Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 113 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

The

Reuse Reduce Recycle We use recycled paper

OLIVE PRESS

FREE

Stoic sacrifice

ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

GIBRALTAR

The Rock’s only free local paper

Vol. 5, Issue 113 www.theolivepress.es January 8th - January 21st 2020

The Gibraltar International Chess Festival returns to the Rock see page 20

FINALLY! The nearly man becomes the Main Man, as Pedro Sanchez forms a government in Spain after a turbulent two year wait

SERIOUS: Fabian Picardo GIBRALTAR will ‘make a success’ of tough ‘challenges’ in 2020, the Chief Minister has said. In his New Year’s speech Fabian Picardo mentioned details of a major investment to be announced in the next couple of weeks Picardo said everyone must work together with ‘stoic sacrifice’ by asking for less ‘to secure our children’s future’. He noted the ‘critical importance’ of the MoUs and Tax Treaty which allowed Gibraltar to take part in the transition period. Picardo highlighted the ‘dangers and opportunities’ of leaving the EU, pointing out the agreement of a UK common that was a ‘Brexit Bonus’.

Respect

However, the Chief Minister promised to remain firm in agreements over future relations with the EU after the expected final departure date of the end of 2020. “Any negotiation for Gibraltar for such a deal will be conducted for Gibraltar by a team led by me or by Joseph Garcia,” he said. “Such negotiations must be based on mutual recognition, mutual respect and an understanding that nothing can ever be imposed on Gibraltar. “The Government I lead is willing to walk away if the terms proposed do not favour Gibraltar or respect our red lines.” This would mean Gibraltar could opt out of a deal which gave other countries like Spain a greater say on the future of the overseas territory. After congratulating Pedro Sanchez on forming a coalition government, Picardo will have breathed a huge sigh of relief he would not be up against a more right-wing Spain.

RELIEVED: Pedro Sanchez after the vote PEDRO Sanchez has become Spain's official prime minister after winning a second vote of confidence yesterday. The PSOE leader will govern the country for the next four years, after an agonizing two-year wait and three general elections. Acting prime minister Sanchez, 47, from Madrid, was forced to recall MPs to sit for the first time over the weekend to confirm his victory. It was his second attempt at an investiture vote since the PSOE won the most seats in December's general election, but failed to win an overall majority. The vote saw MPs in Spain's congress vote either 'yes' or 'no' to Sanchez's proposed left-wing coalition government, propped up by Pablo Iglesias's Podemos party and a host of other parties. After a heated afternoon session, he won a knifeedge victory of 167 votes against 165, while 18 MPs, the majority from Catalunya, abstained. It means Sanchez will preside over the first coalition government in Spain since 1977 after the death of dictator Franco. The PSOE is propped up by MPs from Unidos Podemos, PNV, Más País, Compromís, Galego

UK BASED

OVERWHELMED: Podemos’ Pablo Iglesias in tears after the coalition victory Nationalist Block, Teruel Existe and Nueva Canarias. It was no surprise who voted against the leftwing coalition, with 165 MPs from the Partido Popular, Vox, Ciudadanos, Junts per Catalunya, Navarra Suma and others saying 'no'. The left erupted into applause, with some shedding tears, when it was revealed that Sanchez had clinched the vote. Representatives screamed 'si, se puede!' while Sanchez hugged Iglesias, who was photographed in tears. Spain’s most recent election was the fourth in as many years as the country failed to form a cohesive government. “It’s great news for Spain,” leading expat Hispanist, Sir Ian Gibson told the Olive Press. “There are going to be lots of compromises, but also solutions.” He added: “Sanchez is an amazing man and it’s remarkable to think he stuck it out after being kicked out of his own party and then came fighting back. “He has the qualities of a true statesman and speaks very well. He will be a great asset for Europe.” Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also sent a letter of congratulation to Sanchez on being re-elected, after ‘a tortuous and fractious debate’.

TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents www.globelink.co.uk

952 147 834

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

In his letter, he referred to the two men’s shared desire to look beyond ‘the eternal issue’ of sovereignty and he extended the hand of friendship on behalf of the people of Gibraltar. He also offered his support for the promotion of ‘policies based on the principle of dialogue, understanding and co-operation between our respective people’. Key to Sanchez’s victory was the abstention of the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left party (ERC), which agreed to sit out the vote after Sanchez vowed to find a solution to the political conflict that has dogged Spain since Catalunya’s separatist regional government tried to secede in 2017.

Terrorists

The government’s opponents argue Sanchez’ ‘Frankenstein government’ will be too beholden to Catalan separatists and pose a threat to Spain’s national unity. While Sanchez appealed for calm, and called on MPs to overcome the ‘atmosphere of irritation’, his adversaries went on the offensive. PP leader Pablo Casado, accused him of being an ‘extremist’ who had left the country’s future in the hands of ‘terrorists and coup-mongers’. In a tweet sent after the vote, Sanchez wrote: “Spain is entering a time for defending dialogue and useful politics. A government for all people that restores co-existence and fights for social justice. Today is the dawn of a time of moderation, progress and hope.” new coalition is expected to See page 23 Spain’s roll out a policy of raising income tax for people in Spain who earn more than €130,000.

Tel: 952 147 834 TM

Opinion Page 6

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF

Assault death

A BRITISH mum who mysteriously died during a family holiday to Tenerife was assaulted weeks earlier at her home in Motherwell, it has been revealed.

Dead German A YOUNG German man has died in a horrific car crash – that caused the car to burn on the A-7 motorway passing through Maro, in Nerja.

Gender killing A MAN has been arrested after allegedly killing his wife and three-year-old daughter in Barcelona on the Three Kings Day.

Beach bust THREE Moroccan men have been arrested on El Playazo beach in Nerja after being caught with nearly 2,000 kilos of hash.

THREE juveniles have spent New Year’s Eve behind bars after allegedly burgling four town centre offices. The premises, located at Centre Plaza in Cornwall’s Parade, were considerably

CRIME

January 8th- January 21st 2020

Festive custody

damaged and some cash was stolen. RGP detectives arrested and charged the youths with burglary just

before Christmas. In another separate burglary, three men in their 20s were accused of stealing

cigarettes, vodka and £200 in cash, the perfect ingredients for a night out. Keyvan Ruiz, 20, Kyle Segovia, 21, and Christian Bonfante, 29, were also holed up until the New Year.

War on drugs

Luke-y Skywalker Toddler cheats death after walking high rise tower ledge while ‘mum in shower’ THIS is the moment a toddler cheated death by walking along the ledge of a Spanish block of flats while her ‘mother was in the shower’. The video, taken by a horrified onlooker, shows the unidentified tot tiptoeing along a narrow section of the building’s exterior. She can be seen emerging from the window, before venturing along the corner of the block, where there is no barrier. Using her hand for support, A MAN who tried smash his way into a slot machine on New Year’s Eve has been sent to prison. Gibraltarian Francis Mercieca got five months in jail for trying to steal cash from the gambling machine.

The unbelievable footage was posted on the ‘I Love Tenerife’ Facebook group. An accompanying caption read: “OMG! This toddler managed to climb out of this building window whilst the parents were taking a shower. “This apparently happened over the weekend at a property in Playa Paraiso, Tenerife!”

Gut reaction

she reaches a balcony before she doubles back and climbs through the window. The young daredevil is thought to be from a young Finnish family, who are holidaying in

Tenerife at the apartment in Playa Paraiso, Adeje. Police reportedly didn’t find out about the incident until they saw the video on Spanish TV channel La Sexta on Monday.

Mug’s game

man had ‘quite the record’ during sentencing, having been convicted for theft in the past. However, his lawyer said he was sorry for what he had done, having only recently been left unemployed.

Police cuffed Mercieca after he caused ‘considerable damage’ and tried to flee the scene. The Magistrate said that the

THE mother of an imprisoned child rapist has been fined for ‘causing a scene’ with her son’s victim. Karen El Aouad was ordered to pay £600 by the Magistrate’s Court after she intimidated the rape victim. El Aouad’s lawyer said the woman was sorry for causing a scene, arguing she was quite emotional at the time. She had already previously been convicted for trying to frighten a witness but her probation officer said her behaviour was ‘out of character’.

MORE than 7,000 people have been arrested and 200 tonnes of drugs seized near Gibraltar over a 15-month period. In total, 207 tonnes of hashish, eight tonnes of cocaine, 800kg of marijuana and 500kg of heroin were intercepted by the two police forces in the Campo de Gibraltar. More than a million cartons of cigarettes were seized and more than a thousand vehicles were also impounded from August 2018 to November 2019. The alarming figures were presented in the Special Security Plan of the Bay of Gibraltar region. This huge anti-drugs operation cost the government nearly €25 million, shared out between the Guardia Civil and Policia Nacional forces.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

January 8th- January 21st 2020

Courting the quokka CHEEKY: Rafa and quokka

when he posed with it during a trip to Australia this Christmas. The Mallorca star took a day off from preparations for the ATP Cup in Perth to visit the animal sanctuary on Rottnest Island. He sent the picture to his 22m followers on Instagram, alongside one IT was one of the funniest selfies of of Hollywood star Liam Hemsworth. the festive period. The world No.1 said: “They are not Tennis ace Rafael Nadal looked as scared to be close to people and we strange as the animal, a quokka, had some fun with them.”

Get digging! EXCLUSIVE By John Clarke

HE is the most famous murdered poet in history. Yet, the mystery of where Federico Garcia Lorca’s body was buried has continued for over half a century. Now investigators may, once again, kick start the search for him, based on a bone found in a park near Granada in 1986. The celebrated Blood Wedding writer was killed by fascists at the beginning of the Spanish civil war, in August, 1936. The homosexual scribe was seized at his home in Granada and later shot alongside three fellow Republicans and dumped in a yet-to-be-identified communal grave. Now the granddaughter of one of those killed - teacher Dioscoro Galinda - has filed an official request to a Granada court to reopen the investi-

Expat historian Ian Gibson lends weight to new push for search for famous murdered poet

BURIAL: Of Spain’s Lorca? gation into their whereabouts. “Spanish society has not yet had the opportunity to bury its most famous Andalucian,” insisted Nieves García Catalan in her request. She based her demands on the recent claims of former Granada Public Works boss Jose Antonio Valdivia, who hinted that a bone found in the village of Alfacar could have been from Lorca.

A long time investigation, which led to digs in three separate locations in 2009, 2014 and 2016, came to a standstill soon after the PP took control of the Junta in 2018. The new demand also includes evidence from celebrated Irish historian Sir Ian Gibson, who has long insisted Lorca was buried in Alfacar. This week, he told the Olive Press: “It’s about time they

Rising Phoenix IT would have been a case of fifth time lucky. But sadly it was not to be for Antonio Banderas on his fifth attempt at winning a Golden Globe award in America. Once again, the Spaniard had to settle for a nomination, as Joaquin Phoenix walked away with the Best Actor award for his role in Joker. It was the second time that Phoenix had bagged the award. Banderas, 59, was nominated for his role as Salvador Mallo in the Spanish drama Dolor y Gloria, di-

RUNNER UP: Banderas

rected by one of the godfathers of Spanish cinema, Pedro Almodovar. The film, which draws on Almodovar’s own life, is set across two timelines. In the present, Mallo is a film director who achieved major success in his prime but is now in his 50s and is quite depressed and lacks

WINNER: Phoenix

inspiration. In the past timeline, we witness young Salva’s youth, where he shares a tender relationship with his mother Jacinta (Penelope Cruz), as she tries her hardest to get him a good education in order to find a way out of poverty.

carried on with this search. It is abhorrent that Spain’s most famous playwright and poet is still buried in an unmarked grave.” The Madrid-based writer has written various books on the case and believes that the group were buried by a specific olive tree in Alfacar, before being dug up and later moved. “We believe they are buried under an ornamental fountain, which was due to be dug up, until the PP government got into the Junta in 2018. “This denuncia should hopefully get things moving again and I am fully prepared to give evidence as an expert,” he added. In the court request, seen by the Olive Press, the family asks for the official Guardia Civil ‘service sheets’ in Granada and Alfacar from August 18 to 20, 1936, when Lorca was executed. It also requests official police files on execution orders, anything on the exhumation of the poet and the registration of the transfer of his remains. It also asks for any evidence of those killed around that time by the Red Cross. The other two Republicans killed alongside Lorca were bullfighters Francisco Galadí and Joaquín Arcollas. It is believed 115,000 missing people are still buried in unmarked graves around Spain.

HISPANIST: Gibson

COFFEE SHOP & RESTAURANT

FULLY AIR CONDITIONED FREE WIFI AVAILABLE

Try Our “Just Roasted” Family Coffee from the Oldest Coffee Shop in Town Varied Lunch & Snack Menu · Salad & Quiche Bar Regional Specials & Pasta · Home-made Cakes · Afternoon Teas Busy Local Atmosphere & Arts Venue. All in a converted 19th Century Merchant’s House on the “Old Commercial Street”

57 Irish Town · Gibraltar

T. +350 200 70625

FIND OUT MORE AT

www.sunborngibraltar.com

/Sacarellos-Coffee-shop

www.sacarellosgibraltar.com

Golden moment IT kept the hordes watching as the countdown to New Year’s Day began. And this year, TV presenter Cristina Pedroche’s annual racy outfit snared a new record for Antena 3. The channel took a record 4.63m viewers as the presenter finally stripped down to a skin-tight gold outfit as the gongs rung midnight. The shiny number, designed by artist Jacinto de Manuel, was revealed at 23.57pm. Called Venus MMXX, it took an incredible 650 hours to make and had been worked on since July. It is the fifth year Pedroche has stripped down to a racy outfit as part of the New Year’s celebrations on Antena 3.

MUNOZ: And Pedroche

The star, who has been married to three Michelin star chef Dabiz Munoz for four years, spent the Reyes holiday in London, where Munoz has a restaurant.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF

Getting responsible THE RGP has reported that no-one was caught drinking and driving during New Year’s Eve celebrations, an indication that the message is finally getting through to the public.

Helping hand BUS shelters in Gibraltar are being used to promote the Gibraltar Samaritans helpline 116123 for needy people struggling with depression or anxiety.

Xmas advance REAL Christmas trees are being recycled into mulch free of charge by the Department of Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change after the festive season.

Smoked out

A BRITISH man has died in a house fire at an urbanization on the Costa del Sol. The 50-year-old deceased is reported to have lost his life due to smoke inhalation.

A blaze broke out at a property in the Alcaidesa Golf & Beach resort last week. Several people were trapped inside the two-story home. It is not yet clear if the house belonged to the Brit, or if he was a holidaymaker, or expat.

January 8th- January 21st 2020

Taking its toll A TOLL booth worker has revealed the appalling abuse inflicted by angry drivers who don’t want to pay road charges. The employee of five

years said he had ‘been spat on’ during a long campaign of harassment from motorists. Tolls on the AP-4 (Cadiz to Sevilla) and AP-7 (Tarragona-Valencia-Alicante) have been phased out.

See you in court! Picardo takes far-right Spanish party Vox to court for ‘inciting hatred’ against Gibraltar

FOUR leaders of the Spanish Vox party might need to answer to their own Spanish law courts on incitement to hatred charges. It comes after Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told Parliament that he would not allow freedom of expression to be ‘abused by those who mean to cause us harm’. The leader filed a criminal

By John Culatto

complaint under Article 510 of the Spanish Penal Code which deals with offences of incitement to hatred. It follows a campaign by Vox which called Gibraltar a nest of criminals who hold Spaniards hostage instead of employing them. “The sort of language we are

Poo-tiful CAMP Bay toilets and changing room facilities will be getting a full facelift over the next few months so that they are ready for the 2020 Official Bathing Season. NEIGHBOURS: Gib and La Linea mayors

hearing being said in public is that we are a leech to the economy of the Campo de Gibraltar and that we are money launderers,” said Picardo in Gibraltar. These comments had led to others urging violence against Gibraltarians, which Picardo described as similar to the tactics used by Hitler. He said he had carefully considered this action and that he could take it to the highest court in Europe. The actions of Vox have even led to the leader of the party in

GIBRALTAR’S neighbouring town has been denied the possibility of hosting online betting companies. La Linea de la Concepcion mayor Juan Franco spoke up in his New Year message about the need to become an autonomous city to attract investment. The city of 70,000 is historically one of the poorest cities in the south of Spain, having supposedly being deprived of investment because of its links to Gibraltar.

La Linea resigning because of the encouragement of hatred towards Gibraltar. “There is an important dividing line between the right to speak one’s mind, however much we may disagree with the views expressed, and the incitement to hatred, libel, slander or defamation,” said Picardo. The Government has also asked the social media group ‘Gibraltar Español’ to be investigated for what it called ‘an avid echo-chamber for anti-Gibraltarian propaganda of VOX’.

Going solo

“We want an adequate framework so this city can have the possibility of development,” said Franco. “One of our main requests was that the online gaming companies could be based in La Linea. “But the central government instead gave the opportuni-

Union hits out A PUBLIC service union has slammed government plans to appoint another Financial Secretary from the private sector. The Gibraltar General and Clerical Association (GGCA) insists that senior civil servants could take over when current Financial Secretary Albert Mena steps down. It comes after Chief Minister Fabian Picardo recently said in parliament that he was not sure it would be possible to put a civil servant in the post. The GGCA claims that if more ‘hands-on training’ was given to these officers, it would save taxpayers money in the long run. The GGCA still has a large number of members from the civil service although of late, many have joined Unite the Union instead. ty to Ceuta and Melilla because they’re autonomous cities.” But now the mayor believes it is time to give that same status to La Linea, a move which would allow the city to grow economically. Mayor Juan Franco has dramatically changed the fortunes of Gibraltar’s neighbour since he took over four years ago. His La Linea 100x100 independent party won an overwhelming majority of 21 out of 25 councillors at last year’s local elections.

OP QUICK Crossword Across 1 Head armour (6) 5 Missing (6) 8 Retaliation (8) 9 Exclamations of surprise (4) 10 Island in central Hawaii (4) 11 Immense (8) 13 Stylist (11) 18 Plan of attack (8) 22 Bedouin (4) 23 Angry (4) 24 Cosy (8) 25 Artificial limb (3,3) 26 Mistakes (6)

Buying or selling your property may be the most important transaction you will ever make... Attention to detail is crucial. That is why when you choose Charles Gomez & Co for your conveyancing, our dedicated team of experts scrutinise everything and keep you informed at every step of the process.

35 Years of Excellence in Conveyancing

OP Sudoku

Down 2 Nonsense (7) 3 Cocktail (7) 4 Flavour (5) 5 Exhausted (3,4) 6 Body of honeybees (5) 7 First prime minister of India (5) 12 Metal-bearing mineral (3) 14 European mountain (3) 15 Pencil sketch (7) 16 Prison (7) 17 Installation for nuclear fission (7) 19 Stage (5) 20 Saudi Arabian currency (5) 21 Kent coastal town (5)

All solutions are on page 22

2019 round up

What a

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 one million people a month.

OPINION Deep end

n a year marred by Brexit and culminating in the rise of Boris Johnson (left) to become Prime Minister, there have actually been other stories holding the attention of expats in Spain. For one, pop star Julio Iglesias found out

170-BIKE-4.indd

FREE

Admin Beatriz Sanllehí (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es

Office manager Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@ theolivepress.es

Vol. 13 Issue 310

Newsdesk: 0034 951 273 575

THE uncle of little Julen Jimene z, whose body pulled out of a was on Saturday, well blasted state has secutors who proare seeking a reckles s homicide charge

against him. David Serrano secution alongsiAlcaise is facing proowner of compa de Antonio Sanchez, ny Triben Perfora nes, which origina cioBoth are facing lly dug the well. and four years between 18 months behind bars and be ordered to pay could costs borne by up to €1.5 million in rescue mission the state in the biggest Marbella lawyerin Spanish history. is representing Antonio Flores, who Alcaise, told the Press he is devasta Olive ling from losing ted and is still ree“It is a very sad Julen. situation and totally unfair,” he insisted . “This family really poor and are are in no way respon sible. “If anyone it is respon sible it professional who dug the well. is the “By law he should have plugged hole with concre the Speaking from te and he didn’t.” Palo, Malaga, the family home in El bought the landhe added: “They only wanted to use two months ago and “We will fightit for horses. as hard as we prevent him having can to to face these charges." Little Julen fell down the openin January 13, sparkin g on operation involvi g a 13-day rescue and costing the ng 300 specialists state at least €1.5 llion. miHis lifeless body was recovered the wreckage from AN invest igatio at around 1.30am n has been launSaturday. last ched after an See The World

(Free

See page 17

AWARDS

2016 - 2020 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2020 Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

Elixir of 7Andalucia ways southern We reveal the a health kick Spain provides Page 18

Epidemic

me New year, newyou 8 superfoods We highlightthis year need to try Page 24

New Year’s Make your with National today Week and Resolution Awareness Plan Obesity Weight Cambridge

Foods SL Nutritional I Cambridge Baptista Basset Calle Joan 10, No Ramos, Local 15, 03560, El Campello, Alicante 58 63 24 +34 952 info@cwpespana.es

14th - 20th

Jan 2019

Cambridgeweight planspain

for)

- January 29th

2019

s scale and ceman show (right) poli ning while d well ope er, were ices surroun a fast food work rgency serv Maria Garcia, e’. SCENE: Emeld’s media on site ster Pedro ‘dead insid Dollimore, Prime Mini (above) wor By Laurence ontin and It came afterted support for the coutmare. Pablo BalbBamber t’s worst nigh Sanchez twee Jose, while he appreciaCharlie lan for IT is every parenjust two years old, trah gh. ple, whic no in Tota wasn’t enou Their little boy,, cramped space with don’t know the gesture, the ted need action… we still pped in a dark him. he fell into “I just ds t my son.” one able to reachgive family and frien a a nearby farm when anything abou dad, who lost a three hole. At first his criesstopped hearing those said he 107-metre deepation was quickly spar- The desperate bed two years ago,had fallen hope, but they A rescue oper rapidly grab he year-old son long time ago. is watching as hun-- ked and the story has world, while the heard Julen crying after ing around the gency servi Now the world the well. but he could rts and emer Julen Jime- headlines t parents have been sleep into cry, expe son of s my . dred distraugh “I listened to to reach little well ever since from ces attempt edly fell down the tiny in a car next to the I be?” dad and tra- not do anything.” doza, 49, nez, who alleg in Malaga on Sunday.rts “Where else could o said, “Even here I Builder Carlos Men Totalan, told the Roci of expe lives in le well in Totalan desman Jose of the coup to bear. Malaga, who a crack team But despite scene, rescuers say it will am too far from himand I cannot reach Olive Press: “Relativescouple of monthe land a ’t even have a now on the 24 and 48 hours until they “My son is in there only bought didn een they betw Vicky ago, be ths his wife, him.” a tool shed. e there, just for the villad that he and reach the boy.were enjoying a day with hous adde He dy on le His parents were cooking paella “It’s a real trage only 600 peop the family and ge, there areare really devastahere and we ly. cle if ted for the fami absolute mira “It will be an alive.” he comes out tsapp Wha or Call on Page 5 Continues

and 24 for info

led police to Olive Press tip off human remaia mysterious set of It came afterns. British expat Ni-

EXCLUSIVE

SHOCK FIND : Expat Nicho with bones found las in garden

By Charlie

fer te hire trans Reliable priva any occasion services for vehicles • Luxury ce door servi • Door to ctions colle rt • Airpo transport • Weddings g day trips • Sightseein t shuttles • Restauran at: Find out more s.com ly-shuttle www.simp 117 tel: 951 279 uttles.com ly-sh info@simp

ins.com

curta www.eliteglass

635 699 783

for Spanish residents

o.uk

nk.c www.globeli

902 123 282 February

902 123 282 See page 2

0 96 626 500 3 699 082 +44 (0) 135

Tel: 902 123 282 90 2 123 282

KE-4.indd

s-256x170-BI

TheOlivePres

Opinion Pag

a week

/18 ds 30/11 *Offer en

newals id for re . Not val

. Subject

tio to condi

ns.

