Olive Press Costa Blanca North and Valencia - Issue 90

Saying adios to

NERO TO ZERO

WHEN police raided the home of feared Costa businessman John ny ‘Cash’ Morrissey last week they hoped to find many incriminating items and the odd weapon.

But what they hadn’t bargained on was a series of little black books list ing all the payments from his wife’s company Nero Vodka.

The ‘notepads’ carefully detailed all the businesses and gangs the bogus Marbella-based company had lent or laundered money through over the last two years.

Kept by the Morrisseys at their top floor rented home in Mijas, they are understood to list hundreds of cash

EXCLUSIVE

payments to dozens of local businesses.

“They are now in Madrid and being carefully gone through by detectives dealing with or ganised crime,” a source told the Olive Press.

“It’s all being done in complete secret, but all those listed will be probed for money launder ing and tax evasion.

“There were so many pay ments that there was simply no way Johnny or his wife could keep tabs on all of them without writing them down.

“They noted the name of each client, the date the money was lent and the date it would be collected.

“This will spawn many other side probes and lead to many more ar rests. They are going to regret not destroying those books.”

It was certainly a gift from the gods for the Guardia Civil probe into what they described as the ‘most import ant criminal organisation in

Spain dedicated to money laun dering’.

Police from five countries were involved in the dawn swoop on the Costa del Sol gangster, now accused of laun dering €200 million over just 18 months, a remarkable €350,000 a

day.

It came as the couple’s compa ny Nero Vodka held a string of glitzy showbiz parties at numerous top venues on the coast.

Organised in conjunction with their friends, the owners of Euro Weekly News, they took place at leading five star hotels and restaurants.

Gushing

As well as sponsoring concerts, they even backed the Marbella Interna tionEverything was colourfully re

John Francis 20 Dec ationality:

ported in a string of gushing articles in the paper and online.

Designated for providing material assistance to, or acting

FOLLOWING THE MONEY

The Morrisseys invest ed heavily in anywhere or anyone who would take their cash.

They own at least 11 properties on the Costa del Sol, which were all raided last week by of ficers from the Guardia Civil’s crack GAR team. This includes two villas, both valued at between €3 and €5 million

alone, while they own countless luxury cars and watches.

According to an Olive Press source, police have also found various bank accounts in the British Virgin Islands and they are believed to have investments in Turkey and Dubai.

Locally, despite the links to the vodka

As Michel put it at the film festival: “The tagline of Nero is ‘undefeatable spirit.’ And this festival epitomises that spirit, the undefeatable spirit of Marbella.”

She later wrote in February this year that Nicola was a ‘dynamic business woman’. Under a photo of her beside her Rolls Royce, she insisted: “She is focused with a heart of gold, sharp witted and sharp eyed. And she has sacrificed like only a WINNER can. She is living the life she designed for HER. She is our hope for the future - we really can have it all if we want it enough.

company they are be lieved to have invest ed in a drying out clin ic and they were set to open an upmarket wellness spa in Mijas next year. The spa fea tures large statues of centaurs, eagles and, of course, Roman fig ures such as Nero, one of Morrissey’s heroes.

Sean Gerard DMCGOVERN

OB: 12 Feb ationality: Ireland

“You are MAKING IT HAPPEN and your tribe love you for it.”

While Morrissey was last week remanded in cus tody at Marbella Court, his wife received bail, believed to be because of her 10-year-old son.

Opinion

See

Hundreds implicated after police seize ‘little black books’ full of transactions by mafia ‘financier’ Johnny ‘Cash’ Morrissey

STRONG STUFF: Nicola’s (left) vodka brand was ‘a cover’ for Morrissey, claim police from 5 countries

Christopher

Cashed out

HE has long been one of the Costas most feared ‘business men’.

A former Manchester door man, Johnny Morrissey, 62, was this week led out of his own front door in handcuffs.

The notorious boss of Nero Vodka, John Francis Morrissey - nicknamed Johnny Cash - is accused of laundering €200 million in a giant blow against the Kinahan drugs cartel.

The expat of 20 years is said to be the enforcer of the Irish crime clan, which has terro rised the Costa del Sol for the last two decades, with numer ous shootings and settling of scores.

Alongside his wife Nicola, 47, he was snared in a massive

Europol police operation that involved officers from five dif ferent countries.

With a helicopter buzzing around overhead, the Roch dale hardman was ignomin iously cuffed in a pair of tight Hawaiian shorts, his beer gut protruding above.

A video showed police turn over one of his various Cos ta homes (police have so far searched 11 in total) while his attractive wife stuck up a finger at a photographer as she was led to a police car. He has been remanded in custody and his wife released on bail.

The operation involved agents from the British NCA, Irish GARDA, America’s DEA, Dutch Politei and Europol’s

European Centre for Financial and Economic Crime.

The Guardia Civil later con firmed that Morrissey was at the head of the ‘most import ant’ international criminal or ganisation operating in Spain dedicated to money laundering. In little more than a year and a half Morrisey is believed to have laundered around €350,000 a day.

Fearsome

Morrissey was raised in Ro chdale and spent much of his early life earning a fearsome reputation in Manchester be fore moving to Ireland and lat er Marbella.

Things came unstuck when he had to flee Ireland more than 20 years ago after reportedly being involved in an attempt to hurt a Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) officer investigating him.

Former CAB officer Felix McK enna earlier this year linked him to the attempt to attack a prominent Bureau officer be fore he left Ireland having had more than €600,000 worth of cash and property seized.

Morrissey was soon living in Marbella and became a larger than life character, known for his links to the underworld, but also celebrities.

He was a friend of the late Freddie Starr, who used to ap

pear in a nightclub allegedly owned by Morrissey in Fuen girola.

He is also suspected of bank rolling the final days of noto rious timeshare scammer Toni Muldoon who died in 2019. Muldoon was jailed for seven and a half years for ripping off ordinary people to the tune of tens of millions over the years.

On his release from jail he led a low profile life allegedly fi nanced by ‘old pal’ Morrissey.

Speaking to the Olive Press, a Guardia Civil officer explained how suspicions were raised about Morrissey and his wife Nicola last year.

While she was the owner on paper, based out of the Elviria Business Centre, he acted as the ‘ambassador’ for the com pany, with connections to Gi braltar and Glasgow.

The officer revealed: “He and his wife were spending a lot of money around the Costa del Sol, but their vodka company

did not make a lot of profit.

“Despite this, the brand was always sponsoring big events in Marbella.

“The vodka brand launched in the UK, but when the US Treasury Department exposed it as being linked to the Kinahans, they closed the company and moved it to Spain and Gibraltar.”

Murders

He added: “In the UK media they are saying that this man committed 38 murders, but the Guardia Civil is not aware of any of these.

“What I can confirm is that he used to live in a very ex clusive mansion in Marbella, but when the US Treasury linked him to the Kinahans, he moved to a small apartment in Mijas. That’s where we picked

him up.”

The US Treasury Department blacklisted Morrissey last April and announced a $5 million reward for any citizen offering information on the where abouts of the three leaders of his organisation: Christopher Vincent Kinahan, and his sons Daniel Joseph Kinahan and Christopher Vincent Kinahan Jr. The trio are known to have moved to Dubai.

According to the United States, Morrissey held a key position on the second rung of the clan’s leadership structure.

BIG The Rolls Royce cars and after Morrissey

SURROUNDED: British and Irish police joined the Guardia operation

SPANISH teen sensation Car los Alcaraz became the young est men's player in the Open Era to hold the No. 1 ranking, after sealing a four-set victory over Casper Ruud in the US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz, unfurling his full array of shots together with his combination of athleticism and maturity, beat Casper Ruud

Tennis Teen Sensation

6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in the US Open final in a gruelling match that took over three hours.

