page back home to the Trivial Pursuit friends and it would be great if you could help me get hold of Phil. Also, that shot of Chris and Scott (above) when they were young is one of mine – small world! Doug Ball, Canada

Letters should be emailed to letters@theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

CROSSMOT 32 Across

7 Experimentando (13) * 8 Estornudar (8) * 9 Island (4) * 10 Defence (7) * 12 Gansos (5) * 14 Vertido (5) * 16 Proporcionar (7) * 19 Three (4) * 20 Surname (8) * 22 Correspondiente (13).

Down

1 Bueyes (4) * 2 Grave (6) * 3 Vicious (7) * 4 Reinado (5) * 5 Raya (6) * 6 Adjunto (8) * 11 Experts (8) * 13 Libertad (7) * 15 Perdedores (6) * 17 Flown (6) * 18 Cintura (5) * 21 Negar (4).

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Valuable artwork by artist Alexander Calder unearthed at a humble house clearance EXCLUSIVE: By Imogen Calderwood A SPANISH art expert claims to have picked up a priceless sculpture for next to nothing at a local market. David Espana – owner of Studio 54 in Casares – discovered the piece by American artist Alexander Calder buried in clutter at the legendary Sunday market in Sabinillas. Despite going to the market every week since moving to Casares in 1997, he has never found anything so remarkable. “The piece is worth a small fortune, of course, but the most important thing is that I have rediscovered a real artistic treasure,” he said.

olive press - May 14 - May 28 201417 17 HURRAH: Thethe Olive Press always gives you more with seven pages of May 14 - May 28 2014 original culture stories

Treasure in the trash?

aucin. May 23-25 and

May 30-June 1, 11am7pm. The annual festival of local artists. Artists will open their studios, houses and gardens.Visit www. artgaucin.com.

ijas. May 18, 11.30am, the main square in Mijas pueblo. The PAD Annual Dog Show is back, with 10 fun classes at €5 per entry. Call 658 351 642. a Cala de Mijas. May 19, 11.30am, Hotel Tamisa Golf. The La Cala Lions are hosting their Spring Fayre and Fashion Show. Tickets from the Lions Charity Shop in La Cala, or call 677 059 061, or the Hotel Tamisa Golf on 649 904 688.

enahavis. May B 20, 6.30pm (doors 5.30pm), Benahavis Town

LUCKY FIND: artist Alexander Calder’s work in the New York’s Guggenheim Museum sculptures. “While this is one of the smaller ones, the largest was exhibited at the Guggenheim in New York.” Calder – who spent many years in Barcelona – was greatly influenced by his close friend, the Catalan artist Joan Miro. “That’s why this piece of work is so special to me, because of its Spanish ties,” added Espana, who lived in New York most of his life.

Hall. A talk by Roberta Kettel on Spain’s cultural, historic and natural heritage sites. Visit www. benahavis.com/events

EXPERT: David and the sculpture at his studio in Casares “I am very attached to my Spanish Espana’s gallery previously hit Olive roots because I lived out of the country Press headlines in 2013 after a visit from Hollywood superstars Angelina for so many years.” Tucked away in a cave in Casares, Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Guggenheim architect gets top award SPAIN’S top arts award will this year be presented to US architect Frank Gehry. The Prince of Asturias Award will honour Gehry’s 50-year-career and his creation of some of the world’s most eye-catching buildings. The 85-year-old’s work

Important

“I’ll definitely be keeping it, it’s too important to me to sell it on. But of course not in my home or studio.” A life-long fan of Calder’s work, 54-year-old Espana knows what to look for, pointing out the interlinking ‘AC’ carved into the base. Calder – who was even honoured with a ‘Google Doodle’ for his 113th birthday – is best known for his kinetic sculptures. “This piece is typical of Calder’s work. It’s part of a series he did in the 60s,” said Espana, adding that the series features a huge range of different sized

what’s on

COMPLEX FORM: Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

has ‘defined and driven architecture in the past half-century’, according to

the judges of the €50,000 award. Gehry designed the muchadmired Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, a silver mass of curved titanium that dominates the city centre. The jury hailed not only ‘the relevance and impact of his creations in numerous countries’, but also his ‘virtuous play of complex forms’ and ‘technological innovation’.

Heritage

The prize – to be presented in a TV ceremony in October – recognises ‘a significant contribution to the cultural heritage of mankind’. Previous winners include Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar, US singer Bob Dylan and British architect Norman Foster.

uengirola. May 22, FMundi 10.30am-1pm, Lux Ecumenical Centre. A Spring bazaar. Visit www.lux-mundi.org, email luxmundif@gmail.com, or call 952 474 840.

18 18

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May 14 - May 28 2014

Simon and Alexander… Jack’s Corner The Liberator and the Ecologist

EITHER man was Spanish, yet Spain was central to each man’s destiny. Venezuelan political leader Simon Bolivar and German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt were immensely popular, 19th century international icons. Both had an enormous impact on Spain and, by extension, to the world as we know it today… Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) is known in South America simply as ‘The Liberator’. The Bolivar family originated in the Basque region of Spain but had been in Venezuela well over 200 years. They were considered ‘Creole’ or American of pure European blood. Ultimately, ‘Creole Simon Bolivar’ would lead Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, Panama and Bolivia (his namesake) to independence from the rapidly crumbling Spanish Colonial Empire. Today he is regarded as a hero, a revolutionary visionary and the ‘father of modern-day South America’. Like many young Creole men, Simon was sent to Europe for his formal education. He became infatuated with the many European enlightenment ideas popular at the time. The concepts of the British legal systems, the precepts of the French

The ghosts of Simon Bolivar and Alexander von Humboldt are alive and well in today’s world. Any discussion of Latin American politics will invariably mention a comparison to ‘El Liberador Bolivar’. While Humboldt’s writings are more credible than ever in today’s technology driven society, where cloning, climate change and fossil fuels are very real concerns

Revolution and the enlightenment principles of Voltaire, Rousseau, Thomas Jefferson and John Locke were not lost on young Simon. These humanistic values were anathema to what Simon had personally witnessed under Spanish colonialism.

Big bang

The hemorrhaging of the New World’s resources (especially gold and silver), slavery, mistreatment of indigenous peoples and draconian taxes were political realities for those subject to Spanish Colonial rule. The Bolivar family was no exception. Alexander von Humboldt (17671835) - the ecologist - was not only an accomplished man of science but a man motivated by humanitarian and political concerns.

He was the first European to travel widely in South America as part of a scientific expedition to investigate this vast unrecorded region. At the invitation of Spain’s King Charles VI, who hoped for more mineral wealth (read; gold!), Humboldt began his five-year scientific expedition in 1802. He climbed 6,000 metre (20,000 feet) volcanoes, mapped South America’s deserts, jungles and even surveyed deep into the Amazon river basin. His careful observations and discoveries relate to subjects as wide ranging as botany, geology, zoology, mineralogy, forestry, oceanography, astronomy and global magnetism. He categorized over 6,500 previously unknown plants, theorised about the earth’s magnetic fields and was among the first to advance

the ‘big bang’ theory in regard to the origin of the universe. But Humboldt added another dimension to his purely scientific study. He believed that ‘neither humans nor nature can be understood in isolation. Nature has never been merely a background but has played an essential role in the development of human societies.’ He saw the vast unlimited human possibilities of the New World. Yet on the other hand, he actively preached that these potentialities were restrained by the yoke of an oppressive and dysfunctional Spanish colonial system. His co-joining of the natural world with all things humanitarian was received enthusiastically by the many European enlightenment thinkers of the era. His lectures and writings became immensely popular in the intellectual circles of London, Rome, Berlin, Moscow, Paris and Madrid. In an historical twist of fate, Simon Bolivar met face-to-face with Alexander von Humboldt at a Parisian lecture. The conversations between the two have passed into history. Bolivar is purported to have said to Humboldt: “...what a brilliant fate awaits that of the New World if only its people were freed of their Spanish yoke of despotism.” And Humboldt replied to the young South American: “I believe that your

INSPIRING: Von Humboldt and (below) Simon Bolivar saw potential in the New World

country is ready for its independence. But I cannot see the man who is to achieve it.” Many biographers of Bolivar see this seminal meeting as the moment where ‘Humboldt had awakened Bolivar’.

Legend

Simon was so inspired by Humboldt that he fell to his knees and vowed ‘to liberate his country’. The vow has become part of South American legend. Simon and Alexander both shared a vision of the potential of the Spanish New World--- but for different reasons. Bolivar formulated a resonant socio-political philosophy which set the New World apart from Spain. Humboldt contributed to the emerging national conscience of the Spanish colonial empire through his connection between scientific and environmental factors and their effects on human society. Humboldt’s ‘unity of nature’, that has become known as ‘Humboldtian Science’, is considered by many as the basis of today’s environmental awareness. Collectively, ‘the Liberator’ and the ‘ecologist’ changed the way we see much of the globe today.

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World View A DIPLOMAT and travel writer is holding an unusual and colourful photographic exhibition in Marbella. The exhibition, Caras del Mundo by Joern Stegen, brings together images from more than 80 countries.

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TOGETHER: Faces of the world

Stegen brings his extensive knowledge of global cultures to his work, evident in his captivating, diverse images. Caras del Mundo is on display at Buchinger Wilhelmi Marbella Clinic until July 15.

