OLIVE PRESS COSTA BLANCA NORTH AND VALENCIA ISSUE 108

THE far-right Vox party will get a first taste of power in Valencia after a coalition deal was struck on Tuesday.

The arrangement will see Vox, which won 13 seats, support the PP’s Carlos Mazon as president.

The PP and Vox won 53 seats between them in last month's regional elections, while the socialists and partners Compromis mustered just 46 seats.

The main stumbling block over a deal was Vox leader Carlos Flores’s shady past, which saw him convicted of domestic violence 20 years ago.

The conviction of a year in prison and €6,000 fine came after ‘continual psychological violence’, in 2002. The court heard how the 59-year-old professor of constitutional law habitually threatened his ex-partner Magdalena with ‘insults and harassment’ and insulted her in front of their three children on ‘up to 21 occasions’.

On one occasion abuse took place outside the gates of a school, and his eldest daughter even called the police. Magdalena and his children moved to a different city in a bid to escape his

By Alex Trelinski

continuing abuse, which included him standing outside their house and hurling insults, some of a sexual nature.

While he was disqualified from politics for a year and banned from approaching his ex for three years, he is now allowed to serve as a politician again.

Under the new deal with the PP, Flores, who had close links with shady right-wing group, Fuerza Nueva, will not become Valencia’s Vice President.

He has agreed to withdraw from a government role for the coalition to form. However, he will instead be named at the top of Valencia’s list for the July 23 general election. The PP had insisted his conviction

was a ‘red line’ to him getting a government position.

The new coalition deal means that Vox

Vox enters power in Valencia despite leader’s controversial farright and domestic violence past

will, for now, take over the speaker’s position in the Valencian parliamentLes Corts.

The PP will also hold the vice-presidency while Vox will run some ministries in what will be a down-sized government team compared to the previous administration.

PP and Vox officials said they would govern on five principles: the freedom to choose in all walks of life including education; tax cuts; health and social services; support for families as the ‘nucleus of society’; and protecting a unique ‘Valencian’ identity.

No date has yet been announced for Mazon’s investiture as president.

Gib wedding

RED LINE: Carlos Flores was convicted of domestic violence

Fugitive swoop

POLICE have executed an international arrest warrant on a Pakistani national, 37, who owns two shops in Alzira over a brawl in his native country three years ago where he fatally shot a man.

Agency con

A Valencia travel agent has been arrested for keeping €37,000 of client holiday deposits and fees for herself with no bookings made at all.

No rest day

SUNDAY shopping resumes this weekend for the rest of the year in Valencian Community tourist areas under the region’s ‘six months off, six months on rules’.

Avian fear

AN avian flu outbreak on a Valencia province poultry farm has resulted in severe restrictions over breeding being implemented until July 6 at farms across the Valencian Community.

RAINBOW’S END

Hundreds of Rainbow Family hippies kicked out of ‘bizarre’ illegal nature park festival

HUNDREDS of hippies, many from northern Europe, have been evicted from one of Andalucia’s most protected natural parks.

The members of the so-called Rainbow Family were illegally camping for the impromptu festival high in the Sierra de Grazalema.

The group, who previously lived in northern Spain, had decamped to the inaccessible site for the ‘sacred fire’ bash, which coincided with the lunar cycle.

The cult-like hippies - who had set a number of illegal fires, despite the dangerous drought conditions - had squatted on land owned by a local livestock farmer.

“There were about 200 of them and it took 100 of our officers to

By Alberto Lejarraga

evict them,” a policeman from the Guardia Civil told the Olive Press

During the complicated operation, the officers had to park in the village of Benaocaz and then walk ‘over an hour’ to the site.

“It was totally inaccessible by car,” added the cop, who participated in the eviction. He explained they had taken the extreme step due to the ‘high risk’ of fire and after both the owner and park authorities put in official denuncias

“The estate is used for the stockbreeding of goats, but this group had simply broken through the fences allowing the animals to escape.”

‘Allo, ’Allo’ Allo

The agent continued: “They had set many fires, a major one, which they call ‘the sacred fire’, and several others around the site.

“It was really dangerous particularly as we are talking about a highly protected area of valuable trees which cannot be accessed by fire engines.”

He added the operation had ‘lasted hours’ as a number of the group attempted to prolong it as much as they could and some refused to leave.

“When we arrived many of them grabbed their backpacks

FRENCH and Italian police will be out patrolling the streets of Benidorm and Alicante this summer. They will accompany Spain’s Policia Nacional keeping the peace in tourist hot spots as part of the European Commissaries project which has run since 2008. Spain and France pioneered the initiative with Portugal, Italy, and Germany joining during subsequent years. Patrols will be mainly conducted on foot in areas with a high influx of tourists to act as a deterrent against crime. They will also help visitors from their home countries with translation and provide support in filing any crime reports.

Quick return

A 49-year-old Spanish woman has been arrested for stealing a €1,000 mobile phone from a British tourist in Benidorm.

and started to walk down to the village.

“However, others told us they had a lot of stuff and were about to have lunch. We were understanding and gave them plenty of time to eat,” the officer explained.

He added that one group refused to leave the ‘sacred fire’, refusing to leave and acted ‘belligerently’ leading to two arrests.

They claimed that since its creation in Oregon in the 1970s, the group had only been evicted once, in Austria, 40 years ago. According to Wikipedia, the Rainbow Family is a ‘counter-culture group, which is a loose affiliation of individuals, some nomadic, generally asserting that it has no leader’. They put on yearly, primitive camping events on public land known as ‘Rainbow Gatherings’. Its stated goal is attempting to ‘achieve peace and love on Earth’.

No honour among thieves

She was caught the next day when the legitimate owner dialled his own number and it rang just as police were examining the phone after they stopped the thief for suspicious behaviour. She was detained and the mobile returned to the victim. COPS have arrested 22 people suspected of forming part of a drug-trafficking ring that was also ripping off rivals.

A major investigation was sparked after a fire broke out in the garage of a house, which was later established to have been a settling of scores between competing drug gangs. Officers began a probe that led to the identification and arrest of 22 suspects, who were based in Bendiorm as well as Altea, Villajoyosa, and Alfaz del Pi.

Of the 22 detainees, 19 were male and three female, with ages ranging from 21 to 48. Among the gang were Spaniards, Moroccans, Algerians and UK nationals.

Police have linked the gang to robberies of properties where they believed drugs were being stored.

Hot property

Rocking chair rockers

By Dilip Kuner

CHUCK BERRY may have been dubbed the Father of Rock, but Spain is about to welcome a slew of stars who could be called the ‘Grandads of Rock’.

Leading the way (in terms of age) is Welsh superstar Sir Tom Jones. He will be taking to the stage at the Starlite Festival in Marbella (hopefully without the need of a zimmer frame) on July 10. While some might think it is a bit odd to still be performing at the age of 83, Sir Tom probably thinks It’s Not Unusual.

And he

Pull up your surgical stockings, put in your teeth, straighten your toupee and get ready to party

would be right.

Fellow octogenarian Bob Dylan, 82, is certainly not leaving his fans Blowing in the Wind, and will treat them to some of his most famous tunes in Barcelona on June 23 and 24.

The ever sprightly Rod Stewart will be bringing his

78-year-old Hot Legs to Starlite on July 21 while Yusuf Cat Stevens still thinks it is a pretty Wild World when such a glitzy festival shoves wads of cash into his 74-year-old hands for his June 21 show. Meanwhile, 76-year old Iggy Pop brings his 20-date world tour to Marbella on August 2. He will have been flying round the globe from Europe

BIG WEDGE

HER ancestor the Duke of Wellington made his name stomping round Spain in his famous wellies, and now Eleanor Wellesley is looking to the same country for footwear inspiration. But the 27-year-old niece to the current dukewho is also the 10th Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo and has a 2,400 acre estate in Granada gifted by the Spanish government - has set her sights lower on the social scale than her illustrious foreShe has launched her own brand of shoes espadrilles - the traditional canvas and woven grass footwear worn by farmers in Spain in the past. But her high-wedge espadrilles are perhaps not suited to peasants, especially with a price tag of €530.

FEM

The

Moving onto something a bit heavier, 77-year-old Ian Gillan will be taking to the stage with Deep Purple (no, we are not talking about the colour of his veins) at the Rock Imperium Festival in Cartagena on July 24.

The next day, Gene Simmons, 73, will Kiss goodbye to Spain at the same venue with one of the colourful band’s last dates ever.

No doubt he and his infamous bandmates will be growing old disgracefully as they Rock and Roll All Nite.

And just in case you aren’t already feeling ancient as your childhood heroes strut their stuff, the surprisingly old (to some of us) Michael Bolton (70) and Sting (71) are also heading to Marbella on June 30 and Pamplona on December 16, respectively. But at least we can take refuge in the far more youthful Seal, who will be performing at Starlite on July 7. At a mere 60-years-old he gives the younger generation something to look forward to…

THE UK’s oldest known Red Kite has died 29 years after he was hatched in Spain. ‘Aragon’ was part of a programme to reintroduce the species to England and arrived in the Thames Valley in 1994. He was recently found injured outside a school in Oxfordshire and later died at a bird sanctuary. His ring identified him as one of the second batch of chicks reintro duced.

His survival to the ripe old age of 29 surprised experts who did not know how long the first chicks had survived.

The reintroduction of the species has been a huge success, with an estimated 6,000 breeding pairs in the UK.

But now it is the once robust Span ish population which is in trou ble. There are only 11 breeding pairs in Caceres province and just four within Badajoz. Brit ish birds are now being rein troduced into the homeland of their Spanish ancestors.

ALE house hunters (and no doubt some men too) will have their hearts set a flutter when estate agent Tony Company shows them round. The chiseled 27-year-old has been officially voted as the most hand some man in Spain at the Mister Interna tional Spain competi tion in Tenerife. Company, from Pal ma (Mallorca) is 189 cm (6’2”) tall and has already been turning heads as Mister Balear ics for a year. He is not just a pretty face. He got a degree in International Ho tel Management and a Master’s in Manage ment before settling into life as an estate agent specialising in luxury rentals.

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TOM JONES

Spruce-up

RESIDENTS in Altea and Altea la Vella can apply for grants to clean up their homes or businesses.

The council is offering €500 for the painting of facades, €350 for making improvements to humidity and €150 for the removal of external air conditioning units. There’s also €150 available for advertising hoardings which can be adapted to fit in with the colour and design of the facades.

The application period ends on June 26 and work needs to be completed by October 31.

Sand and sonnets

BENIDORM'S two Poniente beach libraries have reopened for the main tourism season. The 'biblioplayas' will be open between 11am and 4pm from Tuesday to Sunday until October 31 with a wide selection of books, newspapers, and magazines.

Beaches councillor, Monica Gomez, said: "Benidorm was a pioneer in creating ' ' which improves the beach experience for people and also operates as a meeting place.”

Gibraltar Strait orca attack pod may be led by a ‘revenge-seeking’ female, who lost her calf

A SPATE of killer whale attacks on yachts entering the Strait of Gibraltar has sparked fierce debate about what is behind it.

Researchers claim it might be orchestrated by a single, revenge-seeking female orca named Gladys - or ‘White Gladys’.

Some claim she lost her calf to the propellers of a ship, while others insist she got caught up in fishing nets or underwater rope.

They continue she has since taught her fellow orcas - some of the most intelligent and social creatures on the planethow to target and attack small vessels.

"The orcas are doing this on purpose, of course, we don't know the origin or the motivation, but defensive behaviour based on trauma, as

By Walter Finch

the origin of all this, gains more strength for us every day," Alfredo López Fernandez, a biologist at the University of Aveiro said.

