Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 93

Mijas Costa

The Rock’s only free local paper FREE

Vol. 4 Issue 93 www.theolivepress.es March 27th - April 9th 2019

Pig ignorant EXCLUSIVE

By John Culatto

THE government pulled no punches when it hit back at snooker pro Ronnie O’Sullivan for his incendiary comments about the Rock this week.

The world n u m b e r one, 43, had mocked the Gibraltar Open snooker tournament, saying he would ‘rather sleep in a pigsty’, than take part.

His inflammatory comments enraged those in the Ministry of Culture, who said O’Sullivan ‘does not speak from any firsthand experience’.

“Ronnie O’Sullivan has never played in this tournament in Gibraltar before,” a spokesperson told the Olive Press.

“This is feud that he has with the snooker authorities and we have been caught in the middle.

“If you check reports by other players who actually came to Gibraltar, they are very positive.”

Failed

It comes after O’Sullivan also blasted the facilities of the competition, which was held at the Tercentenary Hall from March 13-17.

He was joined by scores of online critics who pointed out that organisers of the Gibraltar Open had failed to provide a warm-up table.

However the Government spokesperson said: “The event is produced by World Snooker and it is therefore up to them to provide the table and not the Ministry of Culture.

“With all the new facilities we are building, we will soon have more options and first class venues to host all these and more tournaments of this sort.” Stuart Bingham was the eventual winner of the Open.

PROTEST: Puns, pets and expats from Spain were all at the anti-Brexit march in London, as Fabian Picardo calls for article 50 to be revoked

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It comes after thousands of expats joined a million marchers at a massive anti-Brexit protest in London at ANXIOUS expats breathed a sigh the weekend. of relief this week after Parliament “It was great to be there making hisvoted to wrestle back control of the tory I hope,” said Sue Wilson of BreBrexit process in yet another humili- main in Spain.

“It is not the first time we have voted ation for Theresa May. The fresh blow for the British Prime with our feet, but it was our biggest Minister has put the future of a mil- ever march contingent,” she added. lion expats in Europe firmly into the “It was a sign of commitment that hands of MPs, who are expected to so many members joined us in London.” MPs used Monday night’s avoid a hard Brexit. vote to express their discontent at Theresa May’s stubborn refusal to set a fresh approach to Brexit.

Parliament will now hold a series of ‘indicative votes’ today BASED (Wednesday) in an Lettings | Sales attempt to break the Investments | Relocations Brexit deadlock after the Government lost

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the vote by 329 votes to 302.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: “Another humiliating defeat for a prime minister who has lost complete control of her party, her cabinet and of the Brexit process.

“Parliament has fought back - and now has the chance to decide what happens next.”

A softer Brexit will likely be one of options to be voted on as will staying in the customs union and even another referendum.

Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo claimed Brexit options are getting ‘starker and starker’ as he renewed calls to revoke Article 50.

“The land of milk and honey which was presented to the voters has not materialised,” Picardo insisted.

“As we all know, the best trading relationship, the best deal, that can be secured with the EU is clearly continued EU membership.”

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NEWS IN BRIEF Banding together St Michael’s Cave was filled with the sound of music as the bands of both the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Irish Guards got together with singer Wynne Evans for fundraising evenings.

Smashing Despite losing at football, in tennis Gibraltarian Amanda Carreras won the Le Havre ITF World Tour tournament attaining her highest ever ranking.

Licence to thrill The government has confirmed that even in the event of a no deal Brexit driving licences will still be valid for nine months after the UK has left the EU.

Unlawful entry Lawyers, however, will not be able to practise their profession outside Gibraltar in the event of No Deal and even if there is a withdrawal this will only until December 2020.

Klavina was happy

Pair deny kidnapping missing Agnese Klavina while friends insist she had ‘no reason’ to vanish

By Pablo Balbontin at Malaga court

FRIENDS and family of missing Agnese Klavina insisted she had no reason to vanish, during a court case into her alleged kidnapping by the British pair.

She was happy and her family had been in daily contact with her, when she was bundled into a car against her free will by

Strangled A BRITISH expat has been arrested after allegedly strangling a homeless man to death before setting his body alight.

The unnamed 50-year-old, from Belfast, is being held with her alleged accomplice, a 43-year-old Spanish man, in the Canary Islands.

The victim, 61, from Romania, was found strangled to death and torched on January 11 in an abandoned building in Gran Canaria, where he had been sleeping.

Police confirmed the group knew each other, but refused to give out further information. Officers raided their homes and seized clothing worn by them on the day.

March 27th - April 9th 2019

millionaire expat Westley Capper and his pal Craig Porter in 2014.

Her sister told Malaga Court: “Everything was in its place in her room, like someone who left and had planned to return a few hours later.”

Mother Daiga added it was ‘an out of character disappearance’.

However, she was never seen again after her night out at Marbella’s Aqua Mist nightclub, where she met privatelyeducated Capper and Porter.

While she got into their car - allegedly ‘against her will’ - the pair told the court they have no

Beach death A DEAD man has been found on a popular tourist beach on the Costa del Sol. The middle aged man, who may have committed suicide, floated onto a Nerja beach at 3:25pm on Monday.

The arrival was in full view of thousands of tourists on the Balcon de Europa in the heart of the town.

idea what happened to her and denied any involvement in the disappearance.

They insisted they had merely dropped her off on a roundabout near her home in San Pedro, before heading to Capper’s multi-million euro villa in the private estate of el Madronal.

They were the last people to be seen with the Latvian woman on September 6, 2014, and are facing a 12-year sentence and an €83,000 fine.

into the car. The doormen twice pushed the door shut.

Damningly, a few days later the pair were seen getting onto Capper’s yacht, Giofill III, in nearby Duquesa with a heavy red suitcase, which has never been found.

Capper claimed that they had planned to head to Ibiza for the ‘closing parties’ and the bag was full of clothes, but that the boat broke down during the voyage, forcing them to dock in Cartagena in Murcia.

Struggle

Privately-educated Capper who arrived at Malaga court in a black Mercedes wearing dark sunglasses - is seeking ‘complete absolution’, arguing there is no evidence connecting him to Klavina’s disappearance.

That is despite security camera footage from the nightclub showing Klavina being seemingly forced into their car.

According to the prosecution and police, the video footage of her outside the nightclub showed she was ‘being driven against her will.’

They claimed she showed ‘active resistance’ and claimed

Revealed

ACCUSED: Capper and (above right) Klavina there was a clear struggle between her and Capper, who grabs her tightly on the wrist, adding that her dominant emotion is clearly ‘fear’.

Just a few metres away, Craig Porter is seen talking to the doorman before also getting

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Police boarded the ship and found a blonde hair and other traces of DNA, however they did not match Klavina’s.

The Olive Press revealed that the pair had later run over and killed expat Bolivian mother Fatima Dorado, 40, during a hit and run in 2016.

The pair were under the influence of drugs and alcohol and then went for a curry in.

Cap€300,000 to the court for ‘possible compensation’ to the family of Fatima and is believed to have been spared jail.

A result of the Klavina trial is expected in April.

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NEWS

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Language of laughter BRITISH comedy star Jason Manford has revealed why he’s so eager to perform on the Rock for the first time.

The Mancunian comic, 37, said: “I’m really excited to be making my Gibraltar debut, sea, sand, sunshine, don't have to learn another language or get my money changed! Can't wait!”

The 8 out of 10 Cats star, who is also a regular on Live at the Apollo, will take his 'Muddle Class' tour to Gibraltar on June 20.

Manford, who has more than 250 UK dates pencilled in, will be performing in the unique setting of St Michael’s Cave.

Tickets are £40 from buytickets.gi (includes shuttle service and booking fees) and go on sale on March 28 at 12pm.

Promoters GibMedia are pleased to have secured a date for Gibraltar following the sellout success of their Jimmy Carr shows.

Director Jordan Lopez said: "There is obviously a huge appetite for quality comedy in Gibraltar and we are delighted to be working with the best talent the UK has to offer, and bring top class comedy to the Rock."

Short and sweet THE UK’s only dwarf drag queen has just completed a huge weekend of performances on the Costa del Sol. J a m i e John, 30, one of the stars of hit Channel 4 show Seven Dwarves, has been entertaining in drag for a decade, including in the Canary Islands and Salou.

This time he was back in Spain for two high-octane shows at Mirror Mirror in Duquesa, helping raise money for Manilva Pride 2019.

“For me pride is about bringing the community together,” he told the Olive Press.

“It’s everyone together, there are no labels, that’s why it’s so important.”

March 27th - April 9th 2019

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Olive Press features in hard-hitting Maddie documentary 12 years after the toddler vanished THE Olive Press has played a starring role in the new hit Netflix documentary about missing Maddie McCann.

The paper's editor Jon Clarke features in various episodes of the eight-part series just released by the global streaming giant.

The makers behind the €20 million series, the Disappearance of Madeleine Mccann, spent two days with the Olive Press team in Malaga.

They then travelled with Clarke to the Algarve, in Portugal, where the British three-year-old went missing on May 3, 2007.

The Olive Press editor, 50, was the first journalist on the scene in Praia da Luz the day after police began their disastrous attempt to find the toddler.

Vanished

ADVISOR: Editor Jon Clarke (right) with film crew

Hoping for answers

In the hard-hitting series he takes the crew around the resort, and reveals his shock at how laid back the police operation was and how he met the McCanns in those early hours.

"Initially there was just a small bit of tape in front of the apartment, and then a bit at the side where the patio doors were," he revealed in the film.

"It wouldn't have been difficult to walk in and have a look around. It certainly wasn't Fort Knox," he added.

Spain features heavily in the doc, with shots of the Olive Press head office in Manilva and the Costa del Sol. The series looks into dangerous paedophiles around the area and many new leads that were not followed up.

One investigator from detective agency Metodo 3 in Barcelona revealed how he spent nine months probing dozens of ‘sick’ paedophiles in both Portugal and Spain.

It is expected to be watched by

BRITAIN’S most famous wildlife expert has teamed up with Spain’s most famous actress for a new Netflix documentary about the natural world.

Our Planet is the latest series form the streaming giant, which gives viewers the option to have Sir David Attenborough or Penelope Cruz as a voiceover.

The team responsible for the BBC’s award-winning Planet Earth are behind the new eightpart wildlife show, which is released globally on April 5.

The pair of national treasures are among 10 local narrators of the series, which has taken four years to make and was filmed in over 50 countries, involving over 600 crew members.

Voices of reason

EXPERT: Attenborough and Cruz

PEAK: Gemma Atkinson hiking in Spain

Mounting a case millions and puts to rest long term rumours that the parents killed her.

One local British expat NOT featured is conspiracy theorist ex-detective Peter MacLeod, based in Nerja.

The former Nottinghamshire copper has long trolled that the parents were guilty and even produced a libellous pamphlet on why they did it.

Friends of Maddie’s parents slammed him after he told an Australian TV channel this month that the way Kate McCann described her daughter’s bedroom window as wide open on the night she disappeared could be a ‘red flag’.

They insisted he was merely ‘spouting off’ and that they were 'spurious allegations'.

MacLeod, who used to run a B&B business in Ronda, once tried to claim that Olive Press editor Clarke could not have been in Praia da Luz on the morning after Maddie’s disappearance.

In a disgusting blog post he also somehow suggested that Clarke may have been in some way involved.

STRICTLY Come Dancing star Gemma Atkinson has hit back at ‘pregnancy police’ while hiking in Spain.

The ex-Hollyoaks star, 34, showed she was fighting fit despite being around five months pregnant, while climbing Spain’s highest mountain.

Atkinson described the climb up 3,718m Mount Teide as ‘bittersweet’ as it brought back memories of her father, who died when she was 17.

“We used to come every year and do the hike so it was bitter sweet, but I know he somehow helped drag me up there,” she said.

She attempted the climb with her Spanish boyfriend Gorka Marquez, a professional dancer she met on Strictly Come Dancing.

In a post, Atkinson published a picture of her with baby bump at the mountain’s summit, saying the hike was only ‘a drive, cable car and flat walk before the pregnancy police start on me’.

Dressing down

SHE travelled the world as a global ambassador for Spain.

But now 1996 Miss Spain has been arrested at Madrid airport after failing to pay a traffic fine.

Maria Jose Suarez was seized as she got off a flight from the Dominican Republic.

The model and TV presenter was flagged up for two

HELD: Maria Suarez unpaid fines, one of which was for driving without a licence.

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March 27th - April 9th 2019

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From actor to mayor

New protected area for the Rock pleases green-minded Gibraltarians

New deputy mayor Christian Santos said he felt “very honoured” to be offered the post.

The director of the academy for the performing arts will hold the role for a year before becoming mayor.

“I was approached by the Chief Minister who said he needed to speak to me about something,” Santos told the Olive Press. “He then offered me the position of the next mayor because he felt I had the qualities we were looking for.

THE Rock is to have a new protected area.

Called the Devil’s Tooth Green Corridor, the 40,000m2 area on the south west of the isthmus, will provide a link between the Upper Rock and Europa Point.

The move by the Ministry of the Environment will preserve a number of spe-

Positive

“I said yes because it is a civic position in which I believe I could do very well.”

For a person who has spent his life working with young people, he said he would try his hardest “to be a positive role model”.

Santos will be deputy to new mayor John Gonçalvez who will take the mainly ceremonial position in April. The lifelong basketball enthusiast replaces former Miss World Kaiane Lopez, who held the post since 2017.

NEWS

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Devil in the detail

cies like the wild caper plant only found in the area.

It also protects kestrels and

In the s**t DOG fouling around town ‘has decreased considerably’ since DNA testing was introduced.

According to a the Environmental Agency there is ‘no better’ way of cracking down on the anti-social practice, with over £10,000 recovered in fines so far.

After the feature in the last edition we wanted to know just how effective DNA testing has been.