Alpujarra amphitheatre project in desperate need of funds

Show must go on TIME is running out for a revolutionary theatre project in Andalucia, which has just a month left to raise vital funds. The project – Un Teatro Entre Todos – aims to build a spectacular amphitheatre in the Alpujarras region. Building started in the village of Laroles in January 2013 and the stage and half the 300 seats are completed, but funding provided by the Junta has run dry. The team has raised €6,000, but there is a long way to go to reach the €10,000 needed to finish the theatre,

EXCLUSIVE: By Imogen Calderwood

due to open this summer. Oxford-educated Anna Kemp, the mastermind behind the project, was inspired by childhood visits to the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, in the UK. “The charm and the beauty of the experience left a huge impression on me. “I remember as the night closed in and the light faded, it’s a really magical experience,” Anna, 44, told the Olive Press. Anna fell in love with Laroles after being involved in a film project there. She now lives there with her husband and three children. In September 2012 she decided the amphitheatre project would be a perfect solution to the village’s struggling economy. “The village struck such a chord with me, because the peo-

Grandmother of Performance Art MALAGA’S Centre for Contemporary Art (CAC) is hosting a solo exhibition of Marina Abramovic for the first time in Andalucia. Described by critics as ‘the grandmother of performance art’, the Serbian artist’s exhibition is divided into three parts dealing with different stages of her career. In addition, installations will be exhibited for the public to experiment with and video, photography, drawing and sculpture complete the exhibition. The exhibition runs from May 23.

PANORAMIC: The view from the theatre is the best backdrop

ple who grow up there stay and start their own families. You don’t get that in England,” she said.

Celebrate

“The traditions and customs of the village are so important to the people who live there. I thought that outsiders would really benefit from experiencing that, and the village would benefit from the tourism.” Anna has been teaching theatre to the village children for six years, and plans to launch a festival in 2015 to celebrate poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca. “Even without the funds, we won’t be defeated,” said Anna. “We’ve come too far to stop now.” For more information and to donate, visit www.sponsume.com/project/ un-teatro-entre-todos

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May 14 - May 28 2014

Faking Franco A HISTORY book for Spanish sixyear-olds has come under fire for airbrushing out the violent reality of Spain’s civil war. The textbook – published by Anaya – has been accused of omitting key details about the true horror of dictator Francisco Franco’s reign. Celebrated poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca – author of

School book accused of downplaying tyrant’s murderous reign

Blood Wedding and The House of Bernarda Alba – is one of the most internationally-recognised victims of the conflict, and a symbol of the brutality of Franco’s rule given his violent execution near Granada in

Big Apple bidding battle A PICASSO painting has fetched twice its estimated value in a dramatic bidding war at Sotheby’s in New York. The 1932 oil painting Le Sauvetage sold for more than $31 million after tense bidding sent it surging far beyond its estimated presale price. The work – last sold a decade ago – was expected to fetch between $14 and $18 million. It was one of 14 works by the Spanish surrealist master in Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art collection. In total, eight lots sold for an impressive $62 million.

1936. However, speaking of Lorca, the textbook says: “A little after finishing his last play, The House of Bernarda Alba, Federico died near his village during the war in Spain.” Luis Naranjo, head of the Andalucian government office for issues relating to historical memory, began campaigning against the book after noticing angry debate on social me-

Soulfrito hits Europe

DISTORTED: Franco’s violent regime has been airbrushed

dia. “There is a big difference between adapting a complex concept for schoolchildren and distorting history,” he said.

Withdrawn

He added that children ‘understand very well right and wrong and what a violent death means’. Naranjo compared the book’s failure to explain the reality of Lorca’s death to ‘talking about Auschwitz and saying that the Jews just fell asleep in the gas chambers’. Another chapter about the poet Antonio Machado, who fled to France to escape Franco’s forces, concludes: “After a few years he went to France with his family. He lived there until his death.” The publishing house has withdrawn the book and will release a revised version.

MIAMI’S Soulfrito Music Festival (SMF), which this year saw Nas and Busta Rhymes performing, will host its first European event in Estepona this July. Headlining the eclectic Costa del Sol Soulfrito Festival will be Rudimental, who recently won ‘Best British Single’ at the Brit Awards following their No. 1 UK album Home. Ruth Lorenzo – representing Spain at this year’s Eurovision contest – will perform on July 26 as will EDM gurus Les Castizos, Wallem Brothers and Fonsi Nieto. “We are very excited about launching Soulfrito in Spain to expand the festival’s brand and reach,” said Melissa Giles, founder of SMF.

RUDIMENTAL: Enroute to Estepona

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Tax inspectors uncover missing ‘Van Gogh’ painting A VINCENT Van Gogh painting reported missing 40 years ago may have been discovered by tax inspectors in Spain during a national fraud investigation. Cypress, Sky and Country, which disappeared while on display at Vienna’s Art History Museum in the early 1970s, was found by tax inspectors in a deposit box in a bank. Art experts informed Spain’s tax office that the work was most likely genuine, but now an Austrian professor has cast fresh doubt on the finding. The painting, measuring 35 by 32 centimetres, was painted in 1889 and has three seals as proof of authenticity. One of those is from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Holland, and is dated to 1944 when

Pop culture A BRITISH artist who has taken photos of various pop stars, including Britney Spears, is holding his first solo exhibition in Spain this month. Phil Collins is combining four pop culture art projects from the last 10 years. The exhibition in Madrid’s Gallery Moises Pérez de Albéniz showcases the best of his work, emphasising the influences of popular culture, low-budget television and pop music. Collins’ work touches on gender, politics and social identity through the use of videos, photographs and installations.

LEGEND: Van Gogh ‘masterpiece’

it would have been under Nazi occupancy. Dr. Friedrich Polleros, head of archives at the Art History Institute of Vienna University, claims however the university has no records of such a painting existing.

Offender

ODD: Collins’ celebrity artwork

The work was found during an operation to seize the contents of 542 bank deposit boxes from tax offenders who owed around €319 million.

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Spain’s best k

Andalucia’s history, Barcel already make Spain one of the There are, however, hundred be discovered. New travel sea a hand-picked list of Spain’ known and off the beaten trac your comments and a list of theolivepress.es to be c

Pedraza (Segovia) This tiny village near the historic town of Segovia in Castilla y Leon, has been a hidden gem for decades. Its picturesque main square and beautifully preserved medieval walls and castle have earned Pedraza its place in the list.

Pampaneira (Granada) At more than 1,000m above sea level, this traditional pueblo is a real ‘high point’ for Andalucia. Majestic views and its proximity to the Sierra Nevada make it an ideal choice for day-trippers.

Albarracin (Teruel) High in the mountains outside Teruel, Albarracin has been put forward for World Heritage Site status by UNESCO. With its rich history dating back almost 1,000 years, the mountain-top Aragon village offers stunning views out over the Guadalaviar River.

Arnedillo (La

This scenic and sleepy primarily known for its prehistoric dinosaur pri

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014 May 14 - May 28 2014

25 25

kept secrets

lona’s culture and Madrid’s art e world’s top holiday destinations. ds of hidden gems just waiting to arch engine GoEuro has compiled ’s tucked-away treasures, littleck. How many do you know? Send your secret spots to newsdesk@

Besalu (Girona) Just outside La Garrotxa Nature Reserve in northern Catalunya, Besalu has a rich medieval heritage. With narrow, cobbled streets and a well-preserved Romanesque bridge, the town has lost none of its enchanting character.

compiled later in the year

Taramundi (Asturias) Ideal for outdoor types, this Asturian village has a remarkable number of mountain biking and hiking routes. Water sports fans can spend the day kayaking on the nearby Turia River.

Cantonigros (Barcelona) The Catalan village of Cantonigros itself is charming enough – think rolling green hills, quality familyrun restaurants and friendly locals. But just a short walk through the nearby forest reveals one of the region’s most beautiful spots – the idyllic waterfall of La Foradada.

a Rioja)

village is hidden in the mountains of La Rioja. The village is thermal spa resort, but is also home to a number of curious ints.

R U O Y E V SA

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Property Hollywood beckons for mini-Alhambra builder www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014 2727 SPECTACULAR: It has caught film star’s eye

A businessman who built an elaborate Mudejar-style home based on Granada monument is working with ‘film star’ HOLLYWOOD has come calling for a Sevilla businessman, who has built his own spectacular Alhambrastyle home from scratch. The 68-year-old draper, Jose Luis Romero, crafted his Mudejar-style home, in Sevilla, over 12 years, with just the help of a few stonemason friends. Now, the Olive Press can reveal, that a Hollywood star is so impressed with the elaborate construction that he has invited Romero to America to build his own home. Nicknamed ‘the last Moorish palace of Andalucia’, the house is built in the same style as the famous Alhambra Palace in Granada. “I did not expect the house to be so widely admired,” said the self-taught architect, who has spent decades studying the Moorish design.

MUDEJAR Jose Luis Romero built the house over 12 years, and modelled it on the Alhambra Palace (top)

EXCLUSIVE: By Imogen Calderwood Romero visited the palace an incredible 170 times while creating his home - christened the ‘Carmen de los Arrayanes’ - to stay faithful to the style.

Los Angeles

Romero handcrafted more than a hundred different silicone models to create the intricate plasterwork that lines the walls. Since last October the house has seen more than 1,700 visitors – most of whom are fellow architects, school groups, journalists and wedding parties. Romero, who has never set foot on a plane, is set to head to Los Angeles next month. He refused to be drawn on the ‘star’, who he has not yet met.

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THE number of homes bought by companies has rocketed since the onset of the financial crisis. Firms were responsible for 22% of all home purchases in 2013, an increase of 429% from 2007. In contrast, purchases made by individuals fell from 95% of all transactions in 2007, to 78% of transactions in 2013. According to the data released by the Association of Registrars, the regions with the highest number of companypurchased properties are the Canary Islands, La Rioja and Catalunya. The regions with the highest numbers of purchases made by individuals are Extremadura, Cantabria and the Basque Country.