2/8/18 17

TRAVEL INSURANCE

• Luxury vehicle s Door to door service • Airport collections Weddings transpo rt Sightseeing day trips Restaurant shuttle s Find out more at: www.simply-s huttles.com tel: 951 279 117 info@simply-s huttles.com •

•

SELLING?

Continues on

951 490 503

2/8/18 17:01

Page 8

See page 5 for information

There were more gruesome goings on in February, as we reported how British grandmother Valerie Butroid’s dead body*Offerwas kept in her Marbella home for a year by ends 30/11 /18. Not valid for renew als. Subjec t to condit ions. her daughter (Issue 311). Meanwhile, questions abounded after a Marbella chiringuito opened by Pamela Anderson and Eva Longoria was torched to the ground. Elsewhere, Chris Stewart’s beloved Driving Over Lem2/8/18 17:01 ons country was under threat from a new series of mega-pylons being built in the Alpujarras (Issue 312). Over in Mallorca, British filmmaker Carl Whiteley, who mixed with the likes of Sylvester Stallone, was left in a coma after an unexplained balcony fall (Issue 48). But there was also a heartwarming tale to round off the month, as 80-year-old Hector Baglietto survived a boat crash off Gibraltar and heroically swam to shore (Issue 91). 2

www.eliteglasscurtai

ns.com

*Off er ends 30/1 1/18 . Not valid

www.rightcasa .com

app

635 699 783

a week

TheOlivePress-256x170-BIKE-4.indd 1

Three Lions pub

(Free or paid

FREE

Vol. 13 Issue 312

ry ress.es Februa

www.theolivep

for)

Mijas Costa

Ave de Gabriel Roca

2019 27th - March 12th

ELECTRIC SHOCKER

4, Palma

Shut it down!

See page 12

By Gillian Keller

THE toxic therma l power station Alcudia

in ps , Es Murterar, has finally : The Holdu firmed conplans for its

POWERLESS

Black out

closure. Endesa-owned Spain’s top tenEs Murterar is in of most

Julia Bujosa Batle, 6 07184, Calvía Tel: (+34) 971 Mallorca 670 300 Mob: (+34) 628 196 939

home

www.gc-property.co

ref: CT30

is the conservatory, and dining room and bathroom and kitchen. In addition grassed areas large bedroom. along with a pool Outside there are and cars (car port for extensive 2 cars), a basement,bbq. The property also boasts parking for gas central heating, a/c and fireplace. 4

Best English Pub in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am

BEST

expat paper in Spain

Let us guide you

Calvia – 845,000€ A fantastic house close to the centre street. The house of Calvià and yet sits on on

a very quiet and a plot of basement and private 80m2 of terraces. 1,300m2 with 240m2 of living | Inmobiliaria area, 26m2 of (1 ensuite) and Upstairs there a terrace are 3 bedrooms www.thema and 2 bathrooms mountains. Downstairs with exceptional views towards llorcadeal.c is the living room, the countryside om there

| +34 971 961 057

Find out agents are usinwhy many of Spain’s top g our monthly Magazine FREProperty E inside

Voted BEST

expat paper in Spain

Calvia – 975,000€ A beautiful family home in Calvia ref: CT142 area of 366m2 village. and a plot of 1150m2. The property has an approx 3 bathrooms (2 constructed The house consists ensuite), a large of 4 bedrooms, double height In addition there lounge and excellent is a guest toilet, storerooms. Outside laundry kitchen. there is a wonderful room, gym, double garage and extensive and 2 terrace overlooking garden, the private pool property are central all with great views out to Galaxto. Other heating and a/c. features of the

FREE Vol. 2 Issue 48

Property www.theolivepress.es

CG Property C/

On the eve of Andalucia day, we look at the history of one its most famous group of residents, gypsies

Issue 26

ss.es Febru ary 14th

(Free or paid

Celebrities join ts furious expa stop and locals ton’ ‘abominatio of pylons sets to ruin serie of celebratedys tourist valle

LET IT GRO W Expansion for two more market approaches years, growth of as this winter 17%

2019

Tel: 9022123 282 90

123 282

ve groves. work in 45 businesses

SEE PAGE 2

turning to Engla

l, she insisted s that reports in the Mallorquin press t

and broke part the wall,” she explain of ed. “The balco

made “Doctors have good progress. begun to take

The Rock’s ONLY free local paper

SADDLE UP FOR MORE ART!

See Anxiety Rises page 6

282

Spain’s most iconic frescos, from the dark ages to the 21st century, see Fab Frescos page VIII

SPAIN’S property market is expected least another According to two years, experts have to continue growing predicted. for at down until at a leading Catalan institute, ITEC, there It comes after least 2021. will be no slow crisis, with a last year saw sales reach Meanwhile, 9.7% year-to-year increase their highest since continued to the 2008 from January pared to the the number of sales in October ments in the be in the top three destinations to September. same month world for Brits. statistics (INE). Growth in 2017, accordingrose by a huge 17% The only regions for property com- ly, Sevillawas particularly strong investwhere sales to official government New home sales ic Islands, in Murcia, up fell province saw were up 15% 53%, and interesting- quarter. the latter of which saw were in the Canary and a Growth was to 7,971 and also strong 50% spike. a significant resales up 17% Meanwhile, 3% drop in Balearto 43,536. na in particular with a across the board in Catalunya, the Spanish the last rise And it was and Barcelo- Spain’s biggest appraisal house price index hotspots like of 31%. such as Barcelona the Costa del company, showed published by Sol and Costa Tinsa, Blanca which The Mediterraneanand Madrid were up 9.4% prices in the big cities coast shot up in Islands up 2.3%. 7.8%, and the November. Balearic and Canary

Heartbroken family and wife filmmaker spea k out after mysof British balcony fall tery

We uncover 26th 2019

As Spain adds 11 new towns we explore them there, how their unique to its ‘most beautiful’ see Belissimas architecture list, helped get page XXVI

Deal or no deal everything expa, we break down about the UK’s ts need to know divorce from the EU

for)

- February 27th

- February

February 2019

I MISS MY BROTHER www.theolivepre

February 13th

www.theolivepress.es

From medieval to modern

power a facing plants, and one of onlypolluting couple are dozen around of thecoal-burning A BRITISH expat learnt aone power plants left in Spain. ‘disaster’ after they y masts (left) is Balearic Govern ‘monstrous’ electricit back garden. ment to be built in their wife Karen, Armengol has president Fran62, and cina met with farm Steve Holdup, a self sufficien menttofficials from all energy governeven 61, who live on ironically departm and land ents along with from near Orgiva, could ofEndesa power the CEO of to plan the phased lose their sole source way. are in the have closure. also ensured solar panels, which ,They who moved jobs will be saved and that all existing The retired teachers decade ago, claim transitioned to by new from Cumbria a kept the dark model. in the they have beeny REE,The twofound oldest parts of and only energy compan are aset friend. to close down inthe power plant from January 2020. out about the pylon “From Press: other OliveThe two sections will Steve told the rebuilt wehours reduce operating house fantastic a to having years until ago, we’ve 1,500 hours a year for from scratch tendisaster. August 2020, then just EXCLUSIVE 500 hours year into 2025. it ended up with aour per life savinguntil By Charlie Smith “We put all of having to live with and now we face directly behind our Global a 220 volt tower THE sister of a British filmma The plant ser-be home.” who plunged from must ker and adjoining their closed by 2025, but If built, the towerwill through lorca has spoken a balcony in Malearlier rightclose if the second natural gas link to the mainla of her heartbreak vice road will cutpanels. as her brother nd is finished beremains in a coma field of 13 solar fore then. y gets aa in German hospital. in as “So somebody "It wasMorocco y from necessa Emma Whitel ry to propose a load of electricit–aand ey told the Olive at the back tower change last night this change Press losing result of putting in up the she end energy was we is ‘still speechless’ and of our house andyglobal an opportunity model after her brother Carl for ourselwe have islands for our from Lincoln Whiteley, 39, in that the little electricit donenot can been has leave “It shire, anyone be- floor hind," said preside fell ves.” He added: you could flat in Palma a from his firstnt "It isr fashion fortnight ago in the most chevalie a solution that Armengol. myster ious fits circumstances in with the Climate Change Law imagine. . The ‘friend of and is also a guaran tee oflived t - with the likes the stars’ - who mixed in the ed Lecrin work. has continu t pylon projec , who Oli- for the employees," she continu , told the and Johnny of Sylvester Stallone g protest agains to take Howardfor two decades ed. Depp - smashe long, snakin dly necessary When take these the to above) join head open at around project While suppose Morocco to Europe, Valley first d his two section is Press: “The Dr Robert (inset s close in an argum our valley 2020,across 11pm, following FAMILY: (Left) the Baleari electricity fromthe untouched beauty ve EXCLUSIVE ty Stewart and c Islands ent with his Sister Emma massive pylons less have devasGLE: Christ it is set to ruin wife, Esther from made the reBy Tim McNul and (right) ation. It will CO2 menta-iatelywill emit Muñoz, 33. by tens of thou- an abomin10% POWER STRUG Lemons novel to a Carl with Sylve environimmed Palma’s lorca's of the area, enjoyed each year. – Mal- Carl’s ences emissio er Chris Over famous - added his namegning ster Stallone ns alone will drop sister Emma where Carl stillSon Espases Hospital, She To tating consequ l interests are sands of nature lovers gion No ically. campai X-GENESIS drumm that fi(Say and wife Esthe of financia e day. the 33% econom immediately “I lays in a coma. said: “We made the journe Of Hajoined collectiv again private od over the will and The Di No A Las Torres high vol- lly and r miss place, a ‘Vale Stewart has ‘motorway’ of growing the proposal. ples, but that’s argue like other cou- some it, a Balearics to be y from the UK to the pretty my brother. His progre leaving, as The Towers) group arguesa ‘devasta- “It’s a magical expats battling former 80s star Doc- riding roughsh Moors called it, everybody has people, ght against a the Anss is own problem with as the much the for ’, have of her ppiness ‘critically ill’ no their “Thenfresh air. and conserThese include the Blow Monkeys, the rightswake of heedless destruc tage towers would s. power lines planned change, but wesame, there is still “The I heard a noise, tourism and agricul- place of natural beauty Alpujarras region. li- ever, a brother. neighb tor Robert, from are praying for ran out and the Olive Press, ting effect’ on health. who told recover Driving dalucia’s iconic the Stewart y.” a because she our banged on our door, saw him lying his head busted - whose TM “I ture, as well as been launched, while vation. giant pylons will scarlocal ves in the tion,”week. hon- Meanwhile blood everywhere could The British author , “She was upset hear Lucy crying. his wife Esther and I rang the with A petition has over a thousand peo- “These pe, could destroy the the estly don’t that n e a r b y this day the tide will turn and more bulanc will ambecaus denied landsca e straigh e of all the noise.” L e c r i n “One ble, sustainable ways so... a protest saw the village of Con- tourist businesses and ravage k n o w in hisshe had been in any way involve The accountantt away.” horror plunge d She explain ple march near. V a l l e y , reasona but seemingly not yet; continu w ment. h local on ed, “I just a TM for Januar environ ed want t all prevail; She told the Olive that the couple him on Sunday y es again.” which is no benefits at only just to the barricad it was re- char protest, which included many to had happen to wake up and tell us what Press that her 30. say,” band, with of “There are must fight to stop them.” The ed. I want to hus- central moved into a new flat also set to it’s back comes after , is the start whom - we region, E outrage children people she be m in Electrithe Palma The has and m away from to this nightmare a Lucy, y Red a daught and expats be badly TM ism is vital a energy compan that we the scheme. told the gust nine, may have fallen after er only just getting usedthat they were After nominated assite a f f e c t e d vealedEspaña (REE) plans to install many to stop s singer Robert Ecotour a new brain are living.” of wind or due to their home. which wasUntitle a e “It de pylons ca was Monkey Heritag O d-1.pdf the scan giant l a i v e after having to being ‘dizzy’ windy 211 Blow on Carl’s by fractur 1 16/06/2017 UNESCO World for having a network of some before Carl fell, night and two hours confirmed skull, meanwhile, doctors a few drinks. 15:36 P r e s s Speaki project. in 2017, mainly oldest olithe two valleys. ed to his wife that door open and the wind blew the and after re- hospitang at Palma’s Son Espase “ O n c e across See pages 40 he is stable some of the world’s shut has

Tel: 902 123 282

for rene wals . Subj ect to cond itio

Call or Whats

’s y

Deposito Legal MA: 835-2017

‘Spinach away carnivore weekend Page 17

Open 7 days

Voted

Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5, Calle Espinosa 1, Edificio cc El Duque, planta primera, 29692, Sabinillas, Manilva

29th 2019

Meatis retreat of poison’ - organiser

UK BASED

Smith & Laure cholas Smith nce Dollimore , 63, got in After meeting after discovering touch the former bricparts of a sku- garden. The dad-of-four klayer ll, jaw and leg Leicester was from find, and authenticating the left stunn the Olive Press TMbone in his back he happe SEE PAGE tipped ned upon the ed when the Guardia discovery Civil immediatel off 35 FOR Cops were on while buryin the scene at y. INFORMATION g his home his dog at his home within the hour of and had taped 12 years on the off Costa ying out the area before carrdel Sol. a full excavation. They He believes THE COAST’S PREM the bo- week: told the Olive Press this IER, nes are those “We can confir CARE PROFESSIONENGLISH SPEAKING HEARI m that a of set of huma NG ALS AND AUDIO a teenager, n remai LOGISTS appears to have who located on a prope ns have been rty in the La murdered and been Cala area. See pages 39 & ried at his homebu- “We cannot comm 40 La Cala de Mijas in ther as this is nowent any furan ongoing . investigation.” Smith believ bones could es that the UK BASED be up to 100 years old, a *Offer ends med to him byfact, confir30/11/18. N the police. ot valid for The East Midla renewals. S ubject to c pat also believ nds exonditions. nes could be es the boReliable private the cause of hire transfer a series of super for Spanish services for any natural occasion BUYING OR

Wept page 7

ary 16th ress.es Janu

www.theolivep

centres Sontec hearingier hearing The coast’s premonals and care professi ists audiolog

Real Estate | Immobilien

Head office

29th 2019

16th - January

S Y A D R U O F IN HELL

Malaga propertne bestmagazi

For all sales and advertising enquiries please contact 951 27 35 75

January

of the investigatorProgram the The principal director of Public Healand study and Marrugat, of Epidemiology IMIM, Jaume illustrath of the latest figures error, the said: “The margin of maxite, with littleof initiating thegrowing importance to reverse the society. in our mum effort the of obesity epidemic only way to reduce eco“It is the social, health andin the enormous that will emerge nomic costs being overweicoming years.” related to cancer and Diseases diabetes, ght include heart disease.

expat paper

or paid for) www.theolivepress .es January 30th - February 12th 2019

•

Distribution ENQUIRIES (+34) 951 273 575 distribution@ theolivepress.es

- January

As Olive Press publisher Jon Clarke send we turns 50 ck up che him for

Spain of men in by the year A HUGE 80% or overweight be obesenew study has warned. from 2030, a of to researchers Institute According del Mar (IMIM), women the Hospital Research although with Medical to be affected, 55% set will be less a still concerning Spaor obese. overweight published by the estiThe study, of Cardiology, were nish Journal in 2016 there adults mates that million overweight50% of some 24 70% of men and in Spain, to inwomen. is expected if nothing That number three million current crease by to counter the is done the Spatrends. already costing per Obesity is service €1.9 billion nish healththe current projections billion year, but could exceed €3 say this next 11 years. over the

BEST

Death probe

EXCLUSIVE

residents

TheOlivePress-256x170-BIKE-4.indd 1

Issue 309

on the rise Obesity is will cost in Spain and service the healthnot tackled billions if will

Voted

dence that a no confi soon as next May admitted happen as vote could but said it did not show Wednesday, were willing to support. what deal MPs leader added that she The embattled with the DUP and ‘sethe would hold talkstarians from across nior parliamenify what will be required house to ident ort’. teto secure supp000 UK citizens regis For the 300,in Spain, it is still not clear it, red as living they will have after Brex e what rights ances by Spanish Prim despite assur o Sanchez. rved whateMinister Pedr to s will be prese “Their right rio,” he said, in a bid ver the scena a no-deal Brexit. be allay fears over that clarity would May also said citizens in the UK and needed for EU EU. the in to ns British citize nt will now be forced The governmeB’ for Brexit within three reveal a ‘plan amentary days, expected working parli ary 21. to be on Janu

Open 7 days

Gillian Keller gillian@theolivepress.es

January 16th

SPONSORED

www.theolivepress.es

Vol. 13

the UK goturmoil after BREXIT is in recorded one of its bigvernment has tary defeats in modern gest parliamen s, voted history. 118 Tory rebel esa May’s Ther MPs, including ster Mini e against Prim a majority of 230. eBrexit deal byr Jeremy Corbyn immby Labour leaded on the opportunity the diately seize of no confidence in tabling a vote government. trophic defeat, the hou“This is a catas its verdict on her deal. se has delivered l has reached the end Delay and denia he said. of the line,”

o.uk

Dimitris Kouimtsidis dimitris@theolivepress.es

Good healt

ALE Off the SC

(Free or paid

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 69908

John Culatto Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es johnc@theolivepress.es

about

ll www.theolivepress.es

e 309 Vol. 13 Issu

www.globelink.c

Charlie Smith Joshua Parfitt charlie@theolivepress.es joshua@theolivepress.es

in The year began with alth Spain See free He t British expats in Spain Supplemen inside scene still facing the uncera erts rush to Mijas Cost FREE as global exp fourth day tainty of unresolved dler enters rch for tod sea te era Desp Brexit chaos – some things never change. Our first front page of the year (Issue 308) carried the news that the Spanish Prime Minister had promised British expats their at rights would remain unchanged after Brexit ‘no matter what’. Total defe Weeks later the world held its breath as rescue efforts began for little Julen Rosello, the two-year-old who fell down a Malaga well (Issue 309). little Parents say the n Olive Press journalists were at the site alongJulen fell dow while well on Sunday friend side the global meplaying with ence No confid Expert claims dia, before it Voted it is ‘almost t boy Spanish tha BEST hunting impossible’ well emerged Julen expat dogs is inside the r claims paper killed while builde ‘weeks had died and a Mijas Costa my beloved in sealed it he rescue pup Spain ago’ family legal batTommy A-team who ‘Julen family See page 5 nd tle ensued. COULD SET OF famously fouers last HUMAN BONES must NOT DUG UP IN GAR Chilean min to help DEN BE BEHIND HAU In other news NTING? be charged!’ year flown in rt effo rescue the British PM ion Rescue operat l be predicts it wil hours Theresa May (reanother 24-48 s che rea it before member her?) still Julen say couldn’t get her Junta bosses ‘first situation is the the Brexit deal through of its kind in Olive Press he world’ lps Parliament. police after exp uncovers body at of The month was a ‘teenager’ back gardenin his TM AVEL rounded off with the grisly tale of British expat INTR E GRIM JANUARY: SURANC Nicholas Smith (left) who unearthed the ‘human From poor Julen to back garden burial remains’ of a teenager in his back garden in Mijas 2 Tel: 902212312823 282 (Issue 310). 90

Another month, another election. The cogs of democracy in Spain are clanking again in what has seemed a year of repetitive headlines with two general elections and two winning parties without an absolute majority. To British expats, many without a vote, it may seem a chore to read up on Spanish politics. But you should do: for a new government means a turbo-charged Spanish state ready to enact a backlog of laws that will affect each and every one of you. From Brexit to the environment and from new laws governing scooters to social justice, expect a raft of new measures regulating our lives here. Whether you’re a fan of socialism or not, a democratically elected government in power, at last, is good news for Spain. And there is no doubt Pedro Sanchez is a gentleman and a fighter and with Pablo Iglesias alongside him, he has one of the most intelligent party leaders in Europe. Now we can all move forwards for the next four years without another darn election.