The government confirmed 228 samples of dog mess have been taken in Gibraltar streets.

The DNA could not be identified in nearly a hundred specimens with another hundred still to be announced. “The extraction of DNA is a complex process and is not suc-

cessful in all samples,” added the agency.

There were, however, 15 positive DNA matches, leading to 12 £400 fines, 11 of which have already been paid. One of the dog-owners has a warrant out for their arrest.

The only way for the authorities to track down the dogs is getting them chipped and vaccinated. The fine for not getting the dogs registered in this way on the Rock is £1,000.

Dog owners have often hit out at how few areas there are on the Rock for owners to let their dogs go for a run off their leads. “The area available for dogs to exercise in Alameda Gardens is due to be improved,” said the environment agency in Gibraltar.

AN Ocean Village family fun day raised £658 for Gibraltar Samaritans.

The charity, known as GibSams, has increased in popularity since it started up and is needing more funds to keep up its valuable community work.

The Family Day was organised by Emilia Hazell-Smith from Ocean Village. It included the Leprechaun Treasure Hunt, face painting by Monique Celecia, and live music.

“The calls we receive are about a whole range of issues that cause mental distress to a person,” said Marielou Guerrero, who set it up a year ago.

Gorge and has its own important rock formations.

The addition will increase the area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve to nearly 2.5km.

“There are areas which are part of our heritage lost for many years under MOD control,” added Cortes.

“We are giving them back to the community and we will soon be able to enjoy this long-forgotten, but stunningly beautiful natural area.”

“These people need an empathetic listener so they can talk about what is troubling them without being judged or told what to do.

“Because calls are free, anonymous and confidential, they feel safe to speak about their personal issues which they may not do to their family or friends. They need support and that is what GibSams offer.”

Their next fundraising event is the Rock Radio Bingo Night on April 17 at Brunos and a 24-hour Cycling Marathon on May 17.

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GREEN: The extended natural corridor on the Rock

peregrine falcons that nest here during the spring.

Minister for the Environment John Cortes claimed it would help prevent Gibraltar becoming ‘a concrete jungle’ with the further loss of green areas.

This strip of rocky land was once a path from Camp Bay to the Naval Hospital with access to Europa Point.

There are plans to open some of it to the public in the near future.

The site is close to the North

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www.gibraltarolivepress.com Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Missing our Tea! THE distressing case of missing Swedish backpacker Tea Nico-Lee Tammi reminds expats to stay connected and help each other.

What is important is not only staying in touch with loved ones at home but also fellow travellers who may be isolated or at risk.

Tea’s older sister Madelene believes her sister may have been taken somewhere against her free will and ‘something bad’ may have happened.

Malaga, after all, is the province with the third highest missing persons register in Spain.

Around 14,000 missing people in Spain remain unaccounted for with two people disappearing in the country every day.

Tragically many youngsters and teenagers are attacked by paedophiles and rapists the world over, such was the case of Maddie McCann, as revealed in a hard-hitting Netflix documentary this month.

Let’s hope Tea is not a victim to one of these.

Our big hearted readers are bound to do anything they can to help locate Tea and pray she is found safe and sound.

Please keep your eyes peeled!

FEATURE

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Dys-membered Did gender dysphoria drive an Oxford Universityeducated expat to hack off his own penis in an act of extreme self-harm in Zaragoza this month? The Olive Press investigates EXCLUSIVE

By Timothy McNulty in Zaragoza

T

HE ‘bloodied’ expat staggered down Zaragoza’s narrow streets close to Goya station in a nightmarish scene worthy of the great painter himself.

Shocked onlookers enjoying a Friday evening stroll along the popular Gran Via saw the 33-year-old unnamed Brit bleeding heavily from his crotch and raised the alarm.

Police recovered the man’s amputated penis in a grisly visit to his central apartment located on Calle Calatayud.

They then raced man and penis to Miguel Servet Hospital where doctors

SUFFERING: The British man who cut his penis off may have had gender dysphoria

successfully reattached it in a complex operation, although they were unable to rule out future complications.

While the unidentified man was recu-

perating in the plastic surgery and urology department, police had the hard task of piecing together what series of events had led to this bizarre incident.

The Londoner, who we are not naming for legal reasons, told police the wound was self inflicted, sparking theories about drug use and hysteria-induced self-harm.

“We don’t know if we had a sick person here living with us or if someone tried to kill him. Now he is in hospital and no one knows how he is,” Reyes, a neighbour complained to the Olive Press.

But Zaragoza police were quick to suspect the Brit did not carry out the horrific act himself.

As the investigation progressed it was

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Already well established in Andalucia, Gibraltar and Mallorca, our website has covered the whole of Spain for over a decade and counts on over 15,000 visitors a day.

The fourth newspaper in the (now) fast-growing Olive Press stable, we launch with a number of promises to our readers there, which we fulfill every fortnight in our other patches.

We vow to serve up an original and varied mix of articles and our team of fully-qualified NCTJtrained journalists will be on the ground to cover everything from corruption, the environment, politics, nuisance neigh-

March 2019

Know what this is? It’s just helped an architect win the world’s most prestigious prize

March 13th - March 26th

13

2019

See Legacy on page VI

Spanish maestro celebrated for five decades in the business, see STARchitect page XII

SIMPLE, INTRICATE mixture, of the three AND STYLISH: Bofill’s works are all,

B

or a

RITISH buyers in Spain dum records despite the have beaten pre-Brexit referendoom and gloom, new figures have revealed.

Shrugging off the the sale of homes to plucky UK’s imminent departure from the EU, Brits rose 12% in 2018 to 10,178 ing the 2016 record of 10,156.

- beatWhile UK buyers declined last year. referendum in June 2016, significantly in the quarters after the steadily It means the UK’s share of the foreign market has ter of 2016, they started and by a massive 28% in the last quar- to 17% increasing from a low of 14% in the first quarter of been at recovering to increase by 2017 double-digits Although the end of 2018. this is not yet back to the levels prior to the referendum

The Brits have not stopped in Spanish property with investing a 12% rise in purchases last year

due to other nationalities flooding the market, it is expected again this year. to rise According to property expert Mark Stucklin, of Spanish Insight, the weakness of Sterling Property against the Euro was the leading cause of the drop in demand.

“Once the Pound stabilised at a lower level British demand bilised and then began to grow also staagain,” he explained.

Continues on Page

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Vol. 13 Issue 313 www.theolivepress.es March 13th - March 26th 2019

ROMANIAN SWAP

FIGHT THE POWER! Pylon the pressure

British expat trades in his British Romanian one to keep freedom passport for of movement

I

Established

Issue 27

FREE INSIDE STILL HOT

A BRITISH citizen has swapped his UK passport for a Romanian one because of Brexit.

T has only taken five years, but the Olive Press Costa Blanca edition has finally arrived.

Half a decade of research and planning - and with something of a recession to contend with in the interim - our investigative, community newspaper brand, designed for expats of ALL nationalities, has landed in Alicante and Valencia.

With a dynamic mix of news stories, investigations, features, reviews and columns, we will, once again, be offering a much better product than our rivals just like back here at home.

Olive Press grows

As spring blooms in Spain, don’t miss Andalucia’s Property most King of cool colourful Property Magazine

Expat Nenei Newman, who has lived in Spain for 15 years, revealed he made the move to guarantee his right

1 See page 5

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By Laurence Dollimore

to freedom of movement.

The builder, whose mother is Romanian, told the Olive Press last night: “I want to travel around Europe freely, and I have a life here, I don’t want to have to get a visa or become a third national.”

The 41-year-old, who lives in the Axarquia, added: “Never in my wildest dreams would I have applied for Romanian citizenship before the referendum, but when Leave won and after seeing the mess being made by politicians I thought it was the best option for me.

“I don’t regret it.”

Newman insists he still loves the UK and hopes it will recover from Brexit’s side effects - despite the daily racism he suffered there.

THE Olive Press is this week launching a campaign to protect two of Andalucia’s most emblematic areas from a destructive electricity project.

Our ‘Fight the Power’ battle comes as more than 4000 written allegations were submitted in opposition to the massive electrification scheme that will see 80m-high pylons spanning the Lecrin and Alpujarras valleys of Granada.

This is despite a joint study by Granada and Cambridge universities estimating that a loss to businesses in the area will amount to €16 million a year.

“We’re delighted the Olive Press is taking up our cause and I really hope we can save this stunning area,” said celebrated British writer Chris Stewart, of Driving Over Lemons fame, who lives in the Alpujarras.

NEW WORLD: Romanian passport deemed more useful

“I was so disappointed by am still the result, but I unders- grown proud to have tand why Leave won,” he I still up in London and admire the British added. and will always support “So many people who them 100%.” wanted to cut down im- His decision migration have been in- nightmare comes as a no-deal scefluenced by the biased nario media, who only wrote come is still a likely outnegative things about UK is just days before the scheduled to leave people like me. the EU. “Yet I worked incredibly Some hard every day to be on believed 700,000 Brits to be living in building sites for 6am Spain are particularly and never complained. at risk, “That was despite me pensionswith healthcare, and travel all and my mother both points of concern. receiving regular racist abuse” Brexit Shambles, He added: “That said, I page 5

Passport power

Support

Fellow expat Michelle Howard, who has lived in Lecrin for almost 20 years, added: “It’s great news that your paper will be mounting a campaign to support Di No A Las Torres against these destructive plans!”

Their allegations were presented by the campaign groups last week in Granada.

Under the scheme, the 220-kilovolt cables will cover a distance of 182 kilometres between Almeria and Granada, with 362 pylons and with a 14,000 square metre substation built in Saleres.

A spokesperson from Red Electrica insisted it was a positive project, telling the Olive Press last night: ‘the better the electricity network, the better the tourism’.

In the 2019 Global Passport Ranking, compiled by the CEOWORLD magazine, the UK ranked below Spain, the UAE and 16 other European and Asian countries.

The list ranks the passports of 193 countries and six other territories by counting the number of countries each passport can access without an advance visa.

Romania was only 16 places behind the UK but that could change if visas become a requirement after the UK leaves the EU.

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Issue 27

March 2019

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March 13th - March 26th

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RITISH buyers in Spain dum records despite the have beaten pre-Brexit referendoom and gloom, new figures have revealed.

Shrugging off the the sale of homes to plucky UK’s imminent departure from the EU, Brits rose 12% in 2018 to 10,178 ing the 2016 record of 10,156.

- beatWhile UK buyers declined last year. referendum in June 2016, significantly in the quarters after the steadily It means the UK’s share of the foreign market has ter of 2016, they started and by a massive 28% in the last quar- to 17% increasing from a low of 14% in the first quarter of been at recovering to increase by 2017 double-digits Although the end of 2018. this is not yet back to the levels prior to the referendum

The Brits have not stopped in Spanish property with investing a 12% rise in purchases last year

due to other nationalities flooding the market, it is expected again this year. to rise According to property expert Mark Stucklin, of Spanish Insight, the weakness of Sterling Property against the Euro was the leading cause of the drop in demand.

“Once the Pound stabilised at a lower level British demand bilised and then began to grow also staagain,” he explained.

Continues on Page

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March 13th - March 26th 2019

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Brexit shambles FABIAN Picardo has suggested revoking Article 50 and remaining in the EU after MPs rejected Theresa May's deal for a second time.

It comes after MPs roundly defeated the Prime Minister’s deal by 149 votes despite May’s pleas to ‘get the deal done’.

Immediately after the vote, May announced Parliament will get a vote today (March 13) on whether to leave the EU without a deal.

“This result makes the possibility of our staying the European Union more likely than it has been since the Article 50 notice was given,” said Chief Minister Picardo.

“What will happen is still not clear, but I believe it is likely Parliament will tomorrow take a 'no deal' exit off the table.”

2/8/18 17:01

There is a ‘gender imbalance’ when it comes to running Gibraltar, claim female politicians

2 GIBRALTAR’S echelons of power have been compared to those in Iran due to its lack of female representation.

It comes after the Rock ranked 154th out of 191 countries in a study on women in power by the International Parliamentary Union.

“The study says we are only slightly better than countries like Qatar, Congo and Iran,” said Together Gibraltar leader Marlene Hassan Nahon.

“We look back over the last 50 years and there is only a handful of women that have graced Parliament with their presence.

“As a result there is a void of female role models as we haven’t been there to add our perspective.”

Speaking on International Women’s Day, Nahon also re-

By John Culatto

vealed she was once advised to ‘find a man’ to lead her new party.

“For them, the visual is that a man has to lead,” she added during a debate at City Hall.

“It’s all about awareness and Humiliating changing these visuals.”

Brexit Secretary Stephen Rival GSLP MP Samantha Barclay had told MPs the Sacramento agreed, saying deal would deliver the prothere was ‘obviously’ a ‘gentections they had asked for, der imbalance’ on the Rock. including on the status of “Overnight, I became minisGibraltar. ter for equality and I rememIn his closing remarks, Barber quite a hostile reaction clay said: “The PM has been when we first started cel- BEHIND: Study said Gibraltar only ranked clear that the government ebrating International Womalongside Iran stands behind sovereignty en’s Day,” she said.

“Instead, we want for Gibraltar, and that will “I had to explain that the rea- that it is because of to show Mayor Kaiane Aldorino Lo- In one of her last these public bar- pez, a former Miss World son we are raising awareness riers and biased that speeches before she is due to never change.” women winner, believed however, If MPs reject the no-deal opis not to give a particular ad- are at a disadvantage al- that gender roles had begun step down from her position, tion, there will be a further vantage to women. ready.” she said: to change.

“Children should understand vote on a potential extension that women are not made of Article 50 on Thursday. only to handle household A total of 75 Conservative chores or take responsibility MPs rebelled against the deal whereas three Labour of home and family.