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Boom in Benidorm IT has long been seen as one of Europe’s tackiest holiday resorts. Parodied in its own TV programme, Benidorm is the sort of place most self-respecting tourists wouldn’t dream of visiting. Yet the Alicante resort has turned around its down-market image to become one of the most popular places in Spain to buy a home for foreigners. The number of villas and apartments bought by buyers from overseas has almost tripled in the last four years. According to the latest figures from the land registry, the proportion of homes bought by foreign buyers stands at 11.2%. The area is incredibly popular with Brits because they can get a lot for their money, and because budget airlines fly to nearby airport Alicante from many UK regional

Spain’s tackiest resort is finally becoming desirable again airports. Kieran Byrne, the managing director of HomeEspana, said: “We don’t expect a rapid turnaround in market conditions in Spain, but at least in the Costa Blanca we have seen increased buyer interest. “More second-home buyers from abroad are discovering how far their money goes here.” Since becoming famous as one of the first destinations for mass market package tours, Benidorm has done a great deal to shed its image as a hotspot for British partygoers.

Building your dream home without having a nightmare

The Property Insider by Ad am Neale

Having reviewed what to think about when buying land and developing a building project, let’s look at how to transform your plans into a reality, with the help of some leading industry professionals

UILDERS? Tell me about ‘em. It seems everybody has a horror story about the time they had work done. The only professionals people look (down) upon with the entire process. For many, that guarantee is equal loathing are estate agents. Ahem. But, if worth any additional costs this may incur. you make good choices and hire good people, Also based in Sotogrande are Renson Managebuilding your own home doesn’t have to turn ment, a bespoke project-management firm with into a bad dream. six decades’ international experience. They reThe ‘traditional’ route is for your chosen arcently completed an €11 million villa, with a chitect to recommend three, or more, reliable bespoke, glass-wall, infinity pool. Chris Warren, builders to do the job. They should put the projone of the partners, explains, “We are team ect out to tender, get quotes, and check them leaders, serving as the client’s representative carefully on your behalf. You and holding their hand every and your architect should also step of the way, to make sure revise, with a fine-tooth comb, they get what they want.” My father’s advice the quality of materials in Renson put out tenders to up was: ‘You can have each quote, as these can vary to six contractors, check prowidely. posals item by item, verify the it cheap, fast, or When choosing a builder, comschedule of works, and – as good’... he added: mon sense prevails: ask to vispreparation is 90% of suc‘Pick two...’ it recent projects and talk to cess – ensure everything goes previous clients. Then, select according to their extremely the best, in consultation with detailed plan. They coordinate your architect, before leaving him, your techniand supervise every aspect of the programme, cal architect, and your builder to get on with the budget, and materials, to deliver on time, to build. If you make changes as things progress, cost, and to the standards their demanding clicosts may fluctuate but, with luck, you should ents require. end up with a finished house, on budget and “We’re here to provide peace of mind,” Chris on schedule. adds, “even if the client changes theirs.” Another option that particularly appeals to As professionals offering value-added services, overseas clients is the ‘turnkey’ project, says Diego and Chris need to provide something exDiego Suárez of Sotogrande’s Ark Arquitectos: tra to stay in business, especially in these trying “First, we work with the client on the design times, but both agree ‘the cheapest option is and finishings. Then, we quote a fixed price, not always the best’. including all the work and costs to do the job. In the decade I’ve run Terra Meridiana, I’ve actThe price is the same at the start and the end, ed for clients who are away for much of the year, and the client always knows exactly what it is helped more than one building project happen, going to cost.” and renovated our own home in Estepona’s old If a problem arises, Diego notes, Spanish law town. So, I’ve seen more than my fair share of holds everyone involved in a build partially ligood, and not-so-good, builders. The one piece able for claims, meaning it can take time and of advice I always share was given to me by my money to resolve. Turnkey lets the client purfather: ‘you can have it cheap, fast, or good’, he sue a single defendant, who is responsible for said. ‘Pick two...’ Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona. Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com

Property

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Stunning state-of-theart villa goes on the market for

May 14 - May 28 2014

Bottoms up

AN incredible glass-bottomed swimming pool perched on a roof is epitomising the mini property boom around Marbella. Sun shining through the water casts rippling shadows across a sunbathing area underneath the pool, which weighs an incredible 60,000kg and has a 6cm thick glass bottom. There is even a small service lift to deliver food and drink from the kitchen to the rooftop pool and terrace.

Jellyfish

This one-of-a-kind luxury villa in Los Monteros has just gone on the market for €9 million. The avant garde private holiday home – nicknamed the Jellyfish

EPITOMY: Marbella’s property boom has produced many luxury homes

House - has s pectacular views stretching across the Mediterranean and the Sierra Blanca mountain range.

The five-bed property was designed by international architecture firm Wiel Arets Architects. “The area of Los Monte-

ros is without doubt the most prestigious area of East Marbella,” said Kevin Welch, at estate agent Lucas Fox.

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

Olive Press Readers’ Survey

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WIN A FREE TWO-NIGHT STAY AT THE TAMISA GOLF HOTEL

gerly sought-after free English language newspaper. All-important to developments is what you, the readers, like and most want. That is why your answers to this Olive Press Readers’ Survey will help us direct and finalise key decisions about the content and structure of the newspaper in future, thereby further improving our fortnightly offering to both advertisers and readers. The survey questions are easy to follow and will take only a a few short minutes to complete in full. And you could easily find yourself proudly winning the draw for a grand prize of a two-night BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDS: The Tamisa Golf Hotel at Mijas Costa stay at the luxury Tamisa Golf Hotel in Mijas tigations the Olive Press is keen to examine Over the last eight years the Olive Press has Costa. how best to further improve. become Andalucia’s most respected and ea- So good luck, and thank you.

HIS is your chance to win a two-night stay at a popular four-star Costa del Sol hotel. It’s easy. Just complete the questionnaire below (also available online at http://www.theolivepress.es/survey/) in full, send it in and your name will automatically be entered into a prize draw for the grand two-night stay at the Tamisa Golf Hotel at Mijas Costa. So what are you waiting for? Grab your pen or log-on to and have your say about the Olive Press, including what you want to read. Your chance to say what you like - and perhaps even dislike - about the Olive Press! With ongoing expansion including bigger editions, more specials and in-depth inves-

YOUR COPY OF THE OLIVE PRESS

Welcome to the 2014 Readers’ Survey

Where do you pick up your copy? ............................. ...................................................................................... Do you find obtaining a copy regularly: Easy q

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Euro Weekly News q Sur in English q Costa del Sol News q Round town News q Gibraltar Chronicle q Gibraltar Panorama q Telegraph q Mail q Guardian q Sun q Times q Mirror q

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the

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The Olive Press fortnightly business section taking a look at the Spanish economy and offering tips on how to save AND make money

Last orders!

HEART OF CITY: Malaga centre could ban all new bar openings

Malaga bars threaten to strike over residents’ tourism complaints - insisting they bring vital wealth to the city BARS in Malaga are threatening to strike after locals called for an outright ban on any new drinking spots opening in the city centre. The sheer volume of bars in the historic core is being blamed for attracting high numbers of tourists, noise and anti-social be-

haviour. It is causing locals to leave and has become a source of much heated debate, according to a report by the Observatory of Urban Environment (OMAU). The report insists that the amount of visitors is costing ‘too much in cleaning bills and lowering residents’

More cuts THE European Commission wants Spain to continue with its austerity cuts, following Spain’s exit from the banking bailout. Deficit targets for 2014 will be easily met, but Brussels is requesting ‘considerable additional discretionary efforts’ for 2015 and 2016.

CostCo kicks off

quality of life’. However, a local business leader has hit back and called on all bars to shut their doors for 24 hours to prove to locals just how important they are to the economy of Malaga. “Whenever they speak

Growth spurt as jobless fall EMPLOYMENT: On the up

BUSINESS IN BRIEF

SPAIN recorded a welcome fall in unemployment of 111,500 in April, encouraging Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to ask the Spanish people for a ‘fair trial’ in a radio interview. This record drop in unemployment has been attributed to a bumper Easter for trade and the start of the tourism season. In the same month, over 133,700 people signed on to the Social Security system, the second highest increase since 2005. Rajoy, who has staunchly defended the labour reforms adopted by his government, made this promise to Spain’s people: “In the coming months there will be growth.”

Encouraged

“I am encouraged and hopeful for the future because this month has broken a trend,” he said, adding: “Although things cannot be resolved in a day, I assure you we have passed the worst.” Unemployment fell in all sectors of Spain’s economy, with the service sector leading the way, with a drop of 84,706, closely followed by construction, manufacturing and agriculture. The Social Security ministry also claimed a total of 1.29 million labour contracts were signed during the month, up 6.57% from March. However, Spain’s total level of unemployment remains very high, currently standing at 4.7 million people.

about our industry it is always in a derogatory way,” said Jose Luis Ramos, president of the hostelry association EHMA-Costa del Sol.

Creation

“They highlight negative aspects such as noise or how terraces affect the right of way, when they should be praising the creation of employment and richness, the number of tourists we bring into the city and the good image they have of Malaga when they leave.” For many decades, Malaga was avoided by tourists and

used simply for its airport, a gateway to the Costa del Sol. In recent years, however, the centre has seen major regeneration and become a popular destination. Pedro Marin, author of the Malaga report for the OMAU, said: “The facilities for the tourist must be in harmony with the classic activities of the city. We must take this into account. “In the city centre there are 42 businesses. 18 of them are bars, and in the same area there are 11 empty plots and 15 abandoned buildings.”

