Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 296 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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An be da st m pr luci ag op a’ az er s in ty e

July 18th - July 31st

2018

Right royal battle for former SEE PAGE III king and dictator

Issue 22

July 2018

As it’s claimed living by the sea lets you live longer, we dig out some beachside gems

LET IT GROW

are not a “Although those years big gap sugprices healthy benchmark, the is continuing Mortgages up, some room for SPAIN’S property market gests there is still assuming the numbers up. to grow. growth on both fronts, recovMay, show a up and economy continues to The latest figures, for The market is looking Spanish 7.7% expansion. er.” in total, inreport from There were 51,896 sales with resale healthy, writes The latest encouraging that avercluding social housing, up 6.7% and the notaries also revealed by 0.6% Laurence Dollimore apartment transactions16.3%. age house prices increased mortgage lendsingle family homes up to 1,372€/m2, while by 9.3%. years earlier. new bubble are ing increased agents on the Bubble But those talking of a It comes after estate earlier this housing market off the mark. Costa del Sol revealed The figures mean the fifth consecu- “Both sales and house prices are still month that they had seen a 100% its boom entering in the the is of in Spain it turned a a long way from the peakfrom Spanish growth in Britons buying homes tive year of growth since 2014 following years,” Mark Stucklin holiday hotspot. Olive Press. corner at the start of some seven Property Insight told the the devastating collapse

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Vol. 12 Issue 296

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July 18th - July 31st 2018

UK-BANNED painkiller Nolotil which has claimed the lives of countless expats is facing nationwide regulation,. It comes after a campaigner took a suitcase full of case studies to a high level meeting with four health chiefs from Spain’s top medication governing body on July 6. Cristina Garcia del Campo, who has been tirelessly investigating Nolotil for the last seven months, said officials from the Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios (AEMPS) were ‘really receptive’. “They are definitely going to stop it for people from northern Europe. They need to decide the best way to do it,” said Garcia del Campo.

Shocking

The medical translator added that the health body has been in touch with Marina Salud in Denia, after it created an official warning in April, following her shocking findings. She said the AEMPS will continue the investigation and have asked her to keep notifying cases. “I’m really exhausted but very happy,” she added. A spokesperson from the AEMPS was not able to comment in time for press. It comes after the Olive Press launched its Kill the Drug campaign last year in a bid to bring in legislation, after expats revealed how they had lost loved ones to Nolotil. Anyone who has been affected by Nolotil is still urged to contact Cristina at cristinadrugresearch@gmail. com and contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es.

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WATCH OUT EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

POLICE have confirmed they are monitoring a convicted paedophile who has allegedly recently moved to southern Spain from England. It comes after the Olive Press discovered that David Moist, 65, has apparently set up numerous social media profiles linked to underage teenagers. Moist, who has served two prison sentences for sexual offences against children, has been spending time in the Campo de Gibraltar area, it can be revealed. He is apparently able to move freely around Spain and Gibraltar, despite being on the UK Sex Offenders Register for 10 years. But this week a spokesman for

Expats warn of ‘dangerous’ UK paedophile moving to the coast while allegedly using social media accounts linked to teenagers Devon and Cornwall police told the paper, that they were liaising with Gibraltar police over his ‘activities and behaviour’. “We continue to work with colleagues at Royal Gibraltar Police. His activities and behaviour, including travel plans, will continue to be monitored,” said a spokesman. He added that he was currently ‘believed’ to be adhering to the conditions of a specific, indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which he was put under in 2010. It came after he was found guilty of making and possessing indecent im-

ages of children in the UK, adding to a list of previous similar offences going back to 1975. Our investigation was launched after a hostel owner in La Linea reported strange behaviour from Moist, who had been staying there from June 24. The British owner of the Gib Inn, told the Olive Press both he and various guests had a ‘really bad feeling about him’. “He told us he owned a catering company specialising in red telephone boxes and kept referring to padded cells,” added the British ex-

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MOVING IN?: David Moist pat. “It just seemed really weird and didn’t add up.” When he Googled Moist the next day he discovered he had various convictions for paedophilia and immediately called the Gibraltar police. “They advised me to evict him from the hostel and said he’s a very dangerous man, get him out of there,” he continued. “The next day he threatened to eat my guest’s cat,” claimed the owner, who allows pets at the hostel. “Enough was enough. I told him I’ve had the police on the phone and he literally ran out of the door,” he added. “We didn’t see him again.” “I’m pleased he has gone. We don’t want a paedophile here, we get a lot of children and families staying. I can’t have him here putting people at risk.” One of the guests, Jason Saggs, a graphic designer revealed that Moist had been looking for long-term accommodation in the area.

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CRIME

www.theolivepress.es NEWS IN BRIEF

Traffick stop THE Policia Nacional have arrested 13 men, including 9 from Málaga, who were part of a sexual trafficking network that exploited and forced Nigerian women into illegal prostitution.

New Dog Beach SEVENTH dog beach along the Costa del Sol has opened in Torrox Costa near the mouth of the River Torrox. Dog owners must have control over their dogs at all times.

LG-Beach-T Wonder Gay Festival, the second biggest LGBT festival of summer, will be held in Torremolinos from July 23-29. A famous drag queen, La Prohibida, will perform at the opening.

Yes means yes SEXUAL acts that do not begin with a spoken ‘yes’ could soon be considered illegal, according to a new proposal by Spain’s deputy prime minister. Carmen Calvo put forward the change in a bid to prevent rulings being open to interpretation, similar to the Wolf Pack ‘La Manada’ gang rape case. “If a woman doesn’t say ‘yes’ expressly, everything else is a ‘no’,” she said.

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Paedo alert

Higher mobile fines

USING your phone while driving is set to carry a heavier punishment in Spain. It comes after it was revealed that distractions at the wheel are the leading cause of death on roads, more so than alcohol and speeding. The DGT wants to give drivers more points for recurring and dangerous traffic violations. It comes as the Guardia Civil warned drivers that throwing a cigarette butt through the vehicle window will incur a fine of €200 and a loss of four points from your driving licence.

Expat terror

EXPATS are warning of a brazen robbery ring on the Costa del Sol after a string of breakins. At least six robberies have taken place within the last month at apartment complexes in Riviera, including Mijar Golf House, Mirador de Miraflores and Millenial, frightened ex-

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

pats have told the Olive Press. Debbie Charville, who lives at Mijar Golf House, came terrifyingly close to her robber two weeks ago, while babysitting her three-year-old grandson. “I heard a noise and found two men stood outside the kitchen

Ruthless gang carries out string of ‘terrifying’ robberies

doors, dressed in black with a balaclavas. “I ran and smacked the glass and they both legged it. I was lucky,” she recalled. The expat said she has ‘never been so terriDON’T buy fruit or cakes from fied’. unlicensed beach vendors. “I’m living like The warning comes after Mara prisoner in bella police uploaded a video my own home. showing the raid of a vendor’s I couldn’t car showing food sitting bework, I couldn’t side rubbish during the midsleep,” said day heat. In the angry outburst the Middlesthe policeman is heard saying: brough-born “They cut the fruit in a car full housekeeper. of s**t, and then sell it to us, it’s She attempted disgusting.” to call the po-

Not normal

Beach Clean-up THE Commonwealth of Municipalities of the Western Costa del Sol has collected nearly 152.5 tons of waste from the coastal waters in a joint effort with its public company Acosol. BEWARE: Beach food

lice while in shock but couldn’t report it as a crime. Gaynor Lofthouse, 52, who lives at Mirador de Miraflores with her 15-year-old son and husband, was also robbed two weeks ago, after leaving her balcony door open at night. She woke the next day to find thieves had swiped €85 in cash, a Rolex watch, and ‘sentimental’ 50th birthday gifts including a designer Bulgari bracelet and two Pandora bracelets. “I found my handbag on the balcony and thought ‘that’s weird’ then I realised my jewellery was gone. It was horrific,” added the Liverpudlian-born cook. “It shook me up. I didn’t sleep at all the next couple of nights,” she added. The expat hasn’t reported it for fears police would think it was her fault for leaving the balcony door open.

From front page

“He is clearly looking to set up shop here,” he told the paper. Later a high and outstanding BT internet bill for £564.60 was found in Moist’s room, directed to his address in Newton Abbot, Devon. We have since discovered he apparently has several social media profiles in the name ‘David Moist’ most without a photo, including several Instagram accounts following teenagers as young as 13. Three Twitter accounts, including Moist’s images, and a fourth, including his email address, have also been discovered. He also has an account on Facebook, with photos of him, set up in January 2017, despite the social media site vowing to ban convicted paedophiles. According to the Facebook profile, and another Twitter account, he is currently living in Gibraltar. A RGP spokesman confirmed that they had spoken to the hostel owner about Moist (picture below), but that he is not currently wanted for any crime in the UK or Gibraltar.

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Queen Bey BEYONCE couldn’t resist posing for a few snaps as she landed in Spain ahead of a sell-out concert. The mother-of-three looked cool as ice rocking Daisy Duke denim shorts and a geometric print shirt, paired with retro red shades. The singing superstar was in Barcelona to perform her only Spain gig on her On the Run II tour. She was accompanied by husband and rapper Jay-Z, who she is touring the world with. The power couple are now in France.

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July 18th - July 31st 2018

Sibling rivalry ENRIQUE Iglesias is normally the one melting hearts across the world, but this time it’s his adorable baby twins. The Spanish singer (right), 43, shared a snap of Nicholas and Lucy sporting the Spanish football team’s red jerseys on Instagram. To keep things fair, his wife and former tennis champ Anna Kournikova, 37, also shared a photo of the adorable siblings, but this time sporting the shirt of her home country Russia.The happy couple have been together for 16 years and had their twins in December last year.

CURTAIN CALL GOODBYE: Thousands salute last fight of The Pirate (right)

SHE’S ARRIVED: Yonce

Keeping up with Disick SCOTT Disick and his partner Sofia Richie have taken a break on the Costa del Sol. The reality TV star, 35, who found fame on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, attended a wedding at upmarket Finca Cortesin in Casares. He took his 19-year-old girlfriend and daughter of Lionel Richie to the nuptials of Morgan Curtis, daughter of famed fashion designer Jill Stuart. The couple were seen taking in the sights of Marbella’s old town before Disick gave a speech at the wedding.

DISICK: With Richie

Despite nearfatal scalping last week, as well as losing an eye, Spain’s most famous bullfighter finally takes a bow

A BULLFIGHTER who famously lost an eye when a bull’s horn went through his head has finally hung up his cape. Juan Jose ‘the Pirate’ Padilla appropriately fought his last bull during Spain’s famous San Fermin festival in Pamplona at the weekend. Thousands of fans cheered the Andalucian torero as he raised his red cape for the last time, particularly as it came just days after he nearly died after being ‘scalped’ by a bull. The 45-year-old matador - who lost one eye during a bullfight seven years ago - needed a staggering 40 stitches after a bull ripped off a section of his scalp in Arevalo, near Valladolid last week. Shocking footage shows Padilla trip over before the bull gores him, leaving a section of his scalp hanging off. Despite the horrifying attack, which tore off around 20 cm of his head, The Pirate was determined to get back into the ring one last time to mark his retirement. “There is no reason why I couldn’t fight in Pamplona,” insisted the brave matador, who lost his eye TWICE in the same ring in Zaragoza. On the first occasion in 2011 his eye was speared out, as a horn went through his head, while on the

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second occasion five years later in the same ring a horn popped out his glass eye and severed his cheek, leading to titanium plates being installed. His swansong came despite medics insisting he was lucky to be alive. His retirement comes after a 24-year-long career, during which he has suffered over 30 serious injuries. The Jerez-born torero, who is well-known for his flamboyant matador suits, is considered an ‘icon’ among many of his fans for his fearless, risk-taking attitude in the ring.

Pardon Another bullfighter, Estepona-based Jose Tomas, was paid an estimated €500,000 to return to the ring in Algeciras last month. Tomas, Spain’s highest paid torero, had not fought for over two years, having received his 57th serious injury in 2015. However, it was fellow fighter Miguel Angel Perera, 34, from Badajoz, who seized the day with a remarkable performance, in which his second bull was given an ‘indulto’ pardon and allowed to leave the ring alive.

Vamos Vega PAZ Vega has wowed the crowds at the world premiere of hit Netflix series Paquita Salas. The 42-year-old Spanglish star donned a sophisticated black satin gown with studded detailing while rocking her trademark pixie crop haircut. She catwalked her statuesque frame in shimmering silver stilettos at the Madrid premiere. The Spanish megastar makes a cameo in the second season of hit comedy Paquita Salas, which follows an embattled talent manager struggling to hold onto her artists in Madrid.

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4 Desperate plea to save 50 former pets as expat charity ‘forced out’ of property EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

AN expat-run dog shelter is in a race against time to save the lives of dozens of animals after being handed an eviction order. Some 50 dogs are facing death after the APA charity in Nerja was forced to close this

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July 18th - July 31st 201817th 2018 July 4th - July

SAVE OUR DOGS

week. It came after the charity received a notice from its landlord earlier this month saying it had just 15 days to vacate the rented property. President Laura Downes, 37, told the Olive Press: “We are in a desperate situation and

at the moment we are concentrating on getting all of the dogs to safety. “All our rehomers over Europe are backing us and helping us find homes for the dogs in need. We are being pressurised daily to leave but we

They need a kick in the ass! EXPATS are in uproar after a photo of a collapsed Mijas donkey went viral. The image shows the animal allegedly lying on the ground after giving in to stifling heat. Now campaigners have called on ‘greedy’ owners to stop work between 1pm and 7pm to save the donkeys from the scorching 30-degree heat. “It’s the least they can do,” said a spokesman for Mijas Pueblo Animal Cruelty group, which also blasted tourists for funding the rides and labelled the town hall as ‘corrupt’ for not clamping down. Expat Mike Frizell has led a seven-year

campaign for better living conditions for the donkeys, including introducing more shade and better stables. It comes after mayor Juan

Maldonado promised ‘immediate action’ on the matter, but did nothing, as the Olive Press reported in May.

will not do this until we know our dogs are in safe hands. “They are our family and we will not let them end up in the hands of the killing stations who have no qualms about putting dogs down.” In a desperate plea to expats and locals, the charity said: “Our landlord has been pressured himself and threatened to evict us, as there is no other choice, after three years of working so hard

to save the animals of our town, we have to close. “The dog hotels are full, so are our foster homes, we can’t even afford to pay the hotels if there were spaces.” It comes two years after the charity first faced closure after being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of abandoned animals and the fact that the land could not be concreted, undermining the shelter’s hygiene. It managed to survive and has rehomed hundreds of dogs since. The charity is holding a demonstration outside Nerja town hall this Saturday to fight for its survival. Downes added: “We are gathering at 11am and need as many people as possible to show their support, the dogs need you.”

Brave heart appeal

GARTH: With partner

A BRITISH fitness fanatic is raising awareness of cardiac arrest after collapsing on a treadmill and waking up with no memory. Expat personal trainer Garth Suthurst, 39, from Oldham, suffered a heart attack while on a treadmill in Marbella. His heart stopped beating for 20 minutes, and when he woke up in the Costa del Sol hospital, he had no memory of his family, including his eight-year-old daughter Lily. After more than a month in hospital, however, his memory has almost completely returned. The first breakthrough was when his family put on his music playlist, and he started to sing along with the chorus of Hey Jude, by The Beatles. Doctors had said Garth's chances of recovery were low but brain scans have shown no swelling, bleeding or scarring on his brain, and he has now gone home. Now, his family want people to know that sudden cardiac arrest can hit anyone. Garth travelled around the world to compete in races and worked out every day.

www.theolivepress.es N E WS

July 18th - July 31st 2018

FE AT U R E

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than 500,000 people a month.

OPINION Have some humanity COMPARING migrants to animals or saying they should be left to drown are just some of the thankfully few - vile comments that have been left on our online stories. Let’s not forget, most of the expats commenting are themselves migrants, who came to Spain searching for a better life. What makes them different to the desperate men, women and children who have fled from sub-Saharan Africa, other than the colour of their skin and how much they had in their bank accounts? They should thank their lucky stars they weren’t brought up in a country surrounded by death, violence and corruption or that they weren’t so desperate that they’d ‘rather die trying to be a nobody here than stay at home,’ as photographer Felipe Passolas poignantly said.

Following yet another front page expose last issue, here The Olive Press presents just some of the other costa criminals we have helped to probe over the last decade, writes Laurence Dollimore HOPEFULLY a few less people will get conned in Spain this month. It comes after a number of alleged fraudsters were exposed in our last few issues and a couple were finally rounded up. One of the biggest scalpings was Britain’s Most Wanted Mark Acklom, who has conned punters out of over €1 million, and PONZI was finally tracked KING down to Switzerland this month. Last issue we also exposed Rhys Williams, who is alleged to have used a ponzi-style scam to fleece expats of at least €6 million, while we continue to keep tabs on Paula Neale, who is being probed for countless property scams. Sadly, they are just some of dozens of fraudsters who are operating in Spain and they are anything but the first shady Brits we have investigated over the past 12 Jump to it

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Police probe launched after expats claim €6 million scammed in dodgy investment scheme

ACCUSED: Rhys Williams has vacated villa

er clothes and Rolexes. A GROUP of British expats have "They live the high life out here EXCLUSIVE called in police after losing more with all the apparent credentials to than €6 million to an alleged Costa prove they are successful and makrency companies. del Sol fraudster. ing money." The unsuspecting Brits invested up "They hooked him in with trips to Not initially convinced, Parsons to €1.64 million each into the al- Wimbledon for the tennis, Sweden flew out to Dubai where he was leged ponzi scheme operating out and to fancy meals out, which was shown around various facilities nothing compared to what they got of Marbella, Dubai and India. that apparently backed up the Welsh expat Rhys Williams, 36, off him," explained son Paul. claims. is accused of snaring various local "They need to be stopped." “He reinforced all this with deexpats, including wealthy parents Another victim, Adrian Parsons, tailed bank statements and lots of at his children's €10,000-a-year 53, from Birmingham, invested official paperwork, which we now €500,000 into the Dubai-based private school in Marbella. think was fake,” he continued. The victims insist the business- recycling company. Initially, the investment seemed man, who was declared bankrupt "He was very convincing," Parsons to be genuine and for the first in the UK, persuaded them to told the Olive Press, "He and his six months he was paid back the invest huge sums into a paper re- partner were living in a €10,000 promised 2% agreed per month. cycling and printing business, as per month villa in Marbella and “But then the money suddenly well as trading platforms in Dubai, were dressed head to toe in design'guaranteeing them a 2% monthly return'. One British pensioner, Brian Livesey, 84, invested €1.64 million in late 2014. The former soldier, who has lived in Marbella for decades, has yet to see any return. "It has destroyed him," his son Paul told the Olive Press this week. year this earlier "He had a stroke from the stress of it, we are barely keeping our heads above water paying off debts." Livesey, who once ran a successful UK construction company, was introduced to Williams by a director at one of Gibraltar's cryptocur- LIFE OF LUXURY: Rhys had Rolex and fancy cars

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stopped coming in,” he said. “I’m sure this was some sort of Ponzi scheme. Clearly they ran out of investors.” For two years, Williams kept promising the money would be returned, claiming his company Impact General Trading, based in Dubai, had been embargoed and had accounts frozen after 'illegally dealing with Iran'. Parsons has since asked for his €500,000 investment back to care for his sick father, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Cancer

"Williams promised me I would get my money back, telling me how his mother had also had cancer and that he wouldn't let us down," added Parsons. But the money never materialised. Another alleged victim, Michael McVicar, claims to have lost €1.5 million, while up to a dozen other expats have apparently lost between €100,000 and €1 million each. Collectively the group claim they are owed €6.28 million. The Olive Press has discovered that Williams left Llys Meddyg Llangristiolus, in North Wales almost a decade ago after being

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ACCUSED: Rhys Williams has vacated villa

declared bankrupt and having his care home company investigated for fraud. Despite this, he has been able to help set up several companies, including Impact General Trading, in Dubai, and others in Panama. According to the victims, Williams and his family have recently vacated their exclusive rented villa in Marbella. “We understand they have now, rather rapidly left the coast and returned to Wales,” added Parsons. "Until last month, they had three kids at private school, were still going to all the top restaurants just like nothing had happened. "At the same time he has left a trail of destruction behind him and many lives in tatters." This week, the UK's Serious Fraud Office confirmed to the Olive Press that it is looking into the Williams, but could not comment any further. Following various denuncias, the Guardia Civil, in Estepona, is also investigating Williams. After numerous attempts to contact Williams by phone, he finally replied by email to insist his innocence. "I totally and utterly deny any allegations,” he wrote, but did not reply to any further questions.

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December 10th - 22nd 2015

...while Rajoy brushes up on his expat news

Podemos boss in massive comeback both parties. “This is the reason Mr Rajoy is not here: he too received illegal payments,” roared Iglesias. Also insisting he would not bomb Syria, he clearly got the upper hand on his nervous main anti-corruption rival Albert Rivera, of Ciudadanos. The end result was ‘una bomba’, as the Spanish would say, coming out on top by a mile in various polls yesterday. These included the right-leaning El Mundo, with nearly half of the paper’s readers (42%) siding with him, while PP rep Soraya Saenz de Santamaria got 30%, Rivera 22% and PSOE’s Pedro Sanchez, just 7%. Readers of La Vanguardia went even stronger in their support, giving him an astonishing 55%, ahead of Rivera (16%), (16%) Sanchez and Saenz de Santamaria (13%). BOTTLE: (From left) Three leaders and Santamaria

A BEAMING Pablo Iglesias came out swinging during a crucial TV leaders’ debate to blow the Spanish general election wide open. With Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy absent - and watching proceedings in his pyjamas - the Podemos leader’s popularity received a huge boost in front of a record 9.2 million viewers, Spain’s largest TV audience of 2015. Going for the jugular, the longhaired leader slammed the PP and PSOE - over a raft of corruption scandals, that have engulfed their parties. In a damning final 51-second round-up of why he should become Spain’s new PM, he listed five key cases that have rocked

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begins with sensational TV debate minus the PM who was in Estepona

Pablo’s back...

INCISIVE: Malaga PP boss points out another Olive Press exclusive to Rajoy

OME say the Spanish Prime Minister is out of touch and has taken his finger off the pulse. But Mariano Rajoy proved doubters wrong by getting his priorities straight in the run-up to the most exciting general election in Spanish history. While the other party leaders engaged in a crucial TV debate on Monday, the PP boss was preoccupied with the more important matter of... what’s happening in Andalucia. And his choice of reading matter was spot on! After a keynote campaign speech for party faithful in Estepona, he found time to catch up on expat news by reading your very own, decade-old, super-reliable Olive Press.

While debate still rages about his ability to speak English, he was clearly engrossed in our last front page, before spending a minute flicking through the issue. Finding plenty of interest, with Malaga’s PP boss Elias Bendodo looking over his shoulder, he then pointed out something apparently intriguing on the cover. Perhaps he was making a note of the website for future reference on his return to Madrid? Or maybe, just maybe, he was imagining himself pictured on the cover of our next edition following a landslide victory on December 20. Dreams can come true.

Election fever sweeps nation Page 6-7

Infamous expat fraudster Nigel Goldman convicted for a fourth time

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

One way ticket to jail! Page 4

GOLDMAN GUILTY

GOLDMAN: Awaiting prison

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WESTLEY CAPPER Since Latvian waitress Agnese Klavina disappeared in September 2014, the Olive Press has been pressing hard for answers. We were the first ones to link privately-educated Brit Capper to her disappearance, picturing him living it large in Marbella’s Aqwa Mist nightclub in our November 2014 edition. Since then Capper has admitted to killing a Bolivian mother in a drunken hit-and-run incident. However, as revealed

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To long-time Olive Press readers, notorious Nigel Goldman will be a familiar figure. Exposing naughty Nige countless times for a string of scams, including selling gold coins and stamps on eBay, Goldman was finally handed a 12-month suspended sentence in January 2016 in the UK. He still has many cases to answer for, with countless victims baying for his head in Spain. Police are still investigating. In December last year we revealed he had set up shop again near Brighton.

