A
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Issue 318
Marbella
STILL GOT IT www.theolivepress.es
May 2019 - May 2020
THE NEW: Michelle Obama and Hugh Grant among most recent visitors
THE OLD: Audrey Hepburn and Sean Connery were regular visitors
Marbella has never lost its charm - in fact it’s only getting better, writes Laurence Dollimore SMOKING sardines, bikini-clad roller skaters and children with ice cream-covered faces… this is Marbella in full seasonal swing. Forget the odd TOWIE nonsense and celebrity wannabes, this is still a Spanish town at heart and is packed
How two American icons helped to make Marbella great Continues on Page 17
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Vol. 13 Issue 318 www.theolivepress.es May 22nd - June 4th 2019
See page 17
We’ve got the power!
DOZENS of expats are joining gypsies and Down syndrome candidates in the most diverse local elections in Spanish history. All around Andalucia, Brits, Scandinavians and other northern Europeans have thrown their hats in the ring in the hope of representing the important international
Expats fill up the ballot lists for vital local elections - in which FINALLY foreigners count!
community at a local level. in total, hundreds of foreigners have been included on the various political party lists in a bid to become councillors. HEALY MAC S
Voted BEST expat paper in Spain FREE
And action! Almodovar at his best Page 16
Party time
National Day kicks off in Gib Pages 19-22
Vol. 10 Issue 247
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OUTRAGE AS EXPAT WESTLEY CAPPER
GETS BAIL AND IS JUST...
DAYS AND OUT
euro luxury villa just British killer back at multi-million in drunken hit-and-run three months after killing expat EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan and Jon Clarke
Life’s a picnic
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IT only took three months. Indeed, just 91 days after killing a Bolivian mother while under the influence of drink and drugs, British expat Westley Capper is back at his multi-million euro luxury villa. Capper - who is also being investigated over the unlawful detention of missing expat Agnese Klavina - has been granted bail after coughing up €360,000. This is despite Capper admitting to the hit-and-run that left mother-of-four Fatima Dorada thrown 20 feet to her death on a roundabout in San Pedro in May. The privately-educated Capper is now living at his exclusive Benahavis bolthole, it can be revealed, enjoying the heated pool, expansive grounds and use of a chauffeur. In total, the Olive Press can reveal his
In a country - where many coastal towns comprise up to 50% expatatriates - local elections are vital. The poll this Sunday (May 26) is the ONLY vote, apart from the Eu-
A two-year mystery
vian’s disappearance and the British expats remain the main suspects. The pair have been charged with aggravated unlawful detention and have to report to a Marbella court twice a month and are forbidden from leaving Spain under their bail conditions. A source close to the investigation told the Olive Press that police are ‘closing in’ on the location of Agnese’s possible death.
T
HE mystery surroundexpat missing ing Agnese Klavina continues exactly two years since her disappearance. Yet, the Olive Press can reveal that after months of inactivity, police are narrowing in on the location where Agnese was taken after leaving Aqwa Mist nightclub, in Marbella, with Brits, Westley Capper and Craig Porter. September 6 marks the second anniversary of the Lat-
42
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CRIME NEWS
CURRY KILLER
May 11th - May 24th 2016www.theolivepress.es
NABBED: Corner A PAIR of cold-hearted expats went for a curry after killing a mother in a horrific hit-andrun incident. Notorious Brit Westley Capper THE ex-boyfriend of missing supped beers and chatted with Alhaurin Lisa Brown, has been arrested pal Craig Porter just 30 min- flops and prison wearing flip EXCLUSIVE in Copenhagen. utes after knocking over the The son a grey t-shirt. By Laurence Dollimore of multimillionaire Simon Corner, 33, is facing exBolivian mother of a two-year- Fred Capper and Rob Horgan was arrested in tradition to Spain for questionold in San Pedro. Estepona ing over the disappearance of Privately-educated Capper - India after restaurant Mini Ordering chicken tikka masaa manhunt was las and drinking Cobra Lisa, who has a nine-year-old linked to the disappearance of launched lager, son. the pair had fled the crash, stunning Latvian expat Agnese He had to track him down. been driving a black which happened Corner is expected to appear Klavina, in 2014 - has now English-plated at 8.30pm on Bentley GT Monday evening. before a San Roque judge bebeen remanded in custody af- Continental, alongside his “They were acting strange fore the end of the week, alongter pleading guilty at Marbella friend Liverpudlian and Craig Por- seemed to be in a rush,” waiter side another British man, who court. ter, who is also charged with Jolal Uddin, is believed to be his accomplice. 34, told the Olive He was seen being taken to the disappearance of Agnese. Fugitive Corner, whose real Press. “Soon another three name is Dean Woods, has been TRAGIC: Paramedics try to people joined them and they revive victim and (top) Mini India wanted for questioning since were locked in hushed converLisa disappeared from her home sation at the back of the restau“ I saw the car hit her and it of Agnese in Guadiaro last November. rant. threw her flying 25 metres,” nightclub outside Aqwa Mist Spanish authorities fear the in Puerto Banus, in “It was clear they were trying Jose Maria, 32-year-old Scot may have to work out what to do, then restaurant 25, of Japanese 2014. THE stepfather of missing Amy been murdered and dumped minutes later the police arrived the worst Inch said. “It was While his lawyer insists he has guilty of killing her brother Dean. Fitzpatrick has been found thing I have ever not been charged, at sea. and they took them outside. Former Mijas resident Dave Mahon the courts seen. have not returned his passport A European Arrest Warrant “Incredibly just two local police- “Everyone slaughter after his stepson died fromwas found guilty of manrushed towards her and he has to report a single stab wound in was issued last month for Cormen was enough,” he added. Dublin in 2013. to police from the restaurant.” twice a month. ner, who fled Spain soon after Eyewitnesses at the crash Tobacconist Mahon is now facing a potential life Antonio Navarro “He is still having Lisa’s disappearance, abandonscene revealed that the wom- added: he had taken out a knife and viciouslysentence, after a jury ruled to attend “I saw the Bentley go on the first and stabbed the teenager after ing his yacht in Sotogrande. an’s body was sent flying 25 screeching an argument on New Year’s Day. 15th of every past, then heard a month,” said a police Lisa’s sister, Helen Jordan, metres through the air. "If Mr Mahon had not taken the knife source. thud.” “A lot said: “An 'innocent' man that wouldn't be dead, and he has admittedout of his pocket Dean Capper pleaded guilty to the scenes.is going on behind the that," said his lawyer had nothing to hide has been Sean Guerin. hit-and-run in Marbella court “It is to the Far East, Europe, Ireland "Mr Mahon has admitted taking the yesterday. Meanwhile Porter pleaseda scary case and I am knife out was a very, very he is currently locked and beyond. stupid thing to do and had tragic consequences", has been released on bail. he added. up. “While we are delighted that Mahon and Audrey had moved to Mijas Essex-man Capper drives a “He shouldn’t Costa in 2004, with Auhe's been caught, we still have a have been out in drey’s two children Amy and Dean. number of luxury cars includ- the first long road to go. We still appeal Amy went missing four years later in ing a Mercedes S-Class and Marbellaplace.” mysterious circumstances, to anyone that knows where Town Hall meanat the age of 15, with evidence pointing lives in the exclusive Madronal while has promised to make she might be to contact the They have always insisted they had to neglect by her parents. development, near Marbella. nothing to do with her disalterations Guardia Civil.” appearance, and later returned to live He is not expected to be given in central to the road system in Ireland. David Cameron has vowed to CALLOUS: Capper and bail, as he is already under in- the second San Pedro, as it is (right) Porter ‘make sure everything possible vestigation for the abduction boulevard death near the new is done for Lisa's family’. in two months.
Expats - linked to missing Agnese Indian moments after hit-and-run- head for an killed a mother
CAUGHT!
Mahon Guilty!
HOME: Capper and our previous story
less nature’ shown by Capper. “I cannot understand how he has shown absolutely no reout to just hours after slamming his morse, has not reachedhas no clearly who vanished after being family have paid the court seen getting into his car after Bentley into Fatima in pour- the family and the and then fleeing the conscience whatsoever,” €50,000, plus €310,000 in out in Marbella two ing rain 48-year-old builder said. ‘blood money’ set aside a night ago (see pullout above). scene. for the family of Do- years Westley’s recent 91- He faces four charges includDuring to failure rada. Heartless at Alhaurin prison ing manslaughter, This is in addition to day stay released last Tues- aid his alleged victim, driving puzzles me. What a the €300,000 bail (he was Essex-man lost 35 under the influence of alcohol “It really person he must be.” the heartless day) reand an offence money his father, London-based lawnow strikes a ‘shad- and drugs m u l t i m i l l i o n a i r e kilos and former self’, accord- lating to false documentation. Capper’she could not confirm close to the inves- yer said businessman John ow of his source A been had source. Press Capper Olive that an that the or deny ‘Freddie’ Capper, ing to arrested, along- tigation confirmed Bentley re- granted bail. has put up in the Capper was on Craig Porter, 38-year-old’s and that “I have not been instructed on case of missing side sidekick house in Estepona mains impounded how to answer questions Latvian Klavina, at a curry the terms of his bail prevent this,” Robert Taylor of Cubhim from driving. ism Law said. “I have been on Capper is already banned holiday and I will be talking Est 1984 from leaving the country un- to my client in the next day der bail conditions set in the or two.” ongoing missing persons case Neither the police, nor court, of Klavina. would comment on the case. Fatima’s husband Tomas Opinion Page 6 Jewellers & Pawnbrokers Ramirez told the Olive Press For all your he was stunned by the ‘heart-
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ropean elections, in which expat residents can take part. “We can actually make a difference in this election,” explains Olive Press columnist Bill Anderson, who is standing with the PP party in Mijas. The former UK political strategist is running alongside former mayor Angel Nozal in a campaign to restore security and cleanliness to the town’s streets, as well as reduce bureaucracy, encourage transparency and improve animal welfare. Meanwhile, Londoner Chloe Gavin is running with the PSOE in Periana, in the Axarquia, for the first time after moving to Spain 19 years ago. She hopes to improve integration of the international community and boost tourism, an essential sector for her village. In the nearby village of Arenas, Ann and Simon Hewitt are supporting the PP party, saying they ‘need to stand up for something they believe in’. British businessman Darren Sands is also standing for the PP party in Marbella. Anne Hernandez, a well known figure in the expat community through her group Brexpats in Spain, will stand for new Mijas party Movimiento Vecinal Mijeño and will concentrate on animal welfare, the Reliable private hire transfer environment and services for any occasion Brexit. • Luxury vehicles Other expats running • Door to door service Airport collections Weddings transport • Sightseeing day trips • Restaurant shuttles •
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include Elizabeth Morrison and Paul Knight for Izquierda Unida in Sedella, Liz Keag for Por Mi Pueblo in Competa, and Chris Cluderay for Ciudadanos in Alcaucin. In Manilva, where nearly 50% of the population is foreign, it is no surprise to find Dutch business lady Kaat Buelens, from the PSOE, competing against current British councillor Dean Tyler Shelton. “I’ve finally decided to get on board and improve my town. “It’s been a long time coming and will be a pleasure if I can get in,” she told the Olive Press. In what is believed to be the most diverse elections in Spanish history, four young adults with Down Syndrome are standing in Valencia, Extremadura , Sevilla and Murcia. “I want my city to be a pioneer in working with people with disabilities and for us to truly have a voice and a vote,” Sevilla candidate Lopez-Saez de Riba explained. The employee at the Barceló Renacimiento Hotel says 'people like him' can offer 'so much more than people think, including a fresh outlook and a different point of view'. It comes after four gypsies were elected to congress in April’s general elections in a Spain first. The PP, PSOE, Cs and Podemos each brought one gypsy to the country’s house of representatives from Sevilla, Madrid and Tarragona. They have all vowed to chip away at the xenophobia and systemic discrimination affecting gypsies across Spain. Many other gypsies are standing in the local elections around the country. Opinion, pg 6
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NEWS IN BRIEF No benefit now! BRITISH expat Jayne Kitchen, who stole over €90,000 in UK benefits, has been ordered to pay back just €8 per month, meaning her debt will not be repaid until 2977.
Well hell THE Twitter user who trolled dead Malaga three-yearold Julen’s parents has told a court his online comments were ‘jokes’ and ‘not offensive’.
Why so a bad A PRISON officer has been arrested for an alleged bid to free jailed Castañas leader Francisco Tejon, alongside 43 members of the gang, and some Italian men.
Baby poisoned POLICE have arrested a man and a woman, 24 and 29, after a 17-month-old baby in Valencia was put in a coma for cocaine and cannabis poisoning.
THE family of Agnese Klavina are launching an appeal to the Supreme Court after her alleged kidnappers sensationally avoided jail time. It comes after expats Westley Capper, 41, and pal Craig Porter, 37, were handed suspended sentences of two years and six months respectively on charges of coercion. The Marbella-based pals were also ordered to pay €10,000 to the family of Agnese and one third of their legal costs. The charge of kidnapping - for which the British pair faced 12 years in prison - could not be proved, leaving Latvian Klavina’s family ‘stunned’. While the judge agreed that they had conspired to force her into their car following a late night at a Marbella nightclub, the prosecution was unable to prove why she has not been seen since. This was despite a large, heavy bag being seen taken onto Capper’s father’s boat the next day,
Fire shame A BRITISH expat has been arrested over a forest fire which broke out in Nerja this week. The 43-year-old is believed to have confessed to lighting a small bonfire to burn rubbish in the garden of his home in the Cerro de San Isidro area. Strong winds, which have been blowing for the past few weeks, sent sparks into the surrounding area’s dry vegetation, causing a rapidly-spreading blaze.
SINGLE IMPLANT
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
It’s not over! Agnese’s family to take case to Supreme Court after ‘shock verdict’ sees Brits accused of kidnap ‘walk free’ on lesser charge EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore
as well as other circumstantial evidence. “The family are very disappointed,” Fernando Scornik Gerstein, representing the Klavinas, told the Olive Press. “They are heartbroken at losing a daughter, sister, and the two people they believe are responsible have got such light sentences. Meanwhile the bouncer who clearly helped force Agnese into their car got nothing.”
The Madrid-based lawyer said he strongly disagreed with the judge’s interpretation of the law. “We will be appealing this verdict to the Supreme Court this week,” he added. He had asked the court for longer sentences and €85,000 in compensation for their alleged role in the disappearance of the waitress, who was 30 when she vanished from Aqwa Myst nightclub in Puerto Banus in 2014. During the recent trial, the court was shown security camera footage from Aqwa Mist showing
Night raiders A BRITISH resident has sounded the alarm after his parents were robbed as they slept inside their Costa del Sol home this week. Burglars managed to force open a locked window at the upmarket villa in El Paraiso, near Estepona, before raiding the property and making off with €1,000 cash. “The same thing happened last year, they come in while you’re sleeping,” Harry Whiston, 25, told the Olive Press.
Teed off
THE boyfriend of a waitress who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a drunken Austrian golfer has spoken out. Rafa Rodriguez, 27, from Estepona, said he ‘went mental’ when he heard a man ‘touched his girlfriend’ at the Gran Hotel Elba where the pair work. Rodriguez, a receptionist at the luxury five-star retreat, told the Olive Press he ‘would have lost his job’ if he had been there at the time. Wolfgang Habersatter, 55,
IMPLANT BRIDGE
Klavina being seemingly forced into a Mercedes S63 AMG occupied by Capper and Porter. The footage is the last known
from Austria, was arrested for groping the woman’s buttocks during a golf holiday in April, after he and pals were seen boozing in the hotel bar. The young couple are now awaiting a court date, while dad-of-two Wolfgang has not been seen since he returned home. Since the alleged attack, the 20 members of the Radstadt Salzburg club who made the trip said they ‘would not return to Spain’ due to the ‘upsetting’ events.
sighting of the young woman before her disappearance, and according to the prosecution, it showed ‘that she was being driven against her will.’ Prosecutors also used footage from La Duquesa port, in Manilva, which showed Capper and two others ‘carrying a large red suitcase’ onto Capper’s father’s Giofill III yacht. Police boarded the ship and found a blonde hair and other traces of DNA, however they did not match Klavina’s. Capper, whose father Freddie owns a number of multi-million euro villas in the Marbella hills, is set to appeal the coercion conviction. Robert Taylor, the lawyer of privately-educated Capper, told the Olive Press: “He had no intention to take Agnese against her will and she entered my client’s car of her own volition.” Meanwhile, Capper has a second trial for manslaughter later this year, over the death of expat waitress Fatima Dorado, 40. He mowed the Bolivian mother down in his Bentley, after drinking and taking drugs, before driving off and getting a curry, as revealed by the Olive Press in 2016. Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half year sentence for Capper, who was driving at 75km/h in a 40km/h zone.
IMPLANT DENTURE
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
3
Red-dy for action? HE came as the vanguard of Liverpool’s arrival in Spain for their most important game of the season. Striker Roberto Firmino landed on the Costa del Sol a week before the arrival of his team mates for warm weather training in preparation for the Champions League final next weekend. The Brazilian forward, 27, arrived in Malaga aboard a €23 million priva-
STARS: The Spanish trio
Leftie luvvie
HE is a voice of a generation of Spaniards, who remember the transition from dictatorship to democracy. So it’s no surprise that legendary filmmaker Pedro Almodovar is backing the PSOE to do well in elections this weekend, and hopes Vox gets thwarted. The Oscar-winning director said he felt a sigh of relief when Spain backed the left wing government at last month’s general election. Speaking at Cannes film festival, alongside Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, he said it felt like Pedro Sanchez’ victory had ‘given him his country back’.
Deplorable
“I, like all Spaniards, was horrified by our last parliament,” he said, “the infighting and insults were deplorable. “Before the elections, I felt like I was not living in the country that I knew and worked for, fortunately, the result has given me back the democratic Spain I know and love.” He added it was ‘dreadful’ that the far-right Vox party won any seats and was ‘appalled’ that Miquel Iceta was blocked from becoming the first gay leader of the Senate by Catalan leaders.
te jet, in an attempt to overcome his groin injury for the final on June 1. He was spotted at the Marbella Football Center in San Pedro training with the club’s strength and rehabilitation assistant David Rydings. The remaining 22 Liverpool players jetted into Malaga on Monday, where they will stay for seven days before taking on Tottenham at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid.
Not funny any more EXCLUSIVE: The financial battle that finally killed off expat comedian Freddie Starr
A STRANGER has agreed to pay for the funeral of expat comedy legend Freddie Starr. It comes after the tortured funnyman died in impecunious circumstances at his home on the Costa del Sol. The dad-of-six was found by his carer in a chair at his home in the La Cala Hills development, in Mijas. While Olive Press readers also generously offered to pay for his funeral here in Spain, one, Michael Fogg, a funeral director, in Sheffield, has agreed to fly his body home to the UK. “Freddie was much loved by the people in this country and deserves a proper send off,” he said. “This won’t be a sma-
www.theolivepress.es
Falling Starr NEWS
October 1st - October 14th 2015
3
Comic Freddie’s attempt to escape UK justice in Spain has been anything but easy, he tells the Olive Press HE was, no doubt, hoping for a return to the happy holidays he spent on the Costa del Sol in the 1980s and 90s. But fallen comic Freddie Starr’s return to Spain has been marked with controversy, after being accused of trying to escape UK justice. Indeed, as he admitted to the Olive Press, this week, his purchase of a home in Mijas has, in fact, done little to cheer him up. After cashing up in England in a bid to escape a libel bill amounting to over a million pounds, he admitted he was now ‘shaking hands with the devil’. Adding he was almost suicidal, Starr said: “I’m very down. I’ve been up there and I’ve shook hands with God and I’ve come down here and I’ve shook hands with the devil.” Speaking outside his La Cala
EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan Hills bolthole, he insisted it had not been his intention to flee justice over the failed libel action he took against a woman who accused him of sexual assault. Cutting a shambolic figure and talking slowly and painfully, he said: “I have had a quadruple bypass. It wasn’t a matter of planning anything. I always come to Spain anyway. I love it here. “I didn’t run away because of the court case. If you haven’t got socks, you can’t pull them up. I’ve got no money plain and simple.” Happily showing his horrific chest scars from the bypass operation, he explained how he was now trying to put together the pieces of his shat-
MILLER TIME: Sizzling Sienna DOWN AND OUT: Starr is trying tered life. Describing Karin Ward as ‘full of lies’ for claiming she was groped by him, he now hoped that Spain would offer him some sanctuary. A long-time visitor, who once owned a holiday home in Benalmadena, he continued: “The people are nice down here, I enjoy the lifestyle and weather.”
to repair his tattered life, he
An emotional Starr also recalled his last appearance on stage and the moment he realised the curtain on his career had finally fallen. “I was trying to get back to work in my wheelchair. I had the oxygen bottles on the back of my wheelchair and I was fighting for my breath.
The Only Way Is Marbs… or La Cala de Mijas!
A TOUCH of TOWIE glamour wowed the opening night of Elliott Wright’s new Costa del Sol champagne bar. stylish The reality TV star boogied the night with new girlfriend Sadie Stuart, away a host of The Only Way is Essex 23, and Jessica Wright, Ferne McCann regulars. die flaunted their figures as theyand Sadancefloor at Olivia’s in La Cala. hit the And as the drinks flowed, businessman Wright revealed how happy he be with Sadie and to have the castwas to of the popular TV show at his new restaurant. “It’s was a fantastic night and it was to see all the TOWIE cast,” he told great ive Press. “They’re like my familythe Oland I love the programme.” He continued: “And it’s great being with Sadie...we’re very happy.” Despite insisting he had left the he is once again set to feature in show, TOWIE series, which kicks off the new other ‘Marbs Special’ in October.with anAnd on top of that, he has even roped new squeeze, a singer from London, his into taking a turn, although she will not be-
come a regular. She told the Olive Press: “It’s been great. I’ve only got a few short cameos where introduces me as as his new girlfriend. he “However, I won’t be going back show when it returns to Essex... I’mon the to stay out here in Marbella. Who going knows what the future holds?” Elliott’s cousin, TOWIE star Jessica, who celebrated her 30th birthday this month, was also delighted to be at Olivia’s. She said: “I’m happy to see Elliot’s restaurant. It’s stunning. We’ve been new most nights. I am really proud of him.”here Meanwhile, fellow reality TV star 24, had her dancing shoes well andFerne, back on after a recent foot injury, truly which left her on crutches. She said: “My foot is still quite but it’s so much better. It was aswollen, injury and I had torn two ligamentsnetball left ankly but I’m all good now and in my boogying away.” The entire TOWIE crew have been filming in Marbella for a week with them set to stay for another week.some of
has claimed
“They said ‘Freddie Starr’ and I knew as soon as I walked on that I was in trouble. “I said, ‘Sorry ladies and gentlemen, you have paid good money but I just can’t perform’. “They understood, gave me a round of applause and I said, ‘This is the last time you will ever see me on stage.’” He concluded: “I used to be the biggest paid person in Britain for 15 years but all of a sudden it has stopped.” Starr, who was driving a silver Mercedes, moved into his gated property around two months ago. Locals said he was often seen in bars around the complex and seen eating in various restaurants in La Cala.
