INTRODUCING OUR NEW TRAVEL SECTION WITH TRIP TO SANTIAGO - P44
olive press The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía
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Vol. 10 Issue 234
www.theolivepress.es
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
And on the subject of weddings...
EXCLUSIVE: The man who photographed John Lennon’s Gibraltar wedding pleas for help for the ‘missing’ negatives. See Page 3
When the borders close There could be a mass exodus of expats if Britain votes for a Brexit By Rob Horgan THE future for British expats in Spain is in the balance. British people may not be able to live here if Britain exits the EU, Europe minister David Lidington has warned. In an alarming speech, he insisted that ‘everything we take for granted’ - including free movement between European countries - will be ‘in jeopardy’ should Britons vote for a Brexit in a referendum on June 23. “Everything we take for granted about access to the
OPINION
U
We must all say stay!
NCERTAIN times lie ahead as the UK gears up for a referendum on its EU status. Now that a date has been set, so has begun a barrage of scare-mongering speeches and propagandist statements made on both sides of the debate. However, it is clear that a Brexit could lead to a turbulent time for expats in Spain, who are a vital ingredient to the continuing growth of the region. Indeed, if the UK’s Europe minister David Lid-
single market – trade taking place without customs checks or paperwork at national frontiers, the right of British citizens to go and live in Spain or France – those would all be up in the air. “It is massive what is at risk,”
ington is to be believed then it is bad news for every expat south or east of Dover. We, at the Olive Press wholeheartedly support the UK continuing to be a part of a strong and united Europe, despite the EU’s numerous failings. We believe that with a powerful and campaigning Britain steering Europe’s future and policies, the continent and the world will be a safer, stronger place. Just ask the Germans or the Spanish. They know they cannot do it with the French alone!
he said. His claims came as the first official government analysis of a Brexit warned of a ‘decade of instability’. Leaving Europe would likely seriously limit the movements of Britons around Eu-
rope with potentially millions of holidaymakers and expats left stranded, the 24-page report says. The report warns that once it was finalised, UK citizens ‘living, working or on holiday abroad would immediately
face restrictions on their ability to move about freely'. The British ambassador in Madrid is strongly backing the campaign to stay in Europe and urging expats to vote in June. A spokesman told the Olive Press last night that leaving ‘would likely have many serious implications for all of us living here’. “No one yet knows the extent of them,” he admitted, but added: “These are questions the Leave campaign needs to answer. “What is clear is that a vote to leave would be a leap into the dark. “As the Prime Minister has said, it would mean years of uncertainty.” There are also meanwhile, major questions about the impact a Brexit would have in Gibraltar, even including Continues Page 4
Don’t miss our 12-page marriage special! Pages 19-30
Demolition bill battle
THE cost of knocking down the illegal Algarrobico hotel will be decided by the Supreme Court. Meanwhile developer Azata del Sol is unlikely to get anywhere near the €70m it is demanding, following a final decision to demolish the eyesore. Andalucia’s environment boss Jose Fiscal insisted it would be ‘considerably less’, after discussing fine tuning for its demolition in Carboneras this week. It comes after Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that the controversial 411-room hotel built in a protected area in the Cabo de Gata natural park must be knocked down. After a decade of legal wrangling and campaigning from green groups and the Olive Press, it was ruled that the hotel was wrongly constructed. “It is now in our hands to return the Cabo de Gata to its original wonderful state,” said Fiscal. See All over for El Horrible - Page 6
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CRIME NEWS
the Olive www.theolivepress.es Press November 14th - 25th 2016
www.theolivepress.es March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Lisa Brown family: Get the Brits in A CAMPAIGN has been launched to get British police involved in the search for expat mum Lisa Brown (right). The 33-year-old has now been missing for almost four months, having disappeared from her home near Sotogrande the day before she was due to start a new job in Gibraltar. Her family and friends are distraught that no progress has been made by the Guardia Civil, while Lisa’s son Marco, eight, continues to live
with his father in La Linea. Now a petition has been lodged on the UK government’s website calling for the British police to take action in the case. The Find Lisa Facebook group of over 25,000 supporters is demanding that more pressure is put on the Spanish government to allow the UK police to step in. “The investigation is very limited… and we want to allow the British police to intervene and move
this case forward urgently,” reads the petition. It comes after UK Prime Minister David Cameron vowed to investigate the case, after it was raised in Parliament by Martin Docherty, Scottish National Party MP for Dunbartonshire West. Meanwhile, Lisa’s boyfriend, Simon Corner, has still not been seen since he returned to Spain vowing to clear his name, but subsequently missed his meeting with police in Algeciras.
Agent of evil AWOL agent wanted for hit-andrun, stealing a million euros and faking her own death AN AWOL estate agent, who vanished with up to a million euros of expats’ deposits, allegedly faked her own death to escape debt incurred in a
Gang behind locked Dawes
A DRUG gang linked to alleged Costa del Sol trafficker Robert Dawes has been jailed in England. Nottingham Crown Court has jailed eight of his associates for a total of 49 years after being caught with 1.3 tonnes of cocaine in Paris, worth €200 million. Ringleader Dawes was arrested at his Benalmadena villa in November 2015 and is currently awaiting trial in France. Spanish authorities accuse him of running Europe’s ‘largest criminal organisation dedicated to drug trafficking, money laundering and murder’.
The Olive Press revealed last issue how the Dutch woman and her German husband Thomas van der Plujim - also known as Thomas Dollekes - have vanished owing over €750,000 to dozens of clients of their estate agency. “Police are hot on her heels,” a source told the Olive Press. “She is wanted in connection
AN alleged hit squad has been arrested on the Costa del Sol. Five British men and an Irish woman have been detained in Marbella, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. Officers from Greater Manchester Police believe the six arrested were planning to avenge the murder of Salford’s ‘Mr Big’ Paul Massey. Massey was gunned down in his home in Manchester in July last year. It is believed that the man behind Massey’s assassination is hiding out on the Costa del Sol. Massey himself was never convicted of gangland crime, although he served 14 years in prison for stabbing a man in the groin and leaving him for dead.
Get out of our waters
THE UK has protested to Spain over ‘dangerous behaviour’ from a Spanish warship which stormed into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. The Infanta Elena also sailed close to the Rock with its weapons uncovered last week, a move described by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) as
‘provocative’. The FCO has protested directly to the Spanish authorities, through diplomatic and military channels. “We have made clear that the dangerous behaviour was unacceptable and that the weapons being uncovered could be perceived as provocative.
the Olive Press
www.theoli Novemvepre ber 14th ss.es - 25th
2016
CRIME NEW
Agent on th e run S
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan
February www. 17th
theoli - March vepre 1st
ss.es 2016
Expat dea ths
A DUTCH egalese manwoman and a Senat a property were found dead AN estate agent in Estepona Pedro Urbanisa ’s Don leaving dozens has vanished The woman, tion. a million euros of expats up to stab wounds 54, had multiple UK Prime Dutch realtor out of pocket. had slashed and the man, 30, Cameron has Minister David van der Pluijm Annika Elena led police to veins which have is alleged to tigate the case vowed to inves- have taken was a victim believe the woman tish expat Lisa of missing Scot- €750,000 ondeposits of at least of propertie and the man gender violence The mother- Brown. disappearing s before Post mortem killed himself. pearance in of-one’s disap- The group with the money. results pending. of mostly November raised at Dutch was and British buyers Prime Minister’s been forced have now Questions who by Martin to cherty, Scottish Do- tion after the take legal ac- nearbyis currently renting company ofCuevas de Almanzo in National fice, Party MP for “So many Dunbartonshire closedin Almanzora, Almeria ra. West. without warning , savings of us have lost our to this scam.” “I will certainly They have . He has also launched case, and make look into this Facebook a group lost €9,500, while the page ‘Catch together has rope Minister sure the Eu- scammers’ in these €750,00 lost over meets with der Pluijm, a bid to locate van 0. him (Docher “And who has also everything ty) to make sure using the name been keep more and more victims is done for Ana Sanchez. coming family as soon Lisa’s Victims of her FEUD: Monk expect it to forward so we VANISHED: Van as possible agency Insaid Cameron and Christy der Pluijm ,” mobiliaria Partaloa Kinahan he continue go up rapidly,” and (inset) told the Lisa’s boyfrien. Olive Press have all vacated d. “We are husband launch that ‘at least set to property the big rural Tom businessman d, Liverpudlian official denunci six’ Annika a joint action against they shortly.” also disappea Simon Corner, filed with police as have been La Hoya, near were sharing in Ironically, Van The Olive so far. licly supporte der Pluijm pub- A FAILED hit on the Lisa, but later red days after One British Press Over a dozen Cantoria. has discovered d our son of an victim, Estepona released a state- not Presa Canario Kickback ment, allegedly dogs, to be named, who asked band that Ana’s German s campaign K.O. the a violent gangster has sparked hus- also which they breed, Thomas insisted they from Thai- would to stop drug war in land, claiming have the practice of backhan been ‘not rest until - AKA Thomasvan der Pluijm ders be- Two men have so Ireland. cent’ and would he was ‘inno- caught’. property. removed from the ing taken between she is also Dollekes - has meet police. not been seen agents, declaring lawyers and ter four gangsters, far died afHowever, “She has The couple since the dressed as his former end ruined so are understo herself as an policemen, tried advisor, reformed to have ‘busines many Bothof January. legal lives,” said the od ‘ethical estate agent’. Daniel Kinahan to assassinate he and the 55-year-old, s Howeve nal Jason Coghlan UK crimiinterests in France and r, when at the weigh-in couple’s two ’ young sons the Olive of a boxing title fight , claims he missed the group member Hungary with Press attempte and her parents in Dublin. arriving in appointment after has skipped s believing she her this week d to contact Kinahan - son of Estepona Spain three boss Christy the country. she failed respond to ago. weeks to Kinahan - gang who phone was emails and her is closely linked to “As far as I THE disgrace switched off. the MGM know he is gym in Marbella missing person,” now a Grande has d mayor of Alhaurin the fight, was that organised finally he told the Olive Press. el stepped down years of corrupti forced to escape He has been through a after mayor serving Por on. It comes after Juan Martin Alhaurin since gency Hotel.window of the ReSeron (right) Craig Douglas Lisa’s brother days were numbere ed in 2014. a ban from public office as a finally accepted He was allegedly endhis He was Corner’s visit said he believed dence was tabled d after a vote of the main target of the shooting was a ‘hoax’. banned under ties, including for this week by all no-confi- for taking the Casa Troya , which led to the death rival the PP, PSOE bribes for case building and the IU. par- and was caught Harry’ Byrne. of David ‘Happy builder in returnsoliciting €122,00contracts A revenge attack 0 from for planning days later saw Eddie Hutch permission.a of Lanzarot Snr - the brother e-based mob Gerry ‘the Monk’ boss Hutch - killed in his home by four gunmen.
Search on rogue estatfor agent who e has vanished with up to a million euro s in deposits
GANG WA R
And abou
t time too!
CANINE CON: Dog dealer-cumestate agent Ana van der Pluijm faked her own death, and (inset) last issue’s story
Gangster squad NAILED: Drug dealers jailed
22
Cameron’s pledge for Lisa
Exclusive by Rob Horgan previous company. Police are investigating claims that Dutch realtor Annika Elena van der Pluijm, 37, staged her own death in 2014 after her dog breeding company Maricopa Presa ran up a string of debt, the Olive Press can reveal. It comes as police announced that Van der Pluijm - aka Ana Sanchez - is also wanted for questioning in relation to a hit-and-run which left a British man with ‘life-changing injuries’. It is believed that a woman matching her description fled the scene after running over a group of cyclists near Cantoria, in Almeria, last October.
LISA: Brit cops call
“We have asked for an explanation,” said a spokesman. “Although incursions by Spanish State vessels are a violation of sovereignty, they are not a threat to it and do not weaken or undermine the international legal basis for UK sovereignty over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.”
to a number of offences. “Her property scam is just the latest in a line of scams.” Police are now investigating how she shut down breeding business Maricopa Presa, after pretending she had died from a sudden illness. At the time, members of online breeding forums openly mourned the death of their ‘dear friend Ana’ in January 2014. In reality, Van der Pluijm who had used the name Ana Sanchez for breeding purposes - ditched her international breeding business and setup estate agent Inmobiliaria Partaloa instead. Now after two years she has shut the agency based in Almanzora with numerous victims - largely British and Dutch expats - insisting they had put down deposits on the same homes that may not have even been for sale.
So far ‘at least six’ official denuncias have been filed with police and a Facebook page ‘Catch these scammers’ has been set up to locate her. When the Olive Press attempted to contact her this week she failed to respond to emails and her phone was switched off. If you have information about Van der Pluijm contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es
YouTube terrorist A MAN accused of demonstrating how to sneak weapons through airport scanners on YouTube has been arrested. Several explosives, weapons and a homemade grenade were also seized during a raid at his property in Marmolejo, in Jaen. His videos on YouTube, which also demonstrated how to cross from Spain to Morocco, were seen by over 700,000 people.
NEWS
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the OliveMarch Press November 11th - 25th 2nd - March 15th 20162015
3 3
EXCLUSIVE: John Lennon wedding photographer makes urgent plea to track down his missing negatives, worth over €128,000
HELP! SPECIAL REPORT By Joe Duggan THEY are some of the most iconic photographs in rock and roll history. But controversy surrounds the original negatives from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's 1969 Gibraltar wedding taken by British photographer David Nutter, it can be revealed. Showing the Beatles singer celebrating his nuptials to his Japanese lover out of the glare of the public eye, the pictures have been published in thousands of publications around the world ever since. Yet, the valuable negatives - estimated to be worth over €128,000 - vanished in the 1970s after Nutter, 77, lent them to a friend Anthony Fawcett to use in his book, John Lennon: One Day At A Time. Included in the missing batch, taken on Nutter’s Nikon camera, are around a dozen never-before published photos of the wedding day, some seen for the first time in the Olive Press, this issue. Music photographer Nutter - who had flown out for the wedding from London to Gibraltar on a commission from the Beatles record label Apple - has spent the best part of the last four decades trying to recoup his property. Tet two separate investigations by British police and the FBI in America have so far failed to recover them. Now however, in a sensational twist, the Olive Press can reveal that various anonymous ‘sellers’ have recently tried to sell back Nutter’s own images. The London-born snapper, who now lives in New York, revealed that another photographer Brian Hamill, has also been suspiciously offered two strips of his original negatives taken of John Lennon. New Yorker Hamill had also lent the original negatives to
ICONIC: John and Yoko on wedding day and (top left) with certificate while (above) police letter
Fawcett - a British art critic, author and media consultant - for the same book. “Now we are being offered our own photographs back for thousands of pounds,” Nutter told the Olive Press, this week. “It is an outrage and it adds salt to the wounds that go back over 40 years,” he added. He had ‘stupidly’ lent Faw-
cett the negatives after they became friends, while living in New York in the mid 1970s. Fawcett had worked with Lennon and Yoko as their assistant for a while and was writing a book about Lennon’s life. “He asked me if I could help with images for the book and I stupidly said ‘yes’ and lent him all the negatives. “When I asked for them back
a little while later, he told me his apartment had been repossessed... and everything had been taken. “Even when I called in the police, I never got them back.” Indeed, a 1983 letter from Southwark Police to Nutter (above), seen by the Olive Press, shows that officers questioned Fawcett at his home in south London. Fawcett told the officers about his flat being repossessed in the Big Apple and that while most of his property was later returned, the photographs and negatives were not included. "However, he (Fawcett) did say he knew someone in pos-
Photos worth over €128,000!
A
world-renowned Beatles memorabilia expert estimated the set of wedding pictures to be worth over €128,000, last night. Peter Miniaci claims that he, himself, was offered the images in 2007, when he received an email offering him 'some rare John and Yoko wedding photos'. "I was suspicious and asked if the sender had the rights to the images, to which it was claimed that ‘the photographer is dead’ so I didn’t need to worry about it," he told the Olive Press. "Right away the red flag went up. I rang May Pang [Lennon's former PA] and she told me ‘definitively’ David Nutter took those photos and he is alive and well in New York." He later called the anonymous seller, who had a fake British accent, to try and track him down. He said he wanted €25,000 for the contact sheets (which are not as valuable or good quality as the original negatives). "Whoever offered me the contact sheets must know where the negatives are. If David could sell the whole set of photos I'm confident, because the majority are unpublished, he could get €90,000 to over €128,000 for them.” JET SET: Nutter (below, now) and (left) en route to wedding with couple in plane
SUSPICIOUS: Hamill
session of the photographs and agreed to telephone Mr Nutter with the details,” the letter reads. But according to Nutter, Fawcett never called him with the name. Now living a hand to mouth existence in New York, he is desperate to get to the bottom of the mystery. "I go crazy thinking about it," he said. “I would write my initials in ink on every frame so I would know straight away know they were mine. “And, in any case, who else could have taken them… nobody else was there in Gibraltar. I know they’re still around. How do I get them back?”
Low-cost Letizia QUEEN Letizia has been pictured dipping into her high street favourites Mango and Promod. Wearing blue bootleg jeans and shades the former journalist looked every bit your normal working girl as she went round the shops in Madrid. She may choose Nina Ricci for balls and Hugo Boss for business wear, but when she’s in normal mum-mode, Queen Letizia is hot off the high street.
Royal cruz
Heartbreaking
He continued: "It's heartbreaking. I’ve sort of given up. I could have done very well with those images and people are always asking me for them and I don't have them. I am living in poverty. “I could have made a lot of money not that that was the important thing. Its just the idea of someone having my stuff. I want them back.” As fellow photographer Hamill, who also suspiciously lost negatives in the 1970s to Fawcett, said last night: “Me and David are two old guys who survived the sixties. Those photos for us could mean something for my daughter and granddaughter.“ The Olive Press tried to contact Fawcett repeatedly by email and phone this week to discuss the missing negatives but received no response.
SHE’S already acting royalty here… so it is appropriate that Penelope Cruz is to be crowned The Queen Of Spain. The Oscar-winning actress starts filming for Fernando Trueba’s new film The Queen of Spain later this year in Madrid. She is being joined by Homeland’s Mandy Patinkin for the tale of a famous film star who leaves 1950s Hollywood to return to live in Madrid. The latest movie will be her third collaboration with Trueba, whose Belle Epoque won the 1992 Oscar for best foreign language film.
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NEWS
www.theolivepress.es From Page 1
BREXIT BATTLE
an immediate closure of the border. “If the UK were to leave the EU, there would be no guarantee that the border would remain open,” a cabinet office report insists. However, senior ministers and London’s mayor Boris Johnson has slammed the Stay campaign’s ‘project fear’ agenda. “There is absolutely no evidence to support the reports,” Johnson said. “They have plucked numbers together to satisfy their project fear agenda.” A referendum was set after David Cameron attempted to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the EU on issues such as migrants and welfare. However, many politicians and commentators claim he has made little progress. An analysis of the six most recent polls suggests 45% of voters want to leave the EU, while 55% will vote to remain. To find out how to register to vote, see Page 6
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
The A-boat
ONE of the world’s richest seafarers has moored up in Gibraltar. Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko has anchored his superyacht ‘A’, a sleek €245 million waterborne palace, at Alcaidesa marina. The 119 metre-long structure was said to be named ‘A’ after his supermodel wife ‘Aleksandra’, however, in fact, it was to be at the top of shipping registers. Meanwhile, the tycoon worth six billion pounds, has commissioned another €375 million super yacht, which is set to be the biggest sailing vessel in the world, with masts taller than Big Ben.
Home wreckers
A BRITISH expat faces losing her dream Costa del Sol home after getting caught up in an equity release scam. Pensioner Wendy Peeling has been ordered to pay €322,000 owed on the scheme or face eviction from her four-bed Calahonda property. This is despite an ongoing court case in France investi-
Expat faces eviction after being ordered to pay thousands owed in Landsbanki property scheme
gating Icelandic bank Landsbanki for fraud. Sold to her by unscrupulous financial advisers in 2005, this type of scheme - which
allowed pensioners to borrow 100% of the value of their homes - has been banned in the UK since 1990 but was sold to Britons abroad in the
Thanks for the entertainment A SMALL group of family and friends celebrated the life of recently deceased expat Mike Scott, 66, last week in San Roque. Scott, who lived in Jimena de la Frontera, was one of the founders of the Entertainer newspaper, the predecessor to the Euro Weekly News. His business partner Elendil Diez said: “Mike was a wonderful person and will be extremely
missed. “We played his favourite music at the funeral and celebrated his life.” Born in Bude, England, Scott was passionate about the music industry and presented various radio shows, working for a time with Maurice Boland at his now defunct radio station i-talk.
TRULY MISSED: Scott
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan
early 2000s. Peeling has now brought in lawyers Martinez-Echevarria, in Marbella, to fight her case. “I cannot believe this is happening to me,” Peeling told the Olive Press. “I am elderly and have no means of income. “The house is only worth €300,000 so I have no way of paying it off.” She added: “My lawyers will be fighting this on the grounds that it was a scam from day one.” Landsbanki lawyers are facing a string of charges including tax evasion and money laundering, while the bank itself faces fraud charges. In fact, French criminal courts
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have formally ordered that the Landsbanki case goes to trial over the selling of equity release schemes in Spain and France. Like hundreds of other expats, Peeling was left owing thousands of euros when the Icelandic bank collapsed in 2008. They were told the return on the investment would pay off the interest on the borrowing and provide an income for life. However, when Landsbanki collapsed at the start of the crisis, the investment return plummeted, leaving expats with huge interest bills. As the Olive Press has reported over the last few years, hundreds of British expats have already lost their homes. She is now awaiting a court date which is expected to be set in October.
