Costa Blanca South/Murcia - Issue 36 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

sserp evilo

eht

aículadnA ni repapswen evitagitsevni

5102 dn22 - ht01 rebmeceD

se.sserpeviloeht.www

822 eussI 01 .loV

anopetsE ni saw ohw MP eht sunim etabed V T lanoitasnes htiw snigeb

EERF nwodtnuoc noitcelE

s’olbaP ...kcab

yojaR elihw... no pu sehsurb swen tapxe sih

ni ssob somedoP kcabemoc evissam

reipaN anoI :OTOHP

OLIVE PRESS agalaM :EVISICNI tuo stniop ssob PP sserP evilO rehtona yojaR ot evisulcxe

The

eh ,hsilgnE kaeps ot ytiliba sih tuoba segar llits etabed elihW a gnidneps erofeb ,egap tnorf tsal ruo ni dessorgne ylraelc saw .eussi eht hguorht gnikcifl etunim ododneB sailE ssob PP s’agalaM htiw ,tseretni fo ytnelp gnidniF -rappa gnihtemos tuo detniop neht eh ,redluohs sih revo gnikool .revoc eht no gniugirtni yltne -refer erutuf rof etisbew eht fo eton a gnikam saw eh spahreP ?dirdaM ot nruter sih no ecne eht no derutcip flesmih gninigami saw eh ,ebyam tsuj ,ebyam rO rebmeceD no yrotciv edilsdnal a gniwollof noitide txen ruo fo revoc .eurt emoc nac smaerD .02

7-6 egaP noitan speews revef noitcelE

nosirp gnitiawA :NAMDLOG

SAN JAVIER Mijas Costa

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

FREE

dna hcuot fo tuo si retsiniM emirP hsinapS eht yas EMO .eslup eht ffo regnfi sih nekat sah sih gnitteg yb gnorw sretbuod devorp yojaR onairaM tuB -neg gniticxe tsom eht ot pu-nur eht ni thgiarts seitiroirp .yrotsih hsinapS ni noitcele lare no etabed V T laicurc a ni degagne sredael yt rap rehto eht elihW tnat ropmi erom eht htiw deipuccoerp saw ssob PP eht ,yadnoM .aiculadnA ni gnineppah s’tahw ...fo rettam !no tops saw rettam gnidaer fo eciohc sih dnA ,anopetsE ni lufhtiaf yt rap rof hceeps ngiapmac etonyek a retfA yrev ruoy gnidaer yb swen tapxe no pu hctac ot emit dnuof eh .sserP evilO elbailer-repus ,dlo-edaced ,nwo

emit htruof a rof detcivnoc namdloG legiN retsduarf tapxe suomafnI

Your NA MDLOG expat

YTLIUG

voice in Spain

Vol. 2 Issue 36 www.theolivepress.es March 25th - April 7th 2021

EXCLUSIVE: Private school warning after a convicted British paedophile moved to Spain, dodged criminal record checks and found work as an English teacher

Lessons needed

INTERNATIONAL schools around Spain have been put on high alert after a British man began teaching at one of Madrid’s most exclusive colleges months after being convicted in the UK. Questions have been raised after Ben Lewis, 31, was able to work at the school despite being on the UK’s sex offenders register. The Olive Press has discovered that Lewis, who is now awaiting trial for child sex offences at Centro Penitenciario Madrid V, managed to hoodwink TWO schools and a language academy after creating a new identity, using forged documents. Former colleagues of the sex offender revealed that he created a new name to dodge criminal record checks in order to run summer camps and teach private classes to young children.

NAMES: His real & doctored passport

.seitrap htob emac saiselgI olbaP GNIMAEB A si yojaR rM nosaer eht si sihT“ VT laicurc a gnirud gnigniws tuo lagelli deviecer oot eh :ereh ton -napS eht wolb ot etabed ’sredael .nepo ediw noitcele lareneg hsi .saiselgI deraor ”,stnemyap ton dluow eh gnitsisni oslA -aR onairaM retsiniM emirP htiW eht tog ylraelc eh ,airyS bmob -deecorp gnihctaw dna - tnesba yoj suovren sih no dnah reppu somedoP eht - samajyp sih ni sgni -lA lavir noitpurroc-itna niam eguh a deviecer ytiralupop s’redael .sonadaduiC fo ,areviR treb -lim 2.9 drocer a fo tnorf ni tsoob -mob anu‘ saw tluser dne ehT VT tsegral s’niapS ,sreweiv noil .5102 fo ecneidua ,yas dluow hsinapS eht sa ,’ab ni elim a yb pot no tuo gnimoc -gnol eht ,raluguj eht rof gnioG .yadretsey sllop suoirav - PP eht demmals redael deriah -nael-thgir eht dedulcni esehT -purroc fo tfar a revo - EOSP dna flah ylraen htiw ,odnuM lE gni deflugne evah taht ,sladnacs noit .seitrap rieht )%24( sredaer s’repap eht fo per PP elihw ,mih htiw gnidis dnoces-15 lanfi gninmad a nI -amatnaS ed zneaS ayaroS -eb dluohs eh yhw fo pu-dnuor dna %22 areviR ,%03 tog air detsil eh ,MP wen s’niapS emoc .%7 tsuj ,zehcnaS ordeP s’EOSP dekcor evah taht sesac yek evfi aL fo sredaeR tnew aidraugnaV ni regnorts neve -vig ,troppus rieht -notsa na mih gni daeha ,%55 gnihsi ,)%61( areviR fo )%61( zehcnaS -naS ed zneaS dna sredael eerhT )tfel morF( :ELTTOB .)%31( airamat airamatnaS dna

nevig neeb evah niapS ni SMITCIV namdloG legiN retfa epoh hserf eht ni duarf fo ytliug dnuof saw .KU saw sserP evilO eht woh draeh yruj A -raey-85 eht gnignirb ni latnemurtsni ot ,etnoM led drawoH dellac won ,dlo .ecitsuj owt ,enilno stroper ruo gnittops retfA snioc dlog eviecer ot deliaf ohw nem dellac mih morf desahcrup dah yeht dnuof saw eh ,retal raey A .ecilop ni won dna duarf fo stnuoc owt no ytliug .liaj secaf

ot tekcit yaw enO 4 egaP !liaj

THE START: The first edition of the Olive Press in 2006

15 years of fun

As the Olive Press reaches its 15th birthday, we recall a few of our favourite interviews and remember a couple of our top readers, such as ex-prime minister Rajoy (top) and prime joker Paul Gascoigne...

Fiona Govan in Madrid

He had changed his name to Ben David after being convicted in June 2016 of taking and possessing indecent images of children in England. As well as being placed on the sex offender list and being handed a two-year suspended sentence, he was barred from leaving the country or working with children. Yet within weeks he had moved to Spain and found work in Zaragoza as a live-in au pair to a family with three young children. The following year he relocated to Madrid and began teaching children at a well-known language academy after getting a criminal record check from Zaragoza police to show he had no convictions in Spain over the previous 12 months. Then in December 2017 he accepted a job as an English teacher at a leading semi-private (concertado) secondary school that receives subsidies from the state. “He was going by the name Ben David by then and was offered the job after another teacher dropped out mid-term,” a former colleague Natasha Fitzsimons told the Olive Press.

DANGER: Lewis got teaching post “I think they were desperate to fill the position so maybe they weren’t as thorough as they should have been. “We worked together at the school for 18 months, took on private classes together going to the homes of some of the children for extracurricular teaching and ran a summer camp at the school during 2018,” said the Irish colleague, who is filled with horror at the access he had to children. The Olive Press has discovered that the day after sentencing in the UK he changed his name by deed poll from Ben David Lewis to Ben David, in a process that takes just 15 minutes. He then applied for and received a British

...meanwhile, we spend time at the home of the world’s most famous plumber as he announces he’s becoming a Spanish citizen, after 15 years here and losing €15m to his ex-wives...

Opinion Page 6 Continues on Page 4

Award Winning Rehabilitation Clinic

By Tom Powell and Jamie Micklethwaite NiCOSTA del Sol fraudster out gel Goldman is hiding in a classic English country cottage under the false name ‘Howard del Monte’. Goldman - aka ‘Del Monte’ has also returned to the business of buying and selling it coins, stamps and antiques, can be revealed. Renting on a six month lease in the charming Berkshire village of Kintbury, he and

It’s MORE fun in the sun

Cartel behind Putin’s mystery costa home EXCLUSIVE

The Olive Press can reveal that the Russian President may have bought a multimilliona euro Marbella mansion with group of six businessmen.

See full story on page

in BRITS are still happier Spain, despite reports suggesting 90,000 have abandoned the expat dream. An exclusive Olive Press survey found that more than three quarters of our readers are happier since making the move.

For the full story, see No end to Spanish dream on page 4.

Costa Del Sols Leading Building and Window Specialist, since 1996.

For further information see our T: 952 587 573 F: 952 587 Protec Group

advert inside.

543 info@grupo-protec.com www.grupo-protec.com

See page 8 & 9

Full story on page 16

Andalucía’s

Hypocrisy in Spain

While Brits’ dream home is demolished in Almeria

News Publication

press **Western

HOW TO DEAL WITH A MID LIFE CRISIS

Edition**

PR ON THE PROWL

Century21 202-204 Main Street · Gibraltar Tele: 00 350 Mob: 00 350 200 51020 56523000 info@century21gibraltar.com

FREE

Vol. 10 Issue

251

monkey on Louisa bitten by a trip to Gibraltar PAGE 3

Voted BEST expat paper in Spain

Don’t let the banks cash in!

www.hifx.co.uk

(902 879 135

www.theolivepress.es

- November

8th 2016

page 16

page 22

PORT Irish Bar &

& Spanish

Plates Health, House,

and Malaga

Granada provinces

A Vol. 10

www.theolivepress.es

ll about

Issue

251

errania

www.theolivepress.es

October

de Ronda

26th -

November

26th -

November

8th 2016

River deep,high mountain Rob Horgan goes native in the Serrania de Ronda and discovers backroad the the Genal gems of Valley

HIGH:

The view

up to the

city from

the Tajo

gorge

and (top)

a typical

HERE are few places beer with in the general an army general world where Ronda, stands all the … you can Celebrating however, rounds!and even fewer drink bar El Porton,a recent is one of where those places. the ish Legionnaire an olé promotion After introducingCarlosaway from with friends Velo is Spain’s oldestin quintessential quail eggs eager to - Carlosme to the town’s Iraq, Afghanistan include bullring - Span(above) me in the the ‘best regales signature tapa and party. me with “I have place in the Bosnia before tales - jamon been all world’. explaining from toursand says, taking over why Ronda to back into a swig the world and seen is been to.” his face. from his cana many “But Ronda and Originally things,” is the pushing his he ago when from Madrid, best place glasses he joined Carlos its two I have moved ever naires national basesthe Spanish to Ronda at present. some 35 Legion, here, counting “The quality which years can live of life on around has one in Ronda of 800 legioneveryonelike a gentleman is like else. “Everything here, in nowhere else Madrid is affordable, ing from I would in Spain. I in your tapas bar just be if you like to tapas pocket. like “And the bar and you can spend scenery you will the still have day gois breathtaking,” change he adds. “The walks Continues

town scene

on next

20 YEARS AND OLD EXPERIENCE BUILDS ON THE ON NEW SERRANIA

Urb. Los Pinos, email:

Manzana B, Parcela cvazquez1@hotmail.es 9 Ronda

PAGE 19

Page

8th 2016

19 19

estepona@ibexinsure.com

fuengirola@ibexinsure.com

2 FOR 1

2 complete glasses

W FRO NO

Specialist

of Sherry Wine Special Flamenco Friday & Saturday National Gastronomic Award

C/ Andalucía,

Bar

Longest

v a football l

1 44, Mollina

The

Including

sunglasses See our ad inside for details.

10º San Pedro de Alcántara

Tel: 952 927 188 labodegadelcantinero@gmail.com

SPAIN’S NUMBER 1 GREEN ENERGY BROKER AND SOLAR PANEL PROVIDE R IS PROUD TO SPONSO R THE OLIVE PRESS.

OLIVE PRESS FRONT COVER– 70mm x 40mm

26 October

Est 1984

A huge variety 1 carat diamondof over jewellery. HIGH STREET PRICES: 7,000 OUR PRICE: 1,500 - 2,000 €+ € UNBEATABLE WE BUY, WE PRICES GUARANTEED PAY MORE, Diamonds@anthonys-diamon WE PAY CASH 952 588 795 or 609 y

Avda. Ramon

Cajal 40, Fuengirola,

ds.com

529

Malaga 29640 633 (EASY PARKING)

His take jailed foron the Brits “saving the environment”

Exclusive

story page

834

page 24

THE SKY + DOCTOR + ALL AREAS

COVERED

4G UNLIMITED INTERNET

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

Kuner

SWATHES The hulking danger of of rural Andalucia shell of concrete being concreted are in set for a 311-room a new planning over after mega resort- once remained by the regional law was brought work was an eyesore for years - has in Green groups government. halted by Bunkers are the courts. after tas en Accion including Ecologis700-home also being dug to joined with and Greenpeace stop golf course Nerja, which scheme, neara ciations to hundreds of local have assofight on a ment of one will see the developfronts opened series of new final stretchesof the Costa del up during crisis. the COVID And protestersof pristine coast. Sol’s They are SOON LEGAL?: up in arms in Mijas digging in called LISTA are over the so- one, Algarrobico used to buildto stop the law also but TWO the lockdown law - passed during being in woods new hotels beaches in the - that is set dozens of the supposedlyon virgin The sea at El Chaparral. overlooking to first of ects to go previously outlawed allow ed natural park protectahead. of Cabo proj- The first took place many planned protests In particular, involves the de Gata. outside council a 30-room la Cala activists are green light about a hotel near for It couldde Mijas this week. offices in outraged famous the globally course in controversial new Bahia de also Nerja, as golf beach, while Valdevaquerossee the controversial Los Genoveses stand of woodland well as the project of homes in Mijas. a final star hotel close second is for a twoThey are go up on of hundreds also furious de San Pedro to the pristine tected a heavily-proCala Under virgin beach, near about not Protestors bay (pictured Tarifa. above). the recently now allow fear the new law will project, the legalization also Rosa backed by TV resubmitted celebrity Quintana, of nearby between Bolonia the stunning Ana El Algarroand Tarifa area see a series bico hotel, Ecologists of hotels get built.would built are dis- Los gracefully Merinos also worried that the courses and project for two-golf on a virgin hundreds es on UNESCO-protected beach, near of housland near Carboneras, virgin Ronda could despite being due to be revived, p l a n n i n a preme Court. quashed by the Sug mix up. Fairway to hell: See page 6

GREEN CAMPAIG (left and top) Tel: 952NS: Against golf 147 834 in issue courses See page 24 lopment (above) one last year and coastal deve-

IDEAL FOR STREAMING

ALSO IPTV, SATELLITE

tel: (0034) 952 763 840 info@theskydoctor.com www.theskydoctor.com

f o r

o n l y .

S u b j e c t

627135939

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

What have

Han Solo,

E n d s

Franco and

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

Prince got

in common?

21/6/19 13:30

BANGED into policeUP: Sammon bundled campervancar and (inset) his

ANTHON Antiques, YS Estepona Jewellers & Pawnbrokers 952 INVESTIGATIONS: 887 125 59€ Tracking Matthew Sammon, probingdown paedophile Fuengirola 952 465 588 (right) and exposing animal missing Amy cruelty (far right) For all your insurance needs!

C O ST

Bracing for Brexit

FREE

Vol. 11 Issue

257 www.theolivepress.es

Voted BEST expat paper in Spain January 18th

- January

31st 2017

They’re all in our new Property magazine out this week

Property www.theolivepress.es

olive press

January

18th -

January

ET your first newhands on one year - right properties of the of on the villa withThis stunning beach! the wonderful contemporary heated market infinity pool sea views Just a this week. has gone on and the bella’s few steps from one of the four loveliest stretches Marbedroom and cinema of sand, home could be €7.9m. with a

31st 2017

Issue

January Spain 31st 2017 Property

18th -

New Year, new house? NEW PROPERTY:

Stunning

Bahia

villa on

the shores

13 Guides

Don’t caughtget out when buying in Spain

www.theolivepress.es

Removing the floor

A VICTORY for mortgage been awarded of Justice. owners by the European has The court Court mortgage has ruled that two holders to additional in million because refundsSpain are entitled from It came they paid too muchthe banks clauses’ due to the interest. fail to that saw most so-called Spanish ‘floor rowers lower their interest banks to match rates to the European the The court Central base rate setborruled that Bank. by that repayments it was entire life of should unfair time that the mortgage cover and continue interest rates during the to be. were low the When and loweredthe central bank economy to stimulate base rate was some repayments years the eurozone ago, mortgage 1.5% to should continued2%, howeverhave tracked it to many to pay The surprise 3.5% and borrowers be appealed. ruling is final more. Around and cannot now be two million timated set to receiveborrowers should to be worth repayments, billions of euros.es-

Little slice of home

BRITISH yours for gym The chic spree in expats are a cool London on bella, justnew addition England. and the a buy-to-let the latest east of the to Bahia According south east Marto mortgage of installed technology,town, includes International sound cant rise and underfloor there has lender Skipton system, with a prebeen a cent years.in expat investment The property, heating. solar panels signifiNew figures Properties, marketed over rereveal to-lets by Panorama with 24-hoursits in a gated community are in are in the UK40% of expats’ security. capital, buy“Pricesthe pricey south while 25% east. nificantlyin London ing that in the pasthave increased sigattractivecapital gainsfew years, have beenmeanmortgage for investors,” very “Expats director Nigel said Skipton Pascoe. ing and have many reasons the mostlong term investment for investThe trendimportant.” is usually has occurred come pats, easier to secure as it has who previously lending becredit checks for Some 35% and recentstruggled exwith of expats credit vestment cited long history. ing, while as their main term of their another 19% reason for inpension buyplan. said it was part

of Marbella

AND THE KING OF RENOVATION ALL JOBS

MALAGA €2 millionprovince’s second La Estrella project failed biggest castle to take being used castle is will finally during spread overoff almost a decade Spanish be renovated the filming 25,000 A project TV series which ago. after a of ‘Douglas,square metres features onset of to give the el Guardian and is the structure currently It now the global financial a face battle of Teba, de back on, lift was investigation, where Historia’ and will crisis. abandoned the castle – a improve structure. consolidate in 2008 lies. the wallsaccessibility, at the undertake and generally improvearcheological the existing