“Instead, both men and wom- MPs rebelled against their en are responsible of home leader by voting in favour. and family as well as the In a statement the EU’s Chief Negotiator, Michel UK BASED working world.

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Issue 27

March 2019

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March 13th - March 26th

2019

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SIMPLE, INTRICATE mixture, of the three AND STYLISH: Bofill’s works are all,

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2/8/18 17:01

The Brits have not stopped in Spanish property with investing a 12% rise in purchases last year

due to other nationalities flooding the market, it is expected again this year. to rise According to property expert Mark Stucklin, of Spanish Insight, the weakness of Sterling Property against the Euro was the leading cause of the drop in demand.

“Once the Pound stabilised at a lower level British demand bilised and then began to grow also staagain,” he explained.

Continues on Page

III

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Lying scum

By Gillian Keller

ACTIVISTS from far right political Vox, have been caught fabricating party a hoax about 'radical feminists' beating young girls.

It comes after the leader of the Mallorca branch told a 8M Women's Day event the trio, including his own daughter, that were attacked by a group of 'radical feminists' in Son Servera.

He claimed the girls were lefts with 'knocked out teeth, a split lip and possibly a broken jaw', at the event in the town.

One of the teenage youths was apparently still at the hospital with the jaw injury.

The story duly made front pages around Mallorca, but despite public doubts, anti-feminist party kept up the charade, the retelling and posting details of the 'attack' on social media.

'Witnesses' even came forward describing the 'brutal attack'.

However, the Guardia Civil soon discovered that no such incident had been reported, and no medical centre had received a patient matching the injuries.

Finally, on Saturday, they confirmed story to be false, with Vox admitting the they had been spoofed.

The news led to Son Servera town host a protest on Sunday against hall to the party and against spreading 'fake news' about the town.

“We regret that a celebratory day for women has been overshadowed by an alleged aggression,” said a spokesman.

He assured the town would not ‘attitudes that harm the good nametolerate of Son Servera’.

While the party has since denounced ‘activist’ for making the story up, a local protest was due to be held in the another town last night as we went to press.

TheOlivePress-256x170-BIKE-4.indd 1

3 Untitled-1.pdf

1

16/06/2017

15:36

‘Get back in the kitchen!’

Page 6

FIERCE EXCHANGE We use recycled paper

MPs join battle to get millions back for expats who lost out to rogue FX firm EXPATS in Mallorca have EXCLUSIVE slammed the lack of action over

By Tim McNulty a foreign exchange firm collapse, despite British authorities claiming an investigation is ‘a matter their funds since then.

One expat, based in Cas Catala, of priority.’

Dozens of clients, most of them Pam Gardner has grown frusBritish expats, lost millions of trated at attempts by the UK’s euros when the Palma-based Financial Conduct Authority company Premier FX suddenly (FCA) to ‘wriggle’ out of responstopped trading in July last year. sibility.

Victims have demanded answers “People in the UK just think it but have been left completely in was a case of rich expats with the dark and unable to access too much money, they don’t realise it was people’s life savings that were lost, money they planned to retire on,” she told the Olive Press this week.

She added she was ‘upset’ that local boss Nick Jones has apparently washed his hands of the case and ‘fled’ the island.

She has now launched a civil case against the firm, lodged in Palma.

It comes despite British MPs now stepping in to demand the FCA probes the case ‘as a matter of priority.’

UNDER FIRE: Local boss Nick Jones MP for Dover, Charlie

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Avenida Find out Rey more Jaime on 1, Santa pagePonca XX 0034 871 510 277

2/8/18 17:01

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FREE Vol. 2 Issue 37

(Free

www.theolivepress.es or paid for) The Olive Press September 13th celebrates its - September 26th 300th issue on mainland... find EXCLUSIVE 2018 the out

By Elisa Menendez English newspaper why we are Spain’s best in our supplement inside AN expat business demanding action owner is after neighbours put up ‘illegal’ bollards blocking his shop.

Martin White, 54, business Hot Springclaims his has been forced to Mallorca Is Bilbao tastfor almost three cease trade the series of 15-inchweeks, after ier than San Page 6 posts were installed.

Sebastian?

As well as blocking Page 12 delivery trucks, it is putting off clients, Page 20 he insists.

“I’m suffering a loss a day. Delivery vansof €1,000 can’t get through to drop White, from Hull, off stock,” told the Olive Press.

He has now called Alcudia town hall, in police and to demand answers.via a lawyer, The problem began when White, who is co-owner of the business with David EXCLUSIVE 56, arrived to find Camping,

By Elisa Menendez bollards blocking the series of his shop on August 27.

After contracting EXPATS in Mallorca a legal firm may have he was told by both lost millions town hall that the police and cious collapse over the suspiposts were of ‘illegal’. change firm beinga foreign exThe businessman ‘criminal activity’. probed over is now set to take the community Dozens of victims have lost up bours to court for of neigh- to €400,000 each in life savtion and loss of discrimina- ings after Premier business for FX Limited €30,000 in compensation. was forced into administration The posts have by the UK’s Financial “The Conduct moneynext thing I knew, the amount stalled in front ofalso been in- Authority (FCA). was gone. of money’ the Muslimowned supermarket It comes after the about it,” added the I feel sick collapse, according from the next to pensioner. to a close him, although ‘mysteriously’, operated from firm - which “I just don’t understand friend. make financial why no The Portals-based not the garage the tugal and LondonPalma, Por- other media organisations transfers via other side.

Barclays even after expat pal, “It’s totally illegal,” on who has also stopped trading - suddenly the island are tackling the compahe said. ny had ceased trading. lost this.”

“You can’t just put following the deathon July 27, In particular, sisted Jones had money, in- boss Rexstrew, who them on one she wants been of director, know also lived in The FCA has since discovered side without the other.”

Peter Rexstrew. of the whereabouts to to ‘go into hiding’ after advised the Algarve, she was given he was warning To make matters no that the company, set up in of Since then hundreds Nick Jones, the island’s ‘lambasted’. of the collapse. worse, three 2006, was operating of clients, director, former “I know days after the bollards many of them “I simply found out without who has him closely and full authorisation. expats, have when I tried one of the neighbours went in, been left he to for over a month. not been seen said all employees completely in the were in total onemake a transaction but no It was forced into administrabucket of water over threw a dark and unable She is angry that shock with the news. would answer him from tion to access their above. funds. out an assurance he had sent then emailed and the phone. I debtsafter being unable to pay “He is not in hiding I received email of the advised he has been automatic and was He has also denounced company’s financial reply saying they this vent’ following ‘cash flow insolthe incistability while to keep a low profile ceased dent to the police.

Rexstrew’s sudon June 20, just the investigation trading and there’dhad den death, Assurance is on- no further leaving his two chil“I’ve had the shop be death of Rexstrew.days after the going. And while transactions. dren as joint directors. and I’ve never had for five years Victims have now However, reality, he had no a director, in “I immediately smelt Victims have so access to the added. a rat,” she action group with formed an derstands the Olive Press un- main accounts.”

“The administratora problem. far received nearly 200 that very little information ing told us this wasof the build- members - many of worked out of an Jones, who She added: “All this When them in a personal the Balearics office on Pal- tressing is very dis- tion she called the UK’s Ac- company’s appointed from the vendetta from residents,” ma’s prestigious Calle - demanding imadminFraud, an operator istrators and he mediate answers.

La Ram- He has for him and his family. plained added. bla, has also lost he knew nothing ex- they will neverBarclays and fear been completely ‘a substantial One British expat, about lam- it. get their money basted. I understand back.

Palma, told the Olive based in angry but there have people are “I’ve been stuck for two months been some without has no idea what has Press she really nasty comments. that money which happened to the €30,000 she I need “It is quite clear Criminal was holdthat Peter’s “It’s for my business. ing with Premier children were taking not just affecting “It’s a real mindfield FX. “I had used them and like business, not Nick.” over the buying holiday homes, people banging your for many it is also head years and there affecting Another victim told a brick wall,” added against were never the Olive can’t pay business owners, who any problems,” explained Press she has lost British retiree, who another staff or clients.” the 69-year-old, who has lost €400,000 due to a staggering Most victims had money. Premier the collapse.

FX and Barmain anonymous. asked to reised by Premier been prom- clays failed The UK-based businesswoman, “I had transferred money was being FX that their for press. to comment in time who lived for decades Untitled-1.pdf An FCA spokesperheld in ‘segreBAFFLED: By 1 16/06/2017 15:36 and was waiting the money gal, has made three in Portu- gated, personal accounts’ son bollards for the exmonthly Barclays, change rate to improve. with are told the Olive Press: “We transactions with very concerned that but administrators Premier FX now MISSING: Nick there for 12 years. think this was not was criminal activity Jones the case. taking It is Despite being a friend place at Premier of former clientsalso believed that many tion to missing FX in relawere still permitted funds. “We to are investigating the business and will take action against any individuals we broken the law in find to have order to return money to customers of the firm.”

DIGGING FRANCO

have been left in terrible financial hardship.

“The authorities need to get to the bottom of this urgently.”

The move comes after the firm - which operated from Palma, Portugal and London - suddenly stopped trading on July 27.

Victims told the Olive Press last year that they had lost up to €400,000 each in life savings after the company was forced into administration by the UK authorities.

An action group was formed and now has well over 200 members - many of them in the Balearics - demanding immediate answers.

One claimed an initial investigation by Surrey police had apparently been scrapped due to ‘insufficient funding’.

The company had been regulated by the FCA for money transfer services but its customers were encouraged to

WEAVING MAGIC

What’s up at the Valley of the Fallen?

Elphicke, has now met with the authorities to check on progress of the case.

He said, this week: “The FCA must treat this investigation as a top priority. Innocent people

Expats demand the return of millions after FX company collapses amid fraud probe

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How a Spanish weed boosted UK literacy

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SEESOME MORE 14 IN fire bosses have been arrested for THE RESTAURANT allegedly embezzling SOME SECTION

deposit funds, to be used as a type of savings vehicle.

It did not have a licence to offer this service, it has since Pipe ban emerged.

Pipe ban The company appeared to have got into trouble after its owner Peter Rexstrew died suddenly in Mallorca.

The Olive Press can reveal that he had recently started renting a new property in the exclusive Portals area, with a new girlfriend, when he passed away.

The pair had been seen out enjoying expensive meals and ‘living the high life’.

The FCA did not get back to the Olive Press before deadline.

Ave de Gabriel Roca 4,

FRUIT growers quia are facing ain the Axar60% reduction in water FRUIT growers usein from the the La AxarVinuela quia are reservoir facing a 60% with no solution tion sight.use from reducinin water the La The Junta Vinuela has with reservoir decided to no solimit its lution inuse as the reservoir sight. is already The at 22.7% Junta has capacity decidedand couldits to limit drop use even as thelower reservoir if the dry weather is already at 22.7% keeps up. could drop even capacity and dry weather keepslower if the up.

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over was 700 permitted not square meters and itbigger also breached rules by being over 700 square meters bigger

NEWS NEWS

‘He deserves it’ Not ‘He deserves it’ Not enough enough stars stars December 6th December 19th 2017 December 6th December 19th 2017

From

DOOMED: Costa

hotel

DOOMED: Costa

hotel

than permitted.

Although the town hall and developer than permitted. maintain this excess was later Although the town corrected, hall and the judge ruledmaintain developer that the rectificathis extion would cess was later have corrected, taken place the after the judge ruled granting that theof rectificathe licence, tion would so does have nottaken count. place The building after the granting has 61 of the apartliments so cence, and does 46 not parking spaces. building has count.

The 61 apartThe original ments and 46 parking building spacwas granted planning es. permission by The original then mayor building Enrique was Bolin in 2001. granted planning sion by then mayor permisEnrique Bolin in 2001.

SMUGGLERS’ SMUGGLERS’ WALL WALL

POLICE officers along a beach in have formed a human wall deter La Linea to ensure drug smugglers construction that the as a drop POLICE from using the beach of a have officers beachformed wall went off zone.

The wall, ahead.wall A combined a human along between a beach in La Linea deter drug smugglers the church police presence to ensure Senora del Carmen of Nuestra construction that the as from of Guardia local using of a beach andwall and off Civil, the beach a drop thewent national perimeter of thewall, zone. officers were present The ahead.wall A fishing port of Lachurch fears between grew that combined as Atunara, drug police Senora del Carmen the smugglers of hopes presence Nuestra to local and disrupt the of Guardia would try Civil, work. of the fishing port and the perimeter wall fears and national officers were present of La Atunara, hopes grew as to and disrupt that drug smugglers would try the work.

Page 1 He even got himself known radio station, a financial advice slot on a well through which he From Page 1 ing victims.

He snared unsuspecteven got himself a financial advice However, known a comprehensive radio slot on a well station, Olive posed Press which ing his scams that through investigation he snared victims. unsuspectinvolved stamps, exWe also revealed However, coins and gold. a comprehensive how he and his close wined his Olive posed andscams Presspal Barry Nathan dinedthat investigation up to a dozen involved excriminals, through stamps, We also the food column. revealed and gold. how he and his closecoinsanonymously, He eventually wined and dined pal Barry Nathan fled up the to a country dozen criminals, but we soon followinganonymously, through our expose, tracked the food him down to the column. changed He UK, where he had his name eventually fledbythe deed poll andfollowing country antiques was selling but we soon on eBay ourcoins from tracked and expose, a small him downBerkshire He was quickly to the UK, changed cottage. his name found where he had guiltypoll by deed under people and andEnglish antiques was selling law ofcoins givenfrom on eBay conning a suspended and a small Berkshire prison cottage. sentence He was quickly only due to health found guilty reasons.

