HAPPYTHE EASTER INDEED, AS OLIVE PRESSWHAT FINALLY REACHES ALL DEBATE RAGES ON WITH ABOUT WAS SPOTTED EIGHT ANDALUCIA PROVINCES 30,000 PAPERS PRINTED OVER ESTEPONA THIS EASTER, SEE P30
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HOPE ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY SINCE PORTUGAL SNATCH:
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EXCL U oliv
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I saw Maddie on Nerja beach SIVE
EXCLUSIVE By Eloise Horsfield
A BRITISH expat has come forward believing to have seen Maddie McCann in Nerja – exactly five years since her disappearance. Rose Johnson, 70, reckons she saw the missing girl playing on Penoncillo beach – between Torrox and Nerja - last summer. The Frigiliana-based pensioner hopes her sighting will help Portuguese police who sensationally sent a request to their Spanish counterparts to investigate other sightings in Nerja just a fortnight ago. The former cleaner, who has lived in the area for a decade, has spoken out after reading an article in the Olive Press, last issue. She revealed how she had made the sighting while eating at Merendero restaurant with her partner in August last year. “We were quite taken aback when we saw this Maddie look-a-like walk off the beach and join a table of
May 03 - 16, 2012
FRYING THE FLAG FOR SPAIN
Spain has world’s top female and most influential chef See pages 10 and 47
A third of EU jobless are Spanish THEN AND NOW: Maddie, aged three, and possibly today
SPOTTED: Merendero and Rose
Expat believes she saw ‘airy fairy’ girl with dark-skinned family and Portuguese people carrier last summer what we could only describe as a party of Spanish people or similar,” said Johnson. “They were completely different to her. The whole
family was dark skinned, whereas she had fair hair and pale skin and obviously was northern European. “It was very, very strange.
She was about eight and seemed really airy-fairy, and in a world of her own. “She hardly spent any time with the family and didn’t sit with the people she was with at
all.” Johnson later saw something equally startling. “As we crossed the road to our car, just up the road
was a dark blue or grey car, a people carrier or similar – possibly a Citroen Picasso or Renault Scenic – with a Portuguese number plate,” said Johnson, originally from Buckinghamshire. “We, like a lot of people, and especially her parents, want her found and any information we can give we would like to think it could help.” Regretting that she did not take a picture with her mobile phone, she added: “We Turn to Page 14
A THIRD of all Europe’s unemployed are Spanish, it has emerged. It comes as the country goes back into recession for the first time since 2010. In more bad news, ratAings THIRD of Standard all Europe’s agency & unemployed are Spanish, Poor downgraded theit has emerged. country’s credit rating Ittwo comes as the notches fromcountry A to went back into recession for BBB+. the firstfirm time since The has 2010. already Indowngraded more bad news Spain ratings once agency Standard & Poor this year and warned it downgraded the country’s may be forced to lower its credit ratingrating further two if thenotches situafrom to BBB+. tionAfails to improve. The has already Thefirm country went downback graded Spain once this year into recession – shrinkand it may beinforced ingwarned by 0.3 per cent the tofirst lower itsmonths rating of further three the if the situation fails to improve. Turn to Page 4
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A MAN who locked his four-year-old step daughter in the boot of his car so she ‘wouldn’t catch chicken pox’ has been jailed. A judge in Torremolinos jailed the 27-year-old after he was arrested in Benalmadena for illegal detention and attempted murder. Police were called to the scene after a neighbour heard the child’s cries coming from the boot of the car. Officers were forced to rescue her by smashing a window. The victim told police that her mother’s boyfriend had hit her and locked her in the boot. He argued that he had locked her in the boot as a precaution as there was a family member suffering from chicken pox staying in the house. But the judge ruled that although he did not intend to kill the girl, his actions could have caused her death.
Cheque con EXCLUSIVE by James Bryce A BRITISH expat is warning others to be wary of a job advert offering ‘up to 1,000 euros a week’ to cash cheques for a food company based in England. Jeannette Pinnock, 58, from Estepona, became suspicious after answering an advert in a rival newspa-
Warning after expat unwittingly gets involved in suspect employment when answering job advert per, asking for more details about the position. She received a response claiming the company was having trouble processing cheques from Spanish customers.
SUSPECT: The offending advert
Let off for drug gang By Eloise Horsfield A LONDONER has been jailed for trafficking amphetamines – while watching his four other alleged gang members get acquitted. The gang allegedly led a lavish lifestyle with homes in Marbella, Tenerife and Scotland, spending millions on luxury villas, fast cars and yachts. But after a four year operation only one of the gang, Stephen Brown, 45, was found guilty of trafficking the drug speed between Spain and Scotland. Brown was handed a sixand-a-half year sentence and an 8,000 euro fine by Madrid’s National Criminal Court.
The court was unable to find alleged ringleader Glaswegian Ronald O’Dea, 45, guilty of running a lucrative drugs empire. Fellow Scots Mary Durkin Hendry, 61, Ian Donaldson, 32, and James McDonald, 62, were also cleared due to lack of evidence.
Hiding
Last week the court heard how Donaldson had been arrested in 2009 after police found him hiding in a farm loft in Scotland with a bag stuffed with £70,000. While the Spanish judge ruled that there was almost certainly clandestine activities between the accused he concluded there was insufficient evidence to convict them.
It was looking to ‘employ people to cash the cheques for them’. Pinnock’s contact - who gave his name as ‘Robin Wilson’ and supplied a London address - instructed her to transfer the funds at Western Union after cashing the cheques. She was to take 200 euros from each as her commission. “Their English wasn’t very good in the emails and they refused to give any more details about the company,” Pinnock told the Olive Press. “They sent me four cheques in the name of Jose Ramirez, each worth 500 euros, but the bank refused to cash them. “The manager told me the person named on the cheque needed to be there in person to present a passport. “I certainly won’t be accepting any more cheques from them. It is all very dodgy.”
Bag-snatcher tries to take toddler instead A MAN has been arrested for trying to steal a toddler from the arms of a mother who refused to give him her bag. The 35-year-old from Barcelona, approached the woman who was taking her son to school and made a grab for her handbag. When he failed he instead tried unsuccessfully to take the child before running away. He was arrested later.
HUMAN TRAFFIC STOPPED
Tenerife on suspicion of organising the illegal entry of large numbers of Iranians into the UK. The gang used a network of safe-houses in Spain, as well as stolen travel documents and credit cards to move the immigrants around. The multi-national gang were charged with offences including falsification of documentation, credit card fraud and people smuggling. “The UK Border Agency continues to work in close partnership with the Spanish Police Authorities to tackle illegal migration and the criminal gangs behind it,” said UK Border Agency ILLEGAL: The gang used stolen travel documents spokesman Simon Cooper. A PEOPLE trafficking gang has been busted following a joint operation between British and Spanish authorities. Nine people were arrested in Madrid and
NEWS
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Roca ‘n’ roll
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Madge fan fury
TOO PRICEY: Madonna
PREGNANT: Pataky
Elsa’s future Avenger SPANISH actress Elsa Pataky has been showing off her growing baby bump on the red carpet. The 35-year-old star joined her husband Chris Hemsworth who is currently promoting his flick The Avengers. Despite having just months to go before becoming a first-time mum, Elsa showed no signs of slowing down and stunned the London crowds in a floor length emerald green dress by Hoss Intropia. Meanwhile Australian actor Chris, 28, showed he was a proud father-to-be as he playfully stroked his wife’s belly. The couple, who married at the end of 2010, announced the baby news in February, as Elsa confirmed to the Spanish Hola! magazine: “Chris and I are ecstatic.”
The 28 million euro palace that might get crook Juan Antonio Roca out of jail IT could just prove to be his get-out-of-jail card. The sale of Juan Antonio Roca’s Madrid palace dubbed ‘villa Roca’ - could give the planning crook enough money to pay off his existing fines. It comes after his 18th century Villagonzalo Palace
went on the market for 28 million euros with a rumoured buyer willing to pay the asking price. The building, initially built by the Marquis of Ustariz and reformed in the nineteenth century, is the former home of the Count of Villagonzalo.
The ex-Marbella planning chief - currently at the centre of the ongoing Malaya corruption case – bought the 5,520 metres squared property in 2002 with the initial intention of turning it into a hotel. Now the judge leading the Malaya case has given the
Goldfinger delay SCOTTISH actor Sean Connery (left) has still not been forced to answer questions in the so called Goldfinger case. The court in Marbella has been kept waiting for 18 months for the actor and his wife Micheline to explain their involvement in the money laundering case. He failed to show up in court in October 2010, claiming ‘ill health’. The case is related to the sale of a beach front villa that was later turned into 72 luxury apartments. The judge in the case has now been moved to the Ministry of Justice making a grilling for the Bond star even less likely.
Keeping it in the family JAVIER Bardem is to play a neo-Nazi in a Spanish film based on a novel by his brother Carlos. The Spaniard (left) will play a character called Solis in Alacran Enamorado (Scorpion in Love), a love story between a Latin American immigrant and a member of a neo-Nazi group. The actor could also star with his wife Penelope Cruz, and alongside Brad Pitt, in the Ridley Scott drama The Counselor. The pair have already featured in three previous films together, with filming set to get underway in June.
green light to the sale which will allow Roca (above) to settle debts with Marbella imposed by the High Court in relation to the trial. Along with two associates he has been ordered to pay the town hall 22.9 million euros. The debt has prevented Roca from getting early release in an offshoot of the Malaya case, known as Saqueo, for which he has already been convicted.
Investigation
Barcelona blues for Rivas SHE may once have been a Chelsea fan during her time as Frank Lampard’s fiancee. But Spaniard Elen Rivas (above) has shown her true colours by posing in a Barcelona baseball cap for the match against her former lover’s team. The 37-year-old, who was born in the city, posted photos on Twitter before writing: ‘Off to the bar to watch #Barca.’ It was Lampard who had the last laugh though as Chelsea claimed a 3-2 win to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League.
He has now already served six years of a seven year sentence, but the judge has refused to allow early release until the fine is paid. He still faces further jail time for other aspects of the Malaya case, Europe’s biggest ever fraud investigation. The house is one of Spain’s most expensive properties. The country’s current record is the sale of an estate in Mallorca last year for an incredible 125 million euros.
MADONNA fans are up in arms after being forced to stump up a staggering 106 euros a ticket for the only Spanish date on her world tour in June. A number of disgruntled fans have posted complaints on forums after tickets for the Barcelona show went on sale. One fan, Nek, wrote to forum All About Madonna. com saying: “I think these prices are too expensive for many people.” Madonna, 53, will play the city’s Palau Sant Jordi stadium on June 20 – with the superstar said to be taking around 90 per cent of the ticket sale cost herself. “The question is definitely whether ticket prices are too high,” said Gary Bongiovanni from ticket vending website Pollstar. “Sales were brisk for the first few days and then they tapered off,” admitted a source close to the tour.
Animated acting
THE dulcet tones of Malaga’s favourite son are to feature in a big-budget 3D animation. Actor Antonio Banderas, who also produced the 22 million euro Justin and the Knights of Valour, will voice the character of the vain and phoney Sir Clorex. The film also stars British actors Rupert Everett and Julie Walters.
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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News IN BRIEF
Puffing push
AN anti-smoking association has filed complaints against 30 bars in Torremolinos it claims are not enforcing smoking bans in public places.
Bed down
Fuengirola shop Yorkshire Linen, which provides quality bedding, towels and soft furnishings, is celebrating its fourth birthday this month.
Mayor meet Estepona Town Hall is holding a bilingual ‘Meet the Mayor’ session on May 7, with foreign residents invited to submit questions by May 4.
Bad builds
A recent inspection of 200 building sites by Mijas Town Hall found a quarter did not have a licence, with 10 being shut down.
NEWS
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Thousands affected by new train route THOUSANDS of homeowners are bracing themselves after a plan was submitted to run the Mediterranean Corridor along the Costa del Sol. While running largely parallel to the A-7 motorway, the new proposed rail line cuts across open farmland inland from Manilva to Algeciras, as well as a section inland from Marbella and west of Fuengirola. Backed by the Malaga authorities, lobby group Ferrmed has proposed the line from Almeria to Algeciras, via Malaga. The route, which includes stops in Motril and Marbella - currently the only town in Spain with a population over 100,000 without a train station – also includes a freight line. The western stretch from Malaga would cost an estimated 7.5 billion euros alone and include nine tunnels and 10 viaducts. From Page 1
New plan for Med Corridor sees it follow the A-7 motorway along the Costa del Sol Ferrmed justified the cost by emphasising the high economic impact the line would have on the area. The study has now been presented to the government, which will need to have it rubber stamped by
Joblessness
year after the same decline at the end of 2011. Retail sales fell for the 21st consecutive month, and falling property prices mean Spain’s banks may need billions to survive. Worst of all, Spain’s unemployment hit a record high last week with one in four (5.6m) unemployed nationally and 33 per cent of Andalucians without a job. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said: “The figures are terrible for everyone and terrible for the government. Spain is in a crisis of huge proportions.”
the European Commission if it is to go ahead. Speaking after the meeting the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, stressed the importance of the corridor for commercial development between Europe and Asia. He insisted it ‘made more sense to run the freight line along the coast than inland which has steep inclines preventing the passage of big trains.’ According to a map printed in Diario Sur, the route appears to go inland near Pueblonuevo de Guadiaro and San Martin de Tesorillo before cutting down to La Linea, not Algeciras.
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NEWS
Cat-astrophe EXCLUSIVE By James Bryce A BRITON is suing a pet transport company after it lost her cat while travelling between Spain and the UK. Jane Rolfe, 35, from Windsor, paid nearly 2,000 euros for her six cats and one dog to be transported by Marbella-based firm EasyPet. But upon delivery of the animals to her home, Rolfe was informed that one cat Cookie had escaped from its travel box at the French port of Calais. The PA and her husband Paul, 39, insist their pet could not have escaped if the firm had transported the animals
Expats sue travel firm after they lose their beloved pet enroute to UK
LOST: Jane Rolfe and missing cat Cookie in the pre-agreed travel pens. “I am heartbroken,” Rolfe told the Olive Press.
Dramatic rescue saves 40 dogs
ANIMAL lovers have saved nearly 40 dogs from certain death after they were found in squalid conditions. Rescuers were horrified to find 38 dogs living alongside the rotting corpses of eight that had died two months earlier. The dogs were found after Priego de Cordoba Town Hall ordered the eviction of tenants from a house in the town. But, after keeping the dogs for 10 days they were set to be put down, until the last minute intervention from a local animal charity saved them. Incredibly Mascotas de Priego worked with several associations to re-house the animals, some abroad. “As a result of hard work and a collaboration between associations none of the dogs will be put down,” Irish expat Graham Beirne, 46, told the Olive Press. The volunteer continued: “Even in the current economic climate a lot of people have been very generous to help save them. “What was found in the house is beyond comprehension,” he added. “Eight dogs were in an advanced state of decomposition, in the living space of the other dogs who were very scared. “There was an unbearable stench of faeces and urine. “The dogs are getting better, but fundraising will continue.” Anyone wishing to help or donate should visit www.mascotasdepriego.org
“If they had handled the situation better it wouldn’t have been as bad but it makes me so angry. “They claimed the animals would be transported in travel pens for the entire journey, but then told me he had escaped from a domestic box which was dropped,” continued the mother, who returned to the UK after living for five years in Sotogrande.
Microchip
“I just don’t want anyone to experience what I and my family have over the last few weeks,” she added. According to a spokeswoman for EasyPet the accident happened when Cookie was moved into the domestic box in order to have its microchip scanned more easily and was not dropped. “Cookie was stressed and the front of the box broke off due to him moving around so much,” she said. “We spent several days looking for him.” She continued: “We realise that no amount of money can replace a pet. “We have not lost a package or furniture but part of someone’s family. We feel bad enough, I can assure you.”
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
OPINION OPINION
Remembering Maddie IT is five years exactly since Madeleine McCann disappeared from her holiday home in Portugal, and more important than ever that we take any possible sightings seriously. Nobody knows what happened to the three-year-old – now nearly nine – on that fateful May 3 day in 2007, and so every hope remains that she is still alive. With police attention recently turning to Nerja, we all need to be aware that as residents of southern Spain, we can actually help out. If you think you see Maddie, do not hesitate – report it IMMEDIATELY. Even if it comes to nothing, police need to investigate every enquiry in order to stay on the right track. And you never know, maybe – just maybe – it might be her. So everybody should be keeping their eyes and their ears open in the hope that the happy ending we have all dreamed of one day turns to reality.
