You’ll get carried away by our 20-page Mijas supplement from p19
see page 13
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Hitman NOT linked to Amy
AMY: Buried in Mijas? SPANISH police have ruled out that Irish hitman Eric ‘Lucky’ Wilson could be involved in the disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick. They emailed Amy’s mother, Audrey, to confirm he is not regarded as a possible suspect. Audrey and partner Dave Mahon have previously suggested the involvement of the hitman – who is currently serving a 23-year sentence in a Spanish prison for the brutal killing of British man Dan Smith in 2011.
Racecourse
It comes as the Olive Press reveals new evidence on the case, in particular links to a Scottish man, who may have been the last person to see her alive. Further claims insist she may have been buried at Mijas racecourse. The coroner’s report on the death of Amy’s brother Dean meanwhile has been delayed for another six months and sent to the Prosecution office to prepare a full case. It means his killer, Audrey’s partner Dave Mahon, continues to live in Calahonda unsure if he will be charged for last year’s killing. Dean’s father Christopher sent his son a 24th birthday message this month, adding that ‘your little sister Amy will be thinking of you today, no matter where in the world she is’. See Amy Lies Here? Page 6
olive press
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Vol. 8 Issue 183 www.theolivepress.es
March 19 - April 2 2014
FACING THE MUSIC
HE has been one of the best known faces on the Costa del Sol for decades. Famous for his radio show Barrie’s Big Band Bonanza, he is a regular at many charity events and a long time member of the Costa Press Club. But today the Olive Press can link Barrie Nathan to a multimillion euro financial fraud, run by his close friend Nigel Goldman, who fled the Costa del Sol last year and is being sought by police. Nathan, 72, a presenter on Talk Radio Europe (TRE), became a crucial part of Goldman’s notorious criminal game - whether unwittingly or not - and appears to have personally profited from it, it can be revealed. In new evidence it emerges that he not only helped to seduce victims and shared a car and chauffeur with Goldman, but he also received payments into his UK bank account from at least one victim. While Nathan last night refused all knowledge of his best friend’s ‘misdemeanours’, his connection is proved however by bank statements belonging to a victim of Goldman’s dodgy investment schemes,
ANGRY: Mayor Munoz
Mayor sues lawyer over asset claim
Popular radio DJ dragged into multi-million euro Goldman fraud scandal Geoffrey Whitton. Whitton, a writer from Cornwall currently based in Madrid, was instructed to transfer £10,000 to a Natwest account in the name of Barrie Nathan on May 8 2012. He believed he was investing in Goldman’s financial companies Harvard Private Client and International Financial Investment. The account is registered to a branch in Bromley, South London. “Goldman told me to put my money into Nathan’s account, the initial deposit was for £10,000,” said Whitton, a former chef at Kensington Palace. “I wasn’t told who he is or given
PALS: Nathan and Goldman shared a chauffeur
EXCLUSIVE By Tom Powell any contact details for him. I have never met him and I don’t know what his role is,” Whitton said. “I just know he received my money.” Within the next two months he received two payments back from Nathan totalling
Save our Vultures A lethal new drug is threatening to wipe out Spain’s vulture population. See Vultures in Peril on p10
Picture by Martyn Wood
Earpiece Don’t let the Don’t let thein banks cash new size banks cash in 39mm www.hifx.co.uk www.hifx.co.uk xsee 50mm page 13
The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía
£3,750 on May 24 2012 and another £1,786.50 on June 29, both times with the reference ‘NG’ – those unmistakable initials. Nathan told the Olive Press last night, he could not remember any transfers to or from Whitton and that if there had been any, ‘it was probably money I was owed by Nigel’. He said: “I have no knowledge of Geoffrey Whitton or those payments. I have never ever had anything to do with Nigel Goldman like that. “There were times when he had to return money to me which might explain the transfers,” he claimed. “Money was only transferred into my account if it was on behalf of Nigel Goldman.” However, he added: “I have never received a penny in commission.” Either way, his long time Continues on Page 2
THE mayor of Marbella is suing a well known lawyer over claims that she improperly declared her investments abroad. Maria Angeles is suing Antonio Flores, of Lawbird, after he spoke to the press regarding her alleged failure to declare that she and husband Lars Broberg took out a €3.1 million equity release mortgage with Swiss bank Nordea in 2010. Munoz has accused the brief of ‘professional misconduct’, claiming he was the main source in recent media reports concerning her allegedly undeclared assets.
Insulting As well as investments in Luxembourg, Munoz and Swede Broberg allegedly bought a 98% share in Gibraltarian company Crasel Limited, in 2003. The town hall has reported the lawyer, who has a column with the Olive Press, to the Law Society. Spokesman for the town hall, Felix Romero, claimed Flores ‘went against professional ethics by giving insulting statements to the press, and distributing them across the internet’. Flores insisted: “I have not been disrespectful towards her. I only said that she had either deliberately not declared her investments, or that she was a victim of the bank, like many others.” Concerns were first raised Continues on Page 2
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THE OLIVE PRESS – 344mm x 126mm
20th March
CELEBRITY publicist Max Clifford allegedly sexually abused a teenager he met in Torremolinos while she was on holiday with her parents in 1977. The alleged victim, who was 15 at the time, told Southwark Crown Court that Clifford had promised to find her modelling work back in the UK. But she was actually subjected to several months of sexual abuse, with Clifford, now 70, telling her he had to ‘really get to know what makes you tick’. She told the court how she considered suicide after Clifford told her a photographer had snapped her performing oral sex upon him. Clifford invited her to his office where he encouraged her to talk ‘dirty’ and then insisted she took her top and bra off. He then said she would not be able to do topless modelling. The woman explained how she could not tell her parents about the abuse out of fear they would disown her. She said the media mogul would often stand and talk to them before taking her out in his car and abusing her. The allegations made against Clifford, who has a
Costa del Sol regular Max Clifford (right) is accused of sexually abusing young girls, one he met here in 1977
home in Nueva Andalucia, near Marbella, relate to seven alleged victims aged between 14 and 19. Clifford, known in the region for hosting the annual ‘Max Clifford Celebrity Golf Challenge’ in Marbella, denies 11 counts of indecent assault between 1966 and 1984 in the UK. At one stage, the jury were told this week to ‘settle down and remember where you are’ by the judge, after they burst into laughter while hearing evidence of Clifford’s ‘tiny penis’. Some of the alleged abuse relates to Clifford’s abnormally small organ, apparently two and a half inches in length, and the way he would ask girls, ‘do you like my tiny penis?’ Clifford denies all the charges. The trial continues.
Organ trafficking ring busted A HUMAN organ trafficking ring has been busted by police.
Kidnap girl found
A SPANISH girl who went missing seven months ago has been rescued from Bolivia’s Amazon rainforest. The nine-year-old went missing in August while on holiday with Bolivian neighbours from her home city of Hospitalet de Llobregat, in Catalunya. The Guardia Civil and the Bolivian authorities launched search for the girl, believed to have been kidnapped. They were eventually found deep in Bolivia’s Amazon rainforest. The alleged kidnapper, Grover Morales, 35, faces human trafficking and sexual abuse charges.
The gang of five foreigners allegedly offered large sums of money to migrants without papers in exchange for their organs, such as kidneys and livers. They then sold them to wealthy clients who underwent surgery at a private clinic in Valencia. The operation came to light after a 61-year-old Lebanese politician, Hatem Akouche, tried to organise a liver transplant through the organisation. A number of people, mostly poor migrants, underwent tests to determine their compatibility with those needing transplants. A match was found with one woman, who offered to donate part of her liver in exchange for €40,000. However, Akouche changed his mind when he discovered the donor was female. He was arrested in Madrid.
Breaking Bad
POLICE smashed two crystal-meth drug gangs in raids across the country, arresting 42 and seizing €15,000 in cash. Officers also seized eight kilos of the highly-addictive drug in the raids, which took place in Madrid, Barcelona and Murcia yesterday. Of the 42 arrested, 19 were Spanish and the rest were Filipino or from Africa.
Lawyer sued From front page
about Munoz’s foreign dealings by a group established by Antonio Flores, called the Equity Release Victims Association (ERVA), made up of expats who have lost millions of euros through the bank. The lawyer has filed a complaint with the Tax Office on behalf of ERVA’s members, affected by investments with Nordea Bank. Mr Flores will give a press conference on Thursday to discuss the allegations made against him.
The Barrie and Nigel show From front page
close association with Goldman has certainly caught him out this time. Whitton, who is still owed a total of £12,000, and has been unable to contact Goldman on any of the six phone numbers or three addresses he was given by him, has now reported them both to the Spanish police. Natwest bank meanwhile has confirmed that in order to transfer the money, Nathan must have authorised it, or else had his account hacked and failed to notice. Nathan’s bank details are also revealingly shown in notes handwritten by Whitton, who was tempted into investing in Goldman’s financial companies after hearing about them advertised on Spectrum radio. Nathan, who attends charity events throughout Southern Spain, ‘retired’ aged 38 as a wealthy man to Mijas Costa in 1980. According to sources, he collects vintage cars and allegedly drives around in a Rolls Royce. On his TRE website profile he lists his private life as ‘having a partner and two cats’. The Olive Press has discovered that he previously ran an estate agency, Nathan Wilson, in Hampstead, London, but has also told friends and colleagues about working for the BBC, producing Blackadder among other shows. His Facebook profile, however, states no work history. Nor for that matter any schools or other background. It lists his birthday as ‘Sep-
tember 4’ and his interests as merely: ‘women’. What is certain is that Barrie introduced Nigel to the Costa Press Club and brought him on many occasions to his current affairs show Viewpoint on TRE. And every time Goldman visited a restaurant during his four year stint as a reviewer for the Euro Weekly News, his pal Nathan went with him. They made a curious pair that few could quite get to grips with. Martin Nathan, director of Talk Radio Europe, no relation, supported his friend of 35 years last night:: “Nigel and Barrie were so close, they shared a car and even a chauffeur, and, like me, Barrie thought that Nigel had mended his ways. He feels let down by Nigel. He thought Nigel would help people with their investments not con them. If he was used as an investment conduit he certainly did not do it knowingly. “He is a good guy and I cannot believe that he got involved in anything dodgy. If anyone was groomed it was Barrie by Nigel.” The Goldman case has now been transferred to Barcelona, as this was where the first payments to Goldman’s companies were made. Goldman’s whereabouts are currently unknown, although he is thought to be in Morocco, where he is understood to have invested millions of euros over recent years. Two alleged sidekicks Michael Wilson and Gavin Scott are said to be continuing to run his schemes from the UK.
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
3
Yoko: I prefer Bilbao to NY!
Slam dumped
LAMAR Odom’s foray into Spanish basketball has ended as quickly as it began thanks to a lower back injury. Celebrity Khloe Kardashian’s ex-husband, who arrived at Saski Baskonia to much fanfare, ended up playing for just 23 minutes over two games. The 34-year-old forward, a 14-year NBA veteran, has previously played for the Los Angeles Clippers. But his NBA career came to an abrupt end following a series of scandals last summer including his arrest for drink driving, accusations of drug addiction, and a short stay in rehab. Then-wife Khloe Kardashian filed for divorce in December as the pressure of Odom’s problems took their toll on the marriage. The Kardashians shot to fame in a reality TV show, like the Osbornes, and became known internationally.
THE Guggenheim Museum has launched a major retrospective of Yoko Ono’s art in March. The Bilbao exhibition, entitled Yoko Ono Half-a-Wind Show, features over 200 pieces of the Japanese artist’s work. These include several that featured in her
1966 one woman show at the Indica Gallery in London, where she famously met John Lennon. The 81-year-old Ono opened the exhibition in Bilbao, commenting that she loved the city’s Guggenheim much more than the one in New York.
Python returns Terry Gilliam set to ‘go for it’ again on his legendary Don Quixote project that bombed in controversial circumstances 15 years ago
TERRY Gilliam is to begin shooting his adaptation of the Don Quixote story in Spain this September. The Monty Python star began work on the project 15 years ago, but was infamously beset with problems on set. He said he now plans to ‘just go for it’ again, having recently completed the filming of low-budget The Zero Theorem in Romania. Original attempts at making the film, starring Johnny Depp, failed following a series of disasters including the hospitalisation of actor Jean Rochefort, military planes flying over and ruining the sound, and even a flood.
By Claire Wilson A second attempt collapsed in 2010 after the film’s financial backers pulled out. So legendary was the failure to make the cursed film that a documentary was made about Gilliam’s doomed attempt to make it.
No chances Called Lost in La Mancha, the film narrated by Jeff Bridges, ended up showing around the world and won the directors various awards. It was even nominated for a BAFTA.
Grand-slammed By Imogen Calderwood FORMER tennis champion Boris Becker is set to have his luxury Mallorcan villa seized and auctioned off, after a dramatic ruling by a Palma court. The 46-year-old German has been involved in a series of bitter legal disputes since buying the nine-bedroom property 17 years ago. The confiscation ruling follows claims that Becker owes more than €400,000 in unpaid bills for a series of plumbing and carpentry jobs, plus the construction of a basketball court. Boris’ lawyers insist that the estate agent who sold him the house, Matthias Kuhn, should cover the bill, but the claim was rejected. It is estimated that the property will only fetch around €6 million at auction, which will be used to cover Becker’s outstanding
SEIZED: Becker’s home
bills and court costs. This is a case of deja-vu for Boris, who only just managed to save his house in 2012 with a last-minute payment of €340,000 worth of gardeners’ bills. Becker’s dreams of a luxury holiday home were dashed in 2003 when a court ruled
BRAVE: GILLIAM
American film critic Leonard Maltin described it as “one of the best films about the process of moviemaking ever.” Gilliam is this time taking no chances. He has hired Spaniard Adrian Guerra to produce the latest version of the film. The 29-year-old, who was born in Gran Canaria, already has a string of box office hits under his belt, including Buried and Red Lights. Gillam has directed a number of films, including TIRED: Becker The Imaginarium that he must demolish an extension, which of Dr Parnassus. The original Monit decided had been built illegally. Tired of relentless legal issues, the former ty Python team, Wimbledon winner tried to sell the house minus Greg Chapfor almost €15 million seven years ago, but man, got together was unable to find a buyer willing to take this year for a revival tour. on the troublesome property.
Spanglish entry SPAIN’S Eurovision Song Contest entry has sparked outrage because it contains English lyrics. The Royal Spanish Academy has expressed deep concern that the chorus to Dancing in the Rain is entirely English. A number of Latin American countries had already queried the song choice, a power ballad to be performed by Ruth Lorenzo, President of the Academy, Jose Manuel Blecua, an institution charged with safeguarding the Spanish language, said the academy couldn’t ignore the situation given there are over 500 million Spanish speakers across the world. Three versions of the song have been recorded, and it is not yet known whether the song will be sung in English, Spanish, or a combination of the two.
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OLIVE PRESS – 105mm x 256mm – Colour
Week commencing 17th March
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NEWS
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
News IN BRIEF
Love affair ROMANTIC comedy 8 apellidos vascos (Spanish Affair) has broken box office records grossing €2.83 million in its first three days. It enjoyed the best first weekend for any Spanish film for over a year.
Stay connected UK subscribers to mobile network EE will now be able to enjoy 100MB of roaming data while on holiday in Spain for just £3. The network plans to roll out the tariff across Europe at a later date.
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Junta joins Catalunya, Basque Country and Canaries to officially oppose the new law ANDALUCIA is joining Catalunya to officially oppose the radical revision of Spain’s abortion law. It comes as it emerged that two thirds of women who have had an abortion in the last four months would do it illegally or abroad under the proposed restrictions. Authorities are to demand that the Justice Ministry pull the law, which will allow abortion only in cases of
Train beats plane THE number of Spaniards travelling by train has surged 22% over the past 12 months. Around 1.9 million people opted to travel intercity by rail in January, while the number taking domestic flights fell 7.3% to 1.8 million. The National Statistics Institute attributed it to the extension of the AVE high speed train connections, and reduced ticket prices on state rail company Renfe.
www.theolivepress.es
Andalucia: No to abortion bill
regions are both opposing the ban, while other regions, including Asturias, the Basque Country and the Carape, or when continuing the preg- nary Islands are also against it. nancy poses a severe threat to the A spokesman for the Junta branded mother’s health. the proposals regressive and ‘an inIt means Spain’s two most populated comprehensible step backwards.’
By Claire Wilson
The Clinics Association for Termination of Pregnancy found that 32% of women would have sought an abortion in another country, while 30% would have done it in secret. The proposals have sparked outrage across the country since they were first put forward in December. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in multiple protest marches in Spain’s cities, while protests have taken place outside Spain’s embassy in other European countries.
ERE Svengali refuses to resign
A FORMER Junta minister has refused to resign despite being accused of being one of the lynchpins in the ERE fraud scandal. Magdalena Alvarez has refused to leave her post as vice-president of the European Investment Bank, amid accusations of fraud and embezzlement. Her announcement comes just days after Judge Mercedes Alaya, the investigating judge in Spain’s largest ever public money scandal, slapped a €29.5 million civil liability bond on her. Alvarez, who went on to become public works minister in Madrid under Prime Minister Zapatero, declared her intention to appeal the judge’s decision, calling the bond ‘disproportionate’ and ‘out of place’. “I will have enough energy to show everybody what an injustice is being committed against me,” she announced, after claims she was a key figure in the €140 million public money scandal. It is alleged that she was in charge of overseeing the fund, while 19 other current and former officials of the Junta are also being inves- EMBATTLED: Ex minister Alvarez tigated.
Protest
It is considered to be favouring illegal abortions and encouraging women with greater financial resources to go abroad to terminate pregnancies. At the moment Spanish law allows abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy or up to the 22nd weeks in cases of foetal deformities. In the UK, a pressure group called My Belly is Mine, has been set up by campaigners to defend the rights of Spanish women to have abortions. The group organised a protest march in London, and is calling for those opposed to the legislation to put clothes hangers on the rails of the Hungerford Bridge.
CRACKDOWN ON E-cig ILLEGAL HOLIDAY LETS warning AN imminent law change could close an estimated 20% of all tourist accommodation in Andalucia. Properties that are not on the official Junta register will be considered to be operating illegally when the new law comes into force in two months. It comes after the launch of the first provincial committee in Malaga designed to crackdown on undeclared rental properties. Tourist chief Rafael Rodriguez said that unregistered accommodation leads to unstable employment and a loss of quality that is ‘unacceptable for Andalucia’.
College Gets Top Marks! ESTEPONA mayor José María García Urbano has visited the town’s new bilingual college to see how work is progressing. Due to open its doors for the school year 2014/15, Atalaya college is 80% complete and when finished will have spaces for 900 students. Mayor Urbano commented that the work, which will cost €4 million when finished, was moving along ‘at a great pace’ and is due to be completed by May.
PROGRESS: Mayor visit
The Department of Tourism is taking action in two areas, aiming to target housing and restaurants that are operating on a ‘clandestine’ basis. The new ruling demands that adverts for accommodation include the property’s registration number, and failure to do so will be taken to mean the property is operating illegally. The second area the department will focus on is the coordination of property inspections, which will be better organised and distributed among different authorities.
Biggest divide in Europe THE divide between rich and poor in Spain is the biggest in Europe, according to a report by Catholic charity Caritas. Those in the top fifth of Spanish society are now on average seven and a half times richer than those in the bottom fifth. While the number of millionaires has increased by 13% in a year, three million people are living in extreme poverty. “The report paints a picture of a more fractured, more divided society, where the middle-class is disappearing and a minority has access to wealth, goods and services while the majority sits outside,” said Sebastian Mora, general secretary of Caritas in Spain. Mora, speaking at a press conference in Madrid, also warned of warned of ‘a situation of neglect, injustice and the dispossession of people’s most basic rights’.
A SPANISH man is being treated for pneumonia resulting from excessive e-cigarette smoking. The 50-year-old was admitted to hospital in the northwestern city of A Coruna for a separate illness, and came down with the lung complaint while there. A vegetable-based ingredient in the replaceable cartridges that produce the vapour for inhalation caused the man to fall ill. Doctors diagnosed the pneumonia ‘a few days ago’ and the patient has since been cured and discharged. The incident is the second of its type ever recorded. Some seven million Europeans have turned to ecigarettes in the past four years. In December, the European Union agreed to regulate the e-cigarette market and Spain said it would ban them from hospitals, bars, restaurants and schools.
Watch the wire THEFT of copper wiring in Marbella has doubled over the past two years, costing the town a shocking €56,000 a year to replace. The wiring, stolen from street lighting by gangs who disguise themselves as electricians, can be sold on for around €1,500 a tonne. 27km of copper wire was stolen from Marbella in 2013. resulting in power cuts across the town.
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
5
My marvellous Minions
DRESSED as minions from the Disney film Despicable Me, the girls from British School of Marbella threw shapes to the Pharell Williams hit Happy. But their performance was sadly not enough to beat Marbella’s hottest new boy band, who scooped the top prize at the British School of Marbella’s annual talent show last week. The year four and five boys fended off competition from over 30 acts, singing and danc-
YELLOW PERIL: Year one and two (below)
ing their way to victory with their rendition of the Bryan Adams classic, Summer of ‘69. To see more photos of the Talent Show visit www.bsm.org.es
Bogus gas inspectors snared Gang used over 60 fake firms to con thousands of victims in infamous gas scam By Tom Powell
A NETWORK of bogus gas inspectors has been busted by police after defrauding thousands of people around Andalucia. Police have arrested 12 people over the conning of an estimated 2,000 people, mostly pensioners, out of thousands of euros. The group formed part of 60 false companies dedicated to scamming pensioners, foreigners and disabled people. It comes after the Olive Press continually warned our readers about the gangs who operated in every part of the region. The operation included raids on homes and businesses in Malaga, Granada and Almeria. The con artists would call unannounced at a home, then demand money for a ‘necessary’ repair and if the owner refused they would threaten to cut the gas supply off and issue a fine. More than €4 million has been officially registered as taken from victims but the actual amount is likely to be
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: One conman’s kit much higher, as many do not go to the police. Occasionally they would obtain as much as €2,500 from a single home, but usually it was between €50 and €390. There have been reports of ‘inspectors’ purposefully cutting tubes before demanding a fee for replacing it.
