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Looking for Cinderella POLICE have issued an appeal for a ‘Cinderella’ thief who left his trainer at the scene of a crime. The wanted man ran away from officers after he was caught drinking alcohol on the streets in Chipiona, Cadiz. He was in such a rush he forgot one of his shoes, as well as a bottle of rum and a bag of ice. Police tweeted a photo of the trainer, hoping someone might recognise it. They joked that they were on the hunt for the ‘little princess’. “We don’t know if the shoe jumped off due to the acceleration of his departure or it was a logistics failure (it was not properly on) but the reality is that that shoe is being well cared for.” They also joked that a man who wears ‘€140 trainers drinks cheap rum from an €8 bottle’. However they added: “Running is for cowards and bad bullfighters and is uncomfortable with a single shoe. “If you run it is because you know you have done something wrong”.
Vol. 15 Issue 375
www.theolivepress.es
Your expat
voice in Spain August 11th - August 24th 2021
Relax with a book this summer with our guide to the best reads on Spain See page 18
THE GREAT SPANISH TAKE OFF
Cake maker vanishes leaving ‘dozens’ of wedding clients out of pocket LOST: Cinderella’s shoe
WE have winners of our competition to see the fabulous Paul Maxwell in The Elton John Experience, playing alongside the Malaga Symphony Orchestra. John Cahill and Kirsten Prydz each win a pair of tickets to the show at the Marbella Arena on August 21. They both answered correctly that Elton John has had 69 UK Top 40 hits. You can get tickets for the show at www.corteingles.es or call 0034 633647260 for more information.
A POPULAR cake maker has vanished after being accused of taking deposits from ‘dozens’ of wedding clients on the Costa del Sol. The self-professed ‘Queen of amazing cakes’ Omaya Koreitem disappeared after deleting her social media accounts and failing to fulfil orders. One client of her company Cake Couture Marbella claims to have paid €350 for a cake for his big day this summer. Ryan Archie has taken to social media for advice after he heard nothing from Koreitem as the big day approached. “This is leaving us without a cake on our wedding day,” said the British groom. “I paid a 50% deposit, which was still a good chunk of money. It was a big cake. “Now we
can’t get in contact with them and have had no reply on Facebook, Instagram or by email. “She (Koreitem) is continuing to take deposits and make false promises to couples. This is fraud and is ruining people’s special day.” A Facebook page now set up dedicated to those affected suggests that dozens ‘at least’ have been left out of pocket. Another person affected by the scandal, who asked to remain anonymous, first contacted Koreitem on Facebook when she paid a deposit for a client’s cake but then couldn’t get hold of Koreitem. “No one seems to know what happened,” she said. Another Marbella wedding planner, who wished to remain unnamed, told the Olive Press she and her clients had been left ‘devastated’ by THE SKY the scam. The 45-yearDOCTOR old wedding ALL AREAS COVERED organiser first started work4G UNLIMITED ing with KoreINTERNET item in 2012 IDEAL FOR after she came STREAMING TV highly recommended. The ALSO IPTV, British wedSATELLITE TV ding planner only became tel: (0034) 952 763 840 suspicious info@theskydoctor.com when she rewww.theskydoctor.com ceived an auto-
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Tel: 952 147 834
See page 11 & 22
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EXCLUSIVE By Kirsty McKenzie
X
Winners!
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mated message this year that said Koreitem had changed her number. Two of her clients are waiting on cakes, with a total loss of €725 in deposits. She said: ‘I asked her where she had moved to and she said Saint Martins and that I was welcome to visit anytime. I mentioned Monica was looking for her and she acted surprised but then I said that I also had cakes booked with her and she asked me to send the details as she didn’t recall. ‘Since then she has unfriended me on Facebook, taken down her page on Instagram and is not answering any messages on WhatsApp or email.’
Deception
“My clients are devastated as am I. We really don’t need this kind of deception and thieving at any point but even less so when everyone has had such a tough time. “It makes us look bad on the coast.” While a Twitter page and website still exist for Cake Couture, which was set up over two decades ago, the Instagram and Facebook pages for the business have been taken down. Another wedding planner, who had commissioned the company to make several cakes, told the Olive Press that she has apparently changed her phone number to a new one in Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. “It is such a shame as Koreitem was the go-to cake designer for very large extravagant cakes,” she said.
CRUMBS: Koreitem vanished with the cash
“I am aware of five wedding companies who have clients who booked cakes with her. “I just don’t understand why she was taking deposits and final payments but hadn’t arranged for anyone to take over the cakes which would have been the right thing to do. “I know many businesses are suffering particularly in the events sector but there are ways of not letting clients down. She should be letting clients know rather than ignoring calls and messages for weeks.” The Olive Press was unable to get a comment from Cake Couture despite various attempts over the past week.
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CRIME
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NEWS IN BRIEF Grim discovery THE body of experienced hiker Esther Dingley, who’s been missing since November, was discovered by her boyfriend on Monday on a mountain pass on the border between France and Spain.
Gotcha! ITALIAN mafia boss Domenico Paviglianiti has been arrested in Madrid after two years on the run. The 60-year-old fugitive was part of the Ndrangheta gang - one of the world’s wealthiest criminal organisations.
Goal MARBELLA Town Council has allocated €15 million to refurbish the old football stadium, including the addition of an underground parking area.
On strike SECURITY guards at Malaga airport are going on strike this Thursday, for ‘breach of the collective agreement and specifications’. Surveillance services, such as parking lots and scanners will be affected.
POLICE rescued an unlucky thief who spent two days stuck in a ventilation shaft at a Madrid area Metro station. The 23-year-old man robbed an office at the Plaza Eliptica Metro station in the Carbunchel district of the capital but things went awry when he used a ventilation
Truly shafted shaft for his escape route. He was too portly for the duct and had to spend two days in it since nobody was around due to it being the weekend. Security guards on a Monday
August 11th - August 24th 2021 morning patrol spotted the office doors had been forced and the lights were on. The Policia Nacional were called and saw several ceiling tiles on the floor. Officers inspected the shaft and discovered the trapped thief. The man was given medical treatment and then charged with burglary.
Torture horror
Waiter subjected to mock executions and disfigured with razor A WAITER at illegal parties in Marbella has been kidnapped, tortured, subjected to mock executions then had M carved in his face with a razor after being accused of stealing cash.
By Dilip Kuner
Police say that the man was held for ‘several days’ before he managed to escape his captors by jumping into his
Burglar shot A PENSIONER arrested on suspicion of murder after the fatal shooting of an intruder during a suspected robbery has been jailed after a court denied him bail. Police transferred the 77-year-old to Herrera de la Mancha prison after he appeared in court in connection with what happened during the suspected burglary at his Ciudad Real home. The pensioner said he heard gunshots at his farm in the early hours of the morning and when he went to check what was happening he saw that a man was trying to break in. He told the court that he had killed the man ‘in self-defense, acting out of insurmountable fear’. He added: "When I went to bed that day, I did not know what fate had in store for me.”
car and ramming open a garage door. So terrified was he that he did not stop until he reached his home city of Sevilla, 260 km from the villa where he had been held captive. Once there, he immediately went to the Guardia Civil to report his ordeal. Police have since made three arrests and seized cocaine and laughing gas that were to be sold at a series of illegal parties. The victim - who has not been named by police – told officers that his living hell started when he was accused of stealing money at a party where he had worked. He was beaten so severely he lost consciousness several times. He was also humiliated by being paraded at several parties as a warning to others. His captors then demanded
€10,000 in cash. He managed to persuade his father to transfer the money to his bank account, and then his captors marched him to several cash machines in Marbella to withdraw the money.
Escape
He was also driven to several remote villages where a gun was pointed at him in ‘mock executions. Balloons were burst next to his ear when the trigger was pulled in order to terrify him. He finally made his escape when his captors were distracted. As well as finding narcotics, police seized machetes and fake guns. The investigation remains open and police have not ruled out making more arrests.
Luggage grabbers FIVE people have been arrested after they were caught stealing tourists bags at Malaga airport. The thieves were operating in two groups, in the rental carpark of the airport. In one group were three French people and in the other, two from Serbia. Both groups had been targeting careless tourists while they were loading up rental cars. In some cases, the criminals would pose as terminal workers or pretend to be travellers with backpacks.
Caught
Other incidents saw some members of a group trying to distract the tourists, while another member stole their luggage. The two Serbians were caught in the act, at Malaga airport, and multiple objects were seized including hats and wigs, which they had used as disguises, as well as tools to pick locks and €1000 in cash. On further investigation, national police confirmed that one of the members of the group, a 49-year-old man, had two previous convictions of similar crimes at Madrid and Barcelona airports. The second group of three was also arrested after they were tracked to a hotel in the capital, and charged with two counts of theft.
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11th August
NEWS
www.theolivepress.es CATALAN singer, Sergio Dalma has got into hot water after he urged his audience to ignore social distancing guidelines. The musician was forced to suspend his gig by organisers after he stopped his set three times in order to instruct fans to break the rules and get out of their seats during his concert in Murcia. Te Amo star Sergio performed as part of the Noches del Malecon series but things turned sour when he encouraged audience members to ignore the restrictions and stand up from
STAR: Dame Joan
Still got it DAME Joan Collins stole the show when she attended a glitzy charity ball in Spain. The 88-year-old and hubby Percy Gibson, 56, were at the Remus Charity Night, which attracts socialites from all over Europe to Mallorca. The Dynasty actor proved to be the star attraction, despite the competing attractions of burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese and American glamour model and actor Carmen Electra.
Proper event
Speaking on social media, Dame Joan declared that she and Percy had pulled out all the stops for the night, as it was the ‘first proper event’ they had been to in a year and a half due to the pandemic. German Real Estate agent Marcel Remus sells luxury villas on the island, with some fetching prices as high as €24 million. He is well known for the charity extravaganza he puts on each year, with this year’s event raising €64,000 for victims of the recent floods in Europe.