Sienna stuns San Sebastian SIENNA Miller wowed fans at the 63rd San Sebastian film festival in skin-tight gingham dress and heels. Arriving straight from London Fashion Week, the actress and model was promoting her new film, High Rise. The week-long event premiered 45 films and saw British actress Emily Watson receive the Donostia Award in honour of her work.
STRAIGHT OUTTA
ATES! FADED: Starr (left)CASEM and Olive Press story
ll funeral.” Starr, who starred in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2011, had a quadruple heart bypass surgery after he’d had a heart attack a year before. A heavy smoker, Starr collapsed on the reality TV show, later moving to Spain in 2015, where he spent his days quietly. A neighbour told the Olive Press this week that reclusive Starr would ‘just sit indoors all day long and he never had any visitors’. He had been attempting to pay a €1.1m bill for losing a court case against someone
Raging Ricky RICKY Gervais has slammed a matador who wiped away a bull’s ‘tears’ before slaying the injured animal, labelling him a ‘sequinned c**t.’ The British funnyman took umbrage at Morante de la Puebla’s performance in Sevilla when he wiped blood from the bull’s face with a handkerchief. The Comedian, who presented the Oscars, has long criticised animal cruelty and often spoken out against ‘traditional’ blood sports.
IT’S not quite the streets of Compton, and it’s certainly no 8 Mile Road, Detroit. But for New York rapper Beniton braltar was super phat and right the Menace, the Rock of Gion the money! The artist has recorded the promo video to ‘This world’ at the top of the rock, with several Barbary macaques as backing dancers. Beniton is already a self-declared lover of Gibraltar, having performed on stage with reggae star Maxi Priest at the National Day concert this year, as well as the 2014 event. “I was there a year ago and the love was tremendous,” he said. A new movie, Straight Outta Compton, about the life of legendary US rap band N.W.A, has just been released.
who accused him of sex abuse, a claim he always denied. He told the Olive Press it was a ‘massive battle’ for him and insisted he had no money and was ‘suicidal’ after moving to La Cala Hills. “I’m very down. I’ve been up there and I’ve shook hands with God and I’ve come down here and I’ve shook hands with the devil,” he revealed in an exclusive interview “I have had a quadruple bypass. I always come out here, it wasn’t a matter of planning anything. “I didn’t run away because of the court case. If you haven’t got socks, you can’t pull them up. I’ve got no money. “I used to be the biggest paid person in Britain for 15 years but all of a sudden it has stopped.” Starr started out as the frontman of Mersey band the Midniters in the 60s, before he shot to fame in the 70s on talent shows like Opportunity Knocks and the Royal Variety Performance. He was also written into history after the Sun’s famous headline, ‘Freddie Starr ate my hamster’ in 1986. DANCE-OFF: TOWIE girls and (top) Elliott and Sadie
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Hips didn’t lie
SHAKIRA has been cleared of plagiarism over hit song La Bicicleta in Spain. The Barcelona-based singer, 42, was accused by Livan Rafael Castellanos, a Cuban singer, for using melodies and lyrics from his song Yo te quiero tanto. Music publisher MDRB had filed a complaint in 2017 on behalf of Livan. But a Madrid court ruled that Colombian Shakira, who dates footballer Gerard Pique, was in the right having insisted she had ‘never heard’ Livan's song before.
White lines
THE eldest son of the world’s most famous drug dealer has signed a publishing deal. Expat Roberto Sendoya Escobar - who goes by the name Philip Witcomb - has lived on a Mallorcan finca for years. His notorious drug lord father, Pablo, became one of the world’s richest men, controlling 80% of the global cocaine market, before he was shot in 1993. “This really is one of the most extraordinary stories I have ever read,” said British publisher John Blake, who lives near Escobar junior’s farm. “Pablo’s life has already been the subject of hit TV series Narcos, but Roberto’s story is on a whole new level. “The tales of murders, guns, drugs and billions of dollars are just extraordinary.”
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HOMEOWNERS in Granada were shocked to discover that a buzzing sound that was keeping them up at night had been caused by 80,000 bees in their bedroom wall. The pair from Granada had been bothered by the low humming sound for two years. Eventually a local beekeeper worked out what the problem was and stepped in to help. “It was an unbearable noise and I don’t know how they managed to put up with it at all,” explained beekeeper Sergio Guerrero. The professional has been getting more callouts this year than ever before and believes Andalucia's bee population is in better health than a decade ago. It comes as conservationists around the globe mark World Bee Day amid a decline in the global population. See the buzz on bees, page 40
Arab summer MARBELLA is preparing to host a string of Arab royal families this summer, it has been revealed. According to the town hall, several consulates have reached out to inform the hotspot that high profile members of different monarchies will be dropping in after Ramadan ends on June 4.
Leading UK airline stops promoting polluted beaches after Olive Press probe EXCLUSIVE By Charlie Smith
A LEADING airline has agreed to dump any towns that allow raw sewage into the sea. British holiday firm Jet2 has confirmed to the Olive Press that this will start with Nerja, which previously listed the town’s Burriana beach as a great place to visit. It comes after fecal bacteria was found at both Burriana and nearby Torrecilla beach, which the travel giant had listed on its website as among its ‘things to do’ in Nerja. “We will not be promoting’ the beaches until the problem is resolved,” said a spokes-
Heil hall A TOWN hall has finally removed a statue dedicated to a nazi after pressure from residents and expats. Workers in Ojen dismantled the monument which bore the name of Juan Hoffman, a German consul in Malaga, who was later revealed to have been a member of Adolf Hitler’s SS and Gestapo.
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
You’re dumped!
man for Jet2 this week. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention, we have removed any recommendation of the affected beaches from our website.” We got in touch with leading UK operators and airlines after the Guardia Civil uncovered outflow pipes pumping untreated human waste into the ocean just 40m deep. Sewage clumps containing faeces, wet wipes, sanitary towels and plastic and measuring metres in length have also been spotted on the ocean floor. One British holidaymaker told
POLLUTED: Jet2 abandons beaches over sewage the Olive Press he will ‘not return’ to the area over fears he may contract ‘hepatitis’. Neil Robson, 72, from Yorkshire, had been swimming at
Need to get stiffer CONVICTIONS for driving under the influence of drink or drugs have surged in Spain by 10%. Official figures show that convictions increased to 56,173, in 2018, compared to 51,085, in 2017. The convictions represent 21% of all crimes in Spain, while 40% of drivers who died in road accidents were intoxicated. Pere Navarro, head of the DGT national traffic authority had said: “It’s not clear to me that the solution lies in higher penalties.”
CROOK: Missing Poole
Cry for help
MISSING father Daniel Poole who vanished from the Costa del Sol two months ago has a ‘substantial’ criminal past, it has been revealed. According to Olive Press sources, the garage owner, 46, who vanished alongside his son Liam in Estepona, on April 1, spent time in prison for drug-related offences, mostly to do with hashish and cocaine. The revelation came after Daniel’s daughter Lauryn Poole told the Olive Press this week that her father’s history needs to be looked into if cops want to crack the case. “As far as I’m concerned the police haven’t even touched the sides,” she told this paper. “I don’t know what’s happened...I think every route from car accidents in a rural area, to exploring my dad’s past and the people he was last seen with need to be looked into.” The hairdresser, from Sussex, added that she and her other brother were ‘really struggling to carry on’. Have you seen Daniel or Liam? Contact newsdesk@ theolivepress.es
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Burriana Beach three times a day on his summer holidays for 27 years. “It’s a ridiculous situation and shows a total arrogance for the people who go on holiday in Nerja,” added the dadof-three who first visited the area in 1992. A sewage treatment plant was under construction in 2014, but stalled due to financial difficulties. Nerja Town Hall declined to comment on the situation or update us on current sewage treatment plans. Other package holiday firms TUI and Thomas Cook were asked to comment on the situation, but did not reply before we went to print.
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The Olive Press: Costa del Sol / Gib / Mallorca editions – 342mm x 256mm
22 May
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FEATURE
www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain
A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than 500,000 people a month.
OPINION Vote for change This is the big one. The one chance every four years when we can make a difference with the lives we have made over here. Expats of every nationality will be joining queues at polling booths around Spain this Sunday. We can certainly make a difference with expatriates in most towns on the Costas making up well over 20% of the electorate, often up to 50%. So make sure you go out and vote and make your views count - assuming you are registered, that is. Above all, ensure you vote for the local team that best understands the wealth and diversity we bring to their towns. The Olive Press sides with no particular party for in every town the candidates are different and offer unique and individual strengths and weaknesses. But, one thing for sure, it’s best to vote for a change of mayor, as four years is more than enough time to introduced the schemes the current crop promised in 2015.
No Justice The shock verdict that sees Westley Capper and his accomplice Craig Porter handed measly sentences is an insult to the poor family of Agnese Klavina. Her parents are understandably heartbroken as are the many expats following the case. The two people they believe to be responsible for her disappearance have been given just two years and six months respectively. The sentence comes despite the fact the Judge himself recognised poor Agnese was forced into Capper’s car that night. The crux of the case rested on the lack of evidence and the prosecution’s inability to provide a clear narrative of what happened to Agnese. And this despite a large, heavy bag filmed by CCTV being taken onto Capper’s father’s boat the next day, as well as other circumstantial evidence. Justice demands Capper, who still faces trail over the death of expat waitress Fatima Dorado, 40, see’s jail time.
Publisher / Editor Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es
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Spain’s environmentalists issue doomsday warning as groundbreaking study reveals alarming levels of micro-plastic in Pyrenees, writes Heather Galloway
May 22nd - June 4th 2019 WASTE MOUNTAIN: Alarming levels of plastic in the Pyrenees
S
UMMER is approaching and city dwellers in Spain love nothing more than to get away from the heat and dust of urban life, opting for the coast or the Pyrenees where the air is clean and fresh. Or is it? An ominous new study suggests that no matter where you go to get away from it all, the air is thick with microscopic particles of an all-pervasive material that is woven into the structure of our modern economy: single-use plastic. And now its poison has spread to one of Europe’s wildest natural landscapes. Measuring less than 5mm long, micro-plastic is not only swirling like shoals of deadly nano fish in the Mediterranean, it has also reached a remote ‘pristine wilderness’ in the Pyrenees. More shocking still, it is being found in the kind of volumes you might expect to find in Paris or China’s most industrial zones, according to a study carried out by Steve Allen, a researcher in micro-plastics at Strathclyde University and his partner, EcoLab scientist Deonie Allen. The density of the micro-plastic particles in a cross-border area was measured in the French meteorological station of Bernadouze, 1,425 metres above sea level, over five months between 2017 and 2018. The result was a daily average of 365 particles per m2. According to the study, most were invisible to the naked eye and could have been transported from up to 95 km away. “It opens up the possibility that it’s not only in the cities you are breathing this in, but it can travel quite some distance from the sources,” Allen wrote in Nature Geoscience journal. “Plastic litter is an increasing global issue and one of the key environmental challenges we face on a global scale.” As the nearest hamlet is 25 km away from the target research area, it is not known if the particles came from Toulouse or from the Spanish cities of Barcelona or Zaragoza. According to Alba García, who runs Greenpeace Spain’s Plastics Campaign, the particles could even have been transported by storms from the marine environment. Spain is the main culprit, after Turkey, for the quantity of plastic in the Mediterranean – a scandalous 126 tonnes daily, according to a study by Orb Media earlier this year. This chemically-charged debris, eaten by fish, acts as a magnet for other chemicals in the water, making them ever more toxic. Spain is also the fourth biggest consumer of plastic in Europe, possibly due to tourism with most tourists spending on single-use plastic items, 70% of which are never recycled. But one of the main problems is the lack of ready, cheap alternatives to the imperishable material that is now part of the air we breathe and the water we drink. The Orb Media study found that 92% of bottled water and 83% of tap water is contaminated by micro-plastic particles. “People throwing away plastics is part of the problem,” Alba tells me. “But the main cause is the density of these materials everywhere. If you go to a supermarket, it’s impossible to get out of there without plastic.” Despite growing unease among VOICE: Greta Thunberg
Purge the plastic!
consumers over the choices available to them, the plastics industry continues to boom. Production of thermoplastic used in water bottles rose 4.7% year on year between 1990 and 2017 and it is predicted to rise by a further 40% in the next 10 years. Though EU legislation will ban single-use plastic products such as cutlery, straws, balloon sticks, cotton buds, polystyrene packaging and cups by 2021, there is still no legislation to curb the amount of plastic companies use. “Some countries were OFFENDERS: Plastic waste by country more flexible and others like Italy less so,” says Alba, referring to the en- have plastic in them and some are not biodevironmental lobby’s efforts to nail an ambitious gradable. The ones that are will only do so under deal. “Italy was very opposed, in fact, as they certain conditions, such as the temperature of have a big plastics industry. Spain was a little bit the soil or environment they are deposited in. If more pro-sustainability, despite the fact we also those conditions are not met, they don’t biodegrade.” have a plastics industry here.” The only viable option appears Plastic has been around for nearly a century and as manuWe believe that to be to transform the industries based on single-use plastic into facturers’ association Plastics getting away reusable industries. “We can Europe points out, it is ‘the create an economy based on ultimate versatile material, from the throwreusing products that have to be making possible numerous technological innovations, new away culture is washed and put back in the consumer chain,” says Alba. design solutions, environmenfundamental The window of opportunity is still tal enhancements and cost-saopen. As 16-year-old Swedish vings.’ activist Greta Thunberg, fiesty But surely scientists can come up with something less contaminating to take founder of the global Fridays for Future movement, told UK MPs in the Houses of Parliament their place? “Compostable materials or bio-plastics are this April, “Humans are very adaptable; we can alternatives that are still based on the throw- still fix this. But the opportunity to do so will not away culture,” says Alba. “These are up to five last for long.” time more expensive than normal plastic but they don’t get to the root of the problem because they still have plastic in them. That is why Greenpeace is so persistent about re-usaTen easy ways to cut the crap ble products.” Eva González, director • Buy fewer clothes of Ecodes, a non-profit • Carry your own water bottle organization for sustai30 Years Experience | Diamond Sales • Shop less online nable and eco-friendly • Buy unwrapped vegetables Design & Remodeling | Repairs and development, agrees. other foodstuffs “We believe that ge• Carry your own takeaway coffe e cup The cheapest way to get fantastic tting away from the • Bin dry waste without a bin liner throw-away culture is • Shop with reusable grocery bags new designer jewellery is to remodel fundamental for the • Avoid frozen foods stored in plas tic wellbeing of our planet bags your own jewellery and for meeting the • Buy soaps and shampoos in bars UN Sustainable Devein containers labeled recyclable or lopment Objectives,” • Carr y your own take-away cont Contact Tim she tells me. “When it • Buy wine with natural corks ainer (+34) 677 195 638 comes to bioplastics, it is true that some
THE ENGLISH JEWELLER
FEATURE
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olive press online
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Council clangers never come bigger in Spain than at local election time
L
OCAL government can be a dry old subject but some crazy town hall initiatives have kept us entertained over the years for their dubious nature or downright
Oh chute!
absurdity. If you’re still chuckling over Estepona’s farcical ‘death slide’ (below) then you’ll enjoy our giggle-worthy roundup of government gaffes.
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May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Spain and Gibraltar’s best English daily news website
Million month On the rocks Fuengirola Mayor Ana Mula famously dispatched a group of 10 people to the beaches to paint the rocks in brightly-coloured hues. Her intentions were to embellish the area and hopefully export this ‘unique’ art form to other resorts along the coast. But after being laughed out of the council chamber by fellow politicians her initiative is also on the rocks.
Risky roundabout
What was marketed as Spain’s ‘longest urban slide’ must have had one of the shortest runs. Within 24 hours it was forced to close after several users were severely burned and bruised while riding it. The €28,000 stainless steel attraction, measuring 38 metres and with a gradient of 33 degrees, was described by locals as a ‘vanity project’ by mayor Jose Urbano ahead of the local elections.
AFTER the Olive Press broke the million-a-month barrier for pages read in April, we are gunning for our next challenge. Fingers crossed, May could even deliver it... that’s the magic figure of ONE MILLION VISITORS in a month. Last month we had 846,000 visitors and in May we are well under way towards the magic figure. Even better, time spent on the site could be as high as SIX MINUTES, some 30 seconds better than April. No surprise we are zooming up the Amazon charts, while our closest rival the Euro Weekly News dropped 30,000 places globally. http://www.theolivepress.es
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There’s a whole feature on ugly roundabout artworks in Spain waiting to be written but there’s one in Cantabria that’s more than simply an affront to aesthetics. Commissioned by Torrelavega Town Hall, the piece consists of
four enormous sheet metal boards devoid of any decoration. Not only ugly, the vast ‘artwork’ blocks traffic visibility and dazzles drivers with reflected light, making the roundabout downright dangerous.
Dissing the homeless
Non-Olympic stadium Almost an own goal
After the triumph of Barcelona’s 1992 Olympic Games, Sevilla Mayor Alejandro Rojas came up with a plan for a stadium to help in his city’s bid for the 2004 Olympics. But he overlooked the fact that Sevilla is a small city compared to competitors like Rome, Stockholm or Buenos Aires. Sevilla predictably lost it’s bid, thus the costly Estadio La Cartuja never fulfilled its real purpose.
Barcelona’s first female mayoress Ada Colau risked being lynched by thousands of disappointed football fans during last year’s World Cup when plans to show the Spain v Russia match on a big screen in the city were almost kicked into touch. And all because the government was too late granting the license to show it. At the eleventh hour, after an eruption of complaints across social media, the screening went ahead and Colau is still on side as mayor.
Ana Botella’s tenure in Madrid is remembered for a whole chapter of chaotic decisions but one in particular helped her off the mayoral ticket. In 2014 she ordered a total revamp to the design of bus shelters to prevent the homeless from bedding down in them on chilly winter nights. The measure was branded cruel and elitist and was halted by a request stop. It was no surprise when later that year Botella announced she would not be running for mayor in the 2015 elections.
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TO celebrate our landmark growth online we have decided to offer a very special Spring deal. Language Join us now and we will offer a 300×250 1. en-gb pixel banner on our homepage (normally 2. en-us €300 3. en-ie a month) for just €75 a month plus iva4. ifes-esyou book a year and €100 plus iva if you5. take six months. en-ca Or 6.a ensmaller 300×30 for just €40 a month. NOTE 7. nl-nlWELL: Your ad will be seen by a minimum 20.000 people a day! 8. sv-se Meanwhile a permanent sponsored or na9. nb-no tive10.post, with a permanent link, promoting en-au your business and edited by our team of journalists costs from just €175 mas iva, or €150 if you book two or more. © 2019 Google
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Roman remains? Nah, let’s have a car park
For obvious reasons, Spanish law requires an immediate halt to construction work when historical remains are discovered. Excavations may only resume once the treasure trove is safe. However in its wisdom back in 2006, Ecija Town Hall decided it didn’t want to wait, and carried on regardless, shattering a priceless Roman mosaic and a series of Muslim graves in the process. In fact under the city’s main square, the town hall had discovered a Roman forum in amazing condition, a hot spring, a gymnasium and a temple, as well as dozens of private homes. But instead of preserving the last remains of the great city of Colonia Augusta Firma Astigi, the local government built a 300-capacity car park over it. Dr. Sonia Zakrzewki, a lecturer in archeology at the University of Southampton who had worked at the site, told the Olive Press it was ‘totally shocking’ at the time... no kidding!
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Gimme a break... ...Not in Madrid for Champions League weekend unless you’re a millionaire FORGET a cheeky spring escape in Madrid at the end of the month when Tottenham meet Liverpool in the Champions League final. For the average price for a two night stay in the capital is coming in at around €5000 for the hotel accommodation
Hospital pass OLD football shirts have been given a new lease of live on hospital wards in Madrid, with unwanted kits upcycled for sick kids. The ‘Strongest Hospital Gowns’ campaign has seen children at the Hospital San Rafael wearing hospital gowns fashioned from Barcelona and Real Madrid jerseys. La Liga football shirts have replaced the usual green hospital robes in a bid to make child patients facing their ‘hardest match' feel stronger.
alone, discovered the Olive Press. Take Booking.com, some 88% of the site’s rooms are now booked in Madrid, and hostels charging 10 times what they usually do! A two night stay on the weekend of May 31 to June 2 could be the most expensive ever in Spanish (even European) history. The Olive Press was unable to find a two-night stay for less than €1000 on Booking.com or Trivago. Plenty are over €20,000, including Hotel Wellington at €24,000 (see right) and Santa Mauro at €26,000 (where Beckham once lived) and that’s before you even order a Coke! And if you thought you were clever - perhaps staying in Toledo, Aranjuez or Chinchon, three attractive towns within easy reach of the capital - well give it a go. Most of the hotels are already full and what's left was not much less. And Airbnb is no different - most flats and apartments were costing well over €2,000 for two nights! But all is not lost, as Madrid has a handful of campsites
BIG WEEKEND: And big prices (below) for fans available for Champions League weekend, all for under €50 per person per night. The Olive Press found five sites near the city, which still have space, including the Monte Campsite near Lozoya with tent pitches from just €15.20. It comes as Liverpool and Tottenham fans were advised to fly via Palma to Madrid after flights also shot up to more than €1500 after the British teams’ decisive victories. Officials at Madrid Barajas airport insisted fans should avoid the airport as it will be close to capacity and unable to deal with the influx. “We are currently recommending bypassing Madrid as it normally only handles 2,000-3,000 passengers an hour. That number is expected to rise to more than 6,000 per hour, causing lengthy passport control delays in and out.
Slam on the brakes! SPAIN’S worst car rental companies have been named and shamed. Consumer group Which? has warned British holidaymakers about half a dozen brands, which holiday makers should particularly avoid. Bottom of the rankings was Goldcar, for the fifth time in six years, with 38% of customers insisting they would never use the firm, owned by Europcar. A shocking 20% of customers reported problems with the embattled operator, mostly due to credit card changes and poor service. The second-worst company is InterRent and the third-worst is Firefly. The best firms are Cicar, based in the Canaries, as well as AutoReisen and Alamo. Which? editor Rory Boland recommended
always looking at quality and not just going for the cheapest option. “One wrong turn at airport arrivals could easily make or break your holiday,” he said. “In an industry dogged by unscrupulous practices, making the right choice is paramount.”