Swings and roundabouts When Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy came to power at the end of last year, he clearly knew that Spain was in the mire. But surely even he could not have predicted the extent of the fallout from the economic crisis, which has seen Spain become regular cannon fodder for politicians across Europe. The constant stream of bad news about credit ratings and unemployment figures feels a bit like kicking someone when they are already down. But while Spain may be back in recession, history tells us that these things come in cycles and more prosperous times lie ahead.
Singing Spain’s praises Pavarotti once said that ‘one of the nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.’ So it is great to get some good news in these troubling times that Spain now boasts both the world’s top female chef, Elena Arzak, and the most influential chef Jose Andres. Even better Spain has maintained its iron grip on the world’s Top Ten best restaurants poll. It is perhaps a sign of the times that the most influential person in Spain, and the only Spaniard listed in Time’s Top 100, is a chef and not a politician. But it bodes well for a country that is keen to promote its culture, food and wine around the world. Here at the Olive Press we are particular fond of good food, which is why we launched our website www.diningsecretsofandalucia.com to share our favourite restaurants with our readers. The site continues to grow and is fast becoming the number one reference point for eating out in Andalucia. So forget your troubles and make the most of having some of the world’s best restaurants right on your doorstep.
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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 150,000 copies distributed monthly (90,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 450,000 people a month. Design and page layout: Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: Jackie McAngus B91664029 jackie@theolivepress.es Urb Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon Admin/advertising sales: 13, Arriate 29350 Malaga Pauline Olivera Printed by Corporación de admin@theolivepress.es Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es News Editor: Wendy Williams 689646049 wendy@theolivepress.es Reporters: James Bryce james@theolivepress.es and Eloise Horsfield eloise@theolivepress.es Distribution: 951 166 060
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COMMENT
EVER have 11 Spanish words been so closely scrutinized. With a slight bow of the head and looking decidedly sheepish, King Juan Carlos faced a long row of TV cameras and ushered the short statement: “I’m very sorry. I made a mistake and it won’t happen again.” Marking the first time in history a Spanish monarch has apologised to his subjects, it came as Spain’s once popular king struggled out of a Madrid hospital on crutches having fallen on a highly controversial hunting trip to Africa. But, the gesture - which looked genuine enough - has done nothing to stop a growing unease that Spain’s royal family could be approaching its very own ‘annus horribilis’. Indeed, for anyone who has picked up a Spanish paper, or watched the TV gossip shows known as the ‘prensa rosa’, recently it is clear that a longtime gnawing undercurrent of anti-monarchist feeling is starting to come to the fore. In a series of back-to-back scandals, the royals have literally and metaphorically shot themselves in the foot, and left themselves open to a degree of censure and ridicule never seen before. First came a fraud scandal involving the king’s son-in-law Inaki Urdangarin, then the Infanta Elena’s son Froilan shot himself in the foot when he was too young to have a gun. Finally came the ‘coup de grace’; an untimely hunting trip to Botswana – costing tens of thousands of euros
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BACKFIRE: King’s ill judged hunting trip has led to gossip about his ‘girlfriend’ Corinna, a German (pictured here)
The Real Royals Following a massive own goal – being caught hunting elephants on a luxury break in Africa – it has become open season on Spain’s once untouchable royals, including claims that Spain’s ‘real’ queen is actually a 46-year-old German By Wendy Williams and paid for by an arab businessman – which ended up with the king falling and fracturing his hip and needing to be flown home. In the heart of Spain’s worst
UNITED FRONT: Royals pose for their annual Mallorca break
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recession, the fact that the president of the WWF was away, shooting elephants, did not play out well in the media. Indeed, it has marked the end of an unwritten 30 year agreement that saw the ruling Bourbon clan largely off limits to the media. The monarchy – long credited with helping to restore the nation to democracy after the Franco dictatorship – has seen a sharp drop in popularity over the last year. The Spanish public is beginning to question how much the 74-year-old monarch is still in touch with his people and whether the royals even notice how ordinary people are suffering.In a poll in El Mundo 52 per cent said the Crown’s image has been tarnished by the king’s escapades in Botswana, with 62
per cent saying they do not approve of the hunting trip nor who funded it. In October last year – after the Inaki fraud scandal the royals popularity rating dropped to below 50 per cent (4.89/10) for the first time in history. When a new poll is published later this week, it is expected to plummet even lower. It is quite a drop for a king who for a long time had a 70 per cent approval rating Somewhat ironically his fall from grace comes almost exactly 81 years after the Second Spanish Republic came to power in April 1931 forcing the royal family to pack their bags.
In Spain there are two queens; the official one and the blonde German princess Now, with report after report beginning to surface about his private life, he may be abdicating in favour of his son sooner than he maybe expected. The latest rumours suggest that the king has largely left behind his wife, Queen Sofia, 73, in favour of his ‘girlfriend’, the German aristocrat Corinna Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, 46. While palace officials refused to confirm who had travelled with him, Italian newspaper
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La Stampa, insisted ‘in Spain there are two queens’; the official one, Sofia, and the unofficial, more ‘provocative and blonde German princess Corinna’. It claimed the pair have been lovers for years after they met in 2006 at a banquet held in the king’s honour in her native town Ditzingen. One online news site elpulso.es added that the king has even told his children about his ‘special friendship’ with the princess, who is separated and conveniently lives with her two children in Madrid. The allegations are also supported by claims made in the controversial book The Solitude of the Queen, published in January by Pilar Eyre. As reported in the Olive Press, Eyre insisted it is an open secret that the king is a keen womaniser who does not spend much time with is SAVIOUR: Commoner Letizia is a breath of his wife, Greek-born Queen Sofia, fresh air for out of touch monarcy who is seen in royal circles ‘as a cold, aloof foreigner’. fuel to the fire. The queen is even rumoured to have stumAs does the incident involving 13-year-old bled upon her husband with one of his alFroilan Marichalar who shot himself through leged lovers, the Spanish film star Sara Monthe foot with a 36-calibre shotgun, undermintiel, at a friend’s country house in Toledo in ing Juan Carlos’s attempts at portraying his 1976. family as humble and law-abiding. Since then she has suffered in ‘dignified siThe king’s former son-in-law, Jaime de Marlence’ as Juan Carlos, who has a fleet of 70 ichalar - who separated from the second vehicles including Franco’s old Rolls-Royce, daughter Infanta Elena in 2007 marking the continues to enjoy a playboy lifestyle. Royal family’s first divorce since the monarMoreover the royal couple - who will have chy was reinstated - was questioned by Civil been married 50 years on May 14 - have not Guard authorities about the shooting. shared a bed for 35 years. And the press reminded the public of the This is a far cry from the advice 1956 tragedy when Juan Carthe king gave his son Felipe in los, then 18, accidentally shot a series of intimate letters that killed his 14-year-old brothThe one person and were later printed in a book The er Alfonso. Prince and the King. to have emerged “The African elephant scandal Writing in 1984 he insisted: is not anecdotal,” says Ignacio unscathed is “We have to build a closely Escolar, one of Spain’s most united family, without fissures popular bloggers. “It cannot be the ‘commoner’ or contradictions, we must not so when the Spanish monarchy forget that on all of us are fixed Princess Letizia has spent months going from the eyes of Spaniards whom scandal to scandal, and when we should serve with body and the economic crisis makes soul.” Spaniards question all their inBut is seems the royal family has indeed forstitutions and when even his own family cangotten. not escape the stain of corruption.” The last months have seen an accumulation Ironically, the one person to have emerged of scandal plaguing them. largely unscathed so far is the ‘commoner’ In recent months the king has struggled to wife of Prince Felipe, Princess Letizia. separate the monarchy from the Noos corrupOnce looked upon with suspicion by the Spantion scandal in Mallorca surrounding his sonish public, the former TV journalist and divorin-law the Duke of Palma Urdangarin. cee is being called the ‘saviour’ of the royals. Urdangarin, supported by his wife the Infanta She may be a ‘commoner’ with divorced parCristina, denies allegations that he used charients and a sister who died in a drug overdose, ties as fronts for taking millions of euros in pubbut it seems the future queen is largely untarlic money, some of it hidden from tax authorinished herself. ties, so he could cash in on his royal name. She is, without a doubt, a breath of fresh air But now statements from his ex partner, Diin a monarchy that has revealed itself as outego Torres, could even show that the King dated and out of touch. himself had a wider role in the matter, acting While her family members have been caught as an intermediary between Urdangarin and on lavish holidays, fraud charges – and now public officials. romantic trysts – her ‘normal’ status may be And while there is no suggestion yet that the just what the royals needs to reconnect with king has done anything illegal, it adds more their country.
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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NEWS
MacAnthony facing ‘new fraud case’ By Wendy Williams
HUNDREDS of victims of former Costa del Sol-based company MRI were overjoyed when its former directors finally faced the music in court last week. And things could be about to get a whole lot worse for boss Darragh MacAnthony, 35, when he is issued with
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It comes after MRI boss finally appeared in a Marbella court along with fellow directors
a second ‘much bigger’ writ for upfront fees. According to Antonio Flores, the Spanish lawyer acting for the group, ‘hundreds more’ clients are to file lawsuits against the Peterborough United owner, over the next few months. “The missing furniture is just one of the irregularities linked to the company,” he insisted. “There is another much more substantial claim over forward payACCUSED: Pickering (left) ments and deand Arespacochaga
posits being made in the not too distant future.” The new claim, currently being prepared on behalf of a staggering 200 British and Irish MRI victims, could total up to 15 million euros. The former Marbella property mogul – who is now said to live in the US – refused to comment after being grilled by a Marbella judge for two hours last week.
Straw man He was asked to explain his involvement in a 600,000 euro case brought by 50 victims, who claimed not to have received furniture packs in Bulgaria, Turkey and Morocco. Alongside him was his for-
IN THE DOCK: MacAnthony
mer chief executive Dominic Pickering and directors Sarah O’Callaghan, and Nicola Shaw. Meanwhile, 90-year-old Fernando Arespacochaga, whose Peruvian company Inmobiliaria Vasco Peruana SAC took over MRI Overseas Property Group in 2010, also turned up for the hearing. The Spaniard, who lives in Madrid, claimed he was only nominally involved in the company, getting paid 600 euros a month to front it. He insisted he was nothing more than a ‘straw man’ and that he only got involved after his nephew assured him that the company was serious. While MacAnthony refused to comment outside court, he told the judge the monies were paid to third party furniture companies in Bulgaria and Turkey, and that they had defaulted and not him. He also claimed that he paid out of his own pocket for many clients.
www.theolivepress.es
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UP WITH THE ELITE
Olive Press enters top 100,000 global websites IT has taken less than five years... but now the Olive Press website is firmly installed in the world’s Top 100,000 websites. Standing proudly at 99,492, www.theolivepress.es is miles above its main competitors Sur in English (283,062) and Euro Weekly News (179,223). The ranking is made by Alexa.com, which compares 30 million sites globally. Only two English websites come above us in Spain, Typically Spanish at 73,038 and Andalucia.com at 37,483. Andalucia.com, started up by Estepona-based expat Chris Chaplow in 1996, is impressively the 8th most visited geographical domain in the world. Meanwhile, our website is getting around 100,000 ‘unique’ visitors a month and an incredible 60,000 people are now reading our paper online each issue That’s over seven times more than in August, just six months ago.
And, here is what a few other advertisers think:
‘A Full House thanks to the OP!’ “
I would like to thank you for promoting our talk about tax issues held in April. We had a full house and it was a great success which was, in part, due to our adverts in The Olive Press. I would also like to thank your readers who attended and let them know that we will be organising a further talk in the autumn, obviously publishing the details in The Olive Press well beforehand.
”
Kind regards, Jose M Lopez Avalos, Senior Partner, Marbella Solicitors Group
An intelligent, thoughtful lot
“
I have been working with the Olive Press and its sister magazine The Green Guide for nearly three years and been absolutely staggered at the sort of decent, upmarket clients that have come my way. Your readers are clearly a thoughtful, intelligent – and above all – a green and sustainably-minded lot. When I recently had a couple of adverts in one of your downmarket rivals I got not one call, despite claims that it was the biggest paper in southern Spain. Keep up the good work.
”
Chris Bourne, Forestry Trading, Gibraltar
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At least two house sales!
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We have had probably a dozen enquiries for homes – and at least two sales – since we started advertising in both the Olive Press and its sister website All About Andalucia Property. Thanks a lot guys.
”
Adam Neale, Terra Meridiana Estate Agents, Estepona
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
Spanish chef: bigger than Obama HE is the only Spaniard to be listed in Time Magazine’s Top 100 most influen-
tial people. And incredibly, Asturian chef Jose Andres (above)
Presidential break MICHELLE Obama’s 2010 sojourn in Marbella with her daughter Sasha cost a staggering 379,000 euros. Judicial Watch, a group dedicated to investigating corruption, has revealed the figures and denounced the excessive cost of the five-day holiday. It comes despite the White House insisting the Obama’s personally footed the bill for the trip in August 2010. The Olive Press was the only newspaper to talk to the ‘world’s most powerful woman’ (right), when we got to ask two questions during a tour of Marbella old town. She told the paper she was ‘having a good time’ and learning some Spanish. She stayed at Villa Padierna Spa, which costs up to 5000 euros a night.
has been voted in at 21st in a list which sees Barack Obama take 62nd place. The Spanish chef was one of Ferran Adria’s apprentices at El Bulli before he moved to the USA where he has lived for the last 20 years. In 2011 he was recognized in the US as the best chef of the year and he collaborates regularly with the US Government on various programmes aimed at promoting healthy eating.
Books
He has also written several books promoting Spanish cuisine, including Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America and Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen. Fellow US chef Anthony Bourdain insisted ‘the man is capable of anything.’ “No one kitchen — or 10 — can contain him,” he said.
www.theolivepress.es
NEWS
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Don’t make us homeless! EXCLUSIVE by Wendy Williams in Almeria A GROUP of British expats is suing the owner of an illegal caravan park in Almeria. Dave Church, 67, who owns a mobile home on Grand Oasis Park, in Los Gallardos, is one of nearly 30 expats who have filed a denuncia against owner Shaun Wilson. They insist Wilson is about to make them homeless by applying for a camping licence for the site, that he
Mobile home owners call in police over plans to force them to move
has run illegally since 2001. They claim that plans submitted to the local town hall show the park with the removal of all the existing mobile homes. “Our lawyer has been told
ANGRY: Grand Oasis Park and (inset) Dave Church
that all homes will have to be removed before a licence is issued and this would leave many owners without a home,” Essex-born Church told the Olive Press. “We are very worried, particularly as we cannot get answers from either the town hall or owner.” The group is now also threatening to sue the town hall for allowing the park to set up minus a licence in the first place. “The town hall must take responsibility for this,” continued Church, who previously took legal action against Wilson in 2009 after he illegally disconnected his water, sewerage and electricity supply. Wilson, who has other parks in Valencia and Alicante, was fined 450 euros and ordered to reconnect them. The Olive Press was unable to contact Wilson despite numerous calls. The town hall declined to comment, but confirmed the park did not have a licence.
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NEWS
News IN BRIEF
More Malaga flights MALAGA Airport will open its second runway in June, boosting capacity to 30 million passengers a year.
Fuming
A Spanish worker is suing his employer after he was sacked for complaining about colleagues breaking antismoking laws, in Barcelona.
More mining
A Rio Tinto copper mine is likely to be reopened later this year after receiving the backing of Andalucia’s political parties, according to operator Emed.
Rice rage
A man already facing domestic abuse charges has been arrested for throwing a pan of hot rice over his wife while drunk at their Mallorcan home.
www.theolivepress.es
Gasmen arrested
A CRACKDOWN on dodgy gas inspectors who target expats has led to 14 arrests in Marbella.
Fake police arrested A GANG of fake police officers who targeted British holidaymakers in Spain has been arrested. The robbers flagged down their victims as they drove away from airports, using the excuse of searching vehicles for drugs. They stole cash, credit cards, jewellery, mobiles and laptops in the Barcelona area, beating anyone who resisted. Police arrested 13 Iranians and seized goods from at least 20 robberies, with detectives estimating the gang made around 10,000 euros per day.
The gasmen - who work for six different companies – often charged up to three times the going rate to carry out unnecessary maintenance work. They are accused of failing to have the right qualifications and of not being registered with the Junta. It follows the recent arrest of four people in Malaga for similar offences.
