Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 328

OLIVE PRESS

The

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Mijas Costa FREE

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Vol. 13 Issue 328 www.theolivepress.es October 9th - October 22nd, 2019

WHERE NEXT? The Olive Press online (www.theolivepress.es) has headed into the UK’s Top 500 websites and the Top 1,000 in Spain... in the month we passed TWO million pages viewed in just four weeks...

Homing in!

Agent denounced after taking €300,000 into her personal account for property purchase

A GERMAN couple have denounced an expat EXCLUSIVE estate agent for failing to return €289,000 for

By Jacque Talbot a four-bed apartment on the Costa del Sol. In a denuncia, seen by the Olive Press, the cou- However, on the day they were due to sign for ple claim the money was ‘kept’ after it was sent the property in May they were told that the to the private account of the agent Pandora sale mysteriously could not go through.

“We didn’t find out until we were actually at the Homes, in Sotogrande.

In the shocking claim filed with police, the Estepona notary, when we were told cheques couple, from Berlin, believe she is now shut- could not be issued,” said Hans, whose surting her company and intends to leave Spain, name we are protecting for legal reasons.

“We waited for two hours to discover the mon‘predictably to Dubai’.

And former staff of the company - which has ey had not arrived.” closed at least one office and laid off various The couple - who have now flown to Spain sevemployees this month - believe there may be en times from Berlin to resolve the issue - say Dijkman has been continually evasive. many more such cases.

The Olive Press has discovered that the com- They claim she has come up with many excuspany’s owners Nadine Dijkman and husband es as to why she could not make meetings or Eddy have previously been involved in a send back the money she owes. murky case in Alicante… and were named in a "When we first spoke to her about buying, she separate television investigation back in their was so nice and friendly," explained Hans.

"We were so excited about buying the apartnative Holland in 2012.

Their most recent dispute centres around the ment - but now feel utterly hopeless."

The couple’s lawyer, purchase of a swish based in Marbella, exproperty in Casares plained that Dijkman del Mar this year. was anything but clear German investors over the passing of the Hans and Jutta fell in deal. love with the property "Worse, she got the and sent €328,000 money sent to her per(including a depossonal account, not a it since returned) to company one,” he said.

Pandora’s account, in He continued: “There February and March, are various discrepanwhich it later emerged cies and my clients are was Dijkman’s perdoing everything they sonal account.

BRAZEN: Dijkman views yacht

And this is why: 1. Up to the minute news from around the Iberian Peninsula

DEMAND: On Dijkman to return funds for Casares delvopment (top) can to claim their money back."

When our reporters visited its two offices in Sotogrande Port and the nearby Paniagua centre, this week they found that both offices were closed at 5pm and all computers and furniture had been removed from one.

More alarming were the words of various former employees, who insist that there may be many more cases, perhaps running into the dozens.

“We took between 20 to 25 deposits from homebuyers alone,” said one key member of staff, who claims to be owed €40,000 for salary and commissions.

“I can’t believe they would be so silly to do it in this way, take money into their own bank accounts,” he continued.

They certainly showed off the trappings of their success, driving Mercedes and Audi cars, buying property in Dubai and eating out in expensive restaurants.

They even took a tour around an expensive yacht, named Livibel, this summer.

2. Incisive, in-depth features on culture, travel and politics 3. Trustworthy reporting from our dozen fully-qualified NCTJ journalists 4. Exclusive content and colourful columnists from around the country

Continues on Page 2

5. Links from dozens of the world’s top news sites and TV channels OH, AND coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

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CRIME

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Into Pandora’s box From Page 1

“They are leading an enviable life, lots of travelling, including Monaco last week,” said one former Dutch staff member.

“Meanwhile many of us are owed thousands of euros. It’s not on.” He continued: “Nadine was always out with an automatic transaction machine, a device you put someone’s card into and people can pay a deposit anywhere in the world.

“I believe she may have taken many more deposits into her private account.

“And having done my research on where they previously lived I can see they have a track record of this behaviour,” he added.

He is referring to a popular Dutch TV program Opgelicht featuring Dijkman and her husband Eddy in 2012, claiming she duped her first husband, indebt-

NEWS IN BRIEF Suicide bid A FATHER accused of murdering his six-month old baby in Sevilla in 2017 is recovering in hospital after a failed suicide attempt.

Smoked out

POLICE at a Marbella cannabis club have arrested four Europeans after finding 440 grams of marijuana and 63 joints.

ing him by around €70,000.

While Dijkman told the Olive Press it is totally untrue and she sued and won for libel, the story remains online seven years later, and the producers completely deny her claim.

During our investigation into Dijkman's dealings, Pandora Homes sent the Olive Press a cease and desist letter in collaboration with a lawyer.

However, when we contacted the lawyer the following day he insisted she was not a client.

This week Dijkman denied any criminality was involved and that ‘within ten days the money will be back in the account of Hans and Jutta’.

“All salaries have been paid, but even if I couldn’t pay them I don’t think that’s criminal there are a lot of companies that do that.”

She confirmed she had received the denuncia and admitted she ‘may be sued for the delay’.

“In the future I would never do a deal without a lawyer.”

She added: “The reason we could not pay everyone was because our account was blocked after we received a transaction from Dubai and we needed to provide paperwork showing it was legitimate before it could become unblocked. This is not a nice situation and we are trying to resolve it - but Hans and Jutta knew they were paying into my personal account.”

She confirmed a second company, Dijkman Investments is closing, despite only being formed in July this year.

Opinion Page 6

Scared to go out EXCLUSIVE

By Jacque Talbot

A COMMUNITY is living in fear after dozens of squatters moved in stealing electricity and water.

The residents of Casares Costa are now demanding action from police, after some of them even received death threats from the illegal residents.

The homeowners of the Estrella de la Bahia urbanization say they are too frightened to enter their gardens as the squatters let their dangerous dogs run loose.

“It is a nightmare and we

Chimney swoop A THIEF has been pulled from a chimney following a botched burglary attempt in Andalucia.

Granada firefighters rescued the alleged thief, believed to be a minor, from the chimney in the Albaicin district.

Police said: “It’s not Christmas and it’s not Father Christmas, but he has entered through the chimney of a house to rob it. Leaving has not been so easy.”

The young man was arrested but was taken to hospital for treatment.

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October 9th - October 22nd 2019

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Residents insist squatters have been threatening them ‘with knives’ and using a loophole to live ‘lives of luxury’ don’t know what to do,” said one of the British expats, who asked not to be named.

He claims criminals have devised a system where they search online homes repossessed by banks - because it is harder to remove people from

such properties.

They then break in, before changing the locks and selling the new key to the squatters, with prices ranging from €2,000 to € 3,000 per home.

Another resident, who wishes to remain anonymous over safety fears, claims there is one notorious Spanish family who help to set up electricity and water for the squatters.

Ellis Carlick, president of the urbanization, said: “They leave a trail of destruction, once they are out - stripping out boilers, kitchens, anything they can get their hands on.

HOT-HEADED LADY FURTHER gruesome details have emerged about a woman alleged to have killed her ex-boyfriend before putting

his head in a box and giving it to her friend, claiming it was an assortment of sex toys.

Police are now investigating the theory that the head may have been ‘cooked’ to prevent its decomposition and discovery.

Carmen Merino is currently detained in prison under investigation for murdering former partner Jesus Maria Baranda (both left).

The 66-year-old Bilbao banker was reported missing in February.

“These people are a law unto themselves. They are ruthless and they’re not averse to threatening people with knives.

“But if you speak out against them, the likelihood is your car will have no tyres in the morning.”

An administrator for Ammex (now Aresi), that looks after the complex, told the Olive Press: “We can’t legally do anything until residents file a police report.

“The trouble is, most are too afraid to do anything, because these people are like a sort of mafia,” he added.

The Olive Press recently exposed a group of squatters in Calpe, in Alicante, which has led to police stepping in to evict them.

Another case in nearby Formentera de Segura, has so far been less successful and led to one of our journalists Simon Wade being attacked by a gypsy squatter.

After filing a denuncia police have begun investigating.

Expat hash THREE expats have been arrested in Malaga after police seized over 60kg of hashish and 40kg of marijuana. The gang come from France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and operated between Velez-Malaga, Mijas and Marbella.

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NEWS

October 9th - October 22 2019

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Judy’s final hurrah Lamb’s tragic return EXCLUSIVE

By Robert Firth

ACTOR Larry Lamb failed to show at the Marbella Film Festival, after he had to rush to the bedside of his seriously ill brother, Wesley.

The Gavin & Stacey actor was due to appear on the final day of the festival for the premiere of his new film Brighton.

However Lamb, who is a regular visitor to Spain, had to make a sharp return to the UK before the film, about a working class couple who take a disastrous day trip to the seaside.

The festival’s director, Mac Chakaveh, confirmed that a ‘family tragedy’ had forced the 72-year-old actor to ‘cancel at the last minute.’

Brighton director Stephen Cookson later told the Olive Press: “His brother is on his deathbed.”

Gritty

He had earlier stood in for Lamb during a talk at the festival on Sunday, in which he revealed how the gritty drama almost never was.

“Catastrophically, three days before filming we lost a major financier,” he said. “We we were really in the shit.”

Lamb, who lives in London, has been a regular visitor to Spain for much of his life and even lived for a year here in the 1980s.

“I know the country well but don’t go for beach holidays, I go to get up in the mountains, get out in the country or visit historic places of interest,” he recently revealed.

He also confirmed in 2016 who he had a daughter Vanessa living in Murcia with his former wife Anita.

EXCLUSIVE: As Hollywood’s Judy gets plaudits worldwide, the Olive Press unearths a remarkable little-known trip the star made to Torremolinos months before her death HOTLY-TIPPED for Oscar glory, Judy tells the story of the final months of Judy Garland famous for playing Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Packing out cinemas around the globe, actress Renee Zellweger is said to have played ‘the performance of a lifetime’.

But, oddly, the film doesn’t reveal the sad story of her honeymoon in Torremolinos following her marriage to fifth husband Mickey Deans, a nightclub manager 12 years her junior.

This is despite many believing he was responsible for her death from an overdose 50 years ago in June 1969, just three months later.

The Olive Press has unearthed a series of photos of the actress on her April honeymoon in the resort, which was in the Sixties THE place

Reign down SPAIN’S king and queen have visited Murcia and Alicante after the devastating flood of last month.

Felipe and Letizia met with residents, as well as members of the emergency services who risked their lives during the rescue efforts.

Residents, many of whom are rebuilding their lives following the flooding, shook hands and took photos of the royal couple. Around 3,500 people were evacuated due to the ‘cold drop’ flooding which wreaked havoc last month.

HONEYMOON: But Judy was pensive during trip

RENDITION: Zellweger plays ‘performance of life’

By Karen Livermore

to go.

The remarkable set shows her looking pensive despite the splendid sunshine, chic bars and restaurants which attracted Hollywood’s biggest stars including Ava Gardener, Liz Taylor and Antony Quinn.

They were meant to stay for a long weekend at the Hotel Melia, however, it ended up being longer and, as it turns out, it was far from an idyllic

romantic break.

A gruelling comeback tour was taking its toll, with audiences not knowing if they were going to get a virtuoso performance or a shambling chaotic one from the erratic star.

The singer/actress’s battle with drugs, alcohol and eating disorders were well known, of course, and audiences swung between giving her standing ovations and throwing bread rolls.

Ignoring the advice of doctors, Mickey Deans felt a few days relaxing in the sun would do

Back to life

PRINCESS Diana returned from the other side during a trip to Malaga at the weekend.

Her lookalike Emma Corrin (right) was recreating her 1983 spring tour of Australia, as part of the fourth series of Netflix hit The Crown.

Dressed in a polkadot pink dress with a garland of flowers around her neck, the actress, 23, appeared alongside Josh O’Connor, 29, who plays Prince Charles.

Olivia Coleman also features in the show as the Queen.

The third series, which features scenes from Sotogrande, meanwhile, launches November 17.

her more good than being taken to a clinic.

But it didn’t go to plan, as, according to biographer Scott Schecter, she arrived in Torremolinos in a bad way and went straight to bed.

Then, when she finally got up later that evening she slipped in the bathroom, bruising herself. And the next morning she fell asleep on the bathroom floor with Deans having to break down the door to get her out. A doctor was called to the hotel, continued Schecter, who then changed her medication and suggested she should be admitted to hospital.

However, this was overruled by her husband, who insisted she would be better staying in the hotel.

A few days later, she made an

apparent recovery and the couple were spotted at infamous Torremolinos nightclub Tiffany, where Judy signed autographs and seemed in good spirits.

Indeed, she told fans she was determined to get well and enjoy her holiday. Cancelling their planned return they spent a few extra days driving along the coast in a classic Fiat.

While Deans later told friends it was ‘therapeutic’ for her, on the last evening, Judy came crashing down, apparently talking to herself and behaving irrationally.

Yet again, rather than take her to hospital, Deans booked a flight and took her back to London.

Mismanaged

Just three months later Mickey found her dead in the bathroom of their London home.

She was just 47 years old.

Despite having earned millions during her career, years of mismanagement of her financial affairs meant her estate was just US$40,000 (€35,000 in today’s money).

Generous bequests in her will couldn’t be fulfilled as her estate had been in debt for years.

Her daughter Liza Minelli famously worked to pay off her mother’s debts with the help of family friend Frank Sinatra.

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www.theolivepress.es

More is less

MORE tourists are visiting Andalucia but they’re less willing to splash the cash, new figures reveal. The region received 8.3m foreign tourists in the first eight months of the year, a 3% increase on the same period last year.

However, their holiday spend during August was just over 3% down on the previous year, at €8,502,000.

In August, Andalucia was the third most popular region in Spain for tourists, with only Catalunya and the Balearic Islands more popular.

Unsurprisingly, the Brits visit Andalucia more than any other nationality, making up just under a quarter of all foreign visitors to the region, followed by the French.

NEWS

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Counting the cost Thomas Cook collapse leaves thousands out of jobs and €200m owed to Spanish hotels THE 150,000 customers who were left stranded is just a drop in the ocean.