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
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Ripped apart by dogs
AN expat has been hospitalised after being attacked by a pack of feral dogs. The Bulgarian man, 30, had his clothes ripped off by the group of four dogs, who began to devour him. Police were forced to fire 11 shots in the air to send the dogs packing, after being called to the attack at the Santa Teresa industrial estate, near Malaga Airport. The man, whose name has not been given, was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Virgen de la Victoria Hospital in Malaga. He was sedated and had emergency surgery. Police are now seeking the dogs, after a security guard told them there had been a continual problem for some months, with the pack even sometimes chasing cars.
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DDG RETREAT Air Charter Service spokesperson Glenn Phillips said: “We are suggesting flights to Zaragoza or Valencia which are both a few hours away.” The English clubs booked their spots in the Champions League final on June 1 after pulling off two of the best comebacks in history by beating Barcelona and Ajax, 4-0 and 3-2 respectively. Fans were angry as each club has been allocated only 16,613 tickets for the all-English final, a decision both sets of fans have criticised as ‘measley.’ Thousands of expats around Spain are planning to make the journey to the capital. They include a group of Liverpool fans from Ronda, led by Charlotte Wilmot, an English teacher, who is hiring a minibus, as well as a group of staunch Spurs fans from Javea, on the Costa Blanca, who are ‘likely to hire two minibuses’.
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10 www.theolivepress.es 10 May 22nd - June 4th 2019 what’s on
Virgin Mary painting vandalised after Spain’s right-wing parties declare it religiously offensive
Oceans of fun THE Touch of Class theatre group perform cruise-themed play All Aboard on June 1 at 7:30pm at the Parroquia de la Inmaculada Rooms in Arroyo de la Miel.
Rock on AT midnight on May 25, Delto, a rock tribute to Extremoduro, take to the stage in Louie Louie in Estepona, supported by Gato Ventura.
For the kids RESTAURANTE La Finca in Benalmadena hosts hospital charity event ‘Magnificent World’ on May 30 at 6pm, featuring a raffle and art auction.
Fakes and pains TEN people have been arrested after 30,000 dodgy archaeological finds were seized in Sevilla. Guardia Civil officers seized ancient coins, Phoenician pots, busts, metal and ceramic objects, Roman mosaics and chandeliers. ‘Operation Norba’ saw agents swoop on the province of Caceres in a crackdown on forgery. It is not known how many of the pieces, which were being sold online, are fake. One arrest was made just before a sale took place, with police discovering a ‘perfectly packaged’ box.
A FEMINIST artwork in Andalucia has been despoiled after right wing political parties demanded it be taken down for ‘offending religious beliefs’. Con Flores a Maria, by Charo Corrales, appears to have been ‘vandalised’ overnight, with a crack running from top to bottom and a scratch scored across it. Technicians from Cordoba town hall and the Palacio de la Merced, where the painting is currently han-
Send your informa to May 22nd June 4thtion2019 newsdes k@theolivepress.es
Iconoclasts
DISGRACE: Inspection (left) of Corrales work (right) trashed in right-wing row
ging, are analysing CCTV footage to try and identify the culprit.
Hola, Señor Banksy
Pet pick-up IN La Cala de Mijas on May 25 the Animal Care España charity is holding an Animal Adoption Day at the Kiwoko Pet Store from 10am to 10pm.
Do you have a what’s on?
STREETS: Banksy to Malaga
HIS iconic graffiti designs first sprang up in Bristol before appearing across the UK, the US and the Middle East. Now Banksy’s work has arrived on the Costa del Sol in the first major exhibition of its kind. La Termica cultural centre in Malaga will host the ‘Art of Protest’ exhibition, featuring private
pieces never before seen in Spain. Among the works at the unauthorised display will be the mysterious artist’s original ‘Girl with balloon’ print. It comes after more than 20 works by the British artist were displayed without his permission for the ‘Banksy, Genius or Vandal?’ show in Madrid.
It comes after Ciudadanos, Partido Popular and Vox all said the artwork ‘offends religious feelings’, urging it to be taken down. It is a take on Murillos Inmaculada, which shows the Virgin Mary in a white robe looking up to the heavens, Except in Corrales’ work, Mary is donning a flower crown and has her hand over her exposed vagina. The painting is currently hanging in the Presidency Gallery as part of the Maculadas sin remedio exhibition - a collaborative project involving 14 artists promoted by Cordoba’s
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Equality Department. It is also supported by the respected Boti Foundation and is described as a ‘vindication of the deepest femininity.’
Sexuality
The exhibition is designed to question and challenge how women have been treated ‘from the beginning of time to the present’. “Among the questions posed by the artists are How are women today? Who are we? And how do we experience our sexuality in the world we live in?”
www.theolivepress.es
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
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Your time has come An open letter from the PP’s Javier Quero to the people of Casares, as he bids to become mayor and ‘return Casares to its former glory’
Dear Neighbours of Casares, Secadero and Casares Costa, IT is an honour for me to write to you and present our electoral manifesto, developed and agreed with many of you after listening to your ideas and suggestions. The scores of neighbours who have participated with us over the last four years have shown how a town becomes great when its people can be counted upon to support it - and I thank you all again for this support. Our latest manifesto is different from any of our rivals and has been studied in detail to ensure that everything is totally achievable. It has been analysed by specialists from a legal and economic perspective to ensure it can be executed from the day we are voted into office, as there is no more time to lose. Casares doesn’t deserve to be in its current situation, keeping a few individuals happy at the expense of the majority of its residents. Casares is our town, our home and above all the home of every one of its people. During these last four years, we have attended every single council meeting, both regular and special. We have formed a constructive opposition in every respect, and have tried to lead the town hall down the right path on many of the issues. We have tried to introduce change, with little success, since our opinions have been ignored, despite all the incorrect actions we observed. We have defended the interests of Casares and its people as a fundamental norm, not as populists, but avoiding the limelight, working behind the scenes on the essential daily tasks of the council. I want to ask you to read very carefully each proposal that we are making and to study and debate each one amongst yourselves. They are credible, common-sense proposals and most importantly are all for the benefit of Casares. All the people in the Popular Party group of Casares that have contributed to this manifesto, together with yourselves, have done so thinking about the growth that it will bring. Of utmost importance is the creation of stable jobs, which leads to employment for our people. This is a major objective of my team. An achievable goal, which with an efficient and sustainable management of our resources, would return Casares to its rightful place, and above all allow us to get out of the stagnation that we have found ourselves in. I want Casares to return to what it was, an enchanting town with clean white streets. That is why we have a new campaign slogan: ‘Casares, your time has come’. The time is now for a kindergarten in Casares, a funeral home and a new school. It is also time for a kindergarten in Casares Costa, the time for a sports centre in Secadero, the time for change, and above all the time to keep working for Casares, its people and its surroundings. This is a great team that will give the best of its efforts to strengthen Casares, and make it a place
where cleanliness, safety and quality of life stand out. This manifesto gives you great things to look forward to, so I ask that you show confidence in us, and give us four years to demonstrate that we can deliver it. This is a vote of confidence, and if you select us at the voting booth, you will not recognise Casares in four years’ time. Everyone in life deserves a chance. It’s what I am asking of you, and I will not let you down. Finally, and most humbly, I ask you sincerely for your help on May 26, a day when the current Casares ends and a different Casares will begin. It is a Casares that will be motivated and equipped with great strength to face the next government term from 2019-2023. Yours most sincerely,
Javier Quero
Candidate for Mayor of Casares
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May 22nd - June 4th 2019
A
Spanish art expert Javier Portús has attributed a painting from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to Velázquez. Previously thought to be the work of the Spanish master’s son-inlaw, the Caballero Marquand’s new provenance ups the Met’s Velázquez collection to six pieces, while adding huge value to the painting itself. Sale prices can be misleading when it comes to assessing real market value and artistic worth but the numbers are nonetheless telling. Check out our gallery of record-selling Spanish masterpieces by Spain’s most renowned artists.
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
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Painting by numbers Claire Leibovich delivers a masterclass on Spain’s most astronomically-priced artworks you can’t afford
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SPAIN has announced a safety review of all its historic monuments in the wake of the Notre Dame Cathedral blaze in Paris. Security arrangements and electrical fittings will be checked at historical sites nationwide to ensure that the country’s cultural heritage is safeguarded. Culture Minister Jose Guirao said: “Obviously the Notre-Dame fire was an alarm bell and we will review all the installations. “The danger is with old electric installations which have to be surveyed.” Architectural treasures due for inspection include the Burgos and Santiago de Compostela ca- THE Metropolitan Museum expert Javier Portus, head thedrals, the Alhambra Palace in in New York has unearthed of Conservation of Granada and the Basilica of the another painting by Diego Painting pre-1700 Spanish at the PraVelazquez in its collection, Sagrada familia in Barcelona. bringing the total number of do museum in Madrid. works it holds by the Spani- Previously the work had been attributed to Juan sh master to six. The moody oil painting Bautista Martinez del Mazo, REVEALED: Knight Marquand is a Velazquez known as Knight Marquand, Velazquez’s son-in-law, who donated to the museum in was also a painter. son. 1889 by Henry G. Marquand, The museum is cautious but “I think it is a Velazquez. and it deserves attention. Portus says he is confident it It is a work that has always “It is a portrait with quite RONDA’S iconic Arab baths was identified by Spanish is by Sevilla’s most famous caught my eye at the Met remarkable qualities, and it will soon be back in business seems plausible that Velazfollowing the devastating floods quez is the author,” he said. last October. Portus believes the painting The 5th century treasure was was completed in 1649 or THE mysteries of Andalucia’s almost completely destroyed 1650 during Velazquez’s seStonehenge have been uncovered very own when the outer wall caved in cond trip to Italy and that team of Spanish and American by a joint due to the overflowing Guadathe subject may have been archaeologists. levin river during serious floods Juan de Cordoba, King FeDolmen de Soto, a 6,000-year-old six months ago. lipe IV’s business agent in thic monument, was discovered in megaliFollowing a €175,000 cash Rome, who spent most of 1923 near Huelva, where excavations revealed injection from the Junta, the his time collecting classical carved and painted standing stones depicting wall is being restored under the sculptures for the royal houfigures holding weapons. watch of local architect Sergio sehold. An investigation by the universities Valadez, who is also overseeing Velazquez, born in 1599, of Alcala, Huelva, Sevilla, Castilla-La Mancha the recovery of the Paseo de los was the leading artist in the and Experts also found Texas revealed an entire ancient Inglesas and the Santa Maria court of King Philip IV, and complex monument which haseight skeletons in the buried beneath a 60-metre wide been dated back to the church. one of the most important mound. 4th millennium BC. painters of the Spanish Golden Age.
New work by Andalucian master recovered in US museum
Ronda-ful news
Ancient runes
FLASHBACK: Our
Velazquez RIS E LIKEstory last issue A PHOENIX
Discover what it’s like at the only specialist
A
what’s on Don’t miss Bob FOLK fans should try getting the last tickets to Bob Dylan´s concerts. The legendary singer is coming to Sevilla on May 3 and to Fuengirola on May 4.
Book fun MALAGA is holding a Book Festival on the Plaza de la Merced. Dates are April 26 to May 5, from 11 to 1.30am and 5 to 9pm.
Go classical GET down to Clínica Buchinger in Marbella on April 27 to hear Alexander Kliuchko, this year's winner of the International Piano Competition María Canals.
Polo chic IF you want to see horses and royalty, head to the Kempinsky Hotel in Estepona on May 4 and 5, for the Costa del Sol Polo Cup.
MATRICULATION OPEN – PLACES GOING FAST
Sixth Form College in Málaga
LTHOUGH still celebrating the really get to know this Sixth Form Cosuccess of their first A level llege, after taking the decision, around the Spanish Red Cross and give basic exams in January (100% A-B this time last year, to leave the school IT classes to adults once a week throuin 43% of the subjects taken, gh their “Andalucia Compromiso Digiwhere he did his IGCSEs. “I decided 72% A-B grades in Sciences and Mato tal” Earlyprogramme. Other Bird Discount students move to Phoenix College Malaga beare up until 15th April ths), eight months after first opening language classes such cause I thought the education would doing as Ger- Spain for university. The Only Specialist Sixth Form College their doors to students, Phoenix Colle“He encouraged man and French a nearby academy. in Málaga be more personal because we have teaching A-Level courses in and PCE (Selectividad) subjects me a lot to keep on top of current ge is now revving up for the Summer Therefore, we have UK more freedom and & Spanish A small classes and the teachers are level exam season. “It’s hard to beliepolitical issues, and even Please contact teaches us for you more skills forinformation university design my own Geography able to support us whenever we need this ve we’re at the end of our first year allife.” coursework are at: Calle Méndez Núñez 5, 1º D (junto them for instance if we have a query We a plaza Uncibay) Málaga 29008 based CallEmelie around Málaga us on: +34 952 22 02 75 Email us ready,” says Co-Director Miss Ridyard. info@phoenixcollegemalaga.com Gillestedt isat:hoping to study Pascual Polo, studying city centre.” with homework we can immediately “Our students have worked so hard Maths or Mechanical Maths, History, Engineering Politics and Spanish, count on them to solve our questions, www.phoenixcollegemalag a.com and deserve every success.” though will most likely hasn’t yet decided where – her study something which could be more diffiin the UK but hasn’t decided Students like Juan Gonzalez del Cid, current list includes cult in larger schools.” studying A level Maths, Further Maths, which degree yet. But the UK, Australia or Oxbridge hopeful Analia Cabello Physics and History and planning he is keeping his opis the USA! “At Phoenix to studying A Level Maths, Further Ma‘A challenging, study Maths & Economics at univertions open. “At Phoeths, Physics and Chemistry, and wants College we have a sity in the UK, have also had time nix I’m also studying to to study Maths. She likes the fact that PSC (Personal, Social enjoyable learning Matematicas and Cultural) program Applicaa college like which has motivated das and Economia de environment Phoenix acts as me to go outside of Empresa, two hours which pushes a stepping stone my comfort zone. I’ve a week for each, our between school done as OCR (Obsteacher is very good students’ and and helps us a lot. This university. tacle Course Race) “We have study competitions and also means I have the choiperiods ce of applying to Spaduring triathlons, and am volunteering for the nish universities if I want.” the school day Red Cross even though where we don´t bit challenging due to it has been a Arun Dave studying A level Maths, Furthe fact that I’m ther Maths, have classes so not a native Spanish speaker.” Physics and Chemistry, planning to study Chemical Engineewe have to organi- “I hadn’t studied History, se our own time. Politics before, but Mr Geography or ring or Cosmology at university in the Riley is very pas- UK, possibly You can use that sionate about his subjects, at Durham or Manchesso I enjoy ter: “Being a smaller time to finish your them now.” Lucia Mera school means we is considering can all go away homework, or do a degree in Derecho (Law) or Relacio- went to Madrid together on trips. We other things like nes Internacionales, for possibly in Ma- and in March we a UCAS conference voluntary work. I drid but she isn’t yet CHILLING: Sixth form students in visited Manchester, common room am a member of than she knows she decided, other where we saw Les Miserables at the wants to stay in Palace Theatre and visited museums
AT WORK: Phoenix students in science class
and art galleries. Next year we’re going to CERN for a Physics trip.” Phoenix College Málaga aims to provide a challenging, enjoyable learning environment which pushes students to set and strive for their own targets, while providing support and guidance where needed. “We look for a minimum academic level of five GCSE passes (or equivalent) including Maths & English, but what we really encourage are applications from students who want to explore and fulfil their potential,” explains Mr Mitchell, Co-Director.
Enrollment for September 2019 is open. Call us on or email us at info@phoenixcollegema952 22 02 75, see our website - www.phoenixcollegemalaga.com, laga.com. Also find us on FB, Twitter and Instagram.
W EN E NO W GL OF ISH A-L FER EV EL
MATRICULATION OPEN
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) The Malaga-born maestro is the priciest artist hands-down, not only in Spain but the world. Les Femmes d´Algers (Version O) (above) set a world record price when it was sold for US$179 million (€125 million) at Christie’s New York in 2015. It remains one of the top-selling paintings of all times. Picasso completed it in 1955 as part of a series of 15 paintings and numerous drawings based on Eugene Delacroix’s Women of Algiers. It was acquired privately by former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim, but you can see other versions in museums around the world. Version L is held by the Berggruen Museum in Berlin, and Version N by the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Picasso´s second most expensive painting is Le Rêve (¨The Dream¨), which fetched $155 million (€113 million) at a private sale in 2013.
The 1932 portrait represents the artist’s mistress Marie-Thérese Walter, who was 22 at the time. And the list of record-breaking sales goes on ... Garçon à la pipe sold for $104,2 million in 2004, Nude, Green Leaves and Bust ($106.5 million, 2010) and Dora Maar au chat ($95.2 million, 2010) to name but a few. Guernica, Picasso’s most famous work housed at Madrid’s Reina Sofia Museum, has been valued at around $200 million dollars, although it has never been sold and is considered too fragile to move.
Joan Miró (1893-1983)
The Only Specialist Sixth Form College in Málaga teaching A-Level courses and PCE (Selectividad) subjects Please contact us for more information We are at: Calle Méndez Núñez 5, 1º D (junto a plaza Uncibay) Málaga 29008 Call us on: +34 952 22 02 75 Email us at: info@phoenixcollegemalaga.com
www.phoenixcollegemalaga.com
Far behind Picasso but still pretty pricey, this Barcelona-born Catalan artist moved to Paris in the 1920s and joined the Surrealist movement. Painting (Blue Star), (1927), is a key work from his surrealist period, in which some of his emblematic symbols float amidst the intense blue he described as ‘the colour of my dreams’. It was sold in 2012 to an anonymous buyer for £23.5 million (€30 million) at Sotheby’s London. At the time the auction house’s head of Impressionism and Modern Art, Helena Newman, said the high figure represented an ‘unprecedented demand’ for the best of 20th century art. Miró’s second top-selling
work, Painting-Poem (1925), also from his surrealist period, sold at Christie’s London in 2012 for £16,6 million (€21 million).
11 11
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The fourth edition of the international Ronda Guitar Festival 2019
Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) The second best-selling Spanish artist in the money stakes for his Portrait of Paul Eluard is also a Catalan. Dalí met French poet Eluard and his then-wife Gala in 1929 and, having been commissioned by her husband to paint her portrait, promptly began an affair with her. The pair eventually got married in 1934. Eluard and Gala’s daughter inherited the painting but sold it in 1999. It was resold in 2011 at Sotheby’s London for €16 million. A year later Dalí’s Printemps necrophilique (1936) went under the hammer for $16,3 million (€12,5 million) at Sotheby’s New York. The painting was originally owned by the fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who often collaborated with Dalí. Simon Shaw, then head of Impressionist and Modern Art for the
D
auction house, noted: “Surrealism continues to present exciting opportunities for collectors, given the wide range of material available at varying price points ... and the fact that great masterworks remain in private hands.”
Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) This Sevilla-born artist is most famous for his Baroque masterpiece, Las Meninas, painted in 1656. It is safe to say, however, that this world treasure will not be on sale anytime soon. It’s so valuable that Madrid’s Prado museum will not even lend it out for exhibition. However his Retrato de una niña (left) was sold in 2017 to an anonymous Spanish buyer in Abalarte, Madrid for €8,7 million. The work was attributed to Velázquez by Richard de Willermin, an expert in 17th and 18th century European art, after an x-ray revealed a crown of stars hidden by an overpaint. “There is an unquestionable connection through the clothing and the technique. The girl stands with a crown of stars, as with the Immaculate Conception at the National Gallery”, said Willermin. He also suggested that it was an early work by Velazquez as a young apprentice, before he became
Last but not least is this Aragonese Romantic artist who was appointed royal painter to the Spanish court in Madrid at the age of 40. The theme of bullfighting was a source of inspiration throughout his life, featured in a 1793 series of prints and, during his final years in France, in a set of four lithographs, known as Bulls of Bordeaux. (The Goyesca bullfights in Ronda in September are an annual homage to the artist.) His priciest painting also takes the corrida as its theme. Bullfight Suerte de Varas which he painted in Paris in 1824 captures the moment when the picador confronts the bull (known as the suerte de varas). It was sold at Sotheby’s London in 1992 for $7.9 million and whisked off to the Getty Museum in Malibu, California. Goya’s second best-seller is a drawing from his personal sketchbooks - ‘journal-albums’, as one expert
Francisco Goya (1746-1828) called them, in which each drawing is an entree to a story complete in itself. A job lot of 105 drawings were sold at auction in Paris in 1877 after which they were dispersed into private collections lost track of. Bajan riñendo (or Visión
No strings attached
de bajar riñendo) was one such ‘lost drawings recently rediscovered in a Swiss family’s collection. They sold it through Christie’s London in 2008 for £2,28 million (€ 2.87 million) - more than double its valued worth.
painter to the Spanish court. Don Pedro de Barberana y Aparregui (left) has also been attributed to Velázquez. Probably painted between 1631 and 1633, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas acquired it in 1981 for a reported $6 million.
on´t miss this great opportunity to visit Ronda as the emerging greats of Spanish flamenco lead a vibrant lineup at this year's fourth International Guitar Festival from June 10th - 15th. The flamenco stars will be joined by Jule Malischke, from Germany, and Luciano Pompilio, from Italy, in a series of fabulous concerts being held in the historic mountain town. The extended six-day festival was founded in 2015 by Andalucian maestro Paco Seco, alongside British wife Lucy Stewart, of the Ronda Guitar House. "The magic about this festival is it unites Romantic Ronda with iconic Spanish guitar!" Lucy told the Olive Press. "Ronda is such a breathtaking place to visit and then accompany that with great music and a delicious glass of Ronda wine! If you are a music lover then it is just heaven on earth with Classical, Flamenco, Andalus and Fingerstyle musical styles on offer by exceptional artists of an extremely high international standard.” The festival also offers an exhibition of guitars from artisan craftsmen from Thursday 13th to Saturday 15th June demonstrated in the matinée concerts. All the festival's activities are held at the Santo Domingo exhibition centre in the heart of the historical old-town. The price of the tickets are 15€ and the festival Bono 75€.