TOP US hypermarket CostCo Wholesale, has opened its first eurozone shop this week in Sevilla. The opening marks the first step for the company’s expansion into Europe.

Banking spies THE government plans to collect data on all of the country’s 34 million bank accounts, in what it calls a bid to crack down on money laundering and terrorist activity. The Tax Office, the military and the secret services will be able to access the information.

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

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www.theolivepress.es May 14 - May 28 2014

BOOM TIME BACK HOME

UK recession officially over as output reaches level of 2008 And experts believe that before May is two weeks old, the country’s economic output will have ‘breached the pre-recession peak’. Advertorial Research group Markit suggested British firms are hiring 100,000 new staff a month. “Growth seems to have become entrenched in the UK,” said Jack Meaning, an economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. “The outlook is pretty robust.” The National Institute predicts growth of 2.9% for this year and 2.4% for the following year. Unemployment is also expected to imNICELY FRAMED: submit ‘specsy’ pictures by May 31 prove, with a prepeople who look great in their To enter, upload a recent photo dicted drop to 6.3% glasses,” explains Leighton to facebook.com/specsaverthis year and 6% by Griffiths, from Specsavers sopticas or Specsavers.es/ 2016. branch in Marbella. loveglasses.

THE recession in Britain is officially over following a storming start to the year, according to experts.

Figures show that output at the end of April was ‘incredibly close’ to the precrisis level of 2008.

Got specs appeal? ARE you a looker in spectacles? Specsavers is searching for anyone who knows how to look good in glasses for a brand new competition. If specs are part of your identity – or a fashion statement – get your entry in before the competition closes on May 31. Spectacle Wearer of the Year Awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or style. The winners will get a makeover, photoshoot and a pair of designer frames. Eight semifinalists will also win a pair of designer frames. “We want to celebrate all those

Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander

ISA – The magic and the myths!

NDIVIDUAL Savings Accounts, which are available to UK residents with a UK address, were in the spotlight again in the March Budget, with a New ISA (NISA) being introduced with effect from July 1 this year. The annual allowance for contributions will be increased to £15,000 and it will be possible to have any investment mix between stocks and shares or cash. Furthermore, it will also be possible to transfer between the two types without limitation. Previously, only 50% could be held in cash and whilst transfers between cash ISAs or from cash to stocks and shares were possible, a transfer from stocks and shares to cash was not allowed. I have to say, I am not a fan of cash ISAs at present, because with such low interest rates, the tax saving potential is minimal, but rates will go up again and in due course, they may even reach a level where they could be considered reasonable once again! For those who are eligible to subscribe to ISAs, the changes are very good news and the magic is simply that for UK taxpayers, any gains made or income paid out, will be totally tax free in the hands of the investor. We have come a long way since the introduction of Personal Equity Plans (PEPs - the forerunner to ISAs) by Nigel Lawson in 1986. Today, many people enjoy tax-free ISA accounts with six figure balances and they form a valuable part of retirement income planning. A common myth however, is that an ISA retains its tax-free status for expats, if it

was accrued prior to leaving the UK. Sadly this is not the case as the rules that apply in the new country of tax residence will prevail.

Alternatives

For example, if you are now a Spanish tax resident and you have an ISA in the UK, you will need to provide details of gains and income when completing your Spanish tax return at the end of June each year and depending on your circumstances, there will probably be some tax to pay. Potentially, you could even end up paying tax on gains that were built up whilst you were a UK resident, when they would have been taxfree! I am sorry to say that Spanish ISAs do not exist and therefore there is no di-

rect comparison available. That said though, there are some interesting alternatives, offering attractive returns for sums invested between €25,000 and €1.5 million for cautious investors, with no upper limit for the more experienced. Furthermore, choosing the right investment company, which has fiscal representation in Spain, can also remove the necessity for these funds to be reported on M720 returns each year. Whilst the gains and income from this type of investment are not tax free, they do enjoy a particularly favourable tax treatment in Spain, which only applies when money is withdrawn and consequently, they can be a very creditworthy option to consider as part of your overall financial planning.

Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com

SPECIAL EVENT

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - May the 14 - May 28 2014

THE OLIVE PRESS ROAD SHOW: MARBELLA MAY 29

olive press

Call the The A-team! Wondering about the economy and where Spain is headed? Come and ask the specialists

ith the worst of the economic woes now behind us, now is the time to be planning for a brighter future.

Currencies: Mark Rikard

Law: Antonio Flores

AGENDA: Speakers on the day include Mark Rickard, from currency specialist HiFX, financial advisor Richard Alexander, Marbella lawyer Antonio Flores, Danni Worth,

a couple, The Olive Press Road Show, which takes place at The Beach House restaurant in Elviria, Marbella, from 9.30 am - 1pm on

May 29th, will also provide the added opportunity of one-to-one sessions with the following industry specialists: Finance: Richard Alexander Investments: Lester Petch Currencies: Mark Rickard Insurance: Danni Worth Legal: Antonio Flores Lifestyle: Giles Brown Tax planning: Alex Browne Investment: Lester Tax planning: Property: Tbc Finance: Richard Insurance: Danni Lifestyle: Giles Petch Alexander Alex Browne Worth These experts, who all Brown regularly write in-depth specialist articles for The Olive Press, will jointly provide discerning audience Property : of insurance specialist Op de vestments and ex Deloitte tax advimembers with the most to be Beeck and Worth and a leading sor Alex Browne. And the event will confirmed comprehensive overview be MC’ed by the Olive Press’ resident estate agent. on each key business topOther speakers include investment lifestyle expert and columnist Giles ic specifically presented specialist Lester Petch from Tam in- Brown. with the local business market in mind. Over the past eight years The Olive Press - launched just prior to the worst and The Beach House is one of Marbella’s most longest global recession emblematic restaurants. Sitting right on the This fantastic event for decades - has estabgolden sands of Elviria British owner Guy Mccosts JUST €10 per lished itself as the most Crow has created one of the most popular places to dine on the coast. Nothing short of person, or €15 per sought-after free English packed on weekends, in the week his team of couple. Including cof- language newspaper in Andalucia. talented chefs serve up a fine mix of specialfee, snacks and re- The team of speakers will ties with an outsanding the wine list. freshments, plus a give an overview of the For this unique one off event on May 29, discounted lunch at coast and where it stands Guy’s team will be offering a special three course menu the Beach House... call economically as we enter with a glass of wine for under 951 127 006 or email spring 2014. €20 a head including IVA. accounts@theolive- The group of specialists will also be on hand to discuss Guy hopes you can stay to press.es now to avoid and answer questions on find out why the Beach House disappointment a range of topics affecting is one of the coast’s key resexpats along the coast. taurants.

For a decisive insight into all aspects of business in the Costa del Sol, The Olive Press Road Show brings together key speakers able

to provide incisive easy-to-follow presentations on seven topics for the first time. And for just €10 per person, or €15

THE VENUE:

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW:

Contact 951127006 or email accounts@theolivepress.es to book your tickets now

34 34

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

May 14 - May 28 2014

Advertorial

“FATCA” ENSURES GLOBAL TAX TRANSPARENCY BY JUNE 2014!

HE Savings Tax Directive originally within the EU. came into force in 2005 and was The EU has made the fight for tax put in place to ensure that member transparency a major theme following States collect data on the savings on from the US FATCA legislation and income of EU residents and automatically the scandal in France where the budget forward it to the tax authority of the minister admitted hiding over 600,000 individual’s country of residence. It Euros in a Swiss account. There have quickly became apparent been other issues as that there were some well with journalists significant gaps in the obtaining information Now the authorities Directive in that it excluded about secret accounts all have decided to get many financial instruments around the world and the really tough in the but perhaps the most numerous whistleblowers glaring omission of all was by disaffected employee’s fight against tax that trusts and companies at various banks in Jersey evasion were excluded. and Switzerland. Recently Now the authorities have a database was established decided to get really tough helping the public search in line with the global demand for greater through thousands of companies, trusts transparency and the fight against tax and funds created in so called offshore evasion and a revised Directive is likely tax havens. to be put in place before the year end The net is closing in and financial privacy specifically designed to close the loopholes is fast being consigned to history. Moving so that automatic exchange in every forward you have to accept that tax situation becomes the order of the day authorities will know exactly where your

wealth is and what income and gain that wealth generates and then expect to pay the appropriate amount of tax due on that income and gain. In future it will not be possible to hold assets without the tax authorities being aware of their existence and there will be little sympathy for anyone who thinks that the old standards are still an accepted way of dealing with their finances.

Of course cross border cooperation has and will always have a significant impact on expatriates and we have already seen that in Spain the authorities have taken matters into their own hands by introducing Modelo 720. Those who think that by not disclosing or by giving up their Spanish residency will resolve a problem are seriously misguided. Disclosure will be the norm. There is some positive news however. Whilst cross border tax planning can be extremely complex Fiduciary Wealth has the expertise and experience to be able to offer clients access to legitimate tax mitigation strategies that can not only lower taxes but also have a positive benefit when it comes to succession planning. For a personal consultation with a specialist adviser in your area or to attend a local tax and wealth clinic either telephone 956796911 or email enquiries@fiduciarywealth.eu YOU NEED TO TALK TO US URGENTLY!

DISAPPOINTED THAT UNDISCLOSED FINANCIAL ASSETS WILL NOW BE AUTOMATICALLY REPORTED UNDER “FATCA” BY JUNE 2014? Can you afford not to go first class? Leading provider of tax led wealth management advice to UK Expatriates. Part of the Fiduciary Group and affiliated to Gibraltar’s oldest legal practice Isolas 1892.