Pressured
The popular ruse - reported on regularly by the Olive Press in recent years - has led to expats being wrongly charged hundreds of euros for replacement parts or a new certificate. Homeowners are often pressured into having work carried out on the premise that there is a risk of an accident, or are threatened with having their gas cut off. According to regulator Cogasa, gas inspections should only ever be carried out by prior appointment.
www.theolivepress.es
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NEWS
Too depressed for prison By James Bryce
FORMER MP Margaret Moran is not fit to stand trial for fiddling Parliamentary expenses because she is ‘depressed and suicidal,’ a court has heard. The 56-year-old - who once blocked a series of public footpaths around her estate near Orgiva - is suffering from extreme anxiety and has tried to harm herself. According to forensic psychiatrist Philip Joseph she feels an extreme sense of abandonment by the Labour Party. Dr Joseph added that she also harboured feelings of
Former MP Moran who blocked footpaths around her Spanish home gets off expenses charge due to being ‘depressed and suicidal’ guilt, shame and worthlessness and ‘the feeling she is being punished for past
CHURCH SUPPORTS ‘STOLEN BABIES’ NUNS SPANISH bishops have expressed their ‘support’ for Sister Maria Gomez Valbuena, the nun at the centre of the stolen babies’ scandal. Juan Antonio Martinez Camino claimed her convent was the victim of a ‘smear campaign.’ However he insisted the Church would ‘collaborate with the courts.’ Sister Maria – the first nun to be questioned as part of the investigation - refused to testify in court. The 87-year-old later issued a statement denying the accusations. Meanwhile a second nun Juanja Alonso, 97, is also due to be questioned in the ongoing investigations.
mistakes for incidents in her childhood and adolescence.’ Moran faces 15 charges of false accounting and six of submitting forged invoices, between November 2004 and August 2008.
Libel
The former Luton South MP had previously failed in a bid to sue the Olive Press after we revealed she had used official House of Commons notepaper to order neighbours off her land. It later emerged that Moran had put the 800 euro bill from libel lawyers Carter & Ruck through her House of Commons expenses.
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14 Axarquia IN BRIEF
Taxing times
VELEZ-MALAGA residents can claim discounts on their IBI property tax bill by applying to the town hall before June 2.
Doggy date
Scruffs Torrox will hold a dog show on May 26, with entry at five euros per dog per category and prizes to include a portrait for the Pedigree Best in Show.
No tram
The cash-strapped tramway between VelezMalaga and Torre del Mar will be temporarily suspended from the end of May while the town hall awaits Junta funding.
Arty joy
Benagalbon’s Folklore and Performing Arts Centre has opened following 40,000 euros in investment by Rincon Town Hall.
AXARQUIA NEWS
Don’t lychee me! Critics are not convinced about plans to turn Axarquia into ‘land of hope and opportunity’ using lychees and longans By Eloise Horsfield AN exciting plan to turn the ‘forgotten’ Axarquia region into a ‘land of hope and opportunity’, has been laughed at by opposition chiefs. It comes after Malaga boss Elias Bendodo insisted the area had the ‘very essence of Malaga’ and could become
a key engine for the province’s development. Speaking in Velez Malaga on ‘Malaga Province Day’, he proposed a scheme, which would include the collaboration to grow lychees and longans (above) at a farm in Algarrobo. He also insisted the province wanted to better pro-
SNEAKY SELLER
AN estate agent in Velez Malaga has been arrested on charges of embezzlement and falsifying documents. When tasked with transferring 18,000 euros for a property in Torre del Mar, the 58-year-old allegedly created fake receipts and pocketed the money himself. In a separate case, he supposedly showed buyers around partially built flats, then duped them into paying 53,000 euros towards completely fictitious properties – using false names and DNI numbers for the supposed vendor.
Madeleine is ‘alive’ From Page 1
hope people don’t think we are jumping on the bandwagon, looking for publicity. This is simply about Maddie and trying to find her. ” Her sighting is remarkably similar to another Olive Press reader Yvonne Tunnicliffe who insisted she was ‘100 per cent sure’ she saw Maddie while out on a shopping trip in Alhaurin two years ago. She described seeing a blonde girl who looked just like her dad Gerry McCann with a man, who appeared to be ‘a gypsy’, in 2009.
www.theolivepress.es
It has been confirmed that Spain’s Specialist and Violent Crime Unit (UDEV) is investigating the Nerja connection.
Family
Last night, the Olive Press passed over Rose Johnson’s contact details to police to help in their search. Meanwhile Portuguese police have refused to reopen the case after British police revealed there were 195 new leads, despite Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood saying he ‘genuinely’ believes she could be alive.
In addition, a former senior Met officer has said Maddie was ‘most likely abducted by a couple’ who ‘wanted her as part of a family’. Having spent a week on the Algarve, Ian Horrocks, is convinced a paedophile would have found many easier places to snatch a child. He also believes the original investigation was flawed because police were looking for a dead person and got it into their minds that the parents were to blame. Meanwhile the Met Police have issued a photofit of how Maddie might look today.
mote the region’s raisin industry, as well as exploit the birthplace of US Independence War hero Bernardo de Galvez, who was born in 1796 in Macharaviaya. Under the heading Nueva Axarquia he also wants to see the creation of a phone ‘app’ with Orange. Ultimately Bendodo hopes the schemes will create much needed employment in a region that has ‘practically everything’ to offer. Opposition groups have however criticised the plans, with the PSOE insisting the project has ‘no ambition’. They are concerned it will do little to help the 207,000 registered unemployed. The PP boss however laughed off the criticism, insisting that the Axarquia is ‘destined for great things, just around the corner’.
Arty delight
ART and photography fans can look forward to an exhibition hosted by U3A El Morche. Paintings and drawings from Benajarafe Art Group will be displayed alongside pictures by its Photography Group, at La Plata restaurant on May 17 and 18 between 11am and 6pm.
www.theolivepress.es
GIBRALTAR NEWS
Image rights row gets Messi A GIBRALTAR firm is at the centre of a row over the image rights of Barcelona football ace Lionel Messi. The fall-out is over disputed shares in Sport Consultants Ltd, a firm set up by Gibraltarbased Sovereign Trust to control the use of the Argentinean’s commercial image rights. The row - between the player’s mum Celia Maria Cuccittini de Messi and football
Gib jets
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Judge rules in favour of Barcelona star’s mum in fallout over disputed shares agent Rodolfo Hector Schinocca - relates to ownership of 25,000 shares in the company. The judge ruled the mother was the ‘absolute legal and beneficial owner’ of the shares, following a hearing
HALF a dozen Hawk jets from 208 Squadron have landed at RAF Gibraltar, where trainee pilots will ACTION: Hawk jet take part in combat training. It comes during a busy week for the airport, with four RAF Tornado aircraft from 12(B) Squadron also spending time on the Rock as part of a separate training drill.
at Gibraltar’s Supreme Court. Schinocca claimed he had agreed to invest $250,000 in 2004, in return for a 50 per cent stake in the image rights for the three-time World Footballer of the Year. But the Messi family disputed this, claiming they had never agreed for Schinocca to have such a large share in their son’s image rights. Summing up, the judge said: “Mr Schinocca was improperly seeking to maximise his share of profits in Lionel’s image rights and obtain control of the corporate structure through which these were managed and controlled.”
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GIBRALTAR NEWS
www.theolivepress.es
Squashing squatting Authorities clamping down on illegal practice THE Gibraltar government has vowed to take action against illegal squatting. It comes after the Olive Press reported on an arson investigation that could be linked to squatters. We revealed in our last issue how police have linked two
empty for long periods. “We are taking immediate action to refurbish many properties that were abandoned by the former administration. “We take a very serious view of squatting and will do whatever it takes, with police, to ensure that such opportunism, mainly from outside nationals, is considerably £100,000 cleaning contract. minimised.” “When the scale of the new air terJames Rae minal project was revealed, conand girlcerns were expressed not just at the friend Kate considerable capital investment Gooding but also at the potential increase in spoke out running costs,” said Deputy Chief against an Minister Dr Joseph Garcia. increase in “It is clear the concern about the squatting on running costs have proved to be the Rock afwell founded. ter Rae’s flat “The government is doing its utwas gutted most to keep these costs to a miniduring an mum but at the same time must early-mornbe able to provide a service.” ing fire.
By Eloise Horsfield fires to possible squatters in the Castle Ramp area. Housing Minister Charles Bruzon said: “I am particularly concerned about squatters entering government rented accommodation which has been lying
Terminal headache RUNNING costs for the new air terminal could hit £2 million, says the government. The controversial building was officially completed last week although it remains unclear when it will open for departures. The government claims capital investment in the project rose from an initial £24 million announced by the previous administration, to about £57 million today. A number of contracts have been cancelled in an effort to reduce running costs including a
www.theolivepress.es
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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GIBRALTAR NEWS
Gib IN BRIEF Politics placements
Gibraltar Government is offering placements to university students between July 26 and September 24. Email: humanresources. recruitment@ gibraltar.gov.gi for details.
Enterprising
Gibraltar-based firm Enterprise Insurance has announced a new two-year shirt sponsorship deal with Championship football team Leeds United.
Chic week
Fashion icon Emmanuel Ray has opened Gibraltar Fashion Week, featuring a number of Gibraltar-based designers.
www.theolivepress.es
Gibraltar arms companies benefit from non-enforcement of UK laws - but not for much longer following EU ruling
Tanks for the loophole THE EU has ordered the closure of a loophole being exploited by weapons procurement firms on the Rock. The directive states the UK Government could face tough financial penalties if it fails to bring Gibraltar in line with other EU states within two months. The new rules - originally implemented in August 2011 - are designed to in-
By James Bryce crease transparency and competition in the arms, munitions and security industries. “The United Kingdom has not yet transposed the Directive’s provisions with regard to Gibraltar, which means that the measures do not cover its full territory,” the notice states.
Penalties
It added that: “If the UK authorities do not implement it within two months, the Commission may refer the matter to the European Courts of Justice and may request to impose financial penalties.” The clampdown will affect firms including Gibraltarbased conglomerate Bland Group International, which builds armoured troop carriers used in Afghanistan. Also subject to the new guidelines will be Gibraltarian company AADS, which recently landed a lucrative contract with the US Government to supply anti-drug trafficking vehicles, as reported in the Olive Press.
www.theolivepress.es
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LETTERS
the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS
www.theolivepress.es
Stop the scroungers Dear Olive Press,
This week: 73.55 per cent full - Same week last year: 87.93 per cent - Same week in 2002: 61.11 per cent AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.3214 American Dollars 0.8129 British Pounds 1.2985 Canadian Dollars 7.4388 Danish Kroner 10.252 H Kong Dollars 7.5875 Norwegian Kroner 1.6340 Singapore Dollars
I think it is shocking people are allowed to receive benefits abroad (issue 133). I had a four month period on Jobseekers’ Allowance in 2003 when I lost my job. I already had a holiday booked and paid for and was made to sign off while I was out of the country for two weeks and then sign back on. Some of these people are nothing but scroungers, claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance and sunning themselves on the beaches. I have no problem with people who are genuinely going abroad to seek work but using it as an excuse to have a holiday at the expense of the taxpayer is wrong. Especially when there are lots of taxpayers in today’s climate who work hard all their lives and can’t afford a week away. There should be more stringent rules put in place. At the end of the day it’s ok for government ministers to shout about all of these problems, but when that’s all they are doing it doesn’t solve anything. Lori, via the Olive Press website
Letters should PLE be posted to Urb. Cayetano WR ASE ITE Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350, Malaga or emailed to letters@ theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Published opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.
Red light disgrace In reply to Jayne Redfern’s letter about Cabopino in issue 133, in Estepona we are also confronted by perverse people. I am a naturist and broad minded, but enough is enough. Not only do we have prostitutes on the Carreterra de Cadiz, they are in full view of the hotels, residents and tourists. It makes Estepona look very dirty. We also have the same problem as Cabopino with a wooded area next to Costa Natura which is always frequented with men so families are completely unwelcome around it. Benalmadena has taken a stance, I think Estepona and Cabopino should follow suit before the situation gets worse.
some of these things. PM, via the Olive Press website
Real danger
Mrs P Hesketh, Estepona
Scare mongering So a total of 2,000 people left the UK while claiming Jobseekers Allowance, out of a total of 2.65 million unemployed, with no evidence that a single one of them has come to the Costa del Sol? Until Conservative MP Philip Davies presents some actual facts and figures, I’m going to chalk this up to typical Tory ‘divide-and-rule’ scare mongering.
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MiguelC, via the Olive Press website
Costa Encounter
In reference to your article about UFOs, I also experienced something similar in the early hours of Easter morning (issue 133). I’m in Marbella and was woken at 6.30am by a loud low rumbling sound in the sky as if something very big and slow was passing overhead. It seemed to take about 10 minutes to completely pass over my house and then another five to disappear into the distance. It was like something from out of a sci-fi movie – the low rumbling sound completely filled my ears and, strangely, it wasn’t until it had completely disappeared that my brain kicked in to the fact that something un-
usual had happened. It was like I couldn’t even go to the window to check what it was, let alone go and check on the roof. If you said it was an enormous spaceship moving incredibly slowly over my rooftop I would believe you. Jean Gilhead, via the Olive Press website
No mystery How many people have seen a SR-71, or an F-117? Or for that matter a B-2 or a YB-47. Most UFO sightings are simply these aircraft, reported by people who have not identified them correctly. Since they are all military aircraft no one will discuss what they were doing and – Bingo – we have a ‘mystery’. There is an enormous US Air base at Rota, in case people do not know. About five minutes flying time for
I recently heard of a friend in the UK who was bitten by a sand fly while on holiday in Menorca and now has Leishmaniasis (issue 132). He will need chemotherapy soon so it seems it is a real danger. He did not have a compromised immune system and has been told that only his strong physical condition has stopped the effects of the disease being more serious. Jacqui Cotterill
Vaccine against Leishmaniasis Regarding the article on Leishmaniasis (issue 132). I read about a vaccine developed in the USA a while ago. This disease is fairly common in the southern USA and Central America. It’s something like Lyme disease - once it’s in your system, it’s there forever. Chuck, Abusos Urbanísticos NO, Alicante
In our April 19 edition, we published a letter from Tony Liddicoat of Germany which made certain statements about Midas Telecom. Mr Liddicoat’s statements are not the opinion of this newspaper. We have invited Midas Telecom to write a letter correcting him. The Olive Press apologises to Midas Telecom for any concerns that have been caused as a result of the publication of Mr Liddicoat’s letter.
Midas Response I am writing in response to the letter you published by a reader living in Germany who claimed that Midas Telecom has operated fraudulently in Germany. There is absolutely no foundation to your reader’s claim that he has been defrauded or double billed by us. Indeed we have taken great pains to make a thorough investigation. It transpires that the reader was a Midas customer in Germany who left the Midas Telecom service to use another service provider. When he received his new bill it was substantially more than the bill he would have received from Midas. We’ve explained to him that he has joined another service and company and that if he has an issue with his service then he needs to take the matter up directly with the new provider. We can understand and sympathise that the reader is disgruntled (he has left Midas for a more expensive service)
however we’re not responsible. We certainly haven’t acted fraudulently as he has claimed. Vanessa Rueda, managing director, Midas Telecom Spain
The Midas touch
I find the reference to Midas Telecommunications in ‘not the Midas touch’ (issue 133) astonishing having been with the company, previously Telforce, for the past 12 years, virtually since they started in Fuengirola. I have always found the operators to be kind, and helpful, and they cannot do enough for an expat who finds Spanish a little difficult. It is wonderful to pick up the phone and speak English with no question of incorrect billing. I recently moved house and was bombarded with calls from Movistar to join their special package, but I now feel it would be a big mistake to change from Midas. Jean Davies, Fuengirola
www.theolivepress.es
X
olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012 21 The Olive Press’ monthly youth and the education section
OP
treme
Don’t woggle with that!
Oxbridge finally ousted from the top A LONDON university has beaten Oxford in the latest league table. The London School of Economics came second in the Complete University Guide, with Cambridge topping the poll. The table ranks 116 universities on a range of criteria including entry standards, student satisfaction and research. Other universities to make it into the top 10 were Imperial College, Durham, St Andrews, Warwick, University College London, Lancaster and Bath.
YOUNGSTERS from the Fuengirola Scout Group enjoyed an exciting day out at Moron de la Frontera air base near Sevilla. The boys got to experience what it is like to fly one of the base’s Eurofighter jets in the flight simulator before getting a close up of the real thing in the hangers. Other highlights included a visit to the fire station, falconry and pilot training room. The Olive Press reported how up to three Eurofighter jets were scrambled to investigate an unidentified aircraft over Estepona on Easter Sunday. Some readers have suggested it could have been a UFO, although the base insisted it was investigating a possible drugs plane.
OVER 400 Andalucian schoolchildren got the chance to have a conversation with the international space station last week. The meeting was hosted by the science park in Granada, which shared a link with three other science museums in Europe to form a simultaneous ‘Q&A’ with the space station. The children had 20 minutes to grill astronaut Andre Kuipers about life in space and about the work being done up there. The link to the space station was difficult to maintain, given that the station is moving at 30,000 km per hour.