TheOlivePress-256x

he had a lovechild by a Portuguese ballerina. Then there was the almost unbelievable collapse of Thomas Cook, the Catalan riots, while Spain eventually dug up General Franco. Royals including Harry and Megan, and a sweating (or

January

Government in action

Publisher / Editor

A look back at the biggest stories landmark year

Few people failed to have their festive period touched by the tragic drowning of three tourists at a swimming pool in Fuengirola. The Christmas Eve nightmare led to family debates around tables across Britain, Spain and indeed much of the world. An extreme, bizarre event such as this is sure to spark speculation. And were they able to swim or not? How can one not imagine if it were their nine-year-old, what would they do, how would they act? Speculation is rife and this newspaper’s phones have been ringing off the hook with armchair pool engineers offering their thoughts. But now, it seems, a true expert with an extensive career investigating freak drownings is to be given a chance to solve the case. While it is not our place to oppose official police reports, expert Allen Wilson must be given complete access and a total free reign to investigate anything he sees fit. No stone must be left unturned. After all, the millions of tourists who come to Spain every year deserve to be assured there is no reason to fear the place that is the centre of so many happy holidays.

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

January 8th- January 21st 2020

FREE

Mad for Murals see page 8

livepress.com Vol. 4 Issue 91 www.gibraltaro

February 27th - March 12th 2019

‘RUBBER MAN’ BOUNCES BACK

Plane terror

THIS is the dramatic moment a British Airways plane hit heavy turbulence while trying to land in Gibraltar. The clip, which went viral on social media, shows the plane tilting violently from side to side while attempting to land. One Gibraltar resident, said: “I was in that plane, it was very scary indeed.” Another witness of the plane, that was eventually forced to divert to Malaga, wrote: “It was awful! Never seen a plane rock from side to side as much! I’m still shaken by it!” British Airways confirmed the plane was diverted due to strong winds and that it landed safely in Malaga. Opinion Page 6

EXCLUSIVE

AGAIN AN octogenarian fisherman whose boat was smashed on rocks during strong winds has told the Gibraltar Olive Press how remaining calm was key to staying alive. Pensioner Hector Baglietto, 80, was forced to swim to safety and clamber over jagged rocks when his sixmetre fibreglass ship, Tyjack, ran aground close to Europa Point (pictured left). The former fireman, who had been fishing when a three-metre wave slammed his vessel onto rocks, told the Gibraltar Olive Press: “I am lucky to be alive.” He added however he was ‘never afraid’ when he got into trouble during strong winds last Tuesday.

Best to remain THE Gibraltar government waded into a dramatic day in Parliament yesterday, insisting the cancelling of Article 50 and staying in the EU would be ‘the best possible outcome’. A spokesman made the comments, just hours after the UK’s Labour Party announced it would support a second referendum, while Theresa May confirmed MPs would get a vote on whether to delay Article 50 on March 13. Gibraltar said it would back a ‘remain’ outcome in any new referendum, despite the many concerns it had over EU institutions and countries. However, the Rock remains concerned over the delay of the so-called meaningful vote for MPs until March 12, just two weeks before the UK departure date.

80-year-old Hector Baglietto tells Olive Press how he survived dramatic Europa Point boat crash

EXCLUSIVE By John Culatto

“That first wave knocked me forward, cracking my rib and half-flooding my boat,” Baglietto, a former Gibraltar footballer, revealed. “The next wave threw it onto shallow rocks. It was very scary. If it had capsized I would not be here to tell the tale.” Speaking at his Glacis Estate home, he revealed: “I then waded across the rocks while being lashed by the waves until I got to dry land near the Europa Point cottages.” He continued: “I was soaked right through and in quite a lot of pain, also with a broken toe and plenty more

Consequences

REPLICA: Of boat while (above)

brave Hector

If May’s deal is rejected, MPs will then vote on whether they want to leave the EU with or

treated the ‘shaken’ without a deal on March 13, bruises.” Despite his inju- Service before he was a vote is held on exries, he added that he was Gibraltarian,to St Bernard’s before Article 50. tending ‘very calm’ throughout the transferred for medical atten- “The Government is conordeal thanks to his de- Hospital cerned about the consequenction. cades of experience. explained how he es of an extension for obvious The grandfather, who is Hector been brought up in a reasons,” the No6 statement one of 11 children, is known had of fishermen in Cata- added. family ‘rubber the as to his friends Gibraltar will continue to Bay. man’ as he always manages lan brave local, who re- brace itself for a no deal Brexto get back up without seri- The from the Admiralty it. tired position of the Governous injury. Service at 50, admitted “The is that Gibraltar must “It is a nickname that I have Fire st time he ment

2019 round up

a year! www.theolivepress.es

stories that made 2019 another ear for the Olive Press non-sweating) Prince Andrew hid from the British press out here in Spain. There were numerous floods across the country, a Mercadona crimewave, a Champions League final, celebrity weddings and even a scrape with

January 8th- January 21st 2020

May We ve go he powe was he umphan head ne g ac ng he O ve P ess on pages n Ma o ca n he mon h o May ssue 318 Th s was he s o y ha om Ma o ca o A can e o Anda u c a expa s we e o n ng gyps es and Down synd ome cand da es on he ba o s s n one o he mos d ve se e ec ons n Span sh h s o y n o he news he e we e wo huge gove nmen a b unde s as much oved expa nu se y Won de and n Ma be a was c osed down due o a counc e o wh e a M as based B sh ex

You n o Sp n

M as Cos a

WE’VE GOT THE POWER! w

Paul Hollywood of Great British Bake Off fame. Spain also saw the birth of not one but two new Olive Press newspapers. This year definitely has a tough act to follow. But in the meantime, here are the top news stories

91 Trial shocker

March

H s ory was made n March as he O ve Press aunched s our h newspaper on he Cos a B anca The paper s rs ron page carr ed a c ass c s ory abou a ne ghbour y n wh ch one expa re o ced as h s ne ghbour was orced by po ce o cu a row o cy press rees ssue 1 Meanwh e M che n mup pe Marbe a che Dan Gar c a angered green groups w h a new ch r ngu o n a pro ec ed area ssue 314 and p ucky group o Br sh expa s rave ed o London o pro es aga ns Brex – he arges pub c demon s ra on s nce he raq War

RA N URANC

902 123 282 pa had h s passpo cance ed by he UK Gove nmen ssue 317 A B sh expa was a so cu ed o s a ng a o es fi e n Ne a wh e he wo d a so sa d goodbye o penn ess B sh comed an F ed d e S a who was ound dead a h s M as home GOODBYE: To longtime controversial expat Freddie Starr

Voted BEST

expat paper in Spain

REuse REduce REcycle

(Free or paid for)

FREE

We use recycled paper

March 28th - April 10th 2019

www.theolivepress.es

Vol. 1 Issue 1

HOUSE RULES

ANXIOUS expats breathed a sigh of relief this week after Parliament voted to wrestle back control of the Brexit process in yet another humiliation for Theresa May. The fresh blow for the British Pri-a me Minister has put the future of million expats in Europe firmly into the hands of MPs, who are expected to vote against a hard Brexit. It comes after thousands of expats joined a million marchers at a mas-

GROWING PAINS

What drove this expat to cut off his member?

Celebrating the end of the Spanish Civil War

AN expat is celebrating after his nuisance neighbour was told to trim a row of ‘intrusive’ trees, following an Olive Press probe. American expat Gordon Capps, 59, is overjoyed after police confirmed they had ordered his Portuguese neighbour to cut the line of cypress trees to just 1.5 metres in height. Capps had sought our help after the ‘disturbed’ 30-something neighbour planted a dozen trees alongside his garden fence, threatening to block his stunning views of the Sierra de Bernia y Ferrer. The 59-year-old film worker said the move was the ‘last straw’ in a bizarre ongoing feud with the neighbour, who he claims recently approached him with a rifle on his shoulder. “It feels like he’s putting up 12 middle fingers at us,” Gordon,

Page 20

Olive Press reviews Madrid’s hot new hotel Page 26

ON LAND AND SEA

Gun

Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 29 info@hispaniahomes.es www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

GUIDE

UK BASED

HOW TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY QUICKER AND BETTER

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Want to sell your property? Ask here for our VENDORS GUIDE

for Spanish residents The Proven Path to Success

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

96 649 1883et

and get the most success in your task

Certified Residential Specialist

www.globelink.co.uk SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS ltea Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•A

As well as asking the town hall to check if he had a licence for the rifle, the September 2018 missive asked if local police could speak to him about his dogs. Capps claimed he was ‘worried for his life’ and that the neighbour appeared to have ‘mental health issues’. Another neighbour, Spaniard Jaime Serra Ortola, 43, has also denounced the neighbour for ‘death threats’ against him and his dog. “I’ve denounced him countless times and the police have twice been round. It’s fair to say he is unhinged,” he told the Olive Press. The feud began when Capps put up a low bamboo fence to create some privacy from the neighbour who spied on him while swimming, and then reacted furiously, screaming ‘this is war!’ Capps now fears the trees will not only block his view, but the roots could destroy his pool. The Olive Press was unable to speak to the neighbour, despite various visits.

and armed neighbour at home of his ‘threatening’ CONCERNED: Capps points Benissa last March with his everything about it, except French wife Catherine, a retiwho worked as a prop master that one thing.” for CSI Las Vegas, told the Capps, from Los Angeles, red yoga teacher. But things quickly began to Olive Press. bought his stunning villa in “We love this place, we love

VENDORS

April

Desp te temperatures hott ng up n June the mood was re at ve y coo among Tottenham and L verpoo fans gathered n Madr d for the Cham p ons League F na O ve Press reporters n the Span sh cap ta watched as the Reds 2 0 v ctory passed a most w thout nc dent ssue 319 One man not ce ebrat ng was Br t sh bus nessman Robert Mans fie d Hew tt As we reported on our front page ssue 320 he spent a year of h s fe ocked up w thout charge n the notor ous Botafuegos pr son after be ng fa se y fingered n a drugs ra d on a garage

go awry with his neighbours, who he insists refused to be friendly ‘from the outset’. Capps, who trained as a paramedic, claims the neighbour’s four dogs barked continually and their owner hid inside the house whenever approached. Despite calling in the Guardia Civil to investigate and contacting the mayor of Benissa for help, he said the neighbour refused to negotiate a compromise. A letter to the town hall, seen by the Olive Press, pleaded for help, insisting the man was deliberately threatening them and that he carried a gun.

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

Page 14

Costa Blanca home is voted best in Europe

As spr ng came around t was Mer cadona h tt ng the head nes on the Costa de So after a spate of thefts from expats at Spa n s b ggest supermarket cha n ssue 316 From across the front er on the Rock came the Government s huge announcement of a £300 m on and rec amat on p an to create the V ctor a Keys deve opment ssue 94 The f rst of severa O ve Press art c es on Cont nenta Wea th Management CWM on the Costa B anca ssue 2 a so revea ed the seedy bus ness hab ts of Darren K rby

Continues on Page 4

Border battle as nuisance neighbour forced to cut down intrusive cypress trees

Page 7

WORRY: One of the posters at the huge antiBrexit demo

June

PROTEST: Puns, pets and expats were all in attendance at the antiBrexit march in London at the weekend

sive anti-Brexit protest in London at the weekend. “It was great to be there making of history I hope,” said Sue Wilson Bremain in Spain. “It is not the first time we have vobited with our feet, but it was our ggest ever march contingent,” she added. so “It was a sign of commitment that

Avda. Madrid, 24, 03724 Moraira - Alicante

www.moraira-hamiltons.n

Property

bestMalaga’s magazine property

www.theolivepress.com

Could this plastic masterpiece win a top European architecture award?

Voted BEST

expat paper in Spain

Issue 28

April 2019

DREAMY: Period home re

ROCK STEADY

HE average property price in Spain has grown for two consecutive years for the first time in a decade. The national average house price rose from between 3.9% to 8.4%, according to various sources. Along the Mediterranean coasts and on the islands, where most foreigners buy, the average price hike has been 4.06%, according to Tinsa, Spain’s leading property appraisal company. But the figures have mostly not yet made up for the big drops during the long six year recession, with the exception of the

Prices rise for two consecutive years, while mortgage values continue to grow

Balearic Islands. “Prices have been rising most years since the recovery began, but nothing like they did in the boom years, and nowhere near enough to claw back the ground lost in the bust,” explained respected analyst Mark Stucklin, of Spanish Property Insight.

However, he added ‘at the very least, the data suggests that the Spanish property continued to grow last year.’ Mortgage lending to home buyers meanwhile was up 6.1% in January to 19,390 new loans, according to the Association of Spanish Notaries. The average new loan made in January had a value of €135,616, an increase of 0.9% in a year. As long as mortgage lending for residential acquisitions continues to increase, as it has done for the last few years, the Spanish property market is set to grow.

FREE

Power grab

SPAIN’S PP party has set out audacious plans for a power grab to take control back from Valencia and the other autonomous regions. Leader Pablo anCasado his nounced commitment to strengthen the up central government’s role in the run to the national elections in a fortnight. He insisted that such a move would prevent corruption and lead to a drop in taxes. see It comes as the party attempts to off the threat from an insurgent Vox the described has Party, whose leader autonomous parliaments as the ‘cancer of Spain’. Under the plan, the PP wants to increase resources for regional government delegations and paralyse any further transfer of power to the regions.

Supremacy

see Casado insisted the move would Spain being administered ‘more effectively’. his The election hopeful stated that reparty would carry out a sweeping view of how the regional authorities operate looking at ‘efficiency and equity.’ Spain’s quasi-federal political system to of ‘autonomous states’ was added the constitution in 1978. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose party drafted the the constitution, strongly opposed plan, insisting the PSOE would defend ‘tooth and nail’ the principal of regional self-government.

Vol. 1 Issue 2

www.theolivepress.es

FACE THE MUSIC EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

REuse REduce REcyclepaper We use recycled

THE beleaguered boss of a failed wealth management company which allegedly lost expats more than €20 to million has ignored a summons court. Darren Kirby, of Alicante-based Continental Wealth Management (CWM), failed to turn up at Denia court on March 26. he sources Press Olive to According was due to turn up, alongside former business partners, who did turn up. The case involves a trio of investors, of who lost substantial amounts in money when the company folded 2017. foKirby allegedly fled to Australia llowing the collapse, finally returning to Alicante last year. “Darren has been sent a Burofax court the so for, which he didn’t sign will now have to pursue him in other ways,” a source said. “A judge is dealing with this and it’s under legal review,” he added. in “We understand he is currently

Vol. 1 Issue 15 www.theolivepress.es

FREE

November 9th

- November 22nd

GUIDE

HOW TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY QUICKER AND BETTER

971 706 972 taylorwimpeyspain.com

971 706 972

taylorwimpeyspain.com

2017

BACKING DOWN: Carles

Confusion reigns

FIND OUT WHY INSIDE

beleaguered CATALUNYA’S to fight on leader has vowed from abroad. PuigdeIt came after Carles in to mont handed himself a EuroBelgian police when was ispean arrest warrant sued. politicians He and four other of reare accused on charges misuse of bellion, sedition, disobedience public funds, and breach of trust. now has A judge in Belgium to decide if up to two weeks the group they will extradite to Spain.

Expats who lost millions rage at ‘unauthorised’ deals involving ‘worrying’ signing of blank sheets EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

Pension peril

SPAIN’S prime minister has accused Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont of causing ‘confusion’ after signing a declaration of independence. Mariano Rajoy demanded he clarify if he had really declared independence following Tuesday’s nail biting address to the Catalan parliament. If so, Rajoy insisted he could trigger Article 155 of Spain’s constitution to allow Madrid to take direct control of Catalunya. “There is an urgent need to put an end to the situation that Catalunya is going through - to

who lost up BRITISH expats a failed pento €20 million in believe their sion advisory firm been phosignatures may have docutocopied onto investment ments. extradition most living Given the whole up to 60 Around 300 Brits, to retrieve rying’. very essence process can take in Spain, are battling he may have “This negates the are meant to after Alicante-based they were days, it means election their funds of the service they “It is a blank me they knew what Wealth Manto run his entire the Catalan firm Continental offer,” said Flores. wherever, doing.” folded in Sepsome of campaign for Party agement (CWM)reported in the cheque to invest He added: “I believe European Democratic were made tember, as first whenever. the investments this is I think from Belgium. him to fight Olive Press a month ago. “If standard practice, without my knowledge.I do not left for AusHis party wants of Boss Darren Kirby of very worrying. that is the case because for all the documents for continued leadership in tralia following the closure ofhalf and I Javea “Signing blank recall signing sheets has gone down by to get it the regional parliament would be seen the company’s main elections. investments I had.” need compensation the December 21 by the Olive as irregular in a fices. he had An email, seen asking a cliback on track. who are spread across Puigdemont denied court of law. The to avoid jus- Victims,as well as in Ibiza, MalPress, shows CWM “But some people with a blank fled to Brussels left because problem Spain, ent to sign and return France and have lost everytice but that he these firms is that was lorca, Portugal, dealing instruction. thing and don’t fear illegal practices 55, who the Spanish government they were all inof oppres- Turkey, Another British expat, around to sign blank have enough to preparing a ‘wave vesting in highly against after being asked is trying to recover pensionlive on. One rePENSION risky investments sion and violence’ dealing instructions. were then €200,000, said some pots tired victim only the cliseparatists. OUTRAGE without convinced Their pension assets ers ‘have lost everything’. has €50,000 left “I’m absolutely preparing invested in high-riskout large that I sent ents knowing.” “My paper work my risk level from €480,000.” that the state was repression which promised to pay He claimed that has been altered, ‘medium’ to Andalucia-based a harsh wave of losses sustained have all commissions. pensioner was changed from lawyer Antonio instrucinvestors for which we would by One 69-year-old he whose he lost ‘high’ and my dealing Flores, been held responsible,” photocopied would hopefully told the Olive Press Lawbird tions have been firm after transferring and sellrecoverable said yesterday. be is com- €210,000 despite stating he BOSS: Kirby now in representrepeatedly for buyingauthorise,” are that failed “The Spanish state repression… €470,000 aversion Australia as the investments bust, were ing assets I didn’t ing some CWM mitting a brutal repression blank inhad a ‘low to medium to perform, or went policies. he said. investment. victims, said signing ‘very wormoney left if we don’t battle to risk’ attitude to you sign this he said. state linked to life insurance looking “I still have some enough to vestment sheets was Momentum together, the Spanish “I was asked, ‘Canwill fill in the “They should have been am still young Pension trustees now attempt15:36 We my fund but they were just and I may win this fight.” 16/06/2017 for me 1 to the blank form. To get compensation, but and Trafalgar are Untitled-1.pdf that trusting they out clients’ their own nests. In a show of supportaround details.’ I did ing to recoup CMW interests,” feathering deposed president, would act in my best losses. so far been 200 Catalan pro-indepentravelled to The Olive Press hasif CWM was dence mayors to stage unable to discover investBrussels on Tuesday registered to provide Spain’s offia rally. SPECIALIZING IN: ment advice with CNMV. cial financial regulator LAW

Fight

Voted

New quality homes since 1958

BEST

expat paper in Spain

971 706 972 taylorwimpeyspain.com

Confusion reigns

FREE

October 12th - October 26th 2017 Vol. 1 Issue 13 www.theolivepress.es

REuse REduce REcycle

We use recycled paper

As sherry gets big in London, we look at some quirky Jerez cocktails

As Spain celebrates Hispania Day, the Olive Press runs a rule over Columbus

They’ve been getting stoned for centuries. Now UNESCO is interested in Mallorca walls. SEE PAGE 6

BACKING DOWN: Carles

SEE PAGE 20

SEE PAGE 10

Who’s paying us? EXCLUSIVE

CONFUSION reigns over who should foot the bill for Mallorca hotels hit by the collapse of airline Monarch. Balearic hotels are facing a €10million bill over the collapse that saw the emergency repatriation of over 110,000 back to the UK, many from Palma. Administrator KPMG told the Olive Press ‘the debt owed by Monarch to hoteliers will rank as an unsecured claim’ against the defunct airline. “They will have to file a claim to the joint administrators for all the money they are owed,” said a spokesman. “It has not been determined (yet) how much money will be available to creditors.”

SPECIALIZING IN: CRIMINAL LAW CIVIL LAW

BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) FAMILY LAW

CMY

e-mail: advocat1@demicco.es mobile number: 636 307 533 WWW.DEMICCO.CH

Expats lose millions in life savings through failed investment scheme

national and Momentum Pensions. “People are terribly disGranada-based tressed,” Brooks told the Olive Press. “They have lost large amounts of their retirement savings.” She added: “Some of these EXCLUSIVE people are going to end up By Joe Duggan back in Britain on benefits.” “I have nothing but praise for HUNDREDS of British expats Tony Barnett [Trafalgar MD] are battling to retrieve their and Stewart Davies [Momen(above) team at March pensions after losing up to OFF TO OZ: Boss Kirby and tum chef executive]. They £20 million in a failed pension charity bash have been magnificent in tryinvestment scheme. It is believed at least 300 of ing to recoup people’s money.” Spanish-based financial advi- One Marbella-based expat remain anonymous. CWM’s 900 clients have had Press understands it sory firm Continental Wealth told the Olive Press he sunk “The adviser kept telling me, their pension pots decimated, The Olive Management (CWM) folded £59,000 through CWM, only ‘This is guaranteed, it can’t go with victims shocked to later last month obliterating many realising he had lost £39,000 below a certain level’.” discover the value of their inheartbroken Brits’ life savings. when his pension trustees sent His money, and that of others vestments had plummeted across Spain and France, was dramatically. Many of them had transferred a statement. their private UK pensions “I couldn’t believe it. I have put into high-risk ‘profession- However, a source close to assets, it has the case insisted: ‘There are through the company, whose 15:36 of pounds,” al investor only’ lost thousands is highly possible legal action Untitled-1.pdf Kirby has now1 al-16/06/2017 been claimed. boss Darren still many customers who are may be taken by some parties revealed the victim, asking to legedly moved to Australia. happy with their pension port- against CWM, based out of folio.’ headquarters in Alicante, and Andalucia-based tax specialist its executives. Angie Brooks, a leading expert Both the office in Javea and on pension liberation schemes the website have recently shut. and the founder of Pension The group were pictured celLife, has now launched a fight ebrating at a charity ball as reto help get victims’ money cently as March this year. back. When the Olive Press spoke She is working alongside pen- to boss Kirby he ‘definitively’ sion trustees Trafalgar Inter- denied responsibility over the crash. “I have lost my world,” he said. A close associate of Kirby’s said former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’. “It is still quite raw for them, and they are working out what to do next,” he said.

e Lions Threpub Best English Pub in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am

20 Find out more on page XX

Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma

Opinion Page 6

e L i o ns Threpub

Should have legged it

CRIMINAL CIVIL LAW

BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) FAMILY LAW

is facing 18 A PALMA thief stealingCY a months in jail for leg of ham. requesting CMY Prosecutors are for taking the lengthy term leg of 'CinK the eight kilogramfrom a shop co Jotas' ¡ jamon in the capital. is valued at The Iberico ham to be recov€685, and has yet ered.

