Olive Press Gibraltar - Issue 182

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

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

The ‘notepads’ carefully detailed all the businesses and gangs the bogus Marbella-based company had lent or laundered money through over the last two years. Kept by the Morrisseys at their top floor rented home in Mijas, they are understood to list hun dreds of cash payments to doz ens of local businesses.

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

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

“There were so many payments that there was simply no way Johnny or his wife could keep tabs on all of them without writ

ing them down.

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

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

Gods

It was certainly a gift from the gods for the Guardia Civil probe into what they described as the ‘most important criminal organisation in Spain dedicated to mon ey laundering’.

Police from five coun tries were involved in the dawn swoop on the Costa del Sol gangster, now ac

EWN owner Michel Eu esden, they managed to get their vodka sold in leading shops, even including El Corte Ingles.

Everything was colourfully re ported in a string of gushing articles in the paper and online.

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

She later wrote in February this year that Nicola was a ‘dynamic

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

They own at least 11 properties on the Costa del Sol, which were all raided last week by of ficers from the Guardia Civil’s crack GAR team.

€3 and €5 million alone, while they own countless luxury cars and watches.

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

business woman’. Under a pho to of her beside her Rolls Royce, she insisted: “She is focused with a heart of gold, sharp witted and sharp eyed. And she has sacrificed like only a WINNER can. She is liv ing the life she designed for HER. She is our hope for the future - we really can have it all if we want it enough.

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

Money

This includes two villas, both valued at between

Locally, despite the links

to the vodka company they are believed to have invested in a drying out clinic and they were set to open an upmarket well ness spa in Mijas next year. The spa features large statues of centaurs, eagles and, of course, Roman figures such as Nero, one of Morrissey’s heroes.

While Morrissey was last week remanded in custody at Marbella Court, his wife PRAISE: Nero’s pushy marketing in local press

received bail, believed to be because of her 10-yearold son.

“In short the Morriseys bought the coast with the help of their friends,” ex plained a friend. “Money talks down here and they splashed it everywhere, but it ended up with them think ing they could get away with anything. No longer.”

NERO TO ZERO implicated after police seize ‘little black books’ full of transactions by mafia ‘financier’ ‘Cash’

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

European Centre for Financial and Economic Crime.

The Guardia Civil later con firmed that Morrissey was at the head of the ‘most import ant’ international criminal or ganisation operating in Spain dedicated to money laundering.

In little more than a year and a half Morrisey is believed to have laundered around €350,000 a day.

Fearsome

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

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

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

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

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

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

He is also suspected of bank rolling the final days of noto rious timeshare scammer Toni Muldoon who died in 2019.

Muldoon was jailed for seven and a half years for ripping off ordinary people to the tune of tens of millions over the years.

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

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

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

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

did not make a lot of profit.

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

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

Murders

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

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

him up.”

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

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

With a UNESCO world heritage site offering 120,000 years of human history and only short drive from the Costa del Sol, enjoy the warmth of the British Gibraltarians and splash out VAT-free in Sterling.

Gibraltar. Sun, sea and history served with a very British twist. year of Cultur

For further information call: Gibraltar Tourist Board +350 200 74950

Or to download a brochure go to: www.visitgibraltar.gi

History, adventure and romance. just the setting. and in a unique part of the world.

Cashed out Rolls Royce Morrissey

SURROUNDED: British and Irish police joined the Guardia operation

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

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

Tennis Teen Sensation

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

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

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

By Cristina Hodgson

David delight

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

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

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

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

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

There was also Whitney, TLC and the Backstreet Boys in the mix, as the lad from Southamp ton showed how he’s matured.

Incredibly relaxed, he continu ally chatted to the crowd, who included Olive Press compe tition winner American Jason Schmidt, from Sacramento, who lives in nearby Istan.

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

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

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

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

To make ends meet when she was widowed with three chil dren to care for, she worked as a matutera (goods smuggler).

She ranged from her Cadiz home to Portugal, Gibraltar and Jerez, illicitly trading to bacco, coffee and fabrics, in order to raise her children.