Luxurious
The network operated across Andalucia and the rest of Spain and the criminals are said to have lived lavishly with luxury homes and cars. Police also raided homes in Madrid, Elche and Leon. They have impounded 10 luxury cars, 19 computers,
12 hard discs and 14 mobile phones. They have also shut down a total of 227 bank accounts opened at 19 different branches. Police advise that gas equipment needs to be inspected by law every five years and that nobody is allowed to turn up unannounced to inspect gas fittings. Appointments must be made in advance and not on the doorstep. Last year the Olive Press told about a plucky pensioner in Coin who trapped two bogus inspectors on her property until the police arrived. Incredibly however, they were let off with a caution, despite having fake IDs and bogus documents.
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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www.theolivepress.es the Olive FEATURE Press INVESTIGATES
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
OPINION
Keeping Amy in the limelight THE most recent revelations in the search for Amy have not been reported lightly. It’s awful to suggest that the missing 15-year-old may have been the victim of a violent sex gang, or was forced into prostitution. But it is revelations like these that keep the investigation alive. The police investigation seems to be going nowhere, and there’s a very real danger that this will become just one more missing person mystery, never solved. But Amy’s disappearance mustn’t be forgotten. As more and more facts come to light we can only hope that somewhere a memory will be jogged, and the world will finally know what happened that new year’s night.
Face the music IT is time for one of the coast’s most popular characters to stand up and face the music. DJ Barrie Nathan is, whether knowingly or not, a key player in the vast criminal game of fraudster Nigel Goldman. A game where the losers vastly outnumber the winners. Those who know him describe him as the most ‘honest’ and ‘genuine’ person they know. But is it really possible to have no memory of thousands of pounds transferred in and out of your account less than two years ago? This is at the heart of the matter. While it is possible that Barrie Nathan was somehow unwittingly caught up in the criminal dealings of seasoned conman Goldman, he needs to explain himself more fully. He also needs to keep closer tabs on the company he keeps.
Keep them flying IT beggars belief that despite wide-scale efforts to lure vultures back to Spain, the country is to allow vets to use a drug known to have wiped out the birds in other parts of the world. But, for once, the blame doesn’t lie entirely with the Spanish authorities. This time culpability lies with people part of something even bigger, and even more corrupt:the pharmaceuticals industry. It is a sector whose activities grow murkier by the day, the huge industry frequently profiting from the ills of the world, making money from products and drugs that are just as likely to be making us worse as making us better. We hope the campaign against the use of diclofenac is successful, but fear it’ll be a case of David versus Goliath when it comes to taking on the behemoth that is the drugs industry.
Olive Press Blacklist
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BURIAL SPOT: It is alleged Amy was buried behind the ‘fifth stable block’ at Mijas racecourse
EXCLUSIVE: New evidence suggests missing Amy Fitzpatrick could be buried at Mijas race course and may have become the victim of a sordid sex ring
Here lies Amy?
I
S this the spot, shaded by fir trees and tucked behind an isolated stable block, where missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick lies buried? An anonymous caller had pinpointed this exact spot in an emotional late night phone call to the missing 15-year-old’s aunt in Ireland in January. Coming almost six years to the day that the teenager literally vanished on the Costa del Sol, her aunt Christine Kenny was given the information by the Irish caller at her home in Dublin. As revealed exclusively by the Olive Press last month, she has given the information to both the Irish and Spanish police and asked them for a new search to be launched. But as the Police have apparently failed to search the area, the Olive Press can further reveal that she was allegedly buried behind the fifth stable block at the hippodrome race course, just above La Cala de Mijas. The eerie site is just a few minutes drive from the house she ‘didn’t’ call home in the Las Lomas urbanisation in Riviera del Sol. In fact, it has become clearer and clearer in the years following her disappearance that Amy was miserable, scared and literally fearing for her life. Her school friends confirmed she was desperate to return to Ireland and live with her father Christopher and just a month after her disappearance on New Years Day, 2008, the Olive Press reported how she had been badly ‘neglected’ and had even been occasionally sleeping rough on a bench near her home.
Tel: 951127006 (admin/editorial/sales/advertising) or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 Urb Casares del Sol, bloque 21, portal 70, bajo b, Casares 29690, Malaga Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Reporters: Newsdesk Newsdesk@theolivepress.es Claire Wilson Claire@theolivepress.es Giles Brown Giles@theolivepress.es
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DRINKING SPOT: For Dave and Audrey
Teen was running scared of her stepfather, as a chilling, never published letter reveals. By Tom Powell and Imogen Calderwood in Mijas
CONNECTED: Mum Audrey and stepfather Dave Mahon
Last week the coroner’s report sipped on a bottle of coke while was due back on the death of John led the one-sided converAmy’s older brother Dean. sation. “All the while Amy kept Dave Mahon, mum Audrey’s quiet and stood behind her long term partner, admitted friend, visibly unhappy,” said stabbing his stepson to death the source, who lives nearby, in ‘self-defence’ in Dublin, on and witnessed the meeting on May 25 last year. However, the that fated night. report has been handed over “It was as though she didn’t to the Director of Public Pros- want to talk to him, but she ecutions in Ireland and any looked very depressed that announcement delayed for six night.” Ten minutes later, conversation months. done, they Meanwhile, Audrey and Dave Scottish John was left for Ashley’s home are back in Spain. and took allegedly seen They have taken their coke up their usual talking to Amy in with them. seats at Los Ktea bar on the night They were tos bar, beside Mercadona sushe disappeared babysitting Ashley’s permarket, in brother and Calahonda, and Mahon was quoted in the Irish did not want to stick around press last week referring to any longer. After another ten minutes, Spain as their ‘home’ now. But the fact he believes that a John hurried out alone into the contract has been put out on January night, leaving his coat him in Ireland may also be rea- behind. He came back after 45 minson for the move. Olive Press sources reveal the utes, grabbed the coat and left, couple were joined at the bar clearly in a rush, never to be last week by a man known as seen in Lil Robs again. ‘Scottish John’. The same John, It was this bar where Amy’s it emerges, who was allegedly 16th birthday party was held in seen talking to Amy in a bar on February that year in order to raise awareness. the night she disappeared. Amy had been out with her best Of course she didn’t attend her friend Ashley Rose on the eve- party. She hasn’t been seen ning of New Years Day 2008. since she left Ashley Rose’s At about 9pm, an hour before house that night around 10pm she was last seen, they were and began walking ‘home’ walking past a now defunct bar along a dark, cold street. called Lil Robs in El Zoco, when According to Amy’s family in the middle aged Scot beck- Ireland, police may have later searched John’s trademark oned them inside. Scottish John had not been white campervan, which was seen in the bar before and was parked up in Benalmadena, not seen again after. Ashley but found nothing and the trail ended there. But the questions
did not stop. The Olive Press would like to speak to this Scottish John, described as tall, in his 50s and with grey hair in a ‘short back and sides’ style. He was reportedly drinking with another quite vocal man called Ross on that night. Ross, from Glasgow, was described as a regular in the bar. A different Olive Press source related an incident in another bar where Dave, John and Amy’s brother Dean were drinking. John dropped his bag and like a scene from a gangster movie, cash poured out. While underneath the notes was the cold steel of a gun. “Don’t let him touch that money Dave,” barked John, allegedly. Perhaps Dean was one of the few who knew what happened to Amy. His father Christopher revealed in May last year that Dean, who had a son himself, was beginning to open up to him about Amy in the days before his death. He allegedly went to confront Dave Mahon about the disappearance of his sister on the day of his death, stabbed in cold blood inside Mahon’s house. There are also rumours connecting Amy’s disappearance to a group of dangerous British men associated with nightclubs, prostitution and drugs along the coast. One woman, who works in the sex industry, recently told the family in Ireland about a scene she witnessed in a Costa del Sol villa on the day after Amy disappeared. “Why haven’t you got rid of that
the OliveFEATURE Press INVESTIGATESthe olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014 7 FEATURE
www.theolivepress.es
‘It is probable that she will disappear’ A CHILLING letter sent to the Irish embassy by the mother of one of Amy Fitzpatrick’s school friends on May 19, 2005, reveals the imminent danger Amy was in, in the months before her disappearance. Amy often stayed over in the home of Pearl Cantlie to avoid her mum and stepdad, sometimes she even chose to roam the streets at night over going home.
MYSTERY: Why did Amy talk to Scottish John on her last night?
“
Amy was tricked into staying in Spain. She was brought over on ‘holiday’ then her Mum ripped up the return tickets. This has cut her off from her father’s support and care. When Amy was locked out of her Mum’s house in Ireland and unfed, she would go to her father’s. Here in Spain, her and her brother had no address to go to and no food or money when locked out. “Amy has no passport, clothes of her own, money or permanent home, she wants to live with her father.
caption
mattress?’ was the demand, referring to a blood-splattered mattress which sources have previously claimed to the Olive Press, Amy may have been killed upon. The suggestions are that Amy may have been working as a part-time prostitute and had unwittingly been dragged into one particularly violent ring. It is however, just a theory at this stage and in no way corroborated. The source herself, a London party girl, who uses louche photos on her Facebook page, has yet to confirm it to the Olive Press.
In the months following Amy’s disappearance, amid the whirling theories, Audrey and Dave travelled to Gibraltar and the Costa Blanca to appeal for help in finding her. Dave even visited the Moroccan port of Tangiers.
Haunting But when Audrey appeared on RTE’s Late Late Show in May 2008, the cameras caught sight of a pink nokia mobile phone. And in doing so, she opened up a whole new line of investigation. For that phone belonged to
Amy, and more than that, she had it on her when she left Ashley Rose’s on the night she disappeared. Ashley told Amy’s aunt Christine in an email: “Amy used that phone on New Year’s Eve to get her mum’s number. It is where she kept all her contacts and listened to her music. I did tell the Guardia Civil this three years ago but they did nothing about it.” Audrey claimed she found the phone in her house, which would surely prove her daughter did in fact make it home that
“Despite Amy telling her mother she wants nothing to do with her, she persists on putting pressure on her with threats. Audrey threatens Amy with going to the police and has been to the school to get her. Amy has not been in school this week in anticipation of this. Amy was not in a safe environment, she declares neglect, threats and physical violence to her brother as well as abandonment. If Amy is picked up on the street by her Mum or boyfriend, it is probable that she will disappear. “I want the Mother to understand that she has to leave Amy alone. As yet she has not been able to find her. My daughter (in Amy’s class at school) has told everyone to tell the mother nothing and
night? Or otherwise her abductor passed the phone back to her mum. Questions that have never been properly asked. What is certain is Amy’s deep hatred for Dave Mahon. In her poignant personal diaries, part published in Ireland, she talks about spending nights on the street to avoid going back to his house. In one extract, dated January, 19, 2006, Amy writes: “Dave is being a d**k as normal, accusing me of taking money. WTF wud I do dat. He has no f**kin rite 2 say I tuk it da stu-
HEART-WRENCHER: The soul-searching letter from mum Pearl Cantlie explained what the mother and boyfriend have done. Fortunately, this was kept to by Amy’s friends. We have moved Amy, with the embassy’s knowledge, to another address until we get something in writing. I cannot take the risk of Amy being snatched or us being threatened.”
pid, bald, ugly WNKER!” Even more damning is a haunting letter (printed for the first time in Spain above) sent to the Irish embassy - 18 months before her disappearance from a school friend’s mother. The mother-of-two, who now lives in Ireland, described the bullying, controlling actions of Audrey and a genuine fear for Amy’s life. She should know, as the teenager spent many nights, even weeks, staying at her house in the run up to her death. Fast forward to 2014 and years of heavy drinking have taken
their toll on Audrey. Doctors say if she does not get a liver transplant, she will die. Yet the couple continue to enjoy life at their Calahonda pad, drinking at Los Ktetos. Those concerned have long wondered where their seemingly endless supply of money comes from. The phone... Scottish John and his van... the rumours of prostitution and the mattress… the list of unanswered questions only seems to be increasing. Is anyone at Malaga police actually trying to answer them?
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NEWS
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
Final wish
News IN BRIEF
Jobs joy AMAZON is rumoured to be opening a logistics hub in Barcelona, creating up to 3,000 new jobs. The move comes as the online retailer reports increasing demand for its services in Spain.
Wheelly good THE Spanish Baseball and Softball Real Federation (RFEBS) has held its first official indoor wheelchair softball competition in Valencia.
No chance ONE in ten jobseekers in Spain have never had a job. A total 576,900 people are trapped in the vicious circle of ‘no work – no experience’.
Go-go A GROUP of go-go dancers has spiced up a police protest in Valencia. Around 200 police officers, and 10 go-gos gathered outside the Town Hall to express their fury at the lack of new uniforms.
www.theolivepress.es
THE final wish of one of the best known members of the International Brigades has been honoured. Liverpudlian Jack Edwards came to Spain to fight Fascism in the Spanish Civil War as a 22-yearold mechanic. Edwards fought in the Battle of Jarama and was the last member of the International Brigades to leave by foot, making his way to Paris where he caught the train back to Liverpool and arriving in January 1939. Jack was granted Spanish citizenship in 2009, two years before his death at the age of 97 in 2011. He made several trips back to Spain after Franco’s death and during one visit to the anniversary of the battle of Ja-
rama asked his children to scatter his ashes over the mountain. Last month, on the 77th anniversary of the battle, Jack’s two sons and daughter joined 30 members of the Association of the International Brigades, to grant his final wish. In an emotional ceremony they raised the republican flag and sang No Pasaran before scattering his ashes.
What lies beneath
Renewed searches for the tens of thousands still buried in civil war mass graves
AUTHORITIES in Andalucia are to step up the search for the remains of those who went missing during the civil war. Under a new draft law, the state will now be able to temporarily expropriate land in cases where its owner does not allow a search for a mass grave on his or her property.
By Claire Wilson
An estimated 60,000 people went missing in Andalucia during the bloody conflict, between 1936 and 1939. The draft for the ‘law of democratic memory’ also stipulates that any statues, street names and other public symbols still remaining in honour of
SACKED OVER COUP LUNCH THE son of a leader of an infamous failed coup attempt in the 1980s has been fired from the Guardia Civil. Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero, head of the Reserve and Security Group in Madrid, was sacked after organising a lunch in honour of his father and other co-conspirators. Tejero had organised the paella meal to commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the failed uprising of February 23 1981. INFAMOUS: Tejero Senior At the lunch in the Valdemoro barracks,
several on-duty officers made and served the paella. One guest was former Civil Guard Captain Jesus Munecas Aguilar, sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the uprising, and who is currently facing extradition to Argentina under accusations of homicide and torture. Tejero’s father, Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina, was sentenced to 30 years in jail for leading the coup, during which a
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group of 200 armed Civil Guard officers seized Parliament and cabinet hostage for 18 hours. The lunch also involved an exhibition of equipment and vehicles used by the force. Tejero’s superior officer said that he had no knowledge of the unofficial event.
Franco or his dictatorship, which ran until his death in 1975, be removed within 18 months.
Right wing
The Olive Press revealed last year that Malaga’s Carlos Haya hospital was likely to have to change its name, after it emerged Haya was one of Franco’s pilots who flew bomb sorties against Republican troops. Right wing local authorities have resisted attempts by campaigners to force them to comply with the legislation. Andalucia argues the measures in its draft law have the backing of the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearance, which last year recommended Spain uncover the fates of victims of Franco. Around 114,000 bodies of people killed during the civil war and Franco’s fourdecade rule are still thought to lie in mass graves around Spain.
Clothing for every occasion
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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GREEN NEWS
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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Vultures in peril
SPAIN’S environmentalists are up in arms after a controversial drug that has wiped out vulture populations around the world was licenced in Spain. They have been joined by four world-respected birding groups in a call to ban the drug, which could kill off Spain’s vultures, which is by far the largest and most important group in Europe. The manufacture and use of diclofenac, a drug used to treat sick cattle, was approved in Spain last year. This was despite the drug
New drug which wiped out 75% of the species in India has been allowed to enter Spain EXCLUSIVE By Claire Wilson
being knowingly responsible for massacring the vulture population in India by
almost three quarters. Researchers from the Peregrine Fund established that vultures ingested lethal amounts of diclofenac in one single feed on the carcass of an animal that had been treated with the drug. The US-based group concluded that vulture populations could be wiped out even if less than 1% of carcasses available to them are contaminated with the drug. Spain is Europe’s vulture stronghold and home to up
How Green is that Valley?
to 90% of all four species found on the continent. This includes 85% of the remaining Egyptian vultures - the vast majority living in Andalucia - which are classified as endangered worldwide.
Consultation
The approval went through without official government bodies or the drug’s manufacturers speaking to wildlife experts. “Risk assessments were done, but these do not men-
AT RISK: Spain’s vultures could be wiped out following approval of new drug
tion vultures at all,” revealed Jose Tavares, of the Zurich-based Vulture Con-
Single track ahead THE high speed rail link to Granada will be served by a mere single track for much of its length. Critics have argued that a single line for the final 81km before the city will significantly reduce the operating capacity of the line. They say if a train were to break down on the track there could be substantial delays. The measures do however ensure that the new AVE line from Malaga will meet its late 2015 opening date. It is part of the high-speed rail network in Spain, operated by Renfe, the Spanish national railway company. It runs at speeds of up to 310 km/h. The new line will leave the Malaga to Cordoba track at Antequera Santa Ana station and go east stopping at Antequera and then Loja before arriving at Granada’s new Mariana Pineda station.
THE GUADALHORCE Valley is well known as one of the most fertile areas of Malaga province. But the traditional crop of citrus fruits has been joined by another, not so welcome newcomer. Malaga’s Guardia Civil report that the area has become increasingly popular with marijuana growers. Because of the large numbers of isolated houses and the excellent soil, the authorities have seen a steep rise in the number of marijuana plantations. In 2013, the Guardia Civil seized over 1,500 plants with an estimated street value of €3 million.
servation Foundation. “The authorities did not send these risk assessments to any conservation NGO for checking,” he added. Experts suggest that even if used sparingly, it is almost inevitable that significant numbers of vultures will feed on drug-laced carcasses. Now a coalition of organisations including the foundation, the Peregrine Fund, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and BirdLife Europe, are urgently pushing for an EUimposed, continent-wide ban on the drug. “Decades and millions of euros have been spent protecting Europe’s vultures,” continues Tavares. “We should now not let all of them disappear.”
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EIGHT more Marbella golf courses will begin using recycled water from next summer, following completion of a five year expansion project at the Vibora water treatment plant. La Siesta, Cabopino, Artola , Santa Maria Golf, Marbella Golf, Santa Clara, Rio Real and Greenlife will all be serviced by the sewage plant, with water being pumped in to irrigate the courses and maintain the greenery. The €9 million project, funded by owners Acosol, has included an expansion of the plant itself, and a 13.5km extension to the water transportation network. The network, which now extends as far as Arroyo de la Miel, and Cerro del Aguila, in Mijas, will also service local parks and recreation sites. Around 70% of Malaga’s golf courses are currently maintained using recycled water.
BIRD WORLD MORE than 2,450 species of water birds enjoy wintering in Granada’s wetlands, according to an environmental survey. The ponds and swamps, particularly la Charca de Suarez, are awash with waterfowl taking their winter break, including coots, cormorants and grebes. Data was compiled by the Junta for January across Andalucia. The total number of species in Granada, not just water-dwellers, numbers five times that amount – around 10,000.
AXARQUIA NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
Let there be lights ALMUNECAR town hall has started trialling new LED street lighting. Technicians estimate that the system could produce energy savings for the town of up to 60% and that the installation costs will be recouped within a few years. Almunecar is currently working with several LED companies and testing the technology in a variety of locations before making a final decision later in the year.
Unsporting behaviour A MAYOR has been forced to resign after it was revealed he spent double the market rate on sports and computer equipment via a family firm. Jose Antonio Gutierrez spent €27,000 of town hall money on a supply company that his brother
Show me the honey!
FRIGILIANA is set for a sweet celebration on March 30 when the town holds its first celebration of local honey. The event is being organised with Nuestra Senora del Carmen, the company that manufactures honey made from the sugar cane that grows in the region. The company will also be offering visits to the factory to see how honey is made on the day.
Big day NERJA Town Hall has announced its annual Residents Day will be on Sunday, April 27. The event will feature a main stage with music and entertainment all day, as well as bars offering a variety of food and drink.
EYES down, handcuffs on. Police in Nerja have broken up an illegal bingo club in the town. Some 40 players were taking part in the illegal activity in a bar in the Plaza de Marina when the armed officers swooped. The police confiscated 9,000 bingo cards, a bingo DVD, two television screens and €179 in cash. Bingo falls under strict gaming rules in Spain and can take place only on licenced premises. The bingo players were released after a caution.
By Giles Brown worked for. The Sedella mayor has now stepped down after the opposition IU party received documents that proved that the 16 computers he paid €15,000 for are actually only worth
OVER 50 artists have put their best foot forward for an exhibition of shoes in Velez-Malaga The show We Sneakers is expecting a decent
11
News IN BRIEF
Mayor resigns after it emerges that he paid over double for ‘obsolete’ computers
Bingo Bust! LIGHT FANTASTIC: Test
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
QUIT: Mayor Gutierrez
€6,000. He also spent €12,000 on sports equipment worth much less through the company 12 Estrellas Doradas. The IU alleges that the computers supplied were, in fact, footfall with its more obsolete. than 300 pairs personIt also discovered alised by the artists inthat the adminiscluding illustrators, trator of the comdesigners and graffiti pany is the mayor’s artists such as Sustor, brother, Miguel Visual Warriors and Angel Gutiérrez Gabriel Rey. Gutiérrez. We Sneakers was first exhibited in 2005 and Light since then has been Furthermore no on permanent tour in other companies Spain and Portugal, were invited to visiting cities such as quote for the supply Madrid, Barcelona, of the equipment. Lisbon, Faro and VaJosé Antonio Gutilencia. The exhibition errez resigned as will run until April mayor when he was 10. informed these docHAPPY FEET: Exhibition uments were about to come to light.