For more information contact www.rondaguitarfestival.com
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GREEN
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Establishing a beachhead
Beach bar in Marbella slammed by green groups after blue flag losses, while Dani Garcia Tarifa row
ANOTHER chiringuito project has been slammed by green groups amid a string of blue flag losses. Activists in Marbella have denounced plans for a beach bar at El Pinillo, which they claim could damage local ecology. Members of the IU group, who have ‘major concern’ for the
Birdbrains
SOS: IU protest and (inset) Dani Garcia nearby sand dunes, blasted plans for the 270-square-metre site. Protestors donned t-shirts to spell the slogan ‘save the dunes’ as they stood on the section of beach earmarked for the chiringuito. Miguel Diaz, the group’s mayo-
Top of the bloc SPAIN’S climate change plan is the best in the EU, a new report has found. The research commissioned by the European Climate Foundation put Spain ahead of France, Greece and Sweden in tackling greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile the UK was ranked far below the EU
CAUGHT: Hunters
average in terms of its plan’s effectiveness, emerging as one of the worst in the 28-member bloc. Despite the seemingly good news, the report warns that ‘none of the plans’ are ‘in line with a trajectory of zero net emissions in 2050’, an aim outlined under the Paris Agreement.
ral candidate for Marbella also claimed the blueprints for the beach bar are ‘suspicious’. He pointed out that the text explaining the project has set aside urban land at El Cable beach and not at El Pinillo. “The company behind the bar is also showing a great breach of legality, as it has abused the terms of its occupation,” the ex-delegate for Environment of Marbella added. The illegal building and overdevelopment of beach bars, were cited as reasons for the 32% decrease in blue flags doled out in Andalucia this year. The news follows Marbella chef Dani Garcia facing down intense backlash over his ‘Bibo Tarifa beach club’, which it is claimed threatens species such as the osprey.
A GROUP of sick hunters have been fined more than €80,000 for making a stew out of protected birds. The 10 men were convicted of killing grey shearwaters in Lanzarote in 2015, while the ‘near-threatened’ birds were in nesting season. A well-known businessman is among the hunting clan, who were caught after Guardia Civil agents smelt the boiling meat from a cliff. One hunter even ‘had the spoon in his hand’, a court heard as the maximum fines for hunting and cooking protected birds were issued. There has been a ban on hunting and eating the birds since 1986.
WATCHED: Police pic
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The Manilva you want Meet Kaat Buelens, an expat Sabinillas restaurant owner and political underdog running to be your local councillor in Manilva
Dear future constituents, I’ve put myself forward as a candidate in this week’s local elections because, like you, I want to see changes. And I am running for the PSOE because we want the same things - a clean, safe and beautiful environment with solid infrastructure for the locals AND foreigners who live here. Our young team is made up of hard-working people who are not driven by money and the need for the town hall’s wages. As the proud owner of the Miel restaurant in Sabi for 15 years, alongside my husband Paul Hickling, who owned the much-loved Roman Oasis, I know all too well what needs changing around here. I have genuine respect and passion for our village and want real change. But it’s not just Manilva that needs attention and work. There are a lot of other areas that have been neglected in the past, and we have plans for them too. So not only will we work to make Duquesa port shine again and give it the support it needs, we will also implement a special plan for the many urbanisations who have been left behind by the private companies running them. And just so you know, the rumour that I cannot get enough votes to be elected councillor because of where I am on my list is simply NOT TRUE. I have as much chance as other foreign people on different lists, so if enough of you vote for me on May 26, I will win. If you haven’t heard of me yet, it’s probably because I have been banned from promoting my candidacy on the most popular expat group on Facebook - while my rivals are allowed to with no obstruction. Our party also has limited funds, certainly not enough to plaster the villages with huge billboards, or to host expensive parties and offer you gifts to woo you. Despite this, we have been able to reach so many of you, spending our own money, getting up at 6am to make food for events and working round the clock to get our message out there. We know the value of time and money, so imagine how wisely we would spend the €26 million annual budget of the town hall! But if I don’t win, your vote for me will not have been wasted. I vow to continue working hard with my party to listen and raise your concerns and needs and do my best to help solve your problems. But at the end of the day we need a better leader, an honest, hard working and reliable person that has earned respect because of their actions. With a very capable team that is bursting with energy and ideas, PSOE Manilva is going in one direction, the right one, and Diego Jiménez is the man we need to lead!
If you want real change that will affect your daily lives, then vote for me and the PSOE on May 26.
Kaat Buelens
Kaat and her husband, Paul Hickling (left) from the Roman Oasis restaurant are two of the longest-serving expats in the community. Kaat has run her restaurant Miel (pictured right with her team) for 15 years in Sabinillas, while (below) she counts on a talented team of hard-working locals, who hope to do well in the elections this weekend
LETTERS
LE T T E R S
16
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
www.theolivepress.es
In Gibraltar - Issue 96 The Rock’s ONLY free local paper
Goodbye Willie!
Vol. 4 Issue 96 www.theolivepress.es May 8th - May 21st 2019
Property
bestMalaga’s magazine property
The sites which SHOULD have been in Game of Thrones, plus Gib’s most historic SEE FREE PROPERTY buildings MAGAZINE INSIDE
A tour of Spain’s most prolific ‘pavilion’ creators, SEE PAGE XII
ONE of the Rock’s true gems has passed away. Tributes have been flooding in for the former boss of Rolex, William Serfaty, who died Winter on one of his isn΄t regular trips to coming Spain. The prominent businessman and activist - who campaigned hard for the right to vote in European elections and against joint sovereignty with Spain - died at 74 years old. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo led the tributes describing his an ‘energetic and hardworking patriot and political activist’. “Willie has contributed extensively to the business community and campaigned in all initiatives to promote the democratic rights of Gibraltarians,” Picardo said. “Willie’s family can justly feel proud of the contribution he has made develop a Democratic British to Gibraltar.” Serfaty, a staunch atheist, led the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG) for nine years and By John Culatto was a member of the Integration With Britain Party when it came to office in 1969. A BIG solar power project at He was also on the board of the New Chamber of Commerce. Harbours could help GiAfter the frontier closed he was cho- braltar reach its sustainable ensen to recruit Moroccans to come ergy target. Gibraltar and has ever since beento The new scheme will popular figure around the Rock. a other solar projects add to two being introHe was also a long-time supporter duced at the new sports faciliof the Olive Press and, apart from ties being built at Europa Point requesting its delivery to the Red and Lathbury Barracks. House Rolex shop, he regularly took “The planet is facing a huge enour special supplements on different vironmental challenge, and we regions of Andalucia on his regular are a part of it,” said John Cortravels. tes, Minister for the EnvironSerfaty joined his father as an ar- ment. chitect after completing his studies, before taking over the Rolex shop “We have a lot more to do, but as which he ran successfully for many far as Gibraltar goes, the future is bright for the environment.” years. He made His passing away comes as a big criticism the statement after shock to all of Gibraltar. from Opposition memIt was marked with a one minute ber Trevor Hammond. silence at the recent May Day event “When I became a Minister, affor his efforts to advance workers’ ter many years a lonely voice in rights. the wilderness ignored by the SDGG chairperson Denis Matthews GSD Government, MAKING WAVES: The eco-wave electricity plant was installed said: “He was well-versed in Gibral- to make a quantumGibraltar had two years ago leap into the “Renewable energy tar’s history and deeply conscious and energy there was of present century on these mat- efficiency our heritage.” were not even in the support no knowledge or even The GSLP/Liberals believe this ters,” he revealed. for these concepts in Government www.theolivepress.com
Issue 29
May 2019
The places they SHOULD have filmed Game of Thrones in Spain...
...Plus our pick of the best castles for sale in Spain this year
See page XVIII
Agents report good start to 2019 as confidence from Brits returns
ONE of the Costa del Sol’s leading agents believes the stalling of Brexit has brought an excellent window to buy. The six-month delay of the UK leaving Europe, added to Parliament effectively ruling out a hard Brexit, has left a healthy situation for British buyers, believes Ben Bateman, of Holmes Property Sales in Sotogrande. Not only is the pound approaching its strongest level against the euro since 2016, but sellers are growing anxious to sell, having often had properties on the market for longer than expected as a result of the Brexit uncertainty and delay. “While the pound has strengthened prices haven’t really increased,” explains the boss of Sotogrande’s longest-established agency. “Many buyers who put their homes on the market towards the end of 2017 have not been able to sell as quickly as we had forecast and have now been on the market for 4 to 6 months longer than they had hoped for, due to a paralysis in the market. “With months of uncertainty regarding Brexit
and with the pound staying low at around 1.10, so many people failed to make a decision to buy. “But now that a hard Brexit has been practically ruled out and the markets are seeing the likelihood of staying in the customs union the pound has strengthened a lot. “With it being steady at around 1.16 for a few weeks now it means you can get a lot more for your pound and also take advantage of the paralysis and maybe get a better deal on what you want.” He believes there are many buyers hovering and waiting to buy… and as an analogy he cites the weather and swimming. “They’re already in their shorts and ready for a swim. They’re dipping their toe in the pool, but will they jump in right away or wait an hour or so? It’s just a matter of time. “All I would say is don’t miss this window, the best time to buy is now.” Other agents have reported similar findings, such Continues on Page III
Readers react to the Olive Press investigation into the murky side of Mercadona, after a string of expat robberies (The Cult of Mercadona, Issue 317, pg 7)
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Winter isn΄t coming Agents report good start to 2019 as confidence from Brits returns
ONE of the Costa del Sol’s leading agents be- and with the pound staying lieves the stalling of Brexit has brought an ex- so many people failed to makelow at around 1.10, cellent window to buy. a decision “But now that a hard Brexit has been to buy. The six-month delay of the UK leaving practically added to Parliament effectively ruling Europe, ruled out and the markets are seeing the likeliBrexit, has left a healthy situation out a hard hood of staying in the customs union the pound for British has strengthened a lot. buyers, believes Ben Bateman, of Holmes Prop- “With it being steady at around erty Sales in Sotogrande. 1.16 weeks now it means you can get a lot for a few Not only is the pound approaching its more for level against the euro since 2016, but strongest your pound and also take advantage of the pagrowing anxious to sell, having often sellers are ralysis and maybe get a better deal on what you had prop- want.” erties on the market for longer than expected result of the Brexit uncertainty and delay. as a He believes there are many buyers hovering and waiting to buy… and “While the pound has strengthened prices hav- weather and swimming.as an analogy he cites the en’t really increased,” explains the boss togrande’s longest-established agency. of So- “They’re already in their shorts and ready for a swim. They’re dipping their toe in the “Many buyers who put their homes on pool, but ket towards the end of 2017 have not the mar- will they jump in right away or wait an hour or to sell as quickly as we had forecast been able so? It’s just a matter of time. and have “All I would say is don’t now been on the market for 4 to 6 months miss this window, the lon- best time to buy is now.” ger than they had hoped for, due to a paralysis Other agents have reported in the market. similar findings, such “With months of uncertainty regarding Brexit Continues on Page III
Dream Killas
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action following Olive Press helps victims take rental scam skyrocketing reports of holiday by Palma-based company “I spent two years saving up for this trip, and we just can’t afford to pay for a new villa. The kids are devastated.” We helped the family make a police denuncia, as Deleslie will lose ‘more than €12,000’ as flights for 18 members of her extended family were already booked. She showed the Olive Press emails asking Dream Villas Spain for a full refund, after which ‘general manager’ Rosella Alba Gutierrez has shut off contact. Spain’s Companies House reveals is that Dream Villas Spain, which registered as Digital Dream SL, was incorporated in 2014 for ‘data processing and web hosting’. Based in Carrer de la Fe, in Palma, Mallorca, it filed tax returns from 2014 to 2017. There is no available phone number (the one on the website has been disconnected) and the name Rosella Alba Gutierrez appears nowhere in
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We’re here to stay! HUNDREDS of new British residents have registered to live in Spain. The number of registered UK tionals has zoomed up despite nathe spectre of Brexit. In Mallorca there were 119 more Brits registered at the end of last year compared to 2017. And the numbers are expected to have risen further over the last quarter, believe experts. “I think many people are worried, so that has increased registrations,” Anne Hernandez, president of tional support group Brexpats nain Spain told the Olive Press. “And a lot of Brits are currently moving to Spain, because they don’t want to leave their dream move any longer.
A
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Vol. 3 Issue 53
Is this Mallorca’s
Brexit
ING FOR RT
EXCLUSIVE THE Olive Press is helping victims By Joshua Parfitt take legal action against a Mallorca holiday rental company that scammed holidaymakers thoulost €6,000 after booking a villa sands for rental villas across Spain. alsothe Costa Blanca for some some It comes as this paper was contact- on needed family time’ after losing ed by three new victims of Dream ‘much mother to lung cancer. Villas Spain, following our report her nephews and nieces were reon celebrity chocolate taster Angus “Mylooking forward to it as they have Kennedy, who lost €6,000 on a bo- ally been abroad,” Deleslie told the never gus rental on the Costa Blanca. Press. One of the three, Petra Deleslie, 42, Olive
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“Some of them just say they ‘want to escape the UK’.” By the end of 2018 there were 10,315 British nationals registered in Mallorca, compared to 10,196 in 2017. The drop of expat numbers mostly The Olive Press spends a week happened since 2013 due to in fashionable Santa Catalina the deep six-year recession, which was the worst in Spain’s history. This now looks to be in reverse Spain as a whole, despite Brexit. in “I know many British people who are continuing to move to Spain,” said British councillor in Malaga Dean Tyler Shelton. “At the same time I think Brexit has been a factor in pushing more Brits to register in Spain. Most have no intention of going back,” he added. There are 330,911 Brits registered as living in Spain. Alicante has the highest number with 69,289 registered in 2018, up from 66,397 in 2017. Last month, a royal decree was passed giving Brits living in Spain A BRITISH until December 31 2020 to apply for bogus PalmaTV star has slammed a Kent, revealed that when his family a Foreigner Identity Card, granting based travel company that stole ₤5,000 for a non existent arrived this month, the owner, who them legal status in the country TM after rental. gave his name as Klaus, was comBrexit. Professional chocolate taster Angus pletely baffled and knew nothing about the rental or website. Kennedy lost Kennedy told the Olive Press they the press” Angus told the Olive the money when had chosen his family dis- in Arta out the seven-bedroom villa Press. of 780 different homes “I think many more have been covered a Ger- for rent on the duped and the scam could be worth man man living But he only site. realised they had been millions.” at the Mallorcan scammed when villa they had never arrived, an airport pick-up Sadly this seems true, after we exand they caught a taxi posed a string of fake holiday webbooked through to the €600-a-night property to find sites duping tourists coming to Untitled-1.pdf 1Dream 16/06/2017 Villas 15:36 the bewildered Spain two years ago and again German. See page 32 Spain. last “I was determined to get to the year. Kennedy, from house and immediately contacted In a series of investigations we
2019
2/8/18 17:01
PALMA DE MALLORCA SANTACATALINA-MALLORCA
HIVE: A market trader with his wares and an impromptu exercise class in a Santa Catalina square
One of Spain’s most Santa Catalina is a cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, true melting pot for people watchers, writes foodies Jon Clarke and Gillian and Keller
DESCRIBED by locals city’ Santa Catalina as ‘the village in the ed over the last few years. feel of Montmartre has the same charming There has been in Paris or Hampstead a huge influx of expat London. in in particular Scandinavian buyers, over recent years, At the same time Palma’s trendiest neigh- and Santa Catalina today is vastly bourhood has the sort different to the area that Palma residents remember more normally expect of hip locals you would a decade ago. to find in Ibiza or New York’s Greenwich Village. “It’s amazing how With the city’s best such a short time,”much it has changed in food market, some explains estate agent its most exciting restaurants of Miguel and, bit by bit, “We Llinas, from First Mallorca. some of the coolest have seen houses selling there for up to that this achingly coolshops, it is little surprise two million euros and it is not the square metre - onebarrio has become - by national market just the interthat loves Santa Catalina. places to buy in Spain. of the most expensive We are increasingly The area may be small also looking to buy,” getting local Mallorquins he explains. wide, stretching from - only seven streets This is perhaps Feixina park to busy no surprise, as the Calle Joan Crepsí suburb increasingly becomes but it has literally explodPalma and more and THE place to eat in more hip and trendy at Simply Delicious Continues
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found dozens of tourists had been scammed out of millions of euros from various sites, which illegally uploaded villa photos from legitimate sites. Among those scammed were British Rugby Union star Dean Schofield, who lost €50,000 on a fake villa in Mallorca. This time, the website used to book the trip, dreamvillasspain.com, was remarkably similar to those created before. Among its claims is the goal to ‘creContinues on Page 4
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the list of employees. Another victim told the Olive Press this week she had booked a villa in Marbella as a surprise getaway for TheOlivePress-256x170-B18-year-old IKE-4.indd 1 four friends and five daughters as a post-A Levels present. Sarah Adam, based in London, told us she is convinced she has also
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been scammed. The company, which steals pictures from other holiday rental websites and pockets the deposits of unsuspecting holidaymakers, has not responded to requests 2/8/18 17:01 The Olive Press has for comment. also reported the website as fraudulent to a web hosting provider.
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Long road to Madrid
16/06/2017 Untitled-1.pdf into1Lewis Spanish teenager who zoomed 3 Hamilton’s racing line, see page
15:36
LIVERPOOL and Tottenham fans have been advised to fly via Palma to Madrid after flights shot up to more than €1500 this week after the British teams’ decisive victories. The English clubs booked their spots in the Champions League final on June 1 after pulling off two of the best comebacks in history by beating Barcelona and Ajax, 4-0 and 3-2 respectively. Alternative routes have quickly been revealed for those travelling to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, including flying from Manchester to Brussels, to Palma, and then Madrid, and returning to Manchester via Berlin, working out at just €175.
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May 9th - May 22nd 2019
TO CATCH A KILLER E IV US CL EX
Wanted ‘killer’ could be living among expat community as detective calls in OP for backup
A FORMER Scotland Yard detective has joined forces with the Olive Press to track down one of the UK’s most wanted killers. Peter Bleksley, who worked for the Met Police’s undercover SO10 unit in the 1980s, has asked for help in bringing alleged murderer Kevin Parle to justice. The 38-year-old Liverpudlian fled to Alicante more than a decade ago after masked gunmen broke into the home of mum-of-three Lucy Hargreaves and shot her as she slept on her sofa in August 2005. Parle, who is unmissable with towering height of 6ft 6 and a reda beard, is also wanted in connection with the shooting of 16-year-old Toxteth lad Liam Kelly, who was gunned down in Liverpool back in June 2004. “He’s been on the run for 14 years and he could have completely reinvented himself,” Bleksley, who now writes books on unsolved crimes,
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Press readers who know or met Parle to come forward. The detective-turned-author particularly wants to speak to British residents who referred to Parle as ‘gentle giant’ during an Olive Pressa probe back in 2009. “I will speak to them under the radar and it’s my solemn undertaking to never disclose their identity,” vowed Bleksley, who is currently writing a book on Parle to help raise awareness. Scandalous “If I get a text, call, email, message The investigator is planning on via social media I will go straight to heading to Madrid on June 1, believing Parle won’t pass up the the airport and jump on a plane.” Previous Olive Press investigations chance to watch Liverpool FC in have linked Parle to Torrevieja and the Champions League final. the wider Alicante area, but other “Parle was a huge Liverpool fan, sightings have stretched as far as and there’s only one place for a Liverpool fan who can afford it on Perth, in Australia. June 1, and that’s Madrid,” he said. “He shot a 16 year old boy and 22-year-old mother of three, it’sa If you know, knew or ever met Parabsolutely scandalous,” added le, or have any relevant information, Bleksley, who is urging any Olive no matter how insignificant, please contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es. EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt & Laurence Dollimore
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Just recently you published a piece entitled ‘Heads up’ about how an elderly couple were robbed by a ‘birdshit’ confidence trick on the Costa del Sol near Mijas Pueblo (Heads up, Issue 317, pg 2). You asked if any other of your readers has been similarly scammed. Well I was, in Marbella, in 2017 in almost identical circumstances! My story was published on an excellent website run by an American couple who specialise, as amateur sleuths, and track down pickpockets across the Continent. Please see more of the details at: http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/pigeon-poop-pickpocket-in-marbella-spain/ I highly recommend this website, which has lots of practical tips to help travellers or locals to avoid these scams. Victims can also report their episode in order to help build up a picture of where the gang (almost certainly the same one) is currently operating. There’s even a photograph of the principal gangster!
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Little shop of horrors
A BRITISH EuroMillions winner whose first splash out was a holiday to Spain has said she is ‘bored with her life’ and wants a job.
Dip s**ts A MERCADONA customer has been left baffled after a best before date was printed on ‘her houmous’ rather than on the packaging.
Good Samaritan accused of abandoning dogs outside supermarket collected them minutes later
Push and Mull
A LIVERPOOL fan caught pushing people into fountains in Barcelona ahead of the Champions League tie, has been named as Martin Mullen.
POLICE have warned social media addicts about fake news postings in Spain. It comes after a Good Samaritan who helped an ill neighbour home from a supermarket became the centre of a vicious online attack leading to a police investigation.
A TWEET from Spain’s Vox party has backfired after a ‘gay ghost’ emoji was used to represent LGBT people. As the image spread online, the LGBT community reclaimed the symbol as
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It happened after a local in Gandia, Alicante was spotted by a young woman leaving two dogs in the car park of Mas y Mas in the town. Jumping to conclusions - in classic fake news fashion she posted a picture of his
car and number plate on Fa-
their own using the hashtag #gaysper to mock the far-right party. One twitter user said: “The worst thing the far right could have done was give the LGBT community a new cute symbol.”
A SPANISH nun could face three years in prison after changing the election ballot of two pensioners from PSOE to PP. The alleged crime took place in an old people’s home, as the sister accompanied the pair of residents to the polling station for the April 28 general election. One of the pensioners, at the Mercy of Bilbao residence, wanted to vote for the ruling Socialist PSOE party and the other, the centrist Basque PNV. Regional affiliate of the PSOE, the PSE-EE said the Electoral Board had registered the potential crime, which could land the nun with a six to 36-month jail term.
cebook users to be careful of publishing un-checked facts online. This is exactly what newspapers and journalists are carefully trained to do.
VOX’s mayoral candidate for Marbella used to help run a luxury brothel in the city, it has emerged. Rosa Maria Calvente Martin, who is standing in the May 26 municipal elections for the far-right party, was head of the firm that ran Milady Palace in Puerto Banus. Between 2009 and 2011, she worked for Suncres Costa SL, the company that managed the gentlemen’s club.
Just a thought, but I’m hoping the producers don’t accept pro-Brexiters citing UK immigration as a reason for their move (Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun wants British expats for new series with filming to start on Spain’s Costa del Sol, online, May 1). We need them like a Reservas / Bookings : 952 59 03 93 hole in the head. C/ San Sebastián, 8. Mijas Pueblo
Is there a war against Mercadona? I’m sorry, but in any supermarket and store - even at the manicure station in your beauty salon - in any country in the world, you re nuestro gran secreto” should keep an eye“Descub on “Discover our greatTaylor, secret” Marbella Russ your belongings. Isn’t this one of the first rules of life www.aromacafeandsecretgarden.com that we teach our kids?
Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@theolivepress. es or message us on at www.facebook.com/ OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress
Drop in the ocean
Up to 12 million (Monument-al scam, Issue 317, pg 2). Is that all? They usually fiddle in the hundreds of millions. Now what are they going to do with her before she stashes it away, if she hasn’t already? It makes me sick. Graham Laraine, Malaga
OP Sudoku 29
Across 1 Drunk (6) 5 Ornamental flowering shrub (6) 8 Omelette essential (3) 9 Whine (6) 10 Yearn (6) 11 E.g. the Romanovs (5) 13 Athletic shoe (7) 14 Pains (5) 17 Periodic (5) 20 Fuzzy (7) 22 Long-continued practice (5) 25 Leaning letter (6) 26 Mature animals (6) 27 Did possess (3) 28 Stump up in advance (6) 29 Creeping (6)
cebook. Under the claims of abandonment, she described him as a ‘son of a b****’ and appealed for ‘help’. Police were soon called and traced the car to his home, finding his ‘abandoned’ dogs at home, well-cared for. They also had obligatory microchips and up-to-date vaccinations. The man explained that since dogs were not allowed in the supermarket he had expertly trained them to wait in the car park. And they were there waiting patiently when he returned ten minutes later. He had simply taken the neighbour home and was caring for her when police called around. Police have now warned Fa-
Oh the irony
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Wait until you are elderly, and are doing your very best to Saucy CV Gaysper just go shopping - and you take your eye off your bag for a says boo! second - please. These thieves pick on the vulnerable. People Paul Demopoulos, Mijas should have some compassion. No one deserves to be robbed, we need to clamp down on the scum that steal.
OP QUICK Crossword
12
Julie Wilkinson, Cortes de la Frontera
Vol. 13 Issue 317 www.theolivepress.es May 8th - May 21st 2019
Jennifer Knowles, Malaga Can’t buy happiness
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She must be a devout conservative then (Nun and void, Voted Issue 317, BEST expat pg 56). paper in Nun Mind you, Spain and she might void declare that God told her to do it because he is a Tory!
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PROPERT Y OF THE WEEK
The right-wing coalition in Andalucia also voted down bursaries for the less well-off to attend university (From tax-crippled to tax haven, Issue 317, pg 34). It also supports privatising higher education, as well as the state health system - by stealth. I am against tax cuts when they hit services to the disadvantaged - I speak as a taxpayer.
Mercadona has made fabulous improvements in the last few years and the range is improving all the time. I can’t complain about the staff at all. It is better than Supersol, Lidl and Aldi. I used to have to shop in three supermarkets to get what I want, but Mercadona has it all. The law is there to protect employees for holidays and they also seem to get decent pay for Spain.
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This means that across the salary brackets, income tax rates will be reduced gradually over the coming four years to bring them in line with the current levels in Madrid. Income from investments Income accrued from private pension plans, investments, capital gains and property rentals affects foreign residents and locals alike, and in this regard Spain is already attractive and there is no need for much change. Currently, top rates for these categories of income range between
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Ed. Peter, thank you for letter. You won’t be surprised to learn that you were one of many people who wrote in to us after the ‘Heads up’ story. Thank you for bringing this website to our attention. It seems that the ‘bird poo’ trick really is one of the Costa del Sol’s oldest scams.
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HOUGH Spain is a midd- ll-to-medium businesses for so le-income country by Euro- long. pean standards, it has long The change in direction is desigbeen associated with high ned to make Andalucia more at- Inheritance Tax taxes. tractive to investors, both national The first levy to be significantMost home buyers are drawn and international, as well as to ly slashed, since April this year here by the quality of life rather give businesses and entrepreneuthan the tax breaks. But now the- rs a much-needed respite from spouses, children and parents have been enjoying a whopping re is good news on the horizon the traditionally heavy tax yoke. 99% reduction in tax due on inheand with the rise to power of a ritances and gifts. new coalition, the regional Junta A new broom In fact, smaller amounts are seems intent to change taxation effectively not taxed at all, and a for the better. The end of 40 consecutive years In fact, in record time Andalucia of Socialist rule in Andalucia property received in this way will now be subject to just 1% taxahas gone from being a place of means a sweeping reduction in tion, not 8-to-10% of its market crippling taxes to one that could taxes is in the offing - great news value as was the case until now. even be described as something for homeowners, investors and of a tax haven! business people. Income Tax First came the virtual abolition Suddenly, fiscal matters in the reof inheritance tax by a coalition gion have gone from being a deteof parties on the right that have rrent to an asset, with conditions Income Tax, too, is set to be effecmade good on election promises that are actually more attractive tively lowered thanks to a revised to lower the fiscal burden that than those on offer in Portugal, income bracketing, with the qualification of ‘low’ incomes raised so has crippled individuals and sma- Britain or even Madrid. that they benefit from lower rates.
Maybe Mercadona are in on the act? I have noticed a deterioration in the quality and variety of their produce over the past few years. Shop elsewhere.
Peter Mahaffey, Bedford APPEAL
told the Olive Press this week. “He could be living with an unsuspecting partner who knows nothing of his background. He could have a wife and kids, and be delivering washing machines - we simply don’t know.”
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Down 2 Republic containing the northernmost point in Africa (7) 3 At no time (5) 4 Vale (4) 5 Con (7) 6 Clap (7) 7 Strange and mysterious (5) 12 Observe (3) 15 Facial deformity (7) 16 Incomplete (7) 18 Acknowledgement of debt (1,1,1) 19 Become less dark (7) 21 Coming after (5) 23 Moved back and forth (5) 24 Instructed (4)
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Issue 318
Marbella www.theolivepress.es
May 2019 - May 2020
Still got it THE NEW: Michelle Obama and Hugh Grant among most recent visitors
THE OLD: Audrey Hepburn and Sean Connery were regular visitors
Marbella has never lost its charm - in fact it’s only getting better, writes Laurence Dollimore SMOKING sardines, bikini-clad roller skaters and children with ice cream-covered faces… this is Marbella in full seasonal swing. Forget the odd TOWIE nonsense and celebrity wannabes, this is still a Spanish town at heart and is packed Continues on Page 17
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Marbella
to the rafters with cultural and gastronomical offerings. A historical old town based around Orange Square oozes charm while its surrounding shops - from small and quirky boutiques to the more recognisable brands - will keep you busy for hours. This ancient walled town retains nearly all of its original 16th-century layout, even though chic art galleries, fab tapas bars and artisan fashion and ice cream shops populate its cobbled streets today. Whether you are thirsting for history or only a drink, Plaza de los Naranjos, named for its abundance of orange trees, will oblige in either case. Enclosed by an 11th century Arab wall, the showpiece of the square is the 16th century Old Governor’s House. A tourist hotspot, the square’s bars and restaurants charge a little more but it’s worth it for the ambience. When the heat gets too much, respite can be found within the cool stone walls of Our Lady of the Incarnation church, a 17th century former mosque that was taken over by the Christians during the Reconquest. Inside, along with beautiful paintings and locals praying, you’ll enjoy the highly-efficient air conditioning! Tributes paid, you can find Marbella monuments even older than this, one dating from 1AD. The first Roman bridge beside the Puente Romano hotel remains a rite of passage while the baths still stand in Guadalmina. When you tire of burning shoe leather, bag a park bench in the green shade of one of the exquisite public gardens. La Constitucion park and the Alameda Gardens are particularly lovely, the latter always brimming with locals and surrounded by great
marbellous SUMMER TIME: Espetos roasting at chiringuito and (inset) kids play on beach
cafes and bars. Or if you’re looking to strictly chill, there’s a whole lot of beach waiting for you. Boasting 27 kilometres of coastline, San Pedro and Puerto Banus both proudly fly the prestigious Blue Flag, an award given to the best beaches by the Foundation for Environmental Education. In a cull of blue flags in Spain last month - which saw many resorts lose dozens across the country
CHARMING: Marbella’s old town is a must-visit
- Marbella held onto all of its awards bar one. If you then stroll into nearby Puerto Banus, just to the west of Marbella, you’ll witness a scene like no other, depending on the hour. This could include hen-doers trying their best to pull off ill-fitting fancy dress costumes after celebrating their last night of freedom, or members of the ‘1% club’ di-
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sembarking from mega-yachts or Ferraris to shop ‘till they drop’ at the likes of Gucci and Prada. Banus has become an unashamed melting pot for the rich, famous and wannabe glamourpusses. The glitz and glamour flows in a thick slick out of the port and along Marbella’s Golden Mile, home to exclusive nightclubs like Le Suite, where a round of drinks could
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probably blow your weekly budget if you haven’t already splurged it on a swanky designer outfit – an essential if you want to mingle with the Who’s Who of Marbs. Along this same elitist strip the likes of Lord Alan Sugar, Simon Cowell, Sean Connery and the Saudi Arabian royal family have invested in their own villas. World leaders too, are magnetically attracted to Marbs. The Olive Press revealed in 2014 that Russian President Vladimir Putin had bought an estate here. And we were the only newspaper to speak to Michelle Obama on her famous visit to the town’s ‘casco historico’ in 2010 (ED: Well, we asked her two questions, if that counts). A couple of Britain’s ex-PMs have taken a break from politics here; David and Sam Cameron celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary in the nearby hills of Benahavís in 2017, staying at the exclusive €270-a-night Alcuzcuz resort; and Tony and Cherie Blair have been spotted here twice in the last four years. Actor Hugh Grant is now said to own a home up in the closeby Zagaleta estate, as does Mark Thatcher (Maggie’s wayward son). Plenty of Premier League footballers also have homes here. Indeed Marbella has come a long way from its fishing village days, but did you know it’s all thanks to a German Prince and a rogue British car engine? Maximilian de Hohenlohe-Langenburg and his son Alfonso had to stop in Marbs when they were having trouble with their Rolls Royce in 1946. Alfonso liked the area so much he decided to buy some land and build himself a house, before selling plots to his friends,
the Rothschilds and Thyssens. He soon turned his home into the Costa del Sol’s first luxury hotel in 1954 – The Marbella Club – which to this day remains a mainstay on the Golden Mile, welcoming guests like Lady Gaga and Lenny Kravitz. Before long, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Laurence Olivier were all hanging out there, raising the Costa del Sol’s international profile and attracting a wave of jetsetters and investment. From a pure accident of fate the resort has gone from strength to strength, despite the economic and political woes that plagued Spain since the financial crash of 2008. And the same can be said for its culinary scene. Marbella now has the most Michelin stars per capita in the COUNTRY and positively glitters with the highest concentration of Michelin Star restaurants in Andalucia, making it the undisputed gastronomy capital of the Costa del Sol. Current mayor Angeles Muñoz has vowed to put Marbella up for Spanish Capital of Gastronomy 2020 - if she is re-elected this week. And the town has more than a fat chance, with an exciting food scene constantly offering new restaurants and eateries think Savor in San Pedro or Nobu on the Golden Mile. The cultural scene is also thriving, with the Marbella International Arts Festival now a regular fixture on the calendar and the Marbella International film festival growing at an unprecedented pace. And, of course, the annual Starlite Festival which brings some of the biggest global stars to a quirky quarry on the edge of town, along with hundreds of jobs and thousands of tourists. Add the annual feria in June and this Marbellous city is never boring. The resort has continued to grow, despite the 2008 crash that brought Spain to its knees. With incredible nightlife, a blossoming arts scene and the best food in the region, the party is only getting better in Marbella.
SERENE: Marbella’s stunning gardens in the heart of the town
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Marbella
A resort with more
Claire Leibovich gives Marbella 10 out of 10 reasons to love it Elephant showers The elephant sculptures that spray water from their trunks on many of Marbella’s best beaches are an Instagram favourite with tourists.
EUROPEAN REMOVALS & STORAGE
A defence tower
Weekly service to Spain, France, Portugal and Gibraltar
Declared of Cultural Interest in 1985, the 15-metre Torre Ladrones (Thieves Tower) is the highest watchtower on the Malaga coast. The defensive structure dates from the Muslim period but some speculate the Romans first built it. You can find it close by the Artola dunes nature reserve and Cabopino port.
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Visigoth vestiges The Basílica de Vega del Mar was excavated in the 20th century on a former Roman road running from Cádiz to Cartagena. It is one of the few remaining examples of north African Visigothic churches built in Andalucia during the sixth century although all that remains today are its awesome one-metre walls.
So come and talk to our friendly team at St Georges European.
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Arab heritage Also in the historical centre is the Alcazaba fortress, the most important vestige of Muslim civilisation in Marbella. The Castillo was built in the 10th century during the reign of Abd al-Rahman III, Caliph of Córdoba.
21 May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Celebrity
A Renaissance square The Plaza de los Naranjos lies at the heart of Marbella´s old town. Built after the Christian Reconquest, it is an outstanding example of Castilian Renaissance architecture. From one of the many sun-soaked terraces, you can admire the Renaissance-style town hall, the Mayor’s house combining elements of Gothic, Renaissance and Mudejar design and the Chapel of Santiago, the oldest religious building in the city.
Puerto Banus has become the most visited celebrity hive on the Costa del Sol. The rich and famous come from all over the world to shop, eat, drink and party in the iconic port where extravagant sports cars and massive yachts can be sighted year round. It was built in 1970 by José Banús, a Spanish property developer… and a close relation of Franco.
Surrealist sculptures
Golf
Marbella is home to 11 sculptures by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Ten grace Avenida del Mar, along with pieces by other artists such as Eduardo Soriano. And you can’t miss his massive three-ton rhino at the entrance to Puerto Banús.
The Costa del Sol is also known as Costa del Golf, and Marbella’s fairways are key contributors. The Andalucian town boasts the biggest concentration of golf courses in Spain, some voted among the best in the world.
A beautiful name
A microclimate
In Roman times, the city was called Salduba (Salt City) after the local fish salting industry. The Arabs changed it to Marbil-la, the origin of its current name and it’s spot-on. In Spanish, Marbella means beautiful sea.
Marbella is protected from extreme weathers by the Sierra de las Nieves on its northern side. This means it is never too cold or too hot, with average temperatures of 25 degrees in summer and 12 in winter.
Hanging gardens
NEW LEAF: Garden bridge
WORK has begun on three ‘vertical gardens’ in Marbella in a bid to make congested areas greener. The bridge across the N-340 at Puente Romano is the centrepiece of the €150,000 project and is already being adorned with shrubbery and flowers.
Avenida del Mar and Avenida Canovas del Castillo also benefit from the green scheme, which enhances pedestrian walkways at the two sites. The trio of hanging gardens, which sport remote-controlled built-in irrigation systems, are set to be completed by the end of May.
Chips are up
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HE Organic Supermarket in Benahavis is celebrating five years in business. The family-run store, Chipolino Natural, boasts an impressively range of products: from dairy to pet food, toothpaste to wine, fresh bread to frozen fish. Everything in the shop, just two kilometres up the Ronda road, is certified organic and comes from
Visit www.chipolinonatural.es for more information
Marbella’s best organic supermarket and gourmet shop Just five minutes up the Ronda road in Benahavis
AP-7
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Organic Supermarket
www.chipolinonatural.es
AP-7
TOLL
A397
Supermercado ecoógico Organic market & gourmet
AP-7
TOLL
Monte Halcones A-397 km. 44,5, 29679 Benahavís, Málaga
tel: 952 79 94 01
Monte Halcones
over 100 suppliers, mainly local - especially its fruit and vegetables. It also has an extensive variety of gluten-free and vegan products, plus many from the UK and abroad, and serves dozens of similar eco-shops all around Andalucia. The multi-lingual team are hard working and knowledgeable and promise: ‘if we can’t find it we will get it for you.’
SAN PEDRO DE ALCÁNTARA
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23 May 22nd - June 4th 2019
THE BRAND tHE COMPANY tHE DESIGN StUDIO tHE SHOWROOMS tHE ONLINE BOUtIQUE
he George El Greco Interiors Design Studio and the company’s showrooms in Marbella are showcasing George El Greco’s work, their aesthetics, philosophy, expertise and “know how”, lifestyle and their vision, The brand’s collections of furniture, furnishings, fabrics, rugs, objects, lighting and artworks, is influenced by the art of living, the human body, the true meaning of luxury, the current global lifestyle, and how all these ingredients evolve and cultivate through their work and through professional and personal travels for the last 28 years.
The upholstered furniture and furnishings collection is designed by George El Greco and is manufactured in Spain in collaborations with some of the best upholsterers, seamstresses, skilled artisans & craftsmen, including ready-made, made-to-order and bespoke, upholstered and slipcovered furniture. Every piece of furniture and object is conceived, designed and manufactured, edited and curated by George El Greco, with thoughtful and gracious modern proportions, beautiful craftsmanship, with only natural materials, great tailoring, globally and ethically sourced, correctly priced, and wonderfully presented at the company’s showrooms, The showrooms, covering an area of 800 hundred square meters in total, house various curated collections with new arrivals each week from more than 600 hundred manufacturing companies, from Europe, Africa, Asia & the Americas, The influence behind the constantly changing collections hosted in the showrooms in Marbella is the curation and cultivation of all the civilizations, of all the periods and eras in the history of design, from the Ancient World to Modernity, from the Orient and the Middle East, the Old Masters, the Decorative Arts, the Greek and Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt, Morocco, the Mediterranean, India, China, Japan, South-East Asia and the Americas, George El Greco Interiors work is a combination of natural talent, studies in Architecture in London and Interior Design in Paris, continuous education through constant travelling, daily research and readings and deep knowledge and “know how” that he has accumulated over the last 28 years through his collaborations with a vast network of artists, craftsmen, manufacturers and suppliers, from all over the world. In his work, he always seamlessly blends the new with the old and the modern with the classic. This includes blending the light with the dark, the grand with the small, the soft with the hard, the simple with the layered, the precious with the humble, the masculine with the feminine in each and every choice of materials, furniture, furnishings, rugs, lighting, objects and artworks. Whether it is the architecture, the interiors or the gardens for homes, villas, apartments, country houses, beach houses or boutique hotels and spas that he designs, George El Greco always strives for beauty, comfort, atmosphere, serenity and sensuality, quality, good design, ease and flow, always aiming to create a sense of timeless. All these principles work together on a visual, physical, physiological, mental, emotional and spiritual way. Over the years George El Greco has mastered a unique design “language” and he applies the” vocabulary” selectively to suit each project and each client, George El Greco adds, “I believe I was born an aesthete, a sensualist, a psychologist, an interpreter, an editor, a researcher, a creative and curious person, with his feet firmly grounded in history and classicism and his head open to the limitless sky of modernity, to the endless possibilities that our era has to offer, especially after the internet has captivated our lives.” Ultimately, I seek to create environments that are moving and breathing statements of the clients lives, works in progress, labours of love, spaces that look and feel cultivated, as though evolved over time, with a thoughtful and a well edited eye, with great intuition and vision, with great style and finesse, but also with discipline and order. Rooms are created with atmosphere, integrity and honesty, spaces that breathe, move and flow beyond the designer’s ego, beyond trends, beyond materialistic based show spaces, like an estate agent’s advertisement, or a magazine’s show house. The aim, the desire, the goal and the ultimate vision is to offer the client and each project, a result that transcends the initial aim, desire, goal and dream and moves into the realm of creating spaces and rooms that work, breathe, flow and constantly evolve, as with the owners’ lives.
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Business is booming Estuco Interiors is having a fantastic year, and with such excellent service it’s not hard to see why
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ELL established on the coast for 20 years, interior design company Estuco INTERIOR DESIGN | DECORATION | BESPOKE FURNITURE | PAINT & WALLPAPERS Interiors has everything you need to decorate rely by women, stocks the poke designs perfectly your home. best paints and wallpa- tailored to meet your The company, run enti- pers on the market, with needs – from conception e v e r y t h i n g to completion. from Farrow & With an incredible vision Ball to Desig- and passion for creativity, ners Guild. it is little surprise the firm It also has one has grown consistently of the largest for the last two decades. fabric collec- Their dedicated Farrow & tions, carrying Ball branch in Marbella all the top de- accompanies their main signer brands, design shop and studio. and its helpful They stock a whole ranstaff are on- ge of products including hand to offer wallpaper, artwork and their advice. many decorative items. Centro Comercial Plaza 51-52, Avda. is Manolete s/n, 29660 Nueva Andalucia, Marbella And Estuco a Estuco’s success and Tel. 952 810 633/952 819 321 • E-mail. info@estucointeriors.com • www.estucointeriors.com diverse team, excellent service owes with Swedish, to its trusted network Danish, Spani- of craftsmen, builders, sh and English painters, electricians and speakers in its suppliers who are always ranks. on time, on spec and on They offer bes- budget.
For more info visit www.estucointeriors.com or email info@estucointeriors.com
INTERIOR DESIGN | DECORATION | BESPOKE FURNITURE | PAINT & WALLPAPERS
Centro Comercial Plaza 51-52, Avda. Manolete s/n, 29660 Nueva Andalucia, Marbella Tel. 952 810 633/952 819 321 • E-mail. info@estucointeriors.com • www.estucointeriors.com
NUEVA ANDALUCIA, CENTRO PLAZA Stylish 2 bedroom corner apartment that is located in the very popular and sought after urbanisation Malambo. 2 Beds | 2 Baths | 126m2 Built | 24m2 terrace REF: 176-01617P | 549.000€ This first floor corner apartment is just a stone throw away from Centro Plaza, Puerto Banus and the beach. With a comfortable distribution and south facing terrace offer views of the manicured gardens and views towards the sea . The property consists of 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The spacious living room has a homely fireplace which makes a great vocal point for the room. The corner terrace opening up your views to the coast and to the stunning La Concha mountain. The property has been kept in great condition and is ready to move into.
SAN PEDRO DE ALCANTARA, SAN PEDRO PLAYA Light and bright beach side 3 bedroom first floor apartment in the popular urbanization of Edificio Noray. 4 Beds | 3 Baths | 136m2 Built | 25m2 tercace REF: 176-01603P | 525.000€ The apartment is easy accessed from the garage with the lift. The very well run community with a beautiful pool is also a short walk down to the beach and promenade. The apartment was recently fitted with a new kitchen and is in excellent condition. The large terrace looks over the well manicured communal area. Parking and storage included.
