Olive Press Mallorca - Issue 101

Female and fearless How personal tragedy fuelled one woman’s success story

International

Women’s Day

The

OLIVE PRESS

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To celebrate International Women’s Day, we hear the inspirational stories from over a dozen expats from around the country

MALLORCA

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 4 Issue 101 www.theolivepress.es March 12th - March 25th 2021

Passport to paradise Islands put themselves forward for reopening of borders to UK travellers

TOURISTS who have vaccine passports to prove they have had the COVID jabs could return to our shores as soon as May. The Balearic Islands are hoping to follow the leads of Portugal, Greece and Cyprus and open borders to British holidaymakers who have received the vaccine.

It comes as the Spanish government confirmed that plans to welcome visitors with vaccine passports are already underway - and the Balearic Islands is keen to follow suit.

International sun seekers could return this Spring, according to Spain's tourism minister Reyes Maroto.

The tourism chief said: “We want to

Photo by: Allan Binderup

By Kirsty McKenzie

ICONIC The cathedral in Palma is one of the island´s tourists hot spots

be pioneers and we are the most active champions of digital vaccine passports to facilitate international mobility.”

It is unclear when Spain's pilot will be rolled out but regional governors have urged Maroto to let them start the scheme.

Tourism minister Iago Negueruela is pushing for the islands to be the first part of Spain to welcome British holidaymakers with vaccine passports.

He said: “We have offered to become one of the first parts of Spain where the vaccine passport is trialed.

“We showed with last year’s pilot that we can work effectively and the Spanish government’s response to our proposal was

very positive.

“We will focus our efforts from now on in becoming a lead region in the implementation of immunity certificates to facilitate mobility.”

Maria Duran, a spokeswoman for hotels in Mallorca said: "We're paying very close attention to the UK, the first country to design and share a roadmap for restoring mobility."

...and introducing our new Digital Editor, Fiona Govan, in Madrid

Travel

Vaccine passports, which show the COVID track record of the traveller, have been supported by countries in Europe including Spain and Greece to enable travel to resume without restrictions.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commision, has said that the EU is hoping to publish draft legislation on a digital green pass on March 17.

These would prove that the holder has been given both of the jabs and provide medical certificates for those who have recovered from the virus, allowing them to bypass quarantine and negative tests.

Brits are currently banned from taking holidays overseas, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reveal the date international travel will restart on April 12.

There are hopes the PM will allow UK tourists to head on holidays abroad from as early as May 17, but it's thought that June 21 is a more likely date.

952 147 834

...with an introduction from our British consul in Andalucia, Charmaine Arbouin

All inside our International Women’s Day special supplement

A special four-page pullout

March 2021

www.theolivepress.es

CAPTION TO GO HERE

I

One in five Spanish women gave up work due to the COVID crisis, while they also poorer and harder are than men, writes Olive working Press Digital Editor Fiona Govan

FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN´S

LONG WAY TO GO

N previous years March 8 a day when I would meetwas grandparents to toddlers hoisted with a group of friends up on shoulders, came together in a we would hit the streets and sea of purple brandishing signs of Ma- with powerful drid joining tens of thousands slogans to show others to mark International of that modern Spain means equal Wo- opportunities, whatever men’s Day. gender you are.

We would don purple items of But the demonstrations clothing and join in the also unprotests derlined how that attracted people much there was from all still to do; women walks of life and across may now be the nerations – both men and ge- fully accepted in the workplace wo- but they are still men, boys and girls. penalised by a There was a carnival atmosphe- gender pay gap, which is not im- men is still recognised as a major proving fast enough. re as people of all ages, problem in Spain and the from Meanwhile violence we are against wo- witnessing the rise of the try’s political far right and counwith it a denial of gender inequalities.

This year with Spain still in the grip of the pandemic, are no mass protests withthere thorities banning gatheringsauto avoid potential super-spreader events, but the health crisis has highlighted and even compounded some of the inequalities in society.

Working from home has seen a steep rise in mental health with women bearing the issues of the burden of childcarebrunt and housework as they try to balance work life with home-schooling and care for their elderly relatives.

See inside

Pics are on the wall

A SMALL village in ed the skills of twodeep inland Malaga has enlistwhitewashed walls local artists to transform the into a tribute to rural across the ages. women In a project entitled rapher Ana Becerra ‘Saucedeñas’, Ronda photogtaken to Villanueva and artist Selector Marx have Residents awoke lastdel Rosario. week to large scale white collages of images black of local rural women and blazoned on walls of em“The women on the municipal buildings. are entrepreneurs, photographs are women who who cultivated creativity had a history of self-improvement or who ” said Becerra.

When Spain went into lockdown a year ago, gender violence soared with the authorities reporting an 18% rise in calls ring the first fortnight alone. duA survey conducted by DYM in

DAY...

Important day Charmaine Arbouin, British Consul for Andalusia, Canary Islands, Ceuta & Melilla. Based in

women in managerial positions Malaga she covers remains around a third of that of the region of Spain men with the numbers dropping even further as careers progress. that has the largest Spain’s female executives concentration of British 15.1 percent less than their earn residents counterparts, although this male below the EU average is just salary gap of 16 percent according “International Women’s the latest EU data from 2017. to Day is an opportunity the run up to Women’s to Day this This inequality is highlighted celebrate the achieveyear revealed that 7% of in women the statement issued ments of women - both had suffered physical or by psycho- government on March Spain’s past and present; those logical abuse from men 8: “Woduring men in Spain work who have shaped 2020. more than and transformed our world, men today, but And most alarwhether that be politithey are poorer.” mingly of all, accally or in the fields Of course there cording to the laFIVE LINERS science and culture. of are still reasons test data, women it’s also a moment toBut xxxxxxx to be positive remade up 93% of flect on what still needs and to celebrate those who gave xxxxxxxxx to be done and that’s just how far woup employment why this year’s theme xxxxxxxx men have come during 2020 in of Choose to Challenge in Spain.

Spain... citing camatters. We must xxxxxxxxx all Spain may not ring for minors, choose to call out bias have had a feand inequality, so that elderly or sick remale prime we have even more great latives as the main reasons. nister but it has the largest mifemale achievers to That is one in five women, share accor- of women in any European ebrate in the future.” celding to a survey by online lecom- gislature with women munity MalasMadres. representing 47 percent of elected During the second quarter MPs, of last a bigger proportion year, a period that coincided of female with lawmakers than even Sweden.

Spain’s strict lockdown 61,000 More than half of Pedro women gave up their jobs to chez’s cabinet comprises Sancare for others compared woto just men – each one impressively 6,500 men. qualified for their role – And when it comes to with wothe kplace itself, the proportionwor- men holding key ministerial poof sitions including Foreign Minister and Health Minister.

We’ve come a long way the end of the dictatorship since a woman had to have when her father’s or husband’s permission to travel and couldn’t open a bank account.

But there’s no room for complacency, we still have a long long way to go.

Tel: 952 147 834

See page 16

TM

2

CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Short changed THE 2,500 people in Mallorca stung by the Dentix bankruptcy will have any outstanding treatment carried out by Vitaldent after an agreement was made between the Bankruptcy Administration and the dental chain’s owner.

You’re fired A SENIOR EMPLOYEE at the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs Sofia Alonso is facing the sack after receiving a COVID jab which was reserved for the elderly.

Video Creep A YOUTUBER, 54, has been banned from entering Spain after secretly recording up the skirt of a 14-year-old girl at a department store in Palma.

Illegal Party DOZENS of illegal partygoers were found breaching COVID restrictions at a property in Manacor.

Cops found 40, including 10 kids on the premises.

A WOMAN has been arrested in Mallorca for abandoning two of her children after being caught shoplifting.

Policia Nacional say the woman, aged 36, has been charged with child abandonment and robbery.

According to investigators, a security guard had suspected that the mother, accompanied by four of her children at the time, had stolen items of clothing from the FAN shopping centre in Palma.

She was swiftly stopped by the employ-

March 12th - March 25th 2021

Special delivery

Kids abandoned ee with several items of clothing found stashed inside her two-year-old child’s buggy.

The woman claimed this was a mistake and that she had simply forgotten to pay for the clothes, promising to go to the cash register after changing her youngest child’s nappy.

The security guard agreed and the woman went to the bathroom with her two and six-year-old child, leaving her seven and 17-year-old children behind.

However, she instead made a run for it and left the shopping centre altogether.

Police were notified and steps were then taken to locate the minor’s parents.

Ghastly crime SEVEN people have been arrested in Mallorca for subjecting a disabled man to various methods of torture over two days.

Four men and three women, aged between 20 and

Disabled man endures sick tattoo torture for two days 30, are accused of committing the horrific acts upon the 34-year-old man.

Bad flatmate A MAN was left in a critical condition after being repeatedly stabbed by his flatmate.

The victim, aged 31, was rushed to Son Espases hospital from his home in Palma after being knifed in his neck and back.

Wounded and bleeding profusely, the victim fled from his apartment and into a nearby supermarket where he asked for help.

A volunteer for the Civil Protection, who was in the shop at the time, alongside a security guard gave first aid to the man while the emergency services were called.