Foot First
Good job TEN percent of people who took part in the Andalucía Orienta employment programme in Torrox have found full time work.
Match fit ALMUNECAR launched a new advertising campaign promoting the town as a holiday destination during the weekend’s Malaga v Real Madrid football match.
Car Rally VELEZ-MALAGA will be the setting for a classic car rally. The event is scheduled to take place on May 1 and will run through several villages in the Axarquia.
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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GIBRALTAR NEWS
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Young patriots draw results PATRIOTISM was order of the day at Gibraltar’s Young Artist Competition. First prize of £1,000 went to Tina Rodriguez for her sculpture entitled Together we are Stronger, a large soldier made up of many tiny plastic soldiers. Kiana Wink scooped second prize for her mixed-media painting Interpretation if Gibraltar can be separated from Spain. The painting featured a weeping Our
Gibraltar’s planned new football stadium comes under sustained criticism
Lady of Europe covered with scrawled annotations in black ink, such as ‘she is saddened because she is seeing that as time goes by everyone is living an ongoing vicious cycle’. The Alwani Foundation awards went to Luke Gracia for Illegals, a photograph on the theme of immigration, and Matthew Feetham for Maheveli, inspired by heavy metal album cov- WINNER: Rodriguez ers.
Foul Play! www.theol
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to fight the construction of a football sta-
Stand by me
THE organisers of a property fair in France had a wicked sense of humour when they allocated a stand for Gibraltar’s exciting new World Trade Centre opposite a stand for Madrid. The exhibit was clearly visible to anyone attending the world property market (MIPIM) exhibition in Cannes. “Every visitor to the Madrid stand will have walked past
Destruction
Float on
PLANS have been unveiled for an enormous floating activity park, to open on Gibraltar’s shoreline. The €4.4 million floating pavilion is the central feature of an activity park which will include many recreational and leisure activities. The floating section of the park includes four swimming pools, one with a diving tower; two outdoor exercise parks; a kids’ play park and a climbing wall modelled on the Rock. An on-land section alongside comprises a boardwalk, park areas, a sunbathing area, an outdoor bar and changing rooms. The park will create new jobs locally, as well as making more land available along the shoreline to boost the numbers of people using the area.
ivepress.es
GIBRALTA
R NEWS
In Cannes: Houston the scale model and could not have helped but notice it,” said rep Karen Houston. “What a great way to spread the message that Gibraltar is more than open for international business.”
year with an exciting programme of events. This includes a performance, and a series of workshops, by the renowned Transitions Dance Company from the UK. Transitions has gained a reputation as one of the leading student dance companies, combining experimental choreography and a touring programme of dance. The workshops will take place on March 24 and will be open to all young students from the age of 12 upwards. Transitions Dance Company’s performance will be at the J o h n Mackintosh Hall on March 25 at 8pm.
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CHART-t Script areopping group year’s Gibra to headline The this ltar Musi c Festival.
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Opponents insist that the proposed location of the The GFA insists it needs a oot stadium, on the most south- Fmodern stadium as the curult ern tip of the Rock would farent Victoria Stadium does destroy the area’s natu- I not meet UEFA standards. ral beauty and panoramic The petition can viewed on views towards Africa. change.org entitled Please They argue it would also reconsider the site of the destroy a recently opened GFA football stadium. recreational area, as well Gibraltar became the newas cause substantial traf- est member of UEFA and fic problems getting to and managed draw with Slovefrom the stadium. nia. At the moment they are Gibraltar’s cricket ground forced to play in Portugal. would also be lost. MAGGIE’S LINE: Bord T was a er queue like famo the bordcase of same old us Saachi This timeer over the past same old at ad point to ish auth around how two weeks. the destrians orities decidedever, the Span had somethin fact that this - Spai might have g to do to target that saw . One of the n was with pethe old people queuingwors t incidents being inclu protesting agai the fact that ded in nst that theairport, took plac back as far as, the first time the com Gibraltar 2016. TheUEFA draw was e on the nigh Press jobsw . In other newspetition for orth of t to mad more cyni , the cal obse e for Euro a the Spanish cust the month awar Olive pedestria rver migh d goes oms offic t and rejoi n with a ial who mad e n the bike fold up bike unfo queue at the back ld it ....
HEADLIN ERS: The Scri
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- March
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ON the Ro
Press guide
to What’s
On in Gibra ltar
6 World Book John Mack Day Music by C intosh Hall, - 6pm Quantz, Ho 10am The popu 8pm, For m and Book lar Book Crossing www.philh a For more Fair and much more 20075669information Tel. March or ley.andres@ email kimberGibraltar14 culture.go Bo Tours v.gi March 9 Wild Plant s& Promenad led by Keith e Market Ocean Villag am, tel 2004B e, 11am 4pmFor 1 Tel. 5402further info conta March ct 3166 or emai vivend13@ Gibraltar15 hotmail.co l: nament Open m March 11 Men’s, Ladie The Europ single, Victo s’ ria S yers Conc ean Baroque PlaHall, For info co ert Olivero, 5402 dartarts.co 71 m
that the two natio as well as ns woul went to Armenia and d be kept apart, Azerbaija still havewar between 1992 n, who also be used The stadi territorial dispu and 1994 and The designs for concerts. are curre tes. um, to be ited in barren piece ntly the built on of land at a currently Casemates Gustavo Baca being exhibrisas vault Europa Poin Squa in t, will make submissio re where the publ finalised. ns befor ic can e the proje ct is
You cou ldn’t Sc ript
The Olive Press’ regular sect keeping an ion the Frontier eye on
Let’s dance
THE GIBRALTAR Academy of Dance is celebrating its 30th anniversary this
dium on the Rock. Over 1000 people have joined the online campaign against the plan by the Gibraltar Football Association (GFA) that it intends to build a 8000 seat football stadium at Europa Point.
GIBRALTAR NEWS
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TROUBLE IN THE AIR THE EU is to vote to exclude Gibraltar from draft EU aviation legislation. The Rock will not be included in the Single European Sky legislation, which is designed to harmonise air traffic control around Europe. As a result, Gibraltar will have no say in safety and regulation measures designed to make Europe’s airlines more competitive, share airspace and reduce pollution.
Spanish MEPs lead vote to exclude Gibraltar from important air traffic control legislation
new European Parliament which is due to be elected in May. A spokesperson for the British Government Complications said that it was disappointed by the vote and It might also mean that there could be compli- described the position as ‘inconsistent’ with cations for flights coming in to Gibraltar if they EU treaties that state that Gibraltar is part of the EU. need to liaise with Sevilla’s air traffic control. The vote is the latest in a series of moves by It is also contradictory of recent legislation Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy’s Partido Popu- on Air Passenger Rights, where the European lar government to derail the Trilateral Forum. Parliament amended the legislation so it apThe Cordoba agreement of 2006 included Gi- plied to Gibraltar. “The UK cannot accept a return to the prebraltar in the EU’s ‘Single Sky’ programme. The first draught will now be debated by the 2006 practice of suspending Gibraltar Airport from EU aviation measures,” PROBLEMS: the UK spokesperson said. At airport The Gibraltar Government underlined the inconsistencies. “Gibraltar will be excluded from the Air Passenger Rights legislation by the Commission, but then included by the Parliament,” said a spokesman. “The whole situation that Spain has created for the EU makes no sense whatsoever.”
Cycling on the Dock of the Bay FANS of pedal power will now be able to cycle around the Bay of Algeciras thanks to an ambitious new plan to create 13 kilometres of cycle
routes in the area. The routes are part of the Plan Andaluz de la Bicicleta that hopes to encourage over 12,000 people to get on their bikes every day. This cycle route will improve movement in Algeciras, making it quicker and safer to travel. It will also provide benefits for public health and help the environment, said the Junta’s Elena Cortes at the announcement of the scheme.
Gib’s Got Talent! IF you have star quality that you want to show off, Gibraltar’s Got Talent would like to hear from you. The show is now recruiting for the 2014 competition. Open to all ages and talents, the top prize is £1000, plus the chance to represent Gibraltar abroad. Please apply to gibraltarsgottalent@
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
ON the Rock
News IN BRIEF
Pretty exciting EIGHT young women will compete for the title of Miss Gibraltar 2014 on June 7. The winner will receive a cash prize of £5,500 and will represent Gibraltar at the Miss World Pageant in London in November.
Scouts about THE Gibraltar Sea Scouts marked their 100th anniversary with a parade along Main Street. This was followed by a service at the Cathedral of St Mary The Crowned.
The Olive Press guide to What’s On in Gibraltar over the next two weeks
March 19
Gibraltar Drama Festival 2014 Trafalgar Theatre Group Pool (No Water) a drama by Mark Ravenhill Santos Productions Theatre My Women an original drama by Christian Santos Ince’s Hall Theatre, 8pm
March 20
Gibraltar Drama Festival 2014 Fresh Wineskins Theatre Company – UK How to be A Saint, a comedy by Nick Fromings Santos Productions Theatre Teen Tales an original drama by the cast of youth players, Christian Santos Gabrielle Garcia and Eva Wahnon Ince’s Hall Theatre, 8pm
March 21
Price slash MORRISONS has announced it is slashing product prices across its core stores, including Gibraltar, after the company posted a £176 million annual pre-tax loss.
Gibraltar Drama Festival 2014 Rock Theatre Julius and Cleopatra a coarse comedy by Michael Green Medway Little Theatre Youth Co – UK The Fag House a physical theatre play by Bob Cooke International Theatre Studio Strictly Sex Factor on Ice a comedy by David Tristram Ince’s Hall Theatre, 8pm
March 22
Gibraltar Drama Festival 2014 Gala Night The final presentation of three plays selected by the adjudicator to provide a balanced evening’s entertainment, followed by the awards ceremony by the Minister for Culture. Tickets for the festival are on sale on weekdays at the John Mackintosh Hall, 9.30 am - 5 pm Prices as follows: Performance - £5.00 Gala Night - £10.00 Season Tickets - £20.00 For any further information please contact Tel: 20067236 or email: culture.info@culture.gov.gi
March 29
Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society Monthly Outing Windmill Hill Flats, Birds, plants and insects Lathbury Barracks, 9.30 am For further information Tel: 54001111 Email: kbensusan@gonhs.org Craft & Collectors Fair St Andrew’s Church, Governor’s Parade 10.00 am - 2.00 pm Entrance Fee £1.00 For further info. Tel: 54023166 Email: viviend13@hotmail.com
Gibraltar Weekend Special See the sights and experience great Gibraltarian hospitality
Friday and Saturday night stay in a sea view room with Continental buffet breakfast Friday • Table reserved for the Valerga Brothers performance • Dinner for two in our award winning Nunos restaurant - a la carte menu excluding wine and beer Saturday • Full body massage per person in our Health and Beauty Club
Price of £130 per person sharing a double room
gmail.com or search for Gibraltar’s Got Talent on Facebook. Entries close on March 31.
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*Upgrade to a suite for an extra £50 per night *Stay Sunday night for £50 including breakfast
T: (+350) 200 76501 | E: reservations@caletahotel.gi www.caletahotel.com | www.visitgibraltar.gi
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la cultura
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 201415 15
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How ‘our man in Madrid’ got bagged
BACKDROP: Madrid in 1915
Dame Kiri and I
A FORMER Costa del Sol schoolboy has landed a plum role at London’s Royal Opera House. Former Sotogrande International School student James Weal has been performing alongside the world famous Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in the comic opera La Fille Du Regiment this month.
A SENSATIONAL new book tells how Britain’s ambassador to Spain was tricked by a German spy, who was the sister of the man who inspired dictator Franco’s bloody Spanish coup. The book on Spain’s role as a ‘neutral’ country in the First World War reveals the incredible infiltration of spies from both Britain and Germany at the time. Pilar Millan Astray, a Spanish novelist and German collaborator, would sneak into the bedroom of old Etonian Sir Arthur Henry Hardinge to extract secrets and copy private documents. Secretly working for the German embassy in Barcelona, she struck up a close
‘friendship’ with Hardinge, who had earlier been the Governor of Gibraltar, and was able to monitor his movements. While the exact status of their relationship is not known, she is said to have accessed his ‘private’ suite at the Hotel Colon with ease. PAIRING: Astray, it emerges, James and Kiri was the sister of Jose Millan Astray, the founder of the crack army brigade the Spanish Legion. España en la Gran Guerra, by Fernando García Sanz, explores this web of spies used by Germany and the Allies to manipulate Spain during the First promising career Guys and Dolls in 2009. World War.
Weal’s began with the lead role in the school’s production of
Triumphant return with the Magic Flute SPIRITED community theatre group, Opera Duende, will make a triumphant return to Almeria this month with Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Formed last year by opera director Jeanne Henny, from Bedar, the not-forprofit company supports both amateur and professional artists, with cast members from Madrid, Sevilla, Almeria, and the UK and Germany. “We train singers and put on operas to showcase them and keep them in work during these difficult times, when cultural budgets are slashed and foreign opera companies undercut the Spanish minimum wage,” said Ms Henny. The production is a revival of the company’s debut
New book reveals how Britain’s ambassador to Spain got caught out by a female spy, who was the sister of the man who later inspired dictator Franco
performance, which was so successful that they have been invited to perform at the Maestro Padilla Auditorium in Almeria, followed by Murcia’s Romea Theatre. The performance is on March 29, at 8pm. Tickets start at €10, and are available from the Teatro Apolo ticket office. Transport is available from the Mojacar area from Costa Almeria Tours. Telephone 646 760 389.
He graduated the following year. Dame Kiri, who sang at the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, celebrated her 70th birthday during one of their Royal Opera House performances. “Working at the opera house is amazing,” said James. “To think that each night I’m stepping on stage to perform in front of up to 3,000 people is crazy. “Dame Kiri has such an amazing voice and is so incredibly professional, it was an honour to be working alongside her,” he added. James lived in Spain for seven years and is returning this week to watch the next crop of SIS stars in the musical Back to the 80s at the theatre in San Roque. He has thanked staff at the school for inspiring him to achieve his dream. “Sam Reed, my drama teacher, and Kerry Wickersham, head of music, were wonderful and gave me the belief that I could be successful in this industry,” he said.
March 19 - April 2 2014
what’s on S
DUPED: Hardinge fell for the charms of spy Pilar Millan Astray
The Spanish government was infiltrated with spies from all the major nations involved in the war, while the newspapers allegedly accepted bribes from either side to publish propaganda.
Amateur
Even Mata Hari, a famous Dutch dancer convicted of spying and executed by firing squad in France, is described as an amateur compared to the likes of Astray. The book also reveals that Hari spent time in Madrid during the war, presumably working as a spy. “Some of them were so skilled that we can still only suspect what they got up to,” said García Sanz. “The Spanish codes had been broken even before the war started, all communications were intercepted, including those of King Alfonso XIII.”
an Roque (Cadiz). Back to the 80s Musical, Teatro Juan Luis Galiardo, San Roque – Students of Sotogrande International School perform 80’s classics. Audience invited to wear 80’s clothes. March 21 and 22.
M
arbella. Javier Martin Exhibition, Houses of Art – photography and sculpture exhibition from self-taught international artist. March 21 – April 29.
M
arbella. El Mediterraneo como tierra de pasion, Al-Andalus Art and Culture Foundation – Exhibition of art work inspired by the history of Andalucia. April 4.
L
a Cala de Mijas. ‘Secrets’ art exhibition Venta el Jinete, Carretera La Cala Golf, Km 4,5. Mars 10 – April 28, every day, except Fridays 12-22.
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la cultura
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No show Robbie Massive losses for the music industry, blamed on a VAT rise, are seeing fewer bands and artists play in Spain
ROBBIE Williams and other international artists have stopped including Spain in their global tours, after crippling tax rises. Artists, promoters and music fans have slammed a crippling rise in VAT (IVA) in 2012 that led to a massive 29% drop in income from concerts last year. The Music Promoters Association (APM) announced that income from NO REGRETS: Robbie ditches Spain concerts and festivals fell by a huge
Film festival gets underway THE pick of Spanish cinema is set to be showcased in the 17th Malaga Film Festival, which starts this Friday. A series of films and documentaries are set to be premiered over the one week festival, held at the Teatro Cervantes. There will also be workshops led by industry experts, and a number of debates and discussions on a variety of cinematic topics. The first festival was held in 1998, and since then it has grown into one of the biggest Spanish film festivals in Spain and Latin America. Previous festivals have attracted some of the industry’s top names, from both in front and behind the camera, including Malaga’s own Antonio Banderas. SHOWCASE: Teatro Cervantes
By Imogen Calderwood €59.1 million in the 12 months following an increase of IVA in September 2012. The gross turnover also fell over the 12 months, from €223 million to €177 million, a decrease of 20.53%. The industry losses will cost the state treasury €30 million, according to estimates by APM.
Concern
The rise saw concert and festival tickets applicable to apply 21% in IVA, when previously they had just 8%. The APM voiced concerns about the effect these losses will have on the music industry in Spain, including fewer tour dates from international artists. Many musicians - including Robbie Williams - no longer include Spain in their global tours because prices have ‘ceased to be competitive’, according to APM president, Pascual Sala. According to leading music promotion company Doctor Music, which organises tours for Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus, musicians now perform fewer concerts in order to be more selective over venues and reduce risks.
Cordoba cathedral: We must preserve islamic roots By Claire Wilson A SECULARIST group has slammed the Catholic Church for attempting to conceal the Islamic history of Cordoba city’s cathedral. More than 146,000 have signed a petition demanding that both the Islamic and Christian heritage of the site be fully recognised following what they claim has been a gradual phasing out of its Islamic history.
PHASED OUT: Catholic church plays down cathedral’s Islamic past
Hurt
“Over the past few years the Diocese of Cordoba has erased the term ‘mosque’ from all the information leaflets of what is recognised worldwide as a sym-
bol of cultural harmony,” said a spokesman for the petition.
The most recent visitors’ leaflet says a mosque was built on the site of a Vi-
Sunset snaps A SERIES of bleak and brooding landscapes as the sun rises and falls has gone on display at the Gallery el Cuartito in BROODING: Gaucin. Whiffen’s The exhibition of photography by Vivienne Whiffen takes place photography from March 22 to April 5. Whiffen takes photos at dusk and dawn ‘when the magic lurks and one feels alone but also connected’. The exhibition is open from Thursday to Saturday, 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 19:00. For more information call Vivienne on 692 386 030.
sigoth church in the eighth century, but skims over its 500 year history as a place of worship for Muslims at the height of Islamic rule in southern Spain. Construction of the mosque, which included a prayer room and marble columns, began in 766. It was transformed to a cathedral in the 13th century after a Christian ruler conquered the city. “For the citizens of Cordoba, what has hurt our feelings is that they have cut off the name and the memory of the monument,” said Antonio Manuel Rodriguez, a law professor at Cordoba University.
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March 19 - April 2 2014
DJ brothers send Miami spinning A MARBELLA DJ duo are taking the international music scene by storm, and are now set to headline at the world’s largest industry gathering. The Wallem Brothers will fly to Miami for the week-long Winter Music Conference 2014 (WMC), starting on March 21. Headlining the ‘This is Ibiza’ event, the brothers, Chris and Daniel, will perform alongside other top Spanish DJs, including
Albert Neve, Juanjo Martin and The Zombie Kids. Thousands of artists, producers, and other music industry delegates from over 70 countries will attend the festival, which includes over 500 events, parties, seminars and workshops. After bursting onto the music scene in 2010, the Danish lads, who grew up in Marbella, have played in Dubai, Tel Aviv and Zurich.
The Black Widows
come home
Tom Jones and Albert Hammond also set for Starlite
THE Costa del Sol is known as the California of Europe, so it is fitting that the Beach Boys should be finally heading this way. The seminal 1960s group will be playing their first ever concert on the Costa del Sol this summer. In their 50th anniversary year, the band, led by Brian Wilson, will headline a show at Marbella’s Starlite festival. The Califonian legends - whose hits include Good Vibrations, Surfing USA and God
CHANGES: The boys over 50 years
Only Knows - will open the festival on July 23. In another swathe of big names added to the five week festival, Welsh crooner Tom Jones is also set to play on August 17.
Julio Iglesias
And Albert Hammond has been signed up to perform alongside other acts including the Pet Shop Boys, Kool and the Gang, Gloria Gaynor and Julio Iglesias. Hammond, who grew up in nearby Gibraltar, wrote blockbuster hits It Never Rains in Southern California, The Air that I breath and Nothing’s Going to Stop us Now. He also penned Julio Iglesias’ seminal hit To All the Girls I Loved Before. The festival, now in its third year, runs from July 23 to August 23 in the Marbella Auditorium, the only club in the world in a quarry. The daily programme includes music, fashion, art, film and gastronomy.
AN expat author has released her latest novel titled The Black Widows. Jane Finch, who lives for much of the year in Turre, Almeria, hopes the book will be a success. It is about three women are united by their determination to make a fortune out of unsuspecting husbands, killing them if they have to. Jane has previously written three novels, a children’s book and a collection of poems about chickens.
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A surprise whistle IT is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic musicals. And now Whistle Down the Wind is to have its Spanish premier in Fuengirola. The Webber hit, which has been performed over a thousand times in London’s West End, will run from March 21 until March 30 at the Salon Varieties Theatre. The story follows the lives of three Lancashire children who discover a fugitive hiding in their barn. The bearded man, referred to as Blakey by the police, is mistaken for Jesus Christ by the children. Blakey makes no attempt to rectify the mistake when he discovers the children are determined to protect him from discovery. The children’s world of fantasy collides with the adult world of reality, new values versus old values. The Fuengirola production boasts a cast of 45, and is directed by Peter Mitchell. Local cabaret star Ricky Lavazza takes on the lead role of Alan Bates, in his debut theatre performance. The Salon Varieties Theatre has recently upgraded its sound and lighting equipment, and audiences can expect a spectacular show with dramatic lighting effects and surround sound. Evening performances start at 8, except on Sunday when they are at 7. Tickets can be bought from the box office, on 952 47 45 42, or online at www.salonvarietestheatre.com
Drop into our showroom for a chat and we´ll give you a demonstration of the different options available to ensure you continue watching all your favourite programmes.