Best English Pub in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am

Opinion Page 6

8 page XX

e-mail: advocat1@demicco.es 307 533 mobile number: 636 WWW.DEMICCO.CH

Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma

EXCLUSIVE

SPECIALIZING IN: CRIMINAL LAW CIVIL LAW BANKING (FLOOR CLAUSE) FAMILY LAW

They’ve been getting stoned for centuries. Now UNESCO is interested in Mallorca walls. SEE PAGE 6

Ask here for our VENDORS GUIDE The Proven Path to Success

and get the most success in your task

As Spain celebrates Hispania Day, the Olive Press runs a rule over Columbus SEE PAGE 10

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

HUNDREDS of British expats are battling to retrieve their pensions after losing up to £20 million in a failed OFF TO OZ: Boss Kirby pension investment and (above) team at scheme. Spanish-based finan- March charity bash cial advisory firm Continental Wealth Man- Many of them had agement (CWM) folded transferred their prilast month obliteratvate UK pensions Untitled-1.pdf 1 16/06/2017 ing many heartbroken through15:36 the company, Brits’ life savings.

e-mail: advocat1@demicco.es mobile number: 636 307 533 WWW.DEMICCO.CH

reports

whose boss Darren Kirby has now allegedly moved to Australia. One Costa-del-Solbased expat told the Olive Press he sunk £59,000 through CWM, only realising he had lost £39,000 when his pension trustees sent a statement. “I couldn’t believe it. I have lost thousands of pounds,” revealed the victim, asking to remain anonymous. “The adviser kept telling me, ‘This is guaranteed, it can’t go below a certain level’.” His money, and that of others across Spain and France, was put into high-risk ‘professional investor only’ assets, it has been claimed.

e Lions Threpub

Find out more on page XX 20

We use recycled paper

As sherry gets big in London, we look at some quirky Jerez cocktails SEE PAGE 20

Best English Pub in Palma Great food Live Music Every Night from 12am Ave de Gabriel Roca 4, Palma

It is believed at least 300 of CWM’s 900 clients have had their pension pots decimated, with victims shocked to later discover the value of their investments had plummeted dramatically. However, a source close to the case insisted: ‘There are still many customers who are happy with their pension portfolio.’ Andalucia-based tax specialist Angie Brooks, a leading expert on pension liberation schemes and the founder of Pension Life, has now launched a fight to help get victims’ money back. She is working alongside pension trustees Trafalgar International and Momentum Pensions. “People are terribly distressed,” Granadabased Brooks told the Olive Press. “They have lost large amounts of their retirement savings.” She added: “Some of these people are going

to end up back in Britain on benefits.” “I have nothing but praise for Tony Barnett [Trafalgar MD] and Stewart Davies [Momentum chef executive]. They have been magnificent in trying to recoup people’s money.” The Olive Press understands it is highly possible legal action may be taken by some parties against CWM,

based out of headquarters in Alicante, and its executives. Both the office in Javea and the website have recently shut. When the Olive Press spoke to boss Kirby he ‘definitively’ denied responsibility over the crash. “I have lost my world,” he said. A close associate of Kirby’s told the Olive Press former CWM staff were all ‘very upset’. “It is still quite raw for them, and they are working out what to do next,” he said. Opinion Page 6

former member of staff. “It was a prestigious place but one she day they just shut the door,” said, asking not to be named. Victims had raised fears about being asked to sign blank dealing instrucintions and their pensions being vested in high-risk assets which paid large commissions. One pensioner based on the Coshe ta Blanca told the Olive Press lost €210,000 after transferringa €470,000 despite stating he had low to medium risk attitude. “I was asked, ‘Can you sign this blank form. We will fill in the detaiact ls.’ I did that trusting they would said. he in my best interests,” out “They should have been looking for me and they were just feathering their own nests. To me they knew what they were doing.” Lawyer Antonio Flores, whose firm Lawbird is representing a number of victims, said signing blank investment sheets was ‘very worrying’. of “This negates the very essence financial advisory services,”said Flo-

UK BASED

Certified Residential Specialist

Vol. 1 Issue 13 www.theolivepress.es October 12th - October 26th 2017

England.” The Olive Press exclusively revealed how CWM abruptly folded in 2017, salosing hundreds of expats’ life vings in the process. the The firm, which was based out of Marriott Hotel, in Denia, had ‘eight to ten’ telesales staff and clients sca-a ttered around Europe, revealed

Want to sell your property?

FREE

REuse REduce REcycle

PENSION OUTRAGE

Expats lose millions in life savings through failed investment scheme

CMY

HOW WE TOLD IT: Our 2017 Find out more on

Continues on Page 7

Who’s paying us?

Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 29 info@hispaniahomes.es www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

VENDORS

TRAVEL INSURANCE for Spanish residents www.globelink.co.uk

NO SHOW: Darren Kirby

res. “It is a blank cheque to invest wherever, whenever. “It is very worrying as they were investing clients’ money in highly risky investments as well as dubious hifunds just because they paid the gher commissions.” by He added that losses sustained investors should however, be recofaiverable as the investments that led to perform, or went bust, were linked to life insurance policies. got When the Olive Press finally he hold of Kirby in October 2017,lost denied all responsibility. “I have my world,” he said. Are you a victim or former staff member? Do you know more about at the case? Contact the Olive Press newsdesk@theolivepress.es

FREE

PROUD TO BE EXPATS

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 320 www.theolive press.es June 19th - July 2nd 2019

It comes after the Rabobank in London warned that a no-deal Brexit could end in euro-sterling parity, while last week saw the pound plummet to an eight-month low. British expat Karen Watling, from Sheffield, claims she has lost as much as a third of her monthly budget. “Over two years this has caused us problems financially,” she told the Olive Press. “Prices and commodities have also risen so it has been like a double hit.” The exchange rate was an average 1.24 in 2014 before climbing to an average 1.38 in 2015. However the year of the referendum saw the average fall to 1.22 before falling again to 1.14 in 2017. This year so far has been lower at 1.13 and it currently stands at 1.12. Brexpats in Spain has called for a government-run internet bank offering basic current accounts, debit cards and the option to carry out international and national transfers online. The group even suggests ordering RBS - the only bank in the UK in which the government has a stake -

www.theolivepress.es

Vol. 13 Issue 307

A BRITISH businessman - who attended Eton with David Cameron and Boris Johnson - is seriously ill in an Andalucian prison having been accused of drug smuggling. Robert Anthony MansfieldHewitt, 51, was arrested after police swooped on his rental home during a short business trip to Gibraltar two months ago. The consultant engineer, who insists he is innocent, has yet to be charged over the 1.5 tonnes of hashish police found in the garage of the villa he rented through Airbnb. He insists he has absolutely ‘no connection’ to the drugs that were being stored at the rental in Campamento, in San Roque. The owner of the villa, the Olive Press understands, was charged for importing cocaine into Gibraltar last year. In the case, that has strange parallels to the plight of Scottish student Robbie McMiller, MansfieldHewitt was woken up and ‘dragged out of bed practically naked at gunpoint’ by police officers at 8.30pm

+34 958 481 170 +34 675 470 669

www.alquileressierranevada.es

Continues on next page

daily for his illness.” After spending two days in a cell, he appeared in front of a judge at San

Roque court before being sent to Botafuegos prison. Ford is concerned he has not been receiving the correct medication, after he collapsed in shock as his ‘body started to shut down’ on the way to prison. He was rushed to ICU at Hospital Punta de Europa where his survival chances were described as ‘touch and go’.

Closed Mondays

“The doctor said he hadn’t been CAPTION: given his medication and his liver was functioning at just 15%. His heartbeat was almost non-existent and he was delirious.” His lawyer Jose Maria Castro Escudero believes he is now being administered the correct medication, but still remains in a critical condition. The nightmare began after police were alerted to the stash after following a man of Moroccan nationality, who pulled up outside the property and attempted to get into the garage. Police found 48 packets of hashish weighing around 33 kilos each, or almost 1.5 tonnes. If found guilty he could be sentenced to up to six years in a Spanish prison. According to his lawyer he is ‘fighting every day to free Robert’ and get him bail, meaning he would likely have to report to police once a month while he awaits

UK BASED

for Spanish residents

617 333 777

www.globelink.co.uk

PAYBACK WHEN YOU SELL

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

TheOlivePress-256x170-BIKE-4.indd

Sensitive

“Rob is a lovely, lovely guy who wouldn’t hurt a fly. He’s a sensitive soul, it’s just awful what is happening.” The teacher added that Mansfield ‘just a hair’s width’ from losing his is tal home in Emsworth, Hampshire.ren“We have just been able to stop repossession order, but the courts the are saying if they don’t hear news shortly it will have to happen,” he said. “I’ve written so many emails to different government departments and feel like I’m banging my head against

expat paper in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 307

www.theolivepress.es

January 3rd 2019

SEASON

front pages

Brighten up the dark nights with Malaga’s festive lights

See page 14

Costa del Sol traditions not to miss this year

See page 40

See page 5

UK BASED

See page 11 & 54

CASHBACK ON YOUR HOUSE

PAYBACK WHEN YOU SELL

www.theolivepress.es

embezzling €7 million in public funds. The Policia Nacional found that the Consortium of Bomberos Cadiz took out mass early retirement insurance policies. But when their employees retired early, chiefs siphoned off the money from the payouts. Authorities also found discrepancies in the consortium’s training courses. Large sums were paid to a company to provide training courses, but no evidence has been found that these courses took place. Meanwhile, irregularities were also found in grants and subsidies, which cops believe were used to pay for private trips. The irregularities date back to 2008 and cops believe at least €7 million has been stolen by those at the top.

Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished

A HOTEL is to be knocked down for not having enough class! Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista de Rey must be demolished within three months, a court has ruled, Andalucia’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that the hotel falls short of its four-star requirement.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

635 699 783

N E WS

Open 7 days a week

for Spanish residents

www.globelink.co.uk

Reliable private hire transfer services for any occasion • Luxury vehicles • Door to door service • Airport collections • Weddings transport • Sightseeing day trips • Restaurant shuttles Find

626 December96 6th - December 19thwww.simply-shuttles.com 2017 out more at: 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

tel: 951 279 117 info@simply-shuttles.com

www.eliteglasscurtains.com

From Page 1

He even got himself a financial advice slot on a well known radio station, through which he snared unsuspect-

Subject to conditions.

Probing

It began probing the three star hotel and apartment block in 2011 after it was denounced over planning rules which set aside the plot for a four star hotel only. According to the PGOU town plan an apartment block was not permitted and it also breached rules by being over 700 square meters bigger

2/8/18 17:01

‘He deserves it’ Not enough stars

*Offer ends 30/11/18. Not valid for renewals.

DOOMED: Costa hotel

than permitted. Although the town hall and developer maintain this excess was later corrected, the judge ruled that the rectification would have taken place after the granting of the licence, so does not count. The building has 61 apartments and 46 parking spaces. The original building was granted planning permission by then mayor Enrique Bolin in 2001.

2/8/18 17:01

SMUGGLERS’ WALL

POLICE officers have formed a human wall along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the construction of a beach wall went ahead. The wall, between the church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to

deter drug smugglers from using the beach as a drop off zone. A combined police presence of Guardia Civil, local and national officers were present as fears grew that drug smugglers would try and disrupt the work.

ing victims. However, a comprehensive Olive Press investigation exposed his scams that involved stamps, coins and gold. We also revealed how he and his close pal Barry Nathan wined and dined up to a dozen criminals, anonymously, through the food column. He eventually fled the country following our expose, but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had changed his name by deed poll and was selling coins and antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage. He was quickly found guilty under English law of conning people and given a suspended prison sentence only due to health reasons. “And because he promised to never go back to his online cons,” one of the British victim explained. But this is apparently not the case with two victims claiming he is still using eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps from his unpaid flat in Brighton, using the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtrading2’. “We are pretty sure he has broken his bail conditions and will have to finally go back to prison,” said one victim. “The nerve of this man is unbelievable.” His landlord last night insisted he should have known something was up from the start. “When we met to sign the contracts I thought he was a bit slippery, I went to pay for my coffee only for the barista to tell me he had left without paying his bill.” He continued: “He paid for the first couple of months but then just stopped. He told us his account had been frozen due to a money laundering investigation, which is probably true. “He then told us to stop contacting him and accused us of harrassment. “Now he is claiming he is seriously ill and can’t work to make payments. “We’ll see him in court.” Opinion Page 6

A range of Waitrose wines

a wall.” Hewitt continues to be despite his deteriorating conditionheld and a lack of evidence. Available exclusively at Eroski

Eroski billboard.indd 1

Available exclusively at Eroski

One bizarre reason for the denial bail was that investigators found a of panese ‘Katana’ Samurai sword in Jahouse, which they said constitutedthe a lethal weapon. Shockingly, it wasn’t until May 27, month, that he finally had a court last hearing. However, despite attending the court in San Roque, the Olive Press was unable to get into the hearing. In a document now seen by the Olive Press, prosecutors are seeking years and eight months of jail time four and an €8 million fine. However a verdict was meant to have been delivered within 10 days, but has yet to be made. “They offered to let him go if he pleaded guilty,” added friend Ruffle, “But Robert refused, he is a man of great ethics and will fight this to the very end.” Meanwhile, friend of 20 years, vicar and RAF Padre Rebekah Cannon has also described the ‘hopeless’ situation as ‘a stalemate’. Hewitt’s PA Pillie Ford told the Olive Press: “This is now not just a joke, it has gone beyond limits. This is an innocent man… the real man in question is hiding in Gibraltar.” Robert’s lawyer, Jose Maria Castro Escudero, failed to comment in time for press. Eroski billboard.indd 1

24/11/2017 11:18

Call Nick 647 072 861

Tel: 9

24/11/2017 11:18

ARTWORK SETUP TO 25% OF ACTUAL ARTWORK SIZE.SETUP TO 25% OF ACTUAL SIZE.

Mosquito Screens www.mosquitonick.ws nick@mosquitonick.ws

See page 6

How to celebrate Christmas like a Spaniard

See page 16

902 123 282

617 333 777

*Offer ends 30/11/18. N ot valid for renewals. Su bject to con Call or Whatsapp ditions.

Turn to page 2

Opinion Page 6

Five causes worth supporting this Xmas

(Free or paid for)

December 19th -

CONTINUES INTO FESTIVE

FRIENDS and family are rallying round a seriously ill British man EXCLUSIVE set to spend Christmas 15%’ having collapsed By Elisa Menendez behind following sion bars in Andalucia. his incarceration for our visits, in June. the garage of the Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, can’t talk to him but since we rental home in “Robert is not well - he and none of 51, sti- Campamento. needs a us speak ll insists he known walking stick and Spanish, nothing about His PA, a €5.5million haul Pilar given one. He also he’s not been know what to do.” we just don’t of hashish Olive Press Ford, 54, told the to told found in a San she has now go back into hospital.me he has She said one friend has managed rental property heRoque Airbnb sed a raffle and raised organi- Meanwhile, friend to €200 for stayed at on a him to buy of 20 years, fly get in touch and is planning to business trip six months Vicar Rebekah Cannon, books, to Spain pens as Christmas shampoo and in Chichester, based sit him in in the New Year to viThe Chichester engineer,ago. presents. prison. has also described (pictu- “He’s locked red right) who has According to his severe liver is absolutely up in a hell hole and the ‘hopeless’ situation as ‘a stacolleagues he disease ascites, is may finally be charged ‘miserable’ and Christmas devastated to spend lemate’. this week ‘confused’ at having there,” said Ford and could face up who to six years in festive season lockedto spend the works alongside the Brit prison if found guilty. at electrical company Neither an appeal up. Letters He has been denied from his local Ltd in Gibraltar. Genco Holdings bail twice, MP or UK press reports She is exasperated with one reason ped him get bail over have hel- “He’s been stuck in solitary not reach him on that she can- panese ‘Katana’ being that a Jaconthe telephone Samurai sword for which he has the offence, finement. Imagine that, was allegedly found an inno- and while her letters have arrived still not been cent man charged. in Spain, they are and keeps the Olive Press has in the house, all returned to am I here?’ We just asking ‘why sender without Mansfield-Hewitt, The judge refused learnt. don’t know being opened. bail in OctoPhD, has been in who has a what to do.” “It’s all one way, ber given the ‘quantity he sends us leof drugs tafuegos prison - Algeciras’ Bo- Ford, who visited him seized, which were a fortni- tters but we can’t get in touch. which houses ght ago, located in the ETA terrorists - since I garage, and the is extremely concerned don’t even think his family presence June after about his health, 1.5 tonnes of drugs after doctors got their letters through thehave tana weapon in the livingof a Kawere found in said his pri- stated in room’, ‘liver was functioning son,” she told the TM court documents Olive Press. at “Robert obtaihas to request permisTurn to page

Tel: 902 123 282 902 123 282

TRAVEL INSURANCE

CASHBACK ON YOUR HOUSE

www.eliteglasscurtains.com

PLUS IN YOUR OLIVE PRESS STOCKING, DON’T MISS...

BEST

CAGED: Notorious prison while (right) Mansfield-Hewitt and (above right) ETA terrorist

Tel: 602 514 384 WhatsApp: 602 559 385 Opp St Anthony’s College La Cala Hills

• Luxury vehicles Door to door service Airport collections Weddings transport Sightseeing day trips Restaurant shuttles

ding to a close friend and neighbour back home in the UK. And worse than that, he faces losing his home, as the rent has not been paid for months. “It’s just awful and the authorities Spain are burying their heads in in sand,” said Cliff Ruffle, 57, who the has known Mansfield for years.

www.globelink.co.uk

2019

WHILE it’s foggy in the Pyrenees and in the Alps, I’m taking the sun near they’re shivering the top of Spain’s second highest mountain. It’s early December and yet the Sierra Nevada still remains warm during the day. Some people t-shirts and everyone is looking tanned. are skiing in Even better, my elevenses of a croissant, apple and a Coke come to less than €10 euros... and that is at a restaurant halfway up the slopes! “Here we sell the weather, not the number of kilometres,” explains Juan Luis Hernandez, boss of EOE ski school. “And the prices have hardly gone On top of that you are just over an hour up for years.” from the beaches of Almunecar and half an hour to the celebrated Alhambra. That is hard to beat. What is certainly changing in the Sierra Nevada though is the dedication to move forward. Believe me, I’ve been coming for 15 years... and this is the 10th anniversary of the Olive Press’ special supplement on the resort. New kilometres of pistes are added every year and this year - by amazing fortune - it snowed so heavily in November, the resort opened a week earlier than expected, with a record 40,000 skiers enjoying the De-

Voted

FRUIT growers in the Axarquia are facing a 60% reduction in water use from the La Vinuela reservoir with no solution in sight. The Junta has decided to limit its use as the reservoir is already at 22.7% capacity and could drop even lower if the dry weather keeps up.

for Spanish residents

December 19th - January 3rd 2019

December 19th- January 3rd

FREE

Hot water

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Nevada

pic) the slopes lit up at night

BRITON’S PRISON NIGHTMARE

Friends send festive gifts to ‘innocent’ Brit spending Christmas in solitary confinement in Algeciras prison

MINIMARKET

cites, who has not been getting his medication regularly, if at all, it has been 365 days of hell. Police had been alerted to the garage the rental property in Campamentoof which Robert claims he never steppedfoot inside - when a Moroccan man was seen trying to break in. As the Olive Press reported last year, the home was owned by a man with previous convictions for drug dealing and Mansfield had a business he worked with in Gibraltar But that seemed irrelevant when was taken in front of a judge at San he que court 48 hours later, who sent Rohim to prison to await trial. He has since been denied bail three times, despite suffering serious health issues, which led him to be rushed to hospital on two occasions. His health is still ‘touch and go’, accor-

www.theolivepress.es

on the kids play park area and (main

UN-MERRY XMAS

EXCLUSIVE By Elisa Menendez

on June 27. Colleagues and friends told the Olive Press that Mansfield-Hewitt, who has a PhD and no criminal record, is an ‘innocent man’ and has been wrongfully imprisoned. They added that the Chichester-raised engineer is currently in a critical condition and is being held in the medical wing at Botafuegos prison in Algeciras - a dangerous jail, which notoriously houses a number of Basque ETA terrorists. The Brit, a consultant at electrical company Genco Holdings Ltd in Gibraltar, who regularly travels to the Rock, suffers from severe liver disease Ascites and walks with a cane. His PA, Pilar June Ford, 54, said she was ‘horrified’ when she received a call from her boss screaming at La Linea police station. She told the Olive Press: “He was at the station shouting ‘please help me, help me, bring me clothes, there’s loads of drugs in the house.’ It was horrible. “I rushed there with a huge bag of medication, which he needs to take

