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Schools paedo call By Fiona Govan in Madrid
philes to find work abroad including in Spain. The campaign follows an investigation by the Olive Press that revealed how easy it was for a convicted UK sex offender to change his identity and find work as a teacher in several Madrid
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Spain INTERNATIONAL schools around a British have been put on high alert after most man began teaching at one of Madrid’s conexclusive colleges months after being victed in the UK. Lewis, Questions have been raised after Ben be31, was able to work at the school despite ing on the UK’s sex offenders register. Lewis, that discovered has Press Olive The sex ofwho is now awaiting trial for child V, fences at Centro Penitenciario Madrid a and schools TWO managed to hoodwink
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THE START: The first edition of the
Olive Press in 2006
15 YEARS OF FUN
Sick
As the Olive Press reaches its 15th birthday, we recall a few of our favourite interviews and remember a couple of our top readers, such as ex-prime minister Rajoy (above) and prime joker Paul Gascoigne...
He then disseminated the sick material on paedophile forums on the dark web around the world. Emily Konstantas, CEO of The Safeguarding Alliance, applauded the Olive Press for highlighting the issue: “The Ben Lewis case as revealed by the Ol-
Fiona Govan in Madrid
idenlanguage academy after creating a new tity, using forged documents. reFormer colleagues of the sex offender to dodge vealed that he created a new namerun sumcriminal record checks in order to to mer camps and teach private classes young children. after He had changed his name to Ben David and being convicted in June 2016 of taking in possessing indecent images of children England. As well as being placed on the sex offender list and being handed a two-year suspended sentence, he was barred from leaving the country or working with children. Yet within weeks he had moved to Spain and found work in Zaragoza as a livein au pair to a family with three young children. The following year he relocated to Madrid and began teaching children at a well-known language academy after getting a criminal record check from Zaragoza police to show he had no convictions in Spain over the previous 12 months. Then in December
post DANGER: Lewis got teaching teacher 2017 he accepted a job as an English secat a leading semi-private (concertado)from ondary school that receives subsidies the state. David by “He was going by the name Ben another then and was offered the job aftera former teacher dropped out mid-term,” the Olive colleague Natasha Fitzsimons told
Press. the posi“I think they were desperate to fill as tion so maybe they weren’t as thorough they should have been.
...meanwhile, we spend time at the home of the world’s most famous plumber as he announces he’s becoming a Spanish citizen, after 15 years here and losing €15m to his ex-wives...
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When it comes to corruption we were the first English newspaper to write about the ERE scandal at the Junta de Andalucia that cost an estimated billion euros to the taxpayers, while we also tackled town hall theft on a local scale on dozens of occasions. Animal cruelty has been a continual bugbear and we have exposed so many evil abusers, as well as the scoundrels who allowed hunters to kill innocent circus lions and tigers at a finca in Extremadura (see below). On a more positive front, it was great to interview everyone from Princess Diana’s ex-lover James Hewett to cooking
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EXCLUSIVE: fraudster and By Tom Powell using reveal that convicted Jamie Micklethwaite is back in business Del Monte’ fraudster Ni- Goldman COSTA del Solis hiding out false name ‘Howard Spain last year gel Goldman country the Goldman fled fraud, in a classic English the false name his partner Suzanne Couling amid accusations of of viccottage under wares via leaving behind dozens peddling their mil‘Howard del Monte’. account called tims owed a total of €15 ‘Del Monte’ - are Goldman - aka to the busi- a joint Ebay lion. answer has also returned and selling ‘Bensons Emporium’. staff told the he refused to happy ness of buying antiques, it Village post office he regularly While he seems Olive Press that addressed to questions, Couling, her two coins, stamps and with can be revealed. month lease collects parcels ‘sends living two cats in the daughters and Monte’, and also propRenting on a six Berkshire ‘Del packages’. modest three-bedroom in the charming he and many erty. village of Kintbury, are Kintbury’s (top) with Suzanne While the pair conversation, UK bolthole and hottest topic ofseen and ‘keep HIDEOUT: Goldman’s a parking ticket. why he they are rarely themselves’. to say to you, with understand themselves to live nearby “I have nothing if a trafto meeting “I don’t hasn’t been arrested, but I look forward happier in Couling’s family find him then he called down. BRITS are stillreports sugfic warden can in Hungerford.secretive man you again,” can,” said Spain, despite have abansurely the police In fact, the who wished to is seemingly gesting 90,000 dream. the neighbour, from Del Monte leaving the Parking ticket doned the expatOlive Press remain anonymous. village only ever seen the post office. An exclusive but “Everyone in the more than whathouse to go to Press conhair was disheveled, he’s Goldman, survey found that of our readWhen the Olivehis country- His did not have the mous- knows three quarters since makhe he ever name he goes under.” his fronted him in refused tache some have claimed who deleted is ers are happier part of his Goldman, side retreat, Goldman recently, door, instead now sporting as ing the move. Facebook accountinvestigated to come to thehis head out of is disguise. Coul- currently being see No briefly poking to return millions For the full story, The previous morning, dream on leaving the for failing his bedroom window. in his fiend to Spanish ing was seen load up their of euros to investors page 4. house at 9am to Zafira with nancial companies. Olive silver Vauxhall off, possibly Various victims told the are practically boxes and head Press that theylosing their life after to a car boot sale. Building explained that destituteto his schemes, that One neighbour Costa Del Sols Leading into the savings since 1996. Page 4 the day they moved warden arContinues on and Window Specialist, house, a traffic the couple rived and issued
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girls A PAIR of young Max Clifdophile PR guru on the ford sexually assaulted led to his Costa del Sol have conviction. visiClifford - a long-time and involved tor to the coast local events in charities and guilty of - has been found sexual assault, eight counts of mostly on minors.groomed on At least two were being lured in the coast, afterof stardom. with promises here with his He is pictured Kenny Lynch showbiz chum at a bash in Marbella.
AN ecological nightmare, hundreds of “This is ancient oaks parently stand ap- attempt a cynical and botched to Pulled up for dead. around the create ambience a huge golf golf course roproject, they macand line up in ee- create space,” said rie rows like tree surgeon war graves Somme. in the very Kit Hogg. “I am sure few of these Many centuries old, they have trees will survive. protected been sacrifi It is disgusting.” ced for Europe’s insatiable desire Despite ongoing holiday homes. for golf and stop the work, EU efforts to Part of investigations and – crucially costaficationthe unrelenting guarantee – no of Andalucia, of they sound Los Merinos,water, work at the death knell nature conservation near for continues unchecked. Ronda in southern Spain. This is the true price of golf.
The hulking shell SWATHES of set for a 311-room of concrete - once rural Andalucia danger of being are in mega resort - has remained an eyesore a new planning concreted over after for years after work was halted by the regional law was brought in Bunkers are also by the courts. Green groups government. 700-home golf being dug to stop a tas en Accion including Ecologisand Greenpeace Nerja, which course scheme, near joined with hundreds will see the develophave ment of one of of local associations to fight final stretches the Costa del Sol’s fronts opened on a series of new And protestersof pristine coast. up during the crisis. COVID digging in to in Mijas are also SOON LEGAL?: They are up Algarrobico used to build stop the law being called LISTA in arms over the so- one, but TWO in woods overlooking the sea at El Chaparral. new hotels the lockdown law - passed during beaches in the supposedlyon virgin The first of many - that is set to dozens of previously protect- took allow ed natural planned place outside council protests outlawed proj- The first park of Cabo de Gata. ects to go ahead. involves offices in la In particular, a 30-room hotel the green light for It Cala de Mijas this week. activists are outraged could also see about a controversial famous Bahia near the globally Valdevaqueros the controversial de Los Genoveses new golf beach, while course in Nerja, of homes go project of hundreds the second is for stand of woodlandas well as a final star hotel close up on a heavily-proa two- tected in Mijas. They are also de San Pedro to the pristine Cala Under virgin beach, near Tarifa. bay furious about the recently not Protestors fear the(pictured above). resubmitted project, backed new law will by now allow the legalization of also Rosa Quintana, TV celebrity Ana the stunning nearby El Algarro- between Bolonia and Tarifa area bico hotel, see a series of hotels get built.would Ecologists are built also worried disgracefully Los Merinos project for that the on a virgin courses and hundreds two-golf of housbeach, near es on UNESCO-protected Carboneras, land near Ronda could be virgin due to a despite being quashed by revived, the Sup l a n n i n g preme Court. mix up. Fairway to hell: See page 6
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Here’s to the next 15!
On behalf of all at the British Embassy and Consulates, I want to wish huge congratulations to all at the Olive Press on your 15th anniversary. The English language press plays a vital role in keeping UK nationals in Spain informed. And we very much appreciate your help in getting key messages out to UK nationals here. After an incredibly difficult year for so many of us, including many businesses, it is great to see the Olive Press thriving. We look forward to seeing what the next 15 years bring. BRITISH CONSUL CHARMAINE ARBOUIN
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PAGE 19
EXCLUSIVE: snare one of Expat tip leads Olive Press UK’s most wanted team paedophiles to
EAGLE-EYED readers helped Olive Press snag one of BritWORDS AND ain’s most wanted By Rob HorganPICS Spain, just hours fugitives in and Laurence Dollimore after he had been named. Following a tip off to the paper, al Crime Agency, who arrived suspected paedophile the scene after at the arrest. Matthew “Well Sammon was campervan in dragged from his thanks done Olive Press and to the expat community time raid and a dramatic night- for tipping us off, this is the an unmarked whisked away in son we reapolice car. run these Working closely The dramatic campaigns.” day had started Daniel Reid, with informant when Crimestoppers firstly track we were able to annual issued its to Fuengirola, down Sammon tives in list of most wanted fugiTorremolinos Guardia Civil then call in the day morning. on ThursOn the run forto arrest him. two years, Sam- Leading to hundreds mon - a blackbelt of press stories around in Jujitsu the world and was wanted in the UK for shar-- on national television, ing indecent images the hunt was immediately on. His seizure came of children. But, it was to popular just 10 hours after he was named local newspaper the in Opera- that Olive Press tion Captura and expat plasterer recorded arrest is the quickest reached Reid, out to, trusting 40, in the joint UK and Spanish police us to SUCCESS: ‘do the job properly’. Reid, Horgan, “It was a fantastic operation. Reynolds and result,” said In a series of Facebook Brunt Steve Reynolds, from the Nation- sages, he announced that mes- as a labourer and was Sammon, 45, had worked for him living in a campervancurrently around the Mijas and Fuengirola area.
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Within an hour, team scrambled the Olive Press car, Sammon learning from to Fuengirola, and remainedcovered his face another builder silent when that he was currently questioned by the Olive camped He was out at the feria then bundled Press. ground. After a day working into the BMW and taken nearby, the be Londoner duly fingerprinted to Madrid to English-plated arrived in his for extradition. and prepared cream Moncayo campervan. Following the Parking up, he two Reid said arrest, father-ofhe was ‘relieved’ as he took his looked relaxed to see Sammon dog for a walk taken away. around the feria “As ground and the soon as I saw his face among spoke with neighbours. most wanted I felt sick,” Once identified, said Reid, from we called the Guardia Civil “I let him hang Blackpool. and Crimestoppers and so began dren, we took around my chila tense threehim in with open hour waiting arms and at first game, with Reid were none the sitting in the car wiser. Sky News crime beside us. “But we always reporter Martin Brunt was a bit weird, he’s thought he was Eventually, assoon there too. never talks abouta real loner and his family. and truly fell, night had well “He creeped an unmarked my family out black BMW much that so plain clothes arrived and two Incredibly, I fired him.” detectives swiftly police moved in for the evidence from did not take any arrest, confishis campervan cating his passport cluding his computer inand phone. and other Frisking him at the side of CONTINUES the ON
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Getting things done
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ROM its very first issue in 2006 the Olive Press has been campaigning for its community. Whether fighting for the environment or digging into crooks, we have taken some big scalps. Starting from Issue One (see top right) we highlighted the ridiculous plans to build 2000 houses, two golf courses and two hotels on UNESCO-protected land near Ronda, as well as exposed the madness of building a 350-room monstrosity on a virgin beach in Almeria’s Cabo de Gata. Both schemes - Los Merinos, in Ron- maverick Jeremy Griffiths, and Nigel da, and the Algarrobico hotel, in Alme- Goldman, a degenerate gold-dealing ria - went into reverse after our stories dirt-bag, who had a restaurant column made the UK AND Spanish national in a local newspaper, which he used to newspapers and green groups includ- cover his tracks. ing Greenpeace and Ecologistas en Ac- We also tackled timeshare crook Toni Muldoon, who certainly deserves a cion joined our protests. And then there were the crooks, like mention for conning thousands of peoCrimestoppers’ Most Wanted Daniel ple and eventually went to prison for Johnston, a bank robber, and Matthew setting up fake escort websites. Sammon, a dangerous paedophile, Meanwhile, our crime reporting on who we single-handedly tracked down missing teen Amy Fitzpatrick ‘blew open to a village near Sevilla and a car park the case’, to use the words of her grandmother, while our continuing investigain Fuengirola. And fraudsters like David ‘the dogman’ tion into missing Maddie McCann has yielded exclusive after exclusive, with its Klein, pet transport frequent links to Spain.
