Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 69 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

Est. 1946

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Serious

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Deal with the devil

CHOKING

It added such levels could cause ‘serious environmental and health problems’ to the local population. The European Commision has already calculated that up to 50,000 people die prematurely from air pollution caused by ships, in particular due to emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxide. Both groups are calling for much stricter regulations on pollutants by these vessels, in a bid to cut back on pollution.

Vol. 3 Issue 69 www.gibraltarolivepress.com April 25th - May 8th 2018

BAD AIR: In Gib

GREEN groups are warning that pollution from ships could be seriously damaging the health of Gibraltarians. A damning report by Ecologistas en Accion, alongside German ecological group NABU, claims that ultra-fine particles from boats in the Straits are up to 70 times higher than in cities. The study claimed that one recent reading measured 143,000 ultra-fine particles per cubic centimetre in the air near the Rock. While the local group Verdemar admitted the measure was taken just after the departure of a ship the difference between ‘normal’ city levels of approximately 2,000 particles per cubic centimetre is ‘alarming’.

An Olive Press campaign leads to landmark breakthrough for lethal drug which killed countless expats

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Trust linked to government minister buys key Rock property from Syria’s evil ‘Butcher of Hama’ By Laurence Dollimore

A GIBRALTAR office building owned by the uncle of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad is being bought in a knock-down deal by a company linked to a government minister. Europort Trust, managed by Financial Services Minister Albert Isola and two of his relatives, is selling 6-9 Europort owned by ‘the Butcher of Hama’ Rifaat al-Assad for £13 million under a valuation price, a court judgement shows. The sensational ruling - which the Isola family tried to keep private - reveals that the property was bought for £17.5 million, well under its official £31 million value. And furthermore, the contro-

MAKING A KILLING: Rifaat cashing in via Isola versial deal was brokered by a sister company - Fiduciary - also run by the family trusts of Lawrence, Albert and Peter Isola. The purchase is set to go through despite hundreds of Assad’s properties around France, Spain and the UK being currently embargoed by the authorities, while he is being probed for money laundering, corruption and tax evasion. It also comes to light in the same month that Syrian dictator Bashar Assad was accused again of gassing opponents

and his own civilians - includcourt ruling, the property is being many children - during the ing sold to Glenthorne Trust, bloody civil war. which, again, is Ironically the build75% owned by the CRIM E ing houses various family trusts of No bail for key government Albert SpanLawrence, ish jewel thief bodies, includand Peter Isola. ing the Financial As revealed by the Intelligence Unit Olive Press, last is(GFIU) and even sue, Rifaat - who Albert Isola’s own earned the nickFOUND IN FUENGI ROLA Ministry of Finanname ‘the Butcher cial Services. of Hama’ when he 091 Under the deal, killed up to 25,000 which has been people in a ruthrevealed by a less crackdown on public Supreme BUTCHER: Last issue Sunni Muslims in 2

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Walk of shame

TWO Gibraltarian men have been extradited from Spain, via the land frontier, after a European Arrest Warrant was issued for GBH last August.

Ganja getaway

A DRUG smuggler who rammed a Guardia Civil police car, leaving an officer hospitalised, has been arrested. The 60-yearold from La Linea was caught with 27 bales of cannabis.

Dole dupe

SOME 43 people have been identified in a Social Security racket that defrauded more than €15 million. Conspirators were found in Cádiz, Granada, Malaga and Sevilla.

Stories and features in this edition of Gibraltar’s original community newspaper

Washed out

April 11th - April 24th

Trial set for exiled Syrian who used Gib companies to invest ‘stolen money’ into Spanish properties

THE uncle of Syrian dent Bashar al-Assad Presiis finally set to face trial following a Europe-wide probe leged ill-gotten gains. into alDubbed the ‘Butcher Hama’, Rifaat al-Assad, of amassed his fortune in 80, Syria during the 1980s, before legedly using companies alin Gibraltar and Panama chase more than 500 to purproperties in Spain and dozens of chateaus in France. Spanish cops raided 15 of

2018

A SPANISH thief has refused bail after been caught with watches andbeing jewellery worth 50,000 pounds. Builder Antonio Miguel Sanchez, from Marbella,Leon has

been charged with theft his properties in Marbella at the property in Cormorant from Syria’s coffers by and Puerto Banus last Rifaat Wharf, where he was underafter judge Jose de la year when he was exiled in the Mata 1980s. taking a renovation job. launched a money laundering The owners informed Rifaat and his relatives investigation. believed to have bought are ‘BUTCHER of items missing oncepolice A total of 76 companies 503 ’: Rifaat the and properties, including works had been completed. 16 people connected garages, While property empire, hadto the holiday homes, luxury hotel France. Sanchez denied their apartments and accounts frozen. country es- His largest property in Spain the theft forensic analysis is tates. the 3,000 hectare estate Some €300 million of matched his DNA to DNA lieved to have been is be- Most of the properties are La Maquina, which takes up a found on the jewellery looted in the Marbella boxas well as in third of the area of Benahavis es. and is worth a reported €60 The builder argued in court million. that he had merely moved The total market value of the boxes and other all the family’s properties personal belongings in Spain is reported to be a wardrobe so he stored in a AN Irish expat wanted whopping €691 million. could replace flooring. a dissident republican for the murder of for his trial and Last year, €862 million disappeared with his been arrested on the five years ago has girlfriend. confiscated by the French was Costa del Sol. Dean Evans, from Dublin, Evans, along with 35-year-old thorities, where he is set auScientific is one of three Edward men charged with the on trial later this year. to go murder of father- McGrathand and 46-year-old Sharif KelHowever this was at of-three Peter Butterfly, ly, was due to stand trial He may also face charges odds who was shot on charges conin with his initial dead in a car park Switzerland, where in County Meath in nected with the murder of 35-year-old he has view when he police interMarch 2013. Butterfly. Butterfly was been under investigation denied seeing them or touching anything Spanish police arrested in a car park after he found collapsed since 2013 for war 27-year-old Ev- from had been shot at ans on Thursday lunchtime allegedly committed crimes inside the wardrobe. a in the Stipendiary in Fuengi- It was car and died shortly after. rola. 1980s. alleged that Evans shot Magistrate Butterfly A European arrest Charles Rifaat’s brother expelled warrant was issued while he was sat in the back of the car. him insisting Pitto denied bail, by the Special Criminal McGrath and Kelly from Syria in the 80s his account Court were because was in sentenced Ireland last year, after Evans to he feared he was organising odds with the court’s at failed to show up life in prison after standing trial without eviEvans. political coup. An announce-a dence and the supporting ment on a trial is expected in scientific evidence. the coming weeks. Sanchez will next appear in court on May 2.

1982 - is currently under investigation in many countries. He is alleged to have invested hundreds of millions into property in France and Spain - with more than 500 properties in Marbella alone, it has been alleged. Spanish police raided 15 of his properties in Marbella last year after judge Jose de la Mata launched a money laundering investigation. Many of his Spanish properties were allegedly bought through trusts set up in Gibraltar. According to a high level Gibraltar source, Assad is ‘likely selling the Gibraltar property to unlock some cash while his accounts and property have been embargoed in Spain and France’. He added: “Whatever way you look at this, this is bad for Gibraltar PLC. It is not good for our reputation. “It is surprising that the French and Spanish judges did not force an embargo in Gibraltar too. “Ultimately where did this money come from in the first place?” A legal source added: “This is huge and the whole thing stinks. It’s unlikely to go away in a hurry.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Bad prank A YOUTUBER is facing up to two years in prison for filming himself giving Oreo cookies filled with toothpaste to a homeless man in Barcelona.

Man hunt THE Guardia Civil are searching for a Brit who seemingly abandoned his injured passenger after they plummeted 30 metres, landing near the Guadalmedina river in Marbs on April 22.

Dark web FIGURES released by the Internet Watch Foundation, a charity that searches for and removes online child sexual abuse imagery, show a 37% increase in child sexual abuse URLs, with Europe hosting 65% of found websites.

097

Stories and features in this edition of Gibraltar’s original community newspaper

Few clues why 52-year-old Briton died from head wounds on Rock By Susie Granic

MYSTERY continues to surround the death of a British national on the Rock. Police have launched an appeal for witnesses after Paul Peter Whiffin was found lying on the ground near Dudley Ward Tunnel. The coroner’s office is still investigating the death of the 52-year-old, whose reason for being on the Rock is unknown. Police have so far only confirmed the man died

CRIME

April 25th - May 8th 2018

Mystery death probe

from severe head injuries at St Bernard’s Hospital not long after he was found. A post mortem examination was set to be carried out to determine the exact cause of death, whether

from a fall or after being struck. The Royal Gibraltar Police have launched a witness appeal but are yet to state whether any witnesses have come forward. Officers state they wish to

Logging on to own goal POLICE got lucky when they found a detailed log of the amount of marijuana being imported by a drug gang in La Linea. In a rare joint operation by officers of the National Police and Guardia Civil police found a ledger showing the amount of drugs transported on one ship before being transferred elsewhere. It showed that the gang moved

3,100 kilos in 95 bales each of 33 kilos. In the raids, which led to three arrests, police also found fake licence plates for boats, alongside a bag of mobile phones and 3,300 kilos (3.3 tonnes) of hashish. The investigation began earlier this year when police started watching a series of warehouses after ‘unusual movements’ in one of them.

APPEAL: WHIFFIN

speak to anyone who may have been near the Dudley Ward Tunnel on Tuesday April 10 between 2.20 and 2.40pm and who may have seen Whiffin in the area. They say they are hopeful that someone may have seen something which would help them piece together the circumstances leading to the injuries.

Clothes

At the time of the incident Mr Whiffin was wearing a dark coloured raincoat and dark jeans. Anyone with any information which they feel may help the investigation is asked to contact police on 200 72500.