Now the British Government is about to start refunding more than 360,000 ATOL-protected holidays, after the collapse of Thomas Cook.

The total, which will run into hundreds of millions, covers trips that would have been taken by 800,000 holidaymakers.

Flying into trouble

A BRITISH Airways flight has left passengers furious after it diverted its destination from Malaga to Barcelona and offered no assistance to its stranded customers.

The Airbus A320 left Gatwick at 4pm before it detoured to Barcelona, some 500 miles away.

Passengers were left raging at BA’s lack of information and help as they were left roaming around the Catalan airport.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which is overseeing the huge process, aims to see refunds made within 60 days of a claim form being received.

“ATOL-protected customers who were abroad can also claim for the cost of replacing the protected parts of their trip, or out of pocket expenses as a result of delayed flights,” explained a spokesman this week.

A special website set up to handle the claims crashed within hours of being launched this week.

However, the CAA claimed that more than 24,000 direct debit payments are already being processed.

The UK Government has now launched an inquiry into the crash of the 178-year-old trav-

STRANDED: Thomas Cook holidaymakers in Spain el giant.

In Spain, meanwhile, a 13-point royal decree will provide a ‘comprehensive response’ to the range of problems that have impacted tourism following the collapse.

Among the €300m set aside,

€150 million hotel to create 700 jobs

A NEW €150 million hotel will create 700 jobs for the Costa del Sol. Some 2,200 people have applied to work in Ikos’s first hotel in Spain, set to open next year in Estepona.

Ikos Andalusia will boast 400 rooms, seven restaurants, as well as indoor and outdoor pools.

The Greek chain wants the majority of the 700 employees to be local to the area and plans more hotels in Spain and Portugal over the next decade.

will be a reduction in airport taxes for passengers to the Canary and Balearic Islands, as well as aid for hotels and workers.

A total of 3,400 direct staff lost their jobs, while 700,000 tourists that had booked holidays this winter will now not visit Spain.

Around 600 hotels owed money will also be given the option of deferring taxes and delaying payments.

Thomas Cook has debts of €200 million with around 1,000 Spanish firms in total.

For employees left without jobs the Government has pledged some financial relief, as well as policies to accelerate their relocation to other roles.

An online refund form is available for holidaymakers at: thomascook.caa. co.uk/refunds/ Is the package holiday ‘screwed’?

Page 6

Rude awakening A BRITISH tourist has claimed she was kicked out of a popular hotel in the middle of the night after it went into administration.

The family were reportedly asked to leave Hotel Vistamar in Benalmadena at around 1.30am on October 1.

The mother said she and her family were moved to an all inclusive resort but that it was ‘in the middle of nowhere’.

“So we’ve been evicted from our hotel at 1.30 this morning due to it going into administration,” the holidaymaker wrote online.

“We have been moved to an All Inclusive hotel in the middle of nowhere but on a room only basis.”

She added: “They’ve moved us again today so we daren’t unpack. We have had no rep, no-one in person to explain anything and are getting absolutely nowhere.

“Now lost a day of our holiday and to be honest are just totally f***** off.”

Another British tourist Andrew Hewitt told the Olive Press, “We were told that there was a problem with one of the hotel suppliers and that we wouldn’t be given food or any room and the staff were so unhelpful, we are now out of pocket!”

Hotel Vistamar has not responded to repeated calls from the Olive Press for comment.

When trying to book a room at the hotel, its online portal says there is no availability for the rest of the year.

www.theolivepress.es

Feels like summer A HEATWAVE has arrived in southern Spain this week.

Despite being well into October. weather experts have confirmed temperatures of 30 degrees celsius on the Costa del Sol, while in Antequera and Ronda it even reached 32 degrees.

There is no chance of rain for the entire week but temperatures are set to drop by the weekend.

Electric dreams A WOMAN was stopped by police after riding on a motorway with an electric scooter.

Police fined the woman after pulling her over on the AP-9 in Galicia.

In March, a video went viral of a lady with headphones riding a scooter on a Valencian motorway.

Electric scooters are soon to be banned from pavements under rules that have been drawn up by the government department responsible for road traffic.

The new regulations will forbid scooters and bicycles from both riding and parking on pavements.

NEWS

Thou shalt not wed!

5 IT may be one of Spain’s most romantic rural escapes.

But you can forget getting spliced in Ronda outside of office hours.

The mountain town has banned couples marrying at weekends or in the evenings.

Town hall officials have also forbidden weddings taking place anywhere but at the town hall, the Palacio de Mondragon and the Convent of Santo Domingo.

The only exception is during June, July and August when couples will be allowed to celebrate weddings in authorised buildings on the first Saturday of each month.

Phantom getaway

October 9th - October 22 2019

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Crta de Cadiz 174 (Opposite Puerto Banns (Behind the Casino) Nueva Andalu cia Malaga Spain Sat 26th & Sun 27th October FREE-DEMONSTRATIONS-TALKS Over 50 Stands & Inspirational talks & demonstrations this weekend 11 am - 8pm 12.00 Demonstration of Mediumship Jan Siggs International Medium 12.30 Mediumship Demonstration Michael Hardy Spirit Medium 1.00 True Health starts in Your Gut Anita Verhoogt/Anita Smith (Sat) 1.00 Talk on Your Inner Child Paulo Akasico (Sunday) 1.30 How to recognize & improve you ESP Robert Williams Mentalist 2.00 Psychic Eye Reading Demonstration Devanshu Herke Wiersma 2.30 Demonstration of Mediumship Jayson Harrington Medium 3.00 Demonstration of Clairvoyance Julie Cook Wales Welsh Witch

Brits fork out five-figure sum for flash Airbnb pad to discover it does not exist

3.30 Clinical Hypnotherapy for PTSD Sarah Yuen The Beat Retreat(Sat)

A BRITISH couple who splashed €11,000 on an Airbnb penthouse were horrified to discover that it didn’t exist when they arrived.

Ian and Denise Feltham, from London, were promised a hot tub, Turkish bath and a dog-friendly room at the VIP penthouse in Ibiza.

However, they were forced to travel 40 miles and pay €200 a night extra for the nearest

5.00 Time Line Therapy (healing the past) Marion Diaz (Sunday)

3.30 Past Life Regression /Clinical Hypnotherapy SarahYuen (Sunday) 4.00 Demonstration of Spiritual Mediumship by Jennifer Mackenzi 4.30 Psychic Demonstration Wales top Psychic Lee Petulengro 5.00 Ho’ opono’pono Hawaiian Healing Method Marion Diaz (Saturday)

5.30 Take Control of Your Health With Essential Oils Lotta Hammer 6.00 Demonstration of Tarot Nadine Buckman Tarot & Psychic Artist 6.30 Acupuncture Qigong Spain Penelope Knight SCAMMED: Brit tourists Ian and Denise Feltham dog-friendly accommodation property and were not alafter they discovered the five lowed a room. star pad in the Las Boas com- Airbnb only backtracked and plex did not exist. pulled the listing from the Property developer Ian, 75, website after the company said that when they turned was contacted by The Times up at the complex, a recep- newspaper. tionist told them that their A spokesman for Airbnb penthouse was a scam. said: “Our handling of this “A gentleman who lived in issue fell below our usual the building said they get high standards and we have tourists turning up all the reached out to the guest to time and that it's a very big apologise and refund them problem,” he added. in full.

The couple immediately con- “We have suspended the listtacted Airbnb but, to their ing while we investigate and great shock, were told that are continuing to work with they could only get a refund the guest to make things if they had turned up at the right.”

Leading the way Boris to ask for delay

BORIS Johnson will ask the EU for an extension to the Brexit deadline if a deal isn’t agreed by October 19, court documents show.

The documents, submitted to a Scottish court, indicate that the British prime minister will comply with the so-called Benn Act which requires the government to request an extension to the October 31 deadline.

The papers however, contradict statements given in parliament by Johnson last week.

Clock’s Ticking Page 7

DOG walkers are to be fined if they don’t carry soapy water with them when out in public in Benalmadena.

The new rule is intended to prevent bad smells from dog urine on street pavements.

Mayor of Benalmadena, Victor Navas said: "We live in a city with lots of sunny days. Urine dries quickly on streets if it is not diluted, causing bad odors.”

Entrance 10 euro includes all the above Talks/Demonstrations www. mindbodyspiritmarbella.com www.kangenrunning,water.com For a FREE Kangen Water Trial & how to own one Mb!: + (34) 670 628 468

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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 Probing Pandora’s box AS the world’s oldest democracy came to a shudIT has taken weeks of digging, but this week we expose the shoddy business practices of estate agent Pandora Homes.

We don’t take lightly to reporting on such a case, but it is clear that too many corners were taken with great sums of money that simply were not the owners. That a client of bosses Nadine Dijkman and her partner Eddy should be owed €290,000 seven months after entrusting it to them is nothing short of a disgrace.

This was, after all, for an apparently simple home purchase.

A further €300,000 is understood to be owed to other clients and former disgruntled staff, now out of a job. It has been a painstaking process getting to the bottom of this case and other dealings of Nadine and Eddy.

Much of it because of the language.

We have spoken to many former employees, lawyers and even journalists from across Europe.

We obviously hope a police probe will eventually lead to justice, but either way we’re pleased that our readers have now been warned about entrusting their money to this pair.

Though money may not yet be back in the hands of those affected, at least their voices have finally been heard.

Andalucia ticks every box NEWS that one of our own has been attacked while covering a story has shocked us, fortunately it is not something that happens often.

Not that that fact will consul poor Simon, only weeks into his new job as Costa Blanca South reporter. Simonwas attacked while looking into a case of out of control squatting after an expat called in with tales of an urbanization overrun. Headbutted and glasses snatched, he was nevertheless determined not to be intimidated and continue his report on behalf of the expat community.

He himself brushed off the affair as simply more evidence of the harassment the expat residents of Formentera del Segura have had to suffer 24 hours a day.

We will not be put off, the sooner the squatters are turfed out the better.

Publisher / Editor

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es Charlie Smith Joshua Parfitt charlie@theolivepress.es joshua@theolivepress.es Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es

Jacque Talbot jacque@theolivepress.es

Robert Firth robert@theolivepress.es

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

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AWARDS

2016 - 2019 Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards.

2012 - 2019 Named the best English language publication in Andalucia by the Rough Guides group.

FEATURE

Is the package holiday ‘screwed’? (so claims Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary)

T

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

TEARFUL: Staff at Thomas Cook headquarters leaving with office possessions in tears

Bad management, Brexit uncertainty - both played a part in the catastrophic downfall of 178-year-old travel firm Thomas Cook ... but what does the future hold for holidaymakers, asks Karen Livermore

his week leading players in the Spanish travel industry gathered, grim faced, to present an emergency plan to Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto in the wake of the Thomas Cook crash.

The head of the Spanish hotel federation, Juan Molas, had already issued a dire warning via the Olive Press that at least 500 hotels face immediate closure due to the collapse of the package holiday giant.

He went on to add that unpaid bills to Spanish businesses would be far in excess of the original €200 million estimate.

At least 100 of these doomed hotels were exclusively dependent on Thomas Cook, while the rest counted on the firm for between 30% and 70% of their clients.

Then there’s the human cost, with a mind-boggling 21,000 people worldwide expected to lose their jobs following the crash. In the UK 9,000 staff are affected and a total of 3,4000 staff lost their jobs, with many thousands more indirect causalties. In Spain, the hardest-hit Canary Islands job loses are thought to be around 13,500.

But it’s not just holidaymakers, employees and business owners who are paying. As well as being a logistical nightmare, the repatriation of stranded travellers - around 150,000 whose relaxing break came to an abrupt end - has cost the British taxpayer a END OF AN ERA: Thomas Cook passengers head home, while (right) an old poster whopping £100 million.

Dubbed Operation Matterhorn, since Sep- to celebrate carrying 150 million passen- words that do not help anyone in the intember 23 more than 130 aircraft have gers in just 12 months, but could not re- dustry’ and believes the Thomas Cook colbeen used to take people back to the UK. sist having his say over the Thomas Cook lapse will not lead to the package holidays In a testament to the efficiency of the larg- nightmare. demise. Instead, they would be booked est peacetime repatriation in British histo- “The whole tour operator model is finished, online rather than through high street outry, an incredibe 94% of clients were flown it’s over,” he said. “Nobody under the age lets. Tui and Jet 2 were already looking to back on the original date of their cancelled of 40 buys a tour holiday or goes to a travel step in and fill the void, he added.

Thomas Cook flight - albeit not to their cho- agency anymore, they do it “What happened to sen airport, in some cases.

Thomas Cook was about themselves.’

Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive at the UK He went on to predict that bad management, not a Civil Aviation Authority said “We have been Norwegian Air would be lack of customers wantworking round the clock to bring more than the next to go under (the ing to book holidays,” he 150,000 people back to the UK. At the airline has refuted this). told the Olive Press. same time, we are focussed on refunding However, given that three “Package deals take the the 360,000 ATOL-protected future book- other airlines have gone hassle out of the equaings as quickly as possible.” Shortly after out of business or stopped tion, and many travellers going live, the website set up by the CAA flying since the start of want that assurance. for Thomas Cook customers to apply for September - Aigle Azur, XL Holidaymakers will still refunds crashed citing ‘unprecedented de- Airways (both France) and book.” mand’as the cause. Frustrated customers Adria Airways(Slovenia) - it Fears that other compatook to social media to vent their anger. seems the travel business nies could grasp the opOne Twitter user said tried ten times now is facing its biggest challenge. portunity to raise prices, given such a big and getting the same error The package model was player has gone, appear unfounded. message!’ once an attractive proposi- Meanwhile in a good news boost for its There are now calls for the tion for holiday makers and customers, budget airline Easyjet has angovernment to revisit a re- Nobody under the hoteliers alike. nounced it is scrapping the £16 booking view it conducted in May For the customer, every- fee for flights and holidays and isn’t planage of 40 buys a regarding travel protection. thing was laid on. Get off ning on out of the ordinary increases on The report recommended tour holiday or the plane, get a coach to fares and holidays. travel companies add a 50p your hotel, eat, drink, enjoy The company is feeling optimistic about goes to a travel and then get whisked back the future as it gears up to launch new levy to every airfare, allowing insolvent airlines to ophome. No thinking, no plan- look easyJet holidays. The airline has had agent erate flights for enough time ning. For hoteliers it guar- a tour operation since 2015, but has until to bring stranded travellers anteed multi-year bookings now not contracted its own hotels. home. without the cost of running Chief Executive Johan Lundgren told travel A similar insurance scheme already exists their own sales operations. industry journal: “We want to get it right. in Germany.