RESERVE YOUR PLACE AT OUR TAX & WEALTH CLINICS Tel: 956 796 911 - enquiries@fiduciarywealth.eu or click on the “EVENTS” tab at www.fiduciarywealth.eu

19th May

20th May

21st May

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0034 663 028 392

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Market mumbles

May 14 - May 28 2014

The Insurance Doctor

with Mark Rickard

A weaker euro...to boost the Spanish economy!

S sun-starved Brits look towards their annual holidays, and others hunt their dream ‘place in the sun’, the euro-sterling exchange rate will be welcomed on the Spanish costas. As I write this article, it’s market day in Centro Plaza outside the HiFX office in Marbella. With the office doors wide open the various linguistic chitter chatter is becoming ever more Anglo Saxon week by week. That’s the best evidence for me! Oh, apart from the Union Jack hankies on heads with matching socks in open-toed sandals. A great look. Yes, the Brits are coming back and this is a fact backed up by tourist figures and sales of houses in the country with 15% of current buyers British. Meanwhile the European Central Bank left the door open for more quantitative easing in June (as I discussed last week) while the president of the ECB, Mario Draghi, is still

concerned at the low inflation rate. Last week sterling remained the market’s currency of choice, reaching 1.22.5, and threatening to accelerate further, even for the GBP/USD was tipping towards 1.70.

This Week: From the UK

lWednesday 9.30am Claimant count change previous -30.4k lWednesday 9.30am Unemployment rate previous 6.9% lWednesday BoE Quarterly Inflation Report

From Europe

lWednesday 10am Industrial production previous 0.2% m/m lThursday 10am CPI previous 0.7% y/y lThursday 10am Q1 GDP previous 0.2%

From the US

lThursday 1.30pm Retail sales previous 1.1% lThursday 1.30pm CPI previous 0.2% m/m lThursday 1.30pm Empire State Manufacturing Index previous 1.3 lThursday 3pm Philly Fed Manufacturing Index previous 16.6 lFriday 1.30pm Housing starts previous 0.95m lFriday 2.55pm University of Michigan consumer sentiment previous 84.1

NSURING your overseas home can seem more complicated than insuring your main property. And each country has its own different laws, regulations and practices in place, as well as differences in what insurance policies cover. In addition, there can be language problems in understanding a complex insurance document written in a foreign language. And should the worse happen; l Are you confident that you would be able to navigate your way through the process of making a claim? l What about coordinating with the professional sent to inspect your property or dealing with the local trades people required to repair any damage? l Can you be sure that the policy you have bought would stand up to the test and cover your loss? l Expert advice and guidance at a time of crisis is critical. Would you prefer to receive guidance from a personal contact you have met, or have spoken to in your native language? You should really buy via an independent broker because they will search the market on your behalf for the best value

Home and dry Danni Worth gives his top five tips for finding good holiday home property insurance

in terms of cost, scope of cover and levels of service. They will also represent you at all times, and be by your side when it comes to processing a claim. It’s easy and straightforward, and one insurance broker can handle all of your insurance requirements. And to help you in your task here are five key things to take on board: l A policy often cannot be cancelled until renewal and requires two months’ prior notice. l Most local policies include security warranties for homes – in itself, not a problem so long as you are aware of this.

l There may be limited liability limits – which may not be sufficient to meet your liability in the event of someone suffering an accident on your property. l Cover outside of the home is normally very limited on local policies. l Local policies normally exclude accidental damage. Making sure you have the right insurance in place will mean you can spend more time enjoying your home, secure in the knowledge that you will be protected if something should go wrong.

Op de Beeck & Worth - Insurance Brokers

Contact HiFX to help you with your international transactions, call in at Centro Plaza, call 951 203 986 or email olivepress@hifx.co.uk

C. C. Guadalmina IV - Locales 97-98, 29670, San Pedro Alcantara (Málaga) - Tel +34 952 88 22 73/Fax +34 952 88 42 26 olivepress@opdebeeck-worth.com

www.opdebeeck-worth.com

AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

Police protocols

OST people are aware that a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) is an arrest warrant valid throughout all member states of the European Union. Once issued, it requires another member state to arrest and transfer a criminal suspect or sentenced person to the issuing state so that the person can be put on trial or complete a detention period. Spain, being part of the EU, is no exception when applying foreign EAWs in all its territory. But there are other types of warrants that are largely unknown and yet are used by Spanish Police Forces regularly. This is the list they use, with the associated code: Code 1 - Ascertainment of domicile and whereabouts: applied when a person is being sought after to notify them, officially, of impending legal action. This warrant can mature and become an arrest warrant. Code 2 - Search, arrest and attendance: applied when a person has allegedly committed a serious offence or

What crisis?...Ibex has me covered a defendant has not turned up when requested to do so, either by the police or the courts. It is commonly known as an ‘arrest warrant’. Code 3 - Search, arrest and imprisonment: applied when a person has been convicted but later absconds. Code 4 - Prohibition to leave the country: applied to persons that are subject to legal action or minors, where there is risk of parental child abduction. Code 5 - Prohibition to enter the country: applied to nonEU citizens that have an entry ban. Code 6 - Protection of a person: applied to people under 18 years of age or incapables.

• • • • • •

Code 7 - Specific surveillance: applied to people that have a residence ban in a specific area, or are being investigated, and it includes verifying the origin, destination, itinerary, belongings, habitual domicile and identity documentation. Code 8 - Discreet surveillance: without attracting attention, as much evidence as possible is gathered on the suspect (as above). Code 9 - Search and arrest for extradition: commonly carried out in cooperation with the Interpol. The arrested person is taken to court, to be examined before being extradited.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

Underwritten at Lloyd’s of London Be covered in the event of fire, theft or flood Optional accidental damage cover for contents All risk cover for specified items Optional cover for valuables outside the home Pay in three instalments Call into one of our local offices or call us on:

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

May 14 - May 28 2014

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

GOLF In the swing of it

May 14 - May 28 2014

Stung into action

Pablo Larrazabal makes a beeline for the water hazard RELIEF: Not the best time for a swim

From tee to green

In a new monthly column golf lynchpin Bob Gaston, of Gaston Golf Tours will be looking for your stories

SPANISH golfer Pablo Larrazabal was forced to jump into a lake to escape a swarm of angry hornets during the recent Malaysian Open. The golfer, who won the Abu Dhabi Championship in January, was stung

Please tell me all

ET me introduce myself…I have been organizing golf tours around Spain and Portugal for the last few decades. From our office in Duquesa, we can organize that you or a group of friends play any course – with discounted prices – at any time of the year. As well as this, we can book your accommodation, rental from the airport, or if you fancy a cars… and now can even come few beers after your round. and pick you up in our minibus Over the coming months, I will

Golf gag This poor chap was having a terrible round with his pro and asked if there was anything he could do. The pro replied: “Well it might help to cut your shafts down three inches”. “And how would that help my game?” “It won’t but it would be easier to get them in the dustbin.” Drop me a line at info@gastongolf.com or call us at 952936803

Tip for the top I had lunch with Rory Leader of Estepona Golf the other day and was really impressed with the work he has done over the last six months. He and his team have done some fantastic work and the course is in super condition. It’s very well worth a visit.

be reporting on local news (please send me your snippets) whether it’s on a charity event, a golf society or a special game or outing. Maybe, you run a course and would like to bring attention to a tournament, or maybe you are an individual with a funny story. Whatever, I would like to hear from you.

around 20 times while on the fifth hole. “They were huge and about 30 or 40 of them started to attack me big-time,” said Larrazabal, from Barcelona.

Attack

“I didn’t know what to do. My caddie told me to run, so I start running like a crazy guy. “But the hornets were still there, so the other players told me to jump in the lake. “I ran to the lake, threw my scorecard

down, took off my shoes and jumped in the water.” The 30-year-old was forced to throw away his shirt and hat following the attack, as well as the towel he had been attempting to fend off the hornets with. “It was the scariest moment of my career, for sure. I’ve never been so scared.” The Spaniard finished the tournament in eighth place with a score of nine under par. Lee Westwood won with a score of 18 under par.

Andy aims for Top 50 ESTEPONA bar owner Andy Fergusson is taking part in one of the biggest amateur golf tournaments in the world. The owner of Fergusson’s bar is repre-

senting his town in the Causeway Coast competition from June 2, alongside 900 golfers from around the world. “It’s the largest amateur golf tournament

Making the greens green A PROJECT to bring recycled water to eight Marbella golf courses is nearing completion after the installation of a new 15km pipeline. The five-year expansion project at the Vibora water treatment plant – funded by owners Acosol – will extend as far as Arroyo de Miel. It will also service local parks and public spaces, with recycled water being used to tend to the shrubs and greenery. After several delays the cost of the project has reached €13.5 million, but Marbella Town Hall has now approved the new pipeline.

Tiger’s slow recovery

WORLD number one Tiger Woods missed the Masters in April for the first time due to injury. Woods, 38, has not played since the WGCCadillac Championship in March, as his recovery from a back injury is proving a ‘very slow process’. He may miss the US Open in June and possibly the Open at Royal Liverpool, which tees off on July 17. “Some people heal up in three months, some people take four, some people take longer,” he said. “As for my return to golf, I really don’t know. I’m doing everything I can and listening to my doctors.” Woods also admitted he is likely to need a captain’s pick f o r this September’s R y d e r Cup at Gleneagles, Scotland.

in Europe” he told the Olive Press, “and you get to play four of Northern Ireland’s great courses - Royal Portrush, Castlerock, Ballyliffin and Ballycastle. “There are some great prizes. One winner got a week at The Masters in the US, “ said Andy, who came 51st last year. “Hopefully I can improve on last year” It’s not just about the golf, however: “You’ve got 900 golfers in one place, so the social aspect is pretty good too!” he laughed.