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TV PLEA
RELATIVES and friends of a Cornish man held in Algeciras for drug-related crimes are crowdfunding for a television to occupy him in jail. Falmouth man John ‘Jomby’ Badger, in his early 20s, was arrested in September with two other men in connection with drug offences and has been charged. The Brit could face 12 years in jail if he is found guilty. Badger’s family launched a petition claiming his innocence after his arrest but it has now been replaced by a funding page to raise money for a TV for him in prison. “We are trying to raise the €315 that he needs to buy a TV from the shop in prison. He is bored and can’t afford it,” wrote petition organiser Mike Smith. So far donations stand at €333 and it is unclear whether the TV has been purchased yet. Badger had previously posted on Facebook that he met a man in a Falmouth pub before ‘agreeing to go to Spain with him on a boat’. A Foreign Office spokesman has revealed it is continuing to ‘provide support’ to the British national.
Donkey sanctuary rescues record 100 animals in largest ever operation
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Saved from slaughter
NEWS IN BRIEF
Home comforts AN overwhelming 80% of Spaniards between the ages of 16-29 still live at home with their parents, according to a new report by the Council for Youth.
Circus bans
EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell ONE hundred donkeys abandoned and headed for the slaughterhouse have been rescued by a donkey sanctuary. In the Refugio del Burrito’s largest operation to date, the severely malnourished donkeys were recovered from terrible conditions in a village in Extremadura. The owner had recently died and the animals were not registered, meaning they would have to be
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ALMOST 300 towns have now banned animal circuses, including Casares on the Costa del Sol, although Catalunya is leading the way.
Eta man out SAVED: 100 donkeys from shocking conditions slaughtered. But staff at the charity, based in Fuente de Piedra,
contacted local authorities and took control of the donkeys, bringing vets and
Independence day MEN and women of Casares have donned their dancing shoes to celebrate Andalucia Day. Flowers were laid at the foot of a statue of Blas Infante, the ‘father’ of Andalucian independence who was born in the town, as local children belted out the Andalucian anthem.
food. Despite their swift action, several donkeys still died from the suffering they had undergone, including four-year-old Momo who died after an emergency blood transfusion. “We have launched an urgent appeal to find homes and to cover the costs of the operation,” said a refugio spokesman. “Those that have adequate facilities and wish to own donkey, please contact us.” For more information or to donate, visit www.elrefugiodelburrito.com or call 952 735 077
A FORMER member of the Basque terrorist group Eta, Arnaldo Otegi, has been released from prison after a six-year sentence for trying to resurrect separatist party Batasuna.
Spacebound AN Algeciras schoolgirl won a competition to have her drawing sent into space on board the CHEOPS telescope, which aims to locate planets outside the Solar System.
6
Take it down IT is always worth looking at something as controversial as the Algarrobico from a different point of view. Sometimes, another voice can illuminate the situation in new ways; make you rethink your entire conclusion. On Page 7, we present the views of local Almeria resident Lenox Napier, who argues succinctly that the creation of jobs is more important than protecting mere ‘scrub’. Well, firstly, calling the stunningly beautiful, untouched desert-like Cabo de Gata ‘scrub’ is like calling Everest an annoying hill. Secondly, that’s not the point. The point is that sheer greed and corruption allowed an utter monstrosity to be built on protected land. Completely illegally. Demolishing it will send out a message that Spain is putting its wild and wonderful environment above the back pockets of the corrupt elite at long last.
Please, please me
DAVID Nutter is not a name that many here will know. But the British photographer who snapped John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s wedding captured an utterly unique event in Gibraltar’s history… and modern popular culture. For over 40 agonising years, Nutter has searched in vain for the precious negatives he created that day. Not only would their recovery help the 77-year-old - who is in financial dire straits - it would mean part of Gibraltar’s cultural history was restored to its rightful owner. Two questions linger: who took the negatives from Anthony Fawcett’s New York apartment all those years ago? And where are they now?
Something Spanish
SECOND only to Vegas (probably) in the speed it takes to tie the knot, Gib is impressive – you can get married at just 24 hours notice. And organising a blessing in Spain is also a cinch thanks to an abundance of seasoned professionals. This part of the world is perfect for spontaneous proposals on leap days, rainy days and, in fact, any day thanks to fabulous venues, balmy weather and guaranteed warm welcome. Add sangria and the love potion is complete - it’s no surprise our home is a courting couple hotspot. So leap year or not (and we predict an upturn in the number of weddings due to the feisty senoritas out there), read our weddings supplement, take the leap and get married in Spain.
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or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 (+34) 951 273 575 Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5 Calle Espinosa 1 Edificio centro comercial El Duque, planta primera, 29692, San Luis de Sabinillas, Manilva
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A decade-long struggle between developers and environmentalists appears to finally have a happy ending, writes Joe Duggan
I
TS 20-storey hulk has been the scene of more fighting than a Die Hard film. But the fate of Spain’s most controversial hotel appears to have finally been decided. A Supreme Court ruling that the 41 1 - b e d room El Algarrobico complex is built on protected land in Almeria’s Cabo de Gata is a massive victory for environmentalist campaigners. “Nobody thinks this hotel will ever disappear from this beach,” a Greenpeace spokeswoman said in 2007. But after a decade-long struggle, the demolition of the hotel - a sprawling symbol of the building excess of Spain’s boom years - could now finally be on the cards. It’s been a long road to arrive at this point.
Rejoice In the early ‘90s, developers Azata del Sol had a vision. A four-star, 32,660-metre square hotel, 100 metres back from the sea with serene Mediterranean views. It would hold an 18-hole golf course and a sprawling 1,500 homes. The community at nearby Carboneras would see, feel and rejoice in the economic benefit. Everyone would be a winner. And the Junta appeared to agree, granting a licence to start building work in 2003. There was just one problem. Protesters argued that the site
CONTROVERSIAL: Greenpeace has protested the hotel for a decade and (inset) scene from Lawrence of Arabia was protected In 2007, in a scene straight out ive Press front page; ‘Disgrace’ land, with the of James Bond, 30 eco-warriors (See top right). 460-square km scaled the building and daubed “This monstrosity is the symCabo de Gata-Níjar the words ‘Illegal Hotel’ in jet- bol of the destruction of our Natural Park western Europe’s black, three-storey-high letters coasts,” said a Greenpeace largest marine and territory naacross its gleaming white fa- spokesman. But local politicians welcomed ture reserve. cade. So in 2005, the government It is an image that has become the new ruling. ruled the hotel had broken a symbol for Spain’s greed and “The council continues to bethe Coastal Law, which forbids corruption and a reckless atti- lieve that the best option for this hotel after such a huge inbuilding within 330 ft of the tude towards the environment. sea. By 2009, the Junta was facing vestment is that it is completed The orders for its demolition criminal charges for falsifying and opened to provide wealth were made, but what followed documents to enable building and jobs for the town,” said was a decadework to start. Ri- Salvador Hernandez, mayor of long series of vera was still on Carbonera. legal u-turns the case, stating However, an online poll showed An image that and twists that the hotel’s Olive Press readers still mashas become (all covered c o n s t r u c t i o n sively backed the original decia symbol for in Olive Press was ‘illegal’ and sion to demolish the controverreports). would be ‘devas- sial complex. Spain’s greed In February tating for the en- The case took yet another twist and corruption in April 2015. This time the 2006, judge vironment’. Jesus Rivera Two years later, Junta stepped in to repossess ruled that despite winning a the land, returning €2.3 million building work on the hotel - by series of court victories, Green- to the developers, who had renow 95% complete - should peace campaigners had resort- fused to hand over the plot durhalt. Two years later, he aned to squatting in El Algarrobico ing the original rulings. But now, 13 years after the nulled the hotel’s building lito demand its demolition. cence. Then suddenly, in March 2014, Algarrobico’s licence was first Azata del Sol fought back viga TSJA Andalucian Supreme granted, February’s Supreme orously, launching no less Court ruling overturned multiple Court ruling appears to have put a seal on the case. than eight appeals against the previous court judgements. hotel’s illegal status between The court’s decision that El Al- It has decided the hotel is in 2006 and 2009. garrobico had been built using ‘an environmentally protected However, undeterred Greena legal permit was a hammer area’. Finally, this vast behepeace activists retaliated blow to protesters, and was moth may now be reduced to through direct action. met with a one-word on the Ol- rubble.
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SPECIAL FEATURE
77 7
6th - August 19th 2015 www.theolivepress.es March August 2nd - March 15th 2016
Decade of campaigning FAMOUSLY dubbed El Horrible by the Olive Press, a decade-long campaign to demolish the illegal structure has finally succeeded. Regularly INSIDE THE AXARQUIA GE GUIDE TO h-language BUMPER 20-PA and only Englis The original newspaper in Andalucía e investigativ
Del Sol Office: Contact our Costa 203 986 Tel: +34 951 .uk costadelsol@hifx.co
FREE s Green group shocked as hotel Algarrobico legal is deemed , such while expats , see as the Priorsed their disput zed homes bulldo
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ers can now m hotel LEGAL: Develop the 411-roo d complete a protecte built INSIDE and with a and Natural Park... more hotels next golf course, coming 1,500 houses
By Giles Brown
has slammed GREENPEACE that it claims le the ‘dark forces’ the inexplicab are behind legalise the El Aldecision to and garrobico hotel. ental group The environm now appealed n the Junta have of the Andalucia the decision(TSJA) to overturn high court the 20-storey a ruling that was built illegally monstrosity virgin beach in protected a on the Almeria. will now open They fear itgolf course, 1,500 door to a EIGHT more hohomes and tels in the area.
banks cash in!
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E: EXCLUSIV s Discussion ’s over a Queen visit to Gib See page
12
ON
OPINI and counter OLIVE PRESS appeals, claims evidence… court cases, gathering A DECADE of spent on lawyers andmonstrosity is allowed virgin concrete claims… Millions a disgraceful ’s last dozen genuinely at the And at the end, one of Andalucia off for a month are to stand on was the decision put Junta and State beaches! WhySuspicious? You bet. If the this carbuncle they last minute? sharing costs to demolish something from the really up for fast and pay the developer off to places been syphoned should move money that has Islands over recent years. millions of black d and the Cayman like Switzerlan
E: EXCLUSIV ad Amy’s stepd charged with murder See page
by Jon Clarke
Picture The Priors STUNNED: group Salvar Another greenput in an offigrants permisIt’s real hypocMojacar havet against the trio as Town Hall the stomach. cial complain 3, 2003. Carboner that the the decision reveal “It is a disgrace. risy.” l March Press can entalists demand of judges behind Jorge Mu- this week:they get away with The Olive behind the sion to build30, 2005. Environm del Mar How can - Rafael Cantero, hotel candel Sol, that the company and Maria l April investigate rules that the ent, Azata noz Cortes - claiming this?” home in Vera was deauthorities er 17, 2005. The state in two other 2008 developm Their hoJimenez Morera the sea Astapa is already linked in January l Novembcloser than 100m to rules that work on the cases, the corruption. questioned why molishedwave of a pen due to as it could corruption Estepona - where not be built y 22, 2006. Judge nary matter Others have due on February with the irregularities’. scandal in to build the largest Februar a precautio as l a and ruling, by ‘planning stopped their delayed licence 100% legalis still it planned centre in Spain tel should be the building “We were 25, was suddenly ley de Costas last minute. commercial infamous Gurtel plot else’s house violate the 30, 2006. Junta revokes buy back the month at thecorruption have everyone ” added Prior. “We and even thelinks the governl March 2006. Junta agrees to high court (TSJA) dismisses Claims of by cries of anger standing,fighting for compenwhich 10, cash development Andalucia l May same case, in Madrid to illegal er 4, 2010. been joined Len and Helen are still prohibits any broke still in the ment l NovembTown Hall’s appeal and that that the hotel from expats nearby home was sation and we were six years La payments. Carboneras 27, 2012. TSJA rules built the Prior whose - without com- place that agree The company ion of 219 l March and the Junta ago. us sick to demolished six years ago. del Government Alcazaba urbanisat the ley de Costas news makes in Boadilla 2012. Central pensation ion of the the Olive Press “This luxury homes was described l July 5, the hotel the construct Len Prior told Monte, whichthe ‘Marbellisaland to demolish 8, 2014. TSJA rejects the owns that the as causing area. The mayor l January that the Junta inexplicably rules tion’ of the Arturo Gonzalez The TSJA ‘zoned for building’ hotel and confirms 25, 2014. is of Boadilla, later indicted in l March the hotel is located Panero, was land on which 10 Continues
2
Timeline
to a travesty
E: EXCLUSIV Cops issue apology for Sam errors in Hardy case See page
8
on Page
SHAME: Many see the hotel as a product of corruption
D
RIVING over the coastal mountains from the Almerian tourist trap of Mojácar to Carboneras is a delight. You pass through the hamlet of Sopalmo, which sits in tiny splendour over a sandy track that leads drowsily down to the sea, a mile away. Here is one of only two places in Spain where you can find chameleons. Cristobal has a small restaurant there and will fill you up for €10 while the kids go exploring with their butterfly nets. We are at the edge of the gigantic – and generally rather empty – Natural Park of Nijar/ Cabo de Gata. But before the large municipality of Nijar, increasingly covered with ‘plastic farms’, we must pass through Carboneras, the ugly fishing town made famous by the Algarrobico Hotel. It’s been over a decade since a judge ruled that it was illegally built on a beach inside a natural park. Now, after millions spent on legal fees and hundreds of stories, it is finally to be knocked down. The curving road passes the hill of the ‘Moors Blood’ – a colourful slab of streated rock where a battle may have taken place half a millennium ago – and zigzags towards the highest part of the route towards Carboneras, with crags on one side and alarming drops on the other: a road straight out of The Italian Job – or, perhaps the perfect final scene for Thelma and Louise. At the top, there’s a small parking area, liberally decorated with graffiti, where you can see for miles. My camera records an empty dry mountain, a rugged coast, clean blue sea and – off to the southwest – the back of a monstrous hotel, several miles away and far below. The only plant-life in this – and
featuring on front pages, our campaigns against the Algarrobico hotel have been ongoing since the birth of the paper nearly 10 years ago. In 2008 - after the Junta planned to open the hotel and build even more around it - the Olive Press took a firm stance against the disgraceful decision. Again in 2014, we laid shame on the Junta after it granted permission to finish building the hotel. Finally, last year, a glimmer of hope emerged when the Junta announced it had reclaimed the land. Now the demolition looks imminents let’s hope that we don’t have to report on yet another u-turn in this decade-long legal saga.
Heartbreak hotel There are no victors in Almeria’s infamous battle of the Algarrobico … except, perhaps, the local rabbits, writes Lenox Napier , who lives in nearby Mojacar and controversially believes it should be allowed to stay
most – of the Parque Natural is so the harmless creatures are scrub: no doubt of huge environ- collected and sent to prison mental value to our friends the camps in the high sierras, where ecologists but, dress it how you they solemnly die of the flu. A French businessman told me will, it’s scrub none the less. The ecologists are simple city 20 years ago: ‘In the next cenfolk. They live through subsidies, tury, the two growth industries European funds and obscure will be tourism and ecology’. Ten publications. They are like the years later, in small and ugly Caliban of Shakespeare: rude town in Almería, the two forces destructive fellows, who flow finally declared war. out from their apartments in As the car breasts the final hill the suburbs to deal harshly with on the route to Carboneras , the rear of the the countryside, ghastly hotel subsidised by becomes visthe gullible politiAfter 10 years ible again: cians from far-off rotting in the surrounded by Seville. land prepared In Almería, the sun, the hotel by the builder ecologists must would have been for shops, resignore the 350 km2 tract of plas- impossible to finish taurants and an urbanisatic farms, which tion of 250 do huge damage to the environment but bring villas (land, incidentally, which much wealth. They will spend does not fall within the new frontheir time – and what European tier of the Natural Park, and is funds they can attract – on such thus still theoretically viable). foolishness as ripping up a small These days, sightseers come to plantation of agave outside the see the hotel. Aghast, they take city, a plantation that has been pictures: perhaps they’ll stay for lunch in the town. Nearby is the there for almost a century. The plants, they say, are inva- small villa where Peter O’Toole sive. So too, they say, are the stayed when filming part of Daprickly pear cactus (brought to vid Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia. Spain by the conquistadores) – Just past the Algarrobico, on as the entire south east of Spain the other side, is the dry river is plagued by an unstoppable bed where the Arab horsemen cactus fly. The local tortoise attacked Aqaba in that furious must be protected, they insist cinematographic gallop. (again, with European backing) Carboneras is a reasonably well-
off, if unusually ugly fishing town. It has three ports – commercial, touristic and industrial – some nice beaches, good fish restaurants, a huge power station responsible for producing 25% of all the CO2 that is clogging up the air in Andalucía, a vast and inoperable sports stadium and an unemployment rate of only 20% (Almería province has 25%). Opening the Algarrobico and finishing off the surrounding satellite urbanisation would have brought many jobs to the town. But as a Greenpeace spokesman said after the latest judgement, ‘they can always help work on the demolition’. The reality is that after 10 years of rotting in the sun and open to the elements, the 20-storey hotel would have been almost impossible to finish. Its time
had come. But, what about the costs involved in demolition – money that could have been better spent? The politicians speak blithely of returning the several hundred metres of empty rocky scree back to how it was – but how impossible is that? And is it even worth the effort? The justification for the demolition comes from a rule that you can’t build in a national park, even though the hotel was not in a national park when work began; indeed, the promoters bought the land from the Junta (through a public company called Soprea) in 1999, when it was still ‘urbanisable’. The boundaries were subsequently moved as the PP in Madrid changed the coastal building limits. In 2006, the project which had previously won the blessing of the then Junta President, Manuel Chaves, fell foul of Environment Minister Cristina Narbona who ordered work stopped when the hotel was
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ivepress.es
NEWS ...While even Algarrob ico is facin g demolitio n
Top we for natuerk e! CONTROVERSIAL :
The Algarrob ico hotel in
Green grou rejoice as ps Junta final takes steps ly knock dow to n Alga rrob bookshop - oliveico press hotel
Almeria had
‘Hotel Ilegal’
painted on
f 1 12/11/2014
11:19:04
5 5
it by greenpe
ace
GREEN groups have praised a decision by the Junta in Almeria nally reposses . to fiwhich Spain’s s the land on After the money, versial hotel most contro- in licence fees already paid has been turned, it Greenpeace has been built. reC is understo od detas en Accionand Ecologis- molition of the illegal hotel the agreeme have hailed can begin. M A spokesm nt to
return an for Post Boxes:La€2.3 million to the er develop- said: “This is a Ecologis yout tas of 1the 12/02/201 Algarrob positive Y step and shows 5 14:36 ico Hotel, a change Page 1 politics inCM the of the Junta.” Greenpeace tion specialiscoastal protecMY added: “It’s t Pilar Marcos an intellige CY cision.” nt deConstructor been fightingAzata del Sol CMY has process, whichhard to stop the has so K an incredib le 94% of far seen built. the hotel While Spain’s High Court has so far against it, issued four decrees builders
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Green groups shocked as Algarrobico is deemed hotel while legal as the expats, such their Priors, see homesdisputed bulldozed GREENPEACE Brown the ‘dark forces’ has slammed are behind that it decision claims the garrobicoto legaliseinexplicable the El hotel. The environmental Althe Junta the decisionhave nowgroup and high court of the appealed a ruling (TSJA) Andalucian to that monstrosity the overturn on a protected was built20-storey Almeria. virgin illegally They beach in door fear it will now open homesto a golf course, the tels in and EIGHT 1,500 the area. more ho-
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LEGAL: completeDevelopers can now built the 411-room NaturalINSIDE hotel golf course,Park... a protected 1,500 more and with houses hotels a coming and next
PRESS
A DECADE OPINION of court claims… And at Millions spentcases, appeals, on lawyers to standthe end, a disgraceful claims and gatheringand counter beaches! on one of concrete Why was Andalucia’s last minute? monstrosity evidence… the decision last dozen really is allowed up for Suspicious? genuinely put
EXCLUSIVE: Discussions over visit a Queen’s to Gib See page
12
Mojacar green should sharing You bet. off for a have group Salvar cial complaint If the Junta month virgin millionsmove fast and costs to demolish put in at the of judges of black and State pay against an offilike Switzerland money the developer this carbuncle - Rafael behind the trio are and the that has been something noz CortesCantero, the decision they Cayman syphoned Jorge from the Jimenez and Maria MuIslands off to places corruption.Morera del Mar this over recent - claiming week: Others years. How “It is have their this?” can they get a disgrace. ruling, questioned 25, was due away why Their the stomach. with month suddenly on February molished home EXCLUSIVE: risy.” in Vera It’s real Claims at the last delayed by The Olive minute. a with the in Januarywas dehypocof corruption Amy’s been ‘planningwave of that the Press stepdad from joined by cries a pen 2008 development, charged have “We company can reveal irregularities’. due to Prior expats Len of anger everyone were behind whose is already 100% murder with Azata demolished the nearbyand Helen standing,” else’s legal l March Picture corruption linked del Sol, home and pensation house - without by Jon was are still sion to added scandal cases, in two other is 3, Clarke Len Prior - six years See page build 2003. Carboneras fighting Prior. still it planned com- sation the Astapa in Estepona l April “We told the ago. 2 place and still for compenauthorities 30, commercialto build - where Olive Town 2005. in the Press ago. that we l November and even investigate EnvironmentalistsHall grants centre the largest same were in Spain six years permisthe infamous “This not be case, 17, 2005. news built closer l February ment which links demand makes The state in Madrid the Gurtel than 100m us sick that the tel should payments. govern22, 2006. to The to illegal to the rules that violate be the hotel sea cash company the ley stopped as Judge rules l March Alcazaba cande Costas a precautionary built that work urbanisation l May luxury the La 30, 2006. 10, 2006. matter on the hol November Monte, homes in of 219 Junta as it could Boadilla which revokes Junta Carboneras as causing agrees 4, was described del to buy the building l MarchTown 2010. Andalucia tion’ of the the ‘Marbellisaback Hall’s the ley of Boadilla, high courtthe plot licence 27, 2012. appeal area. de Costas l July Panero, ArturoThe mayor TSJA and prohibits (TSJA) dismisses rules was later Gonzalez 5, 2012. to demolish that thatany development indicted Central l January the hotel the hotel Continues Government in hotel broke on Page 8, 2014. and confirms and the EXCLUSIVE: l March 10 TSJA Junta that the rejects land on 25, Cops the construction agree which 2014. The Junta owns issue the hotel TSJA the land apology of the is located inexplicably is ‘zoned rules errors for that the for building’ in
Timeline
to a travesty
Hardy
Sam case
See page
8
CAMPAIGNING: Last March’s front page
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THE OLIVE PRESS – 344mm x 126mm
4th March
90% complete: it was being built on public land. Almería is a large province of 8,000 km2, of which 3,100 km2 are protected – about 35% of the entire province. We are talking here of perhaps one hectare. Couldn’t Almería afford to lose a tiny fraction of its empty, unvisited and largely pointless parkland to help create some jobs? A recent interview with the President of the Superior Court of Justice in Andalucía says that ‘judges sometimes contradict themselves – we are human and can also get things wrong’. A spokesman for ‘Salvemos Mojacar’ does not suffer from the same doubts: ‘it must be demolished and the promoter should not be reimbursed by as much as one centimo’ (they seek €70 million). So, as sometimes happens in Spain: the building can never be completed, and it can never be entirely demolished. Jobs are lost in an area of high unemployment, and a rotting and monstrous hulk of a building will perhaps be turned one day, after at least a decade of uselessness, into a mountain of rubble. Perhaps the rabbits, its future residents, will be pleased.