But now there is the worry that the compa- We are in the process of signing a number The repercussions on the industry are ny might collapse while you’re out of the of hotels and progress is good.” colossal, so the billion dollar question is, country, leaving you with no holiday and a The company expects to launch at the end does the collapse of one of the world’s possibly hefty bill. of this year and told Olive Press: “We look oldest travel agencies mean that package If it can happen to the biggest, it can hap- forward to sharing more about our plans holidays are dead and buried? pen to anyone. And if enough hoteliers are with you very soon.”

The ever-outspoken Ryanair boss Michael put out of business, others must be asking Even the controversial Michael O’Leary O’Leary enraged the travel industry once themselves whether they want to embrace has been doing his bit, cutting fares to as again this week by claiming in a news con- such a risk. little as £5.99 - mind you, that was just for ference that the package holiday model is According to a leading hotelier on the four days! ‘screwed’.

Costa del Sol, the situation isn’t quite so Longer term, it seems established low-cost The budget airline boss was announcing clean cut. Wanting to remain anonymous, carriers like O’Leary’s are going to be the a four-day flash sale, Millions In The Air, he criticised Michael O’Leary for his ‘rash winners in the travel game.

www.theolivepress.es

FEATURE

7

CLOCK’S TICKING

7 Olive Press online

October 9th - October 22 2019 that’s the

Spain’s best English news website

Driving, residency, passports...this Olive Press guide tells you what you need to know to prepare for Brexit

A

S Brexit looms, the British Consulate have gone into overdrive holding meetings throughout Spain and its islands to try and make sure expats know exact-

Healthcare

A key worry for many British people residing in Spain, healthcare has been used as a bargaining chip by the British and Spanish governments.

Most recently UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock scared everyone by saying that Brits access to healthcare in Spain could end within six months under a ‘nodeal’ Brexit.

And the fear for expats is real.

“Some of our members are already looking at private healthcare,” said Sue Wilson, chair of Bremain in Spain: “I know people who are buying it so of they are protected in the future, despite already being covered by Spanish healthcare.”

How to prepare The most important thing is to register as a resident. If there isn’t a Brexit deal then Brits in Spain can continue to access healthcare in the same way they do now until at least 31 December 31 2020.

This is due to a reciprocal agreement between Spain and the UK, which has not yet been ratified by the British Government.

But even if the agreement is not approved, the Spanish Government has said that British nationals will still get the same access to healthcare they do now thanks to theRoyal Decree-Law 5/2019, of March 1.

EHICs (European Health Insurance Cards) and S1 forms will be both be valid during this period.

Driving license You will need to exchange your British license for a Spanish one ahead of Brexit if you plan to carry on living in Spain.

Using your Spanish license, if you have one, will still be allowed in the UK for short trips and for those taking their test, they can still exchange it for a UK one.

How to prepare After being a resident in Spain for two years you must renew or exchange any old UK license that doesn’t have a 10-year validity period.

Also, if you are in Spain and your UK license is lost, stolen or expires then you will have to apply to the DVLA in Spanish for a ‘certificate of entitlement’.From the day the UK leaves the EU, the Spanish Government has said you will have nine months in which to change your license.

If you still have a UK license, for visits to Spain of up to nine months after the UK leaves the EU you will not need an International Driving Permit (IDP). However for those visiting Spain on longer trips after Brexit you will need a 1949 IDP, which can be accessed from the UK Post Office.

ly what they could be facing in the months to come - despite still not knowing if we are leaving or if there is a deal or no deal.

From formal events requiring a ticket, like last

Passports One of the hottest Brexit topics since the 2016 referendum. Remember the crazy scramble for Irish passports?

Elena Remigi, founder and director of the In Limbo Project, which looks at the human cost of Brexit, described it as a ‘huge issue for Brits abroad’.

“Lack of freedom of movement is going to create serious problems for Brits abroad and at home,” she told the Olive Press.

How to prepare Check you have enough time on your passport if you are planning on travelling in the near future.

Adults and children will need six months on their passport in order to travel to most European countries not including Ireland.

If you don’t have enough time left on your passport you will need to renew it, and bear in mind that the process can take at least three weeks.

If the UK secures a deal with the EU nothing will change until the end of 2020.

However without a deal any remaining months on your passport will not be carried over to a new one.

So make sure that on your day of travel, your passport has at least six months remaining on it, otherwise you may not be able to enter some Schengen Area countries like Spain.

Eye on brexit

week’s event at the Barcelona Princess Hotel to informal pop ups in shopping centres and from bars, reaching out to local community groups where consulate staff are appearing as guest speakers, and hosting Facebook live Q and A’s, consulate staff are being inundated by questions from worried Brits.

Unsurprisingly healthcare - as reported in last week’s Olive Press - remains the biggest worry for the majority of expats.

Sue Wilson, Chair of Bremain in Spain - the biggest forum for British migrants living in Spain - told the Olive Press that above all people need to ‘get the essentials in order’.

“Most important for Brits living in Spain,” she said, “are the standard things like getting the residencia and driving license.”

With a general election on the cards as EU leaders continue to rebuff Boris Johnson’s negotiations, being able to vote in the UK is crucial if you want to have your say.

“Get your UK proxy vote,” Sue urges, “we know what the Spanish postal service is like.”

There are upcoming consulate events around Spain available at the Government website, while La Linea is holding a Brexit protest on October 19 at 12:30pm.

If you haven’t yet got to a consulate meeting, here is a survival guide to get yoou through Brexit.

Residency Residencia may go by several different names, including the ‘green card’, ‘residency card’, etc. etc.

This must be applied for if you intend to stay in Spain for more than three months and is a must-have before Brexit.

In case the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it is definitely worth registering as a resident. Although even if a deal is not reached over the UK’s withdrawal, Brits will still be ‘considered legally resident’ in Spain for 21 months, regardless of whether they have residency, according to the UK Government.

How to prepare To get this important document you will need a completed EX18 form, which you can get from the same place as the EX15.

The process is similar but not the same as getting your NIE and you will still need to make an appointment at your local office.

You will also need to bring along your passport and copy, proof of address, proof of health insurance, tax form Modelo 790, proof of income and a certificate of empadronamiento.

Users

808.1K ON TOP: Olive Press website traffic for last four weeks

THE PAPER WITH THE REAL NUMBERS WE were recently encouraged to get our website ranking certified by Alexa.com.

While we have been publishing our estimated position on the respected site, owned by Amazon, for years, it was suggested an official rank would help encourage advertisers to enlist.

And the findings were stunning, to say the least.

After a month of analysing our vital statistics and looking under the bonnet, as it were, Alexa ranked www. theolivepress.es at a staggeringly high 11,392th position globally. That is out of billions of websites studied!

Most exciting of all though, was finding ourselves in the Top 500 sites in the UK and the Top 1000 sites in Spain.

This means 470th position in the UK and 683rd position in Spain, while we came 630th in Ireland and 84th in Gibraltar.

Our rivals, Sur in English and Euro Weekly News came in at a lowly 178,286 and 30,349 in comparison.

MILLIONS OF VISITORS A MONTH This is all to do with sheer visitor numbers and pages viewed and we had 1.9 MILLION of those last month alone (see Google Analytics graph top), with 1.5 MILLION visits.

Using the research of another respected site Similar Web we discovered that the Euro Weekly News is getting around 400,000 visitors a month (around a quarter of ours) and the Sur in English a fraction of that. Google Analytics cannot lie and, before undertaking any advertising campaign, any savvy business will always ask for the last few months official visitor figures.

WE CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS Quite simply our 1.4 MILLION visitors a month online, coupled with the 250,000 readers of our printed papers each month can guarantee your business gets the best exposure possible among the expat - as well as - key tourist market coming to Spain. Let your advert stand out to around 50.000 visitors a day online and in 100.000 printed papers a month.

We promise a keen and competitive price and that your business will be seen by millions of potential clients each month in an increasingly competitive and tricky market.

Send us an email today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 to help your business grow.

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

1

- British tourists ‘kicked out’ of popular hotel at 1.30am on Spain’s Costa del Sol after it allegedly goes into administration (45,296)

2

- SCORCHER: Temperatures of up to 35C in Spain’s Andalucia and on Costa del Sol this weekend as Malaga to be hottest city in the country TONIGHT (24,897)

3 4

- Up to a BILLION ‘aggressive’ tiger mosquitoes ‘set to swarm Spain’s Costa Blanca’ after devastating gota fria floods create perfect breeding environment (21,970)

5 ANXIOUS: British expats protested against the spectre of Brexit in Malaga a fornight ago

- Woman in Spain who put boyfriend’s head in a box and gave it to friend claiming it was sex toys, ‘baked head to remove smell’ (23,018)

- Temperatures to rise today on Spain’s Costa del Sol as HEATWAVE will set upon Andalucia (21,236)

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS

October 9th - October 22 2019

9

Designers dream as hip store set to open

Straits tragedy for athlete AN ATHLETE has died attempting to cross the Strait of Gibraltar from Morocco to fulfill his dreams of becoming the ‘next Conor McGregor’ in Spain.

Helal Ali Mohammed Al-Hajj’s lifeless body was found in Melilla after he tried to reach the Spanish enclave in a refugee boat.

The 24-year-old mixed martial artist was with a second man who was able to swim to safety, after the pair were dropped off in the water by the coast.

The young Yemeni competed in the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018 and achieved a bronze medal in the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games.

Move over Mercadona SUPERMARKET chain Alcampo has overtaken Mercadona as the cheapest store to do a weekly shop in Spain.

The Organisation of Consumers (OCU) found that Alcampo is the cheapest grocery store in 31 Spanish cities.

By contrast, three Sanchez Romero branded stores in Madrid are the most expensive, cementing the brand’s position as Spain’s equivalent to Waitrose.

Malaga’s cheapest supermar-

Alcampo is the cheapest supermarket in Spain for your weekly shop

ket is the Carrefour-owned Supeco store, followed by Coviran. In Marbella the Alcampo in La Canada is the cheapest followed by Maxi Dia in San Pedro.

A BRITISH-owned 100-shop mall featuring brands like Adidas and Calvin Klein is opening on the Costa del Sol in less than a fortnight.

The new luxury shopping hub has been created at Plaza Mayor in Malaga by the McArthurGlen Group.

Other labels including Brooks Brothers, Lacoste, Levi's, New Balance, Tommy Hilfiger and Under Armour will also inhabit the 17,500-square-metre site.

At the October 22 inauguration, Plaza Mayor shoppers can take advantage of discounts on a range of products of up to 75%.

Meanwhile the mall’s bosses are currently recruiting for 100 store clerk positions and 15 shop managers.

Meanwhile, shoppers can pick up the best bargains in Almeria and Jerez, as well as Ciudad Real in central Spain.

Those living in Palma, Barcelona and Madrid have to fork out the most for their groceries.

Food prices have risen by a modest 0.3% this year, but onions cost a shocking 44% more than they did last year.

The study compared the prices of 244 products from supermarkets in 65 Spanish cities.

Recycling shame FOR BENALMADENA BENALMADENA is one of the worst municipalities in Andalucia for recycling waste, a study has revealed.

Cruel summer A SHOCKING seven swimmers drowned in Andalucia last month, with a total of 43 in Andalucia this year.

The province makes up 12.1% of deaths by drowning in Spain, behind Valencia with 57 deaths and Catalunya 47.

There have been three fewer deaths than last year, but 19 more than in 2017.

That is despite neighbouring Fuengirola and Mijas being among the region’s most green-conscious areas.

Environmental organisation Ecomembes found that in 2018 Benalmadena only recycled 12.8 kilos of plastic, tins and cartons and 12.3 kilos of paper and cardboard, per inhabitant.

Meanwhile Fuengirola and Mijas scored into the 20s for both types of waste.

The study also revealed Andalucia to have the highest rate of recycling overall, twice as high as other autonomous communities in some cases.

10

www.theolivepress.es

Olive gobbler A NASTY bacteria with a taste for olives, almonds and rosemary has been rampaging through Spain.

The Xylella fastidiosa bacteria attacks plants and crops,

causing them to prematurely shed leaves, suffer from extreme dehydration and ultimately die.

The disease is spread by insects which feed on the sap of plants.

The bacteria has spread to 71 municipalities in Alicante and two towns in Valencia: Oliva and Villalonga, according to Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture.

Xylella fastidiosa has previously wreaked havoc on Italy’s olive trees, choking their extremities and causing them to stop producing olives.

GREEN

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Kick the coal Electricity giant Endesa to scrap dirty coal power station in Andalucia in bid to save money

AN Andalucian coal-fired power station is to be shut down as part of a €1.3 billion move to renewables, the Gov-

ernment has announced.

Almeria’s Carboneras plant will be closed by 2030, alongside the A Coruna plant in Galicia.

Spain’s largest electricity company, Endesa, is behind the closures of the plants - the only ones it had not already pledged to scrap by the mid 2020s.

The Carboneras plant employs more than 120 people.

No date has yet been given for its closure, but Endesa has said it will be revealed soon.

The energy giant cited poor market conditions for the decision to close the two plants early, saying that they were not ‘competitive’.

It had already poured €240 million into the Carboneras plant in an attempt to reduce its C02 emissions.

Spain’s motorists are opting for electric cars in 2019 THE registration of electric vehicles in Spain has accelerated into top gear this year, according to the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers (ANFAC).

Data shows that the country’s drivers are turning to greener methods of transport in a big way.

Endesa plans to convert the Carboneras plant into a renewable energy project, but so far hasn't confirmed when works for the transformation will begin.

