Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 320 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Mijas Costa FREE

PROUD TO BE EXPATS

A C T TOUCH OF THE TROPICAL xarquia &

Can the eastern Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical rival Marbella and Estepona? Find out in special pull out inside

A special 16-page pullout

ropical June 2019

DRAMA: Rugged Nerja

coastline and (inset) Frigiliana

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Life in the laid-back East (of the Costa del Sol) has never seemed more appealing, writes ‘West End Boy’ Laurence Dollimore

‘

WELCOME to the most beautiful town in Spain,’ toothless local out in broken English as Jorge calls I wipe the sweat from my brow. look like a tourist, despite(OK, so I still four years in Spain.) I had just hiked up to liana which has indeedthe top of Frigibeen crowned one of the country’s most pueblos, as plaques throughpicturesque the village will tell you at every turn. A 10-minute drive up from the coast from Nerja, it’s the pearl in a string of white-washed villages glistening in the hills of the Axarquia and its nearby Granada neighbour, the Costa Tropical. Either way, this is the eastern end of the Costavery laid-back boy, take it from me a del Sol, and near Marbella, it really ‘westie’ based is a breath of fresh air. “This is our little paradise,” beams grandfather Jorge, who has lived here Turn to page 18

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After being locked up for a YEAR alongside terrorists without any charge and with no evidence against him, the Olive Press demands to let Robert Mansfield go…

AN overwhelming majority of our readers are not offended by the term ‘expat’. That’s the initial result of our online poll which asked ‘Do you find the use of the word 'expat' to describe British and foreign nationals living in Spain offensive?’ The vote came after a barrage of emails to the newsdesk complained of the Olive Press’ use of the word, requesting that it be switched out for ‘resident’ or ‘immigrant’. However a snapshot of our readers’ opinions revealed that two thirds were not bothered by the term. On our Facebook poll, there have so far been 881 votes. Out of those, 656 said ‘no’, while 223 said ‘yes’. The results were repeated on Twitter, where 68% of 80 votes said they did not find the term offensive.

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COSTA DEL SKI

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

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

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

August 15th - August 28th 2018 Vol. 12 Issue 298 www.theolivepress.es

WITH RESERVATION

Pension shocker

THE EGG TEST

Seriously ill Briton locked up with terrorists after being fingered for 1.5 TONNES of hashish found at holiday rental home

Plummet

It comes after the Rabobank in London warned that a no-deal Brexit could end in euro-sterling parity, while last week saw the pound plummet to an eight-month low. British expat Karen Watling, from as Sheffield, claims she has lost much as a third of her monthly budget. us “Over two years this has causedthe problems financially,” she told Olive Press. “Prices and commodities have also risen so it has been like a double hit.” The exchange rate was an average an 1.24 in 2014 before climbing to average 1.38 in 2015. However the year of the referendum saw the average fall to 1.22 before falling again to 1.14 in 2017. This year so far has been lower at 1.13 and it currently stands at 1.12. a Brexpats in Spain has called forofgovernment-run internet bank fering basic current accounts, debit out cards and the option to carry international and national transfers online. The group even suggests ordering in RBS - the only bank in the UK which the government has a stake

Voted

Everyone has heard of the claims that it is hot enough in Andalucia to cook an egg on the pavement... we visited Ecija, the ‘Frying pan of Spain’, to test out the theory, CRACKING JOB PAGE 6

EXCLUSIVE By Luke Madeira

BRITISH pensioners in Spain claim to have lost more than a fifth of their spending power over the last two years as a direct result of Brexit. Richard Hill, vice president of Brexpats in Spain, claims plummeting in exchange rates, taxes and a rise the cost of living have caused significant income losses. It comes as the pound sunk to a new low of just 1.10 to the euro last week, as worries of a hard Brexit magnified. The pensioner, who claims he’s the around 22% ‘worse off’ since will referendum, believes expats struggle regardless of whatever deal is reached ahead of Britain’s exit from the EU. The pensioner added: “The significant problem at this stage with Brexit is the fluctuating exchange rate. “Obviously fluctuations are normal, however the steady downward trend is seriously affecting people.”

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TRAPPED IN HELL

A BRITISH businessman - who attended Eton with David Cameron and Boris Johnson - is seriously ill in an Andalucian prison having been accused of drug smuggling. MansfieldAnthony Robert Hewitt, 51, was arrested after police swooped on his rental home during a short business trip to Gibraltar two months ago. The consultant engineer, who insists he is innocent, has yet to be charged over the 1.5 tonnes of hashish police found in the garage of the villa he rented through Airbnb. He insists he has absolutely ‘no connection’ to the drugs that were being stored at the rental in Campamento, in San Roque. The owner of the villa, the Olive Press understands, was charged for importing cocaine into Gibraltar last year. In the case, that has strange parallels to the plight of Scottish student Robbie McMiller, MansfieldHewitt was woken up and ‘dragged out of bed practically naked at gunpoint’ by police officers at 8.30pm

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Vol. 13 Issue 307 www.theolivepress.es December 19th - January 3rd 2019

BRITON’S PRISON NIGHTMARE CONTINUES

FRIENDS and family are rallying round a seriously ill British man set to spend Christmas behind

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

15%’ having collapsed following his incarceration in June. bars in Andalucia. “Robert is not well - he needs the garage of the Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, 51, sti- Campamento. rental home in walking stick and he’s not beena ll insists he known nothing about His PA, Pilar Ford, given one. He also told me he has 54, told the to a €5.5million haul of hashish Olive Press she go back into hospital. found in a San Roque Airbnb sed a raffle and has now organi- Meanwhile, friend of 20 years, raised €200 for rental property he stayed at on a him to buy books, Vicar Rebekah Cannon, based shampoo and in business trip six months ago. Chichester, has also described pens as Christmas The Chichester engineer, (pictu- “He’s locked up presents. in a hell hole and the ‘hopeless’ situation as ‘a stared right) who has severe liver is absolutely devastated lemate’. to spend disease ascites, is ‘miserable’ and Christmas there,” ‘confused’ at having to spend the works alongside said Ford who the Brit at elecLetters festive season locked up. trical company Genco Holdings Neither an appeal from his local Ltd in Gibraltar. She is exasperated that she canMP or UK press reports have hel- “He’s been stuck not reach him on the telephone ped him get bail over the offence, finement. Imaginein solitary con- and while her letters have arrived for which he has still not been cent man and keepsthat, an inno- in Spain, they are all returned to asking ‘why charged. am I here?’ We just don’t know sender without being opened. Mansfield-Hewitt, who has a what to do.” “It’s all one way, he sends us lePhD, has been in Algeciras’ Bo- Ford, who visited tters him a fortni- don’t but we can’t get in touch. I tafuegos prison - which houses ght ago, is extremely even think his family have concerned got their ETA terrorists - since June after about his health, letters through the pri1.5 tonnes of drugs were found in said his ‘liver was after doctors son,” she told the Olive Press. functioning at TM “Robert has to request permis-

Mansfield-Hewitt rorists. Notorious prison while (right) The Brit, a consultant at electrical com- CAGED: and (above right) ETA terrorist pany Genco Holdings Ltd in Gibraltar, “The doctor said he hadn’t been who regularly travels to the Rock, suf- daily for his illness.” given his medication and his liver fers from severe liver disease Ascites After spending two days in a cell, he CAPTION: 15%. His at San was functioning at just and walks with a cane. she appeared in front of a judge His PA, Pilar June Ford, 54, said call Roque court before being sent to Bota- heartbeat was almost non-existent and he was delirious.” was ‘horrified’ when she received a fuegos prison. Castro Esfrom her boss screaming at La Linea Ford is concerned he has not been re- His lawyer Jose Maria now being after he cudero believes he is police station. the ceiving the correct medication, started administered the correct medicaShe told the Olive Press: “He was at collapsed in shock as his ‘body tion, but still remains in a critical station shouting ‘please help me, help on the way to prison. down’ shut to of loads there’s condition. The nightmare began me, bring me clothes, to the He was rushed to ICU at Hospital Pundrugs in the house.’ It was horrible. of ta de Europa where his survival chanc- after police were alerted of Mostash after following a man who “I rushed there with a huge bag es were described as ‘touch and go’. nationality, take to roccan needs he which medication, pulled up outside the property and attempted to get into the garage. Police found 48 packets of hashish weighing around 33 kilos each, or MINIMARKET almost 1.5 tonnes. Freshly Baked Deli Products If found guilty he could Tel: 602 514 384 be sentenced to up to UK BASED WhatsApp: 602 559 385 six years in a Spanish Opp St Anthony’s College prison. La Cala Hills According to his lawClosed Mondays yer he is ‘fighting every day to free Robert’ and get him bail, meaning for Spanish he would likely have to CASHBACK ON residents report to police once a YOUR HOUSE month while he awaits

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Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished

SOME 14 fire bosses have been arrested for allegedly embezzling €7 million in public funds. The Policia Nacional found that the Consortium of A HOTEL is to be knocked Bomberos Cadiz took out down for not having enough mass early retirement insurclass! ance policies. Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista But when their employees de Rey must be demolished retired early, chiefs siphoned within three months, a court off the money from the payhas ruled, outs. Andalucia’s Superior Court Authorities also found discrepancies in the consorof Justice ruled that the hotium’s training courses. tel falls short of its four-star Large sums were paid to a requirement. company to provide training courses, but no evidence has Probing been found that these courses It began probing the three took place. irregularities star hotel and apartment Meanwhile, were also found in grants and block in 2011 after it was desubsidies, which cops believe nounced over planning rules were used to pay for private which set aside the plot for a trips. four star hotel only. The irregularities date back According to the PGOU town to 2008 and cops believe at plan an apartment block was least €7 million has been stonot permitted and it also len by those at the top. breached rules by being over

FRUIT growers in the Axarquia are facing a 60% reduction in water use from the La Vinuela reservoir with no solution in sight. The Junta has decided to limit its use as the reservoir is already at 22.7% capacity and could drop even lower if the dry weather keeps up.

A CRAFTY new traffic camera raked in more than €600,000 in fines from unsuspecting drivers in its first five months, new figures have revealed. The camera on Ronda’s famous Puente Nuevo (above) issued 18,000 fines to drivers going into the old town at restricted times. The town hall is €650,000 better off, after the site registered an average of 120 offences a day. Tickets are €70, reduced to €35, if offenders pay early, but the happy-snapping camera has caused widespread outrage. “Both my husband and I were fined in the same week, and we both already have official passes into the old town,” one local expat, based in Ronda, told the Olive Press.

EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

cites, who has not been getting his medication regularly, if at all, it has been 365 days of hell. Police had been alerted to the garage of the rental property in Campamento which Robert claims he never stepped foot inside - when a Moroccan man was seen trying to break in. As the Olive Press reported last year, the home was owned by a man with previous convictions for drug dealing and Mansfield had a business he worked with in Gibraltar But that seemed irrelevant when he was taken in front of a judge at San Roque court 48 hours later, who sent him to prison to await trial. He has since been denied bail three times, despite suffering serious health issues, which led him to be rushed to hospital on two occasions. His health is still ‘touch and go’, accor-

ding to a close friend and neighbour back home in the UK. And worse than that, he faces losing his home, as the rent has not been paid for months. “It’s just awful and the authorities in Spain are burying their heads in the sand,” said Cliff Ruffle, 57, who has known Mansfield for years.

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than permitted. Although the town hall and developer maintain this excess was later corrected, the judge ruled that the rectification would have taken place after the granting of the licence, so does not count. The building has 61 apartments and 46 parking spaces. The original building was granted planning permission by then mayor Enrique Bolin in 2001.

2/8/18 17:01

SMUGGLERS’ WALL

wall POLICE officers have formed a human that the along a beach in La Linea to ensure ahead. construction of a beach wall wentof Nuestra The wall, between the church wall Senora del Carmen and the perimeter hopes to of the fishing port of La Atunara,

the beach deter drug smugglers from using as a drop off zone. Civil, A combined police presence of Guardia present as local and national officers were would try fears grew that drug smugglers and disrupt the work.

make payments. “We’ll see him in court.”

Opinion Page 6

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a wall.” Hewitt continues to be held despite his deteriorating condition and a lack of evidence. One bizarre reason for the denial of bail was that investigators found a Japanese ‘Katana’ Samurai sword in the house, which they said constituted a lethal weapon. Shockingly, it wasn’t until May 27, last month, that he finally had a court hearing. However, despite attending the court in San Roque, the Olive Press was unable to get into the hearing. In a document now seen by the Olive Press, prosecutors are seeking four years and eight months of jail time and an €8 million fine. However a verdict was meant to have been delivered within 10 days, but has yet to be made. “They offered to let him go if he pleaded guilty,” added friend Ruffle, “But Robert refused, he is a man of great ethics and will fight this to the very end.” Meanwhile, friend of 20 years, vicar and RAF Padre Rebekah Cannon has also described the ‘hopeless’ situation as ‘a stalemate’. Hewitt’s PA Pillie Ford told the Olive Press: “This is now not just a joke, it has gone beyond limits. This is an innocent man… the real man in question is hiding in Gibraltar.” Robert’s lawyer, Jose Maria Castro Escudero, failed to comment in time for press. 24/11/2017 11:18

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advice slot on a well He even got himself a financial he snared unsuspectknown radio station, through which ing victims. Press investigation exHowever, a comprehensive Olive coins and gold. posed his scams that involved stamps, close pal Barry Nathan We also revealed how he and his anonymously, wined and dined up to a dozen criminals, through the food column. following our expose, He eventually fled the country the UK, where he had but we soon tracked him down to was selling coins and changed his name by deed poll and cottage. antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire English law of conning He was quickly found guilty under people and given a suspended prison sentence only due to health reasons. never “And because he promised to of the one go back to his online cons,” British victim explained. with But this is apparently not the caseusing two victims claiming he is still eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps usfrom his unpaid flat in Brighton, ing the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtrading2’. his “We are pretty sure he has broken bail conditions and will have to finally go back to prison,” said one victim. “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” he should have known His landlord last night insisted start. the from up was something I thought he was a bit “When we met to sign the contracts only for the barista to slippery, I went to pay for my coffee his bill.” tell me he had left without paying couple of months but He continued: “He paid for the first account had been frozen then just stopped. He told us his which is probdue to a money laundering investigation, him and accontacting ably true. “He then told us to stop cused us of harrassment. ill and can’t work to “Now he is claiming he is seriously

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“Rob is a lovely, lovely guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s a sensitive soul, it’s just awful what is happening.” The teacher added that Mansfield is ‘just a hair’s width’ from losing his rental home in Emsworth, Hampshire. “We have just been able to stop the repossession order, but the courts are saying if they don’t hear news shortly it will have to happen,” he said. “I’ve written so many emails to different government departments and feel like I’m banging my head against

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Pipe ban

IT was supposed to be a run-of-the mill business trip. Robert Mansfield-Hewitt had rented a room in what seemed an ordinary apartment in San Roque and was set to attend meetings in Gibraltar. What the 51-year-old engineer didn’t know was that someone was using the adjoining garage to stockpile 1.5 tonnes of hashish, worth a whopping €5.5 million. The Chichester man found out the hard way when he was cuffed in a dramatic raid on the property last June. And despite urgent appeals from family and friends - as well as his local MP in the UK - he has been locked up in Algeciras’ notorious Botafuegos prison since then. Home to ETA terrorists and murderers, Hewitt - who has a PHD and is an avid poet in his spare time - will have been held for exactly one year on June 27. For a man with severe liver disease as-

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LOCKED UP: Robert Hewitt

festive lights

How to celebrate Christmas like a Spaniard

sion for our visits, but since we can’t talk to him and none of us speak Spanish, we just don’t know what to do.” She said one friend has managed to get in touch and is planning to fly to Spain in the New Year to visit him in prison. According to his colleagues he may finally be charged this week and could face up to six years in prison if found guilty. He has been denied bail twice, with one reason being that a Japanese ‘Katana’ Samurai sword was allegedly found in the house, the Olive Press has learnt. The judge refused bail in October given the ‘quantity of drugs seized, which were located in the garage, and the presence of a Katana weapon in the living room’, stated in court documents obtai-

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Friends send festive gifts to ‘innocent’ Brit spending Christmas in solitary confinement in Algeciras prison

on June 27. Colleagues and friends told the Olive Press that Mansfield-Hewitt, who has a PhD and no criminal record, is an ‘innocent man’ and has been wrongfully imprisoned. They added that the Chichester-raised engineer is currently in a critical condition and is being held in the medical wing at Botafuegos prison in Algeciras - a dangerous jail, which notoriously terhouses a number of Basque ETA

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UN-MERRY XMAS

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

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24/11/2017 11:18

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Beheading probe POLICE in Barcelona believe that a 13-yearold girl who was beheaded in Mataro was murdered, after being left home alone with her brother, 15.

Mum basher A MAN, 25, has been arrested in Malaga after drunkenly beating his mum for refusing to give him €20 when he stumbled through the door at dawn.

British gangland killer may still try to enter Spain where ‘he has millions stashed away’ INFAMOUS killer Kenneth Noye has been banned from coming to Spain for two years following his release this month. The gangland boss - who still owns a home in Andalucia - was jailed for life in 2000 after stabbing Stephen Cameron, 21, to death and going on the run in Spain for four years. The 74-year-old is believed to have around €6m stashed away in Spain, as well as having a stunning multi-million

Cubicle perv A SPANISH man, 23, has been caught by police in Malaga, covertly filming women in public bathrooms on a mobile phone, before being arrested.

Rock on A DRUG gang has been arrested after trying to smuggle close to a tonne of cocaine into Spain, disguised with fake stones.

Costa bound? euro villa on the Costa de la Luz. It is for this reason that the UK’s Parole Board has insisted he will not be allowed to go abroad for holidays for two years and will ‘never’ be allowed to live abroad. A probation officer revealed: “Two years is pretty standard in cases as serious as this and leave to be allowed to emigrate certainly wouldn’t be granted – plus what country

Car jacker Craig CRAIG Porter has been arrested just three weeks after being convicted for his involvement in the disappearance of Latvian waitress Agnese Klavina in Marbella. The British expat, 37, was cuffed in connection with a carjacking in Estepona, in May. The Liverpudlian is accused alongside another Briton of forcing a 29-year-old and a friend to drive the pair around the Costa resort Luckily the innocent pair escaped unscathed but the car was later found burnt out. Porter is still facing a further

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

trial, alongside his pal Westley Capper, over the death of Fatima Dorada, who was run over in San Pedro in 2016. The pair were well over the limit on alcohol and cocaine when they ran her over driving at 75 km h. They were convicted of the coercion of Klavina outside the Aqua Mist nightclub at a trial last month.

would welcome a convicted killer?” Det Supt Ian Brown recently revealed he believes Noye has millions hidden in Spain. The crook behind the infamous Brink’s MAT robbery then the biggest in British history - fled to Spain to hide out. While detectives knew he had come to Spain they could not believe it when it emerged he was living in the small coastal resort of Atlanterra. Noye

Property terrorists

A PAIR of Irish terrorists have been jailed after laundering money in a trio of costa apartments. The former IRA bombers were caught investing £850,000 of black money from smuggling into the properties in Nerja, Manilva and Orihuela, in Alicante. Leonard ‘Bap’ Hardy, 57, and his wife Donna Maguire, 52 - once dubbed the ‘Angel Of Death’ - were given two-year sentences by the High Court in Madrid.

Classroom killer

FREE: Kenneth Noye worked out he could live in palatial splendour in a stunning seaside villa there for a third the price of Marbella. Locals in the nearby town of Zahara de los Atunes believed that he was merely a retired builder. He had a Spanish girlfriend and lived a low-key, relatively humble existence. According to Costa folklore however, he would occasionally take the two hour drive east to meet chums and associates at various pubs in Fuengirola. However he would always ensure to leave early in the evening before cops could trace him. According to Olive Press sources he still plans to return to the isolated Atlanterra property. “It is a stunning place and he is definitely planning to come back,” the source told the Olive Press. “When he was hiding out there he was very careful about what he did and where he went.” See Dirty Dozen on page 6

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A UK primary school has unwittingly hired a convicted child murderer from Andalucia as a teaching assistant. Iria Suarez Gonzalez, 35, was arrested after she killed 16-year-old schoolgirl Klara Garcia in 2000, stabbing her 32 times in San Fernando, Cadiz. Despite this, Suarez was able to work for 10 months at West Oxford Primary School. She was able to do this by exploiting a Spanish loophole, meaning she did not have to expose her criminal past. She was released from prison in 2006, and started working in September 2016, before being re-arrested in February 2018 following a Crimestoppers tip-off. In Spain, convictions by minors are wiped from their criminal record after 10 years, allowing Suarez to start a new life in the UK, as she had murdered her victim when she was 16.

HIRED: Child killer

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Girls on tour

GAME of Thrones star Sophie Turner was spotted partying it up with pals on her hen do in Benidorm. The English actress, 23, was joined by co-star Maisie Williams, 22, and ten of her best friends, who all flew on a private jet from Luton Airport. In a series of pics uploaded by pal Blair Noel Croce, the girls rocked multi-coloured wigs, which Turner paired with a tiny army shirt worn as a dress. Williams, who played Sophie’s onscreen sister Arya Stark in the cult Fantasy series, was pictured in a pink wig. Northampton-born Turner married US Disney star Joe Jonas, 29, in a last-minute Las Vegas wedding in May. However the pair will have an official

Monarchies collide THRIFTY Queen Letizia was snapped sporting a bargain €280 dress during a visit to meet the British royals. The Spanish queen, 47, looked stunning in the Cherubina dress, with a matching veil and black headpiece, while taking a carriage ride with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, 37. She and husband Felipe, 51, were being hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle. The King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, and wife, Queen Maxima, also attended the ‘Knights of the Garter’ event. British royals present included Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Prince William.

Time out CHAMPION boxer Anthony Joshua has been spotted partying in Marbella. The 29-year-old was pictured in popular nightclub Tibu in Puerto Banus. It came after his shock loss to Mexican fighter Andy Ruiz in New York on June 1 saw him lose all of his world titles.

Dani Garcia cooked for the Beckhams at celeb wedding of the year worth €500k THE biggest wedding of 2019 was a who’s who of Spanish football, complete with a Michelin quality menu. David Beckham, 44, and wife Victoria, 45, joined Alvaro Morata, Luka Modric and Roberto Carlos, to celebrate the nuptials of Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos, 33, in Sevilla. A host of Real stars past and present joined Ramos as he wed sweetheart TV presenter Pilar Rubio, 41 at Sevilla Cathedral. Around 500 guests then celebrated with the newlyweds at a €500,000 reception on Ramos’s nearby La Alegria farm. Rubio donned a €30,000 Zuhair Murad jewel-encrusted gown with full train, which was previously worn by model, Heidi Klum at the Cannes Film Festival. Victoria Beckham made the biggest fashion splash, pairing her own chain link print dress with fuchsia pink high heels - a colour apparently banned from the wedding. Those not invited included teammate Gareth Bale, as well as former Galactico pal Cristiano Ronaldo, who instead jetted off to Greece for a family holiday. Other notable absences included Real boss, Zinedine Zidane, who was in Bilbao, and Barcelona defender, Gerard Pique and his wife Shakira. Those who did turn up were treated to a five-course masterclass from three-Michelin-star Marbella chef Dani Garcia (pictured above). First up was salted lobster with mimosas and avocado, followed by spaghetti with truffled beef stew, and a third dish, ‘monkfish Dani Garcia-style’. A kobe burger with togarashi chips

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HAPPY COUPLE: The Ramos’s and (inset) the Beckhams

Posh

ceremony in France this summer to celebrate their love with family and friends. Turner and Williams have famously been best friends for 10 years having met as children on the set of Game of Thrones.

Dropping in SEALED sewers, packs of sniffer dogs and dozens of private security guards. All combined to ensure high-level security measures were in place for the latest visit of the Obamas’ to Andalucia. They had been in town for a short visit to Marbella, where Barack was making a speech for executives of German tech company SAP. The ex-president’s family enjoyed the five-star luxury of the Gran Hotel Miramar, in Malaga… for a day at least!

Convoy

The only picture of the family on the coast was one of Sasha exiting the hotel, where she was staying with mum Michelle and sister Malia, during the day. The former US President arrived half an hour late to the event held at the Puente Romano hotel, before giving a 45-minute speech. He arrived in a convoy of six police vehicles and one provided by the US embassy before entering the heavily armoured resort donning dark sunglasses at 16:45. The family returned to Malaga airport immediately after the speech and headed to France for a short holiday.

...& posher rounded off the mains before diners tucked into ‘Frescor Andalusi’, a signature Garcia dessert, flavoured with tea, orange blossom, mint and pistachio. Revellers washed it all down with Dom Perignon champagne and €116-a-bott-

le wine from Bodega Emilio Moro. Soundtracking the day were band Ketama, Flamenco singer Niña Pastori, DJ Gianluca Vacchi and 17-time Latin Grammy Award-winner, who appeared via videolink.

OBAMA: On previous visit

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Motorways, flamenco and sewage... the big projects winning in the new Andalucia budgets A STRING of vital infrastructure projects are set to finally get much needed investment around Andalucia. They include a series of new roads, dozens of sewage projects, as well as vital protection for a string of key historic sites. Transport is understandably high on the agenda with €337,000 spent on the Velez Malaga tram network, some €6 million is being put into developing a train logistics hub in Antequera, and €4m will go on the bypass around Arriate, near Ronda. Meanwhile, a tram is to be installed from Alcala de Guadaira to Sevilla, while the Malaga metro will get €29.8m.

Ring roads and ruins

Planners meanwhile are to study extending the Malaga A-357 dual carriageway all the way to Ronda. The first stage of this will be €50,000 spent on improving the road from Ardales to Ronda, as well as launching a study on the widening the A-357 in the Guadalhorce valley. In total, Malaga is to get €153 million under the new regional budget, signed off from the Junta, while Sevilla gets €170m, Granada gets €131m and Cadiz the highest amount with €212m. Huelva gets the smallest amount with just €96m. One of the largest cash injections is for Malaga’s Picasso

Museum, for which €4.3 million has been set aside, while other cultural investments include €2.4 million for the Dolmens in Antequera, and €875,000 for a Cameron de la Isla flamenco museum in San Fernando, Cadiz. Meanwhile €324,000 is being

The big projects at a glance (and totals for each province) Sevilla - €170,36 million €350,000 to upgrade metro line 3. €5.55 millions for Alcala de Guadaira tramway. Granada - €130,79 million €4.44 million for more research at the Parque de las Ciencias. €5 million for a new site of

the Biblioteca de Andalucía. Cádiz - €212.28 million €142 million for the ITI programme (Inversión Territorial Integrada) to modernise the most undeveloped areas. €1.2 million for the Museo del Carnaval Huelva - €96.63 million More than €2 million to convert

SINGLE IMPLANT

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

the Banco de Espana building. €23,4 million for University research projects Almería - €125.23 million €44 million towards the olive sector, including different training programmes for young farmers. €324.000 towards the Ciudad del Cine project, in Níjar.

Córdoba €118.01 million €4.1m towards the modernisation of olive farms €7.7m for young farmers Jaén - €131.78 million €5 million towards building the railway branch line Vadollano-Linares €22 million for sanitation system and water purification.

IMPLANT BRIDGE

spent on upgrading Almeria’s Ciudad del Cine, in Nijar, while €250,000 will be spent on a visitor centre at the Acinipo ruins, in Ronda. Environmental money includes €1.4 million for a link pipe project for the La Concepcion and La Vinuela reservoirs, while cleaning of dry stream beds and waterways will cost €802,000. Sewage projects are to get a huge amount of money in Huelva, with €35m set aside, while Jaen and Cordoba provinces get €22m each. Pest control of the chestnut wasp in the Genal Valley, and promotion of Malaga’s famous raisins each receive €100,000. Two large health projects also receive cash, the new Estepona hospital (€4.2 million) and San Pedro health centre (€3 million).