SEX BOMB: Tom Jones and (above) Hammond
satellite TV audio video Tel: 951 310 437 CC Puerta de Banús, Local 3, Marbella 29660 www.tvonespain.com / info@tvonespain.com
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 87.14% full Same week last year: 84.04% Same week in 2003: 62.89% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.39 American Dollars 0.83 British Pounds 1.54 Canadian Dollars 7.46 Danish Kroner 10.83 H Kong Dollars 8.25 Norwegian Kroner 1.76 Singapore Dollars
LETTERS
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Nothing to brag about Dear OP, IT WAS interesting to read the article about gender violence (Truth of Spanish gender violence, Issue 182) but another form of violence - psychological - though showing no physical scars, may be even worse. I wonder how Spain and other countries would fare in such studies. Being ranked as the fourth lowest for violence is nothing to brag about and could mean women fear even reporting the violence at home or at work or elsewhere because of the stigma and prefer to live with their pain? Zero violence against women is what every country should aim for be it physical, sexual or psychological. That would be something to brag about. Lisa Tanit, Marbella
Real medicine IN THE gender violence article I note Denmark comes top of the table but that might be because Danes will put up with less than
MORE demolitions – terrific! (Expats lose battle to save homes - Issue 182). What a great advertisement to encourage inward investment and persuade foreigners to invest in Spain. It seems to have become some sort of obsession with the Junta de Andalucia, so much so they have set up a fast-track demolitions department. What a pity they can’t set up a fasttrack employment department or a fast-track new business department. Is this the best they have to offer? Are they so stupid that they can’t see how demolitions of homes damages the image of Spain. Perhaps it is sabotage to get at the central government in Madrid. I have not met a single Spaniard who agrees with it Spanish women. Whatever, violence against women is not punished nearly as severely as it should be. Why not strip offending males (let’s not call them men) and give them a beating in public? Then, when the fist is clenched or the kick aimed they might remember what happened to others will happen to them. This is called conditional therapy and it works with bullies and cowards. Those who commit murder could be used as organ donors. The problem is most judges are men and come from privileged backgrounds, and do not for a moment think violence against women happens only lower down the social scale. Stuart Crawford, Mijas
Pure alcohol I SHOULD warn everyone over the life-threatening limoncello recipe (Issue 182.) It calls for a litre of pure alcohol, let me just repeat that, pure alcohol. All over the coast people could be making limoncello with methylated spirits and in doing so, signing their own death warrant. I don’t know about the rest of your readers but I didn’t move here to find the quickest way to top myself. Leigh Moncelo Estepona Ed: The recipe referred to pure alcohol “being difficult to find in Spain,” and obviously was NOT referring to methylated spirits
Demolitions send wrong message
so why are they doing it? Do they have some sort of death wish? Meanwhile Andalucia, recently honoured with the title “Banana Republic of Spain” sinks further into the mire with record unemployment, thousands of unsold properties and businesses going bust all over the place.
Own values TOO many Brits simply can’t understand that each country has it’s own set of ‘values, ’if you don’t like the way that business is done in a country – don’t buy there (Caveat Vendor: A brief guide to selling your home, Issue 182). Again research is something that is an alien concept to too many Brits. All of the points raised should have been known by potential buyers and therefore should come as no surprise. In France charges are about the same and local agents don’t put For Sale signs unless they have sole agency and the sellers are not around. Otherwise potential buyers will approach the seller directly. One good point in Spain used to be that there were no capital gains charges on
Jane Garrett, Gaucin shares or money market profits. In France there was a set tax of 25%; now it is 50% on shares held for between two and eight years, and 35% on more than eight years plus social charges. There is no advantage to maintain PEPs/ISAs living in France and both I and my partner face some hefty bills but we do enjoy living here, so accept it is time to cough up or leave. We do not however expect other countries to be the same as the UK. As always caveat emptor. Charles Stewart, France
EU vote fear
Westminster is that this current coalition and possible future governments will take decisions that affect us. I moved abroad based on the information and prevailing conditions when I decided to move. This coalition has announced a referendum on EU membership, should that vote be out it could have serious implications for expats particularly those in the EU, and plans are already being drawn up in the event of such a vote. One of the most serious situations would be the freezing of the old age pensions for ALL expats, not just new claimants but all existing claimants as well. I have friends who say the UK is going to leave the EU, personally I don’t want to sleepwalk into a financial nightmare. Brian Johnson, Mijas
Be warned I WANT to warn people about the return of a scammer known as James Taylor, as featured in the OP in December. People should be aware of the new web address and adverts he has placed in newspapers. I have called Sur in English and Euro Weekly to inform them, and implore anyone else who is scammed by him to do the same. In Euro Weekly he was advertising under Electricians, call James; Plumbing call James; TV & Video, www.myiptvuk.com. In Sur in English he was advertising under Electricians; and Video/TV. Such criminals have to be stopped, but they know they are untouchable as the newspapers and the police won’t take action. It is so frustrating that they continue to defraud people, they should be in prison.
I AM in favour of plans to elect a Costa del Sol MP. My main reason for wanting expats represented at
Helen Wilkinson, Sotogrande
Letters should be emailed to letters@theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.
CROSSMOT 28 Across
1 Scrape (6) * 4 Bailó (6) * 9 Example (7) * 10 Después De (5) * 11 Gulf (5) * 12 Admirado (7) * 13 Needs (11) * 18 Publishes (7) * 20 Votaron (5) * 22 Blame (5) * 23 Sperm (7) * 24 Gods (6) * 25 Cool (6)
Down
1 Risk (6) * 2 Acero (5) * 3 Aprobar (7) * 5 Alarma (5) * 6 Fourteen (7) * 7 Golden (6) * 8 Animals (3, 8) * 14 Slender (7) * 15 Steamed (2, 5) * 16 Espacio (6) * 17 Devised (6) * 19 Imagen (5) * 21 Strips (5)
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ijas
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Issue 183 www.theolivepress.es
March 19 - April 2 2014
Mijas Immense There is so much on offer in Mijas aside from riding a donkey, discovers Imogen Calderwood
T
HERE are two main types of tourist who visit Mijas pueblo. The ‘watch-everything-through-your-camera-lens type’ and the others, who try to avoid them at all costs. The latter spend their days seeking out authenticity, while the former are so eager to document everything going on and tick boxes that they often forget to actually enjoy themselves. What is striking about Mijas is its ability to satisfy these types of tourists and a lot more genres to boot. For starters, anyone interested in Andalucian history will love its municipal museum and well preserved churches, while foodies and wine lovers are increasingly finding themselves spoilt for choice with a growing range of decent places to ‘tapear’ in the centre. Above all, being a tourist in Mijas is easy. The town hall and tourist office has it down to a tee. Maps and walking-tours are carefully planned and signposted, with the translations at its sites - for once - making perfect sense in English. I set off following a ‘yellow line’ walking tour that snaked through the town, promising to show off the best of its streets. Among the initial highlights of the tour is the shrine of the Virgin of the Rock, a cross-between a cave and a chapel carved out of the mountainside, dedicated to the patron saint of Mijas. From the nearby El Compas viewpoint, you can take in Turn to page 20
MUSEO DE
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history of Malaga wine’ Insuring you time for the important things in life
• Wine Museum • Tapas • Wine Tastings • Shop
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www.museovinomalaga.org C/SAN SEBASTIÁN 14, 29610 MIJAS, MALAGA. T/F: 952 486 367
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ijas
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Authenticity town From Page 19
the phenomenal panoramic views along the Costa del Sol that form the backdrop to the shrine. You could linger here all morning, admiring this leafy haven and enjoying drinks at the small cafes lining the walls of the vantage point. But the walking-tour marches on, enticing us towards the central hub, Constitution Square. The second plaza is less concerned with cafes, and is definitely the commercial centre of the town. Countless streets radiate out, lined with artisanal shops packed with ceramics and trinkets - that seem to have grown
out of the mountainside itself. The haphazard development of Mijas leaves the impression of organic growth - shops come in all shapes and sizes, adapting themselves to the natural landscape. From here the route slopes upwards, in the direction of the bullring, unusual due to its oval shape, and surrounding gardens. Ceramic designs on the walls commemorate some of the history of the bullring, built in 1900, as well as some the best-known matadors that have performed there - including Paquirri and Paloma Linares. During the summer months, there is the occasional bullfight
Mijas by numbers
GRAND CRU ANDALUZ: Mijas centre
12,500 - trees to be planted in the El Calvario area 7,000 - Japanese tourists due to visit Mijas this year with tour operator Hankyu 43 - Picasso’s ceramic works in the Contemporary Arts Centre Mijas (CACMijas), the second most important collection of this type in the world 254 - UNESCO world heritage sites, 255 if Mijas’ application is successful 20,185 - foreign residents seen by the Mijas Foreigner’s Department last year, the first department of its kind in Spain 5,911 - patients attended to by the GP Out of Hours emergency service in Mijas last year 82,184 - population of Mijas 2,920 - hours of sunshine per year (243 days of solid sunshine)
and horse shows on Sundays, an impression of the village as but during the winter visitors a whole, of its almost regal pocan still tour the inside and ad- sition over the rest of the coast, mire the architecture. and the stark contrast between It wasn’t long after the bullring it and Mijas Costa. that I fell off the walking tour Soon you will find yourself in map and was forced to start stunning hills, scattered with exploring for myself. wild flowers and wild olives, However, it’s in getting lost in Mi- pines and oaks. There are jas that you start to see how the tracks in all directions and the town appeals to the type of tour- wildlife and birds to be seen in ist that craves authenticity and abundance. unspoilt Andalucia. Back down in Mijas pueblo it is E n t i c e d clear that the through an town hall is tryopen gateway, ing hard to proSoon you are in I found myself mote its history stunning hills descending and nature. a crumbling scattered with wild One thing that stone staircaught my eye flowers, olives, case to a path was a display pines and oaks through some of ‘esparto’ woodland, products (a flanked by kind of wild more sensational views. mountain grass) in the municiThe mini-adventure inspired a pal museum. feeling of discovery and explo- Traditionally collected from the ration, that is rare when you’re nearby hills by women folk, it only five minutes from a tourist- was woven into a huge array trove like Constitution Square. of items including shoes, hats It’s the same feeling heading and bags, many sold to tourists on the windy back road into over the years. the Guadalhorce Valley which It became an invaluable source soars above the village. of income for some of the town, I would certainly recommend and recently the town hall has sweet-talking your car into tak- launched a new drive to bring ing you some way along this it back. steep and winding road that On a plaque in the museum, overlooks the pueblo. beside an evocative picture It’s along this road that you get of a local peasant stitching it
Jewellery, Art Gallery & Gifts
Plaza de la Constitucion, edif. La Alcazaba, Mijas Pueblo, Málaga 29650
Phone: 952485141/ 952590144 Email: riberarome@terra.com www.tamisashop.com
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FACES AND FIGURES: Local pensioner and a statue by church tower together, was a moving elegy to the trade. It read: “One has to be born to the work in the mountains. Collecting esparto sounds easy, but it isn,’t. The mountain changes every year. It is full of cracks and holes that are covered with weeds, one must know how to walk there. “I have travelled as far as Granada and Cordoba to collect it. On these trips, you had to sleep under trees, even at Christmas when it was far too cold. In the end we managed to save around 300 to 400 pesetas. We were used to living with so little in those times.” Much of the museum tells of the difficult times from the beginning of the last century, particularly for women, whose job it was to work the land, while their husbands went out to seek work further afield. One elderly woman tells of how, after the civil war, the women were so poor that they had one dress for work and one for holidays. “It was a life of miseries a thousand times worse than I can explain,” she explains. It is one of many museums in the heart of the old town and there is plenty to keep you occupied for a day. The town has ultimately struck an impressive balance between encouraging its thriving tourist industry and maintaining its authenticity. The streets have been carefully looked after and the level of tatty souvenirs are kept to a minimum. An urbane man, its mayor Angel Nozal, a former insurance agent, has travelled the world and speaks a number of languages. He is also a keen walker and has, in particular, worked hard to promote the town’s many paths - there are said to be over 100 public footpaths around it and green spaces. Shortly before lunch I found myself surprisingly attracted by the idea of embracing tradition and seeing a few local paths by experiencing a classic ‘burro’ taxi. It was seeing a group of Japanese women clearly enjoying
their donkey-tour that inspired the notion - reassured that the unsettlingly small donkeys could take the weight of an adult. It is an excellent way to see the town and there are various ways to do this whether astride an animal or in a more traditional horse-and-cart. Without a doubt the village is at its most beautiful around 5pm, when the sun starts to set among the houses, and the recently departed tourist coaches leave behind them a strange sense of nostalgia. Mijas is a village to amble round. Lose the map and point yourself away from the centre. In particular I recommend looking out the Plaza de los Siete Canos, and you’ll find yourself in the midst of an unspoilt, typical Andalucian pueblo. Doors are open, children play in the street, and shrivelled old men
snooze on benches in the sun. And if that doesn’t cut it for authenticity, head to the caves of the old forge, which were used as stables by villagers looking to take advantage of all available space. The caves are now void of animals but are still satisfyingly fusty... crawl inside for a true dose of rustic mountainside tranquility.
ANCIENT TRADE: An esparto weaver and her wares
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Ass good as it gets
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HE donkeys of Mijas demand to be recognised as one of the town’s oldest tourist attractions, calling out to passing tourists with brays and snorts, and drawing the eye with multi-coloured decorations. But over the half century that the donkey taxis - known as ‘burro-taxis’ - have been operating, the profession of the taxi driver has undergone a dramatic evolution. The first donkey drivers, in the 1960s, but were villagers who worked in the mountains, persuaded by tourists to let them take photos and ride their donkeys. The tips paid by the tourists were often more than the day’s wages, and enterprising villagers shifted their priorities from farming to donkeydriving. From these humble origins a thriving tourist industry was born. But who are the people walking alongside the donkeys now?
Hassan Habib, 25, moved to Mijas from Pakistan, and is one of many struggling to hold down a full-time job in Spain’s current job market. Hassan is really an accountant, but drives donkeys as a way of making ends meet. “It’s really difficult for me because there are just no jobs,” he says. “This is a way of earning money. But it’s hard work. In the summer we can go out up to 20 times in a day, with each walk being around 20 minutes,” he continues. “That’s a lot of time, both for us and the donkeys, to be walking around in the heat. We all get tired.” However, the donkeys are an integral part of the Mijas tourist industry and are the main draw for thousands of tourists each year. “It’s part of the culture here, you couldn’t get rid of them. The donkeys are such a big part of what makes Mijas, Mijas.”
THE MOLE OF MIJAS
I
T is one of the most remarkable stories to emerge from the Franco era. Now best known as ‘The Mole of Mijas’, Manuel Cortes Quero was the last Republican mayor of the pueblo, from March to November of 1936. However, when the town fell to dictator Franco’s nationalist troops during the Spanish Civil War he was forced to abandon his wife and newborn daughter and flee the town under the cover of darkness. However he returned in 1939, willing to sacrifice his freedom in exchange for living under the same roof as his family, making himself a prisoner in his own home. For 30 years the Mole stayed hidden, driven by his belief in democracy and socialism, tucked in a cramped space under the stairs behind a false wall. “I pulled out my own teeth, as soon as I got an ache,” Cortes told his biographers Jesus Torbado and Manuel Lequineche, authors of the book ‘Los Topos’ (The Moles).
“I would work at the tooth until it was loose and then I would yank it out with my fingers, without any pliers or tongs. I pulled out nine or ten teeth this way.” In 1960, after 21 years of hiding, Cortes’ daughter Maria got married.
Kiss
“I had to make do watching her come out of church through a little hole above,” he said. “The wedding procession left the house and after the ceremony Maria scurried away to come to my room and kiss me, just as we had planned.” Listening to the radio on March 28, 1969, with his ear pressed to the wall, Cortes heard the news that he had been waiting 30 years to hear. The government had granted amnesty to those people who had committed crimes from July 18 1936 to April 1 1939. “I got a lump in my throat
HIDEOUT: Quero’s room and (top) with radio because of the emotion of the moment,” said Cortes. “I couldn’t think straight.” The then mayor of Mijas, Miguel Gonzalez Berral, accompanied Cortes to the headquarters of the Guardia Civil in Malaga, where the world’s press waited to hear the confirmation that he was finally free. “Was it worth it?” asked Cortes. “I never lost faith in democracy. The tyranny of the dictatorship could not last forever.”
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T is hard to believe but not only was the coast from Malaga to Mijas once lined with vineyards… but the sweet wines produced were sold to churches, hospitals and even schools! In an incredible exhibit, the Mijas wine museum has a series of labels from the time which demonstrate the importance of Malaga wines. “They were some of the world’s most important wines back in the 19th century and were seen as being healthy,” explains owner Carlos San Juan. Called ‘reconstituyentes’, they were recommended for patients convalescing, as well as for children as a ‘crema infantil’. The vineyards completely sur-
rounded the city of Malaga, which had hundreds of bodegas producing the mostly sweet wines made from Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez grapes. “There were a staggering 200,000 hectares under vine in the Malaga region,” continues San Juan, who previously ran the wine museum in Ojen. Sadly that all came to an end with the phylloxera virus that spread through Spain in the
No small feat Professor Max’s Wagon of Miniatures is one of the world’s best small museums, writes Imogen Calderwood
C
ERTAINLY one of the more baffling attractions that Mijas has to offer is the museum of miniatures. Juan Elegido Millan, a magician better known by his stage name ‘Professor Max’, insists he was forced into collecting miniature works of art due to economic difficulties...and because his house was too small to collect normal size artworks. His collection includes a version of Da Vinci’s The Last Supper, painted on a grain of rice and a bullfight painted on a lentil. The collection also includes various sculptures carved into toothpicks and sticks of chalk, and three dried fleas that someone has painstakingly dressed up as a family, complete with father, mother and child. A large number of the pieces are anonymous, but the undoubted star of the museum is artist David Reyes, 43, from Cordoba. Reyes visited the museum as an eight-yearold boy, and can now put his name to about
March 19 - April 2 2014
(& La Cala)
Healthiest drink in the world I
BOFFIN: Carlos San Juan
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 201423 23
ijas
Bowled over
W TOP TIPPLE: Malaga’s wine was once recommended for patients and even children (below) 1870s and the industry was never the same. However, it was the wine industry which is credited for helping to make Malaga one of Spain’s main cities leading the industrial revolution. As well as being a museum, the shop, which has now been open for 10 years, has one of the best selections of Malaga wines in the province. You can d r i n k many by the glass a n d there is a great tapas a n d lunch menu.
ITH more expats than just about anywhere in Spain it is not surprising that there is a well established bowls club in Mijas. Founded in 1989 the Mijas Lawn Bowls Club was bought by its members and completely renovated in 2001 after its previous owner tried to sell it. It has six rinks and memberships are available on a monthly or annual basis. The members take it in turns to run the bar and they are split into five teams. “It is a great place to come and bowl and we are always looking for new members,” explained Christine Wilson. “There is even a bus stop
IT’LL TURN OUT ALL WHITE: Mijas Bowls Club
FORUM WAGON OF WONDERS: The Museum and one of its bizarre exhibits half of the artworks in the collection. Some of his pieces include The Titanic, painted on a grain of rice, Velazquez Las Meninas, painted on a pinhead, and unbelievably ‘Bullfight, painted on the point of a pin’. Having belonged to the family of Professor Max from its opening in 1972, the town hall took over ownership in 2012. All proceeds from the museum now go to AFESOL, a charity founded in 1999 to provide help for the families of people with severe mental illnesses.
Grotto of gifts at Tamisa
IT was first used in the time of Muslim king Omar to store food and arms. Now an astonishing cave in the heart of the pueblo is being used to store wares of a very different kind. La Gruta stocks a great collection of jewellery, art works and other artisan goods from around the province and world. Brands include Lladro, Majorica, Gucci and Tissot. The family-run business, Tamisa, has two more shops ‘El Shop’ and ‘Tamisa’ nearby.
right outside and a bus comes up from Fuengirola on a regular basis.” Coaching is available and people can also simply come and bowl for a day for €8, and can rent shoes and bowls for just € 2 euros.