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

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

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

Tragically, in 1980 her only daughter Pepa died, leaving

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

What a Saint

GENTLEMEN PREFER BRUNETTES

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

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

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

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

GOING STRONG: Maria is 109 years old

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

Matacabras, currently resides with one of her granddaugh

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

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

Sing

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

Punk Patti in town

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

The singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 de but album Horses Dubbed the ‘punk rock lau reate’, the 75-year-old will take to the stage on Monday September 26. She is not the only big name at the mu sic fes tival, which will

run until October 15.

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

FAMILY AFFAIR: Maria was presented with a bouquet

WILD WOMAN: Patti in full flow

STARS: Deep Purple and (left) Boy George

On the Royal beat

SIX police officers from Gibraltar helped the Met in London as people paid their condolenc es to Queen Elizabeth II.

The officers wore Royal Gibraltar Police cere monial uniforms during the funeral.

Police Commissioner Richard Ullger said that it was a sad time for the officers and the people of Gibraltar.

But he expressed his pride that the local force was in London for such an historic occasion.

“The officers have all expressed their immense pride to serve the Queen one last time and I am grateful for the professionalism and dedica tion they have shown,” said Ullger.

‘WE WERE YOUR ROCK’

THE Chief Minister and Gov ernor of Gibraltar attended the State funeral of Queen Eliza beth II in London after signing the book of condolences at Lan caster House.

It completed an emotional week for the Rock and its res idents, which Chief Minister Fabian Picardo summed up by saying: ‘We were your Rock, and you were ours’.

In Gibraltar, Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Garcia, Dep uty Governor Marc Holland, Chief Secretary Darren Grech and the Commander British Forces Commodore Tom Guy assembled at Convent Place. They observed a two minute si lence at 12:54pm from Convent Place to pay their respects on the day of the funeral.

Authorities cancelled Nation al Day on the Rock, instead showing moments from the first proclamations from King Charles III on the big screens at Casemates Square. Gibraltar was in national mourning during the 10 days leading to the funeral ceremo ny, with the whole British ter ritory observing a one minute

Emotions high over the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth

silence on Sunday at 9pm.

On Monday, the residents of the Rock had a public holiday to be able to watch the former queen’s funeral.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo gave the deceased monarch his own personal tributes.

He spoke about the ‘sadness’ and ‘deepest condolences’ his government felt for the death of the Queen at the age of 96-years-old.

“The People of Gibraltar will mourn Her Majesty as a mon

arch who has reigned wisely and with incomparable dedi cation throughout the period of our post-war emergence as a part of the British family of nations,” Picardo said.

“I have written to His Majesty the King to offer the deepest condolences of the Govern ment and the People of Gibral tar to all the members of our Royal Family at this sad time.”

Flags flew at half-mast across the British Over seas Territory as ministers and leading public figures and the gov ernor signed a book of con dolences.

Picardo called Queen Eliz abeth Gi braltar’s own ‘strength and stay’ during adversity, especially during the closed fron tier years and the referen

dum choice to remain British.

“For that reason, none would dispute former Prime Minis ter Boris Johnson’s proposed epitaph of Elizabeth The Great for Her Late Majesty,” the Chief Minister said.

“But we may all agree that the move by Lords and MPs in London to record Her Majesty for posterity as Elizabeth the Faithful may be the best epi taph of all.

“For beyond Her deep religious faith, Her faith to Her family, to Her nations and to Her peo ple was the truest mark of Her greatness.”

Condolences

During the week leading up to the funeral, the Gibraltar Reg iment fired a 96-gun salute in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. The Gibraltar Government also received messages of condo lences from the neighbouring mayors including Juan Franco of La Linea.

Picardo said that following the condolences from unlikely sources like the Partido Pop ular in La Linea he believed a new era of better relations with Spain was on the way.

PAYING

“I hope that we are at the be ginning of a new era of coexis tence, of a partnership in which we can work with our neighbours and are respected for what we are and for who we are,” concluded the Chief Minister.