Brits behaving badly BRITS are to blame for a sharp spike in in-flight incidents to Spain. UK passengers were behind 300 incidents last year, while the Spanish were a close second on 264, and the Germans just 61. A total of 800 incidents were reported in 2018, up by 50% on the previous year, when there were only 549 reports. Rowdy holiday makers, mostly under the influence of alcohol or drugs, were to blame, with a number of flights turning back due to them.

Consequences

Alicante airport saw the most incidents with 186, followed by Madrid on 180, Mallorca on 116 and Malaga on 105, with 20% of those involving Brits. New regulations are now being studied with fines possibly set to increase from the current maximum of €5,000. According to the airport authorities AESA, a special in-flight and online video about the consequences of behaving badly onboard may need to be improved. AESA has now joined forces with the European Aviation Safety Agency to cut down incidents.

IMPLANT DENTURE

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

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OPINION Let him go! HOW on earth can a UK citizen be treated in a modern European democracy in the way that Robert Mansfield-Hewitt has been? Held for months without charge and locked up with terrorists for almost a YEAR before getting his day in court. It is a disgrace to Spain and surely in breach of a score of human rights laws at both European and international level. It is even more damning given the businessman’s illnesses and deteriorating condition over the months. Where is the outcry from other media outlets, especially back in the UK? Or in Gibraltar? Once again the Olive Press is left to highlight the murky proceedings of the Spanish justice system, as we do gladly. And for the third time in a year! Here’s hoping Robert is duly released, or we can promise we will not let up the pressure until he is.

About time IT’S good to see the Junta finally handing out some cash to projects which benefit residents rather than lining their own pockets - as they did for decades before being rumbled! There are many worthy projects which have made the list, specifically a motorway to Ronda, vital research projects and some extra funding for key cultural sites. Another encouraging investment is the €142 million for the ITI programme (Inversión Territorial Integrada) to modernise the most undeveloped areas in Cadiz. This could go some way to undermining the grip of the local drug cartels, who benefit from grinding youth poverty and a lack of opportunity. Best of all though is the vital €80 million being sunk into sewage projects around are to get a huge amount of money in Huelva, with €35m set aside, while Jaen and Cordoba provinces get €22m each. Publisher / Editor Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

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As infamous British killer Kenneth Noye is released this month, and could be on his way to Cadiz, Claire Leibovich presents 12 expat criminals captured in Spain

OR decades Spain was a notorious playground for the most depraved criminal masterminds and gangland enforcers. With no extradition treaty with the UK between 1978 and 1985, the Costa del Crime became a gangsters’ paradise for wily villains like Ronnie Knight, the ex-husband of actress Barbara Windsor, and Freddie Foreman, who was behind the £26 million Brink’s-Mat bullion robbery at Heathrow. Operation Captura changed all that.

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Cop killer Kenneth Noye was on licence from a previous jail term when he fatally stabbed Stephen Cameron, 21, on London’s M25 slip road, in 1996. The brutal murder, following a road rage incident, took place in front of the victim’s 17-year-old fiancee Danielle Cable. Already well known to police and knowing he would be rapidly caught, Noye immediately fled to France by helicopter and then hired a private jet to fly to Madrid. He travelled on to the Canaries and the Ivory Coast before choosing the Costa del Crime to lie low, going into hiding in Atlanterra, near Zahara de los Atunes. He soon had a Spanish girlfriend and was posing as ‘Mickey the Builder’. When police eventually traced him, they flew Danielle Cable to Spain to ID him, taking her to a restaurant where he was

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for minor crimes and extradited back to face the more serious crimes at home. On top of Operation Captura’s ‘Most Wanted’ s uspects, numerous British fugitives are arrested each year in Spain for serious crimes including murder, child sexual exploit ation, fraud, drugs and firearms offences. Check out our rogues gallery of fugitives flushed out of their hideaways on Spain’s balmy shores.

eating. ‘That’s the man who killed Stephen,’ she whispered. The story goes that the cops took various tables in the restaurant and let him order his food and drink but before he could take a sip of his caña, they stormed in and arrested him. The former gangster served nearly 20 years in the UK before being released earlier in June, after it was ruled he was no longer a ‘significant risk to the public’. He still owns a property in Atlanterra (above), which has been cared for by his son since his arrest in 2000. He is certainly expected to come back.

Mark Lilley - 2013

Christy ‘Dapper Don’ Kinahan - 2010 In 2010 the ‘Dapper Don’ was arrested in his Marbella villa as the alleged mastermind behind a global drugs and weapon business. Together with his sons Daniel and Christopher, he was banged up in Alhaurin prison under Operation Shovel that caught up with 30 criminals from his gang throughout Europe. Irishman Kinahan is regarded as one of the most intelligent criminals involved in the international drugs trade. He moved to Spain after his release from prison in 2001. The investigation focused not only on drug-trafficking but also on the money-laundering and property investments in which Kinahan was allegedly involved, many of them

in Estepona. But after being held briefly, Kinahan and his associates were released without charge, as not enough direct evidence was found to link them to specific crimes they could be charged with.

Described as one of Merseyside’s most dangerous crooks, the heavily tattooed bodybuilder was arrested at his villa in the Alhaurin de la Torre in July 2013. Footage shows Spanish police storming into the villa and handcuffing the half-naked criminal, who had hidden in a safe room behind a bedroom wardrobe after being alerted to the raid by his three hunting dogs. Also known as ‘Fatboy’, ‘Mandy’ and ‘Big Vern’, Lilley skipped bail during a trial for drug trafficking in 2000 where he was sentenced to 23 years in jail. He was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and cannabis, as well as possessing a firearm. The 41-year-old was hauled out of the villa and helicoptered to Madrid before being extradited back to the UK.

Brian Colin Charrington - 2013

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Launched in 2006, two years after the introduction of the European Arrest Warrant, it is a joint initiative between the UK’s National Crime Agency, the Spanish authorities and Crimestoppers to capture Brits on the run in Spain. The message sent is clear: Spain will no longer be a safe haven for expat crooks. According to Jago Russell of UK charity Fair Trials International, most of the foreign nationals arrested in Spain are actually arrested

Kenneth Noye - 1998

Gillian Keller gillian@theolivepress.es Admin Beatriz Sanllehí (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

The former car dealer from Middlesbrough was apprehended in 2013 at his fortress villa in Calpe, on the Costa Blanca. At his trial in 2018, he was found guilty of shipping 192 kilos of cocaine from South America. Together with his son Ray Charrington, he was also convicted of money laundering. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and ordered to pay €31.2 million in fines. The police impounded assets worth €5 million, including a dozen luxury properties, high-end vehicles, six recreational craft and bank accounts. He was known as ‘el narco de Wikipedia’ because he apparently wrote and updated his own entry on the website. Charrington had previously been arrested in Spain in 1997 for allegedly participating in the purchacination with firearms’, se of four tons of hashish. and even changed his appearance with plastic surgery to avoid capture. from Spanish police after In November 2012, he a sophisticated roadAGAIN esc a p e d block was set up along one of his regular routes. Footage of his arrest showed armed officers swooping down on him and tackling him to the floor at his villa. Moran eventually pleaded guilty to drugs, firearms and road traffic offences while on the run and received a prison sentence of six years and six months.

Andrew Moran - 2013 In classic Hollywood style, cops burst in and arrested 31-year-old Most Wanted Andrew Moran as he was relaxing in his shorts by the pool, in Calpe, Alicante, in 2013. He had been wanted for four years since being found guilty of robbery in 2009, but managed to escape his security guards at the trial, before fleeing to Spain on a false passport. Originally from Salford, Moran went on the run, travelling across Europe with his girlfriend. He is said to have had a ‘fas-

David Mather - 2014

David Mather, 57, was held by armed police as he drove through La Linea in 2014. He had been on the run since being sentenced to 18 years in prison the year before for smuggling heroin into the UK.

‘OVERJOYED WITH MY

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Get on with it

THE family and friends of missing Lisa Brown have been stuck in a living hell for the last year. While Lisa’s brother Craig Douglas has praised the efforts of the police, the drawn-out nature of the investigation cannot be ignored. Simon Corner has now been languishing behind bars for more than six months and yet we still appear no closer to an answer. If Stephen Jackson is the key, then investigating officers must listen to his call and visit him in the UK. Waiting for his release in October 2018 will only delay the investigation and put Lisa’s loved-ones through more unnecessary torment.

Dining time!

WITH the sun dipping down before dinner time and the speedos well and truly tucked away for another year, there is no better time of year to explore Andalucia’s exciting inland restaurant scene! Looking to learn about the best of the region? Wanting to find its very best gems? Look no further than our fabulous new Dining Secrets of Andalucia website just relaunched in time for Autumn, Bon appétit!

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A lifetime of deception is finally catching up with notorious conman Mark Acklom, with the Olive Press joining the hunt for Britain’s most wanted

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E’S posed as an MI6 agent, seduced dozens of women out of millions of pounds and been on the run for much of his life. Well-spoken and privately educated Mark Acklom drives expensive cars (Porsches, BMWs and Bentleys), watches Ascot from the Royal Enclosure - kitted out in top hat and waistcoat - and dines at the world’s top restaurants. To all intents and purposes, he is a wealthy businessman who lives the highlife with a perennial smile stretched across his face. The reality: Acklom is one of Britain’s most wanted fugitives and his catalogue of scams is rivalled only by Hollywood’s greatest fraudsters. A compulsive liar and professional swindler, Acklom, from Bromley, UK, has created a false reality in which the world is at his feet. And, unwaveringly convincing, dozens of people have swallowed his tall stories and fallen for his devilish tricks. He probably even believes it himself. Depending on who he’s talking to, he is a property developer, a banker, event manager or gynaecologist. And for each new profession, there are two or three different names: Marc Ros, Mark Ross, Zack Moss, Dr Mark Ros and Don Marc Ros are just some of the aliases he is known to have given. At the helm of countless property and investment scams around the world, Acklom has most recently been operating in Murcia and on the Costa Blanca, the Olive Press has discovered. But his time is running out after being placed on a list of Britain’s Most Wanted fugitives. Of the 10 named in the latest installment of Operation Captura last month, Acklom has garnered the most intrigue, taking up countless column inches in national newspapers in the UK and Spain. Sought over defrauding an ex-girlfriend out of €950,000 after posing as an MI6 agent, there is now a European Arrest Warrant on his head, as well as a €22,000 reward for his arrest. Unlike the paedophiles, rapists and drug dealers that appear on the list, Acklom’s criminal activities are in a completely different league… in fact, he is not even playing the same sport. After tracking down, staking out and helping police capture most wanted suspected paedophile Matthew Sammon last issue, the Olive for them to club until she left in January this year, them here. It’s an address Press went straight on the Rodriguez claims that her new real es- pick up their mail,” he said. scent of Acklom. I have tate venture has links with an estab- “I have heard a lot of complaints. Following a tip-off that he was still involved not happy with lished Swiss racing-car team. Unsur- heard that their clients are with his Spanish wife Maria Yolanda Ros prisingly, that team had them. In recent weeks there have been Rodriguez, we linked her to never heard of Ros or many people looking for them. I decided a new real estate company to stop picking up their mail two weeks Acklom when contacted. in the centre of Murcia. Their clients are not When the Olive Press ago.” he last saw the pair together over Registered under the name visited the registered of- He said happy with them. of Yolanda Ros - adopting fice in Murcia there was the summer at the golf resort. her hubby’s trick of mixing There are many no sniff of the couple or In fact, the Olive Press can reveal that up her name - Ross Luxury people looking for in even a sign on the door they were staying in a rented property Estate Agents was set up in them for Ross Luxury Estate La Manga as recently as last month. April, conveniently just one A former colleague of Ros told the Olive Agents. month after Acklom was A financial adviser in the Press ‘they left two weeks ago’. released from prison in the firm at La adjacent office said he collected the Agents at an estate agents UK for a Chelsea apartments con. come in lookcompany’s mail for Ros, who he met a Manga said the couple hadresort over the On LinkedIn, Facebook and other social year ago when she still worked for La ing to buy a house in the media sites, Ros names herself as the summer. Manga club. Managing Partner of the company, which a lot of money. “I helped her to set up the address “He was pretending to have house in Switalso ‘operates’ in Madrid. here, but there was never a place for He said he had a massive A sales member of staff at La Manga golf

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RACING AWAY: Acklom and Ros at the Royal Enclosure at Ascot

zerland but I knew he did not have any money,” an agent told the Olive Press. “He said he was a marketing director at the big advertising firm McCann Erickson. But he used a completely different name. He called himself Mark Long.” A barman at nearby pub The Last Drop told the Olive Press that when Acklom fled the family’s rented flat at La Manga’s Buenavista ‘he didn’t pay his rent’ and ‘left behind a lot of debt’. The Olive Press also discovered Acklom’s wife owned a flat on Cartagena’s Calle Bodegones before selling it in February 2014. Neighbours were unaware of her current whereabouts. Acklom’s ties to Spain stretch back over 20 years. It was the late 1990s when Acklom first came to Spain, but he quickly left his mark on the country and by 1998 he had HAUNTS: Murcia office and (below) Yolanserved two years for a fraud involving un- da at La Manga sales office paid hotel rooms on the Costa Blanca. The Brit was arrested again six years later in Benidorm for a con in which he posed as the head of a real estate consortium, when he did not own the land he said he would build on. Court documents also show Acklom appeared in a Alicante court in 2006 over an art fraud. Most recently he was locked up by Cartagena court for a €14 million property scam in 2015 for conning two brothers out of €225,000. Prosecutor Miguel Pouget Bastida confirmed that Acklom changed his name to Mark Long by deed poll in Britain last year, the third time he has done so. Pouget’s clients, Francisco Legaz Cervantes and Domingo Legaz Cervantes, worked with Fundacion Diagrama, a Spanish non-profit organisation that helps vulnerable people. Acklom met the men in 2008, claiming to be the son of an incredibly wealthy Lloyds banker. Boasting he had three London flats worth €9.8 million in Chelsea Wharf’s Cheyne

Apartments to sell, Acklom used a fake sales price list he had forged from a Knight Frank property list to convince the brothers of his credentials. Operating alongside his then-girlfriend Josefina Rebollo Munoz, Acklom was hauled before a Spanish court in 2009 along with his accomplice after Pouget discovered the deeds to the flat sale were fake. The lawyer recommended an eight-year sentence, but before he could be tried and jailed Acklom fled. Court documents show that while on the run he married Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez in Totana, Murcia on March 4 2009, changing his name again the following month to Marc Ros Rodriguez. An Interpol warrant was issued for Acklom’s arrest and he was finally tracked down to the Italian port of Genoa in November, 2014 and deported to Spain where he served 18 months behind bars. “I love so much catching conmen,” said Pouget. “But this is the case has had me working even harder. “Mark has an incredible capacity for fantasy. But I think he talks too much.” While in prison, Acklom revealed to a fellow convict that he had gold bars buried in Spain as a ‘form of insurance’. A serial fraudster, the 43-year-old scams began in childhood when he stole his mum Diana’s mink coat so he could sell it. At 16, he stole his father’s American Express card and racked up a €12,000 bill before posing as a stockbroker in a €1.2 million fraud. In a career that has spanned four decades he has left a trail of broken hearts as he targets vulnerable women. One former associate said: “He loves making women fall in love with him. He gets a kick out of having them buy wedding dresses for a ceremony he knows will never take place because he’ll have vanished. In the decade I knew him, he fooled more than 50 women.” In blog posts, Acklom repeatedly denies many of his crimes and moans about harassment from the law and from ‘people pretending to be the police’. He pleads: “I have paid my time and it is absurd to be paying for that again and again.” Insisting he has ‘a life-threatening illness’ he claims to live a quiet life working on his autobiography. Wherever he is, that autobiography is sure to be one hell of a read.

THE UK’S MOST WANTED FUGITIVES

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dead on Cos- BREAKING: Youngster feared alert del Sol on weather  Costa (7,769) hit-and-run ta del Sol after suspected and with dropping temperatures views - 4616 more rainover bizarre - Well-built giant’ arrested

Malaga airport death of Briton found with can (5,749) genitals in tuna Floods hit Costa del Sol  VIDEO: as heavy rain continues - 4604

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VICTIMS in Spain have fresh hope after Nigel been given Goldman was found guilty of fraud in the UK. A jury heard how the Olive instrumental in bringing Press was old, now called Howard the 58-yeardel Monte, to justice. After spotting our reports men who failed to receiveonline, two they had purchased from gold coins him called in police. A year later, he was found guilty on two counts of fraud and now faces jail.

to all our Seasonal wishes To long-time Olive Press readers and advertisers readers, notorious Nigel ‘Naughty’ Goldman will be a familiar figure. The three times imprisoned Where’s naughty conman, continued a string Nigel? of scams in Spain, including selling dodgy gold coins and stamps on eBay, as well as taking millions in bogus investment fraud. He was eventually handed a 12-month suspended sentence in January 2016 in the UK, but has so far failed to face justice in Spain, where he has many victims. Abortion: Back to the dark ages

ll about

Vol. 7 Issue

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December

23 2013

- January

8 2014 15

Sierra Nevada December

23 2013

- January

8 2014

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ANGRY: Protesters

A BITTER war of words has broken out between Marbella’s new and old guard over plans to erect a 50-storey skyscraper off the Golden Mile. Prince Pablo von Hohenlohe, whose uncle built the Marbella Club hotel, insists the project is totally out of keeping with the town’s low-rise, low-density housing. “You can’t mortgage the future of the town for the benefit of a few,” said Hohenlohe of the first block that would be built on the Istan road, overlooking the palace of the Saudi royal family. The scheme, designed by architect Ricardo Bofill, could be the first of six to be allowed in the Marbella area, after the town hall published a new proposed PGOU town plan.

By Claire Wilson

PROTESTS have erupted around Spain after the government approved abortion laws that take the country back 30 years. The new abortion law will permit the procedure only in cases of rape, mental or physical risks to the mother, or lifethreatening foetal deformities. Hundreds gathered outside parliament in Madrid and burnt an effigy of Minister of Justice Alberto Ruiz Gallardon who masterminded the law. Protesters took to the streets in around 20 other cities, including Malaga, Bilbao and Barcelona, while the Socialist party has already announced further protests.

Winter and wonderl arrived when he a massive to ski in Andalucia he has become it was possible had no idea as a keen snowboarder, Liam Kirkaldy ago. Now, here six monthsfan Sierra Nevada

was once it that there with his EGEND haslord who lived casa wealthydaughter in a remote southbeautiful Alpujarras, on the tle in the Sierra Nevada. he of the and because ern slopes off to a felwas controlling, away The lord to marry his daughter her hidden planned he kept could not meet she low landowner world so had from the daughter anyone else. to him, his at night, someBut unknown out the house in love with been sneaking already fallen and had – a local shepherd. her father’s one else two learned of through the When the decided to elope mountains plans, they Sierra Nevada if it meant even snow-bound to the north, and flee accordhis lover, into their deaths. bumped to way to meet But on his the shepherd him a broom ing to legend, who offered in the snow. the devil, lord, the hide his tracks by the richuntil they Pursued fled of Alcazayoung couple the peak reached sits at 3,371 meba, which a few less than its tres, just rivals Veleta and two nearby(3,482m). Mulhacen they dropped the by But whenbegan to sweep broom it an avalanche itself, causingtheir pursuers. and burying goes that the The storybroom’ was left ‘devil’s where it still landslides there forgotten, causing sweeps, to this day. at the base When I arrived Nevada last by jutting of the Sierra patches week, greeted scattered hills withlandslides were the of snow, on my mind. last thing mountain range The tallest Europe, the Siin southern is higher than erra Nevada and has one the Pyrenees

Turn to

page 17

No donkeys, sledges or snowboards...the three kings trudge up the snowy slopes of the Sierra Nevada... see our annual skiing supplement on page 15

HIDDEN ASSETS:

Goldman with Suzanne Couling

HE has been one of the coast’s most colourful characters for years. Regularly hosting charity auctions and appearing on radio phone ins, he even had his own restaurant column in a local newspaper. But now things appear to

the Olive Press INVESTIGATES

have come unstuck for ‘Sir’ Nigel Goldman with police and lawyers actively seeking his whereabouts. The self-styled poker wizard, who dealt in gold and coins, has allegedly fallen foul of regulators by offering bad financial advice and leaving investors empty handed. Spanish police are now probing two of his financial companies - Harvard Private Client and International Fi-

nancial Investment - with Goldman allegedly fleeing the country back to the UK. A separate police report has now been filed with Action Fraud UK. Two victims alone, expats Roy and Jennifer Feather, claim to have lost €550,000, while another Geoffrey Whitton claims to have lost over €20,000. “I’d like to find him and get my money back,” said Whitton, a writer, from Cornwall, currently based in Madrid. According to Marbella lawyer Antonio Flores of Lawbird,

At a heated meeting on Friday at El Fuerte hotel, a mix of locals, including aristocrat Beatriz de Orleans and environmentalist Javier de Luis, vowed to fight the plans, setting up a new platform. They warn that the skyscrapers would destroy the charm of the town and thousands have now signed a petition against the building. Developer Pedro Rodriguez however, insisted the scheme would be positive for the town, which is rapidly becoming more popular for Russians and Eastern Europeans. He said: “The British and Scandinavians like old style architecture, but the Russians demand modern apartments.” Pablo Moro, who is responsible for town planning in Marbella, also dismissed the outcry. He said: “There was opthere are ‘likely to be’ many position in Paris when then more victims. they built the Eiffel Tower.” Public school educated Gold- However, the town hall has man - who lived in an up- agreed to set up a public conmarket Elviria development sultation body and listen to and drove a Mercedes - cer- the views of its people. Indeed, tainly had pedigree. Visit www.change.org to sign the petition See page 2

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Gotcha!

This heinous paedophile was snared by the Olive Press just hours after his mugshot went out across the media in the annual 2016 Crimestoppers Most Wanted appeal in Spain. FOR 1 Working on a tip-off from an 2eagle-ey ANTed HONreader, our YS reporters tracked down Sammo n in Fuengirola be59€ fore calling the Guardia Civil to arrest him in a dramatic midnight raid in November 2016. The story hit national headlines in the UK. Mafia town

BANGED UP: Sammon bundled into police car and (inset) his campervan

How the CEO of organized crime corrupted a town hall PAGE 8

EXCLUSIVE: Expat tip leads Olive Press snare one of UK’s most team wanted paedophiles to

Secret Malaga

It’s a true city of culture, Malaga has so much morebut PAGE 16

Vol. 10

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Issue 251

errania de

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October

26th - November

Ronda

26th - November

8th 2016

deep,high River mountain

Rob Horgan native in the goes Serrania de Ronda and discovers the backroad the Genal gems of Valley

SOARING

HIGH: The

view up to

the city from

the Tajo gorge

and (top)

a typical town

scene

HERE are beer with few places in the world an army general where general stands … and even you can drink all the rounds! Ronda, fewer where the Celebrating however, is one bar El Porton,a recent promotionof those places. ish Legionnairean olé away from with friends in quintessential After introducingCarlos Velo is Spain’s oldest bullring - Spanme to the eager to include me quail eggs town’s signature - Carlos (above) in the party. Iraq, Afghanistan tapa regales me with tales - jamon and the ‘best place and Bosnia from “I have been in the world’. before explaining why tours to Ronda is says, taking all over the world a swig from and seen back into many his been to.” his face. “But Rondacana and pushing things,” he his glasses is the best Originally place I have ever ago whenfrom Madrid, Carlos moved he joined its two national the Spanish to Ronda some 35 years Legion, which naires at present.bases here, counting on around has one of “The quality 800 legioncan live like of life in Ronda is like nowhere a gentleman everyone else. here, in Madrid else in “Everything I would justSpain. I is affordable, be like ing from tapas if you in your pocket. bar to tapas bar like you can spend the day goand you will “And the still have change scenery is breathtaking,” he adds. “The walks Continues

on next Page

In the Serrania 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND OLD ON NEW BUILDS ON THE

SERRANIA Urb. Los Pinos, Manzana B, Parcela email: cvazquez1@hotmail.es 9 Ronda

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19 19

EAGLE-EYED Olive readers helped snag one Press WORDS AND PICS of Britain’s most wanted fugitives By Rob Horgan and in Laurence Dollimore Spain, just hours after he had been named. al Crime Agency, Following a tip off to the paper, the scene after who arrived at suspected paedophile Matthew the arrest. “Well done Olive Sammon was dragged from his thanks to the expat Press and campervan in a dramatic community time raid and whisked night- for tipping us off, this is the reaan unmarked police car.away in son we run these campaigns.” Working closely with informant The dramatic day had started when Crimestoppers issued Daniel Reid, we were its able to annual list of firstly track down Sammon most wanted tives in Torremolinos on fugito Fuengirola, then call Thursin the day morning. Guardia Civil to arrest him. Leading to hundreds of press On the run for two years, Sam- stories around mon - a blackbelt in Jujitsu the world and - on national television, was wanted in the UK for the hunt shar- was immediately ing indecent images of children. on. But, it was to popular His seizure came just 10 local after he was named in hours newspaper the Olive Press tion Captura and is the Opera- that expat plasterer Reid, 40, quickest reached out recorded arrest in the joint to, trusting us to SUCCESS: Reid, UK ‘do the job properly’. Horgan, and Spanish police operation. Reynolds and Brunt In a series of Facebook “It was a fantastic result,” mes- as a labourer said sages, he announced and was currently Steve Reynolds, from the that Sam- living Nation- mon, 45, had worked for him the in a campervan around Mijas and Fuengirola area.