The company is investing €1.3 billion in renewable energy projects in Andalucia over the next 10 years, with the aim of generating 3,300 megawatts of energy.

Last year, the company’s CEO Jose Bogas announced plans to close its two coal power plants in Compostilla (Leon) and Andorra (Terruel).

The two plants would not have complied with emission limits imposed by the EU, which come into force on June 30, 2020.

Endesa did not want to spend the money on adapting these power stations to make them

Eco award

A BRITISH BBC reporter has been awarded one of Spain’s most prestigious green awards for his environmental journalism.

Matt McGrath, BBC News’s correspondent, has been awarded the Biophilia Award for Environmental Communication at Spain’s 2019 awards for the Conservacion de la Biodiversidad y Biophilia.

The jury said that McGrath showed an ‘extraordinary ability’ to communicate environmental challenges to a global audience.

They also praised his ability to ‘demystify scientific research’ and his ‘innovative use of new communication technologies’ in order to attract a young audience.

Full green ahead

September saw an increase of 45.6% in electric vehicle sales compared to the same month

Chain reaction

ACTIVISTS in Sevilla chained themselves to the railings outside the Junta’s Palacio de San Telmo HQ this week to protest climate change.

Ten campaigners sat with placards demanding strong action against the global threat which could hit Andalucia particularly hard.

The act comes a fornight after the worldwide anti-climate change march held across 4,000 cities.

“Andalucia is especially vulnerable to rising temperatures and sea levels.” said one of the activists.

“Although the impact of climate change can be felt in all parts of the world, in this community we are seeing an increase in temperatures manifesting in heat waves, droughts, floods, torrential rain and a rise in sea level.”

last year.

In total, the Spanish market saw the purchase of 9,152 units this year, which translates to a 90.15% increase on 2018.

Arturo Perez de Lucia, general director of the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Vehicles, said: "European legislation is a challenge for the automotive industry, but it also makes an incentive to look toward electric mobility for the future.

“Further investments in the manufacturing of such vehicles will accelerate the market growth of electric vehicles in the coming years.”

Playwright prize

A SPANISH playwright who made a name for himself directing classics by Shakespeare and Arthur Miller has won a prestigious Spanish theatre award.

Andres Lima was awarded the 2019 National Theatre Award and a cash prize of €30,000 for his ‘pursuit of new theatrical forms and aesthetics’.

Works he has directed include Shakespeare’s Titus Adronicus (2009), Arthur Miller’s The Witches of Salem and Marat/ Sade (1964).

Lima, who is also an actor, directed his first play in 1997.

He is the founder of Madrid-based theatre company Compania Animalario, which has staged hundreds of plays throughout Spain.

LA CULTURA Castling call

11

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

what’s on Premier prostrate

Expat duo create website chronicling history of Spanish castles used for blockbuster hits

A PAIR of British and Dutch expats have teamed up to cement the history of Spain’s castles in cinema.

Bob Yareham, a teacher who has lived in Valencia for 38 years, and Cas Eggermont, an entrepreneur, have documented 80 Spanish castles that have appeared on the big screen, through a new website.

The 1936 romantic comedy, Desire, starring Marlene Dietrich was the first film to feature one of Spain’s historic monu-

PREMIER League legends John Gidman and Steve Staunton are hosting a football-themed quiz for Prostate Cancer UK. €25 pp, October 19 at Scandals Bar, Mijas.

Dog show ICON: San Servando, the first silverscreen Spanish castle ments, San Servando castle in Toledo, which is now a 25-room youth hostel.

More recently, parts of the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, were shot in Almeria’s Moorish Alcazaba.

The movie’s production company is donating €18,000 to-

Killjoy council

BUDGET cuts in Torremolinos have left public events like ferias at risk of not being policed properly, say unions.

A letter addressed to Torremolinos City Council by unions says that security at the recent San Miguel Feria was ‘insufficient and unsafe for citizens and officers’.

The letter also accuses the town hall of increasing the number of cultural events in the town, while trying to cover them ‘at zero cost’, something which they say is ‘impossible’.

The council’s debt presently exceeds €140 million and it is expected to pay back €14 million per year.

Andalicious

Andalusia - Jose Pizarro’s new book helps you recreate the region’s culinary wonders Andalucia is a food lover’s paradise.

In his latest cookbook, award winning Spanish The photography is stunning, featuring images of the dishes and beautiful shots of traditional Spain and Spanish life.

The recipes are simple to prepare with clear instructions and ingredients that are easy to source.

Recipe highlights include Tenderloin with pears & hazelnuts, Shrimp baked in salt with mango, chilli and coriander salsa and Swiss chard rice with mushroom toasts. €33.50, Available from The Bookshop San Pedro - www.thebookshop.es

wards the preservation of the fortress. The castle previously featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones as the castle of Sunspear, seat of House Martell.

There are around 2,500 castles in Spain and Jaen in Andalucia has the largest number, with 237, however no films have shot there.

Bob and Cas are offering to promote castles that haven’t yet featured onscreen and are offering to film and photograph the sites with drones to encourage filmmakers to consider them for shooting.

They are also delivering interactive lessons at local schools, with the first to take place in Betera near Valencia, which is home to the 14th century Castillo de Betera.

The duo’s findings can be viewed at www.spanishcastlemoviemagic.com

stadium arcadian SPAIN’S largest concert arena will be built in Valencia, with space for up to 18,600 people.

Construction of the €220 million venue is scheduled to begin next summer and completed in 2023.

Once built, the arena will be the largest of its kind in Spain, surpassing Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi which has room for 17,000 people.

The venue will also be bigger than Madrid’s 15,500 capacity WiZink Center, which has seen the likes of Elton John, Beyonce and Ed Sheeran perform there over the years.

The project is being spearheaded by Juan Roig, president of Mercadona, Spain’s most popular supermarket.

SEVILLA’S Plaza de Espana will host the annual CAS Scruffs Dog Show on October 13, with prizes, stalls and raffles.

Poppy walk THE Royal British Legion will hold a charity walk from Malaga’s Hotel Al Andalus to the Balcon de Europa on October 13 to raise money for the annual poppy appeal

Art nouveau SCOTTISH architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh is the subject of a talk by The Arts Society de la Frontera on October 16, San Roque Golf Club.

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12

LA CULTURA Journey to the other side

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Charlie Smith spends a spooky night at the office with British expat psychic medium Gerry Cannon

THIS week I found out I have stuck into the first item on tomy own ‘spirit guide’ and that night’s agenda - table tilting. my best mate will be married This form of spirit communicawithin the year. tion dates back to the 18th cenThese are among the revela- tury and requires participants tions from my first session with to lightly place their fingers on psychic medium Gerry Cannon. the edge of a table.

The 83-year-old British expat With enough energy in the can sense my nerves, as he steps room, the table should then into my office to begin to tip, with arrange my first Looking around each tap of its ever contact with leg on the floor ‘the other side’. representing a at the office, Ouija board and number or letter I am sceptical of the alphabet.

Holy Bible in hand, he profive minabout whether After ceeds to rope off utes with our an area around palms on the this is the two chairs - acwooden surface, right setting cording to him, Gerry begins to ‘to keep out bad mutter, calling spirits’. out to the spirit world.

He then produces a candle from Looking around at the office his Tardis-like briefcase, lights computers, business cards and it and says a prayer. photocopier, I am highly scep“I’ve never done this in an office tical about whether this is the before,” he tells me, “so hope- right setting in which to contact fully we’ll get some kind of re- the spirit world. action.

But then something happens, I “It can end in tears if you don’t can feel the table vibrating. do it properly.”

Gerry promises me he isn’t My pulse is racing now and my moving it before it tips towards palms sweaty, but Gerry as- me. sures me calmly, ‘there’s noth- A few taps and the table spells ing to be afraid of’. out the name of my spirit guide.

With the dimmed and the two “Afiido,” he says, “that’s the of us suitably prepared, we get name of your spirit guide, they

are neither male or female.”

So the spirit world is quite progressive then.

Before I have time to think, we move onto the ouija board.

This is where Gerry - or rather Afiido - comes into his (or its) own.

By holding a little ring down on top of the board - the type of which I have only seen before in horror films - we reach out to Afiido.

We both place our fingers on the metal object, as Gerry again tells me ‘it isn’t him moving it’

as it begins to slide over the surface.

“Do you know a Tommy?” he asks me as the ring hovers over the letter ‘T’.

“Actually yes I do,” I reply. “Several, in fact”.

With that, Gerry - through my spirit guide - proceeds to tell me how my best mate Tommy will be married to his girlfriend

by Christmas and will have two children by the end of 2020.

All that is quite a lot to take in and I can’t imagine how I’ll let Tommy know.

After I run out of questions to ask Afiido, Gerry moves us on

to the last part of my session automatic writing.

This involves shutting my eyes with a pen in my hand and letting the spirits do the rest.

I loosen my grip and let my hand wander, using the spirits to guide me. Gerry is definitely not controlling this bit.

I’m tired now and I open my eyes to see my uncontrolled masterpiece - a scribbled biro mess.

“That’s not bad for a first attempt,” Gerry says, “and you can carry on when you get home. Light a candle, get a bible, say a prayer, put a rope around yourself, hold a pen and see what happens.

“It can take time.”

I bet it can, I think, as I put the lights on and wonder what just happened. Just another day at the office I guess.

Originally from London, Gerry lives in Duquesa. He conducts house calls between Sotogrande and San Pedro, offering demonstrations in ouija boards, table tilting and automatic writing. Half of all Gerry’s fees go to charity. Email Gerry on gcmedium@yahoo.com or ring +34 952891080 or +34 690017237.

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14

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

W

And in comes some STEEL

HEN Jon Clarke strode into our lives I immediately knew that nothing would be the same again.

His initial communiqué arrived in the form of an email stating matter-of–factly that he had picked up a copy of The Olive Press at Granada Airport and, upon reading it, had been overcome by the feeling that we were in desperate need of his help.

He was, he said, a Fleet Street journalist who now lived in Ronda, several hours’ drive to the west of the Alpujarras.

He also informed us that he ing a crumpled cotton jackwould make his way over to et, blue jeans and scuffed us as a matter of urgency to shoes. discuss how he could help us. “These bloody roads,” he It was a warm March day as spat, adding: “It’s beautiful we waited for him in the shade round here, but there’s no of an olive tree a few days lat- way my wife would let me live er. A car approached along here, it’s far too remote.” the valley and even though it It wasn’t long though before was far off, I had an intuitive he paid us another visit and we sat with him in the town’s feeling that it was Jon. Marcus began to fidget and pizzeria, which had a splendid garden grind at the filled with orcoins in his trouange trees. ser pockets with BEAUTY He sat down his clenched and - just as he SAVAGED fists like he alhad done when ways did when

BY BEAST – we first met him he was nervous.

- pulled out the Several minutes VILLAGE IN latest copy of passed before the Olive Press SHOCK the battered from his leather Subaru swung case, slapping into the campsite car park and eased into it on the table between us. the only available slot, which I couldn’t fail to notice that – was marked ‘Private: No once again – it was covered in more red ink and scribbles.

Parking’.

Physically tall, Jon was wear- “The newspaper is great,” he started out.

In the second part of a hilarious new book serialisation, an overture from a Fleet Street hack takes the Olive Press onto new, BOLDER levels

SINGLE IMPLANT

IMPLANT BRIDGE

AUTHOR: Jason Heppenstall who founded the Olive Press “But,” he continued. There was always going to be a but, “you chaps are still not bold enough with your headlines!”

I squinted at the paper to see what he meant.

“Exactly,” he exclaimed.

“Look, I know a thing or two about what makes a hit and

what makes a miss. Tiny headlines and weak captions look like failure to me.

“You see this caption?”

It was a story about a local girl who had been injured by a wild boar during a fiesta.

There was a stock photo of a boar and a caption: “The girl sustained injuries in the attack.”

“That’s weak,” said Jon, pointing at the much-abused newspaper.

“The headline should be ‘BEAUTY SAVAGED BY BEAST – VILLAGE IN SHOCK’ and it would be in bold caps in 90 Times Roman.

“And if they hadn’t caught it, I’d have a close-up of some snarling teeth and ‘WANTED: HELL BEAST ON THE LOOSE’.”

“Hmm,” I said, taking a sip of wine.

We went through the whole newspaper in this way. By the time we’d finished, Jon had demolished The Olive Press, making it seem like the most

IMPLANT DENTURE

LA CULTURA

15

Battling a Blair Babe It was a battle between the time-worn rural ways and a puffed up, British MP - of course the Olive Press jumped into action!

EXCLUSIVE STORY: And MP Moran story made global headlines

I NEW BROOM: While Jon Clarke was happy to join the growing Olive Press team his wife Gabriella didn’t fancy the Alpujarras roads inept attempt at a newspaper in the history of mankind.

“But don’t mind me,” he finished, “the story’s still great… and it’s up to you whether you use me or not.”

NOW YOU SEE IT NOW YOU DONT: Jon introduced punchier headlines and better captions (above), while getting (right) got the team organised to get pics of MP Moran and her house

opened the door and Jake, one of our distributors, burst through it and made for the sofa where he sat panting and groaning like a wounded animal.

I stared at him, not really knowing what to say. He was covered in dirt and looked like he’d been dragged down a barranco backwards.

“What the hell happened?” I asked.

I hoped he hadn’t had some kind of accident while delivering newspapers; insurance was one luxury we couldn’t afford.

He continued breathing heavily for a moment and then, eyes aflame, he let loose.

“That cow!” he said. “She’s out to get me. She thinks she can just walk all over people and get away with it. She’s destroying my life! Everything I’ve worked for is ruined!”

“Whoa,” I said, trying to make sense of what he was saying.

“Who are you talking about?”

Jake began pacing around the office, rigid with anger.

“Five years I spent building that house. Five years! I put everything I had into it. I worked on it day and night and put all my money into it. All my money!” he said practically in tears.

“But what’s happened to your house? Who’s done this?”

Jake fixed me with his red-rimmed eyes, and his voice had dropped almost to a growl.