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...and our team of long-term writers, recall their decade and a half living in the world’s most exciting country. See pull-out inside.
THE warning from The Safeguarding Alliance came as a Gibraltar teacher was charged with sexual offences against children whilst in a position of trust. British national Claire Treacy, 25, of Midtown, Queensway, a teacher in a Gibraltar school, was on Tuesday charged with five counts of “Sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust,” according to a statement by Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP). The charges follow her arrest in November 2020 by detectives from the RGP Safeguarding Team following a report made to police, and come at the end of an extensive investigation into activity she had reportedly engaged in with two separate victims (both of whom are now adults), on diverse dates between 2018 and 2020. Gibraltar has its own Public Protection Unit containing the specialist Designated Risk Management Team (DRMT). “It’s primary purpose is the risk management of sex offenders within our community and of those that move into our community, no matter what efforts they make to disguise their identity,” explained a spokesman from the RGP. “DRMT officers receive specialist training to enable them to carry out their role, which they perform in close collaboration with law enforcement counterparts in other jurisdictions, particularly in the UK,” he added. www.villaparadisospain.com
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See pages 29 & 21/6/19 32
for 18 “We worked together at the school gomonths, took on private classes together for ing to the homes of some of the children summer extracurricular teaching and ran a said the camp at the school during 2018,”horror at Irish colleague, who is filled with the access he had to children. the day The Olive Press has discovered that his after sentencing in the UK he changed Lewis name by deed poll from Ben David just 15 to Ben David, in a process that takes minutes. a British He then applied for and received also prepassport in his new name, while he Israeli sented a doctored photocopy of his a passport stamped and verified by showed that firm law non-existent his name as Ben David Rose. The Olive Press has seen photocopies of these, plus a teaching degree and Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) certificates presented in the name ALL AREAS COVERED of Ben David Rose as well as certificates in his original name. 4G UNLIMITED What is amazing is that by April 2019 he had applied for a teaching INTERNET job at a leading private school in the IDEAL FOR upmarket Arturo Soria district that STREAMING TV teaches the British curriculum to the ALSO IPTV, children of Madrid’s elite. By now he also had a DBS certificate SATELLITE TV
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schools where he was arrested for abusing at least 36 children. We reported how Ben Lewis, 31, had changed his name by deed poll, applied for a new British passport, and dodged criminal record checks despite being on the UK’s sex offenders register. Police in Spain issued a statement last week describing Lewis - or Ben David Rose, as he is now known - as ‘a dangerous child sexual predator’. The National Police press release ruled that he had used his position as a teacher at private schools in Madrid to gain access to children whom he photographed and filmed.
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EXCLUSIVE: OP splash NAMES: two different passports
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after a EXCLUSIVE: Private school warning moved to Spain, convicted British paedophile and found dodged criminal record checks work as an English teacher
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THE UK’s leading child protection group is calling on authorities to tighten the recruitment process of English teachers abroad. The plea by The Safeguarding Alliance aims to protect the country against a British legal loophole that has allowed potentially hundreds of British paedo-
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Bracing for Brexit
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Vol. 11 Issue 257
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- January 31st
2017
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THERESA May has vowed Britain won’t half out’ Brexitaccept a ‘half in, speech that is in a landmark likely to have long-lasting effects on Gibraltar and all expats in Spain. The Prime Minister issued 12-point plan to take Britaina out of the EU, ing Street looking with Downto scrap EU single market and current customs union access. In the biggest month tenure,speech of her sixclear, what I amshe said: “To be proposing cannot mean membership of the single market.” She added Britain would no longer give ‘huge EU, however she sums’ to the Parliament will conceded that vote on the deal. have the final Maintaining the common travel area between the United Kingdom and EXCLUSIVE Ireland is also the Republic of By Gabrielle a priority during Pickard-Whitehead the Brexit negotiations. and Laurence However, the Dollimore tar with Spainborder of Gibral- A BRITISH was not menexpat rushed to the tioned. after finding five has called in police vets he died 30 later. of her dogs executed minutes a late-night massacre. in An X-ray showed The Guardia in 2004, found Control shot through the he also had a bullet ing the horrificCivil are now investigatin their pens onthe five rescue dogs shot Meanwhile, roof of his mouth. “We want to attack that one of the Reyes (ThreeJanuary 6, the night of was migration fromcontrol our im- of Illona Mitchell’s horses also left one also attacked, Mitchell’s 12 horses Kings). with its eye Her beloved seven-year-old so savagely May. “We also the EU,” said gouged out. eye may have to be removed. that its of the friendliest Dizzy, ‘one Vets importance of recognise the The detectives from the have been struggling environment the brightest section Seprona meet’ and a puppydogs you will ever four-year-old, and the best coming to treat the told called Maisie shot dead at the here. We it was one of the worstMitchell, 48, that were he has become named Rocco, because recognise the attacks too nervous and Meanwhile Cocogates of their pens. have made.” contribution they seen and were visibly shocked they had Deeply traumatised skittish. They have put shot in their beds, and Domingo, were thankfully by the May is believed on extra patrolsby it. with Mitchell was not seen attack - that ing they had by her daughpermit system to favour a work- an eye on the estate at weekendsto keep cowered in their believ- ter Ella, 11 - Mitchell night. before being killed and at kennels so angry continued: “I trigger Article as she looks to in cold blood. am that someone “I am sickened Coco, two, had would do someIt comes as the50 by March. thing as disgusting as to why range betweenbeen shot at point-blank animals.” as this to innocent published data House of Lords would carry out such a cruel someone the eyes, while and bar- week. year-old Domingo three- Mitchell, der closure withshowing a bor- baric attack on innocent, was shot through from side of his face. put 40% of jobs Spain would animals,” she told the Olivedefenceless The mother-of-one, the tack is linked Chester, believes the atto her recent Press this her at risk in Giabove, who bought They later found braltar. ban hunters from decision to estate in mountains Jack, a six-year-old near Granada German Shepherd, having The 32 page-report, estate that sits her huge 173-hectare in under a nearby convulsions the based on Gibraltar Sierra de Baza. stunning scenery in tree, but despite government evibeing dence, estimates Continues on Rock’s 26,000 10,500 of the Page 4 the border daily.workers crossed Opinion Page Est 1984 6 “A frontier which necessary fluidity lacked the fore put directly would thereAntiques, Jewellers of 40% of the at risk the jobs For all your Gibraltar workforce,” said a spokesman. & Pawnbrokers insurance needs! May’s speech A huge variety was cheered of over Leave campaigners, by 1 carat diamond pushing for a ‘hard’ who are Brexit. jewellery. She said:“We adopt a model do not seek to HIGH STREET PRICES: already enjoyed estepona@ibexinsure.com by other countries. Choose one of 7,000€+ We do not our great OUR PRICE: 1,500 seek to hold on lens offers or - 2,000€ get 30% bership as we to bits of memoff selected “The British leave,” said May. Fuengirola frames UNBEATABLE change. And people voted for PRICES GUARANTEED See our ad inside it is the government’s job to deliver WE BUY, WE for details. fuengirola@ibexinsure.com it.”
SLAUGHTER Expat’s rescue animals mercilessly killed over ‘hunting row’
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ive Press highlights this loophole and as shocking as this is, it is nothing new and unfortunately represents just the tip of the iceberg as to the magnitude of this problem.” She warned: “Whilst the status quo remains in situ this significant and very dangerous safeguarding loophole will continue to pose a threat, not just to UK Nationals, but to the rest of the world, putting children and those most vulnerable at risk,” she warned. “There are potentially hundreds - if not thousands - of known sex offenders slipping under the radar in the UK to seek work abroad where they can continue to abuse children,” she continued. “This loophole is arguably the biggest safeguarding scandal the world has ever seen and there is an opportunity for Spain to lead the way in tackling it at a global level,” she said. Her charity wants Spain to introduce the need to present an original birth certificate alongside a passport and criminal record checks that would allow potential employers to unearth a change of identity. “It’s a simple way to provide that extra check,” she insisted. “The severity and danger this loophole presents to the whole world cannot be underestimated.” An extensive report by The Safeguarding Alliance is being used to lobby the UK parliament for a legal change in the management of registered sex offenders. It explains how the current system relies on the registered sex offender to notify the police with details of any name change, alongside any change of address and passport information. “Currently the onus lies solely with the offender and although it is an offence to fail to notify, one could argue this is not a deterrent as the offender already has the propensity to commit very serious crimes,” states the report, seen by the Olive Press.
ión SD:Lzou-Jz3F-aZYs-CcBb es Código Seguro de Verificac 23456789-$: en https://sede.mjusticia.gob. bcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz01 Puede verificar este documento ión: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZa Código Seguro de Verificac Juego de caracteres del
Olive Press exclusive investigation leads to child protection plea from United Kingdom charity MINISTERIO DE JUSTICIA
REGISTRO CENTRAL DE DELINCUENTES SEXUALES
Gerente Territorial en ZARAGOZA CERTIFICA: de la Base de Datos del Registro Central Que, en el día de la fecha, consultada a: NO CONSTA información penal relativa
Delincuentes Sexuales,
nº 22807454 D./Dª BEN DAVID ROSE con Pasaporte 26 de febrero, relativa a la organización Marco 2009/315/JAI del Consejo de Conforme a lo dispuesto en la Decisión entre los Estados miembros, de los registros de antecedentes penales y al contenido del intercambio de información caso, las condenas impuestas por otros el presente certificado incluye, en su tratándose de ciudadanos españoles, condenas hayan sido notificadas, sin en los mismos términos en que tales Europea, Unión la de miembros Estados de condena y los tipos delictivos entre los tipos delictivos del Estado que exista necesariamente una equiparación nacionales.
El presente certificado refleja la situación
del titular interesado/a en la fecha de
su expedición.
Zaragoza a 29 de agosto de 2017
DANGER: Lewis got teaching post, with help of ‘fake’ papers Pagina 1 de 1 Ref: 00003143792/2017
Signature Not Verified
Through extensive research and case law The Safeguarding Alliance has identified that offenders are not notifying as required and are continuing to abuse children by changing their names and obfuscating their identities as seen through the case of Ben Lewis/ Rose absconding overseas to continue to abuse. Documento firmado electrónicamente
Undermined
“As a result, the effectiveness of important legislation, the Sex Offenders Register, the Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme, the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, the DBS are undermined and effectively rendered redundant,” it states. “The case of Ben Lewis/Rose highlights why Spain should be aware of this very serious safeguarding loophole and should pioneer an international movement to protect its children from those abusers who slip under the radar using the name change loophole,” Konstantas added. Opinion Page 6
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NEWS IN BRIEF Crushing sadness CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo wrote to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to express his condolences over the deaths of 45 people in the Meron disaster.
Miles away CATHOLIC priest Mark Miles, who was born in Gibraltar, was given the title of Archbishop so he could take over a religious position in Benin and Togo.
Border work COMMUTERS going into Spain from Gibraltar will find the main road through the frontier closed for essential works at certain times during the week ending on May 7.
Fired up A FIRE engine rolled into Governor’s Meadow School for a talk with children about the dangers of fire after a suspected arson attack in April.
a
CRIME
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Fakers floored
By Fiona Govan
MUSCLE cheats will be reeling after raids on anabolic steroid and hormone suppliers in La Linea and other parts of Spain. Policia Nacional agents arrested a gang suspected of stealing medicine from La Linea Hospital before repackaging them using false branding to make the illegal steroids look real. They were sold to bodybuilders at two gyms in La Linea. In total, the Policia Nacional arrested 21 people and seized three million doses of the steroids in raids carried out across Spain including La Linea, Ciudad Real, Almeria, Castellon and Malaga.
A MAN is on trial for killing his mother, chopping her into pieces and eating her remains. The self-confessed cannibal also admitted feeding pieces of her to his pet dog. Alberto Sanchez Gomez is accused of strangling his 66-year-old mother before chopping her into pieces and cooking her. When he was arrested in 2019 at his mother’s home near Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, police said they found body parts scattered around the apartment - some kept in tupperware boxes. At the time of her death, his mother, Maria Soledad Gomez, had a restraining order
White lines
A LA LINEA man found with £1,200 worth of cocaine while riding into Gibraltar has been arrested and charged with drug trafficking offences. Spanish national, Luis Miguel Rojas de Federico, 48, was stopped by RGP Drug Squad officers as he rode his motorbike into Gibraltar early Monday morning. Officers searched him and found 17 wrappers containing a total of 21 grams of cocaine that can be sold on the street for
just over £1,200. Detectives questioned Rojas de Federico and charged him with owning, importing and planning to sell Class A drugs on the Rock. The La Linea de la Concepcion resident, whose motorbike was seized, faces trial at the Magistrates Court. Gibraltar Customs supported the operation carried out by the Royal Gibraltar Police in its initiative to stamp out drug trafficking in the area.