BUSTED: Gang

Car jacked A CRIMINAL gang which robbed cars to sell to drug traffickers has been busted in Andalucia. Three suspects, aged between 32 to 42, were arrested in El Puerto de Santa Maria, in Cadiz, for stealing expensive 4X4s from residential areas. They then sold them on to drug traffickers in the Campo de Gibraltar region, mostly La Linea. Police seized 15 vehicles, 14 of which were robbed from victims’ homes in El Puerto, Chipiona and Rota y Chiclana.

Hug warning SPANISH police have warned of an increase in jewellery thefts using an age-old hugging trick. Police claim there has been a rise of criminals approaching victims on the street saying that they look identical to one of their relatives. They then proceed to give a hug them while slyly removing jewellery.

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It’s a boy! THE Duchess of Cambridge has given birth to a baby boy. Kate Middleton was admitted to St Mary’s Hospital, London, on Monday morning ‘in the early stages of labour’. The 36-year-old royal was driven by car from her Kensington Palace to the private Lindo Wing, accompanied by her husband Prince William. HAPPY FAMILY: New prince welcomed

Shereen the machine Gibraltar doctor blasts fellow contestants on Bear Grylls show

ICON: Avicii

Rest in peace HE has been a regular on the Spanish DJ circuit for years. So it will come as a shock to many that DJ Avicii has died aged just 28. The world-famous musician, real name Tim Berling, died before a scheduled performance in Oman. The double-Grammy winner’s last performance was in Ibiza.

Madonna

The cause of the death has not yet been revealed, although he took a break in August 2016 citing health reasons. The Stockholm-native collaborated with many highprofile artists, including Madonna, Jon Bon Jovi and Robbie Williams.

A GIBRALTAR doctor has blasted her fellow contestants for entering a top TV show as ‘overweight and unfit’. GP Shereen, 48, aka ‘Shereen the machine’, slammed the group appearing with her on The Island with survival expert Bear Grylls.

Ketogenic

Shereen Saleh (right) who put herself through a ketogenic diet plan before arriving in the isolated Pacific location, said she had a head-start compared to her fellow participants, thanks to her familiarity with fasting and food re-

GIB DOC: Shereen

Stranger things happen GROWING up among the shifting, footloose population of the Costa del Sol has helped shape her into one of the most influential people in the world. Former expat actress Millie Bobby Brown, who lived for years near Marbella, has been named among Time Magazine’s top 100 most influential figures globally. The Stranger Things star, who was born on the coast, was credited for her ‘timeless spirit and mind’. Hollywood star Aaron Paul, of Breaking Bad fame, explained: “She somehow understands the human experience as if she has lived it for a thousand years.” Millie, who is a frequent visitor to the Costa del Sol, rose to superstar status playing Stranger Things’ Eleven, a telekinetic runaway from a government agency.

striction. The Channel4 show aims to highlight financial disparity between the two teams, with one group made-up of high-earning professionals, dubbed ‘Camp snob’ each taking home an average of £100,000 a year and the other, ‘Camp peasant’ all earning below the UK average wage. Shereen, who was raised by nuns, said Camp peasant were not ‘fit enough’ to hunter and gather and complained of ‘missing their Maccy D’s’. The single mother-ofthree added that the extreme conditions of the show, however, helped her campmates change their unhealthy lifestyles for the better. “I was shocked at how well their group did at surviving, because they were unfit and overweight,” she said.

We’re in Ora! UK singing sensation Rita Ora is to make a welcome return to the Gibraltar Calling festival. The star will make her second appearance at the MTV festival, having wowed the crowds in 2014. The two-day event on September 21 and 22 will also welcome Chase & Status, performing one of their legendary DJ sets. “Gibraltar Calling will be a great show - we can’t wait to smash up the main stage this summer,” announced the pair. Scottish rock/pop band Texas will also appear as part of their revival tour, alongside rockers America, 80s ska band Bad Manners and British glam rockers Sweet. The acts join Stormzy, Rag’n’Bone Man and Two Door Cinema Club, who are already confirmed.

Fast

STAR POWER: Influential

“You could say they had bodily reserves but to be a hunter gatherer you need to work for your food, if you are not fit how can you hunt and gather?” “I personally think that the people who went on the island, it has benefited them. It is good to fast.” The Island with Bear Grylls, abandons 16 Brits on uninhabited islands in the Pacific where they have to fend for themselves. In the fifth series, two separate groups were abandoned at opposite ends of a remote uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. The show airs every Monday.

PERFORMING: Bad Manners and Chase & Status

80S COMEBACK: Sweet set to rock the stage

advice

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April 25th - May 8th 2018

SHAMBLES!

Spanish judge makes shock decision to release Simon Corner, over Lisa Brown death A MAN probed over the death of British expat Lisa Brown is to be released. Simon Corner will be allowed to go free after a Spanish judge shelved the investigation against the prime suspect in the murder case. Judge Garcia Ramila made the shock decision after Corner was arrested at London Heathrow airport after apparently going on the run. The judge acted after state prosecutors requested he ‘freeze’ his two-and-a-half year investiga-

By Laurence Dollimore and Elisa Menendez

RELEASED: Corner to be freed from London cell3 tion. It comes after expat Corner made himself the subject of an arrest warrant after failing to regularly appear at San Roque’s court number 2 after being awarded bail. Before the shock decision,

Lisa’s Brother Craig Douglas told the Olive Press: “We’d be flabbergasted and majorly disappointed if he doesn’t get bail again. We really can’t see that happening.” The 35-year-old will now be set free from his London cell where

Motorcycle death appeal A YOUNG woman has died in an apparent hit and run wincident in the early hours of the morning. The 24-year-old was riding a motorcycle that crashed on Europa Road between the hours of 2.30 and 3.30am. Her body was not found until a few hours later, it has been claimed. The Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) are

now investigating the circumstances of the accident and have asked for any potential witnesses. They are urging anyone who was in the areas around Loreto School and Brympton Estate between the hours of 02.30am to 03.30am to come forward. If you have any information contact the RGP on 200 72500.

he had been held for a week. Meanwhile, five other suspects in the case have also had their bail conditions lifted by the same judge. In a shocking 10-page ruling, the judge admitted he was legally obliged to take into account the lack of ‘concrete proof’ against Corner, but insisted he could still be tried if Lisa’s body is found or new evidence against him comes to light. The investigation into Lisa’s disappearance from Guadiaro, near Sotogrande, in November 2015, has revealed there was a violent struggle at the Scottish expat’s home, which she shared on and off with Corner. But Judge Garcia said: “This court has serious doubts that Corner is the person responsible for the crimes of homicide or unlawful detention being investigated. “That is because of the testimony of the witness who says she saw Lisa driving her Ford Focus near her home on the

From front page

morning of November 6, 2015, and because no material evidence he actively participated in Lisa’s disappearance has been obtained despite multiple inquiries against Simon over the past two and a half years.” Brother Craig said the family will ‘never give up’ the fight to find out what happened to Lisa and even took the case to Scottish Secretary of Justice, Michael Matheson, who pledged Scotland’s support. He told the Olive Press last week: “It just consumes you. I go to work and I’m very aware that I don’t want to be old misery guts, so you have to be as positive as you can and joke about silly things but in the back of your mind you have this turmoil going on. “There’s been so many obstacles we’ve had to overcome and learn as we go along, you can’t google or go on youtube for these things. “There’s still a long way to go. It’s a learning process,” he added. Police have yet to comment officially but sources said the investigation will continue.

They are also calling for restrictions on the amount of ships allowed to enter the Campo de Gibraltar area. They point out that such restrictions already exist in the English Channel, the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Maritime traffic in the Straits is now over 100,000 ships per year - one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world - is predicted to increase by two and a half times over the next 30 years. “We cannot accept excuses to postpone stricter regulations on emissions from boats, while maritime traffic goes up by up to 250% by 2050,” said Ecologistas spokesman Maria Garcia.

Off track A RAILWAY extension that would connect Marbella with Estepona has been rejected. The Platform for the Coastal Train, made up of various professional bodies and associations, claim that the proposed plans made little sense as they do not provide a competitive alternative to private car or bus travel.

Alternative

Two alternative ideas have been put forward by the platform, including a 55km overground line, running parallel to the toll motorway with connections to Marbella and San Pedro and a line that would run closer to the coast underneath the A7.

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www.gibraltarolivepress.com The Rock’s only investigative

local newspaper

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Gibraltar Olive Press represents the local and expatriate communities working or living on the Rock with 10,000 copies distributed fortnightly.

OPINION

Fe at u re

Dose of reality

KILL THE DRUG

When will it end? We have backed the search for Lisa Brown since its infancy and this latest installment in the tragedy has obviously affected the family and bought all their emotions back to the forefront. We all hope that one day closure can happen and that they will be given the full facts as to what happened on that fateful day. We will continue to support their efforts and raise awareness and wish them all the strength they can muster to get them through each day. Any expat who knows what happened to Lisa MUST come forward, and shame on those who know the truth but have kept their mouths shut and left the Brown family in the dark and without answers for years.

Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618 News editor

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Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Accounts Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@theolivepress.es

reporters Elisa Menendez elisa@theolivepress.es Aleesha Hansel aleesha@theolivepress.es Designer James Partington design@theolivepress.es

Maria Angeles Vázquez mangeles@theolivepress.es Admin and account assistant Distribution Graham Warters distribution@theolivepress.es

Clarke Media Ltd. Registration number: 113878 Suite 2B, 143 Main Street, Gibraltar Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Desposito legal 834-2017

AWARDS

2016/2017 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2017

Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

April 25th - May 8th 2018

FTER tragically claiming the lives of countless expats and tourists it seems the UK-banned drug, Nolotil, is finally coming under

fire. Health network Marina Salud, Departamento de Salud de Dénia, has taken action to protect expats from the lifethreatening side effects of the commonly prescribed painkiller. Marina Salud, based on the Costa Blanca, issued a warning to staff last week to avoid prescribing the drug - also known as Metamizol - to Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian patients where possible. The breakthrough move comes after an Olive Press campaign was followed up by Alicante-based legal and medical translator, Cristina Garcia del Campo, who began to personally investigate the drug and took her findings to Spanish authorities. “There is a reason why British people are not given this medication in the UK and they should not be given it here either, unless they specifically want it,” she added. Since breaking the story last issue, the Olive Press has received numerous calls and Facebook messages from concerned expats who have been taking Nolotil.