NUEVA ANDALUCIA A rare opportunity to purchase a duplex ground floor apartment in the popular complex of La Macarena. 2 Beds | 2 Baths | 70m2 Built | 22m2 tercace REF: 176-01627P | 435.000€ The apartment has been updated with an open plan kitchen, 2 new bathrooms and is presented in a very good condition combining cozy elements such as terracotta floors with checkered underfloor heated bathrooms floors. On the first floor you have the open plan living room and kitchen with direct access to a the upper terrace. On the ground floor you have 2 bedrooms (1 on suite) and a walk in closet.
CENTRO COMERCIAL PLAZA 63 | INFO@ANDADEV.COM | 29660 NUEVA ANDALUCÍA | SPAIN | +34 952 816 250
WWW.ANDADEV.COM
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Starry line up
There are more Michelin stars in Marbella than anywhere else in Spain per capita, writes Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke
M
COOKING LESSON: Jon Clarke gets tips from Ferran
ARBELLA has the highest concentration of Michelin-starred chefs in Spain when measuring it on the size of its local population. An amazing six restaurants count on stars, while one - for this year at least - has three. Despite taking the bizarre decision to hand back his stars just weeks after winning the elusive third, Dani Garcia became one of only a dozen chefs to have ever been handed the honour in Spain. The Marbella-raised chef has certainly done his bit for the seaside resort, which is usually more famous for its celebrities and hooligans. Thanks to Dani’s now legendary A Cuatro Manos event I have managed to meet a string of the world’s top chefs in the town over the last half decade. These include Joan Roca and Juan Mari Arzak, as well as Joel Robuchon and Ferran Adria - all three Michelin star legends who have graced the definitive
LEGENDS: Dani Garcia talks to Elena Arzak while dad Juan talks to Ferran and Quique Jacosta and Joan Roca look on
culinary food capital of Andalucia. Marbella has really come into its own as a global dining magnet over the last decade, with half the Michelin starred restaurants in Andalucia found here. “We keep getting better and better here and pushing the boundaries,” Garcia told me. “And I expect it to continue.” Variety-wise things could not be better, with over 100 different nationalities running eateries here, including Japanese gems like Takumi to hidden gems like
French bistro C’est si Bon. And then you have some excellent beach restaurants, such as Bono Beach, La Sala by the Sea and the Beach House.
Super Sala Another restaurateur who shows no signs of slowing down is Ian Radford, boss of the La Sala group, whose recent openings include the Oak restaurant and hip Mahiki beach, in Banus and Marbella respectively.
His most recent offering is a pizza place called Villa Toscana, right next to the Oak restaurant. The original La Sala next door is, without a doubt, the most famous Marbella restaurant abroad. This is a must-visit for any holiday to Marbs and a huge hit for 'ladies who lunch', not to mention movers and shakers, celebrities, footballers and the wealthy empresarios who make Marbella what it is. An emporium of glass and seductive lighting, its real strength
29 May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Truffles Elviria can be found on a busy square in the heart of Elviria, Marbella. This is a unique, boutique-style restaurant, offering worldwide cuisine, a fabulous interior, candlelit tables and of course, a warm welcome.
GLITZ AND GLAMOUR: Fun at La Sala
though, lies in its wood-decked terrace, that serves as the ideal tourist sun-deck. But, let’s not forget the food, which has so far never let me down. Whether you are after meaty fare (ribs, burgers, etc) or fish dishes and seafood, you are always well catered for and there is always a contemporary twist. Another safe pair of hands are those of Garry Waite, a restaurateur who has been working around Marbella for nearly three decades. He has recently helped open the amazing French bistro C’est si Bon, by the Andalucia spoilt for choice for excellent places to eat. Plaza Hotel. Take a wonder around and take your pick from Alongside Belgian owner Fabrice, they have dozens of interesting places, with the better created an amazing array of authentic French ones including Casanis, Tempora and Cafe dishes offering classics such as Snails Bour- Flore. gogne, Moules Marinière and And then up in Banus you have Coquille St Jacques. a range of superb places to try I was particularly impressed including one of the coast’s A different sort with the rich and creamy rabbit long-standing Indian reswith mustard sauce, which was of romance can most taurants Mumtaz, right on the done like no other rabbit I have be sought out in waterfront. eaten in Spain. Owned by the capable Metro And my pudding, a Tarte Tatin, Marbella’s old Group (who also own Jacks, came out as good as any French Joys and Metro, etc), it is a rotown dessert I have tried. mantic spot for dining out, as is Needless to say that the wine their reliable Italian sister reslist shows off its French leaning taurant Cibo up on the main but great quality Spanish wines are also wide road into Marbella. ranging. Up on the Ronda road look out for A Casa Mia There are even over 20 wines by the glass and and the long term favourite the All in One a decent mix of cheeses. cafe, which keeps getting better. A different sort of romance can be sought out in Marbella old town, where you are literally Continues on Page 31
OPENING HOURS Monday - Saturday 6pm-10:30pm & Sunday 1pm-5:30pm RESERVATIONS info@truffleselviria.com I +34 951 569 173 www.truffleselviria.com REC A EIVE BOT FREE HOU TLE O Wh SE W F en y ou INE 2 5€ o
T’s &
s r mopend re a
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Open from 08.30am Monday to Friday – Eat in or take-away Secluded pretty courtyard with FREE WIFI
Delicious freshly brewed coffees, beers, wines, spirits and smoothies Yorkshire tea and flavoured teas from around the world Freshly baked pastries, pasties, pork pies and pizzas Sausage rolls, British bacon, British sausages and jacket potatoes Selection of salads including our best selling Superfood Salad Full, skimmed and soya milk, diet drinks including zero tonic We sell/stock TV Choice magazine
KANDY Bar & Cafe
Elviria Business Centre Av de las Cumbres Elviria, Marbella, 29604
Orders for Eat In or Takeaway can be sent to us: tel/WhatsApp: 604 263 815 MASTER: Chef ‘Bobby’ at C’est si Bon
Marbella Giving it their All 30
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The All in 1 Café celebrated another record year in 2018 with a fresh refurb, brand-new kitchen and extended live music schedule
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N incredible 15 years after its opening, the ever popular All in 1 Café has reinvented itself once again, focusing on serving the very best quality food in a relaxed and friendly ambience. Topping this off is the addition of great live
music and special event nights. In the new open-plan kitchens, the star of the show is an indoor charcoal-burning ‘Josper’ oven. This fantastic addition allows perfectly barbecued food all year round at any time of day. The new 2019 menu has been updated so that diners can enjoy delicious dishes created using the oven and the imagination of award-winning head chef Dexter Porcincula. “The restaurant has always been popular, but the last couple of years I have been amazed how often we have had to regularly turn away table bookings due to a full house,” says Tenés, who first opened the doors to the All in 1 Café back in 2004. “I have been amazed and so grateful for the support we have had, with guests
booking many weeks in advance for some nights,” he adds, “We’ve come a long way and the feedback has been great, but we’re always looking for ways to improve.” He continues: “First and foremost, we must reward our loyal clients with the best food and service we possibly can and at the same time work on making our special events even more fabulous!” So, if you ever fancy a break from the hustle and bustle of Marbella, but still want a night to remember for all the right reasons, the new and improved All in 1 Café might just be worth a visit.
Latest news and events at the All in 1 Café are posted on their Facebook page: facebook.com/allin1cafespain. For reservations, telephone: +34 952 78 93 15 or visit www.allin1cafe.com
31 May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Up with the stars LOCATION LOCATION: Bono Beach
Burger and all From Page 29
For somewhere good in Elviria, look out for Truffles. This excellent, boutique-style restaurant, offers candle-lit tables and global cuisine at excellent prices. As one might expect there is a delicious truffled chicken liver mousse, as well a superb Peruvian ceviche and an original savoury goats cheese cheesecake. Up in San Pedro you will be spoilt for choice, but really look out for Macaao, which really stands out as a special place to visit. Set up by Belgian Michel Dhondt, who heralds from a long line of restaurant owners and trained with Alain Ducasse on the Cote d’Azur. Also in San Pedro is the very elegant L’Impronta, an upmarket Italian joint, run by capable Francisco Vacas, who actually heralds from
HAPPY PUNTERS: At Truffles Cordoba. Finally another man helping to change the face of San Pedro is Malcolm Spendlove, who has been at the helm of the ever popular Passion Cafe (www.passioncafe.eu) for the last 16 years and now heads up one of the coast’s best hamburger joints, Mr Gourmet Burger (www.mrgourmetburger. com) on the boulevard. It counts on 100% beef burgers, halal too, while Kids are encouraged to make their own 'Junior G' burgers in 'four easy steps'.
F
EW places come as glamorous as the Benabola Hotel Sky Bar. The stunning vistas from this amazing spot in Puerto Banus stretch as far as the eye can see… and then some. Lording it over the famous marina, this beautiful new addition to the celebrated hotel is the dream spot for an early evening tapa and cocktail, or a nightcap following supper. Even better, come for the evening and relax at easily one of the coast’s genuine secret spots, where those-in-the-know and plenty of celebrities come to hide out. For those having two cocktails or more there is free underground parking (look out for the Benabola Hotel signs and get your card franked at reception with your receipt). And, if you want to really experience the high life then book a room at the hotel and if you are lucky you’ll have a suite (pictured left) with a corner living room with views to match the Sky Bar above.
Visit www.benabola.com
MAS
PROPERTY MARBELLA
SELL YOUR PROPERTY WITH US!
BUSINESS
On the clock
A NEW law will force all companies in Spain to record employees’ hours in a crackdown on rampant unpaid overtime. It comes as the latest workforce survey showed unpaid overtime accounted for as many as 2.6 million work hours a week. “The initiative must help correct the situation of precariousness, low salaries and poverty that affects many workers who suffer abuse in their working day,” said the PSOE, introducing the decree. Regardless of size, every company is obliged to track workers start and leave times with failure to comply leading to fines of up to €6,250. The measure has triggered many questions regarding enforcement but authorities have simply said that inspectors will ‘use common sense’.
33
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Bank rupture
Spain-based tech company takes the lead in race to deliver high speed future travel A SPANISH tech company has unveiled designs for a 1,000 km per hour train in a bid to create the world’s first ‘hyperloop’ travel system. Valencia-based Zeleros is one of eight companies around the world working on variants of the Hyperloop project inspired by tech billionaire Elon Musk to deliver train travel at airline cruising speed. “Though it is a difficult project, we are proud of what we are achieving. “Our objective is to have our technology ready in four to
Anti-war games
COMING HOME: Spain war ship
MODEL: Hyperloop project to cut Madrid to Barcelona journey time to 25 mins
Hyped up five years for cargo and eight or nine years for passengers,” said Zeleros CEO David Pistoni. The hyperloop concept would revolutionise transport with SPAIN has removed one of its warships from a US combat group over escalating tension with Iran. Acting Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, ordered the temporary removal of the Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez (F-104). The vessel carries 215 sailors and was supporting the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Red Sea. Amid fears that Iran was accelerating its nuclear weapons capabilities, the joint fleet was due to enter the Persian Gulf. Plans for the Spanish vessel’s use in the fleet were made a
a levitating ‘pod’ travelling through a vacuum to reach ultra-high speeds, cutting travel time from Barcelona to Madrid to a whistlestop 25 minutes.
year ago, and its participation was due to last until October 31, but will now not continue. Robles said: “Spain's commitment is to the European Union and the international organisations, and that is where we are going to always adopt common positions.” It comes as Acting US Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan presented a plan to US President Donald Trump’s top security team that could send as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East. Several oil tankers were attacked off the coast of the UAE which the US blames Iran for.
Trust in us
M
ONEY Marketing, a UK newspaper for financial intermediaries, has published details of a Freedom of Information Request it made in relation to complaints received by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) regarding Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) products. It revealed that over the most recent 12-month period, 22 SIPP providers made 48 complaint referrals to the Ombudsman
BY Tim Govaerts
regarding investments. This latest revelation follows a SIPP dispute involving financial planner Berkeley Burke and the FOS in which it was heard that the firm failed to carry out full due diligen-
“Spain is a world leader in many fields and this is an opportunity to continue being leaders in what is going to be key modes of transport in the future,” Pistoni added It comes after an Andalucian firm built the very first passenger capsule for the highly anticipated rapid transport system. Artificial, based in Cadiz, reached the global milestone last year in a project with California-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Named Quintero One, the 105-feet long capsule offered a glimpse into the future of travel. Speaking this week, Pistoni added: “Hyperloop is a reality. It is no longer a matter of whether or not it is going to be done, but of when it is going to be done.”
What Makes for a Reliable SIPP Provider? In light of the Berkeley Burke ruling and the latest FOI revelation, any person who is considering the question of whether a Self-Invested Personal Plan might be suitable for them should run through a checklist of important questions including the following:
• • • • •
Roboshops MERCADONA has announced a €120 million investment deal to automate distribution of fresh food. Robotics firm Cimcorp will provide cutting edge climate control technology to ensure vegetable and fruit products remain fresh. New distribution warehouses will also be built in Sagunto, San Isidro, Zaragoza and Huevar with the project expected to serve around two million shoppers. “The main objective of these four centers,will be to meet the demands of our stores, secure growth in perishable product sales and eliminate the overexertion that results from the manual handling of orders,” explained Mercadona.
As other financial advisers come under scrutiny, Blacktower remains a name you can rely on www.theblacktowergroup.com
ce on a £29,000 unregulated collective investment scheme for one of its clients. It also follows a high profile but as yet unresolved case against Carey Pensions. The judgment reached by the FOS in the Berkeley Burke case was significant because it placed a clear emphasis on the duty of care SIPP providers owe their clients to properly vet unregulated investments.
•
SANTANDER Bank has informed unions of plans to axe 11% of its workforce in Spain. The measures are a part of wider moves by the Eurozone’s biggest lender to drastically cut costs while pursuing higher profitability in Latin America. The move would see Santander close 1,150 branches in Spain and cut 3,700 jobs. “it is highly worrisome that such a high number of jobs are destroyed and our first objective will be to try to reduce the figures proposed by the bank,” said Spanish union Comisiones Obreras.
Does the SIPP provider have suitable professional indemnity insurance? Who is providing the indemnity cover and can it be relied upon? Does the cover come with any limits and exclusions? What is the level of excess provided by the cover? Have you received appropriate, independent advice regarding your suitability for a SIPP transfer? Has your advice resulted in a positive recommendation – i.e. you have been told that a SIPP is in your best interests?
• • •
Is a SIPP compatible with your cashflow needs? Is a SIPP compatible with your legacy plans – i.e. the future needs of your spouse and/or descendants? Are you a sufficiently sophisticated investor to understand the implications of a SIPP?
SIPPs Planning with Blacktower FM Blacktower FM firmly believes that an investment plan should be designed to meet your particular goals, cash flow needs, time horizon and risk tolerance. We are committed to ensuring that our clients with international pensions receive independent advice and that they develop a diversified portfolio of assets and regulated products offering long-term and tax-efficient solutions to their particular cross-border financial concerns. Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd have been established for over 32 years and has worked with clients through the good and the bad times, offering sound, independent financial advice, we will be by your side both now and in the future. The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.
Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain
34
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
34
BUSINESS
Property AGONY ANT
Get a pinch of this
YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES
Clock off New employment law sees workers ‘clocking in’ and carries fines of up to €6,250 for bosses
Sign up with Spain’s only ‘all-inEnglish’ mobile service and get all the benefits of a contract deal – all the value, all the control – without any of the commitment or hidden surprises.
A
S of May 12 2019, a new law cigarette, or with more ‘labour-orienis in place in Spain to track tated’ things such as sales reprethe number of hours that em- sentatives’ daily itineraries, where ployees work. employees are given flexibility, and The purpose of Royal whose work performanDecree 8/2019 is to ce is rated by numbers clamp down on the wi- Records must be in turnover, not hours despread practice of (not to mention emunpaid overtime which kept for at least ployees that work from some estimates put at four years and home). 3.5 million hours. The work hours records be available to must be kept for at Not complying may mean fines of between least four years and be employees €626 and €6,250. available to employees, The habit of clocking in their representatives, and out of the workplaand the Labour and Soce is however antiquated, and puts cial Security Inspectorate. workers under the spotlight in par- Already various app developers have ticular when going out for breakfast created specific platforms to moni(a very Spanish tradition), smoking a tor employees’ registration, inclu-
ding controversial geolocation apps to pinpoint employees’ whereabouts through their company mobile phones, all of which should be fully notified and agreed with the employee. According to the Ministry of Labour, The Employment Inspection Service will act prudently, refraining from inspecting ex officio companies rather acting on the basis of workers’ complaints of legal infringements.
Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com Your electric car is now fully covered thanks to Liberty Seguros
E
LECTRIC cars were a novel sight on roads until just a few years ago, but with the technology becoming more accessible and being made available in more desirable cars, electric cars are fast becoming a more realistic option for many car buyers. It is well known that electric car maintenance is really economical and also the running costs are also very low. They also contribute to the protection of the environment and buying an electric car has some fiscal advantages too. Liberty Seguros wants to support the development of the electric car, improving and adapting its products to the needs of its customers and adding to its continued commitment to caring for the environment in favour of a clean and friendly energy. For these reasons Liberty Seguros car insurance now contains, free of charge, new benefits for electric cars to be totally covered, such us:
Watts up?
Travel Assistance: Immobilisations that have their origin in battery discharge will be covered. From 0Km, emergency recharge or towing to the nearest recharge point assigned by the insured is included. Adapted pricing All electric car policies include a permanent discount (not promotional). Special assigned covers at no additional charge. Car batteries and other accessories are included. Additional discounts for second vehicles. Accessories: The cable and the adapter device for charging are included within the damage, fire and theft cover up to a value of €400 (limit per claim per year). Batteries: Batteries are included in the cover of damage, fire and/or theft even if they are owned
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obster is a new and ambitious mobile operator which has set out to bring expats an "English, easy and effortless" service with an experience just "like at home". It is the only operator in Spain to offer a service completely in English from their website, app, billing information, to a Customer Contact Centre where all the agents are native English speakers. The Customer Contact Centre is available seven days a week from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Lobster does exactly what it says on the tin with tailor-made tariff plans for British expats, and other English speakers, with no commitments and no nasty lock-ins or termination fees. Marketing Director Tony Watts told the Olive Press how the company has been going the extra mile to give customer the ‘traditional’ customer care they would receive back home. “Be it one of our friendly Customer Contact Centre agents staying on the line to direct an elderly customer to the nearest retail store where she could purchase her new SIM card, “Or letting you park your number for free for up to 12 months when you pop back to the UK to visit family, Lobster will always have your back,” said Tony Watts.
Freedom The company is growing fast with thousands of happy customers and Lobster now being available in more than 300 retail stores. Sign up is simple and the first month's plan is completely free with no commitments, so the customer can try Lobster out for a month completely free no charge. They want their customers to stay because they're happy with the service. The only thing customers need is a valid ID, passport, NIE, or similar, and a credit or debit card – it does not even have to be a Spanish one – and they are good to go. The company has kept the service as simple as possible with no lengthy contracts or paperwork. They offer three great plans all with unlimited calls and texts in Spain, to the UK, and other countries. The only difference between the plans is the amount of data available, which caters for all types of customers from light to heavy data users. So whether people just send the odd WhatsApp, or are glued to cat videos on Youtube all day, Lobster has the right tariff plan for everyone. With plans starting from just €12 per month, and with pretty much everything included for that price, Lobster has also made it incredibly easy to control your monthly spend. As an added bonus, customers can keep their existing Spanish number if they already have one or Lobster can provide a brand new one. You can sign up online by visiting their website www.lobster.es, or by calling their Customer Contact Centre for free on 1661, or by going to one of the many retail stores where Lobster is available. There are some great customer testimonials on the company Facebook page: Brit Tony Marshall wrote on the company Facebook page: “Great telephone support, fantastic website and excellent value call packages!”
you can rely on TotalRepairs to and WE SPECIALISE IN: painless process, walk out BUY, SALES & REPAIRS be your one-stop shop for re- of the store the same-day with ACCESSORIES PHONE CUSTOMISING pairs across all your devices. money in your pocket MOTHERBOARD REPAIR Our professional technicians We are alsoIPTV proud to offer the IN THE HIGHEST QUALITY! WATER DAMAGED PHONES RECOVERY to become a professiocan quickly diagnose theUNLOCKING cause& DATAchance TOP-UP & SIM CARDS of the problem and provideIPTV you nal technician with new courWITH CATCH-UP CCTV INSTALLATIONS with a free estimate in minutes. ses available at Diana Park. In the case of lengthier repairs Courses start from €299 for a we can also guarantee you a 20 hour course and covering VISIT Diana Park Shop: SuperSol: ATM loaner phone to get youCALL upORand everything from basic soldering ONE OF OUR 951 121 888 695 524 738 951 406 666 648 400 666 TWO STORES... running as soon as possible. to repairing motherboards. www.totalrepairs.es Total Repairs offers cash for Perfect for someone Looking To find out phones, tablets, laptops and for a new career in technology more visit www. any other electronic devices you or just a productive hobby. may be looking to offload. Your friends, family and custolibertyexpatriates. Receive an honest market-va- mers count on you. So you can es or simply lue offer through our quickly count on us! MAG322
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FLIPPIN GREAT: Lobster marketing director Tony Watts
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BREXIT PAVES WAY FOR TIMESHARE MEDIATION
Brexit should be seen as an opportunity and not a hindrance for those in the UK fighting disputes over unwanted timeshares says a Spanish legal expert. The claim comes from Adriana Stoyanova, a lawyer with Malaga based M1 Legal, specialists in timeshare contract law linked with the UK based European Consumer Claims Ltd.
the separate enforcement mechanisms available for arbitration may offer greater certainty and advantage in comparison to litigation.” But she added that Brexit gives mediation the opportunity to reinvent itself for a number of reasons: faster than general litigation; cost effective - mediation will be much cheaper than general litigation; protective against legal costs (in the UK) when a valid offer to mediate is made; mediation is confidential, benefiting parties saving their good public image; balances the power; mediation saves the relationships between businesses; it can negotiate payment plans which would keep businesses' cash flow healthy. European Consumer Claims Ltd are the UK and Europe's leading experts in helping to release people from unwanted timeshare contracts and making claims for people to get their money back, assigning Spanish cases to their legal experts M1 Legal in Malaga.
“Brexit is most likely to affect disputes where one timeshare party is based in the UK and the other in an EU member state,” said Stoyanova. “Although it is still not clear what would happen if and when Brexit takes place, clients negotiating contracts with UK based companies would be well advised to agree on EU based instead of British jurisdiction.
“This means to think about mediation and arbitration as an alternative,” added Stoyanova. “It seems likely that arbitration will be less affected by Brexit, at least from a legal perspective. The legal framework supporting arbitration will remain unchanged, and
632
cases in the courts
being prepared 299 cases
Timeshare Tip 1 If your resort offers you an upgrade, be very careful as normally the existing contract is cancelled in favour of a new contract showing the upgrade. The problem arises when the new contract is written in accordance with the current law resulting in the inability to sue the resort in respect of the earlier unlawful contract.
Timeshare Tip 2 If you are surrendering your timeshare back to your resort, be careful when signing the surrender document as it will normally include a disclaimer clause which will prevent you from taking any legal action against your resort or it's associated companies.
In 2019, M1 Legal currently has secured 50 victories totalling £753,612
n pe O
Maxima 1 Legal S.L. is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities under registration number FRN 836561.
in
If you wish to discuss your timeshare problems please call ECC advice line on 0203 670 4616 or visit www.ecc-eu.com If you have any other enquiries regarding this story call 0034 951 562 209 or email pr@m1legal.com.
rs
“The practical steps that all parties involved in cross-border contracts will take into consideration include thinking carefully about potential dispute and enforcement issues, and adopting a 'conditional' dispute resolution clause that allows a degree of flexibility as the UK's position becomes clearer.
Recently, M1 Legal attended a legal professional networking event which was held over 2 days creating great local and international brand awareness. They were situated side by side with leading Spanish law offices along with Law and higher education professionals from the UK. They happily answered questions from consumers and professionals throughout the two days educating people about timeshare claims.
ne
Stoyanova said the harmonised EU regulations covering these matters will likely no longer be applicable to UK jurisdictions after Brexit and could lead to costly time consumption and even parallel proceedings and contradictory judgements.
Malaga Legal Professional Networking Event
ow
For example, so far in 2019 M1 Legal has secured 22 victories on jurisdiction against timeshare company Club La Costa who appealed against Spanish court decisions to try and get the hearings in the UK. But the judge ruled the cases should be heard in Spain which is of greater benefit to UK clients. All 22 cases will be resolved by the Spanish courts.
In the picture: M1Legal lawyers Patricia Criado and Jaime González
vi Po ta W p in tio e' f re or n ju a to st co ab ff tim e ov e Av an e .C es Pa a Ice d rq rm H ha an l ue en e a nd i M Sa ad re i n 29 4 ram en o in fo 65 th a z d ffi r c r e M m f 1 lo S T e M or 20 ej ija al ija 4 8 ad s C ch s C B Bu a, ild 52 os os at ta in 08 g ta –
“This enables them to benefit from EU laws regarding the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters and judicial assistance in document delivery and taking of evidence.”
36
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
BUSINESS
Here I come! In a new column, Chartered Financial Planner Jonathan Holdaway FPFS ACSI, explains why he’s made the jump to Spain
Fairway L AW Y E R S ARE YOU OWED THOUSANDS FROM YOUR BANK? Did you have an illegal floor clause inserted in your Spanish mortgage? Millions of homeowners were wrongly charged thousands of euros due to underhand tactics, now outlawed after being exposed by the courts.
B
RITS have long been seduced by the idea of moving to Spain, with the prospect of a warmer climate, lower living costs and only a two-and-a-half hour flight to the UK. My own love affair with the Iberian Peninsula came over 40 years ago during a ‘school cruise’ of the Mediterranean on board SS Uganda. As well as visits to Pisa, Florence and Athens we docked in Malaga to visit the historic city as well as the magnificent Alhambra Palace in Granada. Educational trips don’t come much better, and I will always remember the coach journey inland – seeing a celebrated Osborne black bull high on a hillside, lush orchards, apples and oranges and eventually the breathtaking beauty of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountains towering over Granada. When I met my wife Susie in 2006 it was apparent we both shared a love of Spain – our first holiday together was in Tenerife and we got engaged four years later in nearby Gran Canaria, when I proposed on a yellow submarine, with the help of a local dive school. Yes, I’ll admit we did honeymoon somewhere more ‘exo-
Let us take a look at your documents and help you through the complicated process of claiming it back, PLUS damages. Our bilingual team of Marbella-based lawyers understand the situation well and can move quickly and efficiently.
NO WIN, NO FEE. Get in touch and we will check your mortgage deeds for free and let you know if you have a claim against your bank.
Contact Diego at Fairway Lawyers Tel: 952 77 11 50 diego@fairwaylawyers.com
www.fairwaylawyers.com
C/Nuestra Señora de Gracia 28, 1C 29602, Marbella (Malaga)
SETTLING IN: With wife Susie and the dogs
NEW LIFE IN THE SUN: Like Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast
tic’ the following year, but we have frequently come back to Spain ever since. We always planned to eventually settle here, but after the result of the referendum in 2016 (and the UK’s imminent exit from the EU) we decided to bring our plans forward five years and make sure we were safely settled here before Brexit could happen. But where to move to exactly? lly crossed the border, arriving in We had ruled out the north, Barcelona. opting for the more consistent We moved on after a few exweather of the south, but again hausting days in the bustling with so many places to consider city to our first pit stop in Oliva, we were stumped. on the northern Costa Blanca, And so, a year where wonago we deciderful orange ded to take a Our Yorkshire groves and searoad trip and side views comterrier found ‘test drive’, as plimented each it were, a few the only escape other down to a areas for a route, spooked tee. week at a time. Our next week As we have two was at a villa by fireworks dogs, and they on an abandowould be very ned golf course much part of just outside Murcia – one of the our new life in the sun, we deci- downsides of booking online ded to bring them along on our through an app is not having the seven-week adventure. whole picture! I still had my financial planning It was strange walking the dogs business back in the UK, so na- round a virtual ghost town, but turally I also bought my laptop sadly this is the case in a lot of so I would be able to continue parts of Spain due to the overto work (as so many of you ex- building prior to the financial pats do down here) – albeit very crisis in 2008. Next stop was the hauntingly remotely. Getting an beautiful coastline of Cabo de early mor- Gata, in Almeria, and a stay in a ning Euro- remote villa owned by friends of tunnel train, friends in the UK. we set off This is one of the most beautiful t h r o u g h parts of Spain and naturally, as France, via a film fan, I had to visit the villa the D Day where the brilliant ‘Sexy Beast’ beaches and was filmed in Agua Amarga Pegasus Bri- there. dge, which Our next stop, just outside Alas an ex-sol- munecar, was to be our most dier I had exciting – but for all the wrong always wan- reasons! ted to visit Having been assured that the viand eventua- lla was secure for our two dogs,
unfortunately our 13-year-old Yorkshire Terrier was to find the only escape route, after being spooked by fireworks which started at 7am on a Sunday morning. After discovering his disappearance at around noon, then followed nine hours of sheer hell, with my wife and I walking many miles round the local area calling his name. Was it not for the power of social media, we feared we would have to leave Spain without our beloved friend, but thankfully we were reunited with him later that evening. Our final stop was in the charming Axarquia village of Competa way up in the mountains, which was a 30-minute drive up a winding road. By the end of the week I had got this down to about 25 minutes, now knowing every bend and corner intimately. The question is where should we eventually settle? Find out next week where Jonathan and co have moved to… and the trials and tribulations of getting set up officially here Jonathan works with Cyprus-regulated financial advisor CHASE BUCHANAN, which has been operating in Cyprus since 2015. Visit www.chasebuchanan.com for more information
Send your comments and feedback to Jonathan at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com or call him on 00447723027864
PROPERTY Tax break crackdown 37
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Too little too late?
THE rise in rural property sales has surpassed hotspots like Madrid for the first time in years… but there’s a catch. During the last quarter of 2018, purchases rose the most in Extremadura (19.1%), and prices the most in Castilla-La Mancha (16.8%) and Castille & Leon (11.5%). However, the markets inland are much smaller and sales have been so low that any increase would bring a high percentage. In reality, the interior regions are still suffering a depopulation crisis as hordes of young people move to the cities and coasts in search of work. Meanwhile, sales fell the most in the Canaries (-9.8%), Cantabria (-7.8%), and the Balearics (-7.2%) – whilst prices fell the most in Aragon (-7.2%).
Rent joy RENT rises will slow down to around 10% this year, a property giant has predicted. Albirana Properties, part of Blackstone, said the nationwide increase will be lower than previous years. The company, which rents out just under 10,000 homes across Spain, said rents increased by 14% last year.
A LEFT-wing coalition government may see tax breaks for property investors come under fire, experts have warned. It comes after the PSOE began seeking support from anti-capitalist Podemos after failing to win an overall majority in last month’s snap general election. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez has already announced his party wants to review tax breaks for landlords who rent to long-term residents as a way to bring more cash to Spain’s coffers. Meanwhile, Podemos, led by Pablo Iglesias, has made hou-
sing affordability one of its main issues. The far-left party blames investors for the surge in house prices in hotspots such as Barcelona, Madrid and the Balearics. It is also calling for the end of tax breaks for Real Estate Investment Trusts, known as SOCIMIs, which receive tax relief for investing in rental homes for three years or more. “SOCIMIs are designed to encourage investment in rental
A HUGE €8.9 million market is set to be built in Malaga. The Mercado de Huelin will be housed over three floors in a purpose-built site, which will include underground car parking. The ground floor will have more than 150 market stalls selling a range of goods, while the first floor will feature shops and spaces for other installations. The project is expected to take just under three years to complete.
I
What does your service include?
Can’t real estate agents do it?
And your fee?
Real estate agents are ‘business people’; their focus is to seal the deal. They will certainly not give you impartial information if this could harm their business.
Our services start from 350 euros plus IVA, plus a share of the purchase price savings. The more we bring down the purchase price, the more we earn. This is a win-win situation for everyone except for the seller, of course.
In theory, yes! But they will prepare a page-long report, filled with complicated and technical language, which can take a long time to be delivered… . But buyers want information immediately. As home inspectors, we are often able to come to the property on the same day and give our first impressions of the location, value and defects immediately. Sometimes things have to move quickly!
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20 years of experience
Avoid making mistakes with the Home Inspector
In the United States it is mandatory, but we think it should be brought into law here in Spain as well: someone who carries out the technical check (while the lawyers do the legal check);someone who will stop you from putting your money into a bad investment. This is what we do!
Couldn’t you also hire an appraiser or an architect?
housing, which is a tricky business in a country where eviction of non-payers is slow and expensive,” explained Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight. “Podemos blame SOCIMIs and other investors for rising housing costs in hot markets, rather than high demand. The rental sector is a capital intensive business, and without SOCIMIs there would be less investment in rental housing, meaning fewer homes and lower quality – all bad news for renters.” He added: “Though nothing is yet certain, it’s likely the next Government will be some sort of coalition between the Socialists, Podemos, and perhaps some nativist parties from the Basque Country and Catalunya. “In which case SOCIMIs and real estate investment tax breaks will almost certainly come under fire. “This will weigh on the market at a time when it already looks like it’s running out of steam.”
On the case! We like to get our shoes dirty and are on site to inspect our clients’ dream property, trudging through wet and dark basements and in among the pool equipment. We prepare a list of defects, suggest repairs and make an estimate for the costs. Those defects can then be used to negotiate the purchase price. You could compare it to buying a used car. You’d want to know what it costs to remove the scratches and so on, then take this information with you when you go to discuss the price.
Benno, what is a home inspector?
info@instalacionesemasur.com www.instalacionesemasur.com
Left-wing government could spell danger for property investors
Market power
F you are looking to make a real estate investment, avoid making expensive errors and ask the Home Inspector Spain before negotiating the price. Benno Bühler is a RICS-certified surveyor, appraiser (Banco de España) and architect, who has been on the Costa del Sol since 1996, and can help you throughout the whole conveyancing process. We met Benno Bühlerat his studio in the Soho area of Malaga where he answered important questions about what a home inspector does and what this service is good for.
i n s t a l a c i o n e s
The buyers could also negotiate themselves That is true. However, as soon as these defects, some of which are very technical, are brought up in negotiations, expert knowledge can quickly become necessary. A clever seller will already have their counter-arguments ready, leaving non-technically experienced negotiators in a tangle. Here’s one example: during a house inspection, we discovered that, according to
the manufacturer’s information, the chiller in the air conditioning system was not suitable for installation near the beach. As a result, we were able to negotiate a saving of 35,000 euros. Could you have explained this to the seller? We could! What if the price has already been negotiated? We also have flat rate agreements. Does the customer need a lawyer for the purchase? If it is a normal, legal property, it is recommended but not necessary. We can take you through the entire purchase process, right up to the handing over the keys at the notary. Should we encounter any legal problems, we can refer you to law firms which are known to us and ask for help. Of course, we are not allowed to provide legal advice. I see our service as complementary to the work of a lawyer: they do the legal check and we do the technical check.
Ring THE HOME INSPECTOR SPAIN today! Benno Bühler, Calle Casas de Campos 33, 2-G, 29001, Málaga T: +34 952 609 617 M: +34 610 794 443 Mail: info@architect-spain.com www: home-inspector-spain.com
Fully certified by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
38
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Wine decline
restaurant | lunch and dinner
SPANISH wine tourism failed to live up to its grape expectations last year with a big 7.8% decrease, new data has revealed. Businesses in the sector suffered a loss of €80 million, despite three million people visiting bodegas and wine museums last year. The Spanish Association
restaurant | lunch and dinner
of Wine Cities, which released the figures, blamed the decline on the closure of the Route of Emporda in Girona, one of Spain’s most popular wine tours. It comes as the average price of admission to bodegas increased to €9.79, while average visitor spending also grew to €19.98.
SLUMP: Spanish wine tourism
Paella Foodie power manifesto
RICE KING: Dacosta
Last-minute election push to make Marbs next year’s gastro capital
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MARBELLA Mayor Angeles Munoz has vowed to place her town firmly on the food map. The Partido Popular leader promised to put the town forward for the coveted Spanish Capital of Gastronomy 2020. She said: “We would love to be able to present the candidacy for 2020 but we will wait
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PLEDGE: Munoz wants gastronomic recognition and see what happens with the municipal elections. “We would like to be elected in 2020 but if not we will try the following year, as we have all the ingredients to be a great gastronomic capital.” In the run up to the May 26 municipal elections, Munoz highlighted the role food plays in tourism, alongside ‘sun and beach’. Marbella boasts 1,000 restaurants and more Michelin stars per citizen than anywhere else in Spain.
Munoz added: “Few cities can say that they have six Michelin stars, we have great chefs and not only those with Michelin stars. We have to take advantage of that.” Marbella maestro Dani Garcia’s eponymous restaurant at the Hotel Puente Romano is the most stellar of the six, with three stars. Other Michelin highlights in the city include El Lago, a lakeside golf course restaurant in Elviria Hills which has held its star since 2005, and Messina in the old town, which specialises is seasonal seafood. Marbella chef Fernando Alcala, of Kava, was also recently recognised for making ‘the best cheesecake in Spain’.
THREE-Michelin-star chef Quique Dacosta is to open a new Spanish restaurant in London, centred on his native paella. ‘Arros QD’ in Fitzrovia, will feature an open wood-burning fire, allowing guests to watch the authentic Valencian dish be freshly prepared. The cook, whose eponymous eatery in Alicante has also received three Repsol Suns, will also serve other rice dishes, seafood and more avant-garde creations. Meanwhile, renowned Spanish designer Lazaro Rosa-Violan has been drafted in to decorate the 140-seat restaurant at 64 Eastcastle Street, which spans two floors. Like his operation in Denia, which uses ingredients within 75km of the premises, Dacosta has committed to sourcing the best of fresh British produce for the new opening on June 7.
Rule the Rusa VERUM Restaurant and Tapas has been awarded the prestigious title of best Russian salad of Malaga 2019. A total of 11 restaurants battled it out in the fifth edition of the Campeonato de Malaga de Ensaladilla Rusa. A blind judging panel crowned the eatery in Malaga City winners of the event, which was attended by over 100 people. Egg, potato, shrimp, tuna and mayonnaise usually make up a traditional ensaladilla Rusa, and sometimes other ingredients are added.
Jamie’s joint JAMIE Oliver has opened a restaurant on the Costa del Sol, aiming to give busy travellers better food choices. Malaga Airport is the location for ‘Jamie’s Deli’, the latest in the British chef’s chain of healthy takeaway joints. The restaurant from the 43-year-old Naked Chef star will serve salads, sandwiches, pizzas, hot dishes, cakes and drinks Oliver, who angered Spain in 2016 with his ‘chorizo paella’ invention, is joined by two other new airport outlets, Café di Fiore and international chain Eat. It comes as Oliver said he is ‘deeply saddened’ as 23 Jamie’s Italian restaurants in the UK are going into administration, as well as his London operations Barbecoa and Fifteen.
FOOD,DRINK
40
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Bees are buzzing off the planet … a sign we’re on the brink of ecological Armageddon? As conservationists around the globe mark World Bee Day, Claire Leibovich got busy to find out
“
IF the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Beyond its chill-producing sensationalism this famous quote - most frequently attributed to Einstein although there are other claimants to authorship - makes a stinging point.
Closed 12.00 until mid February Open Tuesday to Sunday. until 22.00
The buzz on bees
Bees are not only a crucial component of our ecosystems. They ensure food security for all. Bees are the kings and queens of insect pollinators. A third of the world’s food production depends on them. Additionally, they indicate the health of an ecosystem; if something is wrong, changes in their behaviour are an early warning sign. There are around 20,000 known species of bees, of which only a few make honey. The western honey bee (apis mellifera, Latin for ‘honey-bearing bee’) is by far the most prolific. Honey is an important traditional and economical factor in Spain. The country is home to 2.45 million beehives and more than 30,000 beekeepers, which makes it the largest beekeeping nation in Europe, ahead of France and Greece. It is also one of the EU’s top honey producers, hiving off 20 000 tonnes of the delicious nectar every year. Amateur beekeeping is also a buzzing market, leading to heightened awareness of their essential role in biodiversity. Spain showed a steady growth in honey production in the early 2010s. However the honeypot started shrinking in 2016, according to a Ministry of Agriculture report. This downwards curve could be due to the crisis that has been ravaging the globe since the end of the 20th century with the sharp decline in other pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds and bats. In 2015, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assessed European bee species for the first time. The organisation reported that 9.2% of wild bees are facing extinction in Europe, while 37% of the population is diminishing. The largest numbers of threatened species are located in south-central Europe but the Mediterranean region is the most data-deficient.
CRUCIAL: Global food supplies depend on the humle bee
king parasite is nosema apis, also from Asia, observed for the first time in Europe when Many factors can be fatal to they made landfall in Spain these winged benefactors. in 2005. The Colony Collapse Disaster Pesticides also have a harm(CDD), first given a name in ful effect, both on bees and 2006, designates the unexp- honey quality. Greenpeace lained decline in worker bees. found that two thirds of the The phenomenon has been pollen collected by bees is observed throughout the p e s t i c i d e - c o n t a m i n a t e d . history of apiculture and as Neonicotinoids are a type of far back as 1869, but to this pesticide particularly threateday there’s no consensus on ning to bees. They are made of synthetic what causes it. substances siHowever, there has been a NGOs forced the milar to nicotine that affect drastic increase in CDD in government to the central nersystem of the last two decreate a National vous insects. cades. April 2018, Most other facAction Plan for In the EU agreed tors contribubees to ban the outting to colony door use (but loss are due to not in greenhuman activity houses) of the and modern globalisation. For example, three most dangerous neo(imidacloprid, bees are more vulnerable nicotinoides to disease due to the faster thiamethoxam and clothianicirculation of parasites. The din). varroa mite, originally from Most countries in the EU Asia, is a particularly virulent have yet to approve the mopest that arrived in plague tion, however, meaning that numbers in Spain during the the ban is not effective and mid-80s. Another bee-attac- these pesticides are still being used. Moreover, many more detrimental pesticides are still in use. Climate change, urbanisation and monocropping – growing a single crop on the same land year on year without rotation – are other factors decimating bee populations. In April, pressure from NGOs forced the Spanish government to create a National Action Plan for bees and other insect pollinators in line with EU recommendations. Along with a blanket ban on the three aforementioned nicotinoids, other initiatives include ‘promoting bee-friendly habitats, sustainable agricultural practice, the creation of PEST: The Varroa mite parasite has plagued Spanish bees suitable urban environments Why bees are buzzing off
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May 22nd - June 4th 2019
A Spanish restaurant with a twist, located on the edge of historic old Estepona Town in a converted farmhouse dating back to the 1890 with many features retained.
Un-bee-lievable! ●● The earliest known record of humans harvesting honey comes from an 8,000-year-old cave painting Cueva de la Araña in Bicorp, Vale at La ncia. ●● A honeybee’s wings beat around 230 times per second, which creates their buzz. ●● Honey can be preserved a long time due to its acidity, lack of water and content. In 1922, archeologist How hydrogen peroxide ard Carter tasted the honey discovered in King Tutankh amun's tomb. He said it was delicious! ●● During its life (6-8 weeks), a wor ker bee will fly the equivalent distance of one-and-ahalf times around the Earth to produce one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey. CAPTION ●● Honeybees outnumber hum ans in London (by 30 to one in summer ) due to the rise in urban beekeeping.
Restaurante La Pampa is open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner. Calle Sevilla 70, 29680, Estepona Phone: 952 795 545 email: reservas@lapampaestepona.es www.lapampaestepona.es
DID YOU KNOW? and reduction of the risk from plagues and parasites.’ How this will act out precisely has yet to be discussed. Bee Responsible World Bee Day on May 22 is an opportunity to learn more about these flying philanthropists and what each of us can do, individually and collectively, to slow their decline. Even though Spain is one of the largest producers in the EU, 80% of the honey consumed in Spain is imported from China, because it’s cheaper. As the Olive Press reported last month, Chinese
supermarket ‘honey’ is fake made, more often than not, from rice or corn syrup. You can support local beekeepers by buying their products at farmers’ markets, or from sustainable local producers with an anti-pesticide policy. Whether you have garden or balcony plants, ban the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. If you must, choose natural alternatives. It is also a good idea to check that the plants you buy are not pre-treated. A bee-friendly garden is a wild garden. Prefer native plants and let weeds grow. There are many lists out there of roots and flowers that
best attract bees and other pollinators. You can also leave a shallow container of water for bees in the hot summer months. Make sure to put pebbles, twigs or corks in the water so that the bees don’t drown. But the most important thing you can do is educate yourself about bees and encourage people around you to do the same. Read books and blogs, watch documentaries or join an association. In A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings, one of the latest books on the market, bee-keeper Helen Jukes shares how bees helped her reconnect with nature and herself.