•

EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

aboutthe olive press - October 30 - November AXARQUIA 12 2014 ierra Nevada

Jon Clarke (right) returns for his 15th season in southern Europe’s top skiing resort

TRAPPED IN HELL

•

UK BASED

Find out more at:

0 0,00 €65

n ghter news Serg o Ramos and P ar Rub o t ed the knot at a bash attended by the Beck hams and catered for by Dan Garc a Meanwh e Ma orca breathed a s gh of re ef as a notor ous arson st beh nd 36 separate b n fires was fina y snared by po ce ssue 56

COSTA DEL SKI

Mijas Costa

Freshly Baked Deli Products

•

S A Sierra

19www.ll about theolivell

LIGHTING THE WAY: A new lighthouse

Reliable private hire transfer services for any occasion

Find out more at: www.simply-shuttles.com tel: 951 279 117 info@simply-shuttles.com

For more information, please contact 522 171 or visit us on +34 696 If you wish to our website at www.villasolutions.net. come and see dicuss your property needs us at Local D, in person, de Periana, Puente Cruce Don Manuel, 29711 Alcaucin, Malaga, Spain

Get in the spirit of anniversary Sierra the festive season with our 10th Nevada special inside

expat paper in Spain

Everyone has heard of the claims that it is hot enough in Andalucia to cook an egg on the pavement... we visited Ecija, the ‘Frying pan of Spain’, to test out the theory, CRACKING JOB PAGE 6

FLASHBACK: Our previous Turn to page 8

mill

THE EGG TEST

up with terrorists after being fingered for 1.5 TONNES of hashish found at holiday rental home

Plummet

Avda. Madrid, 24, 03724 Moraira - Alicante

• Luxury vehicles Door to door service Airport collections Weddings transport • Sightseeing day trips • Restaurant shuttles

Turn to page

Vol. 12 Issue 298 www.theolivepress.es August 15th - August 28th 2018

Seriously ill Briton locked

Pipe ban

•

‘

WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE OUR 3RD APPEARANCE ON

IN 2002

If you want a big property this is one you with a wow should look at. factor bedroom, 5 bathroom A 300m2 built, 4 property, that 5000m2 of land sits within with uninterrupted Vinuela. For more views properties, visit information and other of Lake stunning our website to range of properties see an extensive with walk-through that have recieved videos 100% positive our customers. feed back from

(Free or paid for)

FREE

and (inset) Frigiliana

WELCOME to the most beautiful in Spain,’ toothless town local Jorge calls out in broken sweat from myEnglish as I wipe the brow. (OK, so look like a tourist, I still despite four years Spain.) in I had just hiked liana which has up to the top of Frigiindeed been crowned one of the country’s pueblos, as plaques most picturesque through the village will tell you at A 10-minute every turn. from Nerja, it’sdrive up from the coast white-washed the pearl in a string of villages glistening hills of the Axarquia in and its nearby the nada neighbour, GraEither way, this the Costa Tropical. eastern end of is the very laid-back boy, take it fromthe Costa del Sol, and near Marbella, me a ‘westie’ based it really is a breath fresh air. of “This is our little paradise,” grandfather Jorge, beams who has lived here

ESTABLISHED

BEST

INSIDE

IT was supposed to be a run-of-the mill business trip. Robert Mansfield-Hewitt had rented a room in what seemed an ordinary apartment in San Roque and was set to attend meetings in Gibraltar. What the 51-year-old engineer didn’t know was that someone was using adjoining garage to stockpile 1.5 the nes of hashish, worth a whopping ton€5.5 million. The Chichester man found out hard way when he was cuffed in a the dramatic raid on the property last June. And despite urgent appeals from family and friends - as well as his local in the UK - he has been locked upMP in Algeciras’ notorious Botafuegos prison since then. Home to ETA terrorists and murderers, Hewitt - who has a PHD and is an avid poet in his spare time - will have been held for exactly one year on June 27. For a man with severe liver disease as-

June 2019

Nerja coastline

Life in the laid-back East (of the Costa del Sol) has never seemed more appealing, ‘West End Boy’ writes Laurence Dollimore

Voted

SEE OUR ADVERT

WITH RESERVATION

EXCLUSIVE By Luke Madeira

BRITISH pensioners in Spain claim to have lost more than a fifth of their spending power over the last two years as a direct result of Brexit. Richard Hill, vice president of Brexpats in Spain, claims plummeting exchange rates, taxes and a rise in the cost of living have caused significant income losses. It comes as the pound sunk to a new low of just 1.10 to the euro last week, as worries of a hard Brexit magnified. The pensioner, who claims he’s around 22% ‘worse off’ since the referendum, believes expats will struggle regardless of whatever deal is reached ahead of Britain’s exit from the EU. The pensioner added: “The significant problem at this stage with Brexit is the fluctuating exchange rate. “Obviously fluctuations are normal, however the steady downward trend is seriously affecting people.”

TheOlivePress-256x170-BIKE-4.indd 1

•

ropical

YEAR OF HELL! Pension shocker

LOCKED UP: Robert Hewitt

•

osta

www.theolivepress.es

Villa Los Torres

SOME 14 fire bosses have been arrested for allegedly

Reliable private hire transfer services for any occasion

pullout

DRAMA: Rugged

FEATURED

Bridge of shame

A CRAFTY new traffic camera raked in more than €600,000 in fines from unsuspecting drivers in its first five months, new figures have revealed. The camera on Ronda’s famous Puente Nuevo (above) issued 18,000 fines to drivers going into the old town at restricted times. The town hall is €650,000 better off, after the site registered an average of 120 offences a day. Tickets are €70, reduced to €35, if offenders pay early, but the ppy-snapping camera has caused hawidespread outrage. “Both my husband and I were fined in the same week, and we both already have official passes into the old town,” one local expat, based in Ronda, told the Olive Press.

xarquia &

A special 16-page

See page 17 After being locked up for a YEAR evidence against him, the Olive alongside terrorists without any charge and with no Press demands to let Robert Mansfield go…

AN overwhelming majority of our readers are not offended by the term ‘expat’. That’s the initial result of our online poll which asked ‘Do you find the use of the word 'expat' to describe British and foreign nationals living in Spain offensive?’ The vote came after a barrage of emails to the newsdesk complained of the Olive Press’ use of the word, requesting that it be switched out for ‘resident’ or ‘immigrant’. However a snapshot of our readers’ opinions revealed that two thirds were not bothered by the term. On our Facebook poll, there have so far been 881 votes. Out of those, 656 said ‘no’, while 223 said ‘yes’. The results were repeated on Twitter, where 68% of 80 votes said did not find the term offensive. they

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea

www.moraira-ham

BEST

director What do Fatboy Slim, Travolta, Paul Haggis, John Asbaek Dean Norris and Pilou They’ve have in common? all had links to the Balearics this week

Govt in exile

See pages 26-29

96 649 1883 iltons.net

Voted

expat paper in Spain

BEST

expat paper in Spain

Pointing the way to two great Easter travel excursions from the hills of Javea to the wilds of Galicia

SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS

New quality homes since 1958

Voted

expat

Mijas Costa

after expat Judge set to take further steps fails boss of suspect investment company to turn up at court

A C T TOUCH OF TROPICAL THE

Can the eastern Costa del Sol and Costa Tropical rival Marbella and Estepona? Find out in special pull out inside

Your

(Free or paid for)

April 11th - April 24th 2019

Opinion Page 6

Con nues on Page 8

2019 round up

www.theolivepress.es

From Page 7

September

Oh what a wonderful year! July The Olive Press went from strength to strength in the summer, as we celebrated the 10th anniversary of our Costa de la Luz supplement. We also congratulated our columnist Bill Anderson on becoming the first British councillor in Mijas. July also saw a grinning Robert Mansfield-Hewitt (left) walk free from Algeciras’ violent Botafuegos prison, thanking the Olive Press for our campaign for his freedom (Issue 322). It was also a good month for Javier Sanchez, after it was proven by a Spanish court that Spanish pop star lothario Julio Iglesias was in fact his father. There was another anniversary too, as we celebrated the 100th issue of the Olive Press Gibraltar, which splashed on a pledge by Chief Minister Picardo to ‘fight Brexit’.

ROYAL ROMPS: From Andrew’s summer sojourn to Sotogrande, to Harry’s green credentials in Ibiza

Mijas Costa FREE

SUFFERER: Of hypertri

Howler!

chosis

Tensions ran high in September, as British expats took to the streets of Spain to protest the harmful ‘nodeal’ Brexit threatened by the new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Issue 326). Our exclusive poll also revealed that a shocking 27% of British expats in Spain still wanted Britain to leave the EU. And then, a story that rocked the world – the collapse of Thomas Cook. Olive Press reporters across the country recorded the plight of some 70,000 Brits, whose holidays with the travel giant had left them stranded in Spain (Issue 327). In other news dogged Olive Press hack Simon Wade was given a bloody nose after he was headbutted by a young man while investigating squatters in Formentera del Segura, Alicante (Issue 13).

Still a be-leaver! Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 325 www.theo livepress.es August 28th - September 10th

TWIST OF FATE

2019

The British expats who Brexit and proud SEE are proPAGE 7

Spain battered by tornadoes and hail in series of weather phenomenons

CASES of ‘werewolf syndrome ’ have grown after 16 children contaminated medicatio were given n on the Costa del Sol. Infants developed hypertrich osis - excessive body hair growth omeprazole which had - after taking been contaminated by minoxidil – the active ingredient for alopecia medicatio Some 13 babies had initially n. nosed with the condition been diagmore cases linked to the before three were discovered earlier tainted drugs Officials believe the this month. could have affected up contamination cian pharmacies and to 30 Andalumore than 50 batches of the drug. Malaga-based pharmace pany Farma-Quimica Sur utical comfound to be the source of SL has been The affected batch the batch. 11072/10/42 and most is from lot have been recalled while any missing packets are being tracked down. Parents have been advised medical help if their child to seek given the formula and check has been with their pharmacy if they have affected lot. Hypertrich purchased an ‘werewolf syndrome’, isosis, known as CHAOTIC: (Top right) tion characterised by a rare conditornado in Malaga excessive hair of goats and (right) growth anywhere on a person’s which killed dozens lightning strikes across body. while (above left) cars Those with the condition swept by rapids southeastern Spain and (above right) a cally been subject to greathave historieast of Madrid huge hailstone which Mancha region in somes cases forced interest and fell in the Castilla La to perform in travelling circuses and freak Spanish authorities have shows. said TORNAD this inOES, rivers of cident is isolated to children’s formula cious storms have struckhail and fero- six warehouses destroyed. and that adults taking omeprazo across Spain The this weather le capweek in a series of frightenin phenomenon was caused rapids after 40 litres of hail fell per sules should not worry At least 50 vehicles were g by colliding winds, square metre in just 10 damaged in minutes. a process oping symptoms. When about devel- weather incidents. Arganda alone while several the children Campillos in Malaga DANA (Depresión Aislada known as Spain’s meteorological agency stopped taking the prescriptio vineyards saw AEMET en Niveles recorded n their tornadoes destroy power several huge Altos). more than 9,300 lightning were also completely destroyed. hair growth subsided. Residents, who had been strikes in six hours. root olive trees, causing lines and up- This is similar to the famous temperatures close to 38Csweltering in warnings to residents toblackouts and - or cold drop - according to gota fria The hail storm caused serious the day belocal mete- ing in several floodstay in their orologist homes. Jose Luis Escudero. villages south east of the fore, were forced to shovel hail out of Opinion Page 6 their capital, homes and businesses. It came with Some 70 goats were killed and at least Madrid,as the streets of Arganda, near Pinto among Arganda, Valdemoro and “The storm started the worst hit. were turned into ferocious around 6pm and only lasted about 10 minutes Parts of the M40 and M30 but has motorway were cut off while lines s caused a disaster,” one local said. and 9 of the metro were5 “I have been living here for 20 years and have never seen anything also affected. like it.” According to meteorol- One shop owner says his premises ogist Benito Fuentes, looks like it has taken a tonne of hail strong storms are com- and said there are scenes of chaos as businesses are totally flooded. mon in August. “The rain has been fairly Meanwhile, Valencia saw a huge storm heavy but it is not un- light up the skies last night while its usual for this time of the whole coast has been placed on orange year. At the end of sum- alert for strong winds and rain. mer, the atmosphere is The Balearics too, were struck by Auunstable, which causes gust downpours yesterday, causing air streams to collide. severe flooding in Mallorca and Ibiza This leads to quite strong - the latter of which saw sewage pipes rainfall and storms,” he burst, sending human waste into the Port of Ibiza. said.

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834 * O f f e r

v a l i d

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOM

E02.indd 1

f o r

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

See page 2

o n l y .

IT’S OFFICIAL: consolidates its reign as in Spain…. For more excl the NUMBER ONE English usive content - 24 hours a day - visit www.theolivep website ress.es

OLIVE PRESS

www.theolivepress.es

The

In August (yes August!), tornadoes and hail storms battered the Costa del Sol, while a shocking string of ‘werewolf syndrome’ cases saw children suffer excessive facial hair growth after taking a dodgy medication (Issue 325). Over on the Costa Blanca, a court ruled in favour of the victims of the aptly named Jane and Bill Scammell, who stole €270,000 from an elderly couple to fund their glamorous lifestyle (Issue 10). There was also a horny tortoise on the loose after it escaped from its British owner (Issue 12). Meanwhile Mallorca was reeling, as the island woke to the news that a muchloved British expat bar, Betty’s, was fighting for its life after its owners were subjected to vile homophobic abuse (Issue 60). The Balearics were at the centre of another huge story when Harry and Megan had their environmental credentials questioned over the use of a private plane to jet into Ibiza for a family holiday (Issue 61). Finally, the exclusive golf courses of Sotogrande drew a panicking Prince Andrew, who escaped to southern Spain amid the storm of his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein.

The

August

OLIVE PRESS

January 8th- January 21st 2020

S u b j e c t

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

E n d s

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

21/6/19 13:30

Mijas Costa FREE

Attacked in action

Your expat

voice in Spain

Vol. 13 Issue 326 www.the olivepress.es Septemb er 11th - September 24,

2019

Turn to page 7 to find out which were the biggest stories this fortnig ht and how to get the most up to date info

WE WON’T GO QUIETLY

AN Olive Press journalis attacked after exposing t has been a ‘violent’ gypsy family allegedly squatting and stealing electricity. Simon Wade was chased down the street and headbutted man tore off his glassesas a young and tried robbing his camera in on the Costa Blanca. broad daylight The dedicated journalis t was photographing alleged squats, pat homes, when the man next to exflung open the door with chest exposed and a tattoo reading ‘I die for my family’. “My specs can be replaced, and the bruising will fade, but here are living with thisdecent people 24/7,” Wade said. A denuncia was made Guard, who revealed the to the Civil perpetrator was a ‘wild beast’ with a string of convictions. EXCLUSIVE It comes after British By Timothy McNulty resident, Ena Cummings, 53, contacted ing gypsies had thrown us claim- BORIS Johnson has managed into the Virgen del Rosario‘dead rats’ silence Parliament, but British to pool and repeatedly set complex’s pats in Spain have shown they exterraces on not be cowed will fire. into a harmful nodeal departur “They're stealing electricity and wa- Brits around e from the EU. ter,” the Formentera del the country are moident told the Olive Press.Segura res- bilising to oppose the shutdow n

Expats take to stree reveals unflinching ts as Boris shuts Parliament and exclu sive Olive Press poll Remain support and stand up for their Protests have spread EU rights. to the Costa del Sol where pro-rem paigners are planning ain camOur Rights march in a Protect Malaga on September 22. It comes as an exclusive online poll by the Olive Press revealed an astonishing 73% of expats remain

staunchy in favour within the Europeanof remaining Union past the October 31 deadline (Pages 6-7). The Facebook poll shows that had they been able to participa te fully in the biggest ‘democra tic exercise for generations’, the expat vote would have proved decisive.

Damage

MEET AND GREET WITH PETE WHILE LIAM STEALS THE SHOW AT GIBRALTAR CALLING FESTIVAL

Opinion Page 6

“We are the people most affected and we didn't get a say, that is what is most unfair,” said protest organiser Valerie Lawrence, Torrox, in the Axarquia68, based in . “Most of us could not postal votes went missing.vote and “Now we are just trying to stop COUP: Protesting MPs Brexit or at least minimis e the surround Speaker Bercow damage,” added the retired Yorkshire woman. Commons doorkeepers intervened It comes after an alarming as other report issued two weeks treasury ing Greenopposition MPs includago spelt MP Caroline Lucas extreme danger for expats in var- helped up signs emblazoned with ious ways. the words ‘silenced’ amid cries of The leaked Yellowha ‘shame’. mmer document warned of issues over pen- The PM has claimed the governsions, healthcare and crossing bor- ment will use the suspension to ders, particularly in press ahead with negotiations with the EU to reach a deal, Gibraltar. while still The warnings howev- ‘preparing to leave without one’. er have not stopped "No matter how many devices this Parliament invents to a five-week shutdow tie my hands, n I will strive to get an agreeme of Parliament begin, nt in amid chaotic and an- the national interest," he said. gry protests in the "This government will not delay Brexit any further." House of Common by opposition MPs. s It comes after Johnson was warned Scuffles broke out he could face legal action if he chooses to ignore around speaker John new legislation Bercow’s chair as passed by Parliament blocking a Labour’s Lloyd Rus- no-deal Brexit. The law received Royal sell-Moyle made assent on symbolic bid to pina Monday and forces Johnson to Bercow in place late seek a delay until January 31 2020 unless MPs approval on Monday night. a deal by October 19.

Tel: 952 147 834

952 147 834 * O f f e r

v a l i d

TheOlivePress-256x170-H

OME02.indd 1

f o r

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

See page 5

o n l y .

S u b j e c t

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

E n d s

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

21/6/19 13:30

2019 round up

www.theolivepress.es

November

October was a month of several shady expats for the Olive Press to investigate. First came Nadine Dijkman, a notorious Dutch businesswoman in Sotogrande accued of taking €300,000 from a couple’s property purchase into her personal account, and not paying her staff (Issue 328). Then it was the turn of former US conman ‘the Chief’ – Karim el indio Ismaili – who caught our attention in Mijas after being bizarrely accused of nicking wooden planks from neighbours (Issue 329). Next up was Jody Smart, the well-known expat fashion designer, accused of using €1 million from collapsed financial firm Continental Wealth Management (CWM) on the Costa Blanca (Issue 16). Nadal also ended an almost two-decade wait by wedding his childhood sweetheart Xisca Perello in Mallorca, while in Gibraltar Fabian Picardo was re-elected to serve as Chief Minister for a third term (Issue 108). And as if that weren’t enough, Spain’s Socialist Government took the decision to exhume the remains of General Franco, while Catalunya faced over a week of violent protests-turned-riots after Spain jailed nine of the region’s separatist leaders.

OLIVE PRESS

The

October

HORRIFIC: Millions of fish died

Demands for €80m flood aid

FREE

COSTA BLANCA SUR

The Mijas Costa FREE

EX CL US IV E

Petrol bombs and bullets, an Olive Press dispatch from Barcelona Page 6

A VEGA Baja mayor has demanded €80m in flood aid for the devastated Murcia region. Los Alcazares leader Cervera insisted a majorMario Perez tion project should be flood retenimplemen ted urgently to prevent the sort of serious flooding that happened in September. He told the governme this week that it is alsont in Madrid serve the Mar Menor, vital to prebadly hit by the so-called which was The week of heavy rain Gota Fria. deaths of millions of fish led to the and the destruction of dozens of homes. He insisted future floods needed to Continues on Page

EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt

POLICE on the Costa Blanca have been slammed allowed a confused andafter they tated British great-gradisoriento walk out of a policendfather station into the dead of night alone. The massive surge - off The family of pensione the recent Catalan crisisthe back of Pearce, 68, are demandir Philip ng anof Islam - could see the and a fear swers from Benidorm DISAPPEARED: Philip ing 15% of the seats in party seizwhy he was released police over (above Pearce on Septemright) the last picture enjoying a drink (above), while The expected gains Parliament. ber 10, at 3am. of the pensioner in damage centre-right will seriously Alicante Airport They now fear for his life after he “It’s absolutely gut-wrenching for which could lose over Ciudadanos, has ther-of-three. half been missing for an alarming its us as a family, not knowing seats, while the ruling PSOE two months. and left wing he is and why he disappea where Owner of Alicante Transfer Podemos are also expected s, red. And in a shocking email David McQueen, said to suf“I just want him home fer. he has so badly. I spent ‘four British Consulate, seenfrom the miss him so much.” to five’ hours every Vox, which has pledged by the Olive Press this week, day Spain from immigran to ‘defend’ there are Philip was known to be suffering ings scouring abandoned buildts, is predictsuggestio and traveller commun ns of a breach of duty from the early signs of ed to finish third in the country’s ities of care. tia, but was ‘happy and demen- around the Costa Blanca. fourth general election in as many The official email years. when he left for Alicantesmiling’ “I even sent my dog out with a with a GoPro camera pensioner had clearlyreveals the friend and travelling The latest polling suggests to search in every Vox, led partner. he ‘did not remembe told police He was having by Santiago Abascal, bush r where he a good holiday we’ve and in every corner, but its 24 seats in Spain’s will increase was staying’ nor where 350-seat parhe was until he left his Playa Levante said. found nothing,” McQueen liament to 46. from in England. hotel at 5.30pm on Septemb er 9 “I’ve got 130 taxi to buy cigarettes before he drivers lost who his start Wallet bearings and was taken Failed to at 4am and finish police. The consulate email Meanwhile Albert Rivera’s at 2am, but none of CiuPhilip was carrying also stated Two months on, Lee told dadanos will be reduced neither his ive Press the Ol- the hotels and esfrom 57 to passport nor his wallet 14. In the 40dB poll a when search and request for ‘a ground tablishments have he was taken by a gain 14% of the vote, Vox is set to sniffer dogs’ has gone seen a alongside the stranger to unanswe sign of PhilPP in second place with Benidorm’s Policia Nacional red, sta- left searchin while the family are ip.” 91 seats and the PSOE 21.2% and tion in the Old Town g for answers. coming The just first family with 27.3% and 121 votes. has midnight, as CCTV footage after “We just need closure on wheth- spent con- er my dad The PSOE’s predicted firms. is still alive or not,” ting up weeks putvictory would see the party posters and Lee said. However, what is not clear handing is seats than in April’s with two less how out flyers “But apart from claiming and why he was allowed last election, prompting another headache the station three hours to leave sent out some drones to have of his missing father for its to look, around Benidorm leader Pedro Sanchez the police “The police are simplylater. form a government. as he tries to not an- anything don’t seem to be doing with contact details. swering our question at all.” A spokeswoman for Pearce, 41, told the s,” son Lee It comes as scores of British Opinion page 6 Olive Press idents res- the British Consullast night. have spent weeks ing for signs of the search- ate told the Olive grandfa- Press it ‘does not A DANGEROUS lurch to the right could see Spain’s anti-imm igrant Vox party becoming ers in this weekend’s the kingmakgeneral election.