Earlier in the week end the local leader told the GBC that ‘Gibraltar would very much like’ King Charlesto come to Gibraltar as part of any future Common wealth tour. “The people of Gibraltar would long for a vis it,” Picardo said.

“We would be de lighted with a visit. I see no reason why there shouldn’t be one.”

PRIDE: RGP officers helped out in London

SALUTE: Guns fired in homage to the Queen

By John Culatto

STAR RISING

TRAVEL agents have voted Gibraltar as a finalist in a pres tigious global tourism competition, the government has announced.

Gibraltar Tourist Board is competing with Greece, Italy, Jordan, South Africa and Thailand for the Star Cultur al Tourism Destination at the UK’s Travel Bulletin Star Awards 2022.

Winners for the prestigious competition, that has been on ice for three years during the pandemic, will be announced at the Hilton London Bankside on October 31.

PORT launches from Gibral tar stopped all other opera tions to focus on cleaning up oil released from the ship beached 700 metres from Catalan Bay.

After removing all loose items from the ship, salvage teams lowered the 105 metre rear section of the ship onto the seabed on September 16 by flooding cargo hold five. The move helped to keep the beached ship from breaking up further while waiting for better weather when the sal vage operation can be con tinued.

Stern

“Operation Salvor, ap proved by the Gibraltar Port Authority (GPA), to lower the stern of the ship has pro ceeded as planned,” Captain of the Port John Ghio said. “As a result, the OS 35 is now safely on the sandy seabed, putting it in a bet ter position to withstand adverse weather conditions and recovery operations ahead.”

NATIONAL Day celebra tions were postponed for another year after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Instead, the screens onstage at Casemates Square streamed the September 10 First Proclamation of King Charles III in front of the As cension Council.

The Royal Gibraltar Regi ment fired a 96-gun salute in memory of the Queen’s

death.

NATIONALISM POSTPONED

The local leader spoke of the ‘cloud of sorrow’ over the Rock at the death of the monarch and continued to eulogise Queen Elizabeth II in a lengthy ad dress.

Breakup prevented

The GPA said that sheening was more extensive after the storm subsided but Algeci ras port vessels helped to clean up any oil that crept into the bay past Europa Point.

It reported that ‘there is no free-floating thick oil seep ing from the vessel’ and ‘no beaches are impacted by oil ing’.

The next step could be re moving the ship’s cargo of 33,632 tons of steel bars, made up of 11,636 bales.

The government revealed

Clean-up operation on beached ship in full swing

By John Culatto

that about three-quarters of the ship was damaged and flooded with water before lowering to the seabed.

The 73-metre front section of the ship was only held on to the aft by cracked and twisted steel.

Booms caught any oil that was released from the con

trolled lowering of the ship. Tugs then removed the booms to stop them break ing up in the high winds.

Prosecutors have charged ship’s captain Abdelabari Kaddura, 53, a Syrian na tional, with ‘failing to take appropriate action to avoid collision’ and ‘damaging a breeding site of a wild ani mal of a European protected species.

“In reflecting for Gibraltar on Queen Elizabeth’s lifetime of service, I think we must reflect on the fact that She was the queen of all our constitutions to date,” the Chief Minister said.

“As our Queen, she was the

head of our Executive and we were expressly one of Her dominions.”

He urged the public ‘to enjoy the day with your family and friends, tinged with sadness as it will be, commemorating the great memory of our for mer sovereign’.

Flags flew at full-mast on Sunday and returned to half-mast on Monday for the Queen’s funeral.

Flowing freely

THE Gibraltar Government has lifted all remain ing potable water restrictions six weeks after it first imposed them.

It is the first time since July 28 that there are no caps on water usage on the Rock after the Powers Drive Tunnel fire that knocked out Reverse Osmo sis water plants at Governor’s Cottage.

It means high water users can finally turn their taps back on for swimming pools and other luxury reasons. The announcement was made at the Stra tegic Coordinating Group’s meeting on the advice of AquaGib.

The group also reassured citizens over concerns about the saltwater intakes for Reverse Osmosis plants after the oil spill.

Divers are now daily checking the spot at Little Bay from where the water is pumped to desalination plants.