Alcaraz’s maiden Grand Slam win at age 19 sees him be come the youngest

Oldest Abuela in Andalucia is 109 years young and still going strong

By Cristina Hodgson

David delight

HE is one of the last big visitors of the summer.

But Craig David more than lived up to his billing at a sellout show at Marbella’s Puente Ro mano Tennis Club.

In his only show in Andalucia this year, the 15 million-re cord-selling British singer brought his latest guise, TS5, to the Costa del Sol for the first time.

Effectively working as a DJ, he cleverly spun a mix of banging house tunes alongside his own repertoire, which includes no less 20 Top 40 UK singles.

It didn’t take long for the in ternational megastar, who now lives in Miami, to get the crowd jumping as he cleverly spliced hits from Rihanna with the House of Pain’s Jump Around

There was also Whitney, TLC and the Backstreet Boys in the mix, as the lad from Southamp ton showed how he’s matured. Incredibly relaxed, he continu ally chatted to the crowd, who included Olive Press compe tition winner American Jason Schmidt, from Sacramento, who lives in nearby Istan.

“He is a true pro and knows how to get the fans going,” he said.

“Thanks so much for the tick ets. I never get to win things like this. It’s been a great night.”

Support act Trevis was also a big hit with the sellout audi ence, particularly the women, as he jumped off stage to ser enade a few of them with hits including Avenue and Let me Know.

GRANDMOTHER Maria Ro driguez Sanchez has just cele brated her 109th Saints Day. But through her life of hard work and hardship, she was perhaps not always a saint her self.

To make ends meet when she was widowed with three chil dren to care for, she worked as a matutera (goods smuggler). She ranged from her Cadiz home to Portugal, Gibraltar and Jerez, illicitly trading to bacco, coffee and fabrics, in order to raise her children.

Known as Maria Matacabras (Maria Goatslayer), she was born on January 24, 1913 and this month the Mayor of Los Barrios paid her a visit to cel ebrate her Saints Day.

The hardship of the era that Matacabras was born into saw her working from a very young age. At just nine years old she was running errands and cleaning for ladies of the town.

In 1931, at 18 years old, Mata cabras married Eduardo Guerrero, father of her three children, however she was wid owed at the age of 42.

Tragically, in 1980 her only daughter Pepa died, leaving

man to be ranked world number one, surpassing Lleyton Hewitt, who held the top spot at the age of 20 in 2001. Alcaraz, the first teenager to claim the top ranking, is the youngest Grand Slam men's champion since Rafael Nadal at the 2005 French Open.

What a Saint

GENTLEMEN PREFER BRUNETTES

SPANISH-Cuban actress Ana de Ar mas channeled her inner Marilyn Monroe when she trod the red carpet at the LA premiere of Blonde She posed in front of the photogra phers in a dazzling long, tight-fit ting gown with a sweetheart neck line and a mermaid silhouette with a slight train that accentuated her curves to the maximum.

The look, created by Nicolas Ghesquière in collaboration with renowned stylist to the stars, Sa mantha McMillen, was finished off with matching jewellery by Anita Ko.

Her dress indirectly paid trib ute to one of the most iconic designs of Marilyn Monroe's prolific career.

The actress reinterpreted the golden dress that William Trabilla made for Gentle men Prefer Blondes and which was censored for being ‘too sexy’, but which months later Marilyn used to attend the Photoplay Awards ceremony.

GOING STRONG: Maria is 109 years old

Matacabras to also provide for her nine grandchildren, the youngest being five years old at the time.

Matacabras, currently resides with one of her granddaugh

ters in Santa Rosa. Despite her slightly chequered past, in 2017 Maria received the title of Citizenship on Andalucia Day to mark her lifetime of work and sacrifice.

Mayor Miguel Alconchel, ac companied by the first depu ty mayor, Sara Lobato, gave their best wishes and pre sented her with a bouquet of flowers.

Sing

At 109 years young, she is still able to read and sing and can offer a tip or two about life. But she has a few years to go if she is to catch up with Spain’s oldest person. Maria Branyas Morera, from Catalunya was 115 years old in March.

Punk Patti in town

LEGENDARY American singer Patti Smith is lined up to star at Sevilla’s Iconica Fest.

The singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 de but album Horses

Dubbed the ‘punk rock lau reate’, the 75-year-old will take to the stage on Monday September 26.

She is not the only big name at the mu sic fes tival, which will

run until October 15.

Iconic Heavy Metal band Deep Purple will feature on Saturday September 24, while Boy George and Culture Club take to the limelight on Friday, September 23.

FAMILY AFFAIR: Maria was presented with a bouquet

WILD WOMAN: Patti in full flow

STARS: Deep Purple and (left) Boy George

Road rage

POLICE are looking for a 24-year-old man who inten tionally ran over his motherin-law.

The incident took place in Valencia city after a family ar gument following the suspect crashing his mother-in-law’s car.

He demanded that she claim that one of her sons was re sponsible, but when she re fused he roared off in a car, knocking her over. She was released from hospital four hours later.

SOME 400 sheep were the special guests at Segovia’s fa mous Aqueduct as part of the Hay Festival.

The woolly animals were part of a ‘performance’ by Nobel Prize winner Konstantin No voselov and British artist Kate Daudy at the event, which is the biggest of its kind in the country covering literature, art and thinking.

The performance was titled ‘Everything is Connected’, and saw the 400 animals

That’s art?

paraded through the streets with the words ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ written on their bodies with natural ink.

The idea was to show that, however different people’s points of view may be, individ uals can coexist in harmony.

The Hay Festival was first held in 1988 in the Welsh village of Hay-on-Wye, but has had an edition in Spain since 2006.

FUGITIVE NABBED Washed away

AN alleged drug dealer on the run from German police has been arrested in Benidorm.

A European Arrest Warrant was issued when he disap peared from his home country while under suspicion of being involved in trafficking 1.5 kilo grams of cocaine.

German authorities suspected he may be in Spain and enlisted the help of Spanish police, who tracked him down to the Costa Blanca.

Official reports state that the suspect is accused of buying 0.5kg of cocaine in April 2020 for €15,750, which he proceed ed to sell in Hamburg. The next month, he purchased €31,000 worth of narcotics which he also sold in Hamburg.

The 31-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison in Germany.

PEOPLE are getting braced for more wild weather after torren tial rain engulfed beaches and flooded town centres.

Damage to homes, businesses and beach bars was recorded as far north as Castellon de la Pla na, about 70km north of Valen cia, and as far south as Elche.

On Wednesday morning the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issued a yellow warn ing for the Alicante region.

Storms with hail and about 20 litres of rain per square metre were expected.

The same yellow warning is in force in the region of Valencia.

The fresh weather warning comes just days after the two provinces were smashed with torrential rain last weekend. Benidorm saw its worst flood ing in years, with about 91 li tres of rain per square metre dumped on the popular seaside resort in just one hour early on Sunday morning.

Records also exceeded 100l/m2 in Senija and reached 88.2l/m2 in the Serra Gelada and Alfanza del Pi.

Since 12pm on Saturday the

ed quickly as water gushed along main streets in Benidorm such as Avenida Mediterra neo.

Residents and tourists were forced to walk

through the rising water with bin bags over their legs.

But residents will need to wait for a reprieve in the inclement weather, with more rainfall forecast beyond Wednesday’s yellow weather warning.

Storms

Showers and storms were pre dicted throughout the day for today (Thursday), along the coast in the morning and mov ing inland in the afternoon.

Aemet said minimum tempera tures would ‘hardly vary’ and maximums would be lowerthe wind will be variable with strong sea breezes.

Big bill

A MARIJUANA grower was caught when he refused to pay his power bill.

Electricity company Iberdro la called in the police after it noticed a huge rise in elec tricity use in a part of the Va lencian town of Albalat Dels Tarongers.