August 11th - August 24th 2021
SILLY SINGER their seats during the show. The 56-year-old singer tried to resist safety measures, telling the audience: “We are going to interrupt the concert every time they tell someone to sit down.” As part of the current COVID-19 regulations in Spain all concertgoers must remain seated at a safe distance and wear a mask at all times. Sergio later apologised for his actions.
What a tearjerker
SORRY: Sergio Dalma
COOKING UP A TREAT
Actor Richard E Grant visits expat couple for BBC show
AN EXPAT couple are front and centre of a new BBC TV show uncovering the history of writers in Spain. David and Emma Illsley, who run Las Chimeneas in the little-known village of Mairena in the hills of Andalucia, stole the show when their gorgeous home made an appearance on the third episode of the series Write Around the World.
SPECIAL GUEST: David and Emma met Grant
By Kirsty McKenzie
terranean Sea after spending three years teaching English in the Canary Islands with the British Council. But just like friend and author
AT EVERY Olympic Games over the last three decades race walker Jesus Angel Garcia Bragado has represented Spain, hip-wiggling over 50kms while never breaking into a run. But on Friday at the grand old age of 51 years old, after finishing 35 th in the 50km race walk in Sapporo, he admitted it would be his last. “You have to know when it is time to retire,” he said after the race adding that he was hugely grateful to the Spanish
KIM CLARK
ARGENTINIAN football legend Lionel Messi broke down in tears as he said goodbye to the club which has been his home for his entire career. He was speaking at a press conference to confirm his departure, and was reduced to tears when members of the press gave him a standing ovation. The 34-year-old has been with FC Barcelona since childhood and has scored an astounding 672 goals in 778 senior appearances since 2003. The six times Ballon d’Or winner had by all accounts wanted to leave the club last year, but was finally ‘persuaded’ to stay when club bosses refused to let him go.
Free
Gushed
Actor Richard E Grant, who presents the BBC show, gushed about the couple’s cookbook during his visit to the Alpujarras. David and Emma moved to the remote town between the Sierra Nevada and the Medi-
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Chris Stewart, the couple were seduced by life in southern Spain and now have two sons, a booming holiday business and a popular Spanish cookbook under their belts. The pair described the family’s television debut as a ‘feel-
THE FINAL LEG Federation for support during his long career. Although the Madrid born athlete has never brought home an Olympic medal despite competing in every Games since Barcelona ’92, he has still made history by become the first track and field athlete to compete in eight in a career that spans 30 years.
good shot-in-the-arm’ that came ‘hurtling out the blue’. They said: “To our complete consternation, we were already able to see episode three, in which we feature for a full ten minutes, with the actor Richard E. Grant waxing lyrical about our book Las Chimeneas: Recipes and Stories from an Alpujarran village. “Even our boys were impressed: after all, this is a man who has shaken the hand of Luke Skywalker! “It’s a quirky and amusing bit of telly, and worth watching if only to see the gentle, rather mystified smiles of our cooks Conchi and Sole as they prepare an al fresco meal for a Hollywood actor and his hungry, drooling crew.”
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But having been a free agent since July 1, he would appear to have had a change of heart, and was willing to accept a 50% pay cut in exchange for a new contract. But the parlous state of Barcelona’s finances has meant they can’t keep him without falling foul of the La Liga’s financial fair play rules. Paris St Germain have reportedly already offered him a two year contract to lure him to France where he would be reunited with Brazilian superstar Neymar.
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NEWS
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NEWS IN BRIEF Lights, camera, action THREE new TV shows will be filmed in the south of Spain over the next 12 months, after major movie studio Un Nouveau Jour made a deal with international company, Wanda-Halcyon.
Stepping up THE PSOE socialist party has elected a new leader, Juan Espadas. Espadas will report to prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, and work closely with his deputy secretary general, Adriana Lastra.
Fan-tastic SPORTS fans will be allowed back into stadiums in Spain from this week, with venues acting at 40% capacity.
5-star hospital A NEW ‘first class’ €375 million hospital is planned for Malaga as part of a plan to reactivate the economy, generate employment and modernise infrastructure.
August 11th - August 24th 2021
Stripping down
FEELING UNDER THE FEATHER
RESIDENTS of a Marbella urbanisation had a surprise when a huge Griffon vulture flapped in. Worried about its health - vultures usually shy away from populated areas - firefighters and police decided to catch it for a check up. The rescuers took great care to cap-
Adolescent whale attacks lead to costa boat ban BOATIES have been ordered to avoid sailing in a stretch of coast that is being terrorised by a rogue pod of killer whales. The Spanish Ministry of Transport has banned small boats from an area between Cape Trafalgar and Barbate, in Cadiz, after a spate of recent attacks by the group of orcas. There have been a number of ‘terrifying attacks’ which involved the mammals ramming
D E
L A
WRONG LANDING: The vulture
Whaling for a bruising By Cristina Hodgson
the hulls and targeting the rudders of boats in prolonged episodes of up to an hour.
BRITISH rapper Sneakbo was forced to flee to safety after being attacked by thugs on a night out in Puerto Banus. The 29-year-old musician from south London, whose real name is Agassi Babatunde Odusina, shared the incident on social media claiming he was ‘laughing’ about it. But a 40 second clip showed Sneakbo confronted by a group of men, one of whom threw a drink over him and then slammed the glass onto the ground shattering it.
P U E R T O
ture the bird by covering it with a blanket so as not to aggravate any injuries. It remains under observation at the Urvet veterinary emergency hospital in Marbella until it is collected by members of the Junta’s Endangered Species Recovery Centre (CREAS).
At least 50 attacks have been reported this summer with two dozen leading to serious damage to vessels, leading to the boats being towed into shore. It is only the second time such a
Thug life
The rapper then ran away across the busy Julio Iglesias Avenue while the group gave chase. He later attempted to laugh off the incident on Instagram, saying: “I promise I'm laughing, not a scratch on me. “Minor issue with some folks I’ve never met in my life.” He insisted: “I still don't want security cause they won’t be on what I’m on when it gets cracking.”
ban has been put in place. Last summer a similar ban was ordered on small ships on a 60 mile stretch of coast in Galicia after more than 20 attacks. This summer’s ban is for any boats under 15 metres in length around the Straits of Gibraltar. According to the government there have been 56 attacks since March 27.
Ramming
Scientists have been investigating the behaviour which appears to be led by the same ‘teenage’ orcas leading orchestrated ramming attacks that can last up to an hour. One theory is that the behaviour may be revenge on humans for perceived attack on the whales.
THE gloves (and more) are off after nudists were banned from a restaurant on Spain’s first official naturist beach. Around 1,000 nudists have launched a petition against the owners of chiringuito Nido, which sits on the celebrated Costa Natura beach in Estepona. They are angry that the owners of the beach bar are refusing to let them use its sunbeds unless they cover up - at least minimally. The group has now launched a complaint on Change.org requesting that the naturist character of the beach ‘be respected’.
Respected
The petition states that ‘the nudist character of the Costa Natura beach should be respected and that nudists should be allowed to use the beach hammocks at Nido’. It adds: “The coexistence between the nudist bathers on the east side and the non-nudist bathers on the west side has always been ‘friendly and peaceful’ and should remain so. The Costa Natura beach was the first naturist beach recognised in Spain by government decree in 1979 and is one of the most successful such resorts in Europe.
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Party poopers wanted SPANISH police are looking for ‘foreigners’ to go undercover to bust illegal parties on Ibiza. With most of the big clubs still closed due to the pandemic, ravers are hosting illegal gatherings to make up for the loss of nightlife, with organisers risking fines of up to €600,000. Now police want people to apply for a role in the ‘party-crasher squad’, an initiative which police say is ‘a necessity to safeguard the health situation’. The illegal gatherings are ‘not only an issue related to public order, which they have always been, but now they pose an obvious risk to people’s health,’ Mariano Juan, a local official, told the Diario de Ibiza newspaper.
NEWS
August 11th August 24th 2021
5
Godmother bust
Notorious mafia boss known as ‘The Godmother’ arrested on way to Malaga
ONE of Italy’s most wanted female fugitives has been arrested attempting to leave Rome’s Ciampino airport en route to Spain. Maria Licciardi, 70, was detained as she checked in her bags early Saturday morning ahead of her flight to Malaga where her daughter lives.
Bat
“She didn't bat an eyelash when the officers blocked her and served the warrant,” said a police spokesman.
ANIMAL rights groups are outraged after a bull was deliberately mowed down by a car after escaping from a bullring during a fiesta. The incident took place during the annual fiesta in the town of Brihuega, in the Guadalajara province of Castilla-La Mancha. People had gathered in the bullring for the concurso de recortadores, a spectacle which involves participants leaping over the half-tonne animals and avoiding their horns to prove their bravery. But one bull, named Campanito, pushed his way out of the arena through doors that appeared not to be secured proper-
The leading member of the notorious Camorra gang, she is accused of a string of offences including extortion, fraud and auction rigging. Those close to her called her ‘La Madrina’, or The Godmother, while she is also known as ‘la piccoletta’ because of her tiny stature. She is the sister of the late Gennoro Licciardi, who founded the Camorra clan and died in prison in 1994. Police believe she has been running the crime organisation based in Naples ever since
Hit and bull-run
ly and ran rampage through the narrow streets. In the ensuing panic, two men were gored while others tried to corner the animal and steer it back to captivity. However, one resident decided to stop the bull by driving it into it with his car, repeatedly ramming it until it lay motionless on the ground. Animal rights activists seized on the incident as a reason why taurine events should be abolished as part of town celebrations.