Your expat

Big Chief in local mischief Theft row involving horse-riding Indian with ‘Cherokee roots’ is former con man from the US EXCLUSIVE By Robert Firth

EX CL US IV E

Green row over Spain’s biggest new theme park Page 48

CHIEF CON: Karim was involved in a series of US fraud cases

FEATHERING HIS BED: Karim accused of stealing wood for his luxury apartment and (right) report from US involved in a political scandal that In the legal claim, seen by the Olive rocked the Caribbean Island of Mont- Press, the manager of the Altavista serrat in the 1980s and briefly led to development, Antonio Navas, claims the arrests of the island’s former chief Ismaili stole the wood for his five bedroom luxury mansion, also in the minister. In the bizarre case, that involved theft, Valtocado area, with 360 views and he was described by lawyer, Leon St. swimming pool. John, in the Florida Sun Sentinel, as It came when a gardener at the site ‘the brightest and most enterprising claimed to have spotted Ismaili and another man loading planks of wood con man I have ever run across’. It came before his conviction in 1986 into a 4x4 in June 2018 and informed for mail fraud when using his real Navas who contacted police. name ‘Lakbir Moulay Ismaili,’ he He then filed a denuncia to the Guarscammed manufacturers of custom- dia Civil in Fuengirola a few days later, with the initial court hearing in ised vans out of $43,210. In the clever scam, he deposited mon- July, that year. ey that was meant to go towards slick Ismaili now lives with his partner photography for sales brochures into Carmen Beneyto Simon, who works in the Mijas tourism office and runs his own bank account. Moroccan-born Ismaili received a an export business called ‘La Diosa suspended sentence, and was fined del Carmen’ from the couple’s home $1,000 as well as being forced to re- address. It also claims to have offices in Palm pay the money. But then he did it again, this time un- Beach, Florida, where Ismaili used to live. Abdul der a different name, Karim Ismaili, having legally changed his When the Olive Press tried to talk to name in 1990 and set himself up as a Ismaili about the claims, he refused to comment. financial advisor. Perhaps inevitably bound to go He did however contact Altavista wrong, he was convicted at Kansas manager Navas claiming we had firstCourt in 2002 of defrauding an Amer- ly demanded money from him and ican couple of $70,000 given to an in- then sent him various threatening vestor who purportedly wanted to buy messages. He later insisted by email that one of their shares in a company. Ismaili failed to inform them that the his workers merely took a single plank of wood worth €60 accidentally. investor also owed him $1.2 million. Which brings us to the present day, “The worker returned that wood to with the current court case, which Altavista in the presence of the Guardia Civil and explained that he did not started at Fuengirola Court last year. know was the line between the property and Altavista’s,” said Ismaili.

Tel: 952 147 834

See pages 27

952 147 834 * O f f e r

v a l i d

TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd 1

f o r

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

OLIVE PRESS

REuse REduce REcycle

S u b j e c t

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

E n d s

I vow our ‘progressive’ nation is soon to be reborn

GIBRALTAR

The Rock’s ONLY free local paper

December 4th - December 17th 2019 Vol. 5, Issue 111 www.theolivepress.es

Braveheart! FREE

We use recycled paper

s how he chased and pinned Gibraltar security guard reveal fatal Costa stabbing down an alleged murderer, after EXCLUSIVE By John Culatto

A BATTLE-hardened security guard for Gibraltar’s Chief Minis-a ter has chased and pinned down suspected murderer. Brave James Abecasis told the Olive Press how he tackled the knife-wielding attacker as he fled the scene of a fatal stabbing on the Costa del Sol. reFather-of-one Abecasis, 28, vealed how he chased the alleged in killer, a Brazilian, after stepping to try and stop the vicious attack outside a nightclub in Estepona. While most people wou ld have left the scene, the former him soldier said his ‘instinct’ told to chase the attacker, who was running away. he “I went flying after him and as rounded the block I tackled him to the floor, getting grazed on my hand as I took away the knife from him,” he continued. “I then held him down with a club security guard until the police arrived a few minutes later and cuffed him.”

Do you know Karim? Have you had any dealings with him? Contact newsdesk@theolivepres.es Opinion page 6

o n l y .

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

CHIEF Minister Fabian Picardo has insisted that legalizing abortion without a referendum would be like ‘shoving progessivism’ down Gibraltarians throats. In an exclusive interview with the Olive Press, the leader, who was recently elected to his third consecutive term, said his government needed to be ‘realistic’ with such hot topics. While he confirmed he was pro-abortion, he insisted: “We have to deliver the progressive agenda in a way that doesn’t break our society.” “Conservative society has adopted our agenda because we have ensured we’ve respected the freedom and liberty of those who wish to disagree with us.” He added ahead of next referendum: March’s “There are others who are so progressive, they would force things down the throats of those who disagree with them. “I think that’s actually so progressive that it becomes anti-libertarian.”

EXCLUSIVE CHAT with the Chief Minister See Page 4

Violent

21/6/19 13:30

Gibraltar-born Abecasis - who spent four years with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, much of it in the Middle East - had been on a night out with friends. When they came out of the Mykonos nightclub in Estepona, at 4am, a fight quickly broke out between two strangers. It has since emerged that Sabiel nillas hairdresser Abdessamad Ammali, 21, from Morocco, died within minutes of the stabbing. He had accidentally spilled his beer over the attacker, it has since emerged. “They were on the floor hitting each other and no-one had intervened,” he told the Olive Press. to That is when he decided he had do something.“Someone held one the Royal Gibraltar Regiment of the guys and INSTINCT: Abecasis served with I held the other, who I had faceto-face,” he revealed. “It was really violent and there was literally a UK BASED river of blood as his attacker must have hit an artery,”

TRAVEL INSURANCE

952 147 834 * O f f e r

v a l i d

f o r

n e w

c u s t o m e r s

S u b j e c t

TRAGIC: Victim Abdessamad (top), blood at the crime scene (centre) and police arriving at Estepona Port

IT will go down as the hottest decade on record. on With temperatures soaring, both land and sea, global warming has become a major issue for Europe. With temperatures about 1.1C above the average from 2010 to 2019, desertadded. ification has been spreading, in particAbecasis revealed that his army ular, through southern Spain. training has helped him through The provinces of Granada, Malaga and life.“I definitely don’t regret it,” Almeria are at serious risk, while Murhe said. “I am proud of what I did. cia and large parts of Valencia are also Even the judge at the initial court in danger of semi-desert conditions. case hearing this week told me The ‘exceptional’ heat around the how brave I was.” world was announced by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), as climate activist Greta Thunberg (pictured) arrived in Portugal by boat in en route for a key climate summit Madrid this week. to stay in the capital for two See page 19 She is settaking part in a huge demonweeks, stration this Friday. Opinion page 6

revealed Abecasis, who has been working in the Chief Minister’s “I security team for four months. think I will have a few flashbacks he because of all the blood there,”

96 626 5000 +44 (0) 1353 699082

o n l y .

A NEW STORM

Tel: 952 147 834

for Spanish residents www.globelink.co.uk

t o

c o n d i t i o n s .

E n d s

3 1 / 1 2 / 1 9 .

21/6/19 13:30 TheOlivePress-256x170-HOME02.indd

LANDMARK: The remains of dictator Franco removed from Madrid shrine

comment on individua l cases’ such as Philip’s. A Policia Nacional claimed ‘helicopters’ spokesman scrambled to search forhad been Philip on various Benidorm hillsides. However, he failed to answer questions about the exact details of his release from the whether sniffer dogs station or and ground searches had been deployed or would be soon.

Have you seen Philip? Get in touch at newsdes k@ theolivepress.es

December

voice in Spain

ON the face of it, it’s just another ordinary neighbours’ dispute. Now in court, it hinges on skip-loads of wood allegedly stolen from a property development on the Costa del Sol. However, what makes it a little different is the involvement of a colourful local character, who rides around Mijas dressed as a Red Indian. Known as ‘el Indio’, Karim Abdul Ismaili, 70, has been accused of stealing €15,255 worth of objects, mainly wooden planks at the Altavista development, near the town. But other locals warn that he may also be involved in offering colourful investments to unsuspecting expats in the area. And drilling down into his past, people should certainly be wary. For Karim - who goes by the name ‘Carim Cherokee’ on Facebook - is a serial fraudster who conned victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in the USA, the Olive Press has discovered. The pensioner - who is for known his long black and hair feather headdress - was embroiled in a string of fraud cases in the 1980s and 1990s. He was also

2019

Vol. 13 Issue 329 www.theolivepress.es October 23rd - November 5th, 2019

How we nailed a corrupt Champagne socialist MP Page 14

expat

November 7th - Novembe r 20th,

VANISHED!

www.theolivepress.es

EX CL US IV E

Your voice in Spain

Another milestone in November – the Olive Press Costa Blanca Sur / Murcia was born. Duty of care A roaring first front page splashed claims after missing British on the Mar Menor crisis and the great-grandfather was allowed to news that a missing British grandfaleave police station at 3am in clearly ther was allowed to walk free from a disoriented state police station in a disoriented state. Right turn And who could forget when grumpy British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood threatened to fill in the Olive Press cakehole just for asking a question. There was also the news that Swedish teen activist You Greta Thuntotal doughnut! berg was stranded in Find out what’s eating Paul Hollywood America in on Page 3 need of a lift after the location of the Chile COP25 climate conference was switched last minute to Madrid (Issue 330). Meanwhile we reported how Triple A, the beleaguered Marbella animal shelter – vehemently supported by another local paper – slammed allegations that it allowed the slow and agonising deaths of animals. We also splashed on the connections between Irish and Dutch gangs and local criminals after three suspected murders in three months (Issue 331).

The

Why did Spaniards and Brits hold a Brexit protest near Gibraltar? See page 4

/ MURCIA

Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.theo livepress.es

RIOTS AND WEDDINGS: Catalans take to the streets, while Nadal finally tied the knot

OLIVE PRESS

January 8th- January 21st 2020

The final month of the year began with the news that notorious scammer and Euro Weekly News columnist David ‘the Dogman’ Klein had kicked the bucket (Issue 332). Meanwhile, James Abecasis proved that Gibraltarians are rock solid, after the Chief Minister’s security guard revealed how he tackled and held a knife-wielding thug who stabbed a clubber to death in Estepona Port (Issue 111). Up in Murcia an unlikely group of expats were forced to take to the streets and defend their community after a series of muggings (Issue 4). A bumper festive final edition of the year also delved into the ‘Costa del Crime’ in a special report by author and journalist David Baird, following a string of shocking gangland killings along Spain’s southern coast (Issue 333). There was a Christmas Eve tragedy too, as three members of the Diya family drowned in a swimming pool at the Club la Costa World resort in Fuengirola. And finally, a rollercoaster 2019 ended with a nightmare before Christmas as Boris Johnson led the Tory Party to its best general election victory since Thatcher, giving him a mandate to govern Britain for the next five years and make good on his primary campaign promise to ‘get Brexit done’.

GREEN

www.theolivepress.es

THREE animals are abandoned every five minutes in Spain, it has been revealed. The figure amounts to 300,000 animals every year, according to green group Ecologistas en Accion. The new data coincides with the Christmas period when, according to the organisation, 33% of pets are abandoned. Half of the country’s cats and dogs arrive in homes

Tackling rubbish

A dog is for life...

MORE recycling points and increasing public awareness were just a couple of the proposals put forward at a meeting of the Litter Committee committee this month. The body has made huge strides in recent years on areas such as rubbish collection, dog fouling and littering. Chaired by the Minister of the

as gifts during this time, while there has also been an increase in non-traditional pets. Turtles, ferrets, raccoons and parrots are among the increasing numbers of exotic and invasive species in Spanish homes.

January 8th- January 21st 2020 Environment John Cortes, the committee includes government departments, agencies, contractors and NGOs. “Much of the progress made in recent years included the tightening up of legislation, to help Government policies respond to real needs,” said the Gibraltar Government. “The Litter Committee has also set up a network of contacts so that many day to day issues are resolved quickly and effectively between the entities represented.”

New green age

Much more to do

A STRING of environmental policies are set to come into force, now that a government has been formed. A coalition of the PSOE, Podemos and a few smaller parties will pave the way for a windfall on electric car purchases and extra charging points. Another goal is that by 2050, 100% of electricity must be from renewable sources, a significant increase from the current 40%.

A MINISTER from Gibraltar has described his ‘disappointment’ at the recent COP 25 Madrid meetings John Cortes, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment, represented British overseas territories in the Spanish capital. “There has been a sense of disappointment at the final outcome - precisely because it wasn’t really final,” revealed Cortes. “While we haven’t gone back on commitments, some key decisions have been kept in abeyance till next year, with a great deal to do during 2020.”

This goal also matches the goal that the European Union recently set with regards to emission neutrality. Animal rights are also included as part of these new policies as the two parties are seeking to introduce a law that makes it a crime to mistreat wild animals. In addition, the two parties also want to push forward a single-use plastic law ‘to achieve zero waste by 2050.’ The agreement also plans to create an ‘environmental damage compensation fund’ that will be funded by the ‘donations’ from companies that engage in activities that are potentially dangerous for the environment.

Minister says Gibraltar is ‘right up there’ in fight to reverse climate change

Dangerous

By John Culatto

Accompanied by senior local scientist Stephen Warr, Cortes met with Claire Perry O’Neill, who will chair the COP 26 in Glasgow later this year. The Gibraltar delegation also attended meetings on how to create sustainable cities by reducing pollution using new technologies. “I found that Gibraltar’s own work on climate change is up there with many of the countries preparing to tackle the crisis. “We will be a lot better when we are back at the COP26 in

‘DISAPPOINTED’: Gibraltar minister John Cortes didn’t get COP25 he wanted Glasgow next year,” added Leading legal firm Hassans The Gibraltar delegation also also took part in a session reported how blockchain Cortes. “We need to take our place in on Green Finance discuss- technology could help in the international community ing the possibility of funding the future of financial transin our commitment to deal- sustainable projects with the actions to reverse climate private sector. change. ing with Climate Change.”

PETS THAT PROTECT

Do you have security concerns? Do you feel safe in your own home? Protection Dogs Worldwide can help - we are the worldwide leading supplier of family protection dogs. First and foremost our fully trained protection dogs will becomea part of your family, taking care of your security.

Mobile: (+44) (0) 785 8120 456 Landline: (+44) 148 2426 441 Email: info@protectiondogs.co.uk w w w. p r o t e c t i o n d o g s . c o . u k

@protectiondogworldwide

LA CULTURA

January 8th - January 21st 2020

Farewell to Finlayson

what’s on Marketing course BECOME an expert in Content Marketing at a boot camp offered on the first floor of the Easy Office in Gibraltar on January 13 from 10am to 4pm.

Cultural legend passes away at grand old age of 92 ONE of Gibraltar’s top artists has died at 92 years old in the first few days of the New Year. Former teacher Mario Finlayson had the national gallery named after him at the City Hall and was wellknown on the Rock. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo called him ‘a truly great Gibraltarian’ as the overseas territory mourn-

ed his passing away. “The loss of Mario Finlayson will be most acutely felt in the world of art, but it will be felt also throughout the whole of Gibraltar,” said Picardo.

Tate crime A BRITISH man has been charged with criminal damage after he trashed a €23.5 million Picasso painting. Shakeel Massey, 20, from north London remains in custody for the attack on the Spanish artist’s Bust of a Woman (1944, right). The piece of art is housed at London’s Tate Modern and the gallery has now removed it from public display.

Lover

It was reported to have been ripped although the venue has not revealed any details regarding its condition. Malaga-born Pablo Picasso created the piece, which portrays his lover Dora Maar in Nazi-occupied Paris. “The work of art is with our conservation team for expert assessment. Tate Modern remains open,” said a gallery spokesperson. Massey is to attend a pretrial hearing at Inner London Crown Court on January 30 after being denied bail.

FAMOUS FOUR: Il Divo and (below) Ozuna

British talent

Honour “Mario was a much loved teacher and a greatly admired Gibraltarian artist. “Naming the National Art

RIP: Finlayson was a legend in Gibraltar

TED TALKS: To Rock

Company driven

NEARLY 20 speakers will take part in Gibraltar’s version of the TED talks to be next month. GibTalks has been going from strength to strength in recent years with members of the community from all walks of life telling their stories. Speakers will include politicians Steven Linares and Damon Bossino, football agent Kenneth Asquez and cancer researcher Youssef El-Hana. They will talk for 15 strictly-timed about stories they would like to share with the

Gallery in his honour was a fitting way for the Government to celebrate his enormous contribution to life in Gibraltar.” One of the artist’s favourite themes was rooftops, which he painted in many different ways. The Ministry of Culture, who described him as a ‘cultural doyen’, held an exhibition of his work in 2015 at the National Gallery. “We have lost a truly great Gibraltarian today,” concluded the Chief Minister. “I join all of Gibraltar in expressing our condolences to his family.”

Talking big young voices coming to the stage. They will be accompanied by four 10-minute chats from some individuals outside the public sphere. The Gibtalks event will this year be held on February 1 at the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre.

OZUNA and Il Divo have been added to the lineup for the Starlite Marbella festival this summer. The reggaeton star and the British quartet will take to the stage at the Nagüeles quarry on July 17 and July 10 respectively. They join a long list of acts already announced, which includes Lionel Richie, Supertramp singer Roger Hodgson, India Martinez and

more. Starlite runs from Thursday, July 2 until Saturday, August 29, and tickets went on sale on January 3 at www.starlitecatalanaoccidente.com.

LEARN how to manage a company at a breakfast club given at the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses office on Irish Town on January 16.

Gimme! Gimme! AN Abba tribute evening complete with dinner will be held on January 17, 40 years after the band’s success at Bistro Point in the Gibraltar University campus.

Calorie burner DANCE to guest artist Wake & Bake as well as top local DJs at the Sub-Series night from 11pm on Friday 17 until the early hours at the Rock on the Rock club.

January 8th - January 21st 2020

LA CULTURA

he portrayed herself as nobility from a long Moorish/Andalucian bloodline. Yet birth records indicate she was 100% Irish, born in County Sligo to “common stock”. She claimed her name was Maria Dolores (“Lola”) Montez, but her birth certificate states her official name as Eliza Gilbert. She was considered to be breathtakingly beautiful, intelligent, courageous and above all, independent. Others considered her as egocentric, manipulative and temperamental to the extreme. She was known to the public as a lustful dancer, but behind the curtain, she was a political force who mingled with European monarchs, artists and intellectuals. To be sure, her life was full of contradictions, but she possessed one trait that nearly everyone could agree upon: She was a charismatic seductress of the highest order. Meet Eliza Gilbert…a.k.a. Lola Montez .