Delighted
OPPORTUNITY: The Scouts took their turn in a Eurofighter jet
TRUANT TAX By Wendy Andersen
PARENTS in Burgos have been fined 1440 euros for not ensuring their daughter was attending school. The judge levied the stiff fine – the first of its kind in history – after the girl failed to attend around 110 days-a-year for three years in a row. The parents insisted that due to their itinerant work – they are farm workers – they had been schooling their child wherever they were working.
CALLING OUTER SPACE
Parents fined heavily for not insisting their child went to school But the judge ruled that this did not justify the absences, as they failed to enroll her at a local school during work periods. Due to their financial circumstances they have been allowed to pay the fine in instalments. It turns out they could have been lucky, for article 226.1 of the Penal Code actually allows for prison sentences of three to six months for parents not ensuring regular atten-
BUNKING OFF: Skipping school can cost parents a fortune
dance. In the UK, parents can be fined up to £2,500 for a similar offence. According to a recent survey, three quarters of the UK population believes that parents should be fined for non-attendance at school. A whopping 38 per cent also believe they should face prison. In the UK, experts have found no evidence however, that the use of penalties has actually made any improvement in the figures for non-attendance. Other options such as parenting classes have proved more much effective – but also more expensive. OPX wants your opinions on whether this sort of punishment is effective or fair? Email: newsdesk@theolivepress.es
KARATE KID: Alfie (second left)
Don’t mess with Alfie! HE may be knee high to a grasshopper. But Alfie Bannister is jumping all over the opposition in his bid for karate world stardom. The nine-year-old British expat from Torremolinos has won the national karate championship – having also picked up both the Malaga and the Andalucia titles in recent months. His parents, who moved from Brighton to Spain 15 years ago, say they ‘couldn’t be prouder’ of Alfie, who trains at the Goju Ryu gym. “He is a very talented sportsman,” said Alfie’s mother Jane Belchier.
In the end only one of five selected Spanish students actually got to pose a question. The question he asked: how do they drink water in space? Carmen Guerra, the technical director of the science park was ‘delighted’ with the outcome of the first meeting between students and astronauts. She told OPX they would be planning more events in the future. Anyone interested in joining the program should check out the Granada Science Park webpage. www.parqueciencias.com.
Battling dropouts!
THE Spanish Government is set to overhaul the country’s university system after it emerged that a third of students drop out early. A commission has been set up to look at the structure and propose improvements to all aspects including finance, student admissions and staff selection. The review has been prompted by statistics showing 30 per cent of students at Spanish universities drop out without completing their course, almost double the EU average. Of those with a degree, 21 per cent of graduates under 29 are on the dole.
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Ain’t no popping us!
IT is certainly a massive achievement. And to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Swans International School organised a mass balloon launch spelling out the number. More than 600 balloons were released into the sky with school founders Tessa and Ray Swan-Liggan overseeing the event. The school opened its doors in 1971. “It was a great chance to get the whole school together,” explained Jayne Hunter, executive administrator.
Parents’ association threatens action over excessive amounts of homework for school children
Homework strike THE Spanish parents’ association has called for a two-week ‘homework strike’ in a bid to reduce the amount of homework given to schoolchildren. CEAPA says the time pupils spend on homework has greatly increased in recent years, and that children’s education has become a humdrum of fact memorising. “Whether a child does their homework badly or well also depends on their home situation,” said a statement. “Some parents help out with their children’s homework, or invest in private lessons – but many others don’t have the level of education petition is for anyor the money to be able to one with talent,” offer such support.” explained Marbella The association also argues Stage School directhat children’s time needed tor Jayne Melville. to be freed up for sport and cultural activities. The panel of judges But not all parents agree. includes Doctor Who “I wouldn’t necessarily supwriter Roger Cook. port less homework,” said The next auditions expat Sophie McAdam, 30, will be held on Sunwhose daughter attends the day May 13 at QI local primary in Alpandeire. Sport in Nueva An“The kids finish at 2pm and dalucia. then have on average eight Another is being ormore hours of the day doing ganised in Gibraltar. nothing particularly proEntry costs 10 euros ductive. and all proceeds go “But it’s true that the actual straight to cancer way of teaching children in hospice Cudeca. Spain is archaic and they To enter, download spend hours copying pages an entry form at and pages of things they www.marbellastage have no idea about,” she school.com. added.
Spain’s Got Talent BIT of a crooner? A street dancer or rapper? Or a fabulously funny comic? It’s still not too late to enter Marbella Stage School’s Search for a Star competition, with the chance of winning a 500 euro cash prize. The contest’s finalists will perform at the Marbella Hot Talent Show on June 17 with the Olive Press as its proud sponsors. “Soloists, duets, trios or groups – adults and children alike – the com-
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What a carve up!
SHE’S been working her socks off on the rink for three years – and now a young Estepona ice skater has scooped a bronze medal at a key UK competition. Bobbie HolgatePope (left), 11, who was born in Malaga, wowed judges at the Blackpool Ice Festival with her fantastic solo figure skating performance to Led Zeppelin’s song Kashmir. “I was nervous at first but when I went on it was OK,” said Bobbie, who trains three times a week at Gibraltar’s Ice Skating Academy. “When I got my prize, everybody was cheering. It was exciting.”
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Top value Spain By Wendy Williams SPAIN is still good value for private schooling. Parents in England who wish to send their kids to independent school could now look to shell out a staggering 250,000 pounds to fully educate their child as the cost of fees shoots up.
While private schools in the UK have raised fees by 50 per cent in a decade, in Spain the price has been frozen for the last few years New figures from SFIA, an independent financial adviser, show the cost of secondary and higher education has soared by nearly 50 per cent in a decade, far
outrunning the rate of inflation. However in Spain the fees are not rising as drastically, making private education here much cheaper.
BRICKS FINALLY BEING LAID FOR COIN SCHOOL PARENTS in Coin are breathing a sigh of relief after the town hall insisted work on a new school is definitely going ahead. Pupils at Ximenez de Guzman School, which was launched in September 2010 due to a lack of places in the area, feared the project had been put on hold. They have been forced to use a temporary building (right) while they wait for a new school to be built.
But now councillors have met with parents to reassure them that the project will be completed next year. “Everybody went into the meeting ready for a fight but it wasn’t needed,” said expat Sarah Harley, 37, whose son Luke, 4, started in the school last September. “Everything is going ahead and the plans look amazing.” Work on the access road is now underway and the primary block is expect-
According to Philippa Ireton at Sotogrande International School, considered one of the coast’s most elite schools, many establishments have even frozen fees. “This year we put the fees up five per cent but it was the first time in three years as we had kept them steady during the credit crunch.
Fees
ed to be ready in January 2013 with the rest ready by September
“I don’t think the fees have gone up by as much as 50 per cent at any schools here.” She continued: “In Britain private schools are pricing themselves out of the middle class market.” Meanwhile Jayne Hunter at Swans confirmed that the school had also frozen the fees for the last four academic years.
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WHAT WAS Poolside perfect As the weather gets warmer and you head to the beach or pool we take a look at what the cool kids will be wearing this spring/summer
LISTEN U
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t is the perfect thing for your little monsters. Trunki, inventors of the ride-on suitcase, has designed a new fish-shaped PuddlePak swimbag. Fully waterproof, it means kids can carry their own kit without getting the car wet on their way home. Long gone meanwhile are the floppy swim hats, this generation of water babies will be sporting the new Swimdana. This stylish adjustable swimming hat that ties at the back is available at swimglows.com. Young swimmers wanting to go underwater will love the new Gogglow goggles. Equipped with LED flashing lights, more proficient swimmers can even use them to test their speed and stamina as the lights turn off automatically after 35 seconds. There are a whole range of cool towels this season for your youngsters to dry off with. Simplycolours offers a personalised towel in blue or pink, Stella McCartney Sunny Kids have an attractive striped design and there is even a London 2012 Olympic Games towel from John Lewis, which is set to launch a new website in Spain. Parents sick of the smell of chlorine and tangled post-swim hair should try Vosene Kids Afterswim Hair & Body Wash which is kind on the eyes and has a fruity smell. There is also citrus scented Organic Children Shampoo that leaves hair almost tangle-free. Finally, dress your youngsters in style with Marks & Spencer’s new 12-piece swim and beachwear collection for 0-7-yearolds, designed by Alice North.
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AST week marked the 75th anniversary of the bombing of the town Guernica, in the Basque country, in which 153 people died. It happened during the Spanish Civil War when in 1937 German and Italian planes carpet-bombed the village with a mix of blast, splinter and fire bombs. It happened at the request of the Nationalist forces, led by General Franco, in an attempt to terrify the Republican-held area. The bombing was particularly important because it was the
first time a civilian population was targeted by an aerial bombardment. Known as ‘terror bombing’, it proved that Germany’s official position of neutrality in the Civil War was a sham. The attack completely devastated the town, destroying nearly all the houses and businesses. Of the 6,000 people living there, most fled from fear of further bombings.
So awful went on to ject of a fi Franco’s f was an inv Republican their own t It went o world’s mo painting b who was b The raw po edy of war of innocen people at t Years later anti-war sy testors of world. The surviv the village grandpare parents. ber the dev they lost f and had to Their eye have been ganisation which has a book abo of the day.
F t
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UP:
was the event, it o become the subfierce debate, with forces claiming it vention or that the ns had bombed town. on to inspire the ost famous anti-war by Pablo Picasso, born in Malaga. ortrayal of the tragr and the suffering nt civilians shocked the time. r it is still an iconic ymbol used by prowars around the
ving children from are now the age of ents, or great grandMany still rememvastating day when family and friends o flee their homes. ewitness accounts n recorded by the orn Gernika Gogoratuz recently published out their memories .
In this new section, Wendy Andersen gives a potted history on Spain’s most famous painting, which was inspired by the bombing of Guernica 75 years ago
This month’s recipe:
Apple Crisp a la Mode
This is a great recipe to celebrate spring. Kids will love getting their hands dirty, and licking them clean!
DEVASTATION: Guernica after the 1937 bombing and (left) Picasso’s painting
Laughable answers Students can’t know the answer to EVERY exam question. Hats off to those who use humour to fill the gaps
Fancy a movie this weekend?
f you want to head to the cinema this weekend, but our Spanish is not up to scratch, check out the VO/ VOSE films (Original Version) available in your area
unger Games Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 16:20, 19:05, 22:20 (weekdays) 12:15, 16:20, 19:05, 22:20 (weekends) Cinesur, Miramar Fuengirola, 12:15, 16:20, 19:00 (daily)
attleship Cinesur, Miramar Fuengirola, 21:45 (weekdays) 12:00, 16:20, weekends) Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 18:15 (weekdays) 12:30, 15:30, 18:15 (weekends)
The Avengers • Cinesur, Miramar Fuengirola, 12:00, 16:20 (daily) • Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 18:00, 21:00, 00:00 (weekdays) 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00, 00:00 (weekends) Titanic • Plaza Mayor (Malaga) 15:15 (weekends) Salmon Fishing in Yemen • Cinesur, Miramar Fuengirola, 12:00, 16:30 (daily)
Gibraltar: King Bastion, Leisure Ctr. Cinema We bought a zoo 18:00 (daily) The Cold Light of Day (12A) 18:30 (daily) A Monster in Paris 21:00 (daily) 16:00 (weekends)
Ingredients 6 apples 140 grams rolled oats 150 grams brown sugar 30 grams flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 115 grams butter, softened Whipped cream or ice cream Instructions To peel an apple safely, your child should hold the fruit in one hand, grip a vegetable peeler in the other, and push the peeler away from himself. Heat oven to 190C and lightly butter an 20-25 cm square baking pan. Peel, core, and slice the apples and arrange them evenly in the prepared pan. Place the oats, brown sugar, flour, spices, and salt in a sealable plastic bag, close, and shake until combined. Cut the softened butter into 2 cm pieces and add to the oat mixture. Close the bag again and knead or squeeze until the mixture holds together. Instead of using a bowl to mix the crumb topping, use a sealable plastic bag. This will cut back on dirty dishes and let young bakers - even preschoolers lend a hand. Open the bag and crumble the topping evenly over the apples. Bake the apple crisp for 40 to 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the juices begin to bubble around the edges. Cool slightly, then serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves six.
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What a ball
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ALAD dodgers have been on red alert at British School of Marbella this week. For it was the start of Healthy Living Week where pupils suddenly found themselves surrounded by more exercise classes and sport than you could shake a celery stick at. Teachers organised a gruelling barrage of events including the annual sports day, Zumba classes, a football workshop and lessons on eating healthily. But to get the ball rolling was Malaga’s winger and goal scorer extraordinaire Santi Cazorla who took time out of his busy training schedule to organise a football skills workshop on the school’s football pitch.
COMPETITIVE: Pupils in the annual sports day sprint and (inset) Santi Cazorla struggles to get hold of the ball
The Spanish national team player, whose son attends the school, put pupils through their paces while showing off a few moves he plans to use against Atletico Madrid next Sunday. Youngsters also learned Zumba after Princess Studio’s Gabriela Cantos gave them a taste of the high energy dance class. But it wasn’t just pupils getting their groove on. For the last few weeks most of the school’s teachers have been descending en masse to Gabby’s Booiaka class in Nueva Andalucia to shape up for the summer after a ‘good Christmas’. And at the end of the week is the second annual BSM Sports Day. It boasts such legendary, adrenaline fuelled events as the egg and spoon race, sack race, relay race and the hotly anticipated parents and teachers competitions. Word on the playground is that the BSM running club leader Carlos Pulido is confident of winning the sprint, especially after headteacher Sian Andrews had to pull out of the Madrid Marathon this month with a knee injury. But it has not gone unnoticed that some parents and teachers have been spotted visiting the gym and doing evening runs more frequently in recent weeks. It can only be assumed that this is so that they will be victorious in what has to be Marbella’s most eagerly awaited sporting event in recent years.
OF E EE RG FR HA C
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Swans pupil Guillermo Fernandez (year 13) on why taking a year out between school and university may not be the best idea
Mind the gap I
HEARD my friend Alfonso was thinking about taking a gap year before going to Southampton University to study aerospace engineering, so I sent him an email to warn him. Firstly, nowadays one must obtain a highlevel degree to be able to survive in this highly-competitive world where job opportunities are increasingly scarce. If you take a gap year you will alter your study routine and inevitably you will become lazy study-wise. The lack of a revision routine could cause
Ready for fusion Year 3 children enjoying an experiment during Swans’ Science Week
you to forget many of the things you had previously learnt at school. Secondly, the course he is taking is extremely challenging and complicated and if he is not continuing to revise then his level could decrease rapidly and the course may end up being much harder than he had previously expected. Another friend of mine – who got straight A’s – decided to travel for a year and when he got back gave up the idea of university altogether, because he didn’t want to spend four years chasing a career if he could merely get a part time job and continue to travel and party. While that might be fun for a while, in the long run he may well live to regret it. To conclude I would like to reinforce my message that taking a gap year is not the correct decision. Do you agree? Contact newsdesk@the olivepress.es
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Ode to my best friend
Swans students were set a task to write a poem about a friend, with poetic results ADNAN
You are the rubber who likes to rub words You are the stick which gets chewed by dogs You are the clown who gets all the laughs You are the sky which is always clear You are the toy that always gets played with You are the teddy bear who always gets hugged By Abdullaziz Al-Dugheithir, Year 7
JACK
You are that person that will never be left out You are the one that will never remember things You are the one that is full of freckles You are the one that will always run with joy You are the one that loves Doctor Who You are the one that will always love the world as it is And I will always be your friend By Eduardo Neville Castro, Year 7
JEMMA
You are the one with the lovely Brown eyes, You are the one who never lies, You are the one who has a beautiful tan, You are the one who makes me say, I can. By Chloe Victoria Cole, Year 7
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Seussical the Musical takes San Roque I by storm!
T seems that nothing fazes a Sotogrande student and the latest musical production confirms that we have true talent in our school, with singers, musicians and dancers all taking part. Seussical the Musical, based on the Dr Seuss children’s stories, was performed at the end of last term in the Juan Luis Theatre in San Roque. The first matinee performance entertained 600 children from local Spanish schools who loved this stunning adaption of the famous Dr Seuss stories. And on two subsequent evenings a full house was treated to a magical, colourful show. The combination of the outstanding student performances, great live music from the Marbella Big Band (with student musicians too), choreography, dazzling costumes and make-up, and stunning lighting, props and set, made this a show to remember. Nearly 200 SIS students take instrument and singing lessons at school and there is a constant atmosphere of creativity and performance. All of these talents come together to make great shows like this possible.