Within 24 hours she was in intensive care with her white blood cells at zero Many have now decided to stop. A 71-year-old man told the Olive Press he had been taking the painkiller for around six weeks following a road accident and had been feeling ‘very unwell’. The elderly man cares for his older brother and expressed his concerns about his own health. “I hope it’s not too late for me,” he said. It is for Londoner, Graeme Ward, who tragically lost his wife, Mary, 59, in 2006 after she was prescribed the drug following a double mastectomy at the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella. “Within 24 hours she was in intensive care and her white blood cell count plummeted to zero within days,” explained Ward, a former computer technician, based in Marbella. Mary never regained consciousness and was on a life support machine for four months, before spending three years fighting the impact of the drug, which led to organ failure. “The chief surgeon at the hospital said she would be alive if she hadn’t taken it,” added Ward. The 76-year-old has been campaigning ever since to regulate the drug and has regularly spoken out against Nolotil on local radio and television. “I wanted to sue the doctor who had prescribed it but was told that as it was legally on the market I would not have a case… So I then tried to raise awareness,” he said.

An Olive Press campaign has finally drawn blood by leading to a fresh probe into the controversial painkiller, Nolotil in Spain. Here, we speak to relatives of victims and campaigners about their hopes of finally regulating the lethal drug, that has killed dozens of expats

WAKING UP: Hospital de Denia has finally issued warnings over Nolotil

Breakthrough A SPANISH health network has warned its staff about a deadly painkiller that has left countless expats for dead. It comes after an Olive Press campaign into the drug Nolotil was picked up by a legal translator, leading to the ‘biggest’ drug probe in Spanish history. Marina Salud, which includes the Hospital de Dénia, 12 health centres and 34 doctor’s surgeries in Marina Alta, has issued a warning for staff to avoid giving Nolotil (Metamozil) to Anglo Saxon patients. It comes after the Denia-based health network took heed that the drug can have serious side effects on patients, in particular from northern Europe. “As Marina Salud is conscious of the cautions in the United States, the UK and Scandinavia regarding Metamozil, and due to the high percentage of British and Scandinavian residents in Marina Alta, it has issued a notice - not a ban - to its medical staff to preferably

Ward was furious when some years later he was prescribed the painkiller by his Spanish dentist, after suffering from a difficult abscess. “That was when I restarted the campaign and contacted the Olive Press,” he added. The 76-year-old, alongside the Olive

administer a different painkiller as a substitute to Metamizol,” a spokesperson told the Olive Press. The body is expected to be the first of many to take a similar step around Spain. “It has been a long time in coming and by raising so much awareness, I am sure lives have already been saved,” said campaigner Garcia del Campo, who has found up to 100 victims following on from our 1,000-strong Olive Press petition last year. An Olive Press investigation into the mysterious deaths of expats from the lethal drug, Nolotil, was launched last year. “Spain wants to help, that’s for sure. I have had support from every healthcare professional I have spoken to,” added Garcia del Campo, who has a medicine and pharmaceuticals qualification. The translator realised something was wrong after working with an Irish ex-

Press, has been campaigning ever since to regulate the drug. British carer, Rosina Wills, said one of her patients who had been taking Nolotil looked like the ‘walking dead’, while another five had suffered ‘serious detrimental side effects’. The Alicante-based carer treated a

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Fe at u re

olive press online October 2015

Gibraltar’s best English daily news Page views:xxxxxxxxx website Visitors: xxxxxxxx

The top five most read stories on Most read this www.gibraltarolivepress.com in the past two weeks, April 10 -fortnight April 24,onare: www.theolivepress.es

1 2 TRAGIC: (Left to right) Graeme Ward with late wife, Mary, Billy Smyth, campaigner Cristina and carer Rosina Wills

DID YOU

KNOW

across a large number of British and Irish patients who were suffering with sepsis as a result of taking Nolotil. Despite the breakthrough following Garcia del Campo’s findings, she said it ‘hasn’t been easy’ over the past four months. Although many expats got in touch to tell her they had lost a relative or suffered terrible side effects after taking Nolotil, they were not prepared to go on the record.

►► After its mass production in 1922, Nolotil was first banned in Sweden in 1974, followed by the US in 1979 and subsequently most of the EU. ►► It is still the go-to painkiller in Spain and is still available over-the-counter in Russia, with reports suggesting it makes up around 80% of the region’s painkiller market. (It’s also available in Mexico, India and Brazil). ►► Unlike other painkillers Nolotil does not cause problems to the stomach or liver. ►► Adverse effects appear to affect those of Anglo Saxon and Scandinavian heritage more than Spaniards. The most severe side-effects are: ►► Sepsis: an infection in which the immune system attacks the body ►► Necrotizing fasciitis: a flesh-eating disease ►► Agranulocytosis: a severe and rapid drop in white blood cells

at last pat who suddenly became critically ill with sepsis and necrotizing fasciitis after taking the drug. He died later in November. After months of tireless research and ‘sleepless nights’, she told the Olive Press how she got the evidence in front of Pharmacovigilance (Farmacovigilancia) in Valencia - a drug safety organisation, which monitors and prevents adverse effects. Nolotil is banned in the UK, the US and most of Europe. The drug is still one of the most popular painkillers in Spain, yet the most feared side effect is agranulocytosis, a severe and rapid drop in white blood cells, which leaves patients unable to fight infections. Garcia del Campo revealed medical professionals now believe there could be a lack of an enzyme or a genetic difference, that means Anglo Saxons and Scandinavians are at higher risk than Spaniards.

3 4 5

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“It is not possible to notify cases of people by just reading their comments. “I need certain information and unless they give it to me, their case does not get notified and that way, they are not helping anybody,” she added. The translator said it hindered the investigation at times and she has been close to giving up. “I have also had to put up with some ignorant comments from people who were very insulting. “One even accused me of being raclotil, she advised her to stop taking it. ist because I said Nolotil seemed to By the end of the week the patient had be affecting Anglo Saxons more than stopped scratching. Spanish people,” she “The lady became added. much brighter and Despite this, Garcia del in better health after Mijas Costa Campo greatly praised stopping the drug. She expat social media Save our gET in iT TO win iT! had energy,” added home! groups, such as Javea the carer. Connect, and the many The patient, who sufvictims who have come fered from breast canforward. cer, also had swollen Spanish healthcare lymph nodes in her professionals supportarmpits which had ed the investigation as looked ‘angry and soon as she raised her alive’ but started to concerns, which she dull and and dry up afsaid has now led to a ter stopping the drug. nationwide probe. “I am constantly comOn hearing the news of SALE 59 ing across new pa- LONG TIME COMING: Our appeal the investigation this Mosquito tients who are being last year and the recent newsScreens week, Graeme Ward, of prescribed it and I find an investigation said: “Without Nolotil it a battle with certain my wife would still be nursing staff who do alive today. It’s high not agree, or do not time for it to be banned want to fight the Spanand the manufacturers Mijas Costa ish healthcare system. should be ashamed of “I just think this has themselves. got to stop,” added “I’m so pleased some64-year-old Wills, who thing is hopefully being even wrote to the Britdone.” ish Consulate in a bid Speaking of Marina to raise awareness. Salud’s warning Wills Many expats have added: “Anything is contacted authorities, better than nothing” however, with no supand is keeping her finport and did not know gers crossed for further Mosquito where?? Screens ANTHONY’S where to turn. regulation in Spain. Luckily for them, mediGarcia del Campo is cal translator, Garcia still urging expats del Campo, was compelled to protect affected by Nolotil to message at the expat community after coming cristinadrugresearch@gmail.com. Book with the coast’s most trusted transfer company

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THE Olive Press is giving away three pairs of tickets for two of the best concerts on the Costa del Sol this summer... And all you have to do is answer two simple questions! Michael Bolton takes to the stage for an emotive end of season night at Marbella’s Puente Romano on August 10, while Estepona is set for its biggest rock concert in years with mammoth

EXCluSiVE By laurence dollimore

Doctors and dentists join Olive Press appeal for ban on dangerous painkiller Nolotil

A BRITISH expat couple are fighting to save their Malaga home from demolition over a technicality. Gill and Bob Ward, both 74, have been locked in a battle with their town hall, which claims their house in Almayate is illegal. Just yesterday the retired couple from Cornwall were given

EXCluSiVE By laurence dollimore

one month to knock down their only property (pictured above). In a court order seen by the Olive Press, the Wards are warned they will be held criminally responsible if they refuse. “I don’t know what to do anymore, I’m at the end of my tether” Gill told the Olive Press, “I’m totally exhausted from the whole ordeal.” The retired pair, who have now spent thousands of euros on legal costs, bought the old farmhouse ‘in ruins’ in 2004, and were given permission from Velez-Malaga town hall to rebuild it. But when the original wall collapsed of its own accord during construction, the Wards’ architect told them it would be fine and that he would let the town hall know. Unfortunately for Continues on Page 8

THE Olive Press is calling on Spain to ban a lethal painkiller that is killing countless of unsuspecting expats. British dentists and doctors are supporting the ban after Briton Graham Ward, 75, complained to the Olive Press of how he was prescribed the deadly Nolotil drug by a dentist last week. It’s the very same drug that was blamed for killing his wife in 2006. The Marbella-based expat was furious when he was told to take the painkiller by his Spanish dentist, after suffering from a difficult abscess. His wife Mary, 59, had died after being prescribed the same drug following a double vasectomy at Costa del Sol Hospital. “Within 24 hours she was in intensive care, her white blood cell count plummeted to zero within days,” explains Graham, a former computer technician, from London. She never regained consciousness and was on a life support machine for FOUR months, before spending three years fighting the impact of the drug, which led to organ failure. “The chief surgeon at the hospital promised me he would never prescribe that drug

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tribute bands Think Floyd, Deeper Purple and Whole Lotta Led rocking out the greatest hits of Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin at the Plaza del Toros on August 26. For a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Bolton, just answer the question; what year was Michael Bolton born in? For the Pink Purple Zep Fest in Estepona, just tell us; Where was Jimmy Page born? Email WIN WIN WIN: Bolton and Pink Purple Zep Fest tickets answers to the newsdesk@theolivepress.es.