But Sebastien Destremau, captain of The Lancelot, which was attacked two weeks ago, dismissed the claims.

“Having witnessed it, it's so easy for these beasts to sink us if they want to,” he insisted after 20 of the behemoths swarmed his fragile ship.

“If they were out for revenge, I think I would have been swimming home.” Instead, he suspects the orcas may have been engaging in play or training their young to hunt, as yacht rudders resemble the fins of their primary

Hell hath no fury… like ‘White Gladys’

prey - fellow whales.

“They could crush the boat in a heartbeat if they wanted to,” added Destremau.

“But they were not aggressive. They were just coming in very gently, placing their nose wherever they wanted to place it, and pushing hard.”

The real danger, he emphasises, is to the killer whales themselves.

“I am very concerned about the near future for these beasts and I think we have a huge responsibility to protect these animals," he added to Newsweek

The solo round the world yachtsman is particularly worried that with the media emphasising the aggression sailors are now getting armed to fire at them if they come under attack. That said, he confirmed how ‘terrifying’ the incident was at the time.

“At first, I thought it was wind coming in really fast... And so I started to drop the sail a little bit and then I

turned around again to look at where the wind was and I thought, 'Wait, that's not wind, that's fish. Those are orcas!'”

With approximately 20 orcas approaching, he made the decision to lower the sails in hopes that the stationary boat would lose their interest. Yet the orcas persisted.

“They started to come closer and closer. They started to have a look and a little bit of a sniff and then, suddenly, 'BANG,' that was a big one," he explained.

The orcas targeted the ship's rudder, displaying their impressive power as they pushed against it. Within minutes, the bottom of the rudder shattered, creating potential risks for the boat. But despite the scary situation, no human has ever been harmed by the pod of orcas, and it was up to humans to adapt to the mammals, not the other way round.

“It's their world, it's not ours,” he concluded.

PLANE SHOCK

A BIZARRE accident left a man dead when he was struck by a model aeroplane in Lliria.

Jose Antonio Lloret was walking across the model plane runway run by the Ala RC Club just as the plane landed.

The plane being flown by a licensed pilot struck him on the head and killed him 'instantly'.

Model aircraft can reach speeds of between 80 and 200 kilometres per hour and weigh up to 20 kilos.

Jose Antonio was actually a member of the club who had gathered to celebrate the birthday of one of their colleagues.

QUITE A BOAR CLEANER MOUTH

Sharp wild boar rises is causing more accidents and destroying farmland

WILD boar sightings have soared in the Valencian Community.

According to official Ministry of Agriculture figures, 404 municipalities reported sightings last year, compared to 283 in 2021.

Boars are attracted to the periphery of towns and cities to feed on garbage which becomes a quick and convenient diet. With the absence of predators the circumstances are creating 'all-you-can-eat' buffets as the boars trample through and destroy farmland to access food. Besides damaging crops, the boars also cause road accidents as they suddenly appear in front of vehicles - often at night.

Hunting is seen as an answer to controlling boar populations but it is 'only appropriate' in certain cases.

Despite the rise in shooting, the population has continued to rise because boars respond to culls with uncontrolled breeding.

Environmental group Gecen is appealing for management by live capture with trap cages, which have already proved effective in Catalunya.

Councils also have the option of

SUMMING UP: United for change!

A NEW united left party has formed to fight the general elections next month.

After tense negotiations, the group called Sumar (meaning ‘Unite’) set up just hours before a deadline to register coalitions expired at the weekend.

The new force includes anti-corruption party Podemos, which is currently in coalition with the Pedro Sanchez’ PSOE government.

Led by Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz, it comprises a total of 15 smaller parties, including the IU (United Left), Mas Madrid and Mas Pais, plus green groups, including Equo.

The strategy aims to snare more votes to fight off the likely challenge of a coalition government set up between the PP party and the far-right Vox party, which it is feared will make major gains.

By Alex Trelinski

allowing more hunting, as well as installing the traps. In the 2021-22 season, 42,315 boars were shot in the Valencian Community - 19% more than the previous season and triple the figures of a decade earlier.

THE mouth of the Algar River in Altea is to be upgraded between the Sogai bridge and the sea.

Work on the longest river in the Marina Baixa will begin in September and will take three years to complete.

An EU subsidy worth €810,652 will fund 95% of the project which covers 26.5 hectares and two kilometres of shoreline.

Described as ‘Altea's Green Lung’ and an ‘ecological corridor’ it is a natural area of vital importance. It will also reduce the risk of flooding for around 3,000 residents.

A network of lagoons will be created with improved filtration of water coming from the wastewater discharge plant.

Rubble will also be removed as part of the action to improve the river and its image to tourists.

Voted top

paper in Spain OPINION

Voting system needs reform

THE Partido Popular rightly drew a very heavy red line this week over admitting Vox's top regional man into their coalition to govern the Valencian Community. That pact between the two parties is controversial enough but what caused a big stink was Vox's first name on their regional list, Carlos Flores, and the possibility of him grabbing a big job under incoming president, Carlos Mazon.

Flores - a Valencia University constitutional law professor - was convicted in 2002 'for psychological violence' against his ex-wife which earned him a oneyear suspended prison sentence.

He committed 21 incidents of 'coercion, insults, and humiliations' against his former partner - and mother of his children - which led to her having a breakdown. At a time when domestic violence is rising, what kind of a message does this send out when someone with a conviction gets a chance to grab political power?

Fortunately the PP were supposedly never going to give ground over including Flores but now he has the big consolation prize of being top on the Valencia list of Vox candidates for next month's general election, which means he's odds-on to get elected to Congress.

The Flores rumpus shows up a massive flaw in the Spanish electoral system compared to the UK. Back in Blighty you vote in a general or council election for individual candidates.

In Spain, you're dumped with a party list and if you don't think somebody should be on it, then you are left with casting a ballot for a dubious candidate or having to vote for a different party.

Perhaps it's time for voters in Spain to really get a chance to have their say on candidates - irrespective of politics - in a changed voting system that allows the best and unblemished to go forward at the expense of those who should not be standing for public office.

Please Mr Post man

EXCLUSIVE:

THE photos of John Lennon and Yoko Ono posing after getting married in front of the Rock of Gibraltar are among the most seminal from the Rock n Roll vaults of fame.

The iconic shots that have appeared in thousands of publications and dozens of documentaries show perfectly the depths of love the Beatles lead singer and his Japanese paramour were in.

The story has been recounted to death, but like so many chapters in the life of the world’s most famous band, there is a back story almost as interesting.

And in this case it’s a darker one, for the set of photos - and others taken during the period in 1969 - were stolen, leading to a half-century

closer to finding the negatives and explaining, at last, what happened to them.

It comes after the Olive Press received two anonymous letters from an individual in America named only as ‘R Sheelly’, with nearly two dozen copies of the negatives inside. Some blown up on card-

ANONYMOUS: But detailed and intriguing letters from America

board, some as part of a contact sheet, they arrived two weeks apart, posted from Colorado and gave few clues to the sender’s identification. But what they did do was bring one of the most exciting times in British music history very much back to life.

The photos, including John Lennon wearing a silly hat, reading a newspaper on a plane, and canoodling with his new wife - as well as posing at the registry office and signing the marriage forms - have only once been seen before. And that is in the book of the man who borrowed them before they mysteriously vanished. Poring through them was like watching a decades-old cold case come back to life before our very eyes: The blackened embers of one of the greatest mysteries in Beatles history spluttering and sparking up once more.

Stamped from Fort Collins, Colorado (a ‘fake address’) on April 25, the first letter teased us with promises of new leads and a tantalising clue behind the legendary negatives, missing for nearly five decades.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month. AWARDS

The second letter, a week after we published a story on the first letter, expressed the writer’s pleasure at making print and reaffirmed her goal - to get the missing photos ‘back to the photographer who took them’.

But first, we have to travel back to the spring of 1969,

NO HABLO INGLES

The PP’s leadership hopeful joins a long line of Spanish politicians with no English

LEADERSHIP hopeful Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the Popular Party (PP) made a candid confession on live television last week: with around 50 days to go until the snap general election called by adversary, Pedro Sanchez, he does not speak English.

Speaking on a talk show, he added that his linguistic problems were shared with ‘the majority of Spaniards’. Although he does, however, speak Galician as well as Castilian Spanish and as such described himself as ‘bilingual’. But Feijoo has also struggled with names in English, not

just the language, recently mangling Bruce Springsteen’s name to call him ‘Bruce Sprinter’.

Prime Minister Sanchez will be a tough act to follow when it comes to the language of Shakespeare.

Sanchez speaks very good English, and during his five years in office has used it to great effect – whether in live interviews on US TV, or at international summits. But it turns out he is a real anomaly. In fact, Sanchez is the only prime minister since Spain returned to democracy able to fluently speak it while in office.

As for the other leaders and politicians, there have been a series of gaffes that have left them looking rather silly.

Former PP Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy famously sat

By Jon Clarke & Walter Finch

and a time of the Apollo program and sexual emancipation, when the soul of a young generation was unleashed by a new brand of rock’n’roll.

The fabled Summer of Love was imminent, New York was gearing up for Woodstock, and the Beatles had just played their last ever public performance.

Lennon, by now one of the greatest icons in pop music, had eloped with his controversial lover, Yoko Ono, often dubbed a groupie and hanger on.

They had chosen to wed in the one place where the press would not be able to hound them - at the registry office in Gibraltar.

At the peak of General Franco’s embargo of the British-held peninsula, the region was isolated and inaccessible, the border closed and flights limited.

John and Yoko flew out on March 20, 1969, and there they met a young London hipster photographer, David Nutter, who was handed the ‘secret assignment’ and had no clue of who his subjects were to be.

“I was told to come to Gibraltar with my camera and no questions asked,” Nutter told the Olive Press.

Londoner Nutter is a fabled snapper whose career spanned the golden era of rock and pop, working with luminaries such as Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Elton John and the Beatles themselves.

The ‘magical’ day of the wedding featured just a few close friends and family of the couple - Paul McCartney absent - and no press. Nutter snapped away as the couple, who were like lovebirds the minute they landed at Gibraltar airport, trooped over to the local registry office and got married, giddy and in high spirits. The pair then embarked onto their famous down for a meeting with his British counterpart David Cameron and uttered the classic line: “It’s very difficult todo esto…” Meanwhile

PP leader Jose Maria Aznar did his best to speak English while in office, but it wasn’t until

he left politics that he really got the hang of it. (As a side note, he spoke Spanish in a Texan accent while in the United States in 2003, for reasons that were never fully clear).

But perhaps the most famous incident involving a Spanish politician and English was when Ana Botella, Aznar’s wife and the then-mayor of Madrid, gave her famous speech to

the Olympic Committee when the city was bidding to be host. Her phrase: “There is nothing like a relaxing cup of cafe con leche in the Plaza Mayor” became an immediate hit, and remains something of a meme all these years later. For much of the Spanish political class, in particular the PP, it would appear that some serious study is still needed.

Two extraordinary letters to the Olive Press have breathed fresh life back into one of the key celluloid mysteries in the Rock n Roll hall of fame

EXCLUSIVE

man

‘bed-in’ protest for six days in the honeymoon suite at the Amsterdam Hilton, harnessing the interest in their wedding to promote their message of peace.

The remarkable series of photos continued well beyond the wedding day. Nutter would also go on to capture the legendary duo back in New York in their Greenwich Village studio, on their rooftop and even in their kitchen.

One incredible photo captures Lennon on an aeroplane reading a newspaper dated to April 11, 1970 with the headline Astronaut - We May Die from the Apollo 13 catastrophe averted.