“Margaret Moran.

Have you heard of her? The bane of my life.”

I confessed that I’d never heard of her.

‘Why should I’, I asked?

“She’s a politician.

A Labour MP. My MP back in England, as it happens. I moved here to Spain to

escape her kind of scum but she’s following me.

“She’s got it in for me, she’s trying to destroy me.”

With that he sank down on the sofa again and began to sob. After a moment he looked up, the dust on his face now muddied by the tracks of his tears.

“She’s cut me off from my house. Stuck a note on my motorbike telling me I can’t access my own land even though it’s a public right of way.”

“So?” I said. “Can’t you just ignore it?

And anyway, what’s a Labour MP doing down here in deepest, darkest Andalucia?”

Jake took a shuddering deep breath and composed himself.

“She’s got heavies down there. A paid mob. That path is a public right of way, has been for centuries. It’s not just me, there are several of us cut off now. She says she doesn’t want anyone walking near her property so she’s building a wall or something to keep us out.”

A dispute between neighbours was what it seemed like. I sympathised with Jake; after all, I knew both him and his wife reasonably well.

They had two children, with another on the way, and we’d been giving him free adverts in the paper for his mini-digger service in return for some distribution work.

A thought occurred to me.

“How do you know it was her that wrote the note? Maybe it was just one of the campesinos, God knows enough of them have got it in for foreigners.”

“Oh yeah?” he said “and where would a peasant get hold of some House of Commons headed notepaper (above right) and learn to write in English?”

This sounded too incredible to be true.

“What, so she’s writing messages ordering you off your own property in a foreign country on House of Commons notepaper?”

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

“Yep,” replied Jake, dejectedly. of being in the area to ‘research’ some Another thought occurred to me. “Have restaurants for a new book he was writyou got the note?” ing on fine dining in Andalucia.

“No, no, I didn’t think to get it,” he said.

When he had sufficiently recovered he “I’ve been there all night playing cat looked around the empty office. and mouse with her goons. There’s a “Where are the others?” he asked. bunch of us. The rest are down there “They’re not avoiding me are they? What now, we’ve got her place surrounded about Marcus?” he asked. and she’s too afraid to come out. We’ll I explained how the flu had laid our edido whatever’s necessary,” he added, a tor low and he gave me a hard look. touch menacingly.

“A good journalist should be able to work Jake left, but not before I’d made him even though he’s sick. What’s his numpromise to get the note and keep hold of ber?” it. After he’d gone I found myself walking I explained that Marcus didn’t possess around the office, trying to a phone and that he’d get a grip on the situation. have to call Molly if he I wondered what I was going wanted to get in touch There’s a to do. A sitting Labour MP him. standoff going with from Luton South – here in I added that it likely the Alpujarras! I sat down at a good idea as on up near the wasn’t my computer and Googled it was already late afterhill where I ‘Margaret Moran’. noon, and being at work A picture of her came up on was probably the last live the screen revealing a short, thing Marcus wanted to middle-aged woman with think about. dark brown hair.

“Nonsense,” said Jon. “I need to speak She was mentioned in several newsto him, get him down here and working paper articles which all referred to her on that story about the dodgy mayor in close links with Tony Blair and his New Armillo. It’s important.”

Labour ideology, meaning she was a “Jon,” I said, “something has come ‘Blair babe’. up and I think it might be important.

Glancing at the stoThere’s a standoff going on up near the ries, it seemed she hill where I live that I think we should folhad been the subject low up on it.” of a recent tabloid “How so?” exposé over her asI explained what had happened, how tronomical office staJake had turned up in a mess and who tionery expenses. Oh had done it. boy, I thought.

Jon went completely still as I told him Right then, as if on what was occurring. cue, Jon Clarke rang It was as if he was stunned. “You mean the doorbell. I let him to tell me Margaret Moran, the Blair in and he flopped Babe, is here?” he stuttered. down on the sofa, “Yes,” I replied. “Just up the road near shedding his journalthe writer Chris Stewart’s house.” istic appendages (laptop, camera, file “Who else knows about this? Have you bursting with papers). told anyone?” he barked.

He looked exhausted and was red in the “No, just you,” I said. face. After he had caught his breath he Jon started at me as if in disbelief. explained he had used the opportunity “We’ve got to get onto this immediately, there isn’t a moment to lose.”

More adventures next issue from : The Olive Press: News from the Land of Misfits (available on Amazon)

FIND OUT NEXT ISSUE ABOUT THE OLIVE PRESS’ FIRST BIG EXCLUSIVE FOLLOWED UP IN THE UK PRESS

LETTERS

LE T T E R S

16

October 9th - October 22nd 2019 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es

Cooked it

Gibraltar Issue 106 WORDS FINAL

Issue 325

Property

Your

www.theolivepress.es

August

28th -

expat

voice in Spain

September

TREE TREE FELLING Tel: 622TRIMMING & REMOVAL Tel: 622 932 049 304 104

10th 2019

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Bolted

on

From pet passports to dodgy removal men, one British family’s and lowshighs they set as up in Spain before Brexit strikes...

See page X

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‘Audid you manage

Modern masterpieces

that’

BAREBACK:

Issue 33

September

2019

Capricho, Cantabria

But which favourite is Spain’s building? modernist In Ibiza

Batllo, Casa Barcelona

See page picture III (a clue is in the in the middle)

Lis, y Casa Castilla Leon

UPS AND

Growth figures buyers and for July make a

drop in up for sluggish SPAIN June month has recorded its best foreign 11 years,for property sales new government for growth. has revealed.

In total, data gions 11 of Spain’s A total of 47,890 difficult grew were reported transactions It made over the last 17 re- tourists. for owners up for a year. to marking in July 9% year-on- ty on theThis has made rent to 2019, year drop in June, increase. a 3.8% year-on-year islands less propergested as investment which attractive June 2008 slowing the market was sug- Further opportunities. really more homeswas the last negative There down. eign buyers news saw were snappedtime declineshave also been in Spain, some big British buyersdrop by 7%, forin the up of steady continuing the with among market growth. trend eigners favouritelong time for- ing put off The regions as well purchasingthose beas Madrid,the Balearics (see Slow Down, of (23.4%), in Spain hoped La Rioja Extremedura drops of 21.9% which pg Castilla-La (22.4%) spectively. and 8.1% saw it saga,that the end of II). It is the BrexIn the Balearics corded the Mancha (21.6%) and slump possibly re- and follows largest year-on-year next the long re- troduction the political on from awaited month, laws which of strict new the in- perate stability can return to British losses help recuhave made rental bringing it more while foreign anda boost to both also domestic the markets.

DECLINE:

DOWNS

Mallorca’s

property

market

has dramatically

slowed

down following

new rental

laws

The Rock’s ONLY free local paper

Vol. 4 Issue 106 www.theolivepress.es September 26th - October 9th 2019

ON YOUR MARKS

BREXIT NIGHTMARE

Hellcare

THE healthcare costs of hundreds of thousands of British nationals in Spain may only be covered for a matter of

By John Culatto months.

Fabian Picardo Government officials have conMarlene Nahon Hassan Keith Azopardi firmed that in the event of a no- ELECTION fever is taking deal Brexit expats’ unrestricted over the Rock after a snap access to healthcare could end poll was called unexpectedly.

The two main parties are after just six months.

In the nightmare scenario, the joined by a third this year, as often costly treatment would Together Gibraltar muscles in have to be funded by the indi- to be counted on October 17.

The election was called by viduals after that date.

While a British embassy Chief Minister Fabian Picarspokesman insisted the new do last week, just days after a ruling would not be introduced frenetic two weeks of Nationuntil the end of 2020, it is still al celebrations and a music a major jolt for already worried festival.

The surprise announcement expats. was made with none of the Taxes parties having compiled their “Having paid taxes our whole manifestos. working lives, pensioners It comes months before an should be entitled to free expected December date and healthcare whether we choose just two weeks before the UK to retire in Bradford, Bour- is expected to leave the Euronemouth or Barcelona,” said pean Union.

Sue Wilson, of Bremain in The GSLP will be sticking to the experienced of its sevenSpain.

“The UK government is trying strong team from the last two to reassure people with this terms. new announcement, but in- Fabian Picardo leader of the evitably people will ask ‘what GSLP said: “What we are working on is a programme about after six months?’”

The Department of Health has that builds on all the masso-far only pledged £150m to sive steps this community has cover the costs of British na- taken in the last eight years. tionals living in the EU after a “This is a programme that consolidates the legacy of the no-deal.

This would cover pensioners, work we have done to date students, those on disabil- and builds on it to the advan- ger, and more ity benefits and UK workers tage of every generation of Gi- ever before.” confident than “Our vision for Gibraltar is Meanwhile, the current Op- Daniel Feetham different and exciting, proposted to the EU, as well as UK braltarians.” and Damon Progressive position tourists who began their holi- Coalition partners the Lib- tar (TG) wasTogether Gibral- ducing a programme that pri- tar Socialparty, the Gibral- Bossino, he has new faces Democrats (GSD) like Orlando the only party oritises policies eral Party will be without Neil day before the UK’s exit.

Yeats and Jofor sustainto register its slate for the ability, anti corruption, civil chose its candidates on Mon- elle Wahnon-Ladislaus in the Health Secretary Matt Han- Costa, who will not be put- election before day. team. cock said: “Protecting the ting his name forward for this ment was made.the announce- rights and equality,” she said. It includes five candidates One of her fellow candidates, healthcare rights of UK na- election.

Marlene who were MPs till Parliament The Gibraltar Social DemoHassan businessman crats are rallying under the tionals is a priority of this gov- “We are working hard today heads an Nahon interesting mix of chand said Kamlesh Khub- was dissolved last week, as banner ‘Let’s ernment. UK nationals in the to honour our past and to se- young professionals, they ‘wanted get it right’. busi- restore trust in politics in to well as two relative newcom- “We can deliver the future EU’ should nevertheless act cure our future, the future of nesspeople Gi- ers to the political scene. and even an braltar’ and all people deserve,” Gibraltarians,” said Lib- openly now and take the simple steps that TG offered Party leader, gay man for the first something Keith Azopardi, di. “It’s a strong said Azoparneeded to secure their access eral leader Joseph Garcia. ‘fresh’. and diverse “We are shattering the glass time in Gibraltar’s history.

Another, Daniel Ghio said he described the team as one team of people from different to healthcare.” ceiling of Brexit to emerge on The current independent MP hoped the party moved things that combines ‘political ex- backgrounds.”

Opinion Page 6 the other side better, stron- told the Olive Press her party away from the ‘whole tribal perience with freshness and was ‘ready’ for the elections. energy’. system’.

Opinion Page 6 As well as the experience of

Gibraltar parties gear up for

snap election called before the

UK’s EU departure date

LEAVERS: Trio GROUNDED: Thomas Cook planes after the 178-year-old travel giant went bankrupt

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Mallorca Issue 64

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FINAL WORDS

September 2019

See page X

de

DECLINE: Mallorca’s property market

has dramatically slowed down following

new rental laws

The

Vol. 3 Issue 64 www.theolivepress.es

expat

September 27th - October 10th 2019

THE biggest peacetime repatriation folof Britons abroad is in full swing lowing the collapse of Britain’s oldest travel company Thomas Cook.

A shocking 104,000 British holidaymakers are still stranded overseas after the travel giant’s collapse on Monday.

A massive 70,000 of them were stuck in Spain, when the travel giant - which in has 55 hotels and dozens of planes Spain - filed for bankruptcy.

Mallorca is expected to lose 25,000 the tourists in October alone due to

Untitled-1.pdf

By Robert Firth and Gillian Keller

firm’s collapse. in Most holidaymakers had been left the dark about their travel plans. Meanwhile many did not know if their hotels would charge them.

All clients are ATOL protected, meaning they will be provided with flights home. deNonetheless, customers are facing lays of hours, even days, which many cannot afford.

In a new book serialisation, Jason Heppenstall recalls the unique and fascinating genesis of the Olive Press 15:36 16/06/2017 See Page 18

1

Y

of

Some customers said that they had been forced to fork out huge sums of money for quicker replacement flights.

Jamie Marshall, 40, told the Olive Press he had spent €1200 on replacement flights from Mallorca to London for his family of four.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “We weren’t told anything. If a pilot I know up hadn’t told me, I’d have just turned at the airport.”

Meanwhile, there have been several reports of hotels threatening to kick to out Thomas Cook guests if they fail cough-up huge sums of money. to Bars in Magaluf clubbed together pay for food, drinks and accommodation for a group of five lads from Manchester, after staff at the BH Malto lorca hotel allegedly threatened kick them out if they didn’t pay €1800 euros.

“I don’t understand why they were kicking those boys out. They hadn’t done anything wrong,” a barman told the Olive Press.

He added: “There is no one in the resort helping out. Why isn’t there someone from the British Consulate here?”

Many others were forced to bed down mamon airport floors as they battle moth queues in airports.

One mum stranded in would she said Almeria runout of vital food supplies for her disabled daughter, unless she is flown home this week.

Demine Warner, 25, from Essex, said she urgently needed medicine for her daughter Aubree, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and needs to be tube-fed milk through her stomach if they weren’t flown home in time.

“We still haven’t heard anything. I’m worried about my daughter as she is on medical milk and cannot eat the food here,” she said. “We will

Where Brits were stranded in Spain Palma 9,671 Tenerife 7,216 Lanzarote 4,625 Menorca 4,611 Ibiza 3,399 Fuerteventura 2,565 Reuse 2,467 Gran Canaria 2,115 Almeria 1,549 Girona 685 Alicante 534

STUCK: Palma worst affected soon run out.”

In the biggest travel company collapse left in history, 600,000 people were stranded worldwide after the UK government denied an eleventh-hour bailout of £250 million.

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority 45 (CAA) has commandeered a fleet of to aircraft from as far away as Malaysia support the massive rescue operation.17 They will fly from 53 destinations in

Costa Blanca Issue 14 The

Taxes

“Having paid taxes our whole work-

ing lives, pensioners should be entitled to free healthcare whether we choose to retire in Bradford, Bournemouth or Barcelona,” said Sue Wilson, of Bremain in Spain.