May 5th - May 18th 2021
‘Ate own mum’ On trial for ‘killing, cooking and eating’ mother against her son after repeated incidents of domestic violence. Police were called by a con-
Rocky ride A LOCAL man who drove the wrong direction up a one way Gibraltar street causing £10,000 of damage has been sent to prison for six weeks. Nizar Benyoussef, 23, of Alameda Estate, was also disqualified from driving for three years for driving without valid insurance. The incident occurred at 2am on Sunday, when Benyoussef drove the wrong way up Prince Edward’s Road. He crashed into an oncoming car not once but twice, causing it to skid and burn its tyres as it was pushed up hill.
cerned friend who hadn’t seen the pensioner for several days and who worried that some harm may have come to her. On entering the apartment they came across a gruesome scene; the corpse had reportedly been cut up using a carpenter’s saw and kitchen knives into dozens of pieces that were discovered stored in plastic boxes and mixed up with household waste in bin bags. At the time of the arrest when he was 26, it was reported that Sanchez confessed to police that he had cooked her up before eating her and feeding bits to his dog.
Voices
He told the court that he ‘heard voices on the television and in his head’ telling him to ‘kill his mother’. But the defendant has now told Madrid’s Provincial Court that he does not remember dismembering and eating his mother. State prosecutors are calling for a sentence of 15 years and 5 months.
Hash hush POLICE are investigating how drug smugglers recruited teenagers to help unload bales from speedboats and act as lookouts in Algeciras. A total of 37 people, three of them minors, were arrested by the Policia Nacional under Operacion Tuerca. Investigators identified the leader of the gang as Agapito El Rubio, a member of the Chatarrero clan, which was recently dismantled.
Arrested Police sources revealed the teenagers arrested were aged between 14 and 16 and were recruited by the 17-year-old son of the gang leader. Also seized were eight speedboats, €18,000 in cash, pricey surveillance equipment and 5.3 tons of hashish valued at €12 million in a series of raids, Investigators said the operation to catch El Rubio involved tapping 104 telephones. A total of 250 agents from the Agencia Tributaria and Policia Nacional were needed to take down the drug baron and his gang.
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NEWS I’ll be back
www.theolivepress.es WHETHER it was jealousy, disgruntled staff or unfair competition, Elliott Wright has promised that the arsonists who razed his Costa del Sol restaurant will ‘only make it better’ in the long run. “I’m devastated, but it’s not going to stop me from my plans to have the best restaurant on the coast,” he told the Olive Press this week. “It’s going to be absolutely stunning, a million miles better than anywhere else. “We are working on the designs over the next few days.
May 5th - May 18th 2021
EXCLUSIVE By Jon Clarke
DESTROYED: Olivia’s It will be beautiful. The upstairs part in particular is going to be completely dif-
ferent.” The entrepreneurial Playa in Marbella TV star had only
Gin and bear it
PROTESTORS have vowed to carry on the fight after a controversial golf macroproject for an untouched stretch of coast cleared a major hurdle. More than 200 people, including many expats, had gathered at Nerja town hall to oppose the scheme, put forward by the powerful Larios gin family in nearby Maro. They had hoped to stop Nerja
O
just recruited a brand new team - including a chef and manager and vowed to fight for a Michelin star - when arsonists torched his restaurant in the middle of the night two weeks ago. The popular celebrity hot spot in La Cala de Mijas was badly damaged in the fire,
PROTEST: 200 gathered
Battle to protect unspoiled coast goes on as Larios family clear major hurdle, writes James Warren mayor Jose Alberto Armijo and his Maro counterpart Encarnacion Moreno, join councillors and unions to let the proposal move to the next stage at a critical planning meeting inside the town hall. While they voted to allow the
NCE upon a time, when the world was young and the Costa del Sol was only just waking from its slumber, I halted on a hilltop somewhere east of Malaga and surveyed the coast, writes David Baird. Bordering an empty, sandy beach, fields of sugar cane stretched to the horizon. Maybe here, I thought, I could buy a piece of land to build my dream house. "Señor," I said, accosting a passing countryman. "Who owns this land?" He gaped at me, amazed at my ignorance. "Lario, hombre, Lario!" He said. "All this belongs to Lario." The name meant nothing to me. But I soon learned that ‘Lario’ was, in fact, the Larios family, one of the richest in Spain. The family owns a great mansion in the centre of Madrid, estates in Albacete — and vast stretches of the Málaga and Granada coast. A statue of the second Marquis de Larios stands in the centre of Málaga near Calle Larios, the most expensive retail street in Andalucia. Travel from Estepona to Motril and you come across various ancient sugar mills that once treated the cane from the family estates.
proposal to progress, as yet no decision has been taken on whether the land will be reclassified for development. Local farmers, who fear losing their land, set up a stall to display the vast array of fruit and vegetables grown on the Maro
allotments that will be lost under the development scheme. “We cannot let this project continue,” said Rafael Yus, of Ecologistas en Acción in front of the gathered crowd. “The project has been born from lies and will destroy an un-
It’s bound to happen Then, when Larios could no longer compete with cheaper sugar from the West Indies, Egypt and Pakistan, along came the tourism boom and the value of Larios’ land multiplied. Tourists proved much more profitable than sugar cane and Larios has since sown innumerable apartment blocks along the empty beach I once viewed. Far removed from this tourist cacophony was the village of Maro, just east of Nerja. There the Larios family still has a mansion, the Virgen de las Maravillas, visited every August for many years by the Marquesa de Larios. Virtually all the land she could see belonged to her family. The ‘colonos’ (or tenant farmers) paid peppercorn rents for small plots of land and shacks and worked for Larios at cane-cutting and sugar-making. Though these local farmers had been there forever, few had paperwork proving their rights. Feudalism was a way of life in Maro. And had been for centuries. No problem...until, back in the 1990s, Larios decided to take over the land so that a
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golf course and hundreds of luxury villas could be built. That provoked a revolt. Angry colonos marched in protest and staged a days-long sit-in inside the famous Nerja cave. Eventually some sort of settlement was reached. Some colonos received compensation for handing over their land, some legalised their arrangement with Larios, some families were torn apart by squabbles between relations. Eventually the project will happen, of course, after all the legal barriers, the red tape etc. have been negotiated. That piece of land is too valuable to leave untouched and Nerja folk are not going to say no to anything that attracts more visitors and ultimately more cash. They’ll argue the vast majority of the town is on their side…insisting of around 20,000 locals how many turned up to voice objections? A few hundred is not enough. The next protest will need to be much bigger.
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which began around 5am on April 26. A police investigation is still probing the blaze, which Wright, 41, believes was started by a competitor. “The Guardia Civil told me that is their theory although they can’t say too much,” he revealed this week. “They have CCTV of them and they are investigating. “It’s either jealousy, a member of staff I sacked, or com-
www.villaparadisospain.com
touched and beautiful stretch of land surrounding Maro.” His group has been joined by Greenpeace in opposing the scheme that will see over 45 hectares of protected land levelled to make way for a luxury hotel, golf course and urbanisation of over 500 villas. “The entire project does not abide by European regulations, and we doubt the legitimacy of the agreement,” ex-mayor Rosa Arrabal, of the PSOE told the Olive Press.
Holes
“We are still going to try to stop the final approval of the plan. While they have a majority we are going to ask again for it to be tabled to demand that the legal requirements are met. “I’m hopeful. If we all unite, there are holes in the agreement that they are trying to pass, and these things have to be addressed,” said Arrabal. “We must search for a more sustainable solution,” added Andres Jimenez, from the UPNer party. “We only have to look at other golf projects along the coast to know that they are not a viable tourist model, despite the numbers that Larios SL promises.” Jon Stein, local activist and resident of Maro, said: “The decision today is disappointing, but the fight goes on.”
3
petition. I’ve got no enemies and think it’s competition. “Quite a few new restaurants have opened up off the back of my success. Eradicating me then you have 600 people a night going to eat elsewhere. That is a lot of people and a lot of money. The Guardia Civil told me that.” He added:”I just can’t believe the timing just a week after I buried my dad. How could they do that?’ His main problem now is timing to try and get the place up and running before the summer season. The insurance company handling the claim are ‘taking longer’ than hoped and he is juggling a lot of things’. “I’m pulling my hair out and having to juggle a lot of things,” he told the Olive Press. “I was hoping they were going to pay out in two weeks but the insurance is saying 40 days now. “We are also trying to source things from all over the world during this pandemic - trying to get 300 to 400 square metres of tiles quickly is proving difficult.” He meanwhile thanked all the goodwill from expats on the coast and from friends and family back home.
Rebuild
In particular he thanked his former TOWIE colleague James ‘Arg’ Argent who vowed to come over and help him rebuild. “If Arg wants to come out and help he’s more than welcome,” he revealed.”But I’ve seen him labouring before and he’s more of a hindrance than a help. He spends all his time talking to the builders and getting in the way. It would be better for him to come at the end for the relaunch.” It came after Arg appeared on TV show Loose Women in the UK to say he was ‘rooting for him’. He said: “If anyone can turn this around and build Olivia’s back to where it was, it’s Elliott and we’re all rooting for him. “Even if it means I’ve got to fly out to Spain when I can and start labouring and helping him out then I will.”
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Life of Luxury Explosion ANYONE familiar with the port area of Malaga will likely be accustomed to seeing some of the most luxurious floating palaces in the world moored to its jetties. This week has been no exception, as the Dutch designed behemoth known as Tango docked into the capital showing off its impressive size and quirky features. Arriving from Gibraltar, Tango is owned by the Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, owner of the Renova Group and currently sitting 262nd on Forbes rich list with a net worth of $9.3 billion. The 77-metre yacht was built in the Dutch Feadship Royal Van Lent shipyard and delivered to Vekselberg in 2011 at a cost of $120 million. It has the capacity to house 14 guests with 22 crew members and can cruise at a brisk 21 knots thanks to its four powerful M70 engines. Housed behind its impressive silhouette is a full length lounge, swimming pool, numerous gyms, a cinema, spa and jacuzzi as well as a helipad and a watersports platform at the rear. What makes this superyacht unusual is its ‘muscular’ shape, much wider compared to other similar vessels, and this is down to the fact it houses a 10 metre and 6.5 metre speedboat in its hull. The smaller tenders, mini super yachts in themselves, were designed by British ship builders Compass Tenders and emerge from small openings in the hull to transport its passengers to shore. Tango will be in Malaga until Friday before it takes sail across the Mediterranean towards Italy.
May 5th - May 18th 2021
memorial
Homes pledge from Gib government
A WREATH marked the 70th anniversary of the Bedenham explosion in 1951 which killed 13 people including some locals. The Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia, Mayor John Gonçalves and heads of the fire services attended the ceremony on April 27. On that morning 70 years ago, one of the depth charges being loaded onto a barge caught fire. It spread to the Bedenham, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship, which exploded and sank.
THE GSLP/Liberals have pledged to provide 4,000 family homes by the end of their third consecutive term, justifying their socialist credentials. The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, hit back at Opposition criticism of delayed apartment blocks despite the GSD itself having a poor record on public housing. The Rock’s government issued a statement to confirm it would meet targets to build close to 2,500 new homes and said
Familiar paradise By John Culatto
1,000 were already being used by residents. The housing department are waiting for 665 more flats to be built, with a further 719 being
allocated to be sold or rented from public stock. Since first getting back into office in 2011, they have provided over 1,600 homes for rental, they said. The Government called the GSD attempt to ‘jump on the bandwagon’ over housing ‘absurd’ and ‘desperate’, criticising areas on which it was weak during its own 16 years in office. However, the Government did admit there was work to be done to continue to fill people’s needs.
Deserving
Paper power A STUDENT from Gibraltar College astounded the mayor with his origami skills in a recent visit to the City Hall. Antonio Olivero expects to fold his way into international fame with his paper skills, much to the amazement of the
mayor John Goncalvez. Olivero explained how mathematical formulae go into the design of every origami sculpture, much to the delight of City Hall staff. It followed a visit by the mayor to the Gibraltar College of Further Education where he saw classrooms and a vegetable garden students had made.
“There are deserving cases waiting to be housed, many of whom are in private sector accommodation owned by private landlords,” said a government spokesperson. “Assistance will always be provided where possible in a way which does not involve jumping the queue.” The local TV station recently filmed a documentary of an elderly person living in derelict private housing. It led to a live radio clash between Housing for Action’s Henry Pinna and Minister for Housing Steven Linares.
Christopher Bourne, ExeDipMed, ACIArb Mediator/Family Mediator Why Mediation? ■Mediation saves money ■Mediation is quicker compared to a court action ■Mediation works • It can be used for many types of conflicts • It is practical, safe, private and it is completely Confidential • It can help to maintain relationships and provide opportunities for personal growth • It can offer unique solutions not available through court • It provides settlement agreements that can be enforced. • Settlement rates are high • People are very satisfied with the mediation process. For a consultation, please call me on Tel. 00350 200 70333
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Climate battlers GIBRALTAR continued to lead British overseas territories and Crown dependencies in the fight against climate change during recent meetings. Minister John Cortes chaired a virtual meeting of environmental heads from 14 territories as well as UK representatives. Climate change was top of the bill, with many of the British territories concerned over the severe weather and rising sea levels. The territories are trying to change their economies to lower their carbon footprint ahead of the COP26 in Glasgow this September.
