Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 96 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

Mijas Costa

Goodbye Willie! ONE of the Rock’s true gems has passed away. Tributes have been flooding in for the former boss of Rolex, William Serfaty, who died on one of his regular trips to Spain. The prominent b us i n es s ma n and activist - who campaigned hard for the right to vote in European elections and against joint sovereignty with Spain - died at 74 years old. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo led the tributes describing his an ‘energetic and hardworking patriot and political activist’. “Willie has contributed extensively to the business community and campaigned in all initiatives to promote the democratic rights of Gibraltarians,” Picardo said. “Willie’s family can justly feel proud of the contribution he has made to develop a Democratic British Gibraltar.” Serfaty, a staunch atheist, led the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG) for nine years and was a member of the Integration With Britain Party when it came to office in 1969. He was also on the board of the Chamber of Commerce. After the frontier closed he was chosen to recruit Moroccans to come to Gibraltar and has ever since been a popular figure around the Rock. He was also a long-time supporter of the Olive Press and, apart from requesting its delivery to the Red House Rolex shop, he regularly took our special supplements on different regions of Andalucia on his regular travels. Serfaty joined his father as an architect after completing his studies, before taking over the Rolex shop which he ran successfully for many years. His passing away comes as a big shock to all of Gibraltar. It was marked with a one minute silence at the recent May Day event for his efforts to advance workers’ rights. SDGG chairperson Denis Matthews said: “He was well-versed in Gibraltar’s history and deeply conscious of our heritage.”

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The places they SHOULD have filmed

The sites which SHOULD have been in Game of Thrones, plus Gib’s most historic See free Property buildings Magazine inside

A tour of Spain’s most prolific ‘pavilion’ creators, SEE PAGE XII

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agents beONE of the Costa del Sol’s leading an exlieves the stalling of Brexit has brought cellent window to buy. Europe, The six-month delay of the UK leaving out a hard added to Parliament effectively rulingfor British Brexit, has left a healthy situation Propbuyers, believes Ben Bateman, of Holmes erty Sales in Sotogrande. strongest Not only is the pound approaching itssellers are level against the euro since 2016, but had propgrowing anxious to sell, having often as a erties on the market for longer than expected result of the Brexit uncertainty and delay. prices hav“While the pound has strengthened of Soen’t really increased,” explains the boss togrande’s longest-established agency. the mar“Many buyers who put their homes onbeen able ket towards the end of 2017 have not and have to sell as quickly as we had forecast lonnow been on the market for 4 to 6 months a paralysis ger than they had hoped for, due to in the market. Brexit “With months of uncertainty regarding

Winter isn΄t coming Agents report good start to 2019 as confidence from Brits returns

1.10, and with the pound staying low at around to buy. so many people failed to make a decision practically “But now that a hard Brexit has been the likeliruled out and the markets are seeing the pound hood of staying in the customs union has strengthened a lot. for a few “With it being steady at around 1.16 more for weeks now it means you can get a lotof the payour pound and also take advantage what you ralysis and maybe get a better deal on want.” and He believes there are many buyers hovering he cites the waiting to buy… and as an analogy weather and swimming. ready for a “They’re already in their shorts and pool, but swim. They’re dipping their toe in thean hour or will they jump in right away or wait time. of so? It’s just a matter the “All I would say is don’t miss this window, best time to buy is now.” such Other agents have reported similar findings, Continues on Page III

Powering the way By John Culatto

A BIG solar power project at New Harbours could help Gibraltar reach its sustainable energy target. The new scheme will add to two other solar projects being introduced at the new sports facilities being built at Europa Point and Lathbury Barracks. “The planet is facing a huge environmental challenge, and we are a part of it,” said John Cortes, Minister for the Environment. “We have a lot more to do, but as far as Gibraltar goes, the future is bright for the environment.” He made the statement after criticism from Opposition member Trevor Hammond. “When I became a Minister, after many years a lonely voice in the wilderness ignored by the GSD Government, Gibraltar had to make a quantum leap into the present century on these matters,” he revealed.

MAKING WAVES: The eco-wave electricity plant was installed two years ago

“Renewable energy and energy efficiency were not even in the Government vocabulary, and

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there was no knowledge or even support for these concepts in either the public or private sectors.” The facts prove his point as carbon emissions have dropped by 39,000 tonnes since 2013. This will be further increased by the new natural gas power station to be Reliable private hire transfer opened this year. services for any occasion • Luxury vehicles Door to door service • Airport collections • Weddings transport • Sightseeing day trips • Restaurant shuttles

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CRIME

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Royal birth THE Chief Minister sent a letter of congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of York on the birth of their son ‘on behalf of the government of Gibraltar and all the Queen’s loyal subjects on the Rock’.

Baby bringers PAID surrogacy could become a criminal offence and non-commercial surrogacy rules tightened up under a new command paper published by the Gibraltar Government.

Vote buyers THE Gibraltar government has accused the GSD opposition of ‘hijacking the negotiation with teachers’ saying they are ‘vote-buying’ tactics.

Fair game THIS year’s Gibraltar fair will take place at last year’s site in Queensway from August 23-31 and organised by the SDGG and Gibraltar Cultural Services.

Beggars belief! British expat claims tyres were slashed by malicious beggar in underground Mercadona car park A BRITISH expat has revealed how she was assaulted by an ‘aggressive’ beggar in a Mercadona car park on the Costa del Sol - after a slew of complaints to the supermarket. The woman claims the man slashed her tyres in the Alhaurin el Grande supermarket after she refused to pay him €1

for the use of a trolley. He allegedly tried to charge the woman on three separate previous occasions as she was unpacking her shopping into her car boot, and became aggressive when she refused. “The third time was so violent, I ordered one lady customer to run upstairs and get me

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the spectre of Brexit. A sizeable 600 more people were registered at the end of last year compared to 2017. And the numbers are expected to have risen further over the last quarter, believe experts. “I think many people are worried, so that has increased registrations,” Anne Hernandez, president of national support group Brexpats in Spain told the Olive Press. “And a lot of Brits are currently moving to Spain, because they don’t want to leave their dream move any longer. “Some of them just say they ‘want to escape the UK’.”

A WOMAN holding the world in her hands above the blue Mediterranean sea. and This is a fitting image for Estepona is the subject of the town’s latest mural. the Called Atlantis, it is the 49th work in up town’s series of street art, located the steep hill of Avenida de los Reales, to which offers unparalleled views down the sea (see page 20). But this new painting by Jose Fernandez Rios, unveiled on International Women’s Day, reveals more than just a celebration of female contributions to society. natuIt captures the constantly evolving re of Estepona and its impressive global credentials, despite being a medium-sized town. Within Estepona’s mural series alone, in you have the largest vertical mural Europe, and even the first braille mural in Spain, using ceramic pieces, to assist the learning of the visually impaired. Perhaps one of the most unusual examis ples of Estepona’s worldwide appealearDisney’s discovery of the area in the

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Opinion Page 6

CRIME SPREE: At La Cala supermarket

Expats demand action after spate of robberies at Mercadona

SPAIN’S biggest supermarket chain has refused to up its security despite a string of British expats claiming they were robbed at one of its stores. It comes after half a dozen British shoppers told the Olive Press how

My Brexit vision

The Olive Press meets British art genius Mat Collishaw at his new exhibition Brexit brushstrokes, Page 14

EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

they had fallen prey to brazen thieves in the La Cala de Mijas branch of Mercadona. The group, who are appealing for action, warned that the same problem is occuring at various other branches of the store along the coast. One expat, Dee March, 55, from Portsmouth, claimed she was robbed a shocking TWO times in 10 days at the same branch. The mother-of-three, who lives near to the store, lost hundreds of euros alongside ‘priceless’ mementos of her dead daughter. “I was so upset yet they didn’t even take me to an office or offer to call the police,” she said.

Appalled

“My purse was tucked in right at the bottom of my bag,” said Pye, who works at the Lions Club charity shop. Finally a fourth victim revealed she was robbed at the same supermarket by two eastern European men while a third distracted her by asking her about ‘the sugar levels in the bread’. “I never take my bag into any store now, everything I need is in my pockets,” she said. Meanwhile, Teresa Jane Sykes, revealed she had been robbed at a Mercadona store in nearby Coin. But when she asked for the store for CCTV footage, it was refused, despite insisting she would be able to identify the assailant.

“The female manager simply couldn’t care less. I was appalled.” “The thieves took my purse with €180 and all my credit cards the CCTV first time and €30 the second time, as well as priceless mementos from “Even the Guardia Civil in Coin refumy daughter who passed away three sed to let me see the CCTV. And Mercadona wouldn't look at the CCTV years ago. “One was a card from her funeral without police authorisation.” which I can never replace, it’s terri- Despite the complaints, a spokesman for Mercadona insisted that current ble.” She insists the supermarket should measures are sufficient. now erect barriers at tills, introduce He added that the company would more cameras and hire more security not be introducing more cameras, erecting barriers at tills or hiring seguards to deal with the problem. Another victim, 64, who has lived curity guards. “When we get a report of a theft we in Spain since 1972, added: “I was targeted in the same hand over CCTV to police to deal shop when two wo- with,” he added. men stole a purse and Dee March meanwhile has decided to vote with her feet and will shop elmy mobile phone. “I realised instantly sewhere from now on. what had happened “I’m now going to Lidl and Carrefour, and ran to an assis- which are no dearer in any case, and tant who called a co- with much better security,” she adUK BASED lleague for help. He ded. watched two women stroll out of the shop Have you been a victim at Merand said it was them, cadona? Contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es but made no effort to stop them. Opinion Page 6 for

help from the manager, at that point there was NO security guard,” said the woman, who GATES OF HELL: Mat’s Madrid show has parallels with Brexit

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THE former boss of Spain’s most visited monument has been accused of embezzling millions of euros from the sale of its audio guides. Maria del Mar Villafranca is set to be prosecuted after a four year investigation into irregularities in the running of Granada’s Alhambra Palace. Villafranca, who was director of the monument from 2006 to 2015, will stand trial alongside former secretary of the site Victoria Chamorro and the head of the company contracted to provide the audio guides. Investigators believe between €7-12 million may have been siphoned off in the plot after finding evidence of embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds and money laundering.

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Monument-al scam

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Voted expat paper in Spain

Mijas Costa

A PAIR of retired British pensioners are sounding the alarm after being robbed of €300 in a ‘bird poo’ attack. David Knight, 79, and his wife of 56 years Eileen, 77, from Yorkshire, were walking home on the A-368 road towards Benalmadena when they were showered in a brown liquid. A ‘Spanish’ passerby indicated it was bird droppings, and began to help them clean their clothes. But when David got home he realised all his cash had been removed from his wallet. Eileen, a former

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teacher, thought she saw a woman on a ledge parallel to the road, who could have shot the substance at the couple. Meanwhile, David believes that another man, leaning on a grey saloon car acted as a getaway driver. “We both couldn’t believe what happened,” he told the Olive Press, “people should be aware!” Been a victim? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es

2/8/18 17:01

asked to remain anonymous. “I threatened to hit the man if he did not let go of my shopping trolley, I told him I went to work and paid for my goods and was not about to share it under threats from him!” A shop worker returned and the man left after she threatened to call the Guardia Civil. “Apparently it was the fifth time he was ordered to leave,” she added. “Two weeks later, thinking this man had vanished finally, I was accosted again by him in the very same car park, I ignored him and went shopping anyway. “Upstairs I told a cashier the man was back, but no action was taken, when I returned to my car I discovered two of my car tyres were slashed! “The man had clearly decided to teach me a lesson and left.” The shocking tale comes after the Olive Press revealed Mercadona would not be investigating its security measures despite a string of robberies in its Costa del Sol stores last issue. Mercadona has not yet responded to our request for comment on the latest incident. See Cult of Mercadona on page 7

EX CL PI USI C VE

NEWS IN BRIEF

May 8th - May 21st 2019

Photo by Jon Clarke

LEG IT: Men with bags

Caught in the act? THIS is the moment a group of men were recorded running from a small boat loaded up with fully packed sports bags in the port of Duquesa in Manilva. The four men can be seen exiting a tiny motor boat in a hurry to leave the port before one realises he left a rucksack behind. He runs back to collect it as the boat and its young driver are seen leaving the port. Guardia Civil told the Olive Press there have been no arrests and that the video does not prove illegal activity.

Hotel rape

A HOTEL employee has been arrested in Granada for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl. The unidentified foreign man was allegedly known to the parents and investigators believe he may have been abusing her for some time.