“The UK government is trying to reassure people with this new announcement, but inevitably people will ask ‘what about after six months?’”

The Department of Health has sofar only pledged £150m to cover the costs of British nationals living in the EU after a no-deal.

This would cover pensioners, students, those on disability benefits and UK workers posted to the EU, as well as UK tourists who began their holiday before the UK’s exit.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Protecting the healthcare rights of UK nationals is a priority of this government. UK nationals in the EU’ should nevertheless act now and take the simple steps needed to secure their access to healthcare.”

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Your

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August 28th

voice in Spain

- September

10th 2019

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rockscampogardens@gmail.com

Vol. 1 Issue 14 www.theolivepress.es

From pet passports to dodgy removal men, one British family’s and lowshighs as they set up in Spain before Brexit strikes...

Bolted on

www.theolivepress.com

‘Audid you manage that’

MISSING:

Torte

Modern masterpieces

Issue 33

September

Have you seen a toise around torContact the OliveJalon? at newsdesk@theolivePress press.es

BAREBACK:

In Ibiza

But which is Spain’s favourite modernist building?

2019

See page X

See page III picture in the(a clue is in the middle)

Lis, y Casa Castilla Leon

UPS AND DOWNS

Growth figures buyers and a for July make up for drop in June sluggish foreign

SPAIN has recorded its month for property best growth. sales for In 11 years, new total, 11 of has revealed. government data gions Spain’s 17 re- difficult for owners to rent to grew over the tourists. This A total of 47,890 last year. has made property on the islands transactions It made up for a 9% year-onwere reported year less attractive marking a 3.8%in July 2019, gesteddrop in June, which sug- as investment opportunities. the market was Further negative year-on-year increase. slowing down. really eign news saw forbuyers June 2008 was There have also the last British buyersdrop by 7%, with more homes been among those were snappedtime declines in the long some big ing put off in Spain, continuing up eigners purchasing in betime for- (see favourite Spain the trend as Slow of steady market well as Madrid,the Balearics hoped that Down, pg II). It is growth.

The regions of Extremedura drops of 21.9% andwhich saw it saga, the end of the Brex(23.4%), La Rioja possibly next 8.1% month, (22.4%) and spectively. In the Balearics re- and the long awaited Castilla-La Mancha slump follows the political return to on from corded the largest (21.6%) re- troduction stability can help year-on-year recuof strict newthe in- perate British losses rental laws which have made it more bringing a boost to while also foreign and domestic both the markets.

DECLINE: Mallorca’s

COSTA BLANCA

property market

has dramatically

slowed down

following new

rental laws

Your expat

voice in Spain

September 26th - October 9th 2019

Replacement flight rip offs, evictions from hotels, anxiety among thousands tourists as Thomas Cook folds of after 178 years

Get me out of here!

THE biggest peacetime repatriation of Britons abroad is in full swing following the collapse of Britain’s oldest travel company Thomas Cook.

A shocking 120,000 British holidaymakers are still stranded overseas following the travel giant’s collapse on Monday.

A massive 70,000 of them were stuck in Spain, when the massive firm which has 55 hotels and dozens of planes in Spain - filed for bankruptcy.

Most of them were left in the dark

By Robert Firth and Joshua Parfitt in Alicante

flights.

Jamie Marshall, 40, told the Olive Bars in Magaluf clubbed together to pay for food, drinks and accommoPress he had spent €1200 euros about their travel plans and even on dation for a group of five lads if replacement flights from Mallorca their hotels would be paid. from Manchester. It came after staff at to London for his family of four.

While all clients are ATOL protectthe “It’s very disappointing,” he said. BH Mallorca hotel allegedly threated, meaning they would be provided “We weren’t told anything. If a pilot ened to kick them out if they didn’t with flights home, many could not I know hadn’t told me, I’d have just cough up €1800. afford the expected wait for many “I don’t understand why they were turned up at the airport.” hours, even days. Some customers Many others were forced to bed kicking those boys out. They hadn’t told the Olive Press how they had down on airport floors as they bat- done anything wrong,” a barman told been forced to fork out huge sums the Olive Press. tled mammoth queues in airports. of money for quicker replacement One mum, stranded in Almeria, in- In the biggest travel company colsisted she will run out of vital food lapse in history, 600,000 people supplies for her disabled daughter were left stranded worldwide after the UK government denied an elevunless she is flown home this week.

Demine Warner, 25, from Essex, enth-hour bailout of £250 million.

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority will urgently need medicine for Aubree, who has cerebral palsy and ep- (CAA) has commandeered a fleet of ilepsy and needs to be tube-fed milk 45 aircraft from as far away as Mathrough her stomach, if they don’t laysia to support the massive rescue get to fly out as scheduled by this operation. They will fly from 53 destinations in 17 countries. By the Wednesday (today). end “We still haven’t heard anything. of Tuesday, 30,000 out of 150,000 passengers had been flown I’m worried about my daughter as with around 5% having to home, she is on medical milk and cannot spend a eat the food here,” she said. “We will day longer in Spain.

A massive 21,000 people (thousoon run out.”

Thomas Cook customers at some sands in Spain) have been left hotels meanwhile, reported staff jobless by the travel firm’s sudthreatening to kick them out if they den collapse, with 9,000 in the didn’t pay huge amounts of money.

Continues on Page 8

IT’S SPAIN vs FRANCE: Which country comes out top for World Tourism Day on September 27? Find out on Page 27

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Hellcare

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BREXIT NIGHTMARE

THE healthcare costs of hundreds of thousands of British nationals in Spain may only be covered for a matter of months.

Government officials have confirmed that in the event of a nodeal Brexit expats’ unrestricted access to healthcare could end after just six months.

In the nightmare scenario, the often costly treatment would have to be funded by the individuals after that date.

While a British embassy spokesman insisted the new ruling would not be introduced until the end of 2020, it is still a major jolt for already worried expats.

FREE

TANTRIC TORTOISE

A WOMAN filmed riding has been A RANDY a red Ferrari naked upon missing tortoise has gone from his gar-chomping as its ciBlanca home Costa Appeal launched FOOT FETISH: while his es the streets driver cruisowner is urgently Brit Tortoise for ‘randy’ of Ibiza. gets The appealing after it escapes to the public woman from British tortoise stairs, Kent, stuck in completely appears ‘Torte’ the for help.

Corrales oblivious and she centre peared fromtortoise disap- Tuesday. area of Jalon stay two as nights in went to musicdances to reggaeton last from the Camino B&B. a local blaring Greece, and He is understood from the slow-moving to come in David Priaulx’s has been “When we picked him up The incident supercar. the last 30 care for the owner gave me an in- at the Marina was filmed voice, saying “I’ve had years.

Ibiza ‘no one had Balearic pades with so many esca- ever stayed island, andon the years,” David,him over the wasn’t goingfor free and he later widely shared on was to be who lives cial Jalon, told soin “Torte’s like my the first’. But media. but I love nemesis, “He escapedthe Olive Press. the driver him and once in Broad- the whole pursued for is now being family.” so does ing. reckless drivDavid added swers to his that Torte an- A city council name. spokesperson said He said, however, the randy tortoise that the hope to track authorities down will ‘pick culprits soon on anyone’ as ‘there the and is known not many to make are cars like a loud ‘shrilling Ibiza’. noise’ when this in shoes of his mounting the victims.

A JOY ride shaped after has gone peargine an Irish smashed teen rage running outside a gain San wall in his through a school dad’s Audi All chaos Pedro.

The cheeky A4. the minor then ensued as 13-year-old hopped into - who cannot held criminally as his father the driver’s seat be responsible - floored it left the car and en- the Laude School.crashed into

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Music to our ears ROSALIA the first has become Spaniard win an MTV to Music Award, by bagging ‘Best Latino for her song Video’ Con Altura with J Balvin and El Guincho.

Testing times

A MAN, been gored26, has repeatedly in cles at a his testibull run in Cuellar, near Valladolid, jumped a after he fence and became tangled.

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By the end of Wednesday almost 46,000 passengers had been flown back home to the UK on 206 planes, the third day of the mammoth rescue operation.

FINAL WORDS

CY

Issue 33

Lis, y

Your

M

CMY

Bolted on

BAREBACK: In Ibiza

But which is Spain’s favourite modernist building?

See page III (a clue is in the picture in the middle)

Growth figures for July make up for sluggish foreign buyers and a drop in June

voice in Spain

C

for Spanish residents

From pet passports to dodgy removal men, one British family’s highs and lows as they set up in Spain before Brexit strikes...

rockscampogardens@gmail.com

www.theolivepress.com

Modern masterpieces

Have you seen a tortoise around Jalon?

Contact the Olive Press at newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Casa Castilla Leon

UPS AND DOWNS SPAIN has recorded its best growth. difficult for owners to rent to month for property sales for In total, 11 of Spain’s 17 re- tourists. This 11 years, new government data gions has made propergrew over the last year. ty on the islands less attractive has revealed.

It made up for a 9% year-on- as investment A total of 47,890 transactions year opportunities. were reported in July 2019, gesteddrop in June, which sug- Further negative news saw formarking a 3.8% year-on-year slowingthe market was really eign buyers drop by 7%, with down.

British buyers among those beincrease.

There June 2008 was the last time declineshave also been some big ing put off purchasing in Spain more homes were snapped up eigners in the long time for- (see Slow Down, pg II). It is in Spain, continuing the trend as well favourite the Balearics hoped that the end of the Brexas Madrid, which saw it saga, possibly of steady market growth. next month, drops of 21.9% and 8.1% re- and the long awaited return to The regions of Extremedura spectively.

In the Balearics the political stability (23.4%), La Rioja (22.4%) and slump follows on from the in- perate British can help recuCastilla-La Mancha (21.6%) re- troduction losses while also of strict new rental bringing corded the largest year-on-year laws which have made it more foreign anda boost to both the domestic markets.

MALLORCA

Opinion, Page 6

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TREE FELLING TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL Tel: 622 932 049 Tel: 622 304 104

10th 2019

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months?’” soThe Department of Health has the far only pledged £150m to cover in costs of British nationals living the EU after a no-deal.

This would cover pensioners, students, those on disability benefits and UK workers posted to the EU, as well as UK tourists who began their holiday before the UK’s exit.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Protecting the healthcare rights of UK nationals is a priority in of this government. UK nationals the EU’ should nevertheless act now to and take the simple steps needed secure their access to healthcare.”

www.globelink.co.uk K

expat

A WOMAN has filmed riding naked been a red Ferrari as itsupon cigar-chomping driver es the streets of Ibiza.cruisFOOT FETISH: Tortoise The woman appears gets stuck in completely oblivious as she dances to reggaeton stairs, Kent, and went to music stay two nights in a blaring from the local slow-moving B&B. supercar.

The incident was filmed “When we picked him from Greece, and has in David Priaulx’s carebeen the owner gave me an up at the Marina Ibiza on the in- Balearic for voice, the last 30 years. saying ‘no one island, and ever stayed for free andhad later widely shared on was “I’ve had so many sohe cial media. pades with him overesca- wasn’t going to be the first’. years,” David, who livesthe “Torte’s like my nemesis, But the driver is now being in but I love Jalon, told the Olive him and so does pursued for reckless drivPress. ing.

“He escaped once in Broad- the whole family.”

A city council spokesperDavid added that Torte an- son said swers to his name. the authorities hope He said, however, that the culpritsto track down the randy tortoise will soon as ‘there are ‘pick not on anyone’ and is known many cars like this in to make a loud ‘shrilling Ibiza’. noise’ when mounting the shoes of his victims.

Batllo,

Taxes

MY

that’

Get me out of here!

“Having paid taxes our whole workening lives, pensioners should be we titled to free healthcare whether choose to retire in Bradford, Bournemouth or Barcelona,” said Sue Wilson, of Bremain in Spain. to “The UK government is tryinganreassure people with this new nouncement, but inevitably peosix ple will ask ‘what about after

CM

‘Audid you manage

Casa Barcelona

Hellcare

THE healthcare costs of hundreds of thousands of British nationalsa in Spain may only be covered for matter of months.

Government officials have confirmed that in the event of a no-deal to Brexit expats’ unrestricted accesssix healthcare could end after just months. ofIn the nightmare scenario, the to ten costly treatment would have be funded by the individuals after that date.

While a British embassy spokesman insisted the new ruling would of not be introduced until the end al2020, it is still a major jolt for ready worried expats.

UK BASED

Your voice in Spain

August 28th - September

Appeal launched for after it escapes from ‘randy’ tortoise British centre

Corrales area of Jalon last Tuesday.

He is understood to come

gine running outside a garage in San Pedro.

All chaos then ensued the minor - who cannot as be held criminally responsible - floored it and crashed into the Laude School.

from hotels, anxiety among thousands Replacement flight rip offs, evictions after 178 years tourists as Thomas Cook folds

BREXIT NIGHTMARE

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Vol. 13 Issue 325 www.theolivepress.es

A JOY ride has gone shaped after an Irish pearteen smashed through a school wall in his dad’s Audi A4.

The cheeky 13-year-old hopped into the driver’s as his father left the car seat en-

Capricho, El Cantabria

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A RANDY tortoise has missing from his gone Blanca home while hisCosta Brit owner is urgently appealing to the public for help.

‘Torte’ the tortoise disappeared from the Camino

MISSING: Torte

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Testing times A MAN, 26, has been gored repeatedly in his testicles at a bull run in Cuellar, near Valladolid, after he jumped a fence and became tangled.

Yeh Wright TOWIE star Mark Wright has discovered he is related to Andalucian swordsmen on BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?

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Music to our ears ROSALIA has become the first Spaniard to win an MTV Music Award, by bagging ‘Best Latino Video’ for her song Con Altura with J Balvin and El Guincho.

The old and the new and the downright, bizarre.