Able to recount his ordeal to the police, a manhunt was then launched to locate the flatmate.

He was found nearby, arrested and taken into custody.

Investigators say the victim, who has an intellectual disability, had asked on his social media account for a new look with various levels of tests and punishments and to which he would pay someone up to €3,000 for.

One of the detainees responded and it was agreed that they would meet in Plaza de Espana in Palma on Friday evening.

After meeting the group, the victim was asked to accompany them to a house in Manacor.

Over two days, he had penises tattooed on his face as well as nipples and a bra

By Isha Sesay

tattooed on his back.

He also had tacks inserted into his skin, had his fingers sewn together, was burnt and had his lips glued shut.

He was finally able to escape on Sunday, returning to his family home.

Hospital

He was rushed to Manacor Hospital where he will undergo procedures to have the tattoos removed.

Police say that even if the man agreed to being ‘punished’, the group’s actions still remain a crime as individuals with mental impairments cannot give consent.

POLICE have seized over three kilos of cocaine in a major drugs bust.

Cops had received a tip-off about a suspected drug dealer operating inside a flat in Palma’s Son Gotleu district.

After carrying out covert surveillance, investigators found that the man living in the property was being sent narcotics hidden inside parcels.

These were delivered by a well known Spanish courier.

The courier was contacted and asked to notify police of the next scheduled delivery to the address.

Once this information was in hand, officers were able to intercept two packages as they were delivered to the home.

Red light A MAN has been arrested in Mallorca for allegedly forcing his wife into prostitution.

Cops detained the Spanish man, aged 50, after an anonymous person reported that the man had pushed his wife into sex work, taking all of her earnings.

Investigators said the man threatened to expose the fact his wife was in the country illegally and the victim was left frightened with no economic means to leave the relationship.

The man has been charged.

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Start your engines, Spain!

March 12th - March 25th 2021 CELEBRITIES often snap up homes all over the world, from sprawling mansions in LA to penthouse apartments in Paris.

And Blue singer Lee Ryan is no exception, taking to the cover of a magazine to show off his swanky Malaga pad.

The ultra-luxe property boasts an outdoor pool and plenty of room for his growing family. The All Rise singer used the cover shoot and home tour as an opportunity to announce that he is expecting a baby girl in June with his girlfriend Verity Paris.

It will be the pair’s first child together and Lee’s third time

Supremme de Luxe is making herstory as the first solo queen to host a Drag Race spinoff.

The Spanish drag artist, from Madrid, has been crowned as the judge of Drag Race España and will reign over the season 1 panel when the show debuts later this year.

Drag Race España is Europe’s third international Drag Race installment, following in the high-heeled footsteps of UK and Holland remakes of the hit drag show.

De Luxe, who has built up a loyal following after years stunting pretty in the capital, celebrated her new gig by taking to social media to share the exciting news with fans.

3

All Rise as a father - the 37-year-old is already dad to daughter Bluebell, 13, who he shares with ex Jessica Keevil, and son Rayn, 12, whose mother is his ex-fiance, Samantha Miller.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, the former Strictly Come Dancing star said: “I’m so excited. I love being a dad; there is nothing better than that. It’s the most amazing thing in the world.”

Verity, who works as an Ariana Grande tribute singer, later took to social media to thank fans for their support, adding ‘bring on June!’.

Kitty

She told her Twitter followers that she’s ‘glad to be able to’ finally let the kitty out of the bag.

A Spanish version of the major drag competition is expected to hit screen later this year, becoming the latest in a long line of international editions of the Emmy-winning global franchise The series also recently expanded to include Canada’s Drag Race (recently renewed for season 2), Drag Race Down Under in New Zealand and Australia, and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which is currently airing season 2 on WOW Presents Plus.

Last year, production company founders Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey said there were ‘three or four’ new iterations of the franchises in the works.

Latin lovers?

Spanish duo make waves in America

SPANISH superstar Rosalía turned up the heat with reggaeton star Bad Bunny for a steamy duet on Saturday Night Live.

The Latin singers cosied up for an intimate performance of their new song La Noche de Anoche.

The saucy performance marked the pair’s first time performing together on the SNL stage and the duo did not dis-

appoint.

Rosalia wore a stunning pink silk slip for the occasion while Bad Bunny looked dapper in a white monochromatic look.

The duet comes fresh off the back of Bad Bunny’s third LP. El Último Tour del Mundo, which features Rosalia on the title track, became the first-ever entirely Spanish-language album to reach No. 1 on America’s Billboard 200 chart.

Cheaper by the half dozen ‘Spain aficionado’ Hilaria Baldwin is no stranger to causing confusion.

Last year the yoga instructor and author set tongues wagging after it emerged her Spanish roots were a work of fiction and she was in fact born Hillary Hayward-Thomas in the US to American parents, not Mallorca as she has always suggested.

Now fans are scratching their heads once again following her latest surprise announcement.

Hilaria took to Instagram this week to reveal that she and husband Alec Baldwin had welcomed their SIXTH child - just five months after she gave birth to son Edu in September.

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The couple, who are also parents to Carmen, seven, Rafael, five, Leonardo, four, and two-year-old Romeo, revealed they had called their newborn daughter Lucia.

Hilaria shared the first photos of their adorable daughter on social media, cradling her newest addition while surrounded by her five other children.

The pair’s growing family was quickly met with perplexed responses from fans who wondered how Hilaria was able to welcome a sixth baby less than nine months after giving birth.

The wellness personality and 30 Rock actor quickly cleared up any confusion, revealing that they had help from a surrogate mother.

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4 www.theolivepress.es Votes for Life

Promises

The 15-year rule was introduced in 2002 following three decades of debate on the issue, and until 2015 the number of overseas voters registered to vote had never exceeded 35,000.

But that shot up to a staggering 264,000 in 2016 because of the Brexit referendum and has hovered above 200,000 since then.

Successive Conservative governments have been promising to offer votes for life since 2015, but until now efforts to progress the scheme have not made it past the red tape.

March 12th - March 25th 2021

Eco-dream Branson finally set to achieve his green hotel plan

By Laurence Crumbie

The building due to be developed dates back to the 1800s and occupies a ver-

dant area in the northwest of the island, surrounded by ‘vines, citrus fruit trees, almonds and hundreds of olive trees’.

Although its facade was se-

Boat blaze

verely damaged by storms in August last year, the farmhouse with its crenellated tower resembling a chess rook, cuts an impressive, proud figure against the bucolic backdrop and the Mediterranean coastline.

Billionaire

The British billionaire has been in love with Mallorca for more than three decades and originally purchased the San Bunyola estate in 1987, though he flogged it in 2002 after he was refused planning permission to convert it into a boutique hotel.

When the residence went onto the market again in 2015, however, Branson snapped it back up, for £11 million, from the couple he had sold it to 13 years earlier.

THREE people have been injured in a fire that broke out in Club Nautico in Can Picafort.

A man, aged 63, suffered serious injuries after being electrocuted on a boat that soon after went up in flames. He fell into the water unconscious.

Club employees sprung into action, jumping in the water to save him.

The flames quickly spread to other boats that were moored together, fanned by the strong wind.

These boats were swiftly released by quick thinking workers.

Firefighters, several ambulances, Guardia Civil and Policia Local were deployed to the scene and the area was completely sealed off.

The boat owner was rushed to hospital alongside two of the club's employees who both suffered smoke inhalation.

Vacant space DOZENS of homeowners in the Balearic Islands have been forced to turn their vacant properties into social housing.

The Government of the Balearic Islands has revealed that a total of 56 properties across the region will face forcible expropriation, the act of seizing private property for public purposes.

If not appealed in court, these properties will be offered for social rental through the Balearic Housing Institute (Ibavi) with a monthly payment that does not exceed 30% of the new inhabitants’ income.

The homes will be acquired for a minimum of seven years with the 56 homeowners being compensated with a shared pot of €1.8 million.

Open bar

THE Government of the Balearic Islands has indicated that the interior of bars and restaurants in Mallorca will be able to be used by the public from next week.

Revealing the next step of the de-escalation plan, government spokesperson, Iago Negueruela, said: “If the data is positive, we will relax the restrictions.”

Negueruela explained that it is expected that the government will authorise the use of the interiors of bars and restaurants from March 15, with the final decision due to be made today.

OP QUICK Crossword Across 1 Roamed about (6) 5 Mourn (6) 8 Due date (8) 9 Set of clothing (4) 10 Whimsically comical (4) 11 Back in the day (5,3) 12 Gutless (6) 15 Start gently (4,2) 17 Callow (8) 20 Final valedictions, often carved in stone (1,1,2) 21 Options to sell (4) 22 Preachy (8) 23 “What the heck!”

(3,3) 24 West is the wrong way for the most sagacious (6)

Down

OP Sudoku

THE UK government looks set to finally grant expats ‘votes for life’ in future general elections.

The news was revealed in last week’s budget, with £2.5 million reserved for funding the change.

The move comes after years of campaigning by expat groups around Europe.