NABBED: Licciardi
her release from jail in 2009. She was arrested in June 2001 and served eight years for a series of mafia-related offences. A major crackdown on the mafia in June 2019 saw the police arrest more than 120 members including the wives of several other members but Licciardi managed to escape. Her arrest came just days after Spanish police tracked down notorious Ndranghete mafia leader Domenico Paviglianiti in Madrid after two years on the run. The Italian mafia gangs are said to now earn more money in Spain than they do in Italy.
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FEATURE
www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain
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.
OPINION
INTERESTING A Dickens of a challenge
BEST OF LUCK! TIMES have been hard for all of us during the coronavirus pandemic. There is no one who has not been affected by the health regulations, lockdowns, stress and sheer inconvenience of the restrictions. Many of us expats in Spain have been unable to visit family and friends in the UK and elsewhere in Europe for fear of becoming stranded should travel restrictions change suddenly. Indeed, the Olive Press itself has suffered earlier in the pandemic with a reporter being stuck in England for months for just that reason. But looking beyond the personal pain we have all felt, the Olive Press is extremely conscious of the suffering felt by expat businesses throughout 2020 and the first part of 2021 – particularly those in the hospitality industry. While the ERTE furlough scheme at least helped workers with a proportion of their wages guaranteed, precious little aid has been given to the owners of businesses. Yes, low-cost loans have been ‘guaranteed’ by the government – but even then we have learned of instances where banks used these to pay off old loans rather than supply new capital to tide companies over. It has been a hard slog – but as can be seen on these pages – expat businessmen and women are a resilient lot. Belts have been tightened, businesses refocused and survival plans put into action. And the more forward thinking entrepreneur’s now find themselves in position to not just catch up on lost ground but to even forge ahead. They have the vision – and energy – to rebuild their businesses so that they are better than ever before. We wish them luck, and hope that our readers will support them in the coming months and years. PUBLISHER / EDITOR
Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es
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INTERVIEW: Sala boss Ian Radford talks to Dilip Kuner
I OPEN AGAIN: Andy Chapell and partner Pauline Elkin
NEEDING A SANTO! After being shut for 19 months, British-run Molino del Santo hotel, near Ronda, is open again, but uncertainty means constantly changing plans, writes owner Andy Chapell
W
E had been closed for 19 successive months before we finally opened again in June this year. Such a long period of closure was tough on lots of levels and understandably, plenty of clients asked us to refund deposits paid for holidays they could not enjoy. Fortunately many guests decided to leave their deposits for future visits, with one couple having tried to rearrange their stay five times. When we did finally reopen there was a lot of remedial work to do with machinery that had been left unused for so long and a huge amount of minor repair work to do. A big building creaks a little after 19 unloved months. However we have a great team here and we all worked hard together to get the show back on the road. We have been reasonably busy for the weeks we have been open without being in danger of overloading our bank accounts with profits. August is shaping up well and is likely to be topped up with last minute bookings from local sources.
Best month
Going into the autumn, September is normally our best month of the year for income and we have lots of reservations already in the hotel. However we are relying on people feeling more confident about travelling from northern Europe and in our case, especially from the UK. If international travel is perceived to be safe then we are very optimistic for a great autumn and will stay open longer than normal - until December. If travel restrictions are still in place then it is very likely that we will close or limit our opening to a few days a week. Very uncertain times lead to very difficult, and constantly changing, decisions.
T was the best of times, it was the worst of times…it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. Charles Dickens may have written those words about the French revolution, but they could just as well have been penned for the British boss of the Sala Group of restaurants, Ian Radford, whose situation in Spain has been distinctly challenging over the past few years. Apart from the spectre of Brexit, which has still not settled down, he has had nearly two years of COVID-19 problems to deal with. Speaking to the Olive Press the 52-year-old father of three explained: “Everything was great and 2019 was our best year ever. Things went to another level.” It came after a decade of hard work, which saw him open his seminal La Sala restaurant in 2010 and the nearby La Sala by the Sea in 2008, which was designed and is now run by his wife Claire with the help of son Piers, 19, and eldest daughter Sophie, 27. Daughter Chea at 11 is the baby of the family.
Superstar
Along with the Oak Garden Grill (now rebranded as The Social by Sala) and the Havana bar in Estepona (run by Sophie) they have attracted a big celebrity clientele, including Irish superstar Ronan Keating, Premier League footballers including Harry Kane, Ashley Cole and David Bentley - who liked the restaurant so much he became a shareholder. Then there is Alan Sugar, Jamie Oliver
HAPPY FAMILY: Ian with Claire and Chea
and Prince Albert of Monaco, not to mention just about the entire cast of TOWIE who have become regulars. This has led to an upward spiral of success - a trend that continued into 2020 with takings up 20% year on year in January and February. But the worst of times were about to strike as COVID-19 suddenly came on the scene. The lockdown from March last year instantly brought the guillotine down on business for three months, with no opening allowed. And even when things opened again the levels were far lower than ever before. “Our turnover in 2020 crashed 70% over 2019. The challenge was massive,” admits Ian, a former professional squash player and keen golfer. “It didn’t help that we had very little help from the government. While the ERTE furlough sche-
Optimistic travel will fully recover After dropping to just 30 staff, key costa hotel Sunset Beach is back at 120 workers, writes Kirsty McKenzie
T
HE manager of one of the Costa del Sol’s most emblematic hotels is feeling ‘more optimistic than ever’ as tourists finally return to Spain. After a very tough 18 months, the tourism industry is starting to get back to ‘some kind of normality’ Sunset Beach Club boss Mark Wardell told the Olive Press. The Irish-owned hotel in Benalmadena is finally starting to get back to its former staffing levels of 180 employees, who usually cater to over 2000 tourists at this time of year. “We are back up to 120 staff and gradually things are starting to pick up again. “We’ve seen an improvement this month and then in September we will see a return to some kind of normality. We are very optimistic about that. Actually we’re feeling stronger than ever.” In particular he is bullish on a recovery in the hotel industry as COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available. While bookings will continue to face headwinds over the next few months, more consumers will be confident and ready to take trips, he explained. The 4-star hotel, whose sisters include the Castleknock Hotel and the Heritage Hotel and Spa in Ireland,
MOVING FORWARD: Mark Wardell has mostly been serving Spanish customers this summer. “But we’ve also had some guests from elsewhere in Europe and are getting ready to welcome a lot more,” adds the father-of-three, who lives in Benahavis. “The lack of certainty over travel restrictions and tests has made the UK market more hesitant but there is definitely a real pent up demand and I think we’ll be busier than ever come September or October.” He adds: “The last year has really given us all some perspective and made everyone appreciate things more and I truly believe the tourism industry will come back stronger than ever. “People are really looking for a better quality of life, whether for a holiday or a more permanent move, and it’s clear that Spain can offer that. “The spotlight is back on the Costa del Sol and we’re going to see demand skyrocket. There’s no better place to live after all.”
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TIMES
August 11th - August 24th 2021
7
But the high spending power of this summer’s visitors to the Costa del Sol and low-cost loans are helping key expat businesses like the Sala Group survive the pandemic
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BUSY: La Sala has had a good August while (below) Ronan Keating and wife Storm with Ian and Claire (left)
me paid staff 70% of their normal salary, what a lot of people don’t realise is that we still had to pay their social security contributions. “Guess how much that worked out as? Almost exactly 70% of their salaries. And we had 160 staff! “In effect it was costing the government nothing – the businesses had to pay it… and apart from some small payments we got very little help from the government.” Speaking on the terrace of his flagship restaurant La Sala, he was keen to recognise the tough times his loyal staff have also suffered. “They have had to make do with 70% of their salaries plus they have no tips, which really hurts them,” he points out. Despite the huge drop in turnover the businessman realised that he still needed to invest in the business to put himself in a position to take advantage of the recovery. He has been targeting local trade, improving his terrace to avoid indoor seating restrictions and changed the emphasis of the Oak Garden Grill, relaunching it as The Social by Sala to make it more focused on being a sports bar rather than a restaurant. And the investment seems to be paying off. “We have just had a very encouraging July – business was actually up on July 2019. On top of that we have become more efficient as
Worth paying for
E at the Olive Press are always keen to talk to our readers to get constructive comments and feedback. After all, without readers – whether for our traditional newspapers or our website and online platforms – there is really very little point to our job. One question we get is 'what do I get for my money – what am I paying for?' Well, what you get is journalism, you are paying for people who excel at storytelling to do the work they love and the job they were trained to do. Being behind a paywall frees us from the tyranny of 'clickbait journalism'. With the knowledge that money is coming in, we do not have to chain our reporters to their desks to chase ever more page views. This means that our national media schooled journalists, including News Editor Dilip Kuner (top) Digital Editor Fiona Govan (right) and Costa Blanca reporter Alex Trelinski (below) who worked at the Sunday Mirror, Telegraph and BBC respectively, can do what they were trained for. Thanks to those people who have signed up for €5.99 a month – or €50 a year – we can afford to free our journalists to do what they do best – get out and about, meet people and report back to you, our readers. So far the takeup of subscriptions has been way beyond our initial expectations – so thank you to everyone who has recognised that quality journalism is worth paying for!