They have so far not found any oil being pumped into the system.

As a result of the decision, residents will no longer need to use non-potable water bowsers for water ing plants and cleaning.

These will no longer be imported from Spain and residents will now be able to return to using their taps instead. The Government thanked all resi dents who cooperated in the effort during the hot summer months.

*Data extracted from process closure surveys after using our roadside assistance and breakdown

Queen of the Rock

THE recent death of Queen Elizabeth II is an end of an era for most Gibraltarians who have seen her represent the mainstay of the British connection since they were born.

Within the constitution, she is the connecting force be tween the UK and Gibraltar as head of state, over and above both governments.

Even if by international democratic standards the monar chy might be an outdated unelected institution, for many she seemed like a woman in a position of power who tried to keep the UK and Gibraltar together through fractured times.

And for the people of the Rock, she really mattered.

When she passed away – although it was inevitable it would happen eventually after she turned 96 – it seemed like the end of an era.

But why does the monarchy mean so much to the Rock?

The love affair with Queen Elizabeth II started in May 1954 when she visited Gibraltar.

At the time, it must have felt comforting to the local peo ple, under pressure from the fascist dictator Franco on their doorstep, to rally around a figure like the recently crowned queen.

Branded as one of the ‘greatest days in Gibraltar’s histo ry’, it saw people line the streets to welcome her. She then went on to change the name of Reclamation Road to Queensway, marking the Rock forever with her presence.

More recently, after the disaster Brexit was for Gibraltar and the need to finally come to the negotiating table with Spain, it felt comforting for this post-imperial symbol to somehow connect the Rock with the UK.

Elizabeth’s 1981 visit was also the first time the now King Charles III stepped on to the Rock, albeit as a young child. He would then visit Gibraltar with Princess Diana in Au gust 1981, further cementing his place in Rock folklore. Now the people of this British Overseas Territory, con stantly looking at an uncertain future, will hope the new sovereign will provide them the same comfort and con nection with the UK.

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo himself said he would like King Charles III to visit, and whether he does or not could be a determining factor on the monarchy’s rele vance to local people.

Grieving for you

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

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

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

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

Felipe actually addressed Queen Eliza beth as ‘Aunt Lilibet’ and referred to the late Duke of Edinburgh as ‘Uncle Philip’. The strong bond between the families is because Queen Sofía of Spain’s grandfa ther was the uncle of Elizabeth’s husband. The Duke of Edinburgh, who died in 2021, was the son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Al ice of Battenberg. His uncle was King

By Jorge Hinojosa

Constantine I, the grandfather of Queen Sofía.

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

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

‘Your Majesty, dearest Charles,

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

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

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

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

Felipe

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Simon Hunter, Madrid

ROYAL TREATMENT another how a

EMPATHY: Letizia and Felipe signed the condolences book

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

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

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

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

Some students will be changing their

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

school, which can be a life-changing deci sion. They might be switching from a state school to an international college, or a Mon tosorri or a Warldorf establishment.

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

Or, perhaps, you’re simply wondering where to obtain this year’s school materials with out it costing a small fortune.

Whatever your child’s school circumstances this September (and most will have started last week, so they will be getting used to it

by now) the Olive Press sets out to demystify ‘back to school 2022’.

What types of education are available in Spain

For parents who consider their children to be individual ‘square pegs’, who don’t fit into the ‘round holes’ of state education, based largely on continuous assessment and ex ams, there are alternative choices available

STATE EDUCATION

PROS 3 Your child will be involved in your local community

3 Their friends will live locally

3 They will quickly be fluent at Spanish / bilingual

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

3 It is free of charge

CONS

2 Rigid structure based on con tinuous assessment

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

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

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

PRIVATE EDUCATION

PROS

3 Cambridge exams are provided

3 Caters for entry to UK universities

3 International Baccalaureate entry

3 Individualised learning plan

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

3 Speak to educators in English

CONS

2 The cost each year

2 Paying for school uniform, that your child must wear

2 Less immersion of your child in their local community

2 Friends might live further away

2 Child is less likely to be fluent at Span ish

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

2 The school holidays do not match Spanish holidays

Crunching the numbers...