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Within an hour, the Olive Press car, Sammon covered team scrambled to Fuengirola, and remained silenthis face learning from another when that he was currently builder questioned by the Olive Press. out at the feria ground. camped He was then bundled into the BMW and taken to Madrid After a day working nearby, to the be fingerprinted Londoner duly arrived in his for extradition. and prepared English-plated cream Moncayo Following the arrest, father-ofcampervan. two Reid said he was ‘relieved’ Parking up, he looked as he took his dog for relaxed to see Sammon taken away. a walk “As soon as I saw his around the feria ground and the most wanted Iface among spoke with neighbours. felt said Reid, from Blackpool.sick,” Once identified, we called the “I let him hang around Guardia Civil and Crimestopmy children, we took him in with pers and so began a tense open hour waiting game, withthree- arms and at first were none the Reid wiser. sitting in the car beside us. “But we always thought Sky News crime reporter he was tin Brunt was soon there Mar- a bit weird, he’s a real loner and never talks about his family. Eventually, as night hadtoo. well “He creeped my family and truly fell, an unmarked much that I fired him.” out so black BMW arrived and two Incredibly, police did plain clothes detectives not take any moved in for the arrest, swiftly evidence from his campervan incating his passport and confis- cluding his computer and other Frisking him at the sidephone. CONTINUES ON PAGE of the 2 Est 1984

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GOLDMAN GUILTY

GOLDMAN: Awaiting

prison

Heated

Colourful Costa character ‘Sir’ Nigel Goldman sought in fraud probe

Freedom

movement, Femen The which staged a topless protest at parliament in October, warned on Twitter: “If they take away our right to decide, we’ll have to abort the Church and everything that limits our freedom.” The ruling PP party had promised to change the law in its run up to the 2011 election. Currently women can abort without restrictions until the 14th week of pregnancy. In a 2012 poll, 81% of Spaniards said they were opposed to changes to Spain’s abortion laws. The PP was keen to empha-

One way ticket to jail! Page 4

December 10th - 22nd

TV debate minus the PM

INCISIVE: Malaga PP boss points out another Olive Press exclusive to Rajoy OME say the Spanish Prime Minister is out of touch Readers of La has taken his finger off and While debate still the pulse. rages But Mariano Rajoy proved Vanguardia went was clearly engrossed about his ability to speak English, he in our last front page, before priorities straight in the doubters wrong by getting his minute flicking even stronger in spending a run-up to the most exciting through the issue. their support, giv- eral election in Spanish history. gen- Finding plenty of interest, with Malaga’s ing him an aston- While the other party leaders engaged PP boss Elias Bendodo a crucial TV debate on looking over his shoulder, he then pointed out ishing 55%, ahead Monday, the PP boss was preoccupied in something apparwith the more important ently intriguing on the cover. matter of... what’s happening in Andalucia. of Rivera (16%), Perhaps he was making And his choice a note of the website for Sanchez ence on his return to Madrid? future refer(16%) After a keynote of reading matter was spot on! campaign Or maybe, just maybe, and Saenz de San- he he was imagining himself found time to catch upspeech for party faithful in Estepona, cover pictured on the tamaria (13%). of on our expat next news edition by following a landslide victory own, decade-old, super-reliable reading your very 20. Dreams can come true. on December Olive Press. Election fever sweeps nation Page 6-7

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Rajoy’s new goal

MARIANO Rajoy begins his second term in a completely different political landscape to five years ago. In 2011, Spain was still in the darkest days of a savage recession. Jobs and securing a path to economic recovery were the priority. But with Spain’s economy powering on - albeit with 18% of the country still jobless - Rajoy has switched his focus to the issue of Catalunya. The appointment of pragmatic lawyer Soraya Saenz de Santamaria indicates Rajoy is keen to pursue better relations with the key region. Santamaria has a reputation for fixing crises. She will need all her powers of diplomacy to resolve her government’s headache of Catalan independence claims.

November 9th - November 22nd 2016

the

PAGE 3

The Olive Press went on the hunt of fugitive Mark Acklom, one of Britain’s Most Wanted, for a few months in 2017, linking him to numerous scams in Spain. We traced his wife to a business address in Murcia and found his rented home. Catch However, he had H me... just moved to IF Madrid, before YOU heading to SwitCAN zerland, where he was arrested MOST WANTED... last year. FEATURE

see page 13

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Monkey bites fox

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BOTTLE: (From and Santamarialeft) Three leaders

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...while Rajoy brushes up on his expat news

A BEAMING Pablo Iglesias came both parties. out swinging during a leaders’ debate to blowcrucial TV “This is the reason Mr Rajoy the Span- not here: is ish general election wide he too received illegal open. payments,” roared Iglesias. With Prime Minister Mariano Ra- Also insisting joy absent - and watching he would ings in his pyjamas - the proceed- bomb Syria, he clearly got not the Podemos upper leader’s popularity received hand on his nervous boost in front of a record a huge main anti-corruption rival Al9.2 mil- bert Rivera, lion viewers, Spain’s of Ciudadanos. largest TV The end audience of 2015. result was ‘una ba’, as the Spanish wouldbomGoing for the jugular, haired leader slammed the long- coming out on top by a milesay, in and PSOE - over a raft the PP - various polls yesterday. tion scandals, that haveof corrup- These included the right-leanengulfed ing El Mundo, their parties. with nearly half of the paper’s readers In a damning final (42%) 51-second siding round-up of why he should be- Soraya with him, while PP rep come Spain’s new PM, Saenz de Santamafive key cases that havehe listed ria got 30%, Rivera 22% and rocked PSOE’s Pedro Sanchez, just 7%.

See page 2

The Olive Press first exposed the timeshare-style cons conducted by infamous fraudster Toni Muldoon and his Costa del Sol cronies way back in 2008. We continued to monitor their scams with regular stories until Muldoon was finally put away in 2014 for running a bogus escort service. ‘Timeshare Toni’, as he became known to Olive Press readers, wrote a string of books on his scams before passing away this year.

Vol. 10 Issue 228

begins with sensational

Pablo’s back...

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After a tip-off to the paper, the Olive Press tracked down and photographed one of Crimestoppers Most Wanted Daniel Johnston, in Pruna, Sevilla, who had been sought for a string of violent robberies in the UK. Despite informing the authorities it amazingly took a month for them to finally pick him up.

- SHINING STAR PAGE 52 The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía

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Terry Wright The Olive Press has been investigating boiler rooms in Spain from day one. In 2011 we revealed that blacklisted British businessman Terry Wright had earned millions of euros by persuading unsuspecting investors to part with their hard-earned cash. We found a series of lists of his scams and his victims names and addresses and literally banged him to rights, before he fled to France, buying a castle with his ill gotten gains.

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

olive press online

that’s the

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website

PECKING ORDER: Olive Press website at 7,501 in Spain and 157,658 in the world, with EWN and SUR in English well below us according to Alexa.com

Updated daily The Olive Press online www.theolivepress.es The website is conveniently accessible from your desktop computer to your laptop, tablets and smartphones throughout the day wherever you are. www.theolivepress.es

Useful numbers

Christopher Mealey - 2014

Do you know his whereabouts? Contact us at newsdesk @theolivepress.es

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Christopher Mealey was held by armed police as he walked down the beach in Marbella in 2014. Originally from London, the 38-year-old was wanted in connection with importing cocaine worth millions of pounds into the UK. His father-in-law John Reed and six others have already received prison sentences totalling more than 130 years in connection with the drug smuggling investigation. Hank Cole, head of international operations for the NCA, said that Mealey’s capture ‘demonstrates the NCA and its partners have the capability to pursue fugitives relentlessly’.

Shane Walford - 2015

Paul Monk - 2015 The 54-year-old fugitive was arrested in 2015 as he oversaw workmen laying a marble patio around the swimming pool at his luxury villa near Benidorm, Alicante. The Guardia Civil issued dramatic video footage showing armed officers swooping on the property. Detectives found written notes pertaining to the supply of 997 kilos of cocaine with a street value of €66 million, as well as an imitation firearm, €125,000 euros stashed in a plant pot and a fake Slovenian passport. Originally from Romford, near Essex, Monk fled to Spain in 2013 while on licence from a nine-year sentence for a €3.3 million cannabis smuggling racket. He obtained false identity documents and continued to run a €67 million international drug supply network from his home in Spain. Police said he never left the villa for fear he would be shot dead by rivals, or arrested. He relied on friends to bring him food as he led the life of ‘an authentic fugitive’.

Joseph Lindsay - 2018 The Glaswegian ganglord was arrested in 2018, near South Tenerife airport where he was meeting relatives. Police had prepared the ambush after discovering that relatives of Lindsay had booked flights to spend the New Year in Tenerife. The 34-year-old was wanted by Scottish authorities for a tally of 29 crimes, punishable by 100 years in prison. He is accused of member-

ship of a criminal organisation, drugs and weapons trafficking, money laundering, computer crime, homicide and serious assault, kidnapping, unlawful detention and the taking of hostages, as well as armed robbery. His gang stood out because of the level of violence they employed, including the use of firearms. Lindsay was jailed in Spain before being extradited to the UK.

Jamie Acourt - 2018

The 42-year-old drug smuggler - one of the gang accused of killing black teenager Stephen Lawrence - was arrested in 2018, as he was leaving a gym in Barcelona. He fled the UK in 2016 after police raided his home in Kent. He had been living in Spain for two years, under the alias ‘Simon Alfonzo’. At his trial last December, Acourt admitted his role in a multi-mi-

Walford was convicted for the manslaughter of an off-duty fireman while on leave from the army. The former soldier killed father-of-two Paul Gibbons with a single punch outside a bar in Coventry. The former boxer was imprisoned for four-and-a-half years and released after serving half of his sentence, but was recalled to prison in August 2013 after breaking the terms of his licence. The 42-year-old fled the country but was eventually tracked down and arrested in 2015 in the Canary Islands.

James Quinn - 2016 Irish hitman Quinn was arrested in September 2016 while trying to board a plane in Madrid. The 36-year-old was accused of gunning down Gary Hutch in Fuengirola in 2015, allegedly on the orders of ganglord Christy Kinahan and sparked by the infamous feud between the Kinahans and the Hutch clan that has seen 18 killings so far. A yacht and Bentley believed to have been used in the operation were seized in Spain. While in Dublin, Gardai found €23,000 in cash, along with computers, phones, false IDs and financial documents relating to property purchases and foreign bank accounts. Quinn, a former boxer, had already served time behind bars in Ireland for a string of more than 70 convictions. In 2019, the father-of-one was convicted by a Spanish court and sentenced to a record 22 years in prison. llion pound cannabis smuggling operation and was sentenced to nine years behind bars. Prosecutors believe that Acourt, together with his brother Neil, enlisted family members to the scheme that saw drugs transported between London and the north. Both brothers were prime suspects in the racist murder of Lawrence (right) back in 1993, but always denied involvement. In 2012, 19 years after the mur-

der, pals Gary Dobson and David Norris were finally convicted and jailed for life.

Green means go! ONE local newspaper insists on dressing up its staff in red and telling the coast how it is the definitive best free media group in Europe. What it fails to realise is red also means ‘stop’... which is almost exactly what has happened to its website over the last few months. So bad have been the hits to our ‘rival’s’ website this year, that the paper has gone from shouting about its amazing site on page 4 to burying its statistics on page 69. It comes as their website sunk in position by around 30,000 places globally and its stories garnered around 70,000 page views a week - or roughly what the Olive Press online is now getting a day. This, dear readers is all about content and investing in journalism. It is also about looking after your staff, not insulting your readers and not delivering the same story twice in the same edition.

Reporting

Above all, it is about spending money on actual reporting, as we have been doing at the Olive Press for the last 13 years. All in all, green means go as we head up to 7,500th position in Spain, according to Amazon. com’s Alexa ranking, out of two million sites, as well as 157,000th in the world, out of billions of websites. Meanwhile, the EWN sits at 220,000 and Sur in English, another local newspaper group, sits at 618,000. Google Analytics delivers a similar story, showing clearly how we are frequently outpacing our rivals. When it comes to Facebook, Twitter, breaking news, analysis, features, travel and culture, remember: Olive Press online. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, delivering the best English news website in Spain.

According to a report from respected national La Razon, there will be 40,000 additional troops deployed across the country focusing specifically on anti-terror operations.

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Edinburned

DIGGING IN THE Spanish Supreme Court has halted the reburial of former dictator General Franco just days before the deadline. Spain’s controversial Fascist leader was due to be dug up on June 10 from his grave at Madrid’s Valley of the Fallen monument. Five top judges ruled in favour of Franco’s family, freezing the move to transfer his remains to the El Pardo cemetery, where his wife is also buried.

Twist

This latest twist in the Franco saga comes after 12 months of work by Pedro Sanchez’s PSOE administration to exhume his body. The National Francisco Franco Foundation and the former dictator’s relatives have, along with hundreds of protestors, tried to stop the plans. The Supreme Court has suspended the process until all of the legal appeals filed by the Franco family are definitively ruled on. This could take months, even a year.

MADRID has sacked its consul in Edinburgh for saying Spain would not stop an independent Scotland joining the EU. Miguel Angel Vecino Quintana was given his marching orders after he said: “Spain will not block Scotland’s entry into the European Union.” His comments, in a letter to pro-independence Scottish paper, the National, were a rebuke to Melilla MEP, Esteban Gonzalez Pons. The PP politician for the Spanish enclave had said his party would block Scotland’s ascension to the EU if it became independent before Brexit. Spain's Foreign Ministry said Vecino had ‘crossed the line’ with his words, which it sees as flying in the face of its position on Catalan independence.

Toll free THEY are the bane of expat motorists, particularly in the summer. Now finally, toll charges on the AP-7 motorway are to be scrapped, it has been announced. Drivers between Malaga and Sotogrande are likely to get free access to the motorway from December 31. The AP-4, running from Sevilla to Cadiz and a section of the AP-7 between Zaragoza and Alicante, is also set to become free next year.

‘It’s wrong!’ A BRITISH holidaymaker has called for better safety measures after a man ‘almost died’ after falling into Puerto Banus harbour in Marbella. Eileen Harte, 49, was left shaken during a night out with pals last week when she says she saw a fellow Brit drowning in the water of the upmarket resort. The reveller, who was more than 6ft tall and of a ‘very heavy’ build, fell into the water near the popular Newscafe at around 2am. “A life saving ring was thrown to him but he kept going under the water whilst the police stood there,” she told the Olive Press. “I screamed for someone to get him out – while they were all standing there watching him as he was drowning.

British tourist slams ‘lack of barriers’ around Puerto Banus after Brit almost ‘drowned to death’ “Another Brit climbed down the ladder and grabbed his black T-shirt and kept him above the water. “He was a heavy man so was difficult for this man to lift him up the ladder on his own.” Harte said there were dramatic scenes as fellow revellers were screaming at the lad, in his 20s, to climb up the ladder. “He was scared and dazed from nearly drowning,” recalled Harte, who holidays in Marbella every year. “I talked to him softly telling him he was safe it was okay and to try and move his legs to climb up the ladder. He

Terror alert - NOT THE British authorities have NOT issued any new warnings over terror threats to tourists in Spain. It comes after a number of English newspapers in Spain reported a new alert this week. However the Foreign & Commonwealth Office denied this entirely, pointing out that they had merely been copied word for word from the website of the Daily Star in London. “These articles come via a Daily Star article,” said a spokesman in London. “The article was founded on existing language which can all be found in our travel advice, and has been the case for some time. “There's no sudden increase on our part.” Spain, meanwhile, has ramped up security for the summer season, as it has done for several years now.

kept repeating my words with tears running down his face I am safe.” Harte added that a policeman eventually dragged the struggling Brit out of the water. “Another policeman arrived heavy built and straight away leaned over the side and grabbed him nearly falling in himself but two men held his feet,” she recalled.

Party

“He grabbed the man out of the harbour with the help of the man already on the ladder keeping his head above water.” Harte is now calling for better safety measures around the popular party spot. “I do not understand why there is no barrier preventing this it’s an easy accident waiting to happen, anyone can fall into the harbour. “It’s wrong and so very dangerous and something needs to be done. What’s more important is making the harbour look pretty or saving someone’s life?” Policia Local did not respond to our request for comment.

British surfer drowns A BRITISH man has died off a beach in southern Spain after strong currents swept the the father out to sea. The experienced swimmer, 53, got into trouble at Playa de El Palmar beach, near Vejer, while he swam with his niece. A passing surfer managed to haul the niece to safety before heading back and bringing the man to shore on his board. Despite the best efforts the man did not respond to CPR and was pronounced dead at the scene. A German pensioner meanwhile has died in Torrox costa, when he drowned in front of his wife. The 75-year-old was bathing in a swimming pool at the Torcasol urbanisation. A lifeguard jumped in but was unable to resuscitate him.

NEWS

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

DONE US PROUD THOUSANDS of revellers descended on Manilva for its annual pride celebrations at the weekend. The Costa del Sol town saw dozens of acts fly in and perform from around the world from Friday to Sunday, while the LGBTQ+ community and its allies joined in the parades and celebrations. The event was founded by Brits, Christian Lee Dunn and Dean Tyler Shelton, back in 2017 and has grown from strength to strength each year. “This year was absolutely awesome,” former councillor Shelton told the Olive Press. “Year on year it just grows and the participation is just fantastic, and the social awareness of people is

BUZZING: Manilva mayor with pride founders and locals

also getting stronger which is exactly the point of pride.” “It was a fabulous festival, and we felt very well taken care of,” added music act Norwood. “The amount of hard work done to make this event a reality is absolutely amazing!”

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AN expat is taking on the millionaire backers of Brexit with a 2,000-mile protest walk from Gibraltar to Westminster. Madrid-based Anthony Hogan has set out to raise €505,000, the same amount ‘bad boy of Brexit’ Arron Banks donated to Nigel Farage. The colossal walk will take him from Gibraltar to Westminster, via Malaga, Barcelona, Paris, and Brussels while money raised has been promised to pro-Remain parties. “I want to show that an-

ybody can do something to challenge the lies and Brexit agenda which threatens the stability of British Citizens living in Europe and of course the security of Gibraltar,” Hogan told the Olive Press. “It's clear that Brexit is about the wealthy financial backers of the referendum making lots of cash off the back of the result.” For every mile he walks, Anthony has to raise an average of €250 to meet his target along the 22 week trek, which begins in two months time. Despite the risk of heat exhaustion and injury, Anthony

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PROPERT Y OF THE WEEK

GREEN

Plastic shame THE Costa del Sol has seen a ‘widespread’ increase of plastic on its beaches and in the sea, with Malaga one of the worst offenders. That is according to a report by the Ministry of Energy Transition and a leading Spanish oceanographer. The Alboran Sea is fast becoming a ‘problem’, due to plastic waste and microfibres, that can leach into the sea from clothes in washing machines.

Malaga has ‘strikingly’ high microplastic level amid ‘widespread’ increase on Costa del Sol It also argues that unless concrete measures are put in place, the issues of ocean contamination will get worse. Microplastics are items of less than 5mm in length, and come from polystyrene packaging, microbeads in skin products,

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

THE shocking scale of greenhouses in Almeria has been laid bare by photos taken from space by NASA astronauts. The space agency included two images of the ‘sea of plastic’ near El Ejido in a free picture library that dates back to 1920. Clearly visible from space, the man-made structures stretch for tens of kilometres and were first snapped in 2004 by crew aboard the International Space Station. “You know exactly where to look, you can see some very small triangles of shadow that are the pyramids of Egypt, but the greenhouses are easily spotted without paying attention to them,” explained Pedro Duque, the first Spaniard in space.

as well as fibres from synthetic garments. “The load of microplastics in the sea is so high that it is already part of the ecosystem,” Salud Deudero, a spokesperson for the Spanish Institute of Oceanography said.

It comes after around 25,000 pieces of plastic were found on public beaches along the Alboran sea, between 2013 and 2018. In the affected area, from Gibraltar up to Almeria, scientists also discovered 30 microplastic particles per kilo of sand. Meanwhile, the average number found in Alboran seabed sediment was 130 microplastic particles per kilo, while in Malaga it is a ‘striking’ 300.

Textile

Deudero added: “If we removed packaging and bottles and used less textile fibres, the change would be spectacular.” Despite a greater incidence of microplastics than larger rubbish like plastic bottles, bags and rope, the professor claimed larger items pose a greater threat to marine life. “Of the microplastics we know with certainty that it has subchronic effects on species, but we do not have certainty of whether that would cause marine life to collapse,” he added. The research also found that 26% of all plastic contamination was caused by tourists. Maritime transport was responsible for 18%, while cleaning activities contribute 8% and fishing 1%.

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Popping off

LEGENDARY music festival Fuengirola Pop Weekend has called time on its 10 years of success. The decade-old annual event of pop, soul, rock, garage, surf and ska will not take place this year due to a lack of demand. The 2018 edition, at POG's Old Irish Rock Bar, saw capacity drop to 300 from the 1,000 who attended when it was located at Castillo Sohail. “With little support, it is difficult for an independent project to last over time,” promoter Antonio Sanchez revealed, adding ‘we'll see’ about next year.

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

what’s on

From the Berlin Wall collapse to Disney princesses, there is something for everyone at the new Malaga Lego exhibition THE biggest Lego exhibition in Europe has arrived on the Costa del Sol. Some 110 models are on display at the event, which runs until September 22. More than five million Lego bricks make up the constructive fun, which is spread across 1,400 square metres at Muelle Uno in Malaga City. A total of 12 ‘themed’ zones’ covering everything from Star Wars to musical instruments are the centre of the impressive display. One of the highlights is a 1:25 scale model of the Titanic, made from over 500,000 pie-

Back to the 80’s SAN Roque sees George Michael and Tina Turner tributes hit the stage at 9pm at Casino Admiral on June 29, in the ‘Back to the 80’s’ night.

Bricking it

AMAZING: Lincoln Memorial and Captain America

ces of Lego. Footballer Robert Lewandowski and tennis player Martina Navratilova also get a look-in, with 1:1 scale models of the athletes also on display.

Big dreams A BRITISH expat has appealed for submissions to a newly launched international film festival at his parents’ pub. Samuel Wiggins, 26, From Essex, told the Olive Press that the ‘Frog and Toad Film Festival’ is accepting entries until August. The Frog and Toad pub in Alhaurin el Grande is set to host the inaugural celebration of short films on September 1, featuring screenings and an awards

11 11

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

ceremony. “We’ve had a good response so far, with films from the UK, Brazil, Croatia, Nepal and Sweden,” added Samuel, who works in the pub with Steven and Rachel, his parents. “I like to think we could be as big as Cannes, London and Sundance.” Submissions can be made at www.filmfreeway.com/ FrogandToadFilmFestival TEAM: In Alhaurin

Meanwhile children and families will love the Lego models of Harry Potter, Disney princesses, Lord of the Rings, Smurfs and Avengers. History buffs are catered for too, as key moments of the 20th century are also depicted in colourful brick. The collapse of the Berlin Wall, the first man on the moon, and the Apollo 11 mission are all represented here. Scientific Lego constructions at the event include a detailed scale model of the human lung system and a moving train network between Warsaw, Berlin and Paris. A Duplo zone with building tables for

little ones and an interactive 3D gallery complete the huge array on offer at this playful event. After leaving Malaga on September 22, the exhibition then visits Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Sevilla. Muelle Uno is located in the main square in front of the Pompidou Center at Malaga Port, 29016. Tickets are between €6.50 and €9.50, depending on the time of the day you visit, while there is a 50% discount for ‘combined entry’. Visit www.expopiezaslego.es and www.3dgallery.es for more information.

Beach soul THE free-entry Costa del Soul festival is in Estepona from June 21-23 at 10pm each day on Playa de la Rada.

Ladies day Los Arcos bar and restaurant in Benavista hosts a ‘Ladies Day’ on June 20 with a special menu, including free cava, to celebrate Royal Ascot.

Independent OJEN hosts Ojeano from June 28-29, a festival of exciting indie, avant-garde and pop acts, with weekend camping options available.

Situated on an idyllic square, next to the church, in the heart of Benalmadena Pueblo lies Restaurant El Muro. With stunning views and a traditional rustic interior, it’s a must visit. DAYTIME TAPAS MENU just €9.95 – 3 tapas, glass of wine, beer or soft drink with bread EVENINGS – Serving traditional Spanish dishes, various paellas and specialitites such as whole salt baked sea bream Monday: 18.00-22.30 Wednesday to Saturday: 12.00-22.30 Sunday: 13.00-22.30 Tuesday closed Calle Santo Domingo, Benalmadena Pueblo tel: 951 773 103

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

While immigration stirs heated debate, two photographers cast a more neutral light on a natural phenomenon that also brings hoards of expats to Spain

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Incoming

SOMBRE: An empty refugee dinghy drifts on the water between the coast of Lesbos and Turkey. PHOTO: E. Vourloumis

HE history of humanity has been one of migration. As hunter-gatherers, we roamed here and there in search of food and shelter. This went on for thousands of years and then farming came into the equation and we became more territorial. But still we moved about, particularly when crops failed or natural disasters occurred.

Nowadays migration carries negative connotations. How are we going to contain it? Curb it? Or assimilate it? Although it is seen as a problem with a capital P, two photographers are altering the perspective with their PHotoESPAÑAOffland exhibition, showing until July 23 in Madrid’s Centro Galileo. Part of the Futures TransEuropean project exhibiting in

Madrid, Helsinki and Athens, Alessia Rollo and Eirini Vourloumis have zoomed in on the sensitive subject with a wider angle. Through their pictures they demonstrate that migration is a natural human activity unlikely to be stopped in its tracks by Trump’s walls or Vox’s rhetoric, but talking about it in negative terms shapes our thinking and turns it into something to fear.

“We always use negative vocabulary to describe immigration,” Alessia tells me. “For example, in Italy, we use the military word for the boat that picks up the refugees, instead of the word for a civilian vessel, which gives the impression we are being invaded.” One of Alessia’s photographs shows graffiti-like markings on a tower in Salento, southern Italy, where migrants arriving

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

MOVING: Watermelons represent the plight of refugees and migrants on the beach in Salento, Italy. PHOTO: Alessia Rollo 600 years ago left their mark. locals were the first to help reEirini, meanwhile, has focused fugees land safely and provide on the 15 km stretch of coast food and shelter, forcing them on the Greek island of Lesbos to remember their own family where the majority of Syrian histories. refugees were arriving in Both photographers show mind-boggling numbers during the lives of the new settlers the height of the crisis in 2015 evolving. And though Alessia – at the rate of 2,000 a day. explores the harsher aspects It is an episode that mirrored of the experience, she insists the waves of refugees coming she has tried to avoid invading from Turkey in the 1920s due the privacy of immigrants at to a forced population ex- crucial moments in their jourchange. Eirini’s ney. Instead she picture series, uses the image entitled The of smashed waMermaid Matermelons on a ‘Cursed is the donna, imbue beach to reprethe backdrop sent those who land that does for repeated come ashore in migrations with desperate cirnot feed its magic realism. cumstances. children’ “SkalaSikamiThese sensitive nias is a village portrayals of built on refuthe phenomegees and my non of migrawork is a meditation on the vi- tion, perhaps the most comllage and its experience – and pelling political issue on the it’s not a negative one,” she global agenda today, stand in tells me. stark contrast to the views of According to Eirini, due to the parties like Vox in Spain, the lack of immediate action from Brexit Party in the UK, the Nathe Greek government and the tional Rally in France, Italy’s European Union in 2015, the League and Golden Dawn in

Greece. “We need to know who is coming in. I need to know if they have a criminal record, if they are ne’er-do-wells or murderers,” Vox Algeciras counsellor Antonio Gallardo bluntly told me in the run-up to the elections in May. “We can’t let people in with no documentation just because they have arrived on a dinghy or under a lorry. Once they’re inside Spain, we take them in, we give them food, we take them to the detention centre and try to find a solution. Why? What obliges me to allow them to enter? Where do you get the idea they are dying

PERSPECTIVE: The road to the refugee camp that the refugees walk after coming ashore. PHOTO: E. Vourloumis of hunger?” Spain has itself, of course, been a country of economic emigres, with many shipping out during the 1960s and 1970s to find work, and again during the 2008 crisis. Take My Eyes director Icíar Bollaín who documented their plight in the 2014 film En Tierra Extraña – In a Strange Land, which focused on the lives of Spaniards trying to make a living in Edinburgh. It features the memorable

Estepona Rocks takes music fans on a musical journey from the 60’s to present day

HE Pink Purple Zep Fest II (Estepona Rocks) is the much anticipated follow up to the critically acclaimed and inaugural ‘The Pink Purple Zep Fest’, which took place in the Plaza de Toros, Estepona on August 26

2017. As with the original event, The Pink Purple Zep Fest II is a celebration of the music of some of the biggest names in rock history, but for 2019 has been extended to a two-night event. Fans will go on a musical journey which starts in the 1960’s through the intervening decades, right up to modern day. Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin were all formed during the 1960’s and were initially classified in the psychedelia, blues and pop genres. However, as they proceeded into the 70’s, they all very quickly developed their own distinct musical styles and grew in to some of the biggest - and in the case of Deep Purple - loudest rock bands in the world. AC/DC, Guns n Roses and Foo Fighters were formed in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s respectively and although they have all gone through turbulent times they’re all still performing today. To catch a full weekend of the music of these bands, get yourself down to the Plaza de Toros in Estepona from June 28-29. Tickets start from €20 and are available from pinkpurpleproductions.com.

high-profile Brit to migrate, albeit temporarily, to a country whose politics and culture called George Orwell to arms in 1936 and inspired Laurie Lee’s When I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, which ends with the poet trapped by the Civil War. Here are 10 other interesting immigrants who arrived in Spain from the north of Europe… and have certainly enriched the lives of the local Spanish since.