But then disaster really did strike - when Nutter ‘stupidly’ lent the negatives to a friend while they were living in New York in the mid 1970s.

The recipient, Anthony Fawcett, who had been an assistant to John and Yoko at the time, was writing a biography called John Lennon: One Day At A Time, published in 1980.

But the negatives in Fawcett’s possession inexplicably vanished after his New York apartment was either repossessed or a quick-fingered guest pinched them - Fawcett has suspiciously given conflicting reports.

Included in the missing batch, taken on Nutter’s Nikon camera, were a dozen never-before published photos of the wedding day in Gibraltar alone.

In the ones seen by the Olive Press (with three published here today) they are seen posing coolly for the camera and lounging on a private jet (see above right). There were also a number of strips from scenes at the registry office itself as John and Yoko went through the legal process of signing the papers on one of the most famous rock and roll marriages of all time.

Understandably upset at the loss, Nutter reported the crime, which led to separate investigations by London’s Metropolitan Police and, later, America’s FBI, but to no avail.

Indeed, a 1983 letter from Southwark Police to Nutter, seen by the Olive Press, shows that officers questioned Fawcett at his home in south London.

Fawcett told them he ‘knew who had the negatives’

and would contact Nutter - whose brother was famous Savile Row tailor, Tommy Nutter - with the information. But in the end, he never did.

And despite Nutter’s best efforts to track down the missing negativesconservatively valued now at around €150,000 - the trail went dead for many years, leaving Nutter bereft.

The first faint sparks of life flickered briefly for the case back in 2005, when world-renowned Beatles memorabilia expert Peter Miniaci claimed he had received an email offering him ‘some rare John and Yoko wedding photos’.

“I was suspicious and asked if the sender had the rights to the images, to which it was claimed that ‘the photographer is dead’ so I didn’t need to worry about it,” he told the

Press in 2016, when we took up the baton.

But, as the Olive Press discovered in a two-part investigation, Nutter was certainly far from dead, and was still alive and living in New York. Where he is today.

Curiously, as we discovered seven years ago, another photographer, American Brian Hamill, had also had photos of John and Yoko - captured in New York in October 1972 - stolen from him. Having been stored in the Getty archives, they were officially declared as ‘misfiled’ after officials were not able to locate them. Hamill was awarded a paltry $10,000 in compensation.

Yet, shockingly, these same missing photos mysteriously appeared - alongside Nutter’s missing ones - in Fawcett’s Lennon biography, now a long time out of print. Lennon was shot dead the same year it came out in 1980.

Even more mysteriously Hamill also told the Olive Press how he had been offered the opportunity of buying them back in 2010.

It came over lunch in New York, via a lawyer representing an unnamed woman, who offered to ‘broker’ a shady deal in which Hamill would effectively purchase his own photos.

In a letter to the FBI’s Stolen Art Recovery Unit, he wrote that the loss of those images ‘feel like the loss of my memories and, therefore, a piece of my identity.’

“The FBI did next to nothing to help me out when I reported this,” Hamill told us in 2016.

He pointed the finger squarely at Fawcett, insisting we should investigate him.

We said we would try to locate them, however, despite our best efforts to track down the negatives, our efforts came to little.

But we were able to track down a 62-year-old Beatles biographer in the Far East, who issued instructions that the fee for the negatives would be £5,600, he put us in touch with

Our reporter was told to ‘send 90%’ of the agreed price after two contact sheets showing the original negatives were sent as proof of ownership.

After a week of exchanges, two remarkable never-before-seen contact sheets from the wedding were emailed over.

But when the seller (wrongly) suspected our undercover reporter was working for Yoko Ono, he launched into a vile tirade against her before threatening to sue and ending contact.

When we finally approached Fawcett about the negatives back in 2016, he replied: “These were in fact stolen from my New York apartment around 1976 along with everything else from my flat.

“Yoko Ono was extremely upset that these negatives were stolen, and has asked my help many times to try to get them back.”

Nutter admitted he was heartbroken and after adding he was struggling financially, he said he had ‘sort of given up.’ It was ominous.

The fate of the negatives seemed destined to forever remain a mystery.

That is until May 11 this year, when we received our first letter from the apparent Good Samaritan in the USA - ‘a real shot in the dark’, the writer admitted.

In the typed letter addressed to editor Jon Clarke, which left no return address or name, the individual explained she had actually had the missing negatives in her hands in 2011, but did not realise their significance.

Over around 10 short paragraphs she went on to explain that someone had arrived at her office ‘where she worked at the time’ and had taken a set of negatives to her boss, whom she declined to name.

She added that the mystery seller had brought the items hoping to make a profit, but the company had eventually declined, and the negatives remained in the mystery seller’s hands.

“Perhaps the issue of rights came up,” she added.

NEVER SEEN: Lennon on a plane reading the tabloids and three strips of never published negtives. Photos by David Nutter the mysterious seller.

Either way, in the short time the collection had been in the office, she had made digital scans of the negatives in order for her boss to evaluate them and was amazed to see photos of ‘John and Yoko.’ “I’ve been a fan of the Beatles, particularly John Lennon, since I was a kid.

Because of this they had decided not to check what was on it for fear it might be malicious.

“We will now be looking into this,” a spokesman told us. “Thanks for the call.”

The letter writer herself meanwhile appealed to us to help her hand-deliver the scans to the photographers in person.

“I would love to meet Mr Nutter and talk with him about his photographs.

“This is a real shot in the dark with no guarantees it will work, but I’m hopeful,” she concluded.

In the second letter, she wrote: “I’m hopeful these photos will find their way to David and if they bring him new fame and money after all these years, that would be a wonderful outcome.”

When the Olive Press finally managed to track Nutter down to his Manhattan home again this week, he told us it would be ‘fabulous’ to finally receive digital scans of the original negatives.

The pain of ‘betrayal’ and’ losing something very valuable and dear’ to him has lingered for decades.

“I would feel very relieved and ever so grateful just to have anything, even if I don’t do anything with them, but just to have them,” he told us by phone.

And he went on to recall the ‘surreal’ time he had with the two icons of the Sixties, in which he appears in one photo (see left).

“It was an incredible day in Gibraltar, It really was,” Nutter reminisced. “They were in such a good mood. And they were very funny and we had a really good laugh, and it was just wonderful.”

As the Beatles sang in their 1963 cover ‘Please Mr Postman’: Wait, oh yes, wait a minute Mr Postman Wait, wait Mr Postman Mr Postman, look and see

Is there a letter in your bag for me?

I think the photos are wonderful,” she wrote. And coming to the point, she added: “I recently remembered (out of the blue) that one envelope had David Nutter’s name written on it.” When she did an internet search she came across our investigation of Nutter’s missing negatives from 2016, and suddenly understood the importance of the scans she had made in 2011.

“I feel real sympathy for Mr Nutter’s plight and I want to get the scans to him,” she wrote. She added she has also sent a copy of the entire set to the Aperture Foundation in New York, a non-profit that supports photographers as a form of art, in the hope that they would be able to get them to Nutter and Hamill.

But the foundation appeared clueless to the saga when contacted this week, although did eventually confirm that they had received a pen drive, but without

The starstruck photographer was even dragged in to serve as a witness for the marriage ceremony.

“They actually spelled my name wrong on the marriage certificate. Otherwise, it was magical.”

The 84-year-old added he would gladly meet in person with the ‘kind’ anonymous letter writer who got in touch with the Olive Press and asked us to try and set up a meeting.

“I would happily chat about the Beatles and the golden era that we lived through back then,” he continued. We also got in touch with New-Yorker Hamill, who told us the prospect of having the scans would be ‘just dandy.’

“Are you kidding?” he then cried jubilantly down the phone. “I’d be delighted.”

He told us: “I tell my daughter how important journalism is, and I want to say thank you so much for doing this.”

Thus the enigmatic saga, heading towards its 50th year, might finally reach a bittersweet conclusion, as we now await our mystery letter writer to continue the correspondence.

Help, we need somebody…yes, it’s over to you Ms secret letter writer, now we need a number!

Olive

FIRST SEEN: Yoko and Lennon and (below) with photographer David Nutter

GREEN DREAM

SPAIN is set to become the first major European country to get over 50% of its energy from renewable sources.

It will beat out competition from countries of comparable size in France, Germany, Italy, and the UK.

Spain’s strides ahead in renewable energy can be attributed to several factors.

The country’s countless days of sunshine - which lures so many north Europeans to its shores - has played a crucial role in its transition to solar power.

Authorities have also actively encouraged the integration of renewables into the grid through auctions and incentives to

SOLAR SHOP

RETAILER Carrefour says it will install 330,000 square metres of solar panels at 130 of its biggest stores in Spain.

Some 30 hypermarkets and supermarkets have seen solar panels introduced, with the Frenchowned company aiming to install an average of 1,700 solar panels at each store. It has teamed up with SolarProfit, a Barcelona company focused on photovoltaic solar energy, for the project. The solar panels will largely be rolled out in Andalucia, Catalunya, Extremadura, Madrid, and Valencia, with the plan scheduled to run until June 2024.

Spain trumps other European countries to become the first to get 50% of its energy from renewables

By Walter Finch

private companies, leading to a surge in capacity construction.

Unlike other parts of Europe, Spain’s auctions have been well-subscribed, demonstrating strong interest in renewable energy projects.

However, neighbouring France’s increasing dependence on importing energy from Spain is set to test the latter’s ability to

maintain the 50% rate. Meanwhile, the growing interest in Spain’s renewable sector has attracted investments from various energy companies. Swiss developer Axpo plans to build a 200MW solar plant in Castilla y Leon, while Spanish power company Iberdrola and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund have committed to investing in 1.3GW of renewable capacity, with solar PV projects accounting for 80% of the total capacity.

7 out of 9 is BAD!

Free Flipper

CAMPAIGNERS have exposed Spain as the European country with the largest number of dolphins in captivity. NGO World Animal Protection has slammed the country for keeping 93 dolphins captive, some 30% of all those held

in Europe.

The majority of these specimens (20) are at Valencia’s Oceanografic. Spain has almost 60 more dolphins in captivity than Portugal, the second European country on the list with 35 individuals.

Exceeding the limits will lead to climate disaster

avoid climate disaster.

Well, guess what, we have now crossed the line on seven out of the nine.

● Extra nutrients contributed to our earth by humans (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus used heavily in agricultural fertilisers)…. lim-

it exceeded in large parts of the world

● Excessive extraction of surface water resources…. limit exceeded

● Air pollution caused by emissions…. limit exceeded in many parts of the world (Asia, Europe, America)

● Ocean acidification and pollution caused by chemicals, plastics, and microplastics…. limit exceeded

● Integrity of the biosphere…. compromised

● Overall climate

change targets…. limit exceeded

● Injustice between countries in the developed world and emerging nations…. even more noticeable

The two points we haven’t failed on yet are:

● The growing hole in the ozone layer is for now under control

● 60% of the planet’s land surface needs to be kept free of human interference. To date we are up to 50%.... but that figure is increasing

Human beings are part of the global ecosystem

As I have said repeatedly in this column, we are a large part of the problem. We need to be a large part of the solution.

The majority of greenhouse gas emissions come from less than 10% of the global population. The 2015 Paris Agreement that all countries signed up to, set a limit of 1.5C increase in global temperature as a target.

It’s not a target…. it’s the limit. We are exceeding the limit. Every limit we exceed weakens the planet’s ability to resist the climate crisis.