Biodiversity
The territories might be small in population but they have 90% of the biodiversity on British soil, making climate change a bigger factor. This is why environment ministers discussed ‘nature-based solutions for dealing with climate change’ and ‘rewilding’ in the two days of meetings. Cortes led the group in discussing the impact of Brexit and the importance to keep climate change as a top priority despite the hit to the economy. Together the Overseas Territories (OTs) decided to send a letter of support to St Vincent and the Grenadines, a Carribean island which recently suffered from a volcanic eruption.
Play away
TWO children’s parks on the Rock have reopened their doors after being made safer. Cathedral Square Park and Moorish Castle Estate playground have been given a new look and had more safety flooring added. Workers also restored fences around the parks and restored the traditional benches to their former glories as well as removing dangerous concrete areas as suggested by parents and carers. Minister for Leisure Steven Linares said he was ‘delighted with the finished article’ after the work had finished. “The area was in need of work and I am now satisfied that all health and safety concerns have been addressed.” POLICE are warning Gibraltar and Campo residents of an instant messaging scam that could lead to financial loss. The Whatsapp scam tries to trick victims into handing over their one-time code used to install the smartphone messaging app on a phone. With this code attackers can gain access to personal information which can then be used to carry out fraud. RGP Detective Chief Inspector Paul Chipolina explained how the scam is carried out
May 5th - May 18th 2021
Restraining COVID-19
GIBRALTAR labs will now be able to identify the strain of any COVID-19 case within 72 hours. The Gibraltar Health Authority pulled together a team of experts to carry out the genome sequencing to avoid delays getting results back from Public Health England. “The results have taken up to two months to be reported due to a backlog caused by the large number of sequences being carried out in the UK,” said Dr
Code scammers and asked phone users of the popular app to bear these tactics in mind. “On some occasions, a scammer will already have access to a compromised WhatsApp account and may contact a victim posing as a known friend.” “The scammer will tell a victim that they are struggling to receive their own six-digit installation code and have sent it to them instead.
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
Testing success
Labs can identify coronavirus strains in just 72 hours By John Culatto
Cassaglia. “The local team aims to sequence all new positive cases in Gibraltar within 72 hours of a positive test so that the exact SARS-CoV-2 viral lineage can be identified early on.” This will allow not only Gibral“In other variations of the scam, fraudsters attempt to convince a potential victim that there is a problem with their WhatsApp account and that resetting this by using a one-time activation code will resolve it.” The RGP detective advised the public not to share their 6-digit pin with anyone. “This code is meant for you only,” DCI Chipolina. “If someone asks you to send the code, ignore it. “If you do fall victim to this type of scam, uninstall and then reinstall WhatsApp.”
tar’s cases to be identified but help the rest of the world understand the spread of the pandemic. Dr Cortes said: “The Gibraltar COVID Lab will be sharing all the virus sequences obtained in Gibraltar with the UK genome sequencing consortium (COG-UK) based at Cambridge University and in that way contribute to the world-wide knowledge of Covid variants and patterns of transmission.” This combined research could help discover new strains and find out how each variant behaves when faced with immunity from previous infection or vaccines. Minister for Health Samantha Sacramento said this new addition was proving ‘Gibraltar is punching well above its weight’ in this coronavirus crisis. “Thanks to this further innovation, the GHA can gain a better understanding of the epidemiology, transmissibility and origin of the different variants affecting us in Gibraltar,” said Sacramento.
NOBODY tested positive for COVID-19 after the world heavyweight battle held on the Rock on March 26. A raffle for boxing gloves signed by Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin attracted over half of the audience to be tested after the event. Public health officials swabbed more than 600 people before entering the Rumble on the Rock at the Europa Sports Centre. The two boxers then signed gloves to give the audience an incentive to get tested after the event. Boxing fan Anthony Gordillo won the boxing gloves, which he received with a big smile. Events organisers will also be smiling as this success could lead to Gibraltar being the only place where events can be held without risk of an outbreak. The Rumble on the Rock and international football match against the Netherlands only allowed access to those with a COVID-19 vaccine certificate.
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OPINION Lead the way! In a stark warning the UK’s leading victim protection group Safeguarding Alliance have insisted there are thousands of convicted child sex offenders who have slipped under the radar in the UK using legal means to change their name and avoid criminal record checks leaving them free to abuse again. Unfortunately, Spain is proving an attractive destination for these abusers, not just for those qualities we all enjoy; the good climate, great food and improved quality of life but because the recent drive towards bilingual education demands a constant supply of native English teachers not only in schools but for summer camps, au-pairs and private classes. Now we learn that it isn’t enough for schools or education boards to carry out the basic checks required, because a serious failing on the side of the British legal authorities has created a loophole that is ripe for exploitation. Spain isn’t to blame for that lack of joined up thinking on the side of the UK authorities but with one simple step it can instantly make it harder for British paedophiles to slip through the net and find work here. Demanding an original birth certificate alongside a passport and criminal record check will immediately identify someone who has changed their identity, and prove a vital step towards protecting our children from known sex offenders. Spain has already modernised its approach to tackling sex abuse with the introduction last month of Rhodes Law, named after British pianist James Rhodes, which extended the statute of limitations against abusers and makes it easier for victims to report crimes and testify against abusers. Now it has an opportunity to take steps before such crimes are committed and fix a UK failing by making it more difficult for known British abusers to gain employment in schools. Spain, this is your chance to lead the way. Publisher / Editor
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Charity begins in the homeland Migrant who wants Africans to stay at home wins top award in Spain By Graham Keeley in Barcelona
D
UMPED in the Sahara Desert by traffickers, forced to scavenge for food and drink his own urine to survive, Ousman Umar believed like scores of other African migrants before and since that he was going to die. But against all the odds, after a harrowing five year trek across the continent, he made it from Ghana to Spain where he became a successful entrepreneur with a masters degree from one of the country’s top business schools. He could have been the poster child for the
RECOGNISED: Ousman Umar
African dream of a better life in Europe. But Ousman didn’t want his fellow Africans to go through the same ordeal. So he set up a charity to help them make better lives at home instead of following in his own tortured footsteps.
Looking south
D
ominique de Pradt (pictured right) could not contain his malice towards Spain. As a diplomat for Napoleon (1808 Peninsula War) he found negotiating with the Spanish frustrating to the point of an impossibility, writes Jack Gaioni. He famously said: “Africa begins at the Pyrenees. It is an error of geography to assign Spain to Europe. Everything is African - its blood, manners, the way of making war, doing business and living life!” He argued that the two entities have ‘mixed too long and confused the race and customs’. Clearly, Dominique did not mean this as a compliment. Now Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, expounded on this sentiment but from a completely different perspective. Sanchez has launched what he called ‘the decade of Spain in Africa’. He met with the president of Ghana, the foreign ministers of Senegal and Kenya, and with the President of the African Development Bank, Sanchez announced an ambitious strategy to build closer economic and institutional ties between Spain and Africa. Calling the initiative the ‘Africa Focus 2023 Plan’, the formal event represents more aggressive support of economic partnerships, environmental issues, educational exchanges and energy development. Sanchez emphasized the fact Spain was receptive to the idea of working with the governments of Africa to stem the tide of perilous migration flows. He said that a ‘lack of opportunities’ was driving people away and that Spanish investments in Africa might help them stay.
Priority Sanchez is serious. Less than 10 days after the March conference, he boarded a plane for Angola and later Senegal – two priority countries in Spain’s efforts of stepping up collaboration with African nations. Sanchez views Angola as offering a great opportunity as that country seeks to diversify its economy from its status as an oil dependent nation. While in Luanda, Sanchez signed ‘agreements of understanding’ designed to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, engineering, energy, exports, insurance and banking. The Prime Minister then visited Elecnor - a Spanish energy substation which has a 30 years presence in Angola. His final visit was to the Dom Bosco Selesian School. Run by Spanish clergy, the school is active in promoting literacy, vocational training and care for high-risk youth. Sanchez continued his diplomacy with a visit to the West African coastal nation of Senegal. There, meeting with President Macky Sali, they signed a ‘memorandum of understanding’ to help mitigate migration flows. Calling the issue a ‘circular migration’, the leaders discussed ways to discourage the illegal (and sometimes deadly!) migration into Spain. Simultaneously they addressed ways of improving the organisation of the 71,000 Senegalese who live and work in Spain’s seasonal agricultural industry. Spain and Senegal hope the partnership would create 65,000 jobs in Senegal as well as promote entrepreneurship and vocational training. Sanchez concluded his charm offensive in Angola and Senegal by expressing his hopes that Spain continues as ‘Europe’s southern gateway to Afric’. Given the potential of Africa as the next big market, combined with that continent’s huge energy prospects, we wish Sanchez all the diplomatic luck in the world. Regarding the sentiment that ‘Africa begins at the Pyrenees’? Dominique de Pradt may have been partially riPYRENEES: Is this where Africa starts? ght but for the wrong reasons…
Now that work has won him a prestigious Princess of Girona Award ‘for social projects with innovative and tangible achievement’. "I still cannot believe I won this award,” says Ousman, who set up NASCO Feeding Minds with his brother Banasco Seidu Nuhu to buy computers, support educational projects and give children in Ghana a choice in their own future. “We are an NGO that is only funded by private donations and only functions thanks to our volunteers. “This recognition gives me the strength to keep working every day on this project and to continue helping with education so that no one should ever have to go through what I had to go through. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." The Princess of Girona Foundation praised the charity’s work in ‘building a transformative project which combines education, technology, and alliances and contributes solutions to the migration problem.
Corruption
For a time Ousman worked with rescue charity Proactiva Open Arms but now believes saving migrants from flimsy boats in the sea is not the answer. In his book, Journey to the Land of the Whites, published in Spain, he writes of the beatings and corruption he witnessed during his tortuous trek to Europe. He wishes he had never made the journey but carved out a life in Ghana instead. His remarkable story only came to light when the Canaries became the focus of Europe's migration crisis, where more than 23,000 migrants have poured in since January last year. The son of a witch doctor from a remote village, his mother died during childbirth, leading the elders to condemn him to death for being a 'bad spirit'. Only the intervention of his father saved him. Fleeing his homeland at 13, he trekked through Niger to the Libyan border with a group of around 40 migrants. Traffickers left them at the edge of the Sahara, where many died trying to cross the desert without food or water, eating what they could find and drinking their own urine.
Flimsy boat
After about a month they reached a village in southern Libya where he collapsed and was taken in by locals. Later he found work as a welder but life in that country, too, was tough for a black man. Determined to move on, he saved $2,000 to travel through Algeria to Morocco and Mauritania where he took a flimsy boat to the Canaries. At 18, he made it to Barcelona, the City of Dreams, where he spent two more years living rough, finally finding help from a generous Spanish family. They supported him while he studied for an MBA in business administration at Esade, ranked one of the top schools in Spain, and everything else is history. But he has never forgotten his homeland and regular visits to Ghana through his charity work have only strengthened that bond.
May 5th - May 18th 2021
www.theolivepress.es
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Big dig at Franco’s legacy Excavations into the lives of the prisoners who built the Valley of the Fallen give Europe’s last monument to facism a more PC spin
Olive Press We reach readers others can’t
T
HE Olive Press has been in a continuous state of growth for the past five years - and there’s no secret to our success. We are the only English-language paper dedicated solely to news about Spain. We also hire NCTJ trained journalists who write their own exclusives 38 and know how to source andMENS deliver A OR DENSA? Accused of faking COVID - live on air the most relevant and intriguing A stories for expats. This ethos has to our mind made us the most relevant English language newspaper to expats in Spain. And it seems that we are not alone in thinking this - a whole host of official government organisations have chosen the Olive Press’s six editions to publicise serious issues, which make us the newspaper of record for the expat communities in Spain. The AGE UK government OF PRINT!no less has used our pagTHE to reach Brits in Spain with a campaign of Ies informational adverts aimed at expats. These have been a crucial part of the government’s mission to help Brits deal with Brexit. Now the Diputacion de Malaga has followed suit to OPurge people to register on Puzzle solutions the padron. This is vitally important, not just so local councils can access improved government funding, but also so British expats can abide by Brexit rules and be protected by the UK Spanish agreement. And who is it the Norwegian police turned to when they wanted to put out a call for information? None other than the Olive Press of course. They knew that our newspapers - and website too - have roots deep in the local expat communities of many different nationalities in Spain. The best chance they had of reaching the people they needed was through us. The Government of Gibraltar too has turned to the Olive Press to try to attract, as has the University of Gibraltar in search of new students. And they are not alone - the Junta de Andalucia and local councils such as Benahavis have also recognised the advertising power of the Olive Press in the past few months. All these major governmental organisations have recognised that the Olive Press reaches readers that others can’t - call us to see how we can help you reach new customers too.