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Mads for it DAVID Beckham has spoken of his love for Madrid after returning to Spain’s capital to launch a new watch. The former England international returned to the city he called home for four years to promote luxury Swiss brand TUDOR. The style icon appeared at the VP Plaza España Design hotel in a dark suit with a mottled green tie while a blue pocket square completed the look. “Great night in Madrid, it is always a pleasure to return to this beautiful city,” the 43-year-old said. The father-of-three is reported to have taken the opportunity to dine at his favourite restaurant in Madrid, the award-winning Asador Donostiarra.

MADRID FAN: Beckham

May 8th - May 21st 2019

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

Cindy Kimberly spent last weekend in London refuelling rumours of a love affair between her and British racing star Lewis Hamilton, a best friend has revealed. Spain’s most followed woman on Instagram was first spotted with the five-time Formula 1 world champion in February disembarking from Hamilton’s private jet in Barcelona. But Kimberly, 20, has downplayed the rumours of a love affair, saying her heart is ‘70% occupied’ with her cats and her mum, but with the Barcelona Grand Prix coming up on May 12 all eyes will be on the Spanish city, where Kimberly also lives. The best friend, who asked not to be named, for the first time revealed Kimberly’s real name as Cindy Kimberly Rubira Adsuar, and said she used to babysit for €4 an hour to help single-mum Candi, who owned a bar in Villajoyosa on the Costa Blanca. Kimberly went to the Maria Ibars institute of secondary education in Denia, and ‘always dreamed’ of being a model until Justin Bieber suddenly retweeted a picture of her asking his 47.5 million followers ‘OMG who is this??’ in December 2015, when Cindy was 17. “Justin posted the picture

It also depicts the role of Dion’s collaborator Canadian artist Rene Angelil, who later became her husband until his death in 2016. Made by Sevilla’s Aralan Films, some 150 people are set to be involved in the production of the movie. French actor Valerie Lemercier stars in and directs the movie, which also uses locations in the USA, Canada and France.

Model formula VA VA VROOM: Lewis Hamilton has been repeatedly linked to Cindy

during the night, but by morning all the massive Spanish TV channels were outside the school,” the friend, who was in Kimberly’s class, told the Olive Press. Kimberly ‘never went back’ to school, instead seeing her Instagram following jump from 65,000 followers to ‘two to three million’ within 48 hours, before she was snapped up by Uno Models in Barcelona and onto a globe-strutting modelling career. “She and her three best friends always dressed really eccentrically, sometimes in full army gear, sometimes bordering on the ridiculous,” Kimberly’s former hairdresser Tito Merchito, from Peluqueria Venus in Denia, told the Olive Press. “But she’s reached her lifelong dream - the only thing that’s changed are the size of her lips.” The best friend, who dropped

out of school a week after Kimberly and has since become a famous model and brand ambassador herself,

Sporty Spice

How a local girl stormed onto the Catwalk and into the heart of F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton

Costa del Dion A BIG money biopic is to be partly filmed on the Costa del Sol this summer. The Power of Love tells the story of Canadian singer Celine Dion, who bagged an Oscar for My Heart Will Go On in smash film Titanic. The film, which will cost €23 million to make, will start with the birth of Celine Marie Claudette Dion in Quebec in 1968, and go on to chronicle the singer’s amazing rise to fame as a teenager.

NEWS

said: “Denia used to be famous for bull-running and red prawns, but now we’ve made it famous for models.”

SPICE Girl Mel C will DJ in Gibraltar this summer it has been announced. The Lancashire-born pop princess, 45, will be spinning tunes at the Gibraltar Calling Festival on September 8. S p o r t y Spice will host the Club MTV after-party once fellow 90s British heartthrobs Take That have performed their headline set. The mother-of-one, singerturned DJ and BBC Radio 2 host will be fresh off the back of the Spice World 2019 reunion tour, which concludes in London in June. This year’s festival has moved to Europa Point Leisure Complex and takes place from September 7 - 8 with tickets available from £75.

DRESSING UP: Stars Madonna and Maluma in custom Palomo designs

STUNNER: Cindy in bikini

QUEEN of pop Madonna and Reggaeton star Maluma have become the latest celebs to be dressed by Palomo. The Cordoba designer, 27, took on wardrobe duties for the Latin-themed music video Medellin, named after Maluma’s home city.

Medellin kids Madonna stunned in a silk gown with red and green ruffles, from Palomo’s SS18 collection, previously worn by actor Rossy de Palma. But Maluma steals the show,

in a custom-print silk red suit, paired with gold jewelry, while the duo also don revealing white shirts for a brothel scene, and later sip champagne in bed.

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A COMPREHENSIVE 15-point plan has been handed to all political parties ahead of this year’s elections. New Unite the Union boss Stuart Davies told the Olive Press of his plans for the next six months after he took over from retiring Victor Ochello on May Day. “But we will not shy away from conflict with the current government on issues we disagree on,” he said. “I think people within Gibraltar are more leftleaning than in UK. The GSLP/Liberals have delivered on many of our demands but they can do more.” At May Day celebrations Davies, from Bristol, also highlighted the ‘two tier workforce’ in Gibraltar and a system of using agency workers in the public sector. “Zero-hour contracts are quite rife in the UK,” he told the Olive Press. “There is no excuse for someone to be on a prolonged insecure

PACKED: Crowds on May Day working arrangement in the civil service.” Davies was thankful that the Chief Minister had assured workers’ rights would not be affected by Brexit and pension plans would be provided for the private sector.

Ignoring choice

More action need on abortion issue, say campaigners EXCLUSIVE By John Culatto

THE new abortion bill does not go far enough, according to pro-choice groups. Nicole Banda of No More Shame (NMS) claims her group is largely being ignored. “Given the that the conversation started only a year and a half ago we applaud the government for getting a draft bill prepared,” she said. “But we are disappointed that an opportunity is being missed not to go further than a 52-year-old UK law.” Under the plans, there will be a 12-week period for ter-

CAMPAIGNERS: Pro-choice group on the Rock

minations with the need for approval from two doctors as in the UK.

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THE number of Brits registering on the padron in Andalucia is increasing, it has emerged. Data collected for 2018

Chubby cherubs

SPANISH six-to-nineyear-old girls are the second most obese in Europe, new research has revealed. Around 17% of girls in this age group in Spain are obese, while Cyprus had the worst prevalence with 19%. Meanwhile Spanish boys of the same age are the fourth most obese in Europe, after Greece (20%), Italy (21%) and Cyprus (21%). The UK, France and Germany were left out of the study. A ‘decline’ in the Mediterranean diet was cited for the poor results in Spain.

now shows that the number of Britons on the census has increased by 2%. A sizeable 1,498 more British nationals filled out their paperwork to take the padron total in the region from 75,372 in 2017 to 76,870 in 2018. Meanwhile Germany, another country with which Spain is popular, saw a 0.02% decrease in the number of people registered on the padron.

Foreign

Its number of foreign nationals dropped from 15,753 to 15,750, while Romanians dipped by a huge 3.19% from 81,873 to 79,264 in 2018. Morocco still has the largest number of its people registered on the Andalucian census, and also saw a big increase of 6.5% from 136,222 to 145,076 .

“The discussion in the UK at the moment has been on reforming this law to bring it into line with the rest of Europe. “So it’s a shame that Gibraltar has just jumped on that bandwagon without looking at human rights changes in the last half a century.” Her disappointment is based on the fact that a number of international experts that contributed to the discussion were largely ignored. “Right now we are most concerned that while there is provision for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, there is not that much after that,” said Banda.

Life-saving

“If someone at 13 weeks needs life-saving treatment will the government send them to UK or what will happen?” The small percentage of what are called ‘later-term terminations’ are likely not to be allowed in Gibraltar. “As the bill stands it is a situation of a woman and her doctor,” said the pro-choice campaigner. “It will be up to the doctor to decide whether a particular case falls into the new law’s remit.”

NEWS

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Feeling blue ANDALUCIA has lost more blue flags for its beaches than any region in Spain, with tighter restrictions to blame. The region now has 18 fewer certified sandy strips, with Malaga and Huelva among the worst affected provinces. The Association of Environmental and Consumer Education has blamed illegal building, including some beach bars for the shocking news. Spain’s most southern region now has 98 blue flag beaches, behind Valencia with 150, Catalunya (120) and Galicia (119). Spain lost 24 blue flag beaches this year, a 4% decrease, but it still has the most worldwide, with 566.

‘We cannot be bought!’ - Bossano HE has a long history of defending the Rock on his many travels abroad. So it was no surprise to find Sir Joe Bossano single-handedly rubbishing Spain’s claim to Gibraltar in a United Nations seminar. “We are the Gibraltarians, the people of the colony, and our

LOCALS: With new scooters

Former leader defends Gib at United Nations seminar birth right is not up for sale,” he told the UN Decolonization Seminar, held in Grenada. It came after he pointed out how Spain had tried to ‘sweettalk’ Gibraltar into accepting a

THEY are becoming all the rage as the best way to get around the Rock on the daily commute. The Olive Press caught up with a pair of electric scooter users as they whizzed around Gibraltar. “They’re cheap, you can park them anywhere and you don’t need a license,” said Rebecca Figueras, “They’re not dangerous, even on the road, and are good exercise, especially for your buttocks!” English teacher Giancarlo Delli added they are ‘hassle-free’ and ‘can be parked anywhere’. “You can just fold them up and carry

joint sovereignty deal after the UK chose to leave the EU. “We cannot be bought, we cannot be intimidated and we will never surrender!” he insisted. “In the days of the dictator

Off yer bike them into the office,” he said. “I had a meeting at an accountant’s recently and I just took it straight into the meeting room.” “I can go to work looking smart with my suit on while wearing trainers for the transit,” she said. “Most important of all they only have a very small carbon footprint.” Electric scooters can go twice as fast as their manual cousins - with top speeds of up to 10km/h - and cost an average of £300.

Moody moments

LEGEND: Sir Joe Bossano Franco it used to be called the stick and the carrot policy.” He also spoke of the failure of the UN Committee of 24. “To place us under Spanish rule totally or partially would be alien subjugation,” said Bossano. He told international experts that this would go against the UN charter. It would be ‘a denial of fundamental human rights, contrary to the Charter of the United Nations’, he said. “The territorial integrity Spain refers to is that of a country that joins the UN as it was when it joined – not as it was 300 years earlier,” he said. He concluded that he wanted to have Spain as a ‘friendly neighbour’ but that talks should always include Gibraltar. “There is not going to be another bilateral Spain and UK negotiation on sovereignty or anything else to do with Gibraltar,” he added.

LABOUR MEP candidates Claire Moody and Lord Andrew Adonis were met with a warm welcome by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. M o o d y has been a strong ally of Gibraltar in the last five years while it will be a first for Lord Adonis. “The Government has always wanted to make sure we keep all our MEPs informed of what is important to Gibraltar,” Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told the Olive Press. “I’ve worked with Claire Moody since she was selected in 2014 and we have a strong relationship with all the MEPs that have represented our interests. “Whoever stands to be an MEP for Gibraltar needs to understand our issues and be in touch with our constituents.” UKIP has not requested a meeting with Fabian Picardo, according to the Chief Minister.

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FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

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

OPINION Going green IT’S great to see Gibraltar setting an example of turning to greener alternatives for its energy. The big solar power project at New Harbours could help Gibraltar reach its sustainable energy target and could not come quick enough, as scientists continue to urge governments around the world to clean up their act before it’s too late. The new scheme will add to two other solar projects being introduced by the new sports facilities being built at Europa Point and Lathbury Barracks. It’s just one of many examples of the British territory leading the way when it comes to environmentalism. Another decent initiative has been the rise in use of scooters around the Rock. The trend has been largely welcomed by residents who for years have suffered from a lack of parking. It will not only help the climate by reducing the use of cars, but help people stay fitter and keep their cardio up.