8
POLITICS
Last-chance saloon
March 2nd - March 15th 2016 www.theolivepress.es
Pedro Sanchez enters crucial week in bid to become PM
IT’S a week that will decide Spain’s future. But Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez faces a desperate last-ditch battle to persuade Spain’s rival parties to back his bid to become prime minister. The PSOE boss will use this week’s investiture debate to put forward his case. But, with Podemos and the ruling PP par-
ties both insisting deals with the PSOE are out, a serious amount of horse trading is set to take place ahead of today’s vote. Should Sanchez fail, one final vote will take place at midnight on Friday, before a new general election is called for June 26. To succeed in his investiture bid, Sanchez needs either the backing of half of the 350
Madrid president in Estepona bribery scandal A FORMER Madrid president is to be questionned in a €2 million bribery and money-laundering case linked to Estepona.
Eye on CORRUP
TION
Anti-corruption officials are set to grill the former PP leader Ig- town, said to have been given to nacio Gonzalez over his owner- him as a bribe. ship of a luxury apartment in the Investigators also want to talk to Enrique Cerezo, the ex-president of Atletico Madrid over the apartment in Alhambra del Golf. The apartment was registered to CORRUPTION cases in Spain have trebled over the last four a company based in the tax haven of Delaware and listed as being years, new figures show. The number of people arrested last year was a staggering owned by lawyer Rudy Valner. It is believed that Valner is merely 2,442, compared to just 792 in 2011. The number of corruption cases meanwhile rose in the same a front man and the property was period from 470 to 1,108, according to figures released by given to Gonzalez as a sweetener. Gonzalez has now claimed he minister of the interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz. Last year also saw 6,488 companies investigated by anti- rented it from 2008 before purcorruption authorities, with the most common crime the de- chasing it for €730,000 in 2012. However, recordings made by pofrauding of social security and general tax fraud . Fernando Diaz said corruption is being ‘fought harder than lice in 2011 allegedly reveal Gonzalez asked two officers to help ever, with all our strength’. cover up the scandal.
Fraud fight as cases triple
deputies for an overall majority, or to secure the abstention of enough parties to form a working majority. So far, Sanchez has the backing of his party’s 90 deputies and 40 from Ciudadanos, far short of the magic 176 figure. Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias has refused
to strike any sort of deal with the PSOE unless the parties agreement with Ciudadanos is modified. Meanwhile, Rajoy, whose party won 123 seats in December, has been unable to gain sufficient backing for his own investiture bid. The PP leader endures an acrimonious relationship with Sanchez and it would be a shock if Rajoy were PRINCESS Cristina is refusing to testify in the onto offer his rival a helping going Noos corruption trial. hand into power. The Spanish royal was set to speak at the trial in After all, Sanchez previousMallorca last week but has now confirmed she will ly rejected Rajoy as a coaliremain silent throughout the case. tion partner. King Felipe’s sister has instead requested that any The consequences of the questions the prosecution has for her should be current stasis continusubmitted in a letter to her defence lawyers. ing are huge, with billions The Princess is one of 18 defendants charged in likely to be wiped from the a corruption trial, also featuring her husband value of Spanish compaIñaki Urdangarin, an Olympic handball medallist nies on the stock market. turned businessman. This is already the longest Cristina, 50, faces two counts of tax fraud, carSpain has gone without a rying a maximum prison sentence of eight years, government since democfor allegedly failing to declare taxes on personal racy was restored. expenses paid by a property company she owned Whether the painful tranwith her husband. sition from a two-party Urdangarin testified in court last week, admitting system to multi-party polihis company had fake workers on its payroll. tics lasts days or months He is accused of channelling €6.2 million earned in business contracts to private companies and is now down to Sanchez’s faces a maximum of 19 years in prison. negotiating powers.
Princess keeps quiet
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GIBRALTAR
March 2nd - March 15th 2016 www.theolivepress.es
We need dreamers! Popular artist calls for arts faculty at Gibraltar University A POPULAR local artist has made a passionate plea for an arts faculty at the Rock’s new university. Paul Cosquieri, best known for his series of abstract depictions of the enclave, said Gibraltar needed to encourage artists ‘as much
EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell as pragmatists’. Currently the university, inaugurated in September last year, has a faculty for business and a second for health studies and sports
science. “I want the government to put an arts faculty in because we need to encourage dreamers and innovators,” insisted Cosquieri, 53. “Dreamers and pragmatists are two sides of the
DREAMER: Cosquieri speaking at GibTalks while (top right) one of his classic abstract paintings of the Rock
same coin,” he added. The Fine Arts Association has not yet made a formal proposal to the university, but Cosquieri told the Olive Press he would be raising the subject at the association’s next meeting with the Culture Ministry.
Community
Band aid REVELLERS were left owed thousands of pounds by organisers of the Gibraltar Music Festival. More than £23,000 was left on wristbands, which were introduced at GMF 2015 to create a cashless payment system. There has been some confusion over whether festivalgoers were to be refunded the leftover credit, however the GMF website states that ‘no refunds are available on credit’.
OUT OF POCKET: Revellers at the Gibraltar Music Festival The government has now announced that the money will be donated to charity. Event organisers introduced
the cashless payment system for the first time last year as a means for paying for food, drink and merchandise.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Daniella Tilbury, confirmed a series of consultation meetings would be held in March and April with NGOs, community groups and stakeholders to create a strategic plan up to 2020. “We look forward to engagement with the local art community and are open to receiving proposals,” she told the Olive Press. “We have an ‘open door’ policy and have convened groups and local experts to guide our choices,” she added.
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GREEN NEWS
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Water fight
Political fight on the beaches over mystery pool of water A BODY of water on an Algeciras beach has kicked up an almighty political stink. Anti-corruption party Algeciras Si Se Puede claims that the water is sewage waste while the town hall insists it is
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EXTENDING Malaga’s Metro will slash the city’s Co2 emissions by 1,340 tonnes a year. A new Line 2 route to the Hospital Civil would help cut traffic by 64% along avenues Eugenio Gross and Blas de Lezo, according to the town hall’s Ministry of Development. More than 23,000 cars drive along Eugenio Gross and Blas de Lezo every day, with only 34% of journeys made by local residents. The environmental benefits of cutting traffic by more than two thirds would be equivalent to 6,000 trees being planted in the area, says the town hall.
UP ALL WINTER: Hogs
Sleepless in Spain
THE heat of the Spanish summer can lead to plenty of sleepless nights. But spare a thought for the country’s hedgehog population which has abandoned hibernating altogether. Researchers at the University of Alicante have found that the European hedgehog has packed in its winter snooze as temperatures in Spain are too hot to handle. Thankfully, the majority of hedgehogs in Europe are found in Mediterranean countries and therefore have enough food sources to stay awake all year round.
raged by the town hall’s findings that they are now threatening to take legal action.
Spain’s shame
TRAMS: Slash carbon emissions
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SEWAGE SAGA: In Algeciras
POLLUTION levels in Spain increased more than any other European country in 2015, a new study reveals. CO2 emissions rose by 4% last year with a 23% increase in the use of electricity to blame, according to the Observatory of Sustainability. Emissions from vehicles also grew by 3.4% in 2015 according to the report. Chief investigator José Santamarta has slammed the European CO2 trading market designed to cut carbon emissions, claiming current prices per tonne of CO2 emitted are too low to be prohibitive.
Neanderthals laid in wait
REVEALING: Neanderthals hung around animal carcasses for Golden Eagles to arrive OVER 150 species of birds have been identified so far from fossil material discovered in Gibraltar’s caves, two new scientific papers reveal. More bird species from a period between 10,000 and 125,000 years ago have been identified in Gibraltar than anywhere else in Europe and Asia – possibly the world. The new papers, published by the Gibraltar Museum and collaborating scientists, examine how Neanderthals exploited these birds for both food and feathers. Museum Operations Manager and contributing author Stewart Finlayson said: “Our data analysis confirmed our hunch. The Neanderthals would have been lying in wait at animal carcasses in the knowledge that eagles and vultures would find the food tempting.” According to the scientists, the Golden Eagle was the bird Neanderthals in Gibraltar, and throughout Eurasia, prized most for its feathers.
“The laboratory samples collected reveal a high pollution level, and we consider the waters to be highly contaminated,” an Algeciras Si Se Puede spokesman said. “The results leave no room for doubt, it is wastewater.” He added: “Even without doing the tests, t it is obvious that it is not rainwater. “The smell is absolutely terrible, it is clearly waste material.” However, the town hall argues that its testing has revealed nothing untoward. “From our tests we are assured that the water is just rainwater and not wastewater,” a town hall spokesman said. “There is no truth to claims that the waste has been dumped on the beach.” Si Se Puede are currently gathering evidence to present to Seprona.
Mystery poisoning AN investigation into the deaths of dozens of partridges and at least 20 cats outside a Manilva hotel has found no wrongdoing by members of staff. Bosses at the Pierre y Vacances resort claim their staff are in no way responsible for the deaths of the animals. The hotel launched an internal investigation following a series of leaflets that claimed hotel staff killed the animals after illegally putting down poison to keep rodents at bay, as reported in the Olive Press last month (Poisoning claims at French hotel, issue 233). . A spokesman for Groupe Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs told the Olive Press: "We can confirm that the resort has nothing to do with the incidents involving animal cruelty that have been reported. "Our investigation concluded that there has been no indication that these acts were carried out by employees. "The police have now been informed about the incidents to establish the circumstances of the deaths.”
12 the 12Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016
AXARQUIA
12 NEWS IN BRIEF Glider rescue A DUTCH paraglider, 56, was rescued by an emergency helicopter near Nerja after hitting trouble in a ravine and hurting his chest.
www.theolivepress.es March 2nd - March 15th 2016 12
Party in the sky
Paedo arrest AN 82-year-old was arrested for flashing his genitals and masturbating in front of children who were walking along the seafront with their families in Rincon de la Victoria.
Open again THE Riu Monica hotel has reopened in Nerja with a new design and a strict over-18 policy, having originally opened its doors in 1996.
Makeover THE Velez-Malaga Alcazaba is now in top condition following a €66,854 makeover which included work on the southeast wall and an irrigation system for the garden area.
Hit and run
A FORMER town councillor is in a ‘serious condition’ after a hit-and-run incident left him hospitalised. The 65-year-old ex-Torrox councillor was rushed to the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquia after a yellow van knocked him off his bike in the town centre. He suffered fractures to his ribs and limbs, as well as suffering head injuries.
JET SET: Summer show
AROUND 40,000 aviation enthusiasts are set to touch down in Torre del Mar this summer for the Air Festival Show. More than 30 military and civilian aircraft, including fighter jets such as the Eurofighter, helicopters and parachute squads, will take to the skies from July 29 to 31. The Spanish Air Force is providing various military planes, while others are coming from France, England and Italy.
Save our homes!
Expats fight ‘illegal’ eviction order
EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan
VARIOUS expats are among a group of tenants fighting eviction. In total, 16 families - many of them British and German - are facing being evicted from their seaside homes in Nerja. The group have called in lawyers after being slapped with an eviction order, ousting them from their Mar de Nerja apartments. The order came after a new owner took over the running of the properties, which overlooks the sea, near Burriana beach. However, the owners claim they don’t have rental contracts with the new company, a
UNDER THREAT: Mar de Nerja residents local estate agent. They insist that their contracts are with the previous owner and many continue to pay by direct debit.
Crime wave crashes
A MAJOR crime wave spanning six Axarquia towns may have finally been halted. It comes after police arrested a 29-year-old Spaniard in Torre del Mar on suspicion of robbing over a dozen rural homes, shops and churches. The thefts have occurred over the last three months across the entire region, from Riogordo to Periana and Alfarnate to Colmenar. The last alleged theft took place in a church in Benamargosa, where the suspect stole money but misjudged the drop from a window to the ground and severely cut his legs. This led to hospital treatment, with medical staff able to tip off police of his possible crimes.
“They have no right to order the eviction,” German resident Tom Kuddrer, 50, told the Olive Press. “Our lawyers are confident that we can suspend the eviction, however getting it overturned may prove more difficult. “Why should we pay a new company rent with no new contract. We want to pay our rent to the old owner,” he added. The apartments - each worth around €100,000 - were originally owned by Spanish bank Caja Granada before they were offloaded during the crisis. The agent did not get back to the Olive Press prior to deadline.
la cultura
www.theolivepress.es
the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
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MIGHTY PEN CELEBRATION: In Jerez SHAWLS swished and heels clacked to celebrate 20 years of Jerez’s famous flamenco festival. Andalucia’s most important flamenco fiesta has seen more than 70 shows and 44 dance lessons involving some 1,050 people from around 30 different countries. The Mercado de Abastos was transformed into one of 20
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
A Flamenco mecca
Dancing in the street for Jerez’ 20th flamenco festival
venues across town where spirited dance and music came together to rapturous crowds. Jerez town hall is one of Andalucia’s most indebted and fears remain for the festival’s future, however a foundation for vi-
sual arts and flamenco will be created this year so it can continue. “For a long time, the city has exported its talent but the economic benefits are rarely felt here, but the festival was born
to change that,” said the foundation’s director. “We hope Jerez can become a Mecca for flamenco fans who want to visit again and again.”
This year it attracted dance figureheads Isabel Bayon, Ruben Olmo and Rosario Toledo and ran from February 19 until March 5.
Dancing queens
HOT STUFF: Salsa
A SALSA group from Cordoba danced their way into the record books at the World Dance Championships. Hosted in Torremolinos, Salsa con Classe wowed the judges, scoring 74 out of 80 for their performance of Desafiando al destino. Torremolinos dance troupe Sabalba came in second for their dance African revolution while Baile al Compás from Extremadura came in third. To mark the start of the even a mass flashmob took place in La Canada shopping centre in Marbella.
Ojeando Music Festival unveils the first bands in its summer line-up Why it’s so important to support your local music venues
Hey Mum, where does music come from? WE are often shocked when we hear about inner city kids who think that meat and vegetables ‘grow’ in plastic shrinkwrapped containers. But the same can be said about music. In these times of reality TV and TV talent shows like La Voz and X Factor, there’s a perception that you can take random people off of the street, put them in an audition and then magically, after a few weeks of intense coaching, out the other end comes a fully-fledged international superstar. Well I’m sorry but that’s not how it works. Really great music comes from talented musicians, singers and songwriters who have slogged their guts out performing in bars, cafes, and small music venues to audiences of all sorts and sizes, honing their craft and building up a following.
Then, with a bit of luck, comes a record deal, the road to festival appearances and maybe even a stadium gig or two. Unfortunately that essential part of the equation, the small live music venue, is under threat from over-zealous local authorities, an apathetic public and spiralling costs. Without these small venues, bands like The Beatles, The Stones, Coldplay and Muse, would never have have become such huge acts. And let’s not forget the music business is a multi-billion-euro industry, employing tens of thousands of people. Our region boasts some great venues, run for the most part by keen music lovers at very little profit: places like Louie Louie’s and King Creole’s in Estepona, Sala Farandula in Algeciras, Paris 15, La Trinchera
Tuning in
with Gary Beaumont
and Sala Eventual in Malaga, to name but a few. They deserve our support for providing an opportunity to see the great bands of the future up close and personal for less than a tenner. That, my friends, is where music comes from. So support your local venues and enjoy some great music at the same time. Some recommended gigs: 9 March, Mr Sipp, Louie Louie, Estepona; 10 March, Sexy Zebras, La Trinchera, Malaga; 12 March, Dorian Sala Eventual, Malaga; and 19 March, The Vaccines, El Tren, Granada. You can find more information about the local music scene on Gary’s website www.andaluciamusic.com or hear Gary’s radio show on Castle Radio 89.2 FM each Wednesday from 10pm, repeated Sunday at 6pm.
Photo by Javier Fergo
AN expat author has been applauded for his latest novel. Brit Eric Gates received Goodreads Book of the Month award in February for his thriller Outsourced. ‘Extremely proud’ to receive the award, Gates - originally from Cheshire - thanked Goodreads users for his success. “I am so grateful for the many emails I've received asking for continuations of my novel,” Gates, who now lives in Alicante, told the Olive Press. “It's a wonderful feeling to have presented characters to people I have never met, all around the world, and have them respond so positively. “I must be doing something right.” The novel follows a New York writer of thriller novels who is plagued by a fan who turns out to be a hitman. Death and destruction quickly follows in a nail-biting storyline.
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FLAMBOYANT: Jerez festival
Forgotten hero of Paris
HE’S the Spanish war hero known as the liberator of Paris. But Lieutenant Amado Granell was airbrushed from history after leading the first column of liberating tanks, manned by exiled Spanish Republicans, into the French capital in 1944. Now 72 years on, France is publishing his first biography, Amado Granell, the Liberator of Paris by historian Cyril Garcia. “We are proud to have fought for France. We want to be dignified soldiers of France, but without renouncing our Spanish nationality,” Granell famously declared. Despite this, his name was erased from the photograph caption on the front page of Liberacion, the French newspaper, the day after he led his soldiers into Paris. In one famous speech, Garcia details how Granell stood on the beach at Normandy and vowed to stay in the war until he had washed his hands in the Rhine. He was to win France’s Legion of Honour and play an important role in Spain’s transition to democracy. “Granell is a central man in the history of contemporary Europe,” writes Garcia.
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OLIVE PRESS – 105mm x 256mm – Colour
2nd March
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la cultura
what’s on
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an Pedro, March 18-21 Ghost Writer at International Theatre House is a play about a grieving husband staying at a gay friend’s house after his wife’s apparent overdose. Info: internationaltheatrestudio@gmail.com
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ranada, March 19 British rock and roll stars The Vaccines head south to Sala El Tren as they tour Europe in support of their third album English Graffiti.Info: Info@ salaeltren.com
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enalmadena, until April 3 Israeli-born Ilan Wolff’s exhibition Andalucía at Centro de Exposiciones includes over 80 engaging and unique images of largescale scenes. Info: 952 56 28 20
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a Linea, ongoing The refurbished Jose Cruz Herrera museum has free WiFi, a lift and a gallery with Herrera’ early works, still lifes and seasonal exhibitions. Info:informacion@museocruzherrera.com
God’s geek A TECH-SAVVY Spanish priest is turning to computer game Minecraft for divine inspiration. Daniel Pajuelo Vazquez uses the 3-D world-building game to teach his pupils religious education. The popular padre took the decision after observing his Madrid students watching Minecraft videos on YouTube. “I was able to introduce Mine-
craft as a tool for building a Catholic temple in my religion classes,” said Vazquez. “The students started to build a city and some of them made an amazing replica of the school. “None of us had realized previously the potential of these students in architecture.” The project has led to an appearance on national Spanish TV as Vazquez looks to spread the good word.
Coming home!
IT’S a Spanish ‘national treasure’, and 200 years after it was stolen a painting is coming home. Bartolome Esteban Murillo’s San Pedro Penitente De Los Venerables is returning to Sevilla years after French troops swiped it in 1810.
STOLEN: Murillo
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Dodgy art dealer suspected of multi-million dollar painting scam to be extradited to USA
POLLOCKS
IT could be the most audacious art heist in history. Now a Spanish art dealer accused of belonging to a gang that conned collectors out of millions is set to be extradited to New York City. Jesus Angel Bergantinos Diaz,
The baroque artist’s masterpiece was taken from Sevilla’s Hospital de los Venerables during the War Of Independence. But after owners Abengoa sent it to the UK for restoration in 2014, it is ready to return to the 17th century hospital, which houses priceless works by Murillo and Velazquez. The painting had previously belonged in private collections before a recent exhibition at Madrid’s Prado, where director Miguel Zuzaga described it as a ‘national treasure’.
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67, is suspected of being part of the ring who passed off fake paintings as originals by artists like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning. Bergantinos and his brother Jose Carlos are alleged to have
DUD DEAL?: Diaz (left) and Pollock art
raked in €72 million offloading the copies to New York galleries. They then allegedly laundered the money and stashed it overseas. The dodgy dealer was arrested in Lugo in April 2014 and Spain’s top criminal court has now ordered him to surrender his passport pending extradition hearings. It is alleged a Chinese artist who Bergantinos met on a Manhattan street, Pei Shen Qian, painted the works from his home studio in Queens during the 15year scam. Jose Carlos, who was detained in Sevilla, is believed to have bought old canvasses at flea markets and stained new ones with tea bags. In 2013, Carlos’ girlfriend, Mexican-US art dealer Glafira Rosales, pleaded guilty before a US judge to selling counterfeit paintings to New York galleries.