“And because under English law people and given he apromised of conning suspended to prison go back toonly never sentence his due online cons,”reasons. to health one of the Britishbecause “And victim explained. he promised to Butback this to go never is apparently his online cons,” not theone caseofwith two victims British the victimclaiming explained. he is still using eBaythis But to is sell ‘dodgy’ coins apparently not the and stamps fromvictims case two his unpaid with flat in claiming he Brighton, is still using ing the useBay tonames sell ‘dodgy’ ‘gqtrading’ coins and and ‘gqtrading2’. his unpaid stamps from flat Brighton, us“Wethe arenames ing pretty sure heinhas broken his and bail conditions‘gqtrading’ ing2’. and will have to‘gqtradgo back finally “We areto prison,” pretty suresaid one broken he has victim. his “Theconditions bail nerve of this man and willishave unbelievable.”

Hisback to finally landlord go to prison,” last night said one insisted something victim. he should have “The nerve was up man of this known fromisthe start. unbelievable.”

“When His we metlast landlord to sign theinsisted night contracts slippery, I went thoughthave something heI should he was to pay was up a bit known fromfor my the coffee only for the tell me he start.

“When we had barista met left without to sign paying his the contracts He continued: slippery, bill.” he was to I thought I went“He paid to pay a bit forfor the my first only thenme coffee couple tell just hestopped. months forofthe had left without He told us baristabut to his account paying duecontinued: to a money“He He his bill.”had been frozen laundering paid for the investigation, ably true. first couplewhich then “He thenHe just stopped. of months is probtold us us but to his told stopaccount cused contacting due of harrassment. tous a money had him beenand laundering investigation, acfrozen “Nowtrue. ably he is claiming “He which is probthen told he is seriously ill make payments. cused and can’t us of harrassment.us to stop contacting him work and acto “We’ll he “Now seeishim in court.” claiming he is seriously ill make payments. and can’t work to “We’ll see him in court.”

Opinion Page 6

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14 fire €7 bosses millionhave in public arrested been funds.

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something sadly rarely seen these days.

This, of course, means our prices are higher than our rivals,

H is pa Experiencni e a HoSOLD For Sale For Sale For Sale For Sale

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REuse REduce REcycle Olive Press expands AGAIN, this time to the Costa Blanca

or a

RITISH buyers in Spain dum records despite the have beaten pre-Brexit referendoom and gloom, new figures have revealed.

Shrugging off the the sale of homes to plucky UK’s imminent departure from the EU, Brits rose 12% in 2018 to 10,178 ing the 2016 record of 10,156.

- beatWhile UK buyers declined last year. referendum in June 2016, significantly in the quarters after the steadily It means the UK’s share of the foreign market has ter of 2016, they started and by a massive 28% in the last quar- to 17% increasing from a low of 14% in the first quarter of been at recovering to increase by 2017 double-digits Although the end of 2018. this is not yet back to the levels prior to the referendum

We use recycled pape

New territory

Tel: 902 123 282 902 123 282

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As spring blooms, * O f f e rP eroperty nds 30/11/18. don’t miss Spain’s King of cool most colourful Property Magazine STILL HOT FREE INSIDE www.theolivepress.es

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Newsdesk Head office

OP Media group expands AGAIN, this time to the Costa Blanca

property Malaga’s bestmagazine

Gillian Keller gillian@theolivepress.es

HOME: The house where the man mutilated himself and (right) the school he worked at

property Malaga’s bestmagazine

HAVING choked and chucked in his three Michelin stars just 22 days after winning the last accolade, Dani Garcia has courted yet more controversy.

The Marbella wunderkind has decided to take on the green lobby opening a chiringuito on a virgin beach near Tarifa.

Environmentalists will no doubt be scratching their heads as to why Garcia has not opted to open a restaurant in another city, or at least at an already existing beach site.

He either has wealthy backers or more money than sense in not heeding the warnings.

Plonking a restaurant and 400 car parking spaces on the edge of a beautiful beach, is the kind of half-baked idea that gives Andalucia a bad name.

The mysteriously titled Eolo project will not be ready until summer, and Garcia, with his influence in Andalucia could have the project stopped with the click of his fingers.

It’s up to you Dani.

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FEATURE

7

March 27th - April 9th 2019

olive press online

Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website The top three most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

1

- Dead body dumped on Spain’s Costa del Sol

2

was of young foreigner, 23 and had at least 10 gunshot wounds (21,413)

- DRUG HILLS: British expats in upmarket

3

urbanisation on Spain’s Costa del Sol wake up to disgraceful graffiti (14,866)

- Gibraltarians fuming after Ronnie

O’Sullivan says he’d rather sleep in pig sty than play snooker in Gibraltar (8,969)

Visitors: 270,691

Page views: 370,548

Average time on site: 5:04

NIGHTMARE: The unamed Brit (top left), Goya’s Saturn Devouring His Son (right), the Miguel Servet hospital (left) and (below) Dr Lago

suggested the man had posted online prior to the incident, advertising for someone to perform the amputation.

And almost a week on from the atrocity, the expat’s housemate was arrested amidst reports of a gruesome pact between the two friends.

Policia Nacional announced the flatmate had been arrested on suspicion of ‘wounding’ and was being held for

DARK: Goya’s Two Old Men

questioning at a police station in the a person idencity. tifies with At first the story was compared to the the sex ophigh profile case of John Wayne Bobbitt, posite to that castrated by his vengeful wife in 1993. to which he But that was before Spanish press be- or she was gan reporting that the victim, who is be- b i o l o g i c a l l y lieved to have moved to Spain in 2014, born. In other was ‘not happy’ with being a man and words, people struggled with his gender identity. don’t identify Something appears to have driven this with their own seemingly ‘normal’ thirtysomething to biological sex. ‘ask a friend’ to cut off his own penis. Dr Jesus De LIke Goya’s paintings which grew pro- Lago has foundly more troubled in the artist’s been treatlater years, this British expat may have ing patients experienced his own personal descent with gender into darkness. Whatever the true story, dysphoria for tragically that evening in Zaragoza, life almost two decades. He shared with seemed to imitate art. the Olive Press how, despite Spain’s Though a rare event, acts of genital progressive stance on the issue, life is self-mutilation have been hard for people who are reported around the world not happy with their genand throughout history, goder identity.

Acts of genital Speaking from his clinic ing back to religious practice in ancient Rome.

Madrid, Dr Lago said: self-mutilation in A recent incident in 2016 “Of course it is a very have been saw a man in India chopcomplicated problem to ping of his penis in a fit of reported around solve, we are only starting rage at the fact his wife to open our minds just a had not slept with him in little. the world 10 years.

“You will find people in According to research carSpain with those probried out in 1979 by Harvard lems without the possibilPsychologist James E Groves, the ma- ity of finding any help. jority of recorded cases have involved We will see stronger changes not only people with psychosis. The rest can be in Spain but also in other countries as attributed to either bizzare autoerotism we recognise that these people need or crude attempts at sex change. help.”

Transgender individuals have consis- Dr Lago takes pride in his work and tently been shown to have higher rates sees sex change operations as the only of many psychiatric conditions, often way to help people with ‘gender dysphoworsened by societal discrimination ria’ get better. and trauma.

He added: “Nowadays surgery is the It appears this ‘well liked’ University of most important thing we can do for Oxford-educated English teacher could trans people, I have treated many and have be driven to act by a condition I can say now that 99% of people after known medically as ‘gender dysphoria’. surgery felt like they had a completely Gender dysphoria is a condition where new life.”

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Up up and away!

THE Olive Press web statistics are nothing short of amazing.

Our rapid growth over the last six months shows no sign of abating as our regular daily visitors nudges a figure of 20,000 a day.

It is perhaps, what you might expect from a media group that invests in journalists, not scared to ask questions and investigate stories properly.

Providing original content on an almost hourly basis, seven days a week, means that our Alexa ranking (above) - created by Amazon.com, the world’s biggest online retailer - has continued to soar.

As well as zooming into the top 200,000 sites in the world, we are in the top 13,000 in Spain, while our bitter rivals languish outside the top 20,000.

And, if you were to doubt Amazon’s own statistics (believing they were in some way manipulated) then you could use Google’s very own analytical programme to verify our claims. http://www.theolivepress.es Analytics FYI, they show www.theolivepress.es that our worst day over the last fortnight was 11,300 unique visitors (users), while our best day Audience Overview (see below) had 26,780 unique visitors (users).

AverageAlltime on the site OVER three minutes.

Users Users Is it any100.00% wonder that we were voted the BEST expat paper in Spain and second best in the world at the London Overview awards?

TESCA We don’t pay for our awards, we don’t buy followers for our Twitter feed and we don’t acquire ‘likes’ for our Face Users book pages.

3,000 At the Olive Press it is all 100% organic. And long may it http://www.theolivepress.es Go to report  that way.

Analytics www.theolivepress.es remain 2,000

Audience Overview

1,000

100.00% Users

Analytics 02:00 03:00www.theolivepress.es 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00

…

01:00

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12:00

13:00

14:00

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Audience Overview

Overview

Users

1

Re New Users

Sessions

11,573

32,088

Number of Sessions per User

Page Views

Pages/Session

1.20

41,881

1.31

All Users

26,780

100.00% Users

Users Overview

3,000

2,000

Users

Contact Tim (+34) 677 195 638

19 Mar 2019 - 19 Mar 2019

http://www.theolivepress.es

All Users

1,000

3,000

Avg. Session Duration …

01:00

02:00

03:00

04:00

05:00

06:00

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10:00 2,000 11:00

12:00

00:03:46

13:00

Bounce Rate 14:00

15:00

16:00

26.21%

17:00

18:00

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1,000

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New Users

Sessions

26,780

11,573

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Number of Sessions per User

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8

Do you have a what’s on?

LA CULTURA

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Mar 27th - April 9th 2019

what’s on

S

pruce it up PART Two of the Gardening workshop on caring for your plants with confidence is being held at the John Mackintosh Hall at 6.30 to 8pm on March 28.

B

ig break US Open Champion Jayson Shaw leads a field of 24 players in the World Pool Masters from March 29-31 at the Tercentenary Hall competing for £100k worth of prizes.

C

rafty capers Get your Easter cards and gifts at St Andrew’s Church in Governor’s Parade during the Craft and Collectors’ Fair from 10am to 2pm on April 6.

Send you9th r informa March 27th - April 2019 newsdesk@theolive tion to pres

s.es

Frozen out

Moscow calling THE Gibraltar Calling music festival could have found itself a rival.

The Olive Press understands that a ‘big event’ could be in the pipeline for later this year, following the launch of a new music channel.

Russian-backed TV network Music Box is looking at a series of parties and events this year, musician Dylan Ferro told the paper.

“We have already received an offer to do a big event here in Gibraltar,” said Ferro, who has had hits in Spain with his bands Melon Diesel and Taxi.

“We hope to arrange parties and even festivals in the future.

We will try to do it better than anything before,” he told the Olive Press.

The network already claims to have 80 million followers worldwide and has struck deals with local firms Gibtelecom, U-Mee and Sheriff to broadcast on the Rock.

At the launch of the station its CEO, Sergey Kobel, revealed that the company had ‘huge plans’.

“We have huge plans for Gibraltar,” Kobel told the paper.

“We want to produce our own programmes here from the beginning of autumn.

“We would like to show the people of Gibraltar in our TV channel and I am sure it will be very popular in Western Europe.”

New Ice Age photographic exhibition comes to the Gibraltar museum A CURIOUS photographic exhibition about how human beings survived the last ice age is now on at Commonwealth Park.

These large two-metre wide high quality images on their own stands will be at the park until the end of the May. “The Gibraltar Museum is a founding member of the Ice Age Europe network,” said Tyson . “Together we tell the story of the people Expats stole the show at the Gibraltar Drama Festival held on March 18-24.

The festival winner was the comedy ‘Bothered and Bewildered’, a play by Englishwoman Angela Jenkins, who was named best director.

Jenkins’ play took a number of other awards too, including best actress for Monica Ritchie and best supporting actress for Karen Lawson.

Once again playwright Julian Felice got a few prizes.

who used to live across the continent during that time.”

The exhibition has been touring around Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

Storytelling

“We’ve made our own contribution to it through the excavation being carried out in Gorham’s Cave,” said the Museum employee. “Some of the photos

Curtains for drama His satirical Pop Star, a clever play about how the media tries to manipulate talent competitions used TV screens for effect. He took home best original script and best technical presentation with best supporting youth actress given to Nata-

TRAPPED IN TIME: Gibraltar museum exhibition

in the exhibition are from there.

“Even though it is moving sha Richardson.

The rest of the prizes were shared between ‘The Train’ from the Academy for Performing Arts and Trafalgar Theatre. Notably, Matthew Navas took best youth actor and Harry Kumar was Best Actor with Mark Dallison being Best Supporting Actor.

Simon James from the visiting UK youth group Medway Little Theatre Group managed to get best supporting youth actor.

through different countries it shows we all have a common heritage.”

The exhibition compares the sort of tools used then with with what is used today. For example, a piece of flint is photographed next to a Swiss Army knife.

Tyson added: “Gibraltar plays a key role in telling the story of the early peoples of Europe.”

With Ice Ages working in cycles the possibility of getting hit by another one soon is highly likely. “It will be due, probably not in our lifetime, but it will come,” he concluded.

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Mijas

www.gibraltarolivepress.com ll about

Vol: 14

Issue 314

9 Service

Auto Quick

C/ Fuengirola 2 (Bajo Gasolinera BP)

9am - 6pm Mon-Fri Tel: 952 493 997

29649 Mijas Costa www.autoquick.es

March 27th - April 9th 2019

www.theolivepress.es

March 2019

Pueblo Perfect Mijas is a suprisingly authentic village with a buzzing coastline, discovers Laurence Dollimore

I

F you’re looking for a typical Andalucian town to charm your socks off then look no further than white-washed Mijas.

The classic hilltop town, just a stone’s throw from the Costa del Sol, is quintessentially Spanish and packed full of surprises.