Find out what’s hot in our Property Magazine

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Vol. 13

A RANDY missing tortoise has from Blanca his gone A WOMAN owner home while Costa Appeal filmed to the is urgently his Brit after launched has appealing a red riding naked been ‘Torte’ public for help. it escapes for ‘randy’ FOOT FETISH: Ferrari upon gar-chomping peared the tortoise as Tortoise Corrales from from es the disapdriver its cigets stuck the Camino British tortoise stairs, Tuesday. area of The streets of Ibiza.cruisJalon in centre He is last woman completely stay twoKent, and understood from Greece, appears went nights B&B. in David to come to she dances oblivious and in a local music to reggaeton as the last Priaulx’s has been “When blaring we 30 years. care for the slow-moving “I’ve owner picked him from gave me voice, supercar. the pades had so many up The saying an in- at theincident was esca- ever stayed years,” with him ‘no Marina filmed Jalon, David, whoover the wasn’t going for freeone had Balearic Ibiza on told the island, lives in “Torte’s the “He escaped to be and he later widely Olive and was but I lovelike my the first’. cial media. shared once in Press. on soBroad- the whole him andnemesis, But the family.” so does pursued driver is now David for reckless being ing. swers added that to his drivHe said, name.Torte an- A city council however, son randy tortoise that the hope said the spokesperon anyone’ authorities will ‘pick culpritsto track down to make and a loud is known not manysoon as ‘there the noise’ ‘shrilling Ibiza’. cars like are shoes when mounting of his this in victims. the Have toise you seen a torMISSING: Contactaround the OliveJalon?

Torte at newsdesk@theolivePress press.es

A JOY shaped ride has gone smashed after an Irish peargine running through teen wall in rage in outside The his dad’s Audia school San Pedro. a gaAll chaos A4. hopped cheeky 13-year-old the minor then ensued as his into the driver’s - who father held criminally seat left the cannot as - floored be car enresponsible the Laudeit and crashed School. into

El

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INSIDE

GIBRALTAR

Dear the Olive Press, , Issue (Hellcare me lly, really thissees know, as a political You EU, essentia theconfuses Moore Rose 1). pg The 327, 7). pg 325, Issue proud, dictatorship (Leave and ntly permane moved (i.e., have an immigran you are Ifreality states, sovereign are 28 opposite. tThere is the resihave lytaken e) and live/retir Spain tothe to to become choseSpanish voluntari UK, which including worldwide on your in Spainthat taxesbelieves and pay your dency, UK would the Dunne associated. Steveare and as such a Spanish resident assets, thenonyou going to not I’m so.

Not terms.

WTO healthcare. better to Spanish fair entitled are chapter and quoting by page letters your down weigh Brexit.

No problem, Brexit or no that Steve looks into the ndthis applies to thousands of I recomme verse, but of course , (and However That Trump knows. that industry anyhave e, but specificsifofyou to retire/liv Spain to he moved people), should an EU-free deal with etc. taxes get a trade pay yourUK is trying y, i.e., full residenc NOTtotaken have deals trade Trump’s 183 than to know: want for more youdo in Spain you tellthe not live UK,allBUT in for care, when healthspeaks to UKMahler entitledBrent US-first you areFinally, haveper year, labels. days number UK. of UK citizens wary of an EU armed force a the in resi(non ideas twoare , these for method optedHowever haveunion. closer however, an everyou Ifand in Spain, I am of the or allnot policy.

EU year for mostand living people dency) specific by are floatedbut and to Spanish years ofreproentitled 40-plushealthca are NOT insidious then at the worried moreyou h, be.

Telegrap you Mail, should the by why EEC/EU the against paganda You way. did in anyWhat the system contribut are not You The Sun. course, of to and,ing Times Express, the toantherefore a UK resident are was so hetravel why to askedhave he was say whenand Murdoch in Spain. or pay for healthca UK I go into of: “When linesprivately along the Somethinreg needs, ti-EU? PJ Biddulph, London No. 10 they do what I say: when I go to the EU.” The Pleaseent! letter. your for you an appointm thank for PJ, ask Hi to Ed: had implication is that he see page 7 of this issue for our Brexit survivissues. biggest al guide, covering all theKate Altea Ferry,

One thing that isn’t Brexit’s fault It’s nothing to do with Brexit or British tourists. These hotels also market to other European countries. Thomas Cook blocked a number of rooms in advance and the hotels have put them up and now not been paid. Next year if they survive they will fill the hotels with other nationalities. Tour operators...for goodness sake.

Fiona Gilmore, Edinburgh

Time for change Clearly the process needs to change. Hotels should either be paid upfront or the money held in a trust account. Hotels should not have to wait weeks/months to be paid. If it’s held back to make sure customers are happy with the hotel then it should be held in trust and not the normal bank account. For any company that goes bust, the money should be paid to its hotels.

John King, Marbella

Payback Maybe the CEO and his cronies should pay back the bonuses they received just before the company went bust after years of mismanagement.

Tina Williams, Mijas

Thatcher would have sorted it It’s an error to allow two (now one) tour operators to dominate the British and German Markets. It’s an impediment to entry for new smaller companies. But this is a lesson for the economy in general. Thatcher would never have allowed such large dominant companies to develop.

Mark Watson Clifford, Marbella

Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress

I find it amazing that for some, kids who are groomed or coached into doing something bad are deemed to be adults who should know better (We’re going green, Issue 327, pg 10). However, a child who is doing her utmost to help our planet and bring awareness to the world is ridiculed by adults and is thought to be manipulated. The double standards are incredible. Greta Thunberg is hurting nobody so why are adults getting so angry and feeling threatened?

Vee Walker, Malaga

Back in the day Though it was early days, the Olive Press was a great newspaper (Jason Heppenstall recounts the strange, bizarre and quite frankly shocking genesis of the Olive Press newspaper, Issue 327, pg 38). There was not much of a design, it was up and down like a shithouse door, as we used to say in the trade.

Andrew Trimbee, Granada

Scot free Is it possibly something to do with the very light sentencing for those found guilty I wonder (Let’s talk about porn, Issue 328, pg 7)?

Helen Doig, Arthog

Too common

This happens too often (Man instantly killed after being hit on the road on Spain’s Costa del Sol, Online, October 7). Nearly every week I see somebody running across the A7. It’s the drivers who have to live with the tragedy, through no fault of their own.

Sean Peck, Marbella

OP QUICK Crossword Across 7 Possibly (7) 8 Cousin of your daughter (5) 9 Pertaining to the nose (5) 10 Satisfied (7) 11 Form of precipitation (8) 13 Cease (4) 15 Excess of expenditure over income (4) 16 Magician (8) 19 African river powering the Kariba Dam (7) 20 Highly favoured (5) 22 Prevail (5) 23 Performer of gymnastic feats (7)

Down 1 Food tin essential (6) 2 Minerals (4) 3 Sentimental songs (7) 4 Mental (13) 5 Runaway (8) 6 Broken-down (4-2) 8 Number of feline lives (4) 12 Inability to sleep (8)

OP Sudoku

OLIVE PRESS

The Advertise as as here for as €80 per little issue

Music to our ears ROSALIA the first has become win an Spaniard to Award, MTV Music by bagging ‘Best for her Latino Video’ tura withsong Con J Balvin AlEl Guincho. and

Testing

A MAN, been 26, has edly gored repeatcles atin his testia bull in Cuellar, run Valladolid, near jumped after he became a fence and tangled.

Yeh Wright

TOWIE Wright star Mark ered he has discovis related Andalucian to men swordsWho on BBC show Do You You Are? Think

The old and the new and the downright, bizarre. Find out what’s hot in our Property Magazine FREE

Readers react to Thomas Cook going bust, prompting hotel closures and the biggest peacetime repatriation of stranded Brits (Get me out of here!, Issue 327, pg 1)

Beggars belief

14 Nemesis of “Titanic” (7) 15 Reptile (6) 17 Revolve (6) 18 Noggin (4) 21 Recedes (4)

All solutions are on page 38

A

Vol. 13 Issue 328

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an Pedro de Alcantara

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October 9th - October 22nd 2019

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San Pedro now firmly holds its own against the glamour of Marbella and the regenerated port of Estepona. As the town gears up for its annual festival, Jacque Talbot takes a stroll around

T

O label San Pedro de Alcantara as Marbella’s younger, quieter and more reserved sibling would be to do it a disservice.

It is today a town with its own strong identity, something which is becoming more apparent as the years go by.

Bustling along its slick, modern boulevard, it is also heaving with diners flocking to its excellent mix of restaurants.

It’s hard to imagine how San Pedro was once a microscopic village, very much in Marbella’s slipstream.

Founded in 1860 by army general Don Marquez Manuel Gutierrez de la

Calle Andalucía, 8, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara

Concha, residents of the surrounding towns and villages first flocked here for agricultural work.

The Civil War slowed production but soon work began again and San Pedro started to take shape as a busPantone 118c tling multiplicity, with the 40s and 50s seeing steady growth.

Everyday is another heyday for San Pedro, as the town consolidates, businesses open and renovations get approved.

Casco Antiguo, San Pedro’s centrepiece, yields the plethora of cafes and bars you’d typically find in the Old Continues over

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SUPER-SAN PEDRO

October 9th - October 22nd 2019 October 9th - October 22nd 2018

IDYLLIC: Nothing beats an evening stroll down San Pedro’s promenade

From previous page

Towns of the Costa we’ve all come to know and love.

And San Pedro’s doesn’t disappoint, with abuelas regularly seen chatting on benches among gorgeous shrubbery and newly installed water features.

Venturing south, it’s impossible not to appreciate the seamless integration of colour-coordinated homes, roads and plant life.

And when it comes to food, this once tiny village will leave you spoilt for choice.

For traditional - and fair priced - tapas, hit La Bodega on Calle Lagasca, which has been serving everything from boquerones to fresh prawns, jamon, meatballs and more for the past 25 years.

Nearby El Siete, too, is a fantastic family run Spanish restaurant which offers one of the

best prawn pil-pils on the coast.

I headed for somewhere newer and a bit pricier at El Guino, situated on the boulevard.

The selection of food was diverse and tasty, offering everything from top-end fish to hamburgers and chips.

For those not afraid to splash the cash, head to Trattoria L’Impronta for an Italian taste bomb.

The beef with foie gras in Madeira sauce may have been a strange choice at an Italian restaurant but definitely the right one.

There is also a selection of vegetarian and vegan food.

Meanwhile, Savor, on Calle Andalucia, is one of the latest restaurants to arrive on the San Pedro scene and it is a masterclass in fine and modern dining - the perfect spot to treat yourself or a loved one.

Finally, don’t miss one of the town’s best kept secrets at La Cocina de La Abuela on Plaza Vistalegre, a traditional Cordoban hotspot with meltin-your mouth pig cheeks and one of the best black puddings going.

While the gastronomy continues to rival nearby Marbella, the council is also putting every effort in to ensure the town is both practical and picturesque.

It comes after some €100 million was invested by Marbella town hall on the now iconic and unique curly pedestrian walkway which winds over the main roadway, while just before the last row of cafes towards the beach, there’s a huge playground with a pen-

HOGAN STAND BAR & RESTAURANT

San Pedro de Alcantara – Marbella

LIVE SPORT shown on 6 screens All live games being shown Early Bird Menu – 17.30 to 19.30 The Hogan Hackers play golf every Wednesday and the first Saturday of every month

dulum swing that even I was tempted to have a go on.

The ice rink and skate park are also welcome additions to what has become a modern town with a traditional feel.

Another €85 million was also put towards forming a tunnel - which directs traffic underground - and a car park to cope with the peak summer months.

However there’s no better time to visit San Peds than during its feria in October, the last to happen in Andalucia for the year.

Indeed, winter is coming, so there’s a need

for a final huge blowout while the sun is still shining.

Hungarian expat Zoltan Kiss should know.

He’s lived here for 14 years and manages Bar Ramirez, right next to the town hall.

“You have places like Estepona and Marbella, but there is a perfect happy medium here,” he told me over a cana.

“I think you find the younger generation tend to head to the other places.

“It is almost always calm here. That is until the end of this month, when the feria arrives.

“During the day, it’s like it always is, tranquil

Attention gym-goers!

GYM Junkie Café is open in San Pedro near the Boulevard.

Their mission is to bring you fresh, healthy, nutrient-rich food and beverages at affordable prices.

They use tasty, natural ingredients and super-foods packed with nutrients and vitamins to benefit your mind and body.

With the hectic pace of daily life Gym Junkie Café cares for your health and wellness providing you a great alternative to other establishments.

It’s perfect for a detox juice and a healthy breakfast before you train or a tasty lunch post-workout. Try their high protein grilled lean meat with healthy carbs or healthy salads and mouth-watering wraps.

Refuel with their high quality whey protein shakes. Taste their delicious protein pancakes loaded with all your favourite fruit, farm-sourced maple syrup or 100% natural peanut butter. It’s the right choice - where else can you enjoy great food without regret.

Both passionate about healthy food and Gym Junkies themselves, owners Jamie and Deborah from London set up this friendly family-run business.

They felt there was a dramatic surge of gyms opening up in the Marbella area but a serious lack of healthy eateries.

They said: “We are targeting people who live an active lifestyle and who train regularly. People who want to get full results from nutrition.”

“We all want to live a healthy lifestyle and to eat cleanly both in our home and when we eat out.

“At Gym Junkie Café we have created a community for gym-junkies....a place where you can relax, rejuvenate in comfortable, modern surroundings.

“Where you can refuel with our superior, healthy food served by friendly, courteous staff.”

Gym Junkie Café will help you eat better and perform better in your daily life.

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Polígono san pedro de Alcántara. (26.97 km) 29670 San Pedro de Alcántara

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October 9th - October 22 2019

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October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Strides ahead

SKILLED: A bespoke Casas & Reformas house

GET YOUR KICKS: Down at the cable ski which is unique to the Costa del Sol

and peaceful - but at night, it’s party, party, party.”

Despite San Pedro’s somewhat tranquilo reputation, it still has its quirks: I learn former Spanish prime

minister Jose Maria Aznar is often seen in jogging shorts panting around Guadalmina Baja, accompanied by a team of bodyguards.

There is also the unofficial town mascot, a mammoth-size pig which can be seen every Sunday, roaming through the streets, snorting along to the claps and shouts of the locals.