Celebrity migrants These 10 British celebrities and notables all migrated or semi-migrated to Spain Carl Fogarty

AKA Foggy, the most successful World Superbike racer of all time, has a home in Javea, Costa Blanca.

Rock of ages

line, ‘Cursed is the land that does not feed its children’, uttered by the protagonist’s grandfather. Bollaín is married to Scottish scriptwriter Paul Laverty whom she met on the set of Ken Loach’s 1995 Spanish Civil War film, Land and Freedom. They subsequently made the heavily ethnic district of Lavapies in Madrid their home before moving to Edinburgh in 2003. Paul would not be the first

Michael Robinson, 60, former Liverpool striker and TV personality in Spain, lives in Madrid and is another to have taken Spanish nationality. Mark Thatcher may still be keeping a low profile in a rented home in Marbella. If so his strategy is clearly working as he’s been off the radar for eons.

Best-selling author Chris Stewart, the original drummer for the rock band Genesis, lives in the Alpujarras of Granada and has set up a walking tour that provides the backdrop to each of his four books. Concert pianist and writer James Rhodes lives in Madrid. The 44-year-old told El País: “I love this country. I look up to her. Metaphorically and literally.”

James Bond actress Honor Blackman, 93, famous for her unforgettable role as Pussy Galore in the Bond movie Goldfinger, has a villa in Moraira, Alicante, and once said that Spain was her favourite destination.

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The matador El Inglés, otherwise known as Frank Evans, 76, the son of a Salford Butcher, lives in Marbella and has taken Spanish nationality.

Freddie Starr The iconic British comedian lived in Mijas for years before he passed away earlier this year. Cilla Black This British TV legend was a well known part of the expat community in Mijas before tragically dying at her home there a few years ago.

Joe Strummer of the Clash carried on a love affair with Spain – particularly Granada and San José in Almeria – between 1984 and 2002, when he died unexpectedly from a heart defect. When asked why in an interview with a daily Granada paper, he said, “Obviously because I am obsessed with Andalucía. Secondly, because the atmosphere in London is depressing, the people are depressed. Thirdly, and most importantly, I have come here to think.” In 2013, the authorities in Granada honoured Joe with a square in his name

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

How two lost coins could rewrite Spanish history and put conquistadors in the US hundreds of years earlier

E’VE all heard the expression… ‘not having two coins to rub together’ … implying

‘skint’. But for one hiker in the American desert of Utah the expression takes on a new meaning. In fact, his two coins could rewrite Spanish-American history as we know it. Last September, while hiking in the desert of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, he found two Spanish coins that appear to be centuries old. The Glen Canyon area is huge (5,076 sq. kilometres) - a vast landscape of desert punctuated by dry river beds and a labyrinth of canyons. At one point in history it was the unexplored and unmapped northern extreme of New Spain (today’s Mexico). The hiker promptly (and correctly) turned the coins in to Park authorities and now the mystery begins. Experts have determined one coin was minted in Madrid circa 1662-1663. The other smaller coin dates to the 1290s! This is most curious. How is it that two

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

It’s a cointoss… COLLECTABLE: Spanish coins from 17th and 13th century

coins minted 400 years apart were found on the same patch of ground 5,000 miles from Madrid? How is it that these two coins predate any recorded Spanish settlement or exploration in this remote part of the Spanish New World? The mystery remains unexplained but Park officials are working on three theories… The first possibility is the most mundane. It could be that the coins were part of someone’s collection and were somehow lost. Or, perhaps PIPPED TO THE POST?: Columbus someone in-

Costa del classics

tentionally planted the coins to perpetuate a hoax in a nefarious attempt to gain archaeological attention. Stranger things have happened in the field of archaeological study. Another theory is that the coins were used by early Spanish traders who settled much further south but bartered with the Navajo and other tribes who called the Glen Canyon home. This possibility excites many local historians and archaeologists because ‘it captures one more interaction of the two cultures coming together’, says park archaeologist Brian Harmon. The first recorded presence of the Spanish anywhere near Glen Canyon was in the mid-1770’s when Franciscan missionaries Dominguez and Escalante came through the area, trying to find a route from Santa Fe (now New Mexico) to the Pacific Ocean.

Hottest classic car and bike show around coming to Estepona

Join the club, follow ‘Costa Sur Clasicos’ on Facebook

ERCS, Mustangs and even motorbikes… All these and more are on display at the thrilling Classic Car and Motorcycle event coming to Estepona. From June 29-30, 10am to 8pm, the Palacio de Congresos hosts the third edition of this exciting exhibition, hosted by Costa Sur Clasicos. The event is completely free for those looking to give their vintage motor some much-deserved exposure and maybe even sell their car or bike. Stands for businesses and spaces for vehicles are free-of-charge, with an area outside the exhibition hall reserved for Classic Car Clubs and owners. Public entry to this unmissable motoring showcase is just €10, with 10% of the proceeds from each ticket going to the Cancer and Alzheimer Fund. With cars and bikes dating from 1929 to 1988, there is really isn’t a better place on the Costa del Sol to

witness driving through the ages. But it’s not all about motors at this family-friendly event. There will be a DJ to keep the party going, as well as live music from the Hawlin Ramblers. A raffle will also be held, with winners getting their hands on tickets to Kart&Fun Estepona. Also on offer is a spare parts market, as well as food trucks, craft beer and much more. Last year’s event even saw someone snap up a Harley-Davidson, so anything could happen. If you want a space for your classic car or bike, or if you have any other questions, then email costasurclasicos@gmail.com

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

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SITE: In Utah where the coins were found while (inset) Escalante discovering the same valley They were unsuccessful. Their recorded route did not take them and their Spanish army accomplices near Glen Canyon but it is not hard to imagine some Spanish soldiers breaking away to seek alternate routes. Also, it has been noted by historians that it was customary for Spanish soldiers in the New World to carry old coins as favoured souvenirs for good luck.Perhaps the most exciting theory - and probably the least likely - suggests that the Spanish could have been in the Glen Canyon area as much as 500 years earlier than currently believed. It is well known that Christopher

Columbus ‘discovered’ the Ameri- two coins very seriously. They cas in 1492 for Spain. How is it did not make the story public that a Spanish coin minted 200 until last month and they are years before the less than specific arrival of Columas to the exact bus to the New location of the World ends up in Were the Spanish find. They hope Utah? Could the to avoid a rush in the New Spanish have of visitors to the reached what is World 500 years area with metal now the southern detectors which and western Uni- before previously could disturb ted States before any additional thought? 1492? These evidence. They questions must have sent an be asked. archaeological The Glen Canyon Park Service is team to the site and have begun taking the investigation of these exploring many of the nearby box

canyons where these coins could have eroded out of or washed down from. The hiker who found the coins has chosen to remain anonymous and has received no financial reward - although rubbing these two coins together (figuratively speaking) has certainly produced a wealth of historical speculation! Is it a hoax? Was there commerce between established Spanish settlements far to the south and Native Americans from the Glen Canyon area? Were the Spanish in the New World 500 years before previously thought? The answer is a coin flip. Pun intended.

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Issue 30

June 2019

Page XX

Gareth Bale scores

PLOT: 4,000 m2

Vol. 4 Issue 98 www.theolivepress.es June 5th - June 18th 2019

Outrage as millions of protected birds are killed and secretly served up in restaurants across Andalucia

pad

E might be getting nudged out of Real Madrid, but EXCLUSIVE Bale is strengthening Gareth his ties to along the famous southern Spain. Golden The much-maligned features other celebrity Mile, which Welsh wizard has spent a small including ex-England homeowners, fortune on a new midfielder Tim property on the Costa Sherwood. del Sol, despite expectation of his The penthouse is just return to the UK this summer. from Finca Cortesin, a 20-minute drive The Olive Press can sort in Casares wherethe luxury golf rewho signed for Los reveal the striker, tee up and has stayedBale, 29, loves to million six years agoBlancos for €100 over the last few years. at several times has snapped up a from Tottenham, He knows La Trinidad well as he has droom apartment stunning three-bestayed at his agent in Marbella for just Jonathan Barnett’s under €2 million. home in the urbanisation a number of The Welshman managed times. The purchase to knock around 10% off the threatened to ‘stay comes after Bale price of the properand play golf’ if the ty, which was on the remainder of his market for around Real €2.2 million. paid. The father-of-threecontract is not said: “I’ve got According to sources three years left on my the deal, the modern closely linked to want me to go, they’ll contract. If they pad is situated in need to pay me the exclusive La Trinidad €17 million per season. urbanisation If not, I’ll stay here. And if I have to play golf, I will.”

PLOT: 1,760 m2

VICTORY LOOMS

SEE PULLOUT

AROUND 300,000 Andalucia need no owners of illegal homes in happened longer fear the Junta’s several times before. dozers thanks to plans Meanwhile, bull- ond proposal to speed up the legalisaaims to toughen sanctioninga section process. inspection once the royal and decree is in place so that While a royal decree illegal homes ularities is still beingaddressing property irreg- The objectiveare less likely to built in the future. drafted, these new of the fast track scheme sures allow homeowners mea- continue ‘without is to more stability. as The main aim is to according to Marifranmany obstacles as before’, grant more properties Carazo, Andalucia’s many of them expat-owned new - AFO status (asim- Minister of Public Works. ilado fuera de ordenacion). It comes after the This gives houses southerly region, President of Spain’s most ‘semi-legality’, saving Juanma Moreno, from being demolished them modifications outlined by the Junta which has (LOUA), givingto the Andalucia planning law owners of illegal homes a ‘sec- HELP: Graffiti for homeowners

ond chance’. “We can’t have 300,000 cia,” the PP leader said, illegal homes in Andaluof illegal properties adding that around 90% would be regularised. Maura Hillen, president of illegal homes action group AUAN, also believed a ‘precedent’told the Olive Press that she had been set in the case a British couple. of Expat pensioners emerged victorious Noel and Christine Payne after a 16-year legal over their illegal home battle described as a ‘positive’ in Albox, which Hillen sign of the future.

SONG OF SORROW

A combination of restrained policing and good-natured fans turned a potential Champions League final nightmare into a game of cricket in the capital. The statistics are nothing short of amazing. As the huge clear up operation got By Deirdre Tynan underway on Monday morning, it emerged that only 11 arrests were made out of an estimated 100,000- A SHOCKING two-and-a-half milplus British fans who descended on lion birds are killed in Andalucia the capital at the weekend. every The 4,700 cops tasked with the job of vest. year during the olive harpolicing the all-British final generally Millions behaved admirably, in comparison uumed more songbirds get vacto their counterparts in Sevilla and intensiveinto machinery during night-time harvesting Barcelona over recent years. across Spain and Portugal. Birds including goldfinches, Hooliganism greenfinches and wagtails are Their aim was to contain the big among the worst affected during groups of rival fans from Liverpool the harvest season between Octoand Tottenham, the vast major- ber and January. At least 17 species are affected by ity who arrived without tickets and the practice, which was brought to many without accomodation. Far from the feared predictions of light by an Ecologistas en Accion CRUSHED: (Left) Greenfinches widespread ‘hooliganism’ in the study in January 2018. and (far right) Wagtails are being slaughtered by olive farming Spanish press, the weekend, passed The green group estimated that around 2.6 million dead birds per by 100 birds were being killed per off almost entirely without incident. the Guardia Civil’s environseason, just in Andalucia. “It will prevent migratory birds mental arm “The fear of hooliganism has been hectare of farmed land, leading to The shocking statistics confirmed ing probed Seprona, are now be- from being caught by the majust that; fear, as the British fans beby the Junta. The Sevilla-based body is now un- chine’s spotlights,” he added. haved with enthusiasm and cordialder pressure to outlaw the practice "It is a real problem, with pressing ity,” reported El Confidencial. of night harvesting, since publish- and serious environmental reperWith the exception of a few idiots, IT will go down as the greatest reunion ing a report on the problem in Oc- cussions, which transcend the nathe mood was extremely friendly of the tional and geographical limits of year. tober. with fans mixing well and the police Robbie Williams is set to rejoin Take Worse still, tens of thousands of Andalucia.” generally playing their part admiraThat at a headline show in Gibraltar this summer, the birds are being sold to restau- Pressure has grown on Spain, after bly. the Olive Press can reveal. rants as a dish, long popular in in- a number of British supermarkets There was only one report of brutaliconfirmed they are also probing He will be reunited with his former land Andalucia. ty where, allegedly, 50 Spurs fans got bandmates at Gibraltar Calling Festival in September. The dish - known as pajarito fri- the practice with an eye on ban‘battered’ outside a bar near Puerto Organiser Richard Coram revealed to - has been outlawed for many ning olives or olive oil produced in del Sol. to the Olive Press this week that ‘Robbie Williams this way. years, especially when the birds in The only recorded offences were is definitely involved’. Tesco confirmed it was investigatquestion are endangered species. for drug possession, assault, flying He added: “I can give you the heads up that he “This practice is illegal and highly ing how olives are collected for its a drone and public indecency. And will be involved in one way or another.” condemned due to a lack of suffi- oils after many buyers expressed one British woman was arrested for The former frontman left the band in 2016, cient health guarantees for public concerns, following the publicaselling fake tickets. so it would be a timely return. health,” said a Junta spokesman tion of the report in journal NaThe 32-year-old apparently told Half of the tickets to the festival have ture last week. this week. two fans she could get them into the already been sold, with many more No charges have yet been brought "We're currently looking into how acts to be added to the bill, that against any farmers or hotels, we pick these olives so, by the time already includes Liam Gallaghit comes to harvest them, all Continues on Page 3 however the Junta confirmed er and Mel C. it necessary changes will have the was looking at banning ‘super-inbeen made," said a spokesman. tensive’ harvesting at night. Numerous olive oil firms in Spain - the world’s biggest producer of what is termed ‘liquid gold’ - harvest at night as the cooler temperatures better preserve the aroma of the olives. Lettings | Sales UK BASED ALL AREAS The issue is the bright lights Investments | Relocations COVERED of the tractors, which dazzle the sleeping birds leading to 4G UNLIMITED Commercial and Residential Reliable private hire transfer many being sucked into the services for any occasion machinery and crushed. 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EXCLUSIVE nudged out E might be getting but Gareth Golden Mile, which along the famous of Real Madrid, his ties to celebrity homeowners, features other Bale is strengthening midfielder Tim including ex-England southern Spain. Welsh wizard drive Sherwood. new The much-maligned is just a 20-minute fortune on a reThe penthouse the luxury golf despite has spent a small Costa del Sol, from Finca Cortesin, Bale, 29, loves to property on the return to the UK this where his sort in Casares stayed at several times expectation of tee up and has years. striker, summer. can reveal the he has over the last few The Olive Press Los Blancos for €100 Trinidad well as He knows La Jonathan Barnett’s who signed for ago from Tottenham, stayed at his agent a number of million six years a stunning three-bedhome in the urbanisation comes after Bale has snapped up in Marbella for just if the times. The purchase and play golf’ room apartment threatened to ‘stay Real contract is not under €2 million. managed to knock his remainder of said: “I’ve got The Welshman the price of the properIf they paid. The father-of-three around 10% off the market for around on my contract. three years left they’ll need to pay me ty, which was on want me to go, season. If not, I’ll stay to €2.2 million. closely linked €17 million per to play golf, I will.” According to sources pad is situated in here. And if I have the deal, the modern Trinidad urbanisation the exclusive La

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related to noise. of single-family houses Vacation rental if they are loban rentals of the will also be prohibited Spanish city to rural land, near to become first areas. cated on protected will be the first Palma airport, or in non-residentialsaid: “We short tourist apartments FROM July, Palma and it also affects Mayor Antoni Noguera in Spain to limit basis of the genSpanish city single-family homes, it and neighborhoods, on this on the it will city after Barcein the agreed we believe that they term rentals to second Spanishspend the most on social harmony’. a significant rise when eral interest, and several it the has been announced. There has been filed by resi- create a trend in other cities has come after city of lona where residents is key.” of complaints The decision by the chief numberdue to problems with tourists see that finding a balance tour- rent. Hila, the local typically studies commissioned the effects of mass According to Jose tourist accommoda- dents,rent these apartments, Palma showed who and workers. planning, of buildings prices of city ism on local residents ‘affects the makeup average rental Since 2013 the 40% in Palma, making tion have soared by

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of the Cruise ships make Palma one most polluted ports in the world

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By Jon Clarke, in Madrid

amazing. got As the huge clear up operation it underway on Monday morning, emerged that only 11 arrests were made out of an estimated 100,000on plus British fans who descended the capital at the weekend. of The 4,700 cops tasked with the job policing the all-British final generally to behaved admirably, in comparison their counterparts in Sevilla and Barcelona over recent years.

Hooliganism

By Laurence Dollimore PALMA is among the five most polGillian Keller luted ports in Europe. the An alarming study has found huge number of cruise ships that times as much toxic sulphur dioxide visit the city are leaving an indelible as all the cars in Europe combined. afmark on the environment. The report comes out just days The Mallorca capital joins Barcelo- ter the company agreed to pay a na, Venice, Civitavecchia and South- $20m (€17m) fine and undertake ampton in being crowned the most increased monitoring after it conpolluting ports on the continent. tinued to dump sewage and plastic The research, published by green waste in the sea. group Ecologistas en Accion, exam- The company, the world’s largest ined air pollution in ports with high cruise operator, is also guilty of leaklevels of passenger ships. ing gas and dirty water and falsifyCarnival cruise ships - which num- ing records of incidents in the US. which ber nearly 30 in total - are the worst 10 The Florida-based company, offenders, producing more than

KILLER: Cruise ship billowing controls 50% of the global market, claimed in a statement: “Carnival remains committed to environmenthe tal excellence and protecting

Bin arsonist snared at last...

big Their aim was to contain the groups of rival fans from Liverpool and Tottenham, the vast majority who arrived without tickets and many without accomodation. of Far from the feared predictions widespread ‘hooliganism’ in the Spanalish press, the weekend, passed off most entirely without incident. just “The fear of hooliganism has been that; fear, as the British fans behaved rewith enthusiasm and cordiality,” ported El Confidencial. the idiots, few a of exception With the mood was extremely friendly with fans mixing well and the police generally playing their part admirably. There was only one report of brutalgot ity where, allegedly, 50 Spurs fans ‘battered’ outside a bar near Puerto

...His reign of terror - all because he couldn’t take his dog off the lead

? Untitled-1.pdf

frastructure. This includes Gibraltar, which also particularly suffers from the arrival of cruise ships, plus the hundreds that sail past the Straits each year. Policy director of European campaigning group Transport & En-

See full report page 4

15:36

16/06/2017

smoke off Palma environment in which we live, work and travel. “Our aspiration is to leave the places we we touch even better than when first arrived.” in Royal Caribbean Cruises, founded is Norway, but also based in Florida, the second most polluting fleet globally. According to the latest study, Spain, Italy and Greece are the countries most exposed to pollution from emissions of sulphur dioxide. imThis is mainly because they are but portant tourist destinations, also because they ‘have less strinof gent regulations on the limitation sulphur in marine fuels.’ that is ports in Another problem marine fossil fuel is not taxed, whilea shore-side electricity is under 2003 EU energy tax directive. run It makes it cheaper for ships to the electricity needed for their restaurants and on-ship entertainment by burning fuel while docked. Not enough European ports have ininvested in shore-side electricity

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EXCLUSIVE: Most Wanted ‘Killer’ Liverpool fan allegedly seen in Madrid for Champions League final

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ONE of Britain’s most-wanted minals Kevin Parle is believedcriEXCLUSIVE to By Jon Clarke, Charlie Smith have attended the Champions League Final in Madrid. & Tim McNulty THE largest police operation in Spa- An eye-witness took pictures of the nish sporting history has ended suc- alleged double murderer at the Rei- The TV detective told the Olive Press na Sofia art museum on the morning cessfully in Madrid. in April how Parle was a ‘huge LiverA combination of restrained poli- of the match. pool fan’ and very likely to be in the cing and good-natured fans turned The staunch Liverpool fan - a towe- capital for the game. a potential Champions League final ring 6ft 6ins giant - was wearing a "There's only one place for a Liverred shirt and denim shorts and gave nightmare into a game of cricket pool fan who can afford it on June in the witness 'the the capital. dirtiest look’ ever. He had been walking briskly around 1, and that's Madrid," said Bleksley, The statistics are nothing short who worked for the Met Police’s of the gallery, only unamazing. stopping at one dercover SO10 unit in the 1980s. painting, by Salvador Dali. As the huge clear up operation Last night underway on Monday morning,got "I'm sure it was him. After I took a could well he told the paper: “That be him, but it’s impossiit picture he looked emerged that only 11 arrests were like he was about ble to say for certain. The pics need made out of an estimated 100,000- to punch me right there in the mu- to be verified through a lab with faseum," the source, plus British fans who descended on main anonymous, who asked to re- ce-recognition software.” the capital at the weekend. said. Merseyside Police meanwhile “He then walked The 4,700 cops tasked with the job of you could clearlyoff really fast and thanked the Olive Press for the lead policing the all-British final generally see how tall he and said the pictures would was,” he added. be sent behaved admirably, in comparison off immediately to ‘intel’. to The sighting comes their counterparts in Sevilla and Barafter former Scotland Yard detective Peter Ble- “If verified they will go straight to celona over recent years. Interpol,” explained a spokesman. ksley launched a fresh campaign to The 38-year-old killer is Merseycatch the alleged killer after 14 years side’s most-wanted man, allegedly Hooliganism on the run. involved in the murder of mum-ofTheir aim was to contain the big groups of rival fans from Liverpool and Tottenham, the vast majoriAre these ty who arrived without tickets and really many without accomodation. Far from the feared predictions Spain’s of widespread ‘hooliganism’ in the Spaprettiest nish press, the weekend, passed almost entirely without incident. off streets? “The fear of hooliganism has been just that; fear, as the British fans P roperty behaved with enthusiasm and cordialiBALE-ING IN ty,” reported El Confidencial. With the exception of a few idiots, the mood was extremely friendly with H fans mixing well and the police generally playing their part admirably. VICTORY LOOMS There was only one report of brutality where, allegedly, 50 Spurs fans got ‘battered’ outside a bar near Puerto Find out in del Sol. our Property

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A FORMER Scotland ve has joined forces Yard detectiEXCLUSIVE Press to track down with the Olive Press readers who By Joshua Parfitt know or met most wanted killers.one of the UK’s & Parle to come forward. Laurence Dollimore Peter Bleksley, who The detective-turned-author worked for the Met Police’s undercover particularly wants to SO10 unit told the Olive Press this week. speak to British in the 1980s, has residents “He could bringing alleged asked for help in pecting be living with an unsus- ‘gentle who referred to Parle as a giant’ during partner who knows Parle to justice. murderer Kevin thing no- probe back in 2009. an Olive Press of his background. The 38-year-old He could “I will speak have a wife and kids, to them under and be deliveto Alicante more Liverpudlian fled ring washing the than a decade ago machines - we simply radar and it’s my solemn undertaafter masked gunmen king to never disclose broke into don’t know.” the home of mum-of-three tity,” vowed Bleksley, their idenLucy Hargreaves and who is currently writing a book on Parle to slept on her sofa shot her as she Scandalous help raise awareness. in August 2005. Parle, who is unmissable “If I get a text, call, email, message The investigator is planning with towering height on heading to Madrid of 6ft 6 and a reda via social media I will go straight on June 1, bebeard, is also wanted to lieving Parle the airport and won’t pass with the shooting in connection Previous Olive jump on a plane.” Press investigations chance to watch Liverpoolup the Toxteth lad Liam of 16-year-old have linked FC in the Champions League Parle to Torrevieja gunned down in Kelly, who was the wider Alicante final. and Liverpool back in area, but other “Parle was a huge Liverpool fan, June 2004. sightings have stretched and there’s only one place for a as far as Liverpool “He’s been on the Perth, in Australia. fan who and he could have run for 14 years “He shot a June 1, and that’s can afford it on Madrid,” he said. vented himself,” completely rein- 22-year-old 16 year old boy and a If you know, writes books on Bleksley, who now absolutely mother of three, it’s le, or have knew or ever met Parunsolved crimes, scandalous,” added any relevant information, Bleksley, who is urging any Olive no matter how insignificant, please contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es.

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ON THE LOOSE: Is this murderer Parle (left) while (right) our front page last month

three Lucy Hargreaves, 22, who shot while she slept on a sofa in was August 2005. He is also wanted in connection with the shooting of 16-year-old Toxteth lad Liam Kelly, who was gunned down in Liverpool in June 2004. The Liverpudlian is unmissable with a towering height of 6ft 6ins and with a red beard, which he is likely

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Walk in the park

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Vol. 1 Issue 6

to have shaved off. Police believe he fled to the Costa Blanca after going on the run 14 years ago, and he has been spotted in both Javea and Torrevieja over recent years. Ex-detective Bleksley - who presents a Channel 4 TV show Hunted - particularly wants to speak to British residents who referred to Parle as ‘gentle giant’ during an Olive Pressa probe back in 2009. “I will speak to them under the radar and will never disclose their identity,” he told the paper. After his appeal went national in UK he revealed that a LinkedIn the account under the name ‘Kevin Parle’ has since been taunting him online, saying ‘Keep up the good work Peter xx’. The Olive Press has discovered that the account was set up in Murcia and listed him as a ‘mechanic’. We were unable to find any British mechanics of the same name in the area, which suggests that it really could be the fugitive. “Parle’s shot a 16-year-old boy and a 22-year-old mother of three, yet is still on the run, seemingly in Spain. It’s absolutely scandalous,” added Bleksley.

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Fake news

Biting the hand that feeds Dear Olive Press,

PALS: Fans in Madrid

By Deirdre Tynan

Walk in the park

A SHOCKING two-and-a-half million birds are killed in Andalucia every year during the olive harvest. Millions more songbirds get vacuumed into machinery during intensive night-time harvesting across Spain and Portugal. Birds including goldfinches, greenfinches and wagtails are among the worst affected during the harvest season between October and January. At least 17 species are affected by the practice, which was brought to light by an Ecologistas en Accion study in January 2018. The green group estimated that 100 birds were being killed per hectare of farmed land, leading to around 2.6 million dead birds per season, just in Andalucia.

PLOT: 4,000 m2

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June 2019

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E might be getting nudged out of Real Madrid, but Gareth EXCLUSIVE Bale is strengthening his ties to along the famous Golden southern Spain. features other celebrity Mile, which The much-maligned homeowners, Welsh wizard including ex-England midfielder has spent a small fortune Tim Sherwood. property on the Costa del on a new The penthouse is just a 20-minute expectation of his return Sol, despite to the UK this drive from Finca Cortesin, the summer. luxury golf resort in Casares where Bale, The Olive Press can reveal tee up and has stayed at 29, loves to who signed for Los Blancosthe striker, several times over the last few years. million six years ago from for €100 He knows La Trinidad well has snapped up a stunningTottenham, three-bestayed at his agent Jonathanas he has droom apartment in Marbella Barnett’s for just home in the urbanisation under €2 million. a times. The purchase comes number of The Welshman managed to knock threatened to ‘stay and play after Bale around 10% off the price golf’ if the of remainder of his Real ty, which was on the market the propercontract is not for around paid. The father-of-three €2.2 million. said: three years left on my contract.“I’ve got According to sources closely If they linked to want me to go, they’ll need the deal, the modern pad to pay me is €17 million per season. the exclusive La Trinidad situated in If urbanisation here. And if I have to play not, I’ll stay golf, I will.”