COLUMNISTS
March 24th - April 6th 2021
Getting a grip
IT was the last caller that did it. I was into the final three minutes of ‘Viewpoint’, the live radio show that I host every Tuesday that discusses the ‘issues of the day’. In the past four years those have tended to be Brexit, Boris, Trump and of course, coronavirus. Being the man in the middle of Viewpoint is always a white-knuckle ride, because you have no idea of just what the caller will say. As it is a live show, I‘ve developed a sixth sense that starts to tingle if I think they are about to swear or come out with something slanderous, and I am always poised to bring the fader, which controls the volume, down sharply. The caller now waiting on line one had a bit of a reputation for rubbishing the existence of coronavirus, but I had less than 200 seconds before the end of from Giles’s casita the show so I thought ‘What’s SOOTHING: View of the valley and lake ers and hiked up the track shocked laughter as I pulled from the Casita. Exercise is the harm?’ nally shook it off. On the posHe got to the point right away itive side, I managed to catch the fader down, before I could one of the few options that I “You never had coronavirus” he up on a huge stack of reading, be accused of being one of the am allowed these days, and said, “You just had a bad flu for and the cat loved having me liberal elite, lackey of the MSM I was debating the futility of of the three days”. as I tended or fully paid up memberI have it all when I looked back. The Especially around. tested I aware, Illuminati. (Although If you were not Casita and the to feed her when I woke at 5am positive for COVID-19 at the every morning, a practice she heard that the lake looked was and January, snazrobes are beginning of stunning, and has continued since my recovI still live in a unable to return to the radio, ery by singing me the song of zy). suddenly it which I love, for three weeks. her people at some ungodly The weird thing me rebeautiful place made however, was, Although I was fortunate not to hour, demanding breakfast. alise: end up in hospital as several I was so dumbfounded by the that this comand I now also I still live in of my friends did, it still pole- accusation that I had faked ment sent me a beautipeculiar health my I most have back into what axed me in the ful place, my illness that I burst out in call ‘Mabellaise”, way, and I was glad when I fiI have my back fed where I get health back up with my adand I am lucky and opted town to lots of friends who helped everything about it. It normally when I was ill. As the saying happens around this time of goes – This Too Shall Pass. year, and the pandemic has not Nevertheless, I am not putexactly helped. ting that caller on air for a In an effort to clear my mud- while… dled head, I pulled on my train-
RE you a digital doer or a real-life print reader? The OlOLD HACK IN ive Press alternates weekly THE SUN publication of my columns Benny Davis between actual print and ether-controlled messages beamed from Ramblings of an 80-something expat outer space. But if you are one of the 75% of over 65’s who do not are safe access so called digital platforms, you to stretch managed have who those However, in my hands. of accessing digital intheir little grey cells to master the art Mensa achievers who do formation are more likely to be high instead of me. crosswords with a pen, and say, moi, I find reading a real Personally, I am of the Densa brigade.sun, very relaxing, and newspaper, especially while lying in theas an umbrella over the it has the added advantage of acting in. Laptops tend to be face when getting some extra ZZZZ’s on the nose. balance to difficult and uncomfortable
Worship
the God of ethernet culDevotees who worship at the altar of news items quickly ture will also tell you that you can compare or fake news. But before by surfing the net, to establish real that fake news happens you don your wetsuit, may I point outthe rare occasion the unfar less frequently in print, and if on action far more quickly thinkable happens, lawsuits leap into caution on the part of extreme encouraging web, than on the newspaper editors and owners. is available in information instant that understand I Bing, etc. seconds through sites such as Google, doesn’t Call me old fashioned, but that method coming give me the same satisfaction as finally hours, up trumps with answers after spending files and even days, of searching through old reference libraries. article At the moment, I am writing an havabout a serial killer who wrought am oc back in the Victorian era and running barefooted through my enormous collection of information, amassed over countless years as a writer. If I cannot find the answers, I will have to revert to my fail-safe solution, ‘Gertrude,’ grandmother of Amazon’s virtual assistant ‘Alexa.’ Although she answers in a shaky voice with the occasional additional sound me effect of flatulence, she never lets down and fits into my lifestyle far more comfortably than the pre-mentioned Miss Smoothy-Pants.
Terenia Taras
OSLO CONCILIATION BOARD
S
PAIN’S most controversial monument is on the brink of an image makeover with the families of the prisoners who built General Francisco Franco’s monstrous mausoleum moving centre stage. The Valley of the Fallen, a huge basilica carved out of the living rock on a hillside north of Madrid, was Franco’s final resting place until two years ago when the dictator’s body was unceremoniously exhumed. Constructed by 20,000 political prisoners and conscripts between 1940 and 1959, the families of these slave labourers had to settle on the premises in order to survive the post-war period and a shanty town sprung up. From this month, according to archaeologist Alfredo Gonzalez-Ruibal, the area of the Cuelgamuros Valley 57 kilometres from Madrid where the families’ shacks once stood is to be excavated in a bid to reconstruct their lives. “After I paid my first visit to the Valley of the Fallen in 2007, I realised that putting the focus on the shacks instead of the monument itself would be a way of changing the Francoist narrative,” Gonzalez-Ruibal tells the Olive Press, explaining that as the prisoners’ families would often come from afar to visit, they started to camp close by.
Shacks
Even those visiting from Madrid began to make a home in the Valley of the Fallen as the trip back and forth from the capital during the 1940s and 1950s was hard to do on public transport in one day. “They started building huts, which turned into shacks measuring around 4m2,” says the archaeologist who works for the Spanish National Research Council and will head up a team of 10 on the dig. “They used rubble for the walls and branches for the roofs and probably knew how to build well enough to stop the rain coming in, as they would have been used to building shepherds’ huts. But they would have been freezing in winter.” The curious shanty town that emerged over the years was obliquely accepted by the authorities. The presence of the prisoners’ families provided psychological support, meaning they worked better, were more disciplined and less likely to escape. According to Gonzalez-Ruibal, the prisoners eventually received a food allowance for their families that could be spent at the canteen, while their children would likely have joined the local one-teacher school set up for the ’free’ labourers’ families. Enduring this tough, no-frills existence, without electricity or running water and little light within the shacks, was not done solely out of choice. “You have to take into account that this was Spain in the 1940s and 1950s when many women depended entirely on men to survive,” he says. “But there would also have been a desire to be together.” Lying a stone’s throw from the four settlements or poblados that accommodated the prisoners’ barracks and labourer’s cottages, this community of women and children has often been used by far-right revisionists to depict the Valley of the Fallen as something akin to a holi-
to the ConciliaThe Defendant is ordered to reply stating whethtion Board in writing by 04.05.2021 and accepts er or not the Defendant acknowledges has not been dethe Complainant’s claim. If a replystated time limit, livered prior to the expiry of the on the basis judgment by default can be pronounced of the facts of of the Complainant’s representation the case. address, service will As the Defendant has no known the Courts Act Secbe executed with authority in to reply will be tion 181. The complaint and order when it has been deemed to have been legally servedweeks. posted at the legal venue for four case can be collectThe documents pertaining to the offices at Pilestreed from the Conciliation Board’s documents can be det 19, 0033 Oslo, Norway. Theby the Defendant if sent to a new address supplied the Defendant so requests.
By Heather Galloway in El Escorial
A Sierra Nevada ll about
February
LONG TIME IN COMING: But residents of Mallorca can hopefully soon hit the slopes
2021
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off to finally slopeheaven, You can skiing Andalucia’s Smith writes Charlie is There ILENCE. single peep not a upwards to as I climb the valley through maker. of the meet mymy head out and the I poke window fresh alcable car Nevada’s Sierra hits my lungs. pine airhear it – a sweeping white Then I down the crisp crunch as a snowboarder piste, past below. and whizzes tears through, Another third, all weaving at then a mountainside down the speed. more terriblistering Spanish I’m definitely the three carriage the fied than guys sharing the with me. left behind We have and restaurants the main cosy bars only ski in Pradollano, Andalucia’s town of resort. out at Borreguiles, meWe step some 2,700 which sits sea level. for tres above the basecampruns, This is the Sierra’s the many of range from facil’ ‘muy which black, lagreen-coloured those in pistes to dificil’. belled ‘muy overleaf
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See page 11
- March 11th 2021
Model patient
PICTU EXCL RE USIVE
has had expat centenarian year. A POPULAR jab in her 101st Costa her first COVID based on the Pfizer of the Peggy Bloomfield, her first dose Centre this Blanca, got Medical vaccine at Teulada according to week. raring to go, And she’s now Shirley Young. to get her neighbour Thrilled to bits she told the “She is amazing! I’m feeling great!” the jab and “Lockdown permitting her Olive Press. the Mayor to visit for two hoping to get Her second jab is in be celebratnext birthday.” and Peggy will weeks’ time birthday in April. nurse ing her 101st (far right) shows of Our photograph the first doseshe right Juanjo administering to Peggy, while a visit the vaccine as she received was all smiles champagne and cake when she with balloons, Press reporters her from Olive last year. Peggy receives100th birthday hit the big 100 ALL ROUND: recent to get the following her expat in Spain older, con- CELEBRATIONS (inset right) Is she the oldest COVID jab you know anyone COVID jab? If tact us at newsdesk@theolivepress.es
soon Island could be back in business ban to as UK travelin May be lifted
are only permitted moment Brits abroad. At the work purposes. South Affrom to travel for essential to enter Spain until 6pm on No one is allowed By Kirsty McKenzie UK via air or sea up for an avarica, Brazil or the restrictions. could be gearing in May. take them March 2 under the current MALLORCA in December to its shores and family or numlanche of tourists agents have seen the this to reconnect friendsholiday to remember,” he The ban was first introduced more-transmisfirst detected a UK. Airlines and travel holidays abroad soar out on a long-awaited when scientists the to to its web- sible variant of the virus in its roadmap ber of Brits booking added. originally supposed UK announced Cook said traffic week after the restrictions were the Prime Minishas now been Travel firm Thomas to leave the site doubled in the day after confirmed there Tighton January 19 but the banrestrictions curof lockdown. finally be able end with Ryanair multiple times, 2. UK tourists should from May 17, the govern- ter’s statement, while in bookings. Hancock extended a ‘large surge’ place until March country for holidays on Monday. the had been Health Secretary Matt of rently in ment announcedBoris Johnson revealed 6 However, that the effectiveness travOpinion Page plan for gradu- urged caution, warning Prime Minister whether international of his four-step all somove as part in England, with21. vaccines will dictate June ally lifting restrictions can go ahead. to protect against these new finally lifted by bookings el have cial contact rules easyJet, said than four He said: “We that is a Airlines, including variants, and season were more the same period big challenge.” for the summer compared with that times higher Hancock addedmuch last week. ‘we can be about more relaxed travel’ Confidence destina- international well of the most popular giant if vaccines workSouth Palma was one to the budget holiday against the Brazil month. tions, according August its busiest by chief ex- Africa and easyJet, with was described a ‘much-needed strains.the vaccine The announcement “If Lundgren, as against ecutive, Johan doesn’t work boost in confidence’. seen a pent-up demand then that will more bookings shows them, “We have consistently be much, much this surge in for travel and has been what UK consumers difficult,” he said.govthat this signal for,” he said. and It comes as the have been waiting were up by 630% ernment confirmed at the Holiday bookings while off, it was looking passflights by 337%. may be a little en- idea of vaccine travel “While the summer around the clock to to allow up our flights ports we will be working ready to ramp sure we will be
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1
Quick Crossword
9 Date, 10 Stalk, Across: 1 Fuse, 4 Pipeline, 8 Etchings, Ma’am, 16 High-ups, 18 11 Broncos, 13 Hers, 14 Yam, 15 23 Test. Braid, 20 Fuzz, 21 This is it, 22 Deployed,
4 Pant, 5 Pastrami, 6 Down: 2 Up to the minute, 3 Exhales, 15 Marxist, 17 Hazel, Led in, 7 Nationalities, 12 Sympathy, 19 Kind.