Illegal electricty connections had been hooked on to com munal lines. Investigators’ suspicions were raised when the owner of a property in the area refused to pay his elec tricity bill, apparently in a bid to save a few Euros.

They raided the premises and found more than 750 pot ted plants and almost 2,500 buds.

Three people were arrested.

Roman ruin

ARCHAEOLOGISTS from Alicante University have dis covered the remains of a large Roman villa on a dig site in the Sogair area of Altea.

The find came as a surprise as the main purpose of a sum mer excavation was to look at the way land was used for farming during ancient times.

“The remains are from the 1st or 2nd century AD and the find came about through our agreement with Alicante Uni versity to learn more about our past,” said Altea mayor, Jaume Llinares.

Archaeology professor, Jau me Molina, commented: “We spotted a large number of surface ceramics at Sogai and we decided to do a geora dar survey which showed up some walls.”

GOODBYE MA’AM

THE Spanish royals were among hun dreds of thousands of mourners who gathered in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

The beloved monarch was laid to rest on Monday morning, with the UK and British expatriates in other countries stopping for the service.

Spain's Queen Letizia sat next to her father in law, former King Juan Carlos inside Westminster Abbey. The controversial arrival of emeritus monarch Juan Carlos from exile in the Middle East meant Spain's current King Felipe had to publicly sit next to his disgraced father, who is facing trial in the UK.

Juan Carlos – who is facing court in London next year over his ex-mistress and undeclared income – also sat next to his estranged wife Sofia at the ser vice at Westminster Abbey. They sat in a very prominent position be low the pulpit just 10ft from ‘aunt Lilibet’.

The Chief Minister and Governor of Gibraltar also attended the funeral.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo arrived in London on the weekend where he signed the book of condolences at Lan caster House.

All eyes were on the British royals as they mourned the beloved monarch.

Prince Harry cut a sombre figure alongside King Charles and Prince Wil liam as the trio followed the Queen´s coffin into the church.

The 37-year-old Duke of Sussex looked emotional as he was seen trailing his brother Prince William, who was fol lowing behind King Charles II inside the abbey ahead of the funeral. Charles, 73, also looked close to tears as he embarked on the procession from Westminster Hall.

Harry walked side-by-side with Wil

liam during the procession, a signifi cant moment following Prince Philip’s April 2021 funeral, which saw Princess Anne’s son, Peter Phillips, standing between the brothers.

Grandmother

Prince George, 9, and Princess Char lotte, 7, dressed in black, also walked behind their great grandmother’s cof fin with their parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Prince Louis, 4, was deemed too young to attend.

By Anthony Piovesan

SEND OFF: King Felipe and Queen Letizia

More ferocious storms have been forecast to smash the Costa Blanca, right after cleanup efforts only just started to clear the damage from the weekend’s wild weather

Provincial Consortium of Fire fighters of Alicante responded to 36 calls for help due to flash flooding, 28 of them in Marina Baixa and 20 in Benidorm. Terraces and basements flood

DAMAGE: Beach needs repairs after the storm

FLOODS: brought down walls

Stop being so impressed

YET another prominent ‘businessman’ has been accused of a string of heinous crimes on the Costas.

Johnny Morrissey is a massive catch having been fingered as a close associate of the cut-throat Kinahan gang, for whom he allegedly laundered hundreds of millions of eu ros.

He has led a larger than life existence here, courting ce lebrities and VIPs to publicise his wife’s Nero vodka brand. The question has to be asked - why has it taken so long for justice to investigate his affairs?

It is not as if his allegedly criminal background is new ter ritory.

He fled Ireland 20 years ago in an apparent attempt to es cape the heat, accused of money laundering and threaten ing to kill a customs officer.

He is not alone either. The Kinahans openly enjoyed the proceeds of crime for years before heading for Dubai.

Before them, Barbara Windsor’s ex Ronnie Knight held court on the coast as he tried to escape British justice - as did a host of criminals at the time.

In the ‘old days’ the Spanish police were not too interested in British crooks as long as they kept their noses clean. As a result Spain became a place where people could rein vent themselves.

Taking a cue from the police, the expat community often ignored dodgy pasts or simply didn’t want to know. What mattered was how they behaved in the here and now. And the more they spent the more they were welcomed. This is why notorious criminals like timeshare scammer Toni Muldoon and gold coin conman Nigel Goldman lived high profile lives at the top of expat society.

Meanwhile on the Costa Blanca, investment fraudsters Darren Kirby and Jody Smart lived the high-life too, with first class flights to the US and cupboards full of designer shoes, while leaving hundreds of expat investors destitute, penniless and even sometimes suicidal.

Lauding the likes of them - or Nicola Morrissey - for their business acumen and graft is an insult to all the genuinely hard-working, low-paid expats.

Perhaps it is time people looked a little deeper into some of the more flamboyant characters. And stopped being so impressed with money.

Either way, the wheels of Spanish justice are slowly catch ing the latest charabanc of sleaze that has engulfed the costas.

It’s a shame it’s taken so long.

Grieving for you

How we will miss our ‘Aunt Lilibet’: from Spain’s king Felipe

THE moving tribute to the Queen from her distant cousin King Fe lipe of Spain showed exactly how close the two royal families are.

Insisting she ‘set an example’ to the world and that her legacy would last for generations, showed how fond of Eliza beth he was.

You could see how well they got on during the days they spent together in the UK in 2019, and you could see it with his own father during visits the Queen made to Spain in the 1980s.

Felipe actually addressed Queen Eliza beth as ‘Aunt Lilibet’ and referred to the late Duke of Edinburgh as ‘Uncle Philip’. The strong bond between the families is because Queen Sofía of Spain’s grandfa ther was the uncle of Elizabeth’s husband.

The Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Al ice of Battenberg. His uncle was King

By Jorge Hinojosa

Constantine I, the grandfather of Queen Sofía.

So Felipe’s letter, shared with the Olive Press from the Casa Real press office, showed an understandable depth of feeling.

Writing to her son Charles, the new King, Felipe wrote on behalf of he and Letizia:

‘Your Majesty, dearest Charles,

‘Deeply saddened by the sorrowful news of the passing away of Her Majes ty Queen Elizabeth II, your beloved Mother, I would like to offer Your Majesty and the British people, on my behalf and on behalf of the Spanish Government and people, our most heartfelt con dolences.

‘Her Majesty Queen Eliza beth has undoubtedly wit nessed, written and shaped many of the most relevant chapters in the history of our world during the last seven decades. Her sense of duty, commitment and a whole life devoted to serving the people of the United Kingdom and Northern

ROYAL TREATMENT

Ireland set an example for all of us and will remain as a solid and valu able legacy for future generations.

‘Queen Letizia and I send Your Majes ty and the whole Family our love and prayers. You are all in our hearts and thoughts. We will miss Her dearly. ‘With all my friendship and affection,’

Felipe

It demonstrates the warmth between the British and Spanish royal families and the frequent correspondence between the various monarchs.

The last time Queen Elisabeth came to Spain was back in October 1988, when she visited Mallorca, spending two days on the island with Prince Philip.

ON the day that Liz Truss became the United Kingdom’s new prime minister, I was expecting a call from Spanish TV channel La Sexta.

Their evening current affairs show, Más Vale Tarde, has recently been coming to me for some live insights every time something crazy happens in my home country. I have been joking for months that a lot of work lies ahead for me… And so it was that they called, to discuss via a Skype connection the handover of power from Boris Johnson to Truss. But in the end, we spent more time talking about Queen Elizabeth II, and that omi nous bruise that was clear to see on her hand in the photos of her meetings with the politicians she met that day.

“We all know that the queen has a delicate state of health,” I told the pre senters, using a phrase that would later become a headline on their website.

Little could any of us have known at that moment just how delicate it was.