The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: UK poised to relax travel rules for those 1-doubled jabbed abroad and drop quarantine from amber list countries added in Spain? Yes you can tra2- Double vel to England without quarantine from August 2
we had to be if we were to survive. “It is not just us – everyone around here in Banus is very busy. I have noticed that the customers this year have very high spending power. They have the money and they seem happy to spend it.” Adding to the optimism is the way he was able to shore up his business financially. “We did manage to get some low-cost loans – that is something the government can be thanked for – so we can pay our
2020 costs off over the next five years. “It means we didn’t have to approach private capital or our investors for money.” And the rest of the year is starting to shape up nicely. “We have managed to hang in there through the bad times. Now we are in position to take advantage of the opportunities that always arise after crises. “We are expecting to finish the year strongly and to have an incredible 2022 – COVID permitting!”
next for the UK’s am3- Analysis: IsberSpain plus travel list These are the rules for travel 4- Reminder: to the UK from amber list Spain Westley Capper implicated in disappea5-rance of Latvian model Agnese Klavina in Spain’s Marbella dies from Covid
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GREEN
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August 11th - August 24th 2021
If we all do a little we will achieve little - the evidence is there
HERE is a worldwide organisation you probably haven’t heard of called the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Bear with me,this is highly relevant. Formed in 1988, this body provides politicians and Governments every seven years with assessments on the science,the impacts and the potential options for tackling climate change. They are meeting now. Their findings will be shared with the representatives of 195 countries.
Their last report, published in 2013, helped to set the scene for the Paris climate agreement signed in 2015. This report was highly critical of our lackadaisical approach to tackling one of the most critical issues of our time…..climate change. In 2013,its assessment said: “Humans are the dominant cause of global warming.” Interestingly this report had a great impact on younger generations, many taking to the streets to demand effective political response. Has it changed things? In my view only a little.I’ve said before .. If we all do a little we will achieve little. The new report that will come from this meeting that will last a week, held virtually because of COVID, will play a key part in guiding global leaders who meet this November in Glasgow. It will be DAMNING! How can it not be.The evidence is staring us in the face.
Green
Time to wake up!
Matters
By Martin Tye
New report on climate change will be damning
Extreme weather events have shaken Europe, the US, Canada and Asia.
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER! The IPCC is not just a bunch of scientists. This body is commissioned by governments, and IS unique in the way it operates. More than 200 researchers have been working in groups to gather all the relevant scientifically proven evidence. Nothing is written that is not scientifically correct. The report will have new information on sea levels rising and the state of the Arctic and Antarctic. It will also report on the likelihood of us holding the
global rise in temperatures to 1.5C this century. It will also review how governments are tracking against agreed targets set in the Paris climate pact. For sure Spain will not be crowned in glory. Time for the politicians to ‘walk the walk’. Relevant and strong lyrics come to mind from a track released in 2018 by the Black Eyed Peas (pictured left) called Ring the Alarm. “Wake up! I wanna say what’s on my motherf***ing conscious The whole world right now is f***ing bonkers” Anybody else agree with these sentiments?
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A PIONEERING maritime Sea’s first coral nurseries across nursery has been created on several zones. the Andalucia coast to rescue SOS Corals co-ordinator, Marirare coral damaged by fishing. na Palacios, said: “This colony The SOS Corals Project has has hundreds of endangered been set up in Almuñecar’s specimens because they are Punta de la Monta conserva- very vulnerable to nets, hooks, ALSOlines, traps and other fishing tion area. The mixture WE of local rocky and sandy seabed gear, which kills them off.” INSTALL features high numDivers and volunteers bers of endangered started mapping SOLAR PV PANELS species, including out the location the orange coral of coral coloand the candenies. The team labrum coral. created areas The water of around 50 quality, the square meunderwater tres where up relief system to 250 kilos of and marine rubbish, almost currents have all from fishing, combined to create was removed. the right conditions Just one plot had in the area for coral to 200 metres of rope, 300 thrive. metres of netting, and a three The candelabrum coral is espe- kilometre length of fishing line. cially rare and normally flour- Eight out 10 corals were damishes in depths of more than 50 aged and they have been inmetres. dividually cleaned up by the However, the Punta de la Mona divers before being transferred has seen up to 1,000 speci- to colony areas. SOS Corals has mens develop at just 30 metres. set 2025 as a target for a fulDamage caused by the fishing ly-healthy coral zone with five trade has prompted the setting ‘safe’ nursery plots being creatup of one of the Mediterranean ed over the next few months.
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NINE White-tailed Eagles are to be released in the first step of a plan to reintroduce the species to Spain. The birds are being housed in an acclimatisation enclosure in Asturias having arrived from Norway, before being released into the wild. The scheme is being led by Spanish conservation group GREFA and follows the restoration of Bearded Vulture to Asturias. Norway has been key to the reintroduction of the species to several countries where the eagle had gone extinct. These include Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Wight in England. The Spanish birds have been fitted with GPS transmitters so scientists can keep track of them in the coming months.
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LETTERS
10
Follow the law…
Our article about Jeff Lewis (Licence to Ill) and his driving licence woes drew a critical response from some readers
Just unfair Dear Olive Press, house here in WE have been coming to our years and al20 over for te) can Cabo Roig (Ali in 180 day rule, ways complied with the 90 day er concerned. even though the Spanish were nev have been here In fact, several of our friends years with no 20 over for ly ous tinu virtually con problems. e subsequentHowever, since Brexit, most hav some of our But t. den resi lly lega me ly beco nish citizens friends do not want to become Spaa little longer stay to t wan but occasionally may od. than the 90 days in a 180 day peri nged (i.e. 90 cha not e hav s rule the xit Bre Since citizens and EU and UK to lies app day rule still country for EU ther ano in be all can only legally It does appear 90 days in a 180 day period). e EU citizens that there is discrimination as som ly apply to real not s doe it ng sayi are openly not enforcare ies orit auth them, as the Spanish British. This is ing the rule excepts towards the rimination. obviously unfair and blatant discthe rule but it I have no real problem with no discriminashould be enforced for all with tion. stay in the UK I understand that EU citizens canunfair. is this k thin and ths for six mon
Name and address supplied
Giving us a bad name PERHAPS you should have asked Mr Lewis why he has been living and driving in Spain for 20 years on a UK licence as he states in your article. This is an act which is illegal in Spain as he is driving with an invalid licence and illegal in the UK as he must have renewed a UK licence when a non-resident. Perhaps if he followed the law in the first place, he wouldn’t be in this situation now. Seriously, he and other British immigrants who think they are above the law expect sympathy when all they do is give the law abiding residents a bad name. Lucie, Axarquia
Editor’s note: You raise a good point, but it only fair to point out that many UK citizens in the past had a ‘lifetime’ licence. As the old regulations only required UK citizens to exchange their licence for a Spanish one on expiry, Mr Lewis may not have needed to at the time, although he should have notified the UK authorities of a change of address.
Hard to sympathise MY wife and I have lived in Spain for 16 years and we know just how trying, slow-moving and frustrating Spanish bureaucracy can be. But we find it difficult to sympathise with the gentleman who now must take a driving test in order to retain his driving licence. Your article refers to him living in Spain for 20 years so his licence should legally have been exchanged for a Spanish equivalent many years ago.
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NEWS IN BRIEF Lux-living GERARD Pique’s family investment company has secured a deal worth around €50 million to build a five-star hotel in a prime Malaga location.
Man down SPAIN’s top golfer, Jon Rahm, is out of the Olympics after he tested positive for Covid-19. He was vaccinated earlier this year with Johnson and Johnson.
No jackpot POLICE in Sevilla have arrested a 39-year-old man while he was robbing a gambling saloon wielding a knife.
Fire death AN elderly couple died in a raging fire in a two-storey house in San Lucar de Barrameda (Cadiz).
August 11th - August 24th 2021
ANDALUCIA’S vaccination programme has opened up to 18-year-olds. Since yesterday, all 18 and 19-year-olds - those born in 2002 and 2003 - resident in Andalucia, can apply for the COVID-19 jab. And from tomorrow (Thursday) those born
NEWS
July 28th - August 10th 2021
JABBING THE YOUNG
in 2004 and 2005 (17 and 16-year-olds) will also be eligible for their first COVID-19 vaccine dose. Appointments can be requested from authorised groups according to the vac-
cines available. They can be requested directly on the Andalucian Health Service (SAS) website via ClicSalud+, through the mobile app and the Salud Responde telephone number
Licence to ill
A BRITISH expat has been told he has to retake his driving test Brit must take driving test to get a in Spain after the authorities licence despite registering before claimed he never registered in the system prior to the cut-off Brexit.. And he’s not alone date. This is despite Jeff Lewis insist- his Gestoria, which said it was EXCLUSIVE ‘unable to help people’ change ing he called the special number By Katherine Brook 060 and registered his intent to their licences after December on change his licence on December 18. He has since been to his local “I the system’. 11. drive a 2L motorbike so it’s But after hearing nothing from DGT (Department General de not a simple exchange for me,” the Trafico department the Trafico) office multiple times Lewis told the Olive Press. Londoner sought advice from to try and prove he did indeed “To gain a licence for my motorregister, only to be told he ‘isn’t bike I have to do both a car driving test and a motorbike test. “And even then I still won’t be able to use it as the licence only allows you to drive a scooter. I STUDENT Pilot Oliver Daemen became the world’s youngest would have to wait another two person to travel to space at the age years before I could take a third the One Air pilot school in Malaga. of just 18, after training at test just to be able to drive as I The Dutchman joined billionaire Jeff have been in Spain for the last Bezos, and 82-year-old Wally Funk Bezos, his brother Mark 20 years.” ‘60s and now the oldest woman to(part of Mercury 23 in the go to space) on the Blue The 50-year-old believes he Origin mission. is one of ‘thousands’ of expats The New Shepard Rocket took off from struggling to obtain Spanish performed a suborbital flight, reaching a desert in Texas and a maximum altitude of driving licences due to ‘faults in around 107km (351,210ft). the system’. Daemen obtained his licence at the Malaga pilot school in British residents actually had March, and was invited on the monumental trip. until December 30 to register in order to carry out the simple
To infinity…
(955 54 50 60) and also at local health centres. Immunisation for young adults will be carried out with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, of which 308,880 doses of Pfizer and 91,600 from Moderna are expected to be delivered to the region this week.