STORY about a Good Samaritan who was viciously attacked online after helping out a sick neighbour in Spain has revealed the personal consequences of fake news. Usage of the term - popularised by US President Donald Trump - has risen 365% since 2016, and when focused on a single person, fake news can have a damaging impact. This shocking incident, reported in the Olive Press (see back page), saw an innocent man publicly shamed for apparently ‘abandoning’ two dogs in a supermarket car park. The shocking part is that, far from dumping the pets which belonged to his neighbour, he collected them just minutes after making them wait outside. This series of events was made possible TRUMP: King of spouting ‘fake news’ claims at world’s media outlets thanks to a busybody with a keyboard who slammed the innocent man on Facebook where she posted a picture of his car and called him a ‘son of a b****’ (see picture). Police were even notified, tracking the accused man to his home where they discovered…two happy-as-Larry dogs, both microchipped and expertly trained. The doggie debacle is just one cause and effect of the lies spread online. Twitter was caught up in controversy in April after the parents of little Julen who died down a Malaga well were targeted by fake news. The grieving mum and dad are now fighting a court case against three social media users. If found guilty of inflicting ‘degrading treatment’ they could be jailed for up to two years. On a wider scale, Facebook has been accused of allowing Russian-backed posts on its site to reach 126 million Americans during the 2016 US election campaign while Voted Dope cookie alert Cambridge Analytica, a consultancy firm BEST expat hired by Trump, was found to have harvestpaper in ed details from millions of profiles. Spain But this year Mark Zuckerberg’s €4.2 billion company hit back, pointing to research that found the amount of fake news spread through its platform had declined dramatically. It claimed that since 2016 there had been a 75% decrease in the amount of fake news Floating unicorns! viewed by Americans. The site insists it is ‘working to fight the spread of false news’ which it says is ‘harmful’ to the community. But what actually is fake news? Well, that depends who you listen to. CLASSIC: Example of epidemic (see back page) Trump would tell you it was anything written by CNN, The Washington Post, the New York Times and maybe even the Olive Press. equally active against, as it not only danger- ing us in order to ensure our sources are Named as their word of the year in 2017, ously misinforms the public but facilitates a valid. the Collins Dictionary defines the phenom- decline in quality journalism. You may be surprised to learn that a large enon as: ‘false, often sensational, informa- A recent example of this spread of false- amount of the stories we are sent (well over tion disseminated under the guise of news hood comes from another local paper’s half) are never published, especially when it reporting’. online story that claimed involves conspiracy theories. The key word here is ‘reportpolice in London had warned Look at the Maddie McCann case and the ing’, implying that news oragainst people speaking humerous crazy claims made by the wacky The Olive ganisations have a responsiSpanish in public, following a brigade, many of whom are expats based Press, has a bility to deal with fake news. rise in hate crime. here in Spain, one even a former British poSo what is the role of jour- responsibility to ‘A new warning has been giv- lice superintendent with far too much time nalists here? And are newsen by police officers to those on his hands. rooms still the last bastion of disseminate true who speak Spanish on their There have been so many wild, unsubstantruth? mobile phones’” the article tiated claims, including that her parents information Local papers, like the Olive claimed. killed her and kept her body in a freezer or Press, have a responsibility When the Olive Press con- the boot of the car for 20 days, while former to disseminate true informatacted the City of London Portuguese police chief Goncalo Amaral tion to their readership. Police, British Transport Police and the even claimed that MI5 spies helped to cover From a newspaper’s perspective, that is Metropolitan Police to clear up the claims, up the disappearance. both a long-term strategy and one which all three forces categorically denied issu- In an interview with the Telegraph, the Mcachieves the main job of a local newspaper ing such a statement, commenting that ‘no Cann’s PR guru Clarence Mitchell recently - serving the community. police force’ would have warned against explained: “One of the most ridiculous theoIn a race to the top … or to the bottom … speaking Spanish in public. ries I have heard was that Madeleine was other local newspapers which shall remain This recent example is typical of how the Ol- born as the result of a government cloning nameless, actively promote false material ive Press operates and investigates. project.” on their platforms. We receive information, and we carefully Crackpots have even reported online - and This is something which the Olive Press is take the time to fact-check it before we re- on Twitter and Facebook - that Olive Press port anything. editor Jon Clarke (as recently seen on the This is only possible be- Netflix documentary) could not have arrived cause we have profession- in the Portuguese resort to investigate on ally-trained journalists and behalf of the UK press when he claimed. are very well-connected in This further developed into a bizarre online Spain, with over a dozen re- diatribe that even hinted that he was someporters around the country. way involved in her disappearance. The Our libel lawyer is fre- trolls never give up. quently consulted on tricky The way the Maddie McCann story blew up stories, and we always give is perfect fodder for the fake news age. those we write about a right People love to speculate on whether the parto reply, however difficult it ents ‘did it’ etc. etc., and it is lazy journalism can sometimes be. that allows rumours to swirl unchecked. When the public feed us From time to time, the press does get things information, we firstly cross wrong. But where fake news is concerned, SOCIAL MEDIA: Helps spread fake articles reference what they are tell- in this newspaper it’s a non-starter.

Fake news

Citizen Spain

ALTEA council is organising two courses to prepare foreigners for the Spanish citizenship exam, taking place from April 29 to May 13 and May 14-27 at the Centro Social.

Fine

AIRBNB has been hit by a €30,000 fine imposed by the Valencian government for advertising tourist apartments without showing the necessary registry numbers.

Elections

SURVEYS suggest the socialist party (PSOE) is set to lead Valencia’s regional elections on April 28, estimating they will take 30 of 99 available seats.

Fried chicken

A FIRE that broke out in a chicken factory at 11pm on a Sunday in Redovan, Alicante, led to the death of 20,000 birds.

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Charlie Smith charlie@theolivepress.es

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Good Samaritan accused of abandoning dogs outside supermarket collected them minutes later

POLICE have warned social media addicts about fake news postings in the Costa Blanca. It comes after a Good Samaritan who helped an ill neighbour home from a supermarket became the centre of a vicious online attack leading

www.theolivepress.es

NOT everyone was upset with the torrential rains that led to flooding and chaos over Easter. A group of teens in Elche jumped into the Vinalopo river with rubber rings and dinghies and even a blow up unicorn.

April 25th - May 8th 2019

FAKE NEWS SHOCKER

to a police investigation. It happened after the Gandia local was spotted by a young woman leaving two dogs in the car park of Mas y Mas in the town. Jumping to conclusions - in classic fake news fashion - she posted a picture of his car and

Fly away

DENIA is the municipality that has lost the most population, 15.3%, in the last 10 years in the whole of Spain. Experts believe it is largely down to foreign workers and expats returning home.

Publisher/ Editor

May 8th - May 21st 2019

Trump coined it but what is the role of journalism in stopping fake news? Asks Charlie Smith

FINAL WORDS

Videos show onlookers stunned as two young men tried to surf through the town centre, until one fell head first into the muddy torrent. In another video, two boys were spotted commandeering a pink unicorn.

number plate on Facebook. Under the claims of abandonment, she described him as a ‘son of a b****’ and appealed for ‘help’. Police were soon called and traced the car to his home, finding his ‘abandoned’ dogs at home, well-cared for. They also had obligatory microchips and up-to-date vaccinations. The man explained that since dogs were not allowed in the supermarket he had expertly trained them to wait in the car park. And they were there waiting patiently when he returned ten minutes later. He had simply taken the neighbour home and was caring for her when police called around. Police have now warned Fa-

cebook users to be careful of publishing un-checked facts online. This is exactly what newspapers and journalists are carefully trained to do.

THE Food Safety agency has issued a warning over cannabis found in children's cookies from the Netherlands. The Girl Scout Cookies Chocolate Kush and Girl Scout Cookies Ginger Cookie Kush, by Dutch company Dr Greenlove, are made with '100% real cannabis bud'. The alarm was first sounded in the Canary Islands during a routine check, in which health authorities queried the products for not correctly labelling the type of flour used. Despite having a large marijuana leaf on the package, it was later discovered that the cookies contained an unauthorised ingredient: cannabis. The Spanish Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide investigation and believes the cookies are likely to be in establishments around Spain. Other products advertised on the Dr Greenlove website include Cannabis Bears, Cannabis High Tea, Cannabis Lollipops and Cannabis Instant Chocolate.

FEATURE

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May 8th - May 21st 2019

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ERCADONA fancies itself the epitome of the successful family-friendly supermarket. The largest chain in Spain is presented as a role model for entrepreneurs by Javier Alfonso in his book, Historia de un éxito: Mercadona, and his numbers definitely add up: Mercadona dominates nearly a quarter of the country’s retail food market, turning a profit of €593 million in 2018 alone. Yet, along with this kind of large-scale prosperity, there are always one or two flies in the ointment … Take our last issue as an example when The Olive Press reported a string of robberies experienced by expats at the Mercadona store in La Cala de Mijas, brushed off by a spokesman who insisted the current security measures were sufficient. Bad form.

Entry aisle So what do you need to know about Spain’s most successful supermarket? Mercadona currently employs around 85,000 people at just over 1,600 stories in Spain and has made its owner Juan Roig a billionaire many times over and Spain’s second richest man. His family’s story began in 1977 when they transformed eight butcher shops in Valencia into supermarkets which they named Mercadona. In 1981 Juan Roig, along with his wife Hortensia Herrero and two of his siblings, bought out his parents’ shops. A few years later, he bought most of the shares from his brothers. Takeover complete. Mercadona remains a family business with Roig’s wife the company’s vice-president, while brother Fernando Roig owns nine percent of the company, in addition to owning the football club Villareal.

Meat counter Much of the company’s success has been put down to a constant investment in innovation. It was the first Spanish supermarket to use scanners to read bar codes, and the first to offer gluten-free foods - a range that has expanded to over 850 gluten-free products, and a lactose-free range. Over the past year alone, Mercadona has introduced so many changes and new services that it’s hard to keep up. As well as an ex-

MINTED: Boss Roig is Spain’s second richest man

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Mijas Costa FREE

A Estepona A KIND OF MAGIC ll about

Vol. 13 Issue 316

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April 2019

Estepona has managed to avoid the mass market tourism of the rest of the Costa del Sol, writes Charlie Smith

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Following a series of robberies on expats, Claire Leibovich and Pablo Balbontin shine a light on the murky side to a Spanish supermarket success story

Voted

Vol. 13 Issue 316 www.theolivepress.es April 24th - May 7th 2019

A town in bloom... Estepona special inside

Continues on Page 18

SHOP HORROR #GOODVIBESONLY

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ESTEPONA, MÁLAGA CALLE CARIDAD, 46, 29680

We’re here to stay! HUNDREDS of new British residents have registered to live in southern Spain. The number of registered UK nationals in Malaga has zoomed up despite the spectre of Brexit. A sizeable 600 more people were registered at the end of last year compared to 2017. And the numbers are expected to have risen further over the last quarter, believe experts. “I think many people are worried, so that has increased registrations,” Anne Hernandez, president of national support group Brexpats in Spain told the Olive Press. “And a lot of Brits are currently moving to Spain, because they don’t want to leave their dream move any longer. “Some of them just say they ‘want to escape the UK’.” Continues on Page 4

Opinion Page 6

Users 3,000

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CRIME SPREE: At La Cala supermarket

Expats demand action after spate of robberies at Mercadona

My Brexit vision

The Olive Press meets British art genius Mat Collishaw at his new exhibition Brexit brushstrokes, Page 14

EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

Appalled

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“By the time I had gone out they had jumped into a waiting car and been driven off.” Another Brit, Laureen Pye, who splits her time between Mijas and the UK, said she was targeted in November last year. “My purse was tucked in right at the bottom of my bag,” said Pye, who works at the Lions Club charity shop. Finally a fourth victim revealed she was robbed at the same supermarket by two eastern European men while a third distracted her by asking her about ‘the sugar levels in the bread’. “I never take my bag into any store now, everything I need is in my pockets,” she said. Meanwhile, Teresa Jane Sykes, revealed she had been robbed at a Mercadona store in nearby Coin. But when she asked for the store for CCTV footage, it was refused, despite insisting she would be able to identify the assailant.

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Price wars Mercadona might claim that ‘el cliente es el jefe’ - the client is the boss to use its motto, but this doesn’t necessarily help the consumers’ pockets. The supermarket is only the ninth cheapest in Spain, according to consumer body OCU (Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios), with only a few chains such as Carrefour, Supersol and Leclerc weighing in as more expensive. And, in addition, these rivals appear to spend more in store security, which will be of interest to expat readers.

McJobs It is the subject of employment that has garnered the chain the most controversy over the last two decades. While it creates over 1,000 jobs a year and pays well for shop work (a minimum of €1,328 euros a month, not including performance bonuses) the company has been accused of exploitation, anti-union policy and harassment of its workers. As its CEO Roig once said: “We need to work the Chinese way to live the Spanish way”. Alarming to say the least, he has also urged staff to think more about their duties and less about rights. He also once insisted: “First give, then ask, finally demand”. While the company professes certain essential values for its staff to grow on a ‘personal and professional’ level, there are numerous reports suggesting otherwise. Aside from a claimed 1,000-plus dismissals every year, ex-employees cite the pressure of the job, an unhealthy work atmosphere, long hours, very little holidays and too much to do. And don’t think about getting ill...Mercadona has its own company doctors, who according to staff hardly ever grant employees sick leave. It is frowned upon to go to a public doctor, claim ex-employees, and those who present a request for sick leave risk getting sacked, it has been claimed.

Instead, ill or injured employees will typically be moved to another section - for example at the till, where they can sit down. Unfortunately you don’t get to hear about malpractice much as workers have to sign extremely limiting confidentiality agreements as part of their job contracts. Under these, employees cannot criticise the company to the media or on social media. And if you want to join a union, be careful. In 2013 Francisco Enriquez Martinez was laid off shortly after becoming a CGT union rep, despite working at his Malaga store for seven years.

Checkout So all in all, while Mercadona might be the most popular supermarket in Spain, with one on almost every high street, it is not all happy shopping! Think carefully about going there… and as we reported last issue, keep a close eye on your handbag and purse at all times. And in more ways than one.

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“The female manager simply couldn’t care less. I was appalled.” “The thieves took my purse with €180 and all my credit cards the CCTV first time and €30 the second time, as well as priceless mementos from “Even the Guardia Civil in Coin refumy daughter who passed away three sed to let me see the CCTV. And Mercadona wouldn't look at the CCTV years ago. “One was a card from her funeral without police authorisation.” which I can never replace, it’s terri- Despite the complaints, a spokesman for Mercadona insisted that current ble.” She insists the supermarket should measures are sufficient. now erect barriers at tills, introduce He added that the company would more cameras and hire more security not be introducing more cameras, erecting barriers at tills or hiring seguards to deal with the problem. Another victim, 64, who has lived curity guards. in Spain since 1972, added: “I was “When we get a report of a theft we targeted in the same hand over CCTV to police to deal shop when two wo- with,” he added. men stole a purse and Dee March meanwhile has decided to vote with her feet and will shop elmy mobile phone. “I realised instantly sewhere from now on. what had happened “I’m now going to Lidl and Carrefour, and ran to an assis- which are no dearer in any case, and tant who called a co- with much better security,” she adUK BASED lleague for help. He ded. watched two women stroll out of the shop Have you been a victim at Merand said it was them, cadona? Contact newsdesk@ but made no effort to theolivepress.es stop them. Opinion Page 6 for

pansion of its Ready to Eat takeaway section there is an online service called The Hive, beTel: 952 147 834 ing tested in Valencia, and new ‘ergonomic’ uniforms for staff costing a cool €29 million. That’s not all. In 2018 Mercadona 902 123 282announced the opening of 10 new stores in Portugal, the first of which will open in Oporto on July 2. There’s now a distribution centre in the UK… and the company has hinted at plans to open more stores outside Spain.

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THE Olive Press has broken the one-million-aPages/Session month barrier. Page Views Number of Sessions per User 81 ever, we 1.31 In 1.20 April, for the first time had 1.07 mil41,8 lion page views from visitors from around the world andDuration Spain. Bounce Rate Avg. Session Just over half a million 26.21% visitors came to read 00:03:46 about floods in Alicante, robberies in Mercadona, the latest on missing father and son Daniel and Liam Poole and much, much more. e With1.aLanguag quarter of our users coming from Spain, a en-gb quarteren-usfrom the UK and Ireland, a quarter from 2. the rest of Europe and 15% from Gibraltar and en-ie 10% 3.from the US, we’ve got all markets covered. 4. es-es Our exclusive stories, helped bring in 330,000 en-ca NEW5. readers from across Europe. 6. en And the average user spent more than five min7. nl-nl utes on our site. 8. sv-se Meanwhile, our Alexa ranking continues its upnb-no ward 9.trajectory as we enter the top 7,000 websites 10. inen-au Spain (10,000 above our nearest rival) and in the last three months we have moved up by more than 34,000 places globally to 169,700th. © 2019 Google

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May 8th - May 21st 2019

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TWO performances of the traditional Spanish musical dramas known as Zarzuelas will take place on May 8 and 9 in the John Mackintosh Hall at 8pm.

ock on

UK Legends will be performing in the classy surroundings of the Sunborn floating hotel, on May 10, showcasing some of the best music the country has ever produced.

arden fun

THE governor will open the Convent gardens to the public in a family fun day complete with bouncy castle, facepainting and paella on May 11 from 11am to 3pm.

harity crawl

Walkers will be able to get fit quick on the top of the Rock walk this May 11, starting from the piazza and finishing off at the Cable Car top station in aid of Cancer Research.

Send you r informa May 8th - May 21st 2019 newsdesk@theolive tion to pres

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A middle-aged Englishman on his 20-plus exhibitions on the Rock, the local talent and getting old

JAMES Foot is showing off his collection of watercolours based on Gibraltar at the John Mackintosh Hall. The Greece-based Brit is a wellknown figure on the Rock with his expressive watercolours fetching as much as £2,000 on the open market. He first came to Gibraltar in 1991 and has returned to hold exhibitions on twenty occasions since. “I am not a person who relates terribly with my own race,” the artist, who lives in Greece most of the year and is currently selling his former home in London, told the Olive Press. “At first I saw Gibraltar as a nasty colonial backwater. “It was only when I came that I realised it has amazing architecture and so many different ethnicities that I realised that it was paintable.” As a result, two-thirds of the paintings at his current exhibition until May 10 are from what he called a ‘strange 18th Century time-warp’. But he is also proud of the local talent, including former Sky Portrait Artist of the Year Christian Hook, who now sells his work at around a hundred times the prices he charges. “He is really talented and still a

Food for thought

Fallen Apollo PICTURESQUE: (Inset) James Foot and his work

nice guy,” said Foot. “With all his marketing he has really made the big time and kept it going. “Most artists get another job and go under. I am an unusual one as I am still living off the work I sell.” And despite the longevity of his career, he has not taken to aging. “An old lady said I looked like the statue of Apollo when I first came to Greece,” recalled Foot. “But now she says that I am just old and fat. “People even give me their seats on the metro, which makes me feel even worse!”

A CONCEPTUAL art exhibition is currently showing in Gibraltar until May 17 at the GEMA gallery. Some 12 artists are showing their works at the event, created by the Kitchen Art collective. A collection of photographs on oddlyshaped vegetables is included by Stefano KITCHEN: The art collective Blanca Sciacaluga. “It signifies all vegetables are beauty.” to be eaten no matter how The idea came about after ugly they are,” he told the Sciacaluga was commisOlive Press, “They all have sioned to do a series on vegseeds inside of them that etables. He believes it highlights the have the potential for life. “People just want a beauti- need for individuality. ful pepper but when it is cut Another piece seems to porup for cooking no-one really tray a severed head on a pile cares about its appearance. of sand under a noose. What may be considered “It hasn’t got anything to to be ugly is in my opinion do with the macabre,” artist Alan Perez told the Olive Press. “It’s called ‘The first of May, workers’ memorial day’, and I am inviting people to come and see it to think for themselves what it means.” ‘Botanical Slides’ consists of four pictures with circles of painted patterns inside. “I collected different sections of plants and had a look of them under a microscope,” said creator Patrizia Imossi. “I then came up with these abstractions from my observations.”

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Issue 29

Gibraltar is full of architectural gems, SEE PAGE VI

May 2019

The places they should have filmed Game of Thrones in Spain...

Winter ΄ isn t coming Agents report good start to 2019 as confidence from Brits returns

ONE of the Costa del Sol’s leading agents believes the stalling of Brexit has brought an excellent window to buy. The six-month delay of the UK leaving Europe, added to Parliament effectively ruling out a hard Brexit, has left a healthy situation for British buyers, believes Ben Bateman, of Holmes Property Sales in Sotogrande. Not only is the pound approaching its strongest level against the euro since 2016, but sellers are growing anxious to sell, having often had properties on the market for longer than expected as a result of the Brexit uncertainty and delay. “While the pound has strengthened prices haven’t really increased,” explains the boss of Sotogrande’s longest-established agency. “Many buyers who put their homes on the market towards the end of 2017 have not been able to sell as quickly as we had forecast and have now been on the market for 4 to 6 months longer than they had hoped for, due to a paralysis in the market. “With months of uncertainty regarding Brexit

and with the pound staying low at around 1.10, so many people failed to make a decision to buy. “But now that a hard Brexit has been practically ruled out and the markets are seeing the likelihood of staying in the customs union the pound has strengthened a lot. “With it being steady at around 1.16 for a few weeks now it means you can get a lot more for your pound and also take advantage of the paralysis and maybe get a better deal on what you want.” He believes there are many buyers hovering and waiting to buy… and as an analogy he cites the weather and swimming. “They’re already in their shorts and ready for a swim. They’re dipping their toe in the pool, but will they jump in right away or wait an hour or so? It’s just a matter of time. “All I would say is don’t miss this window, the best time to buy is now.” Other agents have reported similar findings, such Continues on Page III

Mark Stucklin

May 2019

www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

What would each political party mean for Spain’s property market? By Mark Stucklin

PAIN is going through a period of political instability with three general elections in the last four years, followed by a censure motion some months ago that brought the current Socialist Government into power on the back of a fragile coalition that has since fallen apart and forced the Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call another General Election. While PSOE won the most seats, they will still need to form a pact with another party to form a government, unless Sanchez tries to go it alone with a minority government. Either way, what do the main parties propose in terms of housing policies at a time when rising housing costs in Spanish cities and some coastal areas are a political hot potato? Here are the main points from each manifesto:

PODEMOS Far left

PROPERTY

Left turn Help young people get on the property ladder

Allow owners to defend their homes with violence

PSOE

Socialists centre left • Establish a basic emancipation income for young people on low salaries to help them afford housing • Make public land available to build more social housing for rent

- PSOE - PP - CIUDADANOS - VOX

VOX

Nationalist far right • Deregulate the rental market • Reform the laws governing Real Estate Investment Trusts, known in Spain as SOCIMIs • Liberalise the planning process for all building land unless protected for some reason • Allow owners to use violence in the defence of their property

Empty homes for council housing

• Impose rent controls and indefinite rental contracts • Limit mortgage debts to the value of the property for borrowers in distress • Make banks pay past and

VOTING MAP KEY

DIVERGENCE: The parties have different outlooks for Spain’s property market, while (above) voting map shows PSOE dominance in April’s general election

CIUDADANOS

Liberal centre right

POPULAR PARTY - Centre right Tax breaks for landlords

present mortgage related taxes • Prohibit evictions with no alternative housing • Confiscate empty homes for social housing

• Increase tax breaks for landlords and insurance protection from late or non payment of rent • Harsher punishments for squatters and more support for landlords to re-

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• Centralise housing laws to replace regional laws • Increase the supply of social or public housing for rent • Create a register of rental contracts • Introduce new laws against squatters to speed up evictions and make it easier for Communities of Owners to initiate eviction processes

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III

May 2019

Should be a hit

DREAMERS: Bilton and Lisa B’s Ibiza winner

Good year ahead From front

as Adam Neale at Terra Meridiana in Estepona, who has seen a strong first quarter. “It is holding up well this side of Marbella,” he explained. “There is a lot of competition from new agents, but there are plenty of buyers out there and many of them are British.” Meanwhile coastal analyst Campbell Ferguson, of Survey Spain, is insisting buyers are now ‘just getting on with it despite Brexit’. “There is still concern at the uncertainty of the effects of Brexit, for both the UK and the EU as a whole, but many are just carrying on hoping that they’ll be able to deal with what is decided,” he explained. He added that certain markets, such as those in Estepona, Sotogrande and Benahavis, are ‘definitely on the up and up’, while Marbella has the strongest Spanish demand and worldwide appeal. “New properties in the right locations are selling immediately after they are announced, with Nordic, Dutch and Belgian clients also being strong,” he added. It comes after new data from national agency Lucas Fox showed that the property market has been regaining confidence with first quarter figures for 2019 showing prices on the rise and a growth in overall sales.

A BRITISH property mogul married to model/actress Lisa B is behind a hip new development in the Balearic Islands. Anton Bilton has drafted in a raft of globallyknown architects to create an ‘eclectic community’ for the White Island of Ibiza. The development, which features its own nightclub and spa, is being created for a staggering €360 million. Designed for the super-rich, its collection of 50 cutting-edge homes sit in the sizeable 42-acre

Sabina estate. The amazing properties, which are around 1,300sqm in size, feature infinity pools and stunning grounds. Renowned architects, such as Sir David Chipperfield, Ami Szmelcman and Rick Joy have designed some of the homes. “I imagined an eclectic community of like-minded owners, attracted to Ibiza and its environment of freedom without prejudice,” explained Raven Property Group founder Bilton, who was listed as the 892nd richest man in the UK, according to the Sunday Times. “We are creating a place where children can run around the gardens or play tennis with friends, in a family and luxury environment.

Belle review A SECLUDED Villas resort has been recognised as the ‘best project of the last decade’ by the College of Architects in Tenerife. Abama Luxury Residences’ Bellevue Villas (above) has been hon-

Return of confidence After 2018 saw Spain’s property market stutter, this year shows early signs that confidence is slowly returning around the country

THE Spanish property market has been regaining confidence with figures for the first quarter of 2019 showing prices and sales on the rise. Data from national agency Lucas Fox has shown a more buoyant property market in places such as the Costa del Sol, the Costa Brava, Barcelona and Madrid. Sales by the agency saw the average price increase by 9% to €997,675 while the to-

Spain fees among lowest SPAIN has some of the cheapest estate agent fees in Europe. According to analysis by comparison site GetAgent home sellers pay on average 2.75% in agency fees in Spain. The UK has the cheapest fees with an average of 1.2% of the sale price, compared with a top rate of 6% found in Romania. “Estate agents in the UK have a tough time when it comes to justifying their fees,with the predominant

opinion being that they charge too much for the service provided,” said GetAgent’s CEO Colby Short. “This really isn’t the case, the UK is actually home to the lowest estate agent fees in the EU and therefore you could argue, the best service as well.” Short added: “So while you consider if 3000 to 4000 pounds is a justifiable spend in the UK, remember you could be paying upward of 10,000 if you live in other parts of Europe.”

tal value of sales more than tripled. Meanwhile new development sales in the first three months of 2019 increased six times compared to the same period in 2018. According to government statistics, Malaga province saw a 35% spike in sales of new homes in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year. In Barcelona, which is fast becoming Europe’s Silicon Valley, international buyers made up just under three quarters of all sales. “The positive market trend we saw in 2018 has continued in 2019, reflected in some excellent first quarter results in both Girona and the Costa Brava,’ said partner Tom Maidment. According to data from the Spanish Property Registry, in 2018 almost 65,500 homes were sold to foreigners. Maidment said: “The volume of closed sales rose by 13% with local buyers accounting for a third of sales and French and British buyers each accounting for just under a quarter of all sales. With a very healthy pipeline of business, we expect the year to continue on a positive upward trend.”

oured with the first ever Manuel de Oraa and Arcocha Architecture Award in the ‘new housing’ category. The Association of Architects in Tenerife awarded the prize to Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros and Eustaquio Martínez, who jointly designed the eight home complex. Judges were impressed by the way the minimalist project ‘moved away from a traditional approach, giving prominence to gardens, terraces and shaded areas.’

SIMPLE: First council house

House of remembrance SPAIN’S oldest council house is to become a museum to commemorate 190 years since a ‘devastating’ earthquake struck the Costa Blanca. Authorities in Almoradi built the small house four years after the 1828 quake destroyed the town and killed 200 inhabitants. “We wanted to protect this house because it is the last one left standing,” said historian Jose Antonio Latorre, a councillor in the town. “The intention is repurpose it as a place to remember the earthquake as there is nothing to chart this important event in history.” The council has bought the property in Calle La Reina including its original key for just €46,000. The modest one story dwelling is the last of the 124 homes that were built to shelter families following a Royal Decree.

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May 2019

PROPERTY

Cinematic 5 stunning Spanish locations that SHOULD have been filmed for Game of Thrones

ROM the frozen wastes of Iceland to the rocky shores of Ireland and on, as the dragon flies, through Croatia, Morocco and Malta, Game of Thrones has featured dramatic landscapes and impressive architecture from all over the world. Spain is at the top in the list of countries visited by the HBO blockbuster, and southern Spain especially has come under the spotlight. More than ten Spanish locations appear in all eight seasons of the show, with five focused on southern Spain. Many articles have reviewed the series´ Spanish highlights

but there are other natural beauty spots and architectural wonders that Queen Cersei of the Seven Kingdoms would have killed for. We’ve put together a list of places we feel would have added to the stark alien beauty of Westeros and Essos. Hopefully they will inspire in your personal and creative endeavours. Who knows - you could be the next George R. R. Martin!

Loarre Castle, Aragon, Huesca This majestic 11th-century fortress in the province of Huesca, Aragon is considered to be Europe’s best-conserved Romanesque castle. Sitting up on a rocky ridge 1,071 metres above sea level it was highly important to King Sancho III the Elder in the Christian Reconquest from the Moors. Together with nearby Marcuello castle, both were strategically significant in the Aragonese defence system against the iron strength of the Moors in Bolea. Although it didn’t make the Game of Thrones cut the castle did feature in Ridley Scott’s 2005 epic, Kingdom of Heaven.

Segovia Alcazar A castle fit for a princess or the fair Daenerys, this famous fairytale fortress an hour from Madrid was rumoured to be the inspiration behind Cinderella’s Castle in Walt Disney World. It stands on an imposing rock promontory shaped like the bow of a ship. This rocky outcrop has been shaped, over time, by the waters of the Rio Eresma, which flow around it and a walk along the Camino de la Cuesta de los Hoyos below it reinforces the illusion that the castle is sailing towards you.

Mezquita de Almonaster la Real, Huelva The only remaining mosque in rural Spain, it was built by the Moors between the 9th and 10th centuries on top of a 6th-century Visigoth basilica from the 6th century and also combines Roman, Almohad and Gothic elements. After the Reconquista it was converted into a hermitage and was listed a historical monument in 1931. Today, it is principally used as a church but also doubles as a cultural centre promoting diversity and interreligious dialogue.

Olvera Castle, Cadiz

Besalu, Catalunya This stunning town has kept much of its medieval structures in tact so the set designers could take a wellearned break. The fortified citadel is laced with narrow cobbled streets that link to its iconic medieval bridge which is spectacularly illuminated at night.

Commanding 360 degree and perfect for frontier the Moors first built this in the 12th century to the border of the Nasrid of Granada against the Kingdom of Castile. Around medieval town of Olvera In 1327 it was taken by King of Castile, Alfons Christians then comrebuilt the castle into the fortress we see today. the castle we see today.

views defence, castle defend Emirate Spanish it, the grew. the XI. The pletely stalwart

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May 2019

Branching out

PROPERTY

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HISTORIC: Antique facades on the Rock and (below) famous airport

Colonial mix Gibraltar is dotted with architectural wonders reflecting its unusual, historical past, discovers John Culatto

ITH all the excitement of seeing red post boxes and British bobbies it is easy to miss the many centuries old architectural gems that make Gibraltar unique. The small enclave is surprisingly packed full of interesting buildings with its Mediterranean and British colonial influences combining in an often wonderful way. Ignore the scruffy buildings on the way into town across the runway and you will soon

be at Casemates Square at the bottom of Main Street, probably arriving via a fascinating tunnel. One of the most interesting buildings is, without a doubt, the Convent located on the southern end of Main Street. It includes the colonially decorated King’s Chapel. Originally built by Franciscan friars in 1531, it stretched to what is now known as John Mackintosh Hall. Then, after Gibraltar became British it became the

GLORIOUS: Office of Fabian Picardo and (inset) King’s Bastion

home of the governors in 1728 and was rebuilt in a Georgian style. The first monarch to visit the Rock, King Edward VII, stayed at the Convent on his stay in Gibraltar. The building is said to be haunted by the so-called ‘Grey Lady’. The story goes she was walled up alive as

VII

May 2019

Mews for the (very) few Select buyers are being offered bijou homes with a London mews look in the heart of Gibraltar’s Town Range

THE

MEWS

THE DEVELOPMENT

The Mews, Town Range – a rare opportunity

Within metres of the Governor’s Residence, The Mews is an enclave of 7 boutique houses and apartments each meticulously designed and built to a flawless standard, drawing on its unique

HEY have the look and feel of Mediterranean-style gated location in the heart of the old town. townhouses and the ethos of classic mews houses in Mayfair. Four contemporary mews-style houses will be built A gavel’s-throw from the law courts, it’s not surprison the foundations of the 19th-century stables, at the ing this brand new ‘character’ development has got property rear of the original, grand Victorian house, which will itself be refurbished to provide 2 thoughtfully designed hunters excited in central Gibraltar. apartments and a stunning duplex penthouse, The boutique project at Town Range comprises four spacious commanding spectacular views. Mews houses are, by their nature, located in the very best parts of town. mews houses and three well-appointed apartments. Providing a safe, traffic free environment that is both practical, and hugely charming. Due to begin construction this month, the striking development has been modelled on the ‘most exclusive mews houses in upmarket London’ - prime Monopoly board zones like Mayfair, Kensington and Marylebone. PROPERTY DETAILS Each three-bedroom house will offer modern open-plan living MEWS HOUSES Prices start from £750,000 on the ground floor, a master suite with walk-in wardrobes, Roof terrace with stunning views & optional jacuzzi hot two and a half bathrooms including one with a full-size bath, tub. Master suite comprising Juliet balcony, fully fitted walk-in wardrobe & a a utility room and a roof terrace where a jacuzzi hot tub is an Within metres of the Governor’s Residence, The Mews is an enclave of 7 boutique houses and luxury en-suite. 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms optional extra. Exceptional views across Gibraltar are built in 1 guest toilet apartments toeach meticulously designed and built to a flawless standard, drawing on Apartments its unique & Duplex Penthouse details & POA the price. Meanwhile the original 18th century front façade is being regated location in the heart of the old town. punishment for trying to es- tructed in 1773. furbished to a high standard to provide two spacious, lightThese carefully crafted prestigious homes have cape with her lover while ser- Its arrowhead shape helped filled apartments. been designed to capture and celebrate the unique Each will have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, spacious openving as a nun. defend Gibraltar from the aesthetic of Gibraltar’s Old Town, melding light, space and structure to provide a traditional, yet plan living space and balconies Opposite the governor’s floating gun batteries that contemporary interior design scheme that plus, at the top, a dreamy threecompliments its unique heritage. house is the No. 6 Convent sailed over from Algeciras bedroom duplex penthouse Place where the government during theFour Great Siege of contemporary mews-style houses will be built with its own huge roof terrace is based. After significant 1779 to 1783. on the foundations at the 360-degree views refurbishments the original Land created from the sea of the 19th-century stables, commanding STYLISH: The AGENT Mews at Town Range EXCLUSIVE ESTATE Seekers Property Solutions guardhouse grew in size with meant it was use- grand Victorian house, whichacross rearnooflonger the original, will two continents. tel: 200 449 55 oasis of tranquility in charmingly secluded cobbled munity an rampart its combination of new and ful as a defensive email: info@themews.gi itself be refurbished to provide 2 thoughtfully designed lanes, relatively immune to the clamour of city centre living. Mews musings www.themews.gi old. You’ll enjoy the cannons and it became a power geThe first mews stable to be converted to modern living was in apartments nerating station in 1896.and a stunning duplex penthouse, outside. The history of the traditional appropriately-named Street Mews, in Mayfair. power plant was Further up Main Street After a larger commanding spectacular views. Mews houses mews are, house is an interesting The resulting home was described at the time as ‘the best bijou toward the centre of town demolished it was redesigned one. by their nature, located in the very best parts of town.The origin of the word house in London’. is the Gibraltar Parliament as a leisure centre in 2005. ‘mews’ was used to describe a However it was not until the swinging 1960’s that mews housProviding a safe, traffic free environment that is cage both where a hawk would be es came into vogue. As the larger houses were divided into to the general building. Overlooking the It is now open a bowling alley, Piazza and John Mackintosh public withpractical, flats, they emerged as relatively spacious options. kept during its molting season. and hugely charming. ice-skating Square, this is Its current usage dates back Racing driver, James Hunt, famously bought a mews house rink, gym and where all the so he could live above his cars! Since then the to the reign of cinema inside. hard decisions mews has been considered highly desirable and King Henry VIII, Built on top among the most fashionable residences. The list Another interwhen he moved take place. More and of Moorish of writers, musos and luvvies who have lived in his hawks’ mews esting building Built in 1817, mews houses is long and eclectic and includes out of London’s more people is the Garrison it was a library and Spanish Noel Coward, Johnny Depp, Sean Connery, Charing Cross to Library, located until 1951 want to PROPERTY live in Madonna, John Cleese and the Rolling Stones! build stables for DETAILS when it was fortifications in on Governor’s ‘The Mews’ at Town Range continues this illustrihis beloved stalthe centre for Street. converted into a 1773 MEWS HOUSES ous past, occupying a site that was levelled durlions, so he could Officially opelegislative coubetter access the Great Siege of Gibraltar. quickly access the Prices starting from £750,000 ncil. Under the ned by the It was rebuilt in the late 1820s as a two-storey passion of his life, 1969 constitution it became Duke of Kent in 1804, its with stables behind. Two further floors hunting. Roof terrace house with stunning views & optional jacuzzi hot the House of Assembly, whe- membership was open only Copying the king’s actions was were added in the early 1900s, and the stables were conre 15 members of the gover- to military officers right up tub. Master suite comprising Juliet balcony, fully fitted common at the time, so many verted to living accommodation before the second world war. nment and opposition met to until the current century. The main house at &the of the aristocracy followed suit, walk-in wardrobe a front was converted into apartments govern Gibraltar. With over 45,000 books it thus also giving their stabling and lived in until quite recently but needs TLC to reclaim its 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms It was upgraded to a par- has some rare books on hisformeren-suite. glory. areas the upmarket name of luxury liament in 2006 after a new tory, travel and culture with a is atoilet fantastic opportunity to live in a community of new ‘mews’. 1“This guest constitution was approved lot of records on Gibraltar. mews houses as well as renovate and restore an elegant old Throughout the 18th and 19th Apartments & Duplex Penthouse details & POA by the UK. Elsewhere, one cannot century, mews houses continued property,” explains Maggie Traverso, of Seekers Property SoluThe King’s Bastion is another speak of Gibraltar architecto be built behind many grand tions, the exclusive agents for the mews. building that cleverly combi- ture without mentioning the houses around the city to stable “We are delighted to be bringing this project to market, where horses and provide living quar- it will bring benefits not only for the building itself, but as part nes the old with the new. world-famous airport and of the regeneration of the Old Town and the area as a whole.” ters above for servants. Located at the City Walls it is World Trade Centre, both They were traditionally built She continues: “More and more people want to live in the sandwiched on the east and impressive works of the mothesecarefully wonderful west by Line Wall Road and dern era. All These crafted prestigious homes have around paved courtyards, pro- center as it allows them to have easy access to all the local viding a safe, traffic-free com- amenities. buildings help tell the story of Queensway. been designed to capture and celebrate the unique “The tired building at the front together with the new mews Built on top of Moorish and how Gibraltar went from cohouses at the back will be transformed into a small and viaesthetic of Gibraltar’s Old Town, melding light, to a modern, Spanish fortifications, this lonial outpost brant gated community that provides an amazing opportunity coastal bastion was cons- thriving community. space and structure to provide a traditional, yet for people to live in a house in the centre of town, that can be customised to provide their perfect home”. contemporary interior design scheme that With this unusual development you get character as well as compliments its unique heritage. modern design and construction in a unique boutique setting. Mews living is not just a quirky address, it is a quality of life and ‘The Mews’ at Town Range offers a very rare opportunity indeed to acquire an individual home in the heart of downtown Gibraltar.

THE

MEWS

PRETTY IN PASTEL: Parliament House

THE DEVELOPMENT

The Mews, Town Range – a rare opportunity

EXCLUSIVE ESTATE AGENT Seekers Property Solutions tel: 200 449 55 email: info@themews.gi MEWS FANS: Include Madonna, Sean Connery and Noel www.themews.giCoward

Please contact Seekers on 200 44955 or email on info@themews.gi and visit the website www.themews.gi

THE

MEWS THE DEVELOPMENT

The Mews, Town Range – a rare opportunity Within metres of the Governor’s Residence, The Mews is an enclave of 7 boutique houses and apartments each meticulously designed and built to a flawless standard, drawing on its unique gated location in the heart of the old town. Four contemporary mews-style houses will be built on the foundations of the 19th-century stables, at the rear of the original, grand Victorian house, which will itself be refurbished to provide 2 thoughtfully designed apartments and a stunning duplex penthouse, commanding spectacular views. Mews houses are, by their nature, located in the very best parts of town. Providing a safe, traffic free environment that is both practical, and hugely charming.

PROPERTY DETAILS MEWS HOUSES Prices start from £750,000 Roof terrace with stunning views & optional jacuzzi hot tub. Master suite comprising Juliet balcony, fully fitted walk-in wardrobe & a luxury en-suite. 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms 1 guest toilet Apartments & Duplex Penthouse details & POA

These carefully crafted prestigious homes have been designed to capture and celebrate the unique aesthetic of Gibraltar’s Old Town, melding light, space and structure to provide a traditional, yet contemporary interior design scheme that compliments its unique heritage.

EXCLUSIVE ESTATE AGENT Seekers Property Solutions tel: 200 449 55 email: info@themews.gi www.themews.gi

BUSINESS

Wage dispute rages as teacher’s union seek ‘far claim’

PAY rise demands are falling on deaf ears according to the Gibraltar teacher’s union. It comes after over 400 people march down Main Street to protest the government’s unwillingness to listen to their demands. “In June it is now a year after which we presented the pay adjustment claim,” said NASUWT Gibraltar president Victor Gonzalez. “There have been far too many false promises during a roller coaster ride which is very frustrating for our members. “The ball is in the Chief Minister’s court. If there is no movement the option is always there to take further industrial action.” After the protest the NASUWT representatives handed TOP online games creator Red Tiger has announced it is the latest company looking to move to Gibraltar. The company, which employs 200 people, mainly produces online slot machines and table games. It was only recently given a gaming licence, giving it the green light to base itself on the Rock. “We’re delighted to have been given the seal of approval by the Gibraltar

Teachers strike out

ACTION: Striking teachers took to the street a letter to Chief Minister giv- could lead to further action. ing him the deadline of May “Fabian Picardo told us origi9 to respond. Failure to do so nally he had a counter offer,”

Money spinner

regulator,” said Gavin Hamilton, Red Tiger CEO. “Obtaining a licence and

establishing a presence in Gibraltar is a logical progression for us. “Big operators like BetVictor, Addison Global, and 888 were already added to our long client list this year.” Red Tiger was started in 2014 and already has licences in Alderney and Malta. Gibraltar has welcomed the operator with open arms, signalling that online gaming is here to stay.

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

revealed vice-president Adrian Huart. “But when we came to see him he didn’t have one. “We want to be listened to and put an end to our claim.” The union is looking to give teachers what the NASUWT treasurer told The Olive Press was ‘a fair claim in a Gibraltar economy that is set to boom for the next ten years’. “We want people to want to join the teaching profession knowing they will be paid for the work they do,” said the union activist. “We are asking for a starter pay of £37,000 that goes up to a maximum of £55,000. It is very much like Jersey, which has a similar economy and house prices to Gibraltar.”

Negotiating

Teachers currently earn £25,000 when they begin but unionists believe this is not enough to afford expensive private housing. For his part the Chief Minister said he would be negotiating with the teacher’s union over the next few weeks. “We have to consider the interests of the teachers as well as those of the tax-payer,” Fabian Picardo told GBC.

May 8th - May 21st 2019

Peking interest CHINA would be a formidable ally for Gibraltar, government minister Sir Joe Bossano has said. Gibraltar’s elder statesman, who regularly travels to the Far East, added that he continues to be impressed with the country’s economic development. “Every time I go to China it is an eye-opening experience to see the scale of the use of technology,” Bossano told the Olive Press.

Investment

“Over there, Alipay, owned by Alibaba, is used to buy anything through a smartphone. “In some cases I even heard people who were begging for accepted donations through the app!” He used the construction of a new airport in Beijing as an example of this forward thinking mentality. “The airport will have a capacity of 70 million passengers with a potential to be expanded to 100 million,” said the minister for economic development. “Meanwhile, the UK has been discussing building a new runway at Heathrow airport for the past 20 years!” The former Chief Minister made the observation that this long-term investment

was only possible because there is a one-party system in China. “That’s the price we pay for democracy,” he said. “It can be a very heavy price if the main parties are very far apart these days. “They can plan for the next 20 years instead of only four as we do here.” Sir Joe, as he is known to his friends, is the most experienced current politician in Gibraltar. The GSLP founder was responsible for the Westside reclamation, introducing free university education for all and the 50-50 housing scheme.

May 8th - May 21st 2019

BUSINESS

Expanding by popular demand Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd is continuing make inroads in Spain, offering excellent advice to expats of all nationalities

BY Tim Govaerts

ESPITE Britain's imminent departure continually being referred to us through lofrom the EU, Spain is still an expat cal communities. destination of choice for many Brits. And it's not just the British we assist. NationThe lifestyle, the climate, the cul- als from around the EU, including France, ture - they all play a part in making Spain a Holland and Scandinavia, as well as quite a unique and desirable place that stirs hearts few from South Africa and the USA, are signand minds. ing up to work with us. Even with the spectre of We pride ourselves on havBrexit looming, the influx ing multi-lingual members Spain offers much opportunity for investors who, in almost all cases, of newcomers has anything and retirement planners are expats themselves, but dwindled if you go by who are seeking the best so their understanding of the recent growth of British expats on the official for their wealth. Having lived expat life has been built and worked in Spain for over through personal knowlpadron. a decade, I have witnessed However, newcomers, as edge of their region, and well as long-established ex- first hand numerous, dramatic they can offer advice and changes and therefore pats, are realising that getrecommendations in a lanappreciate how it is now more guage our clients will unting their financial affairs in important than ever to be able order is a priority right now. to offer our clients services derstand. As one of the leading The tax system in Spain they can trust. We pride wealth management com- ourselves on working with our can still be favourable for panies in Spain, and with clients, for our clients and in expats, providing profesoffices in Barcelona, the ensuring they are our number sional and accurate advice Costa Blanca, the Costa is given enabling growth one priority.” Cálida, and the Costa Del potential of capital, assets Sol, Blacktower is able to Tim Govaerts, and investments. provide expats with the Associate Director in Spain It is our core mission to trusted financial solutions understand our clients' fithey need. nancial situations fully, so So, with the EU landscape changing around when you come to Blacktower we provide a us, we have put the infrastructure in place full review of your financial circumstances, to ensure we can offer full assistance to our while also gaining an understanding of your existing clients and the new clients who are needs and long-term goals.

“

Clarity, transparency and trust are key

planning and pensions. Our clients are able to benefit from unique investment opportunities through the Nexus Portfolio Range: three expertly managed portfolios, all carefully designed and fully regulated to provide diversified, highly liquid investment opportunities. The portfolios make the most of global markets, including rising prospects, and are managed by a British asset management company with more than 200 years of experience to provide robust risk management and active investment management.

Excellence in communication is at the forefront of our service philosophy – we believe that speaking with clarity and transparency is one of the most important things we can do to help clients make the most of our services and to assist them in the most effecSecurity and regulation tive way. Many people feel the financial services industry is rife with complication, contra- Client protection is another of our key mandiction and mystification – we believe this tras for service provision: Blacktower is highly regulated in all the doesn't need to be the jurisdictions we work in, case, so we base the ethos It is really rewarding to we hold relevant licences, of our service provision on be able to help clients and all our advisers are simplicity, suitability and achieve their goals highly qualified and accomtrust. and, as Blacktower’s plished in their relevant Our expertise and holistic experience spans more attitude to wealth man- than 30 years, we have been fields. agement means we don't through good times, bad times We hold key skill sets and upheavals of all sorts. which help our clients ever apply a one-size-fitsall approach to our clients' We understand how volatile achieve their goals, and the markets can be, but our the more we increase our needs. We know that listening independent outlook means client base, the more we carefully and developing we can work to smooth out the broaden our expertise. Exstrong relationships are the bumpy times for our clients.” pansion means we win and our clients win. It's a very best ways to offer the most Christina Brady, positive situation to be in. appropriate advice. Associate Director in Spain With Brexit looming, we Alongside helping expats have seen understandable to settle in and understand Spain's legal system in relation to tax and apprehension and anxiety among new and finances, we also look at how residency sta- established expats alike. tus can impact upon investments, estate This is natural and we have been spreading the message that - even though no one can possibly identify the final effects of Brexit - putting financial matters in place sooner rather than later will be in your best interests. It might explain why increasing numbers of expats are coming to us from across Spain to ensure they are as prepared as possible. It's obvious however, that there will be challenges ahead, but at Blacktower we have worked hard to ensure we are as Brexitproof as possible. Our continued expansion means we can help more clients who need our dedicated services, and we are currently growing our teams around the regions to maintain our levels of service for everyone who wants and needs assistance with their wealth management in Spain.

“

Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd has been established for over 32 years and has worked with clients through the good and the bad times offering sound, independent financial advice. We will be by your side both now and in the future. We know you have a choice about who helps you look after your financial security. Blacktower represents a strong, trusted and progressive choice in Spain. The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL LEGEND: Paul Hickling

Food awakening SPANISH parents have slammed school dinners amid a child obesity crisis, a study has revealed. Some 94% of mums and dads said school canteens ‘need improvement’, while nine out of 10 called for more fruit at lunchtimes. A poll of 2,000 parents was conducted by consumer advice group to the Government, Kantar, in a study called ‘Assessment of parents on school feeding in Spain’. It comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that Spanish girls aged six to nine were the second most obese in Europe, while obesity among boys of the same age was the fourth most prevalent.

Reign of Spain SPAIN is still the number one holiday destination for Brits, despite a general EU decline due to Brexit fears, Thomas Cook has said. It comes as the travel giant revealed that 48% of its holiday sales up until the start of March were to non-EU countries - a 10% increase on 2018. Turkey is creeping up on Spain, as it is now the second most popular location for Thomas Cook customers, overtaking Greece in third. The tour operator cites Brexit as a reason behind the shift, while more favourable exchange rates for the pound against the Turkish Lira have also played their part.

POPULAR expat restaurant The Roman Oasis has announced it will close as its owner is entering retirement. Founder and British expat Paul Hickling, 74, announced the end of his 36-year reign, saying that now is a ‘fitting’ moment hang up his chef’s hat. The father-of-three and restaurateur told the Olive Press:

May 8th - May 21st 2019

Rome and away “I have no plan to sell the restaurant unless we sold it as a whole with house. “I Couldn’t have anyone else running my Roman Oasis could I?” Located in Manilva, the renowned Costa del Sol eatery, known to be the favourite

of TV chef Keith Floyd, was much more than just a restaurant. Over the four decades since its inception in 1981, The Roman Oasis attracted hundreds of thousands of guests, with its quirky decor, fantastic food, and charming host Paul.

Beached job

British expats and locals fuming as celebrity chef Dani Garcia gets go ahead for chiringuito on protected land

A PETITION to stop the construction of a celebrity-backed chiringuito has received more than 178,000 signatures. It comes after Dani Garcia’s Bibo Tarifa beach club and an adjoining car park in Valdevaqueros, Cadiz, got the go ahead and began construction over a month ago. According to campaigners, Valdevaqueros is one of Spain’s last wild beaches and is part of a Special Conservation Area and Biosphere Reserve for birds. “Valdevaqueros is one of Spain’s last wild beaches and both locals and visitors alike want to protect it from urbanization,” British campaigner Harry Stevenson told the Olive Press. “The construction of Dani Garcia’s ‘BiBo’ restaurant proceeds without an Environmental Impact Assessment while the previous SL1 project for this same site (2012) was last year declared illegal by the Tribunal

CONTROVERSIAL: Garcia’s chiringuito near Tarifa

Superior de Justicia de Andalucía for this exact reason – a lack of Environmental Impact Assessment. “ He added that environmentalists have reported a ‘series of infractions’ to the authorities but have not yet heard a response. “How can the destruction of this cherished natural paradise be ignored?!” added Stevenson. It comes as the main structure of the ‘BiBo Tarifa’ restaurant on the beach of Valdevaqueros has already been completed. The beach bar will have no foundations and is instead built on a wooden platform. The Junta has previously rejected claims by green groups such as Equo that protected species, including the osprey, would be threatened, giving the 43-yearold Marbella-born cook the goahead. The three Michelin-starred chef

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(pictured abvoe) has forecast that his new eatery, named after his Marbella and Madrid branches, will open in June.

RURAL RAMBLINGS ‘Golden orioles and all’ Hotel boss Andy Chappell on the delights of Spring in outback Andalucia

HE sap is rising. It’s that Running a small hotel and restime of year again – at taurant inevitably means lots of least it is up here in in- bureaucracy and form-filling – land Andalucia. 24 staff bring all kinds of issues While the coast is lovely in of their own to be discussed spring to really get the best of another day. the region you need to head Hours in front of screens are into the mountains, particularly pleasantly balanced though by around Ronda. getting out there in the natural I’ve just been out with the world. pooch (remember Eddie from As the end of April saw fire lighthis column last year?) from our ing season come to an end, we rural hotel Molino del Santo, in found ourselves in a race to Benaojan, and within minutes prune as many olive trees as I see a golden possible and oriole - one burn the offof the world’s cuts. We found most elegant The hotel garourselves in a dressers - flash dener is the guy before my with the chainrace to prune as eyes. saw while I’m The wild flow- many olive trees the pyromaniac ers are breath– a vice inheras possible taking with the ited from my hillsides covdear old dad. ered in delicate To do physical purple blooms of cistus like work is the perfect antidote to thousands of butterflies flutter- form-filling and negotiation with ing in the undergrowth. employees. Banks of yellow bee orchids Under that clear blue sky and compete for attention with the amazing light that only deep blue iris and blood-red happens after rain, our faithpoppies. ful hound is there too chasing And, if you know where to go – sticks. I’ll tell you if you promise to look It all reminds me of the rural life after them – you can find shady we chose up here in the Campo bowers filled with stunning wild over 30 years ago now. peonies. Long may it remain!

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May 8th - May 21st 2019

Oh my Goat! Goat meat may be the latest food trend in the UK, but Andalucia makes it better

Málaga Suckling Goat

Ingredients needed: Suckling goat shoulder or leg Garlic Lemon Olive oil Wine Thyme Orégano

I Monday to Wednesday and Sunday: 12.30-23.00 Friday & Saturday: 12.30-23.30 tel: 952 893 198 Calle Espinosa, Sabinillas, Manilva

T’S the latest UK food trend baa none and that’s the bleating truth. Capra aegagrus hircus is making its way from top London restaurant tables to supermarket aisles where you’ll soon be able to get your goat in sausage, meatball or ready meal form. Don´t worry though, you won’t be missing out in Andalucia. No kidding - goat meat is the star of a whole flock of Andalucian traditional dishes, and over the last few years it has become increasingly popular in the province of Málaga and beyond. Better still, goat is a healthier alternative to red met - a

Preparation: Put the suckling goat pieces in an earthenware baking dish. Season them with the spices and garlic, and leave to marinate for 12 hours. Add the olive oil and bake at 180º for three quarters of an hour. Every 15 minutes, baste with a mixture of water, wine and lemon juice.

low-calorie source of protein and iron that’s also relatively low in saturated fats and cholesterol. Goats have grazed in the south of Spain since pre-

historic times, as local cave paintings in Ardales, Nerja and La Pileta testify. Nowadays, Spain has the second largest goat population in Europe after Greece, while

Roasted Kid-Goat with Potatoes RECIPE for 4 servings:

restaurant | lunch and dinner restaurant | lunch and dinner

3 ½ - 4 pounds kid-goat Salt and pepper Thyme ½ cup olive oil 2 onions, sliced 8 medium potatoes (about 2 ½ pounds), peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick 2 green bell peppers, cut in strips 4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ cup chopped parsley 2 bay leaves 1 head garlic, roasted 1 teaspoon saffron threads ½ teaspoon coarse salt 10 peppercorns 2 cloves ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 ½ cups white wine ½ cup chicken stock or water Preparation: come to room Sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper and thyme and allow it to ature. temper of onions on Spread half the oil in a roasting pan or large cazuela. Place a layer pepper and green of strips s, potatoe sliced of layer a Add pan. the the bottom of Continue parsley. the of half and salt with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle generously Sprinkle with with remaining onions, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and parsley. vegetables. Peel salt. Break the bay leaves in half and tuck the pieces in with the too. the cloves of roasted garlic and push them under the vegetables and cloves. Stir In a mortar, crush the saffron with the coarse salt, peppercorns the vegetables. in the cinnamon. Stir in ¼ cup of the wine. Pour the spices over the vegetables. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place the meat, skin side down, on top of , then reduce Pour the remaining olive oil over the meat. Roast for 15 minutes more. hour 1 Roast 350ºF. oven temperature to

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it with some of Remove the pan from the oven. Turn the meat skin side up. Baste the pan Return water. more add away, cooked has the liquid in the pan. If liquid d and potatoes to the oven. Roast 30 minutes longer, until the meat is browne are cooked. s will absorb Allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before serving. The potatoe les to a vegetab and meat remove , desired If juices. pan some of the remaining serving platter.

the province of Málaga has the largest concentration of livestock in Europe with more than 1,500 goat ranches. Andalucia is home to the Málaga goat, famous for its cheese and suckling goat meat, which is more mildflavoured and tender than mature goat. The cabra malagueña is a protected breed and the product of two ancient ancestors: the Pyrenean goat from the north of the Iberian peninsula,and the Maltese goat from Africa. Chivo Lechal Malagueño (suckling goat) is the first in Spain to have its own highquality certificate from the Asociación Nacional de Criadores de la Cabra Malagueña (ACREM). To be certified, the cabrito malagueño must amongst other things have been fed exclusively with the breast milk of female Málaga goats. Common traditional dishes with Málaga suckling goat include paletilla asada (roast shoulder) and Chivo a la Pastoril, made with Malaga wine. But as it has become more fashionable, restaurants are getting creative. Diego del Río, chef at El Lago in Marbella, was one of the first to introduce Málaga suckling goat in a high-end menu in 2009. For an encore, in 2016 he added Payoya suckling goat, a breed from the province of Cádiz. The Michelin-starred restaurant is part of Slow Foods, a network of Andalucian restaurants tcommitted to offering healthy dishes made with local products. These days many more restaurants offer Chivo Lechal Malagueño, especially in the province of Málaga. Companies are also trying out new products like goat sausages and goat paté in Muscatel wine. Since 2008 a Fiesta de la Cabra Malaguena has been held annually each September in a different town, with competitions and free tastings. Goat-to-town with one of these recipes!

advice

May 8th - May 21st 2019

Claire Leibovic sinks her teeth into the World’s First Carnivore Retreat

ARRIVE at the gorgeous Finca Monasterio, near Sotogrande, on a sun-washed Saturday morning. The place seems deserted - it's only 11am, after all - but luckily I spot two carnivore-looking men who are clearly wondering what little old me is doing there. “Are you the guys who only eat meat?” I ask. It’s Phil Escott and Graeme Norbury, two of the speakers I would have the pleasure of hearing that day. They usher me inside and introduce me to the lovely Dr. Lynn Hardy from Sotogrande, who organised the event. While a small affair of around 50 people, they had travelled from around the world to hear how ‘spinach is poison’ and ‘oats are the enemy’ - some of the views held by speakers at this, the world’s ‘first ever carnivore retreat.’ From Hungary, the UK, Canada, America and even Australia, no nonsense meat eaters were treated to a range of talks from speakers of varying backgrounds - from a clinical researcher specialised in nutrition to a drummer turned health instructor (carnivore-looking Phil). Talks tackled a range of subjects, including the benefits of eating

Meatandgreet meat - obviously - to the alleged ‘anti-nutrients’ in plants, sun exposure and even spiritual awakening. While some arguments seemed reasonable (for example that vitamin supplements are useless and can even be detrimental to our health), others rang tenuous to say the least. To quote just a few: ‘Plant-based products carry potential or proven harm’, ‘sun burning has nothing to do with cancer’, ‘it is our subconscious that makes us sick after eating fat, because all our life we have been told that fat is bad’, ‘eating plants is more harmful than smoking’. Presentations are thought-provoking nevertheless, and some raise legitimate questions: are the veg-

etarian and vegan diets really that now has around 9,500 members. healthy? Who is telling us that they There are many carnivore groups are? (Yes, I did hear several times: out there on the web, but this one ‘I don't want to go all conspiracy is open to all kinds of diets. “I theory on you, but…’) won't chuck you out if you post a At lunch I gorged on delicious, al- broccoli on the page,” joked page though undercooked - ‘more nu- admin Phil Escott. trients’ - grilled chicken and chat- All in all, the event was a hotchted to the friendly potch of lovely, crowd. fun people set in Most of them told a lush location They travelled me how they had offering a range from around the of entertaining been on non-carnivore diets for a talks. world to hear long time before I left with raised falling ill. They how ‘spinach is awareness of the blamed those importance of poison’ ‘unhealthy’ diets diet and lifestyle for their illnesses and a desire to and attribute educate myself their full or partial recovery to more on the matter. However I their new carnivore diets. am not convinced by the many Most already knew each other questionable claims from speakafter meating on the Facebook ers who almost all have a healthgroup ‘100% Carnivore and Be- related business to promote. yond’, created about a year ago - it 100% carnivore? Not just yet!

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Three snippets of car advice from Linea Directa and why we should be the insurance company you choose

* Fu l l y co m p re h e n s i ve o f fe r va l i d fo r n e w c u s to m e r s o n l y. G u a ra nte e s u b j e c t to cove r, re p a i r at a p p rove d g a ra g e, a n d co u r te s y ve h i c l e ava i l a b i l i t y. S u b j e c t to co n d i t i o n s. O f fe r e n d s 3 0 / 1 1 / 1 8 .