On Thursday they called again, after alarm bells were sent ringing by the om inous announcement by the Palace that there were concerns over the Queen’s

By Simon Hunter, Madrid

health, not to mention a clear protocol at the BBC swinging into action as sched ules were rejigged and black ties donned. I updated the program with the latest news once more via Skype, and then pro ceeded to drive home.

Stuck in a typical Madrid traffic jam, I called my parents to bring them up to date and also test the mood back in En gland. Unusually, my mother had told me the news about the Queen first – given my hopeless Twitter addic tion, it’s normally the other way around.

This was just another sign, for me, of how big a story this was going to be: one of those that when you hear it, you need to get in touch with your loved ones to talk about it.

And then it happened. In mid-conversation, the news alerts – first from Spanish media, then from the UK – started to ping on my phone.

Just as my parents and I were speculating that the Queen might have already died, there was confirmation of her passing. I told my parents. My mum burst into tears. As I finished my journey home, I was able

to listen to the brilliantly judged BBC TV broadcast playing out in my parents’ kitchen. Then the fun really began.

La 1, Antena 3, Telecinco, La Sexta, Cope radio station, 24 Horas rolling news chan nel… My phone started blowing up with calls, all with interview requests so that a Briton could help try to unpick this histor ic day and its repercussions.

In the last six days I’ve done two remote connections, sat on four different TV sets, been on two different news bulletins, and turned down more than a few other of fers, and here’s what I’ve learned. First of all, the fascination for the Royal Family in Spain, as in so many countries, persists.

In particular in the context of the trou bled relationship the country has with its own royals – the Spanish king, for exam ple, is regularly booed at football games in parts of Spain that have pushed for

EMPATHY: Letizia and Felipe signed the condolences book

One journalist’s quest to explain to Spain’s media just why Queen Elizabeth meant so much

This was just another sign, for me, of how big a story this was going to be

It was a successful trip which began when they were met in the port by the previous monarch, King Juan Carlos I and wife Sofia.

The Spanish media report ed that both of them were wearing ‘very summery clothes’ even though it was autumn. And during their trip they visited many beau ty spots, including Andratx, Valldemossa and La Mola. They stayed at the Palacio de Marivent, which is the of ficial Royal residence near Palma, and after lunch they went up into the Sierra de Tramuntana.

The following day they spent time on the royal yacht, El Fortuna , with the Duke of

Badajoz, Luis Gomez Acebo, and Pilar de Borbon.

They reportedly went home ‘very happy’ with the way they had been treated by the Spanish royals during their stay.

The last time that the Span ish Royal family officially met the Queen was in 2019 when King Felipe was dec orated with the prestigious Order of the Garter at Wind sor Castle.

The king visited with his glamorous wife Letizia and the pair were photographed at various different events with the Queen and Prince Charles during the visit.

The most recent published correspon dence was another heartfelt letter sent to Elizabeth last April after husband Phil ip’s death.

Once again addressing her as ‘aunt Li libet’, King Felipe and his wife Letizia

showed great warmth for their British cousins.

The letter read:

‘Dear Aunt Lilibet, We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our dear Uncle Philip. At this painful time, we would like to convey to you our deepest condolences on behalf of the Spanish Gov ernment and the people and all our closeness and support.

We will never forget the occasions we were able to share with him and the legacy of service and dedication to the Crown and the United Kingdom that he always carried out at your side. Our thoughts and prayers are with Your Majesty and the whole family. With all our love and affection,’

Felipe, Letizia.

UNLOCK THE NEWS

YOU’VE got Spotify, you pay for Netflix and now you’re going to have to pay for your journalism.

While traditionally anyone who wanted to be in formed bought a newspaper or magazine, this changed over the last decade with the advent of digital media.

As the world changed, the leading media groups, includ ing the Daily Mail, the Guardian and the BBC guaranteed top quality, well researched content on the hour every hour.

But when Google and Face book started to unfairly dom inate global advertising rev enue (by as much as 85%) media groups could no longer fund their journalism through adverts.

It has caused a crisis for the worldwide news media in dustry (whether TV, radio or print) of enormous propor tions.

A giant trust lawsuit filed by the European Union this year, alongside the UK, for 26 billion euros in damages against Goo gle for unfair practices, could not come to court soon enough. Most people realise that you only get what you pay for!

And currently, the ONLY way out for the media groups is to charge for their content and thankfully the vast majority of respectable groups now have paywalls. In Spain, that means El País, El Mundo and el Público, while locally Dia rio Sur, Provincias and Última Hora also do.

All of them offer a cheap, good value subscription service for their readers to enjoy largely ad-free, reliable, well re searched news content.

The Olive Press is no different and for over a year now has pro vided 20-plus stories a day with unfettered access and almost no ads for under €1.50 a week!

Over 30,000 of you have now registered and have taken the opportunity to have decent, well re searched content delivered to you daily. While the newspaper remains free, and always will be, to be really well informed and up to date on everything from fires to the environment and from changes in the law to health warnings, it’s time to get on board.

independence.

Meanwhile, the emeritus king, Juan Carlos, is in self-imposed exile after the weight of his financial and roman tic scandals became too much to bear.

Given this recent history, it takes quite some explaining to Spaniards as to why people are so upset about the passing of the Queen.

Secondly, in a country where the dead are buried the very next day, such a long period as this one before the Queen is laid to rest is also something of a mystery.

And finally, the passing of Queen Eliza beth has prompted Spaniards – not just those I have met on TV sets this week –to ask the same question: how on Earth is everyone going to react here when Juan Carlos dies? There is one thing everyone seems to be certain about: it will be a very different royal affair.

CURIOUSLY, neither the King of Spain, nor Queen Elizabeth, were themost titled or noble royals in Europe.

That honour went to the Duquesa de Alba, Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart,who had more titles than anyone else in Europe.

According to folklore, she could cross the whole of Spain without leavingher land and should she have met the Queen of England formally, theQueen should have had to curtsey to her.

Fortunately this never happened as the Duchess - who was also known asCayetana de Alba - had a very close relationship with Queen Elizabeth.They became friends when Cayetanastudied in London and she remaineda lifelong lover of the city, frequentlyvisiting throughout her life.

The duchess, who died in 2014, toldthe Olive Press in an exclusive interview a decade ago that she had indeed ‘loved living in London’ and thather favorite shops were Selfridgesand Marks & Spencer.

“I always stay at Claridges when I amthere, it’s divine,” she said. “I lovevisiting all the art galleries and watching operas.”

For the record, her full name was:María del Rosario Cayetana PalomaAlfonsa Victoria Eugenia FernandaTeresa Francisca de Paula LourdesAntonia Josefa Fausta Rita CastorDorotea Santa Esperanza Fitz-JamesStuart y de Silva Falcó y Gurtubay. YOU KNOW? ROYAL THAN BOTH OF THEM

The Olive Press is the trust ed English speaking news provider, qualifying and checking all its facts before publication and calling out the many fake news sources. This is, above all, our role. Advertising no longer funds this profession, the fourth es tate, which is vital in a healthy democracy to keep checks and balances on the powers that be.

Just like the musicians who create the songs on Spotify or Apple Music and the actors and directors who create the movies and TV shows you now subscribe to on Ama zon Prime or Disney, we hope you believe that journalists need to be paid for their work too.

If so, please join us at www.theolivepress.es to find the best package to suit you.

1- Watch Kinahan drugs cartel financer Johnny Morrissey arrested in Spain accused of laundering €200 million

2- Spain’s former King Juan Carlos has once again found himself in the Spanish headlines this time thanks to the arrangements for Queen funeral

3

- Nero to zero: Kinahan financier and enforcer arrested after seizure of 200 kilograms of cocaine and €500,000 cash

4- King Felipe VI will try to avoid photo with father at all costs at Queen Elizabeth II funeral

5- Listed remaining strike dates in Spain for Ryanair, Easyjet and Iberia Express

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

CLOSE: The two monarchs in Mallorca (left) and above King Felipe and Queen Letizia with Queen Elizabeth in 2019

REGAL: Duquesa de Alba

King Felipe was decorated with the prestigious Order of the Garter

IN DEMAND: Simon on TV

Burning issue

Xmas lights going up already despite energy crisis

CHRISTMAS lights are already being put up in Madrid amid a debate on energy saving and efficiency.