Discovered by the globe’s more bohemian artists and writers in the 1950s and 60s, it was immortalised in Ronald Fraser’s 1973 book, The Pueblo, and continues to cast a spell on visitors today.

A recent €4.7 million renovation which saw the main square transformed beyond recognition has helped (and for that you can thank the EU, which coughed up 70% of the funding).

If you are visiting on a clear day, don’t forget to enjoy the jaw-dropping views of the coast from the cliff-edge view point on the outskirts of the pueblo - although you might have to wait for snappy happy Instagram ‘influencers’ to end their posing session before you can Continues overleaf

Auto Quick

e c i v Ser

Opening times: 9am - 6pm Mon-Fri Tel: 952 493 997 Mob: 629 270 222 Email: info.autoquick@gmail.com C/ Fuengirola 2 (Bajo Gasolinera BP) 29649 Mijas Costa (Malaga) www.autoquick.es

10

10

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From Page 17

take some pics of your own.

Elsewhere, come rain or shine, the Ermita de la Virgen de la Pena is an endearingly unpretentious little chapel.

Forget the checked tiles of Notre Dame or the Sagrada Familia’s spiky, bejewelled interior.

The hermitage was hollowed out by a single Carmelite monk in the 17th century.

Outside, a stone gargoyle spouts water into a grand font. Inside, the candle light, bumpy floor, six ornate gold benches, fresh flowers and a small exhibition are a real treat.

Leaving the chapel, I see a pair of paleskinned Japanese tourists huddled on a bench hollowed out of the rock, using an umbrella to protect themselves from freak 30C It maybe busy March heat. today but Mijas is It’s no wonder al fresco dinpopular all year ing is the norm here, with round, just like usually - not a diamonds table free near the Mirador del Compas, where you can dine to the musical swoosh of water provided by the charming fountain, not Handel!

“It may be busy today but Mijas is popular all year round, like diamonds,” confides Francisco, a nut seller who has lived in the town all his life.

Rightly, he capitalises on the buzz to flog his delicious candied almonds which give me renewed strength to hit the ground running.

Mijas is designed for its multicultural tourist scene – with around 20,000 foreign residents and many, many more visitors. Signs appear in English and there is even an impressive machine vending t-shirts, maps and guides after trading hours.

March 27th - April 9th 2019

ON THE UP AND UP HISTORIC SCENES: From the charming churches to the local horseman come feria time

Welcome to the future, I chuckle.

And yet the human reception is second to none. Carmen in the Tourist Office, who hails

from Valencia, gives me the inside track on just about everything in immaculate English.

In fact she offers maps and info in an incred-

ible 16 languages!

Let’s not forget the countryside. There are beautiful hiking trails waiting to be explored.

Get covered!

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IFE insurance is a necessary purchase that has the benefit of giving you and your family peace of mind.

Life insurance not only provides financial protection in the event of death but it is also a savings product that offers benefits that are becoming ever more extensive and customisable, so it is not surprising that, after car and home insurance, it is the third most contracted insurance cover in Spain. The average profile of a person who contracts life insurance is a married male aged between 35 and 44 years old, but it is never too late or early to take out a policy.

1. Arrange a mortgage to buy a house In Spain, six out of ten homes are bought with a mortgage. In this case, it is advisable to take out life insurance because, in case of death or permanent disability of the person who contracted the mortgage, the insurer will take over the payments to the bank and remove your partner or relatives from the economic responsibility that could be difficult to continue with. In fact, with most banks it is a pre-requisite as a guarantee before signing the mortgage. Until recently, banking entities conditioned their mortgage lending with an ‘obligation’ to contract some linked products, such as Life insurance.

But since a few years ago, with the approval of the European Parliament of the Mortgage Credit Directive, banks are prohibited by law from linking a mortgage to the purchase of insurance. You only need that your insurance company includes a clause in your policy registering your lending bank as the mortgage beneficiary. In that way, you comply with the request of the bank but you also save money. You could even save a differ-

ence of €700 as the products offered by the bank can be up to 300% more expensive.

2. Starting a family It should be taken into account that raising a child in Spain can be expensive. It has been estimated that a baby can cost 14,266 euros during its first year of life and 14,056 euros during the next two. On average, a child can represent the disbursement of 1,183 euros per month during

its first three years, which represents 80.78% of the average monthly net salary of a worker.

It will depend on each person’s standard of living, but before the child turns 18 the parents could have spent between €115,000 and €350,000.

If at any time one of the parents dies, it will be difficult for the family to maintain the same rhythm of life. In those cases, although the personal loss will be irreplaceable, life insurance could guarantee the necessary capital to meet family expenses. With Liberty Seguros, even if the insured dies

in an accident along with his/her spouse and they have children younger than 18, the beneficiaries will receive double the sum insured.

3. Protect your income level Last year there were 3,796 serious occupational accidents in Spain. Of these, 618 had fatal consequences. The possibility of suffering an accident at work or outside that causes a permanent or temporary disability exists, so it is a wise choice to protect your income level. It will depend on each policy, but the insured can receive an advance payment of the contracted capital in case of temporary or permanent incapacity that prevents them from working and, therefore, affects their income, whether as a result of an accident or illness. In fact, with Liberty Seguros, the insured will be advanced the sum insured for death if he/she is diagnosed with one of the following serious illness or needs one of the following operations: cancer, heart attack, cardiovascular accident, kidney failure, bypass surgery, paralysis and transplant of vital organs, in accordance with the terms established in the special conditions of the policy.

With insurance, not only for life, but also car, home, business, commercial, funeral, etc., Liberty Seguros is considered the preferred expat insurer in Spain today. Liberty Seguros has an extensive network of over 300 brokers and agents that are dedicated to providing unbiased, friendly and expert advice, because every home is different and such an important decision deserves a face to face chat with a professional insurance advisor, in your own language, to discuss the most suitable cover for you.

To find out more visit www.libertyexpatriates.es or simply call 91 342 25 49

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

11 11

March 27th - April 9th 2019

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Mijas by numbers

27.5%

- Of Brits living in Malaga, reside in Mijas.

43

- Picasso’s ceramic works in the Contemporary Arts Centre Mijas (CAC Mijas), the second most important collection of this kind in the world.

50%

- ratio of male to female residents.

1,476

feet above ground - Mijas pueblo’s location ensures hot summers and mild winters.

VISTA: Down to coast, while (below) historic bullring

Sign up for ‘senderismo’ at the tourist office for any one (or all) of three weekly routes.

Multilingual guides lead groups of up to 30 around paths of varying difficulty – an energetic and sociable affair.

“The biggest reason Mijas draws people in is because we are close to the biggest Costa towns yet a typical Andalucian pueblo blanco which people love, complete with donkeys and mountains,” explains Carmen.

“While the centre of town is beautifully preserved, we are moving forward and modernising on the outskirts within easy reach of the coast.”

Get a free town walking map that emcompasses the key sites in a leisurely two hour stroll – providing you don’t make too many watering-hole stops.

Several museums and plazas are worth a lookin, in particular, the oval-shaped bullring built in 1900 and the main town museum, adorned with speciality esparto products and fabulous photos.

On top of this is the intriguing miniatures museum and the handsome town hall.

Rest your weary legs in the tranquil Plaza de los Siete Canos and poke a nose inside the eighteenth-century Ermita de Nuestra Senora de los Remedios before circuiting back to central Plaza de la Libertad via Calle Larga del Palmar and Calle San Sebastian.

The latter is ‘officially’ the pueblo’s prettiest

- hours of sunshine per year (243 days of solid sunshine)

11,000

Brits are registered as living in Mijas.

80,630 tion of Mijas.

- popula-

150,000

Japanese tourists visit Mijas each year.

street. that I’m reluctant to get back in the driving seat There are tapas haunts and restaurants to suit and head for the coast to the municipality’s ‘othevery taste and budget in Mijas, while the er half’ - Mijas Costa. open air auditorium becomes a great concert But the welcome in La Cala is equally warm – venue, often hosting tribute acts in restaurateurs, professionals and locals are all the summer. itching to tell me about their slice of paradise by Every local I meet seems to have the beach. lived here their whole life: sun- Be it a Sauvignon Blanc in Olivia’s - run by TOWIE shrivelled Antonio, who cannot re- star Elliott Wright - or a pint of Guinness at Biddy member his own age, clutches my Mulligan’s - run by Davey from Ireland - there is arm enthusiastically to lead me to somewhere for everyone to sit back and unwind. the art museum while telling me But as Francisco the nut seller put it, multi-faceted about how the town has changed.

Mijas is like diamonds - in demand year-round, We pass boutiques, delis and a and everyone wants a piece of it. Bling it on! baking dynasty that has been going since 1904, with grandson Francisco now in charge.

It’s easy to fall in love with this enchanting pueblo. At a CLINICA VETERINARIA zapateria, fresh-faced shoeseller Celia recalls how her VETERINARY CLINIC Liverpool mother met an AnNuno Moreira Rodrigues dalusian in Ibiza in the 60s, Veterinario married him, moved to Mijas and never left. Shoe fetishist Jardines de la Butiplaya Local 5 Nikki, who has pairs of alparLa Cala de Mijas, N340 Km202 gatas (espadrilles) in more 951 215 494 _ 678 368 441 than 30 colours – the sign of Butibamba.vet@gmail.com a true española – was similarly smitten.

“I went to Liverpool to study VET to HOME C/Fuengirola 6, 29649 languages as my mum did,” says the 37-year-old who La Cala Mijas Costa is a perfect example of the cosmopolitan population in Mijas. “But I came back here tel: 951 401 695 to raise my daughter; it is the mob: 639 727 188 most wonderful place.”

Home Veterinary Visits/No call out charge A cool glass of tinto de verano www.joebayley.com Phone: +34 687 079290 later and I feel so welcomed joe@joebayley.com

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TYPICAL: A Mijas street scene

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The aroma of

Expat dynamos Thomas Weller and Hugo German are set to diversify their already successful empire in Mijas Pueblo

I

T is hard to step foot in Mijas Pueblo these days without landing in one of Thomas Weller and Hugo German’s excellent restaurants or shops.

Now you are just as likely to stay the night in one of their apartments.

The pair of successful expats are launching a new side to their business branching out into accommodation.

This month the first of five one and two bedroom apartments will come onstream in the historic heart of Mijas’ most evocative area.

Each beautifully-appointed with high quality Egyptian cotton sheets and stylish furniture, they are expected to fill up quickly throughout the year.

It is a natural addition to their empire, that already includes three shops and popular restaurants Aroma Cafe & Secret Garden, as well as Meguiñez and Latitud 36.

“It is the most natural expansion,” explains Thomas. “I have had literally hundreds of people asking me where to stay in the centre of the village over

VARIETY: From the smart interior of Tapintxos to the stunning outdoor escape of the Aroma Cafe & Secret Garden the years and there has simply been rants at night,” he adds. tapas bar and teahouse called Aroma. so much pent up demand for it.

It is truly around the world in a doz- The following year he had hooked up “It is the one sector that is completely en flavours for the pair these days, with Argentinian Hugo, 57, and the booming in Mijas these days.” with dishes ranging from Argentinian pair quickly hit it off, with Hugo helpTo manage the demand and expect- steaks to osso bucco and sushi to sea ing Thomas build and kit out a series ed new business he is converting a bass. of shops in the village. shop into a rental hub, which will also It all started in 1998 when Canadian An engineer by trade, father-of-three double as an estate agent and travel entrepreneur Thomas, 47, opened his Hugo moved from Buenos Aires during agent. first restaurant in Mijas; a sushi bar, the deep 1990s recession, looking to “It’s double bubble all round as more which was the first of its kind on the make a new life in Spain. people staying in the village will mean Costa del Sol. He certainly found his vocation with more clients coming to our restau- This followed in 2003 with a popular Thomas always looking for exciting

C/ San Sebastián, 8. Mijas Pueblo

Reservas / Bookings : 952 59 03 93

“Descubre nuestro gran secreto” “Discover our great secret” www.aromacafeandsecretgarden.com

HIDDEN: The Secret Garden must be seen for a new ventures, the best by far when in 2009 the pair opened their first restaurant together, after finding a hidden overgrown garden

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

March 27th - April 9th 2019

f success

glass of wine, coffee, lunch or supper in the heart of the pueblo.

Clearing out the brambles and rubbish, they shipped in tables and created an Argentini-

TOP TUCKER: At La Cucina di Nico an-style bbq called Aroma Cafe & Secret Garden, which eventually started to make money.

“It was a very tough few early years,” explains Hugo. “And it wasn’t until we got the concept right that things started to work.

“Finally we created the bbq out of a recycled staircase and suddenly it went wild.”

Since then they have invested more and more in the remarkable gardens,

which are a must-visit, if only for a glass of wine or coffee.

“We wanted to create a sensation, something visual, not just a place to eat,” adds Thomas, who first arrived in Europe in the 1990s as a ski rep in the Swiss Alps.

The pair now run three restaurants together, Aroma, Meguiñez and Latitud 36 tapas grill, while Thomas also owns Tapintxos and an Italian trattoria, called La Cucina di Nico, named

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GRILL KINGS: Hugo and chef lead the way after his son.

It seems to be a winning formula,” he Hugo meanwhile has just opened a explains. restaurant in Fuengirola, called Tanit, “Mijas’ culinary scene is getting more with his son Simon. and more exciting all the time.

As if not busy enough already, Thomas “When I arrived here over 20 years also runs an exciting eco-cosmetic ago, there were a lot of over-priced company, Weller Ecology, which sells places and very little quality. We have from his three shops in the town, as helped to change that.” well as another in Ronda.

He puts his ability to run so many The shop sells a range of products, businesses in one place down to two including Spain’s only 100% organic things: being able to walk between CBD cosmetics line, he explains. them, and his excellent team.