PAGE 13

www.century21gibraltar.com Century21 202-204 Main Street · Gibraltar Tele: 00 350 Mob: 00 350 200 51020 565 23000 info@century21gibraltar.com

EXCLUSIVE: Expat tip snare one leads Olive of UK’s most Press team wanted paedophiles to

EAGLE-EYED readers helped Olive Press snag one of ain’s most BritWORDS AND PICS Spain, just wanted fugitives in By Rob Horgan been named.hours after he had Laurence and Dollimore Following Within an hour, the Olive suspected a tip off to the paper, al Crime Agency, team scrambled paedophile Press car, Sammon was Matthew the scene after the who arrived at Sammon learning from to Fuengirola, and remainedcovered his face campervan dragged from his “Well done Olivearrest. that he was another builder silent when currently questioned time raid in a dramatic night- thanks to the expat Press and out at the camped He by and whisked an unmarked was then the Olive Press. away in for tipping us off, thiscommunity After a dayferia ground. bundled into police car. son we run is the reaBMW and Working closely Londoner working nearby, the these the taken to Madrid duly arrived be Daniel Reid, with informant The dramatic campaigns.” English-plated to in his for fingerprinted and day had started firstly track we were able to when Crimestoppers cream Moncayo prepared extradition. campervan. annual list issued its Following to Fuengirola, down Sammon Parking up, of most wanted two Reid the arrest, father-ofGuardia Civil then call in the tives in Torremolinos fugias he took he looked relaxed said he was day morning. on Thursto see Sammon On the run to arrest him. ‘relieved’ around the his dog for a walk for two years, taken away. Leading “As soon as mon - a blackbelt spoke with feria ground and Sam- stories to hundreds neighbours. the most I saw his face among of press was wanted in Jujitsu around the Once identified, world and said Reid, wanted I felt sick,” ing indecent in the UK for shar-- on national television, we called Guardia Civil from the “I let the hunt and CrimestopHis seizure images of children. was immediately him hang Blackpool. pers and so around my began a tense dren, after he wascame just 10 hours But, it was to on. hour waiting chilthree- arms we took him in with tion Captura named in Opera- newspaper the popular local and at first sitting in the game, with Reid open and is the Olive Press were none wiser. recorded arrest quickest that expat plasterer Sky News car beside us. the reached out crime reporter in the joint Reid, 40, “But and Spanish tin Brunt was UK ‘do Mar- a bit we always thought the job to, trusting us to SUCCESS: “It was a police operation. he was weird, Eventually, soon there too. fantastic result,” In a seriesproperly’. never talks he’s a real loner and Steve Reynolds, Reynolds Reid, Horgan, and truly as night had well said sages, of Facebook from the Nationand Brunt “He creepedabout his family. he announced mes- as black BMWfell, an unmarked a mon, 45, much that my family out so plain clothes arrived and two had workedthat Sam- livinglabourer and was currently in a campervan Incredibly, I fired him.” detectives for him moved in the Mijas and for the arrest, swiftly evidence police did not take Fuengirolaaround cating his passport confis- cluding from his campervanany area. and phone. Frisking him his computer inat the side and other of the

Secret Malaga

SOARING

Hom

Calle Carretera,

Mafia town

How the CEO of organized crime corrupted a town hall PAGE 8

See page 7 AND COASTS

UPROAR: and virginBeach protestors Cala de in Tarifa San Pedro (below)

19th 2007

AN ecological hundreds nightmare, “This is parently of ancient oaks a cynical ap- attempt and botched Pulled upstand dead. around to create ambience roproject, for a huge golf the golf rie rows they line up inmac- create space,” course and said Somme. like war graves in ee- geon Kit Hogg. “I tree surthe very Many centuries am sure few trees will of these protected old, they been sacrifi have gusting.” survive. insatiable ced for Europe’s It is disdesire for holiday homes. golf and Despite ongoing stop the Part of work, EU efforts to costaficationthe unrelenting tions and investigaof Andalucia, guarantee – crucially – they sound no of water, the death nature conservation work at knell for Los Merinos, near Ronda ern Spain. in south- continues unchecked. the true This is price of golf.

952 Morente 147

Sarah Tilley

LTCL MLC

Complimentary Health Practitioner

established Homeopathy, British bar in Mollina and Nutrition Bio-resonance All types of Treatment food and tapas of asthma, * O f Live allergies, IBS f e Premiership r and excema

i d Calle Nueva, Open from Ronda 10am t: +34 680 752 400 Closed Thursday till late e: sarahtilley@mac.com w: www.sarahtilley.com TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd w: http://es.juiceplus.com/+sarahtilley

Telephone

It’s a true Malaga hascity of culture, but so much more PAGE 16

In the Serrania

Don’t miss our 12-Page Ronda supplement

a.com

OLIVE PRESS

2020

GREEN SPACES

page 3

October

By Dilip

Restaurant

INSURANCE SERVICES FOR EXPATRIATES Motor - UK

Tel: 952 934

963 www.rightwaysl.com

July 21st

OUR LAST

Cougar moves inland

Issue 20,

the

HEALY 461 952 575MAC

ESTEPONA

Travel, Life, Business Awarded by DiageoPolicies available in Tel: 951 517 English &cover The Irish We 015 www.healymacs-estepon Times the entire

OLIVE PRESS JOURNALISMWINS KEY AWARD

Your

expat

voice in Spain

July 8th -

TO PROTECT

INVEolive press STIG ATES

A fairwa y to treat natur S e?

BROADBAND INTERNET & TELEPHONE WHEREVER YOU ARE!

Gotcha! October 26th

Monkey bites fox Foxes star

UCÍA

www.theolivepress.es

CHRIS STEWART WRITES FOR OLIVE PRESS THE

We send our hot new columnist to interview designer Cranston Sophie

Living Consciously

347

CAMPAIGN

See pages 4 and 5

HUMILLADERO TEL: 680 152 690 OR 629 340 126

€2.95 Carvery - Tues, Wed & Thurs evenings. Lunchtimes on Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sun. 2 course Pensioner’s lunch €3.50 - Thursday lunchtime 3 course Valentines Night 14th February - €9.95 Quality leather handbag & watch sale noon on the 26th of Jan. We have introduced a New Menu. Race Nights, last Saturday of the month - Steak platters at €7.95

www.century21gibraltar.com

Here’s to the next 15!

BRITISH CONSUL CHARMAINE ARBOUIN

Fortnightly

EU steps in to investigate El Algorrobico hotel opening after Junta u-turn that “disgraces” Spain... while a pair of British pensioners watch as their house - which DID have a licence - is torn to the ground.

Selling Euros?

KAT’Z CAFÉ-BAR

IMPACT: Tracking down covering the devastatingcrooked Nigel Goldman (above) and Costa del Sol fire in 2012

The English language press plays a vital role in keeping nationals in Spain informed. UK we very much appreciate And your help in getting key messages out to UK nationals here. After an incredibly difficult year for so many of us, including many businesses, it is great to see the Olive Press thriving. We look forward to seeing what the next 15 years bring.

OH TO BE OLVERA IN

page 14

ANDAL

Vol. 13 Issue

LAUNCHES

Last stretches by new law, of pristine alongside coast endangered EXCLUSIVE inland beauty spots La Cala

*FREE*

OLIVE PRESS

The

www.theolivepress.es

the olive

Sick safari hunters jailed for shooting tigers and lions

El Horrible opens

Goldman fled Spain last year amid accusations of fraud, leaving behind dozens of victims owed a total of €15 million. While he refused to answer questions, he seems happy living with Couling, her two the daughters and two cats in modest three-bedroom property. While the pair are Kintbury’s Suzanne hottest topic of conversation, UK bolthole and (top) with they are rarely seen and ‘keep HIDEOUT: Goldman’s ticket. themselves to themselves’. “I have nothing to say to you, with a parking why he Couling’s family live nearby but I look forward to meeting “I don’t understand if a trafhasn’t been arrested, in Hungerford. you again,” he called down. fic warden can find him then In fact, the secretive man surely the police can,” said from Del Monte is seemingly to the the neighbour, who wished only ever seen leaving Parking ticket remain anonymous. house to go to the post office. the village When the Olive Press con- His hair was disheveled, but “Everyone in whatfronted him in his country- he did not have the mous- knows he’s Goldman, under.” side retreat, Goldman refused tache some have claimed he ever name he goesdeleted his sporting as part of his Goldman, who to come to the door, instead is of is now Facebook account recently, briefly poking his head out disguise. currently being investigated his bedroom window. The previous morning, Coulthe for failing to return millions ing was seen leaving in his fihouse at 9am to load up their of euros to investors silver Vauxhall Zafira with nancial companies. told the Olive boxes and head off, possibly Various victimsare practically Press that they to a car boot sale. life destitute after losing their One neighbour explained that schemes, that the the day they moved into ar- savings to his house, a traffic warden Continues on Page 4 rived and issued the couple

On behalf of all at the British Embassy and Consulates, I want to wish huge congratulations at the to all Olive Press on your 15th anniversary.

FREE

Issue 26, January 24th 2008

CAGED!

And were these men involved?

Press can EXCLUSIVE: The Olive Nigel reveal that convicted fraudster using Goldman is back in business Del Monte’ the false name ‘Howard his partner Suzanne Couling via are peddling their wares a joint Ebay account called ‘Bensons Emporium’. the Village post office staff told Olive Press that he regularly to collects parcels addressed ‘Del Monte’, and also ‘sends many packages’.

**Western Edition**

Andalucía’s Fortnightly News Publication

Where are they?

See full story on page

Mijas Costa OLIVE PRESS

HAND OFF! S

www.theolivepress.es

FROM ENGLISH VILLAGE

conviction. Clifford - a long-time visitor to the coast and involved in charities and local events of - has been found guilty eight counts of sexual assault, mostly on minors. on At least two were groomed in the coast, after being lured with promises of stardom. his He is pictured here with showbiz chum Kenny Lynch at a bash in Marbella.

the olive press

April 30 - May 14 2014

FOUND PEDDLING COINS

The man from Del Monte

A PAIR of young girls paedophile PR guru Max Clifthe ford sexually assaulted on his Costa del Sol have led to

Vol. 8 Issue 186 www.theolivepress.es

EXPOSED: COSTA CONMAN

Clifford guilty

The original and only English-language Andalucía investigative newspaper in

olive press

Let HiFX help you reach your destination. www.hifx.co.uk

ELECTRICITY

Getting things done

ROM its very first issue in 2006 the Olive Press has been paigning for its community. camWhether fighting for the environment or digging into crooks, we have taken some big scalps. Starting from Issue One (see top right) we highlighted the ridiculous plans to build 2000 houses, two golf courses and two hotels on UNESCO-protected land near Ronda, as well A decade and a half of campaigning the madness of building as exposed has a 350-room scored some big wins for monstrosity on a virgin the Olive Press beach in Almeria’s Cabo de Gata. Both schemes - Los Merinos, in Ron- maverick Jeremy Griffiths, and Nigel When da, and the Algarrobico it comes to corruption hotel, in Alme- Goldman, a degenerate gold-dealing ria - went into reverse after the first English newspaper we were legends Ferran dirt-bag, Adria to write made the UK AND Spanishour stories in a localwho had a restaurant column about the ERE scandal and Gordon Ramsey. newspaper, which he used at the Junta national newspapers and green to de Andalucia that cost an estimated And it was nice to chat groups includ- cover his tracks. ing Greenpeace and Ecologistas billion euros to Ciudadanos leader en Ac- We also tackled timeshare crook Toni also tackled to the taxpayers, while we cion joined our protests. Albert town Muldoon, who certainly deserves a scale on dozens of hall theft on a local as the Rivera, as well And then there were the occasions. only newspaper crooks, like mention for conning thousands of Crimestoppers’ Most peo- Animal cruelty has been to be able to pose a Wanted Daniel ple and eventually went to prison a Johnston, a bank robber, for bugbear and we have exposedcontinual couple of questions setting up fake escort websites. so many to Sammon, a dangerous and Matthew Meanwhile, evil abusers, as well as Michelle Obama the paedophile, scoundrels our crime reporting on who on her who we single-handedly allowed hunters visit to Marbella a few missing teen Amy Fitzpatrick ‘blew open circus lions and tigers to kill innocent years ago. to a village near Sevilla tracked down the case’, and a car park at to use the words of her grandin Fuengirola. tremadura (see below). a finca in Ex- Indeed, the mother, while our continuing positives And fraudsters like David investigaOn a more positive far outweigh the negfront, it ‘the dogman’ tion into missing Maddie McCann Klein, pet transport has to interview everyone from was great atives and yielded exclusive after exclusive, with its ana’s ex-lover James HewettPrincess Di- prefer to bewe would frequent links to Spain. judged to cooking SUPPLEMENT ON ESTEPONA DON’T MISS OUR 20-PAGE SPECIAL over 50 rather than the 15 years. As far as we are conFREE cerned we have only just begun.

www.villaparadisospain.com

SPONSORED BY CHEAPER, GREENER

Vol. 15 Issue 365 March - April 2021

Are you feeling depressed? Addiction problems?

...and our team of long-term writers, recall their decade and a half living in the world’s most exciting country. See pull-out inside.

CONTINUES

ON PAGE

THERESA Britain won’tMay has vowed half out’ Brexitaccept a ‘half in, in a landmark speech that long-lasting is likely to have and all expatseffects on Gibraltar The Prime in Spain. Minister 12-point plan issued to take Britaina out of the ing Street EU, with Downlooking to single market scrap EU toms union and current cusIn the biggestaccess. month tenure,speech of her sixshe said: “To clear, what be not mean I am proposing canmembership single market.” of the She added longer give Britain would no EU, however‘huge sums’ to the Parliament she conceded that vote on the will have the final Maintainingdeal. the common travel area Kingdom between the United Ireland is and the Republic of EXCLUSIVE By Gabrielle the Brexit also a priority during Pickard-Whitehead However, negotiations. and Laurence the border Dollimore tar with Spain of GibralA BRITISH was not mentioned. after finding expat has called in police a late-night five of her dogs executed rushed to in The Guardiamassacre. the vets he Control later. died 30 minutes “We want ing the horrificCivil are now investigatin 2004, found An X-ray attack that migration to control our imof Illona Mitchell’s showed he also in their pens the five rescue shot through also May. “We from the EU,” said dogs shot Meanwhile, gouged out. horses with left one on January the roof of had a bullet the Reyes its eye his mouth. importance also recognise the (Three Kings). 6, the night of was The detectives one of Mitchell’s Her beloved also attacked, and the best of the brightest section Seprona from the environment seven-year-old of the friendliest eye may have so savagely12 horses coming here. told Dizzy, ‘one recognise it was one that its to be removed. We dogs you meet’ and the contribution Vets have of the worstMitchell, 48, that have made.” seen and were will ever four-year-old, been struggling attacks they shot dead a puppy called Maisie visibly shocked they had to treat the May is believed They have were he has named Rocco, Meanwhileat the gates of their become too permit system to favour a workpens. an eye on put on extra patrolsby it. nervous and because shot in their Coco and Domingo, Deeply traumatised the estate trigger Article as she looks to night. at weekendsto keep skittish. ing they had beds, with Mitchell were thankfully by the attack and at It comes as 50 by March. “I am sickened before being cowered in their believ- ter Ella, 11 was not seen by her - that as to why published the House of Lords would carry - Mitchell Coco, two, killed in cold blood.kennels so angry that continued:daughder closuredata showing a borbaric attack out such a cruel someone had been shot someone would “I am range between thing as with Spain and baron innocent, at put 40% animals,” week. would the eyes, point-blank animals.”disgusting as this do someyear-old Domingo defenceless she told the while threeto innocent braltar. of jobs at risk in GiThe mother-of-one, Olive Press was shot through side of his Mitchell, this her estate The 32 above, the tack is from Chester, believes They laterface. page-report, in mountains who bought linked on Gibraltar found Jack, the atnear Granada German Shepherd, ban hunters to her recent decision governmentbased a six-year-old dence, estimates evito under a nearby estate that from her huge 173-hectare having convulsions Rock’s 26,000 10,500 of the tree, but despite the Sierra sits in stunning scenery workers the border de Baza. crossed being in “A frontierdaily. Continues on Page necessary which lacked the Est 1984 4 fluidity would fore put directly Opinion therePage 6 at risk the of 40% of jobs Antiques, force,” said the Gibraltar workFor all your a spokesman. Jewellers May’s speech insurance & Pawnbrokers was cheered needs! Leave campaigners, A huge variety by pushing for who are a ‘hard’ Brexit. 1 carat diamondof over She said:“We adopt a model do not seek to jewellery. already enjoyed by other countries. HIGH STREET estepona@ibexinsure.com seek to hold We do not PRICES: 7,000 OUR PRICE: bership as on to bits of memChoose one we leave,” 1,500 - 2,000 €+ “The British said May. lens offers of our great € Fuengirola change. And people voted for or UNBEATABLE it off selected get 30% is the ment’s job frames to deliver it.” governfuengirola@ibexinsure.com WE BUY, WE PRICES GUARANTEED See our ad Opinion inside for PAY MORE, Page 6 details. Diamonds@anthonys-diamonds.c

SLAUGHTE R Expat’s rescue animals killed over mercilessly ‘hunting row’

ANTHONY

Estepona 952 887 125

MASSIVE

LENSES

SALE

952 465 588

100% Certified Green Energy 952 588 795 or 609 y

Avda. Ramon

Cajal 40, Fuengirola,

WE PAY CASH

529

Malaga 29640 633 (EASY PARKING)

OLIVE PRESS FRONT COVER– 70mm x 40mm

18 January

Happy 15th anniversary

CRIME

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF Bake off POLICE caught four men who stole two tills from an Elche bakery after a frenetic car chase. The robbers drove in the wrong direction on a one-way street before the pursuit ended on the AP-7 motorway.

Spare parts AN eight-man Alicante area gang has been arrested for stealing cars to sell off their parts before scrapping them.

Hard times COSTA Blanca hospitality workers suffered the biggest wage fall last year due to the pandemic with an 18% drop in their pay packets. Their average monthly salary of €1,150 is well down on the regional average of just over €1,800.