There have been calls for a re duction in the number of lights put up this coming festive sea son, but it is unclear whether the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, will cut back on the numbers lit up.

He has stated that Madrid will have Christmas lights but that he ‘will ensure that they are switched on with efficiency and energy efficiency’. The lights are normally switched on on the last Friday of November.

This was his response to Min ister for Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera’s call for ‘creative solutions’ for Christmas light ing.

The mayor refused to consid er keeping the lights switched off ‘because they are a tourist, commercial and economic at traction for the city of Madrid as a whole.

Alicante Mayor Luis Barcala has taken a similar stance fol lowing a Valencian government

WARM WINTER

WINTER is coming, but Spain can expect it to be warmer and drier than usual. Autumn officially starts on September 23 and weather experts have warned the up coming cooler months will be warmer than usual across the entire country.

It comes after the country sweltered through the most torrid summer since 1961. It will be warmer along the Mediterranean coast, with the Balearic islands set to be the balmiest location.

It will also rain less along Spain’s Iberian peninsula.

The average temperature for June, July and August this year in Spain was 24 degrees celsius, 2.2 degrees more than the usual average.

By Dilip Kuner

proposal that all municipalities should turn off 20% of their public Christmas light displays to save energy.

It is one of eight energy-saving proposals that the Valencian government, under President Ximo Puig, has submitted to the Ministry of Ecological

Transition.

But Barcala was not impressed. He said: “We need a plan to help municipalities to improve energy efficiency instead of coming up with an ill-thoughtout idea over Christmas lights,” said Barcala.

“President Puig has not realised that Christmas lighting in the region is crucial for commerce and tourism.”

THE RICH GET RICHER

HE neo-monopoly Big 5 continues to make ob scene levels of profit.

As the price we all pay for electricity, gas, and fuel continues to soar, their profits have hit ex traordinary levels.

There is talk of applying a windfall tax in 2023. Why Profits have been made, and money is in their bulging bank accounts whilst residential and commercial cus tomers struggle to make ends meet.

The Spanish government has a sordid histo ry of enabling the “big 5” to prosper. Political lobbying and blatant corruption have never been successfully quashed.

European tax systems have started to adapt to the reality of exorbitant profits in the energy sector.

The United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, and Belgium have announced an intention to act.

So has Spain, but I don’t believe any action taken will be sufficient or timely.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pe dro Sánchez has said the state will collect an esti mated 2 billion euros from the fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

This is a drop in the ocean compared to the actual prof its generated by these com panies. So, the rich get rich er, and consumers suffer.

I prefer Greece’s formula. Earlier this year the cen tre-right government an

HIGH PRAISE

SPAIN is among the world’s top countries in the push towards renewable energy, according to a new report.

International nonprofit Climate Group graded G20 countries and compiled a ranking based on ambition and progress.

Spain was graded an A in the areas of net zero targets, renewable power target ambition, and renewable capacity additions in 2021.

Spain was lauded for setting out to deliver ‘one of the most ambitious renewable power poli cies in the European Union’.

Renewables accounted for 21% of Spain’s total final energy consumption in 2020 and plans to increase this to 43% by 2030.

nounced a plan to levy a tax rate of 90% on windfall profits generated by domestic power producers. That’s more like it!

Greece is not a country usually associated with a sound financial policy, but it seems to have this nailed.

The European Commission permitted in March of this year for member states to introduce temporary tax measures.

There is no excuse for delayed action.

GROW UP!

On a lighter note, this made me smile last week.

Animal Rebellion protesters, who believe the best op tion to mitigate the climate crisis is to transition to plant-based milk, blockaded the Muller factory gates and tied themselves to milk lorries.

The response from the local MP, Siobhan Baillie, was classic.

She said: “It is difficult to know what planet these people are on. It is unforgivable to try to intimidate hard-working staff. They should just grow up and stop playing games with people’s lives and livelihoods. The public is fed up with protesters.”

Not surprisingly The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs declined to comment.

Martin switch company Mariposa Energy. martin@mariposaenergia.es

The windfall tax

Green MattersBy Martin Tye

BRIGHT IDEA?: Madrid

SHIP AHOY!

GOTHEBORG of Sweden, con sidered one of the largest classic wooden sailboats in the world, has sailed into Spain.

The magnificent vessel is a toscale replica of an 18th Century Swedish East Indiaman Göthe borg I trading boat and is on a long voyage that will last until 2023. It is in Malaga and will be in Barcelona next month.

Built in 2005, this 47-metre sailing ship is made of oak and pine wood, maintaining all the facilities of the 19th Century ships, with a crew of 70 to man age all elements of sailing.

Following in the historic foot steps of the original ship from the 18th century, the purpose of the expedition is to pro mote trade relations in Eu rope and Asia.

SPAIN’S most notori ous bull-spearing fiesta in Tordesillas has gone ahead but this year without blood.

The Toro de la Vega bull run, which dates back to the Middle Ages, once involved the hunting of the animal by participants on horseback armed with lances or clubs.

Growing animal-rights pro

AdiosCelebrating Pablo

Year of events to mark the 50th anniversary of Picasso’s death

A YEAR of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Pablo Picasso has officially started.

The culture ministers of France and Spain officially launched ‘Picasso Celebration’ at the Re ina Sofía Museum in Madrid.

The two countries have joined forces to celebrate the Spaniard who lived in France for most of his adult life.

More than 40 exhibitions, con ferences and other events are planned at museums in Ma

NO BLOOD

tests saw the Castilla y Leon regional government ban the killing of bulls at such fiestas.

The local council brought in new rules that said participants would only be allowed to stab the animal with lances tipped with spikes or hooks as many

drid, Paris, Barcelona, Malaga, as well as in cities across the world.

The celebrations were launched by the two ministers standing in front of Picasso’s iconic paint ing Guernica.

Picasso painted it at his home in Paris in response to the 1937 bombing of Guernica, a Basque Country town, which was bombed by Nazi Germany and

as seven times. If they failed to do so, the bull would be de clared the winner.

The central government called on the public prose cutor to intervene on ani mal-cruelty grounds.

The new rules were suspend ed by the regional court and the event went ahead as a reg ular bull run.

Fascist Italy at the request of Spanish Nationalists led by Franco.

Upon completion, Guernica was exhibited at the Spanish display at the 1937 Paris In ternational Exposition, and then at other venues around the world. The touring ex hibition was used to raise funds for Spanish war relief.

Picasso was born in Malaga on October 25, 1881 and died in Mougins, France, on April 8, 1973.

“We aim to revindicate the artistic legacy of Picasso and the relevance of his work,” said Spanish Culture Minister

Miquel Iceta. “If there is one artist that de fines the 20th century, who presents it in all its cruelty, vi olence, passion, excesses and contradictions, that artist is Pablo Picasso.”

JAVIER Marias, author of novels like All Souls and A Heart so White and a regular candidate for the Nobel prize for litera ture has died at home in Ma drid aged 70. His publisher Alfaguara said that he has been ill with pneumonia for the past month.

“It is with enormous sadness that we regret to inform you that our great author and friend Javier Marías has died in Madrid this afternoon,” the publisher wrote in a statement.

He used to write a col umn in the Spanish newspaper El Pais hav ing started as a writer in 1971 when he was at the age of 19. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez paid his respects saying that Marias (pictured) was one of the best writ ers of our time.