STAR QUALITY: Cast members of Seussical the Musical
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May 03, 2012
Vivid account of Irishman Joe Monks’ time serving with the International Brigades during Spanish Civil War has been translated into Spanish
With the Reds in Andalucia
HONEST: Joe Monks’ Spanish Civil War account now in Spanish
A FASCINATING and gritty first person account of life on the Andalucian front with the International Brigades has been translated into Spanish 24 years after the author died. Joe Monks was one of 200 Irishmen who enrolled with the International Brigades to fight in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). He was aged just 21 when he travelled to Andalucia getting involved in the bloody battle of Lopera (Jaen), and later in Pozoblanco (Cordoba). With the Reds in Andalucia - published in English in 1985, just three years before
BRUTAL: Frontline he died - is his account of that time. And it has now been translated into Spanish with an introduction by Miguel Angel del Arco, a history professor at Granada University. “It breaks with the official account of the International Brigades, dominated by the
testimony of George Orwell in Homage to Cataluna,” said Del Arco. “Unlike Orwell’s testimony, which is distinguished by showing a calm front and disaffection with what happened in Spain, Monks gives an overview of the war with constant warfare, and he describes the brutality of the trenches and the fear that went with it. “It’s a realistic story, of course biased, but it does not exaggerate or try to hide things; it gives an account of the lack of resources in the brigade and how they were crushed again and again by the enemy.”
what’s on rroyo de la Miel, May 12, book sale A in the Municipal Public
Library in aid of Cudeca. There will be books available in English as well as other European languages, priced between 50 cents and 3 euros.
stepona, May 13, Estepona Gog E Show in Palacio de
Congresos in Avenida Litoral from 11.00h. The Show will include obedience, agility and novelty classes. Info: www.adana.es or josiemelville2@gmail. com
erez, August 10-11, Circuito de Velocidad. JCreamfields Andalucia,
The Chemical Brothers (dj set), Orbital, Tiesto, Carl Craig. 69 (live), Above and Beyond, Miss Kitten, James Holden, Four Tet & Caribou (back to back dj set).
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Is there
T was a long shape made up of orange or red lights, moving in all directions across the sky, hovering and moving up and down. “First came a really loud noise, which I first put down to an aeroplane passing,” insists former teaching assistant Lin Campbell, 55, who lives in Sabinillas. “But it just did not seem to move away. “The noise kept coming and going but without any fading in and out. There were no other lights or craft in the sky although towards the end we could hear a helicopter. “The craft eventually moved off to the Estepona area and I went back to bed, but a few minutes later I heard the noise again and rushed out to see the lights again off in the distance over Estepona.” It sounds like a scene out of War of the Worlds, but incredibly, this is one of a number of accounts given by Olive Press readers, following a deafening buzzing in the sky that woke thousands of people up at 5am on Easter Sunday. Most witnesses – and there are dozens who have been in touch - reported seeing up to three loud fighter jets and a helicopter
With recent claims of a UFO sighting over the Costa del Sol, the Olive Press asked Eloise Horsfield to investigate the phenomena
‘searching for something’ along the coast. But there were two – Campbell and a former company director Mary Ann Whyte Wood, 61, who reported seeing a ‘large, gold, cigarshaped object’ – which suggest something altogether rather more sinister... or exciting depending on your point of view! With the Olive Press newsroom inundated with emails and calls, we spent a week investigating the event, only to be met by puzzled police and, quite frankly, unhelpful airports. Finally the Spanish Air Force confirmed that, yes, it had scrambled a Eurofighter jet (only one, mind) to ‘intercept an unidentified plane without a flight plan’. A spokesman added however that they were not able to find the plane, nor had any idea ‘what it was doing’. Suspicious? You bet it is. Without wanting to spread alarm or make outlandish claims about little green men, several elements of the official story just do not seem to add up. Firstly, why scramble a 67 million euro fighter jet to investigate a possible drugs plane? And why did many witnesses AS well as numerous sightings on the Costa del Sol, the city of talk of three planes, when Granada is something of a UFO-spotting hub. only one was confirmed? And Since the mid-1980s it has hosted a yearly meeting specifically what about the helicopter? geared for UFO sightings, started by a group of believers who were Could they have been searchconvinced they were communicating with extra-terrestrials from ing for some sort of military the planet ‘Ummo’. prototype that might have The meeting is held on July 7 each year because the number seven crashed into the sea? Or is deemed to be powerful by numerologists, who find meaning in could it have been, yep, you numbers. guessed it... a UFO? While ‘Ummoism’ was later discovered to be an elaborate hoax spreading to the UK and France, the July 7 meetings have continued to the present day in Granada. Fast moving red A core group of devotees camp out in the Llano de la Perdiz area of the city until the early hours of the morning in the hope of seeing lights, antennae, something out of the ordinary. and urges to bow “In 1989, 1991 and 1993 there were supposed UFO sightings during the July 7 meetings,” confirms Antonio Salinas (below), down to objects in director of Granada University’s Ufology Department which investigates the paranormal using science. the sky “However, we now know for sure that the 1991 sighting was a trick played Spain has certainly been by the same people who had pretendsomething of a hotspot for ed to be extra-terrestrials before,” he claimed UFO sightings over tells the Olive Press. the last few decades. “They flew microlight aircrafts illegally On the Mutual UFO Network, at night and made a series of light 41 reports have been made shows across Granada’s sky.” in Spain in the last three “We don’t have enough information years alone – more than about the ‘89 and ‘93 sightings – but double than in neighbouring after what happened in ’91 anything is France. possible,” adds Salinas, whose book The reports make fascinating on the subject, Misterios de Granada (Granada Mysteries), is conreading with talk of ‘spheriveniently out next month. cal and cylindrical objects’, Salinas also confirms that western Andalucia appears to have a antennae, white lights, fasthigher concentration of UFO sightings – but puts this down to a moving red lights, and even longer history of research in these areas. urges to ‘bow down’ to mysHe does however, remain sceptical about UFO sightings. tery objects in the sky. “It is a complex phenomenon with many different implications,” “Aliens make people do whathe says. ever they want,” declares one “There is a huge percentage of cases that, after serious considercontributor after spotting an ation, turn out to be misunderstandings or misperceptions. ‘oval shaped UFO’ in Valencia “It is true that there are a small percentage of cases without exin 1995. “They are controlling planation. And there are several hypotheses for these. One is that us, but they do it in a way we UFOs are actually of terrestrial origin, that they are prototypes don’t realise.” from the military. And while some explanations “The most popular hypothesis is that they are of extra-terrestrial seem, to put it bluntly, barmy, origin, but there is no real evidence for that.” many accounts appear to come from perfectly credible
Granada; a true UFOspotting hub, with its own ‘Ufology Department’
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anybody out there? and rational people. seen a UFO.” It is hard, for example, to ig- The photo was later studied nore the evidence within one by a photographic analyst, Dr photo (see right) filed by a Da- Bruce Maccabee. vid Stahl in 2009. “The nearly horizontal upper David’s late father, the US edge of the image appears artist Ben Stahl, had appar- quite sharp, indicating that it ently caught a mystery object was a real object out there,” with his Nikon he says. camera off the “It looks as coast of Torif there is a remolinos in shadow of a One might 1958. ‘wing’ or some While photo- speculate that he structure on graphing a the ‘fuselage’ boat to be used did say something of the object.” as the subject and was told to To add a twist of a painting, to the tale, shut up Ben inadverStahl reporttently took a edly had a picture of a contact, Rogstrange, birder Early, within like object in the sky. Project Blue Book – a US Air As David – also a photogra- Force study into UFOs which pher – points out, the image ran from 1952 to 1970. is unlikely to have been doc- “Their friendship would sugtored since the mystery ob- gest that, if he thought he ject’s shadows are consistent had seen a UFO, he would with the rest of the photo. have said something at least “And it isn’t a tear in the to Early,” suggests Maccaemulsion on the negative be- bee. cause the edges of the object “One might speculate that he are whole,” insists David, who did say something and was also says the object’s blurring told to shut up about it.” means it cannot be a seagull. One person who would cer“The strange thing is that Dad tainly agree is expat Susan never said anything about it,” Senior, from Benahavis. he ponders. “He really would She is convinced that what have told everyone if he had she saw was a UFO on Easter
CONVINCED: Mary Anne Whyte Wood shows the Olive Press what she saw and (inset) Lin Campbell
INEXPLICABLE: This mystery object was captured on camera in Torremolinos in 1958, while (far right) our front page last issue
Sunday. “It was definitely a UFO,” she told the Olive Press. “There are literally millions of them waiting to land and save the planet from destruction. “It’s all related to the Mayans, but the news channels are blocking everything. “I am a level-headed person but I am very intuitive and I know it is all to do with the energy of the planet, and that they are our ancestry. “We didn’t come from apes – we came from the stars,” she concludes. Hmmm. Please email newsdesk@the olivepress.es if you saw the UFO or have any further information.
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HAF three houses for you to look,” said Kurt, our German estate agent. “So I hope you are full of the beans.” He marched off down the street. His muscular legs covered distances in long, swinging strides, while we panted pathetically behind him. Desperately trying to anticipate his next move, we concentrated on his retreating back. Frequently he made unexpected left or right turns, resulting in Joe and me crashing heavily into each other in a frantic effort to keep up. It must have looked like some silly Laurel and Hardy sketch. The first house had no roof. “Is this it?” Joe muttered to me from the corner of his mouth. I rolled my eyes, but didn’t reply. Kurt ignored our dismayed expressions and unlocked the front door with a flourish. “This is a good house,” he said. “All the rooms are very big.” Well, that was true. All the rooms were light and airy, too, as expected from a house with no roof. In the kitchen, clumps of weeds sprouted from between the cracked floor tiles. We halted in a bedroom and looked up at the sky above. “It’s, er, very nice,” I said, “but actually I think we might prefer a house with a roof.” Kurt’s flaxen eyebrows shot up in surprise, as though we had asked for an indoor sauna, or home cinema. “Ja, but I think you vill like the next house. It has a roof.” Relieved, we were taken over the mountain to the next house. It stood alone in scrubland, a single ragged palm tree standing guard. “This is also a good house. It has a roof and a palm tree.” Kurt’s blue eyes challenged us to find fault this time. To be fair, the front of the house looked quite impressive, but neglected. Joe disappeared around the
IN 2004 British expat Victoria Twead convinced her ‘longsuffering husband’, Joe to relocate from England to a tiny mountain village in Almeria. She then went on to write Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools, the first in a trilogy of books based on her experience which has now spent four months on the UK Amazon Top 100 bestsellers list. Here the Olive Press begins a series of extracts from the popular book …
Two Old Fools go house-hunting corner of the building while Kurt fumbled the key into the lock. Yes, it had a roof. And a palm tree. I couldn’t help feeling quite excited. Kurt finally un-
Costa del Culture A NEW arts society has attracted a bumper crowd for the first of a series of lectures to be held on the Costa del Sol. The Benahavis Decorative & Fine Arts Society (BDFAS) will begin a programme of talks on a wide variety of subjects in October. Over 140 people attended the first event at the Gran Hotel, a lecture on the paintings of 17th century Spanish master Murillo, by Sian Walters from London’s National Gallery. “It is the best endorsement we could have hoped for, to have such an enthusiastic audience at our first engagement. It bodes very well indeed for the future,” said BDFAS chairman Betty Fooks. For full details of the society’s programme visit www.benahavisdfas.com
locked the door and tried to push it open. The door resisted, so he shouldered it. Still it stood firm, forcing him to give it a hefty Germanic kick. Success.
The door swung open and Kurt and I both jumped in surprise. There, in the middle of the room in front of us, stood Joe. “How did you get in?” I asked,
astonished. “It’s got no walls at the back. Or down one side.” “No valls, but this is a good house. It has a roof and a palm tree,” said Kurt, recov-
Beast from the past The skull of Europe’s largest dinosaur, the Turiasaurus riodevensis, has just been found in Aragon. The beast, some 35m long, lived 145 million years ago and weighed the same as seven adult male elephants.
ering, clearly confident that we could overlook this minor flaw. We continued the tour. Joe was right - several walls had caved in, rocks lying where they had fallen. Birds flew shrieking as we disturbed them in the kitchen. Soft rabbit and goat droppings squelched underfoot. Two feral cats burst out from a corner and slunk away over the hillside. A cold wind blew more debris into the house, depositing it on the mound that had already accumulated over time. “I think we need a house that has a roof and walls,” said Joe firmly, and I nodded. Kurt did not seem discouraged. We exited and he locked the door behind us again. “What’s the point of locking the door when the house has no walls?” I asked, curious. “Insurance,” he said, flicking the forelock from his eyes. “Now, I haf one house more. It is a very good house. It has valls, and a roof, but no palm tree. You vill follow me.” We climbed back into the car… More adventures from Victoria next issue
la cultura
the olive 33 press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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Costa del showtime
Soprano summer A WORLD renowned soprano is set to kick off the summer concert season with a performance on the Costa del Sol. Montserrat Caballe will be joined by her soprano daughter Montserrat Marti and Russian Tenor Nikolay Baskov at Tennis Club, Hotel Puente Romano on June 23. The trio will perform interpretations of classic operatic pieces, with proceeds going to The Children For Peace charity. Tickets from 60-175 euros, call 665 076 949.
Nerja nostalgia
West End stars are heading to the Costa del Sol in aid of children’s cancer charity THEY have already wowed West End audiences with their vocal chords – and now you can hear them perform on the Costa del Sol. A star-spangled line-up, includ-
ing Irish beauty Niamh Perry who landed lead roles in Mamma Mia and Les Miserables after coming fifth in BBC1’s I’d Do Anything, is taking part in a fundraising dinner
Red carpet in Malaga MALAGA has hosted its 15th Spanish Film Festival. Over 100 films were shown at four different venues throughout the city, covering a range of topics including gay and Latin American cinema. The star of the festival was Elena Anaya of Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In who, decked out in Prada, was awarded a lifetime achievement award.
“I
HAF three houses for you to look,” said Kurt, our German estate agent. “So I hope you are full of the beans.” He marched off down
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in aid of UK charity Children with Cancer. Organiser Caroline Randerson, who lives in Nueva Andalucia, has been organising charity events since 1988 – and insists she learnt all her best tricks from Jeremy Beadle and Chris Tarrant. “We want to raise as much money as possible, and 25 euros from each ticket will go directly to Children with Cancer,” said Caroline, originally from London. The dinner will be held on May 27 at Marbella’s Villa Tiberio with tickets starting from 75 euros per head including a Champagne reception, dinner and entertainment. To reserve a table, call Villa Tiberio on 952 824 772 or email rest.villatiberio@hotmail.com.
A NERJA man has penned a brand new book about the area’s history. Nerja, recuerdos de papel (Paper Memories) traces events from 1889 to the present day. It includes personal accounts, clippings from when the caves were discovered in 1959 and boxing match flyers from the 1960s. “It all started when I was looking through some of my grandfather’s old boxes,” said author Jose Miguel Ortuno, who spent two hours signing copies of his book at a recent launch held in Nerja Museum. The book is available in Nerja bookshops for 13 euros.