GUTTED: Jeff Lewis driving licence exchange before the Brexit deadline. For those who had registered before this date and are still awaiting their appointment,
Two-way terrific DOUBLE jabbed expats travelling to the UK may soon be able to do so without having to quarantine. The news comes after reports in the UK media suggested Spain may escape being put on the dreaded amber-plus list. UK Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi confirmed the government was working hard on a scheme to offer quarantine free conditions to those who have been fully vaccinated abroad.
Reciprocal
“We want to offer the same reciprocity as the 33 countries that recognise our app and that will also happen they now have until October 31 soon,” he said without very to exchange their British licence mitting to a deadline. comfor a Spanish one. The exemption from quarantine for those arriving from amber list countries currentExchange ly only Lewis isn’t the only one who’s were applies to people who had difficulties proving he reg- and vaccinated in the UK have an NHS COVID ceristered on the system. tificate or digital pass. Chrissy Sims insisted her hus- A decision band registered his driving li- amber-plusto put Spain on the list, which would cence in November and still has mean travellers having to the call log - 24 minutes. self-isolate on arrival in the Similarly, Ben Alford was also UK, is expected to be made told there was ‘no record’ of on August 5. him, even though he had a It is believed more likely that printed confirmation PDF. France will come off the amber list than Spain going on it. Have you had similar issues? Contact newsdesk@ See Olive Press plea to theolivepress.es Sky News, Page 7
If he has lived in Spain for 20 years then his UK licence will have been renewed at least once, maybe illegally, as the life of a UK licence is 10 years. The backlog of most things ‘Brexit’ related, especially residencia and driving licence issues, were well reported via all the free We pick up and deliver websites for most of 2020 so, knowing press and government right long-winded your door. these procedures can be, why wait until three how to weeks before the cut-off date? Order online It is not fair to blame Spain and its lovely people when the fault Flat rate pricin does not liegwith them. Branded laundry bags Terry Pilcher, Oliva
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But Mr Lewis is not alone in being caught out…. mrk liin. com 690 849
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MY partner and I used a gestor in Fuengirola last June to obtain our residency. All went smoothly and we were very happy with his services. We then decided we would like him to exchange our licenses, this he agreed to and we sent him photos of our licences. This was last July. He then emailed us on many occasions saying he was having trouble getting an appointment in Malaga. We kept asking whether he had registered us with DGT and he said we should have some good news soon. Come January we hadn’t heard from him. We emailed him on many occasions asking what the position was. Finally in March he responded denying all knowledge of us although we have all his emails saying he was dealing with it. He was a well-respected gestor. I have a feeling we are not the only ones. J.Murrell, Fuengirola
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All solutions are on page 22
LA CULTURA
Film on
THERE may only be seven registered inhabitants in the small village of Ascaso, Huesca, but that hasn’t stopped it from putting on a film festival every year. This August, the film festival returns from August 31 to September 4, and is set to be bigger than ever, as it celebrates its 10th birthday. A hugely important event for the village, the film festival has an economic impact of around €100,000, and is a way of putting the small towns of Upper Aragon on the map. The quaint village currently has no electricity in the houses but by the end of 2021 residents will finally be given power. During the festival, nine films will be shown: five feature films and four shorts.
August 11th August 24th 2021
11
The Comfort Book
Cache in hand B
by Matt Haig
Enormous hoard of Roman weapons discovered By Alex Oscar
Archaeologists have uncovered a large cache of Roman weapons and tools in the protohistoric settlement of Son Catlar, Menorca. A statement released by the University of Alicante revealed that the cache held Roman ‘weapons, knives, three arrowheads, spearheads, projectiles, surgical tools, a
IMPORTANT: Son Catlar site and some of the hoard bronze spatula probe, and so undergone its fifth season of on’. excavation following a year of Some of these items date back inactivity due to COVID, is a as far as 100 BC. fort surrounded by an 870m The dig site, which has just wall, the largest Talayotic settlement in the area. The settlement, pending approval to be a UNESCO site, was a Talayotic (ancient Menorcan) and then later Roman stronghold, during the In Algar, a pueblo blanco with 1,428 resPunic period (264-146 BC). idents just inland from the coast in Cadiz According to Heritage Daiprovince, Andalucia, pulling up a chair outly, Son Catlar was originally side your front door to shoot the breeze with founded between 2000-1200 your neighbours at the end of a long hot BC and was occupied until summer day is as vital to daily life as col476 AD, the end of the Roman lecting a barra in the morning and taking a occupation. siesta in the afternoon. The director of the excavaJose Carlos Sanchez Barea, the Popular Partion, Fernando Prado, even ty mayor of Algar saw an opportunity to enspeculates that the walls of courage the practice - known in Spanish as the settlement may have had charla al fresco - that he believes is essential a special religious connotato community spirit and general wellbeing. tion. He said: “We are going to begin the process Gateway to cities were associto have charla al fresco awarded World ated with the God Janus, the Heritage status,” he announced. god of transitions, time and beginnings.
ESTSELLING author of both fiction and non-fiction, Matt Haig, has always been incredibly open about his anxiety. The Comfort Book is a series of vignettes and essays about finding comfort in yourself and your immediate surroundings. It says, ‘You are enough’. Matt shares his thoughts and reflections on great feel-good movies, recipes and music while providing reassurance and encouragement that you can get past the bad days. With many people facing anxiety at the thought of having to return to crowded offices or streets since COVID restrictions have been eased, this book’s release could not have been timed more perfectly.
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LA CULTURA Following in Lorca’s footsteps
OET Federico Garcia Lorca was murdered on August 18, 1936, during the first stages of the Spanish Civil War. He became a martyr and a legend. The most translated poet in the Spanish language, his work is venerated wherever it is read. However, there are still aspects of his life that are not very well-known. One of them is his connection with la Alpujarra. Some years ago, the council of Pitres erected a monument in its main square commemorating the visit Lorca made to the village in 1932. It consists of a photograph of Lorca standing in front of a Y-shaped tree and an extract of a letter to fellow poet Jorge Guillen, which reads in part: “Here I am in Pitres, a village with no voice, or pigeons from the mountains, crucified on the Y of the tree.” It is hard to know what to make of this remark. The presence of Lorca in la Alpujarra is a matter of some uncertainty as he did not write much about the mountainous region. But there are a few letters, postcards and photographs that prove he was a regular visitor until
August 11th - August 24th 2021
1934, two years before his tragic death. His first contact with the area was with the spa town of Lanjaron, the gateway to la Alpujarra. Federico’s mother, Vicenta Lorca, was ill with a liver condition and a doctor prescribed a treatment of water from the town’s Capuchina fountain, famous for its curative properties since Mozarab times. Therefore from 1917 until 1934, the Lorca family spent a few weeks every year in Lanjaron at the Hotel España, which stands to this day. Federico’s first written testimony about Lanjaron that has survived is a postcard dated August 17, 1924, to the Cuban diplomat and poet Melchor Fernández Almagro. “What an admirable place. You should come to visit this paradise. I have found curious romances and tales.” One of Federico’s favourite places was Lanjaron’s Moorish castle and he posted numerous postcards of it. In one of them, sent to the critic Sebastian Guash, he describes Lanjaron as: “Sierra Nevada, which means that you
Carlos Pranger takes a step back in time to walk the hills of La Alpujarra with poet Federico Garcia Lorca and composer Manuel de Falla are in the heart of Africa, at the entrance to la Alpujarra. The most incredible fantasies develop in the most serene and logical way.” One activity he enjoyed was the regular excursions to the nearby sierras with one of his best friends, the priest Juan Padial, who showed him the beautiful Castaño Gordo and the Barranco de las Adelfas. There, on top of the mountains, the view on clear days was incredible; the sea lay in the distance with the mountains of Africa beyond and below was the vega de Lanjaron, cultivated with cereal, fruit and olive trees, all irrigated by the network of irrigation channels. In a letter to artist Sebastian Guasch, Federico writes: “In Lanjaron, oh mountains! Oh orange trees! I am reborn to your friendship.” But the poet also had time to work and to find inspiration in the manner people talked. For him, they are the descendents of the Moriscos. “No doubt that
here the nostalgia is anti-Euro- to search for old folk songs. pean, but it is not oriental. [It is] “Maybe we could take the Cristobicas to its villages,” said Andalucia.” In the evening, after a long day, Federico. Las Cristobicas was a there would be a dance in a puppet show for children. salon of the Hotel España and Lanjaron and la Alpujarra inFederico would play the piano. fluenced Lorca’s work and, Lanjaron acted as a base for while he was there, he wrote Federico and his excursions and edited poems such as La casada infiel, Redeeper into la yerta, Reyerta de Alpujarra. In mozos and San the 1920s, FeVillagers were Miguel. derico was an assiduous partiFederico was often treated cipant of one of also inspired by brutally and Granada’s most places like Orgiva, where Falla famous gathecruelly by the rings, El Rinconloved talking to Guardia Civil cillo, which took the people and place in the café getting lost in Alameda. The the streets. Lorca participants were some of Gra- describes Orgiva in a letter to nada’s leading intellectuals. surrealist painter Salvador Dalí One of the most famous was as ‘a myth of fresh water in a the musician Manuel de Falla, glass of pure crystal’. who soon made friends with The most important testimony Lorca as they were both inte- from Lorca’s excursions to rested in folk music. la Alpujarra is a letter to his In 1922, Federico wrote a le- brother Francisco, who lived tter to Falla mentioning la Al- in Paris at the time. Federico pujarra as a wonderful place was invited in 1926 by Manuel
TAXING MATTERS
W
ITH Brexit still fresh in everyone's minds, and a number of changes surrounding visas and the end of freedom of movement between the UK and the EU, the topic of residency, especially tax residency, can seem like a minefield. So how does tax residency work, and how will it affect Olive Press readers? Well, If you are a UK national and you live overseas with no intention to return to the UK to live, then you will only pay income tax on your UK income. However if you are an overseas national, then you will need to consider your residency status.