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ijas
(& La Cala)
Hardly a scar in sight Legendary gangsters and A-list celebs have all sunned themselves on the golden beaches of La Cala de Mijas, but thankfully the ‘last village on the coast’ has not been scarred by overdevelopment
L
ONDON-born gangster ‘Mad’ Frankie Fra- Street - which was built 25 years ago, and is ser, Kray minder George Dixon, and the full of English - most of the old part is Spannotorious Ronnie Knight, have all hung ish,” explains one local shopkeeper, who grew out in the charming village of La Cala. up in the town. Having terrorised London’s gangland for de- “Unlike many other towns along the coast, cades, fending off inquisitive tourists (and the most homes here pass from generation to odd journalist) must have felt generation. There is no way my like a stroll on the beach. family would sell to the EngEven up to the Remaining defiantly low-rise, lish or Germans. That is why it La Cala has absorbed the 1970s, almost all keeps its ambience.” waves of tourism that batter A series of British celebrities local transport it from all sides, yet its back have also visited the resort, streets and two-storey terraced was conducted by including TV presenter Chris houses have maintained a disTarrant, Status Quo frontman donkey tinct Spanish feel. Rick Parfitt, and Gerry MarsThe beachfront fisherman’s den, leader of Gerry and the cottages have not only survived the tourist Pacemakers. boom, but were actually a major part of what The most prominent celebrity though, to quit drew the tourists to the village. the rat-race and move to La Cala is Liverpool It is testament to both the families and authori- comedian Stan Boardman, who says it has alties that the vast majority of these homes have ways been his favourite Spanish resort. been in the same Spanish hands for decades. “It’s one of the few places left on the coast “Apart from one street we call Coronation that still has a local village feel,” Stan told the Olive Press, mug of tea in hand and a steakand-kidney pie on his plate. “There is still a very Spanish feel and people are friendly.” Stan was undoubtedly drawn by the romance of walking the same streets as the notorious British gang leaders. “I was at Banditos in Marbella with Mad Frankie and Freddie once,” he quipped. “We had a great dinner of broken leg of lamb, bruised spare ribs and black-eyed peas.” There is no doubt that La Cala truly comes alive in summer, as the beach and neighbouring restaurants start to hum with people. But the big mix of Spanish with English, German, Dutch and Scandinavians is quickly apparent. “We do not want anyone to feel like a foreigner in Mijas, no matter where they come from,” insists local councillor Mario Bravo. Historically a place of defence, La Cala’s past is hinted at by the fortified watchtower in the centre of the village. The tower was originally part of a series along the coast that provided an important system of defence duing the 12th century, warning Fuengirola, Benalmadena and Marbella of the presence of pirates and enemy ships. Now a museum and tourist information centre, the tower’s exhibitions tell the story of General Torrijos - who lead a revolt against King Ferdinand VII’s regime in 1831 - the hisONE of the best places to stay if you are tory of other coastal watchtowers, and the coming to Mijas to play golf is the splentraditional fishing customs of the Mijas Costa. did Hotel Tamisa Golf, a charming small It was only four decades ago that the village hotel located right next to Mijas golf. consisted of little more than the watchtower Dubbed the ‘Jewel of Mijas’ this friendly and half a dozen fisherman’s cottages. place, run by amicable Scotsman John Even up to the 1970s, almost all transport Peach, even brings out its own golf magawas by donkey, recalls Pepe Martin, 56, who zine once a month. has lived in La Cala all his life. The rooms are comfortable, there is free “I was actually born in Malaga and my mother wifi and you are just a stone’s throw from got there just in time with an hour donkey ride to the attractions of Fuengirola. Fuengirola, where she took the train,” he explains. A gardener at Las Buganvillas urbanisation, he explains how back in the late 1950s most
Bunker down
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Mijas News IN BRIEF Transformation PLANS are in the pipeline to give the old historical centre of Mijas a new lease of life, including the conversion of a slaughter house into a day care centre. The project, masterminded by Plan Qualifica, will restructure the Plaza Virgen de la Pena, overhaul the calle Malaga and calle La Canada de Gertrudis, and create a museum about the La Puente.
Hablas ingles? A BRAND new TV programme has launched, specifically for English speakers on the Costa del Sol. The programme, Costa del Sol Community, offers an hour of entertainment covering health, beauty, fashion, social life, golf, food and wine. Hosted by Luisa Machen, the show follows Mijas International, as part of the Friday afternoon International Section.
HISTORIC: The old watchtower in La Cala, a view across a stormy beach and (top right) Stan Boardman outside Sully’s Bar of the land in the area was split between two big families, the first a German family called Berne and the other a wealthy Malaga family
called Cotrina. The two families between them owned most of the land up to Fuengirola and inland towards
The best of both worlds
Nine years after moving to Spain, life remains ‘muy bien’ in Mijas Costa for journalist Clive Jacques and his wife Nena. Here he explains why
L
IFE is good living on the doorstep of La Cala de Mijas, a village that retains a year-round charm all of its
own. Compared to the rowdier neighbouring resort of Fuengirola just ten minutes drive away, La Cala eeks out a generally sleepy and quaint local existence with both resident and visiting families soaking up as Spanish-a-flavour mix to local life as required. Residents who want Spanish can easily find it. Those that want expat can get it. And for many who want the
best of both worlds here it is, existing alongside one another throughout the very breathing pores and daily existence of this former fishing village. La Cala remains safe, friendly and appealing with its own identity, and while it will never be totally sleepy again following development over the last three decades, happily nor is it following the route many coastal villages have sadly gone along in recent years. The village has seemingly never forgotten its past and has chosen not to offer noisy bars, late-night discos and high-rise
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Mijas village. “They had most of the land carved up between them and employed many local labourers,” he adds. His family had a little bit of land of its own, where they grew vines to produce raisins.
QUAINT: A typical La Cala street scene tracts from morning to night apartment holiday homes Peep beyond the Boulevard domino-playing locals along running the length of the with tourists tempted in by its village heart and there are key beach location, and alongquaint, narrow, and frequently side nearby market stalls ofpedestrianised streets lined fering everything from art to by small terraced properties, fridge magnets. home to both Spanish and ex- While Indian and Chinese food fans have a choice of sevpatriate families. The face of La Cala has eral outlets in La Cala, other street-side cafes, many with a changed little strong Spanin recent times flavour, and while sadly La Cala village is ish offer equally some sur- unable to expand welcoming and rounding coununless it goes tasty menus, tryside has the majority been scarred upwards and that competitively forever by huge is not an option priced. housing develStroll along the opments, the rarely crowded village thread to life in La Cala village lives local beaches, sit enjoying on, unable to expand unless a coffee watching the world it goes upwards...and that has stroll past in a local cafe, or enjoy tapas and a beer at a not been the chosen route. Yes there is an Irish bar, plus local bar....what more can one a few late night bars, but by seek or hope for in retirement. the time Puerto Banus really And those that find time on gets heady 25 minutes away, their hands there are regular La Cala village is in general council-run courses, including tucked up and asleep for the Spanish and art, a popular local gym and much more benight. The local restaurant scene is sides. strong, with the former Mijas Just 25 minutes drive from the Playa - recently renamed How- airport, La Cala also boasts ies - a discerning eatery popu- excellent bus connections to lar year-round, along with Ole both Marbella and Malaga. where Mine Host Juan offers So what about negatives? Any as warm a welcome as any need to find parking spaces along with a varied and inter- in the summer is a constant esting menu and an outside challenge, but the council that terrace that looks down on annually spends thousands beautifying the village has tothe village. There is no better value for date yet to introduce paid-for money than at the town hall- street parking. run Pensioners Bar that at- Good work, La Cala!
“My grandfather used to own a lot of vines but they all died when the phylloxera virus hit. But we grew other things as well and shared farming equipment with other families in the area. “It was beautiful back then, the land was so unspoilt and the fields were full of life. We had an incredible time growing up here. “If you had a little bit of land you could live very well, but if you lived in the town of Fuengirola with no land say, you would be pretty poor,” he explains.
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Man on a mission
H
E had never even heard of the Costa del Sol when he arrived in the Swiss Alps to work as a ski rep in the
1990s. But now softly spoken Canadian Thomas Weller has built up an empire of restaurants and shops in Mijas pueblo that makes him definitively one of the costa’s leading expat businessmen. With a pair of fantastic restaurants (Taberna Meguinez and Aroma cafe)
The Olive Press talks to influential businessman Thomas Weller, who owns five shops and two restaurants in Mijas - which he shares with business partner Hugo German - and no less than five shops, he is never short of something to do. He was first enticed over here with an offer of setting up a photography company on the coast.
BUSINESSMAN: Thomas outside his shop Mariposa
The business was an enormous success, in particular taking pictures of golfers and golf courses. Weller’s first boutique venture was the opening of ‘Mariposa’ in 2001, a little shop that now nestles among the four further boutiques and two restaurants that make up his kingdom. “There are a lot of other shops here, and the key to everything is being different. We’re always looking for new designers, products and names that don’t exist here yet,” he explains. He continues: “I remember being terrified at the idea of spending 75,000 pesetas (€450 euros) a month on a shop. It seemed like a huge amount of money at the time,” he continues. “And now it’s one of our smallest shops.” Following the success of ‘Mariposa’, Weller opened a string of boutiques over the next few years, including the largest candle shop on the coast, an artisan ceramics store, and a shop selling handbags and costume jewellery. “We had the first shop in Mijas to sell cosmetics made from natural products like olive oil, avocado and
aloe vera, all of which come from local sources,” he said. “And it’s all about argan oil right now, that’s our newest thing. “It’s very expensive because there are such limited stocks, and because it’s such a high-quality product,” adds Weller.
Secrecy
The fifth boutique, a designer clothes shop ‘Fish’, is really the realm of his wife, Argentinian Jessica Davio, but the couple combine their efforts to become an imposing presence in the pueblo. The most notable characteristic of Weller as a businessman, is the huge range of ventures that he is involved with. “I think it’s good to be involved with lots of very different projects, and to always be taking on something completely different,” he says. “That way, if one thing starts to lapse you can always rely on the others.” Weller adds that retail in Mijas has definitely taken a hit during the recession, allowing him to focus on his second sector, the restaurants and cafes in the town. Both Cafe Aroma and the Secret Garden Restaurant, which opened in 2003 and 2008 respectively, and operate in the same building, are well-known and hugely popular venues in the pueblo.
RESTAURANTEUR: Thomas in Aroma The Secret Garden’s unique appeal is, unsurprisingly, its secrecy - it can only be accessed through the back garden of the Cafe Aroma. Restaurante Taberna Meguinez, which only opened last year, is already following in the footsteps of its older siblings and is quite a hit with visitors. Weller insists he rarely makes concrete plans for the future, putting his success down to being fortunate with timing and working incredibly hard... although he does mention vague ideas of moving in to holiday flat rentals. Despite admitting that he didn’t expect to ‘end up in Spain’, Weller is clearly full of affection for the little pueblo that has become both his place of business and his home. “Mijas is the best place on the Costa del Sol,” he said. “I’m very proud to say that this little town stood up strong in the crisis, because of everything that it is. “And despite the waves of foreigners that come and go, Mijas hasn’t lost its soul or character. It’s still just the same as when I first arrived.”
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Expats Jason Godwin and Eli McCarthy are creating an innovative new chocolate ‘happiness lab’ in Mijas
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ijas
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Making Willy Wonka proud
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N interactive projection, a secret passageway and a doorway for ‘oompa loompas’ are just three of the exciting innovations being installed in a new chocolate factory in Mijas. Part of the wild and wonderful imagination of its expat owners Jason Godwin and Eli McCarthy, it is set to be one of the most exciting new museums to open on the coast this year. Making Willy Wonka proud, the factory will offer excited children (and adults) a tour into the history of chocolate-making and the opportunity to make their very own bars. Set next to a series of ceramics and trinkets shops in Plaza Virgen de la Pena, it is being created for a small fortune and runs deep into the ground. The couple already have two chocolate factories in the town - the current one the Mayan Monkey in Plaza de la Constitucion, always buzzing with punters. But when a prime site cropped up nearer the town hall, they couldn’t resist the opportunity. Combining a factory, a museum, a cafe and a shop, Jason describes the new venture as a ‘happiness laboratory’. “Eli and I decided we wanted to do some-
CHOCAHOLICS: Eli and Jason and (right) the main Mayan Monkey shop
thing fun, something that the tourists can really feel warm and fuzzy about,” said Jason. “Because it’s good to have fun in your work life as well. And what’s more fun than a chocolate factory?” Jason’s description of the factory gives the impression of a real Roald Dahl creation, complete with secret doors, chocolate-lined corridors, and glass walls revealing ingenious chocolate-making machinery. Godwin has been on the Costa del Sol for 22 years and is full of admiration for the pueblo that houses his chocolate empire. “It could only ever have been in Mijas that we undertook this project. It’s because of the all-yearround tourism, it’s always full of activity.” As a cultural heritage site, the town hall has to scrutinise all planning applications to ensure everything fits with the town’s traditional aesthetic. However, in a bid to support tourism and boost the local economy, the town encourages new businesses and entrepreneurship. “They are really up for backing small businesses and looking to help ideas that will employ people,” said Jason. Mayan Monkey not only make all their own chocolate, using locally sourced ingredients, they also offer chocolate-making workshops which include an introduction to the chocolatier craft. But Jason and Eli insist they never want to take their business too seriously. “We don’t want to be snobby about it, and we didn’t want to try to pass ourselves off as experts,” said Jason. “We just want to encourage people to find out more about chocolate and enjoy themselves while they’re here.”
ing t i xc n e ur atio ar o r loc ye o f s ut tory r thi o c tch w fa late a W ne ing en p o
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OUCH!
DAYS GONE BY: A goring by a bull is just as painful today as it was in yesteryear, but don’t tell that to this matador... and my oh my, what a quaint place La Cala once was, all green fields. But what’s that curving around it... yes an early version of the N-340 with a few less cars mind you. Mostly people went around like this (right) and with appropriate sun hats, while (below) ladies freshen up at a village fountain and (bottom right) a view of the church of the Immaculada
A long stretch of sand
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PLAYTIME: Kids boat in La Cala
ROM Fuengirola to Marbella, Mijas Costa’s 12km stretch of golden sand is divided into several sections, each appealing to different types of holidaymaker. El Faro’s rocky, rugged coastline leads to a surprisingly sandy beach, with beach bars and restaurants, and sunbeds for hire in summer. El Faro also offers the town’s best fishing, and you can see the fishing rods set up along the shore late into the night.
La Cala de Mijas, presented with an EU blue flag for quality, is ideal for children and its 2km long beach is a haven for families, with a huge range of facilities and services and the kids will love the huge play boat and swings. At Butiplaya, sometimes referred to as Torrevieja Beach, you will find a fantastic 1,5km stretch of sand, which has also been awarded an official blue flag. Loungers and parasols are available to rent on this famously safe and family-friendly beach. At El Cabo Rocoso the rocks that line the water’s edge make this the quietest of the Costa’s beaches, with lots of nooks and crannies for peace-seekers to tuck themselves away. The area just in front of Chiringuito Antonio is ideal for swimming, and the area around the rocks is the best on the coast for GOLDEN STRETCH: The 12kms of beaches of Mijas Costa snorkelling.
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GET RESULTS!
A M ll about
COME AND FIND THE BEST GYM IN MIJAS
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E has been running gyms on the coast for over two decades, so Tommy Farrell (above) knows a fair bit about helping you get fit. His gym Bodyshape in Mijas Costa, near Fuengirola, is full of machines, including nine running machines and the only stairmill in the area, which is great cardiovascular exercise, and works your legs. “You can go up the Empire State or the Eiffel Tower,” explains Tommy, whose wife runs the successful Boyds gym at Sunset Beach Hotel in Benalmadena. There are 56 classes a week and a great range of members. “We have had 227 people sign up in March alone so far,” adds Tommy.
www.theolivepress.es
ijas
(& La Cala)
The light switched back on Mijas is seeing a sudden upswing in buyers and there are still plenty of good deals out there
A
FTER a recession that has seriously affected the property market throughout the region, sales in Mijas are finally picking up again. One of its best established agents Mijas Properties and Holidays has no less than eight sales going through in the pueblo alone. “It is like someone has suddenly switched on a light this year,” explains owner Susanne Teres, who has run the agency for 30 years. “After several years of real hardship people are deciding to buy again and we have got a lot of sales going through. GOOD YEARS: Some of the “Some of the offers are quite low and we have had to lower team at Homefinders
2A-2519 MIRAFLORES CLOSE TO BEACH - 2 BED 2 BATH
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Spacious two bedroom apartment within walking distance of the beach and amenities on a popular development in miraflores. The property is well appointed with independent kitchen, utility room, large open plan lounge/diner, good sized terrace with views to the sea, two ample bedrooms and two complete bathrooms. The community is well maintained with mature gardens, two pools plus childrens pool. The property benefits from underground parking space. A steal at this price!
Very spacious garden apartment situated on a much sought after complex that enjoys open views to the sea. The apartment itself has 3 bedrooms, a wet room, en-suite bathroom, lounge diner, kitchen, utility, wrap-a-round corner terrace and underground parking/storage. The front terrace has been glazed in to provide a winter conservatory and additional lounge/ diner area. South facing sunny aspect with beautifully maintained gardens and pool area.
Fantastic opportunity to acquire a superb 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom beachside duplex penthouse that has superb sea views from the sunny south west facing terraces. The property has a spacious l shaped lounge/ diner, modern kitchen and shower room on the lower floor. Upstairs there are 3 good sized bedrooms and 2 further bathrooms (one en-suite). Excellent views from both terraces. Located a stones throw from the beach and close to all amenities.
€249.000 Euros
€299.000 Euros
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www.homefinders-network.com Bulevard de La Cala, Edif. B, Local 11, 29649, La Cala de Mijas, Mijas Costa, Málaga. Phone: +0034 952 494 100 Fax: +0034 952 493 215 E-mail: info@homefinders-network.com
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www.theolivepress.es March 19 - April 2 2014
PROJECTS: There’s some great deals about, says Andrew Partridge (right) with employee our commission to get some sales agreed but so be it, we are finally getting interest again,” continues Teres, who previously worked as a stylist in London. The boss of nearby Palomino Properties insists that there are luckily a few deals to be had, but mostly the owners are not dropping their prices much. “There are some bargains out there, but generally people don’t need to sell so the prices are staying high,” says Virginia Palomino, who previously worked as an accountant for Exxon oil company in Canada. “That said, since 2011 we have had a good market for cheaper run down properties
and that continues.” Down on the coast, Homefinders, in La Cala, has also been having a great start to the year. “In the last six months of 2013 we sold no less than 22 properties, nearly four a month,” says sales manager Andrew Dodd.
Buyers
“And some things we were selling at €120,000 last year are going back on at €135,000 to €140,000 ” Most of the buyers of holiday homes that are propping up the market are Scandinavian and British but they have had buyers from Belgium, Germany, Ireland and Italy.
SHORTAGE: Agents need more coastal properties
“And we even had a Greek buyer who bought our cheapest property for €37,000,” he adds. However, he continues: “I can´t get enough properties to sell around La Cala,” he continues. “And ones with a sunny aspect, sea view and a decent price get snapped up very quickly.” Another local agency La Cala Sales and Rentals has also seen some decent movement this year.
Established
Its owner Andrew Partridge, who has lived on the coast for 20 years, is confident that 2014 is going to be a big year. “Not just for sales but also for rentals,” he explains. Finally, it would be worth checking out the properties of Mijas Real Estate on the road up to the village. Well established, it has a range of good properties and places to rent. For more information contact www. lacalasalesandrentals.com and www.homefindersnetwork.com in La Cala and www.palominoproperties. com and www.mijasproperties.com in the village… also visit www.mijasrealestate.com
MIJAS REAL ESTATE S.L. Helping you find your perfect property in Spain Looking for a Costa del Sol property for sale in Mijas or the surrounding areas whether it's a villa, townhouse, apartment, penthouse, finca or even a building plot we can assist you in finding that ideal Spanish property from our vast database of Costa del Sol property for sale in Mijas Pueblo, inland & coastal areas all along the Costa del Sol. Email property sales: sales@mijasrealestate.com property rentals: rentals@mijasrealestate.com Telephone UK: +44 (0)208 123 1514 SPAIN: +34 952 591 006
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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We19 are- open 9.30am the olive press - March Aprilfrom 2 2014 Monday to Saturday.
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Contact details: Tania's e-mail : taniakingsford@yahoo.co.uk Tania's phone (answer machine) : 951 276 783 Facebook: facebook.com/tlccreamteasmijas
A warm welcome awaits you at the TLC English style tearoom just a 2 minute drive from Dunnes Store, Iceland and Primark in a unique setting within the La Vega Ceramics and Garden Centre. We offer fresh goods daily such as homemade cakes, clotted cream teas, afternoon teas and Ploughman's lunches, sandwiches, soups, baked potatoes etc - and a take away service is also available. A daily selection of tapas is on offer including a variety of homemade quiches. All cakes and quiches are available to order whole and Tania can also take orders for cupcakes, Birthday cakes etc for special occasions.
A M ll about
ijas
(& La Cala)
There are so many excellent places to eat in Mijas and many have live entertainment, writes Jon Clarke
I
T has been two decades since Juan Gomez opened Ole restaurant in La Cala de Mijas. A true local on the road to the hipodromo, his clients are a massive mix of Spanish and just about every other nationality on the planet. It is hardly surprising that this is one of the area’s most popular joints to eat: Juan is a charming host – speaking perfect English – and puts a great emphasis on fresh ingredients. Much of it comes from his finca near Ronda, where he decamps at the weekend when he ‘has a moment to spare’. Otherwise he changes the menu regularly and insists on having at least five or six different tapas every day depending on the season. Expect to eat fantastic stuffed red peppers, delicious lettuce hearts with anchovies, and great salmon cooked in a spicy dill sauce. Also in La Cala you must check out the recently opened Howies restaurant that used to be Mijas Playa. Named after its new co-owner Howard Conder – who was in the Barron Knights and has produced records by the likes of the Pretty Things - it is THE
www.theolivepress.es
Singing for your supper
SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Lunch at amazing Alcazaba place to visit in the evenings if you are looking for live entertainment.
Michelin
“There will always be live music,” explains co-owner Luigi Sabbatuccy, from Rome. But food is also important, with the restaurant recently taking on Michelin-trained chef Cristobal Aragones, from Malaga. “It is an international cuisine with charcoal-grilled meat and the finest seafood on the coast. Scallops, oysters and lobster
are very popular,” continues Sabbatuccy, who previously ran Mijas Costa. Up the main road a little towards Calahonda look out for Snack Attack, one of the busiest restaurants/cafes on the coast. Its capable owners Mark and Robert run a tight ship and are busy throughout much of the day. Start the day with an amazing Eggs Benedict or Florentine or go for the great value €3.95 breakfast deal with all the trimmings. They also own the popu-
lar cocktail bar and lounge venue Bar Tuta next door. Up in the pueblo itself, the pick of the bunch must be Alcazaba with its breathtaking views up and down the coast. It has an amazing dining terrace and at nighttime, if windy, it is still a great place to eat. Its owner Andres Ruiz Quero also owns three other restaurants in the village and opened his first, Virgin de la Pena, 33 years ago. “I was working in restaurants, cleaning plates at the age of 11,” he explains. “I didn’t like
Sin c Des e de
94 19
We would like to thank all our clients for their custom & support over the past 20 years of Olé! Every Sunday Special Lunch: Baby Leg of Lamb, Pork with Crackling, Succulent Beef or Duck Open every day for lunch and dinner EXCEPT Tuesdays, Closed.