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The Olive Press NOW has 31,000 papers delivered across EIGHT provinces of Andalucia www.theolivepress.es and Gibraltar every fortnight by our hard-working team of distributors
the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
ALAMEDA Mobile Home Park • Posada Tempranillo • Petrol Station • Casa Benito ALCALA Conexions • Hotel Torrepalma • Library • Tourist Office • Optico Real • Hotel Zacatin • Estate Agent Andaluz • BP ALGATOCIN BP Service Station ALHAURIN el Grande Alhaurin Golf • La Boma Rest. • 1st and 2nd Tabacconist • Annas Butchers • Christinas Paper Shop • Arte Hair • Martins Paper Shop • British Supermarket • Posh Pets • Cudeca • ALHAURIN de la Torre BP • Las Brisas Restaurante • Montemar Restaurante • Lauro Golf ALMUNECAR Spar Supermercado • Tourist Office • El Faro Bar • Olivares Shop • Danny s Bar ALORA Harveys • Tropicana • Repsol Petrol Cudeca • Zalea Bar ALOZAINA Petrol Station ANTAS Frandi • The Full Swing • El Poligono • Costa Cars ANTEQUERA Lidl • La Veronica • Antequera Golf • Tourist Office • Hotel Plaza San Sebastian • BP • Hotel Las Villas de Antikaria ARCHIDONA Cepsa Garage • 3R Café /Bar • Mercadona Garage • Sunset Estates ARDALES Paco’s Bar ARRIATE Petrol Station ATAJATE Andalazar BEDAR Town Hall • Empalme • Cajamar Olive BENADALID Los Labros BENAHAVIS Canela Cafe /Bar • Amanhavis BENALAURIA La Molienda BENALMADENA COSTA Super Save • Hapenny Bridge Pub • Kiosko Puerto (Marina) • Tourist Office • Paloma Library • Irish Time Bar • Xanit Hospital • UK Foods BENAMARGOSA La Vaqueria BENAOJAN Meroil • Papeleria Ruiz • Hotel Molino del Santo• Cuatro Paradas BENAVISTA Bowls Club • Card Shop • Ibex Insurance • Grumbles • English Butcher • Costa Less Supermarket • Plaza Hotel • Dog House • Brubecks • El Paraiso Golf •Petrol Station • Kids Kingdom • Agro Jardin • Calpe School • Pegotty’s Fish & Chips • Experience Group BENAMACARRA Hotel Cortijo Bravo BUBION Supermercado Coviran CABOPINO Pina Pinaka • Cabo Pizza • Sportsmans Bar • Cabopino Camping • Garage • Shebeens Pub • Paper ShopSupermarket • Plaza Bar • Alberts Restaurant CABRA Tourist Office CADIAR Pagamenos CALAHONDA Age Care • Party Party • The Pit Shop • Sol Finders • GT Mc Kenna Butchers • Internet Café • Mercadona • Spikes Hairdressers • RBL • Club Naranja • Plaza next to Paper Shop CALYPSO MPA Estates (Bryce) • Inspirations Haidressers CAMPILLOS Kiosk • BP Petrol Station CAPILEIRE Supermercado Coviran • Bar CARTAMA ESTACION Aguamania • Topres CASABERMEJA Petrol Station CASARES Arroyo Honda • Venta Victoria • Venta Garcia • Villas and Fincas • La Tienda •Mi Cortijo • Muebles Gavira CHICLANA LHD • Monopoly • Oasis Bar • Tourist Office • Posthouse COIN Tourist Office • Cudeca • Guerreros • Insurance Office • Bohem Rest. • Internacional • La Trocha • Chain • Leslies • BP • Buyrite • Robertos COLMENAR CO2 • Bar Campesino COMPETA Todo Papel • Pavo Real and Restaurant • Sugar and spice • Alicats CORTES Camping el Salitre • El Gecko • Mary Becker • La Fuente CORTIJO CABRERA Restaurant
A WIDER REACH
Covering the costas and inland to eight provinces And here’s how our rivals fare:
CORDOBA Bodegas Campos • Hotel Casas de la Juderia • La Fragua CUEVAS DEL BECERRO Petrol Station DIANA Royal Nordic Club • Man Friday Supermarket • Super Market • Aud Dublin • Big BlueBox DUQUESA PORT Paparazzi Neswagents • Supermarket • Las Gallerias • English Butcher • Duquesa Golf Club • Marlows Restaurant • Souvenir Shop • Gaston Golf • Manilva Properties • Monte Duquesa Sq • La Bella Vista Camping • Clubhouse Bar • Duquesa Estates • Castillo Foreign Resident Centre • Macues Restaurant • Penguin Bar El CHORRO Olive Branch BB • El Kiosko • Hotel Posada el Conde • Rest. Boca Bella EL FARO El Faro Supermarket • Carlton Bar EL ROSARIO Bar • Bar • Town Hall ELVIRIA Martys Hairdressers • Bio Nature Shop • Town Hall • EIC School •Beach House Restaurant •Aventura Amazonia ESTEPA BP Garage ESTEPONA Longmans Bookshop • Fergussons Bar • Cudeca Shop • Dune Bar • Padel Club • Hospiten • Algaba •Laguna Village Entrance and Paper Shop• Terra Sana•Tibet•Furniture World • Restaurante Sur • Best Coches • Big Blue Box • Retro • Tikitano Restaurant • Livingstone Estates • Pointer Clinic • Lolailo •Amapola • Sailors Cafe • Business Cafe • The Irish Fiddler • Carrefour • Print Shop • English Opticians • Furniture Shop (Petrol Station) • International Club • Costa Natura • Estepona Golf • Marlow Chip Shop • Clubhouse Bar • EPortBic • Universal Estate Agents • OpenCor • Elemi Restaurant • Elemi Beauticians • Ecuestrian Centre Restaurant • Pointers Vets • Eden Bar Costa Advice Bureau • Optica Machin • Digi Print • Albayt Resort • Cudeca Shop • Estepona Golf • Costa Natura • ICE Club • Dune Bar • Lidl’s • Lola’s • Amapola •
Tourist Centre • Hotel Elba. FRIGILIANA Hotel Almazara FUENGIROLA Iceland • Camping Fuengirola • Scotties Butchers • Salon Varieties • BP • Specsavers • Cudeca • Dunnes Stores • Yorkshire Linen • Speedy s Garage • RMDC Glass • Euro Market • St. Anthony s College • Tamisa Golf Hotel FUENTE DE PIEDRA Bar Rebujito • Corner Bar • Diane’s • Donkey Sanctuary GARRUCHA Clinica Veterinaria GAUCIN Repsol Petrol Station • Hotel Caballo Andaluz • Pura Vida Health Shop • Benassim Deli • Fructosa • El Convento • Casa Antonia • La Fuente • El Puente GIBRALTAR Bray Properties • Café Fresco • Kristina Szekely • Laziz Rest. • Ipanema Rest. • O’Reileys • Ocean Village Express • Ibex Insurance • Morrisons • Savills • Rock Hotel • Elliot Hotel • Sacarellos • Icc Shoping Centre • Chamber of Commerce • Cafe Solo • Copywrite • Café Rojo • Colourworks • MH Bland • Sovereign • Rolex • Caleta Hotel • Ibex Insurance GRANADA Airport • Hotel Macia Plaza • La Romanilla • Hotel Fontecruz Granada • Metro Bookshop • Hannigans 1 • Hannigans 2 • Tourist Office • El Catrachod • Jardines de Zoraya • La Alacena de Andalucia • Hotel Palacio de Santa GUADALMINA Tricky Rickys • Bookworld GUARO Petrol Station IZNAJAR BP • The Yoga School • Sueños • Los Cuatro Vientos Bar JEREZ Los Jandalos • Tourist Office JIMENA DE LA FRONTERA Cepsa• Papeleria Los Garabatos • Bar Cuenca • La Tasca • Hostal Anon • Bar Oba • Estate Agents • Casa Henrietta JIMERA DE LIBAR ESTACION Bar Allioli
LA CALA DE MIJAS Corner Café • Lions Charity Shop • Pensioners Bar • Internet Café • Papeleria Quetzal • Captains Bar • Zurich Office • BP Garage LA CALETA Papeleria las Colonias LA HERRADURA The Hideaway Bar • Libreria Coral • La Tartana Hotel LA VINUELA Hotel Vinuela LANJARON Ambienza • Cafe Bar Health • Tourist Information • Los Llanos LAS BUGANVILLAS Victor’s • Cactus LECRIN VALLEY E.S Leman Gasolina LOJA Cafe Continental • Repsol garage LOS GALLARDOS Unicaja • Subministros Ridao • Gas station • Camping los Gallardos LOS ROMANES Camping Bar LUCENA Carrefour Pet Shop • Hotel Bronces • B.P near the fire stn. MALAGA CITY British Consulate • Café Andino • Dunkin Coffee • Hotel Tribuna • Pizzeria el Laboratorio • Restaurante Vino Mio • Hotel EL Pintor • Calle Brusseles • Celtic Irish Bar • Café con Libro • Picasso • Robert Boyd • Hotel Don Curro • Hotel Molino Larios • Tourist Office • Hotel Vinci MALAGA AIRPORT Helle Hollis • Car Parking Malaga • Easy Park • Aena Information Desk • Monarch MANILVA Kwasi Cafe • Curtain & Bedding • English bookshop.Manilva Solicitors • Dr Santos Centro de Balud • Fathom’s Bar • Natura Garden Centre • Vets • Eden Gift Shop • Visage Hair Salon • Coast to Coast Properties. MARBELLA La Cuisine • Casa del Te • Hotel Fuerte • Hotel Morada la Hermosa • Town House Hotel• Villa Marbella Hotel • Swans International School • Vergola • Puente
Romano Hotel• Polo House • Absolute Café • Deli next Door • Casa Mono • Casanis• Lawbird MIJAS PUEBLO Tourist Office • Town Hall • BP Garage MIJAS ROAD World of Furniture • Centro Idea Danish Centre MOJACAR Gas station • Masko • Habana Koi • Marina de la Torre Club • Costa Coches • Kasbah Romantic • Sal’s Diego Ortega • Pippas • La Collera Paco • El Olivo • Comptoir de la Crepe • Jolly Lemon • Total entertainment • Tomas • Mojacar Estates • Beachcomber • H Puntazo • Trufibar • Clinica Dental (Parque comercial) • Kimrick • Parador MOJACAR PUEBLO Centro de Arte Municipal • Thao • English Library • Bar Pavana MOLLINA Bar Margarita • And Estates • Brit Shop • Lazy Days Mobile Home Park •Saydo park MONDA Paper Shop • Petrol St. MONTEFRIO Alan Russell MONTE HALCONES One stop café (Ronda road) • Irish café MONTEJAQUE Hotel Montejaque • Las Casitas MOTRIL Aki • Café AL Campo • Tourist Office Los Moriscos Golf • Bar/ Rest Moriscos • Ideal Papeleria • Gran Elba Hotel NERJA Hotel Carabeo • English Book Shop • Supermercado Iranzo • Dancers Bar • Smiths Bookshop • Tourist Office • John the Barber • H2O Bar • Keyhomes Estates Agents • Team Estate Agents Mojito Bar NUEVA ANDALUCIA Aloha News • Garden Bar • Yanks • Wilsons • Alberts • La Sala restaurant • Mad Hatters • Terra Sana • N10 Hotel • RWK furniture OLVERA Petrol Station • Dynos • Olvera Properties • Via Verde • Rest. El Puerto ORGIVA
NEW DISTRIBUTION SPOTS ADDED EVERY ISSUE - LATEST INCLUDE SAVILLS IN GIBRALTAR, HOTEL PUENTE ROMANO IN MARBELLA, HOTEL TAMISA GOLF IN MIJAS, HOSPITEN AND POINTER CLINIC IN ESTEPONA
Indoor Market • Camac • Internet Café • Alpujarra Supermercado • Baraka PAMPANEIRA Hotel • Gasolinera PERIANA Cantueso PITRES Camping • Bar • Bar PIZARRA Kiwi • Aliprox PRIEGO DE CORDOBA Tourist office • Kiosko maribel Cepsa garage x2 PUENTE DON MANUEL Petrol Station • Moreno’s • Petts Dentist • English Shop • Arkwrights • Bar Atilla PUERTO BANUS VIPS • Gift Shop (Port) • Moneycorp • Mumtaz • Jacks • Bookworld • Iceland • Cravings • Kristina Zekely • La Sala •Starz Cafe PUERTO REY (VERA) Club Deportivo • La Esquina RINCON DE LA VICTORIA Tourist Office • Hotel Rincon Sol Anoreta Golf RIO FRIO Hotel Almazara RIOGORDO Coviran RIVIERA DEL SOL Miraflores Bowls Club • La Terraza Supermarket • La Terraza Paper Shop RONDA Molino del Puente • BP • Almocabar • Bar San Francisco • Tourist Office • Siete de Copas • Atrium • Chocolate • Casa Ortega • Osaka • TragaTapas • Hotel Maestranza • Hotel Colon Hotel Polo • Hotel Don Miguel • Locutorio • Serrania Services • Libreria Dumas • Huskies RUTE Estanco SABINILLAS English Bookshop • Eden • Hairdresser • Coast to Coast • Bar • Lidls SALINAS Casa Monolo • Meson Estacion SALOBRENA Hotel Salobrena • Correos • Tourist Office • Café Goya • 1616 Books • Abyla Papeleria • Restaurante Flores • Café Emilio SAN PEDRO Tourist Office • Passion Café • TRE Radio Station • Staysure • Book Shop by N10 SAN ROQUE San Roque Golf Suites Reception area and golf clubhouse • Okay cafe • Supermarket SIERRA DE YEGUAS Kiosko SOTOGRANDE GUADIARO Newsagent • Corner Café • Lemon Tree Café • Estate Agent • English Butcher Shop • Sotofiesta • Terra Sana Business Centre NH Hotel • Abbeygate Insurance • Mara Rest. • Anglo Wines • Lidls • Videola • Irish Pub • Hairy Lemon •La Terrace TARIFA Tourist Office • lidl • cafe central • hurricane hotel •hotels in centre TEBA Meson de Diego TOLOX Cross Road Bar TORRE DEL MAR Papeleria el Faro • English Bookshop Pasatiempo • Expatriate Help Centre • Lukuma • Baviera Golf • Las Yucas • Cudeca TORREMOLINOS Tourist Offices x 3 • Cudeca Town Centre Baileys Pub • BP Garage (Towards Benalmadena) •others TORROX Russels English Shop • Sol y Sombra • Light of India • El Pino English Shop • Tourist Office TRIANA Bar Triana TURRE Fundraiser • Chili • Zambra • Super Turre • Casa Diego • Total entertainment • Tio Tomas UBEDA Golden Poppy English Center UGIJAR Juan’s Bar and Bookshop VEJER Bookend VELEZ MALAGA Garden Centre La Palma • Eroski Centre • Bar Jamaica • Dunnes VERA Iceland (Suzzanne) • Galasa • Terraza Carmona VILLANUEVA DE ALGAIDAS La Bodeguita VILLANUEVA DE ROSARIO Bar • Bar • Town hall VILLANUEVA DE TAPIA La Paloma Rest. VILLANUEVA DE TRABUCO Ronnies • La Plaza • La Rubia • El Rincon de Teresa • Trabuco Books YUNQUERA Petrol St. ZAHARA DE LA SIERRA Al Lago
IF YOUR NORMAL DISTRIBUTION SPOT HAS CLOSED OR DOES NOT HAVE PAPERS THIS WEEK PLS EMAIL ADMIN@THEOLIVEPRESS.ES
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Breakthrough v AIDS
New discovery made by Spanish scientists could lead to an anti-HIV vaccine
HIV PIONEER: Dr Clotet
the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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An income from your savings of up to 8%? Is this what you need from your savings?
SCIENTISTS in Spain have made an exciting new discovery in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Researchers at the IrsiCaixa Aids Research Institute in Barcelona have identified the molecule that spreads the HIV virus around the body once it has entered the bloodstream. Ganglioside-membrane molecules penetrate cells in the body’s immune system, spreading the HIV virus to its main infection-fighting centre – the lymph glands. The study’s findings could now help create drugs which eradicate the virus completely, as well as a possible antiHIV vaccine – although this could take several years. Dr Buenaventura Clotet, who has led the team through their three-month research, said the new drugs created as a result of this study will be more efficient. He also took the opportunity to publically criticise the large cuts planned by the PP government in health and research. “The excellence of the research in Spain has not been created in two days, but it could all be thrown away in two days,” he said.
My ‘angel’ the Olive Press! A BRITISH pensioner has thanked his ‘hidden angel’ at the Olive Press for getting him the knee surgery he had waited almost a year for. “You are my patron saint of knees!” 74-year-old Ian Dennis told reporter Eloise Horsfield after finally receiving his op at the Virgen de la Victoria Hospital in Malaga. Dennis, who lives in Casarabonela, was unable to walk without crutches and was told he’d need a double knee replacement back in April 2011 – but in March 2012 he was still waiting. When the Olive Press contacted the hospital to ask why Belfast-born Dennis had been waiting for so long, staff said he would be scheduled within a month. A week later, Dennis received the first of two operations and is now recovering at home. “Thank you so much for getting me a result,” he said.
At MWM Investments Ltd we specialise in producing high returns from your savings. We can do this for you quickly, safely and confidentially. Because we create accurate and bespoke financial solutions for our customers we pride ourselves on having long lasting relationships with our clients. MWM Investments are fully authorised & regulated by the U K Financial Services Authority and are permitted to give financial advice in Spain. Our advisers are fully qualified and very experienced. If you want to know more take a look at our web site or call 951 406 550.
It’s our job to help you to grow your money or get a higher income. Safely. MWM Investments are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority No. 400105 The value of an investment can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you have invested.
RESULT: Ian Dennis
MWM Investments Ltd | Studio 3 | Waterside Court | Third Avenue Burton on Trent DE13 8DL Tel: 951 406 550 or email enquiries@mwmspain.es
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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A PAIN IN THE LEG
Raymond Prats warns people to take heed of leg pains…
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F you’re having pains in your legs it could point to blockages in your blood vessels. Years of heavy smoking, high-fat meals, and other factors will cause cholesterol, scar tissue and blood clots which build up inside your blood vessels. Most people think this kind of clogged artery disease, or arteriosclerosis, only happens in the heart. But it can happen throughout the body. When it does, it’s called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. In some people, PAD causes leg pain that acts as an ‘early warning sign’ that someone is at high risk for a heart attack or a stroke. Worryingly nearly a quarter of people who have leg pain due to PAD will be dead within five years, mostly due to heart attacks and other heart problems.