The Sufficient ties test, which looks at your connections to the UK, will help establish whether or not you can be considered as a tax resident. A sufficient tie test takes into account the following;
The first step is to see if you are an overseas resident and you can do this by answering three simple questions
● A UK resident who is a close family member - eg. a spouse or partner ● Available UK accommodation in which the individual has spent one night during the tax year ● Substantive UK work (Employed or Self-employed for at least 40 days, working for a minimum of 3 hours per day) ● Present in the UK for more than 90 days during either of the previous two tax years ● If the UK is the county that you spent the most time in during the tax year - this will be considered if you were resident in any of the previous 3 tax years.
1. Are you present in the UK, for less than 16 days in the tax year? 2. Are you present in the UK, for less than 46 days and have not been a resident in the previous three tax years? 3. Do you work overseas full-time and are not present in the UK for more than 90 Days in the Tax Year? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then you are automatically an overseas resident.
Segura, a professor of law in Granada, on a two-day excursion to the region. “I did a little excursion to la Alpujarra. It took us two days. I have never seen anything so exotic and mysterious. I can’t believe that it is in Europe.” But he also saw the dark side of the villages, the Guardia Civil often ruled their inhabitants with cruelty and brutality, especially the gypsies, a race Lorca respected and loved for their flamenco culture. He had heard that a Guardia Civil had pulled out with some pliers the teeth of a hungry gypsy who had stolen a hen. Maybe these stories inspired one of his most famous poems, El romance de la Guardia Civil or Cancion del gitano apaleado. Travelling with Falla in the search for folk songs, Lorca visited the villages of Carataunas, Soportujar, Pitres and Haza del Lino. But there is another area of great importance. According to the writer and
Apari helps explain how tax residency works for UK nationals living in Spain
● Your Sufficient Ties (otherwise known as connections to the UK). ● the amount of time spent in the UK ● what your previous residency status was in the UK A sufficient tie, or connection to the uk, can be determined by the following;
The automatic UK test, comprises a further 3 questions;
Days Spent in the UK
Previously Resident
Less than 16 Days
Automatically Not Resident
1. Are you present in the UK for 183 days or more in a tax year? (spending any day past Midnight is classed as being present in the UK for a day)
16 - 45 Days
Resident if 4 UK Ties or more
So how does residency affect you? Well as a UK resident you will pay tax on both your UK Income and Overseas Income - but this also means that you are eligible for the UK tax free personal allowance. Not Previously Resident If you are a non-resident then you will only be liable Automatically Not Resident to pay income tax on all income arising in the UK. Automatically Not Resident
46 - 90 Days
Resident if 3 UK Ties or more
Resident if 4 UK Ties or more
2. Is your only home in the UK?
91- 120 Days
Resident if 2 UK Ties or more
Resident if 3 UK Ties or more
121 - 182 Days
Resident if 1 UK Tie or more
Resident if 2 UK Ties or more
183 Days
Automatically UK Resident
Automatically UK Resident
But what if you answered no to all of the above? Well then this leads us onto the Automatic UK test.
3. Do you carry out full-time work in the UK? But it doesn't end there - if you still answer no to all three of these questions, there are still steps to consider.
The below table will help to determine your sufficient tie test outcome - this can affect your residency.
APARI has been developed to support people with any resident status - you can sign up for free at www.apari-digital.com today and start Making Tax Doable!
LA CULTURA
August 11th August 24th 2021
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TRAVELS: Lorca (above) amongst villagers in la Alpujarra and (left) his musician friend Manuel de Falla
journalist Rafael Gomez Montero, at Christmas 1926, Lorca stayed in a cortijo close to the hamlet of Bayacas. Lorca biographer Ian Gibson also mentions this excursion. Cortijo Montijano was in an area of Bayacas known as ‘Pollo Dios,’ between Carataunas
and Orgiva. The Sortes Cave, which was inhabited by gypsies, was also nearby. One night, after dinner, Federico and his friends listened to some coplas sung by the son of the caretaker of the cortijo. One of the songs about infidelity immediately caught their attention: Que yo me la llevé al río, creyendo que era mozuela, pero tenía marío. Lorca was challenged by his friends to write something inspired by this copla. From this he produced La Casada Infiel, which became part of the Ro-
mancero Gitano. Over the years, la Alpujarra has exerted an attraction on many people and Lorca’s letters, postcards and photographs show that he was also under its spell. Not only was he attracted by the landscape, but the people and their culture. A large part of his visits to the region will probably always remain obscure due to the lack of material. If he had lived perhaps he would have written something more substantial about the area.
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14
BUSINESS
Bargain motoring
FOR the first time in five years, diesel is over 14 cents per litre cheaper than petrol. This represents a saving of over 10% for those filling up with diesel, and in general, fuel consumption is lower in diesel-powered vehicles than petrol. The average forecourt prices in Spain as reported by the EU are €1.264 per litre for diesel and €1.408 per litre of Euro-super 95 petrol. The difference of 14.4 cents is the widest reported since May 2016. This is an increase of almost three cents since the beginning of 2021. In general, diesel-powered cars emit fewer CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions than petrol-engined vehicles, but are worse for air quality due to their particulate emissions.
August 11th - August 24th 2021
GOING CASHLESS
SPAIN has introduced a new rule to outlaw cash payments of over €1,000 for registered companies and professionals in part of a clampdown on tax fraud. The regulation applies to payments involving registered businesses and professionals as part of an on-going battle by Spain’s tax office to prevent undeclared economic activity
By Fiona Govan
and tax fraud. That means it only applies if ‘the transaction involves one member who is acting in a business or professional role’. So for example, you can only pay the mechanic who fixes your car up to €1,000 in cash but if you sold your car to a private buyer, there is no limit.
What you need to know about Spain’s ban on cash payments over €1,000
Rules
However, the rules are different if the person paying isn’t a tax resident in Spain. So for individuals who are visiting and are not working in a professional field in Spain, they can make cash payments of up to €10,000 to a Spanish company or for professional services. The measure is part of a wider EU move to crackdown on money laundering that could see a cap in cash payments set at €10,000.
RESTRICTED: use of cash is being clamped down on The new rules in Spain include penalties for those caught failing to comply. Fines imposed by the tax
office increase incrementally according to the amount paid in cash over the permitted €1,000.
Green shoots appear THE Spanish economy is making its way towards a healthy recovery after a troublesome 18 months. Spain’s gross domestic product grew by 2.8% in
the second quarter compared to the first three months of 2021. Preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute showed that the
DELIVEROO DUMPS SPAIN HOME food delivery company Deliveroo is quitting Spain. The news comes over two months after the country passed a new law forcing delivery companies to classify their riders as employees. Deliveroo and other firms have a mid-August deadline to hire riders who are currently working as freelances. The UK-based company made no mention of that in a statement but app-based businesses had previously said the new rules threaten their viability. Deliveroo said it would consult on pulling out due to uncertainty over future profits and the need to make high levels of investment. Spain has proved to be tough market to crack for Deliveroo with stiff competition from the likes of Glovo and Just Eat. The company shut down its German arm in 2019 for similar reasons.
growth was faster than the 2.2% expected by analysts, after a 0.4% contraction in the first quarter. The boost comes as the Spanish government loosened its grip on most of the COVID-19 restrictions that limited business hours and travel. Drivers Household consumption and business investment are the main drivers of economic recovery in Spain, although government spending also helped. In this sense, households’ final consumption increased by 29.5% compared to last year, while investment recovered by 17.8% compared to the second quarter of 2020. In total, domestic consumption in Spain increased by 20.8% year-on-year.
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16
PROPERTY
LIFE OF LUXURY AS the weather heats up across Spain, Pedro Sanchez is planning his summer vacation. The prime minister will be staying at a luxury resort in Lanzarote. The Sanchez family have spent almost every single summer and Christmas on the Spanish island.
Retreat
Continuing yet another tradition of their annual retreat, the Sanchez family are expected to stay at La Mareta Palace, which boasts panoramic sea views and is surrounded by lush gardens and giant palm trees, this week. The palace was built in the late 1970s by King Hussein of Jordan, though the Hashemite monarch never stayed there. In fact his son was the only member of the Jordanian royal family to use the residence when he enjoyed his honeymoon on the lavish estate.
High-end Marbella real estate in greater demand than ever
WHILE the COVID-19 pandemic has hit many businesses hard, the luxury real estate sector in Marbella is thriving, according to the city’s leading property market specialist. So much so that sales in the high end of the market in Marbella have accelerated to a historic high.
August 11th August 24th 2021
Good times return
Trends
This is one of the trends highlighted in the Marbella Property Market Report 2021, written by Christopher Clover, Managing Director of Panorama Properties, the longest established real estate agency in Marbella, with more than 50 years’ experience in the city. Published by Panorama Properties, it states that the number of sales (completed and in process of completion) carried out by the agency during the first semester 2021 has increased by 68% compared to the
same period of 2019. During the first quarter of 2021, the cities of Marbella, Estepona and Benaha-
PRICEY LIVING
vis have seen an overall increase of 9.2% in sales, compared to the same period of 2020, with Marbella leading the way with an increase of 22%. The average price of properties sold by Panorama more than doubled (107.5%) compared to 2019, with many sold between the €3 million and €12 million marks.
World-class
Clover said: “These are world-class properties. Some 90% of the buyers in the luxury end of the market are foreigners which have given it so much strength during so many years. In 2020, the three main nationalities of foreign buyers in the province of Malaga were British (19%), Swedish (13%) and Belgians (9%).