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la cultura
www.theolivepress.es
the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Smuggler’s confessions B
ARTFUL DODGER: Morland raises a sail in the Straits and (right) in London today
(IN)FAMOUS FRIENDS: (From left) Goody, Princess Margaret and Noye
He has partied with the royals, shared a mistress with Goebbels, and a cell block with one of the Krays. Now ‘gentleman smuggler’ Francis Morland recalls his days in Spain and Gibraltar, writes Rob Horgan
ORN into an upper-class lifestyle, he went across Europe. from house parties and skiing trips with Written by Morland’s friend, barrister Jo Boothby, Princess Margaret to smuggling canna- The Art of Smuggling is the latest in a long line bis and rubbing shoulders with seasoned of smugglers’ memoirs. It fits the bill in terms of criminals Kenneth Noye, Gordon Goody and even style and genre tropes, with little violence, few one of the Krays. hard drugs, and only fleeting mentions of illegal Francis Morland’s memoir, The Art of activity, allowing readers to feel some empathy Smuggling, at least, is honest. Mor- towards the smuggler. land leaves no stone unturned in the Beginning with a police bust at Morland’s home in account of how he turned his back 1971, the book starts in the ‘most exciting period’ on an enviable upbringing to become of his life. The police cuff him, find enough cannaone of the UK’s most bis to lock him up, and then wheel prolific drug smughim away in the blues-and-twos. glers spending a lot Once on the Rock, But, ever the optimist, Morland of time in Spain and has other ideas. And skipping he launches the Gibraltar. bail, he sets off on an epic road Brought up on the trip across France, down through single biggest outskirts of GlastonSpain and then to one of his reguoperation of his bury, and heir to a lar ports of call: Gibraltar. Quaker dynasty, MorOnce on the Rock, he launches life land rejected the opthe single biggest operation of his portunity to join the life. In Gibraltar’s Sheppard’s Mafamily clothing business and squan- rina (now Ocean Village), he buys a 47ft boat, The dered a promising career as a sculp- Beaver, for £5,000 (€6,400) from a gay retired tor, in the pursuit of drugs and money. naval officer, and sets about transporting over a He immersed himself in the under- ton of cannabis to the Caribbean and then into world, and had a steamy affair with New York. an ex-mistress of Nazi general Joseph “I have docked in Gibraltar many times,” Morland Goebbels. tells the Olive Press. “It was the obvious place to For a while during the ‘60s and ‘70s, Morland go. You could get a licence there easy enough, controlled 10% of the UK’s cannabis trade, a it was close to Morocco, and, being a duty-free dubious honour that landed him six stays in jails zone, it was a lifeline to any fugitive.
la cultura
17 17 March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Extract
B
DEALER: Morland threw away art career for legendary ‘Disco Sours’ in Estepona port
“The boat I bought in 1971 was one of the more bizarre purchases. For the life of me I cannot remember the name of the colonel who sold it to me, but he offered me his Moroccan rentboy as ‘crew’. I laughed at first, then realised he was being serious and politely turned him
down.” He adds: “I like Gibraltar a lot. Although I spent most of my time there in the marinas I explored the place and found even the more squalid corners to have a certain charm about them.” Throughout The Art of Smug-
gling, Gibraltar figures large in Morland’s many drug smuggling ventures, a key location along with Ibiza, the south of Spain and Morocco. He says: “Spain was also good to me. I regularly drank ‘Disco Sours’ at the Estepona Yacht Club, I have never been able to
essentialmagazine
16 years 1999-2015
w w w. e s s e n t i a l m a g a z i n e . c o m
®
y rights t h e B e a v e r should have been in Gibraltar with my accomplice Harvey living on her; the deck planks were unpitched and parted and she should have never gone to sea in that state. But Harvey had panicked when two police launches had moored on either side, and suddenly took her out at the dead of night, bound for Mallorca. At least he’s paid the marina fees. As he was alone, he couldn’t handle the sails and had motored the whole way. Anyway, I was glad not to have to show my face in Gibraltar. I found the Beaver but no-one on board, so I dumped the gear and took a room at the Majestic in Palma. There were two reasons for this. Hotels are places where, unlike marinas, you are not expected to explain your presence. A more important
Talk of Ibiza reason was communications. In those days there were no mobile phones or email and even fax machines were a rarity. All communication was by fixed telephone or letter. In many countries you couldn’t even receive phone calls from public phone boxes. Mobiles had only just started to appear when my career ended. God, they would have made life easier. Not that I am forgetting their downside: they leave an easily retrieved record. I traced Harvey, who was in Ibiza, house-sitting a yacht. Eventually he got a message and rang me at the hotel. He was astonished to be speaking to me. News of our bust in the UK had reached the Balearics alright. A sharp rise in the price of pot there was flatteringly being attributed to my absence
from the scene. “So what are we going to do next?” asked Harvey. “I certainly can’t hang around here too long. From what you tell me I’m the talk of Ibiza.” Actually one was perfectly safe from extradition in Franco’s Spain, but it was a police state with a few concessions to the tourist industry. They’d certainly keep an eye on a cannabis smuggler if they got to hear about him. “Morocco?” I suggested. “Yeah? You still want to do the big one?” “All the more so. I now have to.”
find them anywhere since. “In my later years I operated out of Benalmadena and spent a lot of time on either side of the Straits of Gibraltar. “In those days,” he adds, “La Linea was rife with smuggling. I watched plenty of people dock on the beach in their wooden boats, unload and then scarper, leaving the boats to rot on the shore. “In fact, I spent good times there myself, with my daughter Joyce, when she joined me on one excursion. “We would go into La Linea for dinner or to ride horses along the front, it was a good time of my life and hers too, I think.” Despite his criminal CV, Morland has always kept his distance from others he regards as ‘up to no good’. However, when you’re in and out of prison as much as he has been, criminals are sometimes hard to avoid.
Nefarious
Morland was introduced to train robber Gordon Goody by a mutual friend, and spent time in prison with one of the Krays. While at HMP Blantyre House, he was part of the same ‘walking group’ as cop-killer Kenneth Noye. “I made it a general rule to stay clear of nefarious characters,” he says. “I met Gordon and found him to be a charming man. “I didn’t have so much time for Noye, though. We had nothing in common, he struck me as an uneducated man, and it often baffled me how he ever made so much money.” Now 81, with his life of crime behind him, Morland has resumed his early art career and survives in ‘pretty good poverty’ teaching pottery classes. And, after spending time behind bars in every decade since the 1960s (with the exception of this one), Morland says he has ‘no plans’ for one last punt. To purchase The Art of Smuggling for £14.39 visit www. miIobooks.com
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LETTERS
www.theolivepress.es 18 the Olive Press 18 18 November 14th - 25th 2016
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Hospital hurrah DEAR OP, FOLLOWING a lot of negative coverage of the Spanish medical system in the Olive Press I would like to have my say (Please own up, issue 231 and Bob Gaston’s subsequent letter). From my personal experience I can highly recommend the Spanish health service and in particular the hospital in Antequera. Last year I was diagnosed with a form of cancer. From the tests that I had done, the diagnosis given, to the subsequent operation, it took no more than two months. I cannot fault my stay in hospital in any way. The consultants visited daily and my aftercare and check-ups have been excellent. Would you believe I even enjoyed the food. One main advantage over the UK hospital system is that the nurses in Spain are there to nurse and your family are there to care for your personal needs.
Michael Kilford, Antequera
Flawed system I WAS truly staggered to read that the well known thief Jose Maseda was actually allowed bail, after being charged with stealing €20 million from trusting clients (Careful what you sign away, issue 232). At his age, knowing he had property abroad, what did the courts think would happen?
March 2nd www.theolivepress.es -
Rights and wrongs
Worth fighting for I AM not a huge supporter of bullfighting and I (on the whole) find it barbarous and archaic, however I found myself agreeing with large parts of Lenox’s piece (An ole for bullfighting, issue 233). I attended a corrida one time many moons ago and I No wonder the Spanish judicial system is so desperately flawed, when they allow incidents like this to continually happen when some swift justice is required.
Rick Taylor, Torremolinos
Good going I WAS fortunate to be able to visit cookery school La Consula in the early 1960s when my
Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es And our site is updated Marchdaily 15th 2016 with the latest news, making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.
have to admit there was a certain charm to the whole event. As Lenox points out, the atmosphere alone is worth going and I have to agree with him that the tradition needs keeping alive. A lot of people will disagree with the piece but I have to say I thought it was thoughtprovoking and if nothing else incredibly brave.
Stephen Miller, Malaga cousins Annie and Bill Davis lived there. I have followed the story closely and am over the moon to hear it will be reopening (Manna from heaven, issue 233). I was impressed by their wonderful collection of old maps, and soon started one of my own. All the furniture had white canvas covers, which gave the place an austere air, which also influenced me in later houses I was involved in decorating or restoring. The sad thing was not to have met Don Ernesto (Ernest Hemmingway), who as we know was a frequent guest. Still, it was a magic place, and I was privileged to be a young person in Spain when the going was good.
Charles Martin, La Coruña
Simply cruel I COULD not disagree more with Lenox’s stance. I’m afraid he is trapped on a ground of shifting sand and is refusing to move with the times. The ‘culture’ enjoyed by you and your friends is of days gone by and not reflective of modern-day Spain. It’s simply cruel: torturing an animal with spears in order to weaken it, so a coward in a fancy suit can then prance in, and then (hopefully) dispatch it with a sword in it’s neck. I say adopt rugby instead if you enjoy a bit of blood and guts. Now, that’s what you call a level playing field, and practiced by real men, not fops in fancy dress.
Stefano Liwinski, Marbella
Full Monte I AM trying to find out more about Monte Mayor golf club and the new owners. I know it has been taken over by new investors and work has begun on restoring it but I know little more than that. I often play the course in my mind when nodding off to sleep. I even use the memories of the great days we had on the course as a relaxing therapy when I just want to sit and chill out. It works for me and gives me a positive charge. Just picture the short par-three ninth hole, I have a picture of that as my screensaver. Fabulous!
Terry Townsend, Marbella
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IT is great to see the Gibraltar tax office being exposed for its unprofessionalism (Give us our money back! issue 233). The government owe both my husband and I a substantial tax rebate. They sent me a rebate for a tiny amount I was due from 2010, but not what they owe from the last two years. When I mentioned the rebates due to one of the Tax Office employees I was told: ‘Don’t hold your breath, we are still working on 2010 rebates!’ How can they be six years behind? Are they short staffed or just incompetent? I really don’t see how they can be that far behind or how they can fine people for not returning their tax returns within the deadline and fine companies for not paying on time! Why should people have to wait six years to get their money back, it’s totally unfair and if the Tax Office can’t handle the amount of work they have the Government should employ some more staff.
Melania Parks, La Linea
In the dark I READ your story on the Gibraltar tax office last week with great interest. I, too, have been affected by this problem of unpaid tax rebates and know many more who have been waiting years for their money back. I have not even been informed how much I am owed and I am at the end of my tether. It’s my money and it is being withheld from me.
Andy Holder, Gibraltar Letters should be emailed to letters@ theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.
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Weddings
A
ll about
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Andalucia & Gibraltar
Dream come true
VIP WEDDINGS: Include (from left) Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt, opera star Russell Watson and John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Photo by Jon Segui
ROCK-SOLID LOVE: Newly weds enjoy a quiet moment in stunning spot overlooking Gibraltar, while (right) James Blunt’s Ibiza wedding
W
ITH its enviable sunshine record, a nice day for a white wedding is virtually guaranteed in Spain. Or indeed, any kind of wedding, since gay marriage was legalised in 2005. In fact, more blushing brides, grooms and same-sex partners tied the knot in Andalucia than in any other part of Spain in the first half of last year. The 12,078 happy couples know what we know: this part of the country is a magical place for any party, so where better to celebrate the most momentous occasion in your life? Destination weddings have worked their way to the top of courting couples’ wish lists. And with its reliable weather, swanky hotels and villas, at budget-friendly prices, Spain is well-placed to cash in. Celebrities already know it as a place where you can walk down the aisle in style. Opera singer Russell Watson wed in an extravagant Benahavis ceremony last August; while
Spain is fast becoming the destination wedding capital of Europe as Andalucia and Gibraltar corner the market with bells on, writes Iona Napier James Blunt tied the knot with tals’ in its trousseau: gorgeous socialite Sofia Wellesley in Ibiza Granada, sultry Sevilla, romanin 2014. Following in the foot- tic Ronda, charismatic Cadiz as steps of John Lennon and Yoko well as the glitzy Costa del Sol. Ono, Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt With 320 days of sunshine a popped over the border to Gi- year and post-crisis prices still braltar in 2007 competitively to marry wife low, there are Lyndsay in a some great Wedding tourism nifty and thrifty deals around. €60 ceremony; was is a growing trade, Sevilla seven years third only to internationally later, Parfitt’s Madrid and son Rick Jnr. Barcelona for worth €14.9 pushed the the number billion boat out with of weddings an extravagant held last year ceremony in according to Malaga’s stunSpain’s Nationning Castillo de Santa Catalina, al Statistics Institute. last year. Wedding tourism is a growth Celebrity weddings have set industry, internationally worth the tone for a booming indus- around €14.9 billion, although try in Andalucia, which boasts not all the 60.8 million visitors several European ‘love capi- flocking to Spain annually have
cottoned on. British wedding planner Laura Charles has seen the market pick up impressively over the last three years. “Destination weddings are 99% of our business now, and we are seeing a huge amount of people coming to Spain from all over the world to get married,” the owner of Reviva weddings told the Olive Press. “I have planned weddings for people living and working in America, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai, many of whom had family in the UK and wanted to guarantee good weather – Spain is such a central destination. “And there are so many beautiful places here and some fabulous suppliers, so who can blame them?” True, the legal niceties of getting spliced in Spain can be a tangle of red tape for non-residents. For this reason, many ‘destination wedding’ couples do the official bit at home or Continues on next page
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Wedding special
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From Page 19
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Special day
where they were born, then head to Spain for the dream ceremony, whether at a gala dinner under the stars or beneath a floral bower on the beach. Sandy feet aside, it is worth knowing that civil partnerships are only available to couples where one member has lived in Spain for at least two years. But whereas new arrivals may struggle to get a civil partnership at the drop of a top hat, there are no such legal stipulations for Roman Catholic ceremonies. Irish wedding planners in particular have cashed in on this loophole, Charles reveals. No less than 250 Irish people tied the knot in the first half of last year. Blessings are another option popular with those who don’t want the religious pomp and circumstance but find a registry office ceremony about as exciting as going to the dentist. There are several priests and officiators along the coast who offer blessings, among them local holyman Padre Peter, who already has 57 weddings booked in for this year alone. “For many couples, the ceremony I perform is far more valid than the dry legal formality of the civic registry,” Padre Peter told the Olive Press. A working priest who has taught religion at university, he has also provided Hindu, Jewish and Muslim ceremonies, and is nothing if not flexible and accommodating.
Other British expats in search of a more traditional experience opt to wed in Gibraltar, ‘a la John and Yoko - quick and convenient - or fly to Blighty for the ‘legals’ and hold the after-party
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back here. In fact, with budget travel companies offering better deals than ever, your guests can likely fly to Malaga more cheaply than they can take a
IDYLLIC: Seamus and Alena in Estepona, while (left) Russell Watson’s bride arrives at Benahavis church and (inset) the happy couple
train to Gretna Green at certain times of year! And with most obstacles that made a foreign tryst taboo swept aside, there are many more ways to get hitched in Spain, from a discreet
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21 www.theolivepress.es
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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
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February 17th - March 1st 2016
Photo courtesy of Anna Gazda
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
AUTHENTIC CHARM: Nuptials at Hacienda San Rafael in Jerez and (right) at Rancho del Ingles in Alhaurin and (inset) Hepburn poolside ceremony in a private villa to the full church Monty with all the bells and whistles. A swanky hotel wedding is another way to go and Marbella’s are renowned for their knockout nuptials, such as The Marbella Club, Finca Cortesin or the Castillo de Santa Catalina in Malaga, where Rick Parfitt
Jnr plighted his troth under the auspices of Padre Peter (see interview pX). A wedding planner like Reviva can take care of the logistics, from organising the photography to flying out guests and extended families for a full-blown three-day affair. The average wedding bud-
NEW VENUE: Madrid’s Finca Torre Arias Bouquet for the virgin WEDDING customs vary across Spain and in some areas, for example, the bride offers her bouquet to the Virgin Mary; while in others it’s given to a best friend or thrown into the crowd. It is also common to throw rice, not confetti, over the bridge and groom.
WHAT YOU NEED get racks up an eye-watering €30,000, although many couCivil marriage (non-Catholic): In Andalucia the following are ples prefer to spend less on a generally required, but do vary from town to town more intimate, low-key event. 1. Birth certificate (with sworn translation) Low-key and low-budget may 2. Passport well have been what Audrey 3. Consular registration certificate Hepburn’s son Sean was after 4. Consular ‘no impediment’ to marriage certificate when he rented out Granada’s 5. Proof of Spanish residency: through copy proving empadronamiento Alhambra Palace for a concert in 2014, and allegedly got marCatholic: The Archbishop has the final say but, generally required ried in the middle of it. 1. Baptism certificate The palace’s board accused 2. Sworn declaration by parents that son/daughter is single him of using the concert to clandestinely stage the ceremony at the palace, which is not al- But the marriage business in lowed, and which he denied. Spain is booming across the It was not the only ‘first’ for Span- board. ish weddings in recent history. And with Madrid CiudadaSpanish bobbies Chema and nos councillor Sofia Miranda Jonathan made history when pushing for weddings to be they got hitched in full uniform at held at the magnificent Finca the country’s first ever gay police Torre Arias, recently gifted to wedding in Jerez the town hall, last September. Madrid will be Spain’s wedding 67,869 people able to comscene is cerpete with top married in Spain tainly diverse. destinations, But that’s to be during the first like Florence, expected of a half of last year, which raked in country cele€100 million brating 11 years 1,803 were gay in weddings of legalised gay alone last year. marriage and touting itself as the LGBT fun And no wonder, when coucapital of Europe. ples can marry in settings as Of the 67,869 people who mar- stunning as the Uffizi gallery. ried in Spain during the first half Gay or straight, church or of last year, 1,803 were gay - still registry office, beach or bana minority, but a growing one. queting suite, there’s never Although 2006 was the busi- been a better time to get est year for same-sex weddings, married in Spain. when uncertainty over whether Over twice as many people the law might be repealed set come from abroad to marry off a stampede, the figures have averaged over 3,000 a year ever here as Spaniards go elsewhere to get wed, which since.
Photo courtesy of Anna Gazda
rather speaks for itself!
Plan for the heat
BEACHSIDE: Wedding set up at the Marbella Club Hotel
IN Andalucia, summer weddings unsurprisingly take place at around 7 or 8pm, after the oppressive heat of the day has subsided. After a short wedding ceremony it’s usually off to a local restaurant - or ‘celebrations’ venue - for the set meal or buffet with plenty of wine that flows until the early hours until no guests are left!
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Wedding special 22
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Solid as a Rock W
wedding to actress Diane Cilento ended in divorce, he was sufficiently shaken and stirred to return in 1975 to marry present wife Micheline Boglio Roquebrune. Other celebrity Rock weddings include Hollywood couple Lawrence Harvey and Margaret Leighton, best-selling crime writer Frederick Forsyth, Status Quo frontman Rick Parfitt and comedian Des O’Connor. Of course, there are also thousands who descend on Gibraltar every year to celebrate the happiest day of their life who aren’t famous. Interestingly, only around one third of couples are from the UK. The other two thirds comer from America, Canada and the world over. In terms of swanky wedding venues, Gibraltar is spoilt for choice. Some four hotels – the Caleta in Catalan Bay, the O’Callaghan Eliott in the town centre, the Sunborn and the Rock Hotel – are approved for weddings. For a more natural and tranquil setting, head to Alameda Botanical Gardens. First developed in
FAMOUS WEDDINGS: For Des O’Connor and (left) Sean Connery who married twice in Gibraltar 1816 to provide Gibraltar’s residents with a green space to rest and relax, they have grown into a place of serene beauty. At their heart is the Dell, an Italian-style garden designed in 1842, where weddings are also permitted. If it’s unbeatable views you’re after, Mons Calpe Suite is located within the cable car’s top station. The unique spot won the prestigious award of Best Mediterranean Wedding Venue last year, chosen by Destination Wedding & Honeymoons Abroad magazine.
“It is a very special venue which has now been recognised by a leading wedding magazine, which is a fitting tribute to my entire team,” said manager Fernando Valdivielso Gomez. Finally there is the Mount, a former residence of the Royal Navy’s senior officer, which boasts wonderful gardens. Weddings in Gibraltar have become a significant part of the tourist trade, and thus services have blossomed to cater for that. Professional photographers, makeup artists and florists can be easily arranged, either through the venue or externally, while there is no shortage of wonderful restaurants for receptions. Most couples, particularly those who marry in Alameda Gardens, opt for the nearby, tranquil Queensway Quay, home to top restaurants such as the Waterfront which sits right on the quay. The government website offers information on marriage in Gibraltar and the requirements, while enquiries can also be addressed to the Registration Office or recognised travel agents and wedding planners.