And for people whose leg pain keeps them from walking even short distances, the odds are even worse: as many as half will die within five years. Fortunately, early diagnosis, treatment and life style changes can prevent serious complications before they happen. Leg pain can be a wake-up call. So take heed of the old saying, ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.’ If you’re having any discomfort or pain in your legs consult your doctor and stay safe.
For more information visit www.simplecarehealthplan.com
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ANGER AT SPANISH HEALTH REFORMS Consumer group slams government decision to reduce availability of healthcare for some immigrants By James Bryce
A CONSUMER group has branded the government’s decision to deny healthcare to unregistered foreigners as an ‘immoral perversion which could lead to deaths’. It follows an announcement by Health Minister Ana Mato (right), which makes health cover unavailable to certain immigrants after August 31. Beyond that date, expats will need to have a residency card, be studying or working, or have a health insurance policy covering all eventualities in Spain, in order to obtain treatment. The measure - designed to tackle so-called ‘health tour-
Food for thought TUCKING into a hamburger or hotdog could be just as bad for your mental health as your physical health, according to a new study. Spanish researchers discovered those who ate junk food regularly were 51 per cent more likely to develop depression, compared to those who ate little or none. The study - conducted by the universities of Granada and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - comprised 8,964 participants who had never been diagnosed with depression or taken anti-depressants. They were assessed for an
RISK: Junk food average of six months and 493 were diagnosed with depression or started to take anti-depressants. “The more fast food you consume, the greater the risk of depression,” said researcher Almudena Sanchez-Villegas.
Planning ahead with Iberian Funeral Plans SL could save you thousands Iberian provides the caring choice for your family Because the Guaranteed Funeral Plan is provided by Iberian SL, one of Spain’s foremost providers of funeral plans, you can be sure that you will receive unrivalled service and excellent value for money.
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This is not Insurance or a credit agreement ism’ - will not affect children or pregnant women and does not apply to emergency treatment. “The measure is the start of the creation of one health service for the rich and another for the poor,” said FACUA-Consumers in Action President Francisco Sanchez Legran.
Abused
The Spanish health service is currently 20 billion euros in debt, with figures suggesting 700,000 foreigners abused the system in 2009, costing 917 million euros. The government hopes to cut seven billion from the health budget in a bid to make it more cost effective, with services provided to unregistered foreigners at the heart of the planned measures. “We must avoid foreigners abusing the health service in Spain,” said Spanish finance minister Cristobal Montoro recently.
TASTY: Cambridge stall at show empowered many people to realise their dream of owning their own businesses.”
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Planning your funeral ahead saves time, unnecessary upset and money
Peace of mind is priceless – but with Iberian it won’t cost the earth
RULING THE STOMACH IT has been ruling the waves abroad for the last few years. Now the Cambridge diet company has been handed the prestigious Queen’s Award for its massive expansion internationally. The UK company - which launched in Spain this year - has seen its overseas earnings grow by nearly 120 per cent in just four years. Managing director Eileen Skinner said: “We are very proud to win. “As well as helping more than 25 million people lose weight worldwide, we have
the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
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p the
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THE OLIVE PRESS’ MONTHLY GARDENING SECTION
READY FOR BATTLE: Appropriate protective clothing is vital
On the trail of the evil weevil
INVESTIGATION: Antonio Perez inspects a palm tree for signs of the Red Palm Weevil while (above) one dead palm
Eloise Horsfield spent a morning with Antonio Perez, a Ronda tree surgeon who disinfects trees infected by the red palm weevil
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NTONIO Perez is like a soldier in the fight against the weevil, whose larvae kill palm trees by boring right through their trunks. The tree surgeon and gardener spends his days applying strong chemicals to palm trees to wipe out insects already present, and to prevent future infestations. “The beetles attack the heart of the tree,” explained Perez, from Viveros Guadalgarden in Ronda. “First I have to go up and cut the bottom leaves off with a chainsaw, to expose the part underneath. “I then use a spade to clear the debris from around the leaf stumps to give easy access to the tree’s heart,” he said. At this point Perez examines any signs that the palm has been infested by the beetle, whose life cycle is four months long. While the evidence is often hidden in the trunk, sometimes there are thick holes and at times a vomit-like odour, with brown liquid oozing out of the trunk. “After that I apply a type of oil which will cause the insecticide to stick to the tree,” he said. The next stage requires Perez to wear full protective gear to protect him from the toxic chemicals he is applying. Using 30cc per tree, he sprays on one of three insecticides, depending on whether the tree is already infected or whether the treatment is purely preventative. “If we used just one, the beetles may build up a resistance,” he explained. While most infestations can be treated with two treatments - each costing around 40 euros - in extreme cases, several sprays are needed over the course of a year which can cost up to 450 euros per tree. Continual ongoing treatment is necessary.
Palm weevil microwave attack
FIGHTBACK: The Eco-ring A SPANISH company has invented a gadget which gets rid of burrowing red palm weevils without using chemicals. The Ecoring device, created by Valencia company Ecopalm, uses microwaves to treat infected trees with a system that is ‘environmentally friendly and totally harmless both for the plant and for humans’. Using a giant metal ring attached to a crane and clamped around the tree’s trunk, the Ecoring takes between 20 and 60 minutes to kill all eggs, larvae and beetles. Already being used by Canals Town Hall in Valencia, this could be a perfect solution for bewildered town halls, which have admitted to having no concrete plans for fighting the seemingly unstoppable weevil. The nasty beetle has been wreaking havoc on palm trees across Andalucia since it was first detected here in 1995. The insect’s larvae chomp their way through the palm’s heart for up to a month, eventually killing the tree – a terrifying prospect for a country where palms form such an important part of its aesthetic value.
Up the jardin path
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In the latest in our series on the herbs of Andalucia, Sue Rodgers looks at the plants that can help you unwind
Herbs to help you de-stress
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TRESS is the number one ailment of modern Western society. Instead of turning to caffeine or alcohol, try some great stress-busting herbs that have been used for centuries to help you unwind. There are numerous herbs that grow in Andalucia and have a reputation for effective stress-busting. A native of the Mediterranean region is lemon balm – Melissa officinalis - that has been cultivated for over 2000 years and was called the ‘elixir of life’ by Paracelsus, a 15th century German-Swiss physician and alchemist. Lemon balm, also known as ‘bee balm’ grows in scrubby, partially shaded areas across the region.
It is often a garden escapee and self-seeds with relish. Lemon balm can be used in several different ways, as an infusion – place fresh or dried leaves in a cup, pour over boiling water, cover and leave for 10 minutes, strain and drink – or as a tincture (see note). It can also be combined with other stress busting herbs, such as St John’s wort, lavender, lemon verbena and lime flowers either as infusions or tinctures. The essential oils of these herbs can also be used in a bath oil. Always put essential oils in a carrier oil such as almond oil or in a tablespoon of milk before using, then lie back and relax.
HE KNOWS HIS ONIONS! Peter Langdale from Axarquia’s La Palma garden centre enjoys the warmth of the spring and looks at what needs to be done
Spring into action
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PRING has sprung and our winter dormant plants have awakened. Little by little we have left the cold behind and welcomed the warmth and longer days. Everything is bursting into life. And now is the time to enjoy your garden and gardening. But what should you be doing? Flowers: It is the perfect time for some of our favourite flowers; irises, lilies, camellias, carnations, roses, and azaleas etc. Planting: Now is the time to plant your borders-- annuals, shrubs, trees etc. And don’t forget your vegetable plot -- tomatoes, aubergine, courgettes, melons, peppers. There is nothing to beat a plate of home grown veg. Other work: As spring marches on finish the last of your pruning and trim your hedges. Some flowers may require dead heading or cutting back after flowering. Irrigation: Check out your watering system and make sure as the hotter days arrive, everything is properly watered. Pest and disease: Without a doubt there will now be attacks of aphids and mildews. Preventative treatments are always better than curative. Weeds will also be a problem and their removal by hand or chemical is recommended. At Garden La Palma we have an ample range of phytosanitary products to help you with all manner of problems.
Tinctures Tinctures are an excellent way to harness the power of herbs, and are more practical and longer lasting than herbal teas. Tinctures use alcohol to extract the medicinal properties of herbs and volume for volume are more concentrated than infusions, decoctions or macerated oils. They are easy to make and will last up to 12 months, if kept in a dark cupboard. If using fresh herbs ensure they are dry, then chop and place in a jar. Cover with good vodka, ensuring all herb material is covered. Seal the jar and place in a dark cupboard for three weeks, giving the jar a daily shake. Open the jar and strain the liquid through a muslin cloth. Pour the liquid into a coloured glass bottle and label. Take a teaspoon of tincture two or three times a day in warm water. For more recipes check out www.self sufficiency4u.com
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I am a good girl, have a lovely nature, love to play and go for walks. I have no issues with other dogs, and I am very well behaved in public. I would love a home and family of my own, even though I am very well cared for and loved at FAMA. If you would like to meet me in person, and get more information, please contact Pat on Tel. 620 354 885 or visit our website www.f-a-m-a.net. FAMA’s policy is never to put down a healthy dog.
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NEW GRADUATE REQUIRED Growing firm seeks newly qualified ambitious graduate as assistant to chief executive. High degree of numeracy and communication skills required. Incumbent will work closely with chief executive thereby gaining modern business experience as a sort of “on-the-job MBA”. Office in Mijas coastal area but work could be partly based from your home. Do not apply unless you are truly fluent in Spanish as well as English. If so, email in both languages to bob@sunov.sg
Lifestyle Consultants FULL TIME Would suit positive outgoing characters, previous sales experience or customer service an advantage yet not essential. Commission, phone, plus travel expenses paid. Full contract and company car after qualifying period. Full Training provided with reputable company. To apply send your up to date CV to recruitment@ angelsnursinggroup.com
Vacancies for UK Qualified Bilingual Nurses and Carers We are seeking Nurses with active UK PIN and Madrid Registered Positions available across the Malaga province, Own Transport essential. Send up to date CV to recruitment@ angelsnursinggroup.com
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the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
No more Mr Nice Guy!
R
EGULAR readers of this column will know that, by nature, I am compassionate, kind-hearted and considerate; patience personified. However, even the well of my benevolent life-force runs dry when I see lycra-clad yobs on bicycles ignoring the rules of the road and endangering the well-being of others in general and the paint-work on my Bentley in particular. The cyclist lobby, which should be a proscribed terrorist organisation, is always whingeing about motorists but it ignores the fact that it has become de rigueur for bike riders to disregard traffic lights and pedestrian crossings and to weave from lane to lane with reckless aban-
S
PAIN has been called many things lately. A lot of them haven’t been nice; like ‘Doomed Nation’ and ‘Europe’s biggest problem.’ However, before we disappear into the quagmire, I’d like to share an inspirational quote: ‘Tough times don’t last, but tough people do’ – not my words, but those of Gregory Peck, Premier Magazine’s 27th greatest actor of all time! And that’s what we need to be telling ourselves right now. According to The Sun, 48 per cent of Brits crave what we’ve already got, and I’m willing to fight like a Shaolin monk to keep my dream alive. To reduce our ‘deficit’ we’ve downsized from luxury penthouse to modest, two-bedchalet. It’s so cramped you can have a bath, boil the kettle and watch El Cubo…all at the same time! We’ve also adopted a new motto: ‘Eat to live, don’t live to eat’.
don. Recently I saw riders, three abreast, on a busy city road, ride through two sets of red traffic signals and across a pedestrian crossing where cars had already stopped. Two of them were riding ‘hands free.’ This is not an unusual occurrence. Just the other day two cyclists weaved their way around the Bentley on a tandem! Impervious to the red light, they rode into the cross-stream of traffic without bothering to look in either direction. It is time to impose new rules that will protect other road users from these pedalling maniacs. First, a cycling proficiency test must be introduced. Potential
cyclists will be required to enrol in a ten-year programme and attendance at each of the 41 proficiency modules will be a prerequisite for the award of a Provisional Cycling Licence. Once achieved, riders will be allowed to use designated cycle paths in national parks where the population density is lower than three people per 1,000 square kilometres. After a further eight years of incident-free cycling and upon payment of a substantial fee, a Conditional Cycling Licence will be issued. This will permit the use of public roads when the bicycle is firmly secured to a rack on the back of a motor vehicle. After another six years a panel comprising no less
HAZARD: Cyclists are a constant menace than four motorists (one of whom must drive a taxi, another must drive a bus) will assess each cyclist’s record and, when a Full Licence is inevitably declined, will order a re-sit of the original training programme. Some cyclists may consider
this an extreme reaction to the menace that they daily wreak throughout the land. They will be correct in that assumption. The sooner we get these kamikaze cyclists off the roads the safer it will be for everyone else.
Keep calm... and make a stew! Gone are the days of stuffing supermarket trolleys with luxuries and seafood platters that required several mortgages to enjoy. Nowadays, we live off a simple diet of fruit, veg, lentils and chorizo. Every time I open the cupboards, I feel like a Big Brother contestant slumming it on ‘basic rations’. At least we’re not alone. Our friends too have slashed their budgets, swapping Mojitos for Mahou and steaks for tuna bakes. Personally, I’ve found it difficult to get aroused by Spanish ingredients. We Brits like our food to look good, and Spanish scran tends to be uglier than Martin Clunes’ sex face. However, after stumbling across a website called uglyfoodstastebet-
DEATH METAL OZZY Osbourne – aka the Prince of Darkness – is heading to Spain for two exclusive concerts. The bat-munching brummie will be performing at Madrid’s Palacio Vistalegre on June 13 and at the Azkena Rock Festival on June 15. To get you into the ‘spirit’ of things here’s some other Rock Gods with links to ‘the dark side’. 1) Sting wasn’t So Lonely when two apparitions visited his North London bedroom. The Police front man had always been a non-believer, but claimed to see the spooks ‘with my own eyes’. Renowned for his tantric sex and swinger parties, you’d have thought Sting would be used to seeing a couple of stiffs in his boudoir! 2) Foo Fighters lead singer Dave Grohl believed his former Seattle home was haunted by a Native American woman. When things started to go bump in the night, the bearded, rock-gonk turned to a Ouija board for answers. According to Grohl, after asking if a murder had taken place at the property, the glass spelt out ‘Y-E-S…..M-Y-…B-A-B-Y’. Panic-stricken, Grohl
WICKED WHISPER
Which FC Barcelona midfielder has earned the nickname ‘The Street fighter’? Could it be the skinny one – with the silly name - who goes down like a dying swan every time someone breathes on him? (Then again….which Barca player doesn’t?) Honestly, it’s no wonder they call it Nou ‘Camp’. Street fighter indeed……it must be a very quiet street!
LIONS ‘RISE’ TO THE OCCASION Congrats to Chelsea after their astonishing Champions League victory over Barcelona (3-2 on aggregate). With everyone writing them off, I hadn’t been this nervous about a ‘semi’ since I watched Brokeback Mountain! The Blues will now face Bayern Munich in the May 19 final. ter.com, I was eager to test the theory. At the local store, I bought a shrivelled-up sausage, six mouldy
immediately put the house on the market. Pffft, and this from a guy who wrote Resolve and I’ll Stick Around. 3) In 1995, The Beatles felt ‘a presence’ while recording Free as a Bird at Paul McCartney’s Sussex home. “There were a lot of strange things going on in the studio” said Paul, “noises that shouldn’t be there” (later identified as Ringo’s amateur drumming). When someone mentioned Lennon, Macca claimed there was ‘an overall feeling that John was around.’ This ‘feeling’ intensified when George Martin picked up a faint, ethereal, voice on the ACME Opticom. When played-back, the voice seemed to growl: “Paul...you’re still a tosser.”
mushrooms, and a potato that looked like a willy (which I childishly uploaded on Twitter, as a ‘Dick-tator’). Thankfully, once sliced, diced and bunged in a pot, these unsightly items combined to create a delicious chorizo hotpot. Plus, the low cost of the dish made it even tastier…six euros for three nights’ supper! But although eating the ‘Spanish way’ has been fab for our tastebuds, it’s destroyed my dresssense. The subsequent weight loss has led to all of my jeans sagging, and I’m trudging around like an Inglewood gangbanger! This week, the US state of Tennessee passed new legislation, making it illegal to wear low-slung pants. Of course, I get the whole hip-hop/gangster connotation of baggy trousers, but what if there’s an innocent explanation? For all we know Tupac’s Changes might have been referencing his shrinking waistline after adding chickpeas and casseroles to his daily diet. This week, I’ve joined a new Spanish football team, meaning I’ll probably have to beef up again.