VICTORY LOOMS

SEE PULLOUT

AROUND 300,000 owners Andalucia need no longer of illegal homes in happened several times before. dozers thanks to plans to fear the Junta’s bull- ond proposal aims to toughenMeanwhile, a secspeed up the legalisa- inspection sanctioning tion process. once the royal decree is in place and so that illegal homes are less likely While a royal decree addressing ularities is still being drafted, property irreg- The objective of the fastto built in the future. sures allow homeowners more these new mea- continue ‘without as many track scheme is to obstacles as before’, according to Marifran Carazo, The main aim is to grant stability. Andalucia’s new many of them expat-owned more properties - Minister of Public Works. - AFO status (asim- It comes ilado fuera de ordenacion). after the President southerly region, Juanma of Spain’s most This gives houses ‘semi-legality’, Moreno, outlined saving them modifications from being demolished by to the Andalucia planning the Junta which has (LOUA), giving owners of illegal homes law a ‘sec- HELP: Graffiti for homeowners

ond chance’. “We can’t have 300,000 illegal cia,” the PP leader said, addinghomes in Andaluthat around 90% of illegal properties would Maura Hillen, president of be regularised. group AUAN, also told the illegal homes action Olive Press that she believed a ‘precedent’ had been set in the case of a British couple. Expat pensioners Noel emerged victorious after and Christine Payne over their illegal home ina 16-year legal battle described as a ‘positive’ signAlbox, which Hillen of the future.

SONG OF SORROW

How can people call this fake news if they don't even bother to do some research (Song of sorrow, Issue 319, pg 1)? Who would you have to read it from in order toMosquito believe Screens it? Nature maybe? Or the Junta de Andalucia? Just because you don't want to believe it, or you didn't see it yourself, it doesn't mean that 902 it’s123 a lie. 282 Hooliganism

Their aim was to contain the big groups of rival fans from Liverpool and Tottenham, the vast majority who arri-

ved without tickets and many without accomodation. Far from the feared predictions of widespread ‘hooliganism’ in the Spanish press, the weekend, passed off almost entirely without incident. “The fear of hooliganism has been just that; fear, as the British fans behaved with enthusiasm and cordiality,” reported El Confidencial. With the exception of a few idiots, the Continues on Page 3

CRUSHED: (Left) Greenfinches and (far right) Wagtails

The shocking statistics confirmed by the Guardia Civil’s environmental arm Seprona, are now being probed

Robbie’s return

IT will go down as the greatest reunion of the year. Robbie Williams is set to rejoin Take That at a headline show in Gibraltar this summer, the Olive Press can reveal. He will be reunited with his former bandmates at Gibraltar Calling Festival in September. Organiser Richard Coram revealed to the Olive Press this week that ‘Robbie Williams is definitely involved’. He added: “I can give you the heads up that he will be involved in one way or another.” The former frontman left the band in 2016, so it would be a timely return. Half of the tickets to the festival have already been sold, with many more acts to be added to the bill, that already includes Liam Gallagher and Mel C.

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are being slaughtered by olive farming by the Junta. "It is a real problem, with The Sevilla-based body is now un- and serious environmentalpressing der pressure to outlaw the practice cussions, which transcend reperof night harvesting, since publishing tional and geographical the nalimits of a report on the problem in October. Andalucia.” Worse still, tens of thousands of the Pressure has grown on Spain, after birds are being sold to restaurants as a number of British supermarkets a dish, long popular in inland Anda- confirmed they are also probing the lucia. practice with an eye on banning oliThe dish - known as pajarito frito - ves or olive oil produced in this way. has been outlawed for many years, Tesco confirmed it was investigating especially when the birds in ques- how olives are collected for its oils tion are endangered species. after many buyers expressed “This practice is illegal and highly ns, following the publicationconcercondemned due to a lack of suffi- report in journal Nature last of the week. cient health guarantees for public "We're currently looking health,” said a Junta spokesman this we pick these olives so, byinto how the time week. it comes to harvest them, No charges have yet been brought necessary changes will haveall the been against any farmers or hotels, howe- made," said a spokesman. ver the Junta confirmed it was loo- Numerous olive oil firms in Spain king at banning ‘super-intensive’ the world’s biggest producer of what harvesting at night. is termed ‘liquid gold’ - harvest at “It will prevent migratory birds from night as the cooler temperatures bebeing caught by the machine’s spot- tter preserve the aroma of the olives. lights,” he added. The issue is the bright lights of the tractors, which dazzle the sleeping birds leading to many being sucked into the machinery and crushed. The issue is not a problem during the day. Global olive oil brand Filippo Berio, which offers oil from Spain and Italy among many other countries, confirmed it would be checking its produce. “We will keep consumers upwww.mosquitonick.ws dated as and when we have nick@mosquitonick.ws more information."

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Whatever happened to the concept of personal responsibility? He fell into the harbour and blames the lack of safety measures. I blame him for not looking where he is going and possibly being incapable to walk safely after being out for a night with his mates.

Marc Haywood, Buxton

Reports that a local Belgian mayor has received xenophobic WhatsApp messages are symptomatic of Spain’s increasing persecution of long-term foreign residents. Three months ago, a Dane was reprimanded for walking his two American Staffordshire Terriers, both wearing face guards, and ordered to walk only one at a time. These were dogs for which he’d paid hefty sums to Spanish authorities for ownership licenses and professional training, while local stores profit from the tonnes of dog food he purchases. Last week, a Brit was pulled over for a police check. There was no issue with his driving, but he was reprimanded for failing to produce his passport. At 9:45am on June 8, parking outside a local supermarket for his weekly shop, a German was turfed from his car, as he had failed to transfer his German number plate to a Spanish one. The car was seized and taken to a municipal compound. While we must ALL comply with laws and regulations, such admonishments do little to endear the foreign community to our host country, and call into question Spain's Organic Law 4/2000, protecting the rights and liberties of foreigners and their social integration.

Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 319 www.theolivepress.es June 5th - June 18th 2019

Outrage as millions of protected birds are killed and secretly served up in restaurants across Andalucia

THE largest police operation in Spanish sporting history has ended successfully in Madrid. A combination of restrained policing and good-natured fans turned a potential Champions League final nightmare into a game of cricket in the capital. The statistics are nothing short of amazing. As the huge clear up operation got underway on Monday morning, it emerged that only 11 arrests were made out of an estimated 100,000-plus British fans who descended on the capital at the weekend. The 4,700 cops tasked with the job of policing the all-British final generally behaved admirably, in comparison to their counterparts in Sevilla and Barcelona over recent years.

Personal responsibility

Piss up ‘Reveller’. There we go! No further explanation needed. Destroy the scenery with barriers? Perhaps people should be more responsible when drinking, as the policeman trying to save him almost drowned too.

Tessa Green, Castellon de la Plana

Darwin awards Brits, how about getting pissed in the comfort and safety of your own home, rather than try and win Darwin awards over here.

You have been warned Please alert anyone changing money using currency exchange shops. People are being watched entering, then being followed afterwards. A man had €400 stolen from his wallet in Mercadona Alcazares. He didn't even know it was stolen until he went to pay at the checkout. If you could warn your readers about this nasty trick it would be a real help. Perhaps people should go with a friend and keep a hand on their wallet in a front pocket at all times. I always share the stories in your paper about security to remind people to be extra careful. It's about time Mercadona got some kind of security and banned persistent offenders. Thieves must be captured on the in-store security cameras. Keep up the the great work. Mr and Mrs Russell, Torre Pacheco, Murcia

Johnny Remould, Shetland Islands

British embarrassment

Above the law

Another pissed up Brit making a fool of himself. I visit Puerto Banus several times a year and it’s NOT easy to fall in - if you aren’t off your tits on drink or drugs that is.

Stop building homes illegally and follow the law (Victory looms, Issue 319, pg 13). Most homes in southern Spain that are ‘built illegally are owned by drug cartels, but if expats are involved too, then I'm all for bulldozing. It’s bloody ridiculous, Brits coming to Spain and thinking they are above the laws and the Junta. Nikki Michaels, Gibraltar

Tina Dove, Malaga

Lee Cooke, Manchester

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

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ropical June 2019

DRAMA: Rugged Nerja coastline and (inset) Frigiliana mill

Life in the laid-back East (of the Costa del Sol) has never seemed more appealing, writes ‘West End Boy’ Laurence Dollimore

‘

WELCOME to the most beautiful town in Spain,’ toothless local Jorge calls out in broken English as I wipe the sweat from my brow. (OK, so I still look like a tourist, despite four years in Spain.) I had just hiked up to the top of Frigiliana which has indeed been crowned one of the country’s most picturesque pueblos, as plaques through the village will tell you at every turn. A 10-minute drive up from the coast from Nerja, it’s the pearl in a string of white-washed villages glistening in the hills of the Axarquia and its nearby Granada neighbour, the Costa Tropical. Either way, this is the very laid-back eastern end of the Costa del Sol, and boy, take it from me a ‘westie’ based near Marbella, it really is a breath of fresh air. “This is our little paradise,” beams grandfather Jorge, who has lived here Turn to page 18

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Unspoilt paradise From page 17

ARABIC: Vestiges exist in many villages, including Archez

his entire life. “We have a great local community, amazing food and sunshine, what more do you need?” Some of the views inland wouldn’t look out of place in Jurassic Park - minus the dinosaurs - and hidden in that jaw-dropping landscape is a whole world of stunning mountain villages, underground caves and beautiful, unspoilt hidden coves. Jorge recommends a visit to the outer walls of this old Moorish fortress town, and a break at his friend’s tapas bar, but it’s 300 metres back down the ancient cobbled street. I opt for the closer Las Chinas, having just toiled up the Everest-steep slope in searing heat, the car parked a good

PERCHED: Castle in Velez-Malaga (left) while (above) surfer enjoys shores of the Axarquia coast

kilometre down the road. The food didn’t disappoint: a dorada as meaty as chicken, the whole three-course menu del dia typically for the region, cheap as chips. For something sweeter, head to the only sugar cane factory still functioning in Spain. Still chugging out deliciously sticky molasses (treacle), the El Ingenio miel de cana factory operates from the magnificent 16th century Nuestra Senora del Carmen mansion in the heart of Frigiliana. Delve deeper into its maze of

whitewashed alleyways - maybe after a restorative caña or two - and you can sense the pride here, with abuelas tending to their prize-winning geranium pots and not a scrap of rubbish blowing down the streets. It’s a recipe that’s repeated across the hills of this region - fantastic food, incredible views, charming villages with Arabic ruins and just as friendly people - just ask the expats, who have set up in Sayalonga, Comares, Competa or Salobrena.

If you’re not set on staying quite so rural, Vélez-Málaga the Axarquia’s capital, which offers a faster pace and its own brand of charm. On arriving, there’s only one direction to go – and that’s up! From the ruined Moorish castle you can map the town with its busy roads, coffee shops and bars and a historic quarter typical of so many white hilltop villages embedded throughout a region that was once a jewel of Islam. The route to the castle will

19 June 2019

UNEVEN: Higgledy piggledy streets are part of the appeal while (below) Salobrena castle is a crown of the Costa Tropical

take you to the Jardin de los Remedios, a park that sits parallel to the castle and overlooks a church with a spire that protrudes from the white-washed Lego-stacked houses below. With its streams, miradors and benches, the park is the perfect escape from the bustling centre, offering up fisheye lens views from the Med to the mountain tops. The statue of Jesus - Velez’s answer to Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer - has the best panorama, watching over the action from his lofty perch next to the Ermita de la Virgen church. Head over to the castle and watchtower for a glimpse into the Moorish past which shaped the Axarquia region. Although parts of the building date back to the 10th century, its heyday came 400 years later, when it was one of a chain defending the mighty Arabic Nasrid Kingdom of Granada. The entire city played a part in subduing a notoriously turbulent zone, hence the old Moorish name for it: Ballix-Malaca – or Fortress of Malaga. With 1,500 metres of defensive walls and numerous solid turrets, the castle provided such

strong defence it was used in a military capacity right up to the 19th century. The mountain towns and villages of the Axarquia from Competa to Comares and Archez to Algarrobo are full of signs of their Moorish past and olden days in general. Each has a wonderful crop of white houses stacked higgledy-piggledy around quaint plazas and along timeless cobbled streets. But no trip to the Axarquia is complete with seeing the charming Nerja. It’s famous Balcon de Europa jutting out into the Med offers theatrical views while the popular town has managed to retain its Andalucian credentials and its rocky coves, sandy beaches and pueblo vibe are the envy of its more westerly Costa del Sol rivals. Nerja was left untouched by the massive tourism develop-

FORTRESS: Roman aqueduct has survived to this day

ment boom which hit the likes of Torremolinos and Marbella from the 1950s onwards. But that all changed when five boys on a bat-hunting trip stumbled upon the opening to a cave on a hillside above the tiny fishing village of Maro, a few miles east of Nerja. Vast caverns were revealed, with spectacular rock formations showing evidence of Paleolithic man. General Franco himself came to view the ‘Cueva de Nerja’ and coach-loads of visitors subsequently followed suit. And when Nerja was chosen as a location for the 1980s TV series, Verano Azul, its future as a tourism destination was set. The series left an indelible mark. Now, wherever you go in Nerja, you’ll come across the name, which means blue summer. There is a Verano Azul travel agency, bus company, park, block of apartments ... you may even find a bar serving a Verano Azul cocktail. But if you want to get away from it all - the disco bars, the tourist shops and the bustle - head for one of the small coves just below the town, or nearby in Maro. Nerja’s beaches are cut off from the town and roads, backed by sheer cliff-face. You can sit on the sand for hours in solitude, lose track of time, without seeing a sign of civilisation, just coastline colliding with blue sea in both directions. It is just so un-Costa

del Sol! But then again, I am from the western end. And, sitting alone on my rock, toes in the sea, watching the sun set over Malaga, the sleepy, do-nothing lifestyle of the laid-back ‘East’ has never seemed more appealing.

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Sail away

Enjoy the luxury life for a fraction of the price

OP luxury sailing charter operator Sailnplay has come up with three great new products to celebrate its 12th season on the Costa Tropical. As well as its popular fourhour luxury catamaran sailing trips on Optimist of London II for up to 12 guests, it is now offering a four-hour all-inclusive power yacht experience for up to 10 guests aboard luxury 38ft Rodman, the Charlie Ruggle. Spoil yourselves as you en-

joy complimentary drinks and a magnificent buffet meal served by our ever-attentive crew as you cruise the stunning coastline. You can relish being on board your very own luxury powerboat yacht at a mere fraction of the cost of actually owning one. You’ll visit unspoilt and otherwise inaccessible coves and bays, see dolphins close up and live the dream. Breakfast, lunch, and sunset dinner trips are all available for summer 2019.

Visit www.sailnplay.com or give Mike a ring on 669 118 816.

C T osta

ropical

Magic of the Orient ‘ The sugar-canes rattled like bones on the wind, and the dark-blue mountains stood close around, sharp and jagged, like a cordon of police’

STUNNING: The coastline is much more rugged than the Costa del Sol

O wrote Laurie Lee of his first visit to the Costa Tropical, just before Spain was engulfed in its murderous civil war. Drive along the coast today and you can still appreciate his dramatic imagery. Once upon a time this stretch of the Mediterranean was dubbed the Costa del Sol Oriental. Then, believing that they were being sidelined by the rival resorts up the road in Malaga province, the folk in Granada province woke up. They decided to call their coast the Costa Tropical. And with good reason… not only does it play host to one of the best climates in Europe, it is also one of the most scenic stretches of coastline on the Med. To be exact, the Costa Tropical extends from the eastern edge of

Malaga province close to Nerja, to the frontier with Almería and La Rabita; some 80 kilometres of stunningly varied scenery. Development has yet to make heavy inroads because of the rugged terrain, so forget the miles of ribbon developments you see around Benalmadena and Fuen-

girola. It’s unspoilt here. Soaring headlands and cliffs are interspersed with small coves, except where the Guadalfeo river flows across a flat, fertile delta near Motril. Here and there, on prominent headlands, ancient watchtowers guard the coast. These torres vi-

gía or atalayas are a reminder of the time when the cry “¡Hay moros en la costa!” warned of invaders from Africa and sent whole communities rushing for the hills. These days they are great to have a poke around and get a photo with the stunning backdrop of the mountains dropping into the sea.

Smart move W

June 2019

•

nch and Spanish (native) Full service package

• Own laundry and cleaning

HEN Mathilde Haalstra decided her team needed a new, higher profile office to service the Costa Tropical area, she thought big. Very big. Rather than look for something in the heart of town, or on an industrial estate, the boss of Villas Colores Spain decided to buy an entire building. The fact that is was a hotel perhaps the best in Salobreña - was an added bonus. Now Hotel Miba on the main road above the stunning resort doubles up as her company’s new base, as well as a totally new business opportunity for the ambitious Dutch businesswoman. “I realised it was a win-win straight away,” she explains. “Our last office had no window space for our properties to rent or sell and it was also out of the way.” She has spent the last six months improving the menu, decor and quality of the rooms at the hotel, but still has plenty more ideas for the summer ahead.

FO R

HISTORIC: The Costa Tropical is steeped in history, with centuries old buildings at every turn The first village encountered hea- laga to Orán on the African coast Midsummer Morning — he came ding east out of Nerja is La Herra- took refuge here from a storm. to a halt in ‘Castillo’, a village, dura, on a beautiful horseshoe The wind turned, with extreme ‘backed by a bandsaw of mounbay. Until tourism arrived it was violence, trapping the fleet be- tains and fronted by a strip of grey one of the poorest villages on the tween two headsand which some coast. lands, Cerro Gorhoped would be These days it’s a charming spot, do and Punta de It attracts mainly an attraction for sitting on a pretty stretch of coast- la Mona. tourists’. Spanish visitors Castillo was in line and with an attractive low rise Altogether, an infeel to it. Plenty of expensive ho- credible 25 vesfact Almuñecar. and retains mes dot the Punta de la Mona sels sank leading Lee changed the area, and include that of Spain’s to 5,000 people name to protect its Spanish celebrated guitarist Andrés Sego- losing their lives. his friends. Today character via, who had a house here. Moving along, we modern apartMake sure to head into town to come to the other ment blocks line see the seafront monument that key resort of the the coast here, recalls Spain’s biggest naval di- Costa Tropical, Almuñecar. but fortunately the old town, crowsaster. It occurred in 1562 when When Laurie Lee trekked across ned by castle ramparts, has been 28 ships carrying provisions and Spain in 1935 — vividly recorded preserved. It is an attractive labthe families of soldiers from Má- in his book As I Walked Out One yrinth of narrow streets. While lar-

It also serves as the perfect reception area for clients of the two dozen holiday villas her team rent out on the Costa Tropical, as well as house-hunters visiting the area. “And looking after hotel clients is the same as with the villas,” she adds. “It’s all about attention to detail and good service.” Haalstra moved to Spain from Holland, where she ran a busy town hall, three years ago. Since then she has turned Villas Colores into one of the leading rental companies on the Costa Tropical. All the villas are carefully managed by the office and cleaning team of 20. “We don’t just rent them, we make sure they are carefully managed and run to perfection,” explains the mother-ofthree from Utrecht. “In summer they get fully booked but in the winter and spring they are perfect for holidaymakers looking to be near the beach, golf courses as well as the ski slopes. Granada and Malaga are both less than an hour away.”

SA LE

RE NT

and tax advice)

nd development We speak Dutch (native),

ge numbers of north Europeans visit in winter, it attracts mainly Spanish visitors and retains its Spanish character. Behind the town thousands of tropical fruit trees flourish in the sheltered Río Verde and Río Seco valleys. The unique micro-climate allows the growth of mangos, custard apples and avocados. Sadly though, 1000 years of sugar production on the southern coast of Spain came to an end in 2006 when the last azucarera (cane refinery) closed at nearby Salobreña. Few towns are as impressive on first sight as Salobreña. Its da-

FO R

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Continues on Page 26

LE SA R FO

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Going to the Tropics

C T osta

ropical

From Page 25

zzling white houses, topped by ancient ramparts, clothe a huge rock rising steeply from flat farmland. A long sandy beach, split by a large rock (reminiscent of a basking whale), juts into the sea. Nearby is Motril, the bustling administrative centre of the Costa Tropical. It was known in the 18th and 19th centuries as ‘Little Cuba’ because of the importance of its sugar production. Rum is still being produced in the area on a small scale. You can buy Ron Pálido in local shops. It comes from the surviving distillery, run by Paco Montero. Since the decline of that industry last century, Motril has opted for tourism. It’s worth paying a visit to the Parque de los Pueblos de América, which claims to be the most important tropical botanic garden in Europe, with 36 botanic species imported from the Americas, including coconut palms, jacarandas, magnolias. Meanwhile, learn all about sugar cane production at the Centro de Interpretación at this park. And you can gain a

fascinating insight into the rise and fall of Motril’s sugar industry at the Museo Pre Industrial del Azúcar, in the El Ingenio de la Palma. Inland from here you will find the motorway to Granada city and a short drive inland you will come to some spectacular mountain scenery, dotted with sleepy villages including charming Velez de Benaudalla (right) You must visit Lecrín valley, or the Valley of Happiness as it was known to the Moors. This is a pleasant, slow-paced corner of Granada province where comedian Alexei Sayle has a home. Seismic movements and erosion have gouged deep ravines and soaring cliffs out of these foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Towering over the valley is the Cerro del Caballo, 3,013 metres high. In winter it is often capped with snow while in the sheltered valley be-

low oranges and lemons flourish. If you head east of Motril on the Almería road the coast loses some of its charm. The beaches, backed by steep rocky slopes, tend to be grey and gritty. New farming methods have enhanced local incomes but not the scenery. Terraces have been hacked out of the hillsides and shrouded in plastic to allow intensive crop production. Guaranteed sunshine and sophisticated irrigation methods produce crops from once-barren terrain. Hemmed in by greenhouses, Castell de Ferro has grown into a minor tourist resort, with mainly Spanish visitors. Breakwaters protect the beaches here and at tiny La Mamola, which has acqui-

red a promenade. It attracts summer vacationers and apartment blocks have sprung up. If you are seeking a tranquil hideaway, this could be the ideal spot. Backed by arid, bleak mountains, La Rábita (population around 1,500) has spruced up its seafront and boasts a handsome promenade bordered by palm trees. The name comes from rábitas, fortifications built by the Moors as military-religious sanctuaries. Instead of continuing east into Almería province, turn left and head up into the mountains. Soon you reach La Contraviesa, a bleak, largely uninhabited range of beautiful mountains. From its upper reaches, rising as high as 1,800 metres, you look across the deep Guadalfeo valley to the villages dotting the Alpujarras, as the area on the southern slopes of the Sierra Nevada is known. The panorama is particularly spectacular in spring when the almond blossom contrasts with the distant snow-capped mountains.

A traditional part of meals along the coast and in the Alpujarras is the Vino de la Contraviesa, a hearty rosado. Until recently the region’s wines never rated much attention from connoisseurs. Today, however, half a dozen bodegas are making serious attempts to produce quality vintages by introducing new grape varieties and modernising their methods and making some fine reds and whites. Conditions are unique, as the Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and native vines are wafted by breezes from both the Sierra Nevada and the Mediterranean. Definitely worth a little exploration. David Baird is the author of the best-selling East of Malaga - Your guide to the Axarquia and Costa Tropical. He has lived in the area for decades and also written about the infamous rebels who fought on against Franco after the civil war in his book Between Two Fires - Guerrilla war in the Spanish sierras, much of it based in the Costa Tropical.

Q: What has Nerja got to do with ?

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A: It invented it

T is possibly the most successful board game of all time, with over 100 million units sold in 26 countries and in at least 20 languages... and it was born in the Axarquia. It happened after two young Canadian journalists stayed in Nerja in the winter of 1980, having quit their jobs to work on the game and persuade investors to part with their money. Chris Haney, a high-school dropout, had been working as a picture editor in Montreal while his friend David Abbott was a sportswriter. The pair lived at El Capistrano, a villa resort where Haney’s parents had a house, and they allegedly worked 16 hours a day thinking up questions for their game – fuelled by San Miguel. And lots of it.

But while they enjoyed the paella, the beer and strolls along the Balcon de Europa, they struggled to find investors for ‘Six Thousand Questions’, as it was originally called. Just one Nerja resident decided to invest, a Canadian barman. He is now a millionaire. The game went unnoticed for two years. They lost money on every copy they sold and it looked to be a disaster. But then once the first cheques starting rolling in they never stopped. Within months it was selling by the million and in 1984, Time magazine called it ‘the biggest phenomenon in game history’. And it is still incredibly popular, with Nerja’s first Trivial Pursuit tournament currently being planned for this year.

23 June 2019

To the Moors’ last stand!

One of Andalucia’s most rewarding mountain adventures lies in wait among the olive trees, inland from Nerja, writes Guy Hunter Watts

OVERVIEW This is a relatively easy and emblematic walk, taking up to three hours. The path that leads up from Frigiliana is well marked and easy to follow even if you have some 650m of fairly steep climbing to negotiate. But the extraordinary panorama that awaits at the top more than justifies the effort. Returning by the same route is just as much of a treat: the vast views along the way make this itinerary an absolute must-walk.

OWERING to almost 1000m the rugged massif of El Fuerte provides a stunning backdrop to the pretty village of Frigiliana, just inland from Nerja. The mountain played a dramatic role in the region’s history at the time of the last Morisco uprisings. The Moslems who stayed on after the Reconquest knew they were living on borrowed time yet were loathe to abandon this exquisite swathe of Al Andalus. Taking refuge atop the rocky pinnacle of El Fuerte their theatre. From here head up path divides. Carry straight last stand against de Zuar- the cobbled road beneath ahead passing above the zo’s Christian troops is one El Ingenio passing a row restaurant. After 100m of the most evocative inci- of ceramic plaques. Con- the path narrows then dents of the Morisco rebe- tinue along loops steeply llion. Calle Real upwards. ReaWhen you get to the top of then opposite ching a tiled this dramatic pinnacle of house no.9A bench head Reaching the rock you’ll appreciate why cut right up a straight on fothey chose the mountain as cobbled stair- fabulous Garden llowing a sign a last refuge. case at a sign Castillo. You Restaurant the El Barrio Morispass several path divides The Route co-Mudéjar. At sculptures, house no.13 the work of a The walk begins in Frigiliana pass beneath resident exin the square at the entran- an arch then pat. ce of the village, La Plaza bear right at a sign Panora- Zigzagging higher you will del Ingenio next to a round micas. Reaching the fabu- love the views across the vihut containing a puppet lous Garden Restaurant the llage and east towards the

At the top you appreciate why they chose the mountain as a last refuge

The Nitty Gritty Starting point: La Plaza del Ingenio at the entrance to Frigiliana Grade: Medium Distance: 8.5kms Time: 3hrs Total Ascent/Descent: 730m

BIRDS EYE VIEW: Of Frigiliana

Higuerón valley. Climbing through a swathe of young pines you pass a dilapidated mirador. Passing a second mirador you reach a bluff from where you’ll see a large water tank down to the left. Cut left on a narrow path which zigzags down to a track (15mins) where, angling right, head past the water tank then cut right up a cobbled staircase that passes a mill then zigzags up to a pylon. Here bear left. After climbing steeply the path angles left into a group of pines, descends for a few metres, then resumes its ascent. The trees thin out as views open out towards the Mediterranean. The path runs on towards the northwest, parallel to a ridge which is now to your right. Bearing right it climbs more steeply as views briefly open out to the north. Soon the path adopts its former course to the left of the ridge before passing an old calera (glossary) (55mins) then runs on towards the towering massif of El Fuerte. Passing through a breach in the rocks angle left then continue to the summit of El Fuerte (976m) where you reach a trig point and a sign Fin de Sendero (1hr 40 mins). Return by the same route back to the start point of the walk (3hrs).