Under the current regulations, Brits based in Spain are only entitled to vote in domestic elections for up to 15 years after leaving the UK. But if Boris Johnson’s government follows through with its plan and amends the legislation later this year, Britons abroad will be able to vote indefinitely.

RICHARD Branson has taken another step to realising one of his dreams.

The founder of the Virgin Group has longed to convert the Son Bunyola estate on Mallorca into ‘the best eco resort in Europe’ for years now, but now he finally has planning permission.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to restore this beautiful Finca [farmhouse], with its rich history, and look forward to welcoming another small luxury hotel to our portfolio, inviting guests to discover this unspoilt corner of the world,” said a spokesman for the Virgin Group.

“We are hopeful to start construction work later this Spring for a 2023 opening and are incredibly excited to bring back to life a beautiful historic Mallorcan building in one of the most ancient areas of Banyalbufar.”

NEWS

2 Nothing special (7) 3 Devout (5) 4 Diurnal (5) 5 Small banger (7) 6 Won’t take no for an answer (7) 7 In competition (5) 13 Affair of the heart (7) 14 “--- it be nice?” (Beach Boys hit) (7) 16 Damages (7) 18 Harbour entrance (5) 19 Fund (5) 20 Piles of straw (5)

All solutions are on page 14

LA CULTURA

Art case

EX Santander Vice President and one of Spain's richest men Jamie Botin has seen his second appeal rejected for the attempted smuggling of a Picasso painting.

He was convicted in January last year of trying to take the painting, The Head of a Young Woman' valued at €26 million out of the country to sell through London Auction house, Christies despite being denied permission.

Defence

Botin's defense still claims that the billionaire was not trafficking the painting to sell on to a collector, however the courts have rejected all claims and have stood firm on their charges.

The Madrid Court has now rejected a second appeal. Botin has been jailed for three years and fined €91.7 million.

March 12th March 25th 2021

5

The winner is…

Spain’s ‘Oscars’ hosted

by Antonio Banderas in Malaga

THE GIRLS, a coming of age drama by a first time female feature film director has scooped the best film award in the 2021 Goyas, the Spanish equivalent of the Oscars.

Pilar Palomero also won Goyas for best new director and best screenplay for her drama Las Niñas set in a convent school.

The film was also awarded the prize for best cinematography.

The film scooped the top prize beating Netflix drama Adú which as the front-runner leading up to the ceremony with 14 nominations although its director Salvador Calvo was awarded

the best director trophy.

Hosted by Antonio Banderas and Maria Casado, the Goyas was held at the Teatro del Soho CaixaBank in Malaga.

The Girls also beat other film nominees including Ane Is Missing from David Pérez Sañudo, Icíar Bollaín’s La boda de Rosa (Rosa’s Wedding), and The People Upstairs aka Sentimental, from director Cesc Gay. In addition to Bollaín, also in the running in the best director category this year were Juanma Bajo Ulloa, nominated for his horror thriller Baby, and veteran filmmaker Isabel Coixet for

STREET ART THE best entries from the renowned Palma Fotografica contest are now on show at Casal Solleric in Palma.

The exhibition, now in its 34th edition, challenged amateur photographers to capture the impact of the pandemic on the island’s capital.

Some of the photographs show empty streets and closed businesses, reflecting the way in which the once vibrant Palma has been turned upside down by the health crisis.

This year, over 200 people entered the competition with 16 being chosen for the final.

The ceremony, held on Thursday evening, also paid tribute to EMAYA workers for their tireless efforts to serve the public over the last year

HOST: Antonio Banderas It Snows in Benidorm.

Up for best European film at the Goyas were Jan Komasa’s Polish drama Corpus Christi, Viggo Mortensen’s Falling, An Officer and a Spy from Roman Polanski and Florian Zeller’s Brit drama The Father, which won the category.

Drama

SNAPPED: Life in lockdown

Best Ibero-American film was awarded to Fernando Trueba’s Colombian drama Forgotten We’ll Be, beating out contenders including Chilean documentary The Mole Agent, Guatemalan horror film La Llorona, and Fernando Frias’ Mexican drama I’m No Longer Here, all three of which are on the Oscar shortlist.

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6

GREEN

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March 12th - March 25th 2021

Many green bottles

Martin Tye on the concept of giving up plastic

Why can’t we stop?

I

REMEMBER as a delinquent and rebellious teenager my mother’s words…”If you don’t knuckle down you are going to end up as a Stop and Go man!!”

Stop and Go. Simple words, frequently used, with many connotations.

Changing tack to my theme for this edition’s article, why as human beings can’t we stop and go green?

Why can’t we increase our efforts to stop pollution?

Will we actually ever get serious on this topic, or just pay lip service to one of the major issues this world faces?

Is it something we believe other people should do, optional...like using your car indicators in Spain?

Why do my children keep attending beach clean ups? And What do we and local councils do to stop pollution on our beaches?

Precious little in my view.

Spain relies on tourism. Yet PLASTIC is a major problem on our beaches.

Plastic waste is a global phenomenon that the UN is trying to tackle by persuading countries to introduce restrictive measures.

Spain has introduced - after most Europeans - the banning of free plastic bags in shops. Baby steps.

If we all do a little, we’ll only achieve a little. That’s the truth.

HISTORY OF PLASTIC The first synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was produced in 1907, marking the beginning of the plastics industry.

Rapid growth came after the Second World War. From 1950 to 2020 annual production of plastics increased more than 200-fold.

Annual production now exceeds 400 million tonnes.

To put this in context, this is roughly equivalent to the mass of two thirds of the world population.

I am not castigating plastic. It is a unique material with many benefits: It’s inexpensive, versatile, lightweight, and resistant.

This makes it a valuable material for many applications.

The trade off between its benefits and pollution are therefore complex.

What I do take issue with is the ultimate destination of this item.

In 2020, the world produced more than eight billion tonnes of plastic - more than one tonne for every person alive today.

A staggering statistic.

ONLY 22% OF PLASTIC IS RECYCLED While 23% is incinerated, a process that produces Carbon Dioxide (CO2), a primary driver of global climate change.

Now the bad news....55% is discarded. Within Europe, Spain does

Green matters

By Martin Tye

not not fare well.

0.28Kg is wasted per person, per day.

That’s a lot of plastic. By comparison, France is 0.19Kg per day, while Italy 0.13Kg per day.

WHAT CAN WE DO? • Cut down on use of non essential plastics • Replace single use plastics with sustainable alternatives • Recycle • Stop littering • Be responsible, do more and educate others PLASTICS LAST FOREVER Macroplastics (small particles), appear to persist on the surface of the ocean for decades without breaking down. Objects are regularly found at sea that date back to the 1950’s.

Even if we stopped ocean plastic waste this year (there’s more chance of COVID ending tomorrow), macroplastics would remain in our surface waters for many more decades.

This is because we have a huge legacy of plastics buried and awash on our shorelines.

Big changes are needed. Stop and Go think, dear 100% Certified Green Energy readers.

Martin Tye is the owner of Mariposa Energy, contact him at martin@mariposaenergia.es

MALLORCA is going green, one bottle at a time.

The Ministry of the Environment and Territories is pouring over €102,800 into the Begudes Puig bottle plant in Palma as part of its regional plan for managing tourism waste.

If all runs smoothly, the

Alarming CLIMATE change could have devastating effects on food safety all over the world in 20 years’ time.

According to research by Valencia-based non-profit technological centre Ainia, global warming is expected to cause problems with regards to access to food, nutritional quality and product price stability as early as 2021.

Biological threats are a main cause for concern, with a type of bacteria known as Vibrio potentially due to appear in seafood products as a result of rising temperatures in the oceans.

Vibrio can cause an infection known as vibriosis, which currently kills 100 people and infects an estimated 80,000 in the USA every year.

Animal welfare risks could also appear.

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recycling scheme will be in full operation by 2024 and eliminate the use of up to 2 million disposable containers annually.

The plant is one of 14 projects that comprise the waste management plan, which has received a grant of €700,000 from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS).

Miquel Mir, Regional Minister of the Environment and Territories, who visited the plant on Wednesday, said that such initiatives prove the change ‘towards a circular economy is not only possible, but practical,’ and that action from all social and business sectors is needed to ‘mitigate the consequences of the climate emergency we are experiencing.’

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A special four-page pullout www.theolivepress.es

March 2021

GENERATIONS: The many faces of solidarity on International Women’s Day in Spain

One in five Spanish women gave up work due to the COVID crisis, while they are also poorer and harder working than men, writes OP Digital Editor Fiona Govan

I

Circulo Podemos Ciudad Líneal

N previous years March 8 was a day when I would meet up with a group of friends and we would hit the streets of Madrid joining tens of thousands of others to mark International Women’s Day. We would don purple items of clothing and join in the protests that attracted people from all walks of life and across the generations – both men and women, boys and girls.

There was a carnival atmosphere as people of all ages, from grandparents to toddlers hoisted on shoulders, came to-

gether in a sea of purple brandishing signs with powerful slogans to show that modern Spain means equal opportunities, whatever gender you are.