BACK in 2009, a group of eminent and highly acclaimed scientists set out a list of nine parameters we should not cross if we are to

Green Matters

By Martin Tye

DRYING UP: A lagoon in the Doñana wetland

Property

BEAT THE HEATStay cool by design

See page 12

On top of the world

The Spanish-loving British architect who has just won the world’s most prestigious architecture prize. Find out inside

CROWD PLEASER: The Valencia sailing pavilion was singled out, as well as his Galician home (top left)

Staying afloat Mark Stucklin

Mortgage defaults at record lows, despite rising interest rates

FORECLOSURES initiated by mortgage lenders were the lowest on record in 2022, suggesting that rising borrowing costs have not yet translated into a wave of mortgage defaults.

There were just 16,851 mortgage foreclosures initiated by lenders in 2022, down 19%, and the lowest level since 2014, when the National Institute of Statistics started publishing these figures.

Foreclosure initiations fell much more than the national average in the Canaries, with a 39% decline in Tenerife and 28% decline in Las Palmas, but in the Balearics, which also attract many foreign buyers,

www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

foreclosures actually rose by 47%, completely bucking the national trend.

The overall decline got bigger as the year went on, with a 1% increase in Q1 turning into a 30% decrease in Q3, before falling back to -23% in Q4.

The last quarter of the year was also the lowest quarter on record going back to 2014.

At the same time as mortgage foreclosures were declining, borrowing costs were rising fast with 12-month Euribor, the base-rate to which most Spanish mortgages are tied. It went from -0.478 in January 2022 to 3.018% in December, driving up monthly repayments for borrowers with annually

resetting mortgages. For reasons that are not clear, ris -

ing borrowing costs have not yet led to an increase in delinquent mortgages, as you might expect. The majority of new mortgages signed in 2022 were fixedrate, which helps, but the majority of outstanding mortgages will be variable, so most borrowers in Spain will be feeling the pain of higher interest rates. Yolanda Díaz, Vice President in the government from the hard-left Podemos party, proposed in February freezing all mortgages, effectively making them fixed rate, pointing to record banking profits whilst many families ‘are having problems paying the mortgage’. Apparently she hasn’t seen

the latest mortgage foreclosure figures published by the National Institute of Statistics, which suggest that mortgage distress is at record lows. “It’s time to freeze mortgages and moderate the extreme profits of big banks so we all win,” she said.

Justice

Podemos argues that freezing mortgage rates is necessary to ‘restore social justice’ but it also punishes fixed-rate borrowers whilst rewarding variable-rate borrowers who were happy to take on more risk in return for lower payments whilst rates were low.

Brits lead Swedes and Dutch

THE Brits are still leading the way for property purchases on the Costa del Sol. They have beaten both the Swedes and Dutch for sales in the first quarter of 2023. The trio of nationalities are spearheading the market, and bought a third of all properties between them.

Nadia Calviño, the Vice President for the Economy, says the government has already taken ‘the most adequate measures’ whilst avoiding ‘negative collateral impact’ and creating distortions between variable and fixed-rate mortgages. The low level of mortgage foreclosures is a healthy sign that homeowners are not in financial distress, despite rising inflation and borrowing costs. At least not yet. On the other hand borrowers are probably cutting back on discretionary spending whilst keeping up with mortgage payments, which is bad news for the economy.

British buyers account for 14% of foreign buyers, followed by Sweden (12%) and Holland (8%), according to real estate agency Sonneil.

Budget

The portal has named Marbella, Estepona, San Pedro, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Mijas among the most sought-after destinations for those with an average budget of €300,000. Other nationalities that have their eyes set on the Malaga coastline are Argentinians and North Americans, according to the portal.

Borrowers in Spain will be feeling the pain of higher interest rates

FOUR areas in the Costa del Sol are in Spain’s top 50 most expensive places to buy a house, according to a study of real estate portal Idealista.

It is no surprise that Marbella has been identified as the most costly place for property buyers in Andalucia, and ninth overall in Spain.

A square metre in this municipality comes out at €4,138.

This is an increase of over 14% compared to a year ago, as it was around €3,558 in April 2022. Nerja, Estepona and Fuengirola have been ranked 30th, 31st and 32nd respectively.

Those interested in acquiring property in these three towns face prices of €3,100, €2,993 and €2,936 m2

Another two Andalucian towns have made it into the Top 50. Conil in Cadiz was ranked 44th with house prices of €2,683 m2 and Benalmadena 45th with houses around €2,679 m2.

Rent Scam

POLICE have dismantled a criminal organisation that scammed holidaymakers by charging them advance deposits for vacation rentals for properties that they did not own.

The ‘Rent Scam’ operation, whose mastermind ran the scheme from prison, led to the arrest of 29 people, with 13 others currently under investigation.

The network carried out over 128 alleged scams across Spain, targeting the province of Madrid in particular.

The gang consisted of 42 people - a quarter of whom were women - and operated in different teams led by the jailbird with a history of computer fraud.

Every gang member has been charged with computer fraud, membership of a criminal organisation, identity theft and money laundering.

Best escape

DEEMED the best rural escape in Spain in 2019 by Conde Nast, the ‘El Carligto’ luxury villas in Andalusia could be yours for €2,695,000.

The 10-acre country estate consists of two separate villas, El Carligto and Hunting Lodge, each within 150 metres of each other and featuring their own individual style. Both villas have pools with panoramic views of the mountains and Mediterranean coast. El Carligto villa is ‘crafted to honour the rustic Andalu-

sian style while maintaining modern elements’. It has four bedrooms, a balcony terrace,

and a pool area with an outdoor shower. With an even higher altitude than its sister property, the Hunting Lodge has three bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Golden opportunity

INTEREST in the Spanish Golden Visa scheme has jumped since Portugal and Ireland closed down their own schemes in February.

Consultancy firms offering international Golden Visa services have claimed that Spain has benefited the most from the Portuguese and Irish government decisions to cancel their residency-by-investment schemes, with a surge in

online searches and enquiries.

According to Aston’s research, Google searches for terms related to the ‘Spanish Golden Visa’ increased 68% between March and April, ahead of Greece (+34%) and Malta (+29%), two other popular destinations in the EU that offer a visa and long-term path to residency in return for cash.

SpaincashinginafterIrelandand PortugaldroppedGoldenVisa

By Mark Stucklin

According to another company called IMI Daily, there are currently 7,500 active Golden Visa residency permits in Spain, with 2,462 issued last year, the third biggest number on

NOWHERE TO BE HEARD

HOLLYWOOD star Amber Heard has moved to an anonymous, suburban street in a sleepy Madrid barrio

Fresh from a series of hard fought court battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp she has bought a €1.7 million, 200 m2 villa on the outskirts of the city, it has been reported.

Heard’s luxury residence is located in El Viso, one of the wealthi est and most exclusive neighbourhoods of the Spanish capital.

After selling her home in Yucca Valley, California for €1 million, Heard initially settled with her young daughter in Costitx, Mallorca. However, despite her attempt to go by a pseudonym, Heard’s presence in the small town caused quite a stir in the area, so she sought out some where else she could go unnoticed.

Surrounded by the crème de la crème of Madrid, Heard can adopt a more anonymous lifestyle in El Viso, where she is neighbours with Spanish stars including Mar Flores and Xabi Alonso.

Heard recently gave an interview in fluent Spanish, revealing her intentions to stay in Spain.

A friend of Heard echoed Amber’s hopes of staying out of the Hollywood limelight.

“She’s bilingual in Spanish and is happy there, raising her daughter away from all the noise,” the source said.

“I don’t think she’s in a hurry to go back to work or Hollywood, but she’ll be back when the time is right, for the right project.”

Seized for the needy

NEARLY 100 empty properties are being seized from their owners in Catalunya.

So far 70 flats are being expropriated from large property owners in a bid to create more council housing.

The apartments - located around the region, from Tarragona to Vic - will be converted to social housing in areas of high residential demand. It comes after a law was passed by the Catalan Parliament in 2022 allowing local authorities to expropriate a home if it remained unoccupied for more than two years.

Initially owners are being allowed to take action and rent out their homes, or to come up with a good excuse.

record since the scheme was introduced in 2013.

Only 2019 (2,656) and 2021 (2,507) saw more Golden Visas issued.

One investor can apply for multiple residency permits for family members and dependants.

The Spanish government

has come under renewed pressure from Brussels and Spain’s leftwing parties to shut down the Spanish scheme.

The Spanish government says it plans to reconsider the scheme. This could involve increaseing the investment threshold from €500,000 to €1million or possibly to terminate it. But with the general election due next month nothing will be done in the near future.

Letters to the owners are going out this month and if no ‘acceptable’ answer is given, they will be expropriated. The regional government has set aside €5 million to buy an initial 50 to 70 flats at a fair rate.

“We are doing everything we can to help families in a vulnerable situation,” explained regional councillor Juli Fernandez.

Mayor attacked after building permit denied

A MAYOR has been attacked for refusing a building permit to two locals in his village. Leader of Alfarnate, Juan Gallardo, was beaten by the two men, one who had a knife, at a bar in the Axarquia village.

He also received death threats from the two men, who were later arrested and have now been released on bail.

BEAT THE HEAT

IN June and July, as the mercury soars, we all need respite from the sweltering heat.

To get ahead of the challenge, here are some interior design tips to keep your home cool - and stylish - during the hottest months of the year. Whether you are lucky (an anything-is-possible home builder or handyman), or plucky (a keep-cooland-carry-on stoic), the number one piece of advice is: Don’t let the heat in!

If you’re building from scratch, the golden rule is: Windows exposed to direct sunlight become radiators, so set them back under bulkheads,

Cool interior design tips for the sizzling spanish summer, writes Julia Begbie

overhangs, and louvres. But if your home is built you’ll need to embrace shade, and the most effective cooling strategies for existing buildings include:

1. Applying window film to reflect heat

2. Installing awnings (toldos*), sail shades and pergolas to keep the sun off windows

3. Fitting external blinds (persianas*) to block the sun completely

4. Insulate and ventilate the roof.

Solar-powered roof vents help to release hot air that gets trapped inside. (ED: our Velux windows achieve a similar affect)

*With toldos, choose light colours to help reflect the sun’s rays, and for traditional-style homes look at traditional materials such as esparto grass, see examples at MIV Interiores

Other tips

TRADITIONAL: Esparto blinds are cool

Otherwise (perhaps counter-intuitively to some) keep your windows shut when the sun is up, and consider installing mosquito screens so you can throw windows wide open at night.

If possible, open windows to create a through-draught. Magnetic mosquito door curtains are an inexpensive and effective solution. At times of abundant water, i.e. not right now, hose down your balconies and patios at dusk. Harness the cooling effect of evaporation to reduce radiant heat outside as you throw open your windows at night. If it’s important to match your hose to your house – or, for that matter, to your handbag - check out the exquisite range from Garden Glory And, by way of an eco-apology for that last suggestion, choose the most energy efficient appliances and light bulbs available. Energy-efficient appliances not only save money on energy bills, but also generate less heat, helping to keep your home cooler. And if you want hot food, cook outside in the evening: everyone loves a barbecue.

Big fan

Just as evaporation cools your terrace, it can also cool your body. Electric fans don’t change interior temperatures, but the wind chill effect of air moving over your body helps evaporate sweat and creates a cooling effect. Magnovent sells stylish ceiling fans, but remember to turn your fans off while you’re out; they don’t shift the mercury.

That deals with physical heat, now to psychological heat. What decorative measures make for a chilled look?

In terms of colour, think cool and refreshing. Light colours like white, beige, and pale blues and greens reflect sunlight, conveying a sense of coolness and calm.

Ceiling fans stir the air and create movement in gauzy fabrics like sheer linen and muslin, visually supporting the sense of breeze.

Look at suppliers like Mark Alexander, a company producing

light linens, perfect for a stylish Spanish summer.

Replace any thick

rugs and carpets with lightweight, natural fibre options like jute or sisal.

Let the jungle in Houseplants add greenery and help purify the air and regulate humidity levels, so incorporate nature within your home for a cooler, more refreshing atmosphere.

Opt for low-maintenance plants like succulents and ferns, plants that thrive in the summer heat.

Cluttered surfaces gather dust and make a room feel stuffy and hot, so clear the clutter and embrace a minimalist approach to your summer decor. Keep surfaces clear, and select simple, streamlined furniture that allows air to circulate freely. And finally, keep hydrated and add colour and elegance to your space by keeping a stylish jug of ice-cold water or a refreshing summer cocktail on hand, served in chic glassware, or indeed super-chic Italian poolside acrylic courtesy of Italian brand Memento Synth

From a small sitting room to the hottest new restaurant, we will assist in creating your vision.

With over a decade of experience, based between Barcelona and London.

Curating a bespoke design plan using the best local and international artisans.

References and testimonials available.

hello@sedesigns.studio

www.sedesigns.studio

WhatsApp: (+44) 7775 782 418

Sliding seamlessly outside

INDOOR/outdoor living is the epitome of modern home design, seamlessly blending our indoor spaces with the natural environment.

It brings a resort-like feel to our everyday lives, reconnecting us with nature, but getting it right is often very tough. When envisioning this space (above), the focus was on providing an inviting and

entertaining atmosphere, while showcasing some of our favourite products. The design considered various zones that cater to different activities, such as relaxation by the pool or grilling up a feast for good company.

To evoke a tranquil mood, a tonal colour palette was carefully selected. Laying terrazzo, concrete and a stone

veneer for the external finishes, provide a soothing ambience blurring boundaries of its natural surroundings. Bold prints were introduced in the soft furnishings to infuse vibrancy and visual interest.

These prints become focal points, breathing life into the space and add character and personality to the overall design.

Get started

WE like to say that Solar is just the beginning.

And, beyond the reduction in energy costs, it makes your home much more comfortable and enjoyable than ever before.

Imagine, not having to worry about the cost of the energy to run your:

● Air conditioning

● Hot water

● Swimming pool pump

● Swimming pool heater

● Electric car charger

Well, it can be done with clean solar energy!

In short, solar makes your home extremely efficient and super comfortable. By investing today in this clean energy, you will save not only money but possibly the planet for the future.

But what options do you have? Here are the eight principle solar-powered solutions which will maximise your savings with a solar panel installation and then further optimise your home electrics with energy-efficient and eco-friendly alternatives.

9 Solar panel installations

9 Solar batteries

9 High-efficiency and eco-friendly air con

9 Electric hot water cylinders

9 Air source heat pumps

9 Variable speed pool pumps

9 Electric vehicle chargers

9 Virtual battery

Solution #1: Solar panel installation

The solar installation can be fitted to your roof, a pergola or in your garden.

Solar panels are connected by cables to a solar inverter in your home or business, which converts DC electricity into AC that can power your electrics or be sold to the grid.

Solution #2: Solar battery

Imagine being able to reduce your bills down to €0 – even if you consume power from the grid at night.

Solar Panels Systems

It’s not required to have a battery if your property is connected to the grid.

But if you have unavoidable night-time consump tion, if your property is 100% off-grid or if you want the greenest energy possible, then you should consider a solar battery.

Solution #3: Electric hot water cylinder

You can swap your gas boiler for an electric hot water cylinder.

The advances in photovoltaic solar panel output make it cost-effective to install an energy-efficient electric hot water cylinder.

Solution #4: High-efficiency air conditioning

With a correctly sized solar panel installation, you can run your AC all day and still get near-zero bills.

Solution #5: Air source heat pumps

Air source heat pumps (ASHP) are more energy-efficient compared to traditional gas heating systems.

How do ASHPs actually work?

They use a refrigerant that absorbs heat from the outside air which is then compressed to increase its temperature.

The heated refrigerant is transferred to indoor units where the heat is released into the space providing warmth. Depending on your property and existing appliances, an ASHP can be installed alongside a solar panel installation and reduce your bills throughout the year.

Solution #7: Electric car charger (EV)

You can enjoy effectively cost-free motoring by charging your electric car at home with your own photovoltaic solar panels.

Solution #8: Virtual battery

It’s possible in Spain to pay €0 per month while remaining connected to the grid.

It is a kind of virtual wallet that accumulates credit from the sale of surpluses. At the end of the month, if you have sold €100 worth of electricity and the bill is €60, €60 of your credit will be used to cover the total bill and the other €40 will roll over to be used towards the following month’s bill.

So, what next?

If you’re interested in going solar or if you are interested in some of the eight solutions we described in this article, we have a special offer for OLIVE PRESS readers like you. Simply use the coupon code OLIVE 10 when you

Solar Panels Systems

1. 3-SEATER BASKET SOFA by Gubi

2. HAVEN, KENZO FABRIC by Thibaut

3. CLAY TABLE CERAMIC / GLASS TOP – OVAL by Desalto

4. BESPOKE TERRAZZO TILES by Huguet

5. COL.4 FORESTA, YOUNG AND LOVELY by Dedar fabrics

6. FLAIR O’ OUTDOOR CHAIR by B&B Italia

7. CONCRETE WORKS by Michael Roschach

8. MARRONE, BRAC by Mutina

9. OUTDOOR METAL SIDE TABLES by Vitra

10. FLAT CHILL BED 100 by Gandia Blasco

11. COL.6 GIARDINO, CAMPUS by Dedar fabrics

12. ELEKTRA PARASOL by Hommes Studio

It’s tricky getting your outdoor spaces up to scratch. Sara Eski of SE Designs has some tips

MiSolar has the solutions to save money, energy and ensure you have a comfortable home

ON TOP OF THE WORLD

After a Spanish-loving British architect won the prestigious global Pritzker prize, Isabel Max takes a look at Sir David Chipperfield’s buildings in Spain

PERCHED on a Valencia shoreline, the horizontal planes of the striking America’s Cup building cut through the sky, like the white capped wakes of sailboats.

The emblematic building, Veles e Vents (or Sails and Winds), in Va-

lencia port, is often singled out as Costa Blanca’s most captivating constructions.

But how many people know it was designed by British architect Sir David Chipperfield (pictured), 69, whose lifetime achievements have just landed the Pritzker Prize, the industry’s highest honour.

The gong - dubbed the ‘Nobel of architecture’ - is awarded annually to the living architect who has best contributed to the built landscape with consistent talent, vision and commitment.

Past winners include Rafael Moneo, I.M Pei, Zaha Hadid and, last year, Francis Kere.

“Chipperfield is assured

without hubris, consistently avoiding trendiness to confront and sustain the connections between tradition and innovation, serving history and humanity,” said Chairman Tom Pritzker, at the ceremony in Greece in May.

A climate change and social inequality activist, Chipperfield’s buildings are known for restraint in design and in materials. He makes preserving ‘place-hood’ a top priority in his work, using locally sourced materials and paying homage to the natural and architectural landscapes of their locations.

Chipperfield, who founded his London-based practice in 1985,

CIUTAT DE JUSTICÍA

The Ciutat de la Justíca masterfully unites the legal courts of Barcelona and L’Hospitalet, consolidating what were once 17 buildings across the two cities into a mere eight buildings, situated in a bright public plaza. Chipperfield has injected colour and dynamism into his designthe pink, green, yellow and blue buildings vary in volume and none of the buildings stand parallel to one another - contesting the visually monolithic tradition of legal buildings.

EPITOME OF COOL

is not just the visionary behind Veles e Vents, which was built for the America’s Cup and is a brilliant visual link between the Med and the city of Valencia. He also designed the amazing Ciutat de la Justícia in Barcelona, a colourful eight building complex of the legal courts of the Barcelona and L’Hospitalet governments. It is not just Chipperfield’s designs which find a home in Spain.

Since 1995, the architect has savoured bayside views from a striking holiday home up in Galicia (above).

In the unostentatious fish-

ing village of Corrubedo, the home blends a modernist style into an ordinary terrace beside a harbour. As with the Galicia home, it is ingenuity, rather than a distinctly Chipperfield style, that imbues his body of work with lasting elegance.

“We know that, as architects, we can have a more prominent and engaged role in creating not only a more beautiful world but a fairer and more sustainable one too,” Chipperfield said at the ceremony in Athens.

“We must rise to this challenge and help inspire the next generation to embrace this responsibility with vision and courage.”

POWER OF PLACEHOOD:

Chipperfield’s buildings are designed with the history and culture of their locations in mind.

PIC CREDIT Christian Richters

PIC CREDIT: IWAN BAAN

Built for the America’s Cup, it is a visual link between the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Valencia. Designed by David Chipperfield and Fermin Vazquez with a simple, minimalist style, the building is 25m high and has a surface area of 10,500 m2; the incorporation of horizontal platforms provides shade for the terraces, from which visitors can enjoy marvellous views not only over the marina and beaches, but over the entire city itself.

If you are buying property in Spain or have problems with a property you already own, a professional structural survey can help identify and record defects whilst suggesting remedial solutions and cost implications.

Whether its an old town house, apartment or luxury villa every property purchase represents a considerable investment and deserves a close inspection for defects such as damp, termites, subsidence etc. Specialist structural assessment of problem retaining walls and swimming pools is also undertaken.

Fast turnaround video survey options now available.

FREE buyers guide available via website. Initial telephone and email advice is FREE.

PIC CREDIT: RICHARD BRYANT / ARCAID

AWARD WINNING DESIGNS

Chipperfield is currently working on a renovation of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Southwest Wing in New York City, as well as projects in Stockholm, Venice and Moscow. His award-winning designs include the River and Rowing Museum, in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (left) and the Museo Jumex in Mexico City (right).

Bali

in this exotic

REGISTRATION for summer discounts of up to 90% on trains for youngsters between 18 and 30 has opened.

The government will also fund half the cost of European Interrail passes and 90% of state bus tickets between June 15 and September 15.

Anyone interested needs to register by contacting the Ministry of Transport.

Feel like waiting six months for your fast food? McDonald’s think you do

FAST food kings McDonald’s has launched an advertising campaign in Spain to illustrate just how long it takes to get your order so quickly.

To the shock of customers it apparently takes six months, the burger giant claims.

In the ad, 'An Order Worth Waiting For’ customers

Slow food movement

By Walter Finch

place their orders only to be informed they will have to wait a little longer to get

their food.

Seal of approval

FINESTRAT'S San Juan Party night

on June 23 has been declared as a Valencian Community event of ‘provincial tourist interest’.

The bash brings together residents and visitors in celebrations that pack out the beach.

Councillor Hector Baldo described it as ‘a magical evening for both the young and old’.

“The beach becomes an annual meeting point for thousands who have been coming for decades,” he added. This year's entertainment will start at 5.30pm and will include a Zumba session, discos, and live music.

Many other towns will celebrate San Juan Eve leading up to the feast day itself in celebration of Saint John the Baptist.

It coincides with the mid-summer June solstice and many bonfires are lit and leapt over with one of the biggest events being the Hogueras in Alicante.

The order is then sent to farmers getting up at the crack of dawn to prepare the

locally sourced ingredients that go into a Big Mac.

McDonald’s is keen to impress the company's commitment to Spanish suppliers involved in the supply chain. And the campaign also comes with an innovative gimmick: Customers ordering before June 19 will be able to opt for a special order that arrives in six months. This is intended to mirror

the time and effort spent by farmers and breeders in producing the ingredients. Customers who opt for this can then track the entire growth process of the ingredients used in their favourite meals. The aim is to cultivate appreciation of the hard work of suppliers who contribute to the company’s ‘commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients’.