Kill ThE drug

need for more research

Dr Nina King, of Oasis Dental Care in Marbella, fully supports the campaign, telling the Olive Press the drug is not something she prescribes. “It’s not a drug I use, I stick to safe and standard medication,” she said, “And after seeing what damage it can do, it’s a drug I won’t be using in the future.” Marbella-based private doctor Dra. Victoria María Chacón Almeda also agrees the drug is dangerous. “I don’t prescribe the drug,” she told the Olive Press, “I have lots of British patients and I am aware of what it is capable of doing. “There needs to be a lot more research on its impact.”

HAPPIER TIMES: Graham with wife, and Billy Smyth

again. “He said she would be alive if she hadn’t taken it, but I have heard from dozens of Brits and Irish who have been given it,” added Graeme. It is the third victim of the drug the Olive Press has reported on in under a year. Sometimes known also as

Metamizole, Nolotil is banned in the US, the UK, Ireland and most of Europe, but it is prescribed widely in Spain. ‘Billy’ William Irishman Smyth was given a five-day course of the drug in February. But when the 66-year-old returned to a different Spanish

doctor to get a renewal in April, tests showed the drug had caused a toxic poisoning in his bone marrow and his white blood cell was dangerously low. Billy, a keen sportsman, developed sepsis and necrotising fasciitis as a result and required ‘radical surgery’ to remove the affected tissue in an attempt to save his life.

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The dad-of-two later died from septic shock – believed to be linked to taking the Nolotil. BritAnother ish expat Hugh Wilcox was prescribed the same for medication shoulder mild pain on the Costa del Sol. He developed severe head Continues on Page 2

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CAMPAIGNER: Cristina

olive Press medical campaign finally draws blood with Nolotil regulation close EXclUSiVE By Elisa menendez

woman with cancer who took Nolotil for 17 months and said her ‘blood count was so low we couldn’t believe she was still alive.’ Wills said the patient had a ‘terrible constant itch over her body’ and was pulling her hair out. After discovering the side effects of No-

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AN Olive Press health campaign has led to ‘the biggest’ drug probes in Spanish history. Our investigation into the mysterious deaths of expats from the painkiller Nolotil last year, is finally being acted on. In a landmark breakthrough, a national probe is expected to lead to new regulation of the drug, which is banned in the UK and most of Europe. “It has been a long time in coming and by raising so much awareness, I am sure lives have already been saved,” medical and legal translator Cristina Garcia del Campo told the Olive Press. The medical professional found our 1000-strong petition online and took it forward after one of her patients died from the drug. “Spain wants to help,

loomS TRAGIC: Graeme Ward with wife Mary (left) and Billy Smyth, who both died from Nolotil

that’s for sure. I have had support from every healthcare professional I have spoken to. “If I hadn’t come across your article I wouldn’t have realised what was happening to the English community,” she added. We launched our ‘Kill the Drug’ campaign against the painkiller last August, after learning that dozens of British and Irish expats had died after their immune systems were allegedly destroyed by the commonly prescribed drug. A trio of families told us how their relatives had died unnecessarily in excruciating pain. Yet, authorities refused to take our claims seriously, despite the evidence being backed up by local doctors. Fortunately, Ali-

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EXCluSiVE By laurence dollimore

Vol. 11 Issue 271

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Doctors and dentists join Olive Press appeal for ban on dangerous painkiller Nolotil EXCluSiVE By laurence dollimore

tribute bands Think Floyd, Deeper Purple and Whole Lotta Led rocking out the greatest hits of Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin at the Plaza del Toros on August 26. For a chance to win a pair of tickets to see Bolton, just answer the question; what year was Michael Bolton born in? For the Pink Purple Zep Fest in Estepona, just tell us; Where was Jimmy Page born? Email answers to the newsdesk@theolivepress.es. WIN WIN WIN: Bolton and Pink Purple Zep Fest tickets

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HAPPIER TIMES: Graham with wife, and Billy Smyth

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Metamizole, Nolotil is banned in the US, the UK, Ireland and most of Europe, but it is prescribed widely in Spain. Irishman William ‘Billy’ Smyth was given a five-day course of the drug in February. But when the 66-year-old returned to a different Spanish

The dad-of-two later died from septic shock – believed to be linked to taking the Nolotil. Another British expat Hugh Wilcox was prescribed the same medication for mild shoulder pain on the Costa del Sol. He developed severe head Continues on Page 2

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Nolotil, or Metamizol, is still one of the most popular painkillers in Spain, yet the most feared side effect is agranulocytosis, a severe and rapid drop in white blood cells, which leaves patients unable to fight infections. Garcia del Campo noticed that a large number of other English

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cante-based Garcia del Campo spotted our campaign, while working with an Irish expat who suddenly became critically ill with sepsis and necrotizing fasciitis after taking the drug. He died later in November.

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and Irish patients had been suffering with sepsis at hospitals along the Costa Blanca. “I thought, this can’t be normal,” explained the translator, from Madrid. And after looking at patients’ notes, she found that each had one thing in common - they were all taking Nolotil. Although manufacturers list side effects such as agranulocytosis, necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis, they are considered ‘very rare’ affecting one in every 10,000. The figures did not seem to add up to Garcia del Campo so she set about doing her own research. However, no information existed in Spanish media. The only articles she could find on the drug and its lethal side effects was in the Olive Press. “I was in disbelief,” continued the Javea-based translator, who lived in the UK for 18 years. “I thought this was surely wellknown and someone was doing something about it. Except it wasn’t. “I felt I had to inform Spain Continues on Page 2

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omic con, Nuffield Pool Complex May 4-6

THE Gibraltar Comic Con will host science fiction and fantasy related film subjects, television programmes and a larger range of pop culture across virtually all genres.

nnual International GCVA Car rally, May 19-20

THE Rally will see dozens of classic cars on display at Casemates square on the first day, before assembling in Spain on the Sunday for a 100km run.

ay Day, Casemates Square May 1

Acts such as Heritage, the Layla Rose Band, Gibraltar Youth Choir and the Transitions Dance Academy will be performing during this family friendly day out.

oyal Naval Field Gun Display, May 5

ORGANISED by the combined Forces in Gibraltar, the display will take place at 10am in John Mackintosh Square.

la cultura c ampo

Contrived It will demonstrate the ‘repetitive, schematizing and contrived nature of Andy Warhol’s visual works’ that the artist has explored and exhibited for more than three decades ‘through his feverish creative activity.’ Entitled Warhol. Mechanical Art, the exhibition will show off the iconic pieces that made his career one of the most succesful in the 20th century, including Campbell’s Soup Cans. There will be almost 400 pieces on display, including his paintings, sculptures, drawings, silkscreen

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Immerse yourself in the Malaga exhibition of one of the world’s most famous artists ANDY Warhol’s work is coming to the Costa del Sol. A special curated exhibition at Museo Picasso in Malaga will showcase the complex artistic production of one of the biggest names in art history. The show will centre on the development of Warhol’s legacy during his career.

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Censorship row

Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish news on the go. A MALAGA-based artist is facing up to three years in prison for plastering historic buildings with his artwork. Known only as Invader, the French artist began creating mosaics on buildings across the capital in May last year. His canvases appeared on ORIGINAL: Pop art maestro Andy Warhol will have major retrospective Episcopal Palace, the The Olivethe Press Palace of Salinas and other buildings of the Historic Center of Malaga, protectTOP for news in Spain! ed by the Law of Historical Heritage. The offence is being considered as a ‘penal infraction’ by a Malaga court which is punishable by anything from a fine to three years in prison. A judge has asked the owners of the affected buildings paintings, installations, sources. popular and worth millions for the costs of repairing the artist books, films, record Warhol was the master and to this day. ‘damage’ before making its sleeves, posters, magacreator of pop art, creating decision. zines, designer objects and iconic portraits of the likes Andy Warhol’s Mechan- The works have created a photographs. of Marilyn Monroe, Liz Tay- ical Art is scheduled to bitter dispute between local The art works have come lor and Jackie Kennedy. be on view from May 31 authorities and the Junta, on loan from 45 different His work has remained through September 16. the former of which sees the 29 different mosaics as urban art and has advocated for it to remain in place.

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MALAGUEÑO Antonio Banderas will feature in Pedro Almodovar’s next film alongside Penelope Cruz. Dolor y Gloria will begin filming this July and is described as a film with male protagonists – in contrast to his last outing, Julieta – Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory) stars Banderas and

Banking on Banksy RESIDENTS of a small town in Spain have woken up to what they believe is the country's first Banksy. The wall in Ferrol de Coruña, Galicia, has received the graffiti treatment in the style of the British artist in a space that has been reserved for him for years. The piece shows two Guardia Civil officers kissing and appears to have been signed off by the world famous enigma, whose work sells for millions of euros at auction. It comes after the Meninas de Canido initiative, sponsored by Estrella beer, was launched several years ago, pleading for Banksy to use their walls for a new piece. The spot, by number 23 on calle Muiño de Vento, was reserved for the British artist as part of a regeneration plan for the neighbourhood which began eight years ago. Last September 35,000 people attended the eighth edition of its urban art festival. A spokesman said: "We do not know if the work which has appeared in the reserved space is original or not." If confirmed by Banksy, it would be the first of its kind in Spain, after one found in San Sebastian was erased after not getting confirmation of its authorship.