Spring clean A company that uses lasers for specialist cleans has won a six month contract to spruce up Alicante City’s iconic Levante fountain in the Plaza de Luceros.

AN Alcoy man stabbed his ex-wife and their two young children before using the same knife to take his own life. The tragedy unfolded on Sunday at an apartment on Avenida Hispanidad. The 33-year-old Uruguayan man entered the block shortly after 6pm and knifed his former partner in the abdomen. He also injured his

March 25th - April 7th 2021

Family Assault 12-year-old-daughter as well his son, aged six. Neighbours heard screams coming from the apartment and the blood-

stained woman went out onto the street crying for help. Residents cornered the offender in the entrance area to the building and when he saw police arriving, he used the same knife to fatally stab himself in the heart. The mother and two children were taken to hospital for treatment to non-life-threatening injuries.

Cashing out

AN 18-month operation to bring down a giant counterfeit currency gang has cashed in with a jackpot 37 arrests. Police from the Guardia Civil and National Police united to bring down the criminals who laundered money in banks in Andalucia, Catalunya and the Costa Blanca.

A BRITISH man accused of being part of a £13.7 million pension fraud has been extradited from Alicante.. Westminster Magistrates issued a European Arrest Warrant for 61-year-old Alan Barratt with the Metropolitan Police passing on details of his whereabouts to the Policia Nacional. Barratt from Althorne in Essex is facing charges with two other people in a case

Gang of 37 collared after long police fake Euros probe By Alex Trelinski

The fake cash of mostly €500 bills initially started appearing in Granada Province in

Face the music brought by The Pensions Regulator (TPR). It’s the first time that the TPR have been involved with the police in getting an extradition. Barratt appeared in court twice in January but skipped the UK some time after January 29. Barratt was extradited to the UK last week and

2019. They soon started spreading out across Andalucia and even to Santa Pola, in Alicante, where one of the gang opened a bank account with later released on conditional bail. The fraudulent pension scheme was allegedly run by Barratt and his co-defendants, 65-year-old Susan Dalton from Rochdale, and 56-year-old Julian Hason, from Batley. The trio persuaded 245 people to transfer their pension pots between 2012 and 2014 into 11 schemes. The arm-twisting of clients included the incentive of a tax-free payment.

170 of the big value notes. The man deposited the dud bills into ATM cash machines as a key part of their plan to swap them for legitimate currency. Paid 'mules' were hired by the gang to open up bank accounts which were filled up by the fake notes. Withdrawals or transfers of the 'real' cash were then made from the accounts.

Complex

The police said that their investigation was 'very complex' as the gang took substantial security measures to prevent them from being detected. The arrests took place at 16 addresses where a total of 402 bogus €500 notes were seized along with €12,000 in bitcoin and €32,000 in genuine cash. The investigation remains open with police not ruling out further arrests.

Silly Bulgar A MURDER suspect was nabbed by police after he couldn’t resist shouting abuse and spitting at police officers involved in a minor scuffle. The Bulgarian fugitive was wanted in his home country over a killing and had fled to Spain. As he walked past a Torrevieja office he saw police dealing with a family who refused to follow. He decided to join in the fracas, shouting death threats and spitting. Although he escaped at the time, a video of the incident was posted to social media and police swung into action. They managed to identify him, and he now faces extradition to face the music in Bulgaria.

Evil owner

A MAN dumped a puppy with two broken legs in an Alicante animal shelter car park before going on an ‘urgent’ trip to Barcelona. Now police have charged the 20-year-old with animal cruelty and not having his dog registered. The owner was traced through an Elche vet where the puppy had been treated for the fractures. after until he gets a new permanent home.

ESTABLISHED 25 YEARS IN SPAIN – REFERENCES AVAILABLE

NO NEED TO PAINT! Revolutionary exterior wall coating for property exteriors 15 year insurance backed guarantee Washable, stops damp and good choice of colours

WANTED

Promotional properties for all over the Costa Blanca BEFORE

AFTER

We are currently working on projects in: Altea, Calpe Javea, Gandia and the Jalon Please email for location and directions. All Covid protocols are being observed.

GENEROUS SUBSIDIES APPLY!

FREE VIRTUAL QUOTES AVAILABLE! JUST EMAIL PICTURES OF YOUR PROPERTY For more details call or email: contact@noneedtopaint.com Mobile: 659 692 540 www.noneedtopaint.com

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

March 25th - April 7th 2021

Flushed with success EXCLUSIVE

He can afford to holiday anywhere in the world. But Charlie Mullins, plumber to the stars, wouldn’t swap the Costa del Sol idyll he bought into 15 years ago - at the same time as the Olive Press launched - for all the builder’s tea in Britain. Kirsty McKenzie finds out why over a brew at his palatial mansion

LIVING LA VIDA: Charlie in his Spanish home

HEN Charlie Mullins invites you round for a cuppa the first thing you’re dying to do is visit the loo. Who wouldn’t want to snoop inside the bathroom of Britain’s richest plumbing boss whose firm looks after the lavatories of the rich and famous: Dames Judy and Helen, Sir Richard Branson, Hugh Grant and Joanna Lumley (who also does his TV commercials). And let me tell you, it doesn’t disappoint. Even the one here in Spain, in La Cala de Mijas. Glossy white doors swing open to reveal a shimmering magenta temple of calm with monogrammed towels, a giant bathtub and rubber duckies. There’s sparkling silver all over the villa, and acres of black, purple and grey; signed football shirts won at charity auctions line the walls; ornamental skeletons and glittering panthers artfully placed. Welcome to Casa de Charlie where the living is, well …spectacular … as befitting the 68-year-old majority shareholder of London’s Pimlico Plumbers, whose net worth is over £70 million and counting... Londoner Charlie made the blue-collar job sexy in the city, with smart uniforms, liveried vans and a touch of lavatory humour - plumbing-themed number plates (LAV 1, F1USH). Today his empire stretches from Lambeth to Mijas - not bad for a council estate lad who left school at 15 with no qualifications. This time next year he could even

be London’s Mayor, having anten on the country and has his nounced his candidacy eye on a sea view mansion in La as an Independent in the Cala. May 6 elections. “I love the restaurant La Sala I find the plumbing Pasha and Legends,” he raves. “The enreclining on a pristine white tertainment here, you can’t beat sunbed dressed head-to-toe it. I love heading out and watchin Dolce and Gabbana - pink ing all the tribute acts. Can you shorts, white branded tee; a blue guess my favourite?” he grins, signet ring emblazoned with a C raking a hand through his spikey glints on his pinkie. “Drink?” he blonde-highlighted mane. asks. “I’ll have what you’re havYes, I tell him. (He could be a tribing.” “Double scotch, then?” he ute act himself.) But it’s funny to jokes. We settle for milky buildthink that with all er’s tea served his money and in a latte glass. celebrity pals, “My favourite,” I have more he’d rather watch beams the holder a Rod Stewart of the first OBE friends in Spain d o p p e l g a n g e r ever awarded for over a pint with than in the services to plumbhis buddies in ing. ‘I bought this UK, I’m very at Spain than live it place for the kids large with the real home here 15 years ago,” deal in London. he tells me as “I’ve seen the we move into the real Rod, course I kitchen, more gleaming white have. But I have more friends in surfaces, statues and glamour. Spain than in the UK, I’m very at He used to own the villa next home here,” he says with feeling. door but sold it after his 40-year He has his lawyers working on a marriage to their mother ended. way for him to stay longer than Though still raw from his second three months in any six and say divorce (if I had a swig of scotch ‘Bollocks to Brexit’ – to quote the for every time he mentioned slogan on the giant sign he put his two ex-wives, I’d be on the on the company rooftop in Lambathroom floor by now), family beth. makes up for it – two sons, two An ardent Bremainer and big daughters, the 10 grandchildren Tory donor (as well as business they’ve given him, and years of advisor and plumber to David happy holiday memories. Cameron and George Osborne), “They love coming to Spain,” he switched sides and poured says Charlie, who’s totally smitmillions into the Lib Dem cam-

paign to stop Brexit. Charlie courts controversy and limelight in equal measure. He’s starred on The Secret Millionaire, and is a regular fixture on Jeremy Vine and Good Morning Britain. “It’s just good business sense. I worked that out 30 odd years ago,” he says - though some of his business practices have been panned in the press: his ‘no jabs, no jobs’ dictat to anti-vaxxers on the payroll; letting go of 30 staff who didn’t return to work after their furlough payments ended; his extortionate £180-an-hour call-out fees, his mainly self-employed workforce and the way he keeps tabs on them via trackers fitted in the vans they have to rent from him. Does he mind the backlash? “People get the wrong idea of me, they think I only do things for money but that’s not true. I just think people should work hard.” The money’s still rolling in. “We’re up 20% from the good times,” he says brightly. # “I’m not lying!” he adds, a phrase he often uses after saying something a bit smug. As for becoming a Spanish citizen, he is definitely going ahead, he told the Olive Press exclusively. “My people are sorting it out for me. I’d hate to not be here, I really would. I’d miss the weather!”

Calle Los Arcos 7, Ciudad Quesada, 03170 Cycle Sales, Repairs, Hires, Accessories & Clothing

LARGE SELECTION OF E-BIKES IN STOCK OVER 250 CYCLES IN STOCK • NEW AND USED The Costa Blanca’s No.1 Pinarello Road Bike Hire Centre

www.roadbikehirespain.com COMPLETE RANGE NOW AVAILABLE

ROAD BIKES

Handmade Designer Accessories Calle Santa Isabel, 13 SANTA POLA - ALICANTE www.riodesig.eu +34-633428537

FF n

O cupo

is op th sh g ur in Br to o

OPENING HOURS: Monday to Friday 09.30-17.30 Saturday 10.00-14.00

For more information call Gary or Lynn on: 637 487 377 Find us on Facebook

www.cyclogicalcostablanca.com

www.theolivepress.es

New beach armada A CONTRACT worth nearly €2 million for ‘gatekeepers’ to control access to Torrevieja’s beaches has been awarded. Between 67 and 117 people will be taken on, depending on the season, on top of the normal complement of lifeguards and beach cleaners. Their task will be to control access to the playas ro ensure COVID-19 social distancing measures are complied with and prevent overcrowding. The contract is for two years

NEWS

Naked riddle By Alex Trelinski

POLICE are investigating the bizarre discovery of two naked men on a Murcia motorway after a car crashed into the back of another which was abandoned in the road. Officers are keeping all options open as to what happened including the possibility that the men, a Romanian and an Albanian, may have been murdered

Raising the bar The Olive Press is a professional newspaper, with some very interesting articles. We are very fortunate that they are extending the coverage around Spain. I wish them every success and you have my total support.

Jennifer Cunningham – Spain’s leading female insurance agent

in a ‘settling of scores’. A report suggested that one of their heads had been severed. The collision happened on the AP-7 close to the Los Narejos exit. Passing motorists rang the emergency services reporting two people lying on the highway. Paramedics arrived on the scene to discover the bodies of two naked men, in their 20s. The driver of the other car suffered minor injuries and was taken to San Javier hospital. He told police he could not avoid crashing into the unlit car in the middle of the road.

Round up PILAR DE LA HORADADA is planning a €750,000 project to build five new roundabouts at accident blackspots in the town. The scheme is expected to reduce traffic speed and make left turns much safer.

March 25th - April 7th 2021

Paedo teacher alarm From Front

EXCLUSIVE

Seen him?

BRITISH police are appealing to expats in Spain in the belief someone on the Costas may hold the key to solving a 27-yearold cold case. Karen Reed, 33, was shot five times after answering the door at her home in Woking on April 30, 1994, to a hitman disguised as a pizza delivery driver. “Intelligence from the original investigation suggested that suspects involved in the murder could have left for Spain in order to lie low from police,” DI Gareth Hicks of Surrey police told The Olive Press. Investigators believe it was a contract killing but that the intended target may have been Ms Reed’s sister, Alison Pointing, whose husband was jailed for murdering a former Chechnyan prime minister and his brother. Police have released an artist’s impression of the suspect and offered a reward of €10,000. Contact Crimestoppers FREE from Spain on 900 555 111.

passport in his new name, while he also presented a doctored photocopy of his Israeli passport stamped and verified by a non-existent law firm that showed his name as Ben David Rose. The Olive Press has seen photocopies of these, plus a teaching degree and Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) certificates presented in the name of Ben David Rose as well as certificates in his original name. What is amazing is that by April 2019 he had applied for a teaching job at a leading private school in the upmarket Arturo Soria district that teaches the British curriculum to the children of Madrid’s elite. By now he also had a DBS certificate (a criminal record check in the UK) in the name of Ben David Rose on a request from a company called Grupo Estudiantes that he had formed himself. That DBS certificate, which the Olive Press believes could be fake, allowed him to work with children and stated he was ‘clear of any previous convictions’. It is unclear how he was able to secure this certificate as in a normal DBS check you need to provide all your addresses for the previous five years, your National Insurance number, your passport and your driving licence. But his masquerade came to a shattering end when on June 24 last year police arrested him after cameras were found in the children’s changing rooms at his new school.

No idea

They then searched his home, a shared rented flat in the Las Tablas suburb, north of Madrid. “I had absolutely no idea about his previous conviction when the police arrived at the door and searched the flat,” said a former flatmate, who spoke to the Olive Press anonymously this week. “I subsequently discovered he had hidden laptops, mobile phones and memory cards in our shared basement lock up as well as lots of documents. I handed the originals and the forged ones to police,” she said. “He was an utterly convincing liar, and it is just terrifying that I lived with him for several years and had no idea who he really was, and the disgusting things he was up to,” she said. Teachers at his former school demanded action to tighten up rules and to investigate how easily he was able to dupe authorities and gain access to children. “The whole criminal records check is flawed in Spain and ripe for abuse by those very SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: people that need to be kept Real and fake certificates away from kids,” said one.

LIBERTYCASHBACK Until

26th

APRIL

2021

Take advantage of our €60 cashback offer ALREADY A CUSTOMER?

A NEW CLIENT?

€ 60 CASHBACK

€ 30 CASHBACK

on each new policy

on your first policy & € 60 from the second policy onwards

These are hard times, but better days are on the way! Meanwhile, let us treat you! Take out a new Car, Home or Life policy and access our Cashback offer! There’s no limit on policies, so there’s no limit on Cashback!

preferred expat insurer

Visit your agent or or call 91 342 25 49 Offer valid from 24th February to 26th April 2021. Policies must be paid by direct debit. Applies to new car, home and life policies only. Not for renewals or replacements. Conditions and minimum premiums will be applied in all cases. Visit our website libertyexpatriates.es or ask your broker/agent for full details.

The Olive Press all editions - FP_342x256 - PROMO WOMAN - M A R C H 24th

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Parents’ nightmare IMAGINE being a parent contacted by police to say that your child has been identified from photographs uploaded and traded between paedophiles on the dark web? Now imagine that the person who took those photos was a trusted teacher at your child’s school, a teacher you had invited into your home to give your child extra English classes? And if the horror of that scenario isn’t enough, then imagine finding out that that teacher had done the same before, been prosecuted and put on a sex offender list and banned from working with children? This latest case in Madrid has highlighted just how weak the system is at identifying and protecting our most vulnerable from those who want to abuse them. It has revealed just how easy it is for a known paedophile to escape his past crimes, create a new identity and produce documents convincing enough to be hired at an expensive private school. Last year alone, data from 16 police forces across the UK showed that 913 sex offenders had gone missing. At a time when bilingual education has become so prized that hundreds of native English teachers are hired each year to work in schools across Spain, we need more vigorous checks in place to ensure another one can’t slip through the net.

Merry go round Political shenanigans that kicked off with a failed coup in Murcia threaten to reshape the political landscape from Madrid where elections will be held on May 4 to the Valenciana Community where regional head of the Ciudadanos party resigned last week as his party slides slowly but surely towards electoral oblivion. Instability and uncertainty is the last thing needed in Spain right now as fears of a fourth wave loom just as the country is preparing to open up again to foreign tourism. Isn’t it about time Spain’s elected representatives put a stop to the petty political infighting and focus on the bigger picture?

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Fiona Govan fiona@theolivepress.es

Kirsty McKenzie kirsty@theolivepress.es

Alex Trelinski alex@theolivepress.es

Isha Sesay isha@theolivepress.es

James Warren james@theolivepress.es

Simon Wade simon@theolivepress.es

Glenn Wickman glenn@theolivepress.es

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

Admin Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

Distribution ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es

Newsdesk: 0034 951 273 575

For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75 Head office

Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva Deposito Legal MA 1650-2019

AWARDS

2016 - 2020 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2021

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

NEWS FEATURE

All change! They say that a week is a long time in politics… and that adage runs particularly true in Spain, writes Fiona Govan

SPAIN has seen an intense period of tumultuous political drama that started with a falling out between coalition partners in the southern region of Murcia, sparking a series of repercussions that could see a reshaping of the Spanish political scene entirely. Tensions had been brewing in Murcia where a series of corruption scandals involving the conservative Popular Party (PP) and allegations of jumping the coronavirus vaccination queue led to a rebellion by junior coalition partner, centrist party Ciudadanos. Ciudadanos, the party that soared in the polls when it went national in 2014 on a market-friendly, anti-corruption platform which sought to wipe out the traditional leftright divide and occupy the centre ground, had allied with the PSOE in an attempt to oust the PP from power in a region where it has ruled for 26 years by calling a no confidence vote. The attempted coup ultimately failed when on Thursday afternoon the regional chamber, with the support of Vox and three Ciudadanos deputies who rebelled against the

CHANGING FACES OF POWER: (from left to right) Iñigo Errejon, Pablo Iglesias, Pedro Sanchez, Isabel Ayuso, Pablo Casado and Santiago Abascal party line and were thrown out of their party, voted in favour of the PP. But the wrecking ball had already been set in motion and the true battlefield shifted 400km north to Madrid. Fearing a similar move in Madrid, where the PP governs with fragile support from Ciudadanos, conservative leader Isabel Ayuso took a gamble; she dissolved the regional government triggering snap elections set for May 4. But the shockwaves didn’t end there. In a

surprise move, the pony-tailed Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias announced on Monday that he would step down from his role in national politics and as Deputy Prime Minister in Pedro Sanchez’s coalition government to lead the challenge of the Left in Madrid. This is the party that grew out of the indignado movement in the wake of Spain’s economic crisis to become a dazzling new force in Spain dedicated to tackling corruption and fighting austerity.