After all, the continentals expect Brits to be built like brick shithouses. Ahead of Barca’s tragic clash with Chelsea, Lionel Messi told reporters: “The English are tough, strong and very physical.” Ha, and then I’ll show up with less meat on my bones than a pata negra on Boxing Day! But to conclude, I’d just like to urge everyone to keep calm and carry on. Yes, the storm clouds are gathering, and the wolf is in the sheep-hold, but what are we… French? We ‘Lionhearts’ are made of strong-stuff and I reckon our ‘Blitz Spirit’ will see us through. Under Franco’s regime Andalucians lived off boiled grass and weeds, so we can’t really grumble about staying in, or eating a few stews. Remember, laughter is the best cosmetic – so grin and wear it! Until the next time: ‘A mal tiempo, buena cara’.
THOUGHT OF THE FORTNIGHT A REAL DEAD ‘SHINDLER’ FOR LOVE I’m not saying Cher is a Nazi – but at no point during If I Could Turn Back Time does she mention killing Hitler!
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LOST SPIRIT
I
N matters of sporting endeavour I have always believed in the Corinthian Spirit though I confess that the origins of the term remain somewhat obscure in my mind. Perhaps simplistically I interpreted the term as: ‘sportsmanlike, epitomising fair play, a gentlemanly approach to the game;’ all of which are laudable objectives. The advent of professionalism in most sports seems to have eroded the Corinthian Spirit to the point where it is no more than a distant memory for player and supporter alike and one could find no finer evidence for this contention than the recent football match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Football is not a game that interests me much, but The Lady Bartie’s errant nephew, Rupert, was in residence, was eager to watch the game and, despite my protestations, prevailed with the television remote control. Seldom have I seen such an abundance of whatever is the opposite of the Corinthian Spirit demonstrated so effectively. Players who had been ‘injured’ (apparently terminally) were quickly up on their feet if a penalty was not awarded. If the referee had the temerity to make a ‘wrong’ decision, he was mobbed by the offended team as players attempted to persuade him to reverse his judgment. Managers paced and ranted in carefully defined boxes, like caged animals. Goal scorers were hugged and kissed like prima donnas at the ballet. Supporters bayed and whistled dementedly. I cannot deny the athleticism and refined ball skills that football players exhibit, but please do not try to tell me that this is a game played in the Corinthian Spirit. It is a professional endeavour performed physically, not spiritually, and is all the worse for it.
Disgruntled of Andalucia (formerly of Royal Tunbridge Wells)
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HEN Cadiz Town Hall published a list of all the towns and villages in the province recently oddly Alcala del Valle was not even on it. “Understandably as a hotelier here I was concerned and called up to say they had missed the village off,” explained Siska Oosterling who runs Hotel Erriza with her husband Hans Wolffenbuttel. “First they insisted it was in Malaga and not Cadiz, but when I argued with them they agreed to come back to me. “Eventually they called back hours later to apologise and now we are listed,” she said. “It is funny; people, including the authorities, don’t seem to know the village is here.” But they should. This charming, if forgotten, place situated in the far north east corner of Cadiz right on the border with Malaga and just 24km from Ronda, is of Muslim origin, but there is evidence that a settlement has existed here since prehistoric times.
43 the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012 43 DRINK & TRAVEL with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
And equally the people are very much ‘salt of the Canos Santos earth’ with Convent was built a ‘what you see is what to honour the you get’ attitude. virgin seen by a Proudly shepherd in 1512 working class, almost to a In particular, traces of megaman, I even lithic culture can be found in saw several the Dolmenes del Tomillo. people on Meanwhile the name Alcala a Sunday originates from the Moorish morning word for castle, which is no strolling longer standing and is now SOCIAL: Locals make visitors feel around in the site of Hotel Erriza and their pythe adjacent municipal swim- welcome while (top) Canos Santos ming pool. the building is the stunning jamas – but hey, that is no The village, while not exactly scenery that can be seen crime. pretty, is ideally situated in from the high vantage point It certainly has a very differthe heart of Andalucia and which is also where the vil- ent feel than many other local within easy reach of other lagers flood to for the annual spots and is about as far removed from nearby Ronda as towns, making it a great base. romeria on May 1. There is also a lot to do in the From the outside Alcala looks Barcelona is to Baghdad. surrounding countryside such very much like many of the Furthermore it is fast becomas biking, hiking, and horse other white villages in the ing known as something of a riding. area but it is often passed party town. And an absolute must-see over by tourists in favour of its The distinct lack of tourism is the Canos Santo Convent, more spectacular neighbour, gives it an authentic feel that is lost in some of the other built in the 16th century in Setenil de las Bodegas. honour of the virgin who It is in fairness a little rough more popular villages around. appeared to a shepherd in round the edges, but what it “This is true authentic Spain,” 1512. lacks in polish it makes up for adds Siska, a journalist from Amsterdam. Even more impressive than in atmosphere. “And it is not a ‘sleepy village’, it is very festive and there is always something going on. “At the weekends the young people from villages from a long way away come here for their nights out.” Indeed the town, with a population of around 5,300, boasts around 30 bars and restaurants. It is no surprise that in 2010 the village put itself forward as one of the ‘most fun places’ in Spain as part of Antena 3’s Megaplayback competition, which saw 1,000 residents make a music video showcasing their pueblo. SCENIC: Alcala del Valle is surrounded by rolling hills
Andalucia’s ‘home of fun’ that is hardly on the map! While lost in the Cadiz/Malaga borders, Alcala del Valle is authentically Andaluz and full of spirit, discovers Wendy Williams (right)
Interestingly, in contrast to the vibrant social scene, the way of life is very agricultural and the surrounding countryside makes you really feel you are in the middle of nature. It is not unusual to find a herd of goats ahead of you on the roads, and see residents working the land. There is also an enormous private bull-breeding finca outside the town where some
of Spain’s biggest bullfighters regularly come to practice. These allegedly include Jesulin, Fran Rivera and Javier Conde, the husband of flamenco star Estrella Morente. This is a fact now well known to the owners of neighbouring boutique hotel Cortijo El Guarda, also run by a Dutch couple, Miranda Lobel and Turn to Page 44
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FOOD, DRINK &www.theolivepress.es TRAVEL HARD WORKING: Many locals work on the land and (inset) Jose Pulido Dorado
Hans Lucassen. “When we were finishing work on the hotel last year, a man came in and asked to have a look around as he had always liked the place,” explains Miranda. “Suddenly all the workmen stopped what they were doing and ran over to take pictures. “They were so excited, I didn’t know what was going on and it turned out it was Javier Conde. “He was just really normal and was chatting with the guys,” she added. The main employer in the village however is an asparagus cooperative, which sells the vegetable to France and Holland, and employs around 70 people. The village is also famous for sausages, olives, cereals, goat’s milk, cherries and pata negra ham. The people are obviously very proud of what they have on offer and keen to show it off to visitors. As soon as I expressed a slight interest in the asparagus coop, one local, Jose Pulido Dorado, who has lived in Alcala all his life, ushered me round. I’m still not sure if he actually worked there or just in the
petrol station next door, but he knew everyone and everything and made a knowledgeable guide. Meanwhile the rows of women dressed in blue giggled at
the idea of having a journalist writing about what they do. This friendliness towards strangers in a large part comes on account of the fact it is very much an emigrant village. With a lack of industry there the residents are forced to travel to find work. For several months each year a lot of the men actually go abroad to do seasonal jobs such as fruit picking and in the summer months Alcala is mainly populated with women. “There is no work here so everybody has to leave,” adds Siska. “There are times when the village is nearly just women and
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STUNNING: Views are superb and the dolmens (below) are fascinating
children. “And more recently some of the women have been leaving to find work as well so there are children and grandparents. It is difficult. “But it gives the town another dimension. The people have lived all over and the town is surprisingly multi-lingual and very open minded. “People understand what it is like to be in a foreign place and so they are very welcoming.” Miranda from La Guarda agrees: “Times are difficult but they still try to live a happy life.” And this certainly shows in both the locals and the few expats who have made this out of the way village their home. “When I talk about Alcala I feel so proud,” she continues. “I have just fallen in love with the place, the people and our life here. “Where else in the world can you be somewhere so rural and tranquil with just the birds and butterflies, and at the same time so close to the beach and other cities.”
Beautiful boutique hotel Cortijo el Guarda bowls over bullfighter, writes Jon Clarke
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ARRIED to one of Spain’s top flamenco stars and born and bred in Malaga, bullfighter Javier Conde has seen a few classic Andalucian piles. But even he was bowled over by the fabulous vernacular features of stunning Cortijo el Guarda, in Alcala del Valle. On one of his frequent trips to a neighbouring bull-rearing estate, he decided to poke his nose into the hotel, which only opened last year. “He was so impressed with the place he insisted that when we had our official opening, he would get his wife Estrella Morente to sing at it,” explains owner Miranda Lobel. “It really blew me away.” It is a fitting compliment to what must be, without a doubt, one of Andalucia’s most alluring boutique hotels. Hidden in the heart of breathtakingly beautiful countryside, Cortijo el Guarda is one of those places that leaves you fighting for breath on arrival. Its clean white walls and pantile roofs perfectly sum up the best of Andalucian architecture. With a wonderful courtyard, deep blue pool and comfortable rooms this is one perfect inland retreat. Just 15 minutes from Ronda and on the edge of tiny undiscovered Alcala del Valle, it is ideal for a weekend’s escape from the coast. And to cap it all, Miranda and husband Hans, a former banking executive, are the perfect hosts, both knowledgeable and cultured. Visit www.el-guarda.com
Spectacular vernacular the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012
ALLURING: Cortijo el Guarda and (inset) bullfighter Javier Conde and Estrella Morente
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Unexpected treasure Somelier opens secret gem Polear in the heart of the Cadiz hinterland
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IDDEN in what seems like the back of beyond Polear is an unexpected treasure. The restaurant has an impressive wine list that at first glance is surprising in a restaurant in such a small, out of the way rural village. But it makes sense when you realise owner Juan Jesus Cruces was named the best sommelier in Cadiz at the Nariz d’Oro for two years running in 2007 and 2008. He also trained at top restaurants on the coast including the Hotel Los Monteros in Marbella, before pairing up with brother Rafa to open
their own restaurant in Alcala del Valle. Both from the village, the brothers compliment each other well and the delicious restaurant offers modern food with a completely different feel to the traditional, rustic fare elsewhere in Alcala. To keep the menu fresh it changes on an almost daily basis with constant additions alongside some of the more popular dishes that are always in demand. And there is a focus on using the local produce that is in season. “We know what our customers like,” insists Juan Jesus, who is always on hand to recommend dishes and the best wine to accompany it. I opted for one of the new additions, a refreshing salad with smoked cod, orange, tomato and potato that was new that day but I imagine will be sticking around. I followed it with a gratin with succulent prawns in a roast pepper sauce and then tender carrillada topped off with a delicious tiramisu. It was reason enough to pay a visit to Alcala del Valle.
El Polear, C/ Virgen de los Remedios 6, 11693 Alcalá del Valle, Cádiz. Tel: 956 13 50 48. www.cafebarpolear.com
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Dish of the day! Spaniard named ‘world’s best female chef’ – while country, once again, scoops top marks in best restaurant poll
A SPANIARD has been voted the world’s best female chef in a prestigious international poll. Elena Arzak, 42, landed the gong in recognition of her work at the restaurant Arzak, named after her father in San Sebastian. The eaterie has meanwhile maintained its position in the World’s Top Ten best res-
Tasting your knowledge WINE enthusiasts looking to get a better understanding have a good opportunity to learn more about the industry. The Wine Academy is hosting an Introduction to Wine Tasting evening in Marbella at 8pm on May 3. The event will include the different phases of tasting, an overview of wines in different countries and tasting of 10-12 quality wines. For more information, call 952 830 806 or email: info@thewineacademy.com.
taurants, compiled by Britain’s Restaurant magazine. It comes in, once again, at eighth, while Spain maintained its incredible grip on the globe’s most prestigious dining poll. The country has no less than three restaurants in the Top Ten, with El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, and Mugaritz, in San Sebastian, finishing second and third respectively. Chef at Mugaritz Andoni Luis Aduriz was handed the ‘chef’s choice award’ in the poll. Other Spanish eateries in the S.Pelligrini World’s 50 best Restaurants list, include Asador Etxebarri (31) and Quique Dacosta (40). Danish restaurant Noma won for the third consecutive year, while Heston Blumenthal’s once leading UK restaurant the Fat Duck dropped to 13th. There was no place for Spain’s famous eaterie Martin Berasategui, which dropped off the list after finishing 29th last year.
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the FREE
48 the olive press - May 03 - 16, 2012 Chain charge A 76-year-old woman has been fined 20 euros for chaining herself to her bank in Almeria in protest at being evicted from her home.
FINAL WORDS
Tanked up A 50-year-old man drove his car into a water tank then got out and rejoined a family celebration, in Almeria.
Snow boom Almost a million people visited the Sierra Nevada ski resort this winter, more than a percentage point up on last year.
Royal rail
The luxury Al Andalus train featuring carriages once used by the British Royal Family is to begin service this month for the first time since 2004.
Onwards and upwards in 2012 with 152,000 papers www.theolivepress.es (90,000 digital) and around 150,000 visits to the website Sell your property THIS each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!
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Shoedunnit CRISTIANO Ronaldo and his Real Madrid teammates can certainly claim to have been robbed following their recent defeat to Bayern Munich. The Portuguese star had three pairs of boots stolen from the dressing room prior to the match in Munich, with other victims including Karim Benzema and Mesut Ozil. Police are now investigating the theft after Real Madrid lodged a compliant with UEFA. Luckily Bayern stadium announcer Stephan Lehmann came to the rescue by sending Ronaldo a pair of traditional Bavarian brogues. “He won’t score any goals with them but he will look really snazzy,” he said.
May 03 - 16, 2012
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Ooh Ahh Se-vi-lla
Bullfighting date for football bad boy Eric Cantona EXCLUSIVE by Eloise Horsfield
BULLFIGHT FAN: Eric Cantona
HE is famous for jumping into the crowd to lay into an obnoxious footie fan. Now Eric Cantona has come along for a bit of classic Spanish bloodletting! The Frenchman, a former Manchester United player who turned to acting after retiring from the pitch, was spotted dining at the 17th century El Rinconcillo restaurant and bodega in Sevilla last week. “Yes, he was here,” said a restaurant employee. “He came in at midday. He was
here for a bullfight – that’s what he usually comes for.” “He looked very scruffy,” said another source. “Not what you expect from a Frenchman!” And while rumour has it the 45-year-old was staying at the five-star EME Catedral Hotel, staff there were unable to confirm or deny this. “I’m not allowed to say anything as we have to respect the privacy of our clients,” said a receptionist. Cantona will be back in Andalucia in the autumn to discuss his role as an Interpol agent in new Costa gangster movie Shill, starring another ex-footballer, Vinnie Jones.
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No sunny delight for Arantxa
TENNIS great Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (above) enjoyed the Marbella sunshine, despite her team losing in a major tennis tournament. The Spanish captain praised the local fans despite being beaten by the Slovak Republic in the Fed Cup play-off. “Playing at home is great, and we could hear the Spanish crowds supporting us,” the three-times French Open winner told the Olive Press at the Puente Romano Tennis Club.
Beach babe
A NUMBER of expats, including Alex Vallejo (pictured in green), are hoping to book their place in the national rugby finals this weekend. Marbella Rugby Club’s Under 14 side will travel to Sevilla to take on local team Cajsol Ciencias in the Andalucian final on Saturday. The winner will go on to
represent the region in the national finals in Valladolid next weekend, with Marbella’s Under 10 side having already qualified.
Unfortunately the Spaniards, up against a Slovak team containing two world top 20 players, were eventually outdone – thereby losing their place in the Fed Cup’s top group. It was an all round better tournament for Slovak player Daniela Hantuchova, who spent the following day lying on Marbella beach.
Guardiola to Chelsea? SPECULATION linking Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola with a summer move to Chelsea refuses to go away. It comes after the 41-yearold announced he will retire from the Catalan giants at the end of this season, with his next move remaining a closely guarded secret. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the explicit permission of the publisher. While efforts are made to ensure the authenticity of advertisements and articles appearing in The Olive Press, the publisher does not accept any responsibility for claims made, nor do contributors’ opinions necessarily represent his own. Copyright Luke Stewart Media S.L 2012