SUDOKU
against the The Complainant has filed a complaint Board with a deDefendant with Oslo Conciliation with the addimand for payment of NOK 69751,18 and legal costs. tion of interest at the legal rate
Telling it like it is
The
As Complainant: Modhi Finance , Tempo Defendant: Per Einar Tinmsnndvik Banus 45, ES-29600 Marbella
trip Kindle and love nothing more than a T’S great that any newspaper is still to Waterstones (when in the UK) to select being printed in our age of the internet try a new book, preferably hard backed. and it’s something we should always A lot of things have changed since I startto support and maintain. ed my career as a journalist in my early internet Before the birth of the internet, Sunday of twenties. Back then there was no mornings for many people consistedbuy so we used books for factual research, to used when reading the papers. I always I a dictionary or thesaurus, as andwith us a News of the World, not only because required, and we carried pagers worked for the paper, but also, like many instead of mobile phones. in the age people, to catch up on the latest scandal tab- Writing this I feel like I was born because or expose, which the biggest selling of the dinosaur loid in Britain was famous since the internet became for. a global network in the OLIVE poshas PRESS Alongside the News of the technology 1990s, Screws (as it was known) I’d sessed everything. More buy the Sunday Telegraph and more people commufor international news and a nicate solely online, how more high-brow read. teenagers actually SKY HIGH many There’s still something nice use their phone as a teleES newspaper a HOP about reading phone? More people shop with a morning coffee, which online, especially since the was often a prelude to your pandemic, and nearly evworking day or whilst travelery business has migrated ling on the train or tube. But to an online presence. then I’m still one of the die-147 834 So after 20 years in the hards who refused to own952a
100th Edition
being dealt with Extract from complaint currently by Oslo Conciliation Board – Dept. 3 Case No. F2020-012277
to media industry I’m prouder than everthe go full circle and be able to write forvast Olive Press. The newspaper serves communities in Spain and the islands may providing real news, which again left become something from the past if and solely in the hands of unscrupulous self-serving organisations or individuals. the Newspapers should always remain the beacon of truth and shine a light intoI am deepest, darkest corners of the web. proud as a journalist to do my job because I feel it’s crucial to have an independent who and objective group of professionals the share the same goal, which is to hold powers that be to account. still Love him, or loathe him, Piers Morgan I’m champions old school journalism and glad he doesn’t let politicians off lightly because they should be held accountable - although it must be said he has managed to get himself into a little hot water now over Meghan! person’s The media always had the little to rely interest at heart, despite the needsurvive. on advertising to Which is why businesses should support their local, regional and national press, because without the integrity and guardians of the truth being able to continue commercially we may have nothing left but controlled, fake news.
YOU CAN FOLLOW ME @tereniataras
Gastronomy Gastronomía
DIG: Alfredo Gonzalez-Ruibal, archaeologist and (right) Silvia Navarro beside a memorial to the fallen day camp, Gonzalez-Ruibal explains. “It is true that many of the prisoners considered their time in the Valley of the Fallen as a good period in their lives,” he says. “But these were people who had lived through a civil war and spent time in concentration camps where they were on the verge of dying from hunger. It would have been like going from hell to purgatory.” It has taken Spain a long time to dismantle Europe’s last monument to fascism, which was at one time receiving 500,000 visitors a year, and Franco still casts a shadow. “The Valley of the Fallen and the general integration of Francoism into Spanish society has contributed to the fact that extreme right-wing views are now presented to the public as a reasonable option,” says Gonzalez-Ruibal. As if to illustrate his point, far-right Vox politician Alejandro Velez has just stood up in Extremad-
J
osE Antonio Marco (pictured), a forward-thinking Republican and mason shot for his beliefs at the age of 30, is among those whose bodies are to be exhumed this month. His execution took place against the cemetery wall in Calatayud, Aragon, in 1936. Afterwards he was buried in an unmarked mass grave nearby before being stealthily trucked to the Valley of the Fallen in April 1959. “On social media, someone said he was probably a thief and a murderer,” his great-niece, Silvia Navarro, 50, tells the Olive Press. “But he was a pacifist; a good man,” insists the president of the Association of Families for the Exhumation of Republicans Buried in the Valley of the Fallen. “He intro duced the eight-hour day to his factory and healthcare for his workers.” What was left of his corpse more than 23 years later would have been ‘dug up carelessly as if it were a field of potatoes’ , says Gonzalez-Ruibal. Franco urgently need ed
ura’s regional parliament to ask for a new statue of Franco to be erected on a roundabout in Badajoz! But at least it looks as though his monstrous mausoleum is to be stripped of its original purpose, as the dig extends to the exhumation of Falangist leader Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera and the remains of Franco’s victims. The 150-metre cross topping the basilica which Franco claimed to have built as a ‘national act of atonement’ crowns a graveyard of 33,838 corpses, 12,410 of which were carted there from 1959 until as late as 1983, many without the permission of the families. Packed into wooden boxes according to their region of origin, they were stored within the hollow walls of the Basilica where Franco lay across from Primo de Rivera until his controversial exhumation in 2019. “Imagine an archive, but instead of books, its boxes of human remains,” says Gonzalez-Ruibal.
Back from the grave
Republican corpses to fulfil his revis ed vision for his magnum opus as a plac e of reconciliation between the two sides of the Spanish Civil War. The long and bitter battle to get Marco and other Republicans out of the Valley started in 2009, taking 60 families through the entire Spanish judicial system and right up to the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. Of these 60, the Lapeña family was the first to win the right to have the remains of brothers Manuel and Antonio Lapeña returned to them. Five years later, they are still waiting… as are the rest of the fami lies who finally achieved a breakthro ugh three months ago. “It’s a basic human right, no? To hono your dead?” says Navarro, who expla ur ins that there are still six of the victims’ child ren living – now in their late 80s and 90s and losing their memories.
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souls
8
LA CULTURA
May 5th - May 18th 2021
Crap shop
A Gambling Man by David Baldacci
A caganer is not just for Christmas
year round at the world’s first caganers shop in Barcelona. Some 530 defecating figures will be on display for sale, to show off their remarkable history and to demonstrate how they are made. “To open a shop is the culmination of nearly 30 years of our career and as a recognition to our parents,” said Marc and Sergi Alos, respectively the sculptor and sales director of Caganer.com, the family-run company which has produced the figures for
SPAIN’S famous Pamplona bull runs have been scrapped for a second successive year due to the COVID pandemic. The bull runs form the cornerstone of San Fermin festival in July, which draws tourists from around the world. The festival gained international fame from Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel ‘The Sun Also Rises’. Prior to 2020, the last time it was cancelled was during the Civil War between 1936 and 1939. As well as the morning bull runs and afternoon bullfights, the festival features round-the-clock singing, dancing and drinking by revellers dressed in white clothes and red neck scarves. There are
BOOK REVIEW
By Graham Keeley
BROTHERS: Marc and Sergi Alos the past 29 years. “We realised that it was necessary to have an establishment like this because until now you could only find the caganers in little stands or
No bull
also religious events in honour of San Fermin. Last year’s cancellation was also a big financial blow to Pamplona’s bars, restaurants and hotels. Pamplona mayor, Enrique Maya said that staging the event would be ‘very risky due to the low number of vaccinated people and the Navarra region’s high COVID infection rate. Money that was going to be spent on the festival will be diverted to other summer attractions. In February, Navarra’s president, Maria Chivete, said that the event would be called off again, only for Maya to hold out longer before coming to terms with a second-successive cancellation.
at fair at Christmas or in our factory.” They added: “It will be an oasis for the caganer where all year round there will be figures that we have created. “The caganer is not just something for Christmas. Little by little, we are converting it into a typical souvenir that a tourist can take as a memory of Catalonia,” added the Alos brothers. The new shop is in Calle Banys Nous in Barcelona’s Barrio Gotico, an area which is normally full of tourists. The roots of the caganer tradition are vague but believed to date from around the late 17th century or early 18th century when the fashion at the time in Catalonia was for realism in art, sculpture and literature.
€16.90 The Bookshop San Pedro, www.thebookshop.es
Mooo’ve Away
ANIMAL rights party PACMA (El Partido Animalista Contra el Maltrato Animal) has demanded that the Junta cancel the Cordoba bullfighting festival, scheduled for the middle of May with an expected attendance of 2,600 spectators per bullfight. In a statement, the coordinator of PACMA in Cordoba, Javier Luna, said that it is ‘inadmissible’ and ‘utterly irresponsible’ that the Junta has authorised the Cordoba bullfighting show after the ‘regrettable events that took place in the bullfight on Columbus Day’, where ‘the security measures of COVID-19 were not complied with’. “Cordoba, the only city in Spain to have achieved four World Heritage status, does not deserve to have its image tarnished like this, with irresponsible behaviour. Neither does it deserve to have its image associated with animal abuse and bloody animal shows,” he said.
OP QUICK Crossword Across 7 Sheer delight (8) 8 "Casablanca" club owner (4) 9 "Unlock this door!" (4,2) 10 Hoofing it (2,4) 11 Flags (5) 12 Chess champion --Karpov (7) 14 Least prepossessing (7) 16 Sales pitch (5) 19 Small things (6) 20 Roman ode-smith (6) 21 Clammy (4) 22 As do the days in Spring (8)
Down
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THEY are as much a part of Christmas in Catalunya as the pessebre, or nativity scene. Now these curious figures - known as caganers - which depict everyone from Boris Johnson, Leo Messi, Joe Biden and even Queen Elizabeth II baring their bottoms to squat down and do their business, will be celebrated the
It’s 1949 and WWII veteran Aloysius Archer is in need of a fresh start following a stint in prison. After hearing rumours that California is a place where hard working folk can make good money, Aloysius boards a bus towards a new life. On the way he makes a quick stop in Reno where he wins some money and meets secretive aspiring actress Liberty Callaghan. Arriving in Bay Town, California, they can clearly see it isn’t the land of opportunity they had hoped for. Aloysius takes a job with local P.I. Willie Dash and immediately find himself embroiled in a political scandal involving blackmail, brothels, drugs, secrets and lies. A Gambling Man is a modern gumshoe detective story from the master of thrillers and suspense. drugs, secrets and lies. A Gambling Man is a modern gumshoe detective story from the master of thrillers and suspense.
1 Wimp, preaching revolution in the kitchen (8,5) 2 Scrounger (6) 3 Nutty as a fruitcake (5) 4 Magnates (7) 5 Advantage (6) 6 Dominie, in Scotland (6,7) 13 As a rule (7) 15 Conjure up (6) 17 Spotlessness (6) 18 Directed a light (5)
All solutions are on page 14
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Vol. 5 Issue 147
Estepona www.theolivepress.es
May 2021
Old meets new A town of contrasts that welcomes travellers with a taste of authentic Spain
E
STEPONA is a place where old Spain meets new. The deep blue of the timeless Mediterranean Sea contrasts with the greenery of the rolling hills and mountains that provide a backdrop. The two sandwich the bright white of the traditional homes and more modern architecture that make up this bustling town. Splashes of colour are provided along the winding streets and boulevards by stunning displays of flowers, while blocks of apartments are transformed into canvases for impressive giant murals. These contrasts are the products of the constantly evolving nature of Estepona, which has impressive global credentials, despite being a medium-sized town. Continues on Page 10
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10 May 2021 From Page 9
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Estepona
A jewel on the costa Within Estepona’s mural series alone, you have the largest vertical mural in 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 examples of Estepona’s worldwide appeal is Disney’s discovery of the area in the early 1990s – the town was the original choice for Eurodisney but was pipped to the post by Paris. But away from the would-be theme park dreams of decades gone by lies the real beating heart of this charming town. A short walk along the marble pavements of Estepona’s Calle Teraza brings you to the charming and aptly named Plaza de las Flores (square of the flowers). In this hidden hive of activity you will find the tourism office, with maps for all kinds of excursions, including the murals tour and a host of reasonably-priced restaurants and cafeterias. Also nestled among the flowers, and spilling out onto Calle Teraza, are a handful of stylish clothes shops, mixing independent and quirky stores with more famous brands such as Mango. Further into the historic centre and you will notice that the town has ramped up its appeal with a ‘hanging
garden’ of geraniums sprouting from multi coloured pots on every wall of every street. And it went one better than the plant
pots a few years ago with its exotic glass-domed orchidarium. The futuristic greenhouse with more than 8,000 species of orchids and three waterfalls has welcomed more La Alcaria de Ramos is an Andalusian countryside stately mansion than 250,000 people each located high above the Mediterranean, with wonderful views year and they continue to arrive by the coach load - or at least they will COVID permitting. Lorena C a n o
La alcaria de Ramos
Traditional Mediterranean cuisine and creative cuisine merge to create a new concept and exquisite sensory experience
tel: +34 952 88 61 78 jare.1970@hotmail.com Ctra. de Cádiz, km. 167, 29688, Urb. El Paraíso, Estepona Close to Hotel el Paraíso, (junto al Hotel Paraíso) www.laalcariaderamos.es
Bedoya, 38, who moved to Estepo- steady stream of foreign tourists. na in 2008 from Colombia, lives just The latest edition to the some around the corner from the magnif- 700,000 square metres of new green icent orchid house with her seven- space, is a public park complete with year-old son Diego, and treasures the slides and wildlife area up near the greenery on her doorstep. hospital. “Estepona is a town with a very spe- This is part of the ‘Estepona, Garden cial magic,” she tells me, “starting of the Costa del Sol’ project, which is with its climate, its sea, its mountain.” progressing in time for the flood of Sandwiched between the ocean and summer tourists. the high sierras of Bermeja, Estepona And the high visitor numbers are undoes surf and turf in style. surprising, and not only because of “It is a town that gives you the most Estepona’s 325 yearly days of sunbeautiful and quiet places to discov- shine, 21km of coastline, 17 beacher,” she adds, from her house that is es, 12 chiringuitos, eight golf courses just a few minutes walk from La Plaza and more spa hotels than you can de las Flores. shake a fluffy white towel at. Most of all Lorena treasures the life Fresh air fiends can sail in the port, here for her active young son. go horse-riding, do high ropes at Sel“Diego is a child who likes wo Adventure park, play padel in the sports and reading classical poligono or kick back with a cocktail music,” she says. and their toes in the sand at one of its “We dedicate days for those glorified beach shacks. activities and I One chiringuito owner, try to educate Erwin Vanderdonck, him without 52, who owns Palm Estepona was screens, we Beach on Playa de la prefer to spend founded during Rada, is certainly geartime enjoying up for the summer. the golden age ing doing things toThis beach bar, where gether outside.” of the Caliphate chart-topping girl group And its idyllic Las Ketchup recorded of Cordoba outdoor spactheir video for Asereje, es and winding recently underwent a streets are perhuge redevelopment. haps why Estepona is often Originally from Amsterdam, he made described as one of the last the jump 19 years ago, swapping the ‘authentically’ Spanish re- ‘mayhem of finance’ in London for the sorts on the costa. ‘authentic feel’ of this Costa del Sol It has somehow managed to gem. stave off the whitewash of “The main centre for nightlife used to celebrity yachts and design- be the port,” he says, “but now there er brands of Marbella, while is a shift towards the centre, with new also avoiding the takeover of bars opening.” ‘Little Britain’ in the likes of Playa del Cristo, the next beach along, Benidorm. is in the port described by Erwin, and Maybe that is in part thanks is set on a sheltered bay with two to its Mayor, José María pleasant watering holes. García Urbano of the PP, who In fact, the fishy fare served by these has spent €100 million on ramshackle beach huts is surprisingly public works since he good. took over in 2011. After supper, pick up an ice cream on During his 10-year Calle Real or hit the bars: Louie Loutenure, he has trans- ie’s is always guaranteed for a good formed Estepona into boogie or if you prefer to watch, El Paa green paradise for tio puts on a colourful feast of flamenthose who live here, co, having restarted its events in April. while still attracting a Estepona’s bright young things flock
11 May 2021
Floral tribute
T
HE first seeds were sown back in 2012, when Estepona Mayor Jose Maria Garcia Urbano and his fellow councillors drew up the design for a green walking city dedicated to culture and art. The mural trail was born that year, an ongoing project that is transforming dowdy tower blocks with eye-catching frescos depicting local scenes The intention was to shine light on the town’s forgotten neighbourhoods and attract more foreign tourists. Ambling through the sinewy flower-laden streets of the old town, it’s clear to see how these efforts have borne fruit, and how well-deserved is Estepona’s nickname. Marielle Maulenberg, an MA student and English teacher, has watched the whole town blossom. “I'm really impressed with how they’ve done it
SIGHTS: The charming old town (left) modernist orchid house (above) and an early evening stroll in Estepona
to see the bars and clubs at the port on weekends. Alternatively, there are four excellent markets to get up for. Three are held on Sunday mornings: one at the port (9am-2pm) and a rastro in the bullring (10am-2pm). On Wednesday mornings (9am-2pm) Avenida Puerta del Mar market is the place to be. Or, why not head into the old town’s twisting uphill streets, which offer a glimpse of life as it used to be in Estepona. The town’s story is told through a scattering of watchtowers built to ward off the Moorish invaders, the Arab-built clock tower and 16th century castle ruins. Estebbuna was founded during the golden age of the Caliphate of Cordoba in the 10th century. Destroyed by the conquering Christians in the 15th century and rebuilt by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand
almost a century later, King Philip V granted the town a charter for 600 families in 1728. Compare that to the 65,000-plus residents today – a figure that more than triples in summer months - COVID
permitting. And rentals do fill up quickly at this time of year, so book early if you want to discover why Estepona should be number one on your Costa del Sol bucket list.
up.” “Before, it was much quieter but the mural trail and street renovations have really transformed it,” she tells me appreciatively. Estepona’s flower pot-strewn pedestrianised streets and squares are some of the prettiest on the Costa del Sol. Its scented town centre is one of the reasons Michael Ventress, a retired bank worker from Basingstoke, chose it as his holiday destination. Michael, along with countless other tourists, come to admire the photogenic centre and wander around in search of the murals. Because not only do they beautify the town, they provide handy landmarks to help navigate the streets. Head in any direction and your walk will take you on a floral trail graced with sculptures by local artists and poetic verses penned by Spanish bards showcased on ceramic plaques. Potted plants hang off whitewashed walls, scattering a confetti of crimson, lilac and magenta petals. You can see rarer plants at the Orchidarium, an indoor perfumed garden where 1,300 varieties are joined by the notorious Amorphophallus Titanum or 'corpse flower', named for its foul odour. Visitors have not yet had the dubious pleasure of taking a sniff as it hasn’t yet breached the soil's surface. When it does, it could potentially grow up to three metres high. Then there are the floral plazas, typified by Plaza de las Flores which lives up to its name, where you can get trail guides from the tourist office and study them at one of the pavement cafes. Others you'll happen upon while meandering through the streets, like Plaza de Begines which has a stage set up. Local resident Manuela Reinoso, 50, tells me it’s for the May Day celebrations. Let curiosity be your guide to discover these hidden treasures for yourself and you’ll understand without doubt why no other town can hold a petal to Estepona’s Garden of the Costa del Sol.
Monday - Sunday 10.00 till 22:30 Calle Real 19, 29680, Estepona tel: 679 418 206 info@etceteracafe.com
food – drinks – cocktails
Our kitchen is open all day!
12 May 2021
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Estepona
Mural magic I
T’S quite literally the most offthe-wall collection of urban art on the Costa del Sol. Everyone from top international artists to creative prison inmates have contributed to Estepona’s amazing al fresco art gallery of murals glamming up bleak concrete buildings around town. Every other high rise is bursting with colour and imaginative designs – from dancers and divers to optical illusions which deceive the eye from a distance. One of the latest additions to the ‘Artistic Murals Route’ is Atlantis by Jose Fernandez Rios, located on Avenida de los Reales. Another example of Rios’ work is the gardener cutting bougainvillea on the side of Victor de la Serna school. Likewise, the impressive Fishing Day mural occupies 1,000m2 across six separate buildings – and holds the record as the largest vertical mural in Spain. Artistic inmates of Alhaurin prison meanwhile created sixmetre-long metal sculptures for one mural which recreates the sea floor as part of the Moraga Collective initiative. Erin Aman whose work is featured in San Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, is another of the famous contributors to the offbeat outdoor expo.
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CIM Isabel Navarro
Avenida Toledo 2, 29680, Estepona, Málaga cim-isabel-navarro.negocio.site
RECORD: Fishing Day (above) holds the record in Spain , while (left) Jose Rios is inspired and one of Estepona’s newest mural Atlantis (right)
HEALTH
Open doors
FAMILY and friends can now visit their elderly relatives at Gibraltar nursing homes every day of the week as long as they are vaccinated. With local COVID-19 active cases still at zero, Elderly Residential Services have taken the decision to expand visits from just four days a week. Medical chiefs have, however, imposed strict rules for visits, which can only be made from 1pm to 6pm.
Dose
ERS bosses will now allow visits from people who have had at least one dose of the vaccination as long as COVID-19 does not get found in any of the homes. Only one visitor can see each resident, having to take an Antigen Lateral Flow test at each of the homes before visiting. For her part, Minister for Health and Care Samantha Sacramento was just happy to give families the chance to get together again. CONSUM supermarkets are putting a special coating on trolley and shopping basket handles to virtually eliminate COVID-19 risks for customers. The Valencian-based cooperative says that 47,000 units will get the protection over the next few months along with brandnew handles.
May 5th - May 18th 2021
Travel ban SPAIN’S government has extended a ban on all non-essential travel to Spain from outside the EU and Schengen area for another month. Confirmation of the extension due to the continued coronavirus pandemic was published on Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE). The extension continues the recommendations by the EU that have been in place since June 30 last year. In addition, the notice confirms a ban on all travellers from those places where dangerous new variants of COVID-19 have been detected. These include India, Brazil, South Africa, Botswana, Comoros, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Peru and Colombia. Under this rule only Spanish citizens or those with residency in Spain are allowed to enter and must quarantine for 10
Getting a handle
Some 90% of baskets and trolleys will have been changed across 670 stores by July. Umbrella Zero is a nanotechnological coating with anti-viral properties. Tests
Spain extends coronavirus ban on non-essential travel for those outside EU - including Brits until May 31 By Fiona Govan
days on arrival. Because of Brexit, citizens from the United Kingdom are now considered third country nationals and must follow the same rules as other non-EU member states. This means that only those arriving from the UK who are residents in Spain or have a reason to travel that falls under the exceptions of the ban, such as for work or study, will be allowed to enter. Travellers are advised to check the latest travel advice for Spain on the UK Gov website have shown it to be 99.99% effective and it only needs to be applied once to the handles to give permanent protection. All of the test results have been independently verified by the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid. Consum is spending €816,500 on the handle changes and adding the protective layer.
before making any plans. The extension of the travel ban on Brits by Spain comes as the UK is preparing to loosen restrictions to allow foreign travel. The British government is currently saying it will lift the ban on foreign holidays for people in England from May 17 as part of the next easing of coronavirus restrictions. Although there are moves by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on coronavirus to ‘maintain curbs on international leisure travel’ beyond that date. Britain is likely to introduce a traffic light system that will distinguish between low risk countries and high risk countries with no quarantine requirements imposed on those returning from ‘green light’ countries. Spain has said it will be ready to welcome international travellers under a vaccine passport type scheme from June, if a deal can be made with the EU and is involved in discussions with the British authorities to make a bilateral agreement.
13
Pandemic comeback RESIDENTS of Gibraltar could be able to get a checkup with their regular GP very soon as the health department starts to return to normality. After nearly 70,000 vaccines were distributed on the Rock, face-to-face appointments will return to normal levels after the COVID-19 pandemic. During the last year, GP visits and in person appointments were limited as many consultations were held over the phone. However, the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) has asked patients to have some patience in the return to normality, after fears of overcrowding at public clinics. A GHA spokesperson said: “We understand that some patients may not have had contact with their regular GP for many months, and will be keen to now book a face-to-face appointment. “An initial surge in demand for appointments is therefore expected, and this may surpass availability for the first few weeks. “The GHA therefore appeals to the public for continued patience and understanding when accessing primary care services. “With time all patients will be able to access their GP of choice and resume attending to their primary care health needs on a regular basis.” Health service users can also speak to doctors on the phone if they so desire, especially if it is to renew prescriptions or for a quick word.
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May 5th - May 18th 2021
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T was as spontaneous a trip as you could make. I had never seen the Alhambra despite all my years in Spain and last September, after recovering from a bout of fairly mild COVID, I decided it was now or never. And, for once in a lifetime, there would be no queues and no tourists. I booked a hotel that looked absolutely beautiful online, an entrance for the Alhambra and a train ticket for the next day, and off I went. In the time of Covid, this last-minute plan felt like I was achieving something unbelievable. On the train ride down I received a text message from the hotel saying, ‘Hello Deirdre, we will not be able to be there when you arrive, so we will leave you your keys on the reception desk. Here is the code to enter the front doors of the hotel.’ My train was arriving at 6pm, so this was hardly offhours, but why not?
Trip of a lifetime The hotel was on the main tourist drag in front of the river with the Alhambra towering above, glowing in late afternoon sunshine. I found the door, entered the code and - beep beep beep - I was in. It was a gorgeous hotel in the old Granada style with exposed wooden beams, a courtyard flowing with vines and plants and wonderfully furnished. And sure enough, no one was there. I mean, not a single person! There was just my name on a card and a key, a map of Granada and another note explaining I had been upgraded to their nicest room, complete with a smiley face. I found my room, on the top floor with views over the Granada rooftops. It had a magnificent tiled bathroom with a decadent bath and two huge beds made up with crisp sheets and fluffy blankets. The five star treatment for €33 per night! In normal times this room would easily cost quadruple that price.
W
ITH restrictions easing across the UK, people everywhere are desperately waiting to hear when international travel can officially resume. With May 17 earmarked as the date that foreign trips could restart, lockdown-weary Brits are now thinking more and more about jetting away for some time in the sun. While foreign holidays are currently banned by the UK Government, ministers are expected to unveil the new traffic light system on May 7. Countries will be placed on green, amber, or red lists to determine if you need to quarantine or undergo further tests when you're back in the UK. Anyone travelling to countries awarded green list status will not have to isolate when they return. These rules will only affect people travelling from England to places abroad since devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have the power to set their own timings for the easing of restrictions. While it is still unknown whether Spain will be given the green light, there are certain regions which are likely to be the first ones to welcome foreign visitors thanks to their low COVID-19 infection rates and push for travel corridors and vaccine passport schemes. With travellers desperate to understand what current conditions are in Spain, we thought we would help break it all down. We answer all your most- asked questions below. Who is allowed into Spain at the moment? Since late October 2020, Spain has been placed under a nationwide State of Emergency with further mobility restrictions and curfews which remain in force.