Fight for the vote The 15-year cut-off date that prevents an estimated one million overseas Brits from voting in the UK parliamentary election is about to be scrapped, writes Sue Wilson of Bremain in Spain

NLESS you were paying very close attention, you may have missed a reference to our voting rights in UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s recent Budget announcement. Hidden away in the small print on page 48 was the following government statement: “Overseas Electors – The government is providing an additional £2.5million to remove the limit preventing British citizens who live overseas from voting after 15 years.” This welcome news followed a recent announcement that the government’s manifesto commitment – to scrap the 15-year rule – would be included in the forthcoming Electoral Integrity Bill, expected to be laid before parliament later this year. The 2019 Conservative manifesto stated, “We will make it easier for British expats to vote in Parliamentary elections, and get rid of the arbitrary 15-year limit on their voting rights”. Although the news of the bill and budget commitments were largely welcomed, there was naturally considerable scepticism too. Brits long denied their democratic voting rights were quick to point out the failed government promises of the past. This was not, after all, the first time such a manifesto promise had been made. Nor the second. Over 5 million UK nationals around the world have been denied their right to vote, some for years, if not decades. For the last 25 years, veteran campaigner, Harry Shindler, MBE, has been c h a mp i o n i n g the fight for his right to vote in British elections. Harry,

who has lived in Italy for 40 years and will turn 100 in July, does not share the scepticism felt by many. He told me: “This government, unlike others that were in power before, have the numbers to make it happen.” When I asked him what he would say to those that doubted the government’s word, he replied: “Have faith! This thing will happen after 25 years of campaigning. With the promises made this time, I have every confidence.” Harry is so confident, in fact, that he is already planning a celebratory dinner in Westminster for when his decades-long fight is finally over. The Electoral Integrity Bill’s passage through parliament may not be quite as straightforward as the government would hope, as it includes controversial proposals regarding the need for ID when casting ballots. Despite government claims that the new measures will “strengthen the integrity of UK elections”, campaigners disagree, claiming that millions will be prevented from exercising their right to vote. The government claims the new ID cards would prevent electoral fraud. However, an Electoral Commission report suggested there was no evidence of electoral fraud in the last general election. Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society said, “rather than pulling up the drawbridge to large groups of voters, ministers should deal with bringing in the nine million people who are missing from the electoral register”. British citizens living abroad make up a significant portion of those “missing” from the register. After the 2015 general election, the government made a

SEASONED CAMPAIGNER: Harry Shindler commitment to scrapping the 15-year rule. The following year, they produced a policy document entitled “A democracy that works for everyone”. In 2017, a further promise appeared in the Conservative Party Manifesto, followed by the “Overseas Voters Bill 2017-2019”. The bill failed when it was “talked out” by serial filibusterer, Tory MP Philip Davies – not because he was opposed to the concept, but because he was against Private Members Bills on principle. I remember it well – I was observing firsthand from the public gallery of the House of Commons. What is different this time is that the new bill is a government-sponsored bill, which cannot therefore be ‘talked out’. Not to mention that we have the budget commitment for additional funding, and the government has an 80-seat majority. In correspondence received from the Cabinet Office in 2020, the government recognised our strong links with our homeland. They said that ‘most British citizens overseas retain deep ties to the United Kingdom’. “Many still have family there, some will return there, others are drawing a British pension after a lifetime of hard work and some have fought for our country”.

March 25th - April 7th 2021

www.theolivepress.es

7 Olive Press online ‘Spain’s best English news website’

Keep on growing

QUALITY: The OP website keeps you updated

Are you with the With the battle lines drawn for an ideologically charged fight for the capital, Ayuso introduced the slogan “Communism or Liberty”. The move has set Madrid for a clash against the polarised forces of Left and Right, sending Ciudadanos plummeting towards electoral oblivion and driving the PP further into the arms of the far-right Vox, led by Santiago Abascal, if it is to have any hope of maintaining power in the region.

Judeans People Front?

“If I have to make a pact, I have no problem with Vox,” said Ayuso, who has forged a reputation as a maverick defying the leftist central government and health authorities by keeping bars and shops open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a pact will be uncomfortable for Pablo Casado, national head of the party and leader of the opposition, who has made efforts to present a more moderate face and distance the party from the extreme views of Vox. Meanwhile the Socialists will launch their own bid for Madrid, where they came first in the previous elections but failed to find support to pull together a government. The repercussions don’t end with Madrid as Ciudadanos’ waning power could have significance in both Andalucia and CastillaLeon where they are in coalition with the PP to rule. The governments’ in both regions have so far insisted the pacts remain valid. In fact, the Popular Party and Ciudadanos strengthened their commitment to the coalition in Andalucia, where they joined forces in 2018 to end almost 37 years of uninterrupted rule by the Socialists, by signing a five-point agreement not to waver from the pact. But back in Madrid, the far left itself is fractured. On Tuesday, Más Madrid – a breakaway group led by Iglesias’ former wingman Iñigo Errejon – refused the offer to join forces with Podemos and run together on a joint far left list. For any fans of Monty Python’s Life of Brian the situation is laughably familiar but ultimately depressing for those who fear Ayuso

I await, with interest, a response to my latest enquiries asking the Cabinet Office for an update. The right to vote is widely recognised as a fundamental human right. Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives”. Since Brexit, our voting rights have been further diminished, and our voices further silenced. All the more reason to continue the fight to restore our lost UK voting rights. I confess to a hint of scepticism, but it’s hard not to be lifted by Harry’s optimism and faith. Not to mention his energy and commitment, despite his long struggle and his age. He asked me to pass on his appreciation to all those that have lobbied their MPs or joined his campaign. He said he was “proud of us all” and added that we have “reached the top of the mountain”. Let’s hope that the view from the summit is the one we hoped to see.

The Olive Press has been an important communication channel for us for the last 15 years along the Costa del Sol. The Metro Grupo wishes them continued success and resilience in our changing times, and continued success with their expansion throughout Spain.

Sue Wilson is the Chair of Bremain in Spain, a group that campaigns to protect the rights of British migrants living in Spain & across Europe.

Karen Wolfson Director of Marketing, MetroGrupo

is unstoppable. “Are you the Judeans People Front?” asks Brian. “F**K off! We’re the People’s Front of Judea.”

What the polls say

The latest opinion poll by GAD3 currently predicts a win for Isabel Ayuso and the conservative People’s Party (PP) with over 40% support among likely voters, about double the result in the previous election in May 2019. This would win them between 6062 seats but still falls short of the 69 seats needed to form a majority government. This is well ahead of Spain’s main ruling Socialist Party which scores 24% of voter share or between 35 and 37 seats, down from 27% at the last election. Vox looks set to win 7.9% of the vote (between 10 and 12 seats), a slight drop from the 8.9% in 2019. Ciudadanos looks set for electoral oblivion scoring only 1.9% support of potential voters, a whopping drop from the 19.4% share and 26 seats it won in the last election. This is below the 5% share needed to secure a presence in the regional parliament. Mas Madrid drops 9.2% (13-14 seats) from the 14.6% (20 seats) it won in 2019 while Podemos looks set to double its share of support from 5% to 10.9% (winning 14.15 seats). If results fall along these lines then the likely result would be a PP government with the support of Vox as a leftist group involving PSOE, Podemos and Mas Madrid still wouldn’t reach 50 percent of the seats.

HE past 15 years since the inception of the Olive Press have seen tumultuous times. The financial crisis has come and gone, Brexit reared its ugly head and now the COVID pandemic is in full swing. And the Olive Press website has been there through every step of the way. Bringing Spanish news to a world-wide audience on a 24/7 basis www.theolivepress.es has grown from a sapling into a fully grown tree. From a standing start in 2006, it rapidly grew until it took its place not just as the premiere English language news website in Spain - but also became a player on the world stage. According to INFLUENTIAL: Our good work is Amazon’s Alexa. widely recognised com, by 2018 the site was ranked at an incredible 9,079th place out of more than 2 million websites in Spain. Meanwhile our domain authority sits at a steady 67 to 70/100 and last year we welcomed 22 MILLION visitors to our site.

Dedicated

What’s more they all came to read about Spain, for we don’t give them the latest gossip from Coronation Street, British royal tittle tattle or criminals being arrested in New Zealand, as some of our downmarket rivals in Spain do. Since the Olive Press website went behind a paywall, our numbers have inevitably dipped, but we still get an amazing 20,000-plus visits a day. And that’s without any tourists coming to Spain. With registered users steadily growing - 18,000 people have so far signed up for our daily newsletter, which is crammed full of the latest news - we are confident that we will keep on gathering new fans over the next few years. So, from everyone at the Olive Press, a big thankyou to all our readers who have made this possible - and we pledge to keep you in the know for the next 15 years and beyond.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

Important communication

Brits can do to avoid getting 1- Everything caught out by 90-day rule as March 31 looms British driver found hiding in hedge from 2-police after delivery driver killed in horror crash on Spain’s Costa del Sol

Here’s to 15 more Happy birthday to the Olive Press and congratulations for surviving through these difficult times. Here’s to the next 15 years and more! Andy Chapell & Pauline Elkin Owners of Molino del Santo hotel

Andalucia to review restrictions 3on-andSpain’s perimetral lockdowns between regions March 18 for possible travel over Easter Thousands of British expats in Spain re4-main exposed and unprotected since Brexit This is when the clocks go forward in 5-Spain in 2021 and why it might be the last time

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for a special quote

LA CULTURA

t best, the adage ‘Old Spanish Practices’ is considered an innocent turn-of--phrase. At worst, the phrase is considered a pejorative –a stereotypical ethnic slur. Regardless, the expression carries with it some cultural baggage which is revealing. What is the context for the phrase ‘Old Spanish Practices’? When is it used? What does it mean? Why the Spanish? For those of us who grew up in the English-speaking world AND who have an affinity for Spain, we might be wondering the same thing… At first glance, they are interpreted to be derogatory terms prefaced with the descriptive ‘Spanish’ to denote arrogance, duplicity, inefficiency, sexual corruption, etc. Examples include; Spanish gout connotes syphilis, while Spanish Money alludes to insincerity and empty compliments. A Spanish padlock means a chastity belt while a Spanish trumpeter is the annoyi n g

March 25th - April 7th 2021

‘Old Spanish Practices’…WTF? ‘Spanish’ is a derogatory term in the English language that’s well past its sell-by date

braying of a donkey. Even the infamous Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 carries with it a misnomer - the flu was actually of American origin. It’s not clear why the Spanish are blamed. Brewer’s

were only ‘trying to make people work for the hours for which they were paid’ while the Communications Union countered Dictionary of Phrases and Fawith claims of ‘unfair labour bles (first published in 1870) practices and new set of worker states that ‘the Spaniards demands’. somehow seem to attract peDialogue between the two joratives…not the least of regroups got heated with Royal garding working practices - the Mail claiming in court that there mañana attitude and all that’. had been ‘1,442 Old Spanish They define ‘Old Spanish PracPractices at Royal Mail a few tices’ as: industrial slang for years ago and these had been irregular or restrictive unauthocut to 92’. This seems to sugrised practices between workers gest that the term ‘Old Spanish (unions) and management. Practices’ not only made its way With that said, the phrase has into the court record of a major been popular on Fleet Street in British labour law case, but also recent decades. was a recognised Before computand well underers and the stood term. hot-metal printHistorians Some cultural ing press of the suspect the historians assert 1980’s-90s, that the phrase Fleet Street manphrase is a ‘Old Spanish agement and Practices’ is aclabour unions result of old tually American would often butt grievances slang. It can wideheads over deadly be found in the lines. It was widelyrics of early folk ly understood music. The American hit song that unorthodox workplace It’s an Old Spanish Custom (by customs such as cash only, unthe Sons of the Pioneers) was der the table payments, bogus widely popular in the UK in the overtime reporting, crony hiring 1930s. American films starring practices, etc. were practiced. the likes of Roy Rodgers (The Management looked the other Old Spanish Trail) and Buster way turning a blind eye in order Keaton (An Old Spanish Custom) to maintain harmony within the often used the adage. workforce. It seemed like a small Many historians suspect the price to pay to meet a deadline. phrase is the result of past This was known on Fleet Street historical grievances between as a living/breathing example of Britain and Spain. The defeat of an ‘Old Spanish Practice’. The Spanish Armada, The War More recently, the journalistic of Spanish Succession, contenreporting of the 2009 Royal Mail tion over the status of Gibraltar, vs the Communications Workmigrations between both couners Union dispute was replete tries and now the uncertainty of with references to ‘Old Spanish Brexit all have created an atmoPractices’. sphere of ‘the other’. According to Royal Mail, they By Jack Gaioni

DODGY: Fleet Street printers allegedly indulged in Old Spanish Practices a Regardless of its origin, the phrase does not sit well in today’s sensitive culture. It rings hollow and offensive. Any of us who have Spanish friends know that most are honest, sincere and hard-working. Ironically, what I have noticed among some of my Spanish friends is that they detect some self-effacing truth to some of these tropes. They see the humour knowing that there have been more than a few Spaniards in the past who fit the stereotype of an Old Spanish Practice. Like most cultural stereotypes, they are born of at least a kernel of truth. The challenge is to acknowledge people as individuals without assigning certain characteristics to

ethnic groups. Those of us who grew up as native English-speakers know that the English language is rich and resourceful enough to not make generalisations that assign incrementing traits. Given the historical track record (both positive and negative) between the UK and Spain, it is safe to say that the two counties will continue to have conflicting issues from time to time. Brexit, the status of Gibraltar and the recent COVID 19 quarantine restrictions are all fertile ground for potential conflict. Should the phrase ‘Old Spanish Practices’ become part of the conversation, I’d like to think we can lighten up and see it as an archaic relic of a past age.

LA CULTURA

Do you have a what’s on?

March 25th - April 7th 2021

Send your informa tion to newsdesk@theolivepr ess.es

Bronze Age bosses AN ancient burial site suggests that women may have ruled the roost in the early Bronze Age. That possibility is being seriously put forward after the remains of a female were found with a silver crown on her head. Archaeologists first discovered the burial ground in 1944 which dates back to 1,700 BC at La Almoloya in the Pliego municipality in Murcia.

Cradle

and (above) a donkey braying is known as a Spanish trumpeter

The site is believed to be the cradle of the El Argar society, which flourished between 2,200 and 1,550 BC. The woman’s remains, discovered in 2014, were buried with a man and several valuable objects, most notably the rare silver crownlike diadem on her head. The man had far fewer items in the grave which has led experts to suggest that the woman had more power and could have ruled the area. DNA samples showed that the two individuals were not biologically related, but had had children together. Further analysis of the remains and artifacts over the last few years led researchers to their conclusions about the significance of

More than 500 customers can’t be wrong

The Covid Friendly Store!

Replace just your kitchen cupboard doors or install a complete kitchen

English Speaking 200+ different models available Porcelain, quartz, granite and laminate worktops Huge range of sinks and taps New collection of bathrooms and wardrobes available Impressive glass splashbacks Complete revamp (tiling, electrics, plumbing service) all in one stop, save your time

See more examples of kitchens fitted on our Facebook page www.kitchensplus1.com

Business Hours: Monday-Friday: 9.00 to 14.00 Home visits in the afternoon

ASK FOR A FREE HOME VISIT, DESIGN AND 3D VIEW MADE WITH THE MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY Av. Artero Guírao, 30, San Pedro del Pinator, Murcia Find us on the AP7, exit San Pedro del Pintar, 200 yards past LIDL on the opposite side

968 184 235 info@kitchensplus1.com

Grave goods could show women ruled the roost the find. They said: “These grave items have allowed us to grasp the economic and political power of this individual and the dominant class to which they belonged.” Besides the trinkets found on the woman, another as-

pect of the discovery has excited researchers. The remains were found underneath a room in what was a large building that could have been used for ‘political’ purposes as well as a home. It included an area with

benches that could have seated up to 50 people. That’s led experts to suggest that the use of the building could qualify it to be called a palace and therefore make it the first one to be discovered in Western Europe from the Bronze Age.

Dear Jennifer: Does medical insurance or Spain’s health service cover accidents?

N accident policy is the best protection for your daily life, which is always full of surprises. We run the risk of having an accident every day, wherever we are, so to avoid additional medical costs, the accident policy is tailor-made cover to protect you and your family, no matter what happens. If you think that accidents at home are not so common, a fact to think about is that throughout the year more domestic accidents occur than sports and traffic accidents. More than 3% of the population suffered some type of injury at home or in their free time, with women being the most affected, representing 57% of the cases. Every 24 seconds a domestic accident occurs in Spain, the most frequent being due to falls (44.20%). The main scenarios where accidents occur in the home are the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom, the living room and the garden and, of course, all of these rooms are used frequently. So the chances of having an accident that requires medical care is quite high. You may be of the opinion that accidents would be covered by your private medical cover or the state national health. Let me assure you that this is not always the case. So instead of assuming that everything will be automatically covered by the national health system, you could be in for a shock when you discover that your accident may incur medical costs, because not everything is covered. This would be a financial shock. There will be many of you who will be feeling very comfortable in your assumption. Please do not wait to discover, far too late, that you personally will be responsible for any medical costs. If you want to enjoy security and protection, for you and your family, there are four different options to choose from at as little as €50 per annum, which will cover any financial consequences of an accident.

For more information or a quotation, call us on 966 461 690, email info@ jennifercunningham.net or visit the website www.jennifercunningham.net.

LA CULTURA Raise the wreck

March 25th - April 7th 2021

Lady is not for returning

SPAIN’S Culture Commission has refused to permanently transfer an iconic statue back to Elche. The Commission voted for the ‘Lady of Elche’ to continue being exhibited at Madrid’s National Archaeological Museum. The Lady of Elche is a polychrome stone bust that was discovered by chance in August 1897 at L’Alcudia, an archaeological site on a private estate just south of Elche. It’s a piece of Iberian sculpture dating back to the fourth century BC and was bought by the Louvre museum in Paris for 4,000 francs and put on display there. In 1941, it returned to Spain where it stayed for 30 years in the Prado Museum before a ministerial order decreed that it should form part of the Archaeological Museum.