TheOlivePress-256x170-CAR-4.indd 1

Mad about motoring? Whether you’re a car enthusiast or rely on your car for just about everything, keeping your vehicle on the road is a costly endeavor. Prices for car insurance can vary greatly between providers depending on different risk factors. While reducing your annual mileage and keeping your car in a secure location will help keep your premiums down, Línea Directa recommend shopping around for insurance quotes to get the best possible price with the best possible cover. Minor car problems At this time of the year in the early morning sunshine, condensation is particularly troublesome especially in older vehicles. Motorists and other road users are at risk. Accidents can be caused when drivers try to wipe down the windscreen. Here are some handy tips to help you tackle condensation. Wash your car regularly as dirt and dust attract moisture and early morning dew. Remove any damp items like towels or coats from inside the car. When safe to do so, leave the windows open for a few hours. Switch on the air

2/8/18 17:01

conditioning and wipe down the inside of the windows. Finally, you can fill a sock with cat litter and place it in your car to help absorb excess moisture. But what if it doesn’t start? A flat battery is a great inconvenience, jump-starting your car from the roadside can be hazardous and new batteries are expensive and can be troublesome to fit. These tips can help prolong the life of your battery. Keep the terminals clean of residue that builds up over time. And remember to turn off air conditioning, lights, radio and other battery draining systems whenever possible.

Bottoms up!

Belinda Beckett raises a toast to the sherry merry month of May, with its free-flowing booze and outdoor eating

ITH its promise of boozy country picnics (sorry, pilgrimages) sherry-fuelled ferias and Atlantic bluefin arriving off the coast of Cadiz to kick-start the tuna-and-manzanilla-pairing season, there’s no time of year I love more than the merry month of May. In my neck of the woods, not far from the home of Vino de Jerez, sherry is preferred to Rioja and rivers of it are drunk over 31 days, starting with that

Help is at hand Línea Directa offers service, support and 24-hour roadside assistance to over 3 million customers in Spain. Should you break down or your car won’t start, they will immediately dispatch an approved mechanic to help get you back on the road again as soon as possible. And with their new GPS Geolocation service Línea Directa can pinpoint your exact location and send breakdown recovery even faster.

We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 14 78 34 More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

TIPPLE: May can get boozy

Here comes summer The sunny months may have to be spent indoors to avoid beach hut blazes and killer bacteria, writes Giles Brown

AKE a deep breath because after cel- the Boho crowd – was mysteriously gutted in ebrating International Workers’ Day a blaze that apparently started in eight sepon May 1 - although as a freelance arate locations, while neighbouring Bounty journalist I have little or no concept of Beach also fell victim to a mysterious fire. the work ‘work’ - this month marks the run While the CSI Marbella crowd was pontificatup to another summer on the coast. ing on what the possible cause could be, I Many of the beach clubs have already had my own theory. hosted their opening parties, that invari- I suspected that a rogue seagull with a half ably feature a white and some other colour lit cigarette, casually tossed aside, started theme, the usual half clad and body paint- both blazes. ed hostesses at the entrance, and some It’s all part of the ‘nature bites back’ period modern circus performer swinging from the that I am going through at the moment. rafters on a hoop, trapeze, or a couple of The boar continues to wreak havoc in my bits of cloth. garden, while I also seem to have been The queue to get in is biblical, and the adopted by two more, and very vocal stray bouncers, hyped up for the first big bash of cats, who like nothing better than to kick off the year, are a little more twitchy than nor- around 2am outside my window. mal. I can’t even retreat to the lake and take a With my previous record of being ejected at boat out to escape out on the water, since high speed (normally backward) from most the discovery of a ‘cyanobacteria’ that the beach and nightclubs during my, ahem, ‘co- Junta blames for the dog deaths nearby, lourful past’, I try has lead to the powand avoid these ers that be banning occasions. everything on the If you do own a water. beach club in The ‘cyanobacteria’ Marbella, you seems to have gone are probably in very quiet recently, the mood for celbut knowing my luck, ebrating that it is if I did take to the lake still standing. I’d probably end up Playa Padre – the victim of Swamp opened by Julian Thing, or whatever is Assange’s best lurking out there. mate Pamela It might be the quiAnderson and a etest summer I’ve favourite among TORCHED: One of Marbella’s burned beach bars had for a while…

perennial Rite of Spring, the First Communion. This is when children who have reached the ‘age of reason’ – seven, according to the RC Church or if you believe in unicorns – get to take their first legal sip of altar wine. The Spanish spend small for- BOOZE CRUISE: Horse-drawn wagons carry barrels of wine tunes kitting out sons in navy Then there are the romerias, sailor suits and daughters in originally Roman Catholic pilwhite brides-of-Christ wedding grimages. gowns for this ancient and es- In reality, they’re boozy mass sentially religious ritual. picnics in the countryside but (Point of information – the sail- if you’ve read Chaucer’s Canor suits were Queen Victoria’s terbury Tales, weren’t they all? idea of court wear for kids, Half our village paint their wagbrought over to Spain by her ons and saddle up their horses granddaughter who married for this raucous rural ring-aAlfonso XIII). ding. Communions are a great ex- It starts with a church mass on cuse for a party bended knee and some of and turns into them are on a mass all-night Ladies in lycra Spanish wedbender in Los (whatever their Alcornocales ding reception scale with a Natural Park size) crippling sit-down fivewith a knees-up course lunch, into the church thrown in! live music and a With barrels of on stilt heels free bar. rebujito hitched Finally there are the Cadiz tuna You’re sure to to the back festivals – all four of them, runbe invited to a of the tractor- ning from May full moon into wedding if you have any friends drawn wagons you can refresh June – although they’re more at all as May is a big month for yourself as you walk/dance/ about the fish than drinking them, when our church in Los stagger along the route. like one: specifically, top qualBarrios churns out newlyweds Could that ever happen in Brit- ity Atlantic bluefin caught by like a Ford production line. ain, even on a B-road? trapnet that sell in Japan for My favourite hobby is sitting It’s also the start of feria sea- prices that make headlines in in the next-door pub watching son, kicking off with Sevilla’s the FT. the parade of ladies in lycra world-famous April Fair (4-11 The white villages of Barbate, (whatever their size), crippling May this year as Easter was Conil, Tarifa and Zahara de los into the church on stilt heels, late), swiftly followed by Jerez Atunes which catch their quotheir fascinators bobbing in Horse Fair (May 11-18) and tas by this eco-friendly Phoenethe breeze like spring flowers. those of fellow sherry triangle cian method, turn it into a parAfterwards they all cram into towns Sanlucar de Barrameda ty and restaurants compete to the bar while bride and groom and El Puerto de Santa María. create the winning tapa. go off for the photo shoot. And Sherry and feria are almost In Zahara last year there were that’s just an aperitif to the synonymous – more so if over 35 to try and a sherry to drinking. you’re slurring. go with each. Salud!

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Photographs by David Cussen

SPORT Off grid THE Dutch Grand Prix has been tipped to take Spain’s spot on the 2020 Formula 1 racing calendar, according to reports. The Zandvoort track, near Amsterdam, has reportedly been chosen to host the motor racing spectacle for the first time since 1985. The Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya has been under threat for some time and Fernando Alonso’s exit from the sport has hit ticket sales. At the end of the season, the Barcelona track could now see its contract expire which would end a 33-year stint in Formula 1. This would allow F1 bosses to replace the struggling fixture with a race at the newly revived Zandvoort circuit. Late F1 Race Director Charlie Whiting said: “I think there’s great potential there in Zandvoort. “A few things need to be changed there, and there’s a great willingness to change.”

European glory THE Gibraltar rugby team has produced a stunning victory over Sweden, the highest ranked side they have faced yet. The international friendly, hosted in Portugal, saw Gibraltar's national side overcome a Swedish side ranked 46th in the world. Gibraltar took an early lead through a well worked try and saw off a second half comeback to win the match 23 to 26. Manager Will Collin said: “Taking on bigger and better opposition is the only way Gibraltar can grow as a rugby nation. “After three close losses, the team knew we had to step up to face Sweden.”

May 8th - May 21st 2019 FERRARI go into this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona looking to end Mercedes’ domination. Mercedes has finished first or second in all four races this season with Ferrari so far struggling with unreliable engines and uncharacteristic driver errors. The Spanish Grand Prix is held on the Circuit de BarcelonaCatalunya, and is traditionally

rocks. This location meant local schools could not take part in the sport, while kitesurfing newcomers were also put off. These plans for Marbella should see it grow in popularity among kitesurfers, in the same way the sport’s hotspot of Tarifa has. David Gallardo, secretary of Marbella Kite Club, highlighted the ‘the high purchasing power of the kite-surfers and the economic impact that their presence has on the city’. Negotiations between the club and local council have been tough after they first began back in 2008.

NEW ZONE: At Playa los Monteros

Sky’s the limit SPAIN’S first outdoor skydiving simulator has opened in Malaga. The special piece of equipment was used by Tom Cruise for his stunts in Mission Impossible: Fallout, before being brought to Spain. A column of air allows thrillseekers to fly with-

when teams introduce the first major upgrades to their cars. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said there would be ‘no complacency’ in Spain despite the team’s winning start to the season. The former racing driver added: “The Spanish Grand Prix will be anything but easy.”

Surfs up

New kitesurfing zone coming to Marbella, in bid to rival worldfamous beaches at Tarifa MARBELLA Town Hall has reached an agreement with Marbella Kite Club for a new kitesurfing zone at Playa los Monteros. The agreement with the 250-member-strong club sees the creation of a permanent 300-metre area along the beach which will act as a home for the sport. The agreement is yet to be ratified by the Junta, and comes after kitesurfers demanded a safe area to practice their pastime. New decking, showers, toilets, drying areas and proper designation of the surfing channels are all set to be included in the plans. For around a decade kitesurfers had previously been forced to use the Rio Real area, which was flanked by dangerous

Grand stand

out a parachute, and experience the free fall of a skydive. Located at KartCenter in Campillos, the attraction by Fly4Real can be combined with Andalucia’s longest kart track for an actionpacked day. Prices start from €52 for a 24,000 ft free fall, up to €400 for the ‘Pro Flyer’ pack for more experienced skydivers.

Fair funding GIBRALTAR has spent more than £1 million on grassroots sports this season, but new figures reveal most of this cash goes to ‘fringe’ sports. Figures published by the Ministry of Culture and Sport show that more than £720,000 has been spent on sports like, Chess, Darts and Snooker. Sports fans were particularly surprised to see that the Backgammon association had received a ‘Special sport and leisure events grant worth £100,000. The large sums come despite the fact these sports enjoy a much smaller following on the Rock than games such as football or rugby.

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A BRITISH EuroMillions winner whose first splash out was a holiday to Spain has said she is ‘bored with her life’ and wants a job.

FINAL WORDS

Vol. 4 Issue 96 www.theolivepress.es May 8th - May 21st 2019

Good Samaritan accused of abandoning dogs outside supermarket collected them minutes later

Can’t buy happiness

Dip s**ts A MERCADONA customer has been left baffled after a best before date was printed on ‘her houmous’ rather than on the packaging.

Fake news shocker

a police investigation. It happened after the Gandia local was spotted by a young woman leaving two dogs in the car park of Mas y Mas in the town. Jumping to conclusions - in classic fake news fashion - she posted a picture of his car and

Gaysper says boo!

Push and Mull

A tweet from Spain’s Vox party has backfired after a ‘gay ghost’ emoji was used to represent LGBT people. As the image spread online, the LGBT community reclaimed the symbol as

A LIVERPOOL fan caught pushing people into fountains in Barcelona ahead of the Champions League tie, has been named as Martin Mullen.

their own using the hashtag #gaysper to mock the far-right party. One twitter user said: “The worst thing the far right could have done was give the LGBT community a new cute symbol.”

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A SPANISH nun could face three years in prison after changing the election ballot of two pensioners from PSOE to PP. The alleged crime took place in an old people’s home, as the sister accompanied the pair of residents to the polling station for the April 28 general election. One of the pensioners, at the Mercy of Bilbao residence, wanted to vote for the ruling Socialist PSOE party and the other, the centrist Basque PNV. Regional affiliate of the PSOE, the PSE-EE said the Electoral Board had registered the potential crime, which could land the nun with a six to 36-month jail term.

Saucy CV

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Nun and void

VOX’s mayoral candidate for Marbella used to help run a luxury brothel in the city, it has emerged. Rosa Maria Calvente Martin, who is standing in the May 26 municipal elections for the far-right party, was head of the firm that ran Milady Palace in Puerto Banus. Between 2009 and 2011, she worked for Suncres Costa SL, the company that managed the gentlemen’s club.

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