FIVE STAR TREATMENT: Deirdre enjoyed rooftop views of the Alhambra fro
Someone had unlocked the rooftop access for me as well and I climbed up the winding
Only citizens and legal residents of the European Union, Schengen states, Andorra, Monaco, The Vatican (Holy See) and San Marino, and those who can demonstrate through documentary evidence an essential need to enter Spain, will be granted entry under current travel restrictions. When will hotels be allowed to open in Spain to holidaymakers? Currently hotels and B&Bs are allowed to be open in Spain and anyone can make a booking, regardless of nationality. That means it’s good news for forward thinking Brits hoping to bag a deal - but make sure to speak with them about the accommodation refund policy in case your flights are cancelled or you are prohibited from travelling. When will foreign destination travel be allowed from the UK to Spain? This is the big question. The government has yet to confirm when non-essential travel can resume, and at the moment foreign holidays are still banned. The lockdown roadmap states that the earliest that flights can restart is May 17. Details are set to be announced soon of a new traffic light system - rating destinations as green, amber or red which will mean what sort of quarantine or restrictions will be required to visit those countries. However, Spain has not yet announced when it will welcome Brits. Currently only those with EU passports or Spanish residency are permitted to enter the country. The good news is however that the country is 'desperate to welcome' UK visitors this summer.
stairs to a deck with a 360º view of the city, crowned by the spectacular Alhambra Palace.
I enjoyed two days in solitary exploration of the silent city, strolling through the Alham-
Travel queries Are hotels open in Spain and what are the current coronavirus rules on travel, and other questions answered By Kirsty McKenzie
Spain's tourism minister Fernando Valdes said: 'I think we will be ready here in Spain. We also think that the vaccination scheme in the UK is going pretty well, so hopefully we'll be seeing this summer the restart of holidays.' He added that certificates enabling holidaymakers to prove they have been vaccinated or recently tested are 'going to help us'. What does the traffic light system mean for English travellers?
Green destinations: passengers will not need to quarantine when they return to England, but must take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test in return. Amber destinations: travellers will have to quarantine for 10 days, as well as taking a pre-departure test and two PCR tests. Red destinations: passengers will have to pay for a 10-day hotel quarantine stay on return, as well as a pre-departure test and two PCR tests. How long can people with apartments in Spain stay for?
If you are planning on visiting Spain It is understood that the green, amber, for longer than a simple summer red list won't be unveiled until May 7, holiday watch out. Since Brexit, Brits but insiders have predicted that po- are only allowed to stay in the EU for pular European destinations such as 90 days out of a 180-day period. RuIceland, Gibraltar, Malta and Portu- le-breakers may face fines, deportagal could be placed on the green list. tion and difficulties coming back. At the moment it is thought due to the number of cases throughout Spain, the Quick Crossword country is likely Across: 7 Rhapsody, 8 Rick, 9 Open up!, 10 On foot, to be classified 11 Tires, 12 Anatoly, 14 Ugliest, 16 Spiel, 19 Trivia, 20 as an amber Horace, 21 Dank, 22 Lengthen. destination. The traffic light Down: 1 Whipping cream, 2 Sponge, 3 Loopy, 4 Tycoons, plan will be as 5 Profit, 6 School teacher, 13 Usually, 15 Invoke, 17 Pufollows: rity, 18 Shone.
OP Puzzle solutions
SUDOKU
14
bra’s eerily deserted courtyards like a Queen of Spain. It was a bit lonely of course, having my sunset terrace wine by myself, but be careful what you wish for. One night in a local bar, two well-dressed young men from Sevilla regaled me with a raucous rendition of drunken flamenco until the owner yelled at them to shut up. “They don’t like how those of us from Sevilla sing flamenco here in Granada,” one of them slurred, before they both staggered off into the night. The most bizarrely creepy part of the whole trip is that in two days and nights, I never once saw another guest at the hotel, nor any member of staff. No cleaning carts, no jaunty receptionist, no noise at all. Effectively, I had a five floor boutique hotel to myself. On the other hand, the lights weren’t really on at night, when I had to feel my way along the corridor wall using the red emergency exit sign lights to locate my door. Flashes of Jack Nicholson in The Shining sprang to mind. In any normal September, this hotel would be rammed and the ghostly streets outside would be rowdy with revellers into the small hours of the morning. But spookily, returning from the Alhambra, I found someone had actually slipped in and made my bed, which felt even more disconcerting. Where was this person? Late the second night, just as I
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
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A hotel with no guests, a ghost chambermaid and the Alhambra all to herself ...Madrid-based American Deirdre Carney’s minibreak to Granada during autumn’s lockdown lull took ‘travelling solo’ to a surreal new level
Mix it up at Jimmys. Whatever you want - Meat, Fish or Vegan. Delicious breakfasts and International tapas including the tastiest vegan selection on the Sol.
om her own private terrace at a bargain price, as she took the chance of a lifetime
turned off the lights, I heard the lift whirring. I got up, rechecked my lock and retreated back into bed, staring at my door handle
with every sense on alert. But I heard nothing more. Next morning I left my key on the reception desk and let my-
E
arlier in the year, the UK Treasury published a number of reviews and proposals relating to tax policy, dubbed Tax Day”, aimed at creating a more modern and open tax system in the UK. One such review likely to concern landlords and property owners, was around the tax and allowances of Furnished Holiday Lets (FHLs). These policy changes are a reaction to the increasing number of homeowners using sites like Airbnb to make additional income on their homes. Owners of FHLs receive a number of tax reliefs and allowances, providing that they meet the criteria set by the government. For example, properties that qualify as a FHL are subject to business rates instead of council tax. Business rates are cheaper, as they are deemed to be commercial premises, and the majority of FHLs are also viable for small business rates relief. This means that you could end up paying no rates at all. While this is great for FHL owners, it does, unfortunately, mean that many homeowners try to claim their property as a FHL, even if they don’t meet the criteria to benefit from the relief. Up until now, FHL owners have not been required to prove that they meet these requirements. However, with the number of homeowners claiming FHL tax benefits increasing, HMRC will be asking owners to prove that their property qualifies as a FHL. To qualify as a FHL, your property must be: ●● Based in the UK or in the European Economic Area (EEA) – including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. All FHL properties in the UK will be treated as one business and all FHL properties in the EEA will be treated as another. ●● Furnished – your property must include sufficient furniture for normal occupation, such as beds, sofas and white goods. ●● Commercially let, i.e. you must intend to make a profit from the rental. Letting a property out of season to cover costs still counts as a commercial let, even if you did not make a profit. As well as the property conditions, there are also 3 key occupancy conditions that must all be met in order to qualify as a FHL. 1. Availability - Your property must be available as a FHL for at least 210 days in a year. You cannot count any days that you live in the property.
self out. On the train home I reflected that my ghostly, guestless hotel experience had made almost as much of an impres-
sion on me as the incredible Alhambra itself. We are living through strange times…
All welcome and pet friendly too. So plant your feet at Jimmys. See you soon.
Tax bombshell 2. Letting - You must let out the property as a FHL for at least 105 days in the year. You cannot count any days that friends or relatives stay in the property for free or for a reduced rate. 3. You also cannot count any lets of more than 31 continuous days. The exception to this would be if something unforeseen happens, such as the holidaymaker either falling ill or having an accident that delays their departure, or they have to extend their holiday due to a delayed flight.
evidence to prove that this is the case. It seems likely that, with the introduction of MTD, you will be required to upload evidence to a digital platform in the near future.
Pattern of occupation
As well as paying business tax rates rather than council tax, FHL owners benefit from being able to:
There is a bit more wiggle room on the 31 day limit. If the total FHL bookings exceeding 31 continuous days is less than 155 days during the year, your property still qualifies as a FHL. If you don’t end up letting your property for at least 105 days, you have two options (known as elections) that can help you reach the occupancy threshold: ●● Averaging election – if you have more than one property and, between them, they average out to over 105 days of commercial let. You get a bit of time to make your averaging election one year from the 31st of January following the tax year. It sounds complicated but, essentially, you can make an averaging election for your 2017/18 tax year up until January 31, 2020. ●● Period of grace election – if you intended to let out your property as a FHL but did not reach 105 days occupancy, HMRC will accept proof that there had been a pattern of FHL activity by looking at previous years, for example. Broadly speaking, if your property is furnished, vacant and advertised as a holiday let for seven months of the year and you let it out for at least three months, it should qualify as a FHL and be eligible for certain tax reductions and allowances. While it’s currently unclear how HMRC will be checking that eligibility requirements have been met, it is important to check whether your property qualifies as a FHL and to collect any and all
Tax changes for Furnished Holiday Lets (FHLs) - what you need to know
What are the tax benefits of FHLs?
●● Claim capital allowances on your property, meaning you can furnish it and deduct the cost from your pre-tax profits. ●● Classify income generated from a FHL property as -relevant earnings- for pension purposes. ●● Split FHL profits equally between yourself and your spouse flexibly for tax purposes – unlike with long-term rental properties where profits are divided based on the official ownership split. ●● Claim certain Capital Gains Tax reliefs when you sell the property, e.g. Business Asset Rollover Relief. What UK FHL owners, living in Spain should do now Firstly be aware of the country that you are a resident in - the UK and Spain have a double taxation agreement, meaning that you shouldn’t pay both UK and Spanish tax on UK property income - however if you are a Spanish resident, you will need to declare your global income to the Spanish authorities. Register for self assessment as a non resident Landlord with HMRC - this means that your tax will not be stopped at source by your letting agent,
and you will be entitled to the £12570 tax free allowance on any UK rental income. You will also be able to claim expenses such as management fees as a tax deductible allowance If you are thinking of buying a property or using a property as a FHL, you should make a clear distinction between your residential or commercial lettings and begin gathering evidence as you go. As well as gathering evidence that your property qualifies as a FHL, you should keep good records relating to your FHL property and the income received. By using a platform like APARI that is tailored to the needs of landlords, you can keep upto-date digital records of your income, expenses and relevant documents preparing you for both the coming evidence requirements as well as MTD. For all the latest information and advice visit
www.apari-digital.com
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Sex education THE VOX Party has slammed a sex education class in Mallorca after finding out that children used plasticine to learn about the reproductive organs. The right-wing party took to Twitter to blast the lesson as ‘pornography’.
Swipe right AIs can easily manipulate matters of the heart, say researchers in Spain who were able to trick daters into picking the wrong match with a fake algorithm.
Lap of luxury A SUPERYACHT owned by the Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg arrived in Malaga after sailing from Gibraltar. The 77-metre yacht named Tango will be in the port until Friday when it sets sail to Italy.
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Dick move A MAN defending his girlfriend’s honour ended up needing three stitches after he was bitten on the penis. The 24-year-old victim was attacked when he told off a passerby who had ‘complimented’ his companion. The couple had been walking through the La Puñala district of Elche (Alicante) when they were accosted by a 28-year-old man who was worse for wear. The boyfriend told him off for his comments to his girlfriend, only to become the target for an assault in which the assailant sank his teeth into the victim’s manhood.
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May 5th - May 18th 2021
My precious!
Expat’s prized ring returned after it was buried under 350,000 tonnes of rubbish
FOUND: From trash to treasure
By Cristina Hodgson
IT makes the task of finding a needle in a haystack sound simple. When Helen Miles (pictured) accidentally threw her prized ring in the bin, it ended up as part of a 350,000 tonne
Freak death
A 59-year-old cyclist died after swallowing a bee when out riding with friends. The man was travelling in the Polinya del Xuquer area of Valencia
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when the bee flew into his mouth. The cyclist was stung in his throat and lost consciousness. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him. It’s believed that he suffered a fatal allergic reaction to the sting.
A COURT is to rule over the custody of a pet dog. When the owners of a white Maltese called Bimba separated they agreed to an ‘out of court’ joint custody arrangement for their daughter. Bimba would go along with the girl to stay with her father on his access days and everything seemed to work well at first. But the relationship between the grown-ups deteriorated with the man being refused access to Bimba in February.
Custody
mound of rubbish. Helen was left devastated when she realised what had happened to the three-colour gold ring she had bought 30 years previously with her first pay packet. That was in 2018, and her initial thoughts were she had lost the jewellery for ever. But hope rekindled for the woman from Casares (Malaga) when the massive Costa del Sol Environmental Complex opened a lost property office the following year. Barely thinking she had a chance that such a tiny item could be found amongst the vast amounts of rubbish that
the waste treatment plant deals with, she nonetheless decided to give it a go. She went online to fill in a form and upload photos of the ring back in March 2019. Now, two years later she has struck gold - and had ‘her precious’ returned. The sparkler now sits once more on Helen’s little finger. “It is a ring that I bought 30 years ago with my first pay packet and it has a lot of sentimental value for me,” she said. “It’s just incredible that such a small piece could have been located amongst the waste from the entire Costa del Sol.”
He was told that the dog actually belonged to his ex-partner’s other daughter and that he could never take her again. The man has now gone to court to get access to the family pet. He says that he paid for all of the dog’s expenses when he lived with his ex-partner. Bimba, though, is officially registered in the woman’s name on its microchip. The man says that is a technicality as she was the one that took the dog to the vet for the procedure. His lawyer claims that his client is suffering ‘serious non-financial damage such is his love for Bimba’.