Unyielding

Elche council has campaigned for many years for it to be permanently displayed in the area. Despite the pleas, the national government constantly refused to yield ground on the possibility of the Lady returning to its ‘home’ region. In 2016, Valencian president, Ximo Puig, suggested that a branch of the Archaeological Museum should be formed in Elche to feature the statue but nothing came of the idea. Valencian Compromis party senator, Carles Mulet, led the latest move for the Lady’s return, 124 years after her departure . He said: “Art ought to be in its place of origin and the Lady is part of a whole series of works in the Madrid museum, while it would be the focal point both culturally and for tourists if it took centre-stage in Elche.”

A PHOENICIAN ship that sank off the Spanish coast will see the light of day again after some 2,700 years. The wreck of the Mazarron II has been protected from the elements by a steel dome for decades, but it has become dislodged after the seabed moved, meaning the structure now endangers the remains it was meant to protect. The ship’s valuable cargo of litharge lead, a residue from which silver can be obtained, is now set to be extracted, according to the Ministry of Culture.

Ship from pre-biblical times to be rescued from seabed

FRANCE and Spain may have their differences but when it comes to surrealist painter Picasso they are going to act as one. The governments of the two nations have agreed to set up a bilateral commission to prepare for the 50th anniversary of the death of the Malaga born painter, which will take place in 2023.

Colourful

Exhibition

The wreck is sitting in only 2.5 metres of water, about 50 metres off the coast of Mazarron (Murcia). Originally discovered by divers in 1994, the protective steel dome was installed six years later. However, authorities have now decided to raise the wreck and its cargo in order to conserve, restore and exhibit it at the National Museum of Underwater Archeology (Arqva)

Honouring a great

By Simon Wade

in nearby Cartagena. An international conference is planned in order to pool various experts’ intelligence

regarding the best method of extraction. A multidisciplinary team involving UNESCO will be formed, with restoration work carried out in the Arqua laboratory.

Picasso – who led a life as colourful as his paintings - died in 1973 in France. Although he had spent most of his life in the neighbouring country, he always maintained an intensely sentimental and artistic relationship with Spain. Now the two governments have decided it appropriate to share the planning of the events to mark his death to ensure the importance of Picasso to both nations is made clear.

OP QUICK Crossword

Fantastic fun in a stunning setting with coaching from world class professionals. Really there’s no need to fly when the perfect family escape is so much closer than you think. Did you know Europes most popular watersports complex was just a drive away?

Waterski Wakeboard Wakesurf

Come and enjoy a great day out or a weeks holiday. Lakeside log cabins, Bar, Restauarnt, Terrace & Plunge pool Covid safe environment!

xtreme -gene.com

Xtreme Gene Watersp Email: info@xtrem orts Complex, Cordoba Southern Spain e-gen e.com Tel: 0034 957057010 WhatsApp: 667739392

For the latest news and information, find us on Facebook & Instagram

Across 1 It suffers meltdown when overloaded (4) 4 Supply route (8) 8 Forms of art (8) 9 Romantic meeting (4) 10 Follow furtively (5) 11 Wild horses (7) 13 His opposite (4) 14 Sweet potato (3) 15 Address to Her Majesty (4) 16 Brass hats (4-3) 18 Often sported by 16 Across (5) 20 Down (4) 21 “The moment has come” (4,2,2) 22 Sent into battle (8) 23 Type of cricket (4) Down 2 The latest (2,2,3,6) 3 Clears the air? (7) 4 Breathe hard (4) 5 Seasoned smoked beef (8) 6 Shown to one’s seat (3,2) 7 Peoples crookedly initiate loans (13) 12 Sometimes found with tea (8) 15 Politically, well red (7) 17 Kind of nut (5) 19 Variety (4)

All solutions are on page 22

SPONSORED BY CHEAPER, GREENER ELECTRICITY

March - April 2021

A decade and a half of campaigning has scored some big wins for the Olive Press

Vol. 8 Issue

EXPOSED:

ty Clifford guil

186

MAN FOUND

COSTA CON

paeyoung girls A PAIR of guru Max Clifdophile PR assaulted on the ford sexually have led to his Costa del Sol conviction. long-time visiClifford - a and involved tor to the coast local events and s in charitie found guilty of - has been of sexual assault, eight counts . d on mostly on minors were groome in At least two being lured . the coast, after es of stardom with promis d here with his He is picture Kenny Lynch showbiz chum Marbella. at a bash in 2

PEDDLING

M ENG

COINS FRO

Where are they? And were these men involved? See page 8 & 9

ress.es

CAGED!

Full story on page

OH TO BE IN OLVERA

tigate EU steps in to inves El Algorrobico hotel opening after Junta aces” u-turn that “disgr pair of Spain... while a watch British pensioners which as their house e - is DID have a licenc d. torn to the groun

See pages 4 and

KAT’Z CAFÉ-BAR

www.grupo-pro

On behalf of all at the British Embassy and Consulates, I want to wish huge congratulations to all at the Olive Press on your 15th anniversary. The English language press plays a vital role in keeping UK nationals in Spain informed. And we very much appreciate your help in getting key messages out to UK nationals here. After an incredibly difficult year for so many of us, including many businesses, it is great to see the Olive Press thriving. We look forward to seeing what the next 15 years bring.

www.century21gibralta r.com

Century21 202-204 Main Street · Gibraltar Tele: 00 350 200 51020 Mob: 00 350 5652300 info@century21gibralta 0 r.com

Monkey bites fox Foxes star

Louisa monkey on a trip bitten by to Gibraltar PAGE 3

HUMILLADERO 629 340 126 TEL: 680 152 690 OR Wed & Thurs €2.95 Carvery - Tues, s on Wed, evenings. Lunchtime Thurs, Fri & Sun. lunch 2 course Pensioner’s €3.50 - Thursday lunchtime 3 course Valentines Night 14th February - €9.95 & watch Quality leather handbag of Jan. 26th the sale noon on New Menu. We have introduced a of the Race Nights, last Saturday at €7.95 month - Steak platters

FREE

Vol. 10 Issue 251

Selling Euros?

**Western Editio

n**

PR ON THE PROWL We send our hot new columnist to interview designer Sophie Cranston

page 16

www.hifx.co.uk (902 879 135

www.theolivepress.es

Irish Bar & Resta

urant Plates

Health, House,

Travel, Life, Busine ss Awarded by DiageoPolicies available in English &cover The Irish Times We Tel: 951 517 015 the entire Granada www.healym andacs-es Malaga province teponsa.com

Gotcha! ber 8th 2016

The La Cala Cougar moves inland

Tel: 952 934 963

www.rightwaysl.com

How the CEO of crime corrupted a organized town hall PAGE 8

Vol. 10

www.theolivepress.es

ll about

Issue 251

errania

www.theolivepress.es

October

de Ronda

26th - November

8th 2016

19 19

8th 2016

deep, River ain high mount

Rob Horgan goes native in Serrania the de Ronda and discovers the backroad the Genal gems of Valley

SOARING

HIGH: The

view up to

the city from

the Tajo

gorge and

(top) a typical

town scene

HERE are beer with few places in the an army general stands general … world where you can and even all the rounds! Ronda, fewer wheredrink Celebrating however, is the one of those bar El Porton,a recent promotion places. with friends ish Legionnairean olé away After introducingCarlos Velofrom Spain’s oldestin quintessential quail eggs me to the is eager to include bullring - Spantown’s signature me in the - Carlos (above) Iraq, Afghanistan party. regales me tapa the ‘best and Bosnia with tales - jamon and place in the before explaining from tours “I have been world’. why Ronda to says, taking all over the is a swig from world and seen back into his cana many been to.” his face. “But Ronda and pushing things,” he is the best his glasses Originally place I have ago whenfrom Madrid, Carlos ever he joined moved its two national the Spanish to Ronda some bases here, naires at Legion, which 35 years present. counting “The quality on around has one of of life in 800 legioncan live Ronda is like nowhere everyonelike a gentleman here, in Madrid else. else in Spain. “Everything I would just I is affordable, ing from be like if you like tapas bar in your pocket. you to tapas bar and youcan spend the “And the will still have day goscenery is breathtaking,” change he adds. “The walks Continues

on next

Page

In the Serrania 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE AND OLD ON NEW BUILDS ON

THE SERRANIA Urb. Los Pinos, Manzana email: cvazquez1@hotmail.es B, Parcela 9 Ronda

2 FOR 1

2 complete glasses

For all your insurance needs!

W FRO NO

Within an hour, the team scrambled to Olive Press car, Sammon covered Fuengirola, and learning from another remained silenthis face that he was currentl builder questioned by the Olive when Press. y camped He was out at the feria ground. then bundled into the BMW and taken After a day working to Madrid to nearby, the be fingerpr Londoner duly arrived in his for extradit inted and prepared English-plated cream Moncayo Followin ion. campervan. g the arrest, father-o ftwo Reid said he Parking up, he looked was ‘relieved’ relaxed to see Sammo as he took his dog n taken around the feria for a walk “As soon as I saw his away. spoke with neighboground and the most wanted Iface among felt sick,” said Once identified, urs. we called the “I letReid, from Blackpool. Guardia Civil and him hang around pers and so began Crimestop- dren, we took him in my chila tense three- arms with hour waiting game, and at first were noneopen with Reid wiser. the sitting in the car beside us. “But we always Sky News crime reporter Mar- a bit weird, he’s thought he was tin Brunt was soon a there too. never talks about real loner and Eventually, as night his family. and truly fell, an had well “He creeped my family black BMW arrivedunmarked much that I fired him.” out so plain clothes detectiv and two Incredibly, police did not take es swiftly evidence moved in for the from his campervanany incating his passporarrest, confis- cluding his compute r and other t and phone. Frisking him at the side of the CONTINUES ON PAGE

ANTHONYS Antiq Est 1984

ues, Jewellers &

Pawnbrokers

59€ INVESTIGATIONS: Tracking down paedophile Matthew Sammon, probing missing Amy Fueng irola 952 465 588 (right) and exposing animal cruelty (far right) Estepona 952 887 125

estepona@ibexinsure.co

fuengirola@ibexinsure.c om

Specialist of Sherry Wine Special Flamenco Friday & Saturda y

Including

sunglasses See our ad inside for details.

A huge variety of over 1 carat diamond jewel lery. HIGH STREET PRICE S: 7,000€+ OUR PRICE: 1,500 2,000 €

National Gastronomic Award

C/ Andalucía, 10º

UNBEATABLE PRICE S GUARANTEED WE BUY, WE PAY MORE, WE PAY CASH Diamo

San Pedro de Alcántara

Tel: 952 927 188 labodegadelcantin ero@gmail.com

nds@a

OLIVE PRESS – 70mm x 40mm FRONT COVER

SPAIN’S NUMBER 1 GREEN ENERGY BROKER AND SOLAR PANEL PROVIDER IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE OLIVE PRESS.

26 October

nthonys-diamonds.c om 952 588 795 or 609 529 633 Avda. Ramon y Cajal 40, Fuengirola, Malaga 29640 (EASY

The

C O ST

UPROAR: Beach and virgin Cala protestors in Tarifa de San Pedro (below )

page 3

page 22

His take on the Brits jailed for “saving the environment”

the

INVolive pres EST s IGA T

page 24

The hulking shell set for a 311-room of concrete - once SWATHES of rural mega resort - has Andalucia are in remained an eyesore danger of being concret ed over after work was halted by for years after a new planning law the courts. was brought in Bunkers are also being by the regional governm 700-home golf course dug to stop a Green groups includin ent. scheme, near g EcologisNerja, which will tas en Accion and ment of one of thesee the developjoined with hundreGreenpeace have Costa del Sol’s final stretches of pristine ciations to fight on ds of local assocoast. And protesters in fronts opened up a series of new during Mijas the are also COVID digging in to stop crisis. SOON LEGAL?: the law being used to build in woods Algarrobico They are up in arms overlooking over the so- one, but TWO the sea at El Chapar called LISTA law new hotels the lockdown - that- passed during beaches in the supposedlyon virgin The first of many ral. planned protect is set to allow ed natural dozens of previou park of Cabo de Gata. - took place outside council protests sly outlawe offices d proj- The first involves the in ects to go ahead. green light for la Cala de Mijas this week. a 30-room hotel It could also see In particular, activist near the about a controv s are outraged famous Bahia de Los the globally Valdevaqueros projectcontroversial course in Nerja, ersial new golf beach, while the second Genoveses of homes go up on of hundreds is for a two- tected a heavily-prostand of woodlandas well as a final star hotel close to the pristine virgin in Mijas. Cala Under the beach, near Tarifa. de San Pedro bay They are also furious recently resubm about not Protestors fear (pictured above). the new law will also project, backed by TV celebrit itted now allow the legaliza y Ana tion of nearby Rosa Quintana, the stunning area between Bolonia and El Algarro- see a series of hotels getTarifa would bico hotel, Ecologi built. sts are also worried built dis- Los Merino that the s project for gracef ully courses and hundreds oftwo-golf on a virgin es houson UNESCO-prote beach, near land See page 24 near Ronda could cted virgin Carboneras, despite be revived, due to a preme being quashed by the SuCourt. planning mix up. Fairway to hell: See page 6

AN ecological nightmare, “This hundreds of ancient is a cynical and oaks ap- attempt botched parently stand to create ambien Pulled up for a dead. ce around the golf course and roproject, they huge golf mac- create space,” rie rows like warline up in ee- geon Kit Hogg.said tree surgraves in the very “I Somme. few of these am sure Many centurie trees will survive. protected s It is disbeen sacrificed old, they have gusting.” insatiable desirefor Europe’s Despite ongoing efforts to holiday homes. for golf and stop the work, EU investigaPart of the tions and – crucially – no unrelenting guarant costafication ee of they sound the of Andalucia, Los Merinos water, work at , near Ronda nature conserv death knell for continues uncheck ation in southed. This is ern Spain. the true price of golf. Exclusive story

Bar

Longest establis hed British bar in Mollina

Homeopathy, Bio-reson ance and Nutrition All types of food and tapas Treatment of asthma, * O f Live f e Premiersh r v ip allergies, IBS and a football l i d excema Calle Nueva, Ronda t: +34 680 752 400 e: sarahtilley@mac.com w: www.sarahtilley.com w: http://es.juiceplus.com/+

Open from 10am till late Closed Thursday

f o r

n e w

page 4

c u s t o m e r s

THE SKY + DOC TOR + ALL AREAS COVE RED

4G UNLIMITE D INTERNET

GREEN CAMPAIG Against golf cour 952NS 147: 834 (left and top) Tel: ses in iss lopment (above) ue one and coastal develast year

IDEAL FOR STREAMING TV ALSO IPTV, SATELLITE TV

tel: (0034) 952 763 840 info@theskydo ctor.com www.theskydo ctor.com

o n l y .

S u b j e c t

TheOlivePress-256x17 0-HOME02.indd 1 Calle Carretera, 44, Mollina

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

What have Han Solo ,

Telephone 6271359

E n d s

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

Franco and Princ e got

in common?

21/6/19 13:30

EXCLUSIVE: Exp snare one of UK’ at tip leads Olive Press team s most wanted paedophiles to

Secret Malaga

er 19th 2007

95 2rent14 Mo 7 834 e

Sarah Tilley

LTCL MLC Hom

Complimentary Health Practitioner

sarahtilley

BANGED UP: Samm on bundled into police car and (inset) his campervan

EAGLE-EYED Olive Press readers helped snag WORDS AND ain’s most wanted one of BritBy Rob HorganPICS and Spain, just hours fugitives in Laurence Dollimo after he had re It’s a true city of been named. culture, but Followin Malaga has so much g a tip off to the paper, al Crime Agency, who arrived more at suspected paedoph the scene after the arrest. ile Matthew “Well Sammon was dragged PAGE 16 done from his thanks to the Olive Press and campervan in a dramati expat time raid and whisked c night- for tipping us off, community this is the away in son we an unmarked police run these campaig reans.” Working closely withcar. The dramatic day had started informant when Daniel Reid, we were able to annualCrimestoppers issued its firstly track down list of most wanted fugito Fuengirola, then Sammon tives in Torremolinos S on ThursGuardia Civil to arrestcall in the day morning. On the run for two him. Leading to hundred mon - a blackbe years, Sam- stories around the s of press was wanted in thelt in Jujitsu - on national televisio world and ing indecent imagesUK for shar- was immediately n, the hunt on. of children . His seizure came But, it was to popular just 10 hours newspa after he was named per the Olive local in Opera- that tion Captura and Don’t miss our 12-Pag expat plasterer Reid,Press 40, recorded arrest inis the quickest reached out to, trusting Ronda supplement e us to SUCCESS: Reid, and Spanish police the joint UK ‘do the job properly ’. Reynolds and Horgan, “It was a fantastic operation. In a series of Faceboo Brunt PAGE 19 k mesSteve Reynolds, fromresult,” said sages, he announ ced that Sam- as a labourer and was currently the Nation- mon, living in a camper 45, had worked van around for him the Mijas and Fuengirola area.

NDS O

CHRIS STEWART WRITES FOR THE OLIVE PRESS

FREE

Mafia town

See page 7 AND COASTS

Issue 20, Octob

INSURANCE SERVIC ES FOR EXPATRIATES Motor - UK & Spanish

October 26th - Novem

LAST GREEN SPA CES

By Dilip Kuner

NET & TELEPHONE BROADBAND INTER WHEREVER YOU ARE! ESTEPONA PORT

2020

A fairway to tr ea HE AL 461 575MA 952Y C St nature?