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OUTRAGE AS EXPAT WESTLEY CAPPER GETS BAIL AND IS JUST...

DAYS AND OUT

British killer back at multi-million euro luxury villa just three months after killing expat in drunken hit-and-run

A two-year mystery

EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan and Jon Clarke

Life’s a picnic

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ing it. One thing is for sure, we certainly could not do it without the help of our trusty eagle-eyed readers. Check out our rogue’s gallery of some of the UK’s rotten exports and how we helped keep tabs on them.

NIGEL GOLDMAN

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IT is concerning that a convicted paedophile could be looking to move to southern Spain or Gibraltar permanently. Many may say that he has paid his dues and that everyone deserves a second chance, but let’s face it, those of us with children would want to know if this man is moving in next door. Paedophilia is not something that can yet be cured and David Moist was convicted of making indecent images of children. People have a right to know if a potential threat to their children is thinking about entering their neighbourhood. As the only investigative English newspaper in Spain, it is our duty to report on such dangers, in some cases, no matter the consequences.

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IT only took three months. Indeed, just 91 days after killing a Bolivian mother while under the influence of drink and drugs, British expat Westley Capper is back at his multi-million euro luxury villa. Capper - who is also being investigated over the unlawful detention of missing expat Agnese Klavina - has been granted bail after coughing up €360,000. This is despite Capper admitting to the hit-and-run that left mother-of-four Fatima Dorada thrown 20 feet to her death on a roundabout in San Pedro in May. The privately-educated Capper is now living at his exclusive Benahavis bolthole, it can be revealed, enjoying the heated pool, expansive grounds and use of a chauffeur. In total, the Olive Press can reveal his

HE mystery surrounding missing expat Agnese Klavina continues exactly two years since her disappearance. Yet, the Olive Press can reveal that after months of inactivity, police are narrowing in on the location where Agnese was taken after leaving Aqwa Mist nightclub, in Marbella, with Brits, Westley Capper and Craig Porter. September 6 marks the second anniversary of the Latfamily have paid the court €50,000, plus €310,000 in ‘blood money’ set aside for the family of Dorada. This is in addition to the €300,000 bail money his father, multimillionaire businessman John ‘Freddie’ Capper, has put up in the case of missing Latvian Klavina,

vian’s disappearance and the British expats remain the main suspects. The pair have been charged with aggravated unlawful detention and have to report to a Marbella court twice a month and are forbidden from leaving Spain under their bail conditions. A source close to the investigation told the Olive Press that police are ‘closing in’ on the location of Agnese’s possible death.

who vanished after being seen getting into his car after a night out in Marbella two years ago (see pullout above). During Westley’s recent 91day stay at Alhaurin prison (he was released last Tuesday) the Essex-man lost 35 kilos and now strikes a ‘shadow of his former self’, according to an Olive Press source. Capper was arrested, alongside sidekick Craig Porter, at a curry house in Estepona

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just hours after slamming his Bentley into Fatima in pouring rain and then fleeing the scene. He faces four charges including manslaughter, failure to aid his alleged victim, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs and an offence relating to false documentation. A source close to the investigation confirmed that the 38-year-old’s Bentley remains impounded and that the terms of his bail prevent him from driving. Capper is already banned from leaving the country under bail conditions set in the ongoing missing persons case of Klavina. Fatima’s husband Tomas Ramirez told the Olive Press he was stunned by the ‘heart-

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CAUGHT!

HOME: Capper and our previous story less nature’ shown by Capper. “I cannot understand how he has shown absolutely no remorse, has not reached out to the family and clearly has no conscience whatsoever,” the 48-year-old builder said.

Heartless

“It really puzzles me. What a heartless person he must be.” Capper’s London-based lawyer said he could not confirm or deny that Capper had been granted bail. “I have not been instructed on how to answer questions on this,” Robert Taylor of Cubism Law said. “I have been on holiday and I will be talking to my client in the next day or two.” Neither the police, nor court, would comment on the case. Opinion Page 6

#TWITFACE

PAULA NEALE She has to be one of the most prolific and successful fraudsters we have ever investigated. The British mother has amassed a fortune from taking deposits on holiday villas she doesn’t own, and has been getting away scot free for at least four years. Thanks to our probe we managed to kickstart a police investigation and she was eventually arrested in Burgos earlier this year only to be released on bail! True to form, as we revealed last issue, she is STILL scamming tourists right under the noses of police.

CRIME NEWS

Expats - linked to missing Agnese Indian moments after hit-and-run- head for an killed a mother

Mahon Guilty!

TWITTER has launched a new Emoji with the face of Mariano Rajoy. The jestful emoji of the current acting Prime Minister was created as he launched his upcoming investiture bid, which starts on Wednesday. The playful, animated emoji can be activated by hitting #InvestiduraRajoy on your keyboards until September 2.

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A PAIR of cold-hearted expats went for a curry after killing a mother in a run incident. horrific hit-andNABBED: Corner Notorious Brit supped beers Westley Capper and chatted with pal Craig Porter Alhaurin prison just 30 min- flops wearing flip utes after knocking EXCLUSIVE over the The and a grey t-shirt. Bolivian mother son of multimillionaire By Laurence THE ex-boyfriend old in San Pedro. of a two-year- Fred Capper Dollimore of missing Lisa Brown, has was arrested and Rob Horgan Privately-educated Estepona restaurant in in Copenhagen. been arrested Capper linked to the disappearance - India after a manhunt Mini Ordering chicken tikka Simon Corner, stunning Latvian of launched to 33, is facing exwas las and drinking masatradition to Spain track him down. Cobra lager, Klavina, in 2014 expat Agnese He had been for questionthe pair had ing over the fled the crash, been remanded - has now English-plated driving a black which happened Lisa, who hasdisappearance of in custody afBentley GT ter pleading guilty a nine-year-old Continental, Monday evening. at 8.30pm on son. at Marbella friend alongside his court. “They Liverpudlian Corner is expected Craig Por- seemedwere acting strange and He was seen ter, who is also to appear before a San being taken to be in a rush,” charged with to the disappearance waiter Jolal Uddin, 34, fore the end ofRoque judge beof Agnese. the week, alongPress. “Soon told the Olive side another British people joined another three man, who is believed to be TRAGIC: Paramedics were locked in them and they Fugitive Corner,his accomplice. hushed converMini India try to revive whose real sation at the back name is Dean victim and of the restauWoods, has been (top) rant. “ I saw the car wanted for questioning “It was clear threw her flyinghit her and it of Agnese since Lisa disappeared they were trying outside 25 metres,” to work out what Jose Maria, in Guadiaro last from her home nightclub in PuertoAqwa Mist 25, of Japanese to do, then November. minutes later Banus, in restaurant Inch Spanish authorities 2014. and they took the police arrived fear the the worst thing said. “It was While his 32-year-old Scot lawyer insists I have ever may have “Incredibly justthem outside. seen. he has been murdered not been charged, two local policeand dumped men was enough,” “Everyone rushed at sea. have not returned the courts he added. towards her Eyewitnesses his passport from the restaurant.” A European and he has to report to police scene revealed at the crash Tobacconist Antonio was issued lastArrest Warrant twice an’s body was that the womNavarro “He a month. added: “I saw ner, who fled month for Coris still Spain soon after metres through sent flying 25 screeching past,the Bentley go on the first having to attend Lisa’s disappearance, the air. then heard a and 15th of every abandonthud.” ing his yacht in month,” said a police source. Capper pleaded Lisa’s sister, Sotogrande. “A lot is Helen Jordan, hit-and-run in guilty to the scenes. going on behind the said: “An 'innocent' Marbella court man that yesterday. Meanwhile had nothing to “It is Porter pleaseda scary case and I am has been released to the Far East, hide has been he is currently on bail. Essex-man Capper locked and beyond. Europe, Ireland up. drives a “He number of luxury “While we are shouldn’t ing a Mercedes cars includ- the first place.”have been out in he's been caught,delighted that S-Class and lives in the exclusive long road to go. we still have a Marbella Town Madronal while Hall development, to anyone that We still appeal has promised meannear Marbella. CALLOUS: He is not expected to make she might be knows where alterations Capper and (right) Porter bail, as he is alreadyto be given in central to the road system Guardia Civil.” to contact the San Pedro, as under in- the vestigation for David Cameron it is second death the abduction has vowed to ‘make sure everything boulevard in two near the new months. possible is done for Lisa's family’.

THE stepfather guilty of killing of missing Amy Fitzpatrick has been found Former Mijas her brother Dean. slaughter afterresident Dave Mahon was found guilty of Dublin in 2013. his stepson died from a single manstab wound in Mahon is now facing a potential he had taken out life sentence, an argument on a knife and viciously stabbed after a jury ruled the teenager after "If Mr Mahon New Year’s Day. had not taken wouldn't be dead, the knife out of his pocket and he has admitted Sean Guerin. that," said his Dean "Mr Mahon has lawyer stupid thing to admitted taking the knife do and had tragic out was a very, Mahon and Audrey very consequences", he added. drey’s two children had moved to Mijas Costa in 2004, with AuAmy went missing Amy and Dean. four years later at the age of 15, in mysterious with evidence They have always pointing to neglect circumstances, by her parents. appearance, and insisted they had nothing to later returned to live in Ireland.do with her dis-

OUT ON BAIL: Westley (left) with pal Craig Porter

Rajoy rant - Page 8

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October 2015

MARK ACKLOM

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On the back of catching the sinister Sammon (below), the Olive Press set off on the hunt of fellow most-wanted fugitive Mark Acklom. We found his home and linked his wife to a business address in Murcia, before publishing an expose on his luxury lifestyle in Spain, funded by scams. He was only busted this month in a raid in Switzerland.

DANIEL JOHNSTON

SIMON CORNER When Scottish mum Lisa Brown went missing in November 2015, it was the Olive Press who exposed her ex-boyfriend Simon Corner’s shady dealings on the coast. We were the first paper to picture Corner, reveal how he uses various aliases and linked him to convicted people smuggler Stephen Jackson. His whereabouts are currently unknown, with the court letting him out on bail insisting there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.

MATTHEW SAMMON

This Most-Wanted paedophile was snared just hours after his mugshot went out across the media in the annual Crimestoppers Most Wanted appeal in Spain, thanks to an Olive Press stakeout. Working on a tip off from an eagle-eyed reader, our reporters tracked down Sammon in Fuengirola before calling Guardia Civil to arrest him in a dramatic midnight raid in November 2016. The story hit national headlines in the UK.

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English www.theolivepress.es daily news website  Costa del Sol on weather alert Most read stories with dropping temperatures and

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After a tip off we tracked down and snapped Crimestoppers’ most wanted Daniel Johnston who was being sought after for a string of violent robberies. Editor Jon Clarke tracked down Johnston to a village in Sevilla, where he managed to take a photo of the accused strolling out of a pub. He was one of the first the Olive Press snared.

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WHAT XMAS MEANS TO YOU Two whole days of eating, drinking, singing, arguing and laughing with Spanish in-laws (about 24 of them together!) Lies Wajer Arriate

Not wanted

Page 3 girl in charity spat

● How a dangerous criminal on the UK’s ‘Most Wanted’ list is being allowed to live a cushy life in Andalucia

● After nearly a month since we reported his whereabouts – and even sent photos – police have done nothing

HE is supposed to be one of England’s Most Wanted. Included on a list of the most dangerous British criminals living in Spain, Daniel Paul Johnston,

But, despite the Olive Press informing police of his exact whereabouts over three weeks ago, nobody has bothered to pay him a visit. Living in a village in in-

EXCLUSIVE by Jon Clarke 28, is being sought for a series of violent robberies in Derbyshire.

Seasonal sprinkling

the olive press

EXCLUSIVE

IT was a charity golf day with a difference. The charity got bunkered. Assembled at prestigious El Chaparral golf course, in Mijas Costa, British page3 star Linsey Dawn McKenzie (above) stood proudly alongside her husband ex-international footballer Mark Williams to inaugurate the ‘Celebrity Golf Classic’. Among a group of B and Continued page 5

It’s too early for weathermen to be forecasting what’s in store for Christmas and the New Year. However, a seasonal sprinkling of snow provided an ideal winter photo opportunity in Yunquera and the Sierra de las Nieves. The Olive Press would like to wish all readers and advertisers a very merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year. The next issue is due out on January 8th, 2009. OUR XMAS SPECIAL BEGINS ON PAGE 15

land Andalucia - which we are not naming for legal reasons - the handyman/builder still uses Danny - his proper Christian name - and spends much of his day in his favourite pub. Living rent-free with his girlfriend, he has an enviable life also getting regular handouts from his mum. This is despite a spate of vicious robberies in the Swadlincote area, near Derby, between 2004 and 2006. With his face partially covered and armed with a knife, on each occasion Johnston is alleged to have threatened staff in a series of off licences raids. “These were serious crimes,” said Crimestoppers co-ordinator Debbie Ryan. “He really scared the staff in these raids and we would expect to get a good custodial sentence for him, if convicted.” But unfortunately after police arrested Johnston, Continued page 2

WALKING FREE: Johnston this week. Identity covered for legal reasons

BE ‘APPY!

Picture: JON CLARKE

Tracked down to a mountain lair in Ronda, the Olive Press exposed the timeshare-style cons conducted by infamous fraudsters Stephen Lawrence and Toni Muldoon and their Costa del Sol cronies way back in 2008. We continued to monitor their scams until Muldoon was finally put away in 2014 for running a bogus escort service. ‘Timeshare Toni’ as he became known to Olive Press readers has since written a string of books on his scams.

Picture: KENTON SMITH

TONI MULDOON

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A brilliant refreshing read, well done the Olive Press - have a great Xmas and looking forward to more scoops next year From Gerry and the gang! Tel./Fax.: 952 930 351 C.C. Los Jarales 3, Calahonda km 197

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TERRY WRIGHT The Olive Press has been investigating boiler rooms in Spain from day one. In 2011 we revealed that blacklisted British businessman Terry Wright had earned millions of euros by persuading unsuspecting investors to part with their hard-earned cash. All from his rural hideout in the Guadalhorce Valley. The following year, with the heat on and police on his tracks, Wright bolted and bought a huge French chateau with his ill-gotten gains.

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www.theolivepress.es NEWS IN BRIEF

Dead Newborn A body of a dead newborn was found in a waste plant in Casares on Saturday. Agents of the Guardía Civil are now investigating the matter, but have admitted to the difficulty in identifying the deposit point.

Extended Parental Leave

NE WS FE AT U R E

July 18th - July 31st 2018

DRAMATIC SCENES AS ALMOST A THOUSAND MORE MIGRANTS

Faces of hope

BY 2020, all officials, men and women, who work for the Junta, will enjoy 20 weeks of parental leave. Currently, in Andalucia and all other parts of the country, government officials have 5 weeks.

Girl Rescued FIREFIGHTERS from the Málaga Fire Department rescued a five-year-old girl who was hanging from the balcony of her apartment on the eighth floor .

Exclusive set of photos shot in Granada and Almeria highlight the delight and fears of Europe’s new migrants, writes Laurence Dollimore

Hammer Violence A 43-year-old man in Málaga, who allegedly tried to kill his partner with a hammer, has committed suicide. Although she has several contusions, his partner is not in critical conditions.

ESPERATE, hungry, but full of hope, these are the migrants who have fled war, violence and poverty in search of a better life in Europe. This remarkable set of images, captured at ports in Granada and Almeria this month, shows the determination, patience and joy of migrants - mostly young men - to provide a better life for their families. And they’re not soldiers being sent by ISIS or Al Shabab, as many right wing commentators would have you believe, but brothers, fathers and sons, burdened with the responsibility of finding a job and a home before the rest of the family attempt to make the perilous journey across the straits of Gibraltar or the Alboran sea. “Some of them burst into song when they arrive,” Granada photographer Felipe Passolas, 39, who captured the images, told the Olive Press. “Others kiss the ground of the port.” But most just look confused, having arrived in a country they do not know, surrounded by police officers. “They have no idea what will happen to them, they are entering the unknown,” continued Passolas, a former banker, who has worked as a photographer in both Iraq and Syria. Just this weekend alone another 1000 migrants arrived on our Spanish shores, as the route across the Straits continues to become the fastest growing option, with Italy and Malta making their progress more complicated. Luckily for them, Spain is one of the most welcoming countries in the world. And more so now that new Socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez is in power. In a recent Gallup Poll, the country was revealed as the 17th most welcoming for migrants in the world and the 7th in Europe, coming just behind advanced democracies like the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Sweden. With a migrant welcoming index of 7.44 (out of ten), it was way ahead of 38th placed UK, which had an index of 6.61. Given Europe’s alleged role in causing the migrant crisis, Passolas argues it’s only right that we treat them with humanity and respect. He poignantly added: “The fact is they would rather die trying to be a nobody here than stay in their home countries.”

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FAMILY: A mother and baby are alright while (below) the faces of hope, fear and trepidation are evident on their faces

www.theolivepress.es NEWS

ARRIVE FROM AFRICA THIS WEEKEND ALONE

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: With gloves and a mask, a policeman escorts migrants

Y JO

Migrant myths, busted Most migrants are young men intending to advance terrorist agendas or cause crime Islamist radicalization of Arab migrants in Spain was found to be lower than that of Belgium, the UK, France, and Germany. In fact, César Alonso-Borrego, an economics lecturer at the Carlos III University, insists that immigration does not cause higher crime. He claims there is a weak correlation between the two, in which crime rates have increased very slightly with the rapidly growing pace of immigration, but one does not cause the other. Migrants harm the economy and take jobs from local residents An increase in migration does not cause a proportional increase in unemployment of local Spanish workers. One study by the Technological Institute of Tapachula, in Mexico, found that when the proportion of immigrants increases by 10%, the employment of native workers decreases about 0.2%. This low substitution rate is because migrants work in labour-intensive fields that many natives find unappealing. In Spain, more than 80% of working migrants are in the service and construction industries, which are integral parts of Spain’s GDP.

An increase in immigration causes an increase in drug trafficking It cannot be denied that drug trafficking is a pressing problem in southern Spain, but migrants and drug traffickers should not be confused. The province of Cadíz, which is the largest entrypoint in EU for illegal drugs, suffers from high volume of drug trafficking because of its proximity to Morocco, a major drug producer, not because of migrants fleeing regional conflicts and economic hardships. Migrants reap off government benefits and the welfare system Most migrants don’t have comfortable lives and government benefits are often out of their reach. Their struggle to meet daily needs begins as soon as they land. Regardless of their hardships, their tax and social security contributions still cover 20% more than the cost of the benefits they use. Moreover, contrary to claims that immigrants burden hospitals, surveys show that immigrants get sick less often as most are younger and have more dire needs to work. Immigrants actually contribute more to the healthcare system by paying for the services they need and not collecting the benefits.

July 18th - July 31st 2018

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Motorhome Trouble RESIDENTS of Fuengirola have called for the town hall to address the issue of motorhomes parked right in front of the beach at the same spot for several months at a time.

New Bridge MAYORS of Torremolinos and Benalmádena have signed an agreement for a bridge that will connect La Leala and El Pinillo, which is estimated to cost around €1.3 million.

Rescued OVER 650 migrants were recently rescued from the Straits of Gibraltar, a spot where many cross from Morocco to Spain.

GREEN NE WS

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Spain needs to kickstart ‘extraordinary’ green measures, experts warn SPAIN’S greenhouse gas emissions grew by 4.4% last year despite promises to cut them. New figures have revealed the biggest year-on-year spike since 2002. It comes as experts warn Spain is not on track to meet its EU goal of having practically zero emissions by 2050. The dry weather has been partly to blame for the rise in emissions, while transport continues to be a leading factor. Spain has pledged to cut emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2030, vowing to cut out 100 million tons of emissions. The previous government, however, said this would not

Choking!

Tick tock be possible unless ‘extraordinary steps’ were taken, meaning emissions will still be in the 330 million tons range by 2030. Former prime minister Mariano Rajoy failed to even bring green legislation as a draft

during his tenure. But new leader Pedro Sanchez has vowed to have a bill ready for Congress by the end of this year. Spain produced 338.8 million tons of emissions last year, partly because of a drought

LYNX DANGER

Clearing Hotline UNIVERSITY of Gibraltar has launched a ‘clearing hotline’ and seven-step online guide for students hoping to attend the university (see page 47). TRAMPLED: Lynx

MORE than 120 lynxes have been run over on roads in the Iberian peninsula over the last six years. Being hit by a vehicle is the main cause of death for the rare species, accounting for 45% of deaths. Andalucia saw the highest number of lynx road deaths in 2017, with 18, followed by Castilla la Mancha (nine), Extremadura (three), and Portugal (one). Fences have been erected at the sides of some roads in an effort to protect the animals. However, efforts to stop the species becoming extinct have led them to spread to new areas in Spain and Portugal, putting them in danger of new roads.

that reduced the supply of hydroelectricity, meaning coalpowered plants picked up the slack. In May, the labour union CCOO warned about the rise in emissions, which the new government confirmed with the latest figures last week. “It is a negative balance, and it reveals the need for greater penetration of renewable sources in our energy mix,” said environment minister Hugo Morán. “Spain can no longer entrust the good or bad results of emissions on weather conditions. “It is necessary to define a road map to maintain top results, even in adverse weather conditions, and to disconnect economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible.”

THIS is the moment a shocked Gibraltar beachgoer filmed a ship releasing huge clouds of smoke shockingly close to the shore. The footage, which was posted on Facebook, shows thick black smoke billowing from the boat, just feet away from children playing on Camp Bay beach. “This is just ridiculous what we have to inhale when they can do this elsewhere and not near a beach full of kids,” said Paul Barnes. Residents slammed the 30-second clip in which the smoke can be seen spreading. It comes after it was revealed that more than 80% of Spain is exposed to air pollution levels deemed ‘unacceptable’ by the WHO. More than 6,000 people die each year in Spain from illnesses related to air pollution. Such figures are not currently available for Gibraltar.

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Jennifer Knowles, Malaga

osta de la Luz

See the light www.theolivepress.com

July 4th - July 17th 2018

Obama Visit

and Atlas Beach

For relief from the hot and busy summer, switch to the Costa de la Luz (or Coast of Light). It’s a complete breath of fresh air, writes Laurence Dollimore

FLUORESCENT kites accentuate its bright blue skies, Caribbean-style sweeping white sandy beaches, which seem wow factor, while the stiff beaches bring the million miles away from its easterly Costa a could easily pass for Chefchaouen hopefully not sweep you Atlantic breezes will Sol neighbour. del aouira. or EssWelcome to Tarifa, the off your feet. Handbags and hippy wind and kite surfers’ It’s no surprise that those-in-the-know scarves hang in the paradise that is unique from doorways around Spain flock pretty much Spain) for in Andalucia (and the summer seasonto the hotspot as soon as trendy barsof fashion boutiques while the and quality restaurants its hip, international begins. vibe and deep layers But there’s more to this will enancient Moorish town gage you for hours. The star of the Costaof history. than surfing and Having everything a town could want Light - that stretches de la Luz - or Coast of is truly a treat. beaches and its old quarter with glorious beaches, it’s no wonder paired technically all the wayfrom here to Cadiz (and Entering via a medieval Tarifa through Huelva to Porarchway, its cobbled has been constantly fought over. tugal), Tarifa is unrivalled for its kilometres of streets and whitewashed buildings are over- Romans first settled near the town (you can laid with a tangible north-African vibe that Continues on Page 20

In the heart of the old city, ready to steal your heart!