SITTING PRETTY: Guy Hunter Watts at the top

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No tropical downpour can dampen the delights of Motril and Almuñecar, towns with different pasts whose Costa Tropical location makes them siblings under the skin, writes Laurence Dollimore

Don’t be warded off by the ‘phantom’

OSTA ‘Tropical’ it certainly was. Searing summer temperatures seemed to arrive early for the one day I chose to visit Almuñecar, one of the most important tourist towns in the province of Granada. But no time for complai-

T is easily the most popular tourist attraction in the Axarquia and it is little surprise that Nerja’s cave pulls in thousands by the day. While some describe them as over-commercialised and not worth the money, the caves are in fact some of Europe’s finest. Despite enormous crowds at peak times, within seconds of descending the stairs you are in an extraordinary place, worlds away from Nerja and the sunny coast. A marvelous glistening underworld of stalactites and stalagmites, sprouting and dripping into weird and wonderful formations, with each flight of stone steps the eerie caverns get more impressive. The ‘phantom hall’ in particular – so called because of the ghoul-like appearance of its structures – is astounding. The vast caves also boast the world’s largest stalagmite; a 32 metre high column verified by the Guinness book of world records no less. And there is a campaign currently underway to get the caves officially recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The site was allegedly discovered by five local lads in 1959, when they went hunting for bats. After dislodging a couple of stalactites they were able to descend into a huge cavern where they found skeletons and ceramic pottery. The caves were officially opened to the public in the summer of 1960.

STRONG FOUNDATIONS: Roman water system in Almuñecar still stands today

Sister

ning, I headed to lively seafront eatery Mar de Plata, where four glasses of wine, two soft drinks and an oversized tapas of hearty Irish stew came in at just €12. It’s one of many food bargains you’ll find in this ancient town, where tapas is often provided free of charge with every drink - not something you would see in the likes of Marbella, where one drink alone can cost the equivalent of my entire lunch bill. After a short sprint back to the hotel, it wasn’t long before tums were rumbling again. It was off to Da Nicola’s pizzeria, owned PICTURESQUE: One of the many beautiful historic buildings in Motril by friendly British tillo’, in an attempt to disgui- amounts of fish and sea salt expat Nigel, who se people’s identities. and a constant supply of moved to the seaside But Almunecar’s history fresh running water, the Rovillage 12 years ago after goes much deeper than the mans built more than 8 km more than 20 years in Lan- Civil War. of water conduits in the vazarote. It was originally called Sexi lleys of the Rio Seco and the “Life is just so much more when it was founded as a Rio Verde in 1 AD, including tranquil here,” he told me, colony by the Phoenicians five significant aqueducts. “there’s a great internatio- around 800 BC - a fact not They are all still standing nal community too, mostly lost on some residents to- and amazingly, after 2,000 British, Swedish and Ger- day, who still refer to them- years, four of them are stiman.” ll in use. The Roman water selves as Sexitanos. The businessman set up Over the next 600 years it supply also served the town his restaurant just over two would become an important and recent excavations in years ago. port and town with a large the centre uncovered the “People move here for a re- fish salting and curing in- fifth aqueduct and a Roman laxed way of life and they dustry that was a major su- baths. definitely get that, it’s not as pplier to Greece and Rome. You can see the most imchaotic as the Costa del Sol The Romans took over the pressive aqueduct (top) just but there’s still a nice buzz town during war with the a three-minute drive from about the place, especially Phoenicians in 218 BC. the centre of town. in summer.” A l m u n e c a r The Romans are believed to An hour’s drithrived and have been the first to fortify ve from Bewas recogni- the Castle of Saint Miguel, The Roman nalmadena, sed for its lo- although frequent rebuilAlmunecar is yalty to Rome ding has destroyed most of aqueducts are more famousin 49 BC its very extensive fortificastill standing ly known as thanks to its tions. an important and in use - after fishy forte. Just below the castle on the setting in BriEvidence of landward side is the Cueva 2000 years tish author this was unco- de Siete Palacios, although Laurie Lee’s vered during it is less a cave and more account of excavations in the largest remnant of a the outbreak of the Spanish the Majuelo Botanical Gar- Roman palace yet found in Civil War. dens in the 1980s, a large Almunecar. His book - As I Walked Out section of which is still on It survived for hundreds of One Midsummer Morning - display. years as ‘social housing’ unreferred to the town as ‘Cas- As they needed huge til the ‘cave dwellers’ were

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WHAT A VIEW: You can see from the coastline to the snowy mountains from the Castillo de San Miguel

act re-housed in the 1970s. Only then did its true origins become apparent and it now houses the town museum. It means there is lots to do and see if you need to pass

June 2019

the time on the very few rainy days here. In summer, you can head to one of over a dozen beaches that play host to thousands of tourists every year. And if you’re looking for more of a city vibe, drive 20 minutes east to Motril, Granada’s second biggest town and the capital of its coast. Here you’ll find great food at great prices, and of course, the legendary free tapa per drink. Once the sugar refinery capital of Andalucia and, arguably, Spain there are still eight old sugar refineries standing tall today. They were once seen as the future of the city, now they are legacies. The Nuestra Señora de la Cabeza is another vestige of the town’s commercial heritage. Both a refinery and a distillery, it sits next to the public swimming pool and the Parque de las Américas.

It was founded by the Larios gin family in 1885 but due to the low salaries paid, the workers tried to burn it down. The town hall also wanted rid of it but the Junta disagreed and has declared it a property of historical heritage to protect its distillery, chimney, store and terrain. Study the history of gin A SLICE OF or drink it and get HISTORY: The leftoy o u r ver Roman ruins from f r e e as far back as 1AD in tapa, a trip Almuñecar (right) to the Costa Tr o p i cal can offer both ... whatever the weather.

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One-eyed bandit! David Baird follows in the footsteps of the bandoleros, who made the Axarquia infamous

CAPTURED: Infamous bandit El Tempranillo was finally captured and kept at Venta de Alfarnate (below)

BOUT the biggest hazard you will meet on the back roads of the Axarquía is a herd of goats, a lorry overloaded with farm produce or a hostelry inviting you to dally for a lazy hour or so. But it was not always so. Bandoleros – or bandits - were once a major feature of life in this area. Colourful types though they were, it did not make the experience of having your valuables purloined at the point of a blunderbuss any pleasanter. In the years following the Napoleonic Wars, so lawless were the roads that the English writer Richard Ford advised travellers to bring along ‘a decent bag of dollars’ to appease any highwaymen you might meet. He also suggested carrying an impressive-looking watch, noting; “The absence of a watch can only be accounted for by a premeditated intention of not being robbed of it, which the ladrón considers as a most unjustifiable attempt to defraud him of his right.” One of the most notorious

19th-century bandits was El Bizco (the one-eyed bandit). They remember him in his birthplace, El Borge. Take a ride up there and witness how the landscape becomes steeply undulating, clothed in olive groves and vineyards.

Your shop in Frigiliana for children and babies Clothing (0-10 yrs) Toys both fun & educational, presents & much more!!!

Calle Real 121, Frigiliana 29788 (Malaga) (+34) 952 52 3786

factory in Europe producing miel tale to tell about smude caña (molasses), on sale in gglers or bandits. Such as Benamargolocal shops. Frigiliana was a flash point in the sa, up a well-watered 1940s when anti-Franco guerri- valley northwest of llas based in the adjacent sie- Vélez-Málaga. rras sought to provoke a general A couple of centuries revolt. In a bid to discredit them, back it was dubbed Franco’s tightly controlled media Gibraltar Chico (Little Gibraltar) because labelled them ‘bandoleros’. If you hike into the mountains the inhabitants were with their abrupt inclines and renowned as smugdeep gorges riddled with caves, glers, particularly of you can see how difficult it was tobacco. for the Civil Guards to track the These days Benamargosa likes to guerrillas. High up, near a pass called the think of itself as the Oasis of the Puerto de Frigiliana, lie the ruins Axarquía. The sheltered environof the Venta Panaderos. Once ment and benign climate allow this inn was a welcome rest tropical fruits such as mangoes stop for muleteers en route to and avocadoes to flourish on the Granada and a meeting place of fertile lands bordering its river. footpads, smugglers, guerrillas — Perhaps most famous for its association with the lawless past is and Civil Guards. Locals tell anecdotes about how a lonely inn standing on a crossthe guards would suddenly arrive, roads at one of the highest points of the Axarquía. discover meals To reach it, you which the guerritake the old road llas had ordered El Tempranillo’s from Málaga to and proceed to Granada, the scoff the food claim was: “In A6103. It weaves themselves. Spain the king its way throuJust east of Nerja the forested is the Río de la rules, but in the gh Montes de MáMiel valley, a delaga then past lightfully peaceful sierra I do” limestone crags spot but once a to the Venta de refuge for smugAlfarnate. glers. When guerrillas landed from First opened in 1691, this inn, North Africa, they trekked up this standing beneath the rocky butvalley to their bases in the moun- tress of the Tajo de Gomer, claims tains and Río de la Miel became to be the oldest in Andalucia. At such a breeding ground of re- weekends it is crowded as ‘dosistance that it was called ‘Little mingueros’ (trippers) tuck into roast kid, partridge and pork. Russia’. Almost every village has some In the past all manner of travellers stopped here. A plaque notes: “In this Venta on April 21 1850 the Mail on the way to Málaga was stolen by a group of 12 armed men. The bandits took particular care to seize a packet of Government prosecutions and criminal lawsuits coming from the Granada chancery.” On one occasion in the 19th century, a horseman rode up as the customers were tucking into gazpacho from a common bowl. Told there were no spoons left, he used the crust of a loaf to scoop up the cold soup — then produced a pistol. RUINED: An old mill in the Rio de la Miel valley once used “Now,” he commanded, “do the same as I do. Eat your spoons!” by smugglers

Several streets are named after revolutionary heroes such as Che Guevara, the legacy of a leftwing, anti-monarchy mayor who often made headlines with his controversial decisions. The Mudejar-Renaissance Rosario church is impressive, with immense pillars supporting its three naves. Look for two holes in the weather-vane atop the church. They were allegedly made by El Bizco’s shotgun. The vane had never worked but — after he blasted away — it functioned perfectly. Otherwise El Bizco’s record is pretty gruesome. With his comrades in crime, Frasco Antonio and Manuel Melgares, he terrorised the whole area. At times, these cut-throats were used by unscrupulous ‘caciques’, powerful land-owners, to sway local election results. Wander down a maze of narrow streets and at the bottom end of the village you find the olive mill where El Bizco was born. It has been converted into the Posada del Bandolero, combining an attractive hotel, restaurant and museum. At the side of the bar you can see the original mill-stones and a deep well. El Bizco’s chum, Melgares, meanwhile is said to have committed one of his most daring crimes in Frigiliana (six kilometres inland from Nerja). Disguised as a priest, he entered the Ingenio, the mansion owned by the Counts of Frigiliana, pointed a pistol at the manager and made off with around 100,000 pesetas. Today the Ingenio houses the last

They recognised him as El Tempranillo, Andalucia’s most notorious bandolero, whose claim was: “In Spain the king rules, but in the sierra I do.” They were forced to chew their wooden spoons. On other occasions, El Tempranillo was more gallant. Always courteous, if he stripped a lady of her best jewellery, he would kiss her hand and assure her: “Such a pretty hand needs no adornment.” Truth to tell, those bandits were hardly a bunch of Robin Hoods. Most would have robbed their own grandmothers given the chance. But time has cast a romantic aura over them, popular mythology has embroidered their characters and their memories have been enshrined in everything from museums to the names of gourmet dishes. Ford maintained that travellers often exaggerated the bandit peril. When he inquired about thieves, “according to all sensible Spaniards, it was not on the road that they were most likely to be found, but in the confessional boxes, the lawyers’ offices, and still more in the bureaux of government.” Bless my soul — some things don’t change. Learn more about the outlaws in Francisco Montoro Fernández’s book Bandoleros de la Axarquía (Acento Andaluz). David Baird is the author of East of Malaga (Santana Books), the definitive guide to the Axarquía, as well as Sunny Side Up — The 21st century hits a Spanish village and Typhoon Season. These are distributed by Maroma Press (http://maromapress.wordpress.com/).

27 June 2019

HEY say it’s easy to sell something you love. And for the team at Edwards Estates, the only established property agents in Frigiliana, it’s never been easier. The small and friendly team of four all live in the charming village, which sits just 10 minutes in the hills above Nerja and the Costa del Sol. “It’s an absolutely lovely place to live with great bars, restaurants and a busy events calendar,” enthuses boss Scott Edwards, who set up shop in the town six years ago. “We’re proud to live here and love it which makes it easy to sell.” And the proof is in the pud-

Easy, peasy! Why the friendly team at Edwards Estates find selling in Frigiliana a breeze ding, with the company leading the sales in the area, which include Frigiliana pueblo and all the surrounding countryside. “We sell to such a wide range of clients...the British, Dutch and Danish and from as far away as Canada,” reveals Scott, who created the com-

JAW-DROPPING: Aerial shot of Frigiliana

pany with his father some 11 years ago. “We are genuine specialists in the area and have more than 30 years of real estate experience between us, while our agents speak Spanish, English and Dutch.” The company has properties to suit every need, from modern apartments to countryside properties and more recently new developments. Scott, who’s father Robert worked in property in Nerja from the 1980s, adds: “We're small in number, but large when it comes to friendliness. “We're proud of our success rate at matching people with properties and we see daily many of our past happy customers, whose lives have changed for the better since they first made contact with us and moved to this special area of Spain.” If you’re wary about buying in Spain, Edward’s Estates will be

FRIENDLY: The A-Team at Edwards Estates

on hand to guide you through the often tricky and daunting processes. That includes introducing you to trusted local lawyers and notaries and offering advice on opening a Spanish bank

account. The team will also help you obtain the necessary legal documentation to purchase your home.

For more information visit www.edwardsestates.es or call + 34 952 533 642 Spectacular 1 Bedroom Villa

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1 Bedroom & 1 Bathroom Private Pool & Terraces • South Facing with Panoramic Sea Views • Build Size 60m2 & Plot 1,243m2 • Immaculate decor throughout •

3 Bedrooms & 2 Bathrooms Private South Facing Terrace • Panoramic Village, Countryside & Sea Views • Build Size 75m2 • Character traditional features •

3 Bedrooms & 1.5 Bathrooms Private Jacuzzi • Panoramic Village & Countryside Views • Build Size 90m2 • 2 Private Terraces and 2 Patios •

3 Bedrooms & 2 Bathrooms Private Swimming Pool • Panoramic Sea & Countryside Views • Build Size 120m2, Plot 10,500m2 •

Property Reference FR538

Price: 215,000€

Property Reference FR538

Price: 215,000€

Property Reference FR539

Price: 195,000€

Property Reference FR514

Price: 345,000€

Property Reference FR539

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Property Reference: FR528

Price: 485,000€

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Believe the hype

It really is all about the location, at the stunning award-winning holiday property complex overlooking lake Vinuela

T is certainly corny to use ‘location, location, location’ in a property description, but one exception must surely be this unusual complex in the Axarquia, which has just come up for sale. There are ten cottages and a restaurant complex, overlooking the reservoir of Lake Viñuela, with its turquoise waters and stunning views. Cantueso is a holiday destination that has over the last 12 years developed a reputation for its cosy cottages and family friendly facilities. The Guardian newspaper has listed it in its top ten European self-catering family holiday destinations. And for those days when mum doesn’t want to

cook, there is an on-site restaurant which has been number one on Tripadvisor for many years. The landscaped gardens surrounding the cottages are admired for their colourful diversity throughout the year, and visitors love to pick figs, oranges, or a lemon to go in their gin and tonic. There are also interesting plants and shrubs such as the Coral Tree, Pineapple Guava, Kumquats and of course the ubiquitous olive. The site has been developed very much with children in mind and all the cottages have individual terraces and the large pool is securely fenced with self-closing gates. The swing park, football field, mini golf course and trampoline provide lots for active youngsters, and babies and younger children are not forgotten with a host of items available to make travelling families’ lives easier. Not least, having large items such as buggies available can save costly excess baggage fees, and the Cantueso policy of allowing arrival and departure to be on any day, can lead to cheaper air fares. Make sure to visit our website www.cantueso.net, as it not only describes the cottages and restaurant in great detail, but also has masses of tourist

information, excellent photographs and videos of the complex and surrounding area. There is an associated blog which regularly adds items of current interest, and a live webcam overlooking the lake which attracts thousands of hits each week. Nearby Periana village, which sits at 450m above sea level, is surrounded on three sides by mountains and has lake views to the south. Just under an hour from Málaga airport it attracts nature lovers, photographers, cyclists and

walkers who enjoy the subtropical climate and marvel at the myriad of springtime wildflowers. In summer there is often a welcome breeze with thermal currents over the lake attracting eagles and other birds of prey. Although the village only has 3,500 inhabitants they certainly know how to enjoy life, and throughout the year there are many fiestas and events, some which last several days! Only for sale due to personal reasons, in total the site covers about 18,000 sq m and has ample scope for further development.

For more information contact us at info@cantueso.net

Cantueso 255mm x 170mm_Layout 1 30/05/2019 11:40 Page 1

• Beautiful holiday location • 10 air-conditioned cottages • Well known on-site restaurant • Rural location with spectacular views • Landscaped gardens

Cost of the freehold and business: 2,500,000€

Holiday Complex FOR SALE An unusual commercial opportunity to buy the freehold and business of a well established family friendly holiday complex in Andalucía, comprising ten self catering cottages, a restaurant (rated number one in area) with 50 covers inside and 50 outside, and owner’s apartment. The whole site is tastefully landscaped with an area of over 18,000 m² and is surrounded by olive groves. There are wonderful views to the south over Lake Viñuela and mountain ranges on other aspects.

In first instance enquiries to: info@cantueso.net www.cantueso.net www.cantuesoblog.es Also see us on Facebook

Cantueso Periana SL, Periana, Málaga 29710

29 June 2019

chiringuito

WHERE TO EAT

Creative cuisine has finally started to revolutionise the Axarquia and Costa Tropical’s dining scene, writes Jon Clarke

LA SARDINA

POLE POSITION: Restaurant el Penon overlooks Salobrena

MOUNTAINS OF CHOICE T

HE Axarquia and the Costa Tropical are slowly developing a varied dining culture after decades of meatballs and goat stew. Led by a string of outsiders, many of them expats, a drive towards experimentation has seen a growth of creative cuisine. In Nerja there is a great melting pot of places to eat, with one of the best being Carabeo, whose setting could not be improved sitting on desirable Calle Carabeo overlooking the sea. Up in the nearby village of Frigiliana you would be mad to miss the amazing Garden restaurant, which consistently produces some of the freshest, most varied (read spicy and original) food in the Axarquia (see next page). A varied menu with plenty of original dishes it sits in a lovely back street with the best views in the entire region. Possibly the best food in inland Axarquia is to be found at Hotel Vinuela, which has got better and better since opening 20 years ago. Combining a great mix of local ingredients and creative Mediterranean cuisine, you will not be disappointed. The menu is detailed and includes such joys as rabo de toro spring rolls with lettuce hearts, as well as an excellent cress

Paseo Andrés Segovia, 0, 18697 La Herradura, Granada Tel: 958 64 01 11

salad with cured beef and foie shavings. There is even a Moroccan tagine as a main course, while fresh fish is always on offer. In good weather you dine outdoors overlooking the lake reminiscent of the Days of the Raj, and it is no surprise that the King is said to have eaten here. Also close to the Vinuela lake you will find the unusual boutique hotel/restaurant Las Orquideas, with one of the best backdrops in Spain, overlooking Vinuela Lake and Maroma mountain. Not far away in the charming village of Archez, you will find one of the most alluring new restaurants in the region.

Called Meson Mudejar, it was recently taken over by a Polish couple, who have turned it into a Vegan restaurant with rooms. A charming spot in the extreme, you sit and take an early evening drink in one of the sleepiest town squares imaginable, alongside one of the Axarquia’s most evocative church towers, which was built in Arabic times. The meson itself sits around a charming cobbled patio and counts on its original beams, old doors and windows and numerous other features. The menu is varied and interesting, particularly for a carnivore like me.

Mobile: 0034 682 489 949 Home: 0034 952 557 842 Calle Alamos 6 29753 Archez www.mesonmudejar.com

Continues on Page 30

Mesón Mudéjar – Vegan restaurant and hotel

VARIETY: On the terrace at Hotel Vinuela and (above) stunning La Sardina in La Herradura

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A comp dream

WHERE TO EAT

Spicy mix From Page 29

ORIGINAL: New vegan joint Meson Mudejar

I wasn’t sure what to go for but was steered to the delicious spicy onion fritters, as well as the cauliflower wings, and raw sushi rolls, which had carrots, nori seaweed, leeks and cashew nuts all rolled in courgette slices. A light vegetable curry was splendid, while a ‘Beyond meat’ burger from California was a surprise indeed, having zero meat but plenty of flavour. In Competa, try the highly rated El Pilon, which is very much the stand-out restaurant in the town. A popular social hive, the bar area is great for tapas, while the restaurant itself is a must try. Close by is the wonderful Bentomiz restaurant, sitting in the same name vineyard, in Sayalonga, which has won international awards for its wines for a decade. Mixing its wines in a fabulous food pairings, this is one hell of a place for lunch, with incredible views and stylish flourishes to boot. Up in Comares there is a

STUNNING: Both the winemaking skills of Clava and cooking of Andre impresses at Bodegas Bentomiz good variety of places to eat, including Atalaya, where you can also stay the night. Finally, another excellent inland place is Cantueso, which has been serving the Periana area for over a decade. A holiday complex, rated by the Guardian as within the Top Ten best in Europe, the restaurant is normally full at lunch and frequently busy at night.

Costa Tropical restaurants There is a big mix of good places to eat on the Costa Tropical as well. By far the most emblematic must be legendary Restaurante el Penon, which sits in pole position literally built on the famous rock below Salobrena town. I’ve eaten here on various occasions over the last two decades and rarely been disappointed, not just with the excellent ambience and views, but also by the service. Professionally run, by two local friends, it focuses on top quality fish and seafood, including lobsters, and has an excellent wine list to boot. Next door is Restaurante

La Bahia, which is anything but your usual fried fish affair, and apart from the cool jazz music, there were a number of interesting dishes. These included the so-called ‘queda bien’, a clam and langoustine stew, which was delicious, as well as an excellent value rich and creamy fish soup at just €6. Another place worth checking out here is Hotel Miba above the town, where the menu keeps getting better and better, since it was taken over by the new owners from Villas Colores. Another place in Salobrena is Arais which is the creation of Francisco ‘Paco’ Izquierdo, an ambitious chap, who has not only cooked since his teens, but also makes his own rum, from a factory in the town. Dubbing his food as ‘an adventure’ his place is certainly well out of the ordinary. Beautifully decorated, it is split into two parts, a bustling bar area, full of creative furniture and lighting, and a stylish dining room next door. Up in La Herradura look out wonderful beach restaurant La Sardina, which has a splendid setting and excellent staff. The fish was incredibly fresh as was the seafood and the

owner, now well into his 70s, is regularly about bossing the team. Also look out for English chef Mark Parris at No.20, who along with business partner Laurent Hue is doing a great job. Mark, from Kent, has considerable pedigree in the kitchen, having trained under Albert Roux at Le Gavroche in London, before doing stints at the Oxo Tower, Harvey Nichols and Souffle. I was very impressed with the attention to detail and the lovely mix of flavours in original starters, which came (sort of) in combos. Just up the road a great bar to hang out in and grab some tapas and a decent range of beers is Hideaway. Finally for a charming inland spot look out for el Nacimiento, in Velez de Benaudalla. This is one trip well worth the journey, particularly to take in the Museum of Olive Oil, en route. Hidden up a tiny track on the edge of the village, you will find this charming spot beside a roaring stream and waterfall. Once an olive mill, it is a great place for lunch or dinner and the menu is a good range of dishes typical from the Granada region.

ITH stunning views across emblematic Vinuela lake and up towards the formidable peak of Mount Maroma, Hotel Vinuela is one of the most scenic places to stay in Andalucia. With stylish bedrooms, an amazing restaurant and peaceful grounds, it is hardly surprising that it is already the stand out place to stay in the Axarquia. Now 20 years old, this four-star spot has the region’s most exclusive spa and massage centre. Set in the hotel’s grounds with views across the lake, the Mei Wellness & Spa is a new concept in exclusive well-being therapy. Perfect for individuals or for couples, the spa - which counts on a jacuzzi, sauna and hammam - is rented out privately by the hour. “You will experience feelings of complete serenity and harmony: a unique and unparalleled experience that you will never forget,” promises hotel manager Maria Herrero, of the B Bou chain. The company has also recently taken over another amazing hotel Cortijo Bravo nearer the coast near Velez-Malaga. This wonderful place was once one of the homes of the Larios family, who grew sugar cane for their rum factories along the coast. The converted mansion is style personified and each room offers lovely views inland towards the mountains or along the coast. Now a boutique hotel, many of its 21 rooms count on four poster beds and balconies. In Nerja you are spoilt for choice for good places to stay. In pole position is Hotel Toboso, which couldn't be in a better location in the heart of town by the emblematic Balcon de Europa. The rooms are fantastic in size and you are right next to the excellent Cochrane's Irish restaurant and bar, which is good for a local meal and has the best terrace in Nerja. You might also check out Hotel Carabeo

Garden of delights

Closed 12.00 until mid February Open Tuesday to Sunday. until 22.00

WITH views and food to match, the Garden restaurant in Frigiliana is hard to beat. Run by capable expat Rob Grimmond, who trained at Leiths in London, you will be hard pressed to find anywhere with such fresh and exciting ingredients.

A distinct Arabic crossover of flavours, dishes are heavily geared towards vegetables, while spices come from around the world. Some stand out dishes include an amazing Iberian tartare (pictured), as well as

salmon in ajoblanco with tahini and pomegranate molasses, while his pluma pork melts in the mouth, with a chickpea lentil dhal and curried banana sauce.‘No tricks, just good fresh local produce,’ insists Rob. Who could disagree?

31 June 2019

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LA VIÑUELA & SPA

SLEEP WELL: At Hotel Miba (above)

B { } bou Hotel La Viñuela & Spa is one of the most special boutique hotels on the Costa del Sol, located in a natural environment of the most beautiful in Andalusia, on the shores of Lake La Viñuela and at the foot of the Sierra de Tejada and Almijara, a few minutes from the beach, a unique location.

RETREAT: At Vinuela Spa and (left) Cortijo Bravo

WHERE TO STAY

Everything adds up so that your stay at B { } bou Hotel La Viñuela & Spa is a mixture of emotions and sensations to be enjoyed, surrounded by 15,000 m2 of beautiful gardens, in 37 exclusive rooms, with two swimming pools and a private spa, among many others services. Savoring the best traditional cuisine in the area, in its rooms or terraces, is an incomparable experience.