AIRPORTS FLY HIGH

OVER 25 million passengers used Spanish airports in May, a 3.4% increase on the previous 'record-breaking' May in 2019, with Alicante-Elche and Valencia airports recording 'best ever' figures. State airport operator Aena said the overall total was a 14.4% improvement on the same month last year, and that 102,942 million people have used Aena airports during the first five months of 2023. That's a 27.7% increase on last year and 2.3% more compared to 2019.

Alicante-Elche had one of the largest passenger percentage rises among Spain's top airports (18%) with 1.5 million passengers - 9.6 % up on a year ago - making it a record May figure. By nationality, UK arrivals again dominated Alicante with 537,255 passengers, with the Netherlands a distant second on 90,995, closely followed by Germany with 89,025. Valencia also had a record-breaking May with 885,095 passengers - a 20% rise over a year.

SPAIN welcomed a record 7.2 million international tourists in April.

The extraordinary figures were helped by 1.4 million British arrivals, some 8.7% more than in April 2022.

France and Germany come next, contributing more than one million visitors each while arrivals from the US were over 60% up on the same month last year.

Catalunya was the busiest region with 21.3% of the total, followed by the Balearics (16.3%) and the Canary Islands (16%).

Spain is expected to receive between 52.3 million and 54.8 million foreign tourists between May and October, slightly up on the same period in 2019, which was a record year.

Spain's priority is now to attract travellers from distant markets such as the United States, China, South Korea and Japan.

Youth rail discounts Record smashed Surf’s up

SPANISH firm Todo Surf Technology has developed an advanced surf forecasting app that provides reports and wave forecasts for over 6,000 beaches around the world. The free app features 360 beaches in Spain and provides long-range surf forecasts from across the globe including wave size, swell period, swell size, water temperature, tides, wind direction, and strength.

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

LORCA’S LEGACY

An exciting new route, including his renovated family home marks anniversary

By Jo Chipchase

SUMMER 2023

marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Frederico Garcia Lorca. One of Spain’s most celebrated literary figures, the influential poet and playwright was born on June 5, 1898, at Fuente Vaqueros - a small, rural town near Granada.

From humble beginnings in the countryside, Federico Garcia Lorca was destined for great things. He is famed for his works about Andalucia, spurred by his desire to bring culture to far-flung places and address the rural/urban divide.

The eldest of four children, born to a wealthy landowner and his schoolteacher wife, Lorca lived and worked in many different locations, until the Franco regime assassinated him in 1936.

Many of the locations on the ‘Lorca trail’ can be visited today.

Lorca’s various locations

After their time at Fuente Vaqueros, in 1906, the Lorca family moved to Valderrubio, on the Vega de Granada. This remained their summer retreat until 1925. After 1926, they summered at Huerta San Vincente, on the edge of city.

The rest of the time, the family was based in the centre of Granada, first

on the Acera del Darro and, later, on the Acera del Casino.

The Granada connection remained with Lorca all his life. He attended school in the city, and the University of Granada.

Although he was a considered an accomplished pianist, he took nine years to complete his degree in Law.

In 1919, Lorca moved to the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid, which was his home for a decade, and encouraged artistic pursuits.

Fellow students included filmmaker, Luis Bunuel, and great artist, Salvador Dali, who became a close companion and even allegedly romantic interest. Despite spending time in Madrid, Barcelona and South America, Lorca never forgot his roots.

Lanjaron

Lanjarón dedicated 2019 to Lorca. The town has many fountains bearing his poems, the most beautiful of which is in ‘Plaza de Santa Ana’, just off the main street.

Don’t forget to visit Bar Rincón de Lorca at Hotel España, which serves great tapas.

Laroles

Between August 4-6, the village of Laroles celebrates the eighth edition of its cultural festival, ‘Me Vuelves Lorca’.

The event features live performances of music, theatre, oration, and comedy.

It aims to bring culture to a rural part of Granada, just like Lorca would have done. More info at: www.mevuelveslorca.com

Granada

The city has mounted a walking route that takes in sights associated with Lorca. These include:

● The Huerta San Vincente country house, now converted into a museum, where Lorca’s family enjoyed summers from 1926 onwards.

● Frederico Garcia Lorca Centro - a cultural insti-

Lorca’s works

Lorca is renowned for the 1928 poetry collection, ‘Romancero Gitano’ (gypsy ballads); the 1935 ‘Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías’ (lament for his famous bullfighter friend, who was gored and killed); the 1933 ‘Bodas de sangre’ (Blood Wedding); the 1934 ‘Yerma’, and ‘La casa de Bernarda Alba’ (house of Bernarda Alba).

During the early 1930s, Lorca encouraged a second ‘golden age’ of the Spanish theatre. He threw considerable enthusiasm into his theatre group, La Barraca, and won respect as a playwright. He was also keen on music and drawing. At the behest of his influential companion, Dali, some of his sketches were exhibited in the Dalmau gallery in Barcelona.

Lorca and La Alpujarra

Lorca’s travels through the Alpujarra began in his youth. A 1918 photo shows the 20-year-old on the bus

WHERE TO SEE LORCA’S LEGACY

tution dedicated to the research of Federico’s life and work.

● ‘El Rinconcillo’ – the traditional restaurant, Chikito, occupies the site of the historic Café Alameda, where intellectuals held the famous El Rinconcillo group. Its heyday was between 1915 and 1922, with members including Lorca, Falla, Lanz and de la Serna.

● Manuel de Falla’s house in Antequeruela Street, near the Alhambra. Lorca visited between 1922 and 1939. In 1962, it was con -

verted into a museum.

● Plaza de los Aljibes - the main access to the Alcazaba of the Alhambra. It has a viewpoint with stunning views of the Albaicín.

● San Nicholas viewpoint – looking over the Albaicin, Alhambra, Darro Valley, the old Granada, and the horizon of the Vega. These views inspired Lorca during his youthful walks.

www.universolorca.com/en/ruta-lorquiana/ lorcas-route-in-granada

from Granada to Motril, passing through Órgiva.

Another image places him beside an orange tree in the municipality of Órgiva.

On the back of the photo, he writes: ‘Naranjo located at an altitude of 2,000 metres. From here I can see Soportújar, Láujar, Vallacar [sic] and Cáñar. I hear the singing of four rivers tumbling down to the olive trees of the Vega de Órgiva.’

From 1924, Lorca’s family spent summers in the Alpujarra. His mother treated her liver complaint with the medicinal waters of the Lanjarón Spa (‘balneario’). Lorca travelled from Madrid to join his family. While in Lanjarón, staying at Hotel España, he worked on a collection of drawings. He sent postcards featuring the ruined Lanjaron ‘castillo’.

Much of Lorca’s correspondence with the sister of Salvador Dali, Anna Maria Dali, dates to his Lanjarón holidays. This includes the short story, ‘The Mediterranean is One and Indivisible’. The town has since printed his poems on its ‘fuentes’ (springs), on beautiful ceramic tiles.

Lorca later toured La Alpujarra composer, Manuel de Falla, and they discussed mounting a puppet show. They also visited Guadix, on the far side of the Sierra Nevada.

Lorca’s final moments

With the rise of the far right changing the political climate, and stifling liberal Spaniards, Lorca was removed by the Franco regime in August 1936. After a stint in hiding, he was arrested in Granada, taken to the village of Viznar, held captive, and executed. Although the exact motivations for the killing were ambiguous, Lorca was known for his left-wing political views and activism.

He supported the Republicans, and his work frequently criticised the establishment.

There was also his sexual orientation, which made him a target for persecution at the time. However, despite the attempt at repression, his work would go on to outlive him.

TOUR: From his family home at Huerta San Vicente, where he played the piano, to the Me Vuelves Lorca festival in Laroles

The exact motive for his killing has always been ambiguous

Frederico Garcia Lorca Photo: wiki

FOOD, DRINK & TRAVEL

Legal Eagle

With Victoria Wright

Finding answers

Victoria Wright of Alba Consultas shares her knowledge with our readers

WE receive many varied enquiries from our clients and we thought we would share a few answers in the hopes they may help Olive Press readers too.

QMy wife and I are separating and I don’t want to sell the house but I don’t have enough savings or income in my pension to buy her out. What do you suggest?

AEquity release, whilst relatively new in Spain, is a popular and established way, certainly in the UK, of releasing some of the capital in your home whilst still allowing the owners to live in the property.

The money released can be used for anything, such as a fund to supplement a pension or to provide funds to gift to children, say for a deposit on a house or even a round the world cruise!

The process in Spain is called a ‘hipoteca inversa’ or in English a reverse mortgage. As well as the benefit of releasing cash, the equity release in many cases can reduce the amount of inheritance tax payable on the property when the inheritors inherit.

QI have been living in Spain and acquired residency under the Brexit Agreement but did not get round to exchanging my UK driving

licence. Is it too late to swap now and will I have to take a written driving test?

AIn this situation, since March 16 of this year, you are able and will continue to be able to swap your UK licence to a Spanish licence without the need for a driving test, provided you meet the right criteria.

The traffic headquarters allows a six-month period from that date for people in such a situation to continue to drive in Spain using their existing driving permit whilst they are undergoing the exchange process.

QWe bought our villa in Spain and we want to come and go without worrying about the 90 day rule. Is there a visa that would suit my needs?

AYes, there are various visa options for nonEU nationals wishing to remain in Spain and not be confined to the 90 day rule. There are also visas which allow people to reside in Spain and become permanent residents after a qualifying period. Which type of visa we would recommend depends upon your individual requirements - i.e. whether you simply wish to ‘come and go’ or if you wish to settle. Brexit has changed the process for UK nationals wishing to spend time or live in Spain, but do not worry….. it has not made it impossible.

For these and many more questions answered Contact our friendly team at Alba...

PROUD: Lorca loved to visit his favourite monument, the Alhambra

SPAIN’S ‘menstrual leave law’ has come into force.

It means that women can now request paid medical leave when suffering from especially painful periods.

The measure was included in a new abortion law that came into force on June 1.

To request the leave, women will have to get a medical note from their doctor.

According to sources from the government, the law is not designed to cover regular period pain, but

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Period leave in force

rather intense pain that is accompanied by symptoms such as fever or diarrhoea.

Once leave is approved by a doctor, the Social Security system will cover the woman’s salary from the first day that the period arrives. This means that the woman’s employer will not have to cover the cost of the time missed. The law does not limit the number of days leave available but the norm

will be around three days given the usual time period of menstruation.

Pain

Figures from the Ministry for Economic and Social Inclusion suggest that there are around 6,000 temporary medical leaves granted every year in Spain due to dysmenorrhea (pain associated with menstruation) or abdominal distension.

BUMP IN THE ROAD

Spain’s soaring industrial output hit by unexpected slump in April

SPAIN’S economic good times hit another bump in the road after preliminary data revealed an unexpected decline in the country’s industrial production in April. The report, from national statistics agency INE, indicates that output across all sectors, except capital goods, contracted.

WHAT ARE THE TAX BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN A QNUPS?

AQNUPS (Qualifying Non-UK Pension Scheme) is an offshore unapproved pension arrangement which satisfies the definition of a pension scheme as set out in Section 150 of The UK Finance Act 2004. It is classed as an unapproved pension arrangement because contributions made into the scheme are not eligible for UK tax relief. However, these schemes are fully recognised by HMRC as defined by UK legislation. QNUPS have become an increasingly popular investment vehicle for British expats in Spain looking to diversify their retirement savings.