The group collectively employs around “I think it’s good to be involved with 60 to 115 local workers - the largest lots of very different projects, and to private employer in the village - and always be taking on something comThomas is constantly on the move, pletely different,” he says. looking to improve his products and “That way, if one thing starts to lapse restaurants. you can always rely on the others.”

“All our places offer good food, good service and simple, good ingredients. www.aromacafeandsecretgarden.com

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WHERE TO EAT

Mijas

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Toast of the coast

Mijas has a surprisingly vibrant restaurant scene, writes Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke

H

pueblo with his family as a child and revealed how he tried things he had ‘never tasted before’.

“I remember I got a great big chunk of honey in the comb and was baffled as to how to attack it. I ended up just scraping and sucking it.

“I had orange juice, too – made with fresh, real squeezed oranges.”

It is a legacy that has been continued to this day

by London-trained chefs like Joffrey Charles and William Squires, at El Oceano restaurant.

“It’s getting better and better here and there is a lot of competition,” explains Squires, who worked for four years under famous Melbourne chef Joel Valvason.

“There are a lot of young chefs with new ideas and it’s great to try new things, then get back and do things with a new twist,” he adds.

Take a spin around La Cala these days and you will find the wonderful Pura Cepa wine bar, Pura Sangre and the amazing Blue Marlin fish restaurant - probably the best on the coast.

The only ‘northern European fish restaurant’ in the area - run by Alison and Steve Hyatt - I found them hard at it, prepping stews and dishes hours before opening.

A MIJAS restaurant is celebrating The fish here is unbelievably good with 25 years in business. plenty of rich stews and popular dishes Restaurant Ole is a favourite like seafood pasta and an amazing among locals and expats and clam chowder. serves everything Spanish with This couple became famous from the meats, fish and paellas readily TV show A New Life in the Sun and run a available. tight ship, if you’ll excuse the fishy pun, And it’s no wonder it has survived with hundreds of regulars swearing by for more than two decades, with their place. a quiet and cozy atmosphere, It is not really surprising, given that the friendly staff and unbeatable pair ran restaurants back in Scotland, prices. while chef Steve has worked in many The stalwart eatery is situated in places around the world and his family the Los Claveles III urbanisation have been running inns as far back as in La Cala and is open seven days 1760. a week from 6pm to 11pm.

And there is more at wonderful El Oceano, a hotel restaurant right on the Call 952 492 162 to book your beach which is glamour personified. table or visit www.restauranHead chef William Squires, 31, (right) teole.es for more information. has worked around the world, including

E has become a global superstar as much for his appearances on British TV as for his celebrated three Michelin stars.

But few people know that British culinary genius Michel Roux Jr (right) cites Mijas as the town that inspired him to follow in the footsteps of his famous father at two Michelin star Le Gavroche in London.

The British-born maestro of Masterchef and Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen fame visited the

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PURE BRED QUALITY: Paco Flores and sous chef at Puro Sangue while (below) team at The Blarney four years in Australia and three in Ireland, and has built up a rave repertoire for Asiatic dishes in particular.

The beef tartare is his ‘tete de cuvee’, marinated overnight, then rolled in peppercorns, seared for 30 seconds and rested in the fridge before being served.

I also liked the tempura prawns with wasabi and the excellent scallops with ham while my winning pick would be the original take on Manchego Arancini, rice balls seasoned with saffron.

The restaurant offers front row seats right on the beach and, after a multi-million euro overhaul, is even more glamorous than before.

For yet another completely different style, head 400 metres inland to find the fantastic familystyle Ole restaurant where Juan Gomez has been on the go for an incredible 25 years.

Juan is a charming host – speaking perfect English. With son Victor, equally full of bonhomie, they put great emphasis on fresh ingredients, sourcing

BOULEVARD DE LA CALA

much from their finca near Ronda.

“I buy all the meat and fish and go shopping every day to the local markets to find the very best ingredients,” explains Juan. “And price/quality is the key to my success.”

Expect to eat fantastic stuffed red peppers, delicious lettuce hearts with anchovies, and great salmon cooked in a spicy dill sauce. Last but not least, if credentials were needed to run a wine bar, owning your own vineyard would certainly help.

Meanwhile, Ronda chef Paco Flores at Pura Sangre has been making a name for himself with a stunning range of creative dishes.

He first came into the public eye with his awardwinning ‘gazpachuelo’ at Madrid Fusion in 2012.

He now divides his time between his La Cala eaterie and a new restaurant, Fabrica, in Fuengirola, which used to be the legendary Toston.

Finally, in La Cala look out for The Blarney, which is a great spot for lunch, or an excellent breakfast.

Open for a year it is garnering a good reputation.

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16 www.gibraltarolivepress.com Cafeteria Churreria Cañon

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WHERE TO EAT

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March 27th - April 9th 2019

PUEBLO REVOLUTION

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Heading up towards the pueblo you have a few exciting places to eat, the best easily being Casa Navarro, serving the area for decades.

It is one of the most prestigious tables one can imagine with everyone from Lady Diana to Julio Iglesias have dined there.

It is a true family affair, open since 1990 and with an amazing collection of wines in its cellar going way beyond that.

“We’ve had everyone eating here from Lady Diana to the Rolling Stones and both Julio Iglesias and his son Enrique on lots of occasions,” explains owner Carlos.

But you are here really to try the food and the real star of the restaurant is Carlos’s daughter Leire, whose vegetable dishes are lush and include chard with almonds and thistles (cardoons) with ham, both great dishes.

Up in the pueblo itself you absolutely have to check out the Secret Garden, one of the de-

finitive dining secrets of the coast.

This oasis, tucked away behind its more typical whitewashed sister restaurant Aroma, is a beautiful hidden garden in the heart of the village.

It’s a superb place to kick back and enjoy a nice mix of authentic Iberian dishes alongside Argentinean fare – particularly steaks - thanks to co-owner Hugo German.

Part of a group of restaurants owned by Hugo and his business partner Thomas Weller, make sure to look out for their Taberna Meguinez (which means ‘Are you winking at me?’) which has an excellent menu, as well as the fishy delights at Latitud 36.

PADDY’S in La Cala Hills offers the perfect Guinness poured Then there’s Tapfrom Dublin crafted taps, in the newly refurbished surintxos, inspired by rounding of Mijas Golf’s first Irish pub.

Thomas’s love of The pioneering pub is run by charming Irish couple Mick the north of Spain, and Dee, who have enjoyed 20 years in the trade from and his new Italian Kilkenny to Gran Canaria.

La Cucine di Nico The experience pairs’ winning combo of warmth, great food where the osso and craic has already proved a hit on the mainland. bucco is something With tasty food to have in or go, tuck into a full breakfast, special. golden jack potatoes or traditional fish with hand cuts chips.

There are quite a The pub’s first Paddy’s Day was a lively affair with five empfew other good resty barrels standing testament to a memorable day shared taurants and new by all. places to eat tapas Tomorrow sees Paddy’s first Karaoke Night, hosted by Jabut few beat La Boson Walsh from 8pm until 11pm, sing your favourite tunes dega del Pintor, or just soak up the atmosphere with friends. which also has a Be sure to call ahead to avoid disappointment. lovely hidden garden

MEAT-FEAST: At Casa Navarra

PADDY’S PROMISE

at the back.

Welcoming owner Amparo was actually born in this charming spot, which offers visitors the chance to dine in a historic 300-year-old townhouse. Atmospheric in the extreme, the restaurant serves up plenty of wines by the glass to go with its tempting tapas.

“I wanted to create the sense that you are dining in someone’s home,” explains Amparo, whose 86-year-old mother still lives upstairs.

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BUSINESS

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GibDevs talks for free

A NEW software developer meet-up at Ocean Village has been announced, teaching people how to make a chat application for websites.

The event on Thursday is organised by GibDevs, a group of gaming professionals who want to learn together in an easy-going environment.

“I just felt there were not enough community get-togethers for software developers on the Rock,” said Vytautas Dagilis, one of three founders of GibDevs.

“We decided to get the ball rolling and my employer Lottoland agreed to support us.”

Informal

The first monthly event was held in December with 17 people, with numbers increasing to 30 in March.

The meet-up includes speeches by professionals on new technology as well as time to socialise.

“We are always trying to keep it very informal,” said Dagilis. “We welcome anyone who is looking forward to learning something new and meet other developers.

“We got a lot of positive feedback about how important GibDevs is for networking too.”

For those who are not working in the gaming world, there are two main types of software developers.

‘Back-end’ refers to the programming that makes an application work and ‘frontend’ is all about making it look good to the user.

GibDevs normally meet at The Ivy in Ocean Village on the fourth Thursday of the month at 6pm.

Full details for each meeting can be found on social media.

BARACK Obama is coming to Andalucia next month.

The former US President is attending the World Travel & Tourism Council World Congress (WTTC), the travel industry’s biggest annual conference.

Put on by the World Travel & Tourism Council, this year it will take place in Sevilla from April 2 to 4.

Obama will give a keynote speech on the theme of ‘Changemakers’ to celebrate the people and ideas that will change the future of the sector.

WTTC President and CEO Glo-

Girls in tech

“A possible solution is to allow women to work at home and be with the kids at the same time.

“There could also be longer paternity leave as well so that fathers can share the load.”

The Gibraltar chapter of Girls in Tech was launched in June 2017

by Cristina Turbatu who wanted to have more meet-ups for women working with computers.

As one of 60 chapters around the world it hold different themed events in conjunction with the global organisation.

“Our last event on March 26 was a Tech Talk on the impact of data on product design,” said Mares.

“Three speakers talked about the life-cycle of products and how data influences the whole process of putting it out to the public.”

Every year the group runs bootcamps on various subjects which attract men as well as women.

Everybody wins

Bonuses for every employee after company which owns Zara rakes in €26 billion SPAIN’S richest man has raked in €1.6 billion from his clothing empire this year and has made sure every employee is rewarded with a cash bonus.

Amancio Ortega, (pictured left) owner of the Inditex group, which includes Zara, saw his earnings increase by almost €300 million yearon-year when the fiscal year ended in January.

And in keeping with tradition, every single employee who has worked at the company for more than two years got a share of 10% of the profit increase.

It means 92,000 workers shared a huge €32 million or in other words they each received a bonus of just under €350.

Ortega’s wealth of around €65 billion now equals 5% of Spain’s GDP and makes him among the top five rich-

est men in the world.

It comes after Inditex increased its net profit by 2.2% to €3.4 billion in 2018.

Sales across the whole group’s brands, which also include Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Oysho and Uterque, increased by 3.2% to a whopping €26.1 billion.

proposal of a €600m ‘rights issue’, dealing a harsh no-confidence vote to company management and laying the groundwork for a buyout

by Fridman.

A rights issue is an invitation to existing shareholders to purchase additional new shares in a company to raise capital.

GENEROUS: Ortega shares bumper sale bonuses

Inditex, which already has 7,490 stores around the world, will add 300 new lo-

cations this year while profits are forecast to increase by up to 6%.

Streaming investment A SPANISH streaming service has announced it is investing €200 million into a new studio.

The Mediapro Studio will develop and produce scripted and non-scripted film and TV projects across Europe, South America and the US. Spain’s answer to Netflix and based in Madrid and Barcelona, it already has 34 series in the works in Spain, the UK, Italy, Portugal, Colombia, Finland, the US, Middle East and elsewhere.

Unique

“The time has come to move beyond our role as a production company and to become a studio,” said Mediapro Group managing partner Jaume Roures. “For 25 years, we have produced hundreds of great quality projects all around the world, with the ability to develop global content. Because of this, we feel we are ready to go one step further and create unique content.”

It comes as streaming services continues to cash in thanks to an ever-growing demand for high-quality series and films.

Profit

The main money makers continue to be Zara and Zara Home, which last year brought in €18 billion, a 3.2% increase on the year before.

Bershka invoiced €2.2 billion, Pull&Bear and Massimo Dutti both brought in €1.8 billion while Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterque cashed in €1.5 billion, €585 million and €101 million respectively.

Obama jets in

VISITING: Obama

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March 27th - April 9th 2019

WOMEN should be allowed to work from home to help them keep their jobs, a local group has said.

This is the view of Girls in Tech in Gibraltar who want to support women in the industry.

“Women have interesting challenges working in tech,” said Karen Mares of Girls in Tech.

“Technology changes so fast, it is not easy for women to slot back in again after checking out of the industry for three to five years to be a mother.

Die another Dia ONE of Spain’s main supermarkets has been saved from collapse thanks to a €500 million cash injection.

Investors voted to back a rescue plan for Dia which saw the funds come from the struggling supermarket’s biggest shareholder, Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman.

Investors rejected Dia’s

March 27th - April 9th 2019

ria Guevara said: “During his tenure, Obama embodied the notion that travel and tourism are a factor for economic growth and job creation.”

Obama is allegedly paying a debt with the city after a scheduled visit in July 2016 was cancelled when five police officers were killed in Dallas.

According to Forbes, issues that will be discussed include ‘extolling seamless global travel through the use of biometrics and digital identity in an era of heightened security concerns’.

Investment in community tourism and social entrepreneurship will also be on the docket.

How the industry can make a positive impact on communities and how increasing female roles can reduce poverty and support empowerment will also be discussed.

It comes after it was revealed this month that Spain raked in €178 billion from tourism last year, accounting for 14.6% of the country’s GDP and 14.7% of all jobs.

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PROPERTY

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Mar 27th - April 9th 2019

MoD-ular living SIX luxury villas and 22 townhouses could be built on former MoD land at Europa Point.

Plans have been drawn up to expand the 105 houses currently for sale in Europa Walks Estate, with a new swimming pool and play areas also included.

The 8,000m2 area used to house some of the 3,000 forces personnel posted on the Rock during the Cold War.

Purpose

But with forces families now moving away, the nearby NAAFI supermarket and social club have largely outlived their purpose.