Legal Eagle With Victoria Wright

Power of Attorney in Spain

It can be granted for more than just buying or selling property

APOWER of Attorney ( Poder ), is a fre quently used document in Spain.

It allows a person’s representative to carry out processes on the grant er’s behalf. It can be limited to allow only certain processes, for example obtaining an NIE number or opening a bank account, or the granter can give their power to do anything that the grantor can do them selves.

This allows the representative to, for exam ple, buy or sell a property, take out a mort gage and handle a bank account, which could make the purchase of a property eas ier, particularly if the buyers are unable to travel in and out of Spain regularly to under take the purchase process themselves.

The Power outlines that at all times the representative acts for the benefit of the granter and can be given indefinitely, or can be given for a limited period of time for example for 90 days during the purchase of a property.

A Power of Attorney expires upon the pass

ing of the person or person who granted it. Although, as outlined above, a Power is of ten used in the buying or selling of a prop erty, in which case it is often given to the granter’s legal representative, it is also of ten used by a family member to allow the granter’s legal and fiscal business to con tinue if the person who has given the Power becomes temporarily or permanently incapacitated.

A Poder is signed in the No tary’s office and can also be revoked by the granter, again in the office of the local Notary.

Often used to allow the granter’s fiscal business to continue

By Dilip Kuner

MAESTRO: Pablo Picasso and Guernica

TAX

SLASHED

PRIME Minister Pedro Sanchez has confirmed that IVA (VAT) on gas will be slashed from 21% to 5% from October to help fam ilies with the cost of heat ing.

Speaking to Cadena SER, Sanchez claimed it is pos sible that the measure would continue into next year, depending on the economy.

Sanchez added: “We do not contemplate restric tions on gas this winter, the context is very uncer tain, but we have a more secure situation than oth er countries.”

Wild claims

THE president of Spain’s Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, has been accused of using organisation funds to pay for private parties at which orgies took place.

The claims were made to Spain’s corruption prosecu tor by Rubiales’ uncle, Juan Rubiales, who was also a for mer colleague.

According to the uncle, Fed eration credit cards were used to pay for a party in early 2020 at which young women were present in a rented house in Salobreña, Granada.

The statement, to which Spanish daily El Mundo has had access, said that the offi cial purpose of the spending was for ‘working days, but they were no such thing’.

President of Spain’s Football Federation accused of using official funds to pay for orgies

OPEN ALL HOURS

SCHOOLS in Madrid may open for 12 hours a day, from 7am to 7pm, to help parents with their work-life balance.

The unusual proposal was made at a ‘state of the region’ debate in the Madrid parlia ment by PSOE socialist party spokesper son, Juan Lobato.

The idea is for junior schools to observe this timetable five days a week, and for them to be open from September 1 to July 31.

Currently the term at public schools begins in the second week of September and fin ishes toward the end of June.

SOME 71% of people sur veyed believe the economic situation in Spain is ‘bad or very bad’.

Just 18.4% consider that the economy is ‘not bad’ or good.

Juan Rubiales went on to say

DELIVERY Company Glovo has been fined €78.9 million for hiring people under fake self-employment contracts in Barcelona and Valencia.

Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser re ported that more than 8,331 workers in Barcelona and 2,283 in Valencia were ‘falsos autonomos’ (fake self-employed in Spanish).

According to Spanish law, to work legal ly in Spain drivers should have a labour contract.

Glovo maintained that it is an interme diary in contracting services between drivers and distributors. But labour in

that ‘the former footballer and the president’s friend, Nene, invited a group of eight

Gloves off

to 10 young girls’ to the house. There is no suggestion that the women were prostitutes, but rather had been picked up at local nightclubs, El País reported. Nor is there any evidence that they were obliged to have sexual rela tions with the men present.

Gloomy outlook

In the survey by broadcast er Antena 3, people were also asked their forecast for rising prices - some 82% think that the price of gas will increase during the next month as will electricity, food and petrol.

Inflation has hit the pop ularity of Pedro Sanchez’s government - another sur vey published by Antena 3 predicted that if the general elections were held today, the opposition Partido Pop ular would win.

spectors disagreed.

In Barcelona, a fine of €39 million has been imposed, with the labour authority demanding another €24 million in So cial Security contributions that should have been paid by Glovo.

In Valencia, a fine of €10.7 million has been raised, with another €2.05 million in Social Security contributions to be paid.

Spanish Minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz, said this Wednesday ‘the weight of the law is going to fall on Glovo’.

Money

Juan Rubiales also told the prosecutor that in August 2020 his nephew suggested that he had to ‘find a way to get money to his father’ from the Federation.

The uncle explained that he rejected the proposal, which was when his nephew told him ‘to leave and that he didn’t want to see me again’. The Football Federation said the claim is totally false.

REGAINING GROUND

GBP/EUR exchange rate bounces off 19-month low amid extreme volatility

THE pound euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate fluctuated in a wide range through the first half of September, briefly touch ing a 19-month low before bouncing back. Over the last two weeks, GBP/EUR traded between highs of €1.16 and lows of €1.14 before settling somewhere in the middle.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

The pound euro exchange rate strengthened in early September after Russia extended its shut down of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipe line, fuelling fears of a possible Eurozone recession. Meanwhile, GBP investors cheered the end of the Tory leadership election, hoping for political stability.

The euro then surged higher as Eurozone GDP growth beat fore casts ahead of the European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate de cision.

However, the bank’s meeting itself caused mixed movement. The ECB hiked rates by 75 basis points but also slashed its growth fore casts, prompting volatility in EUR.

Likewise, Liz Truss’s energy support package faced a mixed recep tion. Markets cheered the announcement but were worried about the lack of details, particularly how it would be funded. GBP/EUR then plunged to a 19-month low amid some surprising volatility. This seemed to be a knee-jerk reaction to Ukraine’s sur prisingly swift and successful counteroffensive against Russia. Sterling quickly regained this ground, despite UK GDP printing at 0.2% in July rather than the forecast 0.4%, and the pound euro exchange rate stabilised.

The UK’s mixed labour market report failed to boost the pound as freshly announced strikes in Felixstowe weighed on investor confi dence. However, the UK’s CPI saw Sterling climb as headline infla tion cooled and core inflation rose, providing some relief for con sumers while still supporting Bank of England (BoE) rate rise bets. Meanwhile, optimism around the European energy crisis was tem pered by anxiety over a likely recession in Germany, Europe’s larg est economy.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

The first major event of the coming fortnight is the BoE delayed interest rate decision. The BoE was due to meet on 15 September, but it postponed the

event in respect of the national mourning period for the death of the Queen.

At the time of writing, the consensus among economists is that the BoE will opt for another 50bps hike, although there is a chance it could raise rates by 75bps. A steeper rate rise could see GBP/EUR strengthen, while the pound may also enjoy improved economic fore casts from the BoE following Truss’s energy intervention.

The latest flash PMIs for the UK and the Eurozone could impact the pound euro pair. If private sector activity improves in either region it should support the relative currency.

At the end of the month, the flash eurozone CPI is due out. If inflation continues to climb, ECB rate rise bets may boost EUR.

Meanwhile, markets will be keen to hear the details of Liz Truss’s en ergy plans. Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng is due to deliver a financial statement in the week following the Queen’s funeral. Economists’ analysis of his mini-budget could prompt pound volatility.

Finally, news about Ukraine and European energy costs could also drive significant movement. Could the situation continue to improve, thereby boosting the euro?

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £200,000 transfer, that two-cent gap between €1.16 and €1.14 translates to a €4,000 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy.

Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility. Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market. For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you.

He also reminded his in terviewer that the Spanish government has reduced tax on electricity by 80%. Local de la Libertat, Playa Arenal, Jávea, Alicante, 03730 966 265 Numero 2, Calle Ruperto El Albir, 966 del Bajo

Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions. And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager there to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

At Currencies Direct we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news or how it could impact your currency transfers.