C E ................ ................ ................. ................. 38

n Buen

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

Government rebate drives car sales

MORE Spaniards are buying new cars this year, according to manufacturers’ association Anfac. Data shows that sales of new cars in Spain rose by 28.7% last month, compared to April 2013. This is the eighth straight month of increased sales, taking the total cars sold in April to 80,174. Sales have been boosted by a government subsidy scheme, giving buyers of new cars a rebate for trading in their old vehicles. In total, the first four months of 2014 saw a rise of 16.2%, compared to the same period last year.

HAZARD WARNING: A recent report highlights the unfit state of many Spanish roads

35 www.theolivepress.es

amino

May 14 - May 28 2014

Road rage Call for immediate action on Spain’s unsafe roads

BUDGET cuts have left Spanish report by the Spanish Road Associa- mediate investment of €6.2 billion is needed to restore the roads to a safe roads in the worst state of disrepair tion (AEC). since records began according to a The shocking report claims an im- condition. Analysis of more than 3,000 sections of road found 330,000 signs in need of replaceJAPANESE car manufacturer Nissan has €431 million Spanish operations investment. ment, 51,000km started production of new zero-emissions Nissan chief planning officer Andy Palmer of road markings electric vehicles (EVs) at its Barcelona plant. said: “This is a great day for the company, in need of repaintThe e-NV200 vehicle – available as a light starting production of its second electric veing and many road commercial van, passenger vehicle or taxi – hicle, and at a time when EVs are now recogwill be shipped to countries across the globe. nised as mainstream technology.” surfaces in a state Barcelona will also become the first city in the Nissan will initially export the e-NV200 to NISSAN: Barcelona is a leading of disrepair. world to have electric taxis. about 20 international markets, but plans to light in the world of electric Alongside these This follows Nissan’s €100 million investment expand on this to support its growing electric vehicles disturbing findin the Barcelona plant, part of the company’s vehicle strategy in the future. ings, the report also states that Advertorial 82% of Spain’s road lighting needs to be reviewed.

Leading the charge in Barcelona

SEPA means safe and efficient payments in Spain What is SEPA? The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) is making euro payments faster, safer and more efficient within the 34 EU countries. It enables customers to make cashless euro payments to anyone within the EU. What are the ways to pay using SEPA? 1. SEPA credit transfer A single way to transfer funds nationally or anywhere within the EU.

2. SEPA direct debit Now charges can be made directly to an account in one EU country for services provided by a company based in another country. 3. SEPA for cards Customers can conveniently use the same cards they use for national purchases, anywhere in Europe. Merchants will accept all cards, making payment processes easier and more attractive.

SEPA standards required for full introduction 1.IBAN IBAN is the International Bank Account Number that identifies your account anywhere in the world. With a maximum of 34 digits it includes the following in order: l2 digits country code l2 digits check digit l30 digits (max) account identification specific to each country UK IBAN example: GB19 LOYD 3096 1700 7099 43 2.BIC BIC (Bank Identifier Code) numbers will be phased out for cross-border payments by February 2016.

Call now for more information on 902 123 104 tion phase. lFebruary 2014: Credit transfers and direct debits in the EU should be carried out in accordance with the standards mentioned above. A six month transition period is being introduced. lFebruary 2016: For niche products with specific characteristics a longer transition phase is made for in some countries. l31 October 2016: EU member states with non-euro currencies must adhere to standards set for credit transfers and direct debits in euros, by this end date.

SEPA indicators. Key facts at a glance. SEPA credit transfers as a % of total EU 3.PAYMENT CARDS All payment cards will be mi- transactions is 93.9%* grated from magnetic strip to SEPA direct debit as a % of total transacEMV chip. There is currently tions is 80.3%* EMV transactions as a % of total transacno date for completion. Timeline for the SEPA pro- tions is 79.6%** cess The process began in 1999 *February 2014-03-21 and is now in the final migra- **June 2013 More information on Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

Debacle

Presenting the report, the president of Spain’s AEC, Juan Francisco Lazcano said: “Spanish roads are facing unprecedented deterioration and only a sudden change of tack in the 2015 budget can prevent a debacle.” The AEC blames the falling safety standards of Spain’s roads on national austerity measures and false economy cuts. “€1 not invested in time means €5 needs to be spent in three years, and €25 after five years,” said Lazcano.

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 201439 39

Belinda Beckett, Mistress of Sizzle, reports from GBC TV’s Rock Chef semi-finals.

Foodie fun … in small portions

I FINALISTS: Things got heated in the kitchen

Having a fine time!

T WAS one of those beautiful spring mornings up at the Casita. You know, the ones where you are supposed to ‘count your blessings’ as it says on the covers of all those unread self help books that I have in an ever increasing stack in the corner of the library. The lake was looking beautiful, for once the cats weren’t casually dismembering some unfortunate rodent in the living room and the first cafe solo of the day was going down beautifully. In short, life was good, and it got even better when I nipped up to the village to get a

I wanna sex you up... I KNOW that Marbella has a reputation for being a little, ahem, risque, as a quick tour of the second line of Puerto Banus at throwing out time will confirm. But even I thought that the addition of what appears to be fishnet stockings on the remaining Marbella Arch is taking things a bit far, as my photography shows. The town hall claims that this is fact, netting to stop large chunks of concrete crashing onto the road below. But it strikes me as an undercover attempt to sex up the town. I shudder to think what they are planning to put over the Copper Tower!

WAS expecting to sample some pretty fine cooking at the televised semi-finals of Rock Chef but I’d have done better to eat my own words. I won’t blame the Arrogant Frog. That’s not the producer by the way (Jordan Lopez of GibMedia Production Studios is Gibraltarian) but the intriguingly-named French wine I was raising to my lips when a microphone got there first. The Mistress of Sizzle never gets sozzled on duty! “Say something,” somebody whispered. So I did. Straight to Candid Camera, sacré cordon bleu! I wanted to say the dessert was so good I wished there’d been more of it. But one’s semantics get a bit fran-

tic when a microphone’s in your face. Instead I heard myself wishing for a large portion…and a few other things I hope that, when all’s said and done that can’t be undone, will never be broadcast on public TV … Oliver Twist could not have rued his request for more gruel as much as I regretted my ‘out take’. Thank goodness for the cutting room floor although, alas, that’s not my decision. I won’t know until 9pm on May 28 whether my ill-chosen words feature in the 6th and penultimate episode of Rock Chef on GBC TV. I should be thankful Gibraltar only has 30,000

potential viewers and maybe they won’t all watch it. As a Masterchef fan, I was excited about taking part in the filming as a judge, along with 79 other members of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses. A £35 ticket bought a three-course meal with wine – a brilliant way of recouping some of the five-figure cost of making the show.

Cussing

few bits and pieces. Istan was holding its annual food fair with a range of homemade breads, chorizos, vinos dulces, ecologically grown vegetables and spices. The village’s tiny main street was heaving and smelt delicious. Needless to say, as a highly trained journalist specialising in ‘lifestyle’, I didn’t need a second invitation.

Heated

Several hours later I waddled back to the car to find one of the four village policemen about to

HARSH REALITY: A parking ticket

slap a traffic fine on my car. A rather heated exchange followed with me eloquently arguing that the whole socio-economic-touristic impact of the food fair would be somewhat negated if he fined me. The policeman pondered this for a second, put his hand on his truncheon and called for backup on the radio. As the advert for a certain credit card used to go Local honey €4 Pan casero de Istan €2 Herbas de Istan €2 Multa de Trafico de Istan €50 Getting the police to get on the radio and his baton out when I dispute the fine ....Priceless. Next time I’m sticking to Mercadona.

For the contestants – all amateurs with different day jobs – it was a baptism of fire, smoke and wonky gas rings to get this far. A sneak peek into the kitchens revealed three chefs cussing over 80 plates of clams. Lucky no one was recording there … For the diners there was the added spice of critiquing dishes on TV – made more interesting by the choice of location: the Wessex Lounge at the airport terminal, usually spookily-deserted as it doesn’t get much air traffic, no thanks to Spain. We were a ‘liquorish’ (sic) allsorts at Table 5, drawn from the worlds of insurance, finance, gaming, interior design, bridal retail, media and charity wig-making. What most of us knew about haute cuisine (in the Michelin Inspector sense) could probably be written on the top of an Arrogant Frog wine cork but we all held loud opinions … the Michel Roux Juniors among us who were complimentary, and the wasptongued Monica Galettis who were not. But we were all Gregg Wallaceish about one thing: a night out at a reality cooking show doesn’t get better than this! That goes for the pudding too - a small but perfectly-formed portion of raspberries and white chocolate mousse that was just too small to satisfy a gal of my hearty appetite. But, in cookery as in life, size doesn’t matter; it’s the quality that counts. I just wanted to make that clear, in case you do see me on TV. I discriminate against no man (or chef) because his postre is petite!

40 the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014 40

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Reviving the dead SOME 8,000 people descended on the tiny town of Sayalonga on Sunday to celebrate the Day of the Nispero, a small,

sweet orange fruit adored in southern Spain. But how many of them knew that in

Seaside... Sala style IT’S one of the best known restaurants in Marbella and a ‘must do’ for every visiting celebrity or Premiership star. Now the La Sala group have opened their exciting new seafront Thai restaurant and beach club, La Sala by the Sea (formally Sala Beach). Open day and night from May 23, La Sala by the Sea aims to offer diners La Sala’s signature dishes fused with a Thai twist. This includes Prawns Pil Pil with Chilli, Chateaubriand and Sala BBQ Ribs, alongside an array of Thai specialities.

