Mallorca Olive Press - Issue 66

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Vol. 3 Issue 66 www.theolivepress.es October 25th - November 10th 2019

Spain digs up dictator buried with 30,000 of his victims

We dig it

Franco exhumed from his Valley of the Fallen grave after agonising 44-year wait

How are squatters evading the banks?

Page 7

How we nailed a SOMBRE: Franco’s family carries his body out of the corruptUntitled-1.pdf Champagne 1 16/06/2017 15:36 memorial before it was taken by helicopter socialist MP Page 18

By Jacque Talbot

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SPAIN is rejoicing as one of the world’s cruelest dictators has been exhumed from the grave he shared with his Civil War victims.

Finally the relatives of those killed in the country’s bloodiest conflict have been offered some solace, 44 years after General Franco’s death.

The facist leader had been buried in Madrid’s Valley of the Fallen alongside some of the 500,000 who died under his 36year regime.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Law and order A SOLICITOR has suffered a broken nose when he was brutally beaten in Magaluf while walking to his friend’s house.

International crime TWO Germans and two Spaniards were arrested for alleged crimes for drug trafficking in Palma as one of the area’s main marijuana suppliers was shut down.

Cruise jumper A 75-year-old Dutch tourist has died after ‘leaping to her death’ from the eight floor of a cruise ship, before police recovered her body from the Gulf of Cadiz.

CRIME

October25th - November 10th 2019

Pervert prof A BRITISH teacher has been sentenced to eleven years in prison for sexually abusing a 15-year-old pupil at her posh private school.

Carlo Troiano - who was accused of a similar crime in the UK - was also banned from teaching children for 16 years and is forbidden from contacting the victim for 17 years.

The professor, 42, had been spotted dating the girl, who attended the private St.George’s British School of Almeria, in Roquetas de Mar, where he taught.

The Almeria Provincial court heard how two fellow teachers had contacted the school’s head after seeing him and the teenager at the beach and a supermarket

Circus round up CIRCUS animals are set to be banned in Alicante in a raft of new measures combating animal cruelty. All circuses with animals as well as fairground attractions with animals are set to be outlawed.

The reforms are part of a massive 112 planned changes to Alicante’s animal ownership and welfare laws.

Expat teacher locked up for abusing teen at leading British school

outside of school hours.

However, the school failed to take action until the girl’s mother got involved with an official complaint some months later.

The father-of-two from Liverpool, was convicted for ‘continued sexual abuse’ after he had groomed her in class, liking her Instagram posts and persuading her to get a tattoo done.

When she warned him was ‘wasting his time’, he had pressured her into continuing to see him claiming he

would quit his job and leave her class without a teacher.

The relationship lasted eight months, having begun in April 2016 when the defendant kissed the victim on the mouth, despite her initial reluctance.

They were soon having sex and the relationship only ended that November after the girl’s mother discovered what was happening and contacted police and the school.

Troiano didn’t help his case when he fled Spain after be-

It was me or him A MAN who is accused of stabbing his stepfather to death in Costa d’en Blanes and having attempted to murder his mother told the Palma courts that he did it as an act of self-defence.

He said he was scared for his life because his stepfather was going to beat him with a piece of wood.

The unnamed man also explained he had stabbed his 46-year-old mother afterwards ‘unintentionally’, calling her a ‘good person.’

The prosecution is hoping for a 36-year sentence for the defendant and the trial is set to last three days.

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Hash smash JUST under six TONNES of hashish have been burned in Mallorca following a record-breaking seizure by cops.

Police found the stash during a raid on a ship off the coast of Ibiza.

The hashish, weighing 5,832kg, was divided into 177 bags and was worth more than €32 million.

The drugs were destroyed at the Son Reus incinerator plant.

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ing released on bail briefly in December 2017 and had to be tracked down and extradited from Germany to face trial.

After sending him to jail, a trio of judges were highly critical of the school’s approach to the situation.

“There is no record that it took any measures to clarify the situation and preserve the interests of the child,” they ruled.

The school has been ordered to pay her €45,000 in damages to the girl if Troiano fails to pay her.

Troiano had been hired in 2014, despite having been previously tried and acquitted in the UK for sexual abuse of a 16-yearold pupil in his classroom at Bankfield High School.

The court heard that school management had been informed about this incident ‘months after the defendant was hired’ but did nothing.

It criticised headteacher Neil Morris for failing to sack him, or impose any measures to minimise the risk to the school’s pupils, after uncovering details of a previous UK case on Google.

A TOURIST has been arrested at Palma Airport with five kilograms of cocaine inside his suitcase.

The man from the Dominican Republic had wrapped the drugs in plastic in the hope drug dogs would not sniff it out.

The suspect flew to Palma after a layover in Madrid and was spotted by customs officials due to ‘his nervousness’.

The drugs appear to be ‘of high purity’ and the man was immediately jailed in Palma.

An investigation continues into where the cocaine was intended to go.

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October25th - November 10th 2019

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Gong for Gollum

I miss Madrid

FORMER England striker Michael Owen has revealed his love affair with Spain - and regrets leaving the capital after just one year.

The ex-Liverpool star revealed that the happiest time of his life was taking holidays in Ibiza as a youngster.

The 39-year-old revealed that his first break on the White Island was at the age of eight and that he had been back many times since.

He revealed he still returned to the Balearic island with his family every year and still misses living in Madrid, where he played for two years.

Despite the disappointing stint at Real Madrid between 2004 and 2005 he described Madrid as a ‘brilliant city’..

“I got into tapas and local delicacies like jamon pata negra.”

The language, culture, and lack of playing time contributed to Owen’s departure from Spain to Newcastle a year after his arrival.

It is a decision he regrets to this day, believing he should have stuck it out.

IT looks like a scene from Lord of the Rings.

But Leonore looked every bit the fairytale princess as she handed out a prize to a celebrated British director (right) at a prestigious award-winning gala.

The teenage princess, 13, who is first in line to the throne, was pictured giving out a gong to Peter Brook, 94, who has directed a string of plays and films, including Lord of the Flies and King Lear.

Her Father, King Felipe, 51, looked on proudly as she handed out prizes at the 39th Princess of Asturias Awards in Oviedo, mostly to top scientists, academics and novelists.

Brook recently made headlines after calling Brexit a ‘stupid and sad’ mistake.

Chelsea girl

The perfect Splice!

Royals and tennis stars watch Rafa Nadal tie the knot at exclusive Night Manager villa

Matagore

IT has only taken nearly two decades But Rafa Nadal has finally married his childhood sweetheart.

A string of celebrities, tennis players and even Spain’s former King watched the tennis ace, 33, wed fellow Mallorcan Maria ‘Xisca’ Francisca Perello, 31 at the weekend.

Some 350 guests watched the happy couple tie the knot during a super secret service in Mallorca.

Tennis players, including Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco,

were among the guests at the stunning British-owned La Fortaleza villa, in Pollenca.

The former fort, owned by UK financier Lord James Lupton, has featured in several popular TV series, including the critically acclaimed The Night Manager.

The wedding dress was designed by Rosa Clara and made of French lace.

Nadal, who is battling to be ranked the world’s no.1 tennis player this year, looked slick in a grey suit and tie.

The 19-times Grand Slam winner met his insurance broker lover 14 years ago at the age of 19.

Other guests at the exlowing the soul suclusive nuptials, includperstar’s death. ed Juan Carlos I, former “Here was an Afriking of Spain, although can-American cat, his great sporting rival skin color like mine, Roger Federer was noplaying the guitar where to be seen. like I wanted to Federer later told replay.” porters he ‘did not Kravitz’s 2018 album Raise Vibration know anything about received mixed reit.’ views from critics Any honeymoon the but still sold well, couple hope to enjoy hitting number 5 in will have to be brief. In the Spanish albums a few weeks time Nadal chart and reaching is leading the Spanish number 19 in the team in the Davis Cup UK. finals in Madrid.

Kraving’s over!

HE used to be a regular visitor to the Spanish shores.

So it is a welcome return for Lenny Kravitz, who is set to play on the Costa del Sol next year.

The American rocker will play in Fuengirola in July. He last played on the Costa del Sol over four years ago in Marbella in 2015.

He will be showcasing songs from his newest album Raise

Vibration, as well as a string of hits from his 30-year career.

Kravitz has won four Grammy awards and sold more than 40 million records worldwide.

In a 2016 interview, he revealed the influence that fellow African American Prince had on him as an artist.

“I feel like a piece of me died,” he told Rolling Stone magazine at the time, fol-

COMEDIAN Chelsea Handler has returned to her favourite holiday hot-spot – Mallorca!

The American funny girl, who has family in Palma, jetted in to celebrate her cousin’s 30th birthday.

It comes just weeks after the release of her newest Netflix documentary Hello, Privilege. It’s Me, Chelsea.

Handler recently purchased a house in the Port de Soller and said she has ‘enjoyed being outside the US’ since President Trump was elected.

The stand-up comic and bestselling author has been spotted in Soller and Deia during the past two years.

A MATADOR was put in ‘very serious condition’ after a bull pierced his groin and thigh with its horns.

Gonzalo Caballero, 27, was at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, Spain, a tournament to mark Hispanic Day, when he suffered the devastating injuries.

Watching in the VIP Stands was his girlfriend Victoria Federica, 19, the King of Spain’s niece.

The bull charged at him, spearing his legs and tossing him in the air, before racing at Caballero again, severing the femoral artery in his groin.

The bullfighter suffered wounds some 25cm – 30cm deep.

He was taken to the bullring infirmary for more than two hours and then transferred to the San Francisco de Asis Hospital in Madrid, where he remains but is recovering at a steady rate.

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NEWS IN BRIEF Cruise jumper A 75-year-old Dutch tourist has died after ‘leaping to her death’ from the eight floor of a cruise ship, before police recovered her body from the Gulf of Cadiz.

Hoof horror A BOY, 7, who was kicked in the head by a horse in Malaga has suffered serious trauma and is being treated in hospital.

Caught out FIVE people have been arrested in Fuengirola for the suspected thefts from two supermarkets.

Circus round up CIRCUS animals are set to be banned in Alicante in a raft of new measures combating animal cruelty.

British bar owners in fight against ‘homophobic’ neighbours say they may be forced to leave Mallorca after karaoke ban A BRITISH couple may be forced to abandon their iconic Mallorca music bar after a hate-filled campaign by ‘homophobic’ neighbours has seen their vital karaoke licence suspended.

Leanne Green, 37, from Leeds, and her partner Melanie Bland, say the ban has cost them 80% of their business and has only come about due to the harassment campaign by their Spanish neighbours.

It comes after the Olive Press revealed in August how the family living upstairs allegedly called the couple ‘dirty lesbians’ and told them they ‘didn’t want their kind around here’.

They were also caught spitting on the premises and making rude hand gestures

From Page 1

Franc off

Despite their fierce opposition to the order, Franco’s family acted as pallbearers, carrying his body from the tomb as the world watched.

REPORTERS outnumbered the Franco faithful by about 10 to one; which gave each Francoist a platform to air their views on the injustice of exhuming the dictator’s body from the basilica beneath the 150-metre cross that dominates the Valley of the Fallen in the Cuelgamuros Valley.

Parking by necessity some distance from the action, I coincided with a Spanish American and her Barcelona-born mother who told me I was in North Korea.

“This is North Korea!” they cried in unison, which was bemusing, not least because we were clearly in Spain.

The Spanish-American, Estefania Aguirre, was a journalist who believed the exhumation was, above all, an attack on her religious freedom.

She was also intent on making

NEWS A helicopter then unceremoniously carted his body away from the grandiose site, where his corpse has laid since his death in 1975.

Many Spaniards felt that the basilica, which has a 150-metre cross above, glorified Franco, rather than commemorating the deaths of the 30,000 bur-

October25th - November 10th 2019 ied alongside him.

Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the exhumation was ‘great victory for dignity, memory, justice and reparation, and thus for Spanish democracy.’

Franco had a lavish funeral when he died, but almost 44 years later calls for his removal

from the Valley had grown and finally in the government sanctioned his reburial in 2017.

Franco was appointed Generalissimo and Head of State in 1936.

He won the war in 1939 which saw almost half a million lives lost and his dictatorship extended to the whole country.

Afterwards there was a long period of violent repression of political opponents and dissenters. Around 100,000 and 200,000 were killed via concentration camps, executions and forced labour.

Franco’s body has now been moved to a low-key family mausoleum in Madrid.

Fascist flop The Olive Press sent Heather Galloway to Valley of the Fallen to witness a moment of Spanish history

a case for the dictator.

In fact, his rule could hardly have been called a dictatorship, she said.

“He did the country a lot of good. Did you know the economy thrived more than it ever has under his rule?”

Her mother, meanwhile, had unfurled a banner that read ‘Dictator State’, inferring that it had been undemocratic of Sanchez to push the exhumation to its conclusion.

On the other side of me was Spain’s most famous Francoist,

Pilar Gutierrez spouting her beliefs to a huddle of reporters.

“Eighty thousand Catholics were killed for being Catholic and that is what this Government wants to bring back,” she railed.

“You can only expect the worst from the Socialists.”

A psychologist by trade, Gutierrez kept her fellow Francoists on their toes by barking sporadically at them to keep their protest banners straight.

Understandably, a certain weariness had set in after four

noise at their neighbour’s apartment and found it to be five decibels too high.

But Leanne claims the reading fails to take into account surrounding noise from nearby bars and vehicles.

“When the doors are shut, you can’t hear a pin drop,” she told the Olive Press.

“They have taken our karaoke away. Is that not discrimination?”

Despite living in Mallorca for 17 years, Leanne says that a police visit last week during which coppers threatened to close the bar down was the final straw and that they’re now reconsidering their future on the island.

“There comes a time when you say I’m not going to put with this anymore,” Leanne told the Olive Press.

“I would rather not leave, because we have built such

a good reputation here. We built this from scratch, put the floor in, built the roof: we don’t want to go.”

Leanne, who is a singer by profession, says they may try and move to a different location in Mallorca.

Since the bar lost its licence, Leanne says the upstairs neighbours have been goading the couple. “The mother waited for us and said ‘I’m happy you’re not singing anymore,’” claimed Leanne.

Despite receiving support from people in the local area, the British couple say they’ve been left helpless after the new mayor of Santayi, Maria Pons, ignored their letters informing her they were being harassed.

“She doesn’t even respond to the lawyer,” said Leanne.

Even if they win their case, the couple say it could be

hours waiting in the cold, but the Faithful rallied when cars began to emerge from the premises carrying Government officials. “You have not seen the end of this!” they cried, berating what they called an ‘evil’ act.

Last song for Betty’s?

A short while after, the helicopter carrying Franco could be seen rising overhead and a cry went up of ‘Franco lives!’

Another parallel reality designed to throw the unsuspecting off course.

By Robert Firth

by CCTV. Leanne told this paper how police have visited Betty’s Bar in Santanyi 25 times in the last year due to noise complaints, despite the couple forking out €30,000 on noise reduction materials, including limiters and soundproof doors.

By contrast, Bongos, a nearby bar, has only been visited twice by police over the same period.

In late September, police arrived at the bar on one of their busiest Saturday nights and handed the couple a letter from Santanyi Town Hall which said their karaoke licence had been suspended.

The letter said that council workers had measured the

HAPPIER TIMES: Leanne and Melaine (top) may be forced out of their music bar following as late as May or June next year until they get their licence back.

Santanyi police confirmed they have visited Betty’s Bar numerous times due to neighbours’ noise complaints. They said that the bar should shut everybody

inside from midnight and added that they were following instructions from Santanyi Town Hall with regards to the bar’s karaoke license.

Despite this, Santanyi Town Hall said it didn’t know anything about the case.