From front

throughout Spain.

B School

There are 7,806 private schools in Spain, with 14,694 In the public sector…so roughly a third of the schools are independent.

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

VsMeanwhile 9.9% of Spain’s pupils are foreign, while in Andalucia, 21% are educated outside the state system and in Valencia this rises to 25%, explaining why there are so many international schools on the costas, including many with French, British and American syl labuses.

International schools for a British syllabus

In the case of British schools, these offer Cambridge exams and allow pupils to take GCSEs and A-Levels.

Most offer an individualised learn ing plan, which wouldn’t be avail able in state schools and they are likely to have excellent pur pose-built facilities.

They communicate with parents in their native language, mak ing parent-teacher meetings a breeze.

International schools also pro vide a convenient pathway to

enter the UK university system seamlessly.

They are a popular choice with par ents who come to Spain for contract work, or a limited time only, and don’t plan to remain here – although this sort of working life has decreased with Brexit.

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

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

Montessori

Spain has various Montessori schools, with most big cities offering at least one. Developed in the early 20th century by Italian physician, Maria Montessori, and based on scientific experimentation, the emphasis is on developing natural in terests and activities, and on hands-on learning and real-life skills, rather than using formal teaching methods.

The idea is to encourage independence by supporting children to learn in a

Continues on page 3

I SENT MY SON TO A STEINER SCHOOL

AWELCOME addition to the educational offerings here in the Costa, Alma For est School will soon be expanding into Middle School year groups from its cur rent pre-school and primary offering. During our recent visit, we had the chance to learn more about its progressive curriculum where classes are small, and where both teachers and students are enthusiastic and motivated to be there to learn, explore and discover new things together.

A progressive school with an international program fully accredited in Spain, Alma Forest makes learning come alive by drawing from the local environment as well as the outdoors, and taking students beyond their beautiful finca, to the beach, the forest or further afield to support a meaningful learning experience. And one of the things that really stood out was how much of the curriculum is co-created with the students and guided by their interests. Students have literacy and numeracy work shops similar to those you might find in inter national schools around the globe. But one of the factors that sets the school apart is the

OLIVE PRESS reader Annabelle

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

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

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

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

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

Where learning comes alive the students. the time of our visit, the students the School were just starting their investigation of the Universe & Black Holes

and there was a buzz and tangible excitement as the students recounted their experiences and discoveries to date. Explorations are very much up to the interests of the students and

in the past, Explorations have focused on Salt, Photography, Evolution, and The Future, just to name a few.

In addition to these Ex plorations, students also spend time working on their own projects. Free ly choosing these proj ects, they plan them and manage their own time in order to complete them.

Even the youngest stu dents quickly learn how to map out their work, use real tools, to sew and how to conduct research.

Students develop resilience and persever ance while finding and following their own passions.

The foundations for the independence and responsibility that the students in the Prima ry School exhibit have been laid in the Alma Escuela Bosque (pre-school) years. In this part of the school for children aged 3-6, stu dents are offered teacher-led activities, inde pendent activities corresponding to a weekly theme, or exploration and play in the wonder ful outside space full of materials, tools, trees and dens. An environment which honours the magic of childhood.

On the whole, students aged 3-14 years old at Alma Forest School seemed very much at home in their school, confident in their learn ing and happy to be there.

For more information, please call +34 646 596 155, email info@almaforestschool.com or visit www.almaforestschool.com

OPPORTUNITY: International schools provide a pathway to UK universities

EXPLORATION: Children are encouraged to set out into nature to learn about the world

ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

well-prepared environment and it dis courages grades and tests.

Popular elements of this system include mixed-age classrooms, freedom of stu dents to choose their own activities, uninterrupted work time, and special ly-trained teachers. The cost can be from around €200 per month.

The Waldorf / Steiner system

Spain has over 70 Waldorf, or Steiner schools. Dating back to 1919 in Ger many, they are based on the educa tional philosophy of Rudolf Steiner.