Asier Etxeandía in the leading roles. The film recounts ‘a series of meetings, some physical, others remembered decades later, of a film director now in his twilight years,’ according to Almodovar. He added that it will encompass ‘the first loves, the second loves, the mother, mortality, an actor with whom the director worked, the 60s, the 80s, current times, and the emptiness, a sense of incommensurate emptiness, caused by the inability to go on making films.’ There is expected to be much speculation over how much the film is inspired by Almodovar’s own life.

Estepona

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Vol. 3 Issue 69

April 25th - May 8th 2018

Flower power

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Estepona’s garden city looks bloomin’ marvellous in the merry month of May, writes Chloe Glover

IN BLOOM: Flowers bedeck a church steps, while (right) a mural brightens up a tower block

IKE through a cool green mountain forest in the morning, savour mango mojitos and mariscos under palm trees on the beach for lunch, then lose yourself in a maze of flower-strewn streets where tapas temptations are served under arcades of orange blossom. Welcome to Estepona, the unrivalled Garden of the Costa del Sol. An enviable oasis of greenery blossoming between the concrete jungles of neighbouring resorts, Estepona’s picturesque charm is in full flower right now. And in the face of Andalucia’s tourist boom, its potpourri of attractions have never been riper for the plucking. Sandwiched between the Sierra Bermeja and the Mediterranean sea, its surf and turf offer encompasses everything from diving and horse riding to wildlife safaris, flamenco, a modern museum of ancient burial chambers and a nocturnal vibe that will

make you feel very much alive. Estepona’s casco antiguo (old town) with its kaleidoscopic potted flowers is love at first sight ... and scent. The entire town has been florally rejuvenated over the last five years, with tens of thousands of pots to be planted this year alone! “It was a wonderful idea,” explains one local agent. “Around 100 streets have been renovated over the last five years. “The buildings have been restored while plant pots have been added to each one so that now they burst with the colour of the flowers. “It’s really revived the old town.” The four-kilometre Paseo Maritimo is another sparkling jewel in Estepona’s floral crown. Drift along the pretty coastal path, ice cream in hand, to the rhythm of gently swaying tropical trees alive with chirruping birds. Stop for a breather at one of the styl Continues on Page 9

10 10

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SHIMMERING: The puerto is a delight in the summer

From Page 10

FAMOUS: Estepona’s love for floral decorations

ish wooden chiringuitos along the beachfront serving up rainbow salads, cocktails and freshly-caught sardines chargrilling on spits from freshly-painted old rowing boats making good use of their retirement. The sizzling aroma wafts the whole length of Estepona’s 21km shoreline, Estepona’s mountain, basking in a purple haze in the background, offers other foodie and floral delights. Towering 1,508 metres into the sky, Sierra Bermeja’s dense green woodlands feel like a different continent. You could be in a south American jungle. Get on your bike or hike along one of the dozens of walking and cycling trails or drive up the winding road to appreciate the sheer, jawdropping size of the mountain.

Port side

Biodiverse and the only place to find rust red peridotita rocks and pinsapo Spanish firs together, a huge community campaign is underway to turn it into a national park. You’ll wonder why this is still an undiscovered

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SPANISH VIBES: The cobbled and flower-adorned streets are a draw

secret side to Estepona as you tuck into a a giant sardine through town during Carnaslice of cake and a glass of sweet Malaga val and follow the procession of prancing wine in the atmospheric mountain top refu- Andalucian horses during May’s romeria. gio, lit only by gas lamps! Dive for sweets thrown off floats by the Back in the chocolate box plazas of the old Three Kings in January and bring your town, a further feast of cultural delights best fancy dress hat to wear in the Plaza wait to stimulate all the senses. de Reloj while attempting the ‘12 grapes With 50-odd murals, dozens of poetry wall challenge’ - swallow one at every chime of plaques inscribed with inspirational verses the church bell - that heralds every Spanish and a trail of modern and classical sculp- New Year. tures, local and national artAside from its packed fiesta LIVELY: The town is full of art and there are music festivals all year round ists have created delightful calendar, Estepona promotes You’ll find surprises at every street’s its Andalucian charm with twist and turn. a weekly programme of uneverything There’s a walking route dedimissable events. cated to them and you can Experience the passion of from the latest pick up a free trail guide from flamenco at Teatro Felipe, the tourist office in Plaza de fashions to spice where spectaculars are prelas Flores to make sure you sided over by internationallyshops email: belobelo501@gmail.com see them all. renowned performers Paco “The murals are yet another Javier Jimeno and Ana FarAvenida de España, 64 great source of pride for Esgas. 29680 Estepona tepona, also commissioned by our current Brush up on your bartering skills at the mayor,” explained a local tourist guide. grand Wednesday mercadillo or the small“With a great mural contest planned for er Sunday farmer’s market in Plaza ABC July, we hope to introduce 10 more simul- where stalls groan under the weight of taneously. fresh produce. “What other town has so many murals or a The more tourist-orientated Sunday port poetry route?” market is a honey pot for bargain-seekers, Plaza de las Flores, Estepona’s largest who come in their droves to snap up xxxx flower-bedecked square, lives up to its designer goods such as sunglasses and name. wallets. With a bubbling fountain and an arc of A pleasant half-hour walk along the orange trees, it is easy to see why this seafront from the centre, it’s a mecidyllic spot and neighbouring Plaza Dr. ca for early birds and night owls. Arce is so popular with visitors who Sailing, diving, paddle and kite surfstop here for a tinto de verano reing are just some of the nautical fresher or delicious homemade ice activities on offer for watersports cream from La Italiana. sorts. Or join the yacht set and But the real treasure hunt starts rent a boat for a day for a comwhen you venture up one of the adpletely different view of the coast. joining labyrinthine streets, where If all that sea air has given you an other secluded squares wait to seappetite, you can weigh anchor and duce passers by. eat right on the waterfront. More gems can be found in the town With 40 restaurants and bars servcentre, where an impressive numing up an ethnic variety of dishes Erik’s Jazz Bar ber of hip boutiques and artisan you can take your tastebuds on a shops stretch off in every direction round-world cruise. Chinese, Thai, from the main shopping drags of Indian, Italian, Irish, Belgian and Calle Terraza and Calle Real. American are among the ports of In the winding streets, not unlike call on offer. The Lanes in Brighton, you’ll find Or dine out on seafood fresh off everything from the latest fashions the boats at Escollera, a local faand leather shoes to spice shops, vourite that’s always packed to the delicatessens and decor stores. gunnels. Atmospheric any time of year, bank The port party scene cranks up at holidays turn up the local colour to 8pm, when revellers descend on full volume. Reinaldo’s bar to take advantage Stand in awe inhaling the incenseof its renowned happy hour. heavy air as pointy-hooded nazaReggaeton, rock and pop renos navigate huge golden soundtracks fill the air and in thrones through the town’s typical Spanish stay-out-alltight passageways during the night style, the fiesta doesn’t solemn Semana Santa prostop until the sun comes up. cessions. Continues on Page 11 Join the throngs who parade

Tel: 952 155 756

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These days the port has a lot more competition from the town centre where a glut of high quality eateries and character bars have set out their stalls with artisan tapas temptations. Head to Calle Real for lip-smacking good multicultural fare or venture up one of the winding side streets to unearth other foodie gems. If you’re planning to indulge in the excellent range of local wines and sherries, Estepona will put you up in style. Rest your head at the wonderfully atmospheric Hotel Boutique Vera Cruz which has breathed fresh life into a historic building, now beautifully restored; wake up to the sparkling sea views from beachfront hotels Mediterraneo and Buenavista; or splurge on a night of luxury at the five- star Kempinski Bahia or four-star H10 As well as having Estepona Palace. Both equipped with heits own beach amd are donistic spas and pools where a whole weekend children’s play easily be whiled area, the laid back could away without leaving the resorts at all. zone is perfect For self-catering and budget options, the family-friendly neighbourhood of Benavista on Estepona’s eastern edge has an abundance of apartments, hotels, shops, bars and restaurants. As well as having its own beach and children’s play area, the laid back zone is the perfect base for taking advantage of Estepona’s biggest attractions. Kids and adults alike will go wild for Selwo Aventura in nearby Cancelada, a safari park without bars where visitors can get up close to giraffes, rhinos and elephants in jeeps. Or saddle up for a course in Andalucian dressage at one of the biggest equestrian centres in Spain. The Escuela de Arte Ecuestre Costa del Sol nurtures all levels of riders, from experts to absolute beginners. Just 10 minutes away from the town centre by car

April 25th - May 8th 2018

Pretty as a picture

or bus, Benavista is another melting pot of multicultural cuisine, with some top-rated Indian and contemporary Spanish restaurants. You can work off the calories at one of Benavista’s gentlysloping golf courses, a great compliment to the manicured

BONING UP: A statue of a newspaper reader is one of many

fairways on the western side of the town. Yes, even the grass looks greener in this fertile Costa del Sol garden where everyone is welcome. No other resort has found a better way to say it with flowers.