Savage storms sink Spain STORMS have lashed down on the Balearic islands, devastating parts of Mallorca.

Palma firefighters were called out more than 20 times overnight to help with the damage.

There were fallen trees in Pueblo Espanol and Son Oliva as well as severe flooding in Port Adriano, disrupting traffic and trains.

As well, thirty-seven flights were diverted, planes unable to take off or land

from Palma Airport, according Spanish airport authority Aena.

Flooding and landslides have forced the closure of nearly 50 roads in the area, meaning a total standstill in some parts.

But the worst affected has been Ibiza, where a tornado swept through the vicinity, where three construction workers on a building site in Sant Antoni were injured, the strong wind lofting their mobile cabin into the air.

Elsewhere, The body of a 75-year-old

man was discovered on a beach in Caldes d’Estrac, Catalonia.

Two people are missing in L’Espluga de Francoli, Vilaverd, and in Barcelona four people are yet to be found.

They were taken to Policlinica Nuestra Senora del Rosario hospital and are being treated for minor injuries.

The storms comes just weeks after the first anniversary of Mallorca’s severe floods which caused the death of 13 people, including a British couple.

BREXIT

www.theolivepress.es

Hugh’d of thought it BRITAIN’S new ambassador to Spain has insisted he is ‘not worried’ about tourism after Brexit, despite the collapse of Thomas Cook and the shockingly low figures this year.

Hugh Elliott recently took over from Simon Manley as the UK’s top mandarin in Madrid.

“I’m not worried about tourism after Brexit,” he told the Olive Press.

“I think that British tourism in Spain is proving incredibly resilient to Brexit.”

As well as dispelling Brexit fears around tourism, Elliott also revealed his own Spanish holiday habits, saying he enjoys spending time in Mallorca among other regions.

“I have had some very fun and memorable trips down to the Costa del Sol and have played cricket at the Cartama in Malaga,” he said.

EMERGENCY staff are being drafted in to deal with overwhelming increase of applications due to Brexit.

National Police and the Balearic Government have together provided extra staff to assist as thousands from the UK try to ‘regularise’ their situation.

The increase in applications for residency papers by the British

October 25th - November 10th 2019

Balearic emergency “is affecting the rest of the nationalities because the immigration office is collapsing,” said Esther Ribas, chief inspector of the immigration office of the National Police. A total of nine extra people have been hired to

aid the British residents in that office alone.

The percentage of British living in Mallorca is greater than the rest of Spain and is growing at a rapid rate according to the Work and Immigration Area of

5

the Balearics.

The extra employees are also intended to shorten the wait times for appointments, which currently are at least two months out.

Appointments to trade-in UK driver’s licenses have been overwhelming as well, with thousands of applications in recent months.

United against Brexit Thousands of local Spanish people travel from around Andalucia in solidarity with British expats and Gibraltar MPs have rejected Boris Johnson’s plan to get his Brexit legislation deal through the commons in three days, leaving it ‘in limbo’.

The MPs initially backed his Withdrawal Agreement Bill but just minutes later voted against the timetable he proposed.

Despite this, the Prime Minister is still hopeful of sticking to his plan of getting the UK out of the EU by October 21.

EU Council President Donald Tusk has said that he would recommend accepting any UK request for an extension.

A spokesman from the European Commission said: “We take note of tonight’s result and expects the UK government to inform us about the next steps.”

Your needs will be met!

By Charlie Smith

The EU are currently mulling the idea of granting the UK an extension of three months, but Johnson is adamant the UK will leave by deadline with or without a deal, and he intends on calling a snap election if the EU grants an extension to January.

Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the government “does not want an extension” and every preparation is being made to leave by October 31.

The Olive Press recently covered a protest on the Gibraltar border.With the Rock looming just beyond the frontier, impassioned speakers took to the stage in La Linea

WE’RE BEHIND YOU: The Olive Press backs antiBrexit protests on the Gibraltar border to tell crowds why Brexit was new 1969 when a damn dictaeconomically damaging for tor closed the border, breakSpain, the UK and Gibraltar. ing up families and friends Protest co-organiser Juan and causing hurt we have not Uceda, president of the So- yet recovered from.” ciocultural Association of He called on politicians to alSpanish Workers in Gibraltar low workers in Gibraltar to (ASCTEG) referenced Gener- be able to continue crossing al Franco as he addressed the the border without issues and border issue. without ‘unfair’ double tax “We do not want this to be a payments.

FOREIGN Secretary Dominic Raab has promised that expats needs will be met in an open letter to UK nationals in Spain.

Raab tried to cool fears, saying whatever form of Brexit occurs, the UK government is trying to ensure a smooth transition.

“We are making sure that on 1 November, every British national in Spain can go on living, working, studying and accessing healthcare.

“We are working with the Spanish to make processes as smooth and straightforward as possible, whether you’re applying for residency or a new driving licence.”

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FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es

October25th - November 10th 2019

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 one million people a month.

OPINION

Franco’s last day in the spotlight

The day broke, cloudy but the sun glimmering through. It was a day that some people in Spain thought would never come. For many of those who had lived their lives in Franco’s dark shadow, it was a day that had come too late. A day they never saw. It came though nonetheless. Franco would be moved.

For 44 years he had lay in the Valley of the Fallen, the monumental religious memorial in the Sierra de Guadarrama.

Overlooked by a 500-foot stone cross, it was a resting place suited to a saint. Instead a mass murderer lay beneath it, next to 30,000 he had killed. An uncomfortable pairing for modern Spain with its ideals of liberty, justice and equality.

But as the hour approached, a ramshackle few appeared at the monument’s gates.They didn’t care for modern Spain.

Outnumbered by journalists, for once they found an audience for sympathies others had long renounced. ‘Franco Vive’ they said. But Spain replied: ‘El muere.’

And then the moment came. A white helicopter, dove like, passed by the crucifix. Franco was taken away. And the sun shone on a bright blue infinite sky.

Brexit blunder

The Olive Press felt it was our duty to attend the recent protests at the Gibraltar border. When millions took to the polls in the 2017 Referendum, no one at the time could foresee the unprecedented ramifications that lay ahead. But while the UK deals with uncertainty, extended deadlines and maybe even fraught relationships with friends and loved-ones, the effects of the UK’s supposed imminent departure from the EU has become very real for those abroad - and not just British expats.

The Gibraltar border has been flung into chaos. People who need to work in either La Linea or Gibraltar are already having to face lengthy customs checks.

It’s an area where such procedures are already timeconsuming, but now the strain is at breaking point.

Political parties in the area have rallied together for organised protests, having seen the immediate devastation Brexit has inflicted on their local communities. Their whole system has been flipped upside down, which is why the Olive Press is firmly behind calling for a second referendum, whereby the inevitable ‘remain’ will be voted by most of the UK and the whole ugly matter can be put to bed. No one knew what Brexit really meant when they took to the polling station, but they sure do now.

Publisher / Editor

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Democracy in flames

CARNAGE: Olive Press reports from Barcelona as Catalan independence supporters protest over jailed leaders

Fire and fury in Barcelona as Spain’s worst political crisis postFranco spills out onto city streets, discovers Joshua Parfitt

T

EARS streaming down his face, a young now refusing to consider any pardons folman draped in the Catalan indepen- lowing last week’s shock jail sentences, dedence flag recalled the moment his mands for dialogue and political solutions 92-year-old grandmother grabbed his descended into graffiti scrawled all over Bararm as he went out for the Barcelona pro- celona reading ‘P**a Espanya’ and ‘being tests. peaceful got us nowhere’.

“Edward, don’t lose your head out there, be- “The government is wiping its arse with the lieve in the soul of Catalunya,” the 27-year-old Spanish constitution,” Ivan, a 21-year-old law youth worker recounted to the Olive Press, student at the Universitat de Barcelona, told while hundreds of protestors occupied Barce- the Olive Press. lona’s Placa Urquinaona before midnight on “I don’t believe independence is best for us, Saturday. but these sentences are a joke.

He rattled out the well told story of how bru- “If the government does what the hell it wants tal repression was visited on Catalan culture anyway why should I respect any of them?” and language under Francoist This was the sentiment charSpain - before a bullet-proof acterising the seven days of police van careered around protests as 500,000 marched the corner of Carrer de les Jon- The police force - some for three days - from the queres. of Lleida, Tarragona said it was the provinces “Hijos de p**a!” Edward sudand Girona upon the Catalan denly screamed as hundreds ‘worst violence’ capital of Barcelona for a genof insults were soon joined by eral strike on Friday. they’d ever cans of beer and glass bottles The strike that stopped even flung in the face of law and orregional TV channels and experienced der. daily news websites was a celNothing could better describe ebratory, pacifist affair, with last week’s chaos after nine 21-year-old Dani saying protesCatalan politicians were jailed for sedition tors played ‘volleyball’ and danced to live muand misuse of public funds following the re- sic throughout the day. gion’s illegal referendum and failed indepen- But as night descended, the moderate madence bid in 2017. jority went home, leaving the most passionThe political crisis - which began in 2010 ate - and most radical - elements in a night when a government-backed court case re- Catalunya’s Mossos d’Esquadra police force voked increased powers for Catalunya - has described as the ‘worst violence’ they’d ever plunged Spain into its biggest constitutional experienced. crisis since experiencing post-Franco democ- “The police fired tear gas down on us from on racy in 1975. top of buildings and then shot people on the So damaging has it been to both Catalan and floor with rubber bullets,” 19-year-old Johnanational politics that Madrid’s brutal crack- tan, who used his skateboard as a shield, told down on referendum voters in 2017 saw the the Olive Press.

Economic Intelligence Unit’s democracy scale “It was out-and-out war.” threaten to demote Spain from ‘full democ- The protestors likewise retaliated by slinging racy’ to ‘flawed democracy’, joining the likes rocks and paving stones that injured 207 of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. policemen, while 1,000 rubbish bins were With acting prime minister Pedro Sanchez torched and 128 were arrested for the violence.

CRISIS: Barcelona descends into As the world woke up to photos of the carnage chaos as fervent protests continue on Saturday morning, the Olive Press headed

up to Barcelona to bear witness.

Big groups of youths, once again, had started to mass by mid-afternoon around Plaça Urquinaona as hundreds sat down in front of riot police on Via Laeitana.

A confused mixture of pride, anger and rebellion marked the shifting chants of ‘Catalunya antifascista’, ‘prensa Española, manipuladora’ (manipulating Spanish press) and ‘fuera el Rey’ (king out the King).

As nightfall descended, the mood too became confused.

Right-wing provocateurs among the crowd created mass brawls, while phone booths were toppled, the windows of a Burger King were smashed in, and balaclava-clad youths torched a mangle of outdoor umbrellas, potted plants and rubbish bins before armed Mossos d’Esquadra - Catalunya’s own police force - dispersed the crowd with a hail of rubber bullets.

Protesters ripped up paving stones to hurl back at the helmeted agents, while one youngster boasted about beating a man he’d believed to be a ‘police informant’ with a stick.

After the confrontation had dissipated, and the riot vans left Plaça Urquinoana after midnight, the tensions within the protest movement then played out with no police presence whatsoever.

The most violent, anti-capitalist elements many reported to have flown in from Greece, Germany and France - were seen smashing shopfronts, while protesters draped in Catalan flags screamed ‘what are you doing? You are destroying Catalunya!’

The violence that made headline news across the world has been roundly condemned by all political parties in Spain, including a denouncement from Catalan president Quim Torra, who is still adamant on a self-determination referendum.

The two largest grass-roots organisations behind the protests - Tsunami Democràtica and the Comitès de Defensa de la República (CDR) - are likewise non-violent.

Tsunami Democràtica in particular, the social media sensation that instigated the shutdown of Barcelona’s El Prat airport, paraphrased Gandhi in their statement of intent during last week’s mass movements.

“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind,” the statement, posted frequently to Twitter and Telegram, signed off.

Following a Supreme Court order to take down Tsunami Democràtica’s social media accounts, one youth told the Olive Press Policia Nacional are allegedly tapping phones and arresting people on charges of belonging to a criminal organisation.

This is the situation Spain finds itself in.

Nine Catalan political leaders broke Spanish law by advocating an illegal referendum; but many Catalans stopped believing in the fairness of Spanish law long ago.

Unless a solution that advances faith in plural democracy is sought the wounds of this centuries-old battle will not heal.

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As homeowners in Spain win more power to evict illegal occupants, savvy squatters have moved on to bank properties

I

expat

like kings’ and Spain is a long way

after Olive Press journalist assaulted‘flash exposing ‘violent’ gypsies who the pool’ residents’ and ‘throw rats into

BORIS Johnson has managed exsilence Parliament, but British pats in Spain have shown they will nonot be cowed into a harmful deal departure from the EU. Brits around the country are mobilising to oppose the shutdown and stand up for their EU rights.

Protests have spread to the Costa del Sol where pro-remain campaigners are planning a Protect on Our Rights march in Malaga September 22.

It comes as an exclusive online an poll by the Olive Press revealed astonishing 73% of expats remain staunchy in favour of remaining within the European Union past the October 31 deadline (Pages 6-7). had that shows poll Facebook The they been able to participate fully in the biggest ‘democratic exercise vote expat the for generations’, would have proved decisive.

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

AN Olive Press journalist hasa been attacked after exposing ‘violent’ gypsy family allegedly squatting and stealing electricity from a Costa Blanca complex.

Simon Wade was chased downa the street and headbutted as young man tore off his glasses and tried robbing his camera in broad daylight in Formentera del Segura, near Torrevieja, last Saturday.

The dedicated journalist was photographing alleged squats when the man flung open the door with his chest exposed and a tattoo reading, ‘I die for my family’.

“My specs can be replaced, and the bruising will fade, but decent people here are living with this

24/7,” Wade said.

A denuncia was made to the Guardia Civil, who called thea perpetrator a ‘wild beast’ with string of convictions.

It comes as British resident, Ena Cummings, 53, contacted us claiming gypsies had thrown ‘dead rats’ into the Virgen del Rosario complex’s pool and repeatedly set terraces on fire.

“They're stealing electricity and water, meaning us residents are paying for the squatters' utilities,” Cummings told the Olive Press.

"They have no sense of dignity, neighbours young and old have had genitalia flashed at them by squatters.”

Residents have held a community meeting, and are stuck between an expensive legal battle

Damage

“We are the people most affected and we didn't get a say, that is what is most unfair,” said protest organin iser Valerie Lawrence, 68, based Torrox, in the Axarquia.

“Most of us could not vote and postal votes went missing.

“Now we are just trying to stop the Brexit or at least minimise damage,” added the retired Yorkshire woman.

It comes after an alarming treasury spelt ago weeks two report issued extreme danger for expats in various ways.

The leaked Yellowhammer document warned of issues over penContinues on Page 7

IT’S OFFICIAL:

Turn to page 7 to find out which were the biggest stories this fortnight and how to get the most up to date info

from solving crisis

LINE OF DUTY Guardia Civil source: Squatters ‘live

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September 12th- September 25th 2019

(leftt), while (right) the CAUGHT: CCTV of troublemakers Press journalist squatter who attacked on Olive

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has KING Juan Carlos duty, retired from public after he exactly five years of his abdicated in favour VI. Juan son, King Felipe retain his Carlos, 81, will however. royal title as King,

of Europe’s EXCLUSIVE SPAIN is one it comes

By Josh Parfitt Your worst culprits when reporters, emissions, here to Sculpture to greenhouse gas have help on attack the Costa ANOTHER two families that Justice for rapist figures have revealed.