It is one of the world’s largest indepen dent school groups and the education al style is holistic and is intended to develop the pupils’ intellectual, artistic and practical skills, as well as their

imagination and creativity.

Under this system, teachers play a sig nificant role in defining the curriculum and classroom methods. Assessments are integrated into the daily classroom activities and formal testing is limited to the actual requirements for students to enter post-secondary education, and not the continuous, formal assessment that occurs in a state school. Fees are from around €200 per month.

STATE VERSUS INDEPENDENT

JENNI

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

A PARENT’S VIEW

“Both girls started at the international school, as my husband and I work there. We were offered free places, which ensured the girls could con tinue their education in the British system, in case we decided to move back to the UK.

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

“My youngest meanwhile was placed into the correct academic year. “When we decided to stay in Spain, we gave both girls the choice to move to the Spanish system to integrate more with the local community. Both declined at the time.

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

Friends

“In the international school, she had many friends from around the world, but the Spanish girls didn’t include her, and she wasn’t confident speaking Spanish. “Now, she is fluent in Spanish, has achieved fantastic grades in her first year in the public system, and has many friends from the state system. My eldest stands by her decision to stay at the independent school.”

Peter Jones is the opposite. Both his children started their education in inland Valencia province at a state school from a young age and enjoyed it and thrived. But as they entered their teens Jones, a businessman who spends his time trav elling around Europe, agreed with his wife and their children that they should try out a private school on the Costa Blanca coast. The family felt that they would get more chances to excel in arts and music and, above all, meet a more international group of children, who would in turn ‘broaden their horizons’.

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

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

A SUNNY OUTLOOK!

Dedicated to excellence since 1971

AT Sunny View School, we create an environment which allows our students to truly thrive – academi cally, emotionally, personally and socially.

Sunny View School in Torremo linos, places a high value on its inclusive, caring and respectful atmosphere, a quality often com mented on by visitors and new comers to the school.

The school’s academic success is evidenced by its students’ exam ination results, which are consis tently well above the UK national average. The majority of its A level students go on to study at universi ties in the UK, Spain, elsewhere in Europe or the USA.

Sunny View School firmly believes that the path to such success is as important as the results them selves. At each stage of the curric ulum, from Preschool to A levels, the school’s team of experienced, UK-trained teaching staff strive to make learning fun, interactive, en gaging and inspiring, with students actively involved in their own learn ing and development.

Sunny View is also a richly diverse school, with students representing some 35 different nationalities.

As a long-established school with traditional values, the school con stantly looks to the future and con tinues to expand and upgrade its facilities and resources. Last year, the science building underwent a major renovation including im

proved layout and equipment in all the laboratories, while the school’s music room was enlarged and out fitted with new instruments. This year, the secondary students from year 7 to 10 benefit from new lap tops and digital books. The school also now takes children from 1 year old, giving them the best pos sible start on their educational journey with us.

Yet while always evolving and ad vancing, Sunny View School has maintained its strongest focus on what it does best: delivering qual ity, British education here on the Costa del Sol.

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

The Spanish media report ed that both of them were wearing ‘very summery clothes’ even though it was autumn. And during their trip they visited many beau ty spots, including Andratx, Valldemossa and La Mola.

They stayed at the Palacio de Marivent, which is the of ficial Royal residence near Palma, and after lunch they went up into the Sierra de Tramuntana.

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

Badajoz, Luis Gomez Acebo, and Pilar de Borbon.

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

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

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

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

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

showed great warmth for their British cousins.

The letter read:

‘Dear Aunt Lilibet,

We were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our dear Uncle Philip.

At this painful time, we would like to convey to you our deepest condolences on behalf of the Spanish Gov ernment and the people and all our closeness and support.

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

Felipe, Letizia.

MORE ROYAL THAN BOTH OF THEM

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

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

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

UNLOCK THE NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over 30,000 of you have now registered and have taken the opportunity to have decent, well re searched content delivered to you daily.

While the newspaper remains free, and always will be, to be really well informed and up to date on everything from fires to the environment and from changes in the law to health warnings, it’s time to get on board.