The Axarquia and Costa Tropical have a great selection of places to stay, discovers Jon Clarke in one of the best parts of the town. Looking to stay in a charming inland village, look no further than Meson Mudejar, in Archez. Recently taken over by a charming Polish couple, it is a sleepy spot with simple, clean rooms, that sit above the vegan restaurant downstairs. It’s good value and you can head out for a range of walks from the door as well as enjoy experiencing the typical Axarquia life. Along the Costa Tropical perhaps the best place to stay is the recently renovated Hotel Miba, in Salobrena. This wonderful eight-room hotel, recently taken over by the team at Villas Colores, perches on an escarpment overlooking Salobrena town. Every inch of this modern hotel maximises on the incredible views, be it across to the breathtaking

nearby town, which soars up like a wedding cake from stage left, or stage right to the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains. The rooms are spacious and each have their own private terrace. It also has an excellent restaurant and rooftop bar and swimming pool with stunning views up the coast. This is a great place for an evening cocktail Up in Motril look out for Casa de los Bates, which is an amazing 19th century Italianate mansion, with sumptuous bedrooms and well appointed dining and sitting rooms. The places oozes history and the family home, now owned by two charming brothers Borja and Inaki, is full of antiques and photos of its illustrious guests, which have included Nelson Mandela and the King of Spain.

B { } bou Hotel La Viñuela & Spa draws a gastronomic route through Andalusia, which starts with the fresh fish and seafood from Málaga, continues with the important tropical mango and avocado from the Axarquía, as well as the incomparable goat from Canillas . A unique Mediterranean traditional cuisine, a delight for the palate and the senses. It will be a pleasure to receive you. B { } bou Hotel La Viñuela & Spa, a place to lose yourself and meet again ...

Telephone for reservations: 952 519 193 Booking email: hotel@hotelvinuela.com

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• Festive dinners • Business lunches • A drink and aperitif at the bar • Cocktails at the skybar • Business drinks • Receptions • Communion parties • 2 suites and 6 spacious rooms, all with sea views • For events see our calendar on

www.hotelmiba.com

N-340, Km. 325, from Malaga first exit to Salobreña • Tel. +34 958 617 228 info@hotelmiba.com • www.hotelmiba.com

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VOTED BEST and MOST INFORMATIVE WEBSITE by our 2018 customer database survey of 13,500

SEE for yourself...

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includes: videos, google street maps, full descriptions, chat box

65.000€ TH4007

129.950€ TH4076

Fuente de Piedra, Malaga 3 bed, 2 bath Build: 113m2

Corcoya, Sevilla 4 bed, 2 bath Build: 175m2 This fantastic townhouse is located in Corcoya, a tranquil town, with all the local amenities close by and surrounded by stunning Andalucian countryside whilst only being a short 5 minute drive to the large busy town of Alameda. Benefits from amazing patios, pool and stunning views.

This townhouse is close to all the local amenities shops, bars and restaurants and within walking distance to the beautiful flamingo lake and nature reserve. The property is accessed by a private gated entrance to the front patio and the main entrance.

26.000€ TH4026

120.000€ CH143

Aguilar de la Frontera, Cordoba 4 bed, 1 bath Build: 139m2 This lovely property is set just a short drive from Aguilar de la Frontera and has a private gated entrance leading to a front courtyard garden and onto a walkway that runs down the side of the property giving easy access to the rear garden. It has a private swimming pool a spacious patio area with summer kitchen.

Castil de Campos, Cordoba 3 bed, 1 bath Build: 90m2 Situated on a quiet level street in the village of Castil de Campos and only 10 minutes from the popular town of Priego de Cordoba in Andalucia this 3 to 4 bedroom Townhouse is on the market for only 26.000,00 euros. Needing only updating this property represents great value.

54.999€ 135.000€ TH4087 CH157

52.000€ CJ498

Alcaudete, Castillo de Locubin, Jaen 3 bed, 2 bath Build: 184m2 155m2 This rural chalet is situated to 3popular Castillo de Locubin in the Jaen region well presented 184m2near build bedroom, 2 bathroom Townhouse boasts of Andalucia, with a generous level 2,866m2 plot. Itin includes a magnificent a private courtyard and a sun terrace, ready to move to, is situated in the popular large town Alcaudete the Jaenall region Andalucia. Located a swimming pool andoflarge privateinterraces with of panoramic views over on your wide level road parking outside the property. land, olive street groves,with the on countryside and right to mountains beyond.

Priego de Cordoba, Cordoba 3 bed, 1 bath Build: 158m2 This rural detached 3 double bedroom Spanish cortijo boasts spectacular mountain views. The countryside home comes with a generous 805m2 plot and has mains electricity and town water connections, in need of updating. priced to sell giving you the opportunity to create a large family home.

169.950€ TH4088

175.000€ VL902

Vinuela, Malaga 3 bed, 2 bath Build: 119m2 This detached 3 double bedroom Villa property is located on the popular urbanisation of Lomas de Sabato in the Malaga region of Andalucia, with outstanding mountain views and parts of the lake, plus only being a 4 minute drive to all shops, restaurants and amenities.

Malaga Office 952 74 15 25

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Calle de la Villa 14, 29532 Molina, Malaga

Periana, Malaga 3 bed, 2 bath Build: 123m2 Located in the tranquil town of Mondron, 5 minutes from Periana. Although on the outskirts, it’s only a 25 minute drive to the coast town of Torre del Mar, where the beach and chill out chiringuitos are. It has 2 floors, a patio and an underground garage, which can be accessed by the rear end of the house.

Jaen Office 953 58 70 40

Axarquia Office

Calle Abad Moya 4b, 23680 Alcala la Real, Jaen

Cruce Puente D. Manuel 4, Edif. Al Zabel, 29713 Alcaucin

contact@inlandandalucia.com

952 51 97 18

info@inlandandalucia.com

BUSINESS

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Up and out

FOOD supplements have been removed from shelves in Spain after they were found to contain viagra. The Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) ordered the withdrawal of six products containing sildenafil, the active ingredient in the erectile dysfunction drug.

Drugs

Sildenafil can react harmfully with other drugs and cause adverse side effects such as heart palpitations and chest pain. The affected pills are all distributed by the same Tenerife-based company, Marco Cordone-Spain. They are Bioacvit, Bioacvit Extra Forte, Torexan, Devit Forte, Devit Solo Piante and Bull Extreme tablets.

VODAFONE has taken the lead over rivals with the rollout of 5G networks across Spain. The communications giant confirmed that the new ultra-fast mobile technology is now available in 15 Spanish cities. In Andalucia, Malaga and Sevilla benefit, while other sites include Barcelona and Madrid, although coverage in areas is only 50%. The fifth generation network will have a download speed of 100 Mbps with the 700 MHz band, and in theory could reach

Black market costing Spain billions of euros each year FAKE products are costing Spanish businesses the equivalent of more than 10% of their sales, a new EU report has found. At least €6.7 billion worth of sales are lost in Spain each year to counterfeit goods, according to the European

Costa lot less SPAIN has been voted the fourth best value for money holiday destination by Brits. A huge 87% of holidaymakers said Spain had the best bang for one’s buck in a survey released by Post Office Travel Money. Bulgaria's resort town of Sunny Beach came top of

the poll for the sixth consecutive year. Affordable local prices and favourable exchange rates helped to boost the spending power of UK tourists last year. Portugal's Algarve coastline came in a close second with prices down by over 16%, while Turkey came in third.

5-G that’s fast! never-before-seen speeds of 10 Gbps. Vodafone also said it would not yet use 5G infrastructure from Huawei, the embattled Chinese tech firm, which saw the sacking of UK Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson. It comes as Vodafone’s competitors, Telefonica, Orange and MasMovil, are not set to unveil their 5G networks in Spain until 2021 or 2022.

Faking it

Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The global trade in fake goods rose to €452.9 billion in 2016 from €338 billion in 2013, representing 3.3% of world trade. The fashion industry is the worst hit, with losses totalling €28.4 billion in Europe (9.4% of total turnover). Pharmaceuticals are the second hardest hit, suffering losses of €9.6 billion, followed by cosmetics on €7 billion. Counterfeit wines and spirits cost companies 5.9% of their business or €2.4 billion. The impact of fake products is worse in Spain than the EU average in several sectors. The country’s fashion industry sees 14.9% of sales lost to counterfeit goods, pharmaceuticals 4.5%, wines and spirits 8.3% and smartphones

UNLUCKY: Man on Spanish beach selling fakes 10%. In real terms, analysts say it costs the EU 480,000 jobs, which in turn leaves the bloc missing €16 billion a year in

tax revenue. Across the EU, the total economic impact of fake products is estimated at around €92 billion.

NO: Spain shops in store

Old habits die hard ONLINE food shopping is failing to take off in Spain, new figures have revealed. Despite significant investments from major supermarkets including Mercadona, more than 75% of the population still never use the internet to buy food, drink or cleaning products. Only a tiny 2% exclusively go online to buy such items while 20% do a mix of online and in-store shopping. Spaniards care more about buying their fresh produce in person than most other countries, according to the report from the Observatory for the Evolution of Electronic Commerce in Food, carried out by the Complutense and Autonoma Universities of Madrid.

Something to declare? EU blasts Spain’s strict penalties for failing to declare foreign assets properly

HIS month the European Commission issued a press release with an update on its position with regards to the Modelo 720 (Declaration of Foreign Assets), and more specifically, to the fines that apply. The Modelo 720 was introduced in 2013, following a tax amnesty period for undeclared assets in 2012. Since then, Spain has required fiscal resident individuals and companies to submit information on the assets they hold abroad. This includes properties, bank accounts and financial assets. The failure to submit this information on time and in full is subject to sanctions that are higher than those for similar infringements in a purely domestic situation, and which may even exceed the value of assets held abroad.

BY Tim Govaerts

These sanctions consist of a €5,000 fine per undeclared asset, with a minimum of €10,000. However, this is just the starting point as in addition to this, the value of the undeclared assets can be taxed as income in the earliest available tax year (maximum income tax rate is around 45%, depending on the autonomous region you reside in). Further interest of 5% and penalties of 150% of the tax due can be imposed. The European Commission denounced Spain this month before the Court of Justice of the EU, for the disproportionate sanctions that can be imposed for not submitting or for submitting late the Modelo 720 of certain assets and rights located abroad, penalties that may exceed the value of the assets and leave the owner of the asset with a considerable debt. The Commission considers that such sanctions for incorrect or belated compliance with this legitimate information obligation are disproportionate and discriminatory. They may deter businesses and private individuals from investing or moving across borders in the Single Market. Such provisions are consequently in conflict with the fundamental freedoms in the EU, such as the free movement of persons, the free movement of workers, freedom of establishment, the freedom to provide services and the free movement of capital.

Spain had already received a reasoned opinion by the EU Commission requesting to change the fines in February 2017, but failed to take any action. While the Commission takes the view that Spain has the right to require taxpayers to provide its authorities with information on certain assets held abroad, the fines charged for failure to comply are considered disproportionate. Many local foreign residents will have assets abroad that need to be declared. Certain assets may negate the need to report, for example Spanish compliant investment portfolios that are structured inside a life assurance contract with an insurance company that operates in Spain under the scheme of free provision of services and where the fiscal representatives provide the Tax Administration the necessary information about the policy. Pensions where the member is not allowed access to the funds due to his or her age, or

other restrictions, do not need to be reported either. To find out more about how you could be affected by Modelo 720, give us a call today.

www.theblacktowergroup.com

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain

Fairway L AW Y E R S ARE YOU OWED THOUSANDS FROM YOUR BANK? Did you have an illegal floor clause inserted in your Spanish mortgage? Millions of homeowners were wrongly charged thousands of euros due to underhand tactics, now outlawed after being exposed by the courts. Let us take a look at your documents and help you through the complicated process of claiming it back, PLUS damages. Our bilingual team of Marbella-based lawyers understand the situation well and can move quickly and efficiently.

NO WIN, NO FEE. Get in touch and we will check your mortgage deeds for free and let you know if you have a claim against your bank.

Contact Diego at Fairway Lawyers Tel: 952 77 11 50 diego@fairwaylawyers.com

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C/Nuestra Señora de Gracia 28, 1C 29602, Marbella (Malaga)

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

BUSINESS

Chartered waters P

How budding soldier and school leaver at 15 Jonathan Holdaway became an awarded financial planner

ICTURE the scene... it’s king my first job at an insurance March 2, 2006 and I’m broker in Christchurch, Dorset. at the Guildhall in London This allowed me to commence gathered in a room with studies with the CII at the tenaround 600 of my peers, to be der age of 18. recognised by the Chartered Having opted to start looking for Insurance Institute (CII– a pro- work, after leaving school at 16 fessional body dedicated to buil- (15 actually as my birthday is in ding public trust in the insurance mid August) instead of doing ‘A’ and financial planning world) as levels, as I then ironically belieone of the first ever to receive ved that actual work experience a ‘Chartered Financial Planner’ was more important than ‘pieaward. ces of paper’. I was prouder than when I re- Having worked as a labourer for ceived my Gold my dad through Duke of Edinmy childhood burgh’s award I also liked to The Falklands from Prince Phihave a bit of War had ended money in my llip himself at St James’ Palace pocket! and Ireland’s back in 1991. My childhood A culmination ‘troubles’ were at dreams of joiof hard work ning the army their height and dedication as a ‘boy solto study, since dier’ had been I started in this thwarted earprofession nearly 20 years befo- lier in the year by my late more, having completed an ‘access ther, as she refused to sign my course’, a two-year B/TEC Natio- enlistment papers. nal Certificate in Business and At the time the Falklands War Finance in 1985 at Bournemou- had just ended and the ‘trouth and Poole college while wor- bles’ in Ireland were at their height. (I did fulfil this ambition partly with service later in life in the TA Infantry, Signals and Royal Marines Reserves). I therefore took my late father’s advice of not joining him in the building trade - which he said could be especially hard when the weather was bad (but I think he probably thought I was more suited to something where I could use my brain) and started looking for work. After turning down a ‘proper’ job as an assistant in the local Comet electrical store, I entered into a ‘Youth Training Scheme’ with an insurance broker in the town (a government funded initiative designed to help employers’ with the cost of employing young people) on the grand old

CHANGE: From soldier to chartered financial planner

sum of £25 per week! Part of the deal was that I was allowed to attend a local college part time to further my education, and so my journey to Chartered status began in earnest. Because of the huge commitment to study and CPD the Chartered Financial Planner is widely considered the ‘Gold standard’ for financial advice in the UK. You can check to see if your adviser is Chartered – or indeed a member of the CII, by using this link www.cii.co.uk/web/ app/membersearch/MemberSearch.aspx Incidentally over the last 14 years, our numbers have now grown to around 5000, which out of 36,000 members of the Personal Finance Society (PFS)– the ‘Financial Planning’ arm of the CII is still less than 15% of members. As for the number of us now based in Spain, I’m pretty sure it’s in single digits. By the way I’m based in Nerja, where I’ve just set up shop to help and advise expats with their investments and savings.

What’s a Chartered accountant? Most people will be aware of the Chartered moniker - probably heard of a Chartered Accountant or Chartered Surveyor, but what exactly is a Chartered Financial Planner – and what does it mean? A Chartered professional is a person who has gained a specific level of skill or competence in a particular field of work, which has been recognised by the award of a formal credential by a relevant professional organisation. In my own case this would be the CII, which was established in 1912, and is the main professional body for financial professionals throughout the world, with currently over 120,000 members in 150 countries – but interestingly only 10% outside the UK. They already offered a few Chartered titles Insurer, Insurance Practitioner and Insurance Broker, but these were ‘General’ Insurance related and nothing to do with financial planning. Then in 2005 the CII obtained permission, by Royal Charter, to introduce the Chartered Financial Planner, and anyone with sufficient examination credits would immediately be allowed to apply for the title (incidentally

you also needed five year’s work experience, adhere to the Institute’s code of ethics’ and be subject to their disciplinary procedures). To quote Wikipedia ‘Chartered status is considered a mark of professional competency, and is awarded mainly by chartered professional bodies and learned societies. Common in Britain, it is also used in Ireland, the United States and the Commonwealth, and has been adopted by organizations around the world.’ Chartered status originates from Royal Charters issued to professional bodies in the UK by the British Monarch, although such is the prestige and credibility of a chartered designation that some non-UK organisations have taken to issuing chartered designations without Royal or Parliamentary approval. In the UK, chartered titles may still only be awarded by institutions that have been incorporated under Royal Charter, with the permission of the Privy Council. Many chartered statuses in the UK and Ireland are also regulated professional titles under European professional qualification directives’.

Send your comments and feedback to Jonathan at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com or call him on 00447723027864

THE PROCESS TO COMPENSATION EXPLAINED On what grounds do I have a claim in Spain?

Once your file is checked and jurisdiction is confirmed, it is then assigned to our Spanish lawyers M1 Legal.

On January 15th 2015, a ruling of the Spanish Supreme Court had a significant impact on owners of Spanish timeshares. The Supreme Court ruled that all contracts signed after 5th January 1999 must not be for more than 50 years, thus outlawing the practice of "perpetuity contracts" which had been prevalent since the 1980s. Encouraged by this ruling, more timeshare consumer challenges have been presented to the Supreme Court. It has since confirmed that resorts are obliged to give clients a cooling off period that is designed to give consumers adequate time to consider the purchase. It is illegal to accept any monies or have the client sign for any finance agreement during this period. The initial period of 10 days (Law 42/1998) was later extended to 14 days (Law 4/2012). In addition, the Supreme Court has also ruled that any timeshare sold since 5th January 1999 must state the details of the apartment / unit / week(s) bought together with the time of arrival and departure. Failure to comply with these rulings can end up with the contract being deemed Null and Void and buyers are eligible to receive a full refund on all monies spent on the purchase of their timeshare property. Under certain circumstances the court may award double any monies paid during the cooling off period which could be extended by a further 3 months. With the law now firmly on the side of the consumer, timeshare resorts are employing tactics to delay the inevitable by appealing judgments and moving money amongst subsidiary associated companies.

What is the process to submit a claim to the Spanish courts? Once your case is assigned to a lawyer your case goes through a series of stages listed below. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Translation of all documents into Spanish Submission of lawsuit Acceptance of lawsuit Preliminary Hearing & date of trial Trial & outcome Appeal (if applicable) Monies sent to M1 Bank Monies received by client

Average durations from the date that an M1 lawyer receives the case are: — 3 to 4 months for submission of lawsuit to court. — 15 months to judgement where NO appeal is required. — 16 months for payment to be received. — 18 months for the Court of Appeal to rule that the Spanish courts have

jurisdiction over the case when not accepted by the resort.

— 25 months to judgement in the substansive case where the first instance

decision is appealed to the Court of Appeal.

What happens when I decide to submit a Spanish claim? First of all, we need to make sure that we have a full diary of events along with a notarised Power of Attorney. We then request you work with us to provide us everything we need to start collating vital evidence. The key documents required are:

Latest Victories in the last 2 weeks: An Group suffered 6 more victories by the M1 Legal team totalling £75,251. 2 x jurisdiction victories against Club la Costa and now both cases will be re-submitted for judgement bringing jurisdiction victories total to 24 since January.

— Purchase contract(s) along with any Terms & Conditions — Any Timeshare deeds or certificate(s) of ownership — Finance Agreement relating to the purchase (if applicable) — Maintenance fee Invoices — Proof of payment of your timeshare i.e. Bank/Credit card statements

Stats for 2019

660

cases in the courts

cases being 340 prepared

January to present: 62 victories totalling £856,514

If you have any enquiries regarding this story, please call 0034 951 562 209 or email pr@ecc-eu.com www.ecc-eu.com

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

New hotel I We are recruiting more staff in our sales and telemarketer team Are you an enthusiastic positive person that is driven and hungry for new opportunities in life? Then you are the right person for us. ABC Property Experts is a growing real estate business based in Sotogrande that gives you the possibility for good success in the real estate market.

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PROPERTY feature 350 rooms, a spa, five swimming pools – one with its own water park – gourmet restaurants and a wide range of sports facilities. In fact it will be the first hotel to offer paddle tennis as one of its main sports activities. Those looking for a more tranquil experience can enjoy the Zen area, featuring an adult-only swimming pool with gardens and a bar. The all inclusive hotel will have a huge main restaurant capable of serving 1,022 people while its Gourmet Lounge Bar – open all day – will serve dishes a la carte.

HILTON has unveiled its new Higueron Hotel in Malaga - featuring the province’s only sustainable Michelin-starred restaurant. As part of the Curio Collection, the new offering has 177 rooms, the largest conference centre in the region with a 1,000-person capacity and two art exhibitions. Its Sollo restaurant serves dishes based on caviar and fish cultivated at the hotel’s own on-site farm. “Malaga is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, with 12.5m tourists floc-

get of two failed takeover bids last year amid a difficult retail environment.” The company has had to put 50% of shares up for sale from its centres in Zaragoza (Puerto Venecia) and Asturias (Intu Asturias). However, its share price has more than halved since Hammerson walked away from its takeover bid in April 2018. It has led the company to announce it is looking for partners for its highly anticipated Torremolinos shopping park, which had promised to bring hundreds of jobs to the area and has taken years of negotiations to bring about. Intu has resisted selling shares in its Torremolinos project, however, with the initial €160 million construction phases already awarded to companies Sando and Dragados. The company has the funds to

see through the first phase but will be seeking financing for the rest of the project through ‘partners’, like it has done in other centres. The project is described as the ‘most important’ current venture for Intu in Spain as it hopes to build similar centres in Valencia and Vigo.

IT’S official. Club Med is returning to Spain with a new complex on the Costa del Sol. The group is set to open the Club Med Magna Marbella hotel on the site of the former Hotel Don Miguel in March 2020. The new €70 million hotel will

Important Costa del Sol project under threat thanks to UK’s divorce from EU THE British company behind a huge planned commercial complex on the Costa del Sol has been forced to sell off shares from its other projects to finance the so-called ‘smart city’. Intu is making changes due to debt and decline in stock market prices in a ‘complex market marked by the UK’s departure from the EU’. According to Market Screener, “the firm is looking to preserve cash and reduce its debt by selling assets after it became a tar-

www.glasscurtains.direct

king to its sunny shores last year,” said Simon Vincent, President, EMEA, Hilton. “With €1 in every €7 generated from travel and tourism in Spain, we are excited to expand our portfolio by 50% in the next three to five years.”

Long arms of Brexit AT THREAT: Torremolinos commercial park

Fit for a king

GLASS CURTAINS ALUMINIUM WINDOWS AND DOORS STAINLESS STEEL UPVC WINDOWS AND DOORS BI-FOLD DOORS STEEL CONSTRUCTION

New hotel II

A STUNNING historic estate on the outskirts of Barcelona will go up for auction next month. The 16th century Villa Argentona has been fully restored and features all the modern cons, including a climate controlled wine cellar with storage capacity for 2,500 bottles. There is also a wellness centre including a weights and cardio room, an indoor swimming pool, sauna, hammam and massage room. Last valued at €12.5 million, the property features three guest houses, staff accommodation and a 16th century chapel. The spacious grounds boast stables, an eight-car garage, outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, football pitch, an English garden, vegetable and fruit garden and woodland trails. Some 50 pieces of art and a large antiques and sculpture collection will be incorporated within the final auction price when it goes up with Concierge Auctions on July 18. The main home is 18,255sqft with five bedrooms and six bathrooms, grand hall, library and a number of drawing rooms.

952 479 754

info@gtsglass.com www.gtsglass.com HUGE: Estate outside Barcelona

Intu Torremolinos has been given the green light by the Junta and awaits final approval of planning permission in July. The centre is expected to attract big names such as El Corte Inglés, Primark, Zara and Decathlon. Intu says the complex will be the largest commercial and leisure park in southern Europe. Its facilities will include a wave pool, aquarium, hotel and 23,000 square meters for sports spaces with climbing area and a wind tunnel.

Sky high PLANS to build the Costa del Sol’s two tallest skyscrapers have been revealed. The La Princesa area of Malaga is the intended home of the new towers, which both stand at 126m high. The 29-storey blocks will collectively house 450 apartments. If completed, the buildings would be Spain’s 17th tallest, as well as the highest in Malaga city and the rest of the coast. Property developer AQ Accentor has been drafted in for the new development, which is financed by German investment fund Aquila Capital. Full plans for the Malaga plot include a total of 750 new homes, but details of the project are limited. The site is known as the ‘Martiricos’ development, which is being led by Madrid real estate company Espacio Medina. Although the plans are not finalised, AQ Acentor boss, Sven Schoel told Diario Sur, ‘we have demand both for purchase and for rent’. Other construction works at the Martiricos site include a 20,000-square-metre park and a seven-floor office complex.

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

PROPERTY

How to choose a builder

ETTING out to find the right contractor to construct your new home or property extension can be a daunting task if you are not familiar with the building trade, or already know of a great professional builder in your area. Undertaking extensive renovations or creating the villa you have always dreamed of is an exciting project in life, but the dreams can turn to misery if you end up choosing the wrong firm. The process is even more complex if your property is located in Spain and you live overseas, or are an expatriate that is new to the country. Terra Meridiana recently sat down with Chris Warren of Renson Management, a professional project management company based in Sotogrande, to ask his advice about how best to approach choosing the right builder for the job. Question 1: Is there a great difference in the type of builder that you choose to undertake different types of works? E.g. a new house, large extension or refurbishment of a room? And if so, what particular credentials would you look for, for each one? You can really divide the contractors here into three categories: small, medium and large, and when tendering for any building work you will need to assess what your requirements are, and which suits the scope of your project. There are many contrac-

Chris Warren of Renson Management tells Terra Meridiana everything you need to know

tors that can happily un- of the project, between dertake smaller projects three and six companies. like refurbishing a living and dining area,which do Question 3: What kind not require any structural of references and credentials do you ask for? works. When dealing with extensions or a new build, this The two most important will require both an ar- things to establish are chitect and aparejador (a how long the company technical architect) as your has been trading for, and drawings need to be pas- to ask for references from sed by the College of Ar- previous clients. chitects or Aparejadores, in order to Question obtain a buil4: Would ding licence you recomfor the works. Make sure you mend meeting each Under norhave a written mal circumprospective stances the contract with the c o n t r a c tor with architect will builder a friendly propose the architect/ contractor interior dethey wish to signer at tender for the works; if you have a pro- your side? ject manager then it will be their responsibility alongsi- Again, it depends on the de the architect. size of the project, but in In such cases the profes- general we, as the project sionals should be guiding manager, would prepathe client towards the most re a tender list of five or six contractors for larger appropriate contractors. Once the tenders are re- projects, and would introceived your architect and/ duce the client to the last or project manager will three. conduct a tender analysis and they will negotia- Question 5: Is it suitable te with the contractors on to discuss sourcing maprice, programme content terials and subcontracand the contract condi- tors with the builder? tions. When discussing mateQuestion 2: How many rials and suppliers, they companies would you should first be talked ask to quote for each through with the architect job? to establish the client's requirements, and the Depending on the size sourcing of materials can

then be done with either the subcontractor or the contractor. Question 6: How do you ascertain what is a reasonable schedule for the job? This will be down to experience, and the architect or project manager negotiating with the contractor. Question 7: What kind of payment plan should be agreed? Payments should be made each month after the works are completed and approved by both parties via a monthly certificate; no payments should be made upfront, otherwise you will find you are financing the contractor! Question 8: What paperwork should be drawn up to provide protection against issues that might arise? Make sure you have a written contract with the builder that includes all the necessary applicable clauses.

i n s t a l a c i o n e s info@instalacionesemasur.com www.instalacionesemasur.com

Air Conditioning Electricity Solar Panels – Plumbing Automatic Doors Swimming Pools Renewable Energy

Question 9: Do you have any general advice or tips that you think people should be aware of? If any contractor is asking for money upfront, BEWARE! You will be financing them!