Mexico the fruits are associated with remembering loved ones? Hundreds of jars of tangy nispero marmalade were given away to lucky punters, as well as more than 2,000 kilos of the fruit itself. Sayalonga grows 500 tons of the fruit every year, making it one of Spain’s biggest nispero-producing towns. The fruits are incredibly popular in Spain, but how much do you know about the tasty nispero? Here the Olive Press gives five interesting facts about the fruit:

By evening the restaurant will transform into a Thai haven offering customers an alternative, elegant, al fresco experience with the very best selection of cocktails. Executive Chef, Ramon Benitez Ramirez, who has worked at both La Sala and El Rincon de la Sala, and Sala Group Operations Director, Miguel Estevez, will be overseeing the group’s latest venture. Ramirez explained: “We are incredibly excited to be opening La Sala by the Sea and looking forward to providing a unique dining experience in what is one of Marbella’s most beautiful locations.”

lNisperos are an Asian fruit, known in English as Japanese loquats lThey were introduced to Spain 2,000 years ago by sailors arriving in Valencia lThe trees began to be cultivated in Spain in the 19th century lThe fruit is in season during the months of April, May and June lIn Mexico, they are associated with the Day of the Dead, when they are commonly placed on altars as offerings

Do you remember KONTIKI on the El Chorro lakes? On the shore of green lake Guadalhorce. Good news is open again. You can enjoy beautiful views over a best chicken curry and sip cold Cobra beer. Open from Thursday till Sunday. Directon: From restaurant Kiosko on the El Chorro lakes 2.5 km towards Valle de Abdalajis - Antequera. Tel: 679742761

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Pointless? “WHEN I started in 1978 the greatest wine of Spain, Vega Sicilia, wasn’t even imported into the United States. There were no wine-by-the-glass programmes and sommeliers looked like members of some sex club wearing kinky leather aprons with a lot of chains.” So said US wine mogul Robert ‘Million Dollar Nose’ Parker in a recent speech at a professional wine writers conference in California. The world’s most powerful wine

US wine critic Robert Parker’s 100-point score system still dictates what we drink in Spain... despite the fact he never tries the wines and that his representatives in Spain were involved in a big corruption scandal. This all needs to change, writes AJ Linn critic went on to call wine bloggers ‘false prophets of doom’, and the low-alcohol movement, ‘essentially a phony anti-California, anti-New World, movement by Eurocentric, self-

Local issue 35:The Local Issue 5 7/7/12 4:53 PM Page 88

DISGRACED: Pancho Campo and Jay Miller

proclaimed purists’. It was bold, gutsy, out-theresort-of-stuff, and, whether you like him or not, no one could accuse him of not speaking his mind. Robert Parker Jr, born in Baltimore in 1947, was a smalltown lawyer with a taste for fine wine when in 1979 he launched The Wine Advocate magazine largely as a hobby. But while quirky, colourful and off-beat, his magazine had one major new innovation: a points scoring method of classifying wines. He maintained that the US wine-buying public was confused by the vast array of wines on sale and he dutifully offered to give the wines he tried a score from 50 to 100. American wine drinkers signed up to Parker’s criteria, while producers began taking notice. And today, Parker is credited with bringing about an improvement in the quality of wine

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worldwide; although some suggest this would have happened regardless as techniques developed. Parker has a phenomenal capacity to remember each one of the 10,000 plus wines he has tasted. He claims to be able to absorb in five seconds everything he needs to know about a particular wine. But he plainly has his off-days as he was unable to identify correctly any of the wines at a tasting of 2005 Bordeaux he had previously referred to as his favourite vintage, and he once gave an alarming 90 points to a downmarket Spanish cooking wine. Having set out on the path of self-determination, he was unwavering from the outset about not being influenced by financial considerations. And, most importantly, he insisted he could never be bought or bribed. This meant not accepting invitations to restaurants, refusing to be lobbied by bodegas and insisting on paying his own travel costs. . But the problem was that his scoring system had an immediate and profound effect. A Parker score of 95+ has been calculated as worth between €7 and 8 million to the winery. A little-known chateau (Ch Quinault) from St.Emilion, in France, that previously struggled to sell its wine at €10 a bottle, sold out after being awarded 92 points. A wine scored at 99/100 points by Parker is made for life and even for the hereafter. It was hardly surprising then that he claims to have received death threats and has even had to turn down opportunities to share a bed with the daughter of a winery owner. It was also hardly surprising that as Parker liked big heavy, over-oaked Bordeaux-style wines, the world and his wife started to try to emulate this style, at the detriment to other styles and blends. It has led to a situation where other critics and many winemakers insist that there is a real danger that centuries-old winemaking practices could be overturned for short-term financial gain. When anyone refers to the ‘Parkerisation’ of wine, this is what they mean. But, more recently there have been other problems, one of these close to home right here in Spain and, indeed, right here in Marbella. It came as Parker’s workload expanded and he started delegating to selected collaborators, usually friends, who he would send out around the world with no instructions other than to taste as many wines as possible. It was a risky move as he had

WORLD CHANGER: Parker and his ‘million dollar nose’ to trust these delegates tastes from Parker’s organisation and implicitly. But more important- Campo to hand back his Masly, he also had to hope that they ter of Wine title. could not be corrupted. Campo insisted that he had It was the so-called ‘Campo- done no wrong. gate’ scandal in Spain that He argued, perhaps convincnearly put paid to that. ingly, that he and Miller were Allegations started to circulate offering private tasting classin 2011 that Chilean-born Mar- es, not judging wines. But this bella-resident Pancho Campo did not stop Parker’s lawyers - Spain’s first adamantly inMaster of Wine sisting that he - was offering sever all links Maybe go back to take Parkwith Campo. to when we just er’s appointed In an even described the wine Spanish taster more damnas a ‘plummy with a Jay Miller to ing edict he hint of leaves’ etc. bodegas in ordered that return for payall Spanish ment. wine scores Offering to ‘defrom his tenliver’ him for a set fee for a visit ure should be ignored. to the bodega, his organisation Since then Parker’s men in the Wine Academy, based in Spain haven’t exactly been a Marbella, offered to officially success either. taste wines for over €100 a The successor to Miller, Neil bottle. Martin, appeared to prefer It led to all sorts of unknown classic Riojas to the fruity dark bodegas getting their wines wines preferred by Parker and categorised and the resulting Miller. outcry caused Miller to resign He certainly surprised the wine world by giving 98 points to a Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva 1973 amid suggesCHEERS: Many tions that he did not know winemakers what he was doing. insist that there It may not have helped that after a Rioja tasting in Lonis a real danger don some years previously, that centuriesMartin had written, ‘I have old winemaking never been able to underpractices could stand Spanish wines’. be overturned His current incumbent is for short-term faring better. Luis Gutierrez, a highly respected financial gain. wine critic, has free reign to taste what he wants without any guidance from The Nose. But, bearing in mind that Parker no longer visits Spain - and half his delegates have been a disaster - it is irritating to be continually presented with wines that have just been awarded x number of points, supposedly by Parker. But shouldn’t they really be Gutierrez points? Having denied for years he would ever sell out, Parker sold a majority stake in the Wine Advocate to Singapore’s largest wine distributor, Soo Hoo, for US$15m two years ago. The first act of the new owners was to sign a deal with a French businessman to market a range of top clarets selected by Parker. As one ex-Parker fan wrote recently “Within a short time the Asians will be doing whatever they like with Parker’s name.” In my view, it is time to scrap the points system and find something new... Maybe even go back to the good old days when we just described the wine as a ‘plummy with a hint of leaves’ etc, etc… or ‘hell this is a mighty fine claret’.

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My top ten Spanish wine bargains under 20 euros

wine. Here, the Cuban wine specialist (above), who previously worked at the celebrated Castilla bodega Pesquera, gives the MY TOP TEN SPANISH Olive Press his favourite CHESTNUTS FOR UNDER 20 EUROS wines for under € 20 from around Spain. 1 Emilio Valerio 2011. Laderas de Montejurra. “Each of these comes in D.O Navarra over 90, according to Spain’s 2 Breca 2010. Bodegas Breca. D.O Calatayud Penin guide and America’s 3 Les Crestes 2011. Celler Mas Doix. D.O.Ca Priorat Robert Parker and each 4 Pétalos del Bierzo 2011. Descendientes de J of them are relatively unknown,” he explains. Palacios. D.O Bierzo “This is a splendid mix from 5 Parada de Atauta 2010. Dominio de Atauta. around the whole of Spain,” D.O Ribera del Duero The new shop and restaurant, 6 Pruno 2011. Finca Villacreces. D.O Ribera del in Marbella, counts on 3,500 Duero different bottles of wine from 7 Altino 2009. Bodegas Obalo. DOC.a Rioja around the world. 8 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Labastida One of the best stocked 2010. D.O.Ca Rioja shops in Spain, you can enjoy 9 Tarima Hill 2010. Bodegas Volver. D.O Alicante over 32 wines by the glass and buy – often - up to 20 dif10 Juan Gil Monastrell 12 Meses 2010. ferent vintages for the same D.O Jumilla wine.