Estepona boasts two of the Costa del Golf’s founding courses, and a whole lot more

WO of the genuine grandes dames of the Costa del Golf are found in Estepona. Both El Paraiso and Atalaya rank with the oldest courses on the coast and were established in the days when you could build a golf course just about anywhere you liked. As a result, the quality of the courses is fantastic, built on wonderfully flat land with the mountainous backdrop of the Sierra de las Nieves. It means you don’t lose so many balls and the courses are easy to walk around. El Paraiso caters for every kind of golfer, boasting seven different types of membership and up to eight competitions a week for varying abilities. It also has an active ladies section, with more than 200 members. Atalaya Golf Club proudly dates back to 1968, when the design of the course was more important than fitting it between apartment blocks. Eucalyptus trees, cacti and palms line the club’s two 18-hole courses - Atalaya Old and Atalaya New - whose wide, easy-walking fairways pass fountains and flower beds. As a members’ club that is open to guests, the course has a lively community feel and there is always a buzz around the clubhouse. Although a younger course, dating from 1989, Estepona Golf is famous for superb putting sur-

PITCH PERFECT: Estepona courses

Greens are go! faces and sea views. Featuring strong par 3s, it provides an excellent round for players of all standards. “Estepona has the best golfing temperatures in Europe, with over 320 days of sunshine a year and an average of 22 degrees,” explains Jason Callow, of Estepona Golf. “This coast is one of the best

places in Europe for golf, due to the weather, the breathtaking panoramic views across mountains and sea, and of course the great choice on offer.” Contact El Paraiso on 952 883 835 or email info@elparaisogolfclub.com For Estepona Golf, call 952 937 605, or email information@esteponagolf.com

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Melting pot! T

HE look of concentration on his face is only matched by the cut of his jib. Dressed smartly in his civvies, he takes pride of place in the heart of the kitchen, carefully filleting a large chunk of Cadiz’ finest bluefin tuna. “It’s a job he always insists on doing,” explains a waiter outside. “He really enjoys doing it and no-one is going to argue with the boss.” This is Manuel Marquez Caravaca (far right), better known as ‘Manolo’ at La Rada, a restaurant that has been serving up Estepona’s finest seafood for three decades.

Estepona has a great mix of places to eat, writes Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke It’s certainly been something of a success story for Caravaca, who started working at La Rada with his father, when it was just a tiny cafe beside the main coast road, well before the motorway arrived. Today it serves up to 500 people on a busy day in summer, which is no surprise, going on the knowledge of Manolo, who buys as much as possible from Andalucia’s BEACH-SIDE: The throng at El Pescador at the weekends, much thanks to Alfonso (right)

own waters and insists - adamantly - on wild, organic fish. “While difficult, it’s entirely possible still, you just have to work a bit harder and buy what’s good on each given day,” he explains. Another man who’s as passionate about fish - and just as insistent on cooking it in his own kitchen - is Alfonso (left) at Estepona’s other seafood stalwart, El Pescador. Sitting slap bang on the main beach, few places have developed as quickly and as stylishly in the town over the last decade. Through sheer hard work and a clever eye for quality and panache, he has turned his place into the other key fish restaurant in town… and it is perhaps no surprise that he used to work at La Rada just over a decade ago.

PROUD: La Rada’s Manolo shows off his wares and skills

Continues on Page 13

Enjoy the best fish and seafood while overlooking the sea

RESERVAS: 952 80 43 93 Paseo Marítimo Pedro Manrique 1, 29680. Estepona. Málaga

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Estepona

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You sit by the promenade overlooking the sea and eat only the best fresh fish from the nearby port. My tip is the sea bass in salt, an absolute joy. It is certainly a hard act to follow but Estepona is slowly developing a food culture to rival that of nearby Marbella. Little by little, more exciting and varied places are opening up around the town and along its coastline, dishing up every kind of cuisine, from Japanese to Venezuelan and Goan to Peruvian. Driven by an influx of wealthy and more demanding expats, particularly Scandinavians over the last few years,

Tasty dishes including prawn pil pil samosas and crab spring rolls the town’s chefs have had to up their game. Take Erik’s Jazz Bar right on the front; this friendly Swede has spent a fortune setting up this charming spot in honour of his new Venezuelan wife. Bringing a new style of cooking to the front, the menu varies by the day and depending on what the cooks can get hold of at the local markets. Best of all, the place does what it says on the tin...offers some of the best jazz to be had in the town, in particular at weekends, starting on Friday

CAPABLE: Simon at Kokomo and Juan at Sur

THE LOCAL TALENTS nights. And jazz buffs will love the array of original posters and album covers, including Miles Davis’ seminal Bitches Brew. Just up the road you will find the excellent chiringuito Palm Beach, one of the best on the coast for quality. Set up by talented former Dutch bro-

ker Erwin Vanderdonck, it has a range of tasty dishes including prawn pil pil samosas and crab spring rolls, which are melt-in-the-mouth amazing. The perfect place for families (with some great dishes catering for kids) you sit on the sand watching the day go by while your children can dive in and out of the sea.

OPEN EVERY DAY FOR LUNCH & DINNER From 10am to 11pm

Beach with 72 hammocks from 10€ – Beach Bar – Massages Inside and outside restaurant for LUNCH & DINNER 3 terraces with seaviews

NEW: BBQ/ESPETO !!!!

Live music &/or DJ on weekends

LAGUNA VILLAGE – A7 EXIT 160 Reservations: 952 800 873 or info@clarobeachclub.com

FOR OLIVE PRESS READERS – BOTTLE OF CAVA OFFERED, MIN 2 PEOPLE FOR LUNCH OR DINNER

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GALLIC FLAIR: The team at Lolas

PLACE TO BE: Erik’s Jazz Bar

Another superb chiringuito, just outside the port, up on the ‘secret’ Playa del Cristo you will find chiringuito Lolailo, where a

friendly team serves up the freshest fish that one would expect from a good beach restaurant.

Another long term favourite is Kokomo, where former Savoy chef Simon TaylorLane, gets busier as the years go on at the newer, bigger venue, up in Nueva Atalaya. Having also trained with Marco Pierre White, he has the classic knack of creating culinary classics and, best of all, at amazing value set lunch. He and wife Sally run a tight ship and it is incredible how busy their place gets. Up in the heart of Estepona meanwhile, there has been a quiet revolution going on with a string of new and stylish terrace restaurants opening of late. There are dozens of good places to graze, starting from Plaza Ortiz heading west up Calle Real or Calle Caridad towards Casa de las Flores and above. One of the nicest is easily the excellent Argentinian Sur, where well travelled owner Juan is never standing still, always trying new things in terms of decor, wines and dishes. A classic family affair, you often find father, wife, son and daughter, not to men Continues on Page 15

TOP TUCKER: Palm Beach terrace and food

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Bar y restaurante tel: +34 952 797 180

Serving International Breakfasts, Lunches & Evening Meals Opening Hours - Horario de apertura Monday to Friday de Lunes a Viernes 09:00 - 22:00 Saturday & Sunday Sabado y Domingo 09:30 - 22:00 Puerto paraiso 29, 29680 Estepona E-mail:delamar952@gmail.com

From Page 16

tion son-in-law serving up juicy empanadas, lamb tagines and, of course, the best steaks imaginable. If it is a good Italian you are after few places come as good as Rincon Toscana, run by Uri, who previously ran POLE POSITION: Tables at Casa Dona Jeronima and (left) Juan at La Pava a B&B near Siena. As well as great Italian wines, you will eat the freshest A little further up in Plaza de los run by a French couple from Avignon, pasta and the best pizzas around. Up on Calle Caridad don’t miss re- Flores you will love the style of Casa who have classic gallic flair and a nice Dona Jeronima, which mix of tapas and wines. cently opened La Para, is beautifully designed Meanwhile up in the port you will find run by a fabulous gourmet Juan Trapero, from There are some with a living plant wall some superb places including De la and stunning natural Mar, where Dutch owners Helene and Algeciras, who has a excellent fresh lighting inside and a Pim have moved into the world of dingreat eye for interior degreat terrace right in the ing, having previously run a pub. cor AND tapas. fish and grilled heart of Estepona’s best With a distinct international feel, This is a superb place to there is some excellent fresh fish and chill out and watch the meats and tasty square. Nearby, Casa del Rey grilled meats and some tasty tapas. world and his dog go by… tapas has around 70 wines Last, but not least if you find yourself you might even catch the by the glass and some up in Benavista, check out the excelentertaining Olive Press excellent pairing tips for lent Green Bar, which is always busy columnist Adam Neale, its excellent tapas. and has a great menu del dia as well who works at Terra Meridiana oppoNearby, you must look out for Lola’s, as some superb tapas. site.

P.S. GOURMET MARKET THE icing on the cake is about to turn Estepona’s ancient market into the most exciting gourmet innovation in decades. The final touches are now being made before the Mercado San Luis gourmet market opens this Spring. The market has nearly been completely renovated and when open will create up to 100 jobs across 28 stalls, each serving up a different type of food.

BAR

TAPAS

tel: 951 916 286 Plaza García Caparrós N3, Estepona Open all year – Closed Monday

Bar Lola’s Estepona

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SPAIN’S luxury shopping market is expected to more than double by 2025. It comes after a report by Bain & Co and Spanish luxury industry group Circulo Fortuny last week showed the Spanish luxury market was growing at twice the global average rate. Worth €9.2 billion last year, it is still three times smaller than France and Italy, but it will more than double to €20 billion by 2025.

ON THE UP: Luxury shopping Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish news on the go.

Campo hopes We’ll to become ensure a mecca for your links business investment to EUThe Olive Press after Brexit LA Linea is offering GibraltarTOP for news in based insurers a way to retain access to the single market after the UK leaves the European Union. Mayor Juan Franco has offered the enclave’s 60-plus insurers office space to accommodate them should they take the leap.

Adapt

“We could adapt the convention center to host the companies temporarily,” he suggested. “Other measures can be explored in the longer term.” The idea has been supported by a number of the Rock’s companies. Partner at Hassan’s law firm Nigel Feetham has already held two meetings with Spanish regulators about the plan. If it went ahead it would allow the firms access to the EU market while keeping most of their operations and staff in Gibraltar. “This could be a good example of cooperation between two communities which have been embroiled in disputes for a long time,” he said. He added it could be a potential solution for insurers based in London.