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20 years of experience

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

White & gold

Made in Malaga A FUENGIROLA restaurant has been named the best in the province at a brand new awards ceremony. Los Marinos Jose picked up the Best Restaurant of the Year gong at the

MARBELLA’S hottest party of the year has once again brought its glitz and glamour to the Costa del Sol. The White & Gold Party returned to La Sala by the Sea in Puerto Banus with all its celebrity sparkle. Revellers were treated to live music, DJs, poolside fire dancers, an amazing array of Thai canapes and plenty of flowing Champagne. Former Spurs and Blackburn defender David Bentley was in attendance, along with other famous faces, and of course the Olive Press.

inaugural Gala of the Hospitality Industry of Malaga. More than 300 people attended the show at the Hacienda Nadales Palace for the sector, which employs 76,000 people in the province. Arte de Cozina in Antequera won the Values of Gastronomy award for its traditional local cuisine, while Malaga city’s Chester & Punk cocktail bar picked up the Innovation

WINNERS: Los Marinos Jose

prize. Fernando Rueda, founder of Gastroarte, was awarded the title of Hospitality Ambassador for Malaga.

Oil or nothing

Tokyo draft AN Andalucian craft beer firm is teaming up with a local tapas restaurant for a new fusion project… in Tokyo. Brewery Son and Manquila, a Sevilla-based eatery, has announced plans for an outlet in the Japanese capital. The project is the brainchild of Spanish chefs David Fernandez and Daniel Torres, as well as Japan’s Ren Anzay. Dishes at the new site will use seasonal produce and include a special salmorejo and eggs Benedict with marinated mackerel. Son beer will also be brewed on-site.

Report warns 20% of Spain’s olive farms could disappear within a decade MORE than 240,000 Spanish olive estates could vanish in the next 10 years. Olive oil giant Deoleo has warned that international competition and the stagna-

WhaT a FiND!

“We found you from your ad about the trains in The Olive Press and we are so glad we did”

“This Place really is a gem!” Hundreds of people visit Molino del Santo every season by train from San Roque, Jimena de la Frontera or Algeciras. The train journey is a delight and at the end you will find an oasis of greenery, calm and great food. For a special occasion why not stay overnight - LAST MINuTE OffERS are often available. Visit Molino del Santo to find out why so many people make this their must-do visit every time they are in the area.

tion of prices are making it hard for smaller producers to retain their position in the market. The study - titled Salvemos el buen aceite (Save the good oil) - looked at Andalucia, Castilla La Mancha, Valencia, Aragon and Catalunya. It found that 320,000 acres of traditional olive tree farming had already been abandoned. Experts suggest the decline is down to the fact 64 countries now produce olive oil compared to 46 some 15 years ago. Every second, 10 olive trees are being planted somewhere on the planet.

Intensive

Meanwhile, almost 40% of the total quantity of olive oil comes from intensive farming, which yields almost 50% more than traditional farming at half the cost. In recent weeks, prices of extra virgin olive oil in Spain have sat around €2.20 per kilogram, which is already below the profitability threshold, according to the agricultural organisation COAG. The study predicted Spain would lose 20% of its olive groves in a decade, hitting

BIG IN JAPAN: Son and Manquila

Root applause Spicy Wasabi has been grown in Spain for the first time. The Japanese plant, commonly found in sushi restaurants, is being cultivated in Viladrau, Catalunya. It is the first time the root, which produces an intense green paste, has been grown in the Med. Gardener Arnau Riba and engineer Pau Gelman are behind the production. Experimentation to bring wasabi to Spain began three years ago with a 30-square-metre test plot, in which they mimicked the climatic conditions of Japan. Their product sells for €0.44 per gram.

Ramsay’s kitchen dream

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240,000 small farmers and almost 300,000 families. Traditional farmers are now being pressured to take the intensive route, producing higher amounts of lesser quality. However, these methods are also bad news for the environment. Traditional olive orchards preserve land from desertification and absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, mainly thanks to the age and size of the trees. Intensive farming mainly uses younger and smaller trees with less foliage and shorter roots. Juan Vilar, the study’s author, said: “It is possible and necessary to reverse the situation, it takes the commitment of the agents of the sector to maintain a type of olive grove that has an important social, economic and environmental role, which is typically Spanish and which, due to its uniqueness, provides a huge richness and variety to the offer of olive oil.”

STAR: David Munoz

GORDON Ramsay has confessed his love for one of Spain’s top chefs and his London restaurant. The Hell’s Kitchen star (right), 52, said Street XO in Mayfair, owned by three Michelin-starred chef Dabiz Munoz, 39, is ‘one of his favourites’. “I’ll often head there when I’m after something special,” he added. “Chef Dabiz Munoz has an exciting and original approach to food.”

Munoz owns his native city Madrid’s only three Michelin-starred restaurant DiverXO, as well as Street XO Madrid.

A Spanish restaurant with a twist, located on the edge of historic old Estepona Town in a converted farmhouse dating back to the 1890 with many features retained.

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Superwines After giving you Spain’s most expensive wines, here we offer you the 10 best value chestnuts at supermarket prices by Claire Leibovich

Restaurante La Pampa is open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Calle Sevilla 70, 29680, Estepona Phone: 952 795 545 email: reservas@lapampaestepona.es www.lapampaestepona.es

FOOD,DRINK

LAST issue we looked at the 10 best-scoring Spanish wines that combined the highest quality and prices. This week our theme is bodega bargains as we select the best of the cheapest wines you can find in Spanish supermarkets, such as Alcampo, Carrefour, Lidl, Dia and El Corte Inglés. There is an overwhelming choice of supermarket wines in Spain, so we went to the reference guidebook, Los Supervinos (Linde Editions) by oenologist Joan C. Martín. For the ninth year in a row Martín has hand-picked 110 superwines that cost less than €7 and another 40 under €15. He evaluates each wine according to 10 different criteria, including display, taste, colour, information to the consumer, aroma and quality-price ratio. The final average score ranges from one to five ‘eyes’. So keep your eyes peeled too...

Paramo de Casser, Sierras de Malaga

MO Salinas Monastrell, Alicante

Freixenet Elyssia Brut Rosado

Martín describes it as ‘refined, elegant with an intense aroma, frank and natural’. This superwine is made from Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It goes perfectly with red meat, stews, Iberian pork sausages, goat and s h e e p cheese.

In 2018 it was named Best Superwine for the second c o n s e c u t i ve year by Los Supervinos guide. The prize goes to the wine with the best quality, price, singularity and origin. This one comes from the Sierra Salinas, in southeastern Spain, a landscape as green as a Swiss valley in the midst of a very dry region. It is well structured with a balanced acidity.

A ‘very glamourous’ wine, says €13,95 Martín, ‘because it maintains its intensity while having the texture of English marmalade’. It is almost exclusively made from Pinot Noir, but has a small percentage of Trepat to keep it fresh. The colour is a clean and shiny pale pink with tints of blue. It tastes fresh, light, with a refreshing acidity and slightly bitter notes.

€15

€5,95

All the above wines are the most outstanding of this edition, but others are more affordable - less than €4.

WHITE WINES Montblanc 362, Conca de Barberà This wine from Tarragona, in Catalunya, is fresh, fruity and voluptuous with some acidity. ‘The climate of the region and its Gascon and Occitan heritage make this wine very French,’ says Martín.

€3,29

Riesling, Alicante

€3,99

Acidic yet, at the same time, fresh and mellow. According to Martín, this wine from the Monóvar winery is particularly good this year.

Pazo Ribeiro, Galicia

Marqués de Monistrol, Cava

This wine tastes a bit like kiwi, ‘that marvelous g r e e n fruit, exotic but not warm or tropical’.

This rosé cava is ‘fresh, fruity (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries), and slightly acidic with notes reminiscent of sweet cake.’ Pair it with rice dishes, salads and all types of seafood.

€3,93

CAVA

€3,36

with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

& TRAVEL

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

RED WINES

Estola Reserva, Castilla La Mancha

restaurant | lunch and dinner

Bodegas Ontañón Comportillo Crianza, Rioja

This rich and intense wine is made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. F u ll-bodied and well-structured, it presents complex aromas with spicy and balsamic notes, and is velvety on the palate. It goes well with lamb.

€3,70

ROSE WINES

restaurant | lunch and dinner

This blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha combines aromas of fruit and wood. It’s the perfect partner for lamb, veal and poultry.

€3,15

Enterizo, Utiel - Requena Categorised as a ‘gastronomic rosé’, it’s the ideal companion for Mediterranean dishes, especially seafood rice dishes, recommends Martín, adding: ‘A nectar, undoubtedly’.

€2,39

Alicia en el País de las Uvas, Valencia Made from the Bobal grape variety, this wine has a fresh aroma with blackberry and fruit jelly notes. It is sweet, fresh and easy to drink with a low alcohol volume. It goes well with salads, pastas and cold dishes.

€1,90

Solar Viejo Tempranillo, Rioja This classic red wine from Rioja Alavesa presents notes of ripe fruit, red fruit and spices. ‘Really good, like those historic reds from Riojan harvests, but modernised in process and taste,’ says Martín.

€3,49

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June 19th - July 2nd 2019

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

World class success John Culatto enjoys a night of Balkan music, while opera and comedy is up next on the Rock

IBRALTAR’S Spring Festival programme ends with ‘A Celebration of Opera’ at the Convent Ballroom this Thur-

ACROBATS: In Irish Town

sday. The event on June 20 will feature a renowned soprano, tenor and piano player. Grazia Doronzio, David Astorga and Elizabete Sirante will provide the entertainment on what promises to be another fantastic evening. If comedy is more your thing, check out comic Jason Manford with his Muddle Class tour. The British comedian will be making his audience split their sides at the St Michael’s Cave on the same evening. The Gibraltar World Music Festival (GWMF) meanwhile, was one of the greatest successes of this year’s Spring Festival. The public thronged to its film night, street party and final concert by Goran Bregovic at St Michael’s Cave. The festival really captured the imagination of all ages, educating and entertaining the public about the world around us.

It all kicked off with a film about the five year struggle of a family escaping death at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Filmed only on mobile phones, it showed the desire of a filmmaker to TALENT: Goran Bregovic stuns audience in St Michael’s Cave get to a place where his young family brought the public to their feet late from Belgrade.” could follow their dreams. into the night. As a professional musician she has The street festival was another highli- One of the stars of the night was Mi- toured all over the world playing solos ght, as circus performers took over lica Milhailovic, whose viola solo had for orchestras and chamber music. Irish Town with their acrobatics. the public aghast with wonder. Local and international musicians At only 31-years-old she has played kept the atmosphere lively all night the viola and violin for more than half SUMMER NIGHTS at John Mackintosh her life. Square after young “Everything is very dancers had shown well organised and Back with a bang for the warmer A collection of off their skills. people are very kind evenings is Summer Nights, which A lively family atmoshere,” Mihailovic told brings entertainment for all the famislow and fast phere truly demonsthe Olive Press about ly to the lively setting of Casemates songs brought trated what Gibraltar the Gibraltar World Square. Concerts, magic shows, face-painhas to offer in a friend- the public to their Music Festival. ly, entertaining night “It was really nice be- ting, bouncy castles and dances will feet for all. cause I felt that peo- keep attendees in bliss until they It all culminated with ple were very touched have no more left in them. During the Island Games it will be Goran Bregovic at the by our music. St Michael’s Cave where the Balkan “I started playing with Goran Brego- renamed Games Square, with some musician brought the house down vic at 19-years-old and I enjoy his of the medal ceremonies being held with his talent. concerts very much. Balkan folk mu- there between the event dates of A collection of slow and fast songs sic is very close to my heart as I am July 6-13.

History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.

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HEALTH Cocaine Miracle dad fuelling addiction 43

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Pharma shame PFIZER hid stats which suggested one of its drugs could help in the fight of Alzheimer’s, it has been claimed. According to The Washington Post, the pharmaceutical giant discovered as early as 2015 that taking Enbrel, a drug which treats rheumatoid arthritis, could reduce the risk of developing dementia by up to 64%. “Enbrel could potentially prevent, treat and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease safely,” reads a presentation prepared by Pfeizer’s internal committee in early 2018, three years after the same discovery in the laboratory. Pfizer argues it didn’t believe the evidence was strong enough to launch a clinical trial. But research experts claim the €207 billion company did not pursue the evidence or share it with other scientists because Enbrel’s patent had almost run out – suggesting the decision was influenced by the drug’s ability to make money. The data was collected from medical insurance claims from hundreds of thousands of people in the US. Pfizer said the allegations are not ‘accurate’ and that its decisions were based on science and not ‘financial incentives’.

Doctors in Spain perform ‘miracle’ work on British dad after he was hit by TWO cars, breaking 26 bones

A BRITISH family have praised the Spanish health system after performing ‘miracle’ work on a fatherof-two who was hit by TWO cars while on holiday on the Costa Brava. Dean Millers, 29, is still recovering in hospital in Lloret de Mar after the shock crash saw him break 26 bones - including both his legs, right elbow and nose. Millers, who was holidaying with his partner Emily and their two young children,

OUCH: British dad ‘lucky to be alive’ will now have to learn to walk again after also breaking his pelvis in several places.

“Dean is making massive progress,” the family said on a Just Giving page, which has raised around €5,000 to help pay for flights for family to fly back and forth, “He’s This child was treated at the Hosawake and pital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues talking alde Llobregat (Barcelona), one of though he’s the only three pediatric centers in talking slower Spain to offer the CAR-T treatment, and is a bit together with the Vall d’Hebron confused ... Hospital, also in Barcelona, and the it's a miracle Niño Jesús Hospital, in Madrid. he’s still with The treatment will give hope to us.” many families in Spain given that In describing acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the horrific the most common type of cancer in accident, the children. mother-inlaw said the

In the genes A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy has been cured of cancer thanks to a new gene therapy in Spain. The young child, from Alicante, was suffering from acute B-type lymphoblastic leukemia and was not responding to conventional treatment. However he will now return to a normal life after receiving CAR-T 19 gene therapy in Barcelona, paid for by the country’s National Health System (SNS).

all-inclusive trip was the family’s first. “On the evening of the May 24 my daughter's partner Dean decided to nip across the road to the shop for juice and biscuits for the two children. “Dean was gone less than five minutes when Emily and the rest of the hotel heard an almighty bang... Emily went out onto the veranda she could see a lot of commotion outside and could see someone on the floor but couldn't see who but her gut instinct told her it was Dean. “Next thing she knew the telephone in the room rang it was reception saying please can you come down...Dean was crossing the zebra crossing when he was hit by a car which threw him in the air then a second car drove over him. “The emergency services arrived very quickly and gave Dean 100% the best care possible ...We can’t thank them enough!” He was airlifted to hospital while Emily followed in a taxi. “The doctors told Emily that dean is lucky to be alive.” Dean is hoping to be driven home this week after having had another operation on his pelvis on Monday.

ALMOST a third of cocaine addicts seeking treatment in Europe are in the UK, a new study has revealed. Meanwhile Spain continues to be one of the biggest importers of the drug on the continent, with 41 tonnes seized in 2017, just behind leader Belgium on 43 tonnes. The report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction warned of a potential ‘Uberisation’ of the cocaine trade – as users in most countries are increasingly ordering their hit by smartphone.

Flexible

It said sellers were competing by offering additional services such as fast and flexible delivery options. The EU’s home affairs chief Dimitris Avramopoulos said: “The drugs situation is worsening in many parts of the world and sadly the EU is no exception. “This year’s report presents a warning picture. There is a record level of illicit drug seizures. “On the one hand this shows that law enforcement is doing a good job. On the other it shows how many people can access drugs.”

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Olive Press Costa del Sol - 19th June 2019 - 170 h x 256 w

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June 19th July 2nd 2019

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I’VE decided to forego my soul and become an estate agent.” My husband, a man used to my vast array of career choices just nods his head and continues to eat his all bran.

GOOD TIMES: In dog suit

From entertaining to nannying, Paula Leskovitz has done everything, apart from be an estate agent

“I’m serious, a friend of a friend’s hus- My first foray into gainful employment band is one and he says you don’t need was a season as ‘Henry the Happy any qualifications and it’s the easiest Howler’ in Pontins, Blackpool. way to make decent moThat job was short-liney along the coast and ved as I overheated he’s prepared to train I consoled myself on the first Summer’s me up. day whilst clad in the with a ham “I’m starting tomorrow.” orange dog suit, pasI finally pause for breath sing out on top of a sandwich and and await his approval. small child current“Go for it Hoogstraten, promised to cut ly having his photo I’m more than happy to taken with my alter out carbs become a kept man. Is ego. there any more milk in Then as an only child the fridge?” I suddenly decided I shouldn’t be surprised by his reply. I wanted to care for others people’s I have had a fair few careers since I left offspring and not just crush them so I school in 1984. promptly took a position as a nanny for Over a 100 at the last count. three small kids aged one, three and My husband has had two. five. Most people count sheep when they go If I’m honest, the main reason I wanted to bed, I count the numerous opportu- the role was because it was based in nities that have been handed to me. Israel and after a brief stint as a hairThe trouble is, I love a good interview, dresser I wanted to see much more I just don’t usually like the actual job. than just the inside of a pensioner’s beehive. U n fo r t u n a te l y, on arriving in Tel Aviv, I realised my teenage self didn’t actually like the fruit of other people’s loins or the reality of working a 15hour day, or working at all if I’m honest… Anyway, I digress. I was now going to make a fortune selling property

New wife in the sun and purchase me some Botox and a bit of liposuction with my first proper Spanish pay cheque. Staring at the contents of my wardrobe I realised that anything resembling office wear had a size 12 label in the collar and I was currently verging MEMORIES: Vespa on a stout 16. Slamming the offending closet door closed I consoled myself with a ham sandwich and promised to cut out carbs starting from tomorrow. The sound of rainfall dripping onto the air conditioning unit dragged me from my slumber the following morning and I forced my ever expanding hips into a pair of ‘all you can eat’ leggings and a borrowed blouse. By 9am I was ready to make my first million and headed outside to straddle my latest mode of transport, a second hand blue Vespa purchased only a few days earlier which sat alongside my husband’s larger bike. Staring down at the wet seat I realised mopeds were only fun when the sun shone and not on rainy days but as training was being held in the manager’s house over in Mijas Golf I had no choice but to clamber on board and hope that none of the other trainees thought I was incontinent when I walked into

the room with a moist bottom. Twenty minutes and several wrong turns later I finally located the property. Brushing the rain off my visor I stared up at the big detached house then down at my sodden attire. A knot formed in my stomach as I gingerly reached out to push the doorbell on the gate. Hesitating, I let my hand stay mid air. Uncertainty gripped me and the bell remained untouched. Clutching my helmet, I bowed my head and turned back towards the bike. Who was I kidding; this dog was way too old to learn new tri….. The door behind me suddenly opened and a masculine voice cut through the air “Hola! You must be Paula. Come in!” Follow our further adventures and video clips on www.anewwifeinthesun.com

Open (house) season Giles Brown puts up many a guest at his place, but draws the line at garden yurts

T’S the time of the season that most people living in Spain dread. The time when that open invitation to ‘come over and stay for a few days’, comes back to haunt you. Your home suddenly becomes an attractive alternative to your poor rain-drenched northern European friends, huddling in their woad huts (or some such). Rather than staying at some eye-wateringly expensive hotel in high season, and unable to find a private villa as the Junta de Andalucia has imposed the sort of restric-

OP Puzzle solutions Across: 6 Alpha, 8 Litter, 9 Finn, 10 Soulless, 11 Unfair, 13 Atoms, 15 Bah, 17 Glory, 18 Exodus, 20 Lengthen, 22 Rite, 23 Uranus, 24 Alibi. Down: 1 Rational, 2 Upon, 3 Aloud, 4 Stiletto, 5 Eels, 7 Absorb, 12 Arrogant, 14 Mountain, 16 Hernia, 19 Those, 21 Ears, 22 Rein.

SUDOKU

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6 9 5 7 4 2 8 3 1

1 7 3 9 5 8 6 4 2

2 8 4 1 3 6 5 7 9

7 2 8 4 6 9 1 5 3

3 5 9 2 1 7 4 8 6

4 6 1 5 8 3 2 9 7

9 1 6 8 7 4 3 2 5

8 3 2 6 9 5 7 1 4

5 4 7 3 2 1 9 6 8

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NOT GONNA HAPPEN: Yurt

tions, rules and regulations that make storing nuclear waste seem a doddle, they decide to rock up at yours. The current houseguest has turned into my very own version of Alan Bennett’s Lady in the Van, or a twisted version of Hotel California. “She could check out any time she likes, but she won’t ever leave”. Having been the guest cottage for over two years now, however, I have been through the full range of emotions as I realize that nothing short of well placed high explosives will remove her, and

I’ve gone through shock, anger and denial, and now find myself in a zen-like state of acceptance. Plus the kitchen isn’t so much of a biohazard these days. As one American guest, who didn’t stay long, famously remarked, ‘You see kids? This is what happens when a man lives alone’. Previous houseguests who have overstayed their welcome have had to be removed by a variety of methods, including not so subtle hints by friends – mention of gun collections, connections to law enforcement - that sort of thing. The Ziglet (otherwise known as the oldest goddaughter aka Troll Fodder) is exempt from all of the above by the way. Due to her ‘on-the-road’ lifestyle, which often entails sleeping in the back of vans on the way to or from gigs, she actually prefers to crash in the smallest space possible. She’s back again at the end of this month with a friend, and there’s even talk of a teepee in the garden. If I suddenly look out and see more springing up however...and I definitely draw the line at yurts…

SPORT WINNERS: Canada

Yes we Canada THE NBA has been won for the first time by a Canadian team, with the help of a trio of Spanish stars. New champions Toronto Raptors, have in their team, Spaniards Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, and assistant coach, and Spain national coach, the Italian Sergio Scariolo. Raptors beat the two-time reigning champions Golden State 144-110, to lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. The club, which is just 24 years old, also became the first Canadaian side in any sport to bring a major trophy to the city and country since the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team in 1993.

Golden oldie Chris Froome could be crowned Vuelta a Espana champion from his hospital bed

BRITISH cyclist Chris Froome is in line for the 2011 Vuelta a Espana title after its winner has been caught doping. Spanish rider Juan Jose Cobo was stripped of his title by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) after abnormalities in his biological passport were found. Froome finished second in the race, eight years ago, meaning the 34-year-old may now be retrospectively awarded the victory.

League of Spies LA Liga has been fined after the league's official phone app was discovered to have used popular phone app to eavesdrop on illegal match broadcasts. Recordings would be secretly compiled and then cross checked using the devices’ geolocation to determine if the venue hadn't paid to screen the game.

June 19th - July 2nd 2019

Spain’s data protection agency has hit La Liga with a €250,000 fine and called the ‘spy’ app ‘very serious breach of transparency.’ The official match-following app has been downloaded by more than 4 million fans, who were not informed it could remotely activate their device’s microphone.

MAESTRO: Sergio Garcia

Master class

It would also go down in history as Britain’s first Grand Tour win, as Froome’s victory would be prior to Bradley Wiggins lifting the Tour de France trophy in 2012. It comes after Froome recently underwent an eight-hour surgery following a horror

crash that leaves him out of this year’s Tour de France. Team Ineos, which rebranded from Team Sky this year, confirmed its rider suffered a fractured right femur, broken hip, fractured elbow, fractured ribs and lost consciousness during the Criterium du Dauphine race. The four-time Tour de France champion was travelling at 37mph and hit the deck whilst attempting to blow his nose in high winds outside the town of Roanne. His team have now said a sixhour operation was a ‘success’ and that they are ‘very happy with his progress’. Meanwhile, 38-year-old Cobo, who doped between 2009 and 2011, could now appeal the UCI’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

SPAIN’S Sergio Garcia will bid for a hat trick of back-toback wins in Andalucia as the Masters lineup has been announced. The 39-year-old world number 30 won the Andalucia Masters, held at Real Club Valderrama in 2011, 2017 and 2018. Standing in his way of a consecutive triple, is his countryman Jon Rahm, the world number 11, who has six inter-

national titles to his name, including the Zurich Classic. A big crop of British talent is also among the 144 golfers teeing off on Spain’s most famous course for the €3 million prize. From England, come 2015 British Masters champion Matthew Fitzpatrick and 2018 Hong Kong Open-winner Aaron Rai, while Scotland sends Richie Ramsay, the first Brit to win the U.S. Amateur for almost a century. Tickets are €18 for adults and €7 for young fans and can be bought from www.andaluciavalderramamasters.com. There will be plenty of sun with highs in the late 20s currently forecast for the tournament from June 27 to 30.

27-30 junio 2019

Real Club Valderrama Sotogrande, San Roque, Cádiz

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FINAL WORDS

A NEW super secure Spanish flag has been hoisted in Malaga Port, featuring an anti-vandalism system and an 18-metre rotating pole to stop the flag rolling up.

Top jobs PERHAPS known more for its shelf-stackers, Mercadona has now put out job ads in southern Spain for doctors, computer specialists and lawyers, with top salaries of €68,994.

San Juan ANDALUCIA will celebrate the night of San Juan on June 23, with beach activities, including building bonfires, grilling sardines and a dip in the sea at midnight.

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Still loading… Brit fuming as new Bentley is towed away in Spain thanks to slow government database A BRITISH driver has been left furious after his new UK-plated Bentley was towed away by six police officers in Spain because of a slow online database. The officers in Benidorm

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

took the car away after they checked a UK Government website and could not find evidence that Dave McQueen

Toast!

TWO brothers have been arrested after trying to nick 11 champagne bottles from a supermarket. The Romanian pair, aged 41 and 42, attempted to hide the bottles in a cycling suit worn by one of the men under a jacket. The men thought they had gotten away with it after removing the security tags from each bottle before stu-

ffing them down the cycling top while in a hypermarket in Fuengirola. However they were being watched all along on video surveillance cameras by security guards.

BENT COPS: Took McQueen’s supercar had paid UK tax, instead be- supercar ‘did not fit onto’ a lieving the twin-turbo Conti- tow-truck, and so two police nental GT ‘was stolen’. cars and six officers stopped McQueen explained to poli- traffic to escort him through ce that the website states it Benidorm. can take ‘five working days’ The next day his solicitor reto update, and vowed that he trieved his car ‘without any bought his car ‘just four days charges’. ago’. McQueen later found he was “Surely if the police are going driving home on two flat to check your car they must front tyres, which cost €650 use a better system that to repair and another week doesn’t take five days to up- without his car. date,” McQueen told the Oli- He said he may have been stove Press this week. pped due to his ‘BE04ORM’ He added his twin-turbo numberplate.

WE all remember the flamingos and unicorns of summers gone by. Well this year there's a new inflatable hero - a huge blowup speedboat capable of holding six people. Available on Amazon, the must-have item comes complete with a drinks cooler and will no doubt make you the envy of the seas. It's not the cheapest of lilos coming in at around €300 online, but can you really put a price on looking this cool?

Ball buster A RECEIPT from a Spanish bar has gone viral for billing a customer €10 for ‘taking the piss’. The bizarre surcharge appeared on a bill from Bar Eguzki, in the Basque Country, alongside charges for various wines. Tocar los cojones means ‘to touch the testicles’ and roughly translates as ‘taking the piss’ in English. Waitress Anka told Espejo Publico the customer was a ‘joker’ and ‘always messing’ with her.