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EXCLUSIVE

Welcome back Obamas

See back page

Whale plea

HE’S been keeping a low profile since he ended his eight-year term as US President, but keep your eyes peeled for Barack Obama this weekend. According to sources close to the Olive Press, the 56-year-old could be taking a well-earned break in Mallorca starting this Saturday. The 44th president of the United States is already in Spain to attend an economic conference in Madrid, before jetting off to Porto to speak at a climate change summit on Friday. “He’s in Madrid on Friday morning, then flies to Portugal, before returning to Madrid,” said

NEARLY 50,000 people have signed a petition to scrap the controversial Med Salt 2 drilling project which threatens whales and other sea life off the Balearics. The Blue Sea Alliance has now presented the petition to the Consell, after 45 volunteers collected 15,000 more names over the last few weeks. The controversial scheme, sanctioned from Madrid, will allow high pressure airguns to drill for oil or natural gas, claim opponents. The noises emitted is believed to deafen whales and dolphins, causing permanent damage and driving them away from the area. "The project will greatly affect the survival of marine species including whales, turtles and fish,” claimed an Alliance spokesman.

I’d rather see the photos of him and his family any day than look at the smarmy so called leader that replaced him. (The Obamas are in Spain, Issue 32 Mallorca). I hope the Obama’s get a warm welcome around Spain for whatever reason they’re here.

the high-level political source. “He then heads to Mallorca, after that, but I can’t tell you any more,” he added. We understand he will be joined by wife Michelle and his two daughters. It comes after Michelle promised to return with her husband and family, after a short break in Mallorca last summer. She has twice had holidays on the island as friends of the former US ambassador to Spain James Costos. Obama and wife Michelle are also believed to have been at the wedding of tech tycoon Elon Musk’s brother in Girona last weekend. See page 3.

STILL AT IT

A BRITISH teenager has miraculously survived a massive 75-foot fall from a Mallorca balcony. The 18-year-old fell from the fifth floor of his hotel in Magaluf, while celebrating England’s World Cup victory over Colombia. Incredibly, the unnamed holidaymaker was found still conscious outside the four-star Flamboyan Caribe Hotel by a kebab shop worker, who called an ambulance. He was taken to Son Espases Hospital where he remains in a ‘serious condition’. The England fan is thought to have fallen out of a corridor window at around 1.30am, just a few hours after his team made it through to the last eight of the World Cup. The hotel was unavailable for comment, as we went to press. It comes after three more tourists, including a Frenchman and two Brits, plunged to their deaths earlier this year.

Ignored

In an extraordinary three month period up to early June the friend claims she raked in a staggering €18,000 from apparent holiday rental deposits. In a damning breakdown of the account, which the Olive

Alleged expat fraudster can’t stop scamming tourists - even under police watch

Press has a copy of, there is a total of at least €17,830 taken via PayPal. One of the victims Alex McIntyre, who is listed on the payments, said he was scheduled to stay at a villa arranged by Neale - who uses the aliases Paula Kari and Gabriel Goodman - this week in Malaga. McIntyre paid €700 for the villa near Mijas, where his aunt lives. But when he showed his aunt the pictures of the villa, she couldn’t recognise the area and when she went to look for it couldn’t find it. McIntyre tried to contact Paula - who was using her Gabriel alias - but she ignored him until he tried to cancel his PayPal payment. “She got very angry and demanded I close the PayPal dispute,” McIntyre told the

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ning of the year by Neale, who she had met five years ago when she lived in Kent. “She said she had had all her belongings stolen and she said. had no money to pay for “It is amazing what she has got up to and I just feel repetrol or feed her children. “She told me she was in ally sad for those kids, who trouble and had to keep have not had a stable life changing her name and lo- since they were young. cation due to a stalker and I “They must be teenagers felt sorry for her,” she con- now and I dread to think what effect it has had on tinued. “She said she was getting them.” work writing scripts but she The Olive Press has printed needed a friend to help her nearly a dozen stories over collect the payments and I the past FOUR years detailing how the British fraudster stupidly believed her.” was cheatOver the next ing holifour months daymakshe agreed ers out of to send her thousands. Thomas Cook Gone fishin’ Thanks to cash passport ACCUSED: Neale our tip-offs, payments, as Olive Press, “she blocked the the Spanish money me on social media after came in via authorities telling me I would be get- her PayPal aceventually ting no refund.” launched count. This week her long time “But that was Operation friend in the UK, who asked until a bank Neale earliwhere?? ANTHONY’S to remain anonymous, told flagged up a er this year us: “She has to be stopped. payment and PAULA: A previous in a bid to 2 for 1 issue from 59€ It is completely wrong what I did my retrack her she is doing.” search and found all your down. The mother-of-two, based articles and reported her to She was eventually picked in Edinburgh, said she had the1 UK Untitled-1.pdf 16/06/2017 15:36 and Spanish police,” up in Burgos in May as she been contacted at the beginwas getting into a stolen car. She had managed to evade police for a number of months by hiding in Girona and even in France, where she set up a new Tinder profile, describing herself C as ‘not your typical English woman abroad’. M BEST

See page xx 8

2017 - February 28th 2018

Vol. 11 Issue Vol. 12 Issue 285

15th - February 27th February14th February

Sabinillas and ll about Manilva, Sabinillas Manilva, Duquesa and la Duquesa Puerto de

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Vol. 12 Issue 285 www.theolivepress.es February 14th - February 27th 2018

OPEN E VERY D AY

Puerto de la Duquesa

Puerto de la Duquesa,

28th 2017 - February 27th 2018 February - February 14th15th February

www.theolivepress.es www.theolivepress.es

Born to be wild

TS rock pools full of tiny darting fish recall British seaside holidays of old while fishing boats still compete with sunloungers for space on the beach. Manilva is quite unlike your average Costa resort. Even in swanky Duquesa marina, you sense the history of a town whose first health tourist was Julius Caesar. And when you tuck into the shellfish - Duquesa’s speciality - you realise the locals know something about fish. In Roman times, Manilva was to garum (a paste, like Gentleman’s Relish, that was all on one of the many rocky coves drying squids, while (inset) kids play Jerez you can practiAugust, rage inofRome) July andwhat theoutside beaches include a shopping line of Indeed on many weekendsto NATURAL WONDERS: Sights on Manilva’s sherry.and a good number have great to yourself… cally have the beaches is wild grasses and flowers owe town’s roots in fish saltTS hidden craggy coves fringed withthan Spain’s Costa del Sol. chiringuitos to eat on. The you to explore - and place deep the perfect runfind still you Chullera, more to Cornwall’s rugged coastline natural beaches of Manilva, a On one beach at Punta ing of of tourists remains a handful another seeatthe stillwhile the sea, But these are the attractive protected rock pools and dive into can line. from the heavily commernext to a group of squids drying on a on true haven for nature lovers. Worlds away four kilometres of golden 16 which is of Manilva, that lie below the main N340 sunbathe Continues drawsPage to the half dozen of unspoilt beaches, But the beaches are just one of the natural cialised sands of nearby Mijas or Fuengirola, port-side Duquesa reserve. ecological rocky Manilva shallows coastal road. as anAn wildDAY: eel in the being kept split into three areas; beach-front Sabinillas, playas areCATCH OF THE on the Costa del Sol and some broadly chameleons and rare species of Endangered western snowy plovers, fauna in renaissance here since “These are some of the best beaches Continues on next page owner of local Castles of the least known,” explains Bish Witkowski, dune plants are among the flora and 2011. the conservation zone was created in also beginning to be drawn estate agency. eagle-eyed tourists are BRUNOS Unsurprisingly,

Publisher Jon Clarke’s postcard from Brazil

EXCLUSIVE By Jed Neill

POLICE are in pursuit of seasoned expat fraudster Paula Neale who has fled to France following an Olive Press probe. Detectives contacted us following a tip off that the mother-of-two was staying in a hotel in Catalunya and preparing to cross the border this week. She had been staying at Hotel Figueres, near Girona, and asked to pay for the room using her ‘husband’s’ credit card. It comes after four years of investigation by the Olive Press has uncovered more than 30 victims of her rental scams undertaken in various false names.

Tel: 951 279 117 www.simply-shuttles.com

BORDER DRAMA

Ransacked

Neale, 43, took rental deposits for properties she didn’t own and allegedly ransacked properties she had rented before selling the stolen goods online. However, despite four stories and at least eight denuncias ON THE RUN: Paula and (above) Spain-France border against her, she has yet to be and her hotel picked up by police. They’re singling He refused to leave his hoThis is looking increasingly me out! hire car. NEWS tel room or open the door to unlikely after a receptionist They claimed she had a long at Freeze on her, setting off alarm bells for the hotel confirmedplastic that Paula chequered track record of Neale, who packed up and left had checked out on Tuesday scams and problems, and had after repeatedly trying to raise morning. a third son, who was taken him. She had been planning to into care. Neale’s speedy departure cross into France with her two The friend described her as an came as the Olive Press was children, Nina, 12, and Oscar, ‘unfit mother who long dishanding over details of vari14 and live in Bordeaux. played erratic behaviour’. Balcon wins big ous denuncias and victims to Staff at the hotel saidAllthe aboard! room On one occasion she even prewas left in a ‘complete mess’ PROBE: Previous story in the Guardia Civil in Malaga. tended to be her daughter to A detective confirmed they after she left in a hurry, with try and strike up a connection the Olive Press CHANGING FACES: Paula were ‘in a race against time’ police arriving within an hour. with her long-lost son. to get an arrest warrant with Her plan to escape to France Neale fled to France LIBERTYHOME ducer’. Catalan police. was rumbled by her own pal, But after meeting her at the One of her victims, Sara Belactor Anthony Webster, who RRP 3,000€ hotel and agreeing to drive mont, says Interpol has been ratted on Neale when he found her to Bordeaux, he said he notified but because the out her real identity. felt ‘something wasn’t right’ crimes were committed in Webster told the Olive Press you when she claimed have her mother Spain, she must be charged this week that he had recently got that had suddenly died and that there. she befriended Neale online. Liberty needed to leave immediately. Family and friends back in He said she had promised to feeLing? He researched her online the UK meanwhile, confirmed and help his acting career and Seguros makes Liberty that OUR PRICE stumbled upon our catalogue insurance a better that she had made it across she knew people in the film of stories. the border on Tuesday in a industry, claiming to beexperience. € ‘a pro10

the olive press - October 16 - October 29 2014

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ashya thanks

BRITISH ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, has thanked the Hospital Materno Infantil in Malaga for its treatment of Ashya King, on behalf of the British government.

www.theolivepress.es

IN DENIAL: Guerrero

Wasn’t me

THE alleged lynchpin in Spain’s biggest ever political fraud claims he made SIX previous confessions up. Former Junta employment boss Francisco Guerrero insists he did not personally gain from the ERE scandal, that saw up to a billion euros embezzled over a decade. He claims he only gave details of the so-called ‘reptile fund’ that he allegedly oversaw, after police put considerable pressure on him. Guerrero is facing eight years in prison for embezzling €65 million of money from the €647 million emergency public fund that he managed between 1999 and 2008.

ICELAND is the first supermarket in the world to remove plastic packaging from its own-label products. Customers of Overseas, which stocks Iceland products in 20 shops across Spain and Portugal, will benefit from the five-year plan to reduce plastics in 1,400 products. Calling plastics a ‘scourge’ on the world, Iceland managing director Richard Walker said: “A truckload is entering our oceans every minute, causing untold damage to our marine environment and ultimately humanity – since we all depend on the oceans for our survival.” Plastic ready meal trays will be removed first, followed by frozen vegetable bags changing to a paper based material.

Top stamps

SPECIAL edition stamps of King Felipe and Queen Letizia have been launched by postal service Correos. Showing official photographs of the Royal duo, they can be bought for €1.

Pensioner, 70, complains of discrimination after being ordered to take down extension, despite neighbours all having the same

January 17th - January 30th 2018 EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan

year legal battle with the town hall after they served her with a demolition order and fined her €24,300 in 2008 for building a loft extension

without the correct planning permission. Several other properties in the Seghers community have similar extensions without planning licences - including Balson's next door Spanish neighbour - but Balson is the

Boozy trips

ONE in seven youngsters coming to Spain on holiday have admitted that they are drunk on the plane, according to a survey by website Jetcost. com.

Big Willy

MANCHESTER City goalkeeper Willy Caballero has told La Liga officials that he was approached by a match-fixing syndicate when playing for Malaga last year.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Terttu’s ‘illegal’ extension and adjoining

neighbour’s (right)

only resident facing court action. "It is completely discriminatory, I cannot help but think that it is not a coincidence that I have been chosen when I am the only foreigner living here," she told the Olive Press. Balson believed she had received planning permission when she contracted a Spanish architect Mario Jones in 2005. Now however, she feels that he did not do his job properly despite being paid €2,500 to take over the project and sort out the building licence. Jones, however, said he feels 'no guilt or responsibility and that Balson is to blame for the situation. He said: "I told her from the beginning that she wasn't allowed to build. Most people get away with it but she DESPERATE: Balson hasn't. "She is definitely being un- and dogs fairly treated and I am not with so many foreigners livsure why. I hope that the ing on the coast I don't think town hall is not targeting her it happens now." because she is foreign. Despite numerous attempts "Maybe that sort of thing Estepona Town Hall did not happened in the old days, but answer any of our questions.

Still on-the-run

EXCLUSIVE By Jed Neill

A SEASONED British fraudster has struck again. Paula Neale - exposed in the Olive Press four times in two years - has brought her dirty tricks to the Costa del Sol again. The rentals conwoman has snared a series of unsuspecting foreigners through her well oiled ruse of sub-letting properties. A number of victims have lost thousands in lost deposits, after she took over a two-bedroom apartment in Mijas. Using the alias ‘Sharon Tate’ she rented the Riviera apartment for three months, before

A FINNISH grandmother ordered to demolish a nineyear-old extension has accused Estepona Town Hall of being 'racially motivated' and 'singling' her out. Terttu Balson, 70, has been involved in an ongoing six-

Strike four!

Seasoned conwoman Paula Neale caught by the Olive Press a fourth time

Offer

A WANTED property fraudster has been tracked down to a luxury home in Benahavis, after an exclusive Olive Press investigation this month. According to neighbours in kids barely went to school upmarket La Heredia urbanand rarely even came out to isation, Rebecca Wells, 37, play. has fled owing money to sev“She never mixed with the loeral businesses. cal community here and one Keen horserider Wells - who day she was gone leaving an spent eight years posing as unpaid electricity bill.” an estate agent - is now being The Olive Press has still been sought by police, as reported unable to contact Wells, over in the Olive Press last issue, her defrauding of expats who after four denuncias were paid rent on properties she posted against her. did not own. “She owes money to the Wells, aka Prior, allegedly DISAPPEARED: Wells and La Heredia, where she rented a butcher, restaurant and the took a series of deposits for home baker, as well as for repairs to homes which she did not own. her car,” said one neighbour. former neighbour Frank Coreported concern for her four If you have any information An expat couple living oppo- myn, president of the Palmchildren. about Rebecca Wells, please site Wells’ house in the ur- eras del Golf urbanisation Comyn, who lived opposite contact newsdesk@theolivebanisation reported that they in Benalmadena Costa, has her for two years said: “The press.es saw her packing all the family’s possessions into a rental car on October 1 the day our expose came out. When the Olive Press visited a few days later, the house had clearly been abandoned and the family car - a black Fabulous food and entertainment including a 5* Christmas Chrysler - was apparently or New Years Eve Gala Dinner with fine wine dumped outside. Meanwhile another

FaNtastiC DEals For

YEar the locks she has preto change Paying €1,700 from November& NEw to February, Paula said she was vented anyone else moving in. Taken her child and However, in just the short with moving in for a ride amount of time she was over black cat. However, after reading our ex- this month, two disappointed pose on Neale in early Decem- couples arrived to stay. ber, Belmont quickly started to “One couple from Russia had investigate and found her prop- paid a two month deposit of erty being advertised to rent €1,400 for a year’s rental. They through a variety of Facebook were gutted,” Belmont told the Olive Press. groups. One had been shared an incred- “Then a few hours later an English couple turned up, also with ible 4,000 times. Fortunately she was able to a year’s lease and having paid move fast and after coming over a deposit.” It is unknown how many people in total fell for the scam, but her property was in a terrible state with a stereo and a toolkit also stolen. It took three days to clean. “It has got to stop,” added Belmont. “When is this going to end?” So far she has been unable to track down Neale, but has put up reward notices in various vets around Calahonda. In 2017, the Olive Press twice exposed Neale’s antics. But it has also emerged that we exposed her using the name ‘Sharon Tate’ in 2016 in inland Malaga. A new UK number Paula had been using did not answer our calls. Christmas

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FLASHBACK: Wells’ scam revealed last issue

ALL CHANGE: Passport names and (right) 2016 story the owner, mother-of-three, the authorities in Gibraltar, Sara Belmont, rumbled the where she believes Paula keeps her money. scam. The 41-year-old owner, a fire- She told the Olive Press how she fighter from London, has now was contacted by Neale through brought in police and contacted an online rental website.

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IT has the best caves in Andalucia and some of the best beaches in Malaga province. Known as ‘Balcon de Europa’ it is somewhat fitting that Nerja has been chosen as one of the must visit destinations this year. Travel site Tripadvisor has listed the resort among its top 10 emerging worldwide destinations. It is the only destination in Spain to be tipped, with Gdansk, in Poland, Riga, in Latvia and Rovinj, in Croatia.

THE first ever ferry link between Ireland and Spain has been announced by Brittany Ferries. The company presented its new route from Cork to northern Spain today. It will begin at the end of April and will link Cork and Santander, with two return trips per week. It is the first ever link between the two countries.

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All about

I m d sgus ed ha so many peop e can de end he po ce bu y ac cs Peop e on ho day en oy ng a ma ch and s ng ng wha s he prob em? Oh yes go n as s a r o When Spa n won he Wor d Cup he same po ce were ce ebra ng wh s some d o se he coun rys de a gh w h fireworks Shame on hem and shame on you o de end ng h s po ce ac c

I ve near Ben dorm The ast game aga nst Co omb a Eng and ans caused havoc So th s t me r ot po ce were ca ed n The copper to d h m and the the k d to move back once he d dn t Span sh po ce don t ask tw ce

July 4th - July 17th

2018

osta de la Luz

See the light

For relief from the hot and busy summer, switch to the Costa de la Luz (or Coast of It’s a complete Light). breath of fresh air, writes Laurence Dollimore

Julie Brookes Benidorm

www.theolivepress.com

July 4th - July 17th

2018

FLUORESCENT kites accentuate blue skies, Caribbean-style its bright beaches bring the sweeping white sandy beaches, wow factor, while million miles away which the stiff Atlantic hopefully not sweep breezes will Sol from its easterly seem a could easily pass neighbour. Costa del aouira. for Chefchaouen Welcome to Tarifa, you off your feet. or Essparadise that is the wind and kite surfers’ It’s no surprise that those-in-the-know Handbags around Spain flock unique in Andalucia from doorways and hippy scarves hang in pretty much Spain) to the hotspot as (and the of fashion soon as trendy vibe and deep layers for its hip, international the summer season begins. bars and qualityboutiques while the But there’s more of history. restaurants will The star of the enCosta de la Luz than surfing and to this ancient Moorish town gage you for hours. Light - that stretches - or Coast of is Having everything beaches and its truly a old quarter with a town could want from here to Cadiz technically all the glorious beaches, paired (and Entering treat. way through Huelva it’s no wonder Tarifa tugal), Tarifa is unrivalled to Por- streets via a medieval archway, its cobbled has been constantly fought and for its kilometres of laid with a whitewashed buildings are over- Romans first settled near over. the town (you can tangible north-African vibe that Continues

Vol. 3 Issue 74 www.gibraltarolivepress.com July 4th - July 17th 2018

on Page 20

In the heart of the old city, ready to steal your heart!

MINING THE DEPTHS BASIC & STANDARD BEDROOMS / TERRACE AND HAMMAM WITH SOLARIUM, / WI-FI / SPORTS JACUZZI ACTIVITIES & TRIPS TO TANGER

FOR RESERVATIONS: www.lajoyitadetarifa.es TEL: 956 68 03 27

LA JOYITA DE TARIFA,

C/ ASEDIO, 5/7 11380

TARIFA (CÁDIZ)

Opposition slams government’s close links to alleged fraudster and the purchase of an African uranium mine

By Elisa Menendez

UP TO WIN: One of the contestants

Ashamed to be English Th s makes me so angry and ashamed to be Engsh mass ve respect or the Span sh po ce on y the UK po ce cou d be ke th s

Teenage battle

claimed a spokesman for the GSD. Independent MP Marlene Hassan Nahon agreed it is not in Gibraltar’s interests to be associated with Rifaat al Assad nor Gertler and described it as an ‘extremely delicate issue’ which will seriously concern everyone on the Rock.

The GBC investigation also revealed at least one huge transaction - of $83.5 million - had been paid into another of Gertler’s companies via a Gibraltar bank account from African mining giant, Glencore.

Gertler, 44, who is reportedly worth around £9 billion, is also being probed by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office on ‘allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption around the acquisition of substantial mineral assets’. Gertler and the Hassans have denied any illegal activity, while the Chief Minister insisted all deals adhered to international laws. Costa has yet to comment. Picardo slammed the opposi-

tion’s claims as ‘nonsense’, but did however confirm he had a professional relationship with Gertler and had been involved with the purchase of the Congo mine eight years ago. “I made clear that I represented Mr Gertler in the acquisition of a uranium mine in order to prevent Iranian interests acquiring it. Most people will agree that was a very good thing to do,” said Picardo in a statement. “Additionally I made the point

that the parties I was representing were then, at the time I was instructed, internationally accepted as reputable. “For example, at the time I was acting for him, Mr Gertler was meeting on related issues with the then US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. “To be clear therefore: at the time I and Neil Costa were involved, Mr Gertler was being feted by the US Government, not investigated by them.”

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A RISE in council housing rents is a result of governmental fiscal incompetence, claims the opposition party. The GSD party claims the 3% rise in annual rents will not go to the claimed improvements in infrastructure but rather to pay the interest on the £300 million mortgage secured on six local housing estates. Shadow finance minister Roy Clinton insisted the rents are being collected by the Government on behalf of Gibraltar Capital Assets Limited, which now owns the estates. He added that the interest - at a cost of £11 million per year - means every future

government must increase rents ‘every year by a minimum of 3% for the next 30 years regardless of the merits of doing so’. His attack was described by the Minister for Housing Samantha Sacramento as ‘petty in the extreme’ and a mere ‘populist attack’. Clinton replied, demanding to know why the rent increases were necessary, adding

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that ‘it is not a populist attack… it is a declaration of fact’. He also attacked the government insisting he had still not been given a copy of the audited financial statements of Gibraltar Capital Assets as requested a year ago.

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A SERIAL expat fraudster exposed many times by the Olive Press is incredibly STILL making thousands from scamming holidaymakers in Spain. Paula Neale is apparently conning countless ourists a month from rental scams, despite being arrested in May, in an ongoing police investigation. The Olive Press can reveal the British mother-of-two is continuing to snare victims while out on bail, after her arrest in Burgos. As well as new victims coming forward, we have been contacted by an old friend of Neale, 44, in the UK, who unwittingly allowed her to use her email and her PayPal account.

Alleged expat fraudster can’t stop scamming tourists - even under police watch

ning of the year by Neale, who she had met five years ago when she lived in Kent. “She said she had had all her belongings stolen and had no money to pay for petrol or feed her children. “She told me she was in trouble and had to keep changing her name and location due to a stalker and I felt sorry for her,” she continued. “She said she was getting work writing scripts but she needed a friend to help her collect the payments and I stupidly believed her.” Over the next four months she agreed to send her Thomas Cook cash passport ACCUSED: Neale payments, as Olive Press, “she blocked the money me on social media after came in via telling me I would be get- her PayPal acting no refund.” count. This week her long time “But that was friend in the UK, who asked until a bank to remain anonymous, told flagged up a us: “She has to be stopped. payment and It is completely wrong what I did my reshe is doing.” search and found all your The mother-of-two, based articles and reported her to in Edinburgh, said she had the1 UK Untitled-1.pdf 16/06/2017 15:36 and Spanish police,” been contacted at the begin-

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Seasoned conwoman Paula Neale ‘flees to France’ with cops in pursuit

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Neale, 43, took rental deposits for properties she didn’t own and allegedly ransacked properties she had rented before selling the stolen goods online. However, despite four stories and at least eight denuncias ON THE RUN: Paula and (above) Spain-France border and against her, she has yet to be her hotel picked up by police. They’re singling He refused to leave his hoThis is looking increasingly me out! hire car. NEWS tel room or open the door to unlikely after a receptionist at They claimed she had a long her, setting off alarm bells for the hotel confirmed that Paula chequered track record of Neale, who packed up and left had checked out on Tuesday scams and problems, and had after repeatedly trying to raise morning. a third son, who was taken him. She had been planning to into care. Neale’s speedy departure cross into France with her two The friend described her as an came as the Olive Press was children, Nina, 12, and Oscar, ‘unfit mother who long dishanding over details of vari14 and live in Bordeaux. played erratic behaviour’. Balcon wins big ous denuncias and victims to Staff at the hotel said the room On one occasion she even prethe Guardia Civil in Malaga. was left in a ‘complete mess’ tended to be her daughter to A detective confirmed they after she left in a hurry, with try and strike up a connection were ‘in a race against time’ police arriving within an hour. with her long-lost son. to get an arrest warrant with Her plan to escape to France LIBERTYHOME ducer’. Catalan police. was rumbled by her own pal, But after meeting her at the One of her victims, Sara Belactor Anthony Webster, who RRP 3,000€ hotel and agreeing to drive mont, says Interpol has been ratted on Neale when he found her to Bordeaux, he said he notified but because the out her real identity. felt ‘something wasn’t right’ crimes were committed in Webster told the Olive Press you when she claimed have her mother Spain, she must be charged this week that he had recently got that had suddenly died and that there. she befriended Neale online. Liberty needed to leave immediately. Family and friends back in He said she had promised to feeLing? He researched her online and the UK meanwhile, confirmed help his acting career and Seguros makes Liberty that OUR PRICE stumbled upon our catalogue insurance a better that she had made it across she knew people in the film of stories. the border on Tuesday in a industry, claiming to beexperience. € ‘a pro10

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Strike four!

Seasoned conwoman Paula Neale caught by the Olive Press a fourth time

Wasn’t me

the olive press - October 16 - October 29 2014

January 17th - January 30th 2018

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IN DENIAL: Guerrero

year legal battle with the town hall after they served her with a demolition order and fined her €24,300 in 2008 for building a loft extension

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YEar the locks she has preto change Paying €1,700 from November& NEw to February, Paula said she was vented anyone else moving in. moving in with her child and However, in just the short amount of time she was over black cat. However, after reading our ex- this month, two disappointed pose on Neale in early Decem- couples arrived to stay. ber, Belmont quickly started to “One couple from Russia had investigate and found her prop- paid a two month deposit of erty being advertised to rent €1,400 for a year’s rental. They through a variety of Facebook were gutted,” Belmont told the Olive Press. groups. One had been shared an incred- “Then a few hours later an English couple turned up, also with ible 4,000 times. Fortunately she was able to a year’s lease and having paid move fast and after coming over a deposit.” It is unknown how many people in total fell for the scam, but her property was in a terrible state with a stereo and a toolkit also stolen. It took three days to clean. “It has got to stop,” added Belmont. “When is this going to end?” So far she has been unable to track down Neale, but has put up reward notices in various vets around Calahonda. In 2017, the Olive Press twice exposed Neale’s antics. But it has also emerged that we exposed her using the name ‘Sharon Tate’ in 2016 in inland Malaga. A new UK number Paula had been using did not answer our calls. Christmas

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FLUORESCENT kites accentuate its bright blue skies, Caribbean-style sweeping white sandy beaches, which seem wow factor, while the stiff beaches bring the million miles away from its easterly Costa a could easily pass for Chefchaouen hopefully not sweep you Atlantic breezes will Sol neighbour. del aouira. or EssWelcome to Tarifa, the off your feet. Handbags and hippy wind and kite surfers’ It’s no surprise that those-in-the-know scarves hang in the paradise that is unique from doorways around Spain flock pretty much Spain) for in Andalucia (and the summer seasonto the hotspot as soon as trendy barsof fashion boutiques while the its hip, international and quality restaurants begins. vibe and deep layers But there’s more to this will enancient Moorish town gage you for hours. The star of the Costaof history. than surfing and Having everything a town could want Light - that stretches de la Luz - or Coast of is truly a treat. beaches and its old quarter with glorious beaches, it’s no wonder paired technically all the wayfrom here to Cadiz (and Entering via a medieval Tarifa through Huelva to Porarchway, its cobbled has been constantly fought over. tugal), Tarifa is unrivalled for its kilometres of streets and whitewashed buildings are over- Romans first settled near the town laid with a tangible (you can north-African vibe that Continues on

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GIBRALTAR'S opposition party is demanding answers over the government's close links to an alleged Israeli fraudster. The GSD has questioned the Labour governments’ 'socialist' beliefs after both the Chief Minister and Justice Minister were linked to shady billionaire businessman, Dan Gertler. It comes after a GBC invesTHERE is a future for beauty tigation revealed that leader contests in Gibraltar, after all. Fabian Picardo was a direcAfter the shambles that was tor of Rozaro Development the Miss Gibraltar pageant this Limited in 2010 - one of two year with just three entrants, Gibraltar-based companies some nine girls have entered linked to Gertler. the Miss Teen competition His main company is currentThe event comprises a total of ly on the US Office of Foreign five rounds and is being judged Assets Control list after assets by a panel of international were frozen for alleged corjudges. The winner will repre- rupt mining deals, as well as sent Gibraltar in the Interna- human rights abuses in the tional Teen Pageant in 2019. Congo. “The girls have been working Justice Minister Neil Costa very hard for the last three was also once a director of months and have taken part Rozaro, which was registered in various fashion shows and in Gibraltar as recently as Nophoto shoots,” said organiser vember 2017. and director of No1 Models, “Following on so soon from Kelvin Hewitt. the Assad/Europort transac“We believe that our shows are tion – which involves another an important life experience individual facing serious infor the contestants." ternational allegations – the The event takes place on Au- public must be questiongust 3 at the Alameda Open Air ing the socialist credentials Theatre. of some of the Ministers,”

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They could stop it if they wanted to. (Cocaine Entering Europe via Spain’s Andalucia, online) Everybody knows it’s coming through Algeciras port and the crime gang there is massive but they don’t pull all their resources to stop it.

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Journalist Harassment What is going on in this world. (Harassment halt, issue 295). If it was the other way round, and a girl GAG you AW ONreally RO E kissed a male reporter, do Feeling think he would claim sexual harassblue ment? Michael Bath, London

Letter

of the

Dear Olive Press,

week

I can see bo h s des o he argumen e s make no bones abou he Eng sh are a rowdy bunch - and when a coho and oo ba s nvo ved ens ons are he gh ened The Br s abroad mus respec he Span sh aw or any aw or ha ma er Arguab y Ben dorm comes w h a repu a on and he Span sh po ce were on y carry ng ou he ob Where he ssue ge s d v ded s when here are ch dren nvo vedr no ch d shou d be w ness o r o s and heavy po ce orces I ha was he case paren s shou d be more m nd u o where hey shou d ake he r ch dren mos peop e can de ec a bar where may k ck off

Barbara Ann Cohen Torremolinos Has anyth ng p qued your nterest n th s week s O ve Press? Have your say on the matter by ema ng etters@theo vepress es or a ternat ve y message us on Facebook at www facebook com/O vePressNewspaper or Tw tter @o vepress

2 o

m n h

g asses

H COA A A

AD NG C N

va oca s Ryanair strikes 2 o

How much notice do they have to give? (Ryanair strikes announced in Spain and Europe, online) They’re cancelling the Aberdeen direct flights after October I think, so this will be the last time I use them! Lisa Webb, Coin

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A STUNNING rural retreat, recently dubbed ‘Spain’s Best Luxury Hotel’, is hosting a music festival extravaganza. Award-winning La Donaira, near Ronda, will see five days of music as it playsDownload host to the our Pause app nowFestival and from August to 19.theThe begin14 enjoying bestfestival Spanish is described as one of most ‘beautinews on the ful and intimate in go. the world’ and offers a ‘chance to see performers named as the very best of their generation in laid back spectacular surroundings.’ Pianists Julien Brocal and Julien Libeer, cellist Camille Thomas, and pianist Rupert Huber return for a second appearance at the festival while violinist TheCaroline OliveGoulding, Press cellist Lidy Blijdorp and pianist Elodie Vignon are new additions for this year.TOP Findfor outnews more in at Spain! www. pausefestival.com.

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Malaga’s maestro is being seen too much around the world claim experts THE Son of Pablo Picasso has pleaded for museums to ‘stop producing so many exhibitions’ featuring his father's work. The Malaga maestro’s pieces are all over the world: from London to the US and Morocco, but now critics too, have warned he is becoming ‘over exposed’. France has no less than 21 exhibitions this year alone, while Spain is expected to have up to a dozen or more at his various official museums here. “It’s not a wave of Picasso

13 13

Send your informati on to newsdesk@theolivep ress.es

OVER S EXPOSED

what’s on ting in Starlight Festival, July 19

16 TIME Grammy winning artist Sting from the legendary group The Police will perform at the Starlight Festival in Marbella with Shaggy. Doors open at 8.00pm

TOO MUCH: Picasso (right) son, Claude, and (top) famous Guernica painting

Palomo’s capital pop up TRENDING fashion designer Alejandro Gomez Palomo has cut the ribbon on his first pop-up shop in Madrid. The latest edition to his growing empire is based at the Only You Boutique Hotel for the 68th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. It will bring the avant garde Cordoba designer’s unique brand to the capital with iconic models, accessories and T-shirts all on sale. Palomo, who already has stores in

Europe, America and Asia, said: "I could not have imagined a better location for this project in the heart of the Chueca neighbourhood, where independent boutiques are betting on a more innovative fashion, as well as space itself. “For me there are few places in Madrid that have the personality of this hotel.” Superstar Beyonce wore one of his dresses in her first official photo with her newborn twins.

exhibitions, it’s a tsunami,” claimed Alexis Brezet, the editor of France’s respected Le Figaro newspaper. “Some of the exhibitions are excellent, but others are nondescript and do nothing more than surf on the magic of a great time.” Fears are being raised that the new Picasso Mediterranee project - which spreads across Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Morocco, and Turkey - is merely a politically driven motive, a claim shared by Picasso’s son Claude. He has now issued a warning that he fears some of his father’s most prestigious and fragile work may get damaged in transit. “Many people expect to make discoveries that, at the end of the day, they do not make, and they are not satisfied with what is on offer. “Among the exhibitions held, there is a load that are not necessary.”

a Línea Fair, July 13-22

LIGHTS, music, and food brighten up the nights at La Línea during the most important festival in Campo de Gibraltar. Official programming can be found at feriadelalinea.com

ultural White Night, July 20

THE Russian Museum, Picasso’s birthplace, and the Pompidou Centre in Málaga provide free museum admissions and screening of films from 8.00pm to midnight

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WHITE BASED PIZZAS Cheeses

Constantino

Mozzarella, Rocket,

Donna rosa

Cured Ham, Cherry

Mozzarella, Sausage

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Mozzarella, Sliced

Focaccia

Rosemary

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a homemade tomato sauce

& parmesan

11.00€

& Cream Cheese

Fresh Wrap (v) �� 10.00€ PIZZAS

Lettuce, spinach, mixed INTEGRAL peppers, cucumber, avocado, & cream cheese thai chilli | Vegan | Rustica | Vegetarian Salmón | Constantino Oriental Wrap �� 11.00€ With vegetables, soya sauce, thai chilli & oyster sauce

RECOMMENDED

ALL PIZZAS CAN

Oriental DOUGH Wrap �� INTEGRAL

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With vegetables, soya sauce, thai chilli & oyster sauce with chicken 11€ | with salmon 12€ | with prawns 12€

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Standard entry fees apply.

Check out our Facebook page @MundoManiaSpain or visit www.mundo-mania.com for details. Mundo Manía, Urb Taraje, 53-75 Camino de Brijan s/n 29680 Estepona, Málaga.

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00€ | 5.50€

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14 14

LA LACULTURA CULTURA

July 17thwww.theolivepress.es - July 30th 2018

Hidden

Heritage

As yet another Andalucian masterpiece wins UNESCO status, Grace Lee and Diana Tang dig up a dozen Roman and Moorish sites you’ve probably never heard of right on your doorstep THE Romans did a lot for Spain, despite Reg the anarchist’s denials in Monty Python’s Life of Brian. They took over from the Phoenicians more than 2,000 years ago and left behind spectacular buildings that still stand to this day across the region. The Moors, who came hot on Roman heels, did a lot more. They shaped the country more radically than any other invader, especially in the southern reaches of Andalucia. For over 700 years until 1492, they created wonderful cities and palaces. Their most famous legacies can be found in the celebrated architectural masterpieces of the Al-

hambra in Granada, the Mosque of Cordoba and the Sevilla Alcazar. Now to that list can be added the amazing complex of Medina Azahara, near Cordoba, which has just rightfully just won UNESCO World Heritage status. Half-buried for centuries, the excavated ruins of this medieval Muslim palace-city are rapidly becoming one of the must-sees in southern Spain and the UNESCO title will bring thousands more visitors this year. As the busy summer season kicks in, the Olive Press, however, offers up 12 less wellknown national treasures, both Roman and Moorish - which can easily be visited, with the bonus of fewer tourists and heaps of historic wow factor.

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Mosque of Almonaster la Real Almonaster la Real, Huelva Declared a National Monument of Spain way back in 1931, the Mosque of Almonaster la Real, near Aracena, was built in the 9th and 10th centuries AD. Before the Moors built it the site had already undergone various cultural evolutions. It was once a Roman military base, and later a Visigoth basilica. It is one of few remaining rural mosques in Spain as most were destroyed or reconstructed after the Reconquest.

Carteia San Roque, Cádiz

Carmona Carmona, Sevilla

Ancient Carmona is said to be one of the oldest settlements in Europe. Shaped by a fusion of influences, Roman and Moorish included, only a fraction of the visitors who flock to nearby Sevilla bother to undertake the 20-minute drive east to the town. Yet there’s so much to see: a wonderful fortress, the Alcázar del Rey Don Pedro; a fascinating old Jewish quarter; a palace, now a Parador hotel, which offers panoramic views of the city from the top of its Golden Tower; and, on the edge of town, a must-visit Roman necropolis showcasing more than 900 well-preserved family tombs dating from the second century BC.

Giribaile Castle Vilches, Jaén An unassuming ruin perched on a high plateau, this 12th-century castle built under Moorish rule is probably not on your must-visit list. But its dizzying views, towers built of rammed earth and brick, wall paintings and Moorish architecture are well worth the visit. In the castle, you can get

a clear view of the plain of the Guadalimar River. The castle was first constructed before the Romans arrived in Andalucia. It was abandoned in the first century BC after the Roman invasion but brought back into use when the Moors arrived many centuries later.

Roman aqueduct Almuñécar, Granada Almunecar’s well-preserved Roman aqueduct is still a sight to behold. Built in the 1st century AD, it consists of five towering sections spanning the Rio Verde and Rio Seco which run for a

These days Carteia is almost completely overshadowed by the massive oil refinery next door and rarely visited, even by locals from neighbouring Algeciras and San Roque. But it was once one of the most privileged cities in the Roman Empire and its first Latin colony outside Italy. Previously ruled by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, Carteia was Romanised in 190 B.C. and granted the status of colonia in 171 B.C. Popular for its strategic location at the gateway to the Mediterranean, at its height, Carteia boasted thermal baths, numerous temples, an amphitheatre and luxury Roman villas.

total of seven kilometers. During the Roman Empire, the aqueduct provided a valuable supply of fresh water for the town’s inhabitants and fish salting industry. One section was

also used to fill the famous Roman thermal baths. Although some sections are fenced off, visitors can get an unobstructed view from the centre of Almunecar and the Rio Seco riverbed.

ITALICA Santiponce, Sevilla The birthplace of two Roman Emperors - Hadrian (who built the Scottish wall) and Trajan, this elaborate city was one of Rome’s earliest Spanish settlements. Sadly with its decline, the materials that once made up its beautiful structures were mostly reused to construct much of nearby Sevilla, plus many roads, and locals were filching chunks of it for their own use until relatively recently. Today visitors however, will still be amazed by the two surviving storeys of the amazing 25,000-seater amphitheatre which featured as a Game of Thrones location. Other highlights include five well preserved Roman villas, the temple of Emperor Trajan and some Roman baths.

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July 17th - July 30th 2018

Herrera thermae Herrera, Sevilla

Thermae, or Roman Baths, were public bathhouses popular in ancient Rome where people came to relax and socialise. These 15 discovered baths in Herrera from the 3rd century A.D. stand out due to their extensive use of marble in the floors, stairs, and walls of the baths, as well as the remains of beautiful paintings, mosaics, and columns. The central mosaic is the Pugilator, depicting fighters in colorful, geometric sequences of precious stone. In 2007, the baths was named a Bien de Interés Cultural, or an Asset of Cultural Interest.

Roman Villa of El Ruedo Almedinilla, Córdoba Said to be one of the best-preserved Roman sites in the Iberian Peninsula, this stunning villa is notable for its spacious rooms and wide array of mosaics, paintings and paving which have won it protected status as a Cultural Asset (BIC). Visitors can view the estate’s farm buildings and the owners’ luxurious residence which was modelled on ancient Greek home design and dates from the 1st to the 7th century AD. The villa’s collection of sculptures are exhibited in the town’s archeological museum.

OCURI Ubrique, Cádiz The Roman city of Ocuri lords it atop the Salto de la Mora, a limestone hill near the town of Ubrique, in Cadiz. First built in the 6th century BC, it reached the peak of its glory under the Romans in the 2nd century AD. Its strategic location at the gateway to Benaocaz and La Manga de Villaluenga added to the town’s importance. Ocuri’s rich archaeological remains include a monumental mausoleum monument, a cyclopean wall (an ancient Greek version of dry stone walling) and thermal baths. The setting, within the beautiful Sierra de Grazalema national park is a bonus.

July 18th - July 31st 2018

16 16

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LA LACULTURA CULTURA

July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 17th - July 30th 2018

La Duquesa Castle Manilva, Málaga

Although many assume that Duquesa is merely another of your typical Costa del Sol marinas, it is home to 18th-century La Duquesa Castle which in turn sits on top of a large Roman fish factory. The fortress still has some of its cannons and the area has been declared an Archaeological Zone of Cultural Interest for its extensive ruins which mostly remain unexcavated. Digs in 1989 revealed much of the region’s elaborate Roman infrastructure, including the remains of a bath house with clearly visible underfloor heating system and white mosaic floors. A Roman villa and necropolis also once stood in the grounds.

ACINIPO 15 miles from Ronda, Malaga Dominating one of the highest hills for 100 miles, this formidable fortress city once defended the entire Serrania de Ronda. With views in all directions, it was the perfect place to found a Roman town that at one point had a population of over 5,000 people. Not to be confused with nearby Ronda, which was also a Roman town, Acinipo had its own coinage featuring a tendril of grapes, symbolic of the wine growing area. Today, the little-visited site (there is no public transport to get there), is a joy to discover, particularly early in the morning or late afternoon when you can roam it’s tranquil ruins and have the stage of its amazing 2,000-seat amphitheatre (still in use today) all to yourself. Prior to Roman occupation it was the site of a bronze age settlement and you can certainly feel the weight of history here.

Ruins of Bobastro

Medina Sidonia, Cádiz

Ardales, Malaga This heritage site is where General Omar Ben Hafsun led a well-known rebellion against the Emirate of Cordoba in the 9th century AD. While the Moorish fortress is still being excavated, visitors can explore the complex of cave dwellings, once used as churches, and see three main structures: the Alcázar, a Muslim necropolis and a one-of-a-kind Mozarabic basilica. This church was built after Ben Hafsun converted to Christianity, with everything from its eastward orientation to the placement of the three naves carved carefully and with pur-

Underground Roman road

pose out of the area’s rock. Location-wise, this spot is amazing with breathtaking views of the nearby El Chorro area.

Medina Sidonia is jam-packed with treasures, including an expansive Roman castle, the remnants of Roman sewers and a well-stocked archaeological museum. However, the underground Roman road is a true, little-known gem in this 3000-yearold city. A 15-metre-long stretch of ancient Roman street from the 1st century AD, it features original stone slabs, two preserved sidewalks, a sewer and even games boards etched into the stone where children used to play. It wasn’t discovered until 1997 when a random house in the town’s Alamo Street was being renovated and builders found it hiding four metres below the foundations. It is now thankfully open to the public.

AND PS… IF YOU’RE STUCK IN ESTEPONA OR MARBELLA, HAVE A PEEK AT THESE: Roman Baths of Las Bóvedas San Pedro de Alcantara, Marbella Just steps away from the Guadalmina beach, this site holds remnants of a Roman thermal building and baths dating from circa 3rd to 5th century AD.

Basilica Paleocristiana de Vega del Mar Marbella, Malaga Once a beautiful Visigoth church, nothing much more than the walls remain but it’s one of the few North African-type churches built in Andalucia during the 6th century AD. It was also used as a necropolis and contains over 180 tombs.

Roman Villa at Rio Verde Marbella, Spain This 1st century AD Roman villa at Rio Verde was once a part of the great Roman city of Cilniana. To this day, its black and white mosaic tiles are preserved.

Property

be And s a m t p luc ag ro ia az pe ’s in rty e

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olive press

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July 2018

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Right royal battle for former king and dictator SEE PAGE III

Issue 22

As it’s claimed living by the sea lets you live longer, we dig out some beachside gems SEE PAGE XII

LET IT GROW

SPAIN’S property market is continuing to grow. The latest figures, for May, show a 7.7% expansion. There were 51,896 sales in total, including social housing, with resale apartment transactions up 6.7% and single family homes up 16.3%.

Mortgages up, prices up and numbers up. The market is looking healthy, writes Laurence Dollimore

Bubble

years earlier. But those talking of a new bubble are off the mark. “Both sales and house prices are still a long way from the peak of the boom years,” Mark Stucklin from Spanish Property Insight told the Olive Press.

The figures mean the housing market in Spain is entering its fifth consecutive year of growth since it turned a corner at the start of 2014 following the devastating collapse some seven

“Although those years are not a healthy benchmark, the big gap suggests there is still some room for growth on both fronts, assuming the Spanish economy continues to recover.” The latest encouraging report from the notaries also revealed that average house prices increased by 0.6% to 1,372€/m2, while mortgage lending increased by 9.3%. It comes after estate agents on the Costa del Sol revealed earlier this month that they had seen a 100% growth in Britons buying homes in the holiday hotspot.

PROPERTIES SELLING FAST AT THE SPANISH ESTATE AGENT! Thinking of Selling? Get in touch with The Spanish Estate Agent – the fastest growing agency on the Costa del Sol

Phone us now on +34 951 516 905 • Properties urgently needed for eager buyers • Tap into our worldwide, award-winning marketing • Dynamic, motivated and professional sales team Come and discuss your property with our friendly sales consultants at Avenida Espana 250, Estepona 29680. Or visit our website at www.thespanishestateagent.com Email info@thespanishestateagent.com

It’s your move!

II 18

Property

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Average sale price on the Spanish costas in 2018

July 18th -July July 31st 2018 2018

But are rising prices on the costas a good thing? asks Mark Stucklin

Less than 140,000 euros Between 140,000 and 200,000 euros More than 200,000 euros

HE Spanish holiday home market is enjoying its time back in the sun, reports El Pais. Beachside prices are rising again, and building sites with cranes dot the coasts once again. “Areas with clear signs of recovery in the holiday home market are the Balearics, Canaries, Costa del Sol, North Alicante, and the Maresme,” according to Pedro Soria, Tinsa’s commercial director. House prices are even rising in double digits on several coasts. “Areas where prices have risen the most include Mallorca, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and certain municipalities of Huelva, Alicante, and Malaga,” he adds. But some worry that things may be getting out of hand again and although we are still a long way from the madness of the boom years, I’m starting to hear voices like Campbell Ferguson of Survey Spain wondering how sustainable the latest building boom is. The map (left), prepared by El Pais using data from the property portal pisos.com shows the average asking price, and latest annual increase, for all the main coasts, I assume based on asking prices in the portals data-base (which have to be take with a pinch of salt). The recovery is driven by foreign demand, which started growing again years before local demand. “The British are still the main buyers but other nationalities like people from Nordic countries and Belgians are gaining ground,” explains Samuel Población, residential and land director at surveying giant CBRE. “All of them have had to focus on resales, but now they are starting to buy

HURRAH FOR HOLIDAY HOMES

new builds.” of buyers spend between €100,000 End user demand among locals for and €200,000, with Germans, Rusholiday homes has not yet recovered sians, and buyers from Nordic countries because of worries about job security spending the most, according to trade and salaries. Local investors, on the sources. other hand, are buying again, claims Foreign buyers prefer villas and semiBeatriz Toribio, head of research at the detached homes, whilst 75% of Spanish Fotocasa property portal. “34% of sec- buyers prefer apartments with terraces. ond-home buyers plan Some areas like Casto do short term renttellon still have a large als, compared to 7% stock of unsold homes Foreign buyers thinking of residential left over from the last prefer villas and building boom, whilst rents,” she says. The increasing restriction other areas like Ibiza, semi-detached of holiday lettings in South Tenerife, and tourist hotspots could parts of the Costa de homes but cause problems for this la Luz, in Cadiz, new Spanish like flats home inventories are demand. Despite attention-grabalmost nonexistent. bing annual price inMunicipalities where creases on some coasts, second homes housing stats are highest include Esteare still 46% cheaper on average than pona and Marbella in Andalucia, Torrethey were in 2007, according to Tinsa’s vieja, Orihuela, Elche, Pilar de la Horadata. dada and Benidorm. Though you can find holiday homes in Torrevieja for €50,000 or less, the bulk www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

Property

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July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 2018

III 19

MONARCH LAUNDERING

UNDER FIRE: Juan Carlos

SPAIN’S former king has been accused of using his alleged ex-lover’s tax status to buy multiple overseas properties. King Juan Carlos I, who is estimated to be worth around €2 billion, is accused of putting several properties under the name of his alleged mistress Princess Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein because she had tax residence in Monaco. The claims came to light after a 2015 recording of a conversation between Corinna and a Spanish police officer in London leaked this month.

In the clip, Corinna can be heard alleging that the king’s lawyers put her name on overseas properties without her permission and complaining that she is being drawn into ‘money laundering’. The aristocrat said she was living a ‘nightmare’ because the king had put various properties in Morocco into her name. He then tried to have them transferred to his cousin when the alleged 10-year affair with Corinna ended. “But if I do it, it is money laundering,” she says in the recording. “They are putting me under tre-

mendous pressure to return these things, but if I do it I am breaking the law and I could go to jail”. Corinna claimed the properties had been put in her name not ‘because he loves me a lot, but because I reside in Monaco’, where such assets did not have to be publicly declared. The aristocrat, an adviser to Prince Albert of Monaco, was named in the Spanish press as the king’s lover after she was discovered in his company when he was injured during a secret 2012 elephant hunting trip in Botswana.

Brits ignored THE Junta has been criticised for not dealing with British homeowners. Senior members of group, AUAN, Urban Abusement Almanzora-NO, have criticised Junta leader, Susana Diaz, for failing to deal with the issue of ‘illegal housing’ across the region. Members of AUAN and the Association of Residents of Albanchez, ARA, are angry that Diaz failed to meet them when they visited her offices in Sevilla this month.

Precarious

They want to see amendments to the Law of Urban Planning in Andalucia, LOUA, which would create AFOs, Assimilated Out of Ordination agreements, to regulate illegal properties, particularly on rural land. The groups hope to solve the precarious housing situation in the Almanzora region, which has 13,000 irregular homes, as well as in the Axarquia and in the area of Chiclana, in Cadiz. The no-show has not sat well with members, who added that Brits in the area mobilised their electorate to support the PSOE in the last regional elections. The amendment has reportedly received support from Ciudadanos and the PP.

PRESSURE: For Diaz

Sell-off

Franco’s last stand

It’s Galicia v the Generalissimo’s heirs over the rights to a des res in La Coruña, writes Elisa Menendez A HERITAGE property enjoyed for decades by General Franco as a summer pad is at the centre of a tug-of-war between his family and the regional government of Galicia. Pazo de Meiras, a stunning 19th century baronial manor built on the ruins of an old military fort, was seized by the dictator in 1938 and used as a summer retreat until his final days. Franco’s descendants continued the tradition with monthlong visits every year to the property in his birthplace of Galicia, until two years ago. The manor - which once belonged to an aristocratic family in the region - has been the

Fair play

HOME: Of Franco family in Galicia subject of controversy for years, with left-wing parties calling for it to be returned to the public. Built in 1893 to resemble a medieval castle with crenelated towers, it was christened Las Torres de Meiras by aristocrat Emilia Pardo Bazán whose family owned it during the 19th and 20th centuries. The estate in Sada, La Coruña, boasts 10 hectares of farmland and forests and has its own chapel. Franco and his wife fell in love

BANCO Santander is selling off billions of euros worth of its property portfolio. It has already sold many of its holdings to US investment giant Blackstone, but is now looking to shed another €6 billion. The portfolio, named Apple, will also be sold to Blackstone after the bank reached an agreement with the firm to sell €30 billion worth of real estate following its takeover of Banco Popular last year.

with it and drew up a deal with the Bazan family, allegedly raising funds from public coffers and the pockets of Galician taxpayers. Investigators Carlos Babio and Manuel Perez, claim Franco also used state resources to reform, expand and maintain it, while his heirs continued to make millions in capital gains. In 2008 the PSOE in Galicia demanded it be declared a BIC building - a site of cultural interest - meaning it must be open to

the public four days a month. But Franco’s children still consider it a personal asset and put it on sale for €8 million in February. Sada town hall officials have since attempted to block the sale and return it to the public. Last year the feud became yet more heated after the Franco Foundation announced it would be hosting guided tours ‘to show the public the grandeur of Francisco Franco’.

UP to 2,000 property lovers are set to descend on the Costa del Sol for one of the biggest exhibitions of its kind. From October 26 to 28, the Home Fair Marbella will see architects, interior designers, real estate providers and more exhibiting at the Palacio de Congresos. The home and living expo is perfect for those planning to purchase or refurbish a property or wanting to know the latest living and house trends. Visit www.homefairmarbella.com for more info.

Property

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New laws look set to bring new rights for tenants in Spain

El Poleo - Cordoba - TH2750

99.000 €

The fully restored property, just 10 minutes from picturesque Priego de Cordoba, has around 80m2 terrace with wonderful views and a private garage. On entering the house there is a reception hall and a living room. Other features include a fitted kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, utility room, dining room, studio, and a beautiful patio (with access to the street) with a small private garden.

tel: +34 953 587 040 Calle Abad Moya 4, Bajo 23680, Alcalá la Real, Jaén info@inlandandalucia.com www.inlandandalucia.com

A NEW series of measures aimed at protecting tenants who rent their homes has been announced in Spain. Development minister Jose Luis Abalos also said new laws will attempt to calm rising prices in big cities like Madrid and Barcelona. It comes as construction is booming in the country, some 10 years after the devastating financial crash of 2007/8. “We need to make sure the housing stock is mainly allocated to satisfying the right to housing, safeguarding its social function,” Abalos told a parliamentary commission.

July 18th -July July 31st 2018 2018

Rights for tenants

Respect

Under proposed measures, buyers of rented property will have to respect the preexisting terms of the tenants’ contracts. This is designed to stave off the post-crisis practice of cash-strapped local authorities selling social housing to private equity firms which in turn raised rents. Abalos also proposed regulatory and fiscal measures to encourage owners of empty

properties to let them. According to Abalos, over the next four to six years, 20,000 affordable homes for rent will be built,adding to a supply which currently makes up for just 2.5% of

Spanish housing stock, according to the OECD. This compares with 14% in France and 18% in the UK. Curbs will be placed on deposits or other guarantees that landlords can demand

ANDERS@ABCPROPERTYEXPERTS.COM GERRY@ABCPROPERTYEXPERTS.COM WWW.ABCPROPERTYEXPERTS.COM

from tenants, and the government will aim to ease access to credit to help people rent. Abalos said he wanted to ‘balance the rights of landlords and tenants as much as possible’.

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Estepona – Ref: R3206080

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Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2

Build: 115m2 Terrace: 30m2

This ground floor apartment has a sea views, a lovely private garden where you can have a BBQ and enjoy sun the whole day. The property is 115 m2 build with a terrace on 30m2 plus the garden on 30m2. The urbanisation has a lovely mature garden and good size swimming pool to cool down in the summer months. Benefits from security cameras for extra safety and security gate.

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2

Build: 93m2 Terrace: 81m2

Price just reduced for a quick sale. Top floor apartment with stunning views towards Gibraltar. This amazing frontline golf property has beautiful views overlooking golf sea. Spacious interiors with large sunny terraces comes with a jacuzzi. La Alcaidesa is very well known for the golf course which is only few steps away.

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2

Build: 173m2 Terrace: 15m2

Beautiful apartments ground floor apartment. Very peaceful settings, quiet and close to all amenities.Shops, beach, restuarants etc. The communal gardens are impeccably cared for and the pool areas a delight to relax by. The owner of this property was once a most sought after interior designer back in the day. The pictures do not show the opulence of this designer styled property.

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2

Build: 178m2 Terrace: 45m2

Beautifully located south facing, ground floor apartment in Los Granados, Duquesa. Direct accses to a beautiful sandy beach, fully air-conditioned with views of the gardens, pool and sea. The complex has a large lagoon style swimming pool set in spacious grounds. The property has underground parking, 24hr security and is a short walk along the beach to the fishing village of Castillo and Duquesa marina.

Property

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July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 2018

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Property

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July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 2018

V 23

League of its own

SELLER: Scott Marshall

EXCLUSIVE: Football star snaps up hot property in new Costa del Sol development IT’S the first development to be built in Benahavis village for over a decade, and it’s already attracting superstars. The Olive Press can reveal a current Premier League footballer has invested in the much-anticipated Riverside complex, on the edge of the popular town. The player, who had a great season with his northern club, has asked to remain anonymous. Scott Marshall at Propertiespain, which markets the scheme, was also tight-lipped about the star’s identity, but did confirm that he had ‘chosen one of the best apartments in the complex’. He added that the purchase was a great sign for the proj-

SELLING FAST: The luxury Riverside development in Benahavis ect of 75 luxury apartments, The eco-friendly homes are with construction now under- just a stone’s throw away way. from Benahavis’ buzzing res“We are getting reservations taurant and bar scene. every week,” said Marshall, “These are high-spec apart“and it’s no surprise thanks to ments with open plan kitchthe high qualens, underity construcfloor heating tion by stock in bathrooms The player market-listed and huge Quabit. double-glazed reportedly had “It also has an windows,” enviable locaadds Marshall. a great season tion, which He explained playing for his makes it an that the firm attractive inbuilding the northern club vestment. homes, is one “We have Belof the most gian, Dutch, popular and Swedish, Argentinian and of well-respected in the country. course, British buyers, and The modern dwellings have are nearly 40% sold out.” taken everything into ac-

count, including the environment, as they are run using Aerothermia systems. Aerothermia collects its energy from warm and atmospheric air and has been recognised as a renewable form of energy by the EU. It means it’s up to 50% cheaper to heat your home as it uses only 25% electricity. The 75 apartments all come with parking and storage space included in the price and there is a communal pool for residents. Construction will be completed between the end of 2019 and January 2020. Anyone interested should call 952 85 54 89 or visit www.propertiespain.com.

SCORE: Premier League player snaps up ‘one of the best apartments’

To kick off a new series on the varied interior styles of the Europeans, style writer Lotti Ander takes a wry look at the British versus the Swedes

Property

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AVE you recently waded in to buy your dream home in Spain? Are you in a need of help when it comes to decide in what style will be your interior? As a real estate agent in Estepona, on the Costa del Sol, I have been into hundreds of homes and it is funny how easily I can recognize where the owners come from… but then I was formerly the editor of an interior design magazine in Sweden. It seems all Europeans have their own unique DNA when it comes to interior styles, like stripes that never go away. So let’s start with an examination of the British versus the Swedish style, they’re quite distinct!

July 18th -July July 31st 2018 2018

Mixed up

XIV 24

THE BRITS

Cosy, charm and meeeeetres of fabric!

HE Brits love their aristocratic, colonial style with rooms overloaded with furniture, decorative items, textiles and, um, more textiles. The fireplace is a must, whatever the weather, and symmetry a religion. Two bookshelves, two sofas, two table lamps, two armchairs, two dogs, yeah you get it. A balance that can only be upset by quirky items such as a two foot high wooden servant holding a tray or a colorful stuffed parrot on a stick. Cosyness and charm are the keywords and to create the style you just follow this list; • • • • •

Unlimited curtains, cushions, pillows, wallpapers and upholstery in cotton floral prints - preferably in different prints. The more the merrier! Chesterfield sofas - yes two of them - and puffy armchairs with curved legs Throw in some arches and pillars to enhance the colonial feel... And don’t forget the portraits of ancestors. The older the better! Naked beams are a must to remind you of the cottage heritage not to mention the country-style kitchen with an Aga stove and paneling painted in dove blue The bedroom is often an orgy in fabrics and there is not a spot that can’t be covered! Put your floral printed blindfold on if its too much to handle!

travel more worry less

Wherever you’re heading this summer, be sure to pack your peace of mind. Find a kind and caring sitter with TrustedHousesitters to keep your beloved pets safe and happy at home while you’re away. “As well as our animals enjoying all the comforts of home, it has saved us a fortune in kennel and cattery fees” Helen – Parcent, Spain

TRADITIONAL: Brits love naked beams and varied prints • • •

All rooms very much have their function, no open space solutions here! After all, who want to see the dishes? Colours are mostly natural tones in dusty pink, blue and green and to go a bit wild paint the walls in Tartan scarlet or British racing green Don’t forget the carpets! They have to be large, preferably in sisal and wall to wall

Exclusive 50% off membership Use code OLIVEPET at the TrustedHousesitters.com checkout

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July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 2018

Minimalist THE SWEDES White, bright and anxious

U SLEEK: And simple for a Swede

HE Swedes believe they are very individualistic. But the truth is most of the homes in Sweden look like they are done with carbon copy paper between them. That is partly IKEA’s fault, but mostly it’s because Swedes do not want to stand out. The word lagom, meaning ‘not too much’, is appropriate and means less is more and as long as its white, bright and fresh, it’s safe. Style is minimalist, clutter free, with ‘exciting’ details being in black and white, patterns in zigzag or just plain stripes. To make it homely a Swede brings in plants and handicrafts in ceramic and wood, showing off his or her heritage. To design like us Swedes then follow this; •

• •

•

Paint all walls, floors and ceilings white. Maybe you can be bold with one wall in a grayish or eggshell-ish tone. The brave use some wallpaper with a ‘crazy’ pattern in the guest toilet - wow! Cool is king, so do not show too much emotion, use natural fabrics in linen or cotn in beige Choose a design sofa which while beautiful and expensive, will probably not be very comfortable to sit on for more than 10 minutes Understatement artefacts are crucial to

•

the style. And whether you bought it in an expensive design shop or your kid did it at daycare, it looks intellectual The open plan living room/kitchen gives you space and an overview, but you’ll need a housekeeper 24/7 if you want to live a spotless life without dishes in the sink, fingerprints on the dressers and the smell of fried herring The bedroom is designed in a sacred, minimalistic way. A peaceful, non cluttered space for the soul, a sanctuary away from the world. But beware, do not take this concept to a monastery level if you want to share your Hästens double bed!

Next Property Magazine in September, Lotti takes a look at the Spanish versus the Germans

Lotti works at Nest Bostadsmäklarna, in Estepona. Contact her at 650 202 970 or lotti@nestbostad.com

The one stop shop

P and down the coast furniture and decoration stores have come and gone over the years, but Furniture World Estepona has continued to operate successfully on the Costa del Sol for more than 30 years. That in itself is some feat, but especially so for an expat enterprise. The business was founded in 1986 by the family’s patriarch, now happily retired, and is now continuing to prosper under the long time management of his daughter and son-in-law, Corrinne and Richard. Throughout the 3,000m2 showroom you can find a vast selection of indoor and outdoor furniture, decorative pieces, kitchen utensils and electrical good. Also they have a huge selection of rugs, fitted carpets and other flooring to choose from. The company has decades of experience in the laying of all flooring including carpets, astroturf, wood and vinyl. They have provided flooring for restaurants, boats, shops, football pitches, offices and of course private homes and they have a dedicated in house flooring specialist on hand to answer all your questions. More recently they have launched their online shop at www.esteponafurniture. com, allowing you to browse their products and purchase from the comfort of your home. Also, to keep up to date with all the latest news and offers you can like or follow them on Facebook at www. facebook.com/furnitureworldestepona.

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26 XXII

Property

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Papa don’t park As Madonna winds up the Lisbon locals with the parking deal of the century, we look at the celebs who have flocked to the Portuguese capital over the years MADONNA’S new neighbours in Lisbon are in uproar after the town hall alloted her permanent car parking spaces for her fleet of 15 cars for just €720 per month. It means the Queen of Pop - who is worth almost €500 million - is paying just €1.50 per car per day, while other residents of the Lisbon neighbourhood are forking out €1.20 per HOUR. The area is already lacking in parking spaces and neighbours have blasted the town hall for what they say is preferential treatment.

July 18th July - July 31st 2018 2018

P.S. Madge isn’t the only celeb to buy in Lisbon... John Malkovich Hollywood legend John Malkovich has had a home in Lisbon since the 1990s. His arrival has been very welcomed, mainly thanks to his investment, having been the founder of one of the city’s best restaurants before buying its most popular nightclub, Lux.

Scarlett Johansson Lisbon’s most recent resident is A-list actress Scarlett Johansson. She bought an apartment in Principe Real earlier this year and will be a neighbour to Madonna and is part of a growing trend of US investment into the area.

POPULAR: The Principe Real area of Lisbon is all the rage with celebs

To add insult to injury, the parking space allotted to the Material Girl sits behind the famous Pombal palace owned by the Catholic Church and very close to her new home. The mother-of-six, who moved into the €7 million 18th century Ramalhete Palace last year so her son David Banda could train at nearby Benfica football club, has yet to comment. She isn’t the only celeb to have moved into the area, with Scarlett Johansson becoming a neighbour earlier this year. John Malkovich, meanwhile has proven much more popular with residents, having opened successful restau-

Eric Cantona While other celebs come and go to their Lisbon homes, French footballing legend Eric Cantona lives in the capital full time.

Michael Fassbender Between shooting and filming, Fassbender likes to escape to his apartment in Lisbon, which overlooks the Tagus river.

Harrison Ford VINTAGE: Madonna’s 18th century home

rants and investing into the nightlife scene. As Lisbon continues to become

a place-to-be, below we have rounded up some famous faces who have bought there.

The Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford is rumoured to be have been looking in Lisbon for some time now, but he has yet to find the property he wants.

Carib Playa, Marbella - €199,500

www.theolivepress.es

M A N I LVA • D U Q U E S A • S A B I N I L L A S S O T O G R A N D E • A L C A I D E S A •

•

July 18th - July 31st 2018

ESTEPONA C A S A R E S

Hamilton Homes REAL ESTATE – INMOBILIARIA

Come View with Me

As a boy, my parents used to bring me here. Some of my fondest memories are of playing on this beach in Manilva. I decided to set up a Real Estate Agency and now, 20 years on, I continue to sell the dream. Today I have selected four very different properties, all special in their own way.

Come view with me (+34) 952 890 444

Andrew Bacarese-Hamilton La Herencia Doña Julia €340,000

Las Brisas, Duquesa €565,000

A penthouse in one of the most elegant urbanisations in Casares – spacious, modern, top specs and great outdoor space. Truly special.

I love the location of this villa. Recently reformed, with sea views, private pool and within walking distance to the Marina de la Duquesa. Hard to find this kind of property these days.

3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Large Private Terrace Communal Pool and Gym

3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Private Pool and Garage

Majestic Villas, Casares €998,500

Manilva Beach Townhouse €240,000

If I had to choose, this would be my ideal home. Spectacular views, walking distance to the beach and Finca Cortesin, brand new, lots of light, energy efficient, cost-effective to run.

This is a perfect beach house, made for making lovely memories. Walk to the beach, walk to the Marina along the promenade,or enjoy the pools and tennis.

7 Bedrooms 5 Bathrooms Private Pool, Garage and Games room

3 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Private Garden, Communal Pool, Padel and Tennis

To view a video of the property or urbanisation, scan the QR code

tel: (+34) 952 890 444 olive@hamilton-homes.com Hamilton Homes

tel: (+34) 667 633 830 www.hamilton-homes.com

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Property

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€5,000,000

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Living beside the sea can have some excellent health inducing benefits, writes Laurence Dollimore

ECENT studies have shown that living next to water can promote wellness and relaxation. In fact, according to marine biologist Dr Wallace Nichols, just seeing water induces a flood of neurochemicals that increase the flow of blood to the brain and heart. Meanwhile, the sound of waves

can alter brain patterns, inducing a deeply relaxed state similar to meditation. Data from Wakefield Research, a data company based in the US, also found that four out of five people reported that being around water relaxes them, while 72% of people feel healthier after they’ve spent time on the water.

Club-house You’ll be slipping into a trance with this villa’s panoramic views of the coastline, mountains and the Guadalmina golf course. Inside sees lavish furnishings with the staircase and banisters designed by none other than Versace, complimented by marble flooring with mosaic details and silk tapestry on the walls. Its coolest feature has to be its basement, which includes a fully equipped club with a dance area, chill-out area,DJ booth and bar - not to mention its very own vineyard outback.

Life’s a €3,600,000 €2,280,000

Ibiza pad

REF: 7089 Sotheby’s

www.sothebysrealty.com This brand new 5-bedroom, 5-bathroom villa will be finished this year and is just metres from Cala Llenya, one of Ibiza’s most beautiful beaches. It guarantees the latest security system in a gated complex along with gorgeous community gardens and a swimming pool - although it’s unlikely you’ll need it with the sea just five to 10 metres away.

Dream pad

REF: 8665 Sotheby’s, Cala Rajada www.sothebysrealty.com

This seafront Mallorca pad is just minutes from Cala Ratjada beach. The house was built in 1970 and has a lot of potential and can easily be renovated. More importantly, you will practically have your own private beach with a small property that could be your very own beach club. It’s a perfect opportunity for those looking for a large house facing the sea with direct access. Meanwhile, several golf courses, restaurants, supermarkets and all the services are very close, as well as the towns of Artá and Capdepera.

NEW OFF PLAN DEVELOPMENT Launches 26 July 2018 A mix of studios, 1, 2, 3 & 4 beds

Gibraltar

Tel: +350 200 40041 info@chestertons.gi chestertons.gi 20 Ocean Village Promenade

www.theolivepress.es Swimming in salty water helps preserve the brain’s melatonin, tryptamine and serotonin levels, all of which stave off depression. Exposure to sea water can also boost the immune system, thanks to the antibiotic and antibacterial effects of the vitamins and minerals within the water. The negative ions of sea air mean-

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XIII 29

€8,900,000

while enables the body to absorb oxygen more readily and balance serotonin levels. In light of this, we’ve rounded up some of the best beach and waterfront properties in Spain that are sure to induce a deep state of relaxation.

Private

beach

This contemporary mansion is just a few minutes walk from the beach with spacious rooms and high ceilings throughout. It’s situated in the prestigious Guadalmina Baja urbanisation on a very large plot of land, only 200m from the beach and seafront walkway that leads to Puerto Banús. This superb and very private property is an excellent choice even for the most discerning buyer and family wishing to live in quiet, secure and harmonious surround-

ings in one of the finest urbanisations on the coast, yet only a few minutes drive to all amenities, international private schools, championship level golf courses and much more.

€3,300,000

Beach life This unique 5-bedroom villa sits just above the beaches of Manilva, boasting panoramic views of Marbella and Gibraltar while being just a few minutes’ drive away from exclusive Sotogrande. It comes complete with a heated infinity pool, solar power, elevator, under floor heating, rooftop/entertaining area, cinema, jacuzzi and sauna, gym and snooker room. REF: HOS-296 Holmes Sotogrande, Manilva

REF: 176-01470P - Andalucia Development, San Pedro www.andadev.com

MARBELLA OFFICE NOW OPEN MARBELLA Centro Plaza Local 1. Avda. Manollete 1. 29660 Nueva Andalucia.

MIJAS COSTA

C.CCentro Atalayas

Comercial C/Viento del Sur s/n 29649 Mijas costa

+34 952 930 532 / +34 670 673 472, Mijas@fineandcountry.com, www.fineandcountry.com

Ema

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Property

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British buyers back, buoyant prices, new offices… 2018 is shaping up to be a golden year Kristina Szekely tells Jon Clarke

EW people would deny Kristina Szekely the nickname the Godmother of Marbella Property. The international female face of the Golden Mile, she has become as synonymous with the town’s buoyant market as the famous arches on the edge of the town. But, these days it is not just Marbella, where the celebrated agent is known. Through her partnership with Sotheby’s she has an office in Sevilla, Sotogrande, Madrid and even Gibraltar… and now she is set to open a new one in the heart of Marbella to compliment her main office in Puerto Banus. On the main road through town, near the Alameda gardens, the office will be catering to a new growth market of buyers, who want to live near the old town. “It’s a strategic move to cater for people, who want to return to the charming centre of Marbella,” she tells me over coffee near her main office on front line Banus. “It’s very easy to live there, as you can walk everywhere to do your chores and do not need a car. Traffic isn’t as easy as it once was and a lot of older clients are downsizing from big six to seven bedroom villas and moving to smaller places in central Marbella,” she explains. The new office is also catering for a new type of investor looking to capitalise on the healthy annual rents ‘with yields of 5% upwards’ in the town, as well as international investors looking for commercial property, such as offices and hotels. “Lots of investors are realising that you can get more for your money than just having it parked in Switzerland,” she says. “Yields are good and it’s a strong growth market now.” This has certainly been the case

GOOD OLD DAYS Healthy growth

There have been some big price rises in Marbella over the last three years explains Kristina. One of her exclusive projects from three years ago Jardines del Principe, for example, sold out all 80 apartments within a year, with a number of them now coming back on the market for well over 50% more. “The properties sold at €500,000 to €550,000 euros are now going for €850,000 to €900,000. That is a big jump in just three years.” over the last few years with pric- She continues: “Things are very es in Marbella nearly heading much getting back to normal back up to the levels of 2007/8 though and we have seen a big before the recession. “In some upturn this year. places even higher,” she insists. “The British are definitely comThis year in particular has been ing back in and buying again, strong, with more than any many British other race. It is buyers coming I have now sold to so convenient back into the for them with so market, as well three generations many flights to as an influx of Malaga… and of the same Catalans, largeGibraltar too, ly due to the pofamily, both sons which is a lovely litical situation airport to use. and grandsons there. “I think the “I’m also exkey was the pecting a big exchange rate influx of Arabs this summer, once the Brexit result came although the Chinese I thought out. It meant that British buyers might come are actually buying were suddenly paying 15% more more in the bigger cities.” for properties almost overnight.

For bookings and information, please contact Eddie or Kath McCallion (+34) 956 688 177 | (+34) 615 340 027 casamccallion@yahoo.co.uk | www.casamccallion.com

Fantastic bed and breakfast with three self contained holiday let apartnmts, for sale. The property offers landscaped gardens, swimming pool and double garage. The house is located in EI Cuarton, between Tarifa and Gibraltar and is well connected to many great beaches, Gibraltar and The Alcornocales national park. House consists of 314.5m' on a plot of 2,100m'. with terracing of 222.5m' (100m' of roof terrace).

“It was a shock and it took a year or so to digest that, before many jumped back in... but the mentality has now changed and people are realising they cannot wait forever, people still want to get on with their lives and the Costa del Sol offers the perfect place for a second home.” Kristina is as positive as I have ever seen her, bounding around her office talking to her team many who have been with her for over two decades - and even pops out to chat to potential clients in the street outside. But nobody could ever have described her as a slacker. Over the nearly 35 years of working in real estate, she has got to know most of the main players in Andalucia and further afield. As well as appearing on countless TV programmes (the most memorable on a Piers Morgan documentary on Marbella), she is not scared to jump on a plane to promote the coast at international property fairs or events. “I was in Beijing recently for the launch of the new Sotheby’s China office,” she explains. “It was an interesting trip and I took a week off afterwards to see the country.” It has certainly been something of a turnaround for the businesswoman, who just five years ago had to take drastic steps to shore up her business during the deep recession in Spain, laying off dozens of staff and temporarily shutting a couple of offices. Describing it to me as a ‘tsunami’ at the time, and revealing she had gone from 150 to just 40 staff, she has done well to get things back on an even keel. “We are almost completely out of the woods,” she explains this week. “Things are finally looking up and I am just as enthusiastic about selling property now as I was three decades ago,” she admits, “It’s the challenge I like and I enjoy helping people get what they want,” she says. “Of course, at the end of it you are going to make money, but it is nice to get to know the clients first and I always give the maximum. “I have now sold to three generations of the same family, not just my client’s sons, but even their grandsons,” she halfboasts, fully aware that it gives a hint to her age, which she carefully guards from me each time we chat.

July 18th -July July 31st 2018 2018

MY LIFE TO DATE Kristina Szekely is a cultured lady, who has a good knowledge of food, drink and travel and has been to Morocco, for example, nearly 30 times and loves Marrakech in particular. Arriving in Marbella in the 1970s with her sister who had fallen in love with a Spaniard from Toledo, she was typical of the early expats to settle on the coast, speaking a number of languages (English, Hungarian, Swedish, German and French) and quickly picking up Spanish. Born in Hungary during the communist era, she had managed to escape to live with her uncle in Sweden, where she received a ‘solid education’. But she still remembers some of the tough times her family suffered under the regime. “We had quite a big house, which the communist party decided needed to be divided in half to provide room for another family. But it was still too big, so they made us do it again so we ended up with a quarter of our original house.” Despite doing well at school she opted not to attend university and instead took one of the first package holiday flights south from Stockholm to Malaga and fell in love with the coast. Just out of her teens she first started work as a freelance property agent – or ‘corredor’ - recommending property to friends and taking a small commission when they bought. Her first actual office was opened in the early 1980s behind the Skol Hotel in central Marbella, before moving to Nueva Andalucia (to the current site of La Sala restaurant), where her head office was for 21 years. It was around this time that she met her artist and developer husband Antonio Cienfuegos, who was ‘very important’ in her life and who taught her to separate her business from her private life. They were together for 20 years until his death from cancer nearly two decades ago. Marbella continues to be her home, a place she loves for its climate, geography and diversity, citing a dinner party where there were no less than 16 different nationalities. “It is a healthy melting pot and in Marbella you don’t have to fit into a mould, you can be creative, you can dress up or down, drive whatever car you like. Here, people are not trying to keep up with the Joneses. “On top of that it is a sophisticated resort with great shops, sports facilities and restaurants. And the city of Malaga is now nearer than ever. “It also has fantastic healthcare. Nowhere in Europe have you got so many good hospitals and clinics.”

Top tip ‘I am a big fan of the area between San Pedro and Estepona and given the Golden Mile is almost impossible to find places, this is an area I would focus on. In the autumn she will be releasing a couple of new projects there, which will be ‘price-wise and size-wise’ excellent value.’

KEEN OP READER: Kristina

Property

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July 18th -July July 31st 2018 2018

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XVI

July 2018

by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola

MORTGAGE THINK TANK

FORGET ME NOT

Spain may be booming, but that’s never a reason to skip on hiring a mortgage broker

SPAIN’S property market is the healthiest it’s been for years. And the facts don’t lie, sales in the first quarter of this year were the highest they have been since the third quarter of 2008, the height of Spain’s property golden era. A sign of good times ahead is that, according to the Land Register, foreign sales were up 13.2% compared to the first quarter of 2017. It means the country’s property market is seen as a strong investment from buyers across the world. More encouraging is that the Brits remain the biggest international group with a foreign market share of 14%. It seems Brexit has been firmly shrugged off by the British, who have long been fundamental to the success of Spain’s property market. Here at the Finance Bureau we have been kept extremely busy by Brits looking for a home in sunny Spain, and they made the right decision in seeking out a mortgage broker. Buying a property overseas can be one of the best decisions you ever make, but if the correct steps aren’t taken, it could end up being the worst, without sounding too dramatic! With established links to all the major Spanish lenders the Finance Bureau acts as a gobetween for the client and the bank – but it is

CMY

The leading home decoration magazine for homeowners with style… Tel. (+34) 951 38 38 97 | info@homeandlifestyle.es | www.homeandlifestyle.es

To contact Tancrede for all your mortgaging needs call: 666 709 743 or for insurance queries call: 951 203 540 Email: tdp@thefinanacebureau.com The Finance Bureau Centro Commercial Guadalmina, 2nOffice No. 7 Guadalmina, 29670

THE PERSONAL WAY TO BUY PROPERTY IN ESTEPONA!

NICE HOUSE WITH FABULOUS SEAVIEWS R3099661 € 420 000 Bahia Dorada Estepona Semi-detached villa Semi-d 168 m2 3 beds 3 baths 70 m2 terrace 360 m2 garden

important to remember that the broker is not connected to the bank - and works to find the buyer the best deal available. It’s important to have someone in your corner to highlight any hidden fees or compulsory add-ons tucked away in the small print and to ensure you get the best possible mortgage rate to suit your needs. One of the biggest pitfalls can be ‘trap-related products’ that often get hidden in the small print. These additional products get attached to your mortgage and usually include insurance policies. It is important to know exactly what is attached to your mortgage. What may seem like a great rate can be soured by expensive – and sometimes unnecessary – insurance packages. Using a broker will save both time and money as they will be looking out for these hidden add-ons and will always look for ways to lessen their impact. And while the vast majority of banks specify the fees and commissions they charge, not all of these costs are always declared. But the best way to ensure a good mortgage that does not hide anything in the fine print is to solicit the help of a mortgage broker. When it comes to picking a mortgage, you must get it right on the first try as due to the relatively high transaction costs, it is virtually impossible to reverse.

FAMILY VILLA WITH SPACE FOR FRIENDS & RELATIVES!

R3110614 € 630 000 Valle Romano Estepona Detached villa 400 m2 6 beds 7 baths 250 m2 terrace 1 300 m2 garden

Property Property

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July 18th -July July 31st 2018 July2018 2018

The Grapevine How to stage your home for a viewing in three easy steps

S you can imagine, we have a lot of experience with property viewings. And, with the help of feedback from our purchasing clients, over the years we’ve found out best ways to show off your property. Here’s the good news: there are things you can do to help! Below are the top three things you can do to maximize viewings on your property.

by Laura Wood

ON STAGE De-clutter

The first step on your home staging journey is to de-clutter your home as much as possible. This is obviously more difficult if you are currently living in the house. There are however small things you can do that will take no more than 15 minutes. For example, removing items like fly swats, ashtrays and used mugs from tables,

XV VI 33

clearing the kitchen work surfaces, emptying any exposed bins, tidying up any pool/garden equipment (where applicable) from the outside areas, storing any brooms, mops and other cleaning supplies can all help to make your home more attractive to the client. First impressions are so important on viewings. Stage Now, this is where you can get creative. We believe that when you purchase a property in our region you are buying so much more than a house, you are buying the lifestyle that that property can give you. You as a vendor can help a prospective purchaser envision what their life could be like here. Things like laying out a bowl of citrus fruits on the table showing off the local produce, putting out a bottle of wine and couple of glasses out, offering a glass of iced water on arrival all aid a buyer to feel at home. Try to make the viewing experience as memorable as possible. Some feedback we have never received: “This house is too bright!”

PRESSURE: Just be yourself when showing your home

Make sure your property is as sunny as possible when the clients arrive. This means opening all the blinds/shutters and turning on all light sources. You You are the biggest selling point of your house. It’s important for clients to see why you fell in love with your property. Where is your favourite spot to spend time? Think about this and purposely sit there during a viewing. If the clients are interesting in your property and have any

specific questions, they will come to you and when they do they’ll be sat in the very best place to admire the view/pool area/spacious living room etc. See what I’m getting at? Give the clients space, let them feel their own way around the property so the viewing is as relaxed and informal as possible. We believe that by incorporating these three things into your viewing preparations, you will create a greater lasting first impression. We wish you the very best of luck finding a purchaser for your home and please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further assistance.

Visit us at Calle El Burgo, 5, Guaro or contact us at tel. 952 457 761 / enquiries@grapevine-properties.com

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newly refurbished property can satisfy clients who aren’t enamoured with contemporary architectural design, yet still desire the modern convenience of a brand new villa. A traditional-style house can be delivered with many of the accoutrements of a new-build property – home automation, a state-of-the-art kitchen, a fitness suite – yet retain the charm of the original home, thus delivering the best of all worlds. Renovating a home can be a costly and timeconsuming proposition, so buying a refurbished home removes this stress. Buying a house is the largest financial commitment most people will undertake in their lifetime. When the purchase is of a recently reformed property, risks are raised that undiagnosed technical problems can turn a dream home into a nightmare of spiralling repair costs.

What lies beneath Avoid the horrors of cowboy reforms, writes Adam Neale

Use the services of an expert It therefore pays to contract a third party specialist or technical architect to carry out a detailed inspection of the property in order to ensure the refurbishment has been carried out adequately. Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona. Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com

July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 2018

Chris Warren, of project management company Renson Management, often works on our behalf for clients, undertaking a thorough examination of properties at our request. We recently asked him for some pointers on factors to note when purchasing a refurbished property. “The most important problem that can occur is water damage, which is one of the areas we inspect in particular detail,” states Chris. “An unnoticed leak can cause untold damage, so we run taps, showers and baths, looking for the slightest hint of water leaks or ingress”. “During building work it is not uncommon for pipes to become blocked with debris. Underfloor heating must be checked, electric shutters are another common issue – there are so many elements in today’s modern homes that need to receive the correct supervision, so a thorough inspection will bring these and other issues to light.” As well as inspecting plumbing and electrical facilities, Chris and his team ensure that all services are correctly connected to the home. “We don’t just check services, though,” he notes. “People today are much more eco-conscious, so running costs are very much an issue. A recent client was delighted when we pointed out that their new 20 x 6 metre heated swimming pool had been installed without a cover to retain heat and reduce costs, for example.”

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Check the paperwork is correct Building regulations are also scrutinised, ensuring the work carried out complies with legal requirements. Fundamentally, it’s a service that delivers peace of mind to clients, which is why we recommend Renson Management as a professional company that can be trusted: “Renson Management are proud of the fact that we hold unbroken professional indemnity insurance, which we have had since 1996 without a single claim to date, which we think says something about the service we offer” Renson is also ISO 9001-certified, meaning it is regularly audited to make sure its practices meet independent quality standards and ensures quality assurance. Our own experience We are based in the old town of Estepona and can bear witness to both some excellent and appalling examples of reform. Unfortunately, the untrained eye of most clients will not see beyond the fresh paint and newly laid tiles, they will rarely look above them to see that the beautiful old roof beams which have just been painted white support a roof that will leak like a sieve in the winter rains. We would advise anyone buying a recently reformed property to have the property checked by a professional such as Chris from Renson Management.

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BEFORE // AFTER

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Skywalking

July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 2018

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GUARD: Monkey rail

ERCHED high above one of the highest peaks on the Med, this is not an attraction for those suffering from vertigo. The skywalk, installed at the top of the rock of Gibraltar offers 360 degree views taking in the mountains of north Morocco, as well as inland Cadiz and Malaga. Conceived by Arc designs, it comprises a 2.5-metre wide glazed walkway plus a balustrade.

From here you can walk up to the famous O’Hara Battery, which is the home to a big troup of the Rock’s famous macaque monkeys. They are very much part of the whole experience of visiting the new Skywalk, which took six months to build. If you look down below the only thing you will see is the ground and the sea, like you were floating.

But beware winds up here can easily reach 93mph, or 150km/h. And keep your eyes peeled for the cheeky monkeys, who will stoop at nothing to grab your bag to look for a tasty snack, dispensing with anything else they cannot eat. It recently happened to a family of UK tourists, who lost not only their money for the day out, but also no less than FIVE passports which are still visible on the steep cliff face to the south.

ON THE EDGE: Monkeying around

HOMESHARE: With Gibraltar’s famous macaques

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Having moved to Mallorca designer Matthew Williamson is starting to leave his colourful mark on the area A SPLASH of floral blue and soft pinks have created one of Mallorca’s hippest suites. Designed by British fashion designer Matthew Williamson, Suite 67, at Deia’s Belmont La Residencia hotel, also includes various retro touches and antique furniture.

STYLISH: Williamson´s suite

FLOWER POWER

The poolside suite conversion comes after the Manchester designer moved to the village

Pricy break THE Balearics have the most expensive rentals in Spain. During the low season the average price is €202 per night, while in high season it is €264, over €60 more than anywhere else in Spain, claims website Holidu. Pollensa has the highest average of €373 a night, with Ibiza town in second with €371. Bargain basement Lanzarote, in the Canaries, is a mere €141 a night in high season.

having bought and renovated a house there. The designer, who is popular with stars including Anna Wintour and Sienna Miller, has moved into the interiors market and recently finished renovating the courtyard of London’s hip Blakes Hotel. But Mallorca has become his permanent home. “I fell in love with Deià the first moment I arrived. I’d enjoyed a scenic drive up into the mountains and through the pretty town of Valdem-

ossa,” he recently explained. “Deià is such a hidden gem and I really felt it was a place I wanted to explore more.” Williamson, who is known for his vibrant patterns and colours, is expected to undertake more work around the island. “For Suite 67 I’ve taken inspiration from the hotel’s rich history, the local architecture and scenery, and worked with nearby craftspeople and artists,” the designer continued.

Vulture hunt

Chaos still exists in the mortgage law sector in Spain, but the fight back is well underway, writes Maria Luisa Castro, at CostaLuz lawyers

T Pioneers & experts in Spanish off-plan property claims according to banks liabilities – under ley 57/1968 NO WIN NO FEE Contact us now for a free appraisal of your case

SPAIN Calle Regino Martínez 30, 3Âº, 11201 Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain Tel. +34 956 092 687 | Fax. +34 956 092 697 UNITED KINGDOM Unit 2, Cochran Close, Crownhill Industry, Milton Keynes, MK8 0AJ, United Kingdom Facebook: costaluzlawyers Twitter: costaluzlawyers

web@costaluzlawyers.es www.costaluzlawyers.es

O understand the mess in Spain’s mortgage chaos, we need to go back to 2002 when the Euro was introduced here. It was a great time to invest here and came at a time when American subprime mortgages were prevalent around the world and there was a distinct lack of regulation, particularly here in Spain. Much of the investment was in off-plan schemes and the law was not strong enough to regulate this sector. As lawyers we have been witness to the entire experience through the lives of our clients. We saw how developers breached the off-plan contracts and refused to take responsibility. We witnessed first hand hundreds of developers being sentenced to refund our clients but due to a cascade of bankruptcies from 2008 onwards, hardly any money was refunded. But things started to change more recently, and as the pioneers of the many subsequent successful actions against the banks and insurers of the developers, we understand exactly how the crisis unfolded. What are we seeing now? Things are certainly much more positive now for investors who lost out, but the story is anything but over...in fact I would say we are currently in the middle of it. The battle over the cancellation

of off-plan purchase contracts and related refunds is almost won but the new fight on mortgages is vibrantly alive. We are also seeing thousands of off-plan victims, both foreigners and Spanish nationals, being refunded by the banks and insurers, and ultimately, nationality has no relevance, when you are the victim of this financial insanity. We are also seeing the anguish of those who, encouraged by agents, developers and lawyers, took on the developers’ mortgages in a hyper-inflated market, are now facing the threat of losing their hard-earned investments. Many are trapped in a spiral of negative equity as a result of the bubble created by the crazy years of off-plan property purchases. The good news however, is that due to Spain’s membership of the European Union, the legal bodies in Brussels are placing some order to the current mortgage situation in Spain. This is helping to create a balance and professionalism that the financial market of a civilized EU country requires. Initially the EU ruled on floor clauses, then mortgage opening expenses claims and most recently on illegal interest indexes such as IRPH. In my opinion we now face a deeper battle on two more important abusive mortgage

clauses. These two clauses are (1) Anticipated maturity of mortgage contracts and (2) Renouncing the right to being informed of passing of mortgage debt to third parties: clauses which were created by the financial monsters and were included for the sole protection and benefit of the financial entities. Both clauses allowed vulture funds to set up and grow and both are now under examination by the EU. What is Europe revising? This month, the European Court starts to study a Spanish Supreme Court ruling over whether banks should be allowed to request the full debt of a mortgage from debtors after only a two, three or four month default. Until this is decided, all mortgage enforcements are currently paralyzed in Spanish Courts. There is also a current claim before the European Commission on the unfair mechanisms of passing a mortgage debt to vulture funds as the current scenario makes it very difficult for mortgage debtors to avail the benefits that Spanish Law (provision 1535 of the Civil Code) provides for them. Both are interesting cases that are set to bring a much more balanced consumer-oriented financial system to Spain. www.costaluzlawyers.es

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www.inlandandalucia.com July 18th - July 31st 2018

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Fuente de Piedra - Málaga

TH3694

33.000 €

Rute - Córdoba

TH3777

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TH3523

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Los Juncares - Córdoba

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This is a 3 to 4 Bedroom Townhouse with on road parking in the town of Martos. From the entrance hall you enter a lounge diner and on into a fitted kitchen with a ground floor shower. The first floor offers two to three bedrooms leading to a roof terrace with views over the town. Internal stairs lead to a good size bedroom.

This townhouse is in the town of Fuente de Piedra. This property contains a lounge diner, ground floor shower room, a well fitted kitchen and opens out onto a rear patio. On the first floor there is a second bathroom and four bedrooms, with a stairwell that gives access to a roof terrace. The property is offered furnished.

This property is close to all the amenities of this bustling town. There is a lounge diner to the left and a large room to the right. The kitchen and bathroom is to the rear and leads to a large garden with a kitchen and a large storage room. Upstairs there are 3 large bedrooms. This property is sold part furnished.

This townhouse sits on the town square of Mollina. The property has a spacious entrance hall that leads to a ground floor bedroom. On the first floor there is a master bedroom with en suite at the front of the property and a second sitting room which opens out onto a roof terrace with room for alfresco dining.

Malaga Office

CJ442

Priced to sell, this stunning Cortijo is situated on the outskirts of the village of Fuente Alamo in Jaen. Boasting a magnificent swimming pool with all the outside space you could wish for. The property has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, two separate kitchens and lounges but with plenty of space to expand your living accommodation.

This Spanish 2 bedroom Townhouse is situated in the town of Rute. Priced to sell at only 33.000 Euros, with no major work needed. The property has a good size entrance hallway leading to an open lounge area with a dining room. There is a kitchen and utility area and shower room with steps leading to a spacious private terrace.

An opportunity to purchase a large Spanish Country Home with a 3,027m2 plot with views over the Andalucian countryside. All the rooms are a good size. There are 4 bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen and utility room plus lots of storage spaces, private patio and courtyard areas and gardens within you large plot of land.

3 double bedroom Villa is 5 minutes from the town of Alacala la Real. The property is ground level and the rooms have high ceilings. The gated entrance to this property is though your garden with a shaded patio area. A roomy hallway with a good size lounge accompanies a fitted kitchen. The property is being sold part furnished.

Jaen Office

Calle de la Villa 14, 29532 Molina, Malaga

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

info@inlandandalucia.com

contact@inlandandalucia.com

952 74 15 25

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-final of Spanish TV talent show 3065 views

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Political parties in Spain call for legalisation of cannabis

A MALAGA firm is on a mission to BE send solar panels into ‘APPY! space. DHV Technology, launched in 2013, aims to seize on a rising demand for panels at- PODEMOS has renewed tached to satellites. calls for the legalisation The company’s three found- of cannabis now that the ers, Vicente Díaz, Miguel Án- PSOE is in government. Download app now and The party’s leader, Pablo gel Vázquez andourFrancisco begin their enjoying the best Spanish Rubiño, said ambitions Iglesias, said legalising are now even news ‘bigger’ on the go.and they the drug would lead to a want to expand to other parts much bigger budget for of satellite technology. healthcare. He said: “We wouldn’t have to spend money on Launched security arrangements Over the last four years, DHV against illegal trafficking, has developed around 40 so- which generates crime lar panel projects for various and exploitation.” companies outside Spain. According to the blueprint Olive Press They are The currently working for regulation, Spain could on the Argomoon project with raise €177 million per year newsThat in Spain! Italian TOP firm for Argotec. through a cannabis tax, satellite will be launched in plus a further €1.2 billion 2020, traveling 10,000km on indirect taxes. away from Earth.

High time for legalisation Last month, Podemos, the PSOE and Ciudadanos jointly put forward another motion calling for personal amounts of the drug to be legal. Other countries have already benefitted from the legalisation of cannabis. The Netherlands’ capital, Amsterdam, collected €400 million in indirect taxes in 2017. Meanwhile, several states in the US have made a fortune from legalising the non-lethal drug, with Colorado alone selling €1.28 billion of the green drug last year.

Welcomed

INTO ORBIT: Satellite

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The proposed measures have been largely welcomed by parties on both sides of the political spectrum, except for the PP, which has long fought against the idea. The battle to regulate cannabis began in 2017 when Podemos put forward a non-legislative motion.

COMING SOON?: Legalisation of cannabis

MATHSTONE

Cruzcampo vs La Roja CRUZCAMPO has threatened to cancel its sponsorship of Spain’s football team after Luis Rubiales’ ‘offensive’ comments. The threat came after the head of the Spanish football federation said paying for the travel costs of senior management and the relatives of footballers to the World Cup was a ‘waste of money’. A Cruzcampo spokesperson said Rubiales was effectively reneging on something that was already agreed, before pointing out that the federation didn’t pay for such travel costs at this World Cup. Rubiales has yet to comment.

ROW: With Spain team

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How healthy are your finances and can they be cured? asks Graeme Blyth of Woodbrook

HECK-UPS – we dread them - but they give us reassurance that symptoms can be dealt with and a good diagnosis can save your life. Regular check-ups prevent fiscal heart failures, and prevention is far better than cure. It’s always better to know the bad news, and then take action. But it need not be bad news if you take control of what your money is doing for you. These are a few fiscal symptoms to look out for when regulating your financial cholesterol. Reviews are Always Good News They may not start off that way, if your investments have not been handled correctly at first,

FINANCE DOCTORS but within a first consultation with an independent advisor taking an honest approach you will be told what to do to fix this. The need for personal financial reviews is often married with a phobia of understanding your bottom line. Those who find money issues and strategies daunting need to understand regular reviews of financial plans are as important as regular medicals. Like any visit to a doctor, you have to keep going regularly. It’s

REGULAR: Financial checkups prevent fiscal heart failure

never going to be as bad as you think. Most people leave our office relieved to have found and made a plan. Don’t Ignore Symptoms

I don’t like delivering bad news, but sometimes I have to tell new clients just that. Some people come to me when the illness is full blown. If you don't keep in touch with your physical condition, or your financial condition, you run the serious risk of a nasty surprise. To give good financial advice you can’t afford to offer placebos, sugarcoated pills which solve nothing. Not knowing that things are wrong is no excuse. If you haven't recently looked at the performance of your financial plan against its targets or haven't adjusted your financial plans to suit your changing life circumstances, the result can be fatal!

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First Consultations Should be Free

I often meet new unsuspecting customers who previously thought they were getting wealth advice elsewhere but were, in fact, being made poorer, receiving hefty fees for first consultations. Reviews of financial plans are free of charge and don't take long, whether you are a Woodbrook client or just want some advice. When you pay for something you don’t need to pay for, something is wrong. That is not what Woodbrook is about. We are a global firm with a reputation to uphold and protect. That comes from clients who have been helped successfully. Latest Epidemic So what kind of financial predic-

MALAGA REMOVALS

Relax, your move is in safe hands

July 18th - July 31st 2018 March 29th April 11th 31st 20182018 July -18th - July

SAFE: Graeme Blyth says healthy money management is essential life planning it’s one we see all too regularly. aments has there been a rise Our advice is prevention rather in? The latest epidemic involves than cure. Whether your plan many people who have trans- has never been reviewed, or not ferred their UK pension out of recently reviewed, I would urge the toxic mess of the British you to do something about that pension system into a QROPS today, before it is too late, and or SIPP. your financial health is forever The Woodbrook team have pre- damaged. pared for this eventuality, and *For more information, contact our team at the Woodbrook Group Office in Marbella: Av. Ricardo Soriano, 72 Edificio Golden Portal B, 1ª Planta 29601 Marbella, Málaga, Spain. Telephone: +34 952768471 Email: officemarbella@woodbrookgroup.com Woodbrook Group is regulated by CySEC.

AGONY ANT

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Sharia Law Does it have any standing in Spain when it comes to inheritance?

T is a well-known fact that Sharia Law, or Islamic religion, is the religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition. This law governs the lives of Muslims including what happens after death in respect to (DGRN) in Madrid rejected a the distribution of the wealth Deed of Acceptance and Adand assets. judication of Inheritance of According to Islamic scholars, a deceased Iranian national the inheritance portions have specifically because the share been determined and allotted distribution allotted to the sons by Allah in the Quran and cannot doubled that of the daughters, be changed although vary ac- in accordance to the law applied cording to who is to the inherialive at the time tance -article of death. 907 of the Civil Other Islamic Unfortunately, Code of Iran- . the law of God The DGRN ininheritance and modern voked article principles will western democ12.3 of the racies are at Spanish Civil probably suffer times irreconcilthat states able, if we focus that ‘in no the same fate on the very first event shall fordictate that the eign law apply male’s portion where it is conequals to that of two females. trary to public policy’, arguing Recently, the Directorate Gen- that it was against public policy eral of Registrars and Notaries because it infringed substantial

Constitutional legal precepts as well as treaties on international human rights, as for example prohibition of discrimination of grounds of gender. Interestingly, the DGRN rejected the discriminatory rule even after the daughters had stated that they had ‘freely and without coercion’ accepted the ‘divine’ allocation of assets. Other Islamic inheritance principles will probably suffer the same fate should they be closely scrutinized; for example, the express prohibition for Muslims to inherit from non-Muslims, and vice versa, in intestate inheritances. And it goes without saying that ‘apostates’ that under Shariah will lose their rights to testate but also to inherit, will not have such effects recognized on Spanish-based assets.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

www.theolivepress.es

Amazon Delay AMAZON Prime have announced that customers may face heavy delays on deliveries following a worker strike earlier this week. The strike which started on Monday and will last threedays, was organised by the Workers’ Commission Trade Union (CCOO) over a wage dispute. The walkout was at the Amazon and packing distribution centre in San Fernando de Henares, near Madrid. The strike will have an affect on ‘Prime Day’, a major online one-day event where products are sold at discount prices. Head of the CCOO Trade Union said about 80 percent of workers joined the walk-out on Monday. Germany and Poland also took action, staging a one-day strike on Tuesday.

BUSINESS

Travel Chaos

July 18th - 11th July2018 31st 2018 March 29th April July -18th - July 31st 2018

Expensive taste

Airport staff and pilots threaten strikes during peak season

INCOMING: Strikes at Ryanair

AIRPORT staff have threatened strike action in August following a dispute over wage increases, potentially causing travel chaos across Europe. Spanish holidays could be affected after 60,000 staff eyed up a summer strike at major airports ordered by baggage handlers, cleaning staff and maintenance workers.

Commissions Union (CCOO) hopes to negotiate a deal. In a statement released, they said: “We have filed an appeal in the Interconfederal Service of Mediation and Arbitration (SIMA) to try to reach an agreement to avoid the collapse in airports in the middle of summer.” The first strike is being planned for August 1 should a deal not

Across European airports workers are demanding that their working day should be a maximum of 12 hours after some argued that they were regularly exceeding that. As well as working hours, also on the agenda are promotion prospects and wage increases. Wary of the potential summer travel chaos, the Workers’

Tesla at Banus

POPPING UP: Tesla in Banus

AMERICAN Automobile company Tesla have announced a pop-up store in Puerto Banus Marina, showcasing their last models. The Model S and X will be available to prospective buyers at the Gran Hotel Guadalpin Banus, where they will be able to watch demonstrations as well as taking

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the electric cars out on a test drive. The Marina will be the host of the showcase with the five-door Model S being the most anticipated part of Tesla’s visit to Spain. The Model S is the first premium 100% electric car which can travel up to 539 km on a single charge.

be agreed. It comes after Ryanair pilots announced plans to strike over the summer. Spanish pilots, as well as many across Europe, are to strike on July 25 and 26 after 34 demands, including poor pay and working conditions, were given to the airline. Angered Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, said: “It’s hard to gauge the magnitude of disruption and you have to put it into the context of Ryanair’s vast operations. “But the scale of Ryanair’s operations also means that quite a significant number of people could be affected.” The news comes after O’Leary said he would not bow down to ‘laughable’ demands from pilots after a dispute earlier this year. Ryanair plan to reshuffle pilots and cabin crew to minimise the impact of the strikes.

A MADRID restaurant had a good night this week after a dinner party spent a whopping €50,000. The group of eight splashed out on two bottles of vintage Louis Roederer champagne - costing €15,000 EACH while feasting on Nalon eels, barnacles, sea bass and sirloin steak. The Casa Parrondo restaurant, which has been serving Asturian food in the capital for more than 40 years, shared the receipt on social media. The total came to €49,292, meaning each diner paid €6,161 each, assuming they decided to go Dutch.

Gun ho SPAIN’S Pedro Sanchez has committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence. After this week’s NATO summit in Brussels - and yet another stark warning from US president Donald Trump - Spain will now seek to meet the 2% of GDP on defence by the year 2024. The news comes after it was revealed Spain commits only 0.93%, the lowest behind Luxembourg and Belgium. Sanchez had said he wouldn’t increase the military budget earlier this month.

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'Due to rapid growth the Olive Press is looking for 'fully-qualified' journalists around Andalucia and across Spain, including the Balearics and Canaries, and Gibraltar. We are ALSO looking for keyboard warriors on In Design with press media experience - come and weave your magic! Good SALES reps are also always welcome - particularly in Mallorca, Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol.

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HEALTH

Glasses or contacts?

There’s lots to consider when making the switch to contact lenses, according to Specsavers

ontact lenses are perfect for a summer packed full of fun and sport. So, I have put together a few questions and answers to help those thinking of using contact lenses for the first time.

Q: I have relied on glasses for years and want to try contact lenses, what do you recommend? A: I would recommend soft contact lenses, as they are very pliable therefore easy to get used to and comfortable to wear. They cannot be dislodged easily from the eye and they give excellent all round vision. Q: What different types are available? A: There are a number of options to choose from; • Daily disposable lenses which you throw away every day and replace with a new pair • Monthly disposable lenses which last a month but need to be cleaned and stored in solution over-night • All day-all night lenses which you can sleep in during the night Which ones are best for you depend on your lifestyle and preferences, so check with your optician. Q: What are the best contact lenses for people who play sport? A: It depends on the type of sport and your lifestyle, but it's worth bearing the following in mind: • Soft lenses tend to stay put better than gas-permeable lenses or spectacles, which is important when you're moving around a lot • Playing squash is particularly dangerous to the eyes as the ball is just the right size to fit into the orbit (the bony depression in the skull where your eye is positioned) so you will need protective eyewear over your contact lenses • Contact lenses aren't ideal for swimming as they can become dislodged. If you swim a lot, it's worth investing in prescription swimming goggles SpecsaversOpticas have just launched their new easyvisionaquiane daily disposable lenses. These innovative silicone hydrogel lenses were made with comfort in mind, providing everyday value, convenience and health benefits for just 16,50€ for a box of 30 lenses. For more information and to find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es

Nocilla goes green SPAIN’S favourite nutty chocolate spread is going green. After years of controversy Idilia Foods, manufacturers of Nocilla, have finally agreed to replace the palm oil content with planet-friendly sunflower oil and cocoa butter to regain consumer trust. The production of palm oil causes huge environmental damage through deforestation and has been linked to cancers and a negative effect on human health. Nocilla (similar to Nutella) started as an alternative to the traditional Spanish afternoon snack pan con chocolate. Since its launch 50 years ago, more than 700 million jars have been sold. Idilia Foods maintains that, despite the change in formula, Nocilla tastes just like it always did.

Insulin pills DIABETICS may soon be able to take their insulin doses orally instead of jabbing themselves with a needle. Researchers from Harvard University have developed a pill that could substitute the syringes sufferers currently use to control their condition. Until now, pills didn’t work because stomach acids dissolved their glucose content, preventing the insulin being absorbed correctly by the body. The new pill has been developed with components that could resist the acids and could be a lifesaver for sufferers who experience sideeffects from injections, have a phobia about needles or find it difficult to fit treatment around their daily routine. According to the researchers “The pills are biocompatible, easy to produce and can be stocked for two month without degradation”. They are yet to go to human trial but are already being successfully tested on animals.

July 18th - July 31st 2018

SPAIN’S LINE FE There are now more cocaine addicts than alcoholics in Spain

COCAINE is taking over from alcohol as the addiction most people in Spain seek help in quitting. According to the Observatorio Proyecto Hombre report, the number of cocaine addicts entering rehab (34.3%) now exceeds the number of alcoholics soliciting treatment (31%) for the first time in the organisation’s history. Only five years ago, alcoholics represented 41% of rehab patients. Multiple reasons explain the rise of cocaine addiction, including the increase in production of the white powder throughout

Europe, the end of the financial crisis and the normalisation of its consumption in daily life. The study also contradicts the long-held theory that cocaine is a high class drug. “Cocaine is consumed by all social classes. People who go into rehab could be a member of your own family or the next-door neighbour”, said Felix Rueda of Proyecto Hombre. According to the latest profile studies, most cocaine users are men in their mid-30s with stable family backgrounds, a basic education and a job.

HEALTH STARS: Martin and Marion Shirran

Hypno-sized AN expat couple from Fuengirola have appeared on ITV’s This Morning to discuss their Gastric Mind Band procedure. Martin and Marion Shirran of the Elite Clinic in Fuengirola run a unconventional four-day course to help change clients’ relationships with food. The procedure, also known as the ‘imaginary gastric band’, combines cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnotherapy. The couple have completed nearly 8,000 hours of one-to-one client treatment time. One of their converts is British actress and comedienne Helen Lederer. Speaking on This Morning, the couple said: “Imaginary gastric band is a lifelong commitment to changing your habits and behaviour around food and eating, creating new behaviour patterns and habits. “It’s making sure you eat when you’re hungry and not for other reasons like eating just because you’re bored or stressed.” Treatment prices range from £1,495 up to £4,995 for VIP packages.

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WHITE EVER

EDUCATION

No value in religion RELIGIOUS education is to be stripped of its academic value under Spain’s new education chief, Isabel Celaa. Announcing the reform, the Minister said RE would still be an option as a class subject but will no longer influence school grades or count towards a scholarship. The measure dates back to the education law (LOE) passed by the PSOE

in 2006 and substituted by the LOMCE in 2015 which gave religion greater academic clout and lead to a 38% rise in students taking the subject in the hope of an easy pass. Meanwhile, a new subject has been added to the curricula: Civil and Ethical Values, similar to the old Education for Citizenship course which existed under the LOE.

July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 18th - July 31st 2018

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Special needs PARENTS of disabled children in Spain are squaring up to the government over plans to axe special education centres and integrate them into normal schools. They have created the platform ‘Inclusive education, but also special’ to take their protest to the highest level and have won support from a variety of educational centres and associations. Currently, there are 250,000 disabled children in the education system and just 17% (35,000) attend special schools. The rest go to ordinary schools which run special programmes and classes. “The right to non-discrimination is not about treating everyone the same way but according to their needs,” commented a platform spokesperson.

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ADDICTIVE: Class A drug is on the rise

They work in fields like the food and beverage industry, surveillance, special care and jobs which demand long hours and a high level of concentration. Contrary to other drugs like alcohol or heroin, cocaine addiction is not accompanied by instabil-

ity in personal life, which reinforces the idea of its use as a party drug, rather than a way out. This could explain why almost half of addicts are under the age of 30. The ‘normal’ appearance of users makes it more difficult to detect their addiction and help them.

Rainbow reform

What to do if you don’t get your predicted grades for university...how about considering Gibraltar university?

HEN it comes to securing a university place on results day, it’s really important to have a backup plan. Whether you exceed your predicted grades, or don’t quite get the ones you wanted, now is the time to get ahead of the game. Here’s University of Gibraltar’s 7-step plan to securing a space at university this year.

It’s not all over

Step 1: What is clearing? Clearing is an important part of the UCAS university application process. It allows universities a chance to fill any spaces they may have left ahead of the academic year. University applicants who don’t hold offers essentially get another chance of securing a university place. Step 2: Clearing is not the only option Clearing is run by UCAS which means it only affects applications made through their system. If you’re hoping to get a space at university this year, it’s a good idea to explore all the options available – this includes direct application routes. Step 3: Revisit your original choices

Assisted baby boom SPAIN is the European leader in assisted reproduction, with almost 120,000 treatments during 2015. The figure represents 6.66% of Europe’s 800,000 total. And according to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, Europeans prefer Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ISI)to In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). The study notes that egg donation has risen by 50% and is proving to be an effective method of conception. In the world, some half a million babies are created using the technique.

FREE fertility treatment for lesbians and single women is coming back under Spain’s new socialist government. The benefit taken away by Mariano Rajoy’s PP in 2014 is to be restored effective from January 2019. The cabinet pledge in Madrid came as the capital celebrated LGBTQ+ Pride Month last weekend. "Today the misogyny is over," tweeted Minister for Equality Soledad Murillo.

Do your research. Think back to what you were looking for in a course all those months ago and revisit the list of what was important to you at the time. For example, does the course offer industry placements? Will you miss home? Think about which courses/universities you would consider if you don’t get the grades you need. Step 4: Keep an open mind Do consider alternative options. For example, instead of Marketing would you consider Business with a Marketing major? If you have your heart set on a particular location because you were close to friends, it may be time to be flexible on where the course is located. You may be setting off

CLEARING: Students should consider Gibraltar University for a different university, to study a different course, but the opportunities to meet new friends and get involved in student life remain the same. Step 5: Don’t wait for results day If you want to get ready for the big day, or perhaps already have your results, start contacting universities now and ask them about what courses they still have spaces on. If you would rather wait, A-level results are released on Thursday 16 August, ensure that you don’t have any fixed plans on that day just in case you need to make some phone calls.

Socialist

It is just the latest socialist measure Pedro Sanchez's new government has announced following his first month in power. The move could help towards increasing birth rates in Spain, which has one of the lowest in Europe. Last year the total number of births were outnumbered by the death rate which is running at its fastest in almost eight decades.

Step 6: Don’t panic and stay positive! You may need to make some fast decisions on results day, but try not to panic. If you’ve done your preparation you should have some idea of which universities to contact first. While it can be tempting to make a decision based on location, make sure you understand what the degree actually involves. Step 7: If you can, go and visit them The best way to decide if a university is right for you is to go and visit as you’ll speak to staff and find out exactly what they have to offer. For those students hoping to study business-related subjects, University of Gibraltar is accepting direct applications to its undergraduate Bachelor of Business Administration course so call their Clearing Hotline on +35020071000 Ext. 901 to find out more.

ENVIRONMENT: The new purpose-built campus

www.unigib.edu.gi/clearing

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Last Monday was the final straw with the cyclists, writes Giles Brown

RANTED most Monday mornings can prove to be the last straw, especially when I am running late, again, for my

COLUMNISTS

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July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 18th - July 31st 2018

Tour de Farce

radio show and only on my second coffee of the morning. Three café solos are normally needed to get me even near to a functional level.

Having bumped up the track that leads from the Casita to the main road, I was thundering down towards the coast. I broke hard before the first

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bend, letting the momentum take Zappa – my trusty Ford Focus – smoothly around, the new tyres doing their job. And there he was. Head to toe in pink Lycra that was unzipped to the navel, sweating profusely with his matted ginger hair sticking out from under his pink helmet, his mouth gulping in air, a strangled cry issuing from his lips, his eyes bulging wildly. A Monday morning cyclist, obviously competing in the Tour de France in his imagination and smack on the wrong side of the road. One of the things about Istan, the nearest pueblo to where I live, it that it is a dead end village. Having defeated the Moors in the mid-15th century, the Christian rulers decreed that they could not live in sight of the sea. This was to stop them being able to signal to their brethren across the Mediterranean and many were moved to Istan. Since then the village has - the failed Moorish uprising several years later notwithstanding - enjoyed a sleepy existence, evidenced by the fact that the road dwindles from two lanes to, if not one lane, one-and-three quarter

lane width and ends in Istan, with a camino rural winding around the back of La Concha to Monda. This makes it a perfect route for cyclists, with considerably less traffic than the Marbella to Ojen road or the Ronda road and means that they don’t have to try the, frankly suicidal, main coast road in summer. The problem starts in summer season, and especially when the Tour de France, Giro de Italia or Vuelta de E s p a ñ a are on. It inspires every weekend cyclist to don his (or her) Lycra and have a bash at the Istan road. While I normally try and channel my inner Jack Nicholson’s Joker ‘Why can’t we all get along’, when you get stuck behind yet another arse in Lycra as you try and wind your way home, you can lose the plot somewhat. If I want to see a sweaty man’s bum gyrating

ROAD RAGE: Giles Brown has officially had it

in front of me, then there are several clubs in Torremolinos that cater for such activities. Or so I have been informed. With the planned construction of 30 luxury villas and 200 units starting later this year, it's going to get even more ‘interesting’, as cement lorries, never the best at leaving space, start trundling up on a daily basis, not to mention the luxury SUVs, normally with Russian or German plates, who have their own ‘challenging’ interpretation of the Highway Code. But back to Monday. I slammed on the brakes, swore profusely, and the cyclist wobbled off with not so much as a sideways glance. “Why the feck are they allowed to practice this sport all the time?” I shouted at my startled passengers, “When I’ve been banned by Trafico for my own hobby of naked street luge?!”

-final of Spanish TV talent show 3065 views

SOCIALMEDIA

FOOD, DRINK ANDDRINK TRAVEL FOOD, & TRAVEL

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OlivePressNewspaper olivepress olivepressnews

Food+TheolivepressEs changes lives BE ‘APPY!

July 18th - July 31st 2018

WITH DINING SECRETS OF ANDALUCIA.COM June 6th - June 19th 2018

WAITING GAME

A SPANISH chef has reached the final of the Basque Culinary World Prize. Marc PuigPey, an elBulli alum, is our app now and Download fightingbegin withenjoying the best Spanish nine other news chefs for theon the go. €100,000 cash prize, which will go to his Fundacio Alicia in Barcelona, which educates children and adults with dietary restrictions. The winner will spend the IF you’re hoping to treat The Press cash prize to Olive ‘devote to a that special someone to a project or institution that ex- meal at one of Spain’s best pressesTOP the ethos of the prize: for news in Spain! restaurants, you better not to transform society through leave things until the last gastronomy.’ minute. This year's finalists were se- The country’s best dining lected on they showed ‘how hotspots have been officialgastronomy could become ly ranked in order of waita transformational force in ing lists, with some being areas ranging from innova- almost a year long. tion to education, health, re- Sitting at the top - and persearch, sustainability, social haps unsurprisingly - is entrepreneurship and eco- Celler de Can Roca, Spain’s nomic development.’ most famous and top The winner will be announced ranked restaurant. on July 24. The brainchild of the iconic

Book in to your favourite restaurants early

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Top 10 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1.

El Celler de Can Roca, Girona - 11 months DiverXO, Madrid - 9 months Kiro Sushi, Logrona - 7 months Sant Pau, Barcelona - 5 months + 3 weeks Disfrutar, Barcelona - 5 months Arzak, San Sebastian - 4 months La Boscana, Llerida - 4 months Ostage, Madrid - 4 months Adrian Quetgla, Palma - 3 months + 1 week Noor, Cordoba - 3 months

Roca brothers, you can expect to wait 11 MONTHS for a table at the Girona eatery. DiverXO, in Madrid, and Kiro Sushi, in Logrono, round off the top three with

Deliver-boo BRITISH food delivery company Deliveroo is set to fork out €1.31 million after Spanish courts ruled their workers were not self-employed. It means the company will have to sign up hundreds of its staff to the Spanish social security system and pay their monthly quotas, plus a fine of 20% on what is due.

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It comes after a labour inspection found that the company had ‘ordinary labour relations’ and that staff were not functioning as self-employed, since the company ‘controlled every aspect’ of their working life. Deliveroo has two weeks to present arguments in its defense.

w Ne lla rbe t a M o tsp ho www.cascadamarbella.com | +34 951567849 Urb Montua, 39, 29602 Marbella

waiting lists of nine months and seven months respectively. Closer to home, Cordoba’s Noor, headed by Paco Morales, is shooting up the waiting list stakes. Last year you could have expected to wait five weeks for a table, now, it has the 10th longest wait in the country, meaning you’ll have to book at least three months in advance. Luckily for us, local culinary king Angel León’s Aponiente, in Cadiz, has managed to reduce its waiting time, from six weeks in 2017 to five weeks in 2018. It comes despite the restaurant receiving two Michelin stars this year.

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

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50 FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

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July 18th - July 31st 2018

Growing up with a Spanish family restaurant was no mean feat, writes Elisa Menendez

Family affair T DREAM TEAM: Elisa and brother

HEY say opening a restaurant is one of the hardest businesses around. But when my family decided to open a Spanish restaurant in Manchester, it’s safe to say we all got more than we bargained for. It all began when my mum went on a girls trip to Tenerife and fell in love with a wild Spaniard from Asturias. Fast-forward a few months and he’d booked a flight to the UK, and what she thought would be a whirlwind holiday romance, ended up in marriage and two kids. But what she didn’t expect was a third baby - a tapas restaurant named La Casona. Nestled in the heart of a bustling town outside of Manchester centre, the cosy joint laced with twinkling fairy lights behind a glass facade housed the bold national colour scheme of red and yellow, with rustic touches and wrought iron railings. Walking into the Stockport restaurant

was like a vibrant, unapologetic slice of Spain, with salsa blasting from the speakers, cheery Spanish waiters loudly mocking each other and an unlimited amount of the UK’s most garlic-infused alioli. It had a homely touch, as many of the dishes were my dad’s grandmother’s recipes. My dad, also a wine expert, developed his own tapas and passed them onto my brother, who created a fusion of modern and classic tastes when he too found his love of cooking. La Casona favourites included cordero al chilindron (see recipe below right), pinchos morunos, albondigas de pescado, and of course, giant paellas. For many, living above a restaurant sounds like an idyllic dream - stealing delicious food from the kitchen after school, learning the art of cooking through generations and having something special the family can share. It was all those things for me but more

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THE TEAM: Final farewell before La Casona closed its doors than anything, it was certainly character The manager didn’t act as calmly as building. myself when a customer once stole two Starting in my young teens, I was a wait- wine bottles from the cellar. ress, a cleaner, a delivery driver, an out- A cat and mouse chase began down the side catering host, a barista, a pot wash- road before the manager rugby tackled er and a professional potato peeler. the bottles off him and returned triumBut what I really learnt was tolerance, phantly. patience and humility. Behind it all, there’s also a side to the All three of those things were tested one restaurant business that customers evening when a drunken 20-strong hen don’t get to see, thankfully. party ordered hummus. I’ll never forget turning I politely told them we to see the sous chef don’t serve it, as that is stood in front of me with The chef stood in a Greek-Turkish dish. something long and, er, “Fine. I’ll ‘ave the tzatzifront of me with red, hanging out of the ki then,” one huffed. of his trousers. something long zip Once again, I kindly inI gasped with wide formed her that’s the horrified at what and red hanging eyes wrong cuisine, to which I’d just witnessed, out of his zipper while thoughts ran she called me a liar and retorted: “What sort of through my mind. “Do a Spanish restaurant is I tell him?” “Does he this?” know?” “How could he I later overheard another screech at not know?”, before he and my brother the olives, as they resembled ‘slugs’, erupted into fits of laughter and pulled while another, looking at Spanish tortilla out a chorizo sausage. asked: “Please can someone pass the We became a big outrageous family of quiche?” Spaniards, Brits, South Americans, Pol-

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July 18th - July 31st 2018

FAMILY RUN: La Casona in the heart of Stockport ish and Moroccans, which extended to the ‘Italian’ restaurant next door where all the waiters were actually Algerian. It went from the sublime to the ridiculous when a tight-trousered, greasy curly-haired, eyeliner-wearing ex-stripper started working at the Italian. His favourite pastime was cornering me in the garage outside, attempting to whisper sweet nothings in my ear as I cleared prawn shells off plates. Romantic. I later discovered that my mum and granny had also been the subject of his affections, with attempted garage rendezvous. He even flung a g-string at my granny once. She nearly choked on her albondigas. Then there was our hypochondriac manager from Tenerife, who every time he had a cough, claimed he was dying after his nurse wife diagnosed him with a ‘collaps-ed loong’ or ‘the swine’ (flu). Ten minutes later he’d force me to do shots during service, while another Spaniard would have me salsa-ing red-faced round the tables with him. And then there’s the things the customers, do get to see, unfortunately. Like the time I dropped a sizzling tapa of garlic mushrooms over a male customer’s crotch, who leaped up screeching, while I awkwardly dithered attempting to pat it down with a napkin before realising how wildly inappropriate that was. Working alongside a head chef who is also your big brother means you have to grit your teeth a lot. We had a home made, alcoholic caramel egg flan dessert named quesillo - a recipe of our manager’s from Tenerife - something which seemed no one had ever tried in Manchester. A customer ordered it one evening, to which my brother informed me we’d run out. I was about to offer my apologies to the lady, when my brother ordered me to serve a chocolate des-

Lamb stew

sert, claiming ‘no one knows what quesillo is’. An ungodly sibling row ensued and I was overruled by the ‘boss’. I gingerly placed the dessert in front BOSS: Dad Carlos of the customer and scuttled off avoiding eye contact. I nervously lingered downstairs until I thought it was safe to walk past her table. Until I heard: “Excuse me? What is this? This isn’t quesillo?” World’s worst liar, AKA, me: “Err.. erm.. Yes it should be.” Angry customer: “Well I’ve had it here before and this isn’t it. Send it back now.” I ran back to the kitchen mortified and screeched, “SHE KNOWS,” at my brother who found it hilarious and nonchalantly stated that it was my problem. A kitchen object may have been thrown at him in fury and he was forced to face the music. I took great pleasure in watching him eat humble pie, as he attempted and miserably failed to sweet talk her, claiming we had changed the recipe for ‘aesthetic purposes’. She didn’t buy a word. ‘Quesillo Gate’ is still the most shameful incident of his career to date. In short, growing up with a family restaurant was an all-consuming, comical, rewarding, outrageous, heartbreaking, fascinating, character-building adventure, which most definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted but will give you a lifetime of fond memories. But no one has summed it up better than the legendary and tragically now late, Anthony Bourdain, when he said: “If anything is good for pounding humility into you permanently, it’s the restaurant business.”

Never mind three lions on the shirt, we’ve got 91 pots on the terrace. 91 flower-filled beauties. July 18th - July 31st 2018

WHEN IT ALL

GETS TOO BUSY...

WHY NOT HEAd TO THE

pEAcEfUL HILLS?

Cordero al chilindron

Serves 6-8 generous portions Ingredients: • 1 lamb leg diced • ¼ tin piqillo peppers • 1 head broccoli • 2 white onions chopped fine • 8 cloves of garlic chopped fine • 200ml tomato sauce • 2 red peppers chunky dice • 2 green peppers chunky dice • 100ml red wine 100ml white wine • Rosemary 2 sprigs chopped • 1 bay leaf • Salt pepper • 500ml lamb stock or bouillon • Jamon skin with fat for rendering • Olive oil

Just an hour from Marbella is an oasis of tranquillity in the mountains near Ronda. Molino del Santo, with its renowned restaurant and pretty gardens alongside a rushing stream, is open every day until early November. Take the train and visit for lunch or come and stay over. Mention The Olive Press for last minute special offers in one of our 18 rooms. (Last minute means rooms booked within a week of arrival.) Our best rates always available by booking directly with us. HEAD CHEF: Bro Sebastian

Brown all lamb in a hot heavy based stewing pan When the lamb is coloured remove and put to one side Using the same pan pour a little olive oil on medium heat and add garlic and onions together until slightly coloured, then add the lamb back into the same pan Blend the broccoli, piqillo peppers and wine together until smooth Then add stock, blended mixture, tomato sauce, rosemary and bay the boil, then simmer it for minimum two hours stirring occasionally leaf to the pan. Bring to In a separate pan add your jamon fat (preferably heavy based frying pan) and on a very low heat, tender out the fat Remove after 15 minutes and add your peppers. On a slow heat cook the peppers until very soft and tender Add peppers to stock and check for seasoning, the consistency should be a very rich and hearty stew

Come visit us soon! We’d love to welcome you to our special hotel and restaurant whether it’s your first time or you’re an old hand.

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AZORLA Natural Park lies at the eastern edge of the province of Jaén, about a two-hour drive north-east from Granada. The most common way to approach the park is from the west, via the endless groves of olives that are so much part of Jaen’s landscape. After this unremitting monoculture, it comes as welcome relief to see the jagged crest of the Peña de los Halcones towering above the town of Cazorla (836m), standing sentinel to the park. This is Spain’s largest protected area and covers no less than 214,000 hectares of exceptionally diverse terrain. There are vast tracts of pine forest, broad river valleys, deep canyons, spectacular waterfalls and jagged limestone peaks that rise to more than 2000m. The abundance of game on the thickly forested hillsides made the region popular as a place to hunt in years gone by. But by the 1950s the pickings were becoming so scarce that the area was declared a national hunting reserve.

GORGE-OUS

Continuing our walking series, Guy Hunter-Watts heads off piste for a jaw-dropping gorge adventure in the wilds of Cazorla, in Jaen

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The original idea was simply to increase the number of moving targets: red deer and wild boar were reintroduced, mouflon brought over from France and fallow deer from the mountains of Segovia. Numbers were monitored, hunting controlled and this soon began to pay big dividends. The population of Spanish ibex (Caprahispánica) alone rose tenfold in two decades and Cazorla was back on the map as a place to pot game. The subsequent declaration of the reserve as a Natural Park in 1986, with much tighter controls on hunting, has helped make the region one of the best in Iberia for the observation of wild mammals. Add to this an impressive roll call of birds of prey - including several species of eagle, griffon and Egyptian vultures, goshawks and hobbies - exceptional flora (over 2000 species, with two dozen endemic to the park) and you begin to get a measure of the biodiversity to be found here. While the best time to walk in Cazorla is from late March to early June and from September to early November, the Borosa gorge walk that follows - with rock pools for swimming and a good deal of shade – is an ideal summer hike, providing you get your boots on early in the day.

PERFECT POOLS: The Barosa gorge has plenty of swimming stops

Hiking the Río Borosa

The trail

The Sierra de Cazorla’s bestknown trail takes you along the mesmerisingly beautiful gorge of the Río Borosa. After following a stretch of forestry track, the gorge narrows down and you continue along a wooden walkway suspended above the river. Later the gorge opens out once again, leading to an amphitheatre of soaring limestone crags. From here, a steep climb leads up to a high reservoir via the course of a mill race that was tunnelled through

From the car park, head past the fish farm and a spring, then cross a bridge to reach a sign for Río Borosa. From here, head along the left bank of the river past signs for Zona de Baño (swimming area), then another marking the stretch of the river where angling is permitted. Passing a spring, then a wooden bridge spanning the Borosa, continue along the river’s left bank and then cross a concrete bridge to the opposite side. Soon you cross back to the left bank via a wooden bridge.

the mountainside. Seeing that this is a linear there-and-back hike, you can make it a much shorter trail by just turning back any time you choose. Bear in mind you’ll have a climb of 630m, should you do the whole walk, and that this is a well-known hike so best tackled on a quieter weekday. Take a torch for the tunnels and, in the warmer months, pack a swimsuit as you’ll be sorely tempted by the idyllic river pools.

The Nitty Gritty Start/finish: Trout farm car park just beyond Torre del Vinagre visitor centre Distance: 21.4km Ascent/descent: 630m Grade: Medium/Difficult Time to allow: At least 7 hours so you can rest and swim Access: From Cazorla, follow the A319 towards CotoRios. Turn right just before the visitor centre at Torre del Vinagre, then follow signs for Central Eléctrica. There are car parks to the right and left of the road just before you reach the fish farm at the lower end of the Borosa gorge. CAPTION:

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WITH DINING SECRETS OF ANDALUCIA.COM

July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 18th - July 31st 2018

HIGHLIGHTS: Cazorla (ringed) is one of Andalucia’s best upland areas while (right) the town At a point where the track bears left and climbs, cut right at a sign for Cerrada de Elías (40min) along a narrow path that hugs the left bank of the river. Soon you cross the river once more and, passing a spring, follow a hanging catwalk above the river through the narrowest stretch of the gorge. The path meets with the track once again by a signboard depicting the birds that are found in the gorge. Bearing right, continue on up the gorge, crossing back and forth over the river. Ever more spectacular, the gorge begins to open out while, up ahead, the limestone strata of La Cuerda de Las Banderillas and La Peña Plumera look like the layers of some fantastic wedding cake. As the track bears right, the

towering massif of Castellón del Haza de Arriba (1,504m) comes into view, as does the metal pipeline funneling water down to the electricity generating station. Cross a bridge, then follow a fence that runs to the right of the power station and its outbuildings (1hr 55min). Go past a spring, then cross a narrow wooden bridge and pick up a path at a sign for Laguna de Valdeazores. The path climbs steeply up river’s left bank. Steel yourself for a climb of some 300m, but remember that you can take breaks beside the crystalline rock pools and waterfalls you pass on the way up (it’s also possible to scramble down to them). The path climbs up to the spectacular amphitheatre of the gorge’s higher reaches

where the mountains rise sheerly to a height of 1,500m, dissected by the cleft cut by the waterfall of El Salto de los Oreganos. The path zigzags steeply up over loose scree, then angles right at a sign for Nacimiento de Aguas Negras/ Laguna de Valdeazores, before leading into the tunnel cut to bring water to the mill race. The first tunnel is almost 350m long and the narrow gap between its safety rail and its right side means that a torch is a great help. Exiting the tunnel, continue along the water channel and then enter a second tunnel. About 75m beyond this, you reach a fork; cutting left,you shortly reach the side of the dam of El Embalse de los Órganos, marked on some maps as El Embalse del Borosa or La Laguna de

Aguas Negras. Here the path divides and you bear hard left. Climb away from the water course along the left bank of the reservoir, then follow the course of the Arroyo del Infierno for 300m to the Nacimiento de Aguas Negras (3hr 15min), where the Borosa rises from beneath the rocks. Later, retrace your footsteps back down the gorge to your point of departure (5hr 50min). Guy Hunter-Watts is author of Cicerone’s ‘Walking in Andalucía’, ‘Coastal Walks in Andalucía’, ‘The Mountains of Ronda & Grazalema’ and ‘The Andalucían Coast to Coast Walk’. He is at present walking the GR7 across Andalucía. www.guyhunterwatts.com

SOARING PEAKS: A walk near Cazorla

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FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 18th - July 31st 2018 July 18th - July 31st 2018

POINTING THE WAY A new Gibraltar restaurant is gaining kudos for both style AND creativity, writes Jon Clarke CHEF: Patrick and Federico

’M overlooking two oceans at the most southerly tip of Europe. In the lee of a catholic church and a fabulously sited mosque, I watch as a police launch speeds out into the briny, shortly followed by two enormous oil tankers. One of the mythical Pillars of Hercules Jebel Musa stands as the perfect backdrop. This is Europa Point in Gibraltar and I’m sat eating one of the best meals I’ve ever had on the Rock. A wonderful addition to the local food scene, Bistro Point could be one of the perfect places to head for lunch on a hot summer’s day. Not only is there a lovely breeze, but inside you have a great open-plan space maximising on the views. A sophisticated space with green walls and salmon-pink wallpaper, it sits at the side

of the wonderful new University of Gibraltar, which is well worth a visit before lunch. Even better, you have an excellent chef in Patrick Taylor, a Yorkshireman, 48, who has travelled the world working for all and sundry from Rocco Forte to the Thistle Group, in particular in Saint Petersburg, in Russia, where he picked up more than a few tricks. “You can really learn a lot from them and communism taught them much more than you would think,” explains the chef, who now lives up the road in Torreblanca, near Fuengirola. One thing it probably didn’t teach this, if you’ll excuse the pun, Commie chef, was the super-rich beef carpaccio (left), marinated overnight in herbs and served with rocket, parmesan and a shot of Bloody Mary. I only got the faintest taste of it sadly, as my 13-year-old

FINE DINING: With Morocco in the distance

daughter necked it, including the vodka chaser in one gulp! I however, got to graze on the bon-bons of duck; crunchy balls filled with rillettes of delicious duck and with a sweet hoisin sauce to compliment them. They were the surprise winner of the day, only matched by some fabulous Moroccan spiced lamb koftas (right), appropriate for the view, which came with some delicious aromatic couscous and minted yogurt. I also enjoyed the splendidly-cooked haddock and chips with minted pea puree, and my daughter’s choice, the Bistro Point burger, summed up the place to a tee: perfectly grilled and beautifully served. The place is the brainchild of the talented Hunter brothers, who are best known

for their string of successful pubs, dotted around the Rock. This is something of a gamble and a bit of a departure for them, but I suspect they’ll do very well if they keep this quality up, particularly as the new cricket and rugby pitches are under construction next door, as well as the university’s new hall of residence. Either way, I got the point.

BISTRO POINT, Gibraltar College of Further Education Library. Tel: 350 200 76588

NOW OPEN UNTIL 31st AUGUST FOR OUR 36th YEAR!

OPEN SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK FROM 7.30PM In Sabinillas turn inland at Lidl’s and we’re 3kms along the sunday market road on the right or take motorway exit 142 Casares/Manilva and follow the signs

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Zidane to Juve BE ‘APPY!

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Rosell’s Prison Anger

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FORMER Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has reportedly signed a deal to become a management consultant at Juventus. The 46-year-old, who ENEMIES: Rosell Download our app nowleft and his management role at Los begin enjoying the best Spanish Blanco’s this summer, will newswith on the go. team up ex-Madrid Thailand cave star Cristiano Ronaldo who left Spain to join the Italian boys invited to champions in a €105 mil- Spain to watch lion transfer.

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SPORT

If you have a sports story, July 18th - July 31st 2018 newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575

La Liga

The move would see Zidane SPAIN’S football league has the rescued Thai Olive Press return toThe Juventus where he invited school team to watch a match won the Serie A twice from once they have made a full reTOPas for news in Spain! 1996-2001 a player. covery. Reports coming from Spain President of La Liga, Javier suggest that Zidane will take Tebas, said he would like to up his new role in October. ‘personally invite’ the Wild Boars and their coach to attend a game and watch their ‘heroes in action in person’. "We'd like to host them and share with them the joy football can give, and I hope this gesture can help after the events of the last few weeks," added Tebas. He added that the children, who had undergone 10 days of starvation while trapped in the cave in northern Thailand, are welcome to watch a Spanish game once they have MOVE: Zidane made a full recovery.

FORMER Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has claimed that he world not be in jail had he not run the club. Rosell is facing trial on charges of corruption for misappropriation of funds from the €57 million sign-

ing of Neymar three years ago. The angered 54-year-old, said: “It is inexplicable and unheard of, I have been on remand in jail for 14 months waiting for a trial. “I am not in prison for being FC Barcelona president

but if I hadn't been then I would not be here. As president I found myself with enemies due to my commitment with the club but I do not know who I did so much harm to." Rosell was arrested in 2017 without bail.

Heroes’ welcome RESCUED: The Wild Boars before getting trapped

One of the 12 school boys had even been wearing a Real Madrid shirt when he was rescued. It comes after the last members of the team and their coach were successfully rescued from the cave on Tuesday night after a 17-day mammoth international rescue mission, involving the Thai Navy Seals. La Liga announced it had asked all clubs to participate in the gesture.

CHAMP: Tennis pro

Nadal number 1 SPAIN’S Rafael Nadal has retained his world number one spot despite his semi-final Wimbledon exit. Nadal, who lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3, 10-8 in a nail-biting semi-final encounter. The 32-year-old Spaniard managed to keep his place at world number ahead rival Roger Federer as he continues to impress this season. Victory at the French Open earlier this year - his 11th to date - helped Nadal bridge a 2,300 ranking point gap. Nadal will now look to increase his ranking points as prepares for the next Grand Slam, the US Open, in August.

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Unlucky for some A REPORT has shown many in Spain regard Tuesday 13 unlucky as opposed to Friday 13. Martes translates from Mars who was the Roman God of War.

FINAL WORDS

July 18th - July 31st 2018

Thunderbirds! THUNDERBIRD 4 has rocked up in Spain during a 1’800 mile journey. A charity bought along the famous vehicle after travelling across Europe in aid of Alzheimers Research.

Clock off CARLOS Recio has been banned from public service jobs after skipping work every day for ten years. Arriving for work at 7.30am, he would clock on then leave, before returning to work at 4pm to clock off.

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Vol. 12 Issue 296

Family loses five passports and money at the top of Gibraltar to an ape named Dracula EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke

IT is possibly the last place you would want your handbag grabbed by a monkey. And particularly when it contains your entire family’s passports, not to mention holiday spending money. But this is what happened to one unfortunate British family when they took a trip to the newly-installed Skywalk in Gibraltar last week. Having made their way up to the top of the Rock they came face to face with one of the enclave’s cheekiest monkeys, appropriately named Dracula. As they made their way along the death-defying glass installation, the aggressive male macaque swooped over and

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CHEEKY MONKEY UNMOVED: Dracula swiped the unprepared mother’s handbag. As quick as a flash he climbed

down below the see-through glass walkway and proceeded to empty it out, throwing all five of the family’s passports and around €100 out of the bag. “There was literally nothing they could do,” explained staff member Shaun Williams. They could only watch as their documents got scattered on the nearly vertical slope and the money blew away. “There was no way they could go down and get them and they had to go to the police station to report them missing. It took a shine off their day trip from Marbella,” he added. “That Dracula is a really evil one and was only after food. As soon as he realised there wasn’t any

he ran off.” This week the Olive Press managed to track down Dracula, who looked entirely unperturbed by his actions. Two of the passports could still be easily seen below. “They were just lucky that the father had kept the hire car keys in his pocket or they wouldn’t have even got back to their hotel that night,” added Williams. Last year, the Olive Press reported how a British tourist filed a sexual assault claim against a Gibraltar monkey, only to be told there was no law against it. She was furious after police allegedly asked her if she expected them to arrange a line up to pick out the guilty ape.

SCARY: Serpent

Snakes alive! THIS is the second snake to be captured by terrified homeowners in Malaga this month. It came after an alarmed family came home to find it on their patio on Calle Subida San Cristobal. In a video shared by the Policia Nacional, one plucky officer grabs the serpent, measuring more than a metre in length, and puts it into a plastic bag. It was released into its natural habitat in the fields nearby. Another snake was found sleeping in a baby’s pram, last

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