Royal ap

Enthralled

Eliza’s mother described her daughter as “fanciful, wayward, and given to fibbing”. One school teacher recalled Eliza’s “beautiful countenance” with a “habitual expression of indomitable self-will”. Young Eliza courted scandal from an early age. She eloped as a teenager and not surprisingly her marriage didn’t last. Her much older husband was able to win a judicial divorce on grounds of Eliza’s adulterous behavior. At 20, she was a “woman with a past”. With her reputation in tatters, she fled to Cadiz, Spain in an attempt to reinvent

ENCHANTRESS: Lola Montez

ENCHANTED: KIng Ludwig I

herself. She studied Spanish roll-call of lovers however which dance, customs and language. vaulted this “tigress persona” to Knowing full well that Spanish international celebrity. culture was very much in fashion In Paris she met composer Franz in Victorian London, she decided Liszt. His concert tours attracted to return to England to launch wildly enthusiastic audiences her new career as: “Lola Montez and royalty throughout Europe. -The Spanish Dancer”. Lola, with her immense power of Eliza, now known as “Lola”, seduction, initiated a very public booked passage on a ship to love affair which would deeply Southampton. There, she met affect Liszt’s music composiThe Earl of Malmesbury—a tions and his personal life. The prominent nobleman and a gen- composer was so infatuated with erous art patron. Immediately her that he would write glowing charmed by Loletters of recla’s magnetic ommendations personality, the that opened the Lola mimed Earl used his indoors for her in fluence to book music venues the crushing her dancing throughout Eudebut at Her of spiders that rope. In Paris Majesty’s The(post-Liszt) she had invaded her frequented the atre in London. He would later ashionable undergarments fhigh-society write that he was saamong the first lons where she to be ‘‘duped befriended the by the beautiful and wily Lola city’s most popular literary boheMontez”. Her behavior later in mians. There she won the confilife would suggest that it would dence of novelist Alexandre Duhave been unusual for Lola not mas—a social dynamo in Paris to have traded sexual favours with a unique status among Pawith the Earl. risian high society. He would latHer performances were unlike er write the classics: The Count anything the London audiences of Monte Cristo and The Three had ever seen: “The Spaniard Musketeers. Their romantic dallidances with the body, the lips, ance was legend but short-lived. the eyes, the head, the neck, the Lola made friends easily-espeheart .... her dance IS Spanish cially among journalists and passion” wrote London’s Morn- wealthy men. Alex Dujarier was ing Post. Her tour-de-force was both. He was the drama critic a routine which became known and owner of La Presse -France’s as The Spider Dance. With her most widely-read newspaper. head thrown back, eyes flashing Dujarier was swept away by the and fluid burlesque like aban- fearless and lighthearted spirit don, Lola mimed the crushing of of Lola’s personality. They too spiders that had invaded her un- became lovers, but it didn’t end dergarments. She did not leave well for young Alex. When one much to the imagination as she Parisian art patron criticized often did not wear her bloomers. Lola’s dance routine, Alex chalAudiences were enthralled. But lenged the man to a pistol duel. her run on the British stage was Dujarier was shot and killed. He short-lived. She was recognized died in Lola’s arms. as the former Eliza Gilbert and Lola moved on to Munich where booed off stage. Exposed in the she captured the heart of Bavarpress as a fraud, she fled to the ian King Ludwig I. Ludwig was an Continent. Europe had not seen eccentric monarch and notorianything or anyone like Ms. Mon- ous ladies’ man. Upon meeting tez. Lola was outrageous in ways Lola, he stood motionless, and that were beyond beauty and gazing upon her enormous apsexuality. She had enormous peal, he is said to have become appeal and powers of seduction. truly bewitched by the 61-yearHer Spider Dance garnered the old monarch became obsessed attention (both positive and neg- with the 21-year-old dancer. In a ative) of kings, the press, artists, short time, Lola became a royal theatre managers and most im- mistress, lavished with jewels, a portantly the public. It was her pension and a small palace. Lud-

wig crowed her “The Countess of Landsfeld”. Over time however, Lola did little to gratiate herself to the King’s subjects. Lola was discourteous to the queen. She flaunted her questionable morals, had a disdain for etiquette and insulted her audiences. When she started meddling in Bavarian politics it became too much for the locals. There were riots replete with arson and physical violence. The lords of Bavaria, by royal decree, revoked Lola’s rights and demanded she leave the country. Ludwig protested claiming: “I would rather lose my Crown!” He got his wish. King Ludwig I was forced to abdicate giving up his crown. Lola once again was seductive in ways which often ruined some of the most influential men in Europe.

Allure

Once again , Lola was forced to flee the country. She headed across the Atlantic where she toured the United States and later Australia. However, as her beauty began to fade, her dance routine became less “art’’ and more “stripper burlesque.” She would find religion, tried lecturing and writing a book, none of which resulted in much distinction. Sadly, Lola died in New York on January 17 1861 when she was just 39 years old. It would be easy to write off Lola as a scheming high priced prostitute. It would not be a stretch to moralize that her life was a display of egotism and

LA CULTURA LA CULTURA

pproval SEDUCED: Franz Liszt vanity. It would be easy to make the case that she used sexual manipulation to run roughshod over everyone around her. Yet in a way, Lola was an example of allure, intelligence, daring and forceful will that challenged the constricted roles allowed to women in the Victorian Age. She

January 8th - January 21st 2020

Jack Gaioni reveals the fascinating story of Lola, the fake Spanish dirty dancer who captured a king’s heart

ICONIC: Lola’s Spider Dance had the uncanny ability to charm some of the most powerful and influential men in Europe that could further her aspirations. She fought to free her own life from society’s prejudices and restrictions. Lola achieved fame and success (such as it was) on her own terms. Lola knew exact-

ly what she was doing. We don’t have to like her life to admire her life. In her book, The Arts of Beauty, she best summed up her life’s philosophy: “To all Men and Women of every land Who are not afraid of Themselves

Who trust so much in their own souls that They dare to stand up in the might of their Own individuality To meet the tidal currents of the world.” ********** R.I.P. Lola

SOCIAL DYNAMO: Alexandre Dumas

January 8th - January 21st 2020

BUSINESS

New year new assets Jonathan Holdaway presents his advice on how to diversify your portfolio in 2020

he New Year is an excellent time to This strategy has many complex iterations, review the current asset allocation in but at its root it’s simply about spreading your portfolio and adjust in line with your portfolio across several asset classes. your investment goals as no doubt the fi- Diversification can help mitigate the risk nancial landscape looks different now to and volatility in your portfolio, potentially what it did 12 months ago! reducing the number and severity of stoIn the last issue I took a brief look at the five mach-churning ups and downs. main asset classes available to an investor Remember, diversification does not ensure – namely Equities, Fixed Income, Money a profit or guarantee against loss. Market, Guaranteed and Property. The four primary components of a diversiDiversification is the practice of spreading fied investment portfolio: your investments around so that your ex- Developed Market stocks – These are shaposure to any one type of asres of US, UK, Japanese and set is limited. EU companies. Stocks repreThis practice is designed to sent the most aggressive porReducing the help reduce the volatility of tion of your portfolio and proyour portfolio over time. number and vide the opportunity for higher One of the keys to successgrowth over the long term. ful investing is learning how severity of However, this greater poto balance your comfort level tential for growth carries a with risk against your time stomach-churning greater risk, particularly in horizon. ups and downs the short term. Because stocInvest your retirement nest ks are generally more volatile egg too conservatively at a than other types of assets, young age, and you run the risk that the your investment in a stock could be worth growth rate of your investments won’t less if and when you decide to sell it. keep pace with inflation. Conversely, if you invest too aggressively Bonds - Most bonds provide regular intewhen you’re older, you could leave your rest income and are generally considered to savings exposed to market volatility, which be less volatile than stocks. could erode the value of your assets at an They can also act as a cushion against the age when you have fewer opportunities to unpredictable ups and downs of the stock recoup your losses. market, as they often behave differently One way to balance risk and reward in your than stocks. investment portfolio is to diversify your as- Investors who are more focused on safety sets.

than growth often favour government or other high-quality bonds, while reducing their exposure to stocks. These investors may have to accept lower long-term returns, as many bonds—especially high-quality issues—generally don’t offer returns as high as stocks over the long term. Short-term investments - These include money market funds and short-term CDs (certificates of deposit). Money market funds are conservative investments that offer stability and easy access to your money, ideal for those looking to preserve principal. In exchange for that level of safety, money market funds usually provide lower returns than bond funds or individual bonds. International stocks - Stocks issued by emerging market companies often perform differently than their developed market counterparts, providing exposure to alternative opportunities. If you’re searching for investments that offer both higher potential returns and higher risk, you may want to consider adding some foreign stocks to your portfolio. Additional components of a diversified portfolio: Sector funds - Although these invest in

stocks, sector funds, as their name suggests, focus on a particular segment of the economy such as technology or banking. They can be valuable tools for investors seeking opportunities in different phases of the economic cycle. Commodity focused funds - While only the most experienced investors should invest in commodities, adding equity funds that focus on commodity-intensive industries to your portfolio—such as oil and gas, mining, and natural resources—can provide a good hedge against inflation. Real estate funds - Real estate funds, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), can also play a role in diversifying your portfolio and providing some protection against the risk of inflation. Asset allocation funds - For investors who don’t have the time or the expertise to build a diversified portfolio, asset allocation funds can serve as an effective single-fund strategy as the asset allocation is managed for you by the manager with a specific risk approach.In the next issue I will look at how Diversification can have a real impact on your Portfolio returns If you would like to review your own Portfolio please telephone or email me for an initial consultation at my expense.

Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7. 29001 Málaga, Spain. Phone: +34 951 579226

Contact me for a no obligation investment product and/or portfolio review and at my expense on +34 654 898 303/+44 77230 27864 or email me at jonathan.holdaway@chasebuchanan.com I’ll even buy the coffee.

Sponsored posts on our website with and with an average of 20,000 page links to your site views per day

Fully interactive digital copy of the all advertising seen online globally newspaper containing via Issuu

ur s to Yo ry d 00 er o st ote 0,0 low 2 l om ly fo pr ar ok ne bo ce Fa

our s st ur y o o er Yo r d t low te ol ee 0 f Tw ,00 7 Our Twitter feed gives users direct and every digital newspaper publ access to all our stories ished

s r r nd ou pe sa in pa ou s s Th view new l of ita g di

te ee ial 00 si Fr tor 0,0 eb i 1 w ed ur ay o -d in r-a ito

s vi

When you take out an advertising campaign with the Olive Press, you get a lot more than just the printed newspaper

We promote you on our hugely popu 17,000 likes and as many followers lar Facebook page with

The Olive Press gives you more!

BUSINESS

Two become one TWO business bodies decided they would be stronger together over the festive period. The Gibraltar Federation of Small Business voted unanimously to accept in Women in Business into their ranks.

Forces

The decision will see GFSB chairperson Julian Byrne and Fiona Young of WIB join forces to have a big event for International Women’s Day this year. The goal of the union will be to try to open the door to more businesswomen, hosting training and forums for dialogue on shared issues.

Sensible Spaniards

xxx

FOUR out of 10 Spaniards would use their ‘El Gordo’ winnings to pay off debts, it has been revealed. Murcia is the region most likely to try and get rid of its debts with the prize money (43.6%), while Andalu-

January 8th - January 21st 2020 cia is the least (36.6%), according to a new poll by iAhorro bank. Spain’s famous lottery attracts millions to buy tickets every Christmas, with the hope of winning the €4,000,000 jackpot. The second most common option for spending winnings is buying a house (26.8%), third is adding to a savings account (23.5%) and fourth is splashing out on family and friends (10.5%).

VIP gambling to be axed SOME Gibraltar gaming companies could be hit by a ban on VIP schemes after a Gambling Commission report. A recent study by the government online gaming regulator revealed that some companies are rewarding gamblers who lose the most money.

No tickets to ride

Online gaming companies are finding ways to get big spenders hooked

The practice is most common with VIP schemes that offer free bets or cashback when the biggest spenders lose out. In one particular case, a com-

pany was singled out for taking 83% of its deposits from 3% of customers. The report claimed that algorithms to spot problem gam-

A TOTAL of 147 train stations have stopped selling tickets at their ticket offices. The move by railway companies Adif and Renfe is a response to lower passenger rates at smaller stations. Andalucia is the most affected region, with 20 stations no longer selling tickets at offices, while Castilla y Leon has 15, Castilla-La Mancha (15), Extremadura (12) and Galicia (10). As of January 1 ‘face-to-face’ ticket sales will only be maintained at stations which have more than 100 passengers per day. Ticket machines are to be installed at all stations, where they aren’t already, and tickets can now be bought at Correos.

blers were less effective than those which gave out VIP status to certain gamblers. The findings could result in a new Code of Conduct for VIP schemes or banning them altogether. “This report shows how completely reliant the industry is on people with gambling problems and that they are profiteering from them,” said Labour MP Carolyn Harris of the parliamentary group on gambling. “As the Gambling Commission has suggested, these practices should be banned to protect problem gamblers.” With VIP schemes forming a large chunk of the profits of online gaming companies, their loss could be a big blow to the industry on the Rock. There are currently around 30 different online gaming companies in Gibraltar who provide around £50million to public coffers every year.

Helping hand

BinckBank Saxo Bank has announced its first seminar of the new year. Kaspar Huijsman will be leading the Tips and Trends talk in Marbella on January 23 from 15:30 - 17:00. The talk will provide a general overview of the current state of the stock markets, highlight current insecurities, evaluate the sectors to consider and those to avoid, and assess the risks involved in investing. The event is suitable for investors and traders of all levels and the bank’s friendly team are there to help you and will be around for a cocktail afterwords. Sign up for one of the last remaining places at www. binckbank.com

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

THE ageing of fish, artificial intelligence in the kitchen and the challenges of allergies are three of the subjects to be tackled at Spain’s leading international food festival next week. Now in its 18th year the culinary congress, Madrid Fusion, will also address the relationship between neuro-marketing and haute cuisine, as well as ethics and environmental responsibility. A stunning range of speakers have been lined up for the three-day event, which kicks off on January 13. They include Cadiz’s Angel León and Marbella’s Dani Garcia, as well as Juanlu Fernandez, of Lu, in Jerez. Madrid’s innovative three Michelin star whizkid David Munoz is being joined by Alicante’s Alberto Ferruz, from BonAmb, in Javea. Flying in from abroad are legends such as Kojo Kimura, from Tokyo, as well as Ivan and Sergey Berezutsky, from Twins Garden, in Moscow, Rene Frank, from Berlin, Vicky Cheng, from Hong Kong, and Isabella Poti, from Italy. Some of the highlights of the event include Joan Roca’s keynote address on sustainable cooking on the 13th. The celebrated Catalan chef from el Celler de Can Roca will be joined by his brother Josep the following day looking at food intolerances and allergies. One of the most interesting seminars is on fish ageing and features Australian Josh-

January 8th - January 21st 2020

Fusion of fun Artificial intelligence and fish ageing on the agenda as international culinary jet set land at Madrid Fusion

ua Niland, from Saint Peter restaurant. He is joined by Dani Garcia from Marbella’s Lobito de Mar. On the 15th the subject is revisited by Japanese chef Kimura, of Sushi Kimura. Another fascinating session is described as a ‘world first’ looking at ‘Artificial Intelligence and cooking’. The event features Munoz, from DiverXo, as well as Fernando Sáenz from DellaSera, alongside Juan Carlos Martínez and Carolina Martín from Spanish company I+DEA Siro Foods. Two chefs from the Murcia region, David Lopez, from Local de Ensayo, and Maria Gomez of Magoga, will host a session called ‘The Truffle of the desert’. Famous Russian chefs Artem & Alexei Grebenshchikov, of Bourgeois Bohemias, in St. Petersburg talk about their success on the 14th. On the 15th a session, Malaga, Tradition and Michelin stars, features Diego Gallegos from Sollo, in Fuengirola, José Carlos García, from Malaga, and Juanjo Carmona, from El Lago, in Marbella.

POINTED: Kimuna SESSION: With Munoz

TALENT: Poti

ALICANTE’S: Ferruz

Boca battle

A PAIR of Andalucian chefs are to do battle at Madrid Fusion over who makes the best sarnie! Irene Garrido, from Gastrobar KGB in Malaga, is joined by Angel Rodriguez, of Palo Cortao, in Sevilla, along with four other sandwich specialists from around the country. The winner of the seventh Concurso de Bocadillos de Autor, on January 13, will scoop a cup and a cheque for €1,500. The two runners up will get cheques for €300. The event sponsored by bread brand Saint Honore Perlage, gives each contestant an hour to make the perfect gourmet bocadillo. They can use any one of five different loaves from the firm, along with any ingredient. Previous winners included Raquel Garcia from the Benahavis cookery school. The first two winners of the coveted prize came from Valencia; Raul Lopez, of Casa L’Art, in Alicante, and Juan Casamayor, from Restaurante Moltto, in Valencia.

Gastro: Angel Rodriguez

LOCAL: Raquel Garcia

January 8th - January 21st 2020

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

S the temperatures drop and the mountains around Spain ‘white up’, a host of romantic weekend escapes and family capers open up. While skiing is on many tourist and expat agendas, simply getting up into stunning mountain scenery is enough for most. Sitting by a fire, reading a good book, taking a bracing stroll, followed by a massage or dip in a spa is a wonderful way to relax during winter in Spain. Here, the Olive Press offers 10 options to find yourself in soaring hills and peaks around the country.

Winter Olive Press editor Jon Clarke picks out his top ten seasonal chestnuts in the Spanish mountains - and they’re not just for skiing

La Pleta

Baqueira Beret (Lerida)

This Pyrenean gem sits in the heart of Spain’s most regal skiing retreat Baqueira. While you may spot any number of Spain’s Royals taking to the slopes, you can equally happily hole up and enjoy the interior of La Pleta with its stunning snowy vistas. As well as a spa and Alpine style rooms, it also counts on noless than four restaurants, each with their own style and pricepoint. (www.lapleta.com)

Casa Irene Arties (Lerida)

In breathtaking mountain scenery you can’t avoid being impressed. Since 1974, Casa Irene has been serving visitors to the stunning Valle de Aran area, a dream for walkers and skiers, sitting just six kilometres from the celebrated nearby slopes of Baqueira. There are just 22 rooms, each very Alpine in style, as well as its own spa, pool and highly-rated restaurant. (www.hotelcasairene.com)

Terra hotel Bonansa (Huesca)

Well integrated into the rolling landscape, the Terra hotel in Bonansa is leading the way in eco-accommodation. High in the Aragon Pyrenees, it has been carefully built with bioclimatic and contemporary lines. A stylish escape, it was designed by architect Alejandro Royo, who was born in the village, and counts on just six suites. The area is perfect for walking and birdwatching in winter. (www.hotelterra.es)

Vinas de Larrede Larrede (Huesca)

Looking like an Alpine chalet, constructed of Siberian wood and with its ornate carved balconies, charming Vinas de Larrede is the very epitome of a mountain retreat. It is also an award-winning hotel for both its romantic luxury and innovative cuisine. Even better, the 17-room boutique hotel sits in the Valle de Tena, just 20 minutes from the Pyrenean skiing resort of Formigal and you can rent skis and gear at the hotel. For nature lovers the breathtaking Ordesa National Park is just 30 minutes away. (www.hotelvinasdelarrede.es)

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

January 8th - January 21st 2020

wonderland La Vella Fraga

Solsona (Lerida)

This historic 11th century country estate (or masia) sits at the entrance to the Catalan Pyrenees. Sitting in 300 hectares of its own stunning woodland scenery, in winter expect it to turn white with snowy peaks as a backdrop. Just 90 minutes from Barcelona, its 13 rooms are all well appointed and feature plenty of antique furniture (www.hotelvellafraga.com)

Hotel Kenia Nevada Sierra Nevada (Granada)

This grande dame of the Sierra Nevada resort, in Granada, couldn’t be better located or established. Just 100m from the main ski lift, as well as 200m from all the resort’s main restaurants, its staff are friendly and bend over backwards to ensure you have a fabulous stay. The rooms are comfortable, without being luxurious, but there is a heated indoor pool and a full massage and spa area for apres-ski relaxation.

Las Mugas Formigal (Huesca)

There are few ways to get closer to the slopes than to literally sleep next to them. The exclusive handful of igloos - called Las Mugas - that sit at 1,800m in the skiing resort of Formigal - are a brilliant way to eat and sleep surrounded by snow. You are taken up to these ingenious tents by snowmobiles from the main resort and will enjoy 24-hour service and dinner served up after a hard day on the slopes. At night, the stars will be your main companions. (www.formigal-panticosa.com/mugas)

Cortijo rural las Navas Parauta (Malaga)

Appropriately sitting in the Sierra de las Nieves (Sierra of the Snows) at 1,100m high above the Costa del Sol, Cortijo las Navas is one extraordinary escape. Halfway along the road to Ronda you take a right turn into the recently turned National park and drive for 10 minutes into the hills. A stunning old farmhouse, while it has been reformed it is very much a rustic, not luxury, retreat, where the focus is on hiking and nature. The owners live next door and manage the enormous hunting estate, culling and preparing various game, such as boar and deer, for guests to eat. (www.i-sierradelasnieves.com/cortijo-rural-las-navas/)

Hotel El Lodge Sierra Nevada (Granada)

If money is no object then you should consider whiling away a weekend in El Lodge, in the Sierra Nevada. The sister hotel of the five star Marbella Club, this is the very epitome of mountain luxury. Originally built for Spain’s king, it was always set up with luxury at its heart and these days Spain’s top celebrities and captains of industry stay here. There is a heated outdoor pool, jacuzzi and Turkish bath and plenty of luxury trimmings like boot warming, while you ski literally from the door. (www.ellodge.es)

Can Borrell Meranges (Girona)

Can Borrell is one of the most remarkable rural escapes in Spain. Set in the Medieval hamlet of Meranges, in the Catalan Pyrenees, this charming rural hotel sits at a staggering 1,500m and has wonderful views in all directions. Rooms are simple but comfortable and you can walk from the door up into the nearby peaks, which are covered in snow in winter. Best of all there is a wonderful restaurant and you can hole up in the cozy lounge reading books or playing the numerous board games with your kids. www.canborrell.com

January 8th - January 21st 2020 2020

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Gibraltar’s chess festival brings in international tourism throughout January

Checkmate

IBRALTAR will be welcoming some of the top chess players in the world to an open tournament in January. The 18th edition of the Gibraltar International Chess Festival will be held on January 20-31. It has become a big hit with chess fans all over the world. The event has been voted the best open tournament for a number of years, being held at the idyllic location of the Caleta Hotel overlooking the Med. There will be three levels of competition, with the amateur and challenger tournaments being held in the mornings and the Masters held over two weeks in the afternoons. Among the stars coming to town are joint top seeds Maxine Vachier-Lagrave and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, as well as legends like Brit Michael Adams and Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk. This year a chess seminar will be held at the University of Gibraltar from January 16-18 where players can sharpen

their skills. “Then we have at least 10 payGrand Master Veselin Topalov ing guests coming to Gibraltar and International Master Elis- early in order to attend the abeth Paehtz will be sharing seminar prior to the festival. their knowledge with students “Anatoly Karpov, former world who get a guaranteed entry to champion from the 70s and the Chess Masters. 80s, coming for the first time “Once again we have many of as a VIP guest of honour after the world’s top men and wom- the three-day chess seminar.” en chess players coming,” leg- The two weeks of the festival end of the game, are always abuzz Stuart Conquest with activity, with “This year, I’ve told the Olive visitors able to Press. mill around the noticed more “In fact, we think luxurious fourpeople coming star Caleta Howe’re going to have a record tel with the top than ever turnout with names in chess some of our lofrom around the before” cal young players world. playing as well.” “This year, I’ve noticed more David Howell, one of the UK’s people coming than ever betop players who came in joint fore,” continued the former second last time, will this year British Champion. sit out the Masters and instead “For example, we got some take up a commentary posi- girls coming from China via Motion. rocco. “We’re looking at having be- “Then we’ve got Gibtelecom tween 60 and 80 players in powering the website so will we each of the morning events broadcasting every match live already with a week to go,” re- with exclusive analysis.” vealed organiser Conquest. Conquest himself was World

History, adventure and romance. That’s just the setting.