A Qualifying Non-UK Pension Scheme can offer several tax benefits.

The Tax Benefits

Lump sum investments into the scheme are immediately outside of your estate for UK inheritance tax purposes whether you remain abroad or return to the UK.

If you nominate your spouse as a beneficiary, when you pass away, a Spanish succession tax liability is not triggered, provided the pension is drawn in the same tax efficient manner. When your spouse passes away, if your ultimate beneficiaries, say your children, live outside of Spain, no Spanish succession tax is due.

If you structure your pension income in the form of an annuity the effective tax rate is anywhere between 2% and 6% - dependent on the amount you draw as an income, the length of the annuity and progressive tax rates in your autonomous region.

Your investments can continue to grow within the pension structure free of Spanish capital

gains tax.

It may offer asset protection against creditors and legal claims and in some cases may be exempt from claims made against you in bankruptcy.

It provides a high degree of flexibility in terms of investment options enabling you to diversify risk and potentially increase your returns

Points to Consider:

Whilst there are no specific guidelines regarding the level of post-tax contributions you can make, these must be reasonable and commensurate with your overall wealth, earnings, age and future income requirements to avoid being captured by UK Income Tax anti-avoidance provisions.

To pay the minimal amount of tax on pension income your annuity contract must be fixed during your lifetime which means you must consider maximum income requirements at the outset. If you break your annuity contract pension income gets taxed at Spanish marginal rates.

The Spanish Tax Office is now insisting that annuities are paid out of an insurance policy. This means that pension assets must be held an insurance policy for greater tax efficiency. It's essential to seek professional advice and carefully consider all the pros and cons before making any decisions.

If your investments have produced a negative return in 2022 please take the opportunity to book a second opinion consultation.

If you feel you would benefit from a second opinion please email enquiries@fwm.gi or call us on tel: +44 207 998 0570

Our financial advisers are fully licensed, qualified and regulated to provide financial advice in Spain and across the EU. www.fiduciarywealth.gi ● www.financialplanningspain.com

By Walter Finch

It marks a disappointing reversal from the 4.1% growth experienced in March, as economists had hoped for a 1.5% increase.

In fact during April, industrial production decreased by 0.9% from last year.

On an unadjusted basis, industrial output fell by 4%, contrasting with the 5.4%recovery seen in the preceding month.

The contraction in industrial production was primarily driven by a significant 4.9% fall in the durable consumer goods division, closely followed by a 4.3% decrease in

No slap needed

FLIGHT attendants of a major Australian airline will no longer need to wear high heels or make-up.

Qantas, which in Spain operates to Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Ibiza, says the new dress code is ‘fit for our times’.

The new policy also allows any cabin crew or ground staff to have long hair, wear diamond earrings, glasses with clear frames or jewellery, including watches.

However, the airline’s employees must continue to hide any tattoos and wear their name badges.

CASH ‘PHISHERS’

TWO MEN have been arrested in Benidorm for illegally obtaining bank account and credit card details via phone text messages, which netted them around €50,000. The Spaniard and Italian, aged 31 and 37 years, deceived at least 50 people in the scam known as ‘phishing’.

The men sent out text messages to targets pretending to come from banks, with clients asked to enter in their personal details in addition to all of the information related to their credit cards.

Once the duo had the card numbers and CVV security codes, they passed them onto colleagues so that they could make illegal withdrawals or purchases.

intermediate goods output. Meanwhile, production of energy items slid by 1.5%. However, there was a silver lining as the output of capital goods demonstrated resilience by advancing 3.2%.

Decline

Looking at the month-onmonth figures, industrial output experienced a substantial decline of 1.8% in April, in stark contrast to the 1.3% increase observed in March.

This decline represents the largest drop in 13 months, adding to the surprise and concern surrounding Spain’s industrial sector performance.

Back in work

UNEMPLOYMENT in Spain is at its lowest level since 2008, just before the financial crash.

In May, the jobless total fell by almost 50,000, to 2,739,110.

Over 200,000 new workers were registered in the Social Security system to make a total of 20,815,399 its highest number ever. Some 70% of the new jobs are within the services sector.

Purely shellfish Greek influence

MADRID’S Prado Museum has launched an exhibition looking at the major influence that 'El Greco' had on the legendary modern Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso, who died 50 years ago.

Running until mid-September, Picasso, El Greco, and Analytical Cubism features a selection of works from both men including some not previously displayed in the Prado.

Gallery director, Miguel Falmir, says that highlights include four Picasso paintings from 1911, which were 'the greatest revolution in art history with the introduction of analytical cubism'.

El Greco was born in Greece and worked in Italy before landing in Spain in his late-30s in 1577 to become a leading figure of the Spanish Renaissance movement.

Picasso was a great El Greco admirer, who was a major influence on the young artist.

El Bulli is back

EL BULLI, repeatedly voted the world’s best restaurant before it closed in July 2011, is reopening as a museum to tell the story of how it sparked a culinary revolution in Spain. The premises at Cala Montjoi on Catalunya’s Costa Brava have been renamed as El Bulli 1846 in reference to the 1,846 dishes that

NEW TAKE

ARTIST Eva Fabregas has started a new genre - the Bowel Movement. Barcelona-born Fabregas has produced an eye-opening exhibition of ‘living’ sculptures featuring representations of human intestines draped through Santander's Centro Bolin . She designed large bulbous objects with bowel-like bodies that ‘repre-

€11m gourmet museum opens but food will be plastic or wax

chef Ferran Adria says were developed at the restaurant. Adria pioneered molecular gastronomy, the culinary trend that deconstructs ingredients and recombines them in unexpected ways. The resultant dishes produced interesting combinations and textures, such as fruit foam, gazpacho popsicles and caramelised quails.

El Bulli was ranked in top spot five times on Restaurant magazine’s Top 50 list of the world’s best eateries.

sent a living organism’.

Apparently her work is concerned with the ‘erotica of the consumer object and the mechanisms of desire’, although for the uninitiated it is quite hard to make the connection.

Fabregas says she creates works that ‘dissect the cacophony that is wellness culture, consumerism, and therapeutic subcultures found on social media’.

Answers on a postcard please.

OP QUICK CROSSWORD

Across

7 Feeler (8)

8 Evils (4)

9 Plaid (6)

10 Measurement system (6)

11 Parody (4,2)

13 Monopolize (6)

14 For each (3)

15 The girls from UNCLE? (6)

17 Resist (6)

19 Black Sea port (6)

21 Chopping sport (6)

23 Irish county (4)

24 Ran madly about in America (8)

Down

1 Act properly (6)

2 Let it stand (4)

3 German gin (8)

4 Quantity of paper (4)

5 Cover with decorative paper (4,4)

6 Mountain plant (6)

12 Outcome is in codemust be deciphered (8)

13 Dishes (8)

16 Third-largest ocean (6)

18 Glossy (6)

20 “Or to take --- against a sea of troubles ...” (Shakespeare, Hamlet) (4)

22 Dominion (4)

All solutions are on page 22

“It’s not about coming here to eat, but to understand what happened in El Bulli,” Adria, 61, said of the restaurant he ran for more than

two decades.

The museum opens this Thursday (June 15), some 12 years after the restaurant was forced to close due to big financial losses.

Visitors will be able to see hundreds of photos, notebooks, trophies and models made of plastic or wax that emulate some of the innovative dishes that were served at the eatery.

A foundation set up to maintain El Bulli’s legacy has invested €11 million in the museum with the project first announced in 2019. Plans to expand the building on Cala Montjoi cove had to be changed after running into opposition from environmentalists.

MARINE shells used as ornaments 30,000 years ago have been discovered in a Spanish cave.

Researchers found 13 marine and freshwater shells in the Ardales Cave in Malaga that were ‘carefully transformed’ into ornaments between 25,000 and 30,000 years ago by the first Homo sapiens. They believe the shells were worn as necklaces and earrings and that they were highly prized as the cave is 50 kilometres from the sea.

Researchers from the University of Cadiz explained that this discovery reinforces the site’s position as ‘among the most important on the Iberian Peninsula’.

The analysis of the shells has been headed by UCA professor Juan Jesus Cantillo Duarte who said: “It is unusual to find this type of marine remains in caves located so far inland and with such an ancient chronology.”

Ancient humans used the Ardales cave for over 50,000 years, and it is renowned for art featuring over 1,000 paintings and engravings made by prehistoric people, as well as artifacts and human remains.

TOP RESTAURANT: But the food is plastic

By Alex Trelinski

Dear Jennifer:

The caring side

How Paul Cunningham Nurses was founded

PAUL Cunningham Nurses Charity was my vision. On my return to Spain after losing my son Paul to spinal cancer at the age of 33, I was shocked to learn that there was no hospice care nursing available in Spain.

As a successful business woman, operating eight offices throughout the Costa Blanca and Lanzarote, I have lived in Spain for over 30 years and understand the needs of the expat communities.

Then I met the right people, in the right place at the right time, to start the charity in 2008. It was necessary to have a massive amount of fund raising and support to open the first charity shop in Quesada, which is still open and running.

Fundraising events included galas, dinner dances, raffle, with participants donating not only money, but time and services. Many of the venues and music were donated and every event was so enjoyable, and I tried to be present at many of these events. Without all this help, we wouldn’t be where we are today. The headquarters of the charity share an office in La Marina with my insurance office and we now have three charity shops, which along with friends and sponsors of the charity, raise the necessary funds to support the nurses in giving home care for terminally ill patients. We work very closely with Torrevieja hospital, which in all reality is a godsend for them, as they call us to inform us that there is a patient who needs the charity’s help to enable them to return home.

We have all types of equipment available for free of charge loans and the nurse allocated will have a brief from the hospital doctors regarding medication and patient requirements. We are not just there for the patient, but also there to help and support the family.

Despite the problems over the last few years, we are surviving but it isn’t easy. Fortunately I have a very steady pair of hands, acting on my behalf– thank you Chris.

My vision and my hope would be finding somebody, with the enthusiasm and talent to take the charity to the next level and extend coverage throughout all of the Costa Blanca and beyond, but I do feel that this is just a dream.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR A QUOTATION, PLEASE CALL ONE OF MY OFFICES, EMAIL INFO@ JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.JENNIFERCUNNINGHAM.NET

MANZANILLAS AND MAGIC

IT was with a sense of coming home that I arrived back in Spain a few weeks ago and, in particular, my favourite region of Andalucia.

I first arrived in this country 25 years ago almost to the day and have now set up home again near Sotogrande.

After finishing university, I had headed out into the desert in North Africa to begin my career as a writer, aged 21, and after three months I travelled back to Europe to visit friends on the Costa del Sol, taking a boat from Algeria to Algeciras.

After three days of travel, following 90 days of dry (in both senses of the word) dunes, I arrived in the leafy gardens by the Alcazar in Sevilla.

There I was greeted by flamenco dresses spinning out Sevillanas in the warm summer night as a guitarist strummed and a bar served ice cold Cruzcampo.

In the heat of Sevilla, I always retreat into Casa Matías on Calle Arfe to write – I’ve written about it in two books and in newspapers from the Financial Times to Daily Mail – although it was not me who discovered it.

It was actually one of my oldest friends, actor Hugh Dancy, who

joined me in Sevilla fresh from his own North African adventure in his first starring role in Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down and, speaking Spanish, he quickly found the best bar in town. Hugh went on to great things, from being nominated for an Emmy opposite Helen Mirren in Tom Hooper’s Elizabeth I and most recently starred as Detective Will Graham in the series Hannibal opposite our friend, the Dane, Mads Mikkelsen, the best of all Bond villains, who now lives in Mallorca.