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

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

independence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REGAL: Duquesa de Alba

King Felipe was decorated with the prestigious Order of the Garter DEMAND: Simon on TV

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

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

Burning issue

Xmas lights going up already despite energy crisis

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

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

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

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

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

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

WARM WINTER

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

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

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

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

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

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

Transition.

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

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

THE RICH GET RICHER

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

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

There is talk of applying a windfall tax in 2023. Why

Profits have been made, and money is in their bulging bank accounts whilst residential and commercial cus tomers struggle to make ends meet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I prefer Greece’s formula.

Earlier this year the cen tre-right government an

Dry year

MALAGA faces the final stretch of the hydro logical year (a time period of 12 months for which precipitation totals are measured) as one of the driest in recent decades. It has been the seventh driest since records began for the province in 1961.

So far the average rainfall recorded in Mala ga this hydrological year, until August 31, has been 398.7 litres per square metre.

This is about 236 litres less than the average rainfall recorded for the same period during the last 60 years in Malaga, with 634.3 litres of water per square metre the norm.

Basically, it has rained a little over half of what is normal for Malaga in a year.

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

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

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

There is no excuse for delayed action.

GROW UP!

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

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

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

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

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

Martin Tye owner energy switch company Mariposa Energy. martin@mariposaenergia.es

The sooner the better when comes to a windfall tax

Green MattersBy Martin Tye

BRIGHT IDEA?: Madrid

By Dilip Kuner

Rock on

UK and local authors will as semble on the Rock for a week of literature and fun aimed at young and old alike.

This year’s Gibraltar Litera ture Festival will take place between November 7-12, sponsored by the John Mack intosh Educational Trust.

“The event is dedicated to promoting Gibraltarian and Gibraltar-based authors and aims to celebrate the impor tance of books and literature,” the Gibraltar government said in a statement.

Organisers Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) have so far an nounced two UK authors and established local writers.

Ele Fountain, winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Guardian’s Chil dren’s Book of the Year, will put on talks and workshops for young people.

Non-fiction author James Reid, who wrote Victor Chan dler’s biography and Doped about a British racehorse trainer who was a secret agent in Gibraltar during World War II, will also give a talk.

SPAIN’S notorious bull-spearing fiesta in Tordesillas has gone ahead but this year without blood. The Toro de la Vega bull run, which dates back to the Middle Ages, once involved the hunting of the animal by participants on horseback armed with lances or clubs. Growing animal-rights pro

AdiosCelebrating Pablo

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

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

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

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

More than 40 exhibitions, con ferences and other events are

planned at museums in Ma drid, Paris, Barcelona, Malaga, as well as in cities across the world.

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

Picasso painted it at his home in Paris in response to the 1937 bombing of Guernica, a Basque

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

Country town, which was bombed by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy at the re quest of Spanish Nationalists led by Franco.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We aim to revindicate the ar tistic legacy of Picasso and the relevance of his work,” said Spanish Cul ture Minister Miquel Iceta. “If there is one artist that de fines the 20th century, who presents it in all its cruelty, vi olence, passion, excesses and contradictions, that artist is Pablo Picasso.”

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

By Dilip Kuner

MAESTRO: Pablo Picasso and Guernica BLOOD

TAX SLASHED

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

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

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

Wild claims

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

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

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

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

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

OPEN ALL HOURS

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

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

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

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

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

By Simon Hunter

Juan Rubiales went on to say

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

Gloomy outlook

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

Carry on cabbie!

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

Money

THE Junta has agreed to regulate private cars with drivers on the Costa del Sol but with new restrictions.

The Spanish government has told the Jun ta that it must draw up new regulations for minicab-style operators like Uber, Cabify and Bolt, which will only allow them to work be tween different municipalities and not within a town or city.

This means that private drivers will not be able to take clients from Malaga airport to the city centre, but they would be allowed to take them to Marbella, for example.

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

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

REGAINING GROUND

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

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

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?