CONCENTRATION: Topalov and Stuart Conquest (right) contemplating moves Champion at Under-16 level when he was just 14-years-old. For the last decade he has been based in Gibraltar, teaching children how to play chess at the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre for free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For those who want cut-price accommodation, the Holiday Inn Express, a new build opened only a couple of years ago, is a three-star hotel just 10 minutes walk from the venue. “It’s going to be something special this year,” concluded Conquest. “The festival’s reputation has

grown year on year as people know if they come they will have a good time. “The social diary is built around the chess so it’s not just about playing chess and going back

to your hotel. “Everyone is welcome to come to participate, pass by for a few nights or even a day.”

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

BRITISH

For further information call: Gibraltar Tourist Board +350 200 74950 Or to download a brochure go to: www.visitgibraltar.gi

www.visitgibraltar.gi

Heritage STREET PARTIES MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE HISTORY MUSIC

Phoenician Empire Calentita

Jazz

INTERNATIONAL

THE ROCK The Moorish Castle Festivals Food Festival Pillars of Hercules Music 100000 YEARS National Week, Chess, Snooker, LITERARY FESTIVAL

Darts, Backgammon Championships

Neanderthal Settlements

ibraltar

#VISITGIBRALTAR

A year of Culture

Bring hearts, minds and souls

Triple transplant

HEALTH

A 10-YEAR-OLD girl with a rare condition affecting just 10 children globally has been saved with a triple organ transplant. Little Iria was born with a mutation of the NEK8 gene, which causes tissue sclerosis and organs to stop working. After being born with heart failure, the youngster underwent a heart transplant, before doctors discovered she had liver problems, for which she was put on medication. But after her liver failed, surgeons at Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebron Hospital performed a liver and kidney transplant. Spain’s first child to undergo a triple organ transplant has said she is ‘happy’ and plans to return to school.

January 8th - January 21st 2020

Med strong THE Mediterranean diet has been crowned the healthiest nutritional plan to follow by a panel of doctors, nutritionists and fitness experts. For the third year in a row, the Med diet with its emphasis on plant-based foods, whole grains, lean protein and olive oil took the top spot in the US News & World Report’s annual ranking of diets. Its benefits include lowering the risks of diabetes and dementia, and Penelope Cruz is even known to be a fan. The actress said the diet of her native Spain is how she reached her goal weight four months after giving birth to her son Leo in January 2011. Eating a Mediterranean diet could also help preserve kidney function in thou-

Good news for expats and Spaniards as Mediterranean diet voted healthiest in world

sands of patients who have already had transplants, new research suggests. Figures suggest around a third of patients who receive a donor kidney lose

function within a decade of the life-changing operation. But scientists have found following the fish and nut-heavy diet, which cuts back on red meat, could help keep the

organ healthier for longer. Academics at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands followed 632 kidney transplant patients for five years. Dr Antonio Gomes-Neto and his team gave participants a score between zero and nine for how much they adhered to a Mediterranean diet. Patients with a score of seven had a 29% lower risk of kidney function decline. They also had a 32% lower risk of kidney failure, according to the results published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. Gomes-Neto said: “Increasing scientific evidence has demonstrated health benefits of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular and kidney health.

Drop in the overweight THREE out of ten children children in Andalucia are obese or overweight, new government data has revealed. Rates have decreased slightly, but since 2011, the number of overweight kids has remained steady at 21%, according to Ministry of Health figures. Obesity prevalence has dropped from 17.7% nine years ago – when the Comprehensive Plan for Childhood Obesity was introduced – to 11.8% in 2019. An average of 25,600 children are treated for being overweight or obese in Andalucian medical centres every year. More boys than girls are overweight, while children aged nine to 12 are most at risk.

Men stub it out THE number of men lighting up around the world has fallen, although a quarter of Spain still smokes, it has emerged. The World Health Organization (WHO) figures show that the number of men smoking has fallen for the first time ever. But Spain is still one of the heaviest smoking nations in the EU and sees 52,000 smoking-related deaths a year. Three quarters of Spanish smokers have tried to ditch the habit, with the low success rates being blamed on ineffective nicotine patches and gum.

Hot stuff! EATING chilli peppers four times a week could cut your risk of dying from a heart attack, scientists have claimed. Researchers followed 23,000 volunteers over eight years and found that adults who ate chilli peppers regularly were less likely to die prematurely. And they were 40 % less likely to die from a heart attack according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Capsaicin – an anti-inflammatory compound and the substance that creates the burning sensation – is thought to be the reason for this.

When you take out an advertising campaign with the Olive Press, you get a lot more than just the printed newspaper te l ee ia 00 si Fr tor 0,0 eb i 1 w ed ur ay o -d in r-a to si

r ur ou s Yo tory to er s ed llow t o ee 0 f Tw ,00 7

Sponsored posts on our website with to your site and with an average of links 20,000 page views per day

Our Twitter feed gives users direct to all our stories and every digital access newspaper published ur to s Yo ory d 00 er st ote 0,0 low 2 l om ly fo pr ar ok ne bo ce Fa

s r r nd ou e sa in pap ou s s Th viewnew l of ita g di

Fully interactive digital copy of the newspaper containing all advertisi ng seen online globally via Issuu

We promote you on our hugely popu Facebook page with 17,000 likes lar and as many followers

The Olive Press gives you more!

COLUMNISTS

January 8th - January 21st 2020

Paws for thought Thank goodness that’s all over! As Spain shut ONE of the Olive Press’ most popular columnists has sadly hung up his paws. Eddie the hotel hound passed away at Christmas, after a short illness. The popular dog wrote a col-

A dog’s life,

So did you have a good Christmas?

down for the festive period, the Hacienda still had a lastminute gift for Giles Brown

THIS is somewhat of a Grinch spoiler alert, but I’m pleased the festive season is finally over. Perhaps it is something to do with my British roots or, more likely, that I’m a cranky so and so, but Christmas and New Year celebrations in Spain seem to last forever. As a freelancer, it’s the time of year when ‘goodwill to all men’ is stretched to the limit. From the start of December I play the annual festive game of ‘will I get my outstanding invoices paid before Spain shuts down until mid-January’. This year I managed to get most of my ‘hard-earned’ cash in, which was handy as the fan belts on the Landcruiser decided to festively let go on the night of the Olive Press Christmas dinner. As a freeloading freelancer who has been known to work for complementary food, this was a double tragedy, I can assure you. While the rest of Spain shut down until after Three Kings – and as an aside, I always assumed that an epiphany was some sort of fruit based cocktail, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t come to the phone at the moment. I’m having an epiphany’ – there

umn for the Olive Press for two spells over the last decade, with the help of his owner Andy Chapell, of popular Ronda hotel Molino del Santo. Here, Chapell writes a tribute to his best furry friend:

RIP Eddie the hotel hound

Ours was shaping up to be idyllic. We’d spent hours decorating. The daughters’ flights were booked from London, my sister-in-law was suddenly able to get time off work to be here too and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. With a larder full of Christmas fayre and plenty of fine wines in the cellar, what could go wrong? 44 The dog having a sudden, unexpected, fatal FOOD & DRINK heart attack on December 23 with – D that’s INING what SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com messed it all up. And not just any dog but Eddie Dogg – a special spirit, rescued by Adana from a rubbish bin ten and a half years ago.

Half-baked promMighty ises A dog who could not have been a bigger part

COOKERY of all of ols our lives – schools he’sacross at the Cookery scho An- heart of virtually dalucia are going hungry as It’s the same problem at the nearby go hung Ladecade. Fonda culinary ry in every family the photo we’ve taken in a A Junta fails to pay out for school in Benalmadena, untheir ingredients. Andalucia due paid are cripplin g the dog with his own page –wages search Eddie StudentsFacebook at La Consula school school, to budg which et cuts has been left in Churriana have launched Chapell and unpa indefinite strike action, after crumbling under pressure. id Elkin. funding cuts left the school Employees of the school wagesA dog who inspired have now beenaleft waiting hise master to write series unable to purchas food and

RIOT: David Munoz’s new Streetxo restaurant in Madrid boasts unusual chairs (inset) as well as adventurous food

Streetwise

for more than eight months for their salaries, which have been postponed again after the Junta was allegedly unable to ‘justify the payments’. The desperate staff are at their wits’ end, despite Manuel Jesus Garcia, the director general of the Junta, promising in mid-February that they would be paid ‘as soon as possible’. A sit-in at the school was cancelled following the promise of payment last month, but the staff are now looking at new ways to pressurise the Junta as their needs have still not been met.

other cooking supplies. of columns for this esteemed publication with a canine’s view of hotel life. IT is the most exciting restaurant Hotel guests brought him toys from the UK, staff the opening of A riot of colour, quirky year so far. chairs and an equally adventurous mix of Far Eastern and Spain’s hottest chef David Munoz kept him leftover breakfast sausages, he even his Spanish has moved cuisine, it is little surprise super-h the queue to get in ip Streetxo LEGEND:restaura Eddie, theis much-loved nt to Corte normally between one and two hours. Ingles on Calle Serrano, in the heart wheedled his way to sleeping alongside our bed drid’s of Ma- That said, the waiting list upmark of his flagship Dineighbourhoodand hotelethound (below) one of his of Salaman - verxo restaura nt is currently over ca. every night. six months so it isn’t too bad. Thecolumns young three-Michelin star genius He knew exactly how to tease keeping his rub- created the same sort of buzz he has at has And his next big project: A his plan to open a Streetxo in London in June this year. ber toys just outside of arm’s reach and then other joint Diverxo, also in the capital. laughing at us as he trotted off, and he had an Lates t Olive Press columnist uncanny sixth sense. A dog’s life, EXOTIC: Florida feeling heading to Marbella Eddie the dog is arking’ on a A good friend who had suffered a terrible trau- great career – no‘em-b by Eddie the hotel hound bone s abou t it Miami vibesand A go in Ed Mainstantly rbs knew ma visited heod needed RETRO Marbell a hangout South consolation. A daughter going through a difficult spring with an all-American twist, Beach is celebrating vin tag e with a Miami Grill event launching this month. time didn’t need to ask to be kept company. The exotic Florida feeling will A BAR in Barcelona is breakbe almost tangible from March 14 toAApril 12, with meat furry weighted head resting onmould, your thigh, ing the and fish served not because O the editor – woosizzling from the BBQ every Friday, Saturda of what it is serving up, but y and Sunday, and ing me with prom- among other bands - live Blues Brother accompanied by a heavy sigh whilst eyes because of whosad is doing s-style the ises of becoming music at weekends. serving. Andaluc ia’s premier There will also meet yours Eddie be, as always, In less a uniquealone. freemakes anyone feel move, Entrepa pooch – wants me to write a nes ter after that. on Saturdays, while pancakes arechildren’s entertainment Diaz, a trendy bar in the heart available for children. column about my life. Small South Beachjust is openknew. every day on Avenida del Limona of the Catalan capital, is now village dog hits the big time... r 124, But I perhaps saw an omen Marbella (exit El Rosario). only hiring waiters over 50. Not bad for an Adana rescue

Humouring humans

were certain sections of the administration that continued to work tirelessly. I am, of course, referring to the noble men and women of Hacienda and Social Security who, in a pincer movement of ruthless efficiency and deadly timing that would have made the Duke of Wellington proud, ransacked my bank account on January 1. This year can only get bet-

OP Puzzle solutions SUDOKU

Down: 2 Eyewash, 3 Martini, 4 Taste, 5 All gone, 6 Swarm, 7 Nehru, 12 Ore, 14 Alp, 15 Drawing, 16 Slammer, 17 Reactor, 19 Phase, 20 Riyal, 21 Hythe.

£15

LOVE AT FIRST BITE: Eddie with owner

Andy

with semi-wild countryside mings and bones appearing with all the olfactory treats at the door – so it’s mostly one could desire. (My master dried dog food for me. had to check the meaning of Upsides olfactory when I dictated it. Master : hotel closed equals I’d like to bypass him totally a lot and Mistress around thus avoiding censorship of take more to talk to me and what I discuss but paws were them.me out and about with not designed for keyboards). Hotel closed equals change There is a river nearby where as I swim in the warmer months andthey go off on holidays family visits. I’ve been and barely any cars – which advised by my mates that is just as well as my road it is imperative to perfect a sense is somewhere south of sad zero. Most importantly, there see and sulky look when I suitcase s, but this is just are more sticks than you can a front. shake a stick at! I go on my own holiday with The hotel has been closed a friend of theirs who is a for the winter and I’ve been walking guide in the area – asked if that is better or and worse than the busy season. long we have a ball. Proper walks every day and a I say you need to be posi- dog-cen tred home. Perfect. tive, take in the good things Obvious ly I pretend it’s great around you. to see them when they reDownside: hotel closed turn; you have to humour equals no bags of meat trim- them...

enced together. Maybe 6000 walks we shared, more than twice memory that many sticks chased and retrieved. We try on the 25th – and we all blubbed again. to be positive – ‘no dog was ever more adored’ Today I discovered some moulted hair behind one friend wrote – and we know he had a great the bathroom door, I thought I saw him in the life. But his loss still reduces us to silence two garden earlier and now he’s sneaking into my weeks on. We all miss him so much. The eve- dreams. Hey ho. We were very lucky to share ning of his death I sat alone under the stars in over ten years with a black and white creature Exporting British Happiness the garden and howled. and he suffered little at the end as far as we Eddie might have thought masBritishCthat ornamusing: erShop.c o.uk can tell. To get in touch with Eddie, contact his owners Andy ter imitates dog. Christmas presents already Order online 24/7 and Pauline atEd or call +44(0) 1454 88 70 Thanks for everything – for your the Hotel Molino del adopted tacion s/n, 29370 Benaojan, MalagaSanto. Bda Esbought for and from Eddie were distributed in 22 his family you were . 952 167 151 one special pooch. - 952mighty 167 927. info@m olinodelsanto.com

*Valid until 30/04/15 when you spend over £75

Quick Crossword

Across: 1 Helmet, 5 Absent, 8 Reprisal, 9 Aahs, 10 Maui, 11 Enormous, 13 Hairdresser, 18 Approach, 22 Arab, 23 Waxy, 24 Intimate, 25 Peg leg, 26 Errors.

For

reservations, call 952 113 005, And with two million people email info@southmutt, eh? beachmarbella.com, or search South of what 2020 has in storeFaceboo aged between 45 and 64 out Beach Marbella on As you may know I live at k. of work across the country, Hotel Molino del Santo in for the coast. owner Kim Diaz is urging Suffered the station of Benaojan. It’s more bosses to follow suit. pretty much dog heaven, Counting in the New Year Faithful but not very brave, scruffy but not (very) on my radio show, my drive naughty, enthusiastic for anything that meant home was punctuated by British we’dFoo spend behaved on dtime Shotogether, pping,perfectly Delive red Worldwide the sounds of fireworks. long car journeys to Atlantic beaches. At least I think they were Walking, swimming, playing, dozing – everyfireworks. The way 2019 thing we did was enriched having that mutt at ode ended, it might have been our side. use c E0315 As we drive and walk in our area near Ronda, BCSOLIV the various criminal gangs, memories abound. Every track, path, river, having the mother of all set- off your first orde stream r* and mountainside has been experitling of scores.

Olive Press (Easter) Advert.indd

16/01/2015 16:10

SPORT Match Point

SPAIN go into their final round-robin game against Japan for the ATP Cup undefeated with two wins from two. The Spanish team led by Rafael Nadal defeated both Georgia and Uruguay 3-0 and now face also unbeaten Japan. The ATP Cup is a new tournament held in Australia where the top 24 teams get to compete. Split into six groups of four, the top team from each group qualifies to the quarter-finals, along with the two best second placed teams. Spain need to come out on top against a talented Japanese team led by Yoshihito Nishioka in order to guarantee their spot in the quarter-finals and not have to rely on other results.

January 8th - January 21st 2020

Basques topple Catalans

THIS week marks the start of the second round of the Euroleague – Europe’s top tier basketball competition. In the final gameweek of the first round, we had an all-Spanish clash as Baskonia and Barcelona went head to head with the Basques managing to hold on and defeat the Catalans by just two points, 76-74. This was a much needed win for Baskonia who have now moved to a record of 7-10

FUTURE STARS: Gibraltar’s gymnasts

and sit in 12th place, four places outside the play-offs. This defeat meant that the Blaugrana – another nickname for Barcelona – slipped to third place in the standings, allowing their arch rivals Real Madrid to move ahead of them into second. The Queen – as Madrid is commonly referred to – defeated French champions ASVEL Villeurbanne, 87-77, and moved to a record of

SIX Gibraltar gymnasts have qualified to represent the Great Britain team internationally. The gymnasts were chosen after competing in four UK training camps at Lilleshall National Training Centre. Lili Murphy qualified as an individual after competing against 100 other gymnasts. The Gibraltar Espoir Group comprised of Sienna Zarb, Jasmine Vaughan, Faith Guilliano, Isabel Hillman and Alyse Lombard-Leira were selected together. All six gymnasts train

End of the road

Baskonia defeat Barcelona in all-Spanish derby as first round of Europe’s premier basketball league comes to a close 14-3, one win ahead of Barcelona. The fourth and final Spanish team in the Euroleague this season is Valencia, who de-

National pride

regularly on the Rock with Sally Holmes and were assessed by Great Britain national coaches. “We are very proud of having Gibraltar for another year in the GBR Squad,” said Holmes. “This training is also very beneficial to the whole association as Gibraltar coaches and Gymnasts are learning techniques that are being taught throughout the club.”

feated Alba Berlin from Germany, 91-77. With this win the Bats – Valencia’s nickname – moved to 10th place with a record of 8-9, lying just outside the play-offs due to head to head results. While the two El Clasico rivals seem to be cruising through to the play-offs, the other two Spanish teams have their work cut out for them and need to come up with some big wins in the second round in order to get all four Spanish teams in the play-offs, for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

SPAIN’S greatest Formula One driver, Fernando Alonso, has suffered heartache at the Dakar Rally, with a ripped wheel that cost him over two and a half hours. The former two-time world champion retired from F1 in 2018 but has not stopped racing. Recently he has taken part in the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, which covers uncharted miles of desert. Sand dunes 250 metres tall are just one of the many difficulties the drivers have to face. Although Alonso wanted to win the Dakar Rally, he said he was realistic about his chances as a rookie in an event that requires lots of experience, and this accident proves just that. Alonso and his co-driver – Dakar legend Marc Coma – ended up fixing the problem themselves and drove the final 120km without any front brakes.

ALONSO: Fixes car

The

OLIVE PRESS

Advertise here for as little as as £75 per issue

Gang bang

FINAL WORDS

POLICE have broken up a gang that was allegedly planning to steal from a rival gang, kill one of their men and then frame him for the theft.

Bullseye A WOMAN has had to be hospitalised after she got struck in the eye by an airborne toy during Dia de Los Reyes Magos parade in Alicante.

Light work THE Mayor of Torrox has met with the director of Malaga’s port authority to request permission to allow visitors into Torrox’s lighthouse.

FREE

GIBRALTAR

The Rock’s only free local paper

Vol. 5, Issue 113 www.theolivepress.es January 8th - January 21st 2020

Big in Bollywood Local lad becomes football commentator for 1.4 billion people

A FORMER football manager from Gibraltar will be commentating on matches for an Indian national TV station. Joel Williams, 29, told the Olive Press how his quest for adventure has made him quite

Poke in the eye A MOTHER is demanding compensation from the Murcian government after a boy poked her daughter in the eye at school. The woman has asked €200 from the regional Ministry of Education following the incident at an education institute in Los Alcazares.

the celebrity in the world’s second-most populous nation. “I firmly believe that one truly discovers himself when he is out of his comfort zone and this is precisely what I wanted to test,” Williams told the Olive Press. The compensation was intended to cover taxi expenses while taking her daughter to hospital and three lost days of work. The Legal Council of the Region of Murcia has advised that the Government is not responsible for the accidental injury of an unknown cause. It said teachers cannot be held responsible for the incident, and suggested the claim would be disregarded.

Wall of shame

OVERSEAS STAR: Williams

“I saw that coming to India would mean a step up from the football in Gibraltar on the playing field but most importantly off it.” At first Williams struggled to adjust to the culture, food and language. “The hardest part for me was adjusting to the mentality of the people here,” he revealed. “What might seem absolutely normal for us in Gibraltar is weird here and vice versa.” He went on to help Punjab FC win the league championship in 2017-18 as technical director. “We were tipped for relegation that season but we managed to pull off the heist of the century and win the I-League,” he proudly recalled.

“It was a surreal moment lifting the trophy as a part of the backroom staff.” He went back to coaching the following season and was offered a job as a football commentator for TV channel DSports. “To be the voice people hear when they tune in to watch a football match on Indian TV is indeed something amazing but at the same time it’s rather scary. “There are 1.4 billion people in India, not 30,000 like back in Gibraltar, so the pressure is multiplied 10 fold.” Football is a fast growing sport in India, in a country where cricket has always ruled the roost.

SAUSAGE, corn on the cob, anchovies… These are just some of the offending ingredients included in the worst paellas of the year. Jamie Oliver already angered Spain for his use of chorizo and now the Olive Press has compiled a Top 10 of the ugliest examples of Spain’s signature dish. Paella originates from Valencia and the traditional recipe consists of ingredients such as rice, chicken, rabbit and beans amongst others. For the full list visit www. olivepress.es