Voted BEST expat paper in Spain

in! Don’t let the banks cash

BRITISH CONSUL CHARMAINE ARBOUIN

Living Consciously

page 14

t ation see our adver m For further inform 587 543 info@grupo-protec.co tec.com

Here’s to the next 15!

cation

HOW TO DEAL WITH A MID LIFE CRISIS

home While Brits’ dream eria Alm is demolished in

fun in the sun

IMPACT: Tracking down crooked Nigel Goldman (above) and covering the devastating Costa del Sol fire in 2012

ightly News Publi

TO PROTECT OUR

OL PREIVSSE

voice in Spain

July 8th - July 21st

Last stretches of pristine coast end by new law, alon gside inland beauangered ty spots EXCLUSIVE

*FREE*

Andalucía’s Fortn

ss.es

HANDS OFF!

the olive press

jailed for Sick safari hunters lions shooting tigers and in Spain sy Hypocri

www.theolivepre

OLIVE PRESS LAUNCHES CAM PAIGN

www.theolivep

ind Cartel beh tery Putin’s mys e costa hom

573 F: 952 T: 952 587 Protec Group

24th 2008

Vol. 13 Issue 347

Issue 26, January

n**

**Western Editio

s El Horrible open

Press can l : The Olive fraudster Nige

EXCLUSIVE

g l and convicted By Tom Powel reveal that back in business usinte’ ethwaite is Jamie Mickl Mon Ni- Goldman ‘Howard Del Sol fraudster out COSTA del false name last year is hiding an fled Spain gel GoldmanEnglish country the g Goldm accusations of fraud, in a classic the false name vicSuzanne Coulin his partner g their wares via amid behind dozens of milcottage underMonte’. leaving on page - are peddlin account called tims owed a total of €15 ‘Howard del See full story ‘Del Monte’ Ebay aka joint a an Goldm lion. d to the busito answer ns Emporium’. has also returne and selling ‘Benso post office staff told the While he refused ly seems happy s, it Village ness of buying that he regularto questions, he and antique g, her two Olive Press with Coulin addressed coins, stamps d. in the collects parcels ‘sends living ers and two cats propalso lease can be reveale and , daught a six month ire ‘Del Monte’ edroom Renting on modest three-b ng Berksh packages’. Suzanne in the charmi ry, he and many erty. are Kintbury’s and (top) with village of Kintbu UK bolthole While the pairof conversation, Goldman’s ticket. hottest topic seen and ‘keep HIDEOUT: with a parking why he g to say to you,g “I don’t understand if a trafthey are rarelyto themselves’. “I have nothin to meetin arrested, themselves live nearby but I look forward down. hasn’t been find him then in Couling’s family said fic warden can again,” he called still happier police can,” in Hungerford.secretive man you BRITS are surely the reports sugwished to the who despite our, fact, gly In Spain, t the neighb is seemin have abanous. from Del Monte leaving the gesting 90,000 dream. Parking ticke remain anonym in the village one only ever seen office. doned the expatOlive Press but post “Every led, to the Goldman, whathouse to go Olive Press con- His hair was disheve An exclusivethat more than mous- knows he’she goes under.” y- he did not have the When the survey found s of our readhe ever name his in his countr who deleted y, is fronted himGoldman refused tache some have claimed three quarter r since makpart of his Goldman, t recentl are happie side retreat, the door, instead is now sporting as Facebook accoun investigated EXCLUSIVEreveal that ers to move. of disguise. tly being to come ing the s Coulhis head out can return millionfis morning, the curren briefly pokingwindow. The Olive PressPresident may his for failing to The previou story, see No leaving investors in his bedroom For the full h dream on the Russian a multimillion ing was seento load up their of euros to nies. end to Spanis have boughtla mansion with a house at 9am ll Zafira with nancial compa told the Olive 4. victims s Vauxha page y euro Marbel Variou silver smen. off, possibl are practically group of six busines page 3 Press that theylosing their life boxes and head on sale. that to a car boot explained that destitute after See full story his schemes, g One neighbourmoved into the savings to Leading Buildin 4 es on Page day they Costa Del Sols arthe 1996. Continu warden since ist, house, a traffic the couple and Window Special rived and issued inside.

It’s MORE

cation

ightly News Publi

Andalucía’s Fortn

E LISH VILLAG

FREE

OLIVE PRESS WIN S JOURNALISM AW KEY ARD

Your

expat

FREE

ress.e www.theolivep

Mijas Costa

ANDALUCÍA

you Let HiFX help reach your destination. www.hifx.co.uk

2014

OLIV PRESES

investiga

14 April 30 - May

legends Ferran Adria and Gordon Ramsey. And it was nice to chat to Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera, as well as the only newspaper to be able to pose a couple of questions to Michelle Obama on her visit to Marbella a few years ago. Indeed, the positives far outweigh the negatives and we would prefer to be judged over 50 rather than 15 years. As far as we are concerned we have only just begun.

ess.es

the olive press

er tive newspap

the

When it comes to corruption we were the first English newspaper to write about the ERE scandal at the Junta de Andalucia that cost an estimated billion euros to the taxpayers, while we also tackled town hall theft on a local scale on dozens of occasions. Animal cruelty has been a continual bugbear and we have exposed so many evil abusers, as well as the scoundrels who allowed hunters to kill innocent circus lions and tigers at a finca in Extremadura (see below). On a more positive front, it was great to interview everyone from Princess Diana’s ex-lover James Hewett to cooking

maverick Jeremy Griffiths, and Nigel Goldman, a degenerate gold-dealing dirt-bag, who had a restaurant column in a local newspaper, which he used to cover his tracks. We also tackled timeshare crook Toni Muldoon, who certainly deserves a mention for conning thousands of people and eventually went to prison for setting up fake escort websites. Meanwhile, our crime reporting on missing teen Amy Fitzpatrick ‘blew open the case’, to use the words of her grandmother, while our continuing investigation into missing Maddie McCann has yielded exclusive after exclusive, with its frequent links to Spain.

www.theolivepr

ON ESTEPONA IAL SUPPLEMENT 20-PAGE SPEC ish-language and only Engl Andalucía DON’T MISS OUR The original in

olive press The manl from De Monte

Getting things done

ROM its very first issue in 2006 the Olive Press has been campaigning for its community. Whether fighting for the environment or digging into crooks, we have taken some big scalps. Starting from Issue One (see top right) we highlighted the ridiculous plans to build 2000 houses, two golf courses and two hotels on UNESCO-protected land near Ronda, as well as exposed the madness of building a 350-room monstrosity on a virgin beach in Almeria’s Cabo de Gata. Both schemes - Los Merinos, in Ronda, and the Algarrobico hotel, in Almeria - went into reverse after our stories made the UK AND Spanish national newspapers and green groups including Greenpeace and Ecologistas en Accion joined our protests. And then there were the crooks, like Crimestoppers’ Most Wanted Daniel Johnston, a bank robber, and Matthew Sammon, a dangerous paedophile, who we single-handedly tracked down to a village near Sevilla and a car park in Fuengirola. And fraudsters like David ‘the dogman’ Klein, pet transport

PARKING)

Bracing for Brexit

Vol. 11 Issue 257

Voted BEST expat paper in Spain www.theolivepres

s.es January 18th - January

Property www.theolivepress.es

olive press

They’re all in our new Property magazine out this week

31st 2017

January

18th - January

31st 2017

31st 2017 Spain Property

18th - January

Issue 12

New Year, new house?

ET your hands on one of first new the year - right properties of the on the beach! This stunning villa with wonderful contemporary heated infinity sea pool has views and market this gone on the Just a few week. steps from bella’s loveliest one stretches of Marthe four bedroom of sand, and cinema home with could be €7.9m. yours for a gym

NEW PROPERTY:

Stunning

Bahia villa

on the shores

13 Guides

Don’t get caught out when buying in Spain

www.theolivepress.es

Removing the floor

A VICTORY for mortgage been awarded owners has by the European of Justice. Court The court mortgage has ruled that two holders in to additional Spain are million entitled refunds because from It came they paid too muchthe banks interest. clauses’ due to the so-called that saw fail to lower most Spanish ‘floor banks rowers to their interest rates match the the European base rate to borCentral set by The court ruled that Bank. that repayments it was unfair entire life and should time that of the mortgage cover the during the continue interest rates were low and When theto be. lowered central bank base economy to stimulate the rate was some years eurozone repayments ago, mortgage should have 1.5% to tracked it continued2%, however many to to pay 3.5% borrowers The surprise and be appealed. ruling is final more. and cannot Around two now be set million borrowers should timated to to receive repayments, be worth esbillions of euros.

Little slice of home

a cool The chic BRITISH bella, justnew addition to Bahia spree in expats are on a buy-to-let Marthe latest east of the town, England. London and the south east of According installed technology, withincludes sound system, to mortgage a preInternational and underfloor solar panels there has lender Skipton cant rise The property, heating. been cent years.in expat investment a signifiProperties, marketed by over re- with sits in a gated Panorama New figures 24-hour security. community to-lets are reveal 40% of are in the in the UK capital,expats’ buy“Prices in pricey south east. while 25% nificantly London have increased ing that in the past few years, sigmeanattractivecapital gains have mortgage for investors,” saidbeen very director Nigel Skipton “Expats have Pascoe. ing and long many reasons term investment for investthe most is usually The trendimportant.” has occurred come easier as it has pats, who to secure lending becredit checkspreviously struggledfor exwith Some 35% and recent credit history. vestment of expats cited long term ing, while as their main reason inanother 19% for of their pension said it was buyplan. part

of Marbella

AND THE KING OF RENOVATION ALL JOBS

MALAGA €2 millionprovince’s second La Estrella project failed to biggest castle will finally be being used castle is spreadtake off almost a decade renovated over 25,000 after a ago. Spanish TV during the filming of ‘Douglas,square metres and A project series which features el Guardian is currently to give the onset of the structure the battle of de Historia’ – It now back global financial a face lift was Teba, where the castle a abandoned crisis. investigation, on, and will improve in 2008 at lies. consolidate the accessibility, structure. the walls undertake and generally archeological improve the existing

PAGE 13

www.century21gibraltar.com

Century2 202-204 Main Street1 · Gibraltar Tele: 00 350 200 51020 Mob: 00 350 565 23000 info@century21gibraltar.com

THERESA May Britain won’t accepthas vowed half out’ Brexit in a ‘half in, a landmark speech that is likely to have long-lasting effects on Gibraltar and all expats in Spain. The Prime Minister issued a 12-point plan to out of the EU, take Britain ing Street looking with Downsingle market and to scrap EU toms union access.current cusIn the biggest speech month tenure, she of her sixsaid: “To be clear, what I am proposin g cannot mean members hip of the single market.” She added Britain longer give ‘huge would no EU, however she sums’ to the conceded that Parliament will have the final vote on the deal. Maintaining the travel area between common Kingdom and the the United EXCLUSIVE Republic of Ireland is also a priority By Gabrielle Pickard during -Whitehead the Brexit negotiati and Laurence ons. Dollimore However, the border rushed to the vets tar with Spain was of Gibral- A BRITISH expat he died 30 minutes has not men- after later. tioned. finding five of her called in police An X-ray showed dogs executed in a late-night massacre he also had a in 2004, found the The Guardia Civil . five rescue dogs shot shot through the roof of his mouth.bullet in their pens on January are now investiga Meanwh Control ing the horrific attack t6, the night of was also ile, one of Mitchell’s 12 horses the Reyes (Three that “We want to control also left one attacked, so savagely of Illona Kings). Her beloved seven-ye that its eye migration from the our im- gouged Mitchell’s horses with its eye ar-old Dizzy, ‘one Vetsmay have to be removed. out. EU,” said of the May. “We also have friendlies been t dogs you will recognise the The detectives from the meet’ and a puppy ever four-year-old, struggling to treat the importance of the environment brightest section Seprona told Mitchell, shot dead at the gatescalled Maisie were he has become named Rocco, because and the best coming 48, that it was one too of their pens. Meanwhile Coco Deeply traumati nervous and skittish. recognise the contributhere. We seen and of the worst attacks they had were visibly shocked ion they shot in their beds, and Domingo, were thankfully was sed by the attack - that have made.” by it. They have put on not seen by her daughwith Mitchell believing they had cowered extra patrols to keep ter Ella, May is believed to an eye in their kennels so angry 11 - Mitchell continued: “I am before being killed permit system asfavour a work- night. on the estate at weekends and at that someone would do Coco, two, had beenin cold blood. something as disgustin trigger Article 50 byshe looks to “I am g as this to innocent sickened as to March. range between the shot at point-blank animals.” It comes as the House why of Lords would carry out such a cruel someone year-old Domingo eyes, while three- Mitchell, from published data showing and bar- week. Chester, believes was shot through a borbaric attack on innocent, defencele side of his face. the atthe tack is linked to der closure with animals,” she told ss The mother-of-one, the Olive Press this ban hunters fromher recent decision to put 40% of jobs Spain would above, who bought They later found Jack, her huge her estate in mountai at risk in Gia braltar. ns near Granada German Shepherd, having six-year-old estate that sits in stunning173-hectare convulsions the Sierra scenery in under a nearby tree, The 32 page-rep de Baza. but despite being ort, based on Gibraltar governm Continues on Page ent evidence, estimates 4 10,500 of the Rock’s 26,000 workers Opinion Page 6 Est 1984 crossed the border daily. “A frontier which necessary fluidity lacked the fore put directly atwould thereAntiques, Jewellers risk the jobs of 40% of the Gibraltar For all your & Pawnbrokers force,” said a spokesm workinsurance needs! A huge variety of May’s speech was an. over Leave campaigners,cheered by 1 carat diamond jewell pushing for a ‘hard’ who are ery. She said:“We do Brexit. not seek to HIGH STREET PRICES adopt a model already Choose one of our : 7,000€+ estepona@ibexins enjoyed great by other countries ure.com OUR PRICE: 1,500 lens offers or get 30% seek to hold on to . We do not 2,000€ bits of memoff selected frames bership as we leave,” Fuengirola UNBEATABLE PRICE “The British people said May. See our ad inside S GUARANTEED for details. change. And it is voted for WE BUY, WE PAY ment’s job to deliverthe governfuengirola@ibexin MORE it.” sure.com Diamonds@anthonys-d , WE PAY CASH Opinion Page 6 iamonds.com

SLAUGHTER Expat’s rescue killed over ‘hunanimals mercilessly ting row’

ANTHONYS

Estepona 952 887 125

MASSIVE

LENSES

SALE

952 465 588

100% Certified Green Energy 952 588 795 or 609 529 633 40, Fuengirola,

Avda. Ramon y Cajal

Malaga 29640 (EASY

PARKING)

OLIVE PRESS – 70mm x 40mm FRONT COVER

18 January

Happy 15th anniversary!

We made it!

A message from the publisher Jon Clarke

WELL Issue 365: The number of days in the year and certainly sleepless nights I have had worrying about being sued, being attacked or being able to make the deadline. There have certainly been some moments, like the time when we couldn’t afford the printing bill, or the 5am finish when we had to send the entire paper to the printers from our local pub, after a series of power cuts. And it’s not exactly been a picnic since 2010 with half a decade of recession, followed by four years of Brexit… and then COVID to add to the mix. But luckily for us, the best journalism comes out of crises and it’s in times of trouble when good journalists are needed more than ever. And we have had some of the best, dozens in fact, who have gone on to work in national newspapers back home or on TV networks in America and even Russia. This intrepid bunch of men and women went out to investigate, probe and explore the four corners of this fine country, scouring the very best stories along the way. Now, after launching our sixth edition in Valencia and taking on our first national journalist in Madrid, we are certainly not resting on our laurels. While we are consolidating our position in Andalucia and on the east coast this year with more papers and more journalists, we are looking to expand again to give our readers even better coverage, in particular online, where we publish 20-plus stories a day. It is luckily thanks to our excellent readers and, above all, clients that we are able to continue to expand and improve our service. Thanks so much to all of you for allowing me to do this job that I love so much, sleepless nights and all.

The time of

It came as a shock the first time he read it 15 years ago, but now News Editor Dilip Kuner (inset) is proud of the varied mix - and above all campaigning DNA - of the Olive Press

S a journalist who rolled up on Spanish shores in 1994 I had no idea what to expect. I had intended to spend a few glorious weeks of laziness enjoying life with my girlfriend and spending my meagre savings on an

NEWCOMER: Dilip arrives in 1994

extended holiday, before returning to the Fleet Street rat race at the Sunday Mirror. It did not take long to become seduced by the relaxed Spanish lifestyle – and a return to the hard grind of the UK started to seem not very enticing. So almost by accident I settled down in Spain. I married my girlfriend (Sandra) at Mijas Town Hall the next year, and since then have raised three children here. I would not change a single minute of the life I have enjoyed in this wonderful country. My first challenge back then was getting a job. Given my background in journalism I naturally looked for opportunities in the press. Not speaking Spanish at the time, my options were of course severely limited. There were very few English language newspapers on the Costa del

Sol – and the ‘No Vacancies’ signs were out in force. Which seemed a bit odd, as reading them they could certainly have done with a little more journalistic talent. This was a recurring theme down the years – papers came and went and some were a better read than others. Most were entirely advertisement-led with little thought given to what is, in my mind, the most important bit – the stories themselves. So I made a new life for myself - as do many expats – working in the restaurant trade, doing a bit of writing in my spare time. That is until the Olive Press arrived on the scene. I remember the first time I picked up a copy and was slightly shocked - and definitely delighted - to find a local English newspaper that put journalism first.

our lives At the time I was helping to run a couple of restaurants with my father. But reading the Olive Press that first time definitely implanted in my mind an itch to make a return to the world of print. There was something about its wide selection of stories, its ability to find an interesting feature and, above all, to take on some of the coast’s worst crooks that I loved. It would not be for another six years that I made it back INK IN THE VEINS: Dilip, a long time Olive Press reader to my ‘first love’ of journalism, but during that time I always picked up my covered it had not given up on its origfortnightly copy of the Olive Press and inal remit, based on quality content and NOT advertising. followed the local news avidly. Why? Because it offered investiga- Even better, its DNA is still following tive reporting that looked behind the the big issues of the day and exposing headlines and covered real issues wrongdoing. that affected the expat communities And indeed, since I joined we have consistently looked at dodgy busiin Spain. While I was to spend a few years at nessmen, bent politicians and greedy one of its former rivals (not one I care developers, alongside some excellent to remember), it was great to be final- environmental stories and travel stuff. ly offered a job at the Olive Press last But it’s the human stories that best tick my box… and we are never short year. In the course of the 15 years since I of them. first picked up the paper somewhere The Olive Press has grown and evolved around La Cala de Mijas it has always over 15 years – just as Spain has. I reflected on the things that interest await to see what the next 15 years bring for Spain and, obviously, at the me. And gratifyingly for a journalist, I dis- place where I spent my working days.

It’s a double

Olive Press digital editor Fiona Govan is also celebrating the 15th anniversary of her career as a correspondent in a much-changed Madrid

ARRIVED fresh faced in the spring of 2006, dispatched to The Daily Telegraph’s Madrid desk to provide British readers with light-hearted tales of holiday mishaps on the Costas and the strange things Spaniards got up to at fiestas. Plus countless stories on how Spain had finally broken the pact of silence to explore its dark past; that of the Spanish Civil War and ensuing fascist dictatorship, and the inevitable calls to dig up Franco from his tomb in the Valley of the Fallen. Spain was booming. The periphery of the capital was a construction site, literally, as the Madrid ring road was being dug up and sunk underground, transforming the rubbish-strewn ditch where the Manzanares pitifully trickled into the wonderful recreation area now known as Madrid Rio. Cranes stretched their lofty arms over the city, transforming the skyline with skyscrapers in the swanky business district and modern apartment complexes in spanking new suburbs to house a thriving class of affluent workers mortgaged to the hilt but full of optimism for their bright future. But traditional Spain was omnipresent. Bar floors were still strewn with discarded prawn heads and restaurants were still family-run, offering classic Spanish fare with a €10 menu del dia in overlit, smoke-filled See next page

RIDING OUT: One of Fiona’s first forays while reporting for the Telegraph in Madrid

Now’s the time to write your book! English-speaking Kindle books soar during lockdown in Spain

ave you always wanted to write a novel? Maybe a memoir? Henry Baum of ex-pat book hub Self-Publishing Review says independent publishing has never been more popular due to the toque de quedas.

“I’m an American novelist living in Valencia, Spain. When I moved from Los Angeles in 2014, I brought my book promotion company with me. Self-Publishing Review is one of the original sites

for ‘indie’ authors, that is, those who write, edit, and publish their books themselves online. Since I founded the company in 2008, we’ve helped an estimated twenty thousand English-speaking writers from around the world achieve publication. SPR is a family business. My wife, a British ex-pat and qualified book editor, organises the US and UK-based teams that work for us. We are now one of the most trusted authorities in this industry and a go-to source for

authors of all genres. The self-publishing industry is booming, because it’s free to publish a book on Amazon’s KDP eBook system. And, of course, expats in Spain have long used Amazon to buy English language books, because it can be difficult to get a good selection in shops. Since lockdown is upon us, and pubs and clubs are out, many have turned to writing that book they always wanted to pen, as well as re-discovering the joys of reading.

With all the time spent at home, people are buying more books. At Self-Publishing Review, we specialise in helping English-speaking authors achieve their dream: Publish and sell your book, and become a Best Selling author. We offer editing, reviews, and our popular promotion service that can get you to #1 on Amazon, with an estimated quarter of a million global views. We give free advice to authors looking for a start, and you’ll find lots of information about writing

and publishing on our website at www.selfpublishingreview. com. You are also welcome to ask us anything by email: edit o r @ s e l f p u b l i s h i n g r e v i e w. com. Get your exclusive Olive Press discount code for SPR’s author services, valid until May! www.selfpublishingreview.com/OP

GREEN

www.theolivepress.es

Brexit, Franco et al From previous page

dining rooms. People mostly shopped at their local markets back when they still contained butchers, fishmongers and vegetable stalls, not collections of food outlets offering exotic international fare from arepas to poke bowls. Then the recession struck and suddenly news from Spain became less a distraction from the weighty world issues of the day and more an ominous threat that could destabilise the Euro. I started to write about bank bailouts and debt restructuring, construction company crashes and home repossessions … followed by corruption scandal after corruption scandal. A powerful indignado movement led to the birth of Podemos and an end to Spain’s two-party system, bringing with it political instability and the rise of the far right. The Basque separatist cause waned and was replaced in Spain’s narrative with the struggle

NOWADAYS: Fiona with pet Rufus

4 14

for an independent Catalonia. Then Brexit busted the European project entirely – at least for Brits, upending rights taken for granted when we made the move to Spain. The last year has been overwhelmingly dominated by the pandemic, presaging an economic crisis that threatens to run deeper and longer than any previous one. But at least they finally dug up Franco!

drive for change Cordoba correspondent Cristina Hodgson, reflects on 15 years of dodgy driving, quaint customs and vegetarian liberation in Ole Ole Land

March 25th - April 7th 2021

FIFTEEN YEARS ago today I was living in sleepysville Extremadura and Rafa Nadal was the new national hero. The Spaniard won his second French Open in 2006 and he’s taken home The Musketeers' Trophy 11 more times since. Almost as impressive as Nadal’s serving has been the improvement in the nation’s driving. An eye-watering 4,101 lives were lost on Spanish roads in 2006, compared to 870 last year. Back in the day, before better roads and speed cameras, it seemed that every hot-blooded Spaniard was a frustrated F1 driver … or maybe it was just me getting used to driving on the right hand side. The queuing etiquette also took some getting used to. No one forms an orderly one here, everyone mills around. Either you take a numbered ticket or you have to memorise the face of the person who arrived before you. It’s a time-honoured tradition that has served generations of Spaniards perfectly well and finally I know my place. Like everyone else when joining a queue I now dutifully utter the sacred words: ‘Quien es el ultimo?’ But if we think that’s weird, it’s nothing compared to how the

meat-living Spanish saw vegetarianism. When I first arrived no one seemed to understand the concept of the word as I was invariably offered jamon. Jamon is a source of great pride among Spaniards. Not to eat it is practically a criminal offense. But we vegetarians have been liberated. Today most supermarkets stock a good range of plant-based foods and no one bats an eyelid when I pass on the pata negra. In fact my only regret after 15 years in the sunny land of Ole Ole is that HP Sauce hasn’t made it to local shops inland yet. That and the super-helpful nature of Spanish shopkeepers as they embark on an entire stock audit in search of this magical condiment, refusing to let me leave til they’ve finished!

Costa Blanca reporter Alex Trelinski looks back on a change for the better I'M still a newbie compared to the Olive Press with just a dozen years of Spanish life under my belt. Those 12 years have whizzed by faster than the number of lawsuits filed against Emeritus King Juan Carlos. There's been bursting property bubbles, depression, recession, a recovery, and something called coronavirus to round things off....for now! At local level there's a far greater multinational flavour on the Costas and I like that a lot. In 2009 every house on my street was British-owned; today it’s like the United Nations with a nice mix of Dutch, Belgians, Danes and even Spanish in my quiet cul-de-sac. The Brits left for a variety of reasons though none down to Brexit. My only regret is that many of the 'newcomers' spend just a few weeks a year over here - quite a change for our community, which now has more of a 'holiday home' feel about it. Infrastructure that we now take for granted has been revolutionised with high-speed internet and cheap mobile phones that were all at a premium when I first arrived. You can shop around to get the best value energy provider as well. Back in the Noughties it was just Telefonica and Iberdrola, like it or lump it. Supermarkets have sprouted out of nowhere (although the check-out queues are still painful) and there's been a revolution in the number of footpaths and cycleways that have popped up to spare me the old ritual of 'dicing with death' when I fancied stretching my legs on the local roads. Exercise was very un-Spanish back then but the nation has come on in leaps and bounds since 2006 and every paseo has become a Nike catwalk. So no 'good old days' stuff from yours truly, Spain is a country mile better than it was in so many ways.

Looking for flexible residence in Spain? Now that UK nationals are no longer EU members, non-residents are only permitted to spend 90 days in Spain in any 180-day period – a big change if you want to freely come and go from your holiday home.

Talk to the people who know 965 705 502 gerald.turner@blevinsfranks.com

Spain’s ‘Golden Visa’ is available to those who make a substantial investment in Spain. It provides the benefits of residence but with no minimum or maximum day limits. Blevins Franks can help you consider your residence options along with the tax and financial planning aspects of living in Spain.

122-es

I N T E R N AT ION A L TA X A DV IC E • I N V E S T M E N TS • E S TAT E PL A N N I NG • PE NSIONS Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts, retirement schemes and companies. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.

www.blevinsfranks.com

PROPERTY

March 25th April 7th 2021

€20m makeover

Hotel that hosted Princess Di set to reopen

By Dilip Kuner

THE owners of one of Spain’s most luxurious hotels that hosted Princess Diana and the Rolling Stonesare to be handed a €20 MILLION grant to reopen its doors. The European Regional Development Fund has pledged to support the reconstruction and reopening of the Hotel Byblos in Mijas, which has been closed since 2010.

Agreement

Its previous owner, UK business tycoon Lord Alan Sugar, had been embroiled in a lengthy legal wrangle with troubled developer Aifos. After finally settling, Madrid-based Ayco Inmobiliaria snapped up the 135-room hotel pledging to reopen it ‘within the next few months’, creating some 300 new jobs. But the blue and white building, which attracted the world’s elite from day one of its 1986 opening, never reopened. Princess Diana stayed no less than three times at the leafy

SWANKY: Princess Di stayed here three times enclave behind Fuengirola, where she was famously photographed topless by paparazzi. It was the first place she spent the night during her debut visit to the Costa in 1993, the same year she announced her withdrawal from public life following the revelations of her relationship with playboy James Hewitt. And Diana wasn’t the only blue-blooded guest. The Saudi royal family, who came to the Costa del Sol every summer to escape the Middle East’s crippling heat, repeatedly chose the Byblos as their

preferred retreat. The Rolling Stones, too, found satisfaction in its peace and seclusion Massive fans of Spain, the Stones were the first foreign band to perform in the country in 1976, following the fall of Franco They went on to perform 21 sell-out concerts across the country, choosing to wind down at the Byblos when performing in the south The hotel was also a firm favourite with Spanish household names, including actor Antonio Banderas and singing legend Julio Iglesias.

952 147 834 *Offer

valid

for

new

customers

only.

Subject

conditions.

Ends

31/03/21.

ABOUT ME AND THY WILL BE DONE

FIVE FANTASTIC OFFERS Offer 1

Hi, I’m Paul Blackmoore and I’m the sole Director of Thy Will Be Done (Spain) Ltd. I live in Quesada with my 2 little helpers, Benny and Frankie who are both rescue French Bulldogs.

AN ENGLISH OR A SPANISH WILL - JUST €199 PER PERSON

Offer 2 AN ENGLISH AND A SPANISH WILL - JUST €299 PER PERSON

Offer 3 Who would make decisions for you in Spain or back in the UK if you lost mental or physical capacity?

AN ENGLISH OR A SPANISH LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AND PROPERTY AND FINANCE INCLUDING AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE - JUST €499 PER PERSON • English set includes registration with the Office of the Public Guardian and us overseeing the signing of the document at the Expat centre. OR • Spanish set includes IVA, notary fee and registration and revokes all powers previously given to your legal advisor when you bought your property and appoints your chosen family and loved ones to act for you instead.

Offer 4 ENGLISH AND SPANISH LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AND PROPERTY AND FINANCE INCLUDING AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE - €995 FOR BOTH SETS FOR A SINGLE PERSON / €1990 FOR BOTH SETS FOR A COUPLE

Offer 5

ENGLISH EXPATS FULL MONTY PACKAGE

Paul, Benny & Frankie 1. We will conduct your consultation over the phone 2. You will be able to pay by card or by bank transfer 3. You will receive your drafts within 72 hours by e-mail or post 4. You can change these as many times as required for free 5. Once approved your legal documents will be sent to you by recorded delivery or you can collect them or have us witness them at the Expat centre 6. You must sign the documents and have them witnessed as soon as you can THE

BRITISH WILLS AND PROBATE AWARDS

2020 WILL WRITING FIRM OF THE YEAR

HIGHLY COMMENDED

YOUR ENGLISH AND SPANISH WILLS

Plus

YOUR ENGLISH AND SPANISH LASTING POWERS OF ATTORNEY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AND PROPERTY AND FINANCE INCLUDING AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE ALL FOR JUST €1294 FOR A SINGLE PERSON / €2450 FOR A COUPLE

Call now to arrange your free telephone consultation

Call: 965 023 596 or Email: pb@thywill.co.uk www.thywill.co.uk/spain

The Expat Centre, C/de Villena 12 Urb Dona Pepa Cuidad Quesada 03170 Alicante Registered in the UK at Companies House under number 10791190. UK trading address: The Mill Building, 31 Chatsworth Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 1LY.

Prices are valid from 1/1/21 until 31/12/21

My main areas of expertise are; Wills, Trusts, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Prepaid Funeral plans and Probate. It has always been my mission to bring to everyday folk the same protection opportunities that the rich and famous have had for generations. I achieve this by ensuring my prices are transparent fair and reasonable at all times. Many people are concerned about: 1. The complexities of Spanish succession law. 2. Living with partners but not being married. 3. Having arranged Power of Attorney for their legal advisor when they bought their property in Spain but not having officially revoked that power since, leaving them potentially vulnerable. 4. How much their families may need to pay in probate and inheritance tax fees. 5. Protecting their children if they leave everything to a spouse and the spouse then remarries after their death. 6. How to ensure their children will not lose half of their inheritance if they divorced after inheriting. 7. How to protect vulnerable or disabled beneficiaries. 8. Being forced to sell their homes to pay for care fees in the UK in the future. I am able to deliver solutions that are 100% legally effective in England, Wales and Spain in overcoming all of these problems and many more besides. If you would like to have a chat with me just give my reception team a call on the number below and they will book you in a convenient time slot for you to have your FREE telephone consultation with me. Take care and chat soon

• The provision of your English Will together with a spare legal copy to give to your executors • Full listing on the UK Wills register • Us providing your witnessing service at the Expat centre OR • The provision of your Spanish Will with full translation into English also • The inclusion of the Brussels IV clause (Regulation EU650/2012) within your Spanish Will enabling all of your Spanish assets to be dealt with the way you choose and not according to standard Spanish law • Including the Spanish Notary’s fee and full registration

FOOD & DRINK

March 25th April 7th 2021

Ready for takeoff

SPAIN’S regions may have agreed to keep their borders closed within the country for Easter, but it seems that international travel is about to take off. Ryanair has announced that it is putting on 200 extra flights from Germany to

German influx as corridors open

Mallorca and Alicante over the holiday period. This will mean an increase in capacity of almost 40,000 seats on 22 routes from March 28 to mid-April. In addition, many of these

Great for grape and grain DON’T mix grape with grain has long been the refrain of drinkers in the know trying to avoid a hangover. But Spanish brewers Cruzcampo have decided they want no truck with the saying and have brewed up a cross between wine and beer. They describe Cruzcampo Grape Beer as a ‘refreshing mix between red wine and traditional hops’. Grape Beer is a mix of the tempranillo grape with Nelson Sauvin hops. THE Spanish Minister for Tourism, Maria Reyes Maroto has announced that vaccine passports could be introduced in May. “We could be in a position to start implementing the digital passport on May 19”, she told Antena 3 TV station. The news comes just a day after Maroto said that Spain plans to reopen tourism

Full steam when 30-40% of the nation’s population has been immunised against COVID-19. Grievously affected by the pandemic due to its reliance on tourism, Spain is eager to see its beaches filled in summer and has described itself as ‘the most active champion of digital

routes will continue to operate for the rest of the summer with flights available for booking until March 2022. A Ryanair spokesman said: “Following the announcement of the opening of the corridor between Germany and some of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, Ryanair is delighted to play a part in the recovery of Spain’s tourism industry. “Thus, Ryanair will offer an increase in the number of frequencies that will help both better connectivity with the cities of Palma de Mallorca and Alicante and further economic growth of these destinations.” vaccine passports’. Countries around the world are keen to implement similar schemes, and the EU has published draft legislation on a ‘green digital pass’. The Spanish Secretary for Tourism, Fernando Valdes, has also said that a bilateral travel plan could be struck with the UK.

Peace of mind

for every sunset

Arranging a funeral abroad can be overwhelming. But with us by your side, you can simply get on with enjoying every day in the sun.

We are Avalon - the most trusted expat funeral plan provider. Arranging a funeral abroad can be complicated, with language barriers and unfamiliar procedures. An Avalon funeral plan makes things simple by arranging and paying for your funeral in advance. You can be safe in the knowledge that it’s all sorted and we’ll be there to give loved ones the support they need, so you can get on enjoying your life in the sun.

Why choose Avalon? Established for over 26 years with more than Arranging a funeral in Cyprus can be 85,000 customers complicated. Find out how to make it simple Voted Best Funeral Plan Provider at the Personal Finance Awards for two consecutive years

With language barriers, unfamiliar procedures and unexpected costs, Most trusted funeral plan provider with over 2,500 arranging a funeral as an expat in Cyprus can make a difficult time even reviews on Trustpilot and a 5-star ‘excellent’ rating more stressful. Our award-winning expat plans are specially

Hear from the UK’s most trusted funeral plan provider*, Avalon Funeral designed to suit your needs Plans and find out how to make things simpler for your loved ones 24/7 English-speaking expat bereavement helpline when the time comes.

Network of local Funeral Directors so you and your family have support close by

Established for over

26 years

Home, video or phone consultations available

Plan your expat funeral with the Best Funeral Plan Provider today. Call +34 865 616 550 Visit avalonfuneralplans.com/expat *Based on over 2,500 reviews on Trustpilot

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

March 25th - April 7th 2021

Worth a trip

Picture by Roberto Faccenda

Balearic beach ranked high for its beautiful white sand

e all know Spain has good food. But look beyond the paella and tapas and you can discover some of the most expensive culinary delicacies the world has to offer, made right here in Spain. From an ethical foie gras produced without cruelty in

PICTURESQUE: Platje de Ses Illetesis the fifth best in Europe

Jamon Iberico

sunlit, snuggled-away coves of Italy and Greece, we bring you the cream of the European coast with these top 20 beaches." One of two Spanish entries, Platja Illetes was joined by Praia as Catedrais in Galicia, which ranked number 13 on the list. Both were named alongside stunning beaches in Sicily, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and Norway on the list. Speaking about Platja Illetes, the Lonely Planet’s writers wrote: “With its long sweep of bleach-blonde and translucent azure waters, Formentera’s Platja Illetes fits the barefoot paradise bill neatly.” Meanwhile Praia as Catedrais was applauded for being the place to go if ‘you want to worship at the altar of the beach gods’.

remote Extremadura to an organic caviar harvested from the loins of a sturgeon native to the Iberian Peninsula, if you have deep pockets and taste-buds that crave adventure, here’s the bucket-list for you, writes Fiona Govan Cured ham is a serious business in Spain. In fact it’s a national obsession and while you can find it everywhere, from a slice offered as a free tapa with a chilled glass of sherry to a whole leg given as a gift at Christmas, the very best tasting and most expensive is Jamon Iberico de Bellota. Produced from Spain’s very own variety of black pig, a darkskinned black hoofed breed that roams free across the dehesa, gorging itself on acorns, it is a luxuriant tasting fat-marbled ham hung naturally to cure in dry mountain air for up to four years. The most expensive ham leg on record sold for €11,881 at auction in Japan in September 2020 but Cinco Jotas, recognised as one of the best brands in Spain, sells ready-sliced packs for €27.95 for 80g while a whole jamon leg will set you back €589.

Photo by Thomas Vogel

A LONG winding golden beach on the Trucador Peninsula has been named fifth best in a list of the top 20 to visit in Europe. Platja de Ses Illetes on the Balearic Island of Formentera had the wow factor. It swayed Lonely Planet travel site’s writers to name it ahead of the other incredible beaches in Spain. The travel guide described the unspoiled beach on Formentera as ‘paradise’, as it announced its European top 20 for this year. Posting on their website, the travel experts wrote: “No matter your taste in beach, Europe obliges. “From the wild, wind-lashed shores of the Atlantic coast to mountain-fringed Arctic bays where whales raise their tails, and the

RICH PICKINGS W Ten of the most desirable (and expensive) delicacies produced in Spain

Queso Payoyo Discerning cheese connoisseurs have long been familiar with Queso Payoyo, an artisan cheese made from the milk of a goat breed unique to the Cadiz province mixed with milk from Moreno sheep grazed in the hills around Grazalema. The rich and tangy flavour with hints of herbs and a buttery texture regularly scoops Best Cheese Awards and is the ideal accompaniment to a glass of sherry. A 1kg cheese sells for around €18

Photo from payoyo. com

March 25th - April 7th 2021 Caviar Riofrio

Spain has its very own native species of sturgeon and at a fish farm in the Andalucian village of Riofrio, where natural pools are fed by snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada, the world’s first certified organic caviar has been produced since 2001. Made without preservatives, these rich creamy ebony pearls rival those of traditional producers in Iran and Russia. Perfect on a blini with a squeeze of lemon and shot of vodka. www.caviarderiofrio.com/en/classic-organic-caviar/ €132 for 50 grams

Photo: Caviar Riofrio

Ethical foie gras For many this buttery, rich delicacy is one of the most desired luxury food items in the culinary world, but for others it’s method of manufacture represents the ultimate in cruelty. Traditionally, foie gras is produced by a method perfected in France known as ‘gavage’ in which geese are force fed by sticking a tube down the throat and stuffing it with more grain than the bird would naturally eat in a lifetime. But at a remote farm in Extremadura, foie gras is produced ethically by allowing migratory wild geese to gorge themselves with olives and acorns to naturally swell their livers with large fatty deposits doubling their bodyweight in preparation for flying south for the winter.

rought to Spain by the Arabs over a millennia ago, today around 70 percent of the world’s saffron production is grown on the wind-swept plateaus of central Spain where fields of purple crocus flowers are plucked for their pungent red stigmas. The delicate harvest lasts no more than ten days each year at the end of October and is done entirely by hand. Dubbed ‘red gold’ and known as the most expensive spice in the world, only a few of the vivid crimson threads are needed to flavour a dish, and are an essential part of many Spanish culinary creations not least paella. One gram of the highest quality azafrán (as it is known in Spanish) costs around €9.

Percebes

€176 for a small 125gram pot

or most people Cava has earned a reputation as a good value bubbly, a cheaper version of French Champagne that is affordable enough to mean you don’t need a celebration to pop a cork. But the downscale fizz is

Cava going upmarket with a drive by Catalan vintners to produce top-end reservas to rival the finest Champagne. And the best may not even have Cava written on the

bottle in a deliberate marketing ploy to distance themselves from the good value brand. Codorniu Ars Collecta Gran Reserva Bruts can come with a price tag above €100.

BIZARRE: Gooseneck barnacles

Saffron

ound clinging to the rocky outcrops along the coast of Galicia, this bizarre looking seafood known as gooseneck barnacles in English - resembles a dragon claw on a wrinkled leathery sleeve and is little eaten beyond Spain. But here it is one of the most-prized culinary delicacies with dedicated fishermen risking their lives to harvest them in time for Christmas Eve feasts. Be brave enough to overlook their frankly alarming external appearance and crack open the stem to reveal a delicate pink flesh that has an oyster-like texture and briny sweetness They can cost up to €200 a kilo.

ANGULAS

hey may not look too appetising but baby eels, known as angulas in Spanish and elvers in English come with a hefty price tag.

The pale 3-inch-long worm-like seafood is a Basque delicacy traditionally served on feast days around Christmas. But their exorbitant cost comes not as a result of their flavour, which is considered rather bland – but because of their scarcity brought on by decades of overfishing, Once a peasant food, the eels are now a rare gourmet treat reserved for only the most high-end table, costing up to €1,000 a kilo.

Black truffles Photo by Fiona Govan

Photo: Pim Techamuanvivit/flickr

forgotten corner of eastern Spain has remarkably become the capital of the global black truffle industry and few but those in the business are aware of it. The arid landscape of Gudar Javalambre, situated between the mountains of Teruel in Aragon and the Valencia coast provides the ideal conditions to cultivate the sought-after culinary treasure known as black diamonds, but most are destined for export to France where they are sold on to chefs from Italy, the UK and the USA at an inflated price. With its crinkled black exterior and pungent earthy smell, a fist-sized truffle weighs in at around 350 grams and has a price tag of €295 if you buy it from source at a market in the region.

Denia’s Red Prawns

ot all prawns were created equal. Visitors to the Costa Blanca town of Denia must seek out what is widely considered as the jewel in Mediterranean cuisine. Known in Spanish as Gamba Roja or Rayada de Denia for its deep red appearance and stripy tail. This crustacean has won international acclaim thanks to its intense flavour and the fact that it can only be found in a very limited habitat. It is fished from a deep marine trench stretching between Cape San Antonio and Ibiza where it lives as a depth of 600 metres.

Photo: City Foodsters/flickr

It commands a high price of up to €8 for a single prawn.

BUSINESS

A QUARTER of Spaniards say they would prefer to wave goodbye to cash and welcome electronic payments instead. The impact of the coronavirus crisis has intensified the debate over paper money amid concerns about banknotes and coins transmitting the virus. On top of this, the increasing decline of high street bank branches and ATMs has made the possibility of a cashless society in the next few years more likely than ever before.

March 25th March 25th - April 7th 7th 2021 April 2021

Who needs cash? A survey by MoneyTransfers.com analysed the latest data from YouGov, to discover which countries in the world would most be in favour of a cashless society. The exact question respondents from each respective country were asked was: “Do you think it would be a positive or negative if your country became cashless, meaning only electronic forms of money will

Pay back time

Countryside challenge

be accepted?” Electronic forms of money refer to debit cards, credit cards, Google pay, Apple pay and other forms of electronic payment. It found that India occupied the number one spot as an overwhelming 79% of citizens surveyed would like to have a cashless society in their country. In second position is Malaysia, where 65% of the population favour having a cashless society in their country.

Put your feet up! Four-day week on the cards

SPAIN’S two football giants – Real Madrid and Barcelona – will have to pay back millions of euros in illegal state aid. Tax breaks that the two clubs have enjoyed for the past quarter of a century had been declared illegal by the European Commission, a decision that has now been confirmed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The EU’s competitions chief, Margrethe Vestager, ordered four Spanish football clubs to pay back tens of million of euros back in 2016. The cash had come from overpriced property deals, cheap loans and tax breaks – the costs of which all fell at the taxpayers’ door. The other two clubs were CA Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao. FC Barcelona had won an appeal to the EU’s General Court, but the ECJ has now affirmed the original decision.

SPAIN is on the verge of launching a €50 million trial of the four-day working week. The national government has reportedly informally agreed to a pilot project proposed by left wing political party Mas Pais. Discussions are still taking place with the next meeting due in the coming weeks, Iñigo Errejon of Mas Pais said: “With the four-day work week (32 hours), we’re launching into the real debate of our times.” He added: “Spain is one of the countries where workers put in more hours than the European average. But we’re not among the most productive countries. I maintain that working more hours does not mean working better.” Details of the plan are still unders discussion, but Mas Pais has proposed a threeyear, €50 million scheme

under which the government would help cover extra expenses run up by participating companies. Mas Pais has suggested that these costs should be paid 100% in the first year, 50% in the second and 33% in the third.

Trial

The party’s Hector Tejero said: that he expects 200 businesses to sign up to a trial, with between 3,000 and 6,000 workers affected. He said: “The only red lines are that we want to see a true reduction of working hours and no loss of salary or jobs.” He added that the project could be launched this autumn, saying: “Spain will be the first country to undertake a trial of this magnitude. A pilot project like this hasn’t been undertaken anywhere in the world.”

LONELY: Rural Spain is losing its population

THE Spanish government has unveiled a €10billion plan to combat rural depopulation. Using cash largely from the EU, the scheme involves 130 measures to try to reverse the trend of people moving from the country to the cities, leaving behind an elderly population and dying villages. “Working to recover equal opportunities for the rights of people throughout the territory is key,” Teresa Ribera, the Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, said. Ribera said that in Spain five rural regions that make up 53% of the country now have only 15% of its population. Over the past 50 years, Spain's countryside has lost 28% of its population and is now known as la España vacia — or empty Spain. The government aid package involves extend-

OP Puzzle solutions FREE ASSESSMENT WEEK

Across: 1 Fuse, 4 Pipeline, 8 Etchings, 9 Date, 10 Stalk, 11 Broncos, 13 Hers, 14 Yam, 15 Ma’am, 16 High-ups, 18 Braid, 20 Fuzz, 21 This is it, 22 Deployed, 23 Test. Down: 2 Up to the minute, 3 Exhales, 4 Pant, 5 Pastrami, 6 Led in, 7 Nationalities, 12 Sympathy, 15 Marxist, 17 Hazel, 19 Kind.

ARE YOU A UK NATIONAL AND STRUGGLING WITH YOUR RESIDENCY APPLICATION? UK NATIONALS

SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

ing the 5G telephone network across Spain, the development of technologically ‘smart towns’ in rural areas and regional innovation centres. Extra help will also be given to the elderly as well as help for women and young people to find jobs in depopulated regions.

Get in touch to find out how we can support you CONTACT DETAILS UKnationalsSP@iom.int spain.iom.int Murcia y Almería (0034) 648 642 543

SUPPORT FUND PROJECT

*The UK Nationals Support Fund Project is funded by the FCDO and all of our services are FREE of charge.

COLUMNISTS

March 25th April 7th 2021

Money Matters

MENSA OR DENSA? A

RE you a digital doer or a real-life print reader? The Olive Press alternates weekly publication of my columns between actual print and ether-controlled messages beamed from outer space. But if you are one of the 75% of over 65’s who do not access so called digital platforms, you are safe in my hands. However, those who have managed to stretch their little grey cells to master the art of accessing digital information are more likely to be high Mensa achievers who do crosswords with a pen, and say, moi, instead of me. Personally, I am of the Densa brigade. I find reading a real newspaper, especially while lying in the sun, very relaxing, and it has the added advantage of acting as an umbrella over the face when getting some extra ZZZZ’s in. Laptops tend to be uncomfortable and difficult to balance on the nose.

Worship

D evo t e e s who worship at the altar of the God of ethernet culture will also tell you that you can compare news items quickly by surfing the net, to establish real or

OL D HA CK IN TH E SU N

with Tracy Storer, Senior Partner, Chorus Financial.

FALLING INVESTMENTS Money Matters answers all your questions on finance, tax, pensions, investments and more

This week we received the following question from Mr Robert C, in Altea.

Why have my investments been dropping? Hi Tracy, I’ve only just become Spanish resident and have kept my UK investment platform running. I’ve had it for over two years now and have noticed a significant drop in its value since the beginning of February. As I’m no longer in touch with my UK adviser, I hoped that you might be able to shed some light on this and give me some reassurance.

Hi Robert,

Benny Davis

Ramblings of an 80-somethi ng expat f a k e news. But before you don your wetsuit, may I point out that fake news happens far less frequently in print, and if on the rare occasion the unthinkable happens, lawsuits leap into action far more quickly than on the web, encouraging extreme caution on the part of newspaper editors and owners. I understand that instant information is available in seconds through sites such as Google, Bing, etc. Call me old fashioned, but that method doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as finally coming up trumps with answers after spending hours, even days, of searching through old files and reference libraries. At the moment, I am writing an article about a serial killer who wrought havoc back in the Victorian era and am running barefooted through my enormous collection of information, amassed over countless years as a writer. If I cannot find the answers, I will have to revert to my failsafe solution, ‘Gertrude,’ grandmother of Amazon’s virtual assistant ‘Alexa.’ Although she answers in a shaky voice with the occasional additional sound effect of flatulence, she never lets me down and fits into my lifestyle far more comfortably than the pre-mentioned Miss Smoothy-Pants.

The markets started well in February, and all of the main indexes were strong for the first half of the month. From mid-February we started to see some large pull backs. To put that into perspective, the FTSE’s high was 6748 on February 16 and it reached its lowest point of 6483 on February 26, loosing nearly 4%. The S&P 500 had a similar story, dropping by 8% and the market which had the most significant pull back was the NASDAQ. This index is made up of nearly 50% technology stocks and has dropped by over 11%. Most investors who hold technology, medical, financial funds will no doubt have experienced some losses since the middle of February. The main driving force behind the market volatility was the rise in the US 10 Year Treasury yield, which has increased sharply. It would take another page or two to fully explain this, but in essence, this movement has led to inflation fears, which have shaken both the bond and equity markets. It has been interesting to see how concentrated that has been, mainly affecting the technology sector, because typically when there are inflation/interest rate worries, it is often more focused on economically sensitive sectors. This time, we’re seeing it in the growth area where some stocks are potentially a little bit overvalued and maybe this means they are simply more vulnerable from that standpoint. I think that the little bit of volatility that we’ve had in stocks is a reminder to take a look at your portfolio’s asset allocation, and check it to see whether you’re in line with your target. It’s been too easy over many years of strong markets to simply let a portfolio run its course, but it’s always important to seek ongoing, professional advice. If you have any questions about finance, tax or money matters here in Spain, call +34 965 641 163 or please email them to me on t.storer@chorusfinancial.es with subject ‘Money Matters’. All emails will get a response, and some may even appear in our column!

Money Matters answers all your questions on finance, tax, pensions, investments and more here in Spain.

specialists in eliminating local fat with cryotherapy for a slimmer, healthy and beautiful body

Our high-tech machine (Cryo - Arctik 21) will locally lower the temperature of the fat cells to 7 - 8°; they will not survive this low temperature and they will burst open. As a result they will be destroyed once and for all. After the treatments, they will be eliminated with their contents via the natural way of removing waste substances from the body. No surgery, no pain and no side effects. Treatments are for men and women.

Tel & WhatsApp +34 699 500 734 C/ Richard Wagner 2 blq 5 - Orihuela Costa (Villamartin) by appointment only

www.institutocarmenmaria.com

info@institutocarmenmaria.com

The

OLIVE PRESS

Reuse Reduce Recycle We use recycled paper

COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA

FREE

FINAL WORDS

Now that’s zippy

How an ancient war photo has finally led to a brand new Spanish museum, writes Fiona Govan

Junk dress

FIREFIGHTERS in the Alicante region have rescued a dog that fell into a snow well in the Sierra de Carrasqueta on Saturday due to slippery conditions.

voice in Spain

Snap to attention

A LAW has been passed to phase out fluorescent warning triangles and instead oblige drivers to use flashing beacons à la Starsky and Hutch to indicate if they have broken down.

Dog’s day

expat

Vol. 2 Issue 36 www.theolivepress.es March 25th - April 7th 2021

Flash me, please

POPULAR designer Rosa Montesa from Valencia has crafted a beautiful Fallas outfit entirely from other people’s crisp packets, cleaning products, cola bottles and other litter.

Your

A RUN down slum building in Madrid is finally about to become a key museum - all thanks to an 85-year-old photo! The one-story block was inhabited by 13 families when it was A MAN has gained the dubious distinction of setting a new speed record on Spain’s public roads. Instead of a trophy he could end up with an unwanted prize - a jail term - after he was clocked at 256 kph on a motorway - more than double the 120 kph limit and the fastest ever recorded by the police.

identified as being the location of a famous snap by legendary war photographer Robert Capa, a decade ago. Now 10 Peironcely Street, in the southern suburb of Vallecas, is

It’s a Record A drugs test found the Barcelona man, 48, was driving along the AP-7 near Tarragona under the influence of cocaine. His BMW M2 CS was designed more for the racetrack than the

to become the Robert Capa centre for the interpretation of the aerial bombing. It comes after Madrid City Council expropriated the building and rehoused all the fampublic highway. It has a six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine, blasting out 450 horsepower, with a price tag starting at €103,900. He faces a €600 speeding fine and between €500 and €1,000 for driving on drugs. If he is charged with reckless driving he could end up with a two-year sentence.

ilies in larger modern flats in other parts of the city. They had all been crammed into the warren-like slum home, which had 15 tiny apartments measuring between 17 and 28m2. The powerful image, taken by the Hungarian photojournalist in the winter of 1936, shows a woman smiling from a doorway while three children play amid the rubble outside. The area had been the focus of sustained bombing by the fascist forces as they attempted - and failed - to force their way into the city. They never did, in part thanks to the famous slogan ‘no pasaran’.

A NEW zip wire has opened where adrenaline junkies can soar through a valley at speeds up between 130 and 160kph. The ride promises thrill seekers the buzz of flying through the air for over two km (2,036 metres to be exact) secured in a harness 1,200 metres above sea level for unrivalled views across the Parque Nacional de Ordesa and Monte Perdido in the Pyrenees. Those with the stomach to try the experience are promised a bird’s eye view of the Ordea mountain range, the Ara valley and Bujaruelo river soaring over the villages of Sarvise, Torla, Buesa and Janovas, The zip-line which has been installed near the town of Fiscal in the Aragonses province of Huesca drops by 400metres from start to finish over a gradient of 20%. The new attraction has been funded by local businessman Jorge Rabal with an investment of €800,000 with hopes of boosting the area as a tourist destination.