History can be found here, too.

The Roman baths, watchtower and the intriguing Paleo-Christian burial site, Vega de Mar, are a must for history buffs.

I take a walk to the coast and In many respects, San Pedro to my surprise, the beaches really is the perfect destinaare yet to be tainted by the tion, a modern town which swarms of chihas firmly held ringuitos and onto its Spanish street sellers, identity while Spanish although I’m told not becoming there are martoo overdevelidentity ket stalls set up oped. while not every weekend, If anyone has with a selection any doubts that becoming too of fashions and this town can jewellery availoverdeveloped rival its closable. er and glitzier I watch the vast neighbours, golden sands betell them it’s ing licked by the gentle purring too late, it has already outof the blue sea and can’t help charmed the lot of them. but feel at peace. Blissful.

WITH more than 500 excellent projects under its belt, it’s not hard to see why Casas & Reformas is so highly respected on the Costa del Sol. Offering renovation, rehabilitation and new construction, the 17-year-old firm’s knowledge and experience is vast.

Whether it’s installing bathrooms, kitchens and flooring, renovating old properties, or creating bespoke 3D architectural designs, Casas & Reformas has you covered.

The team prides itself on strong communication with clients every step of the way.

Continuous contact is maintained with customers during the design phase, choosing materials, project quality control and execution.

Casas & Reformas has full certification of quality ISO 9001.

Alongside Spanish, its friendly staff also speak Swedish, English, Finnish, German and French.

The company’s vision is: “To become one of the leading companies in the construction sector on the Costa del Sol offering our customers the best options to build a home to suit.”

For more information visit https://casas-reformas.com/en/ or call +34 951 245 389

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October 9th - October 22nd 2019

de Alcantara

Foodie focus Turn your head and a new restaurant has opened in San Pedro de Alcantara, writes Jon Clarke

Specialist of Sherry Wine Special Flamenco Friday & Saturday National Gastronomic Award

I

T’S certainly a hard act to follow with the large number of excellent places to eat in nearby Marbella.

But San Pedro is rapidly developing a distinct food scene of its own.

It’s not as if the town doesn’t have pedigree, with its famous Albert and Simon restaurant having been one of the first in Andalucia to get a Michelin star back in the 1980s.

While its famous chef sadly died a couple of years ago, it is still around and as elegant as ever.

But there are also some great new places that are rapidly demanding its crown.

Take Pablo Castillo’s Savor restaurant, now in its second year, which just keeps getting better and better.

With a swagger worthy of a big city, the creative cuisine is as complex as it is tasty.

It’s no wonder Pablo, 42, has continued to win cooking competitions along the coast this year.

No less than three of the dishes on the menu have won the Best Tapa award in Marbella, including the excellent Niguiri croquettes, which come with melt in the mouth tuna, guacamole, with a wasabi and kimchi sauce. Yup plenty going on.

Other chestnuts however, included a wonderful langoustine in an orange juice, basil and yuzu sauce, as well as one of the most delicious slices of presa iberica imaginable.

And to get a really good idea of what he can do go for a degustacion menu which shouldn’t set you back much more than 40 euros a head.

You will try an range of local Andalucian dish-

es, with national Spanish as well as a fusion of Latin America, particularly Cuban. His Mojito de Manzana pudding was fabulous.

“It’s been an exciting couple of years,” explains Pablo, who has worked around the world for the Melia group, with five years in Cuba, as well as under the talented chef Ramon Freixa.

“And San Pedro is developing quite a competitive scene for dining.”

This is certainly the case with the real epicentre being along Pablo’s street and what the Olive Press has dubbed ‘Restaurant Row’.

It was here, in Calle Andalucia, after all, that Alfredo opened his famous same-name restaurant nearly four decades ago.

His neighbour Pub Charles has been around for 38 years too, while, the excellent La Bodega del Cantinero, between Savor and Alfredo, is well over a decade providing excellent tucker with the best sherries in the world.

Here you put yourself in the hands of superhost Alberto, or sommelier Juan, who have been working in the restaurant trade for decades between them.

This is THE spot for sherry lovers and they have hundreds of them and many going into the hundreds of euros, including a 1946 Pedro Ximenez and a 40-year-old Amontillado from Azuleta.

It also has an excellent wine list and the food is always excellent and varied and there are plenty of specials, including one of the best ajo blancos I have tried on the coast.

Best of all though - in fact maybe the winning dish in San Pedro - was the amazing tartaki of bluefin tuna, with a wakame salad, egg roe ‘tobiko’ and mayonnaise wasabi. In a word; perfect.

It also has a stunning tuna steak with fresh tomatoes, cooked by Alberto’s mum on the day I was visiting. Soul food at the very best.

It is no surprise the restaurant wins awards each year, including the national ‘gold award’ from Radio Turismo.

Next door, you must pay a visit to Restaurante Alfredo is the most remarkable of the places to eat here.

And not just for its excellent food, which is traditional Andalucian, with some amazing tapas, such as mushrooms when in season, but for the fact it stays open for a near-record 364 days a year, only shutting on New Year’s Day. It is also a great place to find a buzz on an ordinary weekday and a more Spanish joint you cannot find, with its stuffed bull’s heads (and plenty more) hanging from the walls.

A true family affair, only its chef Ivan is an outsider and he’s been knocking around for over 20 LEGENDARY: La Bodega del Cantinero years. Father Alfredo and his sons and daughter offer a great mix of meat and fish and plenty of seasonal fare to boot.

Oh, and there is a great shady IT’s been nearly four decades since Jesus Leal opened his leg- terrace outside ideal for business lunches, while inside for endary nightspot Pub Charles. winter is rarely anything but And it has been the hottest place to hang out since then.

It was actually 1982 that it opened its doors and it is going stron- packed.

Just up the road another inger than ever.

The best cocktails in the town, it has a sumptuous ambience credibly busy place is Hogan Stand. since a refurb two years ago.

“People come here for the attentive service and the ambience,” This popular Irish pub and restaurant, named after the explains the father-of-two. “Everyone is welcome here.” famous Gaelic football stand at

Hotspot for decades!

C/ Andalucía, 10º San Pedro de Alcántara

Tel: 952 927 188 labodegadelcantinero@gmail.com

www.theolivepress.es

HISTORY: San Pedro’s old boys contrast well with new kids on the block, like Gym Junkie Cafe ferent atmosphere and all the Croke Park, is always busy.. on a nice terrace at the front.

As well as having its typical bar As manager Ross explains: scruffy builders and fraudsters snacks it also has a good mix “San Pedro has complete- we once had have well and truof quality dishes, including rack ly changed over the last few ly moved on. Now we can conof lamb and fish, and you dine years. It has a completely dif- centrate on quality.”

And then there is the Gym Junkie Cafe, one of Spain’s first protein eateries, serving up vitamin-stacked meals - ideal before or after a workout.

IT’S been 12 years of stories and friendship for the team at The cafe’s mouthwatering Tanino restaurant in Malaga. menu includes grass-fed beef, The restaurant group that opened in Madrid 18 years ago protein pancakes and an omgoes from strength to strength here. elette bar - complete with seaHaving made waves for years in Estepona it is now re-openweed, broccoli and tuna oming in San Pedro de Alcantara. elettes.

“We are waiting for you with open arms, ready to continue many more years of Tanino stories,” explains a spokesman.

PERFECT DOZEN

October 9th - October 22 2019

21

Savor fuses traditional Mediterranean food with cuisines from the rest of the world and elaborated with great skill and passion by chef Pablo Castillo and his team.

Tel: 951 53 17 77 C/ Andalucía 6, local 4, San Pedro de Alcántara, Málaga

W W W. R E S TA U R A N T E S AV O R . C O M

22

www.theolivepress.es

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

ECC - HELPING THOUSANDS OF TIMESHARE VICTIMS FIND RELIEF FROM UNLAWFUL CONTRACTS

October 2019

ECC has referred over 1500 cases in relation to Spanish timeshare claims to M1 Legal a firm of specialist timeshare lawyers based in Mijas Costa on the Costa Del Sol. To date M1 Legal has achieved in excess of 2 million pounds in judgement awards in the Spanish courts on behalf of timeshare owners who have been victims of unlawful contracts. It is not just via the Spanish courts where timeshare owners can seek restitution for mis-sold timeshares and holiday ownerships. ECC has also assigned over 900+ cases to UK law firm Messrs. Pinder Reaux who are in the process of preparing and challenging cases in the UK courts.

If you would like to discuss your timeshare problems, please call our friendly Advice Centre on 01793 629065.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN THE CAUSE? So we can assist even more timeshare owners to legally exit their contracts and claim compensation we are looking for fresh talent to join our expanding team!

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A

ll about

S an Pedro

www.theolivepress.es

Guadal-great

Guapa Guadalmina ticks all the boxes if you’re hunting for a des res on the Costa

T

HE leafy enclave of Guadalmina on the westerly fringes of San Pedro has become as sought-after an address as Marbella’s own

‘Golden Mile’.

I was lucky enough to spend the summers of my youth there, when Guadalmina Alta became my home away from

home.

Some 16 years later and this village-sized resort still has an enviable location and a neighbourly feel.

It’s just five minutes from Puerto Banus, ten minutes from Marbella and an easy seafront stroll from San Pedro and there are all kinds of reasons to make that journey - not least an 18-hole golf course and a cable ski lake offering adrenalin-charged thrills for the watersports set.

The local dining scene is also a lot tastier than 10 years ago, with a score of restaurants offering a feast of multi-ethnic fare, from a new vegan cafe and Japanese wok restaurant to the unrivalled La Rosa Argentinian steak house and the long-established Tricky Ricky’s,

23

October 9th - October 22 2019

de Alcantara VARIETY: Guadalmina beach, (inset) rock pool and golf course

7

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Brits to the rescue

Leading San Pedro/Guadalmina agent Winkworth is seeing a strong UK market despite Brexit

WHILE it is all change… it is also business as usual this year Despite the spectre of Brexit, almost 90% of the buyers of British-sold properties in the Guadalmina/San Pedro area this year are Brits themselves.

Leading agent Winkworth has sold, or is in the process of selling, ten out of a dozen properties to British buyers.

Ranging in price from €300,000 up to €800,000 they are being snapped up by a new generation of younger UK clients, who want to have a go at living in the sun.

“It has been an interesting trend recently and debunks the theory that the British are not buying due to the feat of Brexit,” explains agent Christopher Vent.

“Some 10 out of 12 of the British properties sold in the area this year were to British buyers.”

He explained that while many of the sellers are residents in their 70s or 80s, the new buyers are between 30 and 50 mostly.

“Many of the elderly residents are concerned about health and pensions and have taken the opportunity to sell up while the exchange rate is good,” he continues.

“Meanwhile, their homes are very desirable for British youngsters looking to make a new life out here and, in particular, before Brexit comes a reality.”

Others are young families or professionstill doing a roaring trade in traditional English breakfasts.

Over the road from the restaurant strip, Guadalmina Baja is home to palatial villas that wouldn’t look out of place in Beverly Hills and the list of

als looking for a second home, but one bought last week was actually a builder from London setting up a company here.

“He’s ambitious with a young family and looking forward to growing his business here,” he adds.

The established agency, which set up in London in 1835, has continued to market its local Spanish properties to UK buyers, despite many other agents steering clear.

“Sure there is turmoil, volatility and uncertainty but the British still remain the biggest sector of foreign buyers in Spain and it is unlikely to change,” adds Christopher.

“Winkworth is so well-known in the UK, buyers use us to find them a home here in Spain as the name builds trust and confidence.

“Many of them have already had dealings with Winkworth in the UK so the familiarity and the same code of ethics in customer service means using us is a simple choice.

“In fact, we are probably the only agent that can boast being able to help sellers in Spain relocate back to the UK via one of our 90 regional offices throughout the country.”

Contact Winkworth at their office in Guadalmina or call on 600 115 728 or 952 880 941

celebrity residents is growing longer, with an ex-Spanish Prime Minister now in residence and royalty too. The Princess of Monaco is rumoured to live close by.

It’s no surprise that local and

international home buyers are also gravitating to this peaceful green San Pedro suburb for its bucolic charm, with bright resort city lights and everything else you need on the doorstep.

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In addition there is a large garage with sufficient space for a car and golf buggy.

Garden view / Golf view / Air Conditioning / Underfloor heating (partial) / Covered Terrace / Fireplace / Fitted Wardrobes / Jacuzzi / Solarium Bed 4 | Bath 4 | Built 371 m2

tel: +34 952 880 941 mob: +34 600 115 728 info@winkworth.es www.winkworth.es

PROPERTY

25

25

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Zagaleta gets better Europe’s largest modern mansion gets royal approval

Floods can devastate a community in an instant. At StormMeister® we are dedicated to building community flood resilience and helping you protect your home.

For all your Flood protection requirements from doors and windows to barriers and gates.

Contact us on: Email: linda@stormmeister.com or tel: 0034617623556

H

ow does having a Turkish bath, a spa and two bronze Salvador Dali sculptures in your house sound?

If you have a spare €32 million hiding under your mattress this could all be yours, along with 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and an indoor and outdoor pool.

The ostentatious Villa Cullinan has gone on sale in Marbella’s luxury housing complex, La Zagaleta.

The exclusive resort also gives the lucky owners private access to two golf courses, an equestrian club and a heliport.

The 13,485 square metre Villa Cullinan takes its name from the largest diamond ever found in the world.

It is the largest modern mansion in Europe, according to the real estate company Drumelia which is marketing the property.

"In Marbella there is nothing like this,” said Katerina Rozenko, Drumelia’s marketing director.

And the world’s rich and famous are all too aware. The mansion has already attracted considerable interest amongst potential buyers.

"There are very well-known

people and even members of royal families [interested],” added Rozenko.

The house is the most expensive in the swanky La Zagaleta estate, where prices begin at €3 million.

A grand unveiling of the house, which took place last week, was attended by 300 of society’s richest people, including top bosses from Aston Martin, Bulgari and Ekhi, a company that specialises in chocolates coated in edible gold.

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PROPