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AXED: Royals face chop
We want a Republic! TWO thirds of Spaniards want a vote on whether the country should scrap its monarchy. According to a survey in El Pais, 62% of Spanish people want a referendum on becoming a republic, with 34% against it. It comes after a series of large protests around the country called for an end to the monarchy after the king announced he is abdicating in favour of son Felipe later this month.
Majority
Despite broad support for a referendum, the poll revealed however, that only a minority of Spaniards would in fact prefer a republican form of government. Nearly half of respondents said that if asked, they would still support a monarchy headed by Felipe VI, while 36% said they would demand a return to a republic. Moreover, the majority of residents applauded King Juan Carlos’ decision to abdicate. The popularity rating of the monarchy is said to have gone up from 49% to 56% since the abdication was announced two weeks ago, according to a poll in El Mundo. Of those questioned 73% said Felipe would make a good king. Continued on Page 4
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EXCLUSIVE By Imogen Calderwood
A BRITISH couple claim their accountant stole €22,000 from them after forging court documents. Expats Mike and Jean Lett insist that the disgraced Estepona councillor took the money on a number of occasions and illegally reinvested it in his own name. The couple, who run furniture business Jean’s Emporium in Estepona, had used Manuel Reina Contreras for eight years for their business. They have denounced the former PES councillor - who is also being investigated over the multimillion euro Astapa corruption scandal - and their case is now going through the courts. “We cannot believe this man could get away with this. He saw a way of getting quick
June 11 - June 25 2014
British couple call in the police after their accountant runs off with €22,000
vide us with an invoice which he said was from the court.” However, they started to suspect Contreras and decided to get their lawyer to look into the situation. “It was at that point we found out that all was not as it seemed and the documentation supposedly from the courthouse was forged.” It turned out it was not the first time Contreras had been on the wrong side of the law.
Hats off to Laurie Lee
100 years since birth of seminal writer and lover of Spain See Pages 24 - 25
Bribery
RIPPED OFF: The Letts and (right) Contreras arrested money and he took it,” Mr Lett, 72, told the Olive Press. The Letts - who have lived in Spain for 28 years - had given the money to Contreras to prevent a court from repossessing a hotel they owned in San Roque. The accountant had told them
TAKING ON THE WORLD Ronda hotel voted best in Spain while Gibraltar selects its candidate for next Miss World See Pages 15 and 42
that Estepona court needed the money if they were to prevent a foreclosure on the building that they were in the process of selling. However, as it later emerged, the court had never solicited the money at all and both requests and receipts from a judge were allegedly forged. “This is where our real problems started,” said Mrs Lett, 68, from Newquay. “One time Contreras even drove me to the bank to withdraw the money, because he said if it wasn’t paid into the court that day everything would be null and void. “Each time we would pay the ‘rent’ money to him, he would pro-
In June 2008, he was arrested alongside Estepona mayor Antonio Barrientos, in a complex web of corruption involving fraudulent land rezoning, bribery and moneylaundering. The former Councillor for the Economy at Estepona town hall was one of five people remanded in custody in the Astapa case. Now, despite numerous requests for the return of their money, the Letts haven’t seen a penny and the hotel has been repossessed. When contacted by the Olive Press, Contreras said this week: “The only thing I have to say is that I have made mistakes. I have a lot of problems and my priority now is to solve them. “I feel bad about what I have done to these good people, and I only hope I can pay them back.”
Flamenco star in town Olive Press probes Jaoquin Cortes on Naomi and more See Page 20
The Bitch is back! Joan Collins is getting big in Benidorm, believe it or not See Page 3
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CRIME NEWS
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Probe on island cop
A ‘CORRUPT’ UK detective living in Spain is to be investigated over claims he sabotaged the initial Stephen Lawrence murder investigation. John Davidson, who lives in Minorca, is to be probed over a claimed corrupt relationship he had with the gangster father of one of the teenager’s alleged killers. It has been claimed that Davidson, who now runs a bar on the Balearic island, was dangerously close to Clif-
‘Corrupt’ UK detective said to have stalled Lawrence enquiry is to be investigated
PROBE: Into Davidson (top) over murdered Stephen Lawrence (left)
about his conduct in the days following the murder.
whether he deliberately stalled the inquiry, perhaps after being paid by him. In police intelligence reports, the fordetective ‘Abroad fraud’ on the Costa del Crime mer sergeant was HUNDREDS of Brits are said to Spain sees more cases of suspect- described as ‘no be cheating the UK welfare system ed UK benefit fraud than any other having from the safe haven of the Costa country – in 2013, there were 769 integrity as a suspected cases, compared to 628 police officer’. del Sol. A n o t h e r The coast – long a hideout for fugi- in Pakistan and 298 in Turkey. tive conmen, fraudsters and drug Across the world last year, Brits damning readded barons – is now home to the new living overseas scammed more port evolution of benefits scamming, than €103 million from the Brit- that he was ish taxpayer – twice as much as in ‘open to ofclaims the UK government. fers from Dubbed ‘abroad fraud’, the prob- 2011. source lem is so bad that the Department Investigators have followed up any of Work and Pensions has now 1,267 calls since 2008, leading to if financially and launched a dedicated team in Ma- the recovery of more than €6 mil- viable’ raised serilion of taxpayers’ money. drid, solely to tackle the cheats. ous questions ford Norris, the father of David Norris. The UK’s Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will examine
Eight face questions over Maddie
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ENCOURAGING: Search for Maddie
Scotland Yard, include three convicted drug-dealers, thought to have been involved in burglaries in the Praia da Luz area in the days before the British youngster disappeared. Phone records show the three made numerous phone calls to each other in the hours after she TWO British golfers have been went missing, in drugged and robbed in FuenMay 2007. girola. Keith Low believes he and a Hope fellow golfer from the Glen Meanwhile, poGorse Golf Club in Leicesterlice have finshire, were spiked with the ished their first notorious ‘date-rape’ drug search of an area Rohypnol. of scrubland in Neither can remember anythe Praia da Luz, thing after accepting a free in an excavation shot in a bar during a night of three key sites out. in the Algarve Mr Low, 59, woke up in a holiday resort. side-street, missing his gold Forensic teams chain and cash from his walwill now move on let. to the two other Police explained that they were sites, after haltmost likely drugged with Roing the operation hypnol and then led away from for two days for the group and robbed. a Portuguese naThe UK Foreign Office warns tional holiday. tourists on the Costa del Sol The excavation to be vigilant, advising that was described as drinks be kept in sight at all being ‘encouragtimes to make sure they are ing’. not tampered with.
POLICE investigating the disappearance of Maddie McCann are set to interview eight potential suspects in Portugal. The ‘persons of interest’, identified by
ILLEGAL: Horse meat
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Racist Lawrence, an 18-year-old aspiring architect, was stabbed to death in a racist attack by a white gang in south-east London in April 1993. Yet despite damning evidence no convictions were made until 2012, when Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, were given life sentences. It is unclear how police will question Davidson over the allegations, as he can only be extradited from his Spanish island if there is sufficient evidence to charge him. He denies all allegations.
POLICE have arrested several people suspected of trafficking illegal horsemeat. In a collaboration with French authorities, police are investigating the suspected introduction of horses into Spanish slaughterhouses, to make meat for human consumption. The traffickers allegedly use forged or altered identification and health documents for the horses. The investigation follows a Europe-wide health scare in 2013, after probes revealed horsemeat was being mislabeled and sold as readymeals containing beef.
Knockout shot
NEWS
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GIBRALTAR’S ON THE PULSE ONE of the world’s biggest reggae groups will take to the stage in Gibraltar next month. Bob Marley’s favourite band Steel Pulse – who herald from Birmingham - are set to perform at the Victoria Stadium on July 18. The band was a hugely influential part of the
Former Royal darling hits Ibiza THE former sweetheart of Prince Harry appears to be revelling in life outside of the royal family, posing for exuberant photos with friends on the party island of Ibiza. Chelsy Davy, a 28-year-old lawyer, was snapped pulling racy poses with the halfbrother of the Prince’s new girlfriend, Cressida Bonas. She was also joined on holiday by her 30-year-old boyfriend, jeweller Charles Goode among other friends. She ended her turbulent six-year relationship with Harry in 2010, reportedly telling friends that marrying into the Royal family would not have been the life for her.
Marbs Ahoy!
The only way is Marbs as the UK’s most bizarre celebrity bandwagon rumbles down to the Costa del Sol best pictures and share the fame. “The producers are trying to introduce new cast members, but people are only really interested in the old ones.” The show’s stars Bobby Norris and Harry Derbidge opted for matching half-speedos while they drank cocktails by the pool.
By Tom Powell
CELEBRITY hysteria, pool-side snogging, loud arguments and questionable swimming costumes. It can only mean one thing… the eccentric cast of TOWIE are back in town. Marbella has once again been entertaining Essex’s finest as they film the annual Marbs Muscle-flexing summer special of the hit realMeanwhile, co-stars Dan Osity TV series The only way is bourne and Tom Pearce were Essex. spotted taking a muscle-flexing As well as showing off on private stroll along the beach, much to yachts in Puerto Banus, the group the enjoyment of other holidayhave been enjoying nights in Momakers. saic nightclub, Plaza Beach, La But it wasn’t all plain sailing Sala and Sisu, according to local this time around, as the easyHEAD-TURNER: Bobby let’s it all hang out sources. jet flight carrying cast memLocal Marbella snapper Johnny bers and their luggage was Gates told the Olive Press it had been UK stars. grounded because it was too heavy He said: “There are a lot of paparazbedlam trying to get a glimpse of the zi down here, all trying to get the to take off.
DIVA: Joan Collins JOAN Collins has made a welcome return to Spain, filming the next series of the much-loved British ITV comedy series Benidorm. The 81-year-old British actress oozed glamour during a meeting with the mayor of Benidorm. Now a resident of California’s Beverly Hills, Collins - best known for her role as a scheming ex-wife in American soap opera Dynasty – said she is ‘delighted’ to be back. After making her debut in the program last year – as feisty hotel owner Crystal Hennesey-Vass – the actress said she ‘so badly wanted to return’. She became famous for her roles in Hollywood films The Bitch and The Stud, written by her sister Jackie. The seventh season of Benidorm is now being filmed in the hotel Madeira Centro and will air early in 2015. Collins will appear alongside Johnny Vegas, Elsie Kelly and guest star John Challis – best known as Boycie from British series Only Fools and Horses.
Two much for Melanie
WHAT TO DO WITH THE TATTOO?: After break up
IT has been one of Hollywood’s most enduring relationships. But after 18 years of wedded unity, Malaga’s most famous son Antonio Banderas and Hollywood superstar Melanie Griffith are getting a divorce. According to the divorce papers filed in Los Angeles, the separation was requested by Griffith, citing irreconcilable differences. The 56-year-old actress has allegedly asked Banderas, 53, for spousal support and for child support to look after their 17-year-old daughter, Stella. But the couple, who first fell in love on the set of the 1995 film Two Much, insist the decision was reached by mutual consent and
after careful consideration. “We have thoughtfully and consensually decided to finalise our almost 20 years marriage in a loving and friendly manner, honouring and respecting each other, our family and friends and the beautiful time we have spent together,” the couple said in a joint statement.
Flamed
The couple have been plagued by split rumours for most of the last year. These were flamed when Griffith failed to accompany her husband to Malaga for his annual Semana Santa outing for the first time in years.
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12th June
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The Bitch is back!
SOME HAIR: Steel Pulse’s David Hinds
POSING: Chelsy with pal
Rock Against Racism movement in England in the 70s and their album Handsworth Revolution is seen as a seminal moment in UK pop history. Tickets at £28 or €35, for more information visit www.steelpulsegibraltar.eventbrite.com
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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NEWS
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
News IN BRIEF
‘Gunman’ cornered A MAN has been arrested in La Linea, after threatening numerous passersby with what appeared to be a handgun. The 41-year-old man from Sevilla punched, kicked and threatened police as he tried to flee but was eventually pinned down.
Foreign festival ESTEPONA will celebrate Foreign Resident’s Day on June 14, with 20 different nationalities expected to take part.
Drug find A TOURIST stumbled across a package containing 640 grams of hashish on Mijas’ El Bombo beach, after it was presumably ditched at sea.
Gas scam FOUR people have been arrested in Malaga for posing as gas inspectors and charging extortionate sums for unnecessary repairs. In total, 26 people were arrested in Spain.
Hello mummy SPANISH archaeologists have discovered a tomb belonging to an Egyptian pharaoh in the city of Luxor, the capital of ancient Egypt.
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Have you seen my husband?
CORONATION SPECIAL
The Royal divorcee A FORMER journalist and divorcee whose grandfather was a taxi driver will be crowned the Queen of Spain next week. Letizia Ortiz – previously a TV newsreader – will stand alongside husband Prince Felipe, when he is crowned the King of Spain on June 19. Former CNN reporter - who covered the 9/11 World Trade Centre bombings - Letizia married Crown Prince Fe-
Her Grandad was a taxi driver, she was a journalist… welcome to the new broom taking over Moncloa palace, writes Tom Powell
lipe just over 10 years ago to a mixed reception from the Spanish public.
Abdication costs jobs
THE abdication of King Juan Carlos has cost a fleet of journalists, writers and illustrators their jobs. El Mundo royal correspondent, Ana Romero, has allegedly left the paper after making references to the king’s relationship with German aristocrat Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Two more El Mundo reporters, Maria Ramirez and her husband Eduardo Suarez, also faced disciplinary proceedings over comments made on Twitter supporting her. From front page Congress is expected to vote on Staff at satirical magazine El Jueves have also suffered in the abdication this week. The ruling PP, the PSOE - along the wake of the abdication with other central parties - will with three illustrators and a back the royal transition. But left- writer having lost their jobs. wing parties including Izquierda The magazine’s publisher Unida will note against it and re- RBA pulled a front page illustration showing the king quest a referendum instead. handing over a dirty crown.
Referendum
To many she represented the ‘modern woman’, but as a divorcee she did not sit well with the more traditionalist Catholics in Spain. The couple began seeing each other while she was reporting on the Prestige oil spill disaster in Galicia in 2002, but the relationship was kept hidden for many months. Similar to Britain’s royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, their down-to-earth attitudes have changed the way people view royalty in Spain. Letizia owns a mortgage on a flat in Madrid, rides the subway, sits in the stands for sports games, and the couple have also often walk their two daughters, Leonor, eight, and Sofia, seven, to school.
Fight to the dress
A BATTLE is raging over which designer will win the honour of making Letizia’s dress for the royal coronation. She has become a global fashion icon, appearing in dazzling outfits to suit every occasion, and the world’s top designers are desperate to dress her for the big day. The former journalist is renowned for her unprincess-like style, leaving fashion fans eager to see how she will turn out on the day she is crowned Queen of Spain.
WIFE’S APPEAL: Terrie and Tim THE wife of a missing British man is appealing for information, after a potential sighting of her husband in Malaga. Tim Beardsley disappeared from his home in the UK in July 2012, and has not been seen since. Tim is described as 5ft 10in (178cm) tall, and of a stocky build. He has blue eyes and brown hair, which is greying. Wife Terrie told the Olive Press that he was suffering from depression at the time of his disappearance. “We would really like to know he is safe and well. I’m contacting all areas of Spain as it’s possible he could be moving around.” Contact charity Missing Abroad 0044 800 098 8485 or Olive Press newsdesk on 951 127 006 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es
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FEATURE
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
OPINION A change of thrones AFTER a spate of abdications of late in Europe it was perhaps no surprise when Spain’s King Juan Carlos called it a day. After all his popularity rating has sunk to an all time low as his family has become embroiled in a series of scandals. In Britain, a rush of popularity for William and Kate and Prince Harry, has put serious pressure on the Queen to take a hint from other vacating elderly monarchs and make way for the younger generation. It is strange that although two thirds of Spaniards are demanding a referendum, only 36% said they would get rid of the monarchy in a vote. Perhaps we don’t want to scrap Europe’s monarchies after all and all we really need is younger monarchs. Ones that can keep up with our smart-phone, celebrity-fuelled society.
Only the best AMID all the doom and gloom, it is great to hear news of our business partners succeeding, and more than that, being recognised as leaders in their fields. In particular, congratulations are in order for Andy and Pauline at hotel Molino del Santo, near Ronda, for running what has been voted Spain’s second best hotel on TripAdvisor. Working hard for nearly three decades, they have turned a rundown ruin in an unfashionable dusty corner of Malaga province into one of the hottest, most sought after retreats in Europe. It should also be mentioned that no less than four of Spain’s top 20 hotels, according to TripAdvisor, are clients of the Olive Press. It is an equal number for restaurants. This merely reinforces how proud we are to work with and promote the very best this region has to offer, and as a result, see these places flourish. Yes, the Olive Press stands for quality... and the best of you realise that. Long may it continue!
Got a news story? Contact our team of fully-qualified journalists in our Costa del Sol office on 951 127 006 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es
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Tel: 951127006 (admin/editorial/sales/advertising) or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: Imogen@theolivepress.es B91664029 Admin / Distribution / Accounts: Urb Casares del Sol, bloque 21, portal Anna Cockell 951127006 70, bajo b, Casares 29690, Malaga accounts@theolivepress.es Printed by Corporación de Medios Gilly Lee de Andalucía S.A. admin@theolivepress.es Editor: Jon Clarke SALES TEAM: jon@theolivepress.es Stephen Shutes 655825683 Reporters: Alisa Cook 665 79 86 18 Newsdesk Newsdesk@theolivepress.es Classified Giles Brown Sarah Adams 655825683 Giles@theolivepress.es Axarquia Tom Powell Charlie Bamber 661 452 180 Tom@theolivepress.es Cadiz Elizabeth Gould 683 337 342 Imogen Calderwood
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The map of Spain is a tour of the country’s turbulent, colourful and ever-changing history, displayed in the names of its towns and villages, writes Imogen Calderwood
W
HAT began as a hopeful campaign in a tiny northern village in Spain has taken on huge significance under the eagle eyes of a global audience. Castrillo Matajudios – or Jew Killer Camp – hit the limelight when Mayor Lorenzo Rodriguez Perez decided it was time for a name change referendum. And as the 56 elderly residents placed their votes, the world looked on with bated breath. “We had no idea that this would be something that would gain worldwide attention,” said the mayor, who warned he would resign if his proposal was rejected. And journalists flocked to the village in Castilla y Leon to witness the outcome of the vote for themselves. With a result of 29 votes in favour to 19 against, the residents decided to abandon the 400-year-old name of Matajudios, and with it a small part of Spain’s more violent past. Indeed, across this nation, town and family names stand as symbols of its incredible history, from bloodthirsty dictator Franco and the slaughtering of ethnic minorities, to Muslim fiefdoms and Moorish rule.
What’s in a name?
ONE LETTER DIFFERENCE: The new name of Matajudios is less offensive to some
suggests we kill Jewish people when we are completely the opposite,” explained mayor Rodriguez. “This is a community that actually sprang from Jewish roots and its descendants are the descendants of Jewish people.” The village - originally Mota Judios, or Hill of Jews - was founded in 1035 by a group of Jews fleeing a nearby pogrom - a mass slaughter. As a result it was predominantly Jewish for more than 400 years. But in 1492 Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand expelled FINALLY CONVINCED: Matajudios residents debating the Jews from Spain, and for this prosperous Jewish town ple possible at a time when Either way, for Mayor Lorenzo the threat of religious perse- Spain was the most Catholic Rodriguez Perez the name cution was overwhelming. monarchy of Europe,” argues change is more than just a A dark past for Jews change of title. It represents Following the expulsion, the Palomino. history of the village’s name But mayor Rodriguez believes a change of attitude, of perThe name Matajudios is a becomes a mystery. the name was less deliber- spective, and the start of a remnant of the dark history One argument, new phase in Spain’s Jewish ate. of Judaism in Spain. A his- put forward by “In the 16th history. The Valley of Moor tory that includes centuries a rc h e o l o g i s t and 17th cen- He now hopes to restore the of expulsion, forced conver- Angel Palo- Killers announced tury, there was village’s old Jewish quarter, last month that it sions, massacres, pogroms mino says so much pres- to search for the remains and the infamous Spanish that the name has no intention of sure on con- of the synagogue and other Inquisition. was changed changing its name verted Jews buried evidence of the origiIt may seem strange for a to Matajudios and someone nal settlement, and to work village with such an anti-Se- in 1623, but changed one out which local family names mitic name, but Matajudios’ by Jews who had stayed and letter around the 16th cen- were originally Jewish – incoat of arms and flag both converted to Catholicism. tury and the name stuck,” he cluding, probably, his own. bear the Star of David – hint- “The descendants of the explains. ing at its complicated Jewish Jews changed the name so Others believe with one let- Valley of the Moor Killers history. as to portray themselves as ter difference, it was simply a “We can’t carry a name that the most anti-Semitic peo- slip of the pen. Many voices have risen in dissent of the Matajudios referendum, with a strong argument being that Spain is full LEGACY: The cathedral of of offensive names. Jerez de la Frontera which “What’s next?” asked one was once the frontier of the Matajudios resident. “Are we Kingdom of Granada going to change every name in the country that might offend someone?” The town of Valle de Matamoros – the Valley of Moor Killers – in western Spain announced last month that it has no intention of changing its name. “We have never thought of altering it. It is a historic name here – you are born with it and you live with it,” a local official announced. What’s more, more than 3,200 Spaniards are reported to have Matamoros as a surname. Dr David Levey, a lecturer in language and linguistics at
FEATURE
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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Weird or wonderful?
Cadiz University, argues that these names are so deeply ingrained in Spain’s history that many Spaniards aren’t really aware of the connection. “If they say the word Matamoros, they don’t make any association with killing Arab people. And I believe it is the same with Matajudios,” he says.
lAlcantarilla, Murcia – Sewer From the Arabic word ‘al-qantarah’, meaning bridge.
Franco’s legacy
lCenicero, La Rioja – The ashtray The name is thought to stem from the ashes left by shepherd’s fires.
Between 1939 and 1975, General Francisco Franco was an oppressive force in Spain and his memory lives on in town names with the epithet ‘Caudillo’ – meaning leader. For many, any recognition of this evil dictator was hugely offensive, and in 2009 vast numbers of these tributes were erased from public view. Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero passed a law calling for all symbols of Francoism to be removed, and plaques, stat-
lMuelas de los Caballeros, Castilla – Gentlemen’s back teeth But ‘muela’ can also be translated as mound or hillock.
CAUDILLO: Franco
Spain’s filthiest place names lL’ampolla, Catalunya – The blister This Catalan fishing town was only founded in 1989, when it separated from the municipality of Perello.
ARABIC NAMES: So many places and monuments, like the Alhambra, are Moorish in origin ues and monuments were destroyed. Along with them went a number of place and street names. Most recently Boadilla del Monte, a town near Madrid, scrapped a reference to Franco in the name of its main street, the Avenida del Generalisimo. It is now fittingly named in honour of Adolfo Suarez – the prime minister who championed democracy in Spain following Franco’s death - who died in March this year. Other examples of name changes include: Ribadelago de Franco in Castilla y Leon – now known as Ribadelago Nuevo; Bardena del Caudillo in Zaragoza – known as Bardenas since 2008; and Gevora del Caudillo in Badajoz, known as Gevora since 2011. Closer to home, Barbate de Franco in Cadiz is now, simply, Barbate. But many villages have had to keep their names, for practical reasons rather than moral or political.
The village of Bembezar del Caudillo, in the southern province of Cordoba, briefly became ‘Bembezar’. The idea was soon abandoned, however, because ‘it created a lot of confusion with the post’, according to a town hall official.
Oriental origins It is not only violence and persecution that have impacted place names in Spain. Arabic names are common too – particularly along the eastern coast and in Andalucia – from the Moorish governance of Spain, at various times between 711 and 1492. Axarquia comes from the Arabic Ash-sharquia, meaning the oriental region. While Almeria is either from Al Meraya, meaning the watchtower, or from alMirayah, meaning the mirror. Jaen, from Jayyan, means crossroads of caravans, and Algeciras is from Al Jazeera Al Khadra, meaning the green island.
Any name that begins with Ben-, from the Arabic Bani, means son of. For example, Benahavis, Benalmadena and Benajoan, all of which were once Muslim fiefdoms. And the signifier ‘Frontera’ is used for towns along the old border of the Kingdom of Granada. Jerez de la Frontera and Arcos de la Frontera, in modern-day Cadiz province, were the site of many border skirmishes, as the Muslim dynasty relentlessly fought off its enemies. Even the name Andalucia comes from the Arabic name Al Andalus – the medieval Islamic state that occupied most of what are today Spain, Portugal, Andorra and part of southern France. Spain’s history is an intricate web of different cultures and nationalities, and each one has left its mark. The question is how we treat these names now. Are they scars on the landscape, offensive and painful memories of violence? Or are
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lVenta las Ranas, Asturias – Shop of frogs A huge number of frogs once lived in the village’s swampy waters, and villagers would make roof tiles, bricks and clay vases from all the sludge. lBanos del Agua Hedionda, Jaen – Baths of the stinky water In Jaen province. Comes from the sulphur-charged waters once used to treat all kinds of ailments. Even a military hospital during Spain’s Civil War. Slowly decaying facilities. lCalaveras de abajo, Castilla y Leon – Skulls down below If that’s not sinister enough, the sister village of Calaveras de arriba, meaning Skulls up above, is 1.4km away. lGuarroman, Jaen – Dirtman The town’s name actually comes from the Arabic ‘wadi-r-rumman’ or Cattle River. lPocilgas, Castilla y Leon – The Pigsties But this village changed its name in 1909 to the much more palatable Buenavista, meaning good view. lPozo de las Mujeres Muertas, Asturias – Dead women’s well Legend has it that a group of local girls became trapped in a well by a storm that lasted several days. Their bodies weren’t found until months later. they a vital part of Spain’s identity, that to change would be to deny history? Who could have guessed that
the humble village of Castrillo Matajudios would launch a debate of such national significance?
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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NEWS
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Butterfly ball success A CHARITY event now in its 12th year has raised a spectacular €39,000 for DEBRA, which helps children with the condition Butterfly Skin. Some 230 golfers and 242 party guests attended a weekend of events at Aloha Golf Club to raise the money which helps those suffering the condition in Spain. Guests at Sunday night’s ball enjoyed music from the TAPAS Choir, 2True & The Mass Fusion Band and Ricky Lavazza.
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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News IN BRIEF
Nightclub stabbing AN 18-year-old Moroccan has died after he was stabbed outside a nightclub in Benalmadena. A Colombian man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Bus schedule
HAPPY: Punter enters raffle while (right) DEBRA team
THEplanned bus station in San Pedro will be built in four months time and will cost around €400,000, despite ongoing protests that it is too close to school gates.
Money raised came from donations, green fees, the charity dinner, various raffles and a charity auction.
Bunny boilers
CRUEL footage of the appalling conditions in rabbit farms in Spain has been revealed by an animal rights charity. Igualdad Animal (IA) campaigners were shocked when they investigated 70 farms including many in Andalucia. Their footage shows rabbits having their throats slit while dead animals are left lying for days in cages beside live ones. The films also show injured and sick animals being left untreated and others eating their own faeces.
Plane crash A SPANISH Eurojet crashed into the runway at a military air-base near Sevilla - Moron de la Frontera - killing the pilot.
Animal rights group exposes awful treatment of rabbits at Spanish farms By Tom Powell
Farmers were also observed killing sick animals by hitting them over the head with iron bars, smashing their skulls against concrete floors or punching them. ANOTHER group of expats is facing imminent demolition of According to the their homes in Andalucia. Some 13 British and Belgian expat campaigners many families face seeing their homes knocked down in a new raft of of these animals are draconian orders in Almeria. being sold to the The state prosecutor is seeking the demolition of the homes in UK, with British resPartaloa, despite not accusing the residents of any wrongdoing. taurants, including The case has been brought after the Guardia Civil’s environ- one at the National mental arm Seprona ruled that many of the homes were built Theatre in London, on non urban land, some without licences. using them. A criminal case has been brought against the promoter and Spanish actor Pabthe company Lakes Vega SL, for planning crimes. The pros- lo Puyol appears ecutor is also insisting that it should compensate the buyers. in the video, which
Unlucky 13 face demolition
HORRIFIC: Conditions at farm also exposes scenes of cannibalism due to stress and overcrowding. “The public has a right to know what is happening in these places, something which the industry wants to hide,” said founder Javier Moreno. The organisation has lodged 72 official complaints against the treatment of animals, which if proven could result in fines of up to €1.2million and prison sentences. However, Spain’s rabbit farming industry association Intercun has criticised the report, claiming it is far from a ‘rigorous study that can reflect the industry as a whole.”
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GREEN NEWS
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Secrets of the worm lizard AN ANCIENT fossil of a worm lizard has been found in Spain, revealing new information about the bizarre creature. Its skull, only 1.1cm long, shows these reptiles have been largely unchanged for around 11 million
PROGRESS: Emissions down
Getting greener
GREENHOUSE emissions are at a record low in Europe, according to new data. The European Environment Agency states emissions are 19.2% lower than in 1990, making the collective 2020 emissions reduction target a reality. The emission reduction from 2008 to 2012 in the first 15 EU member states was greater than Spain’s total emissions in 2012. Reductions in transport and industry and increased renewable energy alternatives have helped lower emissions.
years. Arnau Bolet, from the Institute of Paleontology in Barcelona, said: “To study a complete fossil skull more than 11 million years old was an unprecedented opportunity.”
Mijas town hall sues multinational for €13 million after recycling plant becomes ‘toxic’ waste ground Exclusive By Imogen Calderwood MIJAS Town Hall is suing one of Spain’s leading construction companies for €13 million for the failure of its waste treatment plant. Despite promises to recycle 30% of waste, the company FCC’s Entrerrios plant turned around just 3.7% of waste since being built 15 years ago. The rest was simply buried in a ‘landfill scenario’ and left to become a ‘toxic dump’, claims the town hall. “The economic and environmental cost here is huge,” council refuse boss Jose Maria Moreno told the Olive
Black sea?
TOTAL DUMP! GRIM: Plant and (above) Moreno Press. “Had the plant worked properly, it would have buried just 54% of waste. But it was not a treatment plant, it was a dump. “All the waste that could have
A BILLION-euro oil drilling project off Spain’s Canary Islands has won PROTESTS: No oil drilling government approval. Despite fierce opposition, Spain’s largest oil company, Repsol, is set to launch the €7 billion project just 64km offshore from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Geologists estimate the area could meet as much as 10% of Spain’s needs. Political leaders have opposed the project, voicing environmental concerns and the impact on the tourism industry that draws 61 million visitors a year. However, according to Deputy Environment Minister Federico Ramos, approval is on condition that Repsol uses the best possible safeguards against oil spills. But Mario Cabrera, president of the local government of Fuerteventura disagreed. “We have little to gain and a lot to lose,” he said. “Tourism needs a clean sea.”
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been recycled was just buried along with everything else.” The town hall also alleges that FCC has taken no responsibility for clean-up operations, leaving toxic liquids abandoned. The contract with FCC was signed in 1994 by the PSOE party, but the plant was shut down in September 2011 after suspicions were raised. It is claimed that between 1996 and 2011, at least a dozen reports were received by the PSOE Mijas government warning about the irregular practices in the plant. The town hall has taken steps to make the site safe in the interim, but now it is determined to make FCC take responsibility. Moreno added: “We are trying to defend the public’s interest, as it hasn’t been defended up until now. After years of hard work we have all the documents we need, and we are extremely hopeful of victory.” The Olive Press failed to get a comment from the company, which is based in Madrid.
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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AXARQUIA NEWS
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Rock on the beach THE 7th annual Fabrica Rock concert has rocked Nerja. The concert, organised by cultural association Nerja en Directo and the town hall included music from bands including Malaga’s Elephant Riders and Spencer (pictured right).
Family tied up in a horrific attack that left the father in hospital with serious head wounds A FAMILY was held hostage for over an hour while gun-carrying thieves waited for the father to return from work. The mother and her three
Tortured and gagged children (aged 20, 11 and seven) were handcuffed and gagged while they waited for the Velez Malaga business-
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TWO heartless female thieves have been arrested after stealing collection tins for a terminally ill mother-of-three in Velez Malaga. The Malaga women were snared after police studied CCTV footage of them entering shops, pharmacies and bars around the town. The pair are believed to have stolen hundreds of euros from the 12 collection tins. The money was being collected for local woman Lorrena Herrera, 35, who has an inoperable brain tumour and needs urgent treatment. Tragically the local social security has refused to pay for the critical private treatment that costs €3000 for 10 treatments at the Hilu Clinic in Marbella. So the family of the mother distributed more than 200 collection tins around the town to raise money. Fortunately family and friends have helped to raise the first sum of money for her to undertake the first round of treatment. Her husband, Adolfo Araguez, thanked the town for its generosity. The two suspects had previously been arrested for an alleged string of thefts from hairdressers.
HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? Su Derrick gives a monthly update of her garden at La Vaqueria in Benamargosa
L
A Vaqueria is the original dairy of the village and apart from giving painting classes and feeding people, my new art and sensory garden has become a passion which is taking my art to a new level. Experimenting with recycled materials and mixing traditional methods with upbeat funky designs, I hope the garden will continue to grow and inspire many. One of the problems for gardeners here, of course, is water. But a scrubby hillside can be transformed with the planting of cacti and succulents. And for some low maintenance
colour – you can’t beat a mosaic, and be it three-dimensional or flat, this marvelous medium is ideal, especially in a country with a huge variety of ceramic tiles. When I say ‘mosaic’ I am not referring to those marvelous Roman creations that would turn any would-be artist into a quivering wreck! Far from it, what we do here is so simple anyone can pull it off. Here are a couple of tips to help you create mosaic pathways. 1/ For these stepping stones I have cast a concrete base using old paint cans from the local tip as moulds 2/ The mosaic slabs are laid in the ground in a “chino” pathway Contact Su on 952517273 or visit www.la-vaqueria.com
By Joe Chivers man to return home. The family had to think fast and ‘fight dirty’ to escape the clutches of the attackers, who were wearing military boots and ski masks.
Fractures
A big fight broke out when their father, who owns a taxi business, returned home with a fourth son, six, around midnight to find the home in complete darkness. Believing that his family was playing a trick on him he crept in quietly and fought the attackers before being knocked out. The man, 38, was admitted to hospital with serious head wounds believed to have been
inflicted by a log. According to reports, two men had broken into the property in Almayate Playa at around 10.30 on June 3 demanding that the wife open their safe. After attacking her, and torturing her with electric shocks, they handcuffed and gagged her and her children. So serious were the injuries that the man’s wife rushed him to the Hospital Comarcal de Axarquia herself, instead of waiting for an ambulance. He has various fractures but is understood to be out of intensive care. The crime is being investigated by the Policia Nacional, but no one has yet been arrested. It has not been discounted that the man knew his attackers.
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06/06/14 13:42
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GIBRALTAR NEWS
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Let’s have a party Gibraltar Weekend Special See the sights and experience great Gibraltarian hospitality
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A BESPOKE party-planning shop has opened in Gibraltar. Tourism Minister Neil Costa cut the ribbon for the new shop Orchid Events 49 which will be organising parties and weddings around the Rock and southern Spain. Jeanette Obytz, co-founder, said: “I am looking forward to getting stuck in, and just in time for wedding season.” One of their first events was the party for the Miss Gibraltar pageant over EXCITED: Jeanette and (inset) the team the weekend.
Teamwork triumph By Giles Brown
IT had to happen. Finally after months of rows and recrimination the Guardia Civil and Gibraltar Police have been working together. In a rare instance of crossborder co-operation both forces collaborated to capture a suspected drug smuggling gang. Spanish authorities requested help intercepting a suspicious vessel, 10 metres long and
Night of passion LOVEBIRDS marrying on the Rock will have to spend a minimum of one night there, in a new ruling to maximise revenue from non-resident marriages. The government changed the rules in a bid to bring increased business at hotels and restaurants and boost tourism.
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A BRAND new residential care home has opened for the elderly. John Mackintosh Home, part of the old St Bernard’s Hospital, has been totally refurbished and converted into an elderly care home. Once fully operational it will be able to house 54 residents. “It adds a further string to the bow of elderly services that we now offer,” said Samantha Sacramento, Minister for Equality, Social Services and the Elderly.
Gibraltar Police and the Guardia Civil work together to capture drug smugglers
powered by twin 250 horsepower outboard engines, heading for Europa Point. The Guardia Civil had challenged the high performance
vessel off the coast of Morocco and suspected that bales of cannabis resin had been thrown overboard. A Gibraltar Police vessel intercepted the boat in British waters off Eastern Beach, yet its four person crew continued to ignore orders to stop. The suspected smugglers finally headed into port in La Linea, where the Guardia Civil arrested two men. Officers found 15 bales of cannabis resin on board.
GIBRALTAR NEWS
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Shyanne shines as Miss Gibraltar! By Giles Brown
SHYANNE Azzopardi has been crowned Miss Gibraltar 2014. The 20-year-old was crowned by outgoing Miss Gibraltar Maroua Khar-
While former Miss World Kaiane Aldorino becomes deputy mayor of the Rock bouch and will now represent Gibraltar at the 64th Miss World Pageant, in
London in December. Kirsty Torres was voted ‘1st Princess’ while Claire Nunez was ‘2nd Princess’. “I hope to be a good role model for younger generations,” Shyanne said after the pageant.
Community
Meanwhile, a former Miss Gibraltar - who later became Miss World, has been made Deputy Mayor of Gibraltar. Kaiane Aldorino, intially won five years ago, is the first beauty queen to take up the role, which involves assisting the Mayor, hosting VIP visitors, presenting awards and presiding over festivities. “It’s a huge honour for me, an opportunity for me to give something back to the community that has done so much for me,” she said. Aldorino had travelled the world after scooping the prestigious title in 2009. SMOKING MIRRORS: Two Arabic-dressed men entertained Main Street last week
ON the Rock
The Olive Press guide to What’s On in Gibraltar over the next two weeks
June 11 - 21
Gibraltar Spring Festival 2014 For further information contact Ministry of Culture E-mail: culture.info@culture.gov.gi
June 11
HM The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Rehearsal) Casemates Square, 6pm For further information Tel:200 550 01/2
June 12
HM The Queen’s Birthday Parade Casemates Square, 6pm
For further info Tel: 200 550 01/2
June 13
Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Tours Succulents around the World 10.30 am Price £5.00 adults-children free of charge For further information contact Tel:200 412 35
June 15
Art and Craft Market. Ocean Village 10am-2pm
GOAL SCORER: Kyle
Bend it like... Casciaro GIBRALTAR have beaten Malta 1-0 in their firstever victory. A goal from Kyle Casciaro in the 66th minute secured the game after draws with Slovakia and Estonia. Gibraltar will face Scotland in the European Championship qualifying round in October.
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
Slow dance
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News IN BRIEF
THE European Slow Dance Championships will be held in Gibraltar for the second time. More than 20 countries are expected to compete at the event, which takes place from October 1-4.
Bermuda business FINANCE Minister Albert Isola led a financial services delegation to Bermuda last week. The team – including insurance specialists and service providers – highlighted the benefits of doing business on the Rock.
Strait Games
ROCK STAR: Shyanne
THIS year’s Strait Games passed without incident, despite the tensions at the border. La Linea’s Deputy Mayor, Angel Villar, complimented Gibraltar on the successful organisation of the two day event.
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LETTERS
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 86.26% full Same week last year: 93.18% Same week in 2003: 65.50% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.36 American Dollars 0.81 British Pounds 1.49 Canadian Dollars 7.46 Danish Kroner 10.57 H Kong Dollars 8.12 Norwegian Kroner 1.70 Singapore Dollars
Corruption cure?
Dodgy as a bad prawn vindaloo
Dear OP, THE English tend to think of Spain as a nation of corrupt people – which is untrue. However, when I have met corruption here it has been huge, and those who practise it daily – in business or politics – do not consider themselves corrupt. Worse still, the courts seem unable to cope with it. I do not see any changes likely to happen in the next 50 years, so to reiterate an old adage: “What cannot be cured must be endured.” Or should it be? Graham V. Lewis, Marbella
Rent a scam RE your article about David Ballard of Brian’s Rent a Car. I too hired a car from this company and a €300 deposit was taken. I collected the car from ‘Dave’ at Malaga airport in a poorlylit area. When inspected later the car was dirty and the tyres borderline illegal. I returned the car in a better state than i received it. ‘Dave’ said my deposit would be returned in a few days, providing no return paperwork. Despite months passing and numerous excuses, no deposit back. Authorities should investigate this company and their practices. John Wreghitt, UK
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AS a lawyer I enjoyed the great inves- He should also be reported to the tigative reporting on ‘the man from FCA, or the Fraud Squad of the City Del Monte’, Nigel Goldman. of London Police and the I met him once, listened to equivalent regulatory body olive press his spiel and knew he was as here in Spain, since he was The man dodgy as a bad prawn vinplainly offering investment from Del Monte daloo. advice and products without I suggest you publish the being regulated. threatening emails and texts I am amazed at the sense of he sent you. Other possible impunity people like Goldactions would involve issuing man feel on the Costa Del Sol. proceedings for damages – It is time he reaps what he has costing you – and he would sown. likely declare himself bankrupt, meaning no funds to pay damSimon David, ages. Marbella DON’T MISS OUR 20-PAGE
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CONMAN FOUND
April 30 - May
PEDDLING COINS
14 2014
FROM ENGLISH
VILLAGE
Clifford guilty
A PAIR of young dophile PR guru girls paeMax Clifford sexually assaulted on the Costa del Sol have led to his conviction. Clifford - a long-time visitor to the coast in charities and and involved local events - has been found guilty of eight counts of sexual assault, mostly on minors. At least two were the coast, after groomed on with promises being lured in By Tom Powell and He is picturedof stardom. EXCLUSIVE: Jamie Micklethwaite showbiz chum here with his The Olive Press Kenny Lynch reveal that convicted COSTA del Sol at a bash in Marbella. can gel Goldman fraudster Ni- Goldman fraudster Nigel See full story is hiding out is back in business on page 2 in a classic English country the false cottage under using the false name name ‘Howard ‘Howard del Monte’. Del Monte’ Goldman - aka ‘Del Monte’ - his partner Suzanne Couling has also returned are peddling their Goldman fled Spain last year wares via amid ness of buying to the busi- a joint accusations of coins, stamps andand selling ‘BensonsEbay account called leaving behind dozens fraud, Emporium’. can be revealed. antiques, it Village post of victims owed a total office of €15 milRenting on a six Olive Press that staff told the lion. he regularly While in the charmingmonth lease collects he refused to parcels addressed village of Kintbury,Berkshire ‘Del Monte’, answer to questions, he and also ‘sends he and many seems happy living with Couling, packages’. her two daughters and two cats in the modest three-bedroom property. While the pair BRITS are still hottest topic ofare Kintbury’s Spain, despite happier in conversation, reports sugthey are rarely gesting 90,000 themselves toseen and ‘keep doned the expat have abanCouling’s family themselves’. HIDEOUT: Goldman’s UK An exclusive dream. bolthole and (top) Olive Press in Hungerford. live nearby “I have nothing EXCLUSIVE survey found that with Suzanne to say to you, more than In fact, the three quarters The Olive Press secretive man but I look forward to meeting with a parking ticket. from Del Monte ers are happierof our readyou again,” he “I don’t understand the Russian can reveal that called down. since makonly ever seen is seemingly ing the move. hasn’t been arrested, why he have bought President may leaving the house to go to a multimillion if a traffic warden can the post office. euro Marbella mansion find him then Parking ticket When the Olive For the full story, surely the police with a group of six businessmen. see No can,” said fronted him in Press conend to Spanish the neighbour, his country- His hair dream on who wished to See full story side retreat, Goldman page 4. was disheveled, on page 3 but remain anonymous. refused he did not have to come to the the mous- “Everyone in the door, instead tache briefly poking his head out of is nowsome have claimed he knows he’s Goldman, village his bedroom window. sporting as part whatof his ever name he goes under.” Costa Del Sols Leading disguise. Goldman, who Building The previous morning, deleted and Window Specialist, Coul- Facebook account recently,his ing was seen since 1996. For further information is house at 9am to leaving the currently being investigated see our advert inside. T: 952 587 573 silver Vauxhall load up their for failing to return millions F: 952 587 543 info@grupo-protec.com boxes and head Zafira with of euros to investors in his fiProtec Group www.grupo-protec.com to a car boot sale.off, possibly nancial companies. Various victims One neighbour explained that Press that they told the Olive the day they moved are practically into the destitute after losing their house, a traffic savings to his schemes, life rived and issued warden arthat the couple Continues
Cartel behind Putin’s mystery costa home
It’s MORE fun
in the sun
on Page 4
IMPUNITY: Goldman owes millions
SHEER DISBELIEF AT HIS CHUTZPAH
Keep us in the loop
I DO not understand why UK authorities have not arrested Goldman. He has committed fraud against UK citizens in the UK (and in Spain) numerous times and had denuncias filed against him. Why have the UK ‘authorities’ done nothing? Oh, wait, I know why… Maybe they are waiting for him to claim unemployment and housing benefits, living off these for years, using taxpay-
VERY grateful to hear about the alarming Nigel Goldman story. I am going to ask you to keep me in the loop over this. Keep up the brave fight. Geordie Greig, Editor, The Mail on Sunday
Auto suggestion I READ, with vested interest, the letter ‘What a welcome’ (issue 188) as I had also made a booking with the company doyouspain.com. I have two observations about the company worth adding. Firstly the ‘Gold Insurance’ fee of €65. My hire car company – Record – outright refused me a car until I paid €127.45 for their own full cover insurance. What does the doyouspain. com fee cover then? Secondly, doyouspain.com advertise ‘Unlimited Mileage’, but any car you drive is limited to 2000km and must be swapped for another at this point. When dealing with low cost companies, one must expect a few hiccups. Carole Bowers, Estepona
Bravo medics I MUST praise the Ambulatory at San Pedro de Alcantara. I had a bad fall and my husband rushed me to the Urgencias (A&E) there. In less than two minutes I was seen by a medic who cleaned, bandaged and gave me medication and a tetanus injection. I was then examined by a doctor. All in all a fast, and comforting, experience. I wish I could say that I would have received such immediate attention in the UK. Many thanks to the Spanish Health service. Bravo! Desiree Bishop, San Pedro
Penniless pension WHY don’t the tax office sort themselves out? My husband – now 66 – has not received any pension from the Spanish authorities, despite being autonomo (registered self employed) for 15 years and resident for 19 years. He has waited for 15 months – is he going to be dead before he receives anything?
er-financed legal aid until brought to trial. If extradited for trial in Spain, he will Appeal to the EU Court of Justice as this would infringe on his ‘human rights’. Or… he’s related to someone in the upper levels of Government! How else does such a known perp go free? Joseph Goldstein London
Just a joke. We keep getting fobbed off with claims they have not received the paperwork from the UK, who assure us they have sent the documents four times. Pauline Rands, Malaga
Support SOHA IT beggars belief that Save our Homes in Axarquia (SOHA) has so few members. A ‘head in the sand’ attitude is to blame: ‘They won’t demolish our house anyway, and it’s not as important as losing our TV’. In reality, our houses are virtually unsellable our investments worthless, under threat at the whim of absentee politicians. This is a scandal on a massive scale. The only way this will be ‘happily’ resolved is with a change in the law. It needs thousands of people demonstrating, huge publicity, relentless pressure on politicians in Spain and in our original countries. This is only going to happen if people actively support organisations such as SOHA in
their thousands. Elliot Brown, The Axarquia
An unfair cop DRIVING into Spain from France over El Portalet, I was stopped by the Guardia Civil on a charge of failing to stop in the middle of the road when turning. I had stopped briefly and there wasn’t any traffic in sight. Threats of impounding the vehicle were made without any empathy – we were all exhausted from a long journey. We paid the €100 but words fail me. It’s sad these thugs get away with it. Maybe they just don’t like tourists? Julian Piper, Ronda
Changing Times JH Longman (letters page, Issue 188) appears to want a return to the 1950s, when women were expected to ‘keep it until they were married’. That was two generations ago, and the western world has
moved on, thank goodness. The claim that ‘every girl you meet had had more partners than sleep-around males’ is baseless. Which sources are the statistics from? And anyway, what law says that women cannot enjoy sex as often and with as many partners as males? As the grandfather of two beautiful and normal teenage girls, maybe I am better informed. There is tremendous peer pressure to sleep with boyfriends/girlfriends; If both partners want to do so, why shouldn’t they? And if there is a lot of what has been called ‘recreational sex’, why not? Most teenagers are well informed on contraception and the dangers of STD. Is JH Longman motivated by the fact that he/she was a teen in a different age and ‘missed out’? Life moves on. As for the allegation that ‘I love you’ is thrown about without any understanding. Define ‘love’. No two people can ever know if what they see as ‘love’ is the same. You cannot measure love. Let the young enjoy life and each other, and let us smile at the pleasure young love in all its forms gives instead of criticizing it. David Chown, Estepona
Letters should be emailed to letters@theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.
CROSSMOT 34 Across
7 Want (6) * 8 Realmente (6) * 9 Corn (4) * 10 Disfrutar (8) * 11 Opinión (7) * 13 Fruta (5) * 15 Voz (5) * 17 Norway (7) * 20 Delicado (8) * 21 Carga (4) * 23 Clover (6) * 24 Tomando (6)
Down
1 Cot (4) * 2 Congelado (6) * 3 Greeks (7) * 4 Costume (5) * 5 Abogado (6) * 6 Aferrándose (8) * 12 Pioneros (8) * 14 Modest (7) * 16 Sube (6) * 18 A Diferencia De (6) * 19 Speaks (5) * 22 Tía (4)
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 201417 17
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‘Landmark’ ruling
ICONIC: Calatrava’s TGV station in Lyon, France
Malaga ups the arty
EXPRESSIONIST: Rando MALAGA has added another museum to its blossoming cultural scene. The Jorge Rando Museum will showcase more than 100 works by locally-born Rando, as well as hosting exhibitions of Spanish and international expressionism, educational programmes and film screenings. The museum, in Calle Cruz del Molinillo, is open Monday to Saturday between 10am and 8pm.
dry’. The party launched the site in 2012 to criticise Calatrava’s over-budget ‘City of Arts and Sciences’ project, designed to put Valencia on the map. Among his famous works are Florida Polytechnic University and the TGV station in Lyon, France.
Peaks of peril A HORROR film will use the steamy heat of Andalucia’s mountains as the lair of a sinister cyber-crime network. The Finca, a small-budget thriller produced by Caroline Spence, will begin filming this autumn in the provinces of Malaga and Almeria. Entertainment industry interest in the region is at a high, with US TV hit Game of Thrones also scouting Andalucian locations for series five. The Finca sees young women holidaying in Spain being tracked by creepy figures over the internet – an increasingly common crime in the digiINSPIRATION: Pink Floyd in their younger days
Costa del PSYCHEDELIC rock band Pink Floyd turn 50 this year and to celebrate, their iconic sound will hit the coast. The ‘prog’ giants have inspired countless musicians, including Costa del Sol resident Andy Claridge and his Pink Floyd tribute band. Ahead of a 16-show European Tour – launching in August at the famous Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen – Andy and his band will give an exclusive preview in the Mijas Auditorium on June 27. The show includes their
SPAIN’S foremost architect has been awarded €30,000 in a lawsuit against a website critical of his work. Santiago Calatrava won damages from the Valencia branch of left-wing party Esquerra Unida – founders of the website Calatravatelaclava – which translates as ‘Calatrava bleeds you
greatest hits, original video projections and laser lighting and will be right at home in the atmospheric venue next to the Plaza de Toros. For more information, visit www.costadeldisco. com, or call BigM Promotions on 965 661 819. Tickets are between €12-20 if purchased before June 26, or €15-25 on the night.
WIN WIN WIN
2 pairs of tickets for the concert in an exclusive Olive Press offer... just send the answer of this easy question to newsdesk@theolivepress.es:
Comple the following Dark Side of the ........?
Dark thriller to be set in Andalucian mountains
tal age. “Andalucia is incredibly inspirational for a writer, with stunningly atmospheric locations and beautiful light,” said Caroline.
Black humour
“Although officially a British film, the scripting is more ‘trans-Atlantic’ than ‘Brit Flick’, with a hint of Tarantino black humour.”
June 11 - June 25 2014
what’s on
M
ijas. June 6-30. Artist
Jane Gomis exhibits her latest watercolour paintings at the Mijas Hotel. Open daily to the public. For more information visit www. janegomis.com, or call 600 502 706.
M
alaga. Thursdays in
June. Poetry at the Picasso is returning to the gardens of the Museo Picasso Malaga. Featuring writers Olvido García Valdés, Marta Sanz, Blanca Andreu and Elena Medel. Admission free. For more information visit www. museopicassomalaga.org or call 952 127 600.
M CREEPY: The Finca - set to film in part in Cabo de Gata (above) - is still looking for two actors
The producer also emphasised the importance of the female protagonists and having women working offcamera. If you fancy launching your own film career, two British female roles and various
walk-on parts are still up for grabs. The Finca – a Raya films production – will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2015 and other international events.
arbella. June 12-July 25. Art photographer Tariq Dajani exhibits a collection of Arabic-inspired prints at Kasser Rassu gallery. For more information, visit www.kasserrassu.com and www.tariqdajani.com or call 650 463 447.
T
orre del Mar. June 19. Coach trip to Gibraltar. Departure times: Algarrobo (Lidl) 6.45am, Caleta 6.50am, Torre del Mar bus station 7.00am. Passports required. For more information call 952 543 334 or email luxmundi@luxmundi.org
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la cultura
How a Moorish daredevil made aviation history in the ancient city
C
ORDOBA Airport is a nondescript local hub primarily used by small planes. Due to its diminutive scale, Malaga and Sevilla airports host most of the international flight routes in the region. So there is not much about Cordoba to suggest any significant connection to aviation. Yet this city played host to what many – especially in the Muslim world – consider one of the most significant chapters in man’s quest for flight. In 875 AD, the Moorish daredevil, Ibn Firnas, dressed in eagle feathers and a wing-like cloak, jumped off the Mezquita Tower in Cordoba. Whether he was attempting to hangglide or parachute is not clear, but according to Moroccan historian Ahmed al Maqquari, Ibn Firnas flew ‘faster than a phoenix’. Years later, more than 65-years old, Ibn Firnas made another attempt. This time he fashioned wing-like struts stretched over a cloth sheath and jumped off a Cordoba hillside in front of cheering spectators. He flew a ‘considerable distance’ but his landing was bad. He later said he failed to consider fashioning a tail similar to what birds use to land. As humorous and colourful as this tale may be, Maqquari’s account is believed to be the first written documentation of a ‘heavier
In Cordoban J skies… than air’ man in flight. The universal desire to fly is found throughout human history, in myth, legend, art, literature and religion. Folklore is replete with soaring gods, magic carpets and flying heroes who – unlike mere mortals – can navigate the ‘infinite highway of the air’. The Italian Leonardo de Vinci (14521519) was perhaps the first to approach the subject from a standpoint of sophisticated engineering.
June 11 - June 25 2014
ack’s
FLYING: Ibn Firnas jumped off the Mezquita tower
Daredevil
De Vinci left more than 500 pages of flight-focused notes, including blueprints for a helicopter, wingflapping devices and various hangglider models, all inspired by his study of birds. The French believe that the ‘first untethered manned flight’ was made by a hot air balloon in Paris around 1783 and Americans like to think of the Wright brothers as owning the title of ‘the first successful mechanized flight’. What is interesting about Ibn Firnas’ achievement is how it was received in the Muslim world. Baghdad’s
Corner
newest airport is known as Ibn Firnas International and a large sculpture of the flying daredevil greets all visiting the airport.
In 2005, Libya issued a popular commemorative stamp in his honour (Spain has since done the same). In the field of astronomy, the
largest dark side of the moon crater carries the name Ibn Firnas Crater. British ultra-luxury car manufacturer Rolls-Royce has even produced a limited edition model known as the ‘Ibn Firnas Ghost’, available only in Qatar and Dubai. It is important to remember the era in which Ibn Firnas lived. The 8th century Muslim city of Cordoba was greatly prosperous. It was the capital of the Islamic Caliphate and rivaled Baghdad in size and splendour. Cordoba was home to huge libraries, medical schools and universities and was considered the intellectual centre of Europe. The Mezquita or Great Mosque of Cordoba, the Roman bridge and the Jewish quarter are all reminders of the city’s illustrious past. So while there may not be much in Cordoba to specifically suggest a legacy of aviation, the legacy of Ibn Firnas and his memorable flight the city hosted, is alive and well around the globe.
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The Sabinillas Bookshop
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June 11 - June 25 2014
The Bookshop Sabinillas
Tel: 952 891 545 Email: steve@sabinillasbookshop.com
We now stock all your Daily and Sunday Newspapers
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Postal Service • Books & Cards Balloons • Maps & Guides • Day Trips NEW OPENING TIMES Monday ~ Friday 10:00 - 14.30 / 16.30 - 20:00 Saturday 10:00 - 14:00 Sunday 10:00 - 13:00
Secure Mail Boxes Available Ask in the shop for details
MEET: Cortes and Powell
FLAMENCO legend Joaquin Cortes believes his superstardom has propelled the genre to a global audience. Famous for breaking the heart of British supermodel Naomi Campbell - and hugely admired by Jennifer Lopez and Emma Thompson - the superstar is also credited with single-handedly turning flamenco into a global genre. “Of course, the fact I am seen as a mainstream celebrity, a rock-star, has raised the profile of flamenco immensely,” he told the Olive Press, as he prepares for a series of shows in Marbella next month. “English people especially, give me an amazing welcome,” added the star, who has performed an incredible 20 times at London’s Royal Albert Hall. “I have danced in many special places though, includ-
Joaquin Cortes tells Tom Powell (left) how his affair with Naomi Campbell and playing the White House and Royal Albert Hall has helped send flamenco into the stratosphere
experience so many cultures, so I try to learn from them all and use it in my shows,” he explained. He said that the reception in every country is always wonderful, and as a result more and more people outside of Spain are beginning to enjoy flamenco. With constant travel, Cortes admits that his home is ‘the world’. And the inevitable problem with this is, he doesn’t know which football team to support.
Gypsy
HEARTTHROB: Joaquin with ex-lover Campbell ing the White House, but right at the top is the Royal Albert Hall. It’s an unbelievable place.” Born in Cordoba, but raised in Madrid where he still
ADMIRER: Actress Emma Thompson and (left) a steamy performance with Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez
owns a house, Cortes has exported his passionate brand of flamenco across the world. “I am very lucky to be able to visit so many places and
“I will support Spain in the World Cup, but otherwise I cannot have a favourite team,” he said. Cortes has also appeared in several films, including playing himself in the 1995 production Flamenco. But while he enjoys the film experience, he admits disliking the lack of continuity in the dancing. His latest show, ‘Gitano’, fuses his gypsy roots and traditions with the different cultures and influences he has gathered from travelling around the world. His real passion is the stage, which is where he will perform on July 26 and 27, at the Puente Romano hotel, in Marbella.
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June 11 - June 25 2014
Sevillanas surge
ESTEPONA is aiming to break the Guinness world record for the largest group of people dancing Sevillanas in one place. At the town’s fair on June 14, around 1,000 people are expected to strut their stuff in unison. The current record of 780 people was set in Cordoba in 2012, but Estepona organisers are confident of beating it.
Music and technology festival offers a glimpse of the future BARCELONA’S acclaimed music and technology festival, Sonar, is set to premiere two amazing inventions. American masters students from the Berklee College of Music’s Valencia campus will present their projects, the Orbit Suit and Robaton.
The town’s Pena Flamenca is offering free professional dance classes ahead of the bid. Sevillanas is based on Flamenco rhythms and is a popular dance at Spanish fairs and weddings. Find out what happened when the Olive Press sent a reporter to learn to dance and help Estepona break the world record in the next issue.
Students’ Sonar sounds Designed by Misty Jones, the Orbit Suit is a dress hoped to free electronic musicians
from their laptops. The dress features four wireless controllers, which are
Mi Marbella takes to the airwaves EXPATS in Marbella can tune in to a new English-language show with local news, information and events. Mi Marbella is broadcast on the Marbella Town Hall frequency of 107.6 FM and listeners can submit questions to be passed on to town hall officials. “We’re all Marbellis, so there will be lots of other great interviews too with local businesses
and personalities from our Costapolitan community,” said a spokesperson for the show. The programme – also broadcasting worldwide on rtvmabella.tv – will feature weekly interviews with Marbella’s tourism councillor, Jose Luis Hernandez. Mi Marbella is on-air Wednesday to Friday, 3.30 to 5.00pm.
Advertorial
Spain’s for living… not retiring Stereotypically, ‘mature’ people are expected to be banished to nursing homes in Eastbourne, to be spoon-fed semolina by nurses originally trained as prison wardens… Well not anymore!
NON-CONFORMERS: The JiveSpain team
WAS so proud when our dance club was referred to as ‘a bunch of grown up delinquents!’ The dictionary definition of delinquent is ‘a person that doesn’t conform to the nor-
mal, often used in reference to teenagers’. What a compliment. At JiveSpain we teach ‘Modern Jive’ five nights a week at some of the most beautiful venues on the coast, in-
I
cluding Restaurant TikiTano, El Campanario, El Goleto in Duquesa and Miraflores Restaurant. Modern Jive is all about dancing to anything from Elvis to Michael Buble, which means that you can look good on any dance floor, anytime, anywhere, to any music: slow romantic to swing and even rock and roll. Come and join us. You will be made to feel welcome from the moment you arrive, with or without a partner. Half our dancers arrive as couples, half come on their own. Some venues average 40 dancers, some 20-25, but existing dancers always make new friends welcome. Every evening lasts between two-and-a-half and three hours and admission is €10. If you’re new, just cut out the ‘FIRST LESSON FREE VOUCHER’ on this page (top right) and come along. For more information, visit www.JiveSpain.com where you will find directions to venues and a short video showing exactly what we ‘delinquents’ get up to.
e c n a d t ’ n a c So, you the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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but you wish you could
Well now you can - and we can teach you.
Colin and the JiveSpain crew have already helped over 1,000 people, that insisted they had two left feet, to look good dancing Modern Jive in clubs and restaurants from Marbella to Gibraltar and now…
…you have 4 teaching venues specifically for beginners. TUESDAY Miraflores Restaurant
WEDNESDAY El Campanario Nr San Pedro
THURSDAY Restaurant TikiTano
FRIDAY El Goleto Duquesa Hills
Everyone is welcome; 18 – 80. There’s no need to book just turn up at any venue 8.00pm with or without a partner for a whole evening of dancing, making new friends and burning calories. You will be made welcome from the moment you arrive and, after just one week, you will have your own dance routine and look good on any dance floor dancing to whatever dance music the band or DJ is playing. Each evening lasts three hours and admission is 10€.
used to simultaneously remix electric guitar, play music and control video. Robaton is a robot created by Pierluigi Barberis and Alan Tish, that plays music controlled by a virtual orchestra-conducting system. It is the second time Berklee students have presented their work at Sonar, which runs from June 12-14. For more information, visit www.sonar.es
The reason that Modern Jive is so popular around the world (in England they call it CEROC and in France it’s known as LeROC) is because people of all ages can dance Modern Jive to all speeds of music from slow romantic to Rock & Roll. R New friends, who insist that when dance music starts their feet start fighting each other, find us every week. Come and join us for what is as much a ‘good night out’ as a dance class.
e c n a d n a c u o y Now To see our ‘Promo Film’ visit: www.JiveSpain.com If you have questions call Colin on 635 71 72 11
E H C e U efor O
V us b ng’ i EE with ach on
FR ed ‘te ess N anc any rst l SO er d r to r fi Y
S ev he ou AR LE ve n vouc joy y ENT LM T a s en IM
S h i :C R u th nd PL FI If yo ring ue a COM DE b en O v
C
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www.theolivepress.es June 11 - June 25 2014
DANCING: The beaches will come alive with party-goers
Midsummer night’s fiesta
RISKY: Fire-leaping
‘Festival of fire’ is the hottest ‘free’ party of the year
BONFIRES, fireworks and a splash of paganism make San Juan one of the most exciting Spanish fiestas. Every major town or city in Spain holds a celebration on the midsummer night of June 23. Crowds normally flock to the nearest beach to light massive bonfires and eat, drink and dance the night away. The symbolismloaded night, with its many Pagan and religious connotations, is also known as ‘the festival of fire’. At midnight, revellers jump in the sea for a ritual cleansing. Traditionally, washing your face and feet three times will grant you three wishes and a happy year ahead. One of the biggest parties
RITUAL: Revellers jump in the sea at midnight
SUNSET ‘TIL SUNRISE: An all-nighter is held on the beaches between Estepona and Marbella, with sound systems blaring until sunrise. Sonora Beach and Heaven are always standout
parties and Ocean Club is holding its own event with fire shows, celebrity DJs and dancers. For a more family-friendly night, Sabinillas or Benalmadena have a feria atmosphere, with rides and entertainment.
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
In the centenary year of Lee’s birth, David Baird recalls a meeting with the famous writer credited with bringing many expats to Spain
E
WALKING TALL: Lee had arrived in Andalucia, having walked the length of Spain and ended up fighting Franco
VER been stumped for the right word? Let me offer the advice of a master wordsmith: “Don’t use a second-class word because you are in a hurry – leave it for a day or so until the word comes. Let your own feelings show. Don’t use old expressions that are not yours.” Laurie Lee knew what he was talking about, for he had a gift for golden prose. I met him, appropriately enough, as I walked out one midsummer afternoon. He was sitting on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean, sipping a glass of wine. A raffish figure, he smiled a leprechaun smile, his natty cream suit and snowwhite hair contrasting with his gypsy-dark complexion. He confessed: “I have been in hospital. The doctor said don’t fly, drink or eat. So I flew down here and immediately felt much better.” Some moments carve out a place in your memory. Gilded by time, they take on a magical aura. This is the case with my recollection of that sunny afternoon I met the man whose writing drew so many British to southern Spain. June 26 marks the centenary of Laurie Lee’s birth with many events planned in the UK. In Spain, where he is less well-known, a solitary plaque on the Almunecar waterfront recalls his bond with that Granada town. The phallic aspect of the pillar where the plaque is located would no doubt appeal to his wicked sense of humour. As a jobless young man, Laurie Lee left the Cotswolds and bought a £4 one-way ticket to Vigo in northwest Spain. From there, armed with fiddle, blanket and knapsack – plus an urge for adventure – he trekked to Andalucia. The year was 1935 and suppressed passions seethed below the surface. A civil
When L Lee wal
war was about to erupt – as the footloose Lee was to witness, until being whisked to safety by a British destroyer at Almunecar in July 1936. Years later he vividly recalled that dramatic summer in a book which was acclaimed as a classic, and helped establish his reputation as a writer and lured many others to follow in his footsteps.
Bittersweet
Who could not be seduced by the lyrical prose of As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning? Laurie’s flair for brilliant, poetic imagery gives life to the very taste and smell of Spain, enough to make the most leisurely of armchair travellers want to hit the road. My meeting with him took place on his last visit to Spain. The setting was appropriate: a tree-shaded patio near Almunecar, disguised in his book as ‘Castillo’ to protect his Republican friends from rightwing revenge during the Franco regime. Confessing to being shocked by the changes along the coast, he told me: “I remember how the fishermen used to exchange ancient stories in the bars. But now what have you got? Television shows, phony Hollywood stuff written by drunken scriptwriters. The fishermen are struck dumb. They are reduced to sitting in a corner, mute. The culture has been crippled. You see people in a bar drinking while watching Mass – on television!” His first visit to Spain was very different. In As I Walked Out... he told how he crossed ‘great gold plains, where the sun rose up like a butcher each morning and left curtains of blood each night’. Girls were never far from his thoughts. In Madrid, ‘the city of a thousand tav-
POETIC: His prose reco Almunecar
erns’, he encountered the (‘I could smell her peppery Valdepenas he met a girl w ing finger, tipped with pr ning, seemed the only thin the world’. Along what would years to be known as the Cost
tura
25
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e sultry Concha y flesh’) and in whose ‘wanderrecocious cunng left alive in
s later come ta del Sol, he
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June 11 - June 25 2014
Laurie lked out ...
ognised in
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
Are You A British Ex-Pat on the Costa del Sol? Are you enjoying a new life in the Spanish sunshine?
Mentorn Media is making a new programme for BBC1 looking at the British ex-pat community on the Costa, and we’d love you to tell us your story! Are you at the start of your Spanish adventure? Or maybe you’ve been here for years? Whether you came to Spain to look for work, to retire, or to set up your own business, we want to know what it’s like for you living on the Costa del Sol, and how you manage to make ends meet when living abroad How does living in Spain compare to being in the UK? How do you survive financially away from home? Whatever your story, we’d love to hear from you
HOME: Lee felt at home in the Spanish town of Almunecar (left) where he lived for four years, as a plaque (above) informs visitors. His book As I Walked Out (right) ended there, while (top) Lee later visited with his daughter found ‘a beautiful but exhausted shore, seemingly forgotten by the world… San Pedro, Estepona, Marbella, and Fuengirola...salt-fish villages, thin-ribbed, sea-hating, cursing their place in the sun’. In Málaga, ‘an untidy city on the banks of a dried-up river’, he shared a room at an inn with an asthmatic ventriloquist, four dwarfs and a bird-tamer who slept in top hat and boots. Wandering further along the coast he came to Almunecar, ‘a tumbling little village, backed by a bandsaw of mountains and fronted by a strip of grey sand.’ He returned to Spain in the 1950s, recounted in A Rose for Winter, a feast of bittersweet images of an impoverished country suffering under a dictator - looking back a true classic. Laurie’s last visit was more light-hearted. As he swigged wine and lunched on paella, his daughter Jessy told me: “The light and the sunshine are good for him. He comes to life in Spain.”
Farewell Charm – ‘the ultimate weapon, the supreme seduction, against which there are few defences’ as he once wrote – was one of Lee’s most potent weapons. His wife Cathy, said: “He has an amazing ability to make contact with people. He starts talking to somebody in the street and the next thing he has formed a relationship and they’re old friends.” Laurie talked to me of his early life, noting: “I left school at 14 so had no higher education. I had to find my own language and tone of life – an immensely pleasurable occupation. When you go to university, you are inundated with other writers, but I think I was relieved of that pressure. I was not under any influence.”
His reading gave him a taste for what he calls ‘fat-bacon language’, the sort that engraves itself on one’s memory. Lee’s talent for magical phrases recalls Dylan Thomas’s flights of imagination. “Thomas was an innovator, but I can’t say he influenced me as I started writing before knowing him. I remember he expressed amazement at my accent – he seemed to think I would speak with a broad Cotswold accent. He had a Welsh preacher’s voice.” So where did Laurie find the right words? “Sight, smell, distance … they’re all in volved. And in my village we had a good grounding in the Bible and, of course, Shakespeare.” Laurie was notorious for his roving eye, a trait which his wife Cathy treated with amazing tolerance. He admitted: “I began by being a poet because I lived an active adolescent life. I ran a dance band and spent a lot of time on a bike looking for girls. Then I realised that poetry was a means I had to declare my love.” In Cider with Rosie, the classic story of his rural childhood in the Cotswold hamlet of Slad, he recalled his tumbles in the haystacks. Unsurprisingly, one of the first things he noticed in Spain were the ‘strange vivid girls . . . with hair like coils of dripping tar and large mouths, red and savage’. On that last sun-kissed afternoon – he died in 1997 at 82 – Laurie was still full of zest for life, reliving his experiences in Spain as though they were yesterday. Draining a glass of champagne, served by our hosts, English painter Michael Still and German sculptress Helga Lambacher, he chuckled: “If this is farewell, I love it.”
Call Stef on +447901 938739 Or email SJones@Mentorn.tv
Worried about losing BBC, ITV and Channel 4? Relax...there are several solutions and there will be one that is just right for you!
Drop into our showroom for a chat and we´ll give you a demonstration of the different options available to ensure you continue watching all your favourite programmes.
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Olive Press Readers’ Survey
26 the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014 26
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WIN A FREE TWO-NIGHT STAY AT THE TAMISA GOLF HOTEL
T
gerly sought-after free English language newspaper. All-important to developments is what you, the readers, like and most want. That is why your answers to this Olive Press Readers’ Survey will help us direct and finalise key decisions about the content and structure of the newspaper in future, thereby further improving our fortnightly offering to both advertisers and readers. The survey questions are easy to follow and will take only a a few short minutes to complete in full. And you could easily find yourself proudly winning the draw for a grand prize of a two-night BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDS: The Tamisa Golf Hotel at Mijas Costa stay at the luxury Tamisa Golf Hotel in Mijas tigations the Olive Press is keen to examine Over the last eight years the Olive Press has Costa. how best to further improve. become Andalucia’s most respected and ea- So good luck, and thank you.
HIS is your chance to win a two-night stay at a popular four-star Costa del Sol hotel. It’s easy. Just complete the questionnaire below (also available online at http://www.theolivepress.es/survey/) in full, send it in and your name will automatically be entered into a prize draw for the grand two-night stay at the Tamisa Golf Hotel at Mijas Costa. So what are you waiting for? Grab your pen or log-on to and have your say about the Olive Press, including what you want to read. Your chance to say what you like - and perhaps even dislike - about the Olive Press! With ongoing expansion including bigger editions, more specials and in-depth inves-
YOUR COPY OF THE OLIVE PRESS
Welcome to the 2014 Readers’ Survey
Where do you pick up your copy? ............................. ...................................................................................... Do you find obtaining a copy regularly: Easy q
Fairly easy q
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How long have you been a regular reader? .......... ...................................................................................... How many other family members or friends read the same copy?...........................................................
READING HABITS Which other English-language newspapers/publications do you regularly read?
Do you ever visit the Olive Press website?
q
Euro Weekly News q Sur in English q Costa del Sol News q Round town News q Gibraltar Chronicle q Gibraltar Panorama q Telegraph q Mail q Guardian q Sun q Times q Mirror q
Yes
Others............................................................................
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Which is your favourite, and why? ...............................
Would you be prepared to pay a small annual fee to use the website? Yes q No q
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No
If Yes, how frequently? Daily q
1.................................................................................... 2.................................................................................... 3.................................................................................... Do you follow the Olive Press on Social Media: Facebook: Yes q No q Twitter: Yes q No q To log on do you use Tablet q Computer q
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26 - 40 q
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41 - 54 q 10-20k q
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55 - 65 q
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No q
How often do you eat out?: Per week ......... Per month......... Per year......... How often do you travel within Spain: Per year.............................................. How many nights are you away.......................................................................... How often do you travel outside Spain: Per year............................................ Most frequent destination.................................................................................
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Property
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 201427 27
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June 11 - June 25 2014
What crisis?
THRILLED: Panorama team
Signing with Savills MARBELLA’S oldest estate agency is linking up with one of London’s biggest property players. Panorama, established in Marbella in 1970, has signed a deal to work with international agency Savills, which has representatives in around 50 countries. The new association will strengthen both agencies’ international position, benefitting buyer and seller clients. “This collaboration further strengthens our brand and position as Marbella’s property leader, and gives our property portfolio unrivalled international exposure,” said Panorama boss Chris Clover. Rupert Sebag-Montefiore, head of global residential at Savills, added: “Marbella has long been a popular destination for second-home owners and we are delighted to be working with such a wellknown, market-leading firm.”
SPAIN has become a magnet for global bargain hunters, as experts predict the real estate market is about to rocket. Prices are down as much as 50% from their peak, and investors from all over the world are beginning to flock to Spain to take advantage of the opportunity. Investments from big-name inter-
Foreign investors flock to Spain as the market looks set to take off national companies are driving the market, with Goldman Sachs, Paulson & Company and George Soros all moving into the Spanish property market. “It’s crazy the number of investors
coming in. I think 2014 is the year we will see a lot of transactions,” said Fernando Acuna, of real estate advi€5 billion worth of real estate transsory firm Aura. And in further evidence that the actions took place last year - more market is growing fast, an incredible than double 2012 - added consu tants CBRE. At the onset of the crisis, it was predicted it would take Spain 10 years to recover.
Shattered dreams
VICTIMS: Vulnerable citizens
THE government has failed to protect vulnerable citizens from the effect of the housing crisis, claims a new report. It has taken insufficient action to relieve the impact of the crisis and the suffering of its citizens, insists the Human Rights Watch (HRW) study. The NGO’s 81-page report – entitled Shattered dreams: Impact of Spain’s housing crisis on vulnerable groups – documents the harsh housing conditions faced by millions across Spain. It focuses on families who have lost their homes due to defaulting on mortgage payments amid the deep recession, which has led to massive unemployment. “The dream of owning one’s own home has turned into a nightmare of foreclosures, evictions and over-
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indebtedness,” said researcher Judith Sunderland. “Spanish authorities need to adopt measures to help a broader range of individuals and families avoid evictions, secure affordable housing, and ensure access to fair debt restructuring, relief and cancellation,” she added.
Exclusion The report concludes: “Governments should be judged on how they manage the human fallout of the economic crisis, not just on macroeconomic indicators. “The Spanish government needs to take a hard look at its policies, and take into account a range of people facing social exclusion due to mortgage defaults.”
Assets But just five years on, many are starting to voice concerns that the competition to invest in some assets is driving prices higher.
Chipper than Chelsea HOUSE prices in Mallorca are rising even faster than London’s most fashionable boroughs, according to a new report. The island has topped the bestseller list of UK agency Chesterton Humberts, coming even higher than the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster. In the past year, prices in Mallorca have increased by 15.8%.
MIJAS VILLA €395,000* Gorgeous Villa in Valtocado, only 7 min from Mijas Pueblo. Panoramic views. Spacious and bright, Lush gardens. Beds: 3 Baths: 4 Built: 340m2 Plot: 1,850m2
SUCCESS: Olmedo and Vazquez and (right) their bus station
Building up nicely IT has not been a good decade for architects, with the collapse of the Spanish property market. But at DTR things are a little different. Set up by friends Jose Maria Olmedo and Jose Maria Vazquez – both 37 – they have hardly had time to come up to breathe with projects to design not just here in Spain, but as far away as Nigeria. Indeed, in just nine years, the friends, who studied architecture at Granada University, have completed over 100 projects, some winning awards. The projects vary from small restaurants – such as La Fuente in Gaucin – to big urban projects, such as a bus station in Baeza, in Jaen. They have also converted slaughterhouses into museums, designed artist’s studios and even
AWARD-WINNING: Hotel in Jaen
Despite the deep recession one young architecture firm is bucking the trend and finding plenty of work
sculpted luxury villas for African businessmen. “We have done a bit of everything and are always busy,” explained father-of-three Olmedo, who comes from Granada. “Our clients come from all around the world, but mostly Americans, English and Norwegians.
Intricate
“It helps that we speak English and also that we have a lot of experience of refurbishment projects and know our way around the Spanish system.” Their first project was a hotel conversion in an industrial estate in Jaen, for which they won a prize for their clever use of light and intricate details in the interior design. “We realised the hotel had no real views so we introduced light from inside and made the place as stylish as we could,” explained Vazquez, from Gaucin. The pair, who have a team of five architects working under them, are big fans of natural light, as well as Moorish architecture, such as the Alhambra, in Granada.
T: 670 607 246 952 486 296 E: mijas@palominoproperties.com www.palominoproperties.com
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Property
www.theolivepress.es June 11 - June 25 2014
The Property Insider by
Landlord of the manor: letting your castle in Spain for the long-term
Adam Neale
A
professional acquaintance recently let a villa in Marbella that was also up for sale. But, when he then found a buyer for the property and told the tenants they would have to leave, they invoked their right to renew for up to two more years, putting a stop to the sale and making the owners very unhappy. To confirm what owners ought to consider when letting property long-term, we talked to a trusted lawyer friend, Adolfo Martos Gross. Adolfo is a founding partner of the Gutiérrez del Álamo y Martos firm, which has offices in Malaga and Marbella and specialises in civil and commercial law, particularly real estate, construction, planning, insolvency, and international law. “What makes a difference in rental contracts is not the term, but the use of the property,” Adolfo explains. “Owners should remember three basic rules: (a) any short-term contract can become a threeyear contract, if the property is used as a primary residence; (b) tenants have a preferential right to buy, unless that is waived in the contract; (c) owners should demand six months’ rent as a deposit, to minimise the risk of drawn-out
If you own a second home or investment property here, the chances are you’re thinking about letting it – or already have done – to cover running costs or earn extra income. Here’s some food for thought
eviction proceedings.” Rental contracts should always be in writing, ideally in as much detail as possible. Verbal agreements are valid in Spain, but open to interpretation, so, to avoid problems, ensure everything that could constitute a contract is in black and white. Having a lawyer check the contract protects your interests and is a very worthwhile investment. In Spain, tenants are particularly well-protected. Long-term contracts are normally for a 12-month period, which can
be extended, year-by-year, up to a total of three years. Landlords can raise rent above inflation, only if improvements are made, increases meet stipulated standards, and add up to less than 20% over 12 months. A tenant’s right to buy can be expressly waived in primary residence contracts, allowing owners to sell with just 30 days’ notice.
Income
In case of rent arrears, landlords now have greater powers to evict those who cannot, or
do not, pay. Eviction proceedings can begin after just one month’s arrears and, once the court notifies tenants of a demand, they must settle debts or appeal in 10 days. If it is expressly stated in the contract, non-payment can give rise to immediate termination, subject to notarial or judicial order, letting the owner recover a property. But, if tenants pay off rent owing at any time during the proceedings, the original terms of the contract still apply. In practice, eviction proceedings may last for an eternity, if there are problems notifying tenants or delays in taking the case to court. The average time to regain possession is six to nine months. Regarding taxes, resident owners should simply include income in their annual income-tax declaration. Non-resident owners must pay 24.75% tax on rental income, with the right to deduct this if they reside in another European Union state. Tax must be paid every three months, Adolfo notes. Finally, all long-term rental contracts must be registered with the Property Registry (Registro de la Propiedad), both to protect owners’ and tenants’ rights.
Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona. Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 20143131
The Olive Press fortnightly business section taking a look at the Spanish economy and offering tips on how to save AND make money
It’s payback time... A MALAGA bank has returned €120,000 to a client after admitting an error. The customer discovered Bankia had taken the money from his account even after he declined the offer of two life insurance policies. Bank officials had approached him with a ‘very profitable investment proposal’.
Anything but bad
SPAIN’S ‘bad bank’ says property sales are accelerating, indicating the market is on the up. Sareb – which was created to clean up Spain’s financial sector – sold more than 5,000 homes by the end of April, compared to just 9,000 in the whole of 2013. Belen Romana, chairwoman of Sareb, said: “It’s time to invest in the property market because it is stabilising in terms of price.”
Good job! SPAIN’S job market has continued to improve, with a massive increase of 198,320 Social Security affiliations recorded in May. The increase was the greatest on record since July 2005, when the government granted legal status to thousands of undocumented migrants. May also saw unemployment claims decrease by 111,916 – the largest drop on record to date.
Bank refunds client €120,000 for unauthorised policies However, the next time he was at the bank they urged him to sign the two policies – which he declined – before noticing sums of €75,000 and €25,000 had already been
taken. A further €20,000 had been debited, vaguely described as a ‘transfer
order’. After the bank failed to help, he took his case to consumer watchdog FACUA.
‘Firing on all cylinders’
HUFFED: Osborne
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said the UK will be the fastest-growing major economy this year. After accusing UK chancellor George Osborne of ‘playing with fire’ in his economic policy last year, the IMF has backtracked. It should come as good news for Spain, with Britons being the biggest overseas buyers of Spanish property.
As the property market is slowly pulling itself out of a slump, British people will undoubtedly play a crucial role. “We clearly underestimated the growth of the UK economy in our forecasts a year ago,” said Christine Lagarde, boss of the Washington-based firm. “The planned fiscal adjustment for this year is appropriate.” Mr Osborne said that the UK economy is ‘firing on all cylinders’.
Billions-boost for business PRIME Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced a new package to boost Spain’s economy and create jobs. Rajoy said: “The plan will include invest-
ments totalling €6.3 billion, of which €2.67 billion will come from the private sector and €3.63 billion from the public sector.” The main rate of corporate tax will be cut from 30% to 25% and the package will include credits to small and medium-sized firms and investment in research and development, transport and energy saving. The economy grew at its fastest quarterly pace since 2008 in the first three months of 2014, with GDP up by 0.4% over the quarter. BOOST: Small businesses will receive investment
Consent
The group told Bankia officials that staff had pressurised the customer and made charges without his consent, demanding the immediate return of the money. Bankia claimed the customer had initially given a verbal agreement but agreed to return the client’s €120,000 immediately. However, no compensation was given.
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
Confidence boost SPAIN is repaying EU financial aid early in an attempt to boost confidence in the euro region’s fourth-largest economy. EU aid was given in 2012 to help stabilise Spain’s banks.
ECB gamble THE European Central Bank (ECB) has become the first of the world’s monetary superpowers to cut its deposit rate below zero, in a historic gamble by Mario Draghi. The ECB president hopes to combat deflation.
Betting bounty ONLINE gaming revenue in Spain has leapt up to €67.9m in the first quarter of 2014.
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‘Shady’ deal
Uproar over ‘illegal’ awning tax
CAFES and bars along the Costa del Sol are fighting a tax on awnings and windbreaks. The tax, which has received initial approval from the Partido Popular, will cost businesses €154 a year for each awning. The Torremolinos Development Association has now filed a host of complaints with the town hall, claiming the tax is unfair, excessive and illegal.
FURIOUS: Businesses claim double tax is illegal
The group claims some popular establishments could face annual bills in excess of
€1,000. The tax will not be limited to newly installed awnings but levied on all existing ones.
Tax havens rife for fat cats
ALL but two of the 35 companies listed on the Spanish stock exchange are using tax havens, it has been revealed. The figures, based on company reports for 2012, show a 31.9% increase in the use of tax havens compared with 2010, with 33 firms using them. The report by the Spanish tax office estimates that the ‘submerged’ economy accounts for a quarter of the nation’s GDP. And, it has emphasised what a problem tax evasion has become. While there have been recent high-profile court cases, such as the footballer Lionel Messi and the soprano Montserrat Caballe, tax inspectors say the bulk of the evasion is carried out by business and families with large fortunes. Tax authorities have complained that their time is wasted pursuing small individual cases while large companies remain out of reach.
Double
Businesses, however, have already paid a tax to the town hall to install the awnings. This double taxation and lack of justification for the tax has led the group to claim it is illegal.
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www.theolivepress.es June 11 - June 25 2014
Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander
Understanding unfunded pensions PEOPLE are asking me more questions about unfunded pensions. In an earlier article, I said there was ‘no pot of gold’ in such schemes. However, as P Trippett wrote to the Olive Press to say, local government schemes are in fact funded and I had erroneously included them in my list of unfunded schemes. However, there are many other pensions which are unfunded including, for example, the UK State Pension Scheme. I have been asked to expand on this and to explain what it means. Pensions broadly fall under three categories; they are either defined contribution (DC), defined benefit (DB) or state pensions. DC schemes are set up as a long-term plan and the level of pension benefits available in retirement will be determined by how much money is in the pension pot at that time. This in turn relies on contribution levels and investment growth. DB schemes have benefits that are defined at the outset and often referred to as final salary schemes. The level of benefits payable will be determined by the number of years of service and the final pension-
able salary at retirement age. There is no investment risk for the members, providing their employer can honour the benefits that have been promised. In the private sector, DB schemes will mainly have a large pension pot set aside to meet the liabilities arising when people retire and want their pensions paid to them. Some such schemes are fullyfunded but many are underfunded, which could have a negative impact for people requesting a transfer value, for example. In the public sector, however, and with state pensions, these are largely on a ‘pay
as you go’ basis. This means that the pensions being paid this year have to come from the current year’s budget, rather than reserves. This is why such a large proportion of the budget for some organisations is set aside each year to pay pensioners, before they even start to fund the operation for the current year. The impact of changing demographics is visible in the State Pension Scheme that is on a ‘pay as you go’ basis, with pensions each year being funded from National Insurance contributions being paid by people who are working that year. Hence ‘pay as you go’. This system works well when you have an increasing working population when compared to the number of pensioners. While employment in the UK is at an all-time high, so is the number of people beyond retirement age. In fact, this population is growing faster than the increase in the rate of employment, as people are living longer and the ‘baby boomers’ move into retirement. This is why the state pension age has been increased – and will continue to be increased in the future – to help soften the impact.
Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 201435 35 June 11 - June 25 2014
AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED
The invisible man T HE premise of this article is the contradictory case of a British tax resident of Spain who does not exist for the Spanish tax office – confusing, I know... However, the idiosyncrasies of Spanish bureaucracy often lend themselves to these perplexing situations. A client selling his property – a resident of Spain for 20 years – found he did not exist in the eyes of the Spanish Tax Office, because as as a retiree, he had never been obliged to file a tax return here. Therefore, he would not be given a Tax Residency Certificate, necessary to avoid the 3% capital gains tax retention on the proceeds of the sale. Adamant that Spain was his place of retirement – and tax residency – he was not going to let the tax office get away with it. In the knowledge that in the Costa del Sol, if you submit a query to three tax/legal professionals you end up with four opinions, we told him about the Hacienda’s binding consultation service – the ultimate official opinion on a tax matter. His case was submitted to the Directorate General of Tax (DGT) for a definitive decision. This was their response: l1.The main document that proves tax residency in Spain is the Tax Residency Certifi-
Antonio Flores on the intricacies of tax-residency in Spain
cate. l2. The issuance of an individual Tax Residency Certificate is subject to the applicant proving his/her residency in Spain. l3.Where the above certificate cannot be obtained, the onus of proving Spanish residency lies with the taxpayer who will be able to submit, in support of his claim, alternative evidence: certificate of empadronamiento (Padron registration), children’s school enrollment appli-
cations, rental payments, water and electricity receipts etc. l4.The Spanish Tax Office, based on the widely-accepted judicial ‘principle of free evaluation of the evidence´ will determine whether the applicant is or isn’t a tax resident of Spain. I have also found a certificate of non-residency from the tax office of the country of origin adds considerable weight to applications, so consider this a fifth point to remember. Finally, note that the Spanish Tax Office has not commented on the EU residency forms issued by National Police stations; this is probably because it is not that relevant in their eyes.
Tel. +34 95 288 22 73 C.C. Guadalmina IV Locales 97-98 29670 San Pedro de Alcántara info@opdebeeck-worth.com www.opdebeeck-worth.com N° Registro DGS: J2503, tiene suscrita póliza RC profesional y capacidad financiera según legislación vigente.
Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es
Market mumbles
with Mark Rickard
Soccer season softens market
T
HE kickoff of the Brazil World Cup heralds a month of comradery, patriotism and increased beer-swilling. This inevitably means softer market conditions, as the football crazy nations are distracted from day to day activities, focussed only on the beautiful game. “They think it’s all over…it is now!” Another interest rate cut from the European Central Bank (ECB) last week was well received... for the time being. A meagre 10 basis points took the rate down to 0.15%, however this was coupled with a negative deposit rate decrease to 0.1% and another €400 billion made available to boost spending and growth. I recall when the UK was in deep crisis, the British Bankers Association reported that there was more savers money on deposit than ever before. People became scared to take risks and wanted hold onto their funds for that very rainy day, or ‘can’t miss’ opportunity. Perhaps the negative deposit rates in Europe will drive a summer spending spree from the frugal savers there? I imagine Spain will benefit if this happens!
The world cup provides a distraction from banks and currencies, for a month at least...
This week: UK
lThursday 1.30pm Retail Sales May previous 0.1% m/m lFriday 2.55pm Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index Jun previous 81.9
lMonday 9.30am Industrial Production Apr
previous -0.1% m/m lMonday 9.30am Manufacturing Production Apr previous 0.5% m/m lWednesday 9.30am Claimant Count Change May previous -25k lWednesday 9.30am Unemployment Rate Apr previous 6.8% lThursday 12.01am RICS Housing Survey May previous 54%
Europe
lMonday 9.30am Sentix Investor Confidence Jun previous 12.8 lThursday 10am EU Industrial Production Apr previous -0.1% y/y lFriday 7am German Consumer Price Inflation May previous 1.3% y/y lFriday 10am EU Trade Balance Apr previous €17.1bn
US
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amino
June 11 - June 25 2014
Stoned on the road MORE than one in 10 drivers on Spanish roads are intoxicated, according to official data. A Department of Transport (DGT) survey, involving 3,000 drivers, found that 8.8% of drivers had been taking drugs, particularly cannabis, while 4.1% were over the alcohol limit. Toxicology reports show 43% of
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fic fatalities – which numbered nearly 2,000 in 2012 – could be halved if people drove only when sober. Boss Maria Segui explained that while Spain has accepted the ‘don’t those killed on Spanish roads this drink and drive’ concept, the counyear had taken drugs or been drink- try has failed to realise it also aping alcohol. plies to drugs. The DGT also insists that traf- She also blames the state and age of cars for an alarming rise in road deaths this year. She said that many of the 396 people who have been killed this year four times more than last year – is partly because the average Spanish car is Call now for more 12-years old.
Fatal crashes soar due to alcohol, drugs and ageing cars
Registering your vehicle in Spain
R
EGISTERING a nonSpanish vehicle in Spain is a complex and potentially costly procedure. However, you may be exempt from Spanish registration tax by getting Spanish number plates within one month of entering the country. But to do this, you need to become a resident. Linea Directa has been insuring expat drivers in Spain for over a decade and understands all the steps involved. Below we outline this process. STEP 1: Obtaining a certificate of conformity This is a statement by the car’s manufacturer that it conforms to EU regulations.
Spanish license plates and registration document You will need the car’s chassis number to complete this straightforward process online at www.eurococ.eu/en/ cer tif icate_of_conformity. The charges for this service will vary according to type of vehicle, make and country of 1st registration. STEP 2: Current log book The vehicle’s original log book showing your name as the owner, the vehicles age and a valid UK address. You will also need the bill of sale for the car.
STEP 3: Residency in Spain The Spanish residency certificate (Certificado de Empadronamiento) is your official proof of residency in Spain. Your local town hall can provide you with this document. You will need to take your passport and proof of Spanish address (rental contract, contract to purchase or property deeds). STEP 4: Obtaining a Spanish mot certificate All vehicles over 4 years old must be roadworthy and clearly
information on 902 123 104
Sales speed on
NEW car sales in Spain have risen again for the ninth straight month in a row, with a total of 82,483 sold in May. There was a 16.9% increase on cars sold in May 2013, according to car manufacturers’ association Anfac. The Government subsidy scheme, which gives buyers of new cars a rebate for their old vehicles, continues to boost sales. Sales in the first five months of the year were up 16.3% on the same period a year ago.
display a valid ITV sticker. The ITV (Vehicle Technical Inspection) must be tested at an authorised centre, just as for an MOT test. You can find out the location of your nearest ITV centre on DGT website (equivalent to the DVLA). You can also call your local centre to make a booking. If the centre is busy, especially pre-summer, this can save a lot of time. The cost can vary but generally is around €40 for petrol-engine cars and €56 for diesel-engine cars. STEP 5: Obtaining a spanish equivalent of a tax disc The Spanish Tax Agency can provide your vehicle with a valid ‘tax disc’ for Spain, which must be carried in the car when in use. You will need to complete the relevant form online and pay the amount according to your car’s tax band. You can carry out all these procedures yourself or you can seek the assistance of an accountant to do this for you. We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. More information on Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com
Ocean drive
CLASSIC cars and petrol-heads have motored in to Puerto Banus for a ‘regularity rally’ on June 8. The event – at Plaza Antonio Banderas – was a joint venture between organisers of the Marbella Classic Grand Prix rally and Marbella Town Hall. Classic car owners mingled and the public had a chance to admire the stunning vehicles on display. There was also be a summer market. Drivers were presented with a simple roadbook for a 5km route starting and finishing in the square, and were timed according to the principles of the regularity rally. For more information visit www.marbellaclassicgrandprix.es
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GOLF In the swing of it
June 11 - June 25 2014
Celeb challenge hits double decade By Tom Powell
THE annual Rhys Daniels Trust golf challenge is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with a long weekend of fun activities in aid of its ‘Home from Home’
Rhys Daniels Trust reaches its 20th birthday with a long weekend at La Cala resort appeal. Golfers are invited to enter the special fundraising
challenge as individuals or teams of four, and it is taking place between June 20
Malaga’s Miguel makes history MALAGA golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez has become the first man over the age of 50 to win on the European Tour after victory at the Spanish Open. The 50-year-old won a three-man play-off after finishing tied on fourunder-par with Richard Green and Thomas Pieters. “There’s no words to describe what it means to me,” said Jimenez. “You need to be in my skin but I’m not going to let you. It’s amazing.” Jimenez now lies just outside the automatic qualification places for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in September. If he qualifies or is selected by captain Paul McGinley, Jimenez will become Europe’s oldest-ever player. WINNER: Jimenez
From tee to green
A great weekend for golf Bob Gaston rounds up the months local golfing news
and 23 at La Cala resort in Mijas Costa. Previous celebrity guests include Chris Tarrant and Sir Steve Redgrave, as well as pop star Gareth Gates.
Families
The Butterfly Ball will take place on 22 June Sunday, and is included in the cost of the golf challenge package. Contestants will also get event t-shirts, meals and accommodation at La Cala resort. The Rhys Daniels Trust provides self contained accommodation for families to use, free of charge, while their child is receiving treatment at a specialist children’s hospital a long way from their own home. For more information visit www.rhysdanielstrust.org or call Patti Senker on 0034 637 969189
I
N a bid to encourage locals to leave their sofas and get some exercise, Estepona Town Hall organised ‘24 Hours of Sport’. Central to the event was a golf tournament at Estepona Golf Course. Competitors enjoyed a day of play on a great course followed by a chance to chat over paella. Perez Espinosa and Rodriguez De La Fuente took first place with a net score of 59. Mateo Montes and Montes Sedeno came in second (61 net) and Gomez Guerrero and Lukian took third place (65 net). The Waterloo Cup – a charity event in aid of Help for Heroes – also took to the greens of Estepona Golf Club. Popular with expats in the region, the tournament was followed by a prizegiving and food at the Leisure Lounge. The event raised more than €1,450 for Help for Heroes. The winners of the Two-Ball Texas Scramble (half handicap) were: Greg and Charlie with 56 points; Derek Statham and Greg Fellows with 55 and Gordon Short and Barry Grant with 52. Duquesa Golf Club meanwhile, took a 4-0 walloping from Miraflores Golf Club. They were
SUNSHINE: Happy golfers
BATTLE: On the golf green delivered on time by Gaston Golf Minibus but failed to beat the locals. Rob Whately – backed up by his partner Chris – claims he hit at least three good shots during his game. This month’s joke: A school teacher was taking her first golfing lesson. “Is the word… Put or Putt?” she asked the instructor. “Putt is correct” he replied. To ‘Put’ is to place a thing where you want it. ‘Putt’ merely means a vain attempt to do the same thing… Email info@gastongolf.com or call 952936803
the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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38 the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014 38
OP Columnists CONFUSED: Where’s the nearest McDonald’s?
Sevilla: Not on my Beckett list! W
Football frenzy
I
N case you hadn’t noticed, the Brazil World Cup kicks off on June 12 – with the hosts playing Croatia – and for the following weeks, it will be impossible to avoid the madness. Whether you have satellite
or Spanish TV, the channels will devote hours of coverage to each team’s chances, predictions, the games themselves, a host of expert opinions and after-match post-mortems. Forget nipping out for the
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Belinda Beckett, aka Mistress of Sizzle, has some sage advice for tourists
HAT is it about Americans that makes them want to ‘do’ an entire country in one visit? I devised a bespoke tour for the American side of my family who were over on a two-week trip to Spain and Portugal. They were keen to ‘do’ the Golden Triangle of Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba... and maybe Madrid and Barcelona too, while they were at it! I vetoed most of it. Just as well, because after two nights schlepping around Sevilla – visiting more farmacias for sticking
plasters than cultural attractions – they’d had enough. Sevilla is a stunning city but it’s BIG, and not knowing where the hell you are causes blisters! It took 90 minutes, a Google map, GPS and conversations with four strangers to find the tapas bar I’d picked out on TripAdvisor. Having been sent south, north, east and west by a road digger, a policeman, a student and a waiter, we caught a cab and were dropped five minutes from where we started.
evening to get away from the World Cup. The quality of your dining experience will certainly suffer. During the tournament, expect to find service in your favourite pasta place a little slow when Italy are playing, forget tapas when Spain take to the pitch and don’t even try to order escargots if France get beaten.
Tapas confused our visitors – “Where can we get a whole meal?” they asked. The local specialities repelled them: “Cold soup? No thanks! … This is the cheek of a pig? How gross!” and so on. The sangria was ‘more fruity’ in Portugal, the prawns in the paella were the size of lobsters – and not in a good way – and Spanish restaurants compared unfavourably to Olive Garden and Taco Bell, ‘where at least you know what you’re getting’. The best meal of the weekend was declared to be the Egg McMuffin at McDonald’s. That was before they’d tried almadraba tuna in Vejer. They were blown away by places they’d never heard of: Tarifa, Zahara, Canos de Meca, the stunning landscapes and quaint Victorian stations they saw through the carriage windows aboard Mr Henderson’s Railway, the cuisine at the Molino del Santo...
Miffed
Demented
Brazil 2014 has some mouthwatering matches in store. England will play Italy and Spain will face Holland in a repeat of the last World Cup final. When Spain win a match, forget all thoughts of sleep, as the roads will be full of drivers honking their horns like demented sea lions. You won’t be able to escape the matches in public either, so why not take in the games in a variety of locations?
Sitting with an ice-cold beer in a beach bar watching one of the afternoon matches is
Royal legacy
THE King is gone. Long live the King. The decision by Juan Carlos – beset by scandal and ill health – to abdicate to his son has been mostly applauded. I saw photos on social media, however, of jubilant republicans covering statues of Juan Carlos in Marbella (that well known hotbed of far left politics). How quickly they forget that Juan Carlos was chosen by Franco to continue the dictatorship, but after his death the young King realised that Spain had to return to democracy. When Guardia Civil officers launched a coup in 1981, the King refused to back them and it quickly fizzled out. Perhaps those who threw a hood over Juan Carlos’ statue last week should consider that without his
a unique pleasure, especially if you normally watch football on a wet Wednesday in Wigan. Try a tapas bar for the Spanish matches, an Italian restaurant when the Azzuri are playing and why not sample a little sushi when Japan are in action? And as a neutral supporter you may even be adopted by a set of fans as an unofficial mascot – which is why there is a photo of me somewhere in San Pedro wearing a massive orange hat, clutching a moves to democracy, their actions Heineken. I would have led to a long spell in think that Holjail. Or something worse. land may have been playing...
Fear of going all that way and not seeing the big cities and sights makes tourists want to tick them off their ‘Bucket Lists’. However, rushing from the Giralda to the Alhambra to the Mezquita de Cordoba in 72 hours isn’t my idea of fun. Day trips from one base to remote pueblos and rural idylls top my ‘Beckett List’. My American family saw Sevilla again on an unscheduled 4am visit when they missed the airport turning. This made them late for the plane, causing their luggage to go astray. They were more miffed that their bags saw Amsterdam and they didn’t! My boyfriend’s family are over from New Zealand next, to visit Morocco, Sevilla, Jerez, Malaga and us before heading to France, Italy, Greece and God knows where else. Don’t get me started about Antipodeans ‘doing’ Europe. If I get my way they won’t see half of it... and they’ll have a far better time!
STUNNING: Plaza Espana in Sevilla
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TRANSPORT
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39 To place your classified, please 39 call 951 127 006 or email admin@theolivepress.es the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
Three’s company
Not one, not two, but THREE pages in the new relaunched Olive Press classifieds section – and a fantastic special offer for readers GIVE ME A BUZZ: The lovely Sarah
W
ITH the World Cup kicking off tommorrow, it’s perhaps appropriate that we should be scoring a hattrick this week with our classified page. Due to unprecedented growth in the section this month the Olive Press is going up from two to three pages of classified advertisements. Splitting into easy to follow sections, there will be extra ones added each issue, as new businesses and individuals come on board. Proven to be a fantastic – and good value way – to sell and market your business, the Olive Press is now read by over 200,000 people each month, via both its paper and website edition. From just 5.50 euros, you can sell your car, your bedpost or your child’s old bike thanks to our healthy and growing group of readers. And for businesses this is
a vital resource for being seen and being taken seriously. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with your queries on 951127006 or 655825683 And to celebrate in our growth we are making a very special launch offer: Take 3 months of classifieds (7 issues) and get 3 issues free. In other words take a single box advert for 39 euros, pay 273 euros and get a total of 10 issues – or five months cover for your business. Whether you sell insurance, fix cars or run a transport company, can you afford NOT to take up this offer? Please call our new classifieds boss Sarah Adams, who has many years experience in media sales. She will be only too happy to help you through the process. Once again the number to call is 951127006 or 655825683
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To place your classified, please call 951 127 006 or email admin@theolivepress.es
cars/motoring
PERSONAL SERVICES AIR CONDITIONING installations repairs and servicing. Airflow 952443222 > airflowspain@live.com VENDING MACHINE ROUTE. GREAT CASH INCOME PARTTIME OR FULL.CRISIS BEATER. 49,900 euros. easycashvending@hotmail.com
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insurance
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FOOD AND DRINK SEX SEX SEX SEX.. BUT NO SEX ADS! Get your company seen here from just 30 € per issue
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Wine Shop and Delicatessan Order your favourite wine best quality & prices distribution from Torremolinos to Sotogrande CAN’T FIND THAT WINE? Wine searching service available Personalised Labels
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All types of awning and blinds
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Double column display box 54€ per issue Three column display box 75€ per issue Full name and passport or NIE number must be provided when advertisements are placed. All ads must be paid prior to publication
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Andalucian accolade By Imogen Calderwood
AN Andalucian hotel has been named as Spain’s second best, according to a global traveller’s website. Hotel Molino del Santo, in Benaojan, near Ronda, has been voted the country’s second best and scooped a coveted TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice award. The stunning converted olive mill even pipped the Costa del Sol’s long-time favourite Villa Marbella for the first time to
Hotel owners delighted to be named Spain’s second best hotel by TripAdvisor come top in Andalucia. Delighted Andy Chapell, who has owned the hotel for 27 years with his wife Pauline Elkin, told the Olive Press: “We’re so grateful to our staff for their hard work, because without them the hotel just wouldn’t be as good as it is.”
THRILLED: Andy and Pauline
“What’s most important to us is attention and a personalised service. We like to look after people.” Of the 25 best in Spain, nine hotels are in Andalucia – more than any other region. Half of these are current or former Olive Press clients.
‘Special treatment’ as standard Olive Press writer Imogen Calderwood played ‘secret inspector’ at the Molino
Local issue 46:The Local Issue 5 5/13/14 10:54 PM Page 104
I VISITED Molino del Santo for a holiday – without introducing myself as a journalist – so no special treatment there! And I was genuinely astonished by the quality of the hotel, the care and attention the staff give and the beauty of the location. It is wonderfully laid back
The €5.00 Lunch
Here to stay! Available 12:00 till 16:00 Mondays to Fridays
COCOMO Cocktail Bar & Restaurant Reservations recommended
685 218 054 Next to the Senator Banus Spa Hotel
Please mention The Local when responding to advertisements
Quality
ASTONISHING: The tranquil country retreat and comfortable - and the food was amazing - so it comes as no surprise that the couple’s hard work has been recognised on a global
scale. And no, I didn’t fill in a review form with TripAdvisor, just in case you wanted to know.
First place went to Casa Camper Hotel in Barcelona, which ranked 21st in Europe. Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor said: “Travellers have millions of hotels to choose from and quality of service is a way to stand out from the crowd. “It is clear from reading our reviews of the hotels that when you have a happy customer, they spread the word.”
Tame your hunger!
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the oliveTHURSDAY press - June 11 - June 25 2014 43 19TH JUNE
VALPARAISO
ROYAL ASCOT
TV chef dies in skydive accident
VIPA fabulous LADIES DAY day at the races! For Ladies and their Gentlemen.
VIP TICKETS 35€ P.P.
Dario Barrio - the Jamie Oliver of Spain - fell to his death in Jaen after parachute failed to open
SPANISH celebrity chef Dario Barrio has died in a tragic skydiving accident. In shocking video footage, a passerby captured the famous TV chef’s final moments before he crashed into a cliff face in Jaen’s Sierra Segura mountain range. Paramedics were called to the scene, but were unable to revive him. The experienced skydiver, 42,
FROM 1:30PM ALL DRINKS INCLUDED VIP BUFFET, NOTHING TO COMPARE! (ALL DAY) ALL RACES COVERED, FIRST RACE STARTS 3:15PM LARGE TV SCREENS TEA FOR THE LADIES WITH STRAWBERRIES & CREAM, AND A MOUNTAIN OF CUP CAKES SERVED WITH PINK BUBBLY
POPULAR: Like Oliver, Barrio promoted healthy eating was taking part in the Andalucian International Air Festival, when his parachute malfunctioned and failed to open.
Organisers have suspended all remaining events in the festival, and say they ‘deeply regret’
Aged to perfection...
SIR Cliff Richard isn’t the only thing that improves with age – clearly his wines do too. The 73-year-old singer, who produces his own wines from his home in Portugal, entered four wines into London’s International Wine Challenge, and three of them won. When appearing on Gordon Ramsay’s F Word in 2006, however, Cliff was less impressed with his Vida Nova wines. Presented with a glass of his Chateau Cliff during a blind tasting he declared: “That’s rubbish! I wouldn’t pay for that, it’s tainted, it’s insipid. It tastes like vinaigrette. I’d never buy that.”
the accident. The celebrity chef, who began cooking when he was just 14, became famous after appearing on the television programme ‘Todos contra el chef’ – or Everyone against the chef. Friends and colleagues took to Twitter to express their sorrow. Celebrated US chef Jose Andres said that ‘the sky will eat much better’, while comedian Goyo Jimenez added that he was ‘in shock’. Barrio has won numerous awards, and was well-known as a promoter of a healthy lifestyle.
A GRAND RAFFLE WILL BE HELD IN AID OF CHAIN ANIMAL CHARITY AND A PRIZE FOR THE BEST HAT OF THE DAY!
PRIZE
DRAW
The events continue with an evening by “The Pool Bar” This event promises to be the best on the coast, with full VIP Valparaiso Hospitality Local Hotel Accomodation at Special Rates can be arranged. TELEPHONE EVENT ORGANISER:
Lynda Martin-Campbell: 608 675 081 Jo Rawselly: 696 430 160
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Bacteria battler
RED wine could prevent tooth decay, according to a study by Spanish scientists. Scientists dipped samples of bacteria into various liquids, including red wine alone, red wine without alcohol, red wine mixed with grape seed extract, water and 12% ethanol. Project leader Dr Victoria Moreno-Arribas said: “Red wine with or without alcohol and wine with grape seed extract were the most effective at getting rid of the bacteria.” It is hoped that the findings could lead to the development of natural products to fight dental diseases.
PERFECT SUMMER COOLERS ROSÉ wines hint at happiness, inspire apetite and induce romance. Summer is nearly here and there is one style of wine that matches it perfectly. When the sun shines bright, light pink and fresh rosé comes to our mind. New wine shop D Wine in Puerto Banus has an excellent selection of roses from Spain and France. Here, its sommelier Julio Cesar Garcia (right) chooses his favourites.
MY TOP TEN ROSE WINES 1. Chivite Colección 125 2013. D.O Navarra: The Quintessential rose from Spain, a blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo, fermented in French oak barrels and aged on its own lees at least for six months. Intense, very floral with pear and pomegranate notes. 2. Muga Rosado 2013. D.O.Ca Rioja: This wine is fresh on the nose with aromas of peaches on a background of exotic fruits (kiwi, pineapple and passion fruit) available also in Magnum. 3. Enate Rosado 2013. D.O Somontano: Its powerful and remarkably fruity bouquet
BEST FROM SPAIN highlights the scents of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape (bilberries, strawberry, pepper). Full bodied, the balancing acid gives this wine a lively and supple character. 4. Gran Caus Rose 2013. D.O Penedés: Fruity, potent and delicious. A rosé 100 %. Merlot with colour and body, its potency and complexity making it a versatile companion for fine foods. 5. Izadi Larrosa 2013. D.O.Ca Rioja: From the highest vineyards in Rioja Alavesa.
BEST FROM FRANCE 1. Chateau de Selle Rosé Couer de Grain 2013. AOC Cote de Provence: Grenache 50% + Cinsault 30% + Syrah 15% + Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Pale robe with golden highlights. The fine nose is evocative of peach and lemon, with cinnamon and vanilla notes. 2. Whispering Angels Rose. Chateau D´ Esclans 2013: AOC Cote de Provence: Beautiful colour, the palest of pale roses, a silver-pink, lovely fragrance on the nose, clean and fresh light summer fruits, a certain fleshiness and structure on the palate that shows the red grapes base. 3. Les Domaniers Rose 2013 AOC Cote de
Provence: A fresh and balanced rosé that captures the spirit of the Côte d’Azur with its exotic fruit and white peach flavours. Built upon Domaines Ott’s winemaking expertise. 4. Confidentielle Rose 2013. AOC Cote de Provence: Composed of 40% Mourvèdre, 30% Cinsault and 30% Grenache. A wine with a pale and delicate robe and a complex minty and mineral bouquet with a hint of citrus fruit and spice. 5. Chateau de Berne Rose 2013. AOC Cote de Provence: A beautiful clear rose petal color with hints of orange. A fresh nose with hints of peach, nectarine, and violet.
Costa del Costa
BRITISH coffee chain Costa Coffee has opened a new cafe in Fuengirola. The second Costa cafe in Andalucia – the sixth in Spain – set up shop in the town’s popular Miramar Shopping Centre. Costa Coffee won the Allegra Strategies prize of ‘Europe’s favourite coffee shop’ in 2013.
RESTAURANT - MIJAS PUEBLO
Do you remember KONTIKI on the El Chorro lakes? On the shore of green lake Guadalhorce. Good news is open again. You can enjoy beautiful views over a best chicken curry and sip cold Cobra beer. Open from Thursday till Sunday. Directon: From restaurant Kiosko on the El Chorro lakes 2.5 km towards Valle de Abdalajis - Antequera. Tel: 679742761
Celebrate your private parties or business lunches with us in our Mozarabic room, whilst enjoying our breathtaking panoramic view. CLOSED MONDAYS.
La Alcazaba, Plaza de la Constitución, Mijas.
For Information & Reservations: Tel. 952 590 253 - 952 486 397 Email. alcazabadamijas@gmail.com www.rest-laalcazabademijas.com
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Hotelier and Hoteli-HER
Creating Jobs T HERE are lots of satisfactions in running your own business – the independence, liaising with customers, making your own decisions. But the most pleasing thing is to be able to provide stable jobs for hard-working members of our local community who might otherwise be drawing
U
Fresh from the news that their hotel has just been voted Spain’s second best hotel on Trip Advisor (see p42) hoteliers Andy and Pauline write about buying and employing locally the dole. With youth unemployment in our area over 50% it is particularly satisfying to take on youngsters – many of whom
…and think local, eat local and drink local!
SING local products in the restaurant has always been a top priority for Molino del Santo – they’re fresh, taste better and help employ local people. And living in this wonderful climate there’s always local food to be bought – a fantastic selection of fruit, vegetables, FRESH: Produce to the door herbs, cheeses and yogurts, meat and ‘chacinas’, not to mention an ever-growing selection of superb Andalucian Wines. Our June menu features the first of the local figs called ‘brevas’ , cheese from the neighbouring village of Montejaque, locally made chocolate and herbs from a farm in Ronda. And our house wines are all from local bodegas – and we’re delighted that 90% of our wine sales are from local producers. José Peñin, the most respected of Spanish wine critics said this year: “I don’t think there’s another area of Spain with such a diversity of wines as in Andalucía.”
have little hope of finding ways to earn money and gain experience in the work place. Incredibly one position that has just come up as a waiter (and we haven’t even advertised for it yet) has had no less than 50 applicants just from our village. And as we are doing well – just voted best hotel in Andalucia according to TripAdvisor – we have been able to create three new jobs already over the last month. All of them for young folk from our village and the pride and satisfaction that they bring with them – as well as the energy – is very exciting. One young man literally pleaded for the opportunity to show what his training in food preparation has taught him – and the results are wonderful. There is far too much young talent being wasted in this country at the moment. I’m hoping the government will offer more support to employers to stem the tide of despair that prevails among too many young people.
Hotel - Bar - Restaurante. Bda Estacion s/n, 29370 Benaojan, Malaga. 952 16 71 51 - 952 16 79 27 . info@molinodelsanto.com
DO YOU PUT OFF MAKING Advertorial
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ARRANGEMENTS? “You won’t be remembered for things you DIDN’T organise” By our Benaoján Correspondent
H
ave you been meaning to share some time with good friends or family members or just a very special other half? Get together for some quality time? Take time to enjoy being with people you care about and to kick back?
A Great Escape by Train or Road
A birthday? An anniversary? A special occasion? A family visit where everyone can relax? Why don’t you head to the best hotel in the Ronda area for a short break in the countryside? You’ll discover : ✓ A Relaxing Mill Stream Running By ✓ Comfortable Air-conditioned Rooms, ✓ Award-winning Staff, ✓ Excellent Imaginative Food, ✓ Magical Moonlit Summner Nights on the Terraces ✓ Amazing Local Artwork ✓ Great Information Service - Walks and Visits ✓ Peace and Quiet ✓ Train Service on your Doorstep - 15 minutes to Ronda ✓ Special Events A Speciality
✓ Mention this Ad for Special Rates ✓ Great Informative Website www.molinodelsanto.com __________________________ “I shall dream of returning here” Shari, June 2014 __________________________ HEAD TO THE HILLS THIS SUMMER... ...HEAD TO MOLINO DEL SANTO, RONDA’S LEADING RURAL HOTEL.
TO BOOK YOUR ESCAPE TO THE HILLS CALL 952 16 71 51 NOW OR E-MAIL info@ molinodelsanto.com
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MOLINO DEL SANTO’S DOG GIVES HIS VIEWS ON HOTEL LIFE So Molino del Santo has a new chef this year – and everyone says the food is as good if not better-than previous years. That’s not how I see it : This new guy needs help. Why would anyone choose to have corn-fed chicken brochettes with almonds and raisins on a menu when this almost guarantees to leave no scraps for a dog? Everything here is about putting the customer before the dog. Recipe for disaster if you ask me. My Campaign: Bring back meat with bones and fatty, gristly bits. As soon as possible.
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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FOOD & DRINK www.theolivepress.es with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
Remember the first time? Holiday wines never taste the same at home... and this is why
THAT heavenly nectar of a wine you sipped on those balmy holiday evenings rare-
A sign of summer Chiringuito season is in full swing.. and the coast’s most typical dish is, without a doubt, ‘espetos’ or sardines cooked on a barbecue, here at Chambao, in Sotogrande
Tip top tapas
DELICIOUS: Bar Simonito’s
A BAR in Estepona has scooped first prize for the whole of Malaga in the Feria de la Tapa 2014. The well-loved Bar Simonito - one of the oldest tapas bars in Estepona - is a favourite with locals and holiday-makers alike, and specialises in fish dishes. Simonito will be competing at a national level in Madrid in the coming year.
ly tastes quite the same at home, does it? Now, an Oxford University professor claims he can tell us why. To enjoy a holiday wine at home you must recreate the environment in which you first tasted it, claims Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology. He also found that the best way to serve drinks is in heavy glasses, not plastic cups or cans. Lightness is associated with ‘cheapness’ and will change the flavour of even the most pricey beverages, claims Prof Spence, who has previously advised leading UK chef Heston Blumenthal, from the Fat Duck. “We like heavy containers, we associate them with better quality – it has greater worth,” he said. So, if your wine is in a reassuringly heavy bottle, be sure to pass it around the table before serving.
Seabed cellar
WINES stored underwater off Marbella for the Schatz winery in Ronda have been given the experts’ seal of approval. This increasingly-popular method of maturing wine has been used in Italy, France and Spain. Vintners use the sea to manipulate the levels of oxygen exposure, temperature, darkness, and pressure.
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the olive press - June 11 - June 25 2014
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Mosquito Nick 647 072 861 Price of sex SPAIN has begun the almost impossible task of assessing the contribution that prostitution makes to the nation’s gross domestic product.
FINAL WORDS
Hound hotel THE world’s first canine resort featuring a worldclass swimming pool with slides and fountains, all designed specially for dogs, has opened in Barcelona.
Smoked A ‘CANNABIS club’ in Barcelona has been closed down for suspected drug dealing, the first closure of its kind in what could be a huge blow to the city’s growing reputation as a hub for marijuana tourism.
Pig fertility A SPANISH scientist investigating a fall in pig fertility has warned her findings could also apply to humans. The chemical linked to the pigs’ reproductive failures is also found in packaging for crisps and sliced meat.
the
Covering Andalucia in 2014 with over 200,000 papers EE (130,000 digital) and around 300,000 visits to the R F website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!
olive press
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June 11 - June 25 2014
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Romantic at heart
GLORY: But also riches
Biggest bonus
ONE could have almost stepped back in time a couple of centuries. Doffing bandit-style headgear, brandishing guns and even firing them, it was Ronda’s attempt to bring history to life. The town was certainly turned upside down for the three-day Ronda Romantica festival, in which its citizens and thousands from the nearby towns joined in the fun. Locals dressed as courtesans, bandits, farmers and Napoleonic soldiers - to re-live the area’s dramatic past. The event took place alongside the town’s Feria de Mayo agricultural fair, which at 500 years old is Spain’s second oldest.
Picture courtesy of Ronda Town Hall
Mosquito Screens
BANDITS AND COURTESANS: Ronda turns back time
A fair chop
A SPANISH bear has proved too fertile for his own good, and is now facing castration or segregation. Pyros, a European brown bear, is facing the op or a spell in a zoo after living happily as the top alpha male in the Val d’Aran area of the Pyrenees for 26 years. It comes after a cub was born
Spain’s quick fix solution to deal with sexually aggressive bear that was both his daughter and his granddaughter. It also emerged that he was either father, grandfather or great-grandfather to nearly every cub born in the last 20
‘Zookeeper was not shot wearing monkey suit’
A SPANISH zoo has been forced to deny that a keeper was wearing a gorilla suit when shot with a tranquiliser dart during an emergency drill. The denial came after local media reported that he had been wearing the suit to make the drill more realistic and the vet mistook him for a real gorilla. However the zoo insisted: “The vet did not mean to hit the zookeeper and the zookeeper was not pretending to be a gorilla.” Aside from sleeping a lot, the 35-year-old zookeeper has made a full recovery.
years. Now scientists insist that his sexual appetite is becoming a threat to the Catalan colony as his aggressive appetite is making it difficult for other bears to get a look in. Pyros’ behaviour is worrying scientists as the bears normally lose their sexual appetite around 19-years-old. They also worry about the
A SPANISH politician has slammed the whopping €720,000 Spain’s players will each receive if they win the World Cup. The eye-watering sum is more than double what their Brazilian and German counterparts stand to earn, with both countries vowing to give much more money to the general development of their domestic leagues if they win. The news prompted one politician to tweet: “Spain will pay more than double the bonus that Germany will for the World Cup. Are we twice as rich as Germany?” Their first match is against Holland this Friday.
Belgian run!
TOO FERTILE: Pyros gene pool. “If he keeps up this sexual vigour and dominant attitude for a few more years, the other males in the mountains have no chance of mating with any of the females,” said Val d’Aran environment boss Jose Enrique Arro. Conservationists have worked hard to reintroduce the species after it dwindled to near extinction in the early 90s.
MANCHESTER United footballer Marouane Fellaini has been left shaken after an incident on holiday in Puerto Banus. The Belgian was harassed by ‘drunken tourists’, while enjoying a drink with his brother and two friends in the Seven bar. “There was a little bit of pushing and shoving going on,” a waiter at the bar revealed. “When it looked like it was going to kick off, Fellaini and his brother made a run for it and we took them to an area above the bar out of harm’s way.”
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