Restaurante Olé Juan Gómez, Urb. Los Claveles Edf. Ecuador 202, 29650 Mijas Costa Tel: 952 492 162
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
March 19 - April 2 2014
school and so it seemed like a good option at the time even though I only got 100 pesetas a day.” His hard work and guile has led to a menu, with a great range of international dishes, but you certainly can’t go wrong with his fresh fish in salt or the amazing gambas pil pil starter.
Authentic
Another great place to eat in the village is Aroma, also known as the Secret Garden, which is a little paradise hidden behind a more typical white walled restaurant. This amazing garden is a delight to eat in any season and the menu at Aroma is a nice mix of authentic Iberian dishes alongside Argentinean fare – particularly big steaks - thanks to its co-owner Hugo Germen Next door make sure to look out for Taberna Meguinez (which means ‘Are you winking at me?’) which has recently been bought and renovated by the owners of Aroma, Hugo and Thomas Weller, a Canadian
VARIETY: Aroma, the wine museum, Japanese diners at Taberna Meguinez, and host Juan at Ole with one of his tapas who also owns a number of shops in the town. “It was one of the famous restaurants from the 1970s, known for its jamon,” explains Weller. “We wanted to help bring it back to life.” They have certainly done that and while serving up a much more modern menu it retains its charms from days gone by. Another good place to try in the village is Oscar’s Tapas Bar, set up a decade ago by a group of friends who met while working in India. The trio, Rocio, from Spain, Tony, from Croatia, and Stefano, from Italy, had been working for NGOs but decided they wanted to try something different and, as Rocio was from Malaga, that is where they headed first. “We found this little place 11 years ago and initially planned to do a B&B but ended up doing the restaurant,” explains
Stefano. A great place to eat the views are superb and the ambience pleasant. “We have a lot of regulars who keep coming back and tourists from just about every country feel at home as we speak so many languages,” he adds. If you are looking for cakes and a great cup of tea make sure to look out for TLC, the cream teas are legendary. Finally, a Mijas supplement wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Valparaiso. This institution just off the Mijas road has been visited by just about every celebrity to hit the coast over the last 30 years. Aside from David Beckham, whose in-laws are good friends with the owner Raffaele, you will find photos of hundreds of celebrities on the wall, including Cliff Richard, Piers Morgan, Bruce Forsyth and even Liam
CELEBS: Beckham at Valparaiso Gallagher from Oasis. The food isn’t bad either and the entertainment by a range of local musical stars, including opera on Monday nights is superb.
RESTAURANT - MIJAS PUEBLO
Celebrate your private parties or business lunches with us in our Mozarabic room, whilst enjoying our breathtaking panoramic view. CLOSED MONDAYS.
La Alcazaba, Plaza de la Constitución, Mijas.
For Information & Reservations: Tel. 952 590 253 - 952 486 397 Email. alcazabadamijas@gmail.com www.rest-laalcazabademijas.com
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A M ll about
www.theolivepress.es
ijas
(& La Cala)
A quarter of ideas!
I
T has been 25 years since Lars Viggo, 69, decided to open a shopping and business centre in the countryside near Mijas pueblo. Back then it was practically the only building on the Mijas road surrounded by green fields ‘and we had no idea if it would work’, he explains. “In fact there was no real planning, sh** happens,” explains the jovial Dane from near Copenhagen. Having sold his shipping and transport company in Denmark in 1988 he was looking for a new challenge and Spain hit the mark. Arriving here with his young family including son Kasper, 28, with whom he now runs the business, things developed fast. The centre has grown rapidly and now counts over 20 businesses, the majority of them
I
LAID BACK: Relaxing in Centro Idea at Da Brunos – around 75% - from Scandinavia. “It started with one big furniture store Muebles Danesa and grew from there,” explains Kaspar, also a musician and songwriter, who
studied music in Berklee in Boston and later Liverpool University. “It is probably now the biggest concentration of Scandinavian businesses in Andalucia if not Spain,” he
The charm of Mijas not lost on business Centro Ideas store modeshow afholdes
MODESHOW
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T has been just over two years since Sarah Hawes launched a Spanish arm to the bustling UK diet company Cambridge 800. And while the company is now in dozens of locations around Spain, including the Balearics and the Canary Islands, it all began in Mijas. “I’ve been through many parts of Spain and this area takes some beating,” explains the 55-year-old from Surrey.
“I felt that Mijas could benefit from corporate business and I’ve never once regretted the decision to come here” adds Hawes, who relocated here with her husband Mike earlier this year. Based out of her office in Centro Idea on the road up to the pueblo, she is also quick to praise the Mijas Foreigners Office and town hall, which helped her to set up the company in the town. “They’re really good at helping foreigners integrate and if you have any enquires they are just superb” A huge golf fan, who is passionate about the Spanish lifestyle, she continues: “I’ve been in love with Spain ever since my parents started coming here” she said. Visit www.cambridge800.com or email info@ cambridge800. es
lørdag 22. marts kl. 11.00
Husk at reservere din plads i Boutique Viggo eller Boutique Daniella.
THRIVING: Sarah (in red third from left) has seen huge growth Boutique
Boutique Daniella: 952 58 18 06
Boutique Viggo: 952 47 22 50
CENTRO IDEA • Ctra. de Mijas km. 3,6 • 29650 Mijas
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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century Centro Idea has one of the largest concentrations of Scandinavian businesses in Spain continues. This is typified by Mugge Fischer, who has run his Scandinavian marketing and publishing business Norrbom from the centre for 20 years. “It is a great place and works for us,” explains Fischer. Under the one roof, you can also find fashion shops, including Viggo, and boutique Daniella, health shops, like Vitamina and insurance agents like Kaas & Kirkemann.
Hard work
Its owner Pernille Kaas, who set up in business at the centre in 1996, employs a team of 10 agents who speak a range of English, Spanish and Scandinavian. “The key to our success is hard work and good service,” explains the businesswoman, who moved to Spain after completing a degree in languages at
Copenhagen University. Meanwhile, Cort Idea has an amazing selection of fabrics for any interior design project, as well as shutters, awnings and blinds. They also act as an agent for the UK’s leading company Designers Guild. “It is great to have so much under one roof,” continues Kaspar, who has his own music website www.stereosnakes.com. “We want to have things you can’t get elsewhere and try to get as much under one roof as we can.” Nowadays shoppers can also treat themselves to a great snack or meal at Da Bruno, which has opened in the centre. And downstairs look out for the gym and fitness centre alongside the UK business Cambridge 800, which has grown from this small office to cover all of Spain in just two years.
Curtains Blinds&Shutters Awnings
Upholstery Carpets&Rugs Wallpaper TEAM: Kasper and Lars
Health Shop / Herboristeria Centro Idea Ctra. de Mijas km 3,6 29651 Mijas
Cortidea Ctra Mijas km 3.6 29650 Mijas Malaga T: 952 46 12 21 E: cortidea@gmail.com
Open: Monday - Friday 10 - 19, Saturday 10 - 15 Tel./Fax: 952 58 43 13, Email: info@vitaminashop.eu
Dream, Believe, Achieve with Cambridge 800! Losing weight has never been easier. Mandy and Ian Lister lost weight with Cambridge 800® and look at them now! They were finalists in our 2013 Slimmer of the Year competition. With a nutritionally balanced Cambridge Step Programme to suit your needs and guidance on a one-to-one basis from your Accredited Cambridge 800 Consultant, you too can achieve your goals just as Mandy and Ian did. Don’t go on a diet, choose Cambridge 800® and find the right Programme and support to lose weight for good. Believe in yourself and you will achieve your goals.
Before and after
Call 952 586 324 today or email admin@cambridge800.es Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cambridge800spain or visit our website: www.cambridge800.es
www.cortidea.com
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
ll about
(& La Cala)
what’s on in
Mijas
Walking tours
On Sunday March 23, you can explore two new routes mapped out by the Tourist Office: ‘A tour of La Cala de Mijas’, and ‘Ascending the north face of Pico Mijas’. The first will meet at La Cala Watchtower at 9am, the second will meet at Osunillas Sports Centre also at 9am. To sign up to the free event, call 952 589 034, or email turismo@mijas.es, or in person at the Mijas Tourist Office.
‘Atmospheres’ Exhibition
Until April 21. Casa Museo de Mijas Pueblo is hosting ‘Atmospheres’, a new exhibition from painter and photographer Clara Gamazo.
Flamenco dancing
Every Wednesday, 12pm. A free demonstration of the spectacular traditional art of flamenco dancing, organised by the Mijas Tourist Office in the central Plaza Virgen de la Pena.
Flea market
Every Sunday, 9am-2pm. Chock-a-block with brica-brac, the stalls of this second-hand market held at the Hippodrome racecourse, offer everything you could imagine and more.
www.theolivepress.es
ijas
Valley of calm Olive Press editor Jon Clarke spends a weekend at Spain’s leading golf hotel La Cala Resort
I
LEANT back, shut my eyes and let the strong jet of hot water gently massage my neck. For a moment I was back in Koh Samui. Surrounded by greenery and trees, the stylish, state-of-the-art spa could easily have been in a stylish Thai hotel. But this was La Cala Resort, a couple of clicks inland from Mijas Costa, and easily one of the best appointed golf resorts and spas in southern Spain. A true valley of calm, I was spending a weekend at the venue that had originally been picked for England’s pre-tournament training camp prior to the 2012 Euros (it was later used by Stuart Pearce’s Olympic team). But La Cala Resort has long been a hang out for football teams, including Everton, Steaua Bucharest and Zurich Grasshopper, unsurprising with its fantastic facilities that include no less than THREE 18hole golf courses, grass football pitches, large gym and aforementioned spa.
Top Class
It is also said to be frequented by plenty a Premiership footballer away for a few days of R&R with his family or mistress perhaps. I was lucky enough to run a rule over its rooms and facilities and check out its restaurant, which has an excellent new chef Ivan Alvarez, from Madrid. From a foodie family in the capital, Alva-
CHILL: In the spa and enjoying top class food, including this scallop salad rez grew up surrounded by top class ingredients and has cut his teeth in a number of restaurants and hotels around the country, including three Michelin star restaurant Arzak in San Sebastian. He’s only been there a month but he cooked a turbot to a tee, as well as a splendid scallop salad with walnuts, ham, cherry tomatoes, green shoots and even grapefruit. Much of the resort’s recent success has been to do with its young manager Patrick Murphy, 41, who heralds from an Irish farming background, but who has worked in many places around the world
and trained at a Galway catering school. He is working hard on the resort’s branding and managing change, both in its offering and the change in clientele, when and how they stay. With future golf bookings up 6% on last year and advance bookings in the hotel up 15% one might say he is having some success. “The challenge is to manage change and to constantly look for new revenue streams,” he explains, in particular referencing the so-called MICE market comprising Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events, which has grown nicely over the last year.
But, I was certainly not worrying about these four legged rodents, instead enjoyed a very restful night in my suite, followed by a superb gourmet breakfast. Sadly I had left the golf clubs at home as the stunning series of greens looked very appealing. I slid back into the spa for a very restive hour instead.
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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Property
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March 19 - April 2 2014
Spanish village for FREE
Abandoned hamlet is being given away to the right buyer By Claire Wilson
OFFICIALS in Galicia are offering aspiring town planners the opportunity to own a hamlet in the region for free. One abandoned village, A Barca, sits on a hillside near the Portuguese border overlooking the Mino river. It is currently home to 12 dilapidated stone houses. Dating back to the 15th century, Cortegada was vacated in the 1960s following a flood. Now the mayor Avelino Luis de Francisco Martinez is calling for proposals for a devel-
ABANDONED: Cortegada opment project for the village. The ideal plans would attract tourists and provide work for local villagers and businesses. The village is thought to be one of around 2,900 across the country which lie empty, according to aldeasabandonadas.com, a website specialising in the sale of abandoned hamlets. Most of these were left vacant after villagers moved to big cities, or were forced to leave after farming land became less fertile.
Ghost towns
Over half of these are in Galicia, with an estimated 400 in the eastern area of the region alone. Estate agents say the majority of these ‘ghost hamlets’ are being bought by foreigners. The site lists one vacant Andalucian town, a 253 hectare site in Huelva, which is on the market for €2.1 million. It is being marketed as the perfect site for a luxury holiday resort, or a golf course. The land, which includes a number of derelict properties, is 70km from Sevilla airport, and around 50km from the beaches of Huelva.
Shopping mall war THREE global investors are locked in a bidding war for an office and shopping mall complex in Madrid’s business district. California-based Pimco, New York-headquartered Perella Weinberg, and a third, unnamed firm are expected to offer up to €140 million for the Castellana 200 property, according to sources. The complex, which consists of two office buildings totaling 20,300m² (219,000 square feet) and a 6,200m² retail mall, was put up for sale by banks including Banco Santander SA, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA and the Bankia Group.
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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Property
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
News IN BRIEF
Grand make-over ESTEPONA’S grand boulevard is set to receive a make-over, as three separate companies vie for the €30 million construction project. It will include a 4-star hotel with 150 rooms, a shopping centre and a cinema.
Bold bet BILLIONAIRE hedge fund manager John Paulson is betting on a Spanish real estate recovery through an investment in Hispania Activos Immobilarios. The firm plans to raise up to €550 million in a forthcoming stock market flotation.
Real deal GLOBAL asset manager Pimco will buy up to 12.5% of Lar Espana Real Estate Socimi when the Spanish company sells its first round of shares later in the month.
March 19 - April 2 2014
TOP TIPS ON BUYING
SUB ORBITAL TRAVEL: New York to Moscow in an hour
Adam Neale
To complement previous columns on what to do when selling a property, here Adam Neale gives a rundown of the most important steps prospective buyers need to take when purchasing in Spain
Take off! Superfast space travel could lead to Spanish property boom
DEMAND for Spanish property could rocket if sub-orbital space travel takes off, according to an expert. Mark Stuklin, author of the Sunday Times column The Spanish Property Doctor, said if the advanced method of travel became a reality, the real estate market could go through a boom. “Increased access to beautiful places like Spain nearly always drives up demand for real estate,” he said. He likened sub-orbital space travel,
The Property Insider by
where craft reach supersonic speeds during a brief launch into space, to advances such as fast trains and low cost air travel. “Changing technology like fast trains, or new business models like low cost air travel have helped lift the demand curve. If sub- orbital space travel becomes a reality, and not just limited to billionaires, then I imagine it would increase demand for highend property in Spain. His comments follow the release of the 2014 Wealth Report by estate agent Knight Frank, which predicted a radical shift in real estate markets across the globe if sub-orbital flights were to become more readily available.
Breakfast
Sub-orbital flights are able to cut the London to Sydney journey time down from 21 hours to 2.2 hours, New York to Moscow from 9 hours 20 minutes to just one hour, and San Francisco to Singapore from 16 hours 50 minutes to two hours. Liam Bailey, Knight Frank’s Global Head of Residential Research, says: “By travelling outside the Earth’s atmosphere, gravitational forces will allow spacecraft to travel at over 4,000 miles per hour, so breakfast in Mayfair could easily be followed by lunch overlooking Sydney Opera House. “It doesn’t take much imagination to see the dramatic impact this innovation could have on global luxury property markets.” London is currently the leading overseas property destination over New York because it is more convenient for African, Middle Eastern, Russian and European Ultra High Net Worth Individuals. But with the advent of sub-orbital travel all that could change within a decade. “Take second homes in Europe. Right now, demand is mainly restricted to European investors, who try to limit their travel to less than two hours,” added Mr Bailey. “In future, that same time limit could allow Chinese or Indian investors to pop over for the weekend to visit their Costa del Sol villa.”
A
fter a long search for the home of your dreams, you’ve found a place you want to buy. Congratulations! At this stage, if you’re a cash buyer who is satisfied by the property’s legal situation and tax issues, you can simply sign a public title deed (escritura) and complete the purchase. For most buyers, however, there are additional steps before completion that usually require the services of a Spanish lawyer:
•Taking the property off the market: You may decide, or be advised, to pay a small deposit to the vendor to take the property off the market for an agreed period, while your lawyer does due diligence before signing a private purchase contract. Ideally, prior to paying a deposit, your lawyer should confirm with the Property Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) if it appears under the seller’s name, there are no liens, charges, or legal impediments, and the description reflects reality. The contract should also let you recover your deposit, after signing, if unforeseen circumstances – like hidden charges or structural problems – make the deal inadvisable. Otherwise, the deposit forms part of the purchase price. •Agreeing terms and a completion date: Some buyers skip the deposit and sign a private purchase contract with the vendor, usually paying 10% of the agreed price. A private contract identifies both parties; describes the property and conditions of sale, and stipulates how expenses and taxes will be paid and by whom. Once signed, this is binding for both parties. Prior to signing, your lawyer will need to examine the title deed, ensuring the seller is the registered owner and has no impediments to sell; verify that details in the Property Registry and Land Registry (Catastro) match and there are no outstanding taxes or other charges; and
confirm the town hall has no planning issues or other charges. Also conduct a survey to ensure the property has no structural defects, complies with the law, and its electric and water meet the utility provider’s regulations. Once the legal situation is clear and the vendor’s right to sell is confirmed, you can sign a private contract.
•Prior to completion, you, or your lawyer, should ensure the following taxes are all paid up to date: A. Municipal property tax (IBI) and rubbish (basura), for the last four years (ideally, get a certificate from the town hall stating there are no unpaid debts) B. Withholding tax (retención), if the seller purchased from a non-resident C. Special lien (gravamen especial), for the last four years, if the seller is a non-resident company D. Municipal land tax (plusvalía), if the seller is a non-resident individual, as the Tax Office (Hacienda) can claim this from the buyer. E. If the property is in a community, you should ensure the seller does not owe any fees by obtaining a certificate from the president. If not, you may be liable for the current and previous three years. •Both parties then need to sign the public title deed before a notary, who testifies to their identities and sets out the terms of the sale, including the description, price, and payment details. Once this is signed and payment made, you will receive the keys to your new home. •Finally, you need to register the transaction with the Land Registry to have maximum protection against claims by third parties.
Terra Meridiana. 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona. Tel: +34 951 318480. Office Mob: +34 678 452109 Email: info@terrameridiana.com. http://www.terrameridiana.com
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 201441 41
The Olive Press fortnightly business section taking a look at the Spanish economy and offering tips on how to save AND make money
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
Ownership exchange FOREIGN currency provider HiFX has been bought by US rival Euronet for €174 million. Berkshire-based HiFX, which has an office in Marbella, will be integrated into Ria, the buyer’s money transfer business.
New law makes room for more and larger beach bars
CHIRINGUITOS will be able to double in size under the new coastal law being considered by the government. The draft legislation, designed to protect the coastline through sustainable activities, would allow some beach bars to take up double
By Claire Wilson
the surface area, and move closer together. But critics have argued it does the exact opposite, issuing more building licences and allowing all existing buildings to remain, regard-
less of their legal status. Under the new law chiringuitos on natural beaches will have a maximum surface area of 70m², and must be made of collapsible elements. The minimum distance between each bar will be 300
metres. Bars on urban beaches can take up 300m², double the
New hope for struggling companies THE Spanish government has approved new rules to help struggling companies cut debt and avoid bankruptcy. Aimed at preventing liquidity problems, the rules make it harder for small creditors to veto deals and creates a mechanism for creditors to write off a proportion of debt. Up until now there were few rules to help companies cut their debt ahead of the formal bankruptcy process, which resulted in the majority of struggling firms going into liquidation.
Bans lifted
The coast law also allows for homes on the shoreline that were previously declared illegal to be sold again. Bans on structural reforms for those homes behind the shoreline have been lifted, allowing owners to make the alterations they see fit as long as they get permits for the work.
Bankrupt Pocoyo
Haircut
Under the reform, firms will be able to restructure their debt before they are on the verge of collapse. If 75% of creditors agree to take losses, the company will be allowed to cut its debts, and even those creditors that didn’t agree to the
DEBT-CUTTING: New laws will help companies avoud bankruptcy
haircut will be forced into the deal. Debt can also be converted into equity, provided 75% of lenders agree. Banks, which would face losses under these type of arrangements, will be
Pensions gain momentum on Gib MOMENTUM Pensions is opening an office in Gibraltar with plans to launch an international pensions business there. Run as a separate company to another in Malta and on the Isle of Man, the Gibraltar office will be manned by local staff and will offer QROPS-based products. The move is in response to adviser demand for a Gibraltar-domiciled version of the company’s popular pension products. Clients will have the flexibility to switch their pensions between Momentum’s products within all three jurisdictions without incurring charges. Chief executive Stewart Davies said the company has been working on its application for more than seven months. It has already been granted a licence by the Gibraltar
150m² currently allowed and, provided their activities are dissimilar, only need to be a minimum 75 metres apart. Tourism-focused public events can also be held at those chiringuitos on urban beaches, such as the broadcasting of sports events.
PENSIONS: Growing
Financial Services Commission. It will start taking pension transfers once the relevant documentation has been signed off by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Gibraltar is now home to 33 QROPS schemes, more than triple the number it had two years ago. The surge followed the lifting of a three year suspension of pension transfers from the UK to the Rock.
allowed to classify some refinanced loans as performing ones, once debts have been restructured, lowering the charges they put up against soured deals.
KIDS worldwide will mourn the loss of Spanish production company Zinkia which has filed for bankruptcy. The company produces TV programme Pocoyo, which screens in over 25 countries. The English-language version is voiced by actor Stephen Fry.
Job hope EMPLOYMENT in February showed its first annual rise since the start of the financial crisis in 2008. Workers affiliated to the social security system rose to 16.2 million in February, over 60,000 more than in the same month last year, according to the latest statistics from Spain’s labour ministry.