But the demonstrations also underlined how much there was still to do; women may now be fully accepted in the workplace but they are still penalised by a gender pay gap, which is not improving fast enough.

Meanwhile violence against women is still recognised as a major problem in Spain and we are currently witnessing the

Vandal insult

A MURAL depicting 15 pioneering women including civil rights heroine Rosa Parks and artist Frida Kahlo was painted over in a brutal act of vandalism on International Women’s Day. The faces of the iconic females were sprayed with black paint by a far-right group that left a note describing feminism as ‘one of the bêtes noires of our era’.

The mural in the Ciudad Lineal neighbourhood represented women ‘from various backgrounds who overcame challenges, broke barriers and became reference points in the defense of women and equal rights’, according to the project’s creators.

Last week, a mural celebrating the achievements of women was similarly targeted by vandals in Gandia, in the region of Valencia, who daubed it with swastikas and anti-feminist slogans.

Long way to go

rise of the country’s political far right and with it a denial of gender inequalities.

This year with Spain still in the grip of the pandemic, there are no mass protests with authorities banning gatherings to avoid potential super-spreader events, but the health crisis has highlighted and even compounded some of the inequalities in society.

Working from home has seen a steep rise in mental health issues with women bearing the brunt of the burden of childcare and housework as they try to balance work life with home-schooling and care for their elderly relatives.

When Spain went into lockdown a year ago, gender violence soared with the authorities reporting an 18% rise in calls during the first fortnight alone.

A survey conducted by DYM in the run up to Women’s Day this year revealed that 7% of

tions remains around a third of that of men with the numbers dropping even further as careers progress.

Spain’s female executives earn 15.1 percent less than their male counterparts, although this is just below the EU average salary gap of 16 percent according to the latest EU data from 2017. women had suffered physical This inequality is highlighted or psychological abuse from in the statement issued by men during 2020.

Spain’s government on March And most alarmingly of all, 8: “Women in Spain work according to more than men the latest data, today, but they women made are poorer.”

Women up 93% of thoOf course there represent 47% are still reasons se who gave up employment to be positive of elected during 2020 in and to celebrate Spain... citing MPs, a bigger just how far wocaring for mimen have come proportion nors, elderly or in Spain. sick relatives as Spain may not than Sweden the main reahave had a sons. female prime That is one in five women, ac- minister but it has the largest cording to a survey by online share of women in any Eurocommunity MalasMadres. pean legislature with women During the second quarter of representing 47% of elected last year, a period that coin- MPs, a bigger proportion of cided with Spain’s strict loc- female lawmakers than even kdown 61,000 women gave Sweden. up their jobs to care for others More than half of Pedro Sancompared to just 6,500 men. chez’s cabinet comprises woAnd when it comes to the wor- men – each one impressively kplace itself, the proportion of qualified for their role – with women in managerial posi- women holding key ministerial positions including Foreign Minister and Health Minister.

We’ve come a long way since the end of the dictatorship when a woman had to have her father’s or husband’s permission to travel and couldn’t open a bank account.

But there’s no room for complacency, we still have a long long way to go.

Important day Charmaine Arbouin, British Consul for Andalusia, Canary Islands, Ceuta & Melilla. Based in Malaga she covers the region of Spain that has the largest concentration of British residents “International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women - both past and present; those who have shaped and transformed our world, whether that be politically or in the fields of science and culture. But it’s also a moment to reflect on what still needs to be done and that’s why this year’s theme of Choose to Challenge matters. We must all choose to call out bias and inequality, so that we have even more great female achievers to celebrate in the future.”

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March 2021

‘I J

ENNIFER Cunningham is happy to share the trials she faced as a woman starting a business in Spain and the personal tragedy that fuelled her determination to become a success.

Like many of those who end up living in Spain it was after enjoying a holiday with friends on the Mediterranean coast that Jennifer took the decision to relocate from North London to sunnier climes for a quieter life.

“My late husband was much older than me and, after suffering a cardiac arrest, he wasn’t expected to live long, so we took a snap decision to move over to the Costa Blanca where the climate suited him and in fact he thrived and lived another 12 years,” she tells Fiona Govan of The Olive Press from her home in Javea.

“I was suffering with diabetes so the move gave us both a new lease of life, swimming every day in the sea and the Mediterranean diet really helped me,” she continues.

“The Spanish way of living, taking time to enjoy family and friends, also really gave me a new way of looking at life.”

But Jennifer wasn’t content to quietly live out the rest of her days… over the last three decades she has forged a reputation as one of the leading expat business owners in Spain, now running

to be fearles

How the death of her son led hard-working Jennifer Cunningham to expand eight insurance offices around Spain seven offices along the Costa Blanca, as well as one in Lanzarote, as a broker offering private insurance designed especially for members of the expat community.

She learnt early on that to get ahead as a woman in a male-dominated business sphere, she had to be fearless.

“I was a widow, surviving on a meagre widow’s pension and so the only way I could start up was to re-mortgage my home, borrow money and make it work,” she admits.

“I had problems finding a bank who would support me and I remember the first time I presented my business plan to get a loan, the bank manager wouldn’t address me directly but kept looking towards the male friend I had brought with me.

“I had to point out that it was me who was borrowing the money, that I was the business owner and when they didn’t take me seriously, I walked out and went somewhere

else.”

She eventually found a sympathetic bank manager, a man who has supported her ever since her first venture, and who she has stayed with as he moved across different banks.

She then began working with Liberty Insurance and ASSSA Seguros designing special packages for the expat market.

“At the beginning they didn’t want to take me on and they felt sure that I would fail,” she reveals. “My style of selling was completely new to them, the culture here in Spain was so different.”

“As an entrepreneur I had to take risks and convince those who had the financial backing of huge institutions behind them to take a gamble on me, but I proved myself and in the end, those very same people later looked to me for strategy and even asked me to teach them how to do it.”

She recalls now that she can hardly believe the risks she took.

“I realise that I was utterly fearless, when I look back I think to myself: ‘God, did I really do that?’”

She admits today that what drove her determination to succeed was the personal tragedy that saw her lose her son from cancer when he was only 33-years-old.

“When you lose a child, you just want to die.

You can’t get over it and I just knew I had to pour all my energy into doing something to stay alive, losing my son made me want to do something to be proud of,” she said, recounting a loss that even now, more than 25 years later, causes her voice to break with sorrow.

After spending the last months with her dying SPARK: son Paul in a Sue RyThe death der hospice in Bedfordof Paul drove shire, Jennifer returned Jennifer on to Spain where she lost her husband just over a year later. Finding herself all alone as her other son had moved to Japan, she looked for a new focus.

“They had taken such exceptional care of my son but on my return I looked around to see what would happen if someone was in the same circumstance here in Spain and discovered that there really wasn’t anything similar. People were simply being sent home to die to be cared for by their family, but what if that wasn’t possible?”

The realisation led Jennifer to set up the Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity to offer free hospice care at home for the terminally ill among the expat community on the Costa Blanca.

“The business and the charity have been my reason to get out of bed and do justice to my life and to his,” she admits.

Now in her seventies, does she have any plans to retire?

Making a difference BACK in 2011, a Mallorca resident was given the devastating news that they had cancer.

With a desire to speak to someone who truly understood, a plea was posted on the AngloInfo website for fellow sufferers to get in touch.

Krista Hyer, a qualified counsellor who had nursed her sister through the illness, saw the message asking if there was ‘any English-speaking support group for cancer patients in Mallorca?’ and by fate, replied.

Krista wasn’t sure if such a group existed, but she decided that if there wasn’t one, she would be the one to start and Cancer Support Mallorca was born.

Krista Hyer, founder of Cancer Support Mallorca “There just didn’t seem to be any cancer counsellors on the island and I knew something had to be done,” Krista told the Olive Press.

In just one year, once isolated patients were supported by a 24-hour helpline and regular meetings were created with buddies joining the group to hold the hands, quite literally, of those recently diagnosed.

The range of support provided by the now registered charity has grown exponentially

with Krista herself helping families to navigate through the bureaucracy of Spanish hospitals, and as a qualified counsellor, offering her own services for free.

As well as being handed the Citizen’s Award by Calvia Council in 2013, Krista was awarded a prestigious British Empire Medal for services to British Nationals Overseas in the New Year Honours List in 2020.

Krista spoke of the ‘great honour and privilege’ to receive the award and in her true altruistic self, thanked all those that had volunteered and donated ‘as without them, Cancer Support Mallorca would not exist’.

Just hit refresh Since moving abroad I’ve never looked back, writes Cepee Tabibian of She Hit Refresh OVING abroad provides a prime M playground for self-exploration.

Removing yourself from what you know is

a powerful experience that takes you out of your comfort zone and allows you to create new paths that you couldn’t have imagined otherwise.

Moving abroad brought me closer to not only who I want to be, but who I really am.

It was an opportunity for reinvention.

I took the leap at 35 years old, leaving a good life in Texas for a great one in Spain, and here I am five years later, living a life that has exceeded my expectations.

Are doubts about changing course later in life holding you back?

Life is full of responsibilities - careers, children, mortgages, relationships, aging parents, pets - and societal pressures make us question whether our dreams to

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT: Krista Hyer (left) with Cancer Support Mallorca team

move abroad are even possible or realistic the older we get.

Dreaming to pave your own path, especially in your 30s to 50s and beyond, can make you feel like your dreams are ‘crazy’. And unfortunately friends and family can reinforce this sentiment.

But I’m here to tell you: just do it. What do you have to lose? Less than you think!

If you’re worried about leaving your comfortable lifestyle and security, just know that it will very likely be there for you if you ever want to go back - houses, cars and jobs are all replaceable. What’s not replaceable are the years you spend wondering, instead of doing.

Take the leap and make your dream come true! No decision has to be permanent.

An excerpt from Cepee’s book I’m Outta Here! An American’s Ultimate Visa Guide to Living in Europe.

3

ess’ “No chance!” she laughs. “I love doing what I do, and will continue as a long as I am capable of doing so.”

Visit www.jennifercunningham. net or www.paulcunninghamnurses.com for more info

March 2021

Ali Meehan, Founder of Costa Women li Meehan founded A Costa Women more than 10 years ago.

The group was designed to connect women who were living in or moving to the Costa del Sol, but now there are thousands of members in all regions of Spain.

When lockdown was announced Ali was just 24 hours away from the start of their International Women’s Day Conference.

“We had hours to take the conference online, but we did it. From then on, we have created a much stronger online presence, connecting in more than 230 online events and we have increased our membership across Spain,” reveals Ali, who is based in Fuengirola.

“We have totally adapted our business model as a result of what has happened to fit the new world. It has been very hard to keep a positive focus at times, but I believe it is my role among the chaos to stay mo-

Isha Sesay, Olive Press’ Mallorca and Ibiza reporter and ballet instructor GROWING up in the UK, I was never really aware of International Women's Day and when I consider the reasons why, it was probably because I felt there was no need for such a day.

I was raised with the belief that I could achieve anything and be exactly who I wanted to be in life in a bubble of equal education and opportunities. But looking back, I was privileged, living in an extremely privileged country.

I really became aware of the day’s importance when I moved to Spain and, ironically, began to read the news. Week after week there was an incident of violence committed against a woman.

Responsibility In 2019, the Balearic Islands, a region I call my home, had the highest domestic abuse rate in the entire country.

In spite of the progress made over the years, the number of victims in Spain is still disturbingly high with hundreds being killed at the hands of their partners in the last decade.

Just last year in Mallorca alone, a man ran

tivated, engaged and supportive for our members.

“We have heard many heart-breaking stories from our members, but we have worked with them to help and find solutions,” she adds.

These amazing ladies are just a handful of women who have juggled work, no work, family, mental health, physical health, got creative, not given up and come out the other side of a horrific year. Get in touch and tell us your COVID-19 stories ladies.

Cristina Hodgson, Olive Press reporter and former international runner HEY say that a challenT ged world is an alert world, appropriately, this

over his ex-wife in a car, another shot his partner in the head and horrifically, one stabbed his wife repeatedly with a screwdriver, covering up her murder with an elaborate car crash.

Working as a journalist, I believe it is my responsibility to in some way, however small, contribute towards the eradication of gender violence in Spain.

So, I will continue to give a voice to women.

Not only focusing on their achievements but highlighting the ongoing struggles they face.

years’ International Women’s Day 2021 theme is ‘Choose to challenge.’

Yet sometimes, without choosing, without even realising, we really can challenge.

As a former international runner Cristina Hodgson , based near Cordoba, comprehends what ‘challenge’ means more than most.

“Automatically, I always associated it with a physically demanding test,” she said. “But ironically one race will always stand out in my mind as one of my most ‘challenging’ but not

S

UE Wilson moved to Spain with the expectation of a quiet retirement in the sun.

But when the Brexit referendum produced a ‘yes’ vote in June 2016, the course of her life changed forever. This is her story: Like many a British tourist, I fell in love with Spain at an early age. The idea of retiring on the costas was a dream that blossomed over time until, in our fifties, my husband Steve and I began to ask ourselves why wait till we retire? Why not just take the plunge? It was the best decision we ever made.

Although we moved in 2007, I continued to work for a further 11 years, both in the UK and Spain.

When retirement did eventually come, it was rather different than expected – thanks to Brexit.

I say I’m retired, but since the Brexit referendum I have never worked How a British woman in Spain became a so hard, or such long hours.+ leading campaigner for global expats Before that fateful day, when the Within three months, I was invited when we originally made our plans referendum turned my world up- to take over as Chair of Bremain, to emigrate. When we dreamed of side down, I had never been very and I have dedicated my life to it our retirement in Spain, we certaininterested in current affairs, and ever since. It’s an obsession. I’m ly never imagined that I would be most definitely not in politics. not sure my sanity would have sur- doing voluntary work seven days a I didn’t understand it or care to do vived intact without it. I had found week, 52 weeks of the year. so. When friends talked politics, I a new family.

I am often asked how much longer never engaged – I lacked the con- There are so many downsides I intend to continue campaigning, fidence to comment, or never felt I to Brexit, but on a personal level, or what I will do when Brexit is fiknew enough to offer an opinion. there have been some positives too. nally all over. It’s a difficult question That all started to change as the I have met some amazing people to answer. day of the Brexit referendum from all walks of life, many of On the one hand, despite all the loomed closer. I started to worry whom I would never have met un- pain, disappointment and effort, that the UK was about to make a der any other circumstances. I have I am doing something that I care terrible decision. learned new skills, about deeply, and which, despite I had no real idea not least public everything, I enjoy. I have a supMy Brexit what leaving the speaking on a scale portive husband who gets pleasure EU might mean I could never have from seeing me so motivated and journey has for us Brits living imagined. engaged, and he’s proud of what changed me in in Europe, or the In my career, I I have achieved. That means so UK, but it could more ways than had regularly much to me. hardly be good! spoken to small On the other hand, I’m now in my I could imagine When the referengroups of people, late 60s, full-time campaigning is dum result came but delivering a exhausting, and Steve and I dein, I felt a range of emotions usu- speech to 120,000 people from a serve that retirement we dreamed ally associated with grief. It was a stage in Parliament Square in Lon- of. There have been many times rollercoaster of fear, anger, depres- don, was a whole new ball game. I’ve looked ahead and given myself sion, shock, disbelief and sadness. Nerve-wracking yes, but the crowd a deadline.

And swearing, a lot of swearing! was so receptive, and I got a real I’ll give up Bremain when Brexit Even now, I can’t fully explain why buzz from it. My Brexit journey is ‘done’. I’ll give up Bremain when it affected me so deeply, or still does. has changed me in ways I could the transition period comes to an After three miserable weeks, I woke never have imagined. Apart from end. Then something will happen up on day 22 determined to act. I the public speaking, I’ve got better in Westminster and the adrenaline joined the anti-Brexit campaign at dealing with confrontation and kicks in again, not to mention the group Bremain in Spain. I needed I’ve become a writer of sorts. Con- fact that Brexit likely won’t be fully to get involved and take personal sidering my previous nervousness over for a decade. action. I don’t know where that about voicing any political opinions, Maybe I should let fate decide and drive came from, but I began de- it still tickles me when journalists give it up when a Brexiter finally vouring the news and became very seek out my comment on current gives me one real benefit of Brexit. active online. It was a comfort to affairs. I guess you can teach an I might have a very long wait! know my feelings were shared by old dog new tricks after all. I don’t others and that I was doing some- think we fully appreciated what Sue Wilson is the Chair of thing positive.

Spanish life for us would be like Bremain in Spain for the physical toll undertaken.”

It was New Years eve, 1998, and Cristina had signed up to run an important open race in a town near where she lived.

She won the race and was given a small, cheap-looking medal to congratulate her win and watched in horror as the male winner walked off with an enormous trophy, a huge leg of jamon Iberico, a box of wine and a wad of cash.

“I was appalled to say the least,” she recalls. “I kicked up a right fuss.”

The following year Cristina returned to race. “I had my motives and it certainly wasn’t for a leg of jamon,” she said, “That year I walked away with a trophy, a leg of ham, a box of wine, money but most importantly on equal terms.

“I never asked for more, just the same. I didn’t choose to challenge, but I’m glad I did.”

Battling Brexit

Kate Langshaw Olive Press tech guru OST of you readers might M not recognise her name.

But for six years Kate Langshaw

has been ‘skulking under the bonnet’ of the OP engine and making sure the website keeps ticking.

Before moving to the Costa Blanca eight years ago, Kate studied for her degree in computer software engineering back home in England.

“There weren’t many women on the course and at some points I was the only one in the class.

“From there I set up my own website design and development company, working from home and taking on new clients.”

She also spent 15 years playing semi-professional poker alongside her web busines, getting sponsored to play tournaments all around the world.

“You really do learn to have your wits about you and you meet many characters along the way,” she said. “Being a woman in poker definitely had

its advantages and disadvantages.”

She also trained weekly at a Thai Boxing gym, believing it was a great way to build confidence and power.

“I always thought it was important to be able to defend yourself if ever needed,” she said.

Now a single mother raising her son in Spain has provided her with plenty of new challenges.

“Being a mum and working certainly changes your priorities,” she said. “ Now my only focus is that I hope I am a positive role model and an inspiration to him.”

BUSINESS

March 12th - March 25th 2021

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Cashing in WE CARE SPAIN is slated to receive a multi-billion cash injection from the EU as part of a scheme to boost the economies of Member States that have taken a battering during the pandemic.

Of the €750bn to be dished out by the EU Recovery Fund, Spain is eligible for €140bn - almost half of which will be handed out in the form of grants, while the other half could be requested as unsecured loans.

“It is a tsunami of money and it is a tsunami of responsibility,” Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms.

“Spain has all the characteristics to make the most of this historic opportunity.” The Portuguese Commissioner hopes that the funds will be available by the summer and empha-

Spain’s financial capital set to triple thanks to ‘tsunami’ of money from EU

If the past year has taught us anything, it’s to appreciate those around us and to show them that we care.

I sised that time is of the essence because of the ‘different institutional mechanisms which need to be complied with.’

Spanish saviours PRIMARK branches in Spain have prevented the low-cost fashion firm from going under during the coronavirus pandemic, sales figures reveal.

In a normal year, sales from Spanish outlets would account for about 20% of the chain’s annual turnover.

But as coronavirus restrictions have forced ‘non-essential’ shops all over Europe to close for months at a time - including in the UK, the clothing company’s largest market - Spain has transformed into Primark’s lifeline, with sales from Spanish branches accounting for more than 50% of the retail firm’s turnover between September 2020 and February 2021.

So far, only six countries have submitted applications, which must be completed by April at the latest.

“Meanwhile, the Commission is discussing with countries their plans for where and how they want to invest the money,” said Ferreira, adding that she preferred the term ‘invest’ over ‘spend.’

“It’s about investing in restructuring, and consolidating our exit from this crisis with greater attention to and greater capacity for complying with environmental or climate objectives, investing in a more modern economic recovery.” She said this meant a greater use of new technologies, but also needed to be consistent with social and regional needs.”

t’s for this reason that Liberty Seguros is saying thanks to existing customers and is welcoming new customers with fantastic Cashback offers.

From now up until 26th April 2021*, existing clients who take out a new car, home or life policy with LIBERTY SEGUROS will receive 60€ Cashback per new policy. New clients will benefit with 30€ Cashback on their first policy, and 60€ Cashback on subsequent new policies thereafter.

Whilst this offer is not available for renewals or replacements, there’s no limit on the number of new policies that can be taken out per customer – and therefore, there’s no limit on cashback rewards.

With this in mind, what better time could there be to switch to LIBERTY SEGUROS for even greater savings with the very best covers for all types of insurance?

Committed to always being right by your side, LIBERTY SEGUROS is here to make things a little easier for you and your loved ones. It offers peace of mind with its range of products that care for both your family and your assets, and it provides all the necessary tools to make you feel safe and secure – both with policies to ensure you have everything in order, as well as

unparalleled assistance and support if the unexpected does happen.

The advantages of placing your trust in LIBERTY SEGUROS are extensive. From your choice of vehicle repair garage or a courtesy car as standard for up to 35 days in case of accident or mechanical breakdown and up to 45 in case of theft or fire with its car policies, to garden reconstruction and garden furniture replacement with its home insurance – amongst others.

Moreover, you will always have a 24/7 multi-lingual freephone number for both roadside assistance and emergency home assistance.

Understanding that now, more than ever, there’s a real need for you to feel safe and secure, LIBERTY SEGUROS remains onhand to keep you informed with clear and transparent informa-

tion regarding its products and services.

What’s more, with LIBERTY SEGUROS you’ll enjoy a bespoke service and the peace of mind that comes with placing your trust in an international group with more than 100 years of experience. With an extensive network of more than 300 expatriate brokers and agents in Spain that speak YOUR language and who are at YOUR disposal for friendly and expert advice that’s tailored to you, it’s easy to see why LIBERTY SEGUROS has become in the preferred expat insurer in Spain with over 175,000 expat clients.

To find the location of your nearest broker/agent, simply visit www.libertyexpatriates.es or call 91 342 25 49 * Conditions and minimum premiums will be applied.

UK Landlords - What you need to do if you live abroad Tax specialist team APARI can help you work out the best way to act

I

F you own a UK property but live abroad, then it is likely that you currently submit a tax return.

If this is the case then the way in which you file your Tax Return is changing.

From April 2023 it will be a legal requirement for anyone with over £10,000 of combined annual UK income to register for Making Tax Digital for Income tax.

This means rather than submitting one annual self assessment tax return, you will be required to submit quarterly statements showing your income and expenditure, followed by an end of period statement and an annual summary.

The annual summary is similar to your current

self assessment return.

But it’s not just submitting quarterly returns you will also be legally required to keep your records in a digital format, on an MTD compatible software.

Unfortunately this means no more spreadsheets!

If you currently submit your tax return online already, this could seem like a huge amount of work and change, from filing one return annually.

APARI understands this and has developed an MTD ready software with you in mind.

With APARI’s free MTD software, you can upload transactions directly from your bank - either by a csv upload of your bank statement, by individual transactions, or soon, by directly linking up with your online banking.

Once uploaded you can easily allocate transactions to MTD compatible categories, and at the end of the quarter, you can submit this information to

HMRC directly through APARI. After all four quarters have been submitted, you can input your annual summary information - this is where you will be able to claim any allowances or adjustments for the year.

If you currently use an accountant, we would suggest that this be the point you ask them for a review - that way you are only paying them to do the confusing tax parts, rather than the admin.

Although MTD isn’t mandated until 2023, why not get ahead of the game and sign up to APARI now - it’s free to use, and by the time mandation comes around you’ll be MTD ready!

And as APARI also has a tool to be able to submit the current self assessment Tax Return (for

a small fee), even if you aren’t eligible for MTD now, you can still be in control of your tax position.

For all the latest news, join the APARI Community today.

Find out more at www.apari-digital.com

FOOD & DRINK

March 12th March 25th 2021

13

Flight risk

THE pandemic has caused British holidaymakers to become more wary, new research has revealed.

Following the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak 40% of Brits are more likely to consider taking out travel insurance and 37% are less inclined to visit spots severely hit by the virus.

According to data from Comparethemarket.com, nearly half of Britons have confirmed that they are more likely to take out

Travellers are taking extra cautions as a result of coronavirus the right level of insurance before their next trip to protect themselves against cancelled plans or unexpected illness.

Additionally, it looks like Brits are prepared to splash more cash than ever before to make sure they achieve the holiday of their dreams after being locked inside for almost a year.

TRUE GOLDEN AGE

Over 20% of holidaymakers are prepared to spend more money than usual when booking their next trip abroad while 18% have said they look to spend less.

Meanwhile 34% said they would be taking extra special care while travelling by bringing their own bacterial gel and wearing masks.

It comes after the UK government said it was likely to lift it’s international travel ban and allow Brits to leave the country for holidays this Spring.

With the ban set to be lifted on May 17, this latest study has revealed that the majority (58%) of Brits are already dreaming about their next holiday abroad.

Impact

ONE of Spain’s most emblematic buildings has reached the ripe old age of 800.

Sevilla’s Torre del Oro has achieved the eight century landmark as the city gears up to open to national tourism again from next month.

The 12-sided building was built as a watchtower over the Guadalquivir river during the Arabic Almohad dynasty. It has been a prison and laterly a museum.

Josh Daniels, head of travel insurance at comparethemarket. com, said: “Without a doubt, the pandemic has had a significant impact, especially within the tourism industry.

Travel restrictions are in place and could be for quite some time depending on the vaccine roll-out and countries lifting restrictions. However, many of us are dreaming of being able to go on holidays abroad again and it’s reassuring to see that taking out the right level of cover before travelling is a priority for those looking to travel in the future.”

Helping UK veterans in Spain with the residency process

N

O one is certain just how many British people living in Spain once served in the UK armed services but one estimate puts the figure at something like 30,000.

Certainly, it is common for Age in Spain to come across Veterans (of all ages) and their families as part of its work to support British people in the process of becoming resident in Spain.

For instance, on Tenerife our Regional Co-ordinator is supporting the Sarah Byrne pictured with her husband Aiden (who sadly paswidow of an ex Royal sed away in September last year) and son Paul at the 2019 Engineer with the pro- Remembrance Day ceremony in Westhaven Bay, Tenerife. cess of exchanging her green residency certificate for the new (UKNSF) in TIE. In another example, Age in Spain’s Spain that Support Coordinator picked up the case we will be a of someone acting in the role of carer for single point his mother (who had served in the Armed of contact for Forces) and we were able to give infor- Veterans and mation and support about his residency their families who need help with the restatus alongside making links for the fa- sidency process. mily with a military charity and with the For any UK national who was legally liSpanish system, to make sure they get ving in Spain by 31 December 2020 there the support they need and are entitled to. is still time to apply for residency in Spain Age in Spain has a longstanding rela- under the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement tionship with the network of great ser- and now Veterans and their families vices organisations both here and in the can contact Age In Spain to access free UK, as well as working with individual UKNSF support. veterans.

That is why we have agreed with the Simply email veterans@ageinspain. other organisations delivering the United org or call +34 932 20 97 41 We’re Kingdom Nationals Support Fund here to help.

Friends.

Reset.

Music.

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

Horizon.

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Memories.

I

T’S great that any newspaper is still being printed in our age of the internet and it’s something we should always try to support and maintain.

Before the birth of the internet, Sunday mornings for many people consisted of reading the papers. I always used to buy a News of the World, not only because I worked for the paper, but also, like many people, to catch up on the latest scandal or expose, which the biggest selling tabloid in Britain was famous for.

Alongside the News of the Screws (as it was known) I’d buy the Sunday Telegraph for international news and a more highbrow read.

There’s still something nice about reading a newspaper with a morning coffee, which was often a prelude to your working day or whilst travelling on the train or tube.

But then I’m still one of the die-hards who refused to own a Kindle and love nothing more than a trip to Waterstones (when in the UK) to select a new book, preferably hard backed.

A lot of things have changed since I started my career as a journalist in my early twenties. Back then there was no internet so we used books for factual research, a dictionary or thesaurus, as and when required, and we carried pagers with us instead of mobile phones.

Writing this I feel like I was born

OLIVE PRESS MALLORCA

A Sierra Nevada ll about

Vol. 14 Issue 363

www.theolivepress.es

February 2021

Slide away You can finally slope off to Andalucia’s skiing heaven, writes Charlie Smith

Your expat

S

ILENCE. There is not a single peep as I climb upwards through the valley to meet my maker.

I poke my head out of the cable car window and the Sierra Nevada’s fresh alpine air hits my lungs.

Then I hear it – a sweeping crunch down the crisp white piste, as a snowboarder whizzes past below.

Another tears through, and then a third, all weaving down the mountainside at blistering speed.

I’m definitely more terrified than the three Spanish guys sharing the carriage with me.

We have left behind the cosy bars and restaurants in Pradollano, the main town of Andalucia’s only ski resort.

We step out at Borreguiles, which sits some 2,700 metres above sea level.

This is the basecamp for many of the Sierra’s runs, which range from the green-coloured ‘muy facil’ pistes to those in black, labelled ‘muy dificil’.

LONG TIME IN COMING: But residents of Mallorca can hopefully soon hit the slopes

in the age of the dinosaur because since Model patient the internet became a global network in the 1990s, technology has possessed everything. More and more people communicate solely online, how many teenagers actually use their phone as a telephone?

More people shop online, especially since the pandemic, and nearly every business has migrated to an online presence.

So after 20 years in the media industry I’m prouder than ever to go full circle and be able to write for the Olive Press. The newspaper serves vast communities in Spain and the islands providing real news, which again may become something from the past if left solely in the hands of unscrupulous and self-serving organisations Tel: 952 147 834 or individuals.

952 147 834 Newspapers should always remain the beacon of truth and shine a light into the deepest, darkest corners of the web. I am proud as a journalist to do my job because TURNING 100: The Olive Press celebraI feel it’s cru- ted the major milestone cial to have an indepen- school journalism and I’m glad he doesn’t dent and let politicians off lightly because they o b j e c t i v e should be held accountable - although group of pro- it must be said he has managed to get fessionals himself into a little hot water now over who share Meghan! the same The media always had the little person’s goal, which interest at heart, despite the need to rely is to hold on advertising to survive. Which is why the powers businesses should support their local, that be to regional and national press, because withaccount. out the integrity and guardians of the truth Love him, being able to continue commercially we or loathe may have nothing left but controlled, fake him, Piers news.

Morgan YOU CAN FOLLOW ME still cham@tereniataras pions old FREE

Continues overleaf

Vol. 4 Issue 100 www.theol ivepress.es February 26th - March 11th 2021

See page 11

A POPULAR expat centenarian has had her first COVID jab in her 101st year.

Peggy Bloomfield, based on the Costa Blanca, got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at Teulada Medical Centre this week.

And she’s now raring her neighbour Shirleyto go, according to Young.

“She is amazing! Thrilled to bits to get the jab and feeling great!” she told the Olive Press. “Lockdown hoping to get the Mayor permitting I’m to visit for her next birthday.” Her second jab is in two weeks’ time and Peggy ing her 101st birthday will be celebratOur photograph (far in April.

Juanjo administerinright) shows nurse g the first dose of the vaccine to Peggy, was all smiles as she while right she received a visit with balloons, champagne from Olive Press reporters and cake when she hit the big 100 last year.

Is she the oldest expat COVID jab? If you knowin Spain to get the tact us at newsdesk@th anyone older, con- CELEBRATIONS ALL ROUND: eolivepress.es Peggy receives COVID jab (inset right) following her recent her 100th birthday

SKY HIGH HOPES Island could soon be back in business as UK travel ban to be lifted in May

MALLORCA could be lanche of tourists to its gearing up for an avashores in May. Airlines and travel agents have seen the number of Brits booking holidays week after the UK announced abroad soar this its roadmap out of lockdown.

UK tourists should finally country for holidays from be able to leave the May 17, the government announced on Monday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed the move as part of his four-step plan for gradually lifting restrictions in England, with all social contact rules finally lifted by June 21.

Airlines, including easyJet, said bookings for the summer season times higher compared were more than four with the same period last week.

By Kirsty McKenzie

abroad. At the moment Brits are only permitted to travel for essential work purposes. to reconnect friends and No one is allowed to on a long-awaited holidayfamily or take them rica, Brazil or the UKenter Spain from South Afvia air or sea until 6pm to remember,” he March added. on 2 under the current restrictions.

Travel firm Thomas Cook The ban was first site doubled in the day said traffic to its web- when scientists first introduced in December detected a more-transmis after the Prime Minister’s statement, while Ryanair sible confirmed there Tightvariant of the virus in the UK. had been a ‘large surge’ restrictions were in bookings.

However, Health Secretary end on January 19 but originally supposed to the ban has now been Matt Hancock urged caution, warning that the effectiveness of extended multiple times, with restrictions curvaccines will dictate whether rently in place until March international trav2. el can go ahead.

He said: “We have to variants, and that is a protect against these new Opinion Page 6 big challenge.”

Hancock added that Confidence ‘we can be much Palma was one of the more relaxed about tions, according to themost popular destina- international travel’ easyJet, with August its budget holiday giant if vaccines work well The announcement was busiest month. described by chief ex- against the South ecutive, Johan Lundgren, as a ‘much-needed Africa and Brazil boost in confidence’. strains.

“We have consistently the seen a pent-up demand “If vaccine for travel and this surge doesn’t that this signal has been in bookings shows them, work against then that will have been waiting for,” what UK consumers be much, he much more Holiday bookings were said. up by 630% and difficult,” he said. flights by 337%.

It comes as the gov“While the summer may be a little while off, ernment confirmed we will be working around the clock to en- it was looking at the sure we will be ready to ramp up our flights idea of vaccine passports to allow travel

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Granny knows best, says Benny Davis LTHOUGH I didn’t realise at the time, my old granny taught me to be grateful for the food on the table.

Being brought up in wartime London, food was scarce, and every scrap was utilised for maximum consumption.

Gran told me to eat everything and ‘fill the corners of your stomach’. It wasn´t until my early twenties that I realised my stomach was not square!

Another pet Granny phrase was ‘Waste not, want not’. If I left any food on my plate, it would be immediately whisked away to the cool of the pantry (no fridges in those days) only to reappear in front of me, intact, at the next mealtime.

I have horrible memories of staring at black bullet-like Brussels sprouts, semolina pudding looking more like wallpaper paste than a dessert and having to scrape white fluff off a slice of Spam.

But inevitably, I always succumbed to her bullying, even if it were solely to get out to play with my mates in the street. She was of course looking after my best interests and her words have since formed an important part of my life.

See page 16

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21/6/19 13:30

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT!

A

voice in Spain

RE E TU SIV PIC CLU EX

Contact her at Fiona@theolivepress.es

Congratulations to the Olive Press on its 100th edition

Terenia Tar as

Telling it like it is

The

T

HE Olive Press has a new centre forward.

Seasoned journalist Fiona Govan joins the group as our new Digital Editor in, fittingly, International Women’s week.

Based in Madrid, she spent eight years as the Telegraph’s Spain Correspondent before editing the popular website, the Local.

The 46-year-old has as good a grasp on the machinations of Moncloa as the trends of tourism.

And she has lived and breathed Brexit for the last four years and knows every corner of this lovely peninsula.

“But I still find plenty of stunning new sites and landscapes to amaze me every year,” she reveals. “A recent walk into the Ron- WELCOME: From editor da gorge was one of Jon Clarke in Ronda those moments.”

Also becoming our first Madrid Correspondent, she will be in close contact with the various embassies and will have her finger on the pulse for law changes or new cultural impulses.

“It’s exciting to be joining a rare media group that’s been continually expanding over the last decade,” she says. “Particularly one that cares about its community so well and has such a good balance of staff, male and female.”

She brings with her a new Olive Press mascot, Rufus, the rescue dog, a keen environmentalist and long time Olive Press reader.

March 12th - March 25th 2021

100th Edition

Going for Govan

COLUMNISTS The age of print!

14

OLD HAC K IN THE SUN

Benny Davis

The whole point of Ramblings of an 80-something expat sharing my intimate childhood memories with you, is to bring your attention to media reports that some local mayors, government bigwigs, and even members of the Spanish royal family, have been accused of jumping the vaccine queue.

I can exclusively reveal that they have all been grossly misjudged and are totally innocent of any wrongdoings.

The truth is, all have been loyal to their respective grannies by adhering to those immortal words, quien guarda siempre halla `waste not want not’. In a desperate attempt to serve their king and country, without any selfish thoughts about personal immunity or possible harm to their reputations, they immediately offered up their VIP arms to save the left-over recent vaccine session dregs of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 offerings from being dumped.

And in doing so, because pantries are out of style, they also saved the nation hundreds of thousands of euros in freezer electricity costs.

Heroes all. Their grannies would have been proud of them!

OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 1 Ranged, 5 Grieve, 8 Deadline, 9 Suit, 10 Zany, 11 Years ago, 12 Yellow, 15 Ease in, 17 Immature, 20 R I Ps, 21 Puts, 22 Didactic, 23 Why not?, 24 Wisest.

Down: 2 Average, 3 Godly, 4 Daily, 5 Grenade, 6 Insists, 7 Vying, 13 Liaison, 14 Wouldn't, 16 Impairs, 18 Mouth, 19 Endow, 20 Ricks.

SUDOKU

Introducing the Olive Press’ new digital editor

HEALTH

Getting vaccinated

THE Spanish Health Ministry has added new vaccination groups to its immunisation strategy, giving people a better idea of when they will be inoculated and with which vaccine.

The latest Estrategia de vacunacion includes nine groups, with some of these divided into subgroups, which have been organised according to vulnerability and potential exposure to the virus.

Notably, Group 4 - Grandes dependientes - refers to people who require ‘intense measures of support’, but do not live in a care home, as well as their carers, whether professional or not. Included in Group 6 - those with an ‘essential societal function’ - are army personnel, firefighters, police officers, and the like.

Effective

None of the nine groups encompass the healthy under-45s, who will presumably fall under the category of ‘rest of the population’ once the vaccination campaign has reached that stage.

Although the three vaccines currently available in the EU - Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca - have all ‘shown adequate levels of efficacy and security’, Spain only plans to administer the AstraZeneca jab to those under 56 years of age.

March 12th - March 25th 2021

Concern as COVID hits mental health of youngsters on the Balearics A STUDY has revealed that the number of cases of depression among children on the Balearic Islands has rocketed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Balearic Health Service warned of an increase in severe depressive cases in those under the age of 18-years-old.

They indicated that in the last year, there has been an upward trend in extreme mental health conditions and admissions, as well as suicide attempts and suicidal behaviours.

This has been attributed to

Serious worries

By Isha Sesay

the negative impact of the health crisis with youngsters now ‘carrying their family’s sadness’ which brings on an evident feeling of despair for the future.

Challenging

Mental health coordinator, Oriol Lafau, explained that in many of the cases examined since Spain’s state

Jab refusals JUST 2% of people offered a coronavirus jab have turned the chance down, according to the State Secretary for Health, Silvia Calzon.

It has been revealed that only 45,611 people have refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 up to February 24, which is just over 2% of those called up for vaccination.

Moreover, not all the refusals of the vaccines have been due to ‘self-will’, but, in some cases, because the person called for vaccination has just had the virus or another contraindication to vaccination.

of alarm was enforced in March of last year, a higher level of hopelessness was experienced.

“In these cases, a child will tend to stop sleeping, sometimes even eating and, above all, has difficulty experiencing enjoyment in everyday things like going outside for a walk.

“Ultimately, they feel that their life is not worth it,” said Lafau.

According to the Balearic Health Service, for each successful suicide, up to 20 attempts are usually made and therefore, there is ‘real value in knowing the signs of when someone is in an severe depressive state’.

For this reason, they are working on a ‘Prevention of Suicidal Behaviour Plan’, which will be rolled out by the Balearic government this year.

This is the first campaign of its kind in the Balearic Islands where more than 50 mental health experts have worked together to establish a list of preventive measures.

SOLAR PV PANELS

15

Old ways…

A HOSPITAL is trialing a revolutionary tablet containing one of Spain's most synonymous products against the symptoms of COVID-19.

The University Hospital of Jaen is testing the effects of a new treatment containing olive polyphenols, a key chemical ingredient in olive oil.

A team of researchers are testing the new treatment on a group of 60 volunteers over the age of 50 that have been admitted to the hospital with mild symptoms of COVID-19.

The idea is to examine the effects of the olive polyphenols on reducing symptoms in the early stages of the virus, and determine whether it will stem the progress of symptoms before they reach a severe level.

During the trial, the patients will still be treated with the standard COVID-19 treatments,

but will be given the new tablets every eight hours for a three week period.

The tablets, branded under the name Alyvium, contain polyphenols, as well as natural flavonoids, vitamin A, riboflavin and biotin, and contain the name nutrients as around 15-20 olives.

Promising

Dr Carmen Herrero Rodríguez, researcher at the Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Unit, is pleased with the early results the new supplements are showing.

“Thanks to intense research work with authorised trials, we now have drugs that have managed to reduce mortality in our patients.

“We think that the administration of the nutritional supplement can be beneficial for COVID-19 patients who are showing certain symptoms.”

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Happy families

FINAL WORDS

DIVORCE numbers dropped in Andalucia for the sixth year running.

Couples filing for divorce fell by 11.5% in 2020 despite the lockdown and ongoing pandemic.

Load of bull!

ONE of Spain's best known matadors has lost a lengthy battle to copyright his most famous 'kill' after the Supreme Court ruled that the bullfighter had acted on impulse and not by design.

Snapped up

OLIVE PRESS

The

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Bar Wars!

MALLORCA

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 4 Issue 101 www.theolivepress.es March 12th - March 25th 2021 A WHITE arm stretches across the bar, a claw-like hand clamped around the rim of a pint glass.

Slowly it lowers the glass below the beer tap, waiting as it fills, and adjusts the cup to make sure the head of the beer levels out just right.

The secret behind the perfect pour and great service?

A robotic duo in Sevilla.

One works behind the bar, while another - a robot dog named Spot - whizzes around Cuesta del Rosario, delivering canas and copas to tables.

A lot of dough

Master baker is just earning a crust

IF you're partial to a slice of toast and jam in the morning, chances are you won't be carving a slice off this loaf, dubbed the world's most expensive bread.

The pricey pan is the brainchild of Juan Manuel Moreno, manager of a family run

bakery in the Malaga village of Algatocin, in the Serrania de Ronda.

The unique recipe, containing all natural ingredients and blended with flakes of edible gold and silver, is sold to wealthy clients around the globe for a stag-

Tongue tied

LEARNING a language is a point of pride for most people, SPANISH police ofbut apparently not for the Trump family. ficers have rescued Donald Trump Junior has made headlines after taking a a South American selfie of himself and his son holding a copy of The Cat in caiman from a farm, the Hat, as the pair was covering up a front cover starburst where it was being in a suspicious manner. held in appalling conInternet users found out that Trump Junior’s son was readditions, after its owning a bilingual edition of the Dr. Seuss classic, as the starer tried to flog it for burst almost1 certainly TheOlivePress-256x170-STPATRICKS.pdf 10/3/21contained 11:09 the words ‘in English and €2,000.

Spanish’.

BREADWINNER: Moren0’s prized loaf contains gold gering €1,480 per loaf.

Moreno is the owner of the Panaderia Pan Piña bakery, a business that has been in his wife's family since 1946 and has been producing quality bread ever since.

Moreno explained that he came up with the idea after hearing that the world's most expensive coffee was being sold in Marbella.

Keen to see how far he could push the limits of bread making, he set to work creating his ‘artistic’ masterpiece.

The result was a loaf that

contains gold and silver in the form of flakes and dust, and in total uses approximately €1,100 worth of ingredients, depending on precious metal prices at the time.

One client, a Saudi Prince, ordered 18 loaves for a wedding last year, and since its birth Pina Pan has sold 96 loaves in total, with six so far in 2021.

“We did not do this for the money, we did this to try to put the bakery on the map and show what is possible,” said Moreno.

Tips

And the pair are certainly earning their tips - and fans.

The devices were invented by Boston Dynamics and Spainbased Macco Robotics before COVID-19, but the pandemic could signal that the time has come for robots to take over.

“I think that in times of a pandemic it is very good that there is a robot serving drinks so there is no contact between people.

“It’s very cool!” said one customer Abel Ros. Another stunned fan took to Twitter to write: “We need an explanation! 2020, relax now!”

952 147 834

B E S T P R I C E. B E T T E R C O V E R.