According to the developer’s plans, the new buildings will not go higher than two floors, keeping them in line with the rest of the area.

More than 100 covered and garaged car parking spaces could also be provided, helping ease parking problems.

The architects for the project are AKS contracted by the developers BV Homes.

Consisting of four distinct zones, the two to four-bedroom properties will have a view over the Bay of Gibraltar and come with a private patio.

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Thousands protest ‘eyesore’ tower Residents slam plans for ‘Devil’s Tongue’ tower at Ocean village

MORE than 3,500 people have backed a petition against plans for a 19-storey tower.

The ultra-modern development would be located at what is traditionally called Devil’s Tongue beside the Sun Dial roundabout and Ocean Village.

THE forgotten villa of ‘Spain’s own Schindler’ has been torn down despite more than 500 people finding refuge there during the Spanish Civil War, which ended 80 years ago this month.

Villa Maya in Malaga was owned by the honorary consul of Mexico, Porfirio Smerdou, (right) who hid both Nationalists and Republicans who were under threat of assassination.

The villa, in El Limonar, had no protection, despite its historical relevance.

“Porfirio Smerdou was a

Approved on December 12, 2018, the building - designed by local architects WSRM - has been widely criticised on social media.

Critics have labelled it “an eyesore”, “horrendous” and “totally ridiculous to the maximum”.

Gibraltarians often resist high rise buildings as they affect nearby residents’ views, block out the light and crowd the skyline.

Obscured

UNWANTED: New tower block on the Rock

Schindler’s de-list-ed very important character, a human being who tried to avoid what was happening on both sides and who even suffered reprisals from the fascist troops when they entered Malaga despite having helped many of their own,” historian Francisco Espinosa said.

The consul used his contacts to help people escape, leading journalist Diego Carcedo to name him the ‘Schindler of the Civil War’.

German Oskar Schindler saved

Relax.. Jacks got it covered

1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories and bribing Nazi officials.

When Smerdou died in Madrid in 2002, age 97, his son Luis said: “Greatness without reward, honour without fame, dignity without brightness, that was his life.”

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The petition on Change.org suggests that “the modern futuristic design doesn't fit with the design of other developments in the area”. It also claims that “the view of the Rock from tourists arriving from the port area will be obscured”.

However, the new development is in fact no taller than Ocean Village, and is designed to reflect the sunlight and nearby walls.

Nearly 90 homes could be created by the project which, unlike the design it replaced, will not require the closing down of Queensway.

Cash magnets THE Costa del Sol, Costa Brava and Ibiza are continuing to attract wealthy foreign buyers, an international estate agent has confirmed.

Increasing numbers of international buyers are coming to Spain’s coasts, according to Lucas Fox. The luxury property agency claims that mid to high-end foreign buyers are being lured to Spain as the second homes market continues to boom.

Their reports show that Spain’s most desirable spots saw a 51% rise in the proportion of buyers in 2018.

Buyers

Scandinavian and French people were the most common foreign buyers, making up 86% of that group.

“The increase in sales volume on the Costas in 2018 compared with 2017 was much greater than anticipated,” said Lucas Fox partner Tom Maidment.

“While some other regions have seen a drop in sales volume in 2018, the likes of the Costa Brava and Costa del Sol seem to have bucked the trend and are attracting a very specific profile of buyer – the wealthy second home lifestyle investor.”

He added that Palafrugell and Begur on the Costa Brava, as well as Sitges, have seen the greatest demand for second homes.

AGONY Property ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Cheeky tax paying

In the wake of the Cuatrecasas revelations Lawbird’s Antonio Flores explains the different types of company expenses

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ESS than a week has passed since we learnt that Emilio Cuatrecasas, owner of the largest fiscal advisory firm in Spain, just hired former Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santa Maria.

In 2015, Cuatrecasas pleaded guilty to eight counts of tax fraud in exchange for a rather lenient two-year suspended imprisonment suspended - conviction agreed with both the Prosecutor and the State Lawyer, the latter working on direct instructions of Mrs Saenz de Santa Maria, when the PP party was in power.

What’s interesting of this case - besides the fairly obvious connection between Cuatrecasas’ favourable court ruling and the hiring of the instigator of such advantageous outcome - is the nature of the tax fraud: deducting personal outlays as company expenses.

In this case, it was done in a grand scale where, for example, servants hired for his personal residences or his privately used yacht, electrical appliances, decoration and generally, maintenance of his personal assets, were all introduced in the company balance sheet as deductible expenses.

In the end, Cuatrecasas had to pay over €3 million plus €1 million in interest to avoid doing jail time.

Spain is no different from any other country when it comes to tax deductible expenses.

But what are they?

Broadly speaking, they are those deemed helpful and appropriate for a business, as well as necessary and reasonable.

More specifically, this what the law says:

Deductible expenses Employees’ salaries and social security, rentals (office or part of a home used to work from) and associated expenses, equipment and supplies, repair and maintenance, stationery, external advisors, VAT (where it is not claimed) and uniforms not susceptible of private use, to name a few.

Vehicles not exclusively used for business purposes will be deductible on prorate, with a maximum of 50% (save for cargo, transport and similarly used vehicles which will be 100%).

Travel expenses, meals (maximum of 1% of turnover) or Christmas presents can be deducted if they are associated with business and this can be proven when required.

Non-deductible expenses Directors’ salaries, dividends, fines, services provided by people based in a tax haven, guard dogs, clothes (including lawyers’ suits), perfumes, beauty treatments, sunglasses or mobile phones (where it is not possible to show that they are exclusively used for a business purpose), weddings, weekly ‘Mercadona’ personal shopping and many other non-expenses habitually picked up by tax inspectors.

Finally, deductible expenses must be provable by means of regular or simplified invoices, as mere receipts will not be valid.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

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Top chef set to battle environmentalists over new restaurant at beauty spot THE Costa del Sol’s most famous chef could find himself in boiling water over plans to open a restaurant in one of Andalucia’s best protected areas.

Marbella’s three Michelin starred chef Dani Garcia is likely to find opposition to his plans to build a chiringuito at a spot on the Costa de la Luz where a development was stopped last year.

The beach bar, planned for Tarifa’s Valdevaqueros beach as part of the Eolo project, was given the green light by Tarifa Council and Mayor Francisco Ruiz in 2017.

But environmentalists man-

aged to halt the plans, claiming that protected species would be threatened, including otters, black-footed plover and osprey.

It led to the company to pull out, with the mayor slamming the ecologists for destroying the project.

“Our mayor, a biologist by profession, lives in another world: one without empathy for the environment,” Rosmarie Hennecke-Gramatzki of green group Equo said.

Along with political party Podemos, the organisation alleges that the ambitious beachside plans do not comply with the EU’s ‘habitat directive’ of

Mum’s cooking

‘MADRE’ is the new farewell menu of Dani Garcia’s Marbella restaurant that he chose to close less than a month after winning his third Michelin star.

Garcia has revealed that this final menu of his self-titled eatery, which sums up his 20 years in the kitchen, was inspired by his mother.

“Mother represents everything for me,” the 43-year-old Marbella-born cook said.

“For me, mother is undoubtedly who inspired me and woke up in me the love for the kitchen.”

Garcia’s new collection of food will see some of his most classic culinary creations brought together.

Guiding the curation of the new menu was the idea of dishes that have represented ‘an important milestone’ in Garcia’s life.

Among those monumental creations are his ajoblanco with herring caviar and even the ‘BIBO’ burger he came up with for McDonald’s.

Garcia added: “Mother is also my land, Andalucia is the place I was born, and what gave me the culture, and the produce of the kitchen that we use today.”

The celebrated chef made his astonishing announcement in December that he would close Restaurante Dani Garcia. It came just 22 days after receiving his third Michelin star.

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March 27th - April 9th 2019

March 27th - April 9th 2019

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Boiling water 1992.

But Ruiz hit back, saying that the Eolo project had been developed, ‘following the law scrupulously’.

Garcia is now believed to have taken over the project with local unnamed backers and may brand it a ‘BiBo’ restaurant, like the ones he has in Marbella and Madrid.

He is expected to construct the ‘temporary’ restaurant on the 372 square metre plot, over the next couple of months.

It will be open by the summer and will have enough space for 400 car parking spaces.

FAREWELL: Garcia Tarifa’s mayor insisted the project ‘respected the local environment’ adding that it was ‘not permanent’.

“We are very satisfied with the difference between the two projects,” he said.

What a line up

Leading Sherry bodega Gonzalez Byass has chosen popular Vejar eaterie Califa for its latest photoshoot

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

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

www.gibraltarolivepress.com 20 March 27th - April 9th 2019

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Fit for an Englishman

Eye on Madrid

Madrid’s born-again Gran Hotel Ingles is the lap of Belle Epoque luxury, discovers Olive Press editor Jon Clarke

I

T was once one of Madrid’s ritziest places to stay, serving up high-class hospitality to the likes of Virginia Woolf, Henri Matisse and the arty set.

But somewhere along the line the Gran Hotel Ingles lost its pizazz, eventually falling into disrepair and

RELAXING: Roll top baths

lived in by squatters a decade ago.

So it is a joy that Madrid’s oldest and most distinguished hotel has been brought back to life after a ravishing €17 million refit.

Downsized from an original 72 rooms to a boutique 48, making them effectively suites, this 1886 gem oozes the elegance of a bygone age and its central location makes it a great choice for a long weekend in Madrid.

Romantic in the extreme, it has hung on to its elegant Belle Epoque interiors but now with a dash of Art Deco in the mix. The seductive lobby sets the scene and you really imagine yourself sliding into one of the wide banquette booths and ordering a Singapore Sling while being offered a freshly-ironed copy of the Herald Tribune or London Times.

Many original features have been saved, from time-faded photos of

ELEGANCE: The grand lobby and some premium guests including Matisse and Virginia Woolf

guests to vintage postcards and an ancient typewriter by the lifts.

The original iron pillars soar up to reconstructed wall mouldings extended across the ceiling, creating a pattern resembling electric circuits.

Our handsome young bartender quizzed us on tastes and zipped off to produce a cocktail to match our moods.

The rooms are equally sumptuous although understated, nothing fancy - unless you count the top quality linens (500 threadcount Egyptian, don’t you know) and, in many, dreamy roll-top baths.

The Lobo 8 restaurant is the place to wolf down a hearty breakfast, welllit and with an enticing choice perfect for starting the day, al-

WELL LIT: Great start to the day in Lobo 8

though the Eggs Benedict were not quite the best I’ve ever tasted.

With a Barrio de las Letras address - the intellectual home of Madrid you are a short walk from from everything, including The Prado and Plaza Mayor (five minutes).

But what is perhaps most commendable about the Gran Hotel Ingles is the staff, who make guests

feel relaxed and at home. They are there the moment you need them, and not when you don’t. Now, that’s what I expect from a good capital city five star!

C/ Echegaray, 8 - 28014 Madrid www.granhotelingles.com (+34) 91 360 00 01

And here’s a trio of interesting things to do in Madrid this Spring, and a restaurant tip (above right):

1

A museum Done the Prado and the Thyssen? Seen Sorolla and Guernica? How about the Museum of San Isidro, a relatively new showcase on the origins of the city and its saint. Filling a 16th century townhouse, it houses three floors of exhibits from the days of the Visigoths, Muslims and Mammoths.

2

A stroll Take a walk from here into Madrid de las Austrias, which skirts around the bottom of Plaza Mayor. Taking its name from the days of the Habsburg dynasty, it’s a dreamscape of stunning buildings and interesting shops. The street, Cava Baja, has maybe two dozen excellent (and very busy) places to eat on weekends.

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

March 27th - April 9th 2019

3 CHEF: Cesar Martin

La la Lakasa

T A marvel TO BEHOLD Few people bother to visit Madrid’s Sistine Chapel, a work of art undertaken by Spain’s very own Michelangelo, Francisco Goya, in the 18th century. Down by the much improved Manzanares river area of the city, the dome and interior of San Antonio de La Florida chapel was painted in just 120 days and depicts a murdered man being brought back to life.

It is coincidentally also where the painter is buried (minus his head!). Entrance is free and if you time it right (let’s say, lunch time) you might get it all to yourself.

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March 27th - April 9th 2019

ake a French maiden and a local Madrileno grafter and you get this wonderful new spot, Lakasa.

While a little out of the way, it emerges as a stylish and original addition to the fast burgeoning Madrid restaurant scene. Cesar Martin has been a jobbing chef in the capital for years, now finally out on his own, with his girlfriend Marina, from Brittany, out front.

It has a cool look with its vertical green wall partitions and an equally hip reggae-jazz fusion soundtrack on the speakers.

Its main USP is that every one of its two dozen or so dishes come in a half portion, meaning for food freaks like me, you can have double the number!

LUXURY: Diners enjoy a noght at Lakasa (above) and (right) some of Martin’s remarkable dishes

The mackerel in curry sauce and the artichokes with pork belly were two good picks.

I also got to finally try Lampreys, in a cress sauce. Now they are something else. To look at, too...

There are also loads of wines by the glass, and thanks to Marina, a superb cider from Calvados.

Restaurante Lakasa www.lakasa.es Plaza del Descubridor Diego de Ordás, 1 28003 Madrid, Spain Phone: +34 915 33 87 15

ARE YOU A UK NAT ONAL LIVING IN SPAIN? As the UK prepares to leave the EU, there may be changes that affect you.

From residency rights, to work and pensions and local healthcare, you can find the latest information in the UK Government’s Living in Spain Guide.

Sign up for email alerts and get the latest information at gov.uk/living-in-spain

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COLUMNISTS

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Mar 27th - April 9th 2019

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Boot camp

“It’s 08.00 hours, rise and shine soldier, these pots won’t wash themselves!” I yell into the new recruit’s bedroom.