Gibraltar’s iconism, weather and fast-track weddings make it a magnet for lovestruck couples, writes Tom Powell
Photo by Jon Segui
HEN John Lennon and Yoko Ono got married in Gibraltar 47 years ago this month, they barely stayed an hour. That’s not to say they didn’t fall in love with the Rock – Lennon called it ‘a little sunny dream’ and even wrote a song about it – they were simply in a hurry to get to their honeymoon (a weeklong and rather public Bed-in for Peace at the Amsterdam Hilton, some may recall). In fact, John and Yoko’s whistlestop marriage isn’t possible now; a change of law dictates couples must spend at least one night in Gibraltar, before or after the ceremony, in order to marry. But as you can still get married with 24-hours notice it’s certainly quick, simple and recognised worldwide. The greatest allure for courting couples is the symbolism of the Rock - as solid, unwavering and powerful as enduring love - and plans to introduce legislation for same-sex marriage will increase its appeal. And although James Bond actor Sean Connery’s 1962 Gibraltar
(solid marriage)
PICTURE PERFECT: Atop the Rock
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March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Get Married on Gibraltar`s Waterfront! A Traditional British Wedding at the gate of the Mediterranean · W edding M enu ·
“The Waterfront is an approved venue for the celebration of civil marriages and civil partnerships in Gibraltar. Please call 200 45666 for a personal consultation with our friendly team”
STARTeR Crispy serrano ham on a garlic croute topped with quails eggs Herb crusted lamb cutlets served with a crispy leek & artichoke salad King prawns wrapped in smoked pancetta drizzled with watercress dressing MAIN COURSE Fillet steak with boulangere potatoes & bernaise sauce Lobster thermidore served with wild rice & market fresh salad Pan seared salmon served with asparagus, almondine potato and champagne & chive sauce DESSERT Chocolate fondue with homemade salted caramel ice cream Millionaire’s cheesecake Cheese board & biscuits
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2424 24 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016
Wedding special
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www.theolivepress.es
Ballad of John
EXCLUSIVE: The photographer at rock and roll’s most famous wedding reveals all about his secret assignment for the first time
T
Special report by Joe Duggan
...“It was very romantic. It’s all in the song, The Ballad Of John And Yoko. If you want to know how it happened, it’s in there. Gibraltar was like a little sunny dream.” John Lennon
FLYING HIGH: Nutter with Lennon and Ono on jet after wedding and (inset) Nutter today photograph them signing some from her husband. Now mar- On McCartkind of contract on a napkin. It riage was on the cards once ney’s wedwas all crazy. But I was always more. ding day, more friends with John than Paul “They didn’t want a big fuss,” Lennon was or the others.” says David. “Apparently McCart- travelling to When McCartney married Linda ney’s wedding was a bit of a Dorset with Ono Eastman in Marylebone on circus. There were hundreds of to introduce her to March 12, 1969, the attention people there and a huge media his much loved aunt Mimi, sparked by his fellow Beatle’s scrum. Gibraltar was chosen the stern disciplinarian who had nuptials seemed to stir Lennon’s because it was one of the few brought him up. competitive spirit. places you could get married Opening his limo’s partition in Lennon had divorced teenage instantly and the press wouldn’t Poole, he began to talk wedsweetheart Cynthia Powell the find out.” dings to his chauffeur, Les Anprevious year to be with Ono, But their route to Gibraltar was a thony. And Lennon, the son of who had herself recently split circuitous one.
a sailor, had a novel venue in mind. “When we went to Mimi’s house, John said he wanted to get married on the high seas,” recalled Anthony in Philip Norman’s biography John Lennon. “He said to me, ‘Can you put us on a boat, Les?’ I don’t mind where. And don’t say anything to Mimi.” So John, Yoko and Les headed to Southampton.
‘
Standing in the Dock in Southampton Trying to get to Holland or France The man in the mac said, ‘You gotta go back You know they didn’t even give us a chance!
ROCK SOLID: Lennon on the runway in Gibraltar
Their amorous intentions soon fell foul of officialdom. Irregularities on Ono’s passport meant they couldn’t board. “We wanted to get married on a cross-channel ferry. That was the romantic part,” said Lennon in a 1980 interview. “We went to Southampton but we couldn’t get on because she wasn’t English and she couldn’t get the day visa to go across. And they said, ‘Anyway, you can’t get married. The Captain’s not allowed to do it any more.’” Undeterred, the couple flew by private jet to Paris on March 16, checking in at the luxury Plaza Athenee hotel. But not even the city of romance was ready to accommodate them. Apple records manager Peter Brown informed Lennon and
Photos courtesy of David Nutter
HE private jet takes off was a complete secret.” from Gibraltar to Paris Of course, the day would end up and John Lennon lets out immortalised in song through a roar of laughter as he The Beatles’ The Ballad of John cracks open an ice-cold bottle of and Yoko. But how did David end up headchampagne. Next to the Beatle is his new ing to Gibraltar on a clandestine wife, Yoko Ono. Both are dressed mission to photograph a Beatles in angelic white, Lennon sport- wedding? ing plimsolls and corduroys, a Back in London, David’s brother wide-brimmed hat and mini-skirt Tommy ran a tailors opposite The Beatles’ record company, for Ono. Opposite, photographer and Apple, on stylish Savile Row. friend David Nutter clinks the Tommy Nutter was the man who newly-weds’ glasses. A day be- dressed the swinging sixties. fore, the 30-year-old Londoner London’s glitterati from Mick had been dispatched to Gibral- Jagger to Elton John, from Twiggy tar in the dead of night on a top- to Eric Clapton and, of course, The Beatles, were all clad in the secret mission. The following morning, he was flamboyant tailor’s finery. David, who on the Rock takhad worked on ing the iconic scandalous saJohn and I images that tirical magazine captured the couldn’t stop Oz, slipped easmost famous laughing about ily into this rarwedding in rock efied company. and roll history. the whole “I got to do “We couldn’t situation en route some nice jobs stop laughing because my about the whole brother made thing,” he tells the Olive Press from New York clothes for the Beatles,” David tells the Olive Press. City. “Especially John, he liked a good “But I only got involved towards laugh. All we did was tell jokes on the end when the band was the plane. John was very English. breaking up. You could sense He seemed very casual about the atmosphere around them was not right. I could sense it at the whole thing. “But I had had no idea what was Apple. going to happen,” he recalls. “It “At one point they asked me to
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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
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and Yoko March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Ono they couldn’t marry in France as they had not been resident long enough. But he continued to dig and discovered there was one place they could get married in immediately.
‘
Peter Brown called to say, ‘You can make it ok ‘You can get married in Gibraltar near Spain’
As a British citizen, Lennon could marry on the Rock. Suddenly David’s phone was ringing. “Peter Brown called me at my studio and asked me if I would come to Gibraltar with him,” recalls Nutter. “But he wouldn’t tell me why. He just said, ‘Bring your camera’. So I got to Gibraltar and I stayed the night.” Packing his Nikon and some rolls of film, David jumped on the next domestic flight to the Rock. By the next morning, Brown had confided his secret and David HAPPY COUPLE: John and Yoko’s was duly waiting at Gibraltar airGib joy port. Lennon and Ono’s private jet landed at 8.30 am on March 20. “John was very easy to photo- must have thought I was stupid. Out into the sunshine stepped Back in those days it was so graph. No vanity.” the most famous couple in the After the brisk service, they were haphazard. There were no conworld, dressed in Tommy Nutter’s whisked back to the airport. By tracts or anything, I was just doradiant-white designs. now, word had got out and a pha- ing it for Peter Brown.” “It was a lovely warm day,” said lanx of press awaited them. And while Lennon and Ono David. “It was amazing how laid But after just an hour and a half headed off to the massed ranks back and casual they were. Most in Gibraltar, Lennon, Ono, Brown of the world’s press in Paris and people would have made a big and David were on board a private a lunch date with Salvador Dali, fuss but they didn’t.” jet and headed for Paris. A fleet- David had more pressing conDriving from Gibraltar airport, the ing, but unforgettable, visit. party, which included Brown, ar“It’s the Pillar of Hercules, and cerns. rived at the British Consulate Ofalso symbolically they called it the “I flew back on the jet to Lonfice at 9am. Here, they were met End of the World at one period,” don, but I was worried that I by registrar Cecil said Lennon didn’t have enough money to Wheeler. of Gibraltar in get back into London. Luck“They obviously ily the pilot took me back in his While Lennon and 1980. knew who it “So we liked it car,” he says. Ono had lunch was but there in the symbolic “One minute I’m on a private jet weren’t big with Dali, I had sense, and the with John Lennon and chamcrowds of peoRock founda- pagne and the next minute I more pressing ple there,” says tion of our rela- can’t afford to get back into David. concerns town.” tionship.” “The ceremony While the drink Following the wedding, Brown was very short, flowed on the carried on photographing John, about 10 minutes, and matter of fact. I don’t flight back home, Lennon was Yoko and the other Beatles, but never as a group. remember it being too emotional. in typically jocular mood. I don’t think Yoko shows much “We had champagne, we had a “At the end of The Beatles, Peemotion.” good time and had a few jokes,” ter Brown wanted me to phoDespite being the exclusive photograph everything that hapsaid David. tographer, he had been given “John was talking about all the pened. But then the Beatles no precise instructions from the old English TV shows that we folded and I lost the best job I’d bride and groom. ever had,” he says. liked. “They let me do whatever I want“When got off the plane in David moved to New York City ed,” he says. “The important Paris it was a mob scene. One in the winter of 1971, where picture would be in the registry woman from the English papers he would occasionally see Ono office. That was the main thing. came up to me and said, ‘I’ve and Lennon. He recalls seeing Them standing there and doing been told I can take all your rolls John carrying their newly-born the vows.
of film back to the paper’. She
ROCK STARS: Wedding vows
son Sean in a shoe box at the Dakota Building after his early birth caught him by surprise and without a pram. But it’s clear, despite those glorious sun-kissed images of marital bliss in Gibraltar, he had reservations about Ono’s influence on his friend. “I had mixed feelings about Yoko. I had a few bad experiences with her after John died,” he says. “I knew May Pang [John Lennon’s personal assistant whom he had an 18-month relationship with] when John was in New York. He was much more relaxed and fun when he was with May Pang. “He was much more tense when he was with Yoko. I think she had a lot of power over him.”
Fantastico Celebrations & Events
At Fantástico we realise your wedding is a very special occasion, so when you contact us for your balloon decorations we’ll work closely with you to make sure every last detail is perfect, colours, designs, costs Whether you require simple table decorations, elegant arches for your guests to walk through as they enter, beautiful cloud displays or even an exciting ‘Exploding Balloon’ showering your dance floor with small balloons, perhaps for your first dance... You can trust our experience, our creative design and our personal service We look forward to helping you make your wedding day special
Tel: 952 937 692 Mob: 634 314 934 Email: info@fantastico-es.com www.fantastico-es.com
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Wedding special
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Jeremy Standley at Homepage - Wedding Photography - Spain
Don’t hit the wedding wall! Something old, something new, something Spanish, something blue… Laura Charles’ bespoke wedding company Reviva is perfect for organising your nuptials, writes Iona Napier
W
HAT Laura Charles doesn’t know about organising weddings in Spain is simply not worth knowing. The former interior designer and stylist, from Surrey, has had an exciting decade-long journey to become one of Spain’s leading wedding planners. Via her company Reviva Weddings, Laura and her team can organise everything from the THE WEDDING PLANNER: Laura Charles ceremony to the sparkly cocktail sticks and from the catering to of venues and a brilliant selec- brides come to me when they the flowers. tion of caterers and photogra- hit the ‘wedding wall’,” she ex“The wedding market here in phers to choose from and the plains. Spain has grown massively devil is in the detail for Laura “Maybe they have organised over the last three years and is who is also known as the ‘Mar- the key elements of their day practically unrecognisable from tha Stewart of Spain’. but need extra help with certain a decade ago when I started,” She estimates the average bud- things, and are not sure how she says. get currently stands at around to progress to organising the “Nowadays, 99% of the clients €30,000 for a wedding here, actual day, they want to hand it I work for are Destination Wedbut it can vary all over to an expert and turn off dings, and we wildly from an their mobiles. Thanks to my conhave planned intimate rus- tacts, fabulous suppliers and Our clients love and executed tic villa setting our planning experience, I am in hundreds of the culture, to something a great position to help and take weddings for much more ex- over the wedding logistics. vibrancy of our clients from all “Reviva has steadily grown and travagant. over the world. country, tapas Whether you’ve is renowned for its elegant “Spain is a and good weather organised your style, keeping up with the latest great central own wedding trends and it has been a roaring point for guests but need to hire success,” explains the 51-yearflying in to join some final details or whether old Marbella mother-of-three – them in their celebrations, and you need her to take on the en- and recent grandmother - who our clients love the culture, vi- tire project she can help. cut her teeth in the display brancy of our country, tapas and Laura has a wealth of experi- industry in London before movof course good weather,” adds ence and, best of all, has a ing into organising and styling Laura, whose team works all over fabulous array of decorations, large, corporate events in the Spain from Malaga and Marbella props, table linens and wedding UK and then dragging Spain to Barcelona and Sevilla. accessories, all available to be into the stylish wedding world! When Laura started organising hired and her creative team weddings a decade ago from can create fabulous stationery, her office in Marbella things signs and other bespoke orders For more information visit www. were very behind and you could for her clients requests. revivaweddings.com or popunot even hire a chair! “Aside from organising the en- lar blog theweddingdecorator. Nowadays, there are hundreds tire event which I love, a lot of blogspot.com.es
The Ideal Venue for Weddings and Communions Able to cater for up to 175 guests Fully licensed bar Large outdoor covered terrace with stunning sea views Beach front property Custom made dining menus to suit your needs and budget Camping La Bella Vista Ctra. Nacional 340, Km. 142.8, 29691, Manilva - Malaga - Spain Officina: 952 890 020 E-Mail: camping@campinglabellavista.com Website: www.campinglabellavista.com
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Happy at the hacienda
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HEN her daughter was looking for the perfect venue to get married, it was perhaps obvious she would choose Karen Hoyle’s stunning cortijo in Andalucia. A fairly low-key affair with around 70 guests, it proved to be just another soaring
success in the story of Hacienda San Jose, in Entrerrios, Mijas Costa. Feeling like an authentic Andalucia cortijo from two centuries ago, it is amazing to discover that the former boutique hotel was only built in year 2000.
IDYLLIC: Hacienda San Jose in Mijas
Bought by Karen and her partner Chug, eight years ago, the 10-bedroom property is now one of the Costa del Sol’s leading wedding venues, hosting an incredible average of 36 nuptials a year. And this is no surprise with Karen and her team working extremely hard to create the most amazing service for brides and grooms. “We are constantly decorating it and renovating it,” explains Karen. “The upkeep is huge and we never stand still. “Each wedding is completely different. We offer a bespoke service and can cater to up to 200 guests.” As well as sorting out accommodation for all other guests, all aspects of getting married from car hire to wedding planning can be arranged. The villa sleeps up to 28 guests and can be rented for weddings from three-nights for just €5,000. Visit www.villaweddingspain.com for more information
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Light up your LOVE…
ORIGINAL: Words in light IF you have always wanted to add extra sparkle to your engagement, wedding, birthday or special event then look no further than Name in Lights. The company produces a range of free-standing letters and words inset with lights. Sometimes called marquee letters and based on old-fashioned cinema, fairground and shop signs, the team has updated the idea and brought them to the Costa Del Sol. They offer a range of letter styles. Classic LOVE (0.75m) is in vintage font with delicate warm glow bulbs. The giant LOVE is a stunning 1.5m in height, in modern font with diamante, light scattering feria bulbs. Couples can also order their initials such as C & L, an eye catching 1.2 m high with bright white diamanté bulbs. New for the 2016 season is a huge 1.5m high love heart with dazzling white lights and the bride and groom initials hanging from each arch of the heart, inset with their own twinkling fairy lights. You can even order your full names or words such as ‘party’ or ‘dance’, which are also very popular for children's birthdays. Delivery is available from Gibraltar to Benalmadena. Call 640628641 or visit www.nameinlights.eu
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Wedding special March 2nd - March 15th 2016
CLERIC FOR CEREMONY Padre Peter Don’t take Lorna’s word for it! Why not get in touch with him on padrepeter1@gmail.com and see what he can do for you? Then you might agree with Lorna.
rds ter - Wo Padre Pe , im h e crib can’t des tic and s a just fant ill raving st e r a s t s . gue ceremony e about th s a w it said My mum the most f o one s ceremonie romantic . n ever see she had . Lorna .. Brilliant
Having cooked for princes to rock stars, it is no surprise that Purple Pepper’s bespoke catering service is all about attention to detail, writes Iona Napier
F
Purple patch
ROM Prince Charles to Roger Moore and from Roger Taylor to Anita Roddick, Peter Cannon has catered for the lot. But, when it comes to funny stories make sure to ask the former Michelinstarred chef what it was like cooking for the Duke of Edinburgh. HAPPY CUSTOMERS: Prince Charles, Queen, Roger Moore and A crashingly comical tale, (top, right) Cannon and chef it is one of many colourful episodes in the life of the boss of company Purple Pepper, who has catered at hundreds of weddings in Spain. The former chef of UK restaurants Manley’s, Goodwood Park and Oakley Court, Cannon moved from Sussex to Spain with his wife Sally and their four children 17 years ago. Looking for a ‘change of lifestyle’, he ini- six years ago. tially ran the restaurant at Estepona Golf “I wanted a change. The environment before setting up his catering company here is superb and if you know where to get the right produce, you can create something magnificent,” he explains. These days his company caters for everything, from small canapé receptions – which are currently in high demand – to summer barbecues, including their famous hog roast. And then, of course, there are the weddings which have varied from a small six-person affair to a grand 180-person event in three different locations along the coast including leading hotel Villa Padierna TRUE BLESSING: Padre Peter and happy bride Spa. It is a bespoke, mobile service where attention to detail and the client’s needs is key. HE very reverend Dr Peter Miln – or Padre Peter as he is “If people had a glimpse affectionately known on the coast – is no ordinary priest. of the care and attention The charismatic 72-year-old cleric, originally from Lon- that we put into every sindon, officiates over weddings for people of all faiths, or none, gle dish they would understand why we’re so speacross Spain. From Barcelona to Santiago de Compostela, and even as far cial,” Peter tells the Olive away as Florida, Padre Peter has created unforgettable cer- Press. Their most popular dishes emonies for couples for decades. He has also officiated at many exclusive weddings, such as range from whole roasted at the son of Status Quo rockstar Rick Parfitt’s in a ‘stunning’ fillet of beef on the barbeceremony in Malaga in 2014. cue to their unique take on But he is very discreet about the other big names he has chicken Wellington served dealt with. with Madeira and thyme jus. The retired Christian Orthodox priest is known for his bright Not forgetting the everand witty style, allowing couples to play an active part in popular hog roast served planning the ceremony, and has already been booked up to with crackling, apricot and officiate at 57 blessings this year. Peter who lives with his wife of 49 years in Campanillas near almond stuffing to their Malaga believes ‘If the Church is going anywhere, we have to paella show cooking, with prices starting from as litmeet people on their own ground’. His amazingly inclusive style means he has married mixed tle as €25 per person. religion couples with his ‘blessings’ rather than legal cer- The company offers a completely free initial tasting emonies. “I am very comfortable with celebrating two different tradi- session ‘with no hidden tions within one ceremony – there’s only one God after all,” agenda’ and so far not one of these sessions has he explains. “And equally, I am quite happy if people want no mention of failed to lead to a booking. God, the ceremony can still be deeply spiritual and uplifting.” w w w. p u r p l e p e p p e r c a tering.com, or call 660 Contact him on padrepeter1@gmail.com for more information. 357 107
Father figure T
Whether it’s a small reception of canapés, BBQ or a full wedding menu, we promise a first class service and delicious food to ensure that your event is a complete success. Our ever popular hog roasts with apricot and almond stuffing are only €25 per person with a selection of five salads.
Contact: Katie Boardman | Telephone: +34 660 357 107 Email: katie@purplepeppercatering.com | Web: www.purplepeppercatering.com
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He has taken some of the most emblematic wedding shots in Spain and Gibraltar, now Jon Segui tells Rob Horgan how he went from army medic to top photographer
“
CHEMISTRY: Segui’s wedding shots and (below, inset) Segui
A life behind the lens
WEDDING photography is a dying art. It’s a shame, but that’s the way it’s going,” explains Gibraltar-based photographer Jon Segui. “Weeks and weeks of preparation are needed and everything must be planned in advance to get the best photos from the time the sun rises to the time the sun sets.” He adds: “A wedding may only last one day, but for the photographer it goes on much longer with weeks of editing needed after the big day.” explains the former army medic, who moved Jon’s refreshingly honest attitude towards shoot- from Hertfordshire to Gibraltar at the age of 16. ing a wedding is no doubt why he has been so “Each wedding is unique and deserves the upsuccessful. most in preparation from the photographer.” With a good reputation for shooting emblematic He explains that there are two main things he wedding albums in Gibraltar considers before taking on comand Spain, it is no surprise Jon missions. The chemistry is highly sought after. “Firstly, the client has to be familHis commitment to taking the iar with my style of photography, between bride, best possible photographs it always helps if they have visited groom and comes across in the pride he the website. photographer will “If you like the way I shoot then takes in each shoot. And he is so dedicated to put- show in the photos hire me and I will give it everyting all his energy into each thing. This avoids price hunters special day that he is incredibly who are not really interested in picky and only takes on six wedthe quality of work. ding jobs a year. “Secondly, the relationship between the bride, “I limit myself to six clients a year so I have groom and photographer is paramount. enough time to put everything into each shoot,” “I need to get a good feeling from the couple...
DASHING DISPLAY
BRIDES and grooms stuck for inspiration for the big day are in luck. Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort is hosting a wedding showroom from 11am to 7pm on Sunday, March 6. The rooms will be decorated in style, with a variety of lights and fabrics on show. There will be a tantalising display of wedding treats to set the heart racing, from various florists to fountains and other decorations. There will also be a saxophonist on hand, as well as a pianist, a violin duo and a singer in English and Spanish, plus a DJ for the late-night boogiers. Not to be missed is the equestrian show which involves a human dancer. In terms of refreshments, a honeymoon cakes station will take pride of place, as well as tables for cheese, cava, jamon and – of course- sweets. Everything is in place to inspire a romantic, sophisticated and original wedding.
the chemistry bet w e e n bride, g r o o m and photographer will show in the photos.” And when it comes to weddings on his beloved Rock, he goes one step further. Taking the bride and groom on a whistlestop tour to get the most iconic photos is a given and the light has to be perfect so timing is important. Much like his photographs, Jon’s personal path to photography is unique. After leaving the British Armed forces, where he worked as a medic, he worked in hospitality in Marbella, before turning his hand to photography. “It was something I always wanted to do’, explains Jon, who has been working as a freelancer
PICTURE PERFECT: At Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort
“We want to know your needs and aspirations for the happiest day of your life, and then we will make it happen,” said a spokesmen. Admission is free and more information, including how to register, can be found on the Alcaidesa Events Facebook page. You can also register online at www.alcaidesaeventos.com or by emailing eventos@alcaidesa.com mail
on numerous jobs around the world, particularly in motor racing, for the last six years. Working for international publications from the Daily Mail to Sky Sports F1, Jon has quickly established himself as one of the region’s top snappers… so you better snap him up fast, if you want him for your big day! To view his portfolio visit www.jonseguiphotography.com or email jon.segui@yahoo.com for more information.
30 30 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016
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www.theolivepress.es
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Property
www.theolivepress.es
the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
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the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Terror fear boom
OLD AND NEW: Extreme makeover and (centre) King Felipe V
Live like a king
A STATELY home fit for a king has undergone a makeover to bring back the glory days. Left to rot, La Casa de la Cadena near Madrid had certainly seen better days before a mass restoration project got underway.
Resting place of former king revamped In centuries gone by the house played host to the country’s most important
politicians and stately figures - none more important than King Felipe V who spent a night at the house in 1706. However, after years of campaigns the crumbling 17th century manor has finally been restored to its former glory. “We are proud to be re-open-
North south divide
SOUTHERN Spain has the sun, the beaches - and some of the country’s best property prices. But northern city dwellers are being hit hard, a new report shows. The study by comparison website Kelsito.es shows the average national property price for an 80 metre square flat is €131,000, which goes up to a whopping €328,080 in San Sebastian and €269,520 in Barcelona. But in Jaen, a similar-sized apartment will set you back just €89,600.
PRICIEST: San Sebastian Spanish renters pay on average €561.60 a month, rising to €970.40 in Barcelona and €940 in San Sebastian. The report looked at living costs in 50 provincial capitals plus Melilla and Ceuta, with Caceres in Extremadura judged to be Spain’s cheapest city.
VAT of the land Part two of our series on the tax implications of buying, selling and developing urban land in Spain AS promised, this month we'll look at how you can offset VAT (IVA in Spanish) when buying and building on urban land in Spain. Once again, we sought the advice of Adolfo Martos Gross of GAM Abogados, a leading local law firm with offices in Malaga and Marbella. “Whenever urban land is sold by a Spanish company or professional seller, whoever the buyer may be, the sale price will always be subject to VAT, which is charged at 21%,” Adolfo begins. “But if the buyer is also a company or professional developer registered in Spain, they have the right to offset the VAT paid on purchase against VAT they are required to levy on the sale of products and services during the same fiscal period.” The basic maths works as follows, he explains: if the total amount of VAT paid by a taxpayer in a single fiscal year is greater than the sum of VAT they charge during the same period, they can ask the Spanish Tax Agency (la Agencia Tributaria, better known as Hacienda) to refund the difference. Merely requesting a refund means Hacienda will first check the records of the
taxpayer, whether a company or an individual. If they suspect there is no real intention of doing business, they will likely order an inspection. The higher the refund requested, the higher the risk of an inspection and this is especially true in Marbella, Adolfo notes. Alternatively, the taxpayer can choose to retain the difference as tax credit, for a period of up to four years, to offset against VAT they may have to pay during future fiscal periods. In the case of property development, if the buyer (and hence the owner) of the urban land is a Spanish company or professional developer, any invoices issued for building work carried out by a contractor or construction company
ing this important piece of Spanish history,” a spokesman for the Comunidad de Madrid said. “When we started the work last March the house was in desperate need of repair and was on the brink of being knocked down. “Who knows, maybe a future king will stay the night.” Located on the outskirts of the city, the building itself was acquired by Chinchon Town Hall in 2009. The property was so damaged that part of the chapel was declared ruined and had to be demolished and restored. Inside the middle of the house is a courtyard and outdoor bath. Tours of the home are expected to begin later this year, although the long-term plan for the building is yet to be decided, with interested buyers reportedly eyeing it up.
The Property Insider by Adam Neale
are also subject to VAT. But, Adolfo explains, there are a number of special provisions worthy of note. As a general rule, the party selling the product or service in a transaction is liable for payment of VAT to Hacienda, rather than the buyer, although the buyer is required to pay the corresponding VAT to the seller on top of the sale price. In the case of construction undertaken by one company on behalf of another, such as when a property developer has a contractor carry out work on his behalf, VAT is charged at the reduced rate of 10%, rather than 21%. The law also 'inverts' responsibility for payment, making the developer liable, if applicable, to both charge and pay VAT at the same time. In practice, this means that, instead of a contractor charging VAT on top of an invoice issued to a developer, a developer can retain the amount of VAT payable on the contractor's invoices issued during a fiscal quarter as 'IVA repercutido' and offset this amount as 'IVA soportado'. This produces a zero-sum effect on cash flow - an advantage for any developer.
Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona. Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com
FEAR of terrorism helped drive demand for Spanish property from British buyers in 2015, a new report says. UK buyers snapped up one in five of all Spain’s foreign-bought properties in 2015, according to the Tranio report. “It comes as no surprise that, as the bloody death toll rises, Brits are returning to Spain’s sunny shores . . . so far preserved from merciless violence since the deadly Madrid train bombing of 2004,” said the report from the overseas property broker. UK buyers accounted for 21.34% of all foreign home sales, while buyers from France came a distant second, at 8.72%. Andalucia was 2015’s number one choice for the British, 32% of whom invested in the region. Price might have been a factor: Alicante has Spain’s cheapest property per square metre at €1.284, with Malaga third cheapest at €1.663.
CHEAPEST: Brits buying big in Andalucia
Time to buy MARBELLA and Barcelona have been listed among the top 20 places to invest in property now. According to the Telegraph, Catalunya’s capital (‘a magnet for beautiful people’) has seen a 250% upturn in sales on one year ago with two-bed flats selling for €500,000. Marbella is 12th on the list, where ‘contemporary villas continue to be highly sought after’. Other contenders include the French Riviera, Grenada in the Caribbean, Tuscany, Turkey and Panama.
Marbella Real Estate Photos NEW on the Costa Del Sol Prices from EUR 90 + IVA Get those all important viewings with good pictures
www.marbellarealestatephotos.com
Property Fresh linen
Olive Press June 25th - July 32 32 the Olive Press November 14th -the 25th 2016 www.theolivepress.es
LUXURY: Linens
FANS of the Yorkshire Linen store will no longer have to travel to Mijas, after a new branch opened on Marbella’s Golden Mile. A string of local business owners, residents and friends were on hand to toast the new opening with champagne and music into the early hours this weekend. The Yorkshire Linen Prestige store boasts great bedding, curtains and towels, as well as decorative furniture, pictures, rugs and beds. There are also a number of
Chinese chance
A HONG KONG-BASED company has identified ‘booming’ Spain as Europe’s hottest destination for tourism property investment. Boutique real estate company Platinum Estates splashed out €200 million on 170,000 square metres of beachside land in Marbella at the end of 2015. The company plans to entice more Chinese tourists to the Costa del Sol by building a luxury five-star resort between the hotels Don Carlos and Los Monteros. “Spain has the most potential for growth in Europe,” said Jonnie Teh, investment director of Platinum
9th 2015
electrical goods from big-name brands such as Morphy Richards and Russell Hobbs. Now on the coast for eight years, the company prides itself in excellent customer service and leading products, with some new, classy lines including the 1000-thread Egyptian cotton linens and the Kylie Minogue @ Home bedding and curtain ranges. Visit Yorkshire linen prestige
Facebook page or call 952 773 165.
www.theolivepress.es March 2nd - March 15th 2016
CELEBRATIONS: At the launch of new premises
ON THE HORIZON BOOMING: Spain
Estates. “The assets are still cheap and we are positive about the booming travelling demand there, especially from Chinese tourists.” A 2015 Global Blue survey identified Chinese tourists as Spain’s biggest international spenders, with an average outlay of €1,000 per person.
A LEADING British developer is launching a luxury new development at a Costa del Sol golf course. Taylor Wimpey has teamed up with La Cala Resort to create Horizon Golf, a swanky gated community of 55 lots.
British construction giant launches luxury golf course homes The British firm has invested €21 million into the project which will include threebedroom townhouses and
48 apartments. Set beside the golf course, the grounds will feature two swimming pools and numerous land-
Sun, sea . . . shopping TORREMOLINOS Town Hall has given the green light for a €650 million project to build Andalucia’s biggest commercial and leisure centre. British company Intu Properties tabled the bid for the 30-hectare site next to the Palacio de Congresos. The project will generate 4,000 jobs
and bring an extra €550 million investment from companies moving into the complex. As well as shops and restaurants, the centre will feature a dry skislope and wave pool. The Town Hall approved the new PGOU town plan 20 years after the last one was rubber-stamped.
Licence to kill
IF you bought to let a Spanish property to offset bills and mortgage fees and you don’t have an extra spare centimo to spend on it, think again. Andalucía has just confirmed its residential property rental licensing scheme, bringing it into line with the majority of other tourist areas throughout Spain. And safe to say, whether you get a license or whether you don’t, it will cost you. As far back as 2011, Barcelona started controlling the rentals of private residential property. This has gradually spread to all the Costas, with the active backing of the hotel industry which saw private apartment and villa lets as an increasing threat to their occupancy rates. According to a recent study by HostelTur, private lettings in 2015 accounted for approximately 25% of total short-term rentals in Spain, or more than 7.4 million tourists - an increase of 17% on 2014. From a health and safety angle, the regulation of sometimes shockingly bad accommodation is a good thing. Provision of fire, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is good. But some of the new re-
scaped gardens. The project follows a number of investments on the Costa del Sol from Taylor Wimpey, including 60 luxury homes in La Cala in 2014. “This is great news and a huge investment in the area,” Taylor Wimpey’s Andalucian director Ignacio Osle told the Olive Press. “We were so successful last time, we have decided to go one step further.” Starting from €375,000 (plus tax), every house at Horizon Golf will feature a large terraced area, solarium and double-garage. Phase one of the construction begins this month, with a completion date planned for November 2017.
+ experience years in
11 cences are selling at a premium, skewing the property market. Also, the owners of licenced ALL PROPERTY MATTERS apartments know there is re- RICS SURVEYORS & VALUERS BYBUILDING CAMPBELL FERGUSON duced competition and have increased rental prices to tourFor peace of mind follow ists substantially. Was that the purpose of the these The hotels will buying raise their property rules legislation? prices, as will private ownquirements are crazy, such as More troublingly, in the Canar- ers with licences and evenstipulating that all bedrooms ies where there has also been tually, as we’ve seen before, Find Your willProperty burst and and lounges must have per- a freeze on licences, the law the bubble manently installed heating/air appears to have stated that tourists will decide it’s too only owners of multiple prop- expensive to come to Spain. conditioning. Apart from the financial outlay, erties can let to short-term Meanwhile, properties that have licences or are suited air conditioning is not required tourists. Instruct one will Instruct have a in many locations (I’ve lived As a result, individuals with a to obtaining Surveyor Lawyer higher value than those that here for 15 years and neither single property in a building Building where there are one or more do not. of my homes had it). As for heating, why can’t multiple property owners have So, even if you don’t intend freestanding plug-in heaters been held to ransom and to rent out the property, it’s be acceptable? Many tour- forced to sell their own proper- probably as well to obtain a Buy with Knowledge ty at reduced licence. ists come from Confidence cost. For the &environment, all colder climates I can see it Of course, this additional hot/cold air anyway, and at demanding a conditioning will increase times when we making property licence and energy consumption and thin-blooded ownership in then stop- +34 reduce of residents feel 952 923the 520 energy rating Connect with us! ping the abil- admin@surveyspain.com the property. the chill, they are the area more ity to obtain surveyspain.com Overall, I can see it making still wandering expensive one is a poor- property ownership in the around in shorts ly disguised area more expensive and and T-shirts! method of di- slowing down the market And many visijust as it was beginning to tors don’t want a hotel holiday recting traffic towards hotels. for a variety of reasons, cost Draconian fines, starting at lift again. €1,500, mean that owners Why is it that the phrase being one. Returning to Barcelona, there and managing agents will not ‘killing the goose that lays were so many licences being take the risk and multi-listings the golden eggs’ is so often applied to bureaucrats and granted that pressure was websites will disappear. brought to bear and they even- Already, the Valencian tourist business people in Spain? authority has started action Unfortunately, selfish greed tually stopped granting them. must be part of the answer. Now, those that do have li- against eight rental portals.
Andalucia’s new holiday rental law could kill the goose that laid the golden egg
Contact Campbell and the team on +34 952 923 520 or email info@surveyspain.com
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December 10th - 22nd 2015
Royal seal of approval
British Embassy staff help raise thousands for Syrian refugees A TEAM from Madrid’s British Embassy joined 4,000 runners to raise thousands for Syrian refugees. Ambassador Simon Manley and his staff helped raise €41,000 after leaving Plaza de Cibeles on February 21 for the Corre por Siria event. Manley, a keen runner, completed the 10km course and praised the efforts of his staff, one of whom is of
RUNNERS’ DEEDS: British embassy team
Jog on Syrian origin. "I was delighted to take part with my Embassy col-
Commerce convention MORE than 100 companies gathered in Malaga for the British Chamber Of Commerce’s (BCC) International UK-Spain Business Forum. The February 23 convention was addressed by Simon Manley, the British ambassador in Spain, with Malaga Mayor Francisco de la Torre also attending. The meeting at the Parque Tecnologico de Andalucia followed the BCC’s 2015 report Barometer of the climate for British investment in Spain. According to the report, Andalucia is the fourth most popular Spanish region for UK businesses looking to invest. Since 1993, 21% of direct foreign investment in Spain has come from UK companies. Between 2013 and 2014, exports from the UK to Spain rose by 3% to €16 billion.
leagues, and to have helped the effort to raise so much money to help the Syrian people,” he told the Olive Press. “I hope that this money can be put to good use, to help alleviate suffering.” The money will pay for humanitarian aid such as blankets, baby milk, nappies, medical material and stretchers with charity Asociacion de Apoyo al Pueblo Sirio (AAPS). The items will be taken from a warehouse near Madrid to Valencia, where it will be shipped to Turkey and then collected by a Syrian NGO at the border.
NEWS IN BRIEF Down to market
THE son of an exiled King has been named as Barclays bank’s country manager for Spain. Replacing Jaime Salaverri, former Rothschild banker Konstantin Sajonia-Coburgo (right) is to take the reigns at the top of Barclays’ operations in Spain. Educated in the United States, Sajonia-Coburgo grew up in Spain after his father King Simeon II was exiled from Bulgaria when the monarchy was overthrown in the 1940s. Spain granted the family asylum following their exile and all of Simeon’s children have gone on to claim Spanish citizenship. Sajonia-Coburgo married a Spaniard and has twin boys. Barclays sold part of its operations in Spain to local lender Caixabank in 2014. It still operates in investment banking and is currently in the process of offloading its credit card business in Spain and Portugal.
Tram lines
A NEW €200 million light rail tram is set to radically transform the Campo de Gibraltar by linking Algeciras with La Linea. The planned service would also connect Los Barrios and San Roque and will be funded by EU investment. It is hoped the rail could also be used by the area’s big industrial businesses such as Cepsa and Acerinox. Luis Angel Fernandez, head of the Town Council Association, put forward his support
MARBELLA is set to open a gourmet food market within the next year, featuring top businessmen and chefs including Michelin-star chef Dani Garcia.
Phone charge TELECOMS group Telefonica expects to increase revenue by more than 4% in 2016, after it sold off its British O2 unit last month.
Energy crisis US subsidiaries of Abengoa have filed for bankruptcy protection as the troubled Spanish renewable-energy company faces liquidation. CONNECTED: Tram for the project to the Campo de Gibraltar Economic and Social Council. The plans are part of Cadiz’s €1.3 billion Integral Territory (ITI) programme.
Power up SPANISH utility firm Iberdrola will invest 24 billion euros in the next five years as the power company attempts to tackle the UK and US markets.
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Helle’s hybrids IT was the first Costa del Sol car rental company to introduce smoke-free cars, and now Helle Hollis is going for another first. Several environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles are set to join the company’s growing fleet and make it the only Costa del Sol rental company offering hybrids for rent. MD Hans Hugo has vouched for the increasing demand for ecofriendly cars, as well as many customers wanting to test drive a hybrid before buying one ‘back home’. The ‘totally silent’ Toyota Yaris Hybrid and Toyota Auris Hybrid automatic models are arriving on March 15 to Helle Hollis HQ in Malaga. The company also donated €1,384 to Cudeca Hospice on February 12 and clients can also contribute by inserting charity number C0001 into the club number box when they book a car on the website www. hellehollis.com
March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Face look
SPECIAL GUEST: Zuckerberg
Fair share
State-owned bank Bankia to repay investors €1.8 billion following court ruling
BANKIA has agreed to fully reimburse 200,000 investors who bought €1.8 billion
worth of shares before the company’s 2011 public offering.
Rato rocked HYBRID: At Helle Hollis
MARK Zuckerberg was the surprise guest at Spain’s Mobile World Congress. The Facebook founder joined King Felipe and more than 95,000 visitors at the Barcelona conference as the mobile phone industry launched its new handsets for 2016. Over 2,000 companies gathered in the Catalan city for the sector’s signature event. Samsung’s Gear VC device (pictured), and its waterproof and dustproof Galaxy S7 were among the models showcased. Apple, currently embroiled in a dispute with the US government over privacy rights, did not attend the conference.
FORMER Bankia head Rodrigo Rato received €1.32 million through a suspicious shipping company owned by his family, a Madrid court has heard. The ex-IMF director, his sister Maria de los Angeles and sister-in-law Felicidad Salazar-Simpson are alleged to have received the funds from Naviera del Pilar. Spain’s national fraud office, the ONIF, believes the company, which was decapitalised between 2010 and 2013, is a front for channeling funds. The ONIF report claims Naviera del Pilar hasn’t declared its turnover or listed any paid staff since 2004. The suspicious transfer of funds from Naviera del Pilar was flagged in a report sent by the anti-fraud office to Madrid judge Antonio Serrano-Arenal.
IN HOT WATER: Former IMF director Rodrigo Rato
Techno party
TECHNOLOGY companies are on the up in Spain. Investment in Spanish digital firms almost doubled from €312 million to €596 million in the last year. In fact, the digital market in Spain is growing faster than in any other European country. And it is not just founders who are stepping up, investors are too. Over a quarter of all investment in technology companies is from third party sources. And there has also been an influx of new public money put into technology companies. Over the next five years the government is injecting €1.5 billion into the market through a variety of new funds.
The state-owned bank is giving investors three months to claim back their original investment plus 1% interest. Bankia’s near collapse in 2012 - following record €20 billion losses - led to Spain seeking a European bailout and worsened the country’s already severe recession. A Bankia spokesman said: “[Investors] will get their funds back in a period of time that we estimate to be no longer than 15 days after the claim is filed. “It will save them money by avoiding the legal process, or by reducing legal processes already underway.”
Inaccuracies The decision to repay investors follows January’s landmark decision in favour of two plaintiffs who invested thousands in the bank. The pair bought €9,997 and €20,868 worth of preferred shares in the bank, which was formed when seven failed caja - or savings - banks merged. The Supreme Court ruled in the duo’s favour of after stating there were ‘serious inaccuracies’ in Bankia’s stock market launch prospectus. Former Bankia head Rodrigo Rato is currently the target of several criminal investigations in relation to the case.
www.theolivepress.es
the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
A Huge Invitation to Invest into Financial Markets. - By Patrick Macdonald/ International Financial Adviser
Over the past few months I have often been asked “what on earth is going on in the markets?” when I pick up the phone to a client. The concern is understandable given the inflammatory nature of some media reports so I thought I should put some perspective on the issue and explain the considerable opportunities currently available for the investors who are waiting to pounce. It only seems like 2 minutes ago (to me at least) that we had the credit crunch and all that went with it in 2008. Is the same thing happening again? The answer is no. The driving factors at that time were a critical drying up of institutional liquidity coupled with financial institutions holding far too much ´bad debt´ on their books. This process caused the financial crisis. Straight after the crisis, banks cut their new lending to businesses and households. The slowdown in lending caused prices in these markets to drop, and this means those that have borrowed too much to speculate on rising prices had to sell their assets in order to repay their loans. House prices dropped and the bubble burst. As a result, banks panicked and
cut lending even further. A downward use these times as an opportunity to spiral thus began and some western find value in under-priced stocks and economies tipped into recession. investors will reap the rewards of active fund management in the months and Fast forward to the summer of 2015 years to come. You are invested for the and following a sustained growth period medium to long term…that is 5 years (apart from a couple of blips – notably or more. This is how investors make in 2011) the markets suddenly descend money. In fact, since the meeting this into chaos at an alarming rate of knots. week in Qatar of the world´s leading oil This time not driven by a ´credit crunch´ producing countries and the deal they or banking crisis but the bursting of the struck to restrict oil supply, the price per Chinese asset bubble – leading to their barrel is already rising – as is the FTSE government devaluing its own currency 100. coupled with falling global oil and commodity prices - all hot on the tails So then, what of the investor who is of the threatened exit of Greece from thinking of adding to his portfolio or the Euro. As if all that were not enough investing for the first time? Perhaps with the US federal reserve was stating the savings or through a pension transfer first interest rate rise since 2008 would for example? Well those in such a lucky happen before the end of the year. position should take the current fall in This move caused ripples around the values as one big invitation to invest. You world, and would increase pressure are ´buying into the dip´ as the saying on the UK to raise rates. It also meant goes and this window of opportunity higher borrowing costs for developing should be clear for all to see. Of course economies, many of which were already the other fundamentals must be in place seeing slow growth. – a good financial adviser, a tax efficient portfolio structure and of course actively Although none of these factors in managed, well balanced funds at the isolation may not have been enough heart of it all. to cause a huge market downturn, the ´whole was greater than the sum of If you would like to have a chat about its parts´. Then the one factor that is investing as a resident of Spain and the perhaps the most important of all kicked different options available, please give me in with a vengeance. Sentiment. a call on 633750044 or send me an email patrick.macdonald@blacktowerfm.com Negative sentiment, if it gathers enough momentum, can lead to a domino effect in the markets and that is what has been happening somewhat since August. So what does all this mean to the average retail investor? Well my message has been consistent – The performance of Financial Markets is cyclical – these corrections and adjustments are to be expected. They happen, then markets recover. Although portfolio valuations may be affected, this is short term – the important thing is not to panic and to let fund values recover. Fund managers
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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016
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Chinese burned SIX executives from state-owned Chinese bank ICBC have been detained pending a huge money-laundering and tax fraud probe. The bankers were arrested following a police raid on the company’s Madrid headquarters on February 17. The ICBC workers are suspected of helping a criminal gang transfer €300 million from Spain to China, with Eu-
www.theolivepress.es March 2nd - March 15th 2016
RAID: Bank bust
Madrid bankers detained in €300 million tax fraud case ropol and Spain’s tax fraud agency helping the police investigation. The bank’s director was one of those arrested in the raid which follows a three-year investigation.
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THE motoring community has chosen its favourite car rental company and Europcar has come out on top. TripAdvisor users across France, Spain, England and Germany voted the company top for the second year in a row. Europcar’s prize is a prestigious 2016 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Favorite. “Europcar is very proud to be recognised as a favourite brand and it rewards our will to enhance our quality of service,” said spokesperson Jan Loning.
The raid follows a similar operation last year that targeted gangs suspected of using the bank to launder some €40 million through Chinese-run bargain stores in Spain. In that operation 30 people were arrested in connection to money laundering. Three officials were sent to jail while investigations continue, while the other three were given the option of paying €100,000 bail. A statement from the Chinese Embassy in Madrid said Chinese officials are working closely with Spanish police to ensure the safety of those arrested while ensuring they co-operate with the authorities.
Supermarket sweep SPANISH supermarkets are making changes to cash in on expat money. A recent study revealed that Spaniards spend €198 per month on groceries while British expats spend a whopping €463. So now leading Spanish supermarkets including Carrefour and Eroski are helping British shoppers by installing signs in both English and Spanish.
AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES
Rental rules
What do new laws really mean for expats? REGIONAL and local press has extensively covered the enactment of the new rules governing rented accommodation. The rules, under the title Decreto 28/2016, de 2 de febrero, de las viviendas con fines turísticos y de modificación del Decreto 194/2010, de 20 de abril, de establecimientos de apartamentos turísticos, has failed to elaborate on two important aspects: what does compliance really entail and what are the fines for non-compliance. a) In respect to the first aspect, the rules obliges owners to offer clients –among other requirements- the following: license of occupancy, rooms with adequate ventilation and darkening devices (shutters or similar), sufficient furniture and necessary appliances, first aid kit, touristic information whether in hard copy or electronic, of data for the area (bus schedules, close-by parking facilities, medical facilities in the vicinity and a plan of the town), complaint form, first aid kit, bed linen, cutlery and crockery adequate to the size and requirements of the property (and a replacement set for each). As if not enough, the law says owners will have to have a telephone number available to tenants where they can call to resolve any incidences, an instruction manual for kitchen appliances, details of the use of communal facilities and property equipment, as well as details on access of pets to the property and information on potential restriction for smokers and a few other requirements. But whilst some of the above are clear, the meaning of ambiguous words such as “adequate”, “sufficient” and “necessary” can widely differ depending on who you ask. Attending these grey areas is a pressing requirement. b) The fine system is also not clear. The 2016 Act refers to a 2011 Rural Accommodation Act for elucidation of what fines are applicable. Some scaremongers have enjoyed spreading the belief that if you do not register, you will be fined up to €150,000. The reality is that failing to register their properties can “only” be fined between €2,000 and €18,000 Euros, the heavier monster fine of “up to 150k” being reserved for other contraventions i.e. unlawful discrimination or obstructing inspectors on duty. Interestingly, the Act does not address the fines for failing to comply with one or more elements within the the long list on point a), for instance: missing spoons, dirty linen or insufficient first aid kit. The experience in Catalunya and the Balearics regions, where similar rules apply, shows us that lack of registration is attracting the vast majority of fines, with little or no precedecent in respect to the degree or correctness of compliance.
Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es
www.theolivepress.es
the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
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39the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
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February 17th - March 1st 2016
(Get me) Out of Africa! Tangier: capital of mystery and intrigue
I
’VE a soft spot for Tangier. It was an international zone awash with spies in the Second World War, and only incorporated into Morocco after its independence from France in 1956. Even today, it retains a faint air of mystery and intrigue. Small and intimate, I’ve always thought it would have made a more plausible setting for Bogart and Bergman than ‘Casablanca’. The atmosphere is pure Agatha Christie, plus a hint of the drugaddled exploits of William Burroughs. The 14th-century Syrian traveller Abu aI-Fida wrote that Tangier was famous for three things – its grapes, its pears and the brainlessness of its inhabitants. Another, from the nearby Moroccan town of Sabtah, explained it thus: “Outside Tangier is a spring called Barqal.” Its water is said to cause stupidity. They diagnose their imbeciles by saying “It’s not their fault,
they’ve drunk the water of Barqal.” On previous trips I’ve been careful to mix the tap water with scotch and suffered no ill effects that I am aware of – although anyone who has been around me when I drink scotch may beg to differ. I blame it on my Glaswegian roots… But Tangier is certainly a weekend kind of place, and to a European used to the laid-back atmosphere of Tarifa, the constant hassle (plus the aforementioned idiocy) can soon leave you screaming something along the lines of “I’m a Marbella celebrity. Get me out of here!” Medieval Arab geographers believed that the remains of an ancient bridge lie beneath the waves between the +two continents, and that it would be revealed again at the end of time. Unfortunately I couldn’t wait that long so grabbed the fast ferry from Tarifa. (Incidentally, I have my own theory about the passage of time in Marbella. Every day is Christmas, every night
SOFT SPOT: Giles takes a trip to Tangier is New Years Eve, and every morning after feels like the End of the World). Driving in Tangier is not for the faint of heart and the infamous Gumball Rally boys added even more chaos to the roads when they roared through on their way to Marrakech. At the reception the night before, I asked the tall, blond, Danish driver who was leading the race if he had any apprehensions about driving through Tangier. “Not at all,” he replied, “In fact, I have Moroccan blood, you know?”
A rock of ages!
T
HERE’S nothing that reminds you you’re the oldest swinger in town quite like seeing the pop pin-ups of your yesteryear making their final exits from the stage of life. With 2016 barely two months old, the list of musicians dropping off the metaphorical perch to join the heavenly choir is showing signs of growing longer than a Grammy Awards acceptance speech. Along with David Bowie – not, after all, ‘the Peter Pan of pop’ – The Eagles, Earth Wind and Fire, Jefferson Airplane and Mott the Hoople all lost band members in the first few weeks of the new year. Sir Terry Wogan and ‘Ed Stewpot’ Stewart are no longer around to play their tunes either. ‘Mott the Who’ I hear you mutter? I grew up with all these young dudes, as they were then, so it’s like losing old buddies. They helped me through hard times and some serious rites of passage. I wept over boyfriends to their sad lyrics, crammed for ex-
Mourning the musical icons of my misspent youth
ams to their instrumentals and what I got up to during their extended guitar riffs is none of your business, all played on my trusty His Masters Voice record player. Not the wind-up variety, I’m not that old, although I do share the same vintage as 45 and 33 1⁄3 rpm vinyls. But could it really be 40 years since I waved my parents off on the family summer holiday (the first I was allowed to miss as a reward for passing my A levels) as a mousy brunette, and welcomed them home a neon-redhead? I thought I looked cool with my spiky Ziggy Stardust mullet. My mum shrieked like she’d just seen a spider from Mars. Bowie’s Let’s Dance, Earth Wind and Fire’s Let’s Groove… they were the stuff of my disco days down at Brighton’s Top Rank Suite, where my girlfriends and I turned dancing around our handbags on a go-go podium into a superbly-choreographed art form. I’ll even miss fellow Irishman Sir Tel, although Radio 2 was far from being on the wavelength of a 1970s teenager. I mean,
ICONS: Wogan and (below) Bowie
The Floral Dance …? Curiously, even in death, the jury was still out on whether he wore a toupé. One obit said not, another had him owning five wigs. He was my neighbour in Torrevieja when I first moved to Spain in the early Nineties and we all thought it was a ‘syrup’. Why else did he always go swimming in a natty Panama hat?
Corset
But it was the death of not-so-bald Eagle Glenn Frey, at 67 years young (age is so relative), that really hit home. That and the back corset I’m now strapped into after a recent foray into the fleshpots of Algeciras to ‘take it to the limit’ with a bunch of (much younger) girlfriends. Perhaps this Desperado should come to her senses and lay off the tequila sunrises. On the other hand, Keith Richards is 72 and still ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’, so maybe there’s hope for this old swinger yet.
“Really?” I replied incredulously. “Yes. It’s all over the front of my Porsche!” But the best phrase describing Tangier belongs to an Aussie mate of mine, Spud. (crazy name, crazy guy) who said, “I passed through Tangier like a dose of salts, literally.” Of course, if plans currently on the drawing board come to fruition, then getting out of Africa will be a breeze. I refer, of course, to the proposed undersea tunnel linking Africa to Europe. Just think of it – Moroccan and Andalucian design and construction expertise, working together on a project that spans two constantly-shifting continental plates. If you’re the first car through, though, take my advice – pack your scuba gear.
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Prick n’ fix
NOBODY likes getting the needle. But with acupuncture, it can make all the difference. And now the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) has formally approved its use to treat lower back pain on the Rock. The GHA ratified the use of acupuncture after 11 physiotherapists were taught the practice at the GHA School of Health Studies last year. John Cortes, Minister of Health, said: “They are a group of professionals whose contribution to the care of patients is often overlooked, but is absolutely vital.”
www.theolivepress.es March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Tits for tat Brits head to Spain for cheap cosmetic surgery
Healing hearts
MORE people than ever are jetting into Spain for their botox, boob jobs and tummy tucks. New figures show the number of foreigners coming to Spain for cosmetic surgery is at an all time high. In fact, last year the health tourism sector grew by 20%, bringing in €500 million. Industry experts at the Ocean Clinic Marbella expect that figure to break the €1 billion mark by 2020. And it is mainly the Brits who are driving Spain’s health tourism boom. “With the pound at a seven-year high
MORE than 100 specialist heart surgeries have been performed on children at Malaga’s Maternity Hospital in the last year. A total of 102 extracorporeal surgeries were carried out at the hospital. And the success rate at Malaga’s hospital has been very high, with a death rate of just 1.3% – well below the worldwide average of 5%. The surgery is performed outside the body, when the heart is stopped and emptied of blood, before being restarted.
Zika worries for Rio Getting better THE number of people going down with flu is on the slide. Only 304 Malaga residents contracted flu this January – less than 0.4% of the population. Around 220,000 vaccines have been administered since the vaccination campaign began in October.
RIO ROW: Alabau
A SPANISH Olympian has thrown this summer’s Rio Olympics into doubt. Windsurfing gold medalist Marina Alabau believes she contracted Zika while training in Brazil in December. After coming down with a fever, Alabau who claimed gold at the London 2012 games, was diagnosed with Zika back in Spain. Brazil is at the centre of the Zika epidemic and the Olympic committee fears athletes may be deterred from competing. However, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and sports authorities insist the games will go ahead and are preparing for hundreds of thousands of visitors in August. Despite contracting the disease, Alabau says she will still compete in Rio. There are now a total of 32 confirmed Zika cases in Spain, three of whom are pregnant. Of those diagnosed, 10 cases are in Madrid, nine in Catalunya and one in Andalucia. Many scientists and doctors believe that the mosquito-borne disease is linked to a rare birth defect called microcephaly, or abnormally small heads in infants.
NHS appeal UK hospitals are recruiting more and more nurses from overseas, including Spain. More than two-thirds of hospitals said they were actively recruiting from overseas because there is a lack of qualified nurses in the UK. Despite 50,000 nurses finishing their studies each year, as many as 60% of all NHS nurses come from Spain, Italy and France.
NIP AND TUCK: Surgery
against the euro, British health tourists now have more than 15% extra spending power in Spain than they did a year ago,” a spokesman at Ocean Clinic Marbella said. “The benefits of the strong exchange rate come in addition to the already low prices for cosmetic surgery and dentistry in Spain.” He added: “Cosmetic treatments in the UK typically cost around 60% more than in Spain, but cutting costs does not mean cutting quality of care. Spain has some of the best medical establishments in the world.”
Savings
In the UK the average cost of private breast implant surgery is between €4,500 and €6,500. By comparison, the average cost for the same procedure in Spain is between €3,500 and €5,500. Patients from the Middle East, Russia and America are also taking advantage of the savings to be had and choosing Spain for cosmetic surgery. And it’s not a bad place to recover, either!
Look spec-tacular! The full spec on this year’s hottest trends in glasses, by Leighton Griffiths, Marbella Specsavers director
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ACH new year and season brings with it brand new fashion trends and glasses are no different. So this month I wanted to share the latest styles in classy glasses and how to look spectacular in your specs. What are the key trends for 2016?
Blurred Lines. This classic yet cool trend includes traditional finishes merged with contemporary silhouettes, heavier brows and thinner rims, cut-out patterning and soft, muted colours.
and skin type. Blondes should try lightweight styles with delicate colour effects that add warmth to your skin tone. If you have dark hair, try any of the metallic frames, especially simple shapes and colours. Finally, think of your glasses as an extension of your wardrobe and an accessory to dress your face! This way you will complement your fashion sense with your glasses choice and set off your look perfectly.
Contemporary Pop. Heavier, acetate materials featuring strong bursts of colour are combined with exaggerated shapes and sports influences. Key shades include soft indigo, cool blue, custard yellow, magenta haze and radiant orange.
How can I make sure the glasses fit right? A perfect fit is paramount. That’s why Specsavers has introduced a new cutting-edge way of selecting and fitting customers’ glasses, using imaging software on tablet devices. Digital Precision Eyecare ensures everyone receives the right professional care and advice in frame selection and dispensing for their prescription, vision and lifestyle needs.
How can I choose the right glasses to make me look my best? The first thing to consider is your face shape, as different style glasses will suit different types. Oval faces suit almost all shapes, whereas rectangular faces must avoid small, square specs and try a wide frame with a strong top line. You also need to take into account your colouring and find the right match for your hair colour
If you want help choosing your next pair of glasses, pop into your local Specsavers Opticas where our trained style advisors can help you choose the right frame. Specsavers also offer fantastic two-for-one deals, so you can have styles for both work and play. On the costa del Sol there are Specsavers Opticas stores in Marbella and Fuengirola. Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest shop and book an appointment.
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monthly youth and education section
By hook or by crook
RESCUE OPERATION: Sheep’s-milk chese IT’S one of Spain’s most famous sheep’s milk cheeses. But with sales dropping since 2011, trainee shepherds are flocking to save the Torta del Casar. A new shepherds’ school in Extremadura hopes to boost production of the prized local cheese by increasing the numbers of professionals who know how to rear and milk sheep. The school, only the sixth shepherds’ institution in Spain, will teach 12 pupils how to feed, breed and nurture the sheep during a 500-hour course.
Don not forgotten A WAR of words has broken out over Miguel de Cervantes. The director of Instituto Cervantes – the governmentbacked agency for the promotion of Spanish language and
BELOVED: Cervantes
culture – has defended his organisation’s plans for the 400th anniversary of the Don Quixote writer’s death. Víctor García de la Concha spoke out after the institute came under fire for appearing to drag its heels over drawing up a schedule of 2016 commemorative activities. De La Concha revealed the institute has organised 500 events, conferences and concerts. “Instituto Cervantes has not come to this late or been lazy,” he protested.
treme
Sporting greats
Europe’s most decorated club sets up school for underprivileged kids THE world’s richest football club is giving back. Real Madrid officials have been in Cambodia finalising a deal to build a school. Offering free education to underprivileged children, it will be the second school built by the Real Madrid Foundation in the Southeast Asian country. The first, in the Cambodian city of Battambang, opened last year. The new school will be located
Silly bully WE’VE all been picked on at school. But a new report reveals bullies make up a third of the classroom. In a Save The Children study, 32% of Spanish kids admit to having physically bullied their classmates in the past two months. The charity interviewed 21,847 children aged between 12 and 16 from across Spain for the in-depth report, which was released in February. Six out of ten pupils said they had been on the receiving end of verbal insults, with more than 20% claiming to have been physically attacked by their peers. Cyberbullying was of increasing concern, with 6.3% of children interviewed having had their social media accounts hacked.
Hit the books, + boys! x
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OYS have been getting some good press of late. They have reversed a 20year downward spiral in exam results (compared to girls) since GCSE’s were first introduced in 1988, with their reliance on coursework, according to research by Professor Alan Smithers. However boys are more extreme in their exam performance, either getting top grades (A*) or failing. They seem to cope better with ‘sudden-death’ exams - when all marks are acquired in the exam room. Girls seem to prefer the methodical approach, doing coursework that counts towards the final grade. That’s all very well, but it does not answer the question: why do (some) boys behave the way they do? As any parent knows, boys and girls are quite different. Boys are active, energetic and physical. They are natural risk-takers, love adventure, have a great sense of humour and a low boredom threshold. Many have a brash sense of selfconfidence, overestimating their ability (”I am naturally talented”) and find it difficult to ask for help. They want to fit in with their
in the capital, Phnom Penh, and have a specific focus on sport. In fact, coaches from Real Madrid will visit the school to run football workshops on a regular basis. Emilio Butragueno, Director of Institutional Relations at Real Madrid, said he was ‘thrilled’ to get the project finalised. “We discovered that the children were practically living in a
Butterfly skin A COSTA Del Sol school is helping raise awareness of butterfly skin condition on International Rare Disease Day. Students from the English International College, Marbella, will screen a 2015 film by the Butterfly Children Charity (DEBRA) on March 2. Pupils are also showing their support by using the Rare Disease Day hand signal.
Patronising FANS: In Cambodia landfill and it stirred the soul,” he said. “The founders of the Real Madrid Foundation realised that as well as food, the children needed education and professional training.” Coaches from the foundation have been in Phnom Penh sharing their expertise with the NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE) which will run the school. PSE, founded in 1995 to help underprivileged children in Cambodia, currently has 6,500 students studying in its schools.
MADRID’S Complutense University is desperately seeking private investors after drastic spending cuts have left it out of pocket. Professors fear this may lead to the privatisation of Spain’s largest university, with patrons and sponsors participating in the running of the institution and its infrastructure. It is the latest public body to seek private help after the central government approved a ruling to allow investing companies to help out. ‘Sponsors’ will vary between ‘collaborators’ who give between €10,000 and €30,000 and ‘strategic patrons’ for companies contributing over €500,000 per year.
Bespoke Training Available in Gibraltar
Boys may pretend they never work, but there are some Teachers tips things they should know WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IF you have children in school and want to to discuss the issues raised, ask a question or suggest some advice of your own, contact Educational Consultant Steve Coventry at excel.tutor@hotmail.com or get involved in the comments section on www.theolivepress.es
peers, and don’t show much interest in pleasing adults. The ‘here and now’ is what matters to them, so they give little thought to their future or Bayside revision! Sadly these qualities do not help boys succeed in the present education system, which values good behaviour, conscientiousness and presentation over energy, humour and creativity. When it comes to exams, boys often leave revision to the last minute, hoping they will pull a result out of the bag. Highly intelligent boys can get away with this strategy, but it is unlikely to work for the rest - that is, average pupils! These boys need to understand quickly that school is like a game of bluff: a boy may ‘choose’ to give his mates the impression he doesn’t work hard; but behind the scenes he should do what it takes to get the best results he can. If boys find the prospect of
exams scary they don’t usually admit to it; they distract themselves with Facebook, Fifa 2016, Whatsapp or playing sport. My son (exBayside), during his A level revision, decided to mix a ‘Deep House track’ rather than revise; pure distraction! When a boy becomes aggressive or spends a lot of time on his own, it may be a sign that he is anxious or depressed. Parents need to look out for signs of stress and provide emotional support. Boys can thrive in examinations, but they must take their GCSEs seriously and hit the books. My advice to parents (if your boy resembles the above) is to have that difficult conversation, encourage him to make a revision timetable and start studying - the sooner the better. They need your (tough) love and support - not sympathy.
BC Training Ltd can help you and your team achieve great things Our courses include: First Aid Life Saving Sales & Marketing Leadership & Management Computer Skills Soft Skill Training including: Time Management, Presentation Skills and many more
For more information on the courses available contact us on info@bctraining.com
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the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015
Basque banquet SHE comes from Basque culinary royalty, but Elena Arzak has been championing Chinese cooking. Elena, the daughter of award-winning San Sebastian restaurateur Juan Mari Arzak, has revealed one of the first books her father gave her was The Heritage of Chinese Cooking. And in 2010, she participated in the Shanghai World Expo with chefs from 217 countries, making melon bread with ham, anchovies with strawberries and chocolate burger on Spain Day. "It’s a very ancient cuisine, also what I liked about the Chinese cuisine is that they eat everything, from rooster combs to the legs," she said.
INTERNATIONAL: Elena Arzak
Bullied out of it
El Bulli plans scuppered by environmental protests
PLANS to expand the worldrenowned el Bulli restaurant into a gastronomic hub have taken a blow. Chef Ferran Adria has been forced to scale back his plan AMBITIOUS: Chef Adria (left) and El Bulli to expand the site by 300% after environmentalist protests. restaurant a record five times before it Adria wanted to create a mega, gastro- closed in 2011. nomical think tank on the site of the for- Reopening as a museum and creativity mer three-Michelin star restaurant. centre in 2014, Adria wanted to turn it El Bulli - in Cala Montjoi, on the Costa into a creative hub for Spain’s best chefs. Brava - was named the world’s best The restaurant is located in the Cap de
Creus Natural Park and those opposed to the expansion claimed it would be a breach of environmental law. Instead, Adria will now expand the site by just 20% and is due to open the doors once more next month.
Meat cheats hit
Prize talent
A PRIZE to honour inspiring chefs has been launched in Spain. The Basque Culinary World Prize was launched by the Basque Culinary Center (BCC) in February to find a chef who uses cooking to help improve society. The jury will award €100,000 to the chef who considers cultural issues, culinary innovation and social responsibility.
SPAIN’S anti-tax fraud authorities are investigating the use of ‘black money’ in the meat trade. More than 45 officers in 15 Spanish regions are probing 73 business with a global turnover of €650 million. Businesses at the major Madrid and Barcelona markets, Mercamadrid and Mercabarna, are among those being investigated. During searches of the businesses’ premises, agents removed thousands of euros and software often used to run parallel accounts to hide the use and movement of black money. An agency spokesperson said: “In the meat sector, public sales raise four of five times the wholesale price which implies significant financial benefits from the slaughter, cutting and processing of meat.”
We kut the mustard...
MEATY: Allegations
Weather outside is frightful FEBRUARY’S frost is set to affect 80% of early stonefruit production across Spain. The late cold snap is also putting production of artichokes, citrus fruits and leafy vegetables at risk. Blossoming stonefruit trees - such as cherries and plums - are said to have been very badly affected by the drop in temperature last month.
Sunday Lunch Only €13.50 for 2 courses
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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016
FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
Not for the claustrophobic
Sky high A short drive out of the city you will find one of the most unusual architectural projects in Spanish history. While heavily controversial - having cost many times over budget (and over €400m) to build so far - this interesting collection of six hilltop buildings designed by American architect Peter Eisenman is well worth visiting. Its use of materials is extravagant and its genesis suspect, but its attractive staccato lines are an architect's dream. While it is some way off being finished, you can visit a library and a newspaper archive, and if you are very lucky you may find an actual exhibition worth visiting, as I did with a fabulous display of works by Galician photographer Jose Suarez this month.
Launching a new travel section, Jon Clarke casts a photographic eye over the stunning Galician city of Santiago de Compostela and its wonderful green surroundings
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HE historic city of Santiago de Compostela is just a stone’s throw from one of the most westerly tips of Europe at Cape Finisterre, meaning ‘End of the earth’, and surrounded by some of the best countryside in Spain. Why bother walking there - like thousands of peregrinos (or pilgrims) do every year - when you can now fly easily via numerous airlines from around Europe and Andalucia? The airport is just 20 minutes from the city, which is a World Heritage Site, and if you hire a car you can reach numerous local beauty spots, beaches and historic, hidden gems in under an hour. Head there out of season and you will find Galicia one of the least populated, least visited corners of Spain, with prices to match. There is a fantastic range of places to stay and its collection of restaurants and bars in the centre easily rival the quality - if not creativity - of its Basque neighbours. Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite:
A Word in your shell-like The scallop shells you see adorning countless walls of the city (even the cathedral) are associated with the apos-
tle James. It has become the symbol of those making the pilgrimage to his shrine at the cathedral and it stems from a legend in which James saved a knight who had – bizarrely – been attacked by hundreds of the aquatic molluscs. Practically, the scallop shell laterbecame a scoop – with pilgrims entitled to take as much oats, barley or wine as they could fit in their shell from houses they passed on their way to the shrine.
TOP TAPA: Scallops in olive oil
No need to be shelling out The city’s tapas bars and ‘pulperias’ are a joy to dip in and out of. There are dozens in the old town and many serve up wonderful shellfish, including razor shells and clams, as well as the classic dish of scallops in olive oil, from where the pilgrims famous shell comes from. Some rave about the authenticity of Gato Negro, although I preferred Maria Castaña, practically next door (see picture), while La Tasquita de Jacobus, in Calle Senra, had amazing squid and berberechos (a type of clam).
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Said to be the narrowest street in Spain, Calle Entrerruas is a tiny metre-wide alleyway linking Rua do Vilar and Rua Nova. It has a tiny square in the middle and, best of all, each of its granite paving stones has a number engraved on them.
To the end of the Earth Cape of good hope
The cape of Finisterre (End of the world) sits at the third most westerly tip of the ominously named Costa da Morte, or Coast of Death, which is found between the villages of Muros and Malpica. It inherited its name due to its rugged, exposed coastline, which has been a hotspot for shipwrecks for centuries and, even recently, included a number of oil tankers, such as the Prestige, in 2002. It is a stunning stretch of coastline pockmarked with pretty coves and headlands and interspaced with a string of austere, but scenic settlements, which would not look out of place in the Western Highlands of Scotland. There are many decent seafood restaurants, but the ones scattered around the 100-plus fishing boat port of Fisterra take some beating.
Out into the hills
Chic and cheerful Strolling around the centre you will find a great range of interesting shops, from music to books and from shoes to art. Hat shop Sombreria Iglesias (inset) goes back over 100 years to 1912, while there is a charming shop (left) Catrineta full of fish conserves (www. catrineta.com) of every size, description and taste, naturally next to the celebrated fish market, which coincidentally has its own website www.mercadodeabastosdesantiago.com
Take a rural ride out into the stunning countryside east of Santiago and you will be heading broadly along the Ruta de Santiago, trodden by pilgrims for centuries. There are numerous historic villages and towns and within 30 minutes you are out in the heart of wild terrain. Looking for a great spot to stay - or for a fabulous luncheon - head for Casa Brandariz in Dombordan, which has been putting up travellers for centuries. A basic, good value menu, is supplemented by excellent local vino… and there are simple rooms upstairs to lay down your head for a siesta. www.casabrandariz.com
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GREAT NEWS!!!! February 17th - March 1st 2016
Soaring masterpiece If there is one stand-out building in Galicia it has got to be the cathedral of Santiago, which is almost as wonderful to look at from all four sides. Certainly no anticlimax for the thousands of pilgrims who walk for months to venerate themselves there each year, it is perhaps one of the most ornate buildings in Spain. Part Gothic, part Baroque, it was first built in the eighth century, before being burnt down by the Moors and then rebuilt in the 11th century. Founded on the legend of St James, who brought Christianity to Spain and was later beheaded in Jerusalem, it is the journey’s end of the most famous Catholic pilgrimage in the w o r l d . You could spend days poking around it and there is so much going on, whether you are a believer or not.
AWARD-WINNING MOLINO DEL SANTO IS BACK From the 4th of March 2016, the Ronda area’s favourite rural hotel is back in business for its 30th season.
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Slap bang next to the city’s famous fish market (which is also worth a visit during the day) is perhaps Santiago’s current standout restaurant. Abastos 2.0 is an atmospheric space with avant garde jazz music and some of the most exciting food in Galicia. Pop-up in style, its ingredients are local and the menu changes by the day, with many dishes served up by the chefs themselves with a distinct enthusiasm for their creations. Expect fish, of course, while I also ate some fabulous dim sum and an incredible tender ‘rabo de vaca’ (tail of cow) with radish, spring onion and broccoli. A pre-dessert of ‘citrus apple’, baked in a bag of sugar, was unusual, while a smoky blackberry and apple sponge cake with cream of honey and blood orange ice cream was masterful. www. abastosdouspuntocero.es
CAN YOU HELP US? WE ARE LOOKING FOR: PEOPLE WHO ARE HUNGRY… Our great restaurant needs people who appreciate imaginative food and friendly service in a spectacular riverside setting. PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HUNGRY… Our food is so good you don’t need to be hungry to be tempted to try lots of interesting dishes and wellselected local wines.
VOTED: “BEST HOTEL FOR FOODIES” The Times PEOPLE WHO WANT TO RELAX: We have pretty rooms alongside a rushing mountain stream where you can slow down and indulge yourself. The log fire? The sunny terraces? The heated swimming pool? Zzzzzzz. PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT TO RELAX: There is great walking from our hotel gates – we have lots of routes prepared for you. And we also have a list of 101 things to do in our area. E-mail us for our FREE suggestions by return. info@molinodelsanto.com
VOTED “BEST COUNTRYSIDE HOTEL IN SPAIN” UK Travel Agent
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Not just Rioja If you are looking to properly immerse yourself in the local food culture, you will also need to get your head around the wonderful Galician wines. Since the Albarino grape from the Riax Baixas denomination took the world by storm two decades ago the region has had a revolution, now creating some of the best whites in Europe, from its two other regions Ribeiro and Valdeorras. The grape varieties are hard to pronounce (try Treixadura), but in their Godellos they have something to easily rival the best Albarino. Meanwhile new reds keep emerging and get better and better. You’ll find decent wines in most of the city’s eateries, but if you really want to get amongst it why not head for the stylish, modern Bodeguilla de San Lorenzo, or its sister joints San Roque and Santa Marta, where you can find hundreds of local references.
Just hanging around
The real joy of Santiago is simply wandering around its historic central core. Protected by Unesco, this maze of medieval pavingstone clad lanes is crammed with charming buildings, some austere, some more ornate. Glistening after rain, their porticos and alleyways and arches lead to charming squares and, of course, everything tilts around the wonderful cathedral.
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PEOPLE WHO WANT QUIET TIME: If you want to spend time with a special person, Molino is just the place for you. A quiet candle-lit table? There are no TVs in the rooms – take time to talk and rediscover your self. PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT QUIET TIME: Molino del Santo does not have Karaoke or Disco music but it does welcome groups who want to celebrate together – meals or stays. We’ll do all we can to make your visit unforgettable.
VOTED “TOP 3 BEST HOTELS IN ANDALUCIA” Trivago PEOPLE WHO BOOK AHEAD: If you are looking for a special stay and want a special room, please book soon for a special occasion. Our most popular rooms are snapped up very quickly. PEOPLE WHO DON’T BOOK AHEAD: If you are looking for a lastminute escape, contact us to see if we can help. We may be able to offer you special last-minute rates. But please don’t get cross with us if we’re already full – our advance sales are 60% up on 2015.
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Choccy horror show
Mars products recalled over international plastic contamination fears
MARS has been forced to recall thousands of chocolate bars in Spain and Gibraltar.
It comes as part of a mass product recall across 55 countries after someone in Germany found bits of plastic in a Snick-
ers bar. The plastic was traced to a Mars factory in the Netherlands. In Gibraltar, the Environmental Agency contacted the three local importers to recall all chocolate produced in that factory. This includes Mars and Snickers bars of all sizes, boxes of Celebrations, and Milky Way Fun Size and other variety packs. A Mars Netherlands spokesman said: "We cannot be sure that this plastic was only in that particular Snickers. “We do not want any products on the market that may not meet our quality requirements, so we decided to take them all back." The Environment Agency advises customers who have purchased one of the potentially affected products not consume it but return it to the place of purchase. Mars, one of the world’s biggest food companies, has not revealed how many products in total have had to be recalled, nor the overall cost.
Great wine of China Choca on the block THE ‘best chocolate in the world’ is now available at a string of superstores across Spain. Flown in from Ecuador, Pacari chocolate is now available in 40 El Corte Ingles stores, with bosses ready to step it up to 250 stores later this year. The Ecuadorian delicacy was named the world’s best at the International Chocolate Awards last year and has received over 100 awards for its quality. And the good news is that it doesn’t cost a fortune, retailing at €3.89 for 50 grams. Founded in 2002 by Santiago Peralta, the business is now operating in 37 countries.
IT’S the heartland of Spanish wine, but now the Rioja region is looking east to import the world’s most popular wine. Marques del Atrio, one of the five biggest bodegas in Rioja, will import and distribute China’s Changyu Noble Dragon wine from the end of March. More than 450 million bottles of the Chinese wine are sold already throughout the world, more than the whole of the Rioja region combined. The wine is made in Yantai Changyu Group, China’s oldest bodega, founded in 1892.
Building for the boom
Mon-Sat 19.00h to 24.00h Calle Pintada 23, 29780 Nerja, Malaga
tel: 653 689 452 www.sollunrestaurante.com
AS the international press predicts a bumper year for Spanish tourism thanks to the many ‘off-limit’ countries, some local businesses are already making plans to deal with the boom. One rural hotel in the Serrania de Ronda has seen advance reservations rise by 60% on the same time last year. Molino del Santo, now in its 30th year, is so confident of a bumper season that it is looking for new staff before its doors have even opened. Although there are over 20 staff who have ‘guaranteed’ jobs, the management foresees 2016 trade increasing to a level that will require more hands. The award-winning restaurant and hotel traditionally employ local people wherever possible. However, they now need a fluent English and Spanish speaker to complement the existing team. "We are a restaurant that prides itself on high standards in all we do," says manager and owner Pauline Elkin (above with husband Andy. "We know that staff selection is crucial to our continued success so we are exploring many avenues to find the right person." Co-manager and owner Andy Chapell adds that the hotel needs ‘a very special person’ with experience of the hospitality trade to help lead the restaurant team - a new role for 2016. If you are a bilingual (English and Spanish) speaker capable of organising a team and who enjoys the hospitality industry, there is an opportunity to join the special atmosphere of an award-winning hotel. Contact via e-mail : info@molinodelsanto.com - tell your story and explain why you would be ideal to fill the vacancy.
sport
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March 2nd - March 15th 2016
Gibraltar soldier striving for London Marathon place HE’S the Gibraltar army marathon man who has taken the Rock by storm. And now 25-year-old Lance Corporal Arnold Rogers (right) has got his sights set on London. The Gibraltar Regiment soldier has won the Gibraltar half marathon, the 10km and the Top Of The
Rock event since November. Victory at this month’s Inter Services Championship half marathon would put the former Yorkshire Regiment soldier on track for a place on the Army’s London marathon team. “I am confident. Looking at the times I think I
should make top ten,” he told the Olive Press. “I want to win as always but also to improve my time. I came 38th in the Malaga marathon in December with a time of 2.45, but I was ill the night before. I am hoping for 2.30 if I make the marathon team.”
Neville knobbled BEATEN: Nev’s new low
By Joe Duggan
GARY Neville slammed referee Jesus Gil Manzano after his Valencia side lost 3-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. Gil Manzano denied Valencia two penalties
PETRIFIED OF THE PREM
BARCELONA are more scared of the Premiership than Real Madrid, president Josep Maria Bartomeu has claimed.
The financial power of England’s top flight, following next season’s €6.5 billion TV coverage deal, is apparently a major
Rafa reeling RAFAEL Nadal is bidding for his first ATP World title of the season as he gears up for this month’s Indian Wells masters. The 29-year-old Spaniard has been training in Mexico since the Rio Open as he prepares for the California tournament on March 10. But after a first-round exit in January’s Australian Open, the 14time Grand Slam winner’s uncle and coach Toni admits Nadal’s confidence has ebbed. "Every time that you do not win you have less confidence, and when you lose confidence and tranquility, you play under tension every time, on the break points as well," said Toni. "And the forehand, that is the biggest strength in Rafa's game, does not hurt like it usually did, it does not go like before." GIBRALTAR’S hopes of gaining full FIFA membership have been boosted by the election of new FIFA president Gianni Infantino last week. The Swiss candidate swept into power to replace disgraced former president Sepp Blatter after winning 115 of the 207 votes. Infantino, previously UEFA’s general secretary, received the Gibraltar FA’s backing as its attempt to gain full FIFA recognition goes to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “The Gibraltar FA has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Infantino over the past three years and has been able to witness, at first hand,
worry for the Catalan giants. Manchester United are on track to leapfrog both Barcelona and Real Madrid to become the highest-earning club in the world Meanwhile, according to Deloitte’s Football Money League, 17 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs are in the world’s top 30. “"Premier League teams will have an incredible financial situation from now on and we are worried," said Bartomeu . “We have to do our best to increase our revenues and our financial situation to make the talent of our teams stay with us. "That is why I am so worried and we are working on this. We want to keep the talent at home."
All the president’s men INFANTINO: Gib’s FIFA joy his diligence and efficiency in his role as well as his passion for football,” a Gibraltar spokesman said.
“The Gibraltar FA is confident that Infantino represents the change that FIFA so desperately needs.”
Valencia boss blasts referee over penalty claims as Los Che lose 3-0 to Athletic Bilbao
as Los Che fell to their first defeat in five game. It was their heaviest home defeat since Neville took over at the Mestalla. "Today, I thought the referee was a joke. It was embarrassing we didn't get two penalties," Neville said. "I've not blamed referees in any of our games, but I thought his management of the game was awful. Some of the things he did were incredible.” Despite the loss, Neville
is adamant his team’s performance was encouraging. “I enjoyed watching us play, we were a team that looked confident, we looked like we were a team in control, and Bilbao had problems with us," he said. "I was amazed we didn't go 1-0 or 2-0 up. It feels like a terrible day and it is, but it wasn't the story of the day for me. “There's no suggestion what we did after the first goal was throw the towel in.”
Alonso’s F1 woes FERNANDO Alonso has made a cheeky dig at his beloved Real Madrid - and himself. The McLaren-Honda Formula 1 star claimed ‘a podium finish for me’ was more likely than Madrid winning La Liga this season. The double World Champion also revealed he thinks F1 is ‘less spectacular’ now as he prepares to battle red-hot favourites Mercedes when the new season starts on March 20. “Formula 1 is still the most technological and advanced sport, but it has lost something,” he said. “The cars are less spectacular than a few years ago, we go round in much slower times. The sound has changed, and the races have changed with the Pirelli tyres.”
the
Covering Andalucia in 2016 with over 200,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 500,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!
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March 2nd - March 15th 2016
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Real McCoy
THE Afghan lad who captured the hearts of the world by wearing a homemade Lionel Messi shirt has finally received the real thing. Signed by the Barcelona captain, a replica Argentina shirt was flown out to Afghanistan for five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi. An online search for the boy was sparked after a photo of him wearing a striped plastic bag went viral (right). Messi himself weighed in saying he wanted to give the boy a real shirt. "I love Messi and my shirt says Messi loves me," Murtaza said when he finally received the real deal.
FINAL WORDS
Sky high prices
advice
BUDGET airlines charge up to 20 times the supermarket price for snacks, with the markup as high as 2,646% of the item’s original price, according to travel website Kayak.
Parking fine POLICE and firefighters were left baffled when they found a car illegally parked on a roof’s building in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
Cover girl AUSTRALIAN transgender model Andreja Pejic has landed her first magazine cover shot, on the front of Marie Claire Spain.
All Wright on the night Mijas restaurateur Elliott Wright lands his own primetime TV show
EXCLUSIVE By Iona Napier COSTA del Sol restaurateur Elliott Wright is set to get his very own TV show, the Olive Press can reveal. The former TOWIE star, who owns Olivia’s in La Cala, will star in the ITV show, when filming begins in April.
Made by the team behind The Only Way is Essex, the series is likely to be ‘between six and eight’ programmes and will focus on life running a busy Costa del Sol restaurant. Pundits predict it will be aired on primetime television and
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could possibly replace Life on Marbs, the reality TV show about Marbella’s flamboyant personalities, which has achieved only modest audiences. An unnamed source told the Olive Press that Wright’s show will feature some of the TOWIE favourites plus ‘a few celebs’. “Elliott is really excited about this new venture and can’t wait to get started,” she told the Olive Press last night. “He is bound to be a big star and we hope it will be as big as TOWIE.” Wright refused to deny the claims although insisted he ‘could not say anything’.
Unwanted churchgoers AN army of storks has moved into churches across Castilla y Leon, to the frustration of bishops and choirboys alike. Now church bosses have appealed to the government to bend environmental laws to remove 50 nests in churches. They insist that the birds are damaging the structure of church spires and roofs. However laws prevent anyone from tampering with stork nests with only 300 allowed to have been taken down a year for safety risks.
ACTION: For Elliott
Seal the deal
MARBELLA will be going crazy for Seal this summer as the pop crooner returns for the first time in six years. The multiple grammy awardwinning singer will celebrate 25 years in the music industry with a show at the Puente Romano Tennis Club on July 18. The Kiss from a rose hitmaker was last in town with a sold-out show at Puerto Banus bullring and this year will play songs from his ninth album, called 7.
So long, Sticky Vicky SHE has wowed audiences on the Costa Blanca with her ‘sexy magic’ show for 35 years. But now Benidorm’s biggest star, Sticky Vicky, has announced her retirement aged 72 in order to spend more time with her family. Her daughter Demaria was expected to continue the shows but has now also confirmed her retirement, stating she will instead focus on ‘projects that have nothing to do with sexy magic shows’. Thousands of tourists flocked to witness the unique show every year.
Open from the 11th March Looking forward to another year of giving enjoyment to our guests
Driving force IT is the perfect example of cooperation on the coast. The President’s Club of Marbella has donated a brand new car and €2,161 to Cudeca cancer hospice in Benalmadena. The Opel Corsa will be instrumental for the homecare team to attend patients around the province.
Calle Virgen Milagrosa 10 29713 Los Romanes - La Viñuela Provincia Malaga t: +34 951 509 071 www.las-orquideas.com/en