Since 1996 we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers, just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch or give us a call to find out more.

By Simon Hunter

An special focus supplement

WITH the holiday season winding down, tourists heading home and the nights drawing in, this can only mean one thing: the kids are back to school.

While most parents and children look for ward to the ‘vuelta al cole’, and some can’t wait for the school gates to open, it can be a nerve-wracking experience for some fam ilies, especially if they’re new to the Spanish system.

Perhaps your primary-age daughter is shy about joining class, or your teen has spent most of the holiday lying in bed and it’s a ma jor jolt to the system.

Many of you will have a child who isn’t fluent at Spanish and is worried about communicating with classmates.

The Olive Press attempts to demystify Back to School 2022, by mother-of-two Jo Chipchase

Some students will be changing their school, which can be a life-changing decision. They might be switching from a state school to an international college, or a Montosorri or a Warldorf establishment.

Other students will be repeating an academic year, having failed to pass an exam or two in June, presenting a particular set of challeng es for both the kid and parents alike.

Or, perhaps, you’re simply wondering where to obtain this year’s school materials without it costing a small fortune.

Whatever your child’s school circumstances

this September (and most will have started last week, so they will be getting used to it by now) the Olive Press sets out to demystify ‘back to school 2022’.

What types of education are available in Spain

For parents who consider their children to be individual ‘square pegs’, who don’t fit into

From

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS...

the ‘round holes’ of state education, based largely on continuous assess ment and exams, there are alternative choices available throughout Spain.

There are 7,806 private schools in Spain, with 14,694 In the

STATE EDUCATION

PROS

3 Your child will be involved in your local community

3 Their friends will live locally

3 They will quickly be fluent at Spanish / bilingual

3 There’s no need to transport your children to school

3 It is free of charge

CONS

2 Rigid structure based on con tinuous assessment

2 Difficult for parents who don’t speak Spanish to understand what’s going on

2 Not much creative learning, in terms of art, drama, etc.

2 It is relatively easy for your child to repeat a year. Re secondary education, the repetition rate is 5.5% for state institutions com bined to 1.4% for independent.

PRIVATE EDUCATION

PROS

3 Cambridge exams are provided

3 Caters for entry to UK universities

3 International Baccalaureate entry

3 Individualised learning plan

3 Constant contact with parents / partici pation in the learning experience

3 Speak to educators in English

CONS

2 The cost each year

2 Paying for school uniform, that your child must wear

2 Less immersion of your child in their local community

2 Friends might live further away

2 Child is less likely to be fluent at Span ish

2 The need to transport children to school – possibly at a geographic dis tance

2 The school holidays do not match Spanish holidays

public sector…so roughly a third of the schools are independent.

Among other interesting official stats, with a 97.3% enrolment rate, there isn’t much homeschooling or truancy going on in Spain.

Meanwhile 9.9% of Spain’s pupils are foreign, while in Andalucia, 21% are educated outside the state sys tem and in Valencia this rises to 25%, explaining why there are so many in ternational schools on the costas, in cluding many with French, British and American syllabuses.

International schools for a British syllabus

In the case of British schools, these offer Cambridge exams and allow pu pils to take GCSEs and A-Levels. Most offer an individualised learning plan, which wouldn’t be available in state schools and they are likely to have excellent purpose-built facilities. They communicate with parents in their native language, making par ent-teacher meetings a breeze.

VsInternational schools also provide a convenient pathway to enter the UK university system seamlessly. They are a popular choice with parents who come to Spain for contract work, or a limited time only, and don’t plan to remain here – al though this sort of working life has decreased with Brexit.

Parents can expect to pay from €10,000 to €35,000 per year, depending on whether the child boards at the school.

JENNI

Parents will also have to buy uniforms and other extras for their children.

Montessori

Spain has various Montessori schools, with most big cities offering at least one.

Developed in the early 20th century by Italian physician, Maria Montessori, and based on scientific experimenta tion, the emphasis is on developing natural interests and activities, and on hands-on learning and real-life skills, rather than using formal teaching methods.

The idea is to encourage indepen dence by supporting children to learn in a well-prepared environment and it discourages grades and tests.

Popular elements of this system in clude mixed-age classrooms, freedom of students to choose their own activi ties, uninterrupted work time, and spe cially-trained teachers. The cost can be from around €200 per month.

STEPHANIDES of Sevilla is both a parent and teacher, with one daughter attending a state school, while the other is at the international school where she teaches.

The Waldorf / Steiner system

Spain has over 70 Waldorf, or Stein er schools. Dating back to 1919 in Germany, they are based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner.

It is one of the world’s largest inde pendent school groups and the edu cational style is holistic and is intend ed to develop the pupils’ intellectual, artistic and practical skills, as well as their imagination and creativity. Under this system, teachers play a significant role in defining the cur riculum and classroom methods. Assessments are integrated into the daily classroom activities and formal testing is limited to the actu al requirements for students to enter post-secondary education, and not the continuous, formal assessment that occurs in a state school. Fees are from around €200 per month.

STATE VERSUS INDEPENDENT

I SENT MY SON TO A STEINER SCHOOL

OLIVE PRESS reader Annabelle

Grey insists her son, 10, has ‘grown in confidence’ af ter switching from state education to a Steiner school in the Granada region.

“He really disliked main stream school. He was quiet and introverted and felt that the other children received more attention because they demanded it of the teachers.

“Now he is seen and valued. When he first started, he wouldn’t speak in morning circle time – the first part of the day when children and teachers share their news and feelings. Now, he willing ly shares each day. He has a noticeable sense of self-as surance, enjoys learning now, and discusses what he’s doing at school.”

The curriculum includes maths, English and languag es, but they are taught in a visual way with stories and il lustrations on the blackboard. And they are also learning ge ography, astronomy, botany, zoology, geometry, agricul ture, music, noise mythology and more.

“Everything is taught in blocks of around 4-5 weeks, except for key subjects which are every week, so the chil dren learn and explore many different things.” PARENT’S VIEW

“Both girls started at the international school, as my husband and I work there. We were offered free plac es, which ensured the girls could continue their ed ucation in the British system, in case we decided to move back to the UK.

“But after three years, my eldest daughter was moved up a school year. Because of her birthday, she had been placed into the correct academic year for the UK, but not for Spain – this was holding her back ed ucationally.

“My youngest meanwhile was placed into the correct academic year.

“My eldest is about to start her final year and intends to attend university in the UK. However, my youngest moved to the Spanish system last year and thrived immediately.

Friends

“In the international school, she had many friends from around the world, but the Spanish girls didn’t include her, and she wasn’t confident speaking Span ish.

But as they entered their teens Jones, a businessman who spends his time travelling around Europe, agreed with his wife and their chil dren that they should try out a pri vate school on the Costa Blanca coast. The family felt that they would get more chances to excel in arts and music and, above all, meet a more international group of children, who would in turn ‘broaden their horizons’.

“Now, she is fluent in Spanish, has achieved fantastic grades in her first year in the public system, and has many friends from the state system. My eldest stands by her decision to stay at the independent school.”

Peter Jones is the opposite. Both his children started their education in inland Valencia province at a state school from a young age and enjoyed it and thrived.

“It has definitely worked and they are both loving it, with the eldest taking her A-levels and planning a good university in the UK, while our younger daughter will probably do the international baccalaureate and go to university in Holland or Germany.”

“When we decided to stay in Spain, we gave both girls the choice to move to the Spanish system to integrate more with the local community. Both declined at the time. PARENT’S VIEW

He continued: “While it meant coming up with around €2,000 more a month, it has definitely paid off. They are completely bilingual and still friends with their old local pals, who, of course, are all planning universi ties, if at all, in Spain.”

OPPORTUNITY: International schools provide a pathway to UK universities a universal language and of their lives.