My son opens one eye, looks at me, sighs, turns over and pulls the duvet up over his ears.

“Can’t you stay at home mum and let dad take me to boot camp, you’re beyond embarrassing” he mumbles from underneath the bedding.

“What, and miss your grand entrance into independence?

Not on your Nelly,” I reply with a sardonic smile.

Gingerly retracing my steps over the mountain of dirty clothes strewn across the

New wife in the sun

I wouldn’t mind a Commando to help out with discipline around the house, writes Paula Leskovitz

floor, I noisily close the bedroom door behind me and try and ignore the ‘where’s my socks/hoody/trainers!’ dialogue that follows me around the apartment for the next hour.

Once said items have been located (stuffed in the bottom of the wardrobe as usual) the whole family including Brian ‘the brave’ pile into the jeep and head up towards the Alhaurin mountains.

The temperature gauge at 9.30am is already heading into the 30s as the summer sunshine beats relentlessly onto the singed Spanish countryside.

Boy child brushes his hands over his newly shaven locks and stares out of the window.

Brian attempts to consume an old Twix wrapper and my husband hangs one lanky tanned arm out COMPANION: PAULA’s dog Brian

of the window while its white ‘it’s too hot, are you hot? I’m twin hangs forlornly inside the really hot, get your leg away moving vehicle. from me it’s too hot’.

“I still can’t get used to the Of course I hold the ‘I’m WAY fact that the theatre closes hotter than you’ card, being down for over two months in age 51 and attached permathe summer,” the older of the nently to what appears to be males says to no one in par- an internal furnace with a broticular. ken thermostat.

I nod my head in agreement.

After 17 wrong turns we fiOnly three nally arrive at months into the camp meetthe position of After 17 wrong ing point and a lighting techyoung lad on a turns we finally push bike leads nician and already he has the way up to arrive at the two months off. the area which Mentally I is going to be camp meeting compile a list home to my son point of things that for the next five need repairing days. around the flat, “You can drop and that list increases steadi- me off here,” boy child mumly by the day. bles and makes a hasty exit Unfortunately the only room from the confines of the stiin our humble abode that cur- fling car. rently has any air condition- Half a dozen teens are loitering is the lounge so it’s akin ing around a large green tent to entering the Sahara desert listening intently while a man when you have to leave the dressed in khaki shouts out comfort of the chilled room orders. and make your way begrudg- Spotting his latest recruit amingly to bed. bling towards the camp the The first few hours of attempt- Commando yells out towards ing sleep is usually spent on top of the sheets, mumbling

BOOT CAMP: Paula’s son falls into line my son, “You look tired boy, no doubt up to god knows what time on the Xbox, well there’s none of that computerised crap here, pick a bunk and fall into line.”

My son, who never does what he’s told without argument, breaks into a sprint, drops his bag onto an empty mattress, puts his shoulders back and joins the other inmates without complaint.

“I’m getting one of those for home,” I mumble to my slackjawed husband, pointing at the confident man barking orders at the motley assortment standing before him.

After waving our goodbyes we head back to civilisation in the car and I decide to broach the subject of selling our fourwheel drive and replacing it with a couple of scooters.

“You can have a scooter, I’m having a 125,” my spouse harrumphs, then proceeds to make motorbike noises all the way back to civilisation.

I shake my head at the man beside me and smile to myself.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey.

In the four months we have been living in the Costa del Sol we have bought a property, got our son into school, submitted the mountains of paperwork to enable us to get healthcare and rescued our faithful hound from an attack of the Zombie Pussies.

Staring out the window, an idea begins to form.

What if I was to write all about our relocation, would anyone actually read about the adventures of a new wife in the sun?

Obliterate San Pedro!

All you need is

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OSP may not be a political party, writes Giles Brown, who has slowly watched the decline of San Pedro IF you are a regular reader of my column, you will know that I have a problem with San Pedro de Alcantara.

Before you all rush to form a mob and force me away with burning torches shouting, ‘kill the monster!’, I hasten to add that I have nothing against the good people themselves.

When I was living in Marbella in the 80s, the town gave me one of the funniest nightclub moments of the decade – and there were several, trust me.

Heading home after yet another late night/early morning in Marbella’s Puerto Deportivo, a group of us decided that we needed a nightcap in San P. The only place that was open was the Ruj nightclub, next to the old bus station.

We must have all been fairly plastered because the Ruj was the sort of place that a bunch of bighaired, big shoulder-padded guiris (it was the 80s) was not welcome.

Luckily we had Brenty with us, our half-Australian mate who was considerably larger than the crowd of diminutive Andalucians who turned to look at us as we walked in.

“Play it cool, drink your drinks and don’t do anything to draw attention to yourself,” were Brenty’s instructions.

All was going well and we were starting to think that we might get away with this when Madonna’s ‘La Isla Bonita’ came on the sound system.

Suddenly the dance floor was full, and a hundred

Andalucian voices belted out the first line in unison “Lasz nigh eye dreem of San Pedrooooo”.

It was all too much for us.

I’m sure that Brenty actually spat his drink out, he was laughing that hard, but all was lost in a blur of hair gel, diamante brooches and felt boots as we got the hell out of Dodge, followed by the mulleted Spanish hurling insults.

But whatever damage they wanted to visit upon us that evening, it was nothing compared to the damage that the current OSP party has done to the town.

The ‘visionaries’ that run the place have gone on a remodelling rampage that has seen large swathes of the town pedestrianised. But with cheap parking no longer around, the shops have seen a drop off in trade, historic palm trees and sculptures that heralded the main street have been uprooted and moved elsewhere and, sadly, a ‘modernisation’ of the Church Square has provided wavy sunshades that offer no protection and ugly LED lights that shine blue at night.

The last time I saw this amount of ugly urban architecture was in UK town centres when I was editing a property publication, and at least they had the excuse that the Luftwaffe had previously flattened them.

Looking at the damage the powers that be have wrought on the town, I have to conclude that OSP really does stand for Obliterate San Pedro!

RAMPAGE: Giles Brown says the OSP have destroyed San Pedro during his time in Spain

SPORT

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Big breaker

The best pool players in the world will be in Gibraltar on March 29-31 for the World Pool Masters.

The event, held at the Tercentenary Hall in Victoria Stadium, is being televised on Sky Sports.

“All the top players are coming again as part of the European Tour,” said Daniel Guerrero of the Ministry of Culture to The Olive Press. “US open winner Shane van Boening is coming as well as other past winners Niels Feijen from Netherland and David Alcaide from Spain.”

The World Pool Masters is part of the contract the Gibraltar government has with Matchroom Sports that includes snooker, pool and darts tournaments.

“As part of the event-led tourism the main idea is to promote Gibraltar,” Guerrero revealed. “The idea behind it is to get on the big events calendar with our Visit Gibraltar branding.”

He said there were long and short-term goals to this sort of event: “The benefits behind this sorts of event are that all the event players, their family and crew stay in Gibraltar hotels.”

He added, “It is televised on Sky Sports and allows Gibraltar to get worldwide marketing.”

Gibraltar narrowly lose to Mick McCarthy’s Ireland in their first Euro 2020 qualifier, battling gail force winds on the Rock IN a game where Republic of Ireland showed their class, Gibraltar held their own until the last minute, but lost 1-0.

The first Euro 2020 qualifier for both sides kicked off at the Victoria Stadium with Gibraltar playing against an Eire side under Mick McCarthy.

With the Levante wind blowing strongly Ireland seemed nervous at the start.

Packed

There was a claim for handball followed by a free-kick by Liam Walker that flew just over, all within the first five minutes.

Over 700 of Ireland fans

Back in the Padel MARBELLA has hosted the first tournament of the World Padel Tour 2019, which saw an Argentinian duo triumph in the men’s doubles.

Around 3,000 spectators watched the final of the Cervezas Victoria Marbella Master, which took place in the Complejo Deportivo Fuente Nueva in San Pedro de Alcantara, near Marbella.

Argentinian duo Carlos Gutierrez and Maxi Sanchez beat Spaniards Fransisco Navarro and Juan Lebron in two sets to take the title.

The women’s title was taken

by Spanish duo Marta Marrero and Marta Ortega, who won in three sets.

Padel tennis was created in Mexico in 1969 and is popular amongst Spanish speaking countries - nine of the top 10 ranked men’s padel players are Spanishspeaking, whereas all top 10 ranked women’s players are Spanish.

GOALSCORER: Hendrick

March 27th - April 9th 2019

Taking the Mick EXCLUSIVE

By John Culatto

packed the east stand, making much more noise than the Gibraltarians.

And they responded in kind, getting the better chances in the first half while Gibraltar defended stoutly with 11 men behind the ball.

At the restart Gibraltar came really close to scoring when a header from a corner was just palmed behind by Darren Randolph.

Almost immediately afterwards, Ireland responded.

After a strong run down the left wing, Jeff Hendrick slotted calmly into the bottom corner from the pull-back.

At the end of the game Eire manager McCarthy called Gibraltar ‘brilliant’ considering it was not an easy feat to beat them.

“It was all set up for an upset so I will take the 1-0 win,” he added.

Gibraltar boss Julio Ribas said he was ‘proud’ of his boys and the progress they had made.

He said he was looking forward to the friendly against Estonia, ‘so that the team can keep on growing’.

Gael force GAELIC football could be key to keeping Irish cultural links with the Rock after the Euro qualifier between the two sides, a football chief has said.

“We put the Gibraltar Gaels together for the Irish community in Gibraltar to celebrate the connection between the two countries,” said the sports club chairman Daniel Fox. The Gibraltar Gaels became Andalucian Champions in March which qualifies them for the Iberian Championship in Barcelona on May 25.

“If we win that we could be off to the Europeans,” he said. “In the future we hope to play our matches in the new rugby pitch at Europa Point.

AMBASSADOR: Fox “That will put in the public eye so we can get more Gibraltarian kids playing gaelic football when they’re at school.”

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March 27th - April 9th 2019

Women winning A WOMEN’S football match watched by 60,700 people has broken the 99year world record for the largest crowd ever for two female clubs.

The record-breaking event saw Atletico Madrid lose 2-0 to Barcelona at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in the quarterfinals of the Copa de la Reina.

Not since 1920 have so many people watched a woman’s club match, when Dick, Kerr’s Ladies and St. Helen’s Ladies played at Goodison Park in Liverpool on Boxing Day. The largest ever turnout for any female match was a 1999 World Cup game between the US and China, watched by 90,185 people.

Vacancy - SaleS Manager Mix Media Group, home of Radio Mix 106, is looking for a Sales Manager for their audio/ visual productions department based in Manilva, Malaga.

The successful candidate will be responsible for building and maintaining a client base for the Group’s audio/visual productions, podcasts, and services.

We are looking for an experienced Sales Manager who can operate as a positive, pro-active team member, bringing energy, harmony and focus to the business, and make a positive contribution to the team.

A background in media sales is an advantage but not essential as full training will be given. A knowledge of CRM systems is essential.

Attractive basic salary plus commission on offer to the right applicant.

Send your CV to studio@radiomix106.com Tel: (+34) 856 830 003 | studio@radiomix106.com www.radiomix106.com | @mix106fm

24

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Vol. 4 Issue 93 www.theolivepress.es March 27th - April 9th 2019

‘Robin Hood’ figure surprises villagers by giving away €1000 in blank envelopes

Sustained growth

VILLAGERS in northern Spain are ‘bewildered’ after a mysterious figure slid envelopes of cash under their doors at night.

The 800 residents of Villarramiel, in Castile and Leon, have been left

Clever ancestor

Big winners The Special Olympics Team were met by the Chief Minister on their return from the World Gamers in Abu Dhabi where they won eight gold, seven silver and three bronze medals.

Loving care FUTURE stars of Love Island, the hit reality show filmed in Spain, are set to be offered therapy, its makers have confirmed.

It comes after former contestant Mike Thalassitis (right) was found dead having committing suicide.

TV network

ITV is set to offer the therapy to help participants deal with fame, social media and managing their finances after the show ends.

Thalassitis became the second Love Island contestant to die, after Sophie Gradon, who appeared in 2016, was found dead in June.

Special deliveries scratching their heads over the magical offerings.

Around 20 seemingly unconnected people have been gifted up to €70 each, with around €1000 in total so far being handed out.

“We’re all bewildered as we don’t know where this money comes from or who the benefactor is,” said mayor Nuria Simon.

CRIME

The recipients include a widow living with her son, couples with small children, elderly couples and middle-aged couples without kids.

Some benefiting from the surprise cash received messages, including one that

GIFT: Surprise cash

was addressed to the ‘princess’ of the household.

Some neighbours also received money in their letter boxes and one in a bicycle basket.

While two residents have reported the charity spate to the police, there is not thought to be any reason to investigate.

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A BRITISH expat has made history by creating Spain’s first ‘Sunday roast tapa’.

Angela McGinnis, 42, from Airdrie, in Scotland, is the creator of the dish, which she invented at her bar Wobbly’s, in Puerto de la Duquesa.

The recipe sees a Yorkshire pudding topped with carrots, stuffing, mashed potato and beef, served with peas and gravy.

“I love a Sunday roast,” she told the Olive Press. “So when I was creating the new menu I thought, ‘I’ll turn it into a tapa’.”

Holy phallus!

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FINAL WORDS

Professor Daniella Tilbury has become the UK representative of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe which discusses about sustainable development.

After the discovery of ancient human DNA in Gibraltar a new book called ‘The Smart Neanderthal’ was launched by archaeologist Clive Finlayson.

March 27th - April-Tees 9th 2019 Tapa-on

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PROTESTERS have slammed a new play entitled God has a vagina.

A group of Catholics prayed with rosary beads outside the Matadero centre in Madrid as the show was being performed.

The production by the theater collective Vertebro features actors performing naked in reenactments of religious and cultural traditions.