IN a new special section, sommelier Julio Cesar Garcia Valdes of wine shop D Wine offers a series of Top Tens from around the world of

Hotelier and Hoteli-HER

OR years now we have asked for feedback from our visitors in both the hotel and restaurant – it is helpful to know what the customer thinks when we are planning changes. Incredibly over 90% of our hotel guests fill in a question-

‘We would have liked a sea view’

naire and we do read them all very carefully. The vast majority of the com-

ments are very complimentary but it is irritating to read things like: ‘We would have liked an exNO SNIFF tra pillow’ or OF THE SEA: ‘the bed side has Molino del light Santo not worked since we arrived’. We try to check but it is always best to tell staff immediately if you have a problem. You do get strange comments too. One guest who drove for an hour from San Pedro before dropping into our valley surrounded by peaks, wrote: ‘We were happy with everything alI LOVE my job. Despite the long hours, What instantly puts energy back into my though we the continual ‘to do lists’ and last min- step is reading through the customer would have ute panics. comments. Yes, believe it or not, they of- liked a sea view.’ Sometimes at the end of a long day, I ten put a smile on my face. need something – apart from a glass of Here’s some of the best over the last Being over 30km from wine – to keep my spirits up. month. the coast in a straight line, lChristian Venderby : Andalucía has many great places but they often we have to lack atmosphere - but this place has it all. accept that lBrian Richards : A great place to celebrate my birthday – we were you can’t bowled over by the food. lMaddie Meikle age 8: All the waiters were lovely to me and I hope I please everycome here again soon. one all the lDarren Baker : Can I live here? time.

Please put a smile on our faces!

“

Hotel - Bar - Restaurante. Bda Estacion s/n, 29370 Benaojan, Malaga. 952 16 71 51 - 952 16 79 27 . info@molinodelsanto.com

FREE GIFTS, SPECIAL DEALS....... YOU ARE NEEDED URGENTLY... the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

A watermill hotel and restaurant near Ronda is absolutely desperate for you to visit as soon as possible.

he reason? You really must experience for yourself the delights of a hidden gem tucked away by a mountain stream just 10 minutes from Ronda. You will ﬁnd yourself joining hundreds of others who so wish they had discovered Molino del Santo sooner. You might fall in love with the location –a stunning situation in the countryside. .

Willow-shaded Terraces at Hotel Molino del Santo

Maybe it will be the food that will be amaze you – “You’d struggle to find food like this at any price on the Coast” said one happy diner. Perhaps it will be the local train that will make this place special for you. Just three trains each way stop at a magical little station 300metres from the hotel. The journey from San Roque is spectacular. It might be the staff who will delight you – many of them have been working at the same place for over 20 years and their desire to ensure you have a great time is evident at all times. You might be enchanted by the rooms – all different but all designed for your comfort and relaxation. Everyone has a favourite – which will be yours? You may find it is the heated pool, the mature and well-tended gardens or the relaxed but professional atmosphere which is most important for you. But you must find out. Check out the website today to see the menús along with lots more information. Just go to www.molinodelsanto.com.

Or contact reception to book a table or a room. Call 952 16 71 51. Although this is inland Spain, you can talk in English if you prefer. Do call soon though – there are dates in October when the hotel is already full.

And 3 more things ❖ Mention the Olive Press for a free gift when you arrive at Molino del Santo ❖ Mention the Olive Press for a special room rate ❖ There is a 100% money back guarantee if you are not delighted with any aspect of your visit. So there really is no down side. You can’t lose. What are you waiting for? When you need to be kind to you or someone you care about, head to Molino del Santo in the hills. You’ll be so pleased you did. Call 952 16 71 51 or e-mail info@ molinodelsanto.com . Do it today. SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTERS TO RECEIVE SPECIAL DISCOUNTS www. molinodelsanto.com

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MOLINO DEL SANTO’S DOG REFLECTS ON “HUMOUR” by Eddie Dogg I’m concerned about my master, it’s the sense of humour that is most worrying. As you know, being the dog in a busy hotel is not a lot of fun but I do get a walk at least once a day - and if it’s with a stick to chase, so much the better. Apparently it’s clever to throw a stick in difficult places for me to find - and then, if I can’t locate it, he thinks it’s hilarious to tell me; “Be more careful Eddie, sticks don’t grow on trees.” Slightly amusing first time...

Follow Eddie’s regular thoughts on our Facebook page – Hotel Molino del Santo

www.molinodelsanto.com | info@molinodelsanto.com | 952 16 71 51

the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

FOOD & DRINKwww.theolivepress.es with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

Bargain Munchers ALMOST a quarter of Spanish diners are skipping dessert and coffee when eating out. It is not calories on their mind though, but saving cash as a further 35% are opting for cheaper restaurants, according to marketing consultants Nielsen.

Another 40% admitted to sticking to the menu of the day, where they may have eaten a la carte in the past. An overwhelming 90% claimed to be ‘hypersensitive’ regarding the price of their meal out.

Culinary capital MALAGA province is celebrating the best food, wine and beer Andalucia has to offer with a 10-day festival of outdoor events in Antequera, Marbella, Nerja and Ronda. The Malaga Food and Wine Festival is set to attract thou-

Malaga hopes its Food and Wine Festival will increase its claims to being Andalucia’s food hotspot sands of visitors to sample the best of Mediterranean cuisine, learn from top chefs and test

Luna ready for the sun

THE Costa del Sol’s biggest hotel has opened its popular Luna Beach Club bar/restaurant in time for the summer heat. The much anticipated hang-out, part of the Sunset Beach Club, launched with a busy lunchtime service, treating beach-goers to a range of dishes. Luna Beach is nestled in a quiet corner of the beach with plenty of sunbeds while expansive decking and sails provide the ‘perfect outdoor shaded area’. The club boasts a separate bar and lounge area, where mojitos are abun-

ing their skills in adult and child workshops between May 23 and June 1. But the main course arrives on the final weekend, beginning May 30, at Malaga’s Palacio de Ferias y Congresos. Michelinstarred chefs, including Marbella’s Dani Garcia, will be giving demonstrations in the first event of its kind, aiming to establish Malaga as the culinary capidant. While lunchtime is dominated by tal of southern their bestseller, the ‘Luna Big Burger’. Spain. “We have earned a loyal clientele loTickets for this cally, as well as a steady stream of event cost € 10 tourists, many of whom have in turn and include a become regulars,” said spokeswoman free drink and Debbie Wallace. tapa.

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the olive press - May 14 - May 28 2014

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Gas quakes

FINAL WORDS

A SPANISH gas storage plant was responsible for more than 450 ‘microquakes’ off the Mediterranean coast in September 2013, according to the national geographic institute. The strongest quake to hit the Valencia area measured 4.2 on the Richter scale.

Hunting blow THE Andalucia Hunting Federation has slammed the proposal to have the Sierra de las Nieves declared a national park. It said the change would be a ‘very hard blow’ to the sport of hunting in Malaga province.

Hep C probe AN investigation into three cases of Hepatitis C at Malaga’s Carlos Haya hospital has shown they are not linked to blood transfusions, but is still ongoing. The family of one patient, who died from Hepatitis in February, are taking legal action against the Andalucian Health Service.

Covering Andalucia in 2014 with over 200,000 papers EE (130,000 digital) and around 300,000 visits to the R F website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

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Telephone: 951127006 May 14 - May 28 2014

Too hot for a feria

JUST two weeks after sombre Semana Santa the streets of Sevilla explode with music, dancing and colour. Sevilla’s week-long feria sees daily bullfights, parades of horses and carriages, and some serious eating, drinking and socialising. But going against tradition, Sevilla’s fabled Feria de Abril (April Fair) had to be held in May this year due to the late Easter. Sevilla-based photographer Manny Rocca (who took the picture right) told the Olive Press: “This year’s feria is the latest in May that it’s ever been. “It makes it very difficult because it’s so hot, and the locals don’t like it because it breaks with tradition.” But even so the feria – which dates back to 1846 - was as successful as ever, with the Calle del Infierno (Hell Street) crammed with colourfully-costumed partygoers.

More to life than marriage

A MISTER and Miss Gypsy competition hopes to give a ‘helping hand’ to one of Spain’s minorities. The competition - currently auditioning in Madrid - aims to help gypsy teenagers aspire to education, by judging contestants on their intelligence, interests and ambitions. Figures show that a majority of Spain’s 725,000 gypsies leave school at 16, and that unemployment is as high as 36% in some age groups 10% higher than the national average. One competition hopeful said: “People have started to realise now that you can’t get married so soon because you’re tying yourself down to being a housewife when you’re still a child.” Organisers hope to ‘empower’ the young people, persuading them that there is more to life than marrying young and having babies.

‘Lady’ up for grabs Colourful 11-metre yacht owned by fraudster Toni Muldoon to feature in an auction of confiscated goods

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NOTORIOUS Costa del Sol fraudster Toni Muldoon is getting his final comeuppance with the auctioning of his treasured yacht. While ‘Timeshare Toni’ languishes in a UK prison, the Spanish Inland Revenue is selling his 11-metre ‘Caribbean Lady’ as part of its confiscated goods auction. Muldoon, 67 - who was described by the Ipswich judge as ‘a thoroughly dishonest, manipulative and mean individual’ - was jailed last July for his involvement in a €6.6 million escort and debt recovery scam. His Costa del Sol-based gang conned some 14,000 people into signing up to be ‘non-sexual companions’ - each paying between £250 and £400. They persuaded a further 3,300 people to hand over between £540 and £2,000 each to be part of a scheme which claimed to write off credit agreements. Before being confiscated, the pleasure boat took tourists dolphin-spotting in Benalmadena. Now moored in Malaga, it is expected to fetch up to €40,000 at the auction next week. It is clear from the eclectic mix of lots that cash-strapped Inland Revenue is keen to auction off whatever it can for extra funds, aiming to beat last

year’s total of €300 million. A Benidorm amusement park, a jacuzzi, some 50 bras for ‘an older lady’ are also up for grabs. More modest bidders can pick up 450kg of coal, a coffee maker, some Cuban cigars or one of 1,571 bicycles. More than a million buyers have already signed up for the annual online auction of confiscated goods, to be held on May 21. CONMAN: Toni