Business

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Spain!

THE formation of a Free Trade Zone in La Linea is ‘very advanced’, according to the Spanish government. Regional representative Antonio Sanz made the claim following a meeting with the Campo de Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. Describing it as “an important step from the point of view of attracting investment”, he said the zone could become ‘an opportunity’ for the town post Brexit.

Progress

He insisted the plan showed the government’s firm commitment toward the socio-economic development of the Campo area. Despite claims from Junta boss Susana Diaz that Madrid was not doing enough, Sanz pointed to progress with the Algeciras to Bobadilla freight railway line and insisted it would be finished in time.

Free the trade IMPORTANT STEP: La Linea to attract investment

He claimed that budgets were in place and pointed to the upcoming renovation of a stretch of the San Pablo to Almoraima stretch and expected progress on the Ronda to Antequera section, relating to line security and electricity substations. He added that this year he expects to see important advances in the Algeciras to Tarifa A-48 motorway connection, specifically in the link with Bologna. Speaking on the subject

Holiday boom SPANIARDS are travelling more and spending billions while doing it. New figures released by the National Institute of Statistics have revealed the Spanish took 6.5% more holidays or trips in 2017 than the year before. Half of the 193 million trips taken last year were holidays, with Spaniards spending €44.2 billion, 6.9% higher year-on-year. Some 91.1% of the trips were within Spain. Most travellers visited Andalucia, with the sunny region attracting 16.8% of all trips made by Spaniards last year. This was followed by Catalunya, with 13%, and the Valencian Community, with 9.6%.

STAYING HOME: Spanish visiting Spain

The news is set to benefit Spanish luxury brands like Loewe, Puig, Tous and San Patrick, which are looking to capitalise on this growth. “The Spanish luxury market is still quite small, but it is growing fast,” said Claudia D’Arpizio, a partner at Bain and lead author of the report. “It is a big opportunity for companies in this sector.” It comes as Spain exits its decade-long financial crisis and has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies.

Green cotton MANGO has committed to sourcing 50% of its cotton from sustainable sources by 2022. It comes after the Spanish clothing giant joined the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), which aims to transform the global cotton industry. Part of the initiative sees farmers receive training on how to use water efficiently, care for the health of the soil and natural habitats, reduce use of the most harmful chemicals and apply decent work principles.

of business development, Sanz highlighted the Government’s commitment to expansion to El Fresno of the economic area of the duty-free zone in the Bay of Algeciras, for which 130,000 square meters has been allocated and will come to fruition with the final authorisation by Customs.

NEWS IN BRIEF Falling behind SPAIN will not meet its deficit targets for this year or the next, the IMF has predicted.

Choc horror BRITISH favourite KitKat is set to lose its EU-wide trademark status allowing anyone to produce a chocolate bar mimicking its iconic shape.

Turkey’s back TURKEY is outselling mainland Spain as British holiday makers return to the destination in big numbers, with bookings up 84% and accounting for 61% of Thomas Cook bookings.

All made up VENEZUELA has announced it will normalise relations with Spain and that the two countries will restore ambassadors after a spat in January following EU sanctions against the South American nation.

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lockhead

By Christopher Cousins of Igniteratings.com

Enter S&P, Moody’s and the Photocopy machine In the second part of his new mini-series the CEO of Ignite Ratings, Chris Cousins, will explain why asset ratings are such an integral part of the global financial system IN the 1800s, America’s stock and bond market was starting to take off. The US railroad boom resulted in many bonds being issued by railroad companies. It was impossible to easily analyze all of them, so Moody’s came up with a solution, and the centralized rating agency was born. Back in those days investors paid for ratings reports NOT the issuer, but by the 1970s the photocopy machine changed all that. Moody’s and S&P, feared that the investors would simply make copies of ratings reports, and hand them around, rather than buying them directly. So they made it easy for themselves and started to charge the issuer so they could provide this information for free to the investors. This new “issuer pays” model had a few flaws as it made credit ratings agencies reliant on select clients. Obviously, there are less issuers than investors. This created the incentive for the credit rating companies to simply bump up ratings to keep their customers happy and maintain profitable relationships.

Here comes ENRON

For years no one cared about credit ratings agencies — that was until the Enron Failure of 2001. The bankruptcy court wanted to know how credit rating agencies did not pick up on this fraud! However, for all the SECs wisdom they did nothing to prevent this problem from happening again just a few years later. From 1999 to 2007, the USA experienced a major housing boom, home ownership rose and housing prices went up 125% from 1997 to 2006. To fuel this housing boom, US buyers needed lots of cash and so did the banks. Banks realised they needed tons of liquidity to fuel this market, so they started to securitise residential mortgages in turn making “mortgage backed securities”. Credit rating agencies were used to rate these bonds for the banks so they could then sell them onward, thus increasing their liquidity (and ability to make a quick profit). Guess who certified these bonds as AAA investment grade?… yep, ratings agencies. Clearly the issuer pays model is not working, and yet it still continues today — unchanged. However, the SEC did manage to fine the big three in 2014 — but the billing practice remains unchanged.

FINTECH

April 25th - May 8th 2018 April 25th - May 8th 2018

Get on board

Fintech is booming as first quarter numbers soar

MEGA-rounds of investment are back in fintech after 12 firms managed to raise more than $100m each. Funding for fintech continues to boom after more than $5.4bn across 323 deals was raised globally in Q1 of 2018. According to CB Insights’ Global Fintech Report Q1 2018, global fintech activity hit a new record during the quarter. The US saw the largest boost in deals while Europe saw fintech deal activity dip to a five-quarter low. South America is already a region to watch as funding raised in the first quar-

ON THE RISE: Fintech

ter of 2018 of $271m surpassed the entire funding total for 2017. Asian fintech funding saw the largest quarterly spike in Q1 2018 on the back of four $100m-plus investments. However, in Europe, VCbacked fintech companies saw the largest pullback in early-stage investments. Despite this, funding hit a five-quarter high in Europe, bolstered by $100m-

plus investments in digital banking start-ups N26 and Atom Bank. Over the last five quarters, top US banks including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JP Morgan slowed down their fintech investments relative to the highs of 2016. In Europe, banks were notably more active, especially Santander, which made three new portfolio investments in Q1 of 2018.

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HOTSPOT: Estepona

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Construction of new schools is set to get underway after £52 million contract is issued

AMAZON has revealed it will go ahead with its first distribution centre in Malaga city. The 13,000m2 building will be constructed on Calle Alegria in Los Prados and will be operational by next June. The plant will hire at least 80 staff and there are already plans to extend it in 2020.

Download our app now and IT is style personified. begin enjoying the best Spanish But, with its rooftop sports news on the go. pitches, a music recording studio and a full performing arts area, it could be one of the best appointed schools in southern Europe. MARBELLA, Estepona and The breathtaking look of the Benahavis are officially the hot- new Bayside and Westside test and ‘most mature’ property schools complex is about to markets in Spain. start coming to fruition. Profits The three towns saw sales shoot Construction firm Casais has The Olive Press up by 11.15% in 2017 compared The location was chobeen awarded £52 million to COOL FOR SCHOOL: New mock ups released by architects to the year before, exceeding build the two new comprehensen for its direct access pre-2007TOP levelsfor by 10.4%. to main roads linking the news in Spain! sive schools. The rest of Spain, meanwhile, Designed by GC Architects, the centre to the Costa del Sol still lags 21% behind pre-finan- complex will be built at Waterand Malaga city. cial crisis levels. The e-commerce site port after being signed off by The figures come from The their respective head teachers. coined in more than €48 Marbella Property Market Re- The second contract to be billion in profits last year, port 2018, compiled by Chris- awarded out of eight for new making its CEO Jeff Bezos topher Clover at Panorama schools on the Rock, the big the richest man in the Properties - Marbella’s longest- Portuguese construction giant world. running estate agency. has already made a name for Estepona saw sales rocket by itself in Gibraltar. 28.3% last year, while Marbella saw a 6.9% boost. Award This is mainly due to Estepona having greater availability of ur- Since launching on the Rock in banizable land, while there are 2005, it has undertaken dozdelays of a year or more when ens of projects, including the replacement of an old cannon at Fort Harding’s Battery, for which it won a Heritage award. Planning for St Martin’s, Gov“This is an investment like no ernor’s Meadow and Bishop other,” insisted Chief Minister Fitzgerald is also progressing. Fabian Picardo. “It’s an invest- “Consultation in respect of the ment in our young people’s other school projects will also education.” result in positive changes to According to the government, further improve those projects work is progressing well on the too,” added Picardo. new Notre Dame School and the “That includes the new St Marprocess to identify the contrac- tin’s which is going to be a flagGOLDEN: Marbs tor for the new St Anne’s school ship that I know will be hugely applying for building permits will shortly get under way. welcomed.” in Marbella. Estepona is also cheaper. Demand in the most soughtafter areas of Marbella is outstripping supply and in urbanisations like Casablanca on the Golden Mile, prices have almost doubled. Meanwhile, in Benahavís, 499 Sold boards went up, representing 6.7% of the total 7,487 purchases made in the three municipalities. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) has confirmed that Pioneers & experts in Spanish off-plan property claims Malaga - driven by hotspots like Marbella - had the fourth highaccording to banks liabilities – under ley 57/1968 est amount of sales last year (30,064 compared to 15,917 in NO WIN NO FEE the Balearic Islands), beaten HOME TIME: 3D printed only by Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante. Contact us now for a free appraisal of your case And the sales boom is having a positive knock-on effect in attracting new businesses. In 2017 there was a net increase of 924 start-ups in the municiSPAIN pality of Marbella. Panorama CEO Clover said Calle Regino Martínez 30, 3Âº, A SPANISH startup claims it can 3D print houses 2018 and the years to come in as little as eight hours. 11201 Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain ‘represent an exceptional time, Be More 3D says its BEM1 Pro printer reduces perhaps even a historic opporthe building costs by up to 35%. Tel. +34 956 092 687 | Fax. +34 956 092 697 tunity to acquire properties in The company is already working to increase this area.’