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Fine time MAP: Shows cost of living across Spain
NEW data reveals the huge differences in cost of living across Spain, with Madrid and Barcelona proving a whopping 30% more expensive than in the cheapest urban community. A report from the Bank of Spain that compares average salaries with rental prices, services and goods in each urban community revealed just how much more expensive it is to live in Madrid or Barcelona. The report shows that in these two cities, the cost of living is 20% above the national average and 30% more than the very cheapest place to live, which turns out to be the twin cities of Elda-Petrer, inland within the Alicante province in the east of Spain. A map to illustrate the report shows that outside of Madrid and Barcelona which are the only cities designated as red, the cost of living drops but is still marked as reasonably high (amber) in provincial capitals of Zaragoza, Malaga, Cordoba and Sevilla. Those regions with cities considered to have the lowest cost of living include Valencia, Extremadura, Murcia and Galicia.
BARCELONA City Council has become the first council in Spain to impose a penalty for ‘real estate racism’.. City bosses fined a real estate agency and landlord €45,000 for refusing to rent a property to a man from Morocco. Refusing to rent property to anyone based on their race has been illegal since the start of 2020 but this is the first time a fine has been issued in Spain.
Racial
Computer engineer Redouane Mehdi reported racial discrimination to the Office for Non-Discrimination after he was denied the right to rent the property in Barcelona. Mehdi said after weeks of his calls going unanswered he was told that the landlord had given the property to another tenant. It comes as research by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration revealed that people who are not originally from Spain are being discriminated against in the rental market.
FOOD & DRINK
August 11th August 24th 2021
17
CORKER! By Katherine Brook
A SPANISH vineyard has beaten the world’s finest to be named the best in the world to visit. Herederos Marques de Riscal has been given the accolade by online drinks retailer, The Bottle Club. Fifteen vineyards from around the world were ranked on a scale of 0-90, taking in different variables like the year established, size, distance to nearest city, cost of tour,
Spanish bodega named best in world to visit
bottle price, Google review, accommodation, Instagram hashtags and variety of wines
FRAUD ALERT THE Spanish Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) is warning holidaymakers to be careful when renting holiday homes in order to avoid falling prey to fraud. Common tricks used by con men include posting adverts for non-existent properties and pocketing the deposit, phishing - posing as companies or official government bodies to obtain personal information - and offering accommodation that is in much worse condition than advertised. If any money has been handed over for a non-existent property and the company does not offer customers the chance of making a refund claim, victims are urged to report the case to the police or the Guardia Civil cybercrime department. When the conditions of an apartment are not as agreed, the client is entitled to make a claim either to the owner – if rented directly with no intermediaries – or to the internet platform or agency used. According to the OCU, cases of fraud have shot up due to a rise in the number of holidaymakers renting apartments and chalets instead of staying at hotels.
available. The highest score was awarded to Spain’s Herederos del Marques de Riscal, in Elciego, with 71.6, over 12 points higher than Bodegas Salentein in Argentina, which came in second place with 59.2. Next was Antinori nel Chianti Classico, in Italy (59.1), followed by Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in France (58.4), and Delaire Graff Estate in South Africa (55.5). Other countries to also make the top 15 list include Austria, Chile, New Zealand, Portugal, Uruguay and Germany. In last place was Catena Zapata, in Argentina, with a score of 46.3. Herederos del Marques de Riscal began operating in 1858, and was the largest vineyard in the study, spanning 985 hectares. Tours of the vineyard start from €19 and they have a variety of red, white and rose wines available.
C
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FOOD,DRINK
18
Nine books about Spain for your holiday reading list, with Shannon Chaffers
S
UMMER in Spain usually brings with it the opportunity to get out and explore the country. But even if the pandemic forces you to stay put this year, don’t forget that something as simple as a great book can transport you to the world’s most interesting places. With that in mind, here are nine books about Spain to check out in the remaining weeks of summer. Ranging from historical investigations to action-paced thrillers, each provides a unique insight into life in this rich and varied country.
THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho
T
HIS internationally renowned tale of an Andalucian shepherd boy who sets off on a hero’s journey in search of hidden treasure is both heart-warming and fulfilling. Coelho’s writing offers both inspiration and wisdom to power you into autumn.
MADRID AGAIN by Soledad Maura
A
nother modern-day novel, this tells the story of a Spanish woman torn between the life she has made for herself in America and the family she left behind in Madrid. When she decides to become a historian to discover her family’s past, a whole new journey awaits, and it’s one you’ll want to take with her.
DON QUIXOTE by Miguel de Cervantes
P
e r h a p s Spain’s most famous novel, Don Quixote is widely considered to be a foundational text of Western literature. Written in two parts in the early 1600s, it follows the trials and tribulations of a nobleman who, inspired by tales of chivalry, decides to become a knight. Its varying narrative styles and engaging plotlines still holds up centuries later, and it’s a must-read for those interested in the roots of Spanish literature.
& TRAVEL
LITERARY SUMMER
August 11th August 24th 2021 GALICIAN SONGS by Rosalia de Castro
S
witching genres, this book of poems about Galician traditions and culture will shed light on the particular experiences of the Galicians in northern Spain. De Castro is seen as the founder of modern Galician literature, and with her work only recently being translated into English, reading her poems is a great opportunity to immerse yourself into the oft-overlooked Galician way of life.
SPANISH VIGNETTES by Norman Berdichevsky
I
f you are interested in learning more about the Real Madrid-Barcelona rivalry, Spanish Vignettes is your goto guide for this and other important elements of Spanish culture. American expat Norman Berdischevsky covers 34 topics in a fun, digestible way that is perfect for newcomers to Spain.
WORKING CLASS HEROES: THE STORY OF RAYO VALLECANO, MADRID’S FORGOTTEN TEAM by Robby Dunne
D
unne’s work is a bottom-up narrative, focused on football. The Irish journalist goes beyond the dominant Real Madrid/Barcelona narrative and dives into Madrid’s working class club, Rayo Vallecano. Providing insight of the club’s neighborhood pride and anti-fascist roots, he achieves a unique blend of sports and history that lovers of both will find captivating.
FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS by Ernest Hemingway
D
19
ialing back the clock, Ernest Hemingway’s 1940 novel set during the Spanish Civil War is regarded by many as one of the best novels written about the war. Drawn from his experiences covering the conflict for an American newspaper, this gripping tale centres on an American fighting with a Spanish guerilla force as a member of the International Brigades. It is just one of Hemingway’s books about Spain: The Sun Also Rises and Death in the Afternoon are also worth checking out.
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THE ORANGE GROVE by Rosana Ley
W
hen it comes to contemporary novels, you can’t go wrong with this one, in which a mother must confront the past she left behind in Sevilla when she returns with her daughter years later. It makes for a feel-good read that’s perfect for your summer holiday. To find out more, check out the author’s online interview with the Olive Press.
THE INTERNATIONAL BRIGADES by Giles Tremlett
T
his historical undertaking makes for a great pairing with Hemingway’s novel, telling the full story of the International Brigades who fought against Franco in Spain. A bottom-up investigation by the Madrid-based British journalist sheds light on the complicated, fascinating, and chaotic experiences of these anti-fascist fighters.
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E expats have a penchant for quizzes on the Coast. I attended one recently and the questions involved determining the drawings and flags of individual countries. I was quietly outraged when I saw three people at a nearby table consulting their phones with clear colored flags in view. This is just not cricket. I summoned over the quizmaster and they were dutifully told off. As it happened they came last so their efforts were far from rewarding. We have many pensioners living here and I believe it is a great way to get out and enjoy yourself. Not only are quizzes fun but they enhance your memory, reduce stress (unless you are on my formidable team of seasoned quizzers where I torture myself with indecision) but most importantly a good quiz connects people.
August 11th - August 24th 2021
Lisa Burgess
If you are sitting there twiddling your thumbs then go and find out where your local quiz is and even if you are on your own then take the bold step to try it - I have often invited people of all ages to my table and they have thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I won my last quiz with an amazing team and that is what it is all about - teamwork. It brings people together. We had a superb time and I learnt new and useful facts to progress in my quiz future. Sometimes the correct answer just pops into your brain without much forethought. How did I know where Del Boy lived in Only Fools & Horses? On the other hand whenever I get the question Where is Mount Ararat without fail I get it wrong. Either way, I have a good time and it is the experience more than the win. This is the medicine we all need after our annus horribilis so get out there and just give it a try! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
S
UMMER is here and like the much maligned and misunderstood lemmings of popular folklore most of Spain flocks to the shoreline every summer August is of course the high point and one can hardly move for tattooed and frequently topless teletypes sunning themselves. I, however, do not do the beach. There are several reasons behind this. The most obvious is the fact that, as you may know by now, I live in splendid semi isolation on a lake. I have little need to cool off
E
VER since I read the Erich von Daniken book, 'Was God an Astronaut?', I have always wondered if aliens really existed, and the recent US government report on UFO activity reinforced my curiosity. Now, thanks to the bloke who plays snooker with my mate's uncle Harry, all has been revealed. The man is in touch with an alien whistle-blower. Well not exactly, 'in touch', but as he is the product of his mum being abducted by
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or dip my tootsies in the Mediterranean when I have a huge body of water right
in front of me. Added to that is the fact that packing for the playa
AFFAIR OR ALIEN ABDUCTION?