Blanca seen the biThe country hasin emissions fled an urbanisation ‘hell’ after descended into No way ggest increase with a 51.7 squatters began a ‘violent on the continent, at between years ago. coup d’etat’ five couple and A SECOND runway million tonne rise airport Alicante-Elche 1990 and 2017. by 17.9% du- A retired German have had NO NEED TO PAINT! by the family has been opposed Emissions grew the EU a Spanish of living in the MiraFriends of the Wetlands ring that time, while in its enough Alicante Monte Pedrera estate, a of the South of objected collectively REDUCED British during dor become plain and simple,” Denia, which has residents.

(AHSA), who emissions by 23.5% has owned would for legal expat Linda, who that the runway the same period. of Ireland, ‘hellhole’ in our last isapartment with destroy the wetlands WANTED Austria, Cyprus, also fai- As reported 64 apartments a penthouse Arnene since 11 of partner Agua Amarga.

Malta and Portugal effec- sue, only 2007 when her told the Olive Press.

2007, were sold in recession. led to reduce emissions and (inset) squatter want all the owners sunk into tively. empty and “They completely WORRIED: Legal neighbours www.noneedtopaint.com however, Spain us, threaten us Look out out so they can Climate leaders Pedro San- The rest remained due to steal from us, and the law is legally-owned are optimistic as government just four of the now inhabi- rule the kingdom.” and abuse come nant, was hospitalised has intrountil one of GOOGLE Maps The latest departures61, was stress-related complications. apartments are chez’s PSOE not on our side a new renewable ted all year-round, after the duced into Spain users to raise my familyI us gets hurt,” Linda said. just days after Linda, plans to boost was pun- “I wanted but us out, and Spanish also function that warns camebeautiful place, they won’t get never in court after she energy production. energy Germans and the eye in this life,” he “But Brits out. of the location speedmobile. ched in the gut Not only will clean because the when we’ve can’t risk my wife’s but there moved a British couras, both fixed and up. Not on become cheaper, electric ve- According to live there, one by a female squatter. had asked explained. began five give every penny into our The function is available came after she ple, who still will also be more iOS, but and from Mu- It neighbour to turn down a The nightmare a 62-year- sunk both Android and can rethe of the Germans, hicles on the road. €270,000 apartment years ago when karaoke system’. patriarch broke have nowhere else to go.” only Android userscameras. nich, had to be ‘hospitalised’ for and 72, sleep old ‘gypsy’ ‘breakdown’ ‘blaring port mobile speed She and Arnene, alarm on’ in with his 11 children after suffering a A legal representative urwho maintain the with the ‘burglar from stress. grandchildren. want us out, the Olive have now Jepsa, and have barrica“The squatters in His wider familyapartments banisation, told forbids the Dog’s life ded themselves Press: “The law taken over 24 sublet out to illegal squatting of properon their fourth-floor they which they water and PETS now outnumber apartment as 15 in ‘drug addicts’. are illegally ties and use of children under live with daily death but nothing is bereThe apartments has died and elec- electricity, Spain, with 13 million threats and abuse. has been of last A BRITISH holidaymaker ing done. too connected to water AN investigation body of the 15th floor of gistered at the endup 93% The pressure wasfor a tricity, yet police have only “We have a beautiful counafter falling from in Benidorm. launched after the year. Dogs make much however, who intervened on one occasion try, which is loved by people was found his apartment block to the a British diver of all registered pets.

48, from Belfast, young Spaniard, the world, but it off the Colin McGarry, 1.45 am on Sunwhen a man threatened as hammer in around 170 ft underwater told the Olive Press died at around law does not function kill Linda with a last year. plunging from coast of Murcia. they were leaving got seday morning after is front of an officer They can should.”

Torre Gerona. A Phillip Evans, 69, after his wife, who the balcony of “It’s horrendous. his diving to take place. eight-months pregparated from post-mortem is due Hormihell on earth,” she told the Olive Press.

“My partner got punched in the gut and the eye by one for simply asking to turn down a karaoke The blaring out during siesta Pedrera complex. of ‘gypsies and squatters’ began Monte have turned what was that the squatters had punched a system she continued. hours,” “They A GROUP of British pensioners breaking in five years ago. number of pensioners and even are pleading for help after their They insist neither the police once a lovely community into broke a handyman’s arm with They are due to attend court this week over the assault, but block of flats descended into or local authorities have helped a no-go area,” said the 72-year- baseball bats. who is too frightened to give not expecting anything to be ‘hell’ due to squatters. to tackle the illegal occupants, old, “We came here for a peaceful are The expats - who have lived in who have taken over 25 of the her name out of fear of retalia- retirement and what we’ve got is done.

Other residents, who include the Denia urbanisation for a de- 64 apartments in the Mirador tion.

Germans and Spaniards, have cade - are desperate after a mob also come under attack.

“A handyman tried to stop three been arrested af- men breaking into an apartment A PARTYGOER in Benidorm has a karaoke bar. and was thrashed by baseball ter setting off a fire extinguisher in from the bats just five weeks ago,” the The man, a Brit, yanked the extinguisher drinks and sand- pensioner said. wall and covered the floor, tables, “They broke his arm in two plawiches in thick white dust. ces.”

A SERIES of Whatsapp mesThe problems began when the A FOUNTAIN in Alicante’s most sages to a girlfriend have recession curtailed sales in the iconic square has been attacked by spared a teenager from a block in 2007 and only 11 of the a man with a hammer. prison sentence for armed 64 apartments were sold.

The legs of the horses in the sculpA BRITISH man who robbery.

Many of the vacant homes were ture in Plaza de los Luceros were raped two teenage The 19-year-old Spanish later seized by the squatters, a shattered by the 38-year-old assaigirls 40 years ago has student from La Nucia was number of them even being sulant. An arm of an angel was also been jailed following arrested in 2018 on suspiblet for money, it is claimed. badly cracked in the attack. extradition from the cion of holding up a casiCollectively the 11 owners are haThe Spanish man has been arrested Costa Blanca. no and robbing €11,500 at ving to cover all the communal on a charge of crimes against cultuJeffrey Waite, 66, cagunpoint. bills for the urbanisation, which ral heritage. rried out the attacks But a Benidorm court heard includes a ‘€20,000 debt’ incuin the late 1970s and how WhatsApp messages rred by squatters stealing electriearly 1980s in the UK. backed his alibi that he was found guilcity and water However, he managed Waite was the teenatexting his girlfriend when In addition, they claim the deto skip a court hearing ty of raping the assault took place. of them unveloper owes €200,000 to the in 2016 and fled to To- gers, one Hartlepool.

After an expert’s report concommunity. rrevieja, before a Eu- derage, in firmed they could not have him to Police told the Olive Press they ropean arrest warrant They likened and an been manipulated and also were unable to enter the properled to his capture in a ‘madman’ placing him at home, he was ties as they are on ‘private land’. ‘animal’.

March last year. found not guilty.

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

their once luxury Expat pensioners assaulted as squatters apartment block is ‘mobbed’ by grandmother continued

Message from the angels

Introducing News Editor Laurence Dollimore and Reporter Joshua Parfitt

Contact them with any stories or news on 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es

(Personal contacts on page 6)

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tirelessly reported on Mirador Monte Pedrera complex with 24 of 64 apartments illegally occupied by ‘abusive’ gypsies and squatters in Denia.

how she was punched nant wife was ‘hospitalised’ due “The owner of the property is the Continues on Page 5 and the gut’ by a gypsy woman only one who can denounce the squatters - but banks don’t want to as court cases cost thousands.

“If they do get an eviction order, the gypsies just break into anothEviction er complex owned by the bank. THIS is the second pig to have trotted have into a British-run rescue centre on the Brit residents Linda Brown and “Either that, or the gypsies Blanca. the apartreported Arnene Ashley have been ‘in and a legal right to request housing.Costa previously The Olive Press out’ of court suffering assaults, ment be offered as social will be how Rupert the pig ran 3km from the dirty shed’ where he was living death threats and most recently “This means the bank Horse out at be-‘filthy, and wandered into the Easy Care month. winning an eviction order for the forced to rent the flat Rescue Centre near Torrevieja last tween 75 to 150 euros. illegal squatters last month. in top right). The clever pig trotted in what But the situation in Spain is fara “So the bank does nothing. for-(inset ‘as if he knew where he was going’ could only “The developers are tricking from resolved, according to Easy Care owner Susan Weeding eign buyers through their greed describe as ‘a nearly impossible feat’.

Guardia Civil source.

PeneloBut that feat was repeated whenturned up The agent last week blamed for more money. in Spain Vietnamese pig ‘greedy developers’ for construct- “Meanwhile the gypsies than thepe the pot-bellied ‘completely out of the blue’. far this ing too many luxury apartment live in better apartments admitted she has ‘no idea’ how Susan ordinary police officers.” complexes at prices one has travelled in search of freedom. watching Babe, or Spaniards ‘can’t afford’.

“Obviously someone has been Animal Farm - the pigs are rising!”

PENELOPE PIG-STOP

of George Orwell’s Rupert maybe flicking through the pagesadded Rupert wanted ‘nothing to do with Penelope’ however, as Susan told the Olive Press. Susan prefers ‘being around people’.

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‘Hellhole’ urbanisation sees two more families leave due to problems with squatters

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September, their penthouse apartment were thank you Olive Press for cover- barricaded by an iron gate. ing the story,” Linda Brown, who “They have no choice now, they lives with partner Arnene, 72, must all now leave,” a spokespersaid. son for Japsa, the urbanisation’s “There were 23 defendants in promoter, told the court and 22 lawOlive Press. yers, it was bed“Our police force lam. is excellent, but “But the public the courts were was prosecutor not giving them passionate very warrants to act. and firm in sum“In Spain, squatming it up.” ters are given ocThe success comes cupancy rights if following a ‘coup they are not rea after d’etat’ moved within 24 gypsy 62-year-old hours of entering. ‘patriarch’ moved “But now all of in, bringing his SHOCKING: Squatter them have been 10 sons and their damage given an eviction wives and children. order and a month A reign of terror to find a new place to live - if they saw young children, many not at- don’t leave, the police will kick tending school, shouting ‘sons of them onto the streets.” b*tches’ and ‘we will kill you all’ Opinion Page 6 up at the British pensioners.

Linda, an ex-copper from Der-

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Denia court orders ‘gypsies andblock squatters’ to vacate apartment been where British pensioners have threatened and assaulted

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Your

A FAMILY of Brits have had their holiday ‘ruined’ after a young girl fell into in a septic tank at a ‘death trap’ villa Alicante.

The group of 14 arrived at the Villa alL’Arc in Moraira - after forking out most €7,000 - only to find ‘loose hanging handrails’ over a six metre drop the and a ‘loose manhole’ covering up fetid tank.

It was here Steven Wright, from Surrey, told the Olive Press his 15-year-old niece fell ‘up to her waist’ into the filthy 5 NEWS EXCLUSIVE for water.

57, VICTORY is soon at hand

By Joshua Parfitt Must do “She came out screaming,” Wright, ABANDON SHIP homeowners living in a ‘hellhole’ better! said. she urbanisation occupied by gypsies “But if she’d been any younger squatters after a court has or- after requesting she turn down could have died in a dark concrete tank and dered their eviction. At least 24 of blaring music during siesta hours. of dirty water.” at the Mirador He alleged his young relatives were the 64 apartments She said the owners of the four Monte Pedrera were illegally oc- remaining legitimate apartments ‘cutting their toes’ on the broken covaccessed the ers of the pool skimmers, and said the cupied as the squattersat the ex- in the urbanisation lived with Diving disaster 15-storey fall water and electricity sinks and drains were blocked for ‘death threats’ before, in June, to leave Costa Blanca flats first three days. pense of legitimate homeowners. a German elderly couple finally ‘SQUATTING’: Familes are refusing is It comes after a series of Olive caved in and left Spain after 12 “When you’re paying €6,800 it really their sell can’t the developer on “The light said. a stories shined and Arnene while (inset) previous a poor show,” Wright and bringing in ‘security’ to kick apartments, the bank repossess- Press years.

VICTORY: For couple Linda “I feel robbed, misled and cheatedal- shocking takeover which left exA Spanish couple, who asked to story squatters out of the eight apart- es the complex, and the gypsies Alquileres Guzman should not be pats living in fear for their lives. nameless, also told the byshire, described how the couple ments, from a total of 68. lowed to offer family holidays in dan- British apartment owner Linda remain to stress. the ‘burbreak in,” the source told the OlOlive Press how they were flee€60 gone by were forced to sleep with gerous homes like this.”

It comes after this newspaper has ive Press.

Brown, 61, told the Olive Press ing after the eight-month preg- “The squatters will be on’ as the stairs up to in the ‘eye Wright claimed that workmen from thank the Lord and glar alarms the ‘hellish’

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T’S organised crime by any other name, committed by those who don’t give diddly squat for the rights of homeowners.

Despite the seemingly random trail of destruction they leave behind, squatting has now become a sophisticated operation reenforced by ringleaders with up-to-date knowledge of the legal system.

Last issue, Olive Press journalists investigated reports of squatters in Casares del Sol, an area so riddled with belligerent illegals that residents are ‘afraid’ to leave their homes and have even been threatened with knives.

Meanwhile in Alicante, one of our reporters was chased down the street and brutally attacked after photographing suspected squatters. It came after a string of stories NOT MOVING: Squatters are now outsmarting banks about illegal occupations in both Calpe and “That means companies, banks and other Formentera del Segura, with police, at least

By Jacque Talbot financial institutions cannot benefit from it.” now, tackling the problem.

The government could easily have covered “These people are clever and opportunissearching online for bank-owned properties business-owned properties in the new legtic,” explains Olive Press legal columnist Antonio Flores of Lawbird, in Marbella. “They - and they run into their thousands across islation but some blame also lies with the banks. While making their properties harder know the law inside out and so are pro- hundreds of developments. tected. “Squatters usually go for the more Squatters like these so-called ghost devel- to break into with reinforced doors and winrundown areas where security is lower and opments as it takes a longer time for them dows and other security measures, financial homes are not protected.” And oddly, this to be detected in a property no one comes institutions need to find a way to quickly liquidate their assets. is all despite the new law passed last July home to.

“The banks are less inclined to initiate legal A spokesman for Sabadell told the Olive (Ley 5/2018), which was action, which is why their Press that when one of their properties is ilsupposed to make it easier properties are being tar- legally occupied, they try to find an equitable for owners to recover their geted,” says Flores.

Squatters middle-ground solution which satisfies both properties if they have been “Any home which is outside the bank and the new owner. unlawfully occupied. typically busy urban areas is vulner- However it may not be so cut-and-dried.

The legislation was intended as there is less secu- “We offer the houses at a reduced rate if to drastically speed up the break in using able, rity.” there are squatters present,” a Solvia repreeviction process, regardless ‘professional’ Squatters typically use sentative told this newspaper. of whether that property property search engine Sol“Everything else is out of our hands.” is owned or let out, so that means via, the real estate arm of squatters can now be oustthe Banco Sabadell Group, ed after just five days. For to find repossessed homes homeowners wishing to take legal action against squatters the law re- as it provides a clear indication of properties Squatting is an ancient quires either proof of ownership or a rental left empty, making them sitting targets. tradition and the oldest Once squatters break in reportedly using contract. But because some squatters are form of land tenure. ‘professional’ and ‘sophisticated’ means illegal immigrants, courts have made conIn the UK, the post WW2 they then sell the keys to families and indicessions and identification is no longer a years of 1945-55 saw the legal prerequisite for court proceedings and viduals, charging around €2,000 to 3,000 biggest wave of squatserving eviction notices. The courts can a pop. The issue is a relatively recent one, ters in its history when surfacing after the 2009 financial crash then issue an instant demand, telling them hundreds of families and when Spain saw many property developers to justify their presence. former members of the If no proof of residence is forthcoming within becoming indebted to banks for large sums. armed forces occupied five days, a court order is issued for the im- Unable to pay back the money, banks reposbuildings, including army mediate return of the property to the owner/ sessed many of these properties en bloc becamps. tenant. But the problem has not gone away. fore trying to sell them on.

The Daily Mail newspaQuite the opposite. Squatters have simply “It’s a mess because unfortunately the law per at the time referred changed their modus operandi and are is quite soft with squatters and it’s very difto these squatters as ‘henow targeting bank-owned, or repossessed, ficult to get rid of them, while proceedings in civil law takes a very long time,” says Marroes’. properties.

During our investigations, the Olive Press bella property lawyer Vicente Ortiz.

“Of course this new law has helped, but it is has discovered that gangs are apparently only applicable to individuals.

DID YOU KNOW?

MILLIONS OF VISITORS This boils down to visitor numbers and pages viewed and we had 1.6 MILLION pages read over the last four weeks (see Google Analytics graph above), with 1.2 MILLION visits.

Using the research of another respected site Similar Web we discovered that the Euro Weekly News is getting around 460,000 visitors a month (around a third of ours) and the Sur in English a fraction of that.

Google Analytics cannot lie and, before undertaking any advertising campaign, any savvy business will always ask for the last few months official visitor figures.

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We promise a keen and competitive price and that your business will be seen by millions of potential clients each month in an increasingly competitive and tricky market.

Send us an email today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 to help your business grow

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

1 2

- Spain’s met office warns of another ‘torrential’ gota fría to hit the Costa Blanca from Monday (35,922) - FINNISHED: Most wanted gang boss captured on Spain’s Costa del Sol after evading Finland police for two years (28,398)

3 4 5

- British father and son who vanished from Spain’s Costa del Sol likely ‘killed in botched drug deal’ as ransom call from Morocco revealed (24,225)

- Around 40 people forced to leave homes near huge fire in hills of Spain’s Costa del Sol (20,732) - Number of British expats registering on Spain’s Costa del Sol SURGES as Brexit looms (17,306)

819

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

Triathlon tragedy A BRITISH fireman has died after competing in a triathlon in Mallorca.

The 45-year-old man, died while taking part in a race, off the coast of Playa de Tora, near a Peguera resort.

He was around 600 metres from the shore when he suffered a

Profits and losses

these huge sums ‘without falling into losses’.

Worse, it comes as it emerges that dozens of victims left destitute and penniless by the Deniabased firm are suing Smart and her former partner Darren Kirby.

In the first case to reach the courts, three British claimants are seeking criminal charges for aggravated fraud, fake accounting and belonging to a criminal organisation.

The complaints concern bungled house transactions, unpaid loans and failed pension investments that lost the claimants over €1million between them.

One of the victims, Mark Davison, tragically died, aged 59, in July this year after CWM’s September 2017 collapse left him with just €22,000 from initial investments of more than ₤800,000 (approx €900,000).

cardiac arrest, with his distraught wife looking on from the beach.

He had been taking part in a 1.9-kilometre swim for the Peguera triathlon but it is thought that he got into difficulty at 10am around 600 metres from the shore.

Lifeguards pulled him from the water but CPR didn’t work and he was announced dead an hour later.

Director of disgraced Costa Blanca wealth management firm rakes in €1million while trio of British claimants battle financial ruin, cancer and depression

Davison was diagnosed with depression just weeks after the collapse, before turning to alcohol abuse and developing type-2 diabetes, according to a video shot just before his death.

His body, covered with lesions and sores, had lain undiscovered for up to a week in the mid-sum-

Organisers of the event released a statement, which said: “It is with deep regret that the organisers announce the death of a participant in the Challenge Peguera Mallorca 2019 triathlon event.”

“Our condolences to all the family and people close to the athlete, whom we will continue to support.

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BACKING DOWN: Carles

mer heat at his home in Sanet.

“Mark died as a result of what had been done to him,” Timothy Benjamin, a fellow claimant, told the Olive Press. “By the end he didn’t want the daylight to appear.”

Benjamin, 67, likewise felt ‘ashamed’ after he lost his €250,000 private pension, reinvested by CWM into ‘risky’ investments, via QROPS. In his official testimony he told the court how he had transferred ₤325,000 (€375,000 approx) from a property sale to CWM on the basis the firm was investing it in a villa in Monte Pego. But court papers revealed ₤200,000 went directly to the bank account of the wife of a former CWM employee - Eddie Walker - while ₤100,000 went elsewhere. The money never went to buy the property, leaving Benjamin scrambling to purchase a property with money left over from the sale of his London house he’d lived in for 65 years.

“We just wanted some money to tick over and live a quiet life,” Benjamin, who worked as an engineer in the health industry, said. But I was scammed and now I can’t afford to go back to England, while my partner’s unfit to work after a massive stroke andI’m battling type four colon cancer,” added the former chairman of the City of London Crime Prevention Association.

The third claimant, named by

Confusion reigns

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SPAIN’S prime minister has accused Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont of causing ‘confusion’ after signing a declaration of independence.

Mariano Rajoy demanded he clarify if he had really declared independence following Tuesday’s nail biting address to the Catalan parliament.

If so, Rajoy insisted he could trigger Article 155 of Spain’s constitution to allow Madrid to take direct control of Catalunya.

“There is an urgent need to put an end to the situation that Catalunya is going through - to Continues on Page 7

Who’s paying us?

EXCLUSIVE

Expats lose millions in life savings through

CONFUSION reigns over who failed should foot the bill for Mallorca investment hotels hit by the collapse of airscheme line Monarch.

Balearic hotels are facing a EXCLUSIVE €10million bill over the colBy Joe Duggan lapse that saw the emergency repatriation of over 110,000 back to the UK, many from HUNDREDS of BritPalma.

Administrator KPMG told the ish expats are battling Olive Press ‘the debt owed by to retrieve their penMonarch to hoteliers will rank sions after losing up to as an unsecured claim’ against £20 million in a failed pension investment OFF TO OZ: Boss Kirby the defunct airline. and (above) team at “They will have to file a claim to scheme. the joint administrators for all Spanish-based finan- March charity bash the money they are owed,” said cial advisory firm Continental Wealth Mana spokesman.

“It has not been determined agement (CWM) folded Many of them had (yet) how much money will be last month obliterat- transferred their private UK Untitled-1.pdf pensions available to creditors.”

1 16/06/2017 ing many 15:36 heartbroken

through the company,

Brits’ life savings.

SPECIALIZING IN: CRIMINAL LAW CIVIL LAW BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) FAMILY LAW

whose boss Darren Kirby has now allegedly moved to Australia.

One Costa-del-Solbased expat told the Olive Press he sunk £59,000 through CWM, only realising he had lost £39,000 when his pension trustees sent a statement.

“I couldn’t believe it. I have lost thousands of pounds,” revealed the victim, asking to remain anonymous.

“The adviser kept telling me, ‘This is guaranteed, it can’t go below a certain level’.”

His money, and that of others across Spain and France, was put into high-risk ‘professional investor only’ assets, it has been claimed.

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It is believed at least 300 of CWM’s 900 clients have had their pension pots decimated, with victims shocked to later dis- to end up back in Britcover the value of their ain on benefits.” investments had plum- “I have nothing but praise for Tony Barnett meted dramatically.

However, a source [Trafalgar MD] and close to the case in- Stewart Davies [Mosisted: ‘There are still mentum chef execumany customers who tive]. They have been are happy with their magnificent in trying to recoup people’s pension portfolio.’

A n d a l u c i a - b a s e d money.” tax specialist Angie The Olive Press unBrooks, a leading ex- derstands it is highly pert on pension lib- possible legal action eration schemes and may be taken by some the founder of Pension parties against CWM, Life, has now launched a fight to help get victims’ money back.

She is working alongside pension trustees Trafalgar International and Momentum Pen- based out of headquarters in Alicante, and its sions.

“People are terribly executives. distressed,” Granada- Both the office in Javea based Brooks told the and the website have Olive Press. “They have recently shut. lost large amounts of When the Olive Press their retirement sav- spoke to boss Kirby he ‘definitively’ ings.” denied She added: “Some of responsibility over the these people are going crash. “I have lost my world,” he said.

A close associate of Kirby’s told the Olive Press former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’.

“It is still quite raw for them, and they are working out what to do next,” he said.

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HE average property price in Spain two consecutive years for the first has grown for The national average Prices rise for time house price rose in a decade. two consecutive 3.9% to 8.4%, according from between while years, Along the Mediterranean mortgage values to various However, he added coasts and on sources. ‘at the very least, continue to grow Spanish most foreigners the the data suggests property cording to Tinsa,buy, the average price hike has islands, where Balearic Islands. that the Mortgage lendingcontinued to grow last year.’ been 4.06%, acBut the figures Spain’s leading property appraisal “Prices have been January to 19,390 to home buyers meanwhile company. rising most was up 6.1% new loans, according during the longhave mostly not yet made up for six year recession, the big drops but nothing like they did in theyears since the recovery began, Spanish Notaries. to the Association in enough with the exception boom of The of the respectedto claw back the ground lostyears, and nowhere near an average new loan made in January increase of 0.9% in the bust,” analyst Mark Stucklin, in a year. As long had a value of €135,616, of Spanish Propertyexplained residential acquisitions as mortgage lending Insight. the last continues to increase, for few years, the Spanish property marketas it has done for is set to grow.

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Judge set to take further steps after expat boss of suspect investment company fails to turn up at court

SPAIN’S PP party has cious plans for a powerset out audagrab to take back control from Valencia and the other autonomous regions.

Leader Pablo Casado announced his commitment to strengthen the central government’s role to the national elections in the run up He insisted that such in a fortnight. prevent corruption anda move would lead to a drop in taxes.

EXCLUSIVE Voted It comes as the party attempts

By Joshua Parfitt to see expat off the threat from an REuse paper Voted REduce in Spain REcycle Party, whose leader hasinsurgent Vox expat paper REuse in Spain Govt in REduce autonomous parliamentsdescribed the THE beleaguered boss of REcycle exile a failed as the ‘can- wealth management cer of Spain’. company which allegedly lost Under the plan, the PP wants Confusion to increa- million has expats more than €20 reigns se resources for regional ignored a summons to delegations and paralyse government court. transfer of power to the any further Darren Kirby, of Alicante-based regions.

Continental Wealth (CWM), failed to turn Management Who’s up at Denia paying us?

Supremacy court on March 26.

According to Olive Press Casado insisted the move sources he Spain being administered would see was due to turn up, alongside ‘more effec- business former tively’. partners, who The case involves a trio did turn up.

The election hopeful stated of investors, that his who e Lions Threpub party would carry out Should a sweeping re- moneylost substantial amounts of have Three Lions view of how the regional when the company folded legged it pub in operate looking at ‘efficiencyauthorities 2017. and equi- Kirby allegedly HOW WE TOLD IT: ty.’ fled to Australia foOur 2017 reports llowing the collapse, Spain’s quasi-federal political finally retur- England.” system ning to Alicante of ‘autonomous states’ last year. former member of staff.

The Olive Press exclusively the constitution in 1978.was added to “Darren has been sent revealed “It was a prestigious place but ter Pedro Sanchez, whosePrime Minis- which he didn’t sign for, soa Burofax how CWM abruptly folded in one 2017, day they just the constitution, strongly party drafted will now have to pursue himthe court losing hundreds of expats’ life shut the door,” she in other vings in the sa- said, asking not plan, insisting the PSOE opposed the ways,” a source said. process. to be would defend “A judge Victims had raised named.

The firm, which ‘tooth and nail’ the principal of regio- it’s under is dealing with this and Marriott Hotel, was based out of the asked to sign blankfears about being nal self-government. legal review,” in Denia, had ‘eight dealing tions and their pensions instruc- NO “We understand he is he added. to ten’ telesales staff and clients SHOW: Darren Kirby being incurrently in ttered sca- vested in high-risk around Europe, revealed a large commissions.assets which paid res. “It is a blank cheque to invest wherever, whenever.

One pensioner based on the Cos- “It ta Blanca told the Olive is very worrying as they were Press he investing lost €210,000 after clients’ money in highly transferring risky €470,000 despite stating he had a fundsinvestments as well as dubious low to medium risk attitude. just because they paid the higher “I was asked, ‘Can you sign this He commissions.” blank form. We will fill added that losses sustained in the detai- investors by ls.’ I did that trusting they would act verable should however, be recoin my best interests,” he as the investments that failed to perform, or went “They should have been said. looking bust, were out linked to life for me and they were just insurance their own nests. To me feathering When the Olive Presspolicies. what they were doing.” they knew hold of Kirby in Octoberfinally got denied all responsibility. 2017, he Lawyer Antonio Flores, “I have lost Lawbird is representingwhose firm my world,” he said. a number of victims, said signing See pages 26-29 ment sheets was ‘very blank invest- Are you a victim or worrying’. former staff member?

“This negates the very essence of the case? Do you know more about financial advisory services,”said Contact the Olive Press Flo- newsdesk@theolivepress.es at Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 29 info@hispaniahomes.es www.hispaniahomes.co.uk New quality homes since 1958

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Vol. 1 Issue 15 www.theolivepress.es November 9th - November 22nd 2017

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What do Fatboy Slim, director Paul Haggis, John Travolta, Dean Norris and Pilou Asbaek have in common? They’ve all had links to the Balearics this week FIND OUT WHY INSIDE

Expats who lost millions rage at ‘unauthorised’ deals involving ‘worrying’ signing of blank sheets

BACKING DOWN:

Pension peril

CATALUNYA’S beleaguered leader has vowed to fight on from abroad.

It came after Carles Puigdemont handed himself in to Belgian police when a European arrest warrant was issued.

He and four other politicians are accused on charges of rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust.

EXCLUSIVE A judge in Belgium now has

By Joe Duggan up to two weeks to decide if they will extradite the group to Spain.

BRITISH expats who lost up to €20 million in a failed pension advisory firm believe their Fight signatures may have been photocopied onto investment docuGiven the whole extradition ments. process can take up to 60 Around 300 days, it means he may have in Spain, are Brits, most living to run his entire election their funds battling to retrieve after Alicante-based campaign for the Catalan firm Continental European Democratic Party agement (CWM) Wealth Manfolded in Sepfrom Belgium. tember, as His party wants him to fight Olive Press first reported in the for continued leadership of Boss Darrena month ago.

Kirby left for Austhe regional parliament in tralia following the closure of the December 21 elections. the company’s main Javea ofPuigdemont denied he had fices. fled to Brussels to avoid jus- Victims, who are spread across tice but that he left because Spain, as well as in Ibiza, Malthe Spanish government was lorca, Portugal, France and preparing a ‘wave of oppres- Turkey, fear illegal practices sion and violence’ against after being asked to sign blank separatists. dealing instructions.

“I’m absolutely convinced Their pension pots were then that the state was preparing invested in high-risk assets a harsh wave of repression which promised for which we would have all commissions. to pay out large been held responsible,” he One 69-year-old pensioner said yesterday. told the “The Spanish state is com- €210,000 Olive Press he lost mitting a brutal repression… €470,000 after transferring if we don’t battle repression had a ‘low despite stating he BOSS: Kirby now in to medium aversion together, the Spanish state to risk’ attitude Australia to investment. may win this fight.”

“I was asked, In a show of support to the blank form. ‘Can you sign this he said.

We will fill in the “They should have been looking deposed president, around details.’ I Untitled-1.pdf 1 15:36 out for me but they were just 200 Catalan pro-indepen- would act did that trusting they16/06/2017 in my best interests,” feathering their own nests. To dence mayors travelled to Brussels on Tuesday to stage a rally.

me they knew what they were doing.”

He added: “I believe some of the investments were made without my knowledge. I think that is the case because I do not recall signing sheets for all the investments I had.”

An email, seen by the Olive Press, shows CWM asking a client to sign and return a blank dealing instruction.

Another British expat, 55, who is trying to recover around €200,000, said some pensioners ‘have lost everything’.

“My paper work that I sent has been altered, my risk level was changed from ‘medium’ to ‘high’ and my dealing instructions have been photocopied repeatedly for buying and selling assets I didn’t authorise,” he said.

“I still have some money left and I am still young enough to get compensation, but my fund

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rying’.

“This negates the very essence of the service they are meant to offer,” said Flores. “It is a blank cheque to invest wherever, whenever.

“If standard practice, this is has gone down by half and I very worrying. need compensation to get it “Signing blank documents back on track. would be seen “But some people as irregular in a have lost everycourt of law. The thing and don’t problem with have enough to these firms is that live on. One rethey were all intired victim only PENSION vesting in highly has €50,000 left risky investments OUTRAGE without from €480,000.” the cliAndalucia-based ents knowing.” lawyer Antonio He claimed that Flores, whose losses sustained firm Lawbird by investors are representwould hopefully ing some CWM be recoverable victims, said signing blank inas the investments that failed vestment sheets was ‘very worto perform, or went bust, were linked to life insurance policies.

Pension trustees Momentum and Trafalgar are now attempting to recoup CMW clients’ losses.

The Olive Press has so far been unable to discover if CWM was registered to provide investment advice with Spain’s official financial regulator CNMV. New quality homes since 1958

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Vol. 1 Issue 13 www.theolivepress.es

They’ve been getting stoned for centuries.

Now UNESCO is interested in Mallorca walls.

SEE PAGE 6

As Spain celebrates Hispania Day, the Olive Press runs a rule over Columbus

SEE PAGE 10

SPAIN’S prime minister has accused Catalan leader Puigdemont of causing Carles ‘confusion’ after signing a declaration of independence.

October 12th - October

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SEE PAGE 20

Mariano Rajoy demanded he clarify if he had really declared independence following day’s nail biting address Tuesto the Catalan parliament.

If so, Rajoy insisted he could trigger Article 155 of Spain’s constitution to allow Madrid to take direct control of Catalunya.

“There is an urgent need put an end to the situation to Catalunya is going through that - to Continues on Page 7

Who’s paying us?

EXCLUSIVE

Expats lose millions in life savings

CONFUSION reigns over who through failed should foot the bill for Mallorca investment hotels hit by the collapse of airnational and Momentum line Monarch. scheme Pensions.

Balearic hotels are facing a “People are terribly €10million bill over the disEXCLUSIVE coltressed,” lapse that saw the emergency Granada-based

By Joe Duggan Brooks told the Olive repatriation of over 110,000 Press.

“They have lost large amounts back to the UK, many HUNDREDS of British from of their retirement savings.”

Palma. are battling to retrieveexpats She added: “Some of Administrator KPMG told pensions after losing their these up to people are going to end Olive Press ‘the debt owed the £20 million in a failed pension back in Britain on benefits.”up Monarch to hoteliers will by investment scheme. rank “I have nothing but praise OFF TO OZ: Boss Kirby as an unsecured claim’ against Spanish-based financial and (above) team at adviTony Barnett [Trafalgar for March charity bash the defunct airline. sory firm Continental Wealth MD] and Stewart Davies [MomenOne Marbella-based “They will have to file a claim Management (CWM) expat remain to tum chef executive].

It is believed at least 300 the joint administrators last month obliterating folded told the Olive Press he sunk “The anonymous.

They for all of many £59,000 through adviser kept telling me, CWM’s the money they are owed,” heartbroken Brits’ life savings.

900 clients have had have been magnificent in tryCWM, only ‘This said a spokesman.

Many of them had transferred realising he had lost £39,000 belowis guaranteed, it can’t go their pension pots decimated, ing to recoup people’s money.”

The Olive Press understands with victims shocked to “It has not been determined their private UK pensions when his pension trustees sent His a certain level’.” it later money, and that of others discover a statement. (yet) how much money through the company, the value of their inacross Spain and France, whose “I couldn’t believe available to creditors.” will be boss Darren was vestments had plummeted Untitled-1.pdf it. I have put into high-risk Kirby has now1 lost thousands 15:36 ‘profession- dramatically. legedly moved to Australia. al-16/06/2017 of pounds,” al investor only’ assets, it has However, a revealed the victim, asking source close to been claimed. the case insisted: ‘There to still many customers who are happy with their pension are is highly possible legal action port- may be taken folio.’ by some parties SPECIALIZING IN: Andalucia-based tax specialist against CWM, based out of headquarters Angie Brooks, a leading CRIMINAL LAW expert its executives. in Alicante, and on pension liberation schemes and the founder of Pension Both the office in Javea and CIVIL LAW the website have recently Life, has now launched shut.

BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) to help get victims’ a fight The group were pictured celmoney ebrating at back. a charity ball FAMILY LAW cently as March this year.as reShe is working alongside sion trustees Trafalgar pen- When the Olive Press spoke Inter- to boss Kirby he ‘definitively’ denied responsibility over the crash. “I have lost my world,” he said.

A close associate of Kirby’s said former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’.

“It is still quite raw for and they are working outthem, what Find out more on page to do next,” he said.

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Opinion Page 6

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Carles

SPAIN’S prime accused Catalan minister has Puigdemont of leader Carles causing ‘confusion’ after signing of independence. a declaration Mariano Rajoy clarify if he had demanded he independence really declared day’s nail bitingfollowing Tuesaddress to the Catalan parliament.

If so, Rajoy insisted he could trigger Article constitution to 155 of Spain’s allow Madrid take direct control to of Catalunya.

“There is an put an end to urgent need to the situation that Catalunya is going through - to Continues on

EXCLUSIVE

Page 7

FREE

They’ve been getting stoned for centuries.

Now UNESCO is interested in Mallorca walls.

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As Spain celebrates Hispania Day, the Olive Press runs a rule over Columbus

October 12th

- October 26th

2017

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PENSION OUTRAGE SEE PAGE 10

Expats lose millions in life savings

SEE PAGE 20

whose boss It is believed by has nowDarren Kir- 300 at allegedly of CWM’s least moved to Australia.

900 clients have One had their Costa-del-Sol- pension pots decibased expat mated, with Olive Press told the shocked victims he sunk to later to end £59,000 through cover the value of dis- ain on up back in BritCWM, only realising benefits.” their he investments had plum- “I have nothing had lost £39,000 when meted dramatically. but praise for Tony his pension Barnett trustees However, a source [Trafalgar sent a statement. close to the MD] and “I couldn’t case in- Stewart Davies sisted: ‘There [Momentum have lost believe it. I many are customers still tive]. Theychef execuof are pounds,” thousands revealed the have been happy with who magnificent victim, asking their pension portfolio.’ ing to recoup in trymain anonymous.to re- A ndalucia people’s “The adviser - b a s e d money.” tax specialist ing me, ‘This kept tell- Brooks, Angie The Olive Press una leading derstands it teed, it can’t is guaran- pert go below a is highly on pension ex- possible certain level’.” liblegal action eration schemes His money, and may be taken others acrossand that of the founder of Pension parties againstby some CWM, France, was Spain and aLife, has now launched fight to help put into high-risk ‘professional get victims’ money investor only’ back. assets, it She is working has been claimed. alongside pension trustees Trafalgar International and Momentum Pen- based out of headquarsions. ters in Alicante, “People are and its terribly executives. distressed,” Both the office based Brooks Granada- and in Javea told the the website Olive Press. have “They have recently shut. lost large amounts of When the Olive Press their retirement sav- spoke to boss Kirby he ings.” ‘definitively’ She added: responsibility denied these people “Some of crash. over the are going “I lost my world,” hehave said.

A close associate of Kirby’s told the Olive Press former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’.

“It is still for them, andquite raw they are working out what to do Ave de Gabriel Roca next,” he said.

4, Palma

CONFUSION through failed should foot thereigns over who hotels hit by thebill for Mallorca investment line Monarch. collapse of airscheme Balearic hotels €10million bill are facing a EXCLUSIVE lapse that saw over the colthe emergency

By Joe Duggan repatriation back to the of over 110,000 UK, many from Palma.

HUNDREDS Administrator ish expats are of BritOlive Press ‘theKPMG told the to battling retrieve debt owed by Monarch to hoteliers sions after their penwill rank as an unsecured £20 millionlosing up to the defunct airline.claim’ against in a failed pension “They will have investment OFF TO OZ: to file a claim to scheme.

Boss Kirby the joint administrators and (above) for all Spanish-based the money they team at finan- March charity a spokesman. are owed,” said cial advisory firm bash tinental Wealth Con“It has not been Mandetermined agement (yet) how much (CWM) folded Many of them money will be last had available to creditors.” transferred month obliterattheir Untitled-1.pdf

ing many heartbroken private 1 UK 16/06/2017 pensions Brits’ life savings. through15:36 the company,

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Pointing the way to two great Easter travel excursions from the hills of Javea to the wilds of Galicia

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court papers as Sally, is understood to have given CWM PENSION a €70,000 OUTRAGE loan that was never repaid.

While Darren Kirby failed to turn up in court, former financial director Alan FACE Gorringe, who THE MUSIC is also accused, insisted the NOTORIOUS: victims were ‘financially Disgraced groomed’. businesswoman In testimony, Jody Smart he confirmed accused in that Jody financial scandal and Darren lived together and Jody received €12,000 a month from the comtion earlier this month, Smart pany. In a Channel 4 lifestyle claimed she said she knew ‘nothprogramme How the Other Half ing about the business’ despite Live on her fashion business, in being officially sole director, ac2016, she boasted of being worth cording to Spain’s mercantile €13million while showing off register. She added that she had her floor-to-ceiling shoe collecnever studied either economics tion with limited edition Jimmy or finance and was trained as a Choos. According to former staff fashion designer, fitness instrucmembers she travelled twice tor and makeup artist. She said to New York fashion week and she knew ‘nothing’ about the bought Louis Vitton handbags at transactions and claimed her ex€5,000 a time. The pair had staff partner Kirby ‘controlled all the at one of her properties in Benimoney’ and that financial transdoleig, currently on the market fers were executed by Gorringe. for €760,000, and a leasing deal She said Kirby, who did not apfor CWM yielded a Ferrari 458 pear in court to be cross-examSpeciale, a Bentley Continental ined, would become physically and a Porsche Panamera, among abusive when she didn’t do what others. he wanted. Jody did not respond However, in her court declarato requests for comment. property Malaga’s bestmagazine

A WELL-KNOWN expat fashion designer has been accused of receiving up to €1million from an unlicensed Costa Blanca financial advisory company.

Companies in Jody Smart’s name were given the money by defunct Continental Wealth Management (CWM) in the two years’ before its high-profile collapse left hundreds of investors an estimated €20million out of pocket, it can be revealed. A total of €999,435 was paid to her fashion label Jody Bell SL and property holding company Mercurio Conpro SL between 2015 and 2017, according to bank statements shown to the Olive Press.

Brit Jody, 43, was also paid a €144,000 salary - despite telling a court that she ‘did not know what it meant to be a sole director of company’ and was only involved in ‘marketing and PR’. In a series of shocking declarations given to Denia’s Court of Instruction No.3 it has emerged that the company could ill afford to pay

October25th - November 10th 2019

14 Nemesis of “Titanic” (7) 15 Reptile (6) 17 Revolve (6) 18 Noggin (4) 21 Recedes (4)

All solutions are on page 23

Property

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Issue 34

chalk & cheese

October 2019

Two historic homes, two opposite styles SEE PAGES VIII & XII

Dilemmas of a billionaire

10

Spanish properties perfect for the mega-rich SEE www.theolivepress.es

More with a mortgage

B

UYING a property is cheaper than renting in most parts of Spain, according to new calculations.

In 15 major cities it is far cheaper to pay a mortgage than to pay a landlord rent, it has been discovered.

According to the findings, in none of the major cities did the cost of a mortgage come above 31% of the average family earnings.

In some cities, such as Merida, the price of renting is as low as 8% of the average salary, found the report by global estate agency Century 21.

In Sevilla, the cost of buying with a mortgage came to just 19% of the average salary, which is €2,671 a month, while in Valencia it was just 16% of €2,776.

Rental outlay in the same two cities, meanwhile came to 32% and 26% of monthly earnings.

In Murcia - where the average salary is €2,683 a month - tenants are paying 20% on rent, while owners pay just 11% on a mortgage.

Another example showed that the owners of a 90-square-metre apartment in Madrid pay a mortgage of €960 per month, while tenants are paying €1,419 per month, an alarming 40% of a fam-

Those looking to live in Spain are better off buying than renting longterm, new figures show ily’s income.

Only Barcelona cost more to rent at 44% of average earnings, while Palma in Mallorca cost 34%.

“Renting has become a necessity for many people who can’t afford to buy.” explained CEO of Century 21 for Spain and Portugal, Ricardo Sousa.

"Today, major cities around the world face the challenge of providing affordable and adequate solutions.

“This is especially the case in large cities such as Madrid and Barcelona, ​​where there is strong population growth, while housing options with affordable prices are scarce.”

The cost of rents in Spain have jumped by 50% over the last five years, according to a study by the Bank of Spain, using data collected by Idealista.

Almost 23% of the population rent property, significantly less

DIVIDE: Between average regional earnings and the cost of rent and a morgage

II

October , 2019

S

PANISH home sales data for August 2019 reveal a market on the slide with transactions on the decline in almost all areas of interest to foreign investors, though there are reasons to think the setback might not last.

Whichever figures you look at, the number of home sales recorded in August were lower than the same month last year.

There are two main sources of home sales figures in Spain; on the one hand, the National Institute of Statistics (INE) based

The property market is in the biggest decline since 2013, but things should turn around by Christmas, writes Mark Stucklin on source data from the Association of Spanish Land Registrars, and on the other, the Spanish Notaries’ Association.

PROPERTY

Mark Stucklin

On the slide The data from the INE is based on the number of deeds of sale inscribed in the Land Register each month.

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Inscription can take place As these figures lag the market weeks or even months after by a few months, this big dethe sale, so these figures lag cline was to be expected given the market by a month or two. the 21% decline we saw in the The data from the notaries is notaries’ figures in June based on the number of sales With the notaries’ figures in completions they witness each hand, we can expect another month. double digit decline in the INE’s Their figures are more timely figures next month. but subject to The INE figures significant realso give us a vision in the breakdown of Experts blame a months that folsales by type of low.

Spanish mortgage property (new / According to the resale) and by law introduced notaries there region. were 30,351 There were in June for Spanish home 6,426 new sales in August, and disrupting sales sales a decline of 28,945 resales 4.5% compared recorded in the to the same time month, both inlast year. cluding VPO, and both down Home sales have declined for 21%. Although the new figures four consecutive months, and don’t include off-plan sales in five of the last six months, they don’t bode well for develaccording to the notaries. opers if they point towards a You have to go back to the trend. The regional picture was 2013 when the market was one of widespread declines in just starting to turn around af- all areas of most interest to forter the real estate crash to find eign buyers, with the Canary declines as big as this.

Islands taking the biggest hit And this is the first time since (-40%), and even the peren2012 that we see four con- nially popular Costa del Sol secutive months of declines in (Malaga province) down 30%. sales. There’s little reason to Only the small market of Almefear another crash today be- ria managed to clock up a posicause the circumstances are so tive number of just 3%. Year to different (for example the total date the picture is less negalack of a credit bubble and new tive with some big markets like construction still down 90% Catalunya still up on last year, compared to what it was), but but the key markets of Alicante it is certainly starting to look (Costa Blanca), Malaga (Costa as if the wind has gone out of del Sol), and the Balearic and the market’s sails, at least for Canary islands are all smaller now. That has implications for buyers, vendors, and property professionals, who might want to adjust their expectations accordingly. The number of Spanish home sales inscribed in Spain’s Land Register in August for sales completed in the proceedings months was 32,329 excluding VPO subsidised housing sales, down 20% in a year (-21% if you include VPO sales).

That’s the second decline in the last three months and the trend is clearly down.

www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

in the first eight months of this year than they were in 2018.

Experts blame a new Spanish mortgage law introduced in June for disrupting sales before and after that, which can clearly be seen in the notaries’ figures and is now showing up in the INE figures. From the notaries figures it looks like the declines are getting smaller (June -21%, July -17%, August -4%) and we may even see a return to growth in September if the trend continues. But experts also warn that the current political instability in Spain, with elections due in November, and the Catalan independence drive hanging over them, is undermining the confidence of potential buyers, who could be forgiven for adopting a waitand-see approach. To which I would add foreign demand appears to be cooling fast thanks to high transactions costs, unattractive tax laws, and the lack of transparency and professionalism in the Spanish property market all taking their toll on foreign demand now that prices are not so attractive.

I don’t expect another crash but it looks like headwinds are playing a bigger role in the market than before, and could set the agenda for the next few months. That said, all experts quoted in the Spanish press forecast a return to moderate growth in sales during the last quarter of the year. www.spanishproper tyinsight.com

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3 III

October 2019

Fast track

NEARLY two dozen estate agents have taken part in an organised cleanup at Fuengirola beach. The employees of Swedish agency Fastighetsbyran, which has several branches on the coast, helped make the beach a tidier spot. The team mucked in and disposed of used cans, cigarette butts and plastic. The day was part of Fastighetsbyran’s new green initiative, with many more projects to come in the future.

TOOLS DOWN THE number of people employed in the Spanish building industry still remains under half pre-financial crisis levels, new figures have shown. Just 1.28 million people were employed in the construction trade during the second quarter of 2019, compared to 2.68 million people in 2008, before the global crash. Andalucia employs around 213,000 people in the building trade, more than any other region in Spain. However, this is still less than half the 441,300 people in the region working in the trade before the crash.

Mallorcan authorities get tough on homeowners who flout island’s construction laws in bid to market properties to holidaymakers

T

WO illegal swimming pools built for holiday homes in Arta will be demolished, following a ruling by the Mallorcan Land Protection Agency The illicit pools and their adjoining terraces were being advertised as tourist rentals.

Neither land owners had obtained licenses to build the

Cranes back AROUND 10% more building licences have been passed this year in Malaga.

So far 5,850 new homes have been approved in the province, which is reflected in a sharp increase in cranes towering over the coast.

Pull it down pools, despite them being constructed on land granted maximum protection (ANEI) by the Land Protection Agency.

Mallorca’s regional government has recently launched a crackdown on the construction of illegal structures across the island.

In recent weeks, island authorities have stopped a man trying to convert a tool shed into a house on protected land.

They have also ordered the destruction of a car park built on protected land.

Mallorca’s government stepped up the fight against illegally built swimming pools in 2017, after 15 town halls handed over responsibility for the enforcement of construction laws to regional authorities.

The change was intended to give towns greater powers to tackle illegally built pools, which are often constructed next to properties used as holiday homes for tourists.

The regional government can order landowners to demolish pools built without a license.

4X IV

October , 2019

PROPERTY

BLACK & WHITE JON CLARKE is wowed by the sumptuous styles of brand new Costa de la Luz suites hotel Plaza 18 IT has the sort of hip, highend charm one would normally associate with a capital city.

Yet, Plaza 18 sits in the heart of the Cadiz town of Vejer de la Frontera, best known for its cutting edge cuisine and magical light.

A collaboration between the town’s emblematic Califa hotel and award-winning London interior architect Nicky Dobree, it combines modern, contemporary style with the careful conserva-

DESIGNER: Dobree

tion of a 19th century townhouse.

In short, luxury has finally arrived on the Costa de la Luz. While there are many stylish and comfortable places to stay on this rugged, lesser-known Andalucian costa, few comprise the sheer opulence of Plaza 18.

This is, of course, appropriate for the 1896 gem, that was built on foundations dating back to the days of 13th century Al-Andaluz.

Working with local craftsmen and using entirely organic building materials, Dobree has ensured it has a harmonious connection to the region.

This meant lifting and relaying the original black and white floor tiles, while the massive glazed roof lantern (or ‘montera’) was carefully dismantled and repaired.

It ensures a wonderful sense of light in the main atrium, where a stone staircase and wrought-iron

balustrade rises up magisterially on two sides to the handful of suites upstairs.

There are only six suites in total, each with their own distinct style and measurements.

What unites them are the full-height black lacquered doors with quirky circular brass handles, designed by Dobree herself.

Each bedroom is the very epitome of comfort, wellappointed, with amazingly deep mattresses and pillows to sink a battleship, while the bathrooms are luxuriously curated and have their own evocative scent.

A communal lounge features a series of paintings bought by Dobree over the last few decades and a welcoming honesty-style drinks tray, plus a large selection of teas and coffees.

Meanwhile a terrace out back is the perfect place for guests to enjoy breakfast served on hand-painted plates with views over the classic Cadiz town and over towards Morocco.

Best of all though, is the side door taking you straight into Califa hotel, and its groundbreaking courtyard restaurant, consistently voted one of the best on the coast. www.hotelplaza18.com

PROPERTY

14 VI

Portals to progress

October , 2019

In the penultimate part of a series on the renovation of an ancient townhouse in Ronda, Gabriella Chidgey reveals how to work with windows, doors and town hall rules There were only two glass windows in the whole 350-metre squared building.

Other than these 1980s additions there were just metal shutters which banged noisily in the strong winter winds.

It being an 18th century townhouse in the casco historico of Andalucia’s most romantic town, the facade was completely protected so the sizes of the windows and doors needed to remain exactly the same.

Worse, the council decreed the windows must be wooden, or at least appear to be made from wood, and they must be within the natural range of wood colours.

It turns out there is an aluminium window that imitates wood grain, and both the builder and the architect suggested it as it is both practical and economical and they knew we were on a budget.

But it made my husband and I cringe.

It is true that wood is expensive and it warps in the extreme Ronda climate, but I love its warmth and I eschew imitation so pine windows and shutters were dutifully ordered from a local factory, then painted and fitted by a carpenter.

Beware, for this takes at least

a month to arrive (in our case much longer) but they meet EU regulations meaning the seals and double glazing meet the standards required to guarantee maximum energy efficiency.

With the panes, form follows function so I opted for contemporary simplicity and found an ebony matt varnish to stain them the darkest brown allowed.

The original window bars or rejas - were already painted black so they toned well.

On the back of the house we were not constrained by size or the colour code so we mixed white with a transparent matt varnish so that the natural grain was visible.

The main entrance doors and a second set, just inside a traditional ‘San Juan porch’,

NO WASTAGE: The original front door and its foot-long key was painted matt brown while a set of old doors were used to make a wardrobe

DON’T TOUCH: The conservation of Ronda Romantica apartments was by order

were hundreds of years old complete with studs, iron bolts, a hand-wrought light arch (see above) and an ancient lock with a key. And I’m not joking - about a foot long.

There were so many layers of mucky brown paint that had we attempted to strip them I doubt we would have been left with any doors at all.

Instead, we just painted over

everything with, yes, you guessed it, the blackest, matt brown paint I could find, using the Farrow and Ball colour Tanners Brown as a guide.

The original doors inside the house were old, rustic and uneven, however they still worked, or would, with a little care and repair. Some stayed in position, others found new thresholds, and a couple became doors for a new wardrobe.

Most were repainted in a matt version of the original yellow ochre, copied by a local paint shop from a fragment. I prefer harmony to contrast so I differenti-

ated the new from the old by years to get this far) I used painting the doors a stronger the builders before they left mustard shade. the site.

My plan had been for the They used thin bricks (rasilcarpenter to lones) covbuild the kitchered with ceens for each ment (mescla) None of the apartment, to create the appliances, in structure and and use a local white marble for any of the five divisions for the surface. the fridge and Since the buildwashing maapartments, ers were finchines, etc, and fitted ishing and the the counter top windows still was made with in the carpenthe remainder ter's workshop, it seemed of the floor tiles used in each prudent to choose another apartment. course.

In three apartments we laid With speed being of the es- reclaimed baldosas hidraulisence (it already taking two cas (encaustic cement tiles), in one old barro tiles, and in the more modern flat, new terrazzo tiles which looked great when paired with a black tap. But typically job done, builders off, we found that none of the appliances, in any of the five apartments, fitted underneath. Although built to a standard height, we had forgotten that the width of a brick was 10cm in comparison to a couple of centimetres of marble. I should have drawn a proper plan, as I had for everything else, and I should also have created one kitchen first to alert me to any problems.

Luckily, we managed to sort it out by shaving away a few cm in some places and removing the top and the feet of the washing machines.

Badda boom, everything now fits perfectly and with the lovely hand-made curtains from a local lady it looks like it was planned this way in the first place.

Next month I’ll take you through my choice of furnishings.

Visit www.alcantarilla.co.uk to stay at Ronda Romantica or call 00 34 654152122 to speak to Gabriella

VII

October , 2019

PROPERTY

Keys Isl nd W to the

ITH Brexit Fright Night approaching, confusion abounds.

At the time of writing, we are waiting for the EU to approve an extension which if granted, Boris has said he will withdraw his bill and call for a General Election... which Labour refuses to call until a ‘nodeal Brexit’ is off the table and which can only be granted with two thirds of MPs voting for it.

And so the cycle continues!

What a complete and utter mess. It’s a worrying road we are being herded down.

A Mallorca Real Estate Agent’s blog It’s been an interesting few months for me with one particular set of clients who I have been working with on an ‘exclusive buyer’s agent basis.

I didn’t ask them to sign an agreement since they came through a personal recommendation - friends of previous clients.

They arrived two months ago at the suggestion of their friends, never having been to Mallorca.

They were wanting a stonefaced finca, four beds, nice views, close to the sea – nothing unusual in that!

So we started the journey by my suggesting the best locations for them to explore – sending them off to acquaint themselves with certain areas that I felt were right for their lifestyle

It’s crunch time for Brexit, writes Amanda Butler, but Mallorca’s property market is still ticking over

aspirations and criteria.

After the first visit we decided to focus on Andratx, Es Capdella in the west and Pollensa in the east.

Trying to liaise and coordinate viewings with six or seven differing agents is quite a challenge – reviewing numerous websites and hundreds of properties, deciding on what to view, juggling owners, agents and client’s expectations. It’s what I do!

After three days of viewings, only one property was of interest, but even that one was not lighting a fire.

I did try to explain that their previous interest and enquiries into property in Corfu would not translate to Mallorca with a budget of maximum €900,000.

This is not a low budget necessarily and lovely properties can be found at this level, but it’s not the first time I have had to manage expectations!

Fright Night

At their next visit a few weeks later, they were chomping at the bit to find something and we had decided the main focus would be Pollensa.

Suddenly, everything they liked seemed to be being sold. Before their arrival, I told them of one property which had just decreased from €1.3 million to €975,000 – a lovely property although half of it illegal, which was the reason for the price re-

duction.

They decided they would wait and fate would decide if they would miss out on it.

And fate did...with an option signed one day prior to their arrival!

Saturday was spent reviewing the options, some of which couldn’t be viewed until the following month due to being rented.

But still nothing stood out, and

so Sunday morning, the day of their return to the UK, we were all somewhat despondent.

I was subsequently informed that, as luck would have it for them, they were sitting in a cafe having breakfast discussing their frustration, when the person on the neighbouring table interrupted them.

He mentioned he knew of a property currently not on the market that the owners

By Amanda Butler were thinking of selling - and it sounded just like what they had been describing.

So after a quick phone call off they went to view it 30 minutes later.

Within five minutes of setting foot in it, they decided they like it, wanted to buy it, and put in an offer at €1.1m! Clearly their lucky day.

It’s a funny old business being a buyer’s agent in Mallorca – a rich soup of the exhilaration of fulfilling people’s dreams - providing expert advice and facilitating a process that can be frequently outside a client’s comfort zone - against the precarious scenarios such as the one described, when it can all feel a bit like getting second place in The Weakest Link..!

Nothing is quite yet in the bag – in spite of what is often regarded as the easy life of an agent.

It isn’t easy - and involves a huge amount of work for frequently uncertain rewards.

Anyway, it’s rewarding on every level when it does happen – particularly the human one - with some of my best friends on the island being those for whom I have found their perfect dream home in the sun.

I love what I do, it’s part of the ‘game’ and despite the frustrations, I certainly wouldn’t swap it – although perhaps I should spend more time eavesdropping in coffee shops!

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That’s a wrap

A CINEMA has been fined for stopping filmgoers bringing food and drink into screenings.

Zafra’s Multicines was slapped with the €3,000 fine for imposing the ban.

Spain’s Federation of Cinemas (FECE) has welcomed the move describing it as ‘positive’.

It comes after a 2017 law insisted cinemas should allow customers to bring in their own drinks and food.

LA CULTURA

17

October 25th - November 10th 2019

Mallorca’s monsters Island gets spooky with plenty of familyfriendly events for Halloween MALLORCA is about to get spooky as dozens of Halloween events for all ages have been planned across the island. Ocimax cinemas in Pal-

ma and Manacor are staging a special Halloween movie marathon, with two surprise

Banksy bargain THE work of camera-shy British graffiti artist Banksy can sell for millions of euros.

However a lucky buyer managed to snap up two of his works for just €2,000 each from a Madrid gallery.

Love Wins, a photograph of the artist spray painting the same text on the West Bank wall, and a screen print of children

on swings spinning around a fragment of a wall were sold by gallery Salon du Connaisseur.

The sum is a drop in the ocean compared to the €11 million that Banksy’s Parliament Devolved sold for earlier in October.

The painting depicts MPs in the House of Commons as chimpanzees.

films being screened back to back for €12.

Those dressed in scary costumes can get their hands on the theatres’ free 'bloody' popcorn. Festival Park is also screening a scary movie marathon on October 31.

Nightmares will come alive at the Katmandu Halloween festival, with new spooky acrobatics shows, costume contests, zombie discos and so much more.

The convent Sant Domingo in Pollensa old town turns into a terrifying haunted house, with children's activities from 4pm to 7 pm.

The horror-filled adult fun then continues from 9:30pm on at the haunted 'horror express' train.

Fan shopping centre also has family-friendly Halloween events, while Magaluf's Pirate's Village has a special Halloween show fun for all ages.

The Palma Aquarium is host-

ing its annual Halloween 'sleepover with the sharks', where children aged five to 11 can spend the night around the shark tank.

For a really terrifying experience, a ‘Scream Farm’ has opened on the outskirts of Palma, running every weekend from Halloween through November 17.

The ever-popular Tito's nightclub in Palma is also throwing its annual Halloween bash, with monsters and vampires dancing the night away until 6am.

what’s on Drive-in All in the mind PORT MARBELLA’S Adriano H10 Anis screening dalucia Plaza Hotel Frozen, hosts When the Mind, Harry Body met&Sally, Spirit Easy Festival Rider from and October Kill Bill 26 Vol - 27,I11am at itsto drive-in 8pm. cinema in the port as part of the Mallorca InterFun-gus national Film Festival on October 25 and 26.

JUZCAR is holding its popular Mushroom Gathering Jazz, blues Weekend, a guided walk soul through the and forests foraging for mushrooms, from JAZZ Voyeur festiNovember val returns8 -to10.Palma with concerts and events from Absolutely October 27 until December 7 – innuts cluding special film screenings in Santa THE ‘Big Chestnut Roast’ Catalina’s Valls thein Ojen, Malaga, will atre. have its 27th edition in the village square, on November 3 where Autumn fair visitors can also enjoy games and food.

AN annual harvest festival is hosted in Llucmajor on OctoYou’ve been ber 27, with a parade Tango’d of giants, traditional dancing, horse shows, a craft market with live music and plenty LAstreet Portena Tango will of parties. celebrate its 10th anniversary in Nerja on November 8 with a huge

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When you take out an advertising campaign with the Olive Press, you get a lot more than just the printed newspaper te l ee ia 00 si Fr tor 0,0 eb i 1 w ed ur ay o -d in r-a to si vi

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The Olive Press gives you more!

18

LA CULTURA How we nailed a champagne socialist MP

October 25th 9th - October - November 22nd 10th 2019 2019

In the second part of a story on Blair babe Margaret Moran, the Olive Press nearly gets the wool pulled over its eyes

I

FOUND myself rushing out of the office as Jon flew down the stairs. He had his phone out and was demanding to know Marcus’s number.

We got to the street outside and he leaned against his car as he called our editor.

“I don’t care how sick you are, mate, you’ll get over it. What you’ll never get over is missing a story like this.

“How soon can you be down here? What - three hours?

That’s not good enough.

Twenty minutes and we’re leaving without you. Alright, half an hour. This is an exclusive, mate!

“What do you mean you can’t drive? You’re joking, right?

I’ve never heard of a journalist who couldn’t drive. Look, if you don’t come down now I’m going to come up the mountain and drag you out of bed.”

Jon then called Jake our distributor to ask him some questions about his fall out

with Margaret Moran and by the time he had finished talking Molly had turned up and dropped Marcus off.

He looked more peeved than sick, and was wearing a large woolly scarf wrapped around his throat. “About time,” said Jon, stepping into his car.

“Get in, the pair of you.”

“No, wait,” I said “the tracks are too rough for this up there. We’ll need to go in mine.”

And so the three of us climbed into my car and set off for the valley running to the east of Cerro Negro where, if Jake was to be believed, a British politician was in some kind of Mexican standoff with several locals.

The road, although

potholed in places, was fine until we reached the hamlet of Tíjola, a strung out collection of whitewashed houses almost at river level, where it narrowed considerably.

After another mile the road turned into a rough track as it veered off uphill to the left and passed by some abandoned ruins.

Goons

Jon was taking charge of the situation, fiddling with his camera and issuing orders.

“Jason, you’re the photographer and the driver. I want you to take pictures of the house from every angle and keep the car outside with the engine running while we go inside.

“f you see any of the locals getting beaten up you need to get pictures, understand?” I nodded.

Marcus gave a squeak of protest from the back. “I don’t feel well, can’t I stay in the car too?”

“No,” said Jon sternly. “You are the editor of the newspaper; she needs to know we mean business.”

“But,” Jon added; “don’t open your mouth unless she asks you a question. Keep quiet and let me do the talking. Make sure you record everything – you do have a recorder don’t you?”

All this sounded fine but we had very little idea where her house was located. After a few forays down blind tracks,

Lemons and hard nuts to crack

SCEPTICAL: Driving over Lemons author Chris Stewart didn’t expect the Olive Press to survive for very long

A few weeks after our launch I saw a familiar looking figure walking around Orgiva with the kind of characteristic jaunty lope that identifies a certain type of Englishmen.

A tallish man, with curly greying hair and glasses, there was no doubt it was Chris Stewart, the author of the bestselling book Driving over Lemons.

In his book Stewart, a former Genesis drummer, detailed his move to La Alpujarra in the 1980s to escape Thatcher’s Britain’ and his subsequent transformation into a penniless hill shepherd.

I had read it one miserably grey Christmas Day back home and went to bed that night thinking I’d like to move to that mythical sounding place.

Luckily for me, my wife Michelle was also up for the idea. And now, here we were.

Much had been made of the success of his book and Stewart had become something of a local hero, credited with putting the Alpujarras on the map and initiating Orgiva’s rejuvenation.

The mayor, it was said, had even talked about erecting a bronze statue in the plaza to the writer, apparently to his horror.

As I passed him, I noticed that the famed writer was eating churros, those fried sugary dough sticks that are dunked in hot chocolate for breakfast.

There was nothing unusual about this but I couldn’t help noticing that they were wrapped in a familiar-looking newspaper with a green masthead.

When I went back to the office, Marcus leaped up from his desk and grabbed a copy of Driving over Lemons from the office bookshelf. “You know what I’m going to do?” he ranted. “I’m going to carry this book around with me and if I see him in the street I’ll rip out a page and wipe my f**king arse with it!”

I never did find out whether Marcus carried out this threat, but the next time I saw Chris he was drinking from a fountain in Pampaneira. I introduced myself and told him about The Olive Press.

“Yes, I’ve seen it,” he said. “Good luck with it – other people have tried the same and failed in these parts. It’s a tough nut to crack.”

LA CULTURA

19

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

SHAMELESS: Moran and her villa cutting off locals’, leading to our first big exclusive followed up by the Mail and Telegraph

I began to worry about the failing light. Already the sun was beginning to sink and much of the valley was entering into deep shade. Also,

where was the gang of goons we had been warned about?

“I thought you said you knew where it was,” said Jon. Presently, and not a moment

too soon given the fading light, we saw a small group of men loitering by the side of the track.

“Hombres,” called out Jon, “we must speak to the English señora as a matter of urgency.”

His Spanish was pretty good compared to ours, to be fair.

With a shrug, one of the men pointed to a flat-roofed cortijo

COLOURFUL: Not all the residents of nearby Beneficio were fun-loving, free lovers

Pow wow man tied to a crucifix One of our most interesting early stories concerned Beneficio – or ‘Benefit’ - the commune of thousands of new age travellers up the mountain near Cáñar – and a South African man.

The man had turned up there some months before, and had quickly muscled his way onto the so-called community council and seized the talking stick at a pow wow, meaning nobody else was allowed to speak from then on.

In this way he had established himself as a kind of mini tyrant and nobody had dared to challenge him. At some point it all come to a head when he accused a British hippie of sleeping with another man's wife.

He then exacted punishment on the man by tying him to a crucifix and keeping him there for several days inside a 'prison tepee'.

Eventually the man was released but he was then run out of town, chased stark naked down the mountain with a bull whip in the middle of the night.

This was enough for the local police to go up to Beneficio and arrest the man, who was taken in and thrown into the cells, much to the relief of the other residents of the commune.

Further investigation revealed he was a fugitive wanted in connection with a serious crime and he was later jailed in Granada. Everyone enjoyed that story.

a bit further down the valley.

“Casa de la inglesa,” he said simply, stepping aside. So these were the ‘thugs’.

When I pulled up outside the house my mouth was dry.

“Remember,” said Jon, “keep the engine running and turn the car around so we can get out of here in a hurry – we don’t know what kind of protection she’s got.”

just come in.”

“Now you tell me,” I said.

“Nice woman,” said Jon, and Marcus and Jon got out of the Marcus nodded in agreement. car and I watched them walk to “She explained the whole conthe front door and knock. flict thing with Jack, or whatThe door opened, spilling out ever his name is. To be honest, warm light, and a short exit’s her I feel sorry for, I mean change took place between it’s private property, so why Jon and the short woman who shouldn’t they be able to cut off stood there. A moment later the track if she’s being bullied they all stepped inside and the by them? Your man, she said, is door closed. I turned the car a bit of an anarchist. around and sat there with my “It’s like the Wild West round hands on the steering wheel here, she says. People just with the engine running. don’t respect the rule of law.”

I tried to imagine what was goWe drove on in silence for a ing on inside. Perhaps there while. So, it was nothing more would be arguing, with accuthan a storm in a teacup. sations and rebuttals flying Suddenly Jon startled me, around, as Moran’s protectors shouting, “Stop!” stood on a hair trig“What is it?” I ger, ready to eject said, stepping the unwelcome She’s taken us on the brake. guests.

I thought an Did Tony Blair’s in with a sob animal had ministers have MI5 out in protection? I had no story, a cup of run front of the idea. car. tea and some Time passed. An “Don’t you hour went by and great wines see what darkness fell. Hunshe’s done?” ger was beginning he said. to bite and I enter“What did I say Marcus? I said tained the idea that maybe I don’t look into her eyes. She’s should go and tell them to hurry gone and charmed us. Taken us up. I turned off the engine. in, told us her sob story. You did Vaguely, I wondered if they had record everything, didn’t you?” been tied up back-to-back or He reached into his pocket and something. pulled out his phone. Stepping Almost two hours had passed out he leaned against a tree when the door of the farmand connected with a newspahouse opened again and Jon per in London. and Marcus stepped out into “Yeah, give me the news desk,” the night. I started the car enhe said. “I‘ve got a story for you. gine, but they were not running Are you ready for this? You’ll away from the house, they were love it.” walking slowly.

Afterwards I drove back to Ór“What the hell happened?” giva and parked outside the I said, half-annoyed but also office. Marcus made his apoloeager to hear what had gone gies, starting to walk off in down. the direction of the bus stop.

“Sorry about that,” said Jon “we “Where do you think you’re gogot invited in for a cup of tea. ing?” Jon called out. “We’ve got And she had something mea very busy evening ahead of dicinal for Marcus’s flu. Turned us.” out she had some really great Marcus turned back and gave wines in her cellar.” him a withering look. “Too ill,” “She rustled up a decent bit of he groaned. tapas too,” croaked Marcus.

“Nonsense,” replied Jon, “You “We totally forgot about you out do have a coffee machine, here,” said Jon. don’t you?”

“You should have

The Olive Press: News from the Land of Misfits by Jason Heppenstall is available on Amazon

BUSINESS Splash the cash Spanish slump 20

October 25th - November 10th 2019

MADRID is still withholding a crucial cash injection to modernise Mallorca’s sewage works, it has emerged.

In January the central government agreed to €360 million in funding for water treatment plants.

However 10 months on and the papers guaranteeing the funds for repair work on the treatment plants are yet to be signed.

A €40 million investment from Madrid was matched by the Balearic government, but as the project is co-funded, work cannot begin until the central government sends the agreed cash.

Palma’s overloaded sewage systems have regularly spilled wastewater into the sea and onto beaches.

PP deputy Antoni Costa has demanded government investment to deal with the wastewater leaks, which represent ‘the main environmental problem’ in the Balearics.

The Palma sewer treatment plant, located in Coll d’en Rabassa, was built in the early 1970s and has had very few improvements or updates over the past 50 years.

It’s money trouble for Spain as external factors have caused a decline in economic growth

SPAIN is experiencing a moment of economic turmoil as experts say the country is currently enduring a slump in several sectors of industry.

Job creation has slowed down, tourist numbers are declining, while the global economy is faltering, according to Bloomberg Economics.

There will be tough times ahead for Spain, as the country faces a number of challenges next year, having to adapt to Brexit and political ambiguity.

The collapse of travel giant Thomas Cook has greatly affected tourism, as too has

Two Wards

Brexit, while the riots in Catalunya have created instability in the east of Spain.

Recently Reuters suggested that Spain’s acting government has trimmed its GDP

Wasteful islands

THE Balearics generates more waste per capita than anywhere else in Spain.

The islands produce an average of 764 kilograms per person per year, with more than 80% of the trash not recycled. Part of the high rate of waste is the influx of tourists during the summer season – Mallorca

growth expectations because of factors including ‘trade tensions’ and a raised ‘deficit estimate’.

The government says economic output should expand

sees 35% more waste generated in the summer than in the winter season.

In Menorca and Ibiza, the total volume of summer rubbish collected is 150% larger than that in winter.

Mallorca construction waste, which has increased 180% in the last five years, is also a growing problem.

by 2.1% this year - a reduction of the previous 2.2% estimate.

Next year, the forecast is worse - with a predicted growth of 1.8%, compared to a previous estimate of 1.9%.

The Budget Ministry believes that these figures for 2020 could change, but only if Spain forms a government that can pass a budget in parliament.

Spain is due to head to the polls for its general election on November 10.

A NEW hospital has opened in Inca.

The Sant Joan de Deu hospital, the city’s second, has 40 rooms and can house up to 80 patients.

The small centre has two operating rooms, two rehabilitation centres and a diagnostic unit.

It offers the same services as the Palma centre and will share some of the workload, including attending to some of the 2,500 out-patients.

It took just under 18 months to build the 6,000sqm site at a cost of around €12 million.

A public park aimed at benefiting patients and their families has also opened next to the hospital.

Friends.

Reset.

Music.

At OD Port Portals we have our own star rating. In fact, we have all the stars of the Mallorca sky and we will enjoy them all together every summer night at OD Sky Bar, on our spacious terrace and at our restaurant On Top. A hotel full of local experiences, music, art, gastronomy, yoga, pre-parties, flea markets, brunches, concerts, Pilates, tardeo, sea, sun and all the stars. A hotel full of life.

Horizon.

Sunset.

Memories.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

GOLDEN GREATS

AN Italian trattoria that specialises in tripe is hoping to steal a Madrid eatery’s title and become officially the world’s oldest restaurant.

Paolo Trancassini, the owner of La Campana in Rome, believes his restaurant has been open since 1518.

He is now asking the Guiness Book of Records to re-examine the title of the world’s oldest restaurant, currently held by Sobrino de Botin which opened in the Spanish capital in 1725.

The Madrid establishment counts American writers Ernest Hemmingway and Truman Capote among its previous customers.

21

October 25th - November 10th 2019

Playing store detective A NEW app that tells users if supermarket foods are ‘ultra-processed’ has been launched in Spain.

The app ‘MyRealFood’ is the brainchild of Carlos Rios, a social media influencer and nutritionist with more than 1.5 million Instagram followers.

He said he aimed to raise awareness of the ‘realfooding’ movement, which advocates a diet based on avoiding

COST-cutting measures will see restaurants in Mallorca rate themselves for food hygiene.

The Balearic Islands public health department has unveiled a website on which eateries will be able to publish their own selfassessments, provided they’ve previously been

processed and pre-cooked products.

Rios said the movement is ‘not a fad’ and estimates that 80% of what consumers buy in supermarkets is ultraprocessed.

The new app allows users to scan produce before purchasing and check whether food is ‘ultra-processed’, ‘healthy processed’ or ‘real food’.

DIY hygiene ratings Balearic restaurants to self-publish food hygiene data in government bid to save cash

rated acceptable by a food safety inspector.

Restaurants’ first self-

Winter freeze

AFTER three years of a growing winter season in Mallorca, this year a 7% decrease in flights is forecast.

From November until the end of March, airlines have 6.4 million seats available in and out of Palma.

The 2018 winter season saw a growth of 15% in winter flights compared to the year before.

The largest number of winter flights go between Palma and Germany, mainly because of the country giving a €350 million contract to Condor airlines, a subsidiary of the nowbankrupt Thomas Cook.

Germany bailing out Condor ‘has saved the winter season in the tourist areas of Mallorca, and without it there would have been a real disaster,” according to local hotel associations.

“The statistics of the airport during the winter program would have been massively negatively impacted,” said Aena, the company that runs the Palma Airport.

“Luckily the airline will operate until the end of the winter season,” Aena continued.

evaluation must be followed up with a one-toone inspector, but afterwards owners will be able to submit their own rating between 1 (very poor) and 5 (excellent) online.

The website, ‘eligehigienealimentaria.info,’ will eventually try to incorporate other information available online into its ratings, such as TripAdvisor scores.

The government launched the initiative in order to cut down on staffing costs.

The department for food safety currently has 38 inspectors, but it claims it can’t afford to employ anymore.

“We cannot do more field work. There aren’t enough

staff and there never will be,” said Antoni Colom, head of food safety for the Balearic Islands.

While it is up to eateries themselves to decide whether to submit their scores on the website, Colom said that restaurants which fail to post on the website would risk indicating that they have ‘something to hide’ to consumers.

“Fictitious or fraudulent [assessments] will not be published on the web: it will only be those that have minimum guarantees,” added Colom.

He did not explain how the authorities would filter out fake assessments.

What’s on for foodies!

I

ndian Halloween

BINDI Indian restaurant in Santa Catalina is throwing a Halloween party, with costume contests, a spooky show and special street food.

M

allorcan buns

SUBWAY sandwiches ‘Mallorcan style’ take over Palma every Wednesday from November 20 at the Rute del Llonguet, a food festival route at 40 bakeries around the city.

S

hroom celebration

MUSHROOMS have their own day at the Alaro Mushroom Food Festival, highlighting the Mallorcan ‘bolets’ in restaurants around town until November 3.

COLUMNISTS

22

October 25th - November 10th 2019

Dolly Mixtures Just when you thought things couldn’t get more PC, meet Wheelchair Barbie and her genderneutral grandkids, writes Belinda Beckett

S

HE sashayed onto the market in a clingy zebra print onepiece in 1959, the first doll with proper breasts and an hourglass figure. Barbie turns 60 this year and I’d like to know the name of her plastic surgeon!

But although she doesn’t look her age, she’s not the blonde/brunette 34-2434 bombshell I recall from Christmas toy shop visits of childhood (Mum got me a Sindy doll – ‘British-made, better class and more demure’). Not many people know that the original Barbie was modelled on a German doll called Lilli who was a prostitute gag gift

handed out at bachelor parties.

Nobody’s perfect and Mattel her American makers have been tweaking bits over the years to keep her relevant, morphing her from 60s dolly bird to 70s disco queen to 80s career woman. Astronaut Barbie and Presidential Candidate Barbie became the cheerleaders in the ‘glass-ceiling’busting’ Nineties while Noughties Barbies in a range of skin tones with curvier shapes championed racial and body image issues.

Today Barbie is the epitome of diversity with over 100 personas and counting. But sales of the doll have been on

a downward spiral so, for her big SixO, ‘to elevate the conversation around physical disabilities’, Mattell has put her in a wheelchair and given her a removable prosthetic leg). You couldn’t make it up, although clearly someone did. Coming soon is a same-sex Barbie wedding set so it looks like poor

OP Puzzle solutions

Across: 7 Perhaps, 8 Niece, 9 Nasal, 10 Content, 11 Raindrop, 13 Stop, 15 Loss, 16 Sorcerer, 19 Zambezi, 20 Blest, 22 Reign, 23 Acrobat.

Down: 1 Opener, 2 Ores, 3 Ballads, 4 Psychological, 5 Deserter, 6 Beat-up, 8 Nine, 12 Insomnia, 14 Iceberg, 15 Lizard, 17 Rotate, 18 Bean, 21 Ebbs.

SUDOKU

Quick Crossword

old are my friends). It was the new Creatable World ‘gender-neutral’ dolls from the same Mattel family which are tipped to be one of the hottest items Santa Amazon will be delivering to family homes this Christmas. A doll for everyone – ‘designed to keep labels out and invite everyone in’, they come with prepubescent bodies, androgynous features and mix-andmatch hair and clothes that can be styled as male, female or in-between.

The LGTBQ community seem to like it - America’s National Center for Transgender Equality has even retweeted tweaked lyrics to Aqua’s Barbie Girl song: ‘I’m a non-binary doll, In a binary world, You can brush my hair, Please use the pronoun ‘their.’

Mattel admits, “Some parents may

feel uncomfortable about a toy that creates a situation where gender will need to be discussed with their child”.

And it certainly makes a lively topic for ye old traditional Christmas Family Bust-Up. But I’m wondering what all the fuss is about. Apart from Sindy with her modest B-cup, all my dolls were gender neutral including - to my huge disappointment when I ripped off his combat trousers – my brother’s Action Man. And anyway they’re not that PC as they’re all made of plastic. Biodegradable Barbie has yet to be invented.

Pending that, I rather fancy Hasbro’s gender-swapped version of Monopoly, entitled Ms Monopoly, where women players earn more than men. Bring it on!

The paper NOT to miss on Mallorca island THE Olive Press is now distributing all over the island in an incredible 500-plus locations.

Found at golf courses, tourist offices, museums and petrol stations, it has become the most sought-after English newspaper in MalAlaro Alcanada Alcanada Alcudia ALGAIDA Andratx Andratx BENDINAT BENDINAT BENDINAT Binissalem Cala Estancia

lorca every fortnight. Look out for one of our many stands, as seen here at Santa Catalina market, in Palma, and in Andratx town centre.

We print between 7,000 to 8,000 copies every issue and take our distribution very seriously,

Aim estage agent Alcanada Golf Spar Tourist Information EROSKI Tourist Information CCA Andratx CAN NATURA Lindew Hotel Real Golf at Bendinant Eroski Aqua Restaurant

EASY TO FIND: Fara Homes in Andratx

Cala D’or Cala D’or CALVIA CALVIA Cala Llamp CAMP DE MAR CAMPOS CAN PASTILLA CAN PASTILLA CAN PASTILLA Can Picafort COSTA DE LA CALMA Costa den Blanes Costa den Blanes Deia Deía EL TORO ES CAPDELLA Esporle Festival Park Inca Inca Llucmajor MAGALUF Maioris Manacor Manacor PAGUERA PAGUERA PALMA

and need you, the readers to keep us informed of numbers... and more importantly if each location needs more or less papers.

We also want to know where you would like to see it and where you don't think we should

Yacht Club Eroski ROSITA RESTAURANT TOWN HALL Gran Folies Golf De Andratx HIPER CENTRO SPAR EROSKI AQUARIUM Ponderosa Beach Bar THE GLASGOW SUNDOWNERS MOODS Robert Graves Museum Forn Deía SPAR BAR NOU Spar Tourist Info Office Barretts Hipercentro EROSKI Golf Club Pontiene Maioris Gof Club Lidl Bar Mingos VILAMIL HOTEL TOURIST INFORMATION BOATHOUSE

bother. Here are a select group of a few dozen key drops.

Please get in touch at Newsdesk@theolivepress.es to find your nearest drop or suggest another.

WELL STOCKED: Stands are always regularly stocked such as Santa Catalina market PALMA PALMA PALMA PALMA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMA NOVA PALMANOVA PALMANOVA Palmanyola Pollensa

Santa Catalina market Palma University Real Club Nautico First Mallorca Eroski Tourist Office GOLF FANTASIA EROSKI Palmanova Gardens Mari Cunningham Son Termens Golf Pollensa Golf

Pollensa PORT ADRIANO Port Alcudia Port Andratx Port Andratx Port Alcudia Port Pollensa Port Pollensa Port Soller PORTALS NOUS Portixol PUERTOPORTALS

Eroski Sansibar Lidl Cepsa Garage Tourist Office Eroski Real Club Nautico The Stay Hotel Jumeirah NICE PRICE Portixol Hotel Reeves

Advertise with The Olive Press TEL: (+34) 951 273 575 EMAIL: sales@theolivepress.es

SPORT SPORT Granada gains

GRANADA CF have made a great start to the new season, sitting third in La Liga, only two points off Barcelona who sit top.

The newly-promoted Andalcuian team have made an unprecedented start, winning five games, drawing and losing two.

The side earned their fifth win last weekend, beating Osasuna 1-0 in a hard-fought game.

And Granada have stunned champions Barcelona last month, beating the Catalans 2-0, and even in their recent defeat to Real Madrid, a 4-2 loss, Granada tried until the bitter end.

So far they have earned 17 points, which is their best ever start to La Liga.

Only one team was relegated after earning at least the same points from their opening nine matches in the league - local rivals Sevilla, in the 1971/1972 season.

Granada have scored five goals with headers, more than any other team in the top five European leagues.

If you have a sports story, newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575

23

October 25th - November 10th 2019

Basque in glory A list of the fastest balls ever recorded featured Jai Alai, a sport known to the Basque region but not so well known to the rest of the world

A BASQUE sport is the third fastest ball game in the world, new data has revealed.

Jai Alai involves a ball bouncing off walls and accelerating it to high speeds with a handheld cesta, a curved racket.

In 2017, sportsman of the game, Ibon Aldazabal, reached 305.77km and broke the sport’s top-speed world record which had previously been held for

Last-gasp entry

over 40 years.

It’s been listed third of the fastest balls to ever occur in sport.

Baseball came fifth, Giancarlo Stanton hitting a ball at 199km

Sport for all THE Balearics government is beefing up funding for women’s sports and marginalised groups with a budget three times the size of last year’s.

It comes as part of the Islands’ plan to promote the integration of female athletes and disenfranchised groups in mainstream sports, and this year there’s €180,000 in the pot.

and Aroldis Chapman throwing at 172 km in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Sam Groth served with a speed of 263.4km in tennis during the

The extra money will sponsor youngsters at risk of social exclusion and subsidise sports training for women.

The social integration project will receive €60,000, sports technical training for women will get €20,000 while €100,000 will be put towards women’s and mixed teams at a national level.

By contrast, last year such projects received a budget of just €60,000 overall.

Frozen Food TM

902 123 282

Contents insurance guarantee What about the contents of your fridge? A big part of our monthly expenditure goes on shopping for food.

And a fridge packed full of food is a significant cost. Imagine your fridge or freezer stops working and all the food is quickly ruined. Will it be covered as part of your contents insurance?

If you need to claim, simply provide a copy of the repair invoice for the fridge or freezer, and in the event of a power cut spoiling your food contents, then a justification from the electricity company confirming the power outage.

Our home insurance policy covers the contents of your fridge and freezer up to a maximum of €300 per claim for food stored in a domestic refrigerator or freezer that has been spoiled due to the fridge or freezer unit breaking down or a power cut that lasts longer than six consecutive hours.

during the hotter summer months. And it’s not only the contents of your fridge or freezer that can be spoiled, expensive electronics, home alarm systems and other appliances may be af-2/8/18 17:01 fected. We recommend you install surge protectors and remember to unplug your most prized electronics during thunderstorms.

Tips for power cuts and surges

* 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 Power e r s o n l y.cuts G u a and ra nte surges e s u b j e care t to cove r, re p a i r at a nuisance a p pFridge rove d gand a ra g e, a n d co ucover r te s y ve c l e ava i l a b i l i tand y. S uoften b j e c t occur to co n during d i t i o n s.thunderstorms O f fe r e n d s 3 0 / 1 1 / 1 8 . freezer ash istandard

Putting in a claim

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

2012 Busan Open in South Korea, and following that in football, the hardest ball was kicked

by Ronny Heberson.

His freekick flew into the net at 210.8km in 2006 for Sporting Lisbon.

The second fastest ball ever recorded was Ryan Winther’s drive in 2013, which soared at 349.38km at the Orange County National Driving Range in Orlando.

The fastest ever was achieved in badminton in 2017, when Mads Pieler Kolding struck a shot that hit a velocity of 426 km in a Indian Premier League match, speedier than the fastest ever bullet train.

SPAIN secured its place in the 2020 European Championship in the dying embers of the game against Sweden, which finished 1-1.

Rodrigo Moreno salvaged a point for the side in the 93rd minute, the away side having trailed since the 51st minute when Marcus Berg opened the scoring from close range.

The Valencia striker saved Spain’s blushes, finding himself in the right position to tap in a crossed ball.

The point leaves Spain top of Group F, five points clear of Wednesday night’s opponents, who will now have to file for automatic qualification with Romania.

Spain will want to better their exit for World Cup 2018 in the round of 16, when Russia trounced them 4-1 on penalties.

Winning dress THE 2020 Evooleum contest, which chooses the best olive oil in the world, named Spain’s ‘Gold Bailen Picua’ as the winner.

FINAL WORDS

Mental marathon BRITISH dad Mick Slater, 55, from Derby, is walking over 1,000 miles from Marbella to Monaco to raise money for mental health charity Mind. If you want to give Mick a helping hand, visit his Just Giving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/mickslater.

Runaway babes A HERD of pigs has escaped from their pen and caused gridlock in Puerto Andratx as they invaded a road.

First ever dock ONE of the most modern cruise ships, Spirit of Discovery, has docked in Palma for the first time ever.

OLIVE PRESS

The

NEWS IN BRIEF

FREE

MALLORCA

Back breaker Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 3 Issue 66 www.theolivepress.es October 25th - November 10th 2019

PARENTS in Elche are fuming after their children have been forced to carry more than 10kg of books in their school backpacks.

Experts have outlined that no more than 10% of a person’s bodyweight should be carried on their shoulders. But a number of families have now denounced their institutions where one daughter weighing 48kg has been burdened with a 20kg backpack - more than 20% of her bodyweight.

Trick or treat?

Spanish officer causes diplomatic incident after driving into Gibraltar to buy chocolate treats with work mates A SPANISH Proteccion Civil chief never imagined that nipping to Gibraltar to treat work mates to some chocolate would cause a diplomatic incident.

But when Jesus Manuel Narvaez, head of the El Burgo Protección Civil, drove three colleagues onto the British territory on Sunday, that’s just what happened.

After finishing their shift in Manilva, Narvaez asked permission to make the excursion.

Narvaez wanted to buy chocolate and canned butter to treat his team.

“I wanted, in some way, to motivate my colleagues,” he revealed “to thank them for their dedication.

“We didn’t know you couldn’t enter Gibraltar with an official

Bleat street

OVER 2,000 sheep have taken over the streets of Madrid for a bizarre annual event. The Fiesta de la Trashumancia took place in the Spanish capital, along an old migration route shepherds traditionally used to take livestock south for the winter.

Sheep wear bells for the celebration, which was updated in 1994, and this year also featured 100 goats.

SNACKTIME: A trip for treats landed four officers in hot water vehicle.”

“If they had told us it couldn’t be done, we would have turned around, parked in La Linea and changed our clothes and entered, but no one told us anything.” The vehicle passed the border without being stopped by Policia Nacional or British police.

But when it parked in Governor’s Street, people began to take pictures.

“A couple of police approached us and told us we couldn’t have an official car like it and took us to the police station,” added Narvaez. “They treated us well.”

They were questioned before

being returned to the border.

The footage of the car on the Rock incensed Chief Minister Fabian Picardo however, before suspending four border officers, pending an investigation.

“The incident is more than just concerning,” the newly reelected leader wrote in a statement.

“I am asking all relevant bodies to explain to me how on earth this has happened and to ensure it does not happen again.”

He added: “This is frankly not acceptable. Our systems have failed today and they must not fail again.”

Biker groan

A MOB of motorbikes will take over the streets of Palma on Sunday to protest against ‘unsafe roads.’

The International Union for the Defense of Motorcyclists has called for the demonstration, which is also taking in place 25 other cities around Spain under the slogan ‘for the right to life’.

The group is protesting unsafe guardrails, ‘bad practices’ when investigating traffic accidents and a lack of policies aimed at protecting motorcyclists.

Organisers have described the demonstration as ‘a shout of struggle and revolution for the right to life’.

It comes as more than 300 motorcyclists have died in Spain so far this year, more often than not after crashing into guardrails. More than 900 others have been injured.

Sunday’s protest will begin at the San Carlos military museum in Palma near Porto Pi and head west to Calvia.