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

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

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

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

The UK’s mixed labour market report failed to boost the pound as freshly announced strikes in Felixstowe weighed on investor confi dence. However, the UK’s CPI saw Sterling climb as headline infla tion cooled and core inflation rose, providing some relief for con sumers while still supporting Bank of England (BoE) rate rise bets.

Meanwhile, optimism around the European energy crisis was tem pered by anxiety over a likely recession in Germany, Europe’s larg est economy.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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He also reminded his in terviewer that the Spanish government has reduced tax on electricity by 80%. free

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SOME 130 SOS calls for near fatal drowning were made in Andalucia during July and August - 13% more than the same peri od of 2021.

The province of Malaga led the rankings with 42 calls for assistance made, followed by Cadiz with 19.

The majority of these calls were made to assist swimmers who had not respected red flags; for going for a dip straight after lunch or after sun bathing for a long time.

Mercy calls

The average age of those helped was 35 years, with the average age for women being 34.6 and that of men 39.2 years.

Authorities recommend that people enter the wa ter slowly, especially after sunbathing or eating, and to avoid bathing while di gesting.

Other areas where SOS calls were made from included Almeria (18), Granada (15)

Sevilla (14), Huelva (12), Cordoba (7) and Jaen (3).

To date, the provinces recorded similar data to the previous year, except for Sevilla where more calls for assistance with drowning were regis tered, from eight in 2021 to fourteen in 2022.

Do not attempt to rescue a drowning person by entering the water if you have not been trained. Instead, extend or throw a floating object to the person.

Polio pushback

THE discovery of polio in London’s sewage system and fears that it could spread among children has prompted a strong response on the Rock.

Health chiefs are now urging parents to give chil dren from the ages of one to 10 polio boosters in Gibraltar. The move followed fears over the amount of people that travel to the UK annually.

“I am concerned at the increased detection of polio virus in sewage across some areas of London,” Di rector of Public Health Dr Helen Carter said.

“This unusual and may indicate that household spread of the virus is taking place in the UK, with which Gibraltar has strong travel links.

“Although the risk of contracting polio in Gibraltar remains low, the risk is even further reduced by vac cination.” Gibraltar Health Authority parents and guardians can find details of the last polio jab on their vaccination record.

Heat deaths

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

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

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

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

According to the AEMET state weather agency, this July was not only the hot test ever, but was also the

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

hottest month recorded in Spain since records began in 1961.

LIFE SAVERS

SOME 627 life-saving defibrillators have been installed throughout Malaga city. The devices, which can be used by members of the public to help treat someone who is suf fering a cardiac arrest, have been installed thanks to the initiative ‘Malaga Cardioprote gida’.

The Expaumi association has carried out a total of 109 courses attended by 1,710 people throughout 2022 to train council employees, and members of private entities and associa tions how to use the machines.

Spain’s Malaga has more than 600 defibrilla tors installed throughout the city LIFE-saving defibrillators have been installed throughout Malaga city.

There was a heatwave during the middle of the month, as well as the arrival of warm air from the north of Africa. What’s more, the months of June to August were the hottest ever recorded across Europe, according to the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Mortality

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

A 90-year-old man has been infected with West Nile virus. The man from Reus (Tarra gona) has been confirmed to have the virus and his wife, 85, is suspected of also being infected.

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

In 2020, eight people died in Andalusia after being infect ed with the virus, while 71

VIRUS ALERT

people in total were confirmed to have contracted it.

A further six people were in fected with the virus in other parts of Spain

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

The local council in Reus an

nounced on Friday that it would be carrying out a dis infection process in the city, in particular humid areas where mosquitoes gather.

The West Nile virus has a death rate of 0.1% among those infected, while it can also cause meningoenceph alitis – an inflammation of the meninges and the brain – among a further 1%.

For 20% of those infected, however, it merely causes a controllable fever.

By Simon Hunter

You’re

A few too many

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

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

High alert

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

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

Dog commute

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

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

FLYING COMEBACK

Missing Osprey lands on Galicia beach after hitching a lift

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

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

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

By Anthony Piovesan

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

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

BUTT OF THE JOKE

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

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

All is revealed when he stands up

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FREEDOM: Bird’s release