My fondest memories are of when he joined me here in Spain in 2009 with his wife Claire Danes on the heels of their wedding in France and they visited again to meet my polo player fi-

AT HOME WITH XANDER

ancée Klarina (that’s why we’re in Soto) in what turned out to be our last social engagement before COVID-19 lockdown. (They were also coincidentally the first friends I saw after lockdown when Claire was filming The Essex Serpent with Tom Hiddleston.) However, it is not the celluloid blockbusters or art house gems which have been the backdrops to my favourite stories of these meet-ups around the world. Actors seem to have much more fun when working on projects destined not to do so well. Hence my fond memories of nights out in Dublin with Hugh and Mads and his Swedish pal Stellan Skarsgård, the charming Kiera Knightley and the legendary Ray Winstone – fresh from his extraor-

dinary turn in Sexy Beast as a retired gangster on the Costa del Sol (actually filmed in Almeria). The last time we were together with Hugh and Claire was with financier friends in Ronda. The Olive Press had earlier covered their honeymoon in Gaucin, but the newspaper wasn’t there in Ronda, when we spent a lazy afternoon knocking back manzanillas and Ronda tintos over tapas telling old Hollywood tales at the once-famous De Locos Tapas. Nobody knew there were two Hollywood stars in town, and nobody bothered us, just as they didn’t when the

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Tentacle, 8 Ills, 9 Tartan, 10 Metric, 11 Send up, 13 Corner, 14 Per, 15 Nieces, 17 Oppose, 19 Odessa, 21 Karate, 23 Mayo, 24 Maryland.

Down: 1 Behave, 2 Stet, 3 Schnapps, 4 Ream, 5 Gift wrap, 6 Alpine, 12 Decision, 13 Crockery, 16 Indian, 18 Satiny, 20 Arms, 22 Rule.

King and Queen of Sweden recently came to visit, or Bill Gates had a dirty weekend (I assume), so anonymous and undisturbed is life in that ancient mountain redoubt.

It’s exactly why I was back last weekend, writing about the town for the Telegraph: only heaven can have a bridge which looks down so far...

While De Locos is no longer there, in its place is a fine spot, Barrafino, where I drank finos and ate fabulous steak, before taking a walk around the wonderful casco histórico that hasn’t changed one iota.

Next stop is Pamplona, where I am heading with Ernest Hemingway’s grandson John, with whom I co-authored a book.

I hope to match my feet against the fighting bulls of Miura, Domecq and the other names that inspire dread amongst a certain Spanish crowd.

I know some readers will hate that, but as I have always said, you can always come and berate me to my face… at 8am on calle Estafeta on July 7. But tread carefully, the bulls may disagree with both of us.

In his inaugural summer column for the Olive Press, UK society page regular Alexander Fiske-Harrison on nights out in Ronda with Claire Danes and ‘coming home’ to Spain

BRONZED: Hugh and Xander on a Cadiz beach in 1998

HOLLYWOOD IN TOWN: Claire Danes in Ronda and Xander (top) with fiancee Klavina in Sevilla

Smelly feet warning

RISING temperatures in Spain have brought a warning about foot bacterial infections caused by excess sweating.

The Valencian Community's College of Podiatrists(ICOPCV) says that 'keratolysis punctata' is one of the most frequent conditions to appear on feet in the summer months.

Jorge Escoto from the ICOPCV said: “This pathology is an infection that affects the most superficial layer of the skin that is very common in the summer as excess sweating favours the growth of bacteria.”

The symptoms are the appearance of small holes on the upper part of the skin of the soles with each dimple between one and three millimetres in size They have a tendency to clump together on heels or on the tips of the feet, which are the areas where the foot supports the most pressure when walking. "The grouping of the holes can converge and cause a large injury,” warned Jorge Escoto. “The skin of the affected area may change colour and texture with most commonly a whitish and wrinkled appearance but can turn greenish or even black from an infection, which is normally accompanied by an unpleasant odour” he added.

Podiatrists recommend wearing suitable breathable footwear that prevents continuous sweating and to use special socks that are designed to curb sweating.

Cancer shock

Skin cancer cases soar by 40% in just four years

SHOCK new figures show that the number of skin cancer patients has risen by 40% in Spain in the past four years.

According to the Spanish Academy of Dermatology, over 78,000 cases are diagnosed every year, which means that 120 individuals in every 100,000 people suffer from skin cancer. Within these figures, experts explain that 12 in every 100,000 individuals have Melanoma, the most serious type of skin can -

By Alberto Lejarraga

cer. However, they warn that in 2040, this form of skin

EBOLA SCARE

A WOMAN was given the all-clear for a suspected Ebola infection at a Basque Country hospital with tests showing she in fact had malaria.

Ebola is a serious and potentially fatal viral disease with a 50% mortality rate transmitted to humans through wild animals and then between people.

The patient was admitted to the High Biological Security Unit of the Donostia University Hospital in San Sebastian on June 1 after recently returning to a trip to the Central African Republic.

Spain has had just one recorded Ebola case when Galician nurse Teresa Romero contracted and overcame the disease in 2014.

Please help

Bandido!

This adorable fellow badly needs a loving home!

His owner tied him in his field, alone, from being a puppy. The man lived elsewhere and rarely called to see Bandido, leaving him with old food and stale crusts of bread.

And then, of course, the man died and Bandido was forgotten. Almost on death's door and by amazing fortune a neighbour called the police. So next, Bandido was put into the most horrendous kennels that made Alcatraz prison look like the Hilton.

So afraid was he that a member of staff called Borders Without Borders and pleaded for them to get him away. He was suffering badly. They did and they found him a home. An elderly lady who adored him. He followed her everywhere. He is extremely shy and nervous and it takes a week or so for him to relax but then he is a faithful shadow who longs to give the abundance of love he holds within.

All seemed well, until the old lady’s family paid their annual visit a few months later and immediately told the association to take him back. They claimed their mother - who had loved him very much and was devastated -

cancer, which is by far the most dangerous, will become the second most common tumour, ahead of colon and lung cancer. And it is expected to become the most common type of cancer in men by that year.

Scientists point out that skin cancer is often caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, which is already reaching dangerous levels in Spain.

Sunscreen

So they remind holidaymakers not to expose themselves to the sun for long periods and to always use sunscreen.

“People spend the whole year working inside an office but when the summer holidays arrive, they go to the beach for the whole day. This sporadic, yet excessive exposure is particularly dangerous,” Eduardo Nagore, Head of the Valencian Institute of Oncology said. Experts insist 95% of the cases can be prevented with basic measures such as using sunscreen. The number of people suffering from this type of disease is increasing worldwide.

AHEAD of World Tapas Day, the tapas with the best properties for maintaining healthy eyes have been identified.

Celebrated on the third Thursday of June - this year June 15 - World Tapas Day is dedicated to honouring perhaps Spain’s best-loved culinary tradition.

And while they can often involve a staple of friend food, they are of course part of the legendarily long-living Mediterranean diet.

And the four most beneficial tapas for healthy vision?

Well, it won’t be too much of a sacrifice to add these to your diet: Pimientos de Padron (fried green peppers), espinacas con garbanzos (spinach and chickpeas), boquerones en vinagre (little fish in vinegar) and gazpacho (cold soup).

Pimientos de Padron are a good source of vitamin C, which is essential for maintaining healthy blood vessels in the eyes and may help prevent cataracts

Spinach is rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.

Health

Chickpeas are also a good source of zinc, which supports eye health.

Boquerones provide a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation and support healthy retinal function.

Tomatoes in gazpacho contain lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect the eyes from oxidative stress and reduce the risk of developing age-related eye diseases.

Lisa James from Specsavers Opticas in Guardamar said:

“Eating a well-balanced diet is great for your health and some foods can also benefit your eyes and vision.

“When choosing eye-healthy foods, look for foods with vitamin A, C and E, Zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

“These include; red peppers, leafy green vegetables, oily fish, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits and berries, eggs, carrots and other orange-coloured fruits and vegetables, beans and peas and whole grains.”

Wise words for when chowing down your favourite tapas today - for those who wear glasses and those who don’t want to need to wear glasses.

was too old. She was struggling to care for him. Now Bandido is back in prison though luckily he now has a sponsor who will pay for a full medical, arrange transportation to you and pay for his annual vaccination for the next 4 years and assist with his food.

He is about six years old but the vet said he has already become a grandfather from sadness.

He just needs a peaceful, secure home and a huge heart. Is it you? You will be drugged by his gentleness and delirious with the unusual loveliness of his face. Please get in touch with us at the following numbers and email.

Firework Palava

MALAGA residents were left fuming over the racket caused by the christening of a British cruise ship in the port. The crew smashed champagne and let off fireworks at midnight.

Kinky cafe

POLICE raiding a Madrid cafe after complaints of noise were surprised to find 60 people partying and a secret dark room used for orgies.

Chew that

A PAIR of thieves were arrested in Barcelona after stealing a luxury €70,000 watch by holding down the owner and chewing the strap off his wrist.

O P LIVE RESS

Hey Jude

REAL Madrid have boldly put aside their past trauma with English players to land the prized Birmingham-born midfielder Jude Bellingham for a nine-figure sum.

Beating off stiff competition from financially juiced Premier League clubs such as Manchester City and Chelsea - as well as PSG - they will stump up €103 million to sign Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund. The sum Madrid will hand over is second only to the €115 million they paid for horror

Real win race to sign wonderkid Bellingham

By Walter Finch

flop Eden Hazard - but more than the €94 million and €101 million they paid for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale respectively. Although not a like-for-like replacement, Bellingham will be expected to fill the boots of

LOST IN TRANSLATION

AS Thor he may be able to smite his foes with lightning and tank a blast from a neutron star. But in real life, actor Chris Hemsworth cannot remember even a basic Spanish sentence. For the Hollywood hunk, 39, was caught having scrawled ‘Estoy muy feliz de estar en España’ on the palm of his hand while at a Madrid promo of his new movie Extraction 2. It translates as ‘I’m very happy to be in Spain.’ And this in spite of the fact that he has been married to Spanish model Elsa Pataky since 2010.

Ballon D’Or winner and Real Madrid icon Lukas Modric, now 37. The 19-year-old will line up next to other elite young tal-

MERRY BERRY

DAME Mary Berry, 88, swapped baking for dancing and went on a six-hour dash to Ibiza superclub Pacha. The Queen of Baking was whisked to the party island by TV chef James Martin, who recounted the tale to Holly Willoughby and Dermot O’Leary, filling the Phil-Schofield-shaped hole on This Morning’s sofa. And the cook-book author, born in 1935, was even seen throwing shapes and burning down the house on the dancefloor. She later called it ‘good fun’ and ‘terribly exciting’.

ent including Vinicius Junior (22), fellow Brazilian Rodrygo (22) and Frenchmen Eduardo Camavinga (20) and Aurelien Tchouameni (23).

Madridistas will hope Bellingham - a rising English star who has never played in the Premier League - will be more Steve McManaman than Johnathan Woodgate or Michael Owen. While the former won two Champions Leagues with los merengues, Woodgate did not play for over a year after his transfer due to injury, and when he finally made his debut he scored an own goal and then got sent off. Owen lasted just one season and spent most of it on the bench.

Trash behaviour

FIREFIGHTERS have rescued a young British tourist after he fell into an underground rubbish bin.

The young man had the misfortune of plummeting several metres into the pit housing the organic waste. The tourist, who suffered bruising but was otherwise unharmed, was freed from his sticky situation by Malaga firefighters after a 30 minute smelly ordeal.