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SEA FOOD D I F F E R E N T LY EARLY BIRD MENU – BEST QUALITY AND VALUE ON THE COAST Includes a starter and main course with a complimentary glass of wine/small beer or soft drink. Available 6pm - 8pm – 20€
LA20€ CARTE • Early A Bird - 6pm - 8pm AVAILABLE FROM • A La Carte Menu from6PM 6pm BOOKING RECOMMENDED SERIOUSLY GOOD FOOD Open Tuesday - Saturday from 6pm
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THE
TRAINS ARE BACK!!!
Molino del Santo is delighted to advise you that the exceptionally attractive train journey from San Roque to Benaoján can now be enjoyed again - after 7 months without service due to flood damage.
SO... 1) BOOK YOUR TABLE OR ROOMS AT MOLINO 2) HOP ON THE TRAIN TO BENAOJÁN and 3) ENJOY! We look forward to seeing you at the Ronda area’s most popular hotel and restaurant soon! Contact us for a full factsheet about train travel to Molino del Santo - e-mail is best - info@molinodelsanto.com
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42
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Stepping up
I
What’s on Gibraltar
Hotting up!
Tens of thousands raised at iconic Gibraltar landmark, writes John Culatto
T has become one of the Mediterranean region’s veritable challenges. While not quite as stiff as Ronda’s famous 101 race, or the Malaga marathon, Gibraltar’s Med Steps Challenge is not to be sniffed at. This iconic walk heads uphill from Jews’ Gate on the southern end of the Nature Reserve at 180m above sea level, up towards O’Hara’s Battery at 419m, close to the summit of the Rock. It’s a rite of passage for the locals, and expats along the coast alike, and
many famous people have undertaken it from former Miss World Kaiane Aldorino to famous politicians. Now a sizeable £20,000 has been raised for Cancer Relief in Gibraltar during the Med Steps 5 Challenge. Now in its fifth year, the weekend event included a race (involving five team members) and a family fun day, with Mark Tewksbury, Petra Arvela and the Royal Navy divers taking the honours. The Cancer Relief centre at South Barrack Road aims to give victims the support they need to fight the life-threa-
ANNIVERSARY: Med Steps 5 Challenge celebrates its fifth edition this year
A VISTA: View from the top
tening disease. by the Royal Engineers and now forms There are over 100 different types of part of Gibraltar’s UNESCO World Hericancer with 14 million new cases re- tage Site at the top of the Rock. corded every year. Its breathtaking views over the MeThe nature trail is unknown to most diterranean make it one of the most tourists who visit the peaceful and colourful rock, yet it is voted walks on the coast… Number One on TripAd- You might, in fact and it is surprisingly visor out of 58 different peaceful and green. things to do in Gibraltar. you probably will, And you might, in fact Some 94% of visitors bump into groups you probably will, bump rate it as ‘excellent’ or into groups of monkeys of monkeys on on your way up. ‘very good’ on the global travel site. Latest improvements your way up And it is not hard to see have made the steps sawhy. fer and more accessible Originally built by the than ever without losing British military to give access to a any of its charm. number of command posts, the path For more info, visit http://www. zig-zags up to O’Hara’s Battery at the visitgibraltar.gi/see-and-do/ southern tip of the Rock. military-history/mediterraOver the years it has been refurbished nean-steps-12
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
s spring turns to summer there are few better places to be in June than the Rock of Gibraltar. The month marks the end of the Spring Festival and the start of the bathing season. Even with the beaches filling up there will also be loads on around Gib. It all starts with learning in the Mind Kind workshops and a Disability symposium on June 1 and 4 respectively. See how buff you can get at the Peak Classic bodybuilding competition on June 8. Then forget about all about all that hard work at the annual street party at Casemates and World Music Festival on June 12 & 13. The following week, on June 20 you have a choice of entertainment. You can reach some high notes at with a performance of opera or laugh your worries away with Jason Manford at St Michael’s Cave.
Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.
With a UNESCO world heritage site offering 120,000 years of human history and only short drive from the Costa del Sol, enjoy the warmth of the British Gibraltarians and splash out VAT-free in Sterling. Gibraltar. Sun, sea and history served with a very British twist. PROUD
BRITISH
For further information call: Gibraltar Tourist Board +350 200 74950 Or to download a brochure go to: www.visitgibraltar.gi
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Go nuts! EATING nuts in the first trimester of pregnancy will improve the child’s brain development, a Spanish study has found. Some 2,200 mothers and their children were studied across Asturias, Guipuzcoa, Sabadell and Valencia over a period of eight years. The children’s neuropsychological development was assessed using several internationally validated standard test 18 months, 5 years, and 8 years after birth. The group of children whose mothers munched more nuts during the first trimester of pregnancy obtained the best results in all the tests measuring cognitive function, attention capacity and working memory. The nuts involved were almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pine nuts and hazelnuts. “The nuts provided high levels of folic acid and, in particular, essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6,” said lead Barcelona-based ISGlobal researcher Florence Gignac, “These components tend to accumulate in neural tissue, particularly in the frontal areas of the brain, which influence memory and executive functions.”
HEALTH
Chorizo, pastries and cereal could increase your risk of depression, say Spanish scientists
PEOPLE who regularly eat ultra-processed foods like Spanish chorizo are more likely to be depressed, new research has found. According to the study involving 14,000 volunteers, consumers of ‘low nutritional quality’ products are 33% more at risk of the disease. The work was published by Spain’s University of Navarra in the European Journal of Nutrition. A total of 14,907 people who had never had depression were monitored for an average of 10 years during the project. Among the test subjects, 774 new cases of clinically diagnosed depression were detected.
Sausage surprise Those who consumed ultra-processed foods were a third more likely to suffer depression, with the risk heightened for those who had low levels of physical exercise. Clara Gomez Donoso, a researcher at the university, said previous studies had found that, ‘ultra-processed food increased the risk of hypertension and obesity’. She added: “These cardiometabolic conditions share pathophysiological mechanisms and risk factors with depression.” The Nova classification identifies ultra-processed foods as industrially manufactured
Pan ban
THE Government has approved tax cuts on brown bread in a bid to curb the sugar intakes of obese Spaniards. A new Royal Decree has lowered VAT from 10% to 4% for ‘common bread’ and hardened the rules on white loaves. The new measures aim to promote brown bread,
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May 22nd - June 4th 2019
which uses cereals other than wheat, including bran, as well as ensure correct labelling is in place. It comes as a study by the University of Valladolid found that only 35% of Spanish pan with a ‘brown’ label is made exclusively with wholemeal flour.
RISK: Processed food products, containing refined or synthesised ingredients, and that no longer resemble the original ingredients. Refined ingredients include sugar, starch, vegetable oil and salt, and synthesised ingredients include trans fats, hydrolysed protein and additives. Sweets, sausages, industrial pastries and breakfast cereals are among the worst offenders in Spain. “They are characterised by low nutritional quality, convenience, availability and hyper-palatability,” added Clara Gomez.
Catwalk specs Designs with a haute couture spec are coming to the Specsavers Opticas range on the Costa del Sol
D
ESIGNER powerhouse and fashion pioneer Marc Jacobs has brought a luxurious eyewear collection to Specsavers Opticas. This contemporary, unique and luxurious collection boldly expresses the creativity of the fashion house and consists of 26 chic optical specs and six prescription sunglasses styles. Marc Jacobs’ legendary daisy motif adorns his must-have shoes, bags and perfume bottles but now you can add his meticulously designed glasses to your collection, thanks to this exciting Specsavers collaboration. The contemporary eyewear
boldly expresses the creativity of the fashion house, featuring premium acetate, ultra-slim silver metal frames and, of course, that iconic daisy motif. Our favourite colour combinations include white sides and neon, and ’80s-esque flecks that glint in the light. Standout pieces in the collection include a pair of jet-black, cat-eye sunglasses, confetti-like pops of colour and oversized square statement sunglasses, all completed with thedaisy detailing synonymous with the Marc Jacobs brand. The collection is priced from 199€ for two pairs.
To book your next appointment, or find your nearest store visit www.specsavers.es
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46
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
COLUMNISTS
Plots landing
“
AND just to summarise, the libro del edificio must be handed over before completion. “Is everyone clear on that?” Several heads nod in agreement and chat animatedly about the merits of real estate protocol. The middle aged French lady sat next to me on the sofa is rapidly taking notes on her Ipad but all I can feel in my hands is the glimmer of perspiration alongside the heavy weight of responsibility. Gazing forlornly out the window I realise how easy estate agents must have it back in the UK.
TINY: Some ads are hard to read
New wife in the sun
Real estate training is not for me, but a big plate of ham most definitely is, writes Paula Leskovitz
All they have to do is sit in a nice cosy yells our invigorated sales leader. office, sipping cappuccinos and poin- My ears suddenly prick up and I grab ting out the advantages of having a my handbag in anticipation of the combi boiler and a south-facing rear hard-earned liquid refreshment on patio to mortgage eager customers. offer. Here in Andalucia, the process is sli- Several trainees from the group pile ghtly different. into a sign-written Fiat Punto and we Not only do you have to source the pro- head off in the direction of Marbella. perty by pounding the streets, craning I look out the window and wonder if your neck for ‘Vende’ boards which there will be any unadopted sandwiappear to be written in Crayola, you ches to accompany the fluids we have then also have to make contact with been promised, just as my stomach the owner via phone or smoke signals complains loudly about its lack of conin their native tongue, tents. and then try and con“Here we are!” yells vince them that paying our enthusiastic men5% of the asking price Glasses of chilled tor and I look outside for an agent to market only to be greeted by champagne, their home is the only a large span of wasteviable option if they land with several peosmiling with genuinely want to sell ple in suits standing commissiontheir home before the proudly, pointing into inevitable apocalypse purchased teeth the empty space whioccurs. lst clutching glasses Only after all this has of chilled champagne, been agreed and sigsmiling with commisned in blood, sweat and fears, you sion-purchased teeth. begin to research all the relative infor- I heave my ample buttocks out of the mation and debts associated with the confines of the car and stand uncerproperty which invariably involves 13 tainly on the perimeter of the nothingsiblings and an ancient Micmac burial ness. ground nestling beneath the Bougain- A man with a mahogany tan comes villeas. forward and places a glass of some“I think that’s enough information for thing sparkling in my hand, then starts one day. to converse with the rest of the group “Let’s head over to a site that’s cu- in Spanish. rrently being built on and liaise with I try and make myself less conspithe developers over a glass of wine,” cuous by nodding occasionally whilst sipping the contents of my liquid lunch.
ESCAPE: Paula Leskovitz looks longingly beyond the world of real estate Looking around at the other candidates I suddenly realise that a) I have nothing in common with anyone here apart from the fact we are all breathing, and b) I don’t care about square footage or deeds or who owns the right to the footpath to the left of the gravel. I don’t care about making pots of money or having a fancy car. I care about having a bit of fun in the sun and doing what I do best, which in all honesty, isn’t much. The developer finally stops talking and everyone shakes his hand and pats him on the back. For all I know he could have been discussing the dimensions of the ‘new and improved’ Prisoner Cell Block H. My stomach rumbles in anguish over its lack of solid contents and I make my excuses and head over to a group of people that may or may not be holding plates. On closer inspection they are surrounding a man who is slicing a giant ham with gusto so I stand in line, pointing greedily at the carcass and my mouth
begins to water in anticipation as he piles the meat onto my plate. Grabbing several pieces of bread from a nearby table I head off alone to find a decent size piece of rubble to sit upon. Balancing the food on my knee, I cram the bread into my mouth and turn my face towards the sun. “So, how are you finding training?” echoes a male voice from overhead. Attempting to swallow, but without success, I nod my head in what I hope looks like an enthusiastic motion, and wave my arms around me to denote my agreement over the luxury apartments that are to be built upon this barren land. The man nods and smiles then heads back towards the eager crowd and I sit alone, wiping my greasy fingers on a napkin, knowing full well that this frock, on a rock, with her hock will absolutely, undoubtedly, undeniably not be returning tomorrow, or any other day to pursue a career in real estate. All that’s left to do now is inform my husband of this decision...
Burlesque business
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I have never felt more proud of my Burlesque-dancing goddaughter, writes Giles Brown
he eldest goddaughter was back in town earlier this month. Yes, that’s right, I am the moral and spiritual guardian of three young ladies. You can stop laughing now, especially the charming online troll who accused me of being ‘high and drunk’ when I write my articles. Considering I have spent the best part of the past two decades wrestling with those particular demons, that sort of comment is the sort of thing that could really send a recovering alcoholic into a downward spiral and cut to the very depths of his soul. Luckily for the aforementioned keyboard warrior (and the delicious irony of the fact that I wrote about that very subject in my previous article), and the fact that I did a deal on the crossroads a la Robert Johnson several years ago, I am splendidly lacking in the soul department. So, little Facebook irritant, go f**k yourself (Note to future trolls, don’t pick on columnists, we’ll write about you). Anyway, back to the eldest godchild. Ziggy – fabulous name, fabulous kid – is a brilliant modern circus and burlesque performer, with hoops, flames and a variety of tassels and outfits that would make a parson blush. I, having no soul, (see troll rant above) think that she’s absolutely fabulous and was thrilled when she landed a gig at the Frol!k Burlesque party at Cat’s Kitchen in Estepona. The ‘Ziglet’ flew in late on Friday evening and with the show the following night, Saturday
was spent setting up for the gig, getting costumes ready, applying glitter and putting on nipple tassels (The latter two just for me, obviously). And then we had a problem with the props. As part of her Burlesque act, Ziggy uses a chair, but we discovered to our horror that none of the chairs at the venue would suffice. Cue a mad dash to the nearest hardware superstore. At this point I should point out that Ziggy has a fair few number of tattoos, various piercings and was also sporting glitter, while I was wearing my Berber dessert sandals. We didn’t look like your average expat couple on a mission to purchase pot plants. A fact that was underlined by the expressions of the staff when we came running in asking where the garden furniture was. “We need a chair for my goddaughter’s show,” I explained to the bemused assistants. Glancing at her tattoos, they led us to the relevant section, where Ziggy shook her head. “No, they aren’t high enough. I’ll have to test one out.” Without further ado, my goddaughter grabbed the nearest chair, planted it firmly on the ground, and proceeded to haul herself into a handstand splits on the chair, legs out, derriere pointing proudly down aisle 7 of the aforementioned garden centre. I turned around to see the male assistants’ eyes bulging out of their heads. I swear one was panting... As the Ziglet’s moral and spiritual guardian, I have never felt more proud!
SPORT
47
May 22nd - June 4th 2019
Saving race
LEWIS hamilton has celebrated his Spanish Grand Prix win by sending gifts, including an F1 car, to a terminally-ill fan. Harry Shaw, from Surrey, who has a rare form of bone cancer, had sent the F1 world champion a ‘good luck’ message before his race in Barcelona. TREAT: Hamilton car for fan The Brit driver said the boy
Las Brasas Specialist in
became his ‘spirit angel’, helping him to a fifth world title, ahead of his Finnish Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas who placed second. Mercedes and Hamilton sent his Spanish Grand Prix trophy to Harry’s home, and even organised for a full-size replica of his F1 car to be parked on the youngster’s driveway.
seafood, Rice and Flame Grilled Meats
Klopp stop
Gloves off GREAT British boxing has selected an eight strong amateur team to travel to Spain for the annual Boxam Tournament. This year the British team includes two female boxers with past medal winning experience at the elite five day event in Valencia. Sandy Ryan, who won gold at last year’s event, will be joined by rising star Chloe Watson who won the 2018 youth level final. The men’s selection includes 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallists, Sammy Lee (Light-heavyweight) and Frazer Clarke (Super-heavyweight) The boxing will commence on May 15 with the finals on the 18th.
Top tips
Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool squad land in Marbella to prepare for their Champions League final with Tottenham
LIVERPOOL have begun training in Marbella for their second Champions League final in two years, it has emerged. On May 20 Jurgen Klopp’s side jetted in for their seven-day warm weather break, their third on the Costa del Sol this season. The Liverpool boss had considered Mallorca before settling on Marbella, where the Reds trained a year ago, during their last European cup bid. That push for the title saw Liverpool lose 3-1 to Real Madrid in Kiev, with Gareth Bale twice getting on the scoresheet for Los Blancos.
TM
902from 123Linea 282 Three snippets of car advice Directa and why we should be the insurance company you choose
* Fu l l y co m p re h e n s i ve o f fe r va l i d fo r n e w c u s to m e r s o n l y. G u a ra nte e s u b j e c t to cove r, re p a i r at a p p rove d g a ra g e, a n d co u r te s y ve h i c l e ava i l a b i l i t y. S u b j e c t to co n d i t i o n s. O f fe r e n d s 3 0 / 1 1 / 1 8 .
Mad about motoring? Whether you’re a car enthusiast or rely on your car for just about everything, keeping your vehicle on the road is a costly endeavor. Prices for car insurance can vary greatly between providers depending on different risk factors. While reducing your annual mileage and keeping your car in a secure location will help keep your premiums down, Línea Directa recommend shopping around for insurance quotes to get the best possible price with the best possible cover.
TheOlivePress-256x170-CAR-4.indd 1
Minor car problems At this time of the year in the early morning sunshine, condensation is particularly troublesome especially in older vehicles. Motorists and other road users are at risk. Accidents can be caused when drivers try to wipe down the windscreen. Here are some handy tips to help you tackle condensation. Wash your car regularly as dirt and dust attract moisture and early morning dew. Remove any damp items like towels or coats from inside the car. When safe to do so, leave the windows open for a few hours. Switch on
the air conditioning and wipe down the inside of the windows. Finally, you can fill a sock with cat litter and place it in your car to help absorb excess moisture.
This time the Merseyside club, who finished the Premier League campaign on 97 points, one behind champions Manchester City, meet Tottenham in Madrid on June 1. Both English teams will compete for their first silverware of the season at the Spanish capital’s Wanda Metropolitano stadium. It comes after the sides produced two historic comebacks in the competition’s semi-finals last week, as Spurs beat Ajax 3-2 and Liverpool bounced back to hit Barcelona 4-0. Liverpool, who claimed their fifth Champions League title in 2005 under Spaniard Rafael Benitez, will be hoping the Marbella break can help them produce the goods once again. The Marbella Football Center in San Pedro is a favourite for Liverpool, the players previously having been spotted cycling and completing training drills at the ground.
2/8/18 17:01
But what if it doesn’t start? A flat battery is a great inconvenience, jump-starting your car from the roadside can be hazardous and new batteries are expensive and can be troublesome to fit. These tips can help prolong the life of your battery. Keep the terminals clean of residue that builds up over time. And remember to turn off air conditioning, lights, radio and other battery draining systems whenever possible. Help is at hand Línea Directa offers service, support and 24-hour roadside assistance to over 3 million customers in Spain. Should you break down or your car won’t start, they will immediately dispatch an approved mechanic to help get you back on the road again as soon as possible. And with their new GPS Geolocation service Línea Directa can pinpoint your exact location and send breakdown recovery even faster.
We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact Linea Directa please call 952 14 78 34 More information about Linea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com
Gael of a time A TOTAL of eight Gaelic football teams have qualified for the Spanish national championships. The GAA and LGFA Iberian Finals 2019 will take place in Barcelona on May 25, hosted by the Barcelona Gaels. The city’s Rugby La Foixarda ground will see the men’s tournament take place from 12:30pm - 8pm, and the ladies’ from 11am - 2pm at UAB Cerdanyola.
Monday to Wednesday and Sunday: 12.30-23.00 Friday & Saturday: 12.30-23.30
Meanwhile, Klopp’s squad have been known to let their hair down at celebrity haunt, La Sala restaurant in Puerto Banus.
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Flight the power LEFT-wing party Malaga Ahora has stunned commuters on the Malaga metro as candidates danced and dressed like flight attendants, while campaigning for the May 26 elections.
Name of Thrones OVER 300 Spanish girls have Game of Thrones names, with 57 Daenerys and 279 Aryas, the National Institute of Statistics has revealed.
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Vol. 13 Issue 318 www.theolivepress.es May 22nd - June 4th 2019
JAMMED: 15 cars have got stuck in street this year A CONCERNED resident has called for a permanent solution after foreigners keep getting their cars stuck in her street. An alarming 15 cars have been removed by a crane from outside Maria Morales’ home in Granada’s Albaicin district so far this year. The Spaniard explained that dozens more had become trapped on Calle Oidores, over the years with most having to reverse. She slammed the town hall for doing nothing about the problem apart from putting up a small street sign. “When we moved here in 2014 a car got stuck almost every day,” Morales revealed, “The GPS sends them here and they realise they can’t get through when it is too late. “One time a German couple got RIP: James Whaley stuck and started panicking beA funeral service was held at the cause they could not open the hotel at the weekend, and his doors. ashes were appropriately scat- “The woman climbed out the tered around the grounds. boot but the man remained traFriend and former business pped for over two hours.” partner James Stuart, of cele- Locals would like to see a rebrated Califa hotel, in Vejer, movable bollard installed at the said: “He was a true visionary, end of the street. entrepreneur, raconteur and Have you been stuck there? Or hotelier extraordinaire.. But somewhere similar? Send your most of all a really good per- stories to newsdesk@theoliveson.” press.es
End of an era A LEGENDARY British hotelier who helped put Tarifa on the map has died from pancreatic cancer. James Whaley, who set up the Hurricane Hotel with brothers Michael and Peter, was the ‘spiritual heart’ of the famous hostelry, which has put up dozens of famous guests. Before moving to Spain Whaley was a film producer, who stu-
Tasty Danish PRINCE Nicholas of Denmark has signed for Spanish modelling agency Sight Management Studio. ICON: Hurricane Hotel
Former Adam and the Ants manager who set up Costa de la Luz’ most famous hotel passes away died at film school in LA and his native London. He even managed 80s band Adam and the Ants, and produced 1978 cult film Jubilee, which Adam Ant also starred in. He claimed to have came up with the idea of Absolutely Fabulous, via friendships with Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, and wrote a number of books and novels. The Hurricane became one of Andalucia’s hippest places to stay, and has featured in numerous travel articles on the Costa de la Luz. It was the first boutique rural hotel on the coast and was copied by dozens of others. “I convinced my brothers that we would never make enough money from 12 rooms, so we
obtained permission to build an extra 23,” James told the Olive Press last year. It ended up being an incredibly successful operation and branched out over the last three decades to include various Tarifa hotels and restaurants, including Punta Sur and Valdevaqueros, as well as a hotel in Brazil. James had previously lived in Italy, as well as setting up Morocco’s famous Villa Maroc hotel, in Essaouira. His book, Flying Tagines and Magic Lobsters is a comedy based on the hotel. When he arrived in Tarifa, he began to source rocket seeds and encouraged gastronomic expertise, and thus helped also create one of the coast’s best restaurants.