IT’S been a year since Shackle ton International School opened in Valencia and it just keeps on

become a big school with too many students, which wouldn’t allow us to give the personalised education we

KEEP ON GROWING

highly qualified teachers and dedi cated specialists. This year we are adding more professionals with the same high standard, and we are looking forward to working to gether with our families to turn our students into highly qualified, empa thetic and independent citizens in the future.”

“We got off to a good start with 110 students, and we currently have almost 300.”

She said, “This shows how more and more families are choosing our school, although our goal is not to

they choose to live.”

At the heart of the school’s success and expansion is the highly professional team.

Zhandra continued: “We are espe cially proud of our staff, formed by

The school is named in honour of the celebrated explorer, Ernest Shackleton, who with a combination of integrity, leadership and determi nation is viewed as a historical role model.

The school philosophy is about in spiring youngsters with confidence through encouraging creative think ing and talent; speaking a language besides Spanish, and using the lat

est teaching methods based on the British education system.

Shackleton School’s Principal, Ce leste Cutter explained: “We believe in giving youngsters an education based on values, which goes be yond just subjects and the curric ulum. We want all the pupils to de velop values like effort, curiosity, companionship, adaptability, and respect through strengthening their inner-self and through their social

interactions.”

In Shackleton they apply the high British standards to all the lessons which are taught innovatively.

“Every student gets the necessary tools to develop their skills and en hance what they learn with the free dom to be creative.” Celeste said.

More details are available via the website, shackletonschool.com, or via their Facebook page, Shackleton International School.

One year on and Shackleton International School is ready for a new intake of students

VIRUS ALERT

A 90-year-old man has been infected with West Nile virus.

The man from Reus (Tarragona) has been confirmed to have the virus and his wife, 85, is suspected of also being infected.

This is the first time the virus, which is transmitted by mosquitos, has been detected in the Catalunya region.

In 2020, eight people died in Andalusia after being infect ed with the virus, while 71 people in total were confirmed to have contracted it. A further six people were infected with the virus in other parts of Spain

The patients have not travelled abroad in recent days, prompting health experts to conclude that the virus was transmitted by a mosquito on Spanish soil.

The local council in Reus announced on Friday that it would be carrying out a disinfection process in the city, in particular humid areas where mosquitoes gather.

The West Nile virus has a death rate of 0.1% among those infected, while it can also cause meningoencephalitis – an inflammation of the meninges and the brain – among a further 1%. For 20% of those infected, however, it merely causes a controllable fever.

Monkeypox strikes

MADRID’S govern ment has announced that another person has died after being infected with mon keypox.

Sources from Ma drid’s health min istry said that the man tested positive for monkeypox, al though he may have died of other causes.

According to offi cial figures, he is the third person in Spain who has died while being infected with the disease.

Last July, a man

died in Valencia and another in Andalu cia.

Since the outbreak started in May, Ma drid has registered 2,463 cases - with only 6,546 people vaccinated so far.

Heat deaths

SPAIN’S Carlos III Institute has estimated that so far this year there have been 30,861 excess deaths in Spain, of which 3,833 are due to July and August’s heat waves.

According to the Institute, which is part of the central Health Ministry, the figure for heat-related deaths is three times that of the same period last year, when the number of victims reached 1,356.

The excess deaths monitor ing system in Spain, known as MoMo, estimates a total of 5,783 heat-related deaths for the entire year.

By Simon Hunter

Of the 3,833 registered in the summer, there were 2,223 in July and 1,610 in August.

According to the AEMET state weather agency, this July was not only the hot test ever, but was also the hottest month recorded in Spain since records began in 1961.

There was a heatwave during the middle of the month, as well as the arrival of warm air from the north of Africa. What’s more, the months

of June to August were the hottest ever recorded across Europe, according to the

European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Across: 7 Amenity, 8 An age, 10 Looks on, 12 Empty, 16 What?, 19 Aleutian, 20 Wrangler, 21 Salt, 24 Myths, 27 Thrives, 29 Key in, 30 Attache

Down: 1 Tax law, 2 Verona, 3 Miss, 4 Cyan, 5 Bare, 6 Deny, 9 App, 11 Oracle, 13 Mitts, 14 Trawl, 15 Dearth, 17 Hurry, 18 Tenth, 22 Advice, 23 Tastes, 24 Mike, 25 Toy, 26 Sung, 27 Thaw, 28 Rote

In July excess mortality varied across the EU, with one Member State (Latvia) having little or no excess deaths, while the most af fected (Spain) recorded an excess mortality rate of 36.9%. Other countries with rates over 15% were Cyprus (32.9 %), Greece (31.2 %), Portugal (28.8 %), Malta (26.4 %), Italy (24.9 %), Austria (17.5 %), Slovenia (16.5 %), Ireland (16.3 %), and Germany (15.2 %).

Health Ministry estimates three times more heat-related deaths this summer than last

You’re

A few too many

A DRIVER seven times over the legal limit was so drunk he had to be breath tested on his back.

The man was driving a truck near Agoncillo where he registered 1.16 milligrams per litre.

High alert

PET owners are on high alert after a spate of re cent dog thefts across Spain.

Dogs are being stolen by criminal gangs for use in hunting or illegal dog fights, according to police.

Dog commute

RENFE has put on sale its first tickets allowing passengers to travel with dogs of up to 40kg.

The tickets were offered on September 13, but is only a three-month trial for AVE trains between Barcelona and Madrid.

FLYING COMEBACK

Missing Osprey lands on Galicia beach after hitching a lift

A CLOSELY monitored Osprey has landed on the shores of Spain after it vanished out at sea for more than two days

Worried trackers thought he had met a watery grave but then he reappeared on their screens after hitching a lift on two ships.

Its sudden appearance on the shores of Galicia triggered many questions from UK group Conservation Without Borders, who were tracking the bird’s route after it left the tip

By Anthony Piovesan

of Cornwall on September 10. The bird of prey, named Glen, was presumed dead until it then appeared on a small out crop of rock off the tip of Gali cia after it went off radar for an ‘unusually long time’.

Conservation Without Borders chief executive and United Na tion Convention of Migratory Species ambassador Sacha Dench said she was surprised

BUTT OF THE JOKE

FLOODING which hit Benidorm may have been serious to mostbut for one Brit tourist it was an opportunity for some naked fun.

In a video posted online by Benidorm.MemeSh*t a man is stark naked rolling in a giant pud dle.

All is revealed when he stands up

to see the alert, but was ‘even more shocked’ after discover ing how Glen made it to land. “Glen took off in a pretty strong head wind coming from the

before he pulls his shorts back up. He was later the butt of some crit icism, with one woman comment ing: “I am sure that he would not do that in his country.”

But not everything was fun on the night of September 18, Alicante firefighters carried out 32 inter ventions due to the heavy rain.

north west so after two days we thought he probably didn’t stand a chance,” she told the Olive Press.

“But then at 10pm on Sep tember 13 we got a ping from him and on the radar you will notice there are many straight lines and a 90 degree angle”.

Dench said Glen had first been blown off course, and the ex hausted bird then spotted a fishing vessel to land on. Glen then swapped over to a large shipping container when it realised it was headed in the wrong direction, before even tually taking flight and discov ering land.

NATIONAL police officers captured a 2.5 metre VUL TURE after it was spotted by several tourists in Mar bella’s luxury marina Puer to Banus.

The two officers were advised by specialists to use their pa trol car to take the carrion bird into the nearby Sierra de las Nieves natural park.

So they ‘arrested’ the vul ture and put it in the back passenger seat of their pa trol car and gave it a lift ‘home’.

On arrival at a suitable spot the bird was in no hurry to leave - officers had to hang around for 10 minutes be fore it finally stretched its wings and flapped away.

FREEDOM: Bird’s release