Building blocks

Print your own home

the size of the houses it can build from 24m2 to multi-storey structures. The BEM1 pro is being used to 3D print seven houses in the city of Cuenca, Castille-Mancha, complete with bedrooms, bathrooms, living and dining rooms, The new technology has been much talked-about as a possible solution to homelessness in underdeveloped areas and places stricken by war or natural disaster.

RISE: Benahavis

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Cancer climb SKIN cancer operations increased by almost a third on the Costa del Sol last year. Around 1,064 procedures to remove malignant melanoma were carried out in 2017 at the Costa del Sol Hospital, in comparison to the annual average of 700. Distrito Sanitario and the Costa del Sol Hospital warned the numbers will continue to increase.

Exposure

The high number of hours of sun exposure and an increase in the expat population, has made the Costa del Sol one of the areas with the highest cases of skin cancer in Spain. It is believed the region has some of the highest figures in Europe. Although statistics are worrying, more people are going to the doctor with potential skin problems, which means patients are being diagnosed earlier.

WARNING: Melanoma

Expat family urgently appeal to get father to Russia for MS treatment A BRITISH expat family have launched a fundraising appeal for their father to receive potentially life-changing treatment for his Multiple Sclerosis in Russia. Paul Morrison, who moved to Andalucia with his family eight years ago, was diagnosed with MS last year. The builder had moved his family from Rochdale to Almeria for a new life in the sun. Paul continued to work as a builder in Spain, while his wife Claire was a full-time mum to their children. The 6ft builder was ‘never off his feet’ and worked six days a week to make sure his family

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were well looked after. But last year, Paul was diagnosed with the debilitating neurological condition MS. The 45-year-old can now barely walk with crutches, struggles with memory loss, and has blurry vision in one eye. He has been unable to work since the

DRINKING above UK alcohol guidelines could take years off your life, a new study has found. The huge analysis of 600,000 drinkers in 19 countries estimated having Download our that app now and 10 to 15 could cut begindrinks enjoyingevery the bestweek Spanish your life by between one to newstwo on the go. years. People who consume more than 18 alcoholic beverages a week could lose four to five years. diagnosis. The latest British guidelines His wife recommend a maximum HOPE: For Paul and Claire Claire has of 14 units per week, which had to beequates to six pints of beer or just been a rollercoaster since come a full time English teachThe Olive seven glasses Press of wine. er to provide for children Charlotte, 18, Ben, 16 and Alvaro, 7. Claire said: “It was awful when he was told he has got MS, it’s

Norovirus outbreak SOME 39 people have become infected by norovirus after eating contaminated frozen mussels. The outbreak occured in Valencia, but the infected batch had already been distributed to Andalucia, the Balearic Islands and nine other regions. The Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition has issued a warning to anyone who

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has bought frozen mussels from Galicia, under the Estrella Polar brand, to throw them away. Any packaging containing the lot number 010DOP-18 should be disposed. Authorities across the 11 regions affected have been informed and are removing the product from shelves.

that moment. “It’s like he’s a different perTOP for news in Spain! Bigger son, a different man, different dad. It’s just heartbreaking to In Spain, the recommended watch someone that you love go limit is much bigger 35 units through this. He puts on a brave for men and 22 for women. face, he’s a very proud man.” Scientists researched how His one chance of getting bet- much life a person could exter lies in a stem cell treatment in Russia, which can help stop pect to lose if they drank the the disease and improve symp- same way for the rest of their lives from the age of 40. toms. It wipes out the immune sys- They found people who tem and builds it back up from drank the equivalent of about scratch, and is the only hope of five to 10 drinks a week could giving Paul a fighting chance to shorten their lives by up to six months. be a normal dad again. You can donate here: The study’s authors also https://www.gofundme. found drinking increased the com/paulsfighttowalk risk of cardiovascular illness.

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April 25th - May 8th 2018

with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

olivepressnews +TheolivepressEs Getting fizzy with it BE ‘APPY!

OLIVE farmers in Andalucia are facing tariffs on up to 25% of their exports following a series of trade levies by US president Donald Trump. AgroSevilla, who exports one quarter of its black olives to the States, has already had to fire employees after the US introduced a more than 20% rise in duties. “We have lost many contracts and we have had to let people go for the first time ever," said Gabriel Redondo, president of a grouping of 4,000 farmers who all own a small share of the factory, the world's biggest for black olives. If the trade levies remain, some 16,000 farms and 8,000 full-time workers in Andalucia will be at risk.

Jiminy cricket!

Bugs are on the menu at one of Spain’s biggest supermarket chains

EIGHT Spanish wineries have begun producing sparkling versions of the traditional red rioja. A SPANISH supermarket It comes after Rioja’s reg- has launched a new range ulatory council created a of creepy crawlies edibles new sparkling category, Download our app now and into many of its stores. espumosos de calidad The new treats at 300 begin enjoying the best Spanish Rioja, which has attracted Carrefour stores innews on the go. bodegas the attention the clude ‘spicy chilli buffalo Muga, Escudero, Faustino worms’, energy bars made and Ondarre, as well as from chocolate, figs and Cune and Bilbaínas. ‘powdered crickets’, and pasta and granola brimming with insect goodSold Last year saw 389 mil- ness. lion bottles of rioja sold Natives worldwide in Press the Thewhile Olive UK, rioja accounts for “The idea is to offer cus37.8% of sales of Spanish tomers the most news in Spain! wine. TOP Salesfor rose by 3.2% innovative last year with an average products and price of around €7 provide altera bottle. natives that are Javier Pascual, sustainable and from wine mag- respectful of the azine La Prensa environment,” exdel Rioja, said: plained a spokes“Producing fizzy man. wine is the new “These products are fashion in Rioja made entirely in Euand it is basi- rope. They are made by cally to diver- hand and use ingredients sify a brand derived from eco-friendly which is do- farming.” ing very The new items come well. They with a premium price are not trying to compete in the fizzy market with prosecco, champagne or cava . . . but simply want to offer customers something new.”

Olive crisis

formation about both the ingredients and their nutritional values. The supermarket claims that they are both nutritional and good for the environment, claiming the production of edible insects reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 99%. It also helps to limit water pollution and consumption and are part of a wider attempt to improve animal welfare and reduce the company’s environmental impact.

Billion

CRUNCHY: Bar from crickets

tag - a 14g box of Jimini’s crunchy crickets cost €7 for example.

Paella in a bottle A SPANISH food producer has made it to the heats of new BBC show Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge. The fourth episode, airing on BBC 2 on Wednesday April 25, will star Dr Beatriz Albo, the founder of authentic Spanish culinary business, Sabor de Amor. The Spaniard will battle with three other amateur producers in the homemade cooking sauce category with her renowned ‘Paella in a Bottle’. The winner of each of the seven categories, which also includes the chutney, cheese, smoked meat, chocolate, bakery and drink categories, will go on to be awarded a permanent space on local shelves up and down the country. The 50-year-old former research scientist and school teacher, recreates recipes passed down from three generations in her family, from Salamanca.

FOODIE: Dr Beatriz Albo TROUBLE: For olives

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However the packaging is made from recycled paper and includes detailed in-

According to the UN, at least two billion people regularly consume insects, and the tiny creatures could help meet the food needs of the world’s growing population.

COMING: To Yorkshire

Mercadona in UK MERCADONA has launched in the UK. Spain’s biggest supermarket has opened a trading office in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, to handle fish from the North Sea. Mercadona, founded by Valencia-based businessman Juan Roig, has not yet announced any plans to open stores in Britain, but the buying office in the north of England will save a considerable amount of travelling. Staff from the North Sea fish-purchasing management centre in Spain have had to fly to the UK each time they needed to sign paperwork or deal with any business issues.

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Columnists April 25th - May 8th 2018

Keep your kit on!

O hear we go, ready for another sum- to smash it!’. mer season on the coast. The last of That’s as maybe. the spring rains have fallen - I know But if they really this because as I write, the din of a are intending to huge excavator is shattering the peace and ‘smash it’, the quiet of the lake. tattoo and tanga tribe betIstan Town Hall sends this behemoth down ter keep their kit on while doing it, and ditch once a year to smooth out the track to the lake the comedy props. as it is an ‘acceso publico’. Although after the An edict from Marbella Town Hall – desperdeluge over the past couple of weeks, the ‘pu- ate to clean up the town’s image as a luxury blico’ would need to be bravehearts indeed, destination after last summer’s shenanigans and perhaps even clinically insane to attempt – has proposed a decree that anyone found it, as it is not so much a public right of way walking with their tops off, or carrying/wearas an action sequence location from Indiana ing items of a sexual nature will face a fine of Jones and the Temple of Doom. over €700. Needless to say, I tackle it daily. As this worthy publishing organ reported onAlmost as loud as the sounds of earth flatten- line last summer, social media was treated to ing around me are the sounds of the coast scenes of half-naked drunken Brits staggergearing up for another season. ing around Banus with giant inflatable dildos. Once again, tourism experts are predicting re- My fervent wish for summer 2018, therefore, cord-breaking numbers of visitors, citing official is that Marbella Mayor Muñoz - who since restatistics, airline predictions and hotel booking gaining power in Marbella last year has shown figures. a fondness for In a less sciensetting up actific manner, tion groups social media in and special the form of the teams to tackle data harvestspecific issues ing firm Face- takes similar book is full of action against club and beach the dildo louts. bar promoters The Marbella in Puerto BaOversized Innus boasting flatable Sex that this sumToy (MOIST for mer – and this short) comis a technical plaints hotline term dear readwould be on er – ‘Marbs my speed dial, WARNING: For would be exhibitionists this summer 2018 is going that’s for sure!

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