CAR INSURANCE - SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST Not all car insurance companies are the same. It’s good to shop around for the cheapest rates with the most reliable coverage. But you should also ask the difficult questions and make sure you get clear answers:
Once more onto the beach? No thank you, says Giles
an alien (others say it was the milkman), he receives the odd birthday and Christmas card from his estranged space father. But recently, in an apparent fit of anger and frustration, Daddy 'Greenblob' decided to breach the wall of intergalactic security by revealing certain facts to his snooker player offspring. China was not the culprit for the outbreak of COVID. According to our whistle-blower, it started in a Yorkshire Chinese take-away. Evidently the owner, another surrogate space birth who was being financed by the Alien Federation, defaulted on his repayments. So as any decent organised crime boss would have done, they injected a minute dose of COVID on a set of chopsticks. The idea was to infect one customer with a mild fever, as a Health and Safety 'frightener' on any future non-payments. Unfortunately, the purchaser was a Chinese national, who the following day returned to his home in Wuhan. The catastrophic end result is now history. Feeling extremely guilty, the aliens decided to contact the US intelligence service, and warn them to take immediate action by administe-
OLD HACK IN THE SUN Benny Davis Ramblings of an 80-something expat
ring a proven antidote. Unfortunately, all their attempts at communication were met with a recorded message saying, 'We are sorry, but the CIA cannot answer your call at the moment. All our agents are busy studying new reports on UFO sightings to determine if there is alternate life in the universe.' You may think I have entered a world of fantasy with this so-called report, and you would be right, but when you have lived as long as I have and witnessed so many extreme scientific leaps and bounds over the years, nothing would surprise me in this crazy, rapidly changing world of ours.
Great
FOOTNOTE: According to Wikipedia, many thousands of people across the world claim to have been abducted by aliens. That's one helluva milkman – or?
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OP Puzzle solutions
Quick Crossword
Across: 8 Pro bono, 9 Raise, 10 Already?, 12 Mamet, 16 Laws, 19 Cable TV, 20 Blondes, 21 Dusk, 24 Cysts, 27 Mr Right, 29 Golan, 30 Nominal. Down: 1 Sprawl, 2 Borrow, 3 Coma, 4 Pony, 5 Gram, 6 Film, 7 Cent, 11 Decode, 13 Amend, 14 Eaves, 15 Abuser, 17 At bay, 18 Scout, 22 Urging, 23 Kettle, 24 Cogs, 25 Silt, 26 Sine, 27 Many, 28 Rome.
is always something of a hit and miss affair. More often than not one always forgets some small yet vital piece of beach equipment, from bat and ball to factor 40. Living on the lake with my entire house behind me means that everything I own is within 30 seconds walking distance. No brainer. Then there are the crowds. The beach in August, even in the middle of a pandemic, still sees the usual suspects lying next to each other like boquerones fritos. Even worse is the thought of a beach club. Don’t get me wrong - I used to love lazy hazy days of summer afternoons and evenings in a slightly shabby chringuito.
One of the great specialties of a Spanish summer is a well timed siesta. Snoozing at any modern beach club in summer is a nigh on impossibility due to the frazzled and frenzied crowds frotaging against each other. There is bound to be a live DJ, saxophonist or, even worse, electric violinist belting the latest summer hit ( I’m thinking of inventing my own massive LED decorated triangle to compete with their din). The other thing that I miss about the beach is the informality. Now beach bars are more like open air nightclubs, I was once famously barred from one beach club for writing that it was a beautiful place where beautiful people did beautiful things to each other and the permatanned orange octogenarian with the sniffling alabaster skinned 18-year-old Eastern European was merely a proud uncle treating a favourite niece to a day on the beach. That didn’t go down well with the owners. Oh, and did I forget to mention. The sand gets EVERYWHERE!
SUDOKU
d 1
COLUMNISTS Getting quizzical YOU CAN KEEP IT W 22
HEALTH
Third time’s a charm
CAREHOME health workers are asking to be given a third shot of the coronavirus vaccine. The president of the Círculo Empresarial de Attention to People (CEAPS), a group representing care home workers, has said a third shot of the vaccine can protect staff and residents in homes against mutations of the virus, including the Delta variant. President Cinta Pascual said: “The vaccine does not protect 100% and with this fifth wave it has become clear that the third dose is totally necessary. It should be mandatory.” Pascual is also calling for the government to introduce a clear protocol of action for care home residences and said that telling the elderly to isolate in their rooms and cut off visitors ‘is not an option’.
August 11th August 24th 2021
23
Seeing red Time to drop tax on tampons
MINISTER of equality Irene Montero has said the tax applied to sanitary products, nicknamed the ‘tampon tax’, should be abolished in Spain. Montero is calling for the 5% levy applied to items such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, nappies and other hygiene products for dependents scrapped. It is a controversial law because the IVA (value-added tax) that is applied to the sanitary items means they are classed as luxury items - a rule that has been called ‘sexist’ by many people. Women’s rights campaigners have been fighting for years
CALL: Irene Montero wants tax scrapped to put an end to the tax and earlier this year the UK was able to get rid of the ‘Pink tax’ because it is no longer
NOT MONKEYING AROUND AUTHORITIES have stopped clinical trials for a Spanish-developed COVID-19 vaccine following media reports that a monkey developed a lung lesion during testing. Over 100 volunteers were set to get the first test jabs of the new formula, but Spain's medicines agency (AEMPS) postponed their injections due to safety concerns. The Higher Council for Scientific Research denied suggestions that the decision was prompted by test results on the macaque monkey.
The UK’s Leading Online School
The group said that clinical trials had not been cancelled but had been merely postponed until the AEMPS fully evaluates the vaccine’s safety. The vaccine produced by the National Centre for Biotechnology has been regarded as ‘promising’. The formula was going to be tested initially on 112 people via a programme co-ordinated by Madrid's Hospital de la Paz. Full clinical trials would have rolled out to as many as 30,000 test subjects.
subject to European Union rules on sanitary products due to Brexit. An EU directive meant the rate could not fall below 5%. VAT on sanitary products has been levied at various rates since 1973. Montero said: “The next Budget should be a Budget centered around the reconstruction of the country and feminism is key to that. We should not have another tax system that punishes women or the tasks they assume. “Menstruating is not a choice and neither is it a choice that a baby uses nappies during their first years of life or that an older person also needs them.”
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The Olive Press - 11th/12th/13th August 1/6 Page - 83 mm w x 170 mm h (all editions except Gib)
History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.
Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.
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. PROUD
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For further information call: Gibraltar Tourist Board +350 200 74950 Or to download a brochure go to: www.visitgibraltar.gi
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Heritage STREET PARTIES MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE HISTORY MUSIC
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Castle THE ROCK The Moorish Music Festivals Food Festival Pillars of Hercules National Week, Chess, Snooker, Backgammon Championships 100000 YEARS Darts, Neanderthal Settlements LITERARY FESTIVAL
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Vol. 15 Issue 375
FINAL WORDS
Shut out SPANISH football striker Alvaro Morata was forced to sleep at a hotel after his wife accidentally locked him out of the house. Worse yet, his team, Juventus, had just lost 3-0 to Barcelona.
Winging it WATCH out for American-style chicken wings by La Cocinera, which have been recalled after certain packs were mislabelled, leaving out a key allergen ingredient, milk!
expat
voice in Spain
August 11th - August 24th 2021
Not snickering now
A BIT EARLY
Jelly big! A GIANT species of jellyfish that can reach a whopping 40 kilos has been spotted off the coast of Andalucia. Researchers believe the increase in ‘jellyfish blooms’ could be down to global warming.
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Your
Fountain mania
A HISTORIC fountain, dating from 1790 in the centre of Malaga has been used as an impromptu bathtub. A man has been captured on camera bathing in the Fuente Los Cristos, The image shows a man, dripping suds into the drinking water - at least with the decency of wearing Speedo-style swim trunks. The image has triggered various comments, many of which slam the fountain user. “This cannot be allowed. We need quality tourism.” said one twitter user.
SUMMER may still be in full swing, but in the north of Spain, Christmas preparations have already arrived. The festivities have started early in Vigo in Galicia after the city started to string up its Christmas lights.. Mayor Abel Caballero said that the council is committed to having the ‘best Christmas in the world’ as 11 million led lights were installed across the town
Christmas decorations going up to ‘boost tourism’
Bite
Trees
The city council is decorating more than 350 streets and has ordered more than 1,000 trees - over double the number they had last year. In an attempt to boost tourism to the area, the city has said this year will be ‘bigger and better than ever before’ and boasted that the display will be the greatest in the world, putting the likes of New York, London and Paris to shame. The city also plans to erect the tallest tree in the world, a
SNICKERS Spain has found itself in a sticky situation after an ad for the chocolate bar was branded homophobic. Now the company has apologised and pulled the 20 second TV advert featuring Spanish ‘influencer’ Aless Gibaja. In it, the long haired and famously camp Gibaja (pictured above) is at a beach bar with a friend where he asks a waiter for a ‘sexy orange juice with vitamins A, B and C.
ATTRACTION: Vigo illuminations
By Kirsty McKenzie
ski slope and a gigantic Ferris wheel, which is normally one of the main attractions of the display. Home to Europe’s largest fishing fleet, Vigo’s Christmas lights have been a great draw in previous years.
But visitors will have to wait before they can view the illuminations in their full glory. While the €1 million decorations are going up now, it is thought that they will be officially switched on in November, with visitors arriving en masse for the switching on ceremony at the end of November.
The waiter gives him a Snickers ice cream. After taking a bite, Gibaja turns into a macho short-haired bearded man with a deep voice (above left). “Better?” the friend asks. ‘Better,’ the bearded man replies. Snickers’ slogan then comes across the screen: “You’re not yourself when you’re hungry.” This did not go down well with the LGBT State Federation. It tweeted: “It is shameful and regrettable that at this point there are companies that continue to perpetuate stereotypes and promote homophobia. We are here if you need training!”
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LOOk NO furThEr... Just outside Ronda you’ll find the best-known small hotel in Andalucia, Molino del Santo. 35 years after it started, Molino still welcomes hundreds of returning guests every year with its blend of personal, friendly attention and professional levels of service. Great offers available for stays in August - rooms with breakfast from just 99€ on some dates. Email or call us for more details.
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MOLINO DEL SANTO
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