Vodaf-Ono VODAFONE has bought Spanish cable operator Ono for
€7.2 billion. The deal will enable the UK telecoms company to access the growing smart TV internet market. They were forced to raise their initial bid for the company in order for the deal to go ahead.
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March 19 - April 2 2014
Advertorial
DONT BOTHER ABOUT MODELO 720 “FATCA” WILL ENSURE YOUR UNDISCLOSED ASSETS ARE REPORTED TO HACIENDA FOR YOU!
T
he Spanish Tax Office is desperately drive and employ several thousand trying to increase its tax revenues. additional tax inspectors to specifically In 2012 Hacienda ran a tax amnesty target different nationalities, British being which wasn’t particularly successful their first priority. So if you didn’t complete and then announced a separate initiative Modelo 720 now might be a good time to requiring offshore assets to be disclosed come up with a good excuse or else expect some nasty interaction with by way of an annual returnthe authorities over the the now infamous Modelo coming months. 720. Whilst the sanctions for You could be Of course one of the tried not completing or providing forgiven for and tested arguments is the incorrect information were thinking the “I am not Spanish resident” significant, in some cases problem has gone option despite spending this could be more than the away more than 183 in Spain value of the asset itself, it is and triggering automatic thought that less than 5% of residency status with the those required to complete requirement to complete a actually did so. You could be forgiven for thinking the tax return. People should realise how easy it problem has gone away and the authorities is for the tax office to track length of stays in are giving up trying to cajole people into a particular country. Hacienda has already declaring their asset base and paying the engaged with the major utility companies, correct amount of tax due. Not so Hacienda electric and phone to obtain records to has now decided to go on a recruitment establish patterns of residency and the
Guardia Civil have been asked to check up paid in the right jurisdiction. One stray on all foreign registered cars (often using bank statement sent to an address in road blocks) to identify those outstaying another country and automatically copied their welcome. Fall foul of this rule and to the tax authority can lead to no end of you can trigger a nasty investigation, we problems. have seen the letters issued by Hacienda Hacienda really has got its act together and and the consequences on is rigorously pursuing those unsuspecting expats who with undeclared assets and have spent too long in Spain those who spend more than Hacienda really has without declaring their 183 days in Spain. Of course got its act together residency. it is impossible to rectify and is rigorously There is another area where past mistakes and make pursuing those with Hacienda has begun to retrospective amendments undeclared assets bite. Spain was very quick to your residential status or to sign up to an agreement where you hold your assets. “FATCA” between major What we can do however European countries, UK, is help you make the right France, Germany and Italy included decisions moving forward and help you put which provides automatic exchange of your affairs in order. information. According to our source If this is a course of action you would like to the UK and Spain constantly exchange take please contact us on Tel: 956796911 or information about individuals where email enquiries@fiduciarywealth.eu. there is a suspicion that tax is not being YOU NEED TO TALK TO US URGENTLY!
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the olive press - March 19 - April 2 201443 43
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March 19 - April 2 2014
AGONY ANT
Market mumbles
YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED
Do I have to consent to a conversation being recorded?
T
HE recording of calls or conversations is a matter that is dealt with differently depending on the country you are in. For example, Germany is a two-party consent state—telephone recording without the consent of the two or more parties, is a criminal offence. In Spain, however, calls and conversations may be recorded by any active participant. There is no legal requirement to alert other parties to the recording, and that is the general rule. Spain’s Constitutional Tribunal states: “Where a person voluntarily divulges his opinions or secrets to a listener, he already knows that he strips from his intimacies and transmits them, more or less trustingly, to whomever is listening who will then be able to use its content without incurring in any juridical reproach.
Data protection “The recording of a conversation between two or more people which one wishes to conserve to have a reliable acknowledgement of what was said does not amount to an invasion of privacy inasmuch as that person has accepted voluntarily to have that conversation and is responsible of the expressions used and the content of the conversation.” But the matter is not settled there: under the 1999 Data Protection Act voice and images are classified as personal data which are subject to a general regime of data protection and
thus, the handling of it would require the consent of any of the participants to a conversation. The Act does, however, make an exception to avoid clashing with the earlier Constitutional Tribunal ruling: “Consent will not be required where personal data is gathered by a party to a contract or pre-contract in a business, employment or administrative relationship and is required for the maintenance or enforcement of such relationship; also, where the treatment of such data has the aim of satisfying a legitimate interest pursued by the person party to the recording or a third party whom is given the recording.” In conclusion, anyone should accept that any conversation held with another person can be recorded legally and used in court, transferred to a third party or even published on the web. There is however no possible discussion on wire-tapping third party conversations without judicial consent, a criminal offence punishable with up to four years imprisonment.
L
with Mark Rickard
It’s a small world
AST week’s soft economic data, and even the forthcoming budget, have had little impact on exchange rates, and are unlikely to do so unless there is an additional comment regarding Sterling’s strength, like that of Charles Beans of the BoE last week. He warned a strong pound could affect the UK recovery! The market sold Sterling on the back of this and we saw GBP/Euro dip below 1.20, while the eurozone plodded on with slightly better data than expected…is it the ‘Hare and Tortoise’ fable we are watching unfold? The Ukraine, Crimea, and a slowing Chinese outlook may impact the west’s confident start to 2014, the Chinese have even unwound the Yuan’s peg to the US Dollar. All major western powers will want a speedy resolution to these unwelcome distractions. The world is becoming smaller, and the key economies rely on each other in so many ways, for energy, inward investments, cross border education programmes, arms etc . Let’s see if Mr Osbourne
(pictured right) announces anything radical on Wednesday to affect Sterling!
UK
This Week
lWednesday 9.30am Bank of England Minutes lWednesday 9.30am Unemployment Rate Jan previous 7.2% lWednesday 12.30pm Annual Budget lThursday 9.30am Retail Sales February previous 4.8% y/y lThursday 11am CBI Industrial Trends Survey March previous 3 lFriday 9.30am Public Sector Borrowing previous -£6.42bn
Europe
This Week
lMonday 10am EU Consumer Price Inflation Feb previous 0.8% y/y lTuesday 10am German ZEW Survey Economic Sentiment Mar previous 55.7 lTuesday 10am EU ZEW Survey Economic Sentiment Mar previous 68.5 lTuesday 10am EU Trade Balance Jan previous €13.9bn lFriday 3pm Consumer Confi-
dence Mar previous -12.7
US
This Week
lMonday 1.15pm Industrial Production Feb previous -0.3% m/m lTuesday 12.30pm Consumer Price Inflation Feb previous 1.6% m/m lTuesday 12.30pm Building Permits Feb previous 937k m/m lTuesday 12.30pm Housing Starts Feb previous 910k m/m lWednesday 6pm FOMC Meeting lThursday 1.58pm Markit Manufacturing PMI Mar previous 57.1 lThursday 2pm Existing Home Sales Change previous -5.1% m/m lThursday 2pm Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Survey
Contact HiFX to help you with your international transactions, call in at Centro Plaza, call 951 203 986 or email olivepress@hifx.co.uk
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44 44 the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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www.theolivepress.es March 19 - April 2 2014
Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander
Investing for income without taking risk!
O
ne of the most frequent questions I am asked is how to improve income from capital without taking risk. Of course, there is no simple answer because it always depends on a number of factors. Firstly, we should think about what people mean when they refer to risk. At one extreme, it would be the risk of losing everything and an investment that has that potential risk attaching to it is unsuitable for the vast majority of people. In fact, the definition most people would use is that they don’t want to lose money and for clarity, they mean they don’t want to see the actual balance in euros or pounds go down. When you think about this in more detail, it is possible to have an investment that does not go down in amount and yet it still loses money! How is that possible – it happens when the rate of return is lower than the rate of inflation, because the buying power of the money is reducing. The end result is that you could think you have a risk free investment, whereas
in fact, you have the certainty of reducing value! Another factor is tax, that in itself can tip the balance from maintaining value to losing value; so how you invest is every bit as important as where you invest.
Dividends
For the specialist investor who is looking for income from their capital, they will often be looking at equity and bond markets as the source of achieving higher rates of return but this in turn brings other risk considerations. Utility companies for example generally have a good track record of paying dividends but once upon a time, the banks were in that category too! Companies that are raising funds by issuing corporate bonds may be offering attractive returns but the higher these are, the more risk they are likely to entail. After all, if they could raise bank funding in the market at 2.5% - 4%, why
would they be offering 5.5% on a corporate bond? Possibly because the banks wont lend to them or they may be over exposed already. All very complicated and not for the general public to get involved with, so are there any practical solutions available – I think there are. We have to accept that a reasonable risk level for one person, could be totally unacceptable to someone else and therefore, there are no ‘one size fits all’ solutions, but as a general thought, if you have in excess of £50,000 (60,000) euros to invest for the medium term (five years plus) there are investments which can return between 4 – 4.5% net a year by way of income (or growth), without giving you a “white-knuckle ride” along the way! As always, my advice is to consult a professional and not to ‘buy’ products ‘off the page’ or ‘over the counter’ as these sources are inevitably just trying to sell you their product without asking whether they are entirely suited to your circumstances.
Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com
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March 19 - April 2 2014
Hospital boss in hot water over Ibiza break
She is accused of using NHS money to fund a trip to the party isle
ACCUSED: Caroline Shaw
THE boss of Europe’s largest cancer treatment hospital has been suspended over accusations she used NHS money to fund a trip to Ibiza. Caroline Shaw, chief executive of the Christie Hospital in Manchester,
UK, was suspended in November after filing a €3,000 expenses claim for consultancy work carried out by Best Companies, the author of the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For list.
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S
ince 1998 Línea Directa, the market leader in the sale of direct car, motorbike and home insurance in Spain, has offered an exclusive telephone service entirely in English and German. This service, the first of its kind in Spain, forms part of the company’s commitment to quality and excellence, which has also made it the market leader in this business sector, due to the fact that it currently has over 63,000 foreign customers residing in Spain. As a result, services such as purchasing a policy, making enquiries, processing claims, sending documents and 24-hour assistance can all be carried out in English or German at a time which is convenient for the customer by making just
Call now for more information on 902 123 104 one phone call. And not only does Línea Directa offer the best, it also offers its services at the most competitive price on the market. It does this in two ways:
Price personalisation Behind each quote there is a sales professional who, via a quick questionnaire, will search for the best product and conditions to suit the customer’s personal
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requirements and will assess him or her according to their individual circumstances.
Maximum competitiveness Still at the best price, this month Línea Directa is making Expats an exclusive 12x11 offer, which allows them to enjoy one year of insurance for the price of 11 months. And what is more, if the person requesting this offer already has another car insurance policy with Línea Directa, then the offer will be 12x10, which is to say two months’ free cover. This is the result of a strategy which is permanently geared towards offering customers the very best quality at the very best price.
But bosses at the hospital suspect Shaw used the money to fund a networking trip hosted by the same company on the Balearic party island last September. Chief executive of Best Companies Jonathan Hamilton Austin stepped into the row insisting the costs of flights and accommodation were picked up by his company, not the NHS.
Uncomfortable
Shaw, who has held the top position at the hospital since 2005, strongly denies the claims, and said when she found out it was to be held in Ibiza she told the hosts she did not feel comfortable spending NHS cash on the trip. It was at this point Hamilton Austin and his company agreed to cover her costs. NHS anti-fraud specialists have been brought in to investigate.
Mercadona in the money MERCADONA reported a record €515 million profit in 2013, netting €7 million more than in the previous year. Almost €20 billion was taken at the supermarket chain’s tills, up 4% on 2012. The news came as something of a surprise to the company, and follows forecasts of a 15% drop in profits for 2013 from 2012 figures. The company’s president, Juan Roig, said the company’s infrastructure had remained stable. The supermarket stalwart has 74,000 workers who combined received €257 million in target-related bonuses. Earlier in the year the company announced it had reached an agreement with staff that it would pay a minimum €1,200 a month, which would rise to €1,400 after four years service.
46 46
OP Columnists the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
OP Column – Belinda Beckett, aka Mistress of Sizzle, pays her respects
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Adiós Paco
So farewell then, Paco de Lucia. I may be the only person in the world to have walked out of one of your concerts. Over some damned silly argument with a woman in the row in front
I
’m sorry I missed the maestro described by Eric Clapton as “a titanic figure in the world of flamenco guitar”, and by others as ‘a Mozart of his time’. More so, since his home town of Algeciras became mine too, by adoption. Now he’s gone, I’ll never have another chance to watch his fingers flying over the strings like quicksilver. Where purists ranted he wasn’t true to the flamenco form is where I liked his music best – a fusion of unexpected instruments (percussion), influences (classical and jazz ) and artists (Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin), broadening the appeal of a genre that sometimes seems too alternative and out-of-reach. Because I still don’t quite get flamenco.
The guitar-work, yes! The dancing, yes! But the canté … I don’t like to mention strangled cats so let’s just say l wouldn’t want it for a dirge at my own funeral in case it made the vicar suicidal.
Outsider
I can’t get impassioned about flamenco like the Spanish do, with their exhuberant olé-ing. I’m not radiantly transfigured by what the Spanish call duende, although! If they sold it in bottles I’d be first in the queue. In the intimate salons where you can hear the best flamenco, I remain an outsider – the only one in the room with dry
eyes and a stiff upper lip, while all around are emotional. If I sound like an uptight Brit, I’m not. Irish blood runs through my veins. Irish music moves me to Riverdance (home alone on the carpet)! It can’t just be a nationality thing. My
LEGEND: Paco de Lucia can now put Algeciras on the tourist map
Bad sports!
T
he first Formula One race has already taken place, which for me marks the start of the summer sporting calendar proper in Spain. But it means that we will soon be subjected to one of my pet hates. Spanish sports commentators Perhaps it is because I grew up during a golden age of commentators during the 70s, people like David Coleman, Peter Allis, Dan Makiall, David Vine, Harry Carpenter and of course the peerless Murray Walker. They had the gift of making you feel part of the action, giving you informed and impartial advice and most importantly, knowing that they didn’t have to fill every millisecond of the broadcast with chatter. A lesson that is lost on Spanish commentators. Whatever sport they are covering, Spanish commentators feel that they have to get behind their team to an
overwhelming extent. The worst example of this is Formula One. Sunday afternoon commentary on Formula One is not so much a sporting event, more of a cult to the Church of Fernando Alonso.
Man crush It doesn’t help that the commentator Antonio Lobato obviously has a huge man crush on Fernando. I’ve watched several interviews that Lobato has conducted with Alonso and they have been toe curlingly bad. In one interview Alonso pushed the bald Lobato into a swimming pool and he came out with such a coy grin that I thought he was going to ask Fernando to towel him down. The actual commentary is even worse. I’m not for a second doubting that Alonso is a massively talented driver (a friend of mine once had a Formula One test drive
against the young Alonso and when asked why he was a second behind him on the timesheet replied “Because he’s fxxxing quick!”) But no matter what is happening in the race, all focus is on the blessed Fernando. And heaven forfend that he’s into him. This reaches its peak whenever Lewis Hamilton is mentioned. The Spanish demonise the British driver to the extent that a few years ago the Formula One coverage to every race had a ‘comic book’ style intro with Alonso as a Spanish hero, while Hamilton was an evil robot. I dropped my pre-race bowl of salted peanuts the first time I saw that, I can assure you. It may say a lot for Hamilton’s composure that he did not make a complaint to the Spanish broadcasters. James Hunt would probably have flattened Lobato with a single punch.
had greater respect abroad than in Spain. He refused to play at a concert in Seville with Plácido Domingo and Julio Iglesias because his name was at the bottom of the poster, in smaller letters below theirs, next to the ticket prices. Algeciras will make amends with a Ruta de Paco de Lucía, a Paco de Lucía music prize and a museum or flamenco school – hopefully to help people like me to ‘get it’. The grey industrial port city could do with a major tourist attraction and Paco has posthumous pulling power. Through his music, visitors can share in its finer points; haunts of his youth that would have remained unsung, but for his music: l The elegant town square with its ceramic frog fountain and pavement cafés, immortalised in Plaza Alta l Famous beauty spots nearby, eulogised in Almoraima and Punta del Faro l The white sand beaches of Rinconcillo where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic, his summer home and inspiration for his most famous work, EnWorld Cup in Brazil and you can tre dos Aguas guarantee that the commenta- In death he will be honoured like tors will be whipping themselves a conquering hero. In life, all Alinto a frenzy as the national geciras had to show for its favouteam prepare to retain the title. rite son was a statue facing the Expect several days of national docks on the wrong side of town mourning if they get knocked and a rusting plaque outside the house where he was born. out in the quarter finals...
fellow expats join in with gusto while I stand cynically on the sidelines, like the little boy in the Emperor’s New Clothes. Paco himself said his music
HERO: F1 driver Alonso is adored in Spain
But it’s not just Formula One that suffers from this. Tennis is the same, and I remember being unable to find the Wimbledon Men’s Final on Spanish television because Rafa Nadal had been knocked out in the semis. This summer will see the
S wimming pool Special www.theolivepress.es
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 201447 47
BEWARE: Swimming pools are lethal for youngsters and steps must be taken to make your pool safe
Is your pool a loaded gun?
C
HILDREN are ten times more likely to be killed in a swimming pool than by a gun, according to shock statistics. The chance of dying in a swimming pool is around one in 100,000, compared to a one in 10 million probability of being shot, the authors of Smart Parents Healthy Kids, a USbased blog, have found. The importance of supervising children who are playing in and near a swimming pool was further highlighted in a detailed study by
Spanish researchers. The team at Plataforma SINC, a think tank in Madrid, analysed cases of drowning attended to in 21 hospitals in Spain during the summers of 2009 and 2010.
Supervision
Data showed that 60% of the victims were younger than six, and 90% of cases could have been prevented had the children been properly supervised.
Fernando Panzino, lead author of the study, said: “Incidents of drowning are very common and it is essential to maximise
Safety Tips - to help your children stay safe in the water
•Have a set of ‘Pool Rules’ and display them at the pool •Designate a responsible adult to watch young children while swimming or playing in or around water •Supervisors of pre-school children should provide ‘touch supervision’; i.e. they should be close enough to
reach the child at all times
•Drowning occurs quickly
and quietly, so adults should not be involved in any distracting activity while supervising children, even if lifeguards are present •Use the ‘Buddy System’ - always swim with a buddy • Select swimming sites
that have lifeguards when possible •If you or a family member has a seizure disorder, provide one-on-one supervision around water, especially around swimming pools •Don’t let swimmers hyperventilate before swimming underwater or try to hold their breath for long periods of time - this puts them at risk of shallow water blackout, which is a feature of many drowning accidents •Formal swimming lessons can protect young children from drowning, but even if they have had lessons, constant, careful supervision,and barriers such as pool fencing, a safety cover or a Katchakid safety net to prevent unsupervised access, are still important •Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) - in the time it takes for paramedics to arrive, your CPR skills could save someone’s life •Air-filled or foam toys are not safety devices •Don’t use air-filled or foam toys, such as ‘water wings’, ‘noodles’, or inner-tubes, in place of life jackets •Toys are not life jackets and are not designed to keep swimmers safe •Avoid alcohol before or during swimming, boating, or water skiing •Do not drink alcohol while supervising children •Avoid using recreational drugs before or during swimming •Know the local weather conditions and weather forecast before swimming •Thunderstorms with lightning strikes are potentially very dangerous so never swim during a thunderstorm •If a thunderstorm approaches close the pool immediately All the above subjects are covered in depth in the FREE eBook – ‘The Pool Safety Bible’. Download your free copy from www.thepoolbible.com
precautions taken. In particular, the supervision of children in swimming pools, especially children below six years old, who form one of the groups most at risk.” He also stressed the importance of learning CPR, ensuring children are properly supervised, and putting appropriate safety measures are in place. Panzino said: “Prevention strategies should include engineering methods to help eliminate danger, legislation to enforce preventive measures and reduce exposure, teaching people and communities to make them more aware of the risk and know how to react, and prioritising public health initiatives to study preventive actions.” Left, the Olive Press presents its key ‘safety tips’ for staying safe this spring and summer.
Local issue 45:The Local Issue 5 3/12/14 9:55 AM Page 4
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Welcome to the first issue of The Local in 2014. As always we are pleased to feature new businesses and products as well as a large variety of longstanding, excellent local restaurants, bars and services. With a regular minimum print run of 10,000 copies and a distribution team that tops up mandyc54@gmail.com drop points every week, The Local continues www.thelocalcostadelsol.com to strive to ensure that all our customers and Artwork deadline for next issue: readers receive the best quality coverage 13th May 2014 from Duquesa to Marbella.
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48 48 the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
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GOLF In the swing of it
Death of a golfing visionary THE man behind Spain’s flagship golf course, La Manga, has died at his Las Vegas home aged 86. American entrepreneur Gregory Peters opened La Manga club in Murcia in 1972. It hosted the Spanish Open from 1973 to 1977
and boasts world famous facilities across an area three times the size of Monaco. The resort pushed Spain to the forefront of European sport and is still used as the overseas training base of the Lawn Tennis Association.
Jose Asenjo, La Manga Club General Manager, said: “Gregory Peters was a true visionary and he will never be forgotten here. “The role he played in establishing the resort as a household name across Europe was essential to the success that La Manga Club conSTUNNING: PGA Catalunya
Spain’s top course reports property boom SPAIN’S number one golf course, PGA Catalunya, has defied the economic crisis and reported sales of more than 30 luxury properties in the last year. The resort, in the world top 100, continues to at-
tract international buyers and renters. It also retained its title as Spain’s top course and was recognised as the best European golf development in Spain in 2012 and 2013 by the International Property
Awards. The resort, located just 25 minutes from the beach and a short rail journey from Barcelona, is also home to star golfer Sergio Garcia’s own training academy.
tinues to enjoy today. He provided the blueprint for modern-day resorts and he will be sadly missed.” There are three 18-hole golf courses at La Manga, as well as a 28-court tennis complex, eight football pitches, a 5-star hotel and VISIONARY: Peters with Connery many bars and restaurants.
The next big swing Major winner Michael Campbell is opening up a world class golfing academy in Marbella BUDDING golfers will have the chance to learn from Major winner Michael Campbell at his new academy, opening in Marbella this month. The Villa Padierna Michael Campbell Golf Academy will be home to a junior golfers’ academy, where members will be trained by world class coaches in state-of-the-art facilities.
Excited
The New Zealander won both the US Open and the HSBC World Match Play Championship – the richest prize in golf – in 2005. “This project, my first academy, is very
Budding Brit puts ‘tee’ in triumph A GOLFER from Derby reigns in Spain after triumphing in the Race to Roda championship. Ashbourne Golf Club’s Nathan Lee bagged first place in the 72-hole strokeplay event in Murcia after a tense finish. He narrowly edged compatriot Will Davidson by one stroke. The Race to Roda has become an annual event for students, such as Nathan, on the Performance Golf Academy programme, which forms part of a week of warm weather training and competition. This prepares the students for a busy run of competition during March, April & May, including inter collegiate tours and national championships.
WINNER: Campbell
exciting for me,” he said. “This game has given me so much and it’s a privilege to be able to give back to the game in this way, helping people learn to play and enjoy this great sport. “I plan to set up more academies worldwide and allow as many people as possible access to great coaching.” The academy will also include facilities for aspiring tour professionals who want to follow in Michael’s TRIUMPH: Lee footsteps.
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35 the olive press - March 19 - April 2 201449 49
amino
Carbon tyre-print
Not everyone is pleased with the European Parliament’s 2020 target for cars
THE European Parliament has ap- for new cars, and it has received a must abide by an average limit of 95 of 130 grams. proved the world’s strictest regula- mixed reaction. grams of carbon dioxide per kilome- Germany campaigned for more tions on carbon dioxide emissions Cars built in the EU after 2020 tre, compared with an existing limit time to implement the restrictions as it will be extremely challenging for its car Advertorial industry - which includes luxury car makers such as Daimler and BMW – to do so.
I’m 98 years old, Can I rent a car? No problem with Indigo Car Hire ing. At Indigo, they believe that drivers over 75 are often more reliable, have less accidents, and so are more than happy to have them as customers. They also accept most debit cards, and they can offer free one-way hire. That means that you can rent your car from one airport as you land, and drop it off at another when you are ready to return to Spain. Therefore you can visit friends and family all over the UK Christmas is an extremely busy time of year for car hire. Not only therefore is availability limited as the festive season approaches due to sheer volume of demand, but as availability decreases, prices can soar. Cherie Walker, Reservations Manager for Indigo Car Hire, tells us: “Leaving the booking your car hire until the last minute can
result in charges of up to 200 pounds for a small car for one week, or even being told that there is nothing available. I have worked in the car hire industry for over 9 years and the same applies every year- car hire at most major airports will be booked up by the end of November.”
Book early
She adds-“To get the best deal, it is advisable to book as early as possible. Also, if customers contact us directly for a quote on 00 44 113 2899281, or email sales@indigocarhire.co.uk with their requirements we may be able to locate them even better prices than on the website at www.indigocarhire.co.uk. I would most certainly advise all our clients not to leave it to chance but rather to book their car hire as
Delays
soon as they have booked their flights and know their dates and times. We deal with lots of suppliers and will make every effort to obtain the best price possible for all our customers. “ Imagine not being able to rent a car to get around while you are in the UK at Christmas! Contact Indigo Car Hire now for a noobligation quote and excellent customer service. Indigo offer UK, Spanish and Worldwide Car hire with no hidden extras and at competetive rates. Visit their website on www.indigocarhire.co.uk for an instant quote or ring 00 44 (0) 113 2899281 to speak to a real person. For email enquiries contact sales@indigocarhire.co.uk. R.T.A.:AL-4-04-0017. 2ª cat
Expats who have chosen to live in Spain for their retirement often return to the UK on a regular basis for various reasons. Shopping trips, visiting the family, and avoiding the long hot summer are some of them. Another is to spend Christmas with the family and especially the grandchildren. As the years go on, a problem that many have faced in renting a car in the UK for their trip so that they can get around is the upper age limit that many car hire companies impose. Indigo Car Hire are pleased to say that they can offer good value car rental up to and including 98 years of age!! Even better, there is no extra charge. Many car hire companies have an upper age limit of 75, and as people are living longer, healthier lives, especially out here in the sun, this can be very frustrat-
The German pressure has forced Parliament to delay the target for a year and environmental campaigners said the delay meant only 95% of new cars would meet the 95 g/km target in 2020, equating to a 3 g/km weakening of the target. Rebecca Harms, copresident of the Green Party in the European Parliament, said the weakening of the 2020 limits was “a shameful sop to German car manufacturers and will slow the development of new technologies to deliver more efficient and less polluting cars.”
Road rage SPANISH drivers are the second worst in Europe behind Italy, according to a survey of 7,000 people. French motoring foundation Vinci Autoroutes found 50% of people think Italians are the most dangerous drivers, with Spaniards the second highest at 16%, followed by the French at 14%. Swedish drivers are widely regarded – 47% – as the most responsible, followed by Germans on 26% and the British on 13%. Of those surveyed, 86% admitted to regularly breaking the speed limit and 62% said they do not keep to recommended safety distances. It also found that Spanish drivers are quick to resort to a blast on the horn in stressful situations, with 67% compared to the European average of 47%.
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MARBELLA’S Puerto Deportivo turned a shade of green last weekend to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. The Paseo Maritimo was lined with stalls offering the finest in Irish food and drink, plus live music and a display of Irish dancing. Some of the best known Irish bars had stalls
Pest control A SHIPMENT of citrus fruit from Spain has been turned away from Colombia following the discovery of a rare and difficult to control pest in the crate. SPANISH scientists have developed an orange with 20 times the normal level of beta-carotene, boosting the fruit’s antioxidant effect significantly.
Healthy beer A TEAM of food scientists has brewed a post-workout ale. Lean Machine, a healthy alternative to traditional ales has 77 kcals per 330ml and 0.5% alcohol content. It is enriched with nutrients, antioxidants and electrolytes to help replenish the body after a workout.
Almeria leads ALMERIA accounted for the largest proportion of Spain’s vegetable exports in 2013, with a total of 1.8 million kilos. This represents 38.33% of Spain’s total (4.7 million kilos). Murcia and Valencia were second and third, exporting 26% and 9% respectively.
www.theolivepress.es
It’s a Craicer!
News IN BRIEF
Vit boost
FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
Andalucian olive oil now double all the region’s other exports
and reported a brisk trade, and you didn’t have to be Irish to enjoy the craic or a drop of the black stuff! Slainte!
Oil explosion
Photos by Robert Leja Photography 2014
52 52 the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
in sales of olive oil, with 73.2% of the market. Catalonia has the second highest number of sales in the country, with 16% of the total. Among Andalucia’s provinces, Sevilla has Following his recipe for limoncello, here Patriek from Cortijo la Haza, near Iznajar offers his recipe for panna cotta the highest value of sales at €633 milFor the panna cotta (makes 6 portions) : lion. Cordoba comes 1 vanilla pod or vanilla extract second with €339 4 tablespoons sugar million, followed by 4 gelatine leaves (veggies can use agar agar) Malaga with €195 500 ml cream, the higher the fat content the better million, and Jaen with (min. 35% M.G.) €101 million. Fresh strawberries (about 250g, cleaned and add to boiling liquid). Pour into containers (preferably metal), allow cooling then store in fridge until The main destinawashed) required (min. 4 hours). To remove from containers, tions for the oil are Icing sugar soak in hot water briefly, taking care to keep the waItaly, Portugal and Mint leaves (keep nicest ones for decoration) France, but the most A drop of wine (I sometimes use Oloroso for a slightly ter underneath the edge of your containers, then turn out on a plate. spectacular growth different flavour) has been experienced Soak the gelatin leaves in some water. Split vanilla in China, where sales pod, scrape out the seeds and add everything to the To make the strawberry coulis: have quadrupled. cream and sugar in a pan. Bring to the boil, whisking Place strawberries, some of the mint leaves and icing Other destinations for every so often to dissolve the sugar and bring out the sugar (to taste) in a blender, blend well, add some Andalucia’s olive oil vanilla seeds. If you haven’t got vanilla pods, you can wine and/or lemon juice, then run through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and leftover mint leaves. include Brazil, Mexiuse extract. co, Japan, Russia and Once it has reached boiling point, put the cream This should leave you with a beautiful strawberry puIndia. through a sieve to remove the extraneous pod. Al- rée to serve with your panna cotta. Finish with some low to cool slightly, then whisk in the gelatine (do not chopped mint or mint leaves.
OLIVE oil exports from Andalucia have By Imogen Calderwood risen by 43% in just five years. And sales last year - which exceeded products put together. €1.5 billion for the first time - are more Sales abroad have continued rising than double all of Andalucia’s other since 2009, but in 2013 the value of
foreign sales rose by 6.8% compared to the previous year, according to the Andalucian Agency for External Promotions (Extenda). Andalucia leads the rest of the country
Panna cotta with strawberry coulis
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LIDL expansion LIDL is spending €180m in Spain this year opening new stores, improving existing ones, and building a new warehouse. The discount supermarket, which is the country’s seventh largest food retailer by market share, plans to open 20 new shops over the next 12 months. The new stores will bring its total in the country to 525. It will also open its ninth warehouse, in Murcia, this summer. A spokesperson said: “We will also invest in another 50 existing stores in order to increase sales and add new products.” The firm has already spent €260 million expanding its presence in Spain over the past two years.
Using their loaf
CUSTOMERS at superSol will be given free bread as part of a new promotion aimed at reducing the burden of the financial crisis. The supermarket chain is to offer vouchers for two free loaves to all customers spending over €15 on their shopping. Shoppers can cash in the vouchers the day after they do their shopping, so long as they keep their receipt as proof of purchase.
Cordoba special Take a wonderful four day tour around rural Cordoba, the stunning baroque town of Priego de Cordoba and its Arabic bath, the wine town of Montilla and a wellness retreat near Iznajar lake Our Special offer includes: 4 nights La Haza, half board, including welcome drink and a bottle of wine (per table of 2). 1 Visit to a Bodega with small tasting session 1 Visit to “Baños Arabes” (Moorish baths, hammam) 1 “Wellness” treatment Price per person: Low Season (November to End of March): 250€ pp VAT incl. High Season (April to End October): 300€ pp VAT incl.
FOOD & DRINK www.theolivepress.es with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
But no horses heads on menu Pizza chain La Mafia has sparked outrage in Italy
A BUSY chain of Spanish restaurants has sparked outrage in Italy for its Mob-themed eateries and odes to The Godfather. There are 34 La Mafia outlets across the country, adorned with images of the Sicilian Mafia’s most notorious killers. The only thing missing is horses heads on the menu. But Italians are furious that the Spanish chain is cashing in on the infamy of the Mafia. “Can you imagine what would happen in Spain, if Italy opened a pair of restaurants dedicated to terrorists from ETA,” insisted crime journalist Attilio Bolzoni.
INFAMY: Mafia faces adorn walls “Or what would happen in Germany if in Rome they opened breweries with sausage and sauerkraut in honour of the Red Army Faction?” Spanish diners however have been easily seduced by La Mafia’s pizza and pasta dishes with bosses planning to add another 15 restaurants to the chain’s roster over the next year.
Spain’s first ever female recipe book now on sale
THE earliest ever recipe book written by a woman in Spain has now been published. Maria Rosa Calvillo de Teruel is believed to have written the book around 1740, while working for a wealthy family in Sevilla. The book contains 100 traditional Spanish recipes, including methods of cooking clams, rabbits with onion and partridge. The original manuscript of the book belonged to the librarian aunt of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. She received it from her husband who was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. The book was clearly intended to simply be a notebook for recording recipes she learnt from other people, shown by titles such as ‘How to make Mariquita’s cake’.
Mob
The Spanish business has also boosted its marketing efforts, giving itself the slogan ‘The Mafia creates work’. This is not the first time a restaurant has exploited the notoriety of the Mafia. Last summer an Austrian café named its sandwiches after famous victims of the Italian mob. The decision sparked a diplomatic incident between Rome and Vienna.
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New exhibition by Arriate resident Raymond Ward opens at Molino del Santo in Benaojan IT is the perfect way to help your food go down. A new exhibition of stunning, serene landscapes around the Serrania de Ronda has gone on display at hotel/restaurant Molino del Santo, in Benaojan. The collection of 16 oil paintings by Arriate resident Raymond Ward demonstrates his obvious influence of artist J.M.W.Turner. Turner’s style is clearly reflected in the luminosity of his huge skies over the beautiful mountain ranges and villages
‘Glimpses of Andalucia’
STUNNING: One of Ward’s landscapes and (top) Ward of the Serranías. Ward, who spends much of the year in the area, has led a fascinating life, which has
ARTIST: Ward and fan
included coaching many Olympic rowers. “Most of my life I have climbed mountains, travelled in the Arctic, sailed and coached rowing,” he says. “I paint mainly with my fingers probably because it replicates holding an ice axe, ropes of a sailing dinghy, the handle of a rowing blade...” The exhibition is open every day until the end of April. All the paintings are for sale.
Hotelier and Hoteli-HER
In the second of a new column on the trials and tribulations of running a hotel and restaurant our hotelier and hoteli-her at Molino del Santo have a look at the issue of staffing
A TALL ORDER A T the end of our last season a great chef of four years moved on to start his own business in nearby Ronda. So first priority for me was to find his replacement – quite a tall order! And particularly so, when the venue is 20 minutes from a provincial town, which is an hour inland from the coast. We sent the word out: ‘New Chef needed Must be experienced, talented, enthusiastic and able to Cheerfully lead a Team’.
Imressed And luckily we had applicants, but after interviewing several candidates we finally appointed...our current second chef Alberto Guzmán. And everyone else was delighted. When interviewing Alberto what most impressed me about him was that he was
caption
the only candidate who arrived for the interview with three ‘monthly menus’ featuring brand new dishes of his own and three complete seasonal changes to the A la Carte menu. He was the only one qualms about sackwho put ideas into ing anyone who did practice without any steal but we’ve never prompting from me. even issued a warnSo, after not a lot of ing – and it’s great to discussion he was feel that mutual trust underpins awarded the job! the working environment. Watching him grow One of the less attractive aspects into the new position of my job just now is receiving so of creative head of many applications for jobs that the kitchen is already don’t even exist. a pleasure. Recently while interviewing someHe’s proving that one, two others actually popped he’s able to combine into reception to leave their curauthority, creativity, ricula vitae. adaptability with a As things are going well it looks great sense of hulike we will actually be able to take mour – and is very on a few more seasonal staff this well-liked and reyear to at least give some hope to spected by the team. young people. Phew. I know we’ve Sadly though, our contribution made the right deciwon’t make that big a dent in the sion. I love it when five million people, who are curpeople make my life rently seeking jobs. easy.
The job that doesn’t exist WE are lucky with our staff. Most of them have been with us for a very long time – one of them was the maintenance guy for the previous owner when the ‘molino’ was a mere private house. It is great to have all of this experience and very few staff ever leave us. This could be because I am obviously such a great guy to work for. Actually, anyone who has employed staff under the Spanish system will know my over-bearing charm may not be the whole story. What is perhaps more amazing is that in 27 years of running this business with, sometimes, considerable amounts of euro notes in tills and attractive alcohol bottles around, I have never ever suspected anyone of pocketing anything. Of course we would have no
Hotel - Bar - Restaurante. Bda Estacion s/n, 29370 Benaojan, Malaga. 952 16 71 51 - 952 16 79 27 . info@molinodelsanto.com
DO YOU NEED A PLACE TO CELEBRATE?...
the olive press - March 19 - April 2 2014
55
A birthday, an anniversary, a venue to entertain visitors from the UK or do you just fancy a change of scene? Head to the hills near Ronda... What is the next special event in your family’s life that requires a celebration? A birthday, an anniversary, a visit from friends or relations from the UK? Whatever the event you are certain to need a special venue, a place where you are guaranteed a professional but friendly experience. You have your favourite places of course but sometimes it feels good to try somewhere new. And that’s where the problems can start…. Where to try and how can you be sure that you have found somewhere good? Will the service be reliable? Will the atmosphere be right? Will the place tick your boxes? There’s a lot that can go horribly wrong... So it’s great to find a place that: ❖ Is recommended by hundreds of people on Trip Advisor, ❖ Has won dozens of awards over the years, ❖ Is listed in Guide Books ❖ Has over 27 years of experience under the same management ❖ Nearly 80% of visitors return to on a regular basis. The place you are looking for is a Hotel and Restaurant just ten minutes from Ronda. It’s a converted watermill with gardens alongside a rushing mountain stream. The setting is unforgettable, there is a train service to bring you here from San Roque, the food is imaginative and delicious, the staff are
A Special Riverside Terrace delightful, the rooms are charming, it’s open every day and your satisfaction is assured with a money-back guarantee. In the sleepy mountain village of Benaoján, you’ll find Molino del Santo a Hotel, Restaurant and Cafeteria open every day from March to November. It’s a special place. Visit the website for lots more information - and there is a discount on offer for everyone who signs up for their newsletters. Molino del Santo - it’s one of those places you will wish you’d discovered ages ago. www.molinodelsanto.com e-mail info@molinodelsanto.com Telf 952 16 71 51
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THOUGHTS OF A HOTEL DOG “After 4 months of reasonable behaviour - walks, evenings on the sofa at home - my master and mistress are back working at Hotel Molino del Santo. Just so that YOU can have a great experience... I am not a happy dog.”
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FINAL WORDS
Below average THE average monthly salary in Spain is €1,615, below the EU average of €1,916, according to a new survey. Only 30% of Spanish jobs offer wages equivalent to the EU average, and only 7% offer wages equivalent to those found in Europe’s top economies.
Struck gold THE wreckage of a Spanish merchant ship which sank in 1765 has been discovered off the southern coast of Argentina. It is the oldest of 12 to have been found along a 200km stretch off the Tierra del Fuego coast.
Deal takes off MONTHS of dispute and strikes at Iberia were brought to an end on Friday following a deal between unions and management. Ground staff agreed on a 7% pay cut and a salary freeze until 2015.
Covering Andalucia in 2014 with over 200,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 250,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!
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Caught red-faced
A SPANISH politician has been busted looking at pictures of a naked transsexual woman during a parliamentary debate. The photograph of Miguel Angel Revilla, former president of Cantabria, soon went viral on Twitter. Many slammed the politician for ogling over nude pictures while earning public money. The red-faced 71-year-old claimed he was simply flicking through Interviu magazine to find an article about former Caja Madrid bank President Miguel Blesa.
Less you baguette Ryanair stewart who ate a sandwich on his shift has lost his tribunal against unfair dismissal
A DECISION by Ryanair to sack a steward who ate a €5.50 sandwich while working has been upheld by Madrid’s city court. Madrid-based Juan Francisco Montes Montesinos was dismissed in 2011 after he failed to follow the
Barca Simpson BARCELONA’S famous footballing superstars are set to be ‘Simpsonised’ after the Catalan club teamed up with the popular American show. The likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Xavi have been turned yellow in preparation for a special world cup episode of The Simpsons. In the episode, the hapless Homer ends up refereeing a game at the finals in Brazil where his integrity is tested by South American gangsters
discount airline’s food purchasing protocol. He neither informed other crew members he was eating, nor paid for the ham, cheese and tomato baguette as required by the company’s regulations. The steward has appealed twice, first to the labour court in Madrid and most recently to the city’s court of law. Both judges dismissed his appeal on the basis the lowcost airline operates according to Irish law, and the steward was hired through a job agency in Oslo.
Regulations
and a series of tasty bribes. Like Chelsea before them, Barcelona’s deal with Twentieth Century Fox will see them create Barca-branded merchandise. Frank Lampard, John Terry and Fernando
Torres have previously been turned into Simpsons characters. Teams from around the globe have also struck up deals, including Juventus, FC Porto and Zenit St Petersburg in Russia.
Montesinos’ last contract was as a cabin-crew member on flights out of Oslo, with a gross annual salary of €20,070. The airline, which operates in 28 European countries and Morocco, is renowned for strictly enforcing its inflight regulations.
A bit too hands on!
FIRST AID trainers have apologised following complaints to Aragon police that an emergency training video was too erotic. Participants, expecting to see a post-accident scenario, were shocked when they were shown a video of two lingerie-clad women perform-
ing CPR. Another, demonstrating the Heimlich manoeuvre, included images of a man and a woman in very close contact. Both videos were taken from YouTube and contained content warnings.
To the Batmo-bull! REAL Madrid midfielder Asier Illarramendi has been forced to apologise after running in front of a bull dressed as batman at a Basque festival. Footage emerged of the £26.4 million player at a festival in his native Basque region, running around the dangerous animal. His Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti, said: “We have an internal rule designed to prevent players going skiing and other dangerous things but I have never known it applied to bullfighting.” The Spanish international, who moved to Madrid from Real Sociedad last summer, will be fined over the incident, although the video shows he did not come dangerously close to the bull’s horns.
Twitter Fiction A SPANISH author of Twitter ‘micro-fiction’ joined 50 other writers from around the world for an online fiction festival. Rosa del Blanco, from Madrid, showcased her stories - of 140 characters or less - to millions over Twitter. “I’ve been writing microliterature on Twitter for a year-and-a-half, and this is the opportunity I have been waiting for to have more of a reach with my work,” said the 32-year-old, the only Spaniard at the festival. She was selected for the festival, organised by Twitter and Penguin Random House, after entering a competition online.
First StarTrek, now Ferrari
A FERRARI theme park is to be built near Barcelona. Ferrari Land, which will include a five-star hotel with 250 rooms, restaurants and a driving simulator, will be built within the PortAventura complex. The company behind the project, Investindustrial, is ploughing €100 million into the venture which is set to open in 2016. It follows the announcement of plans to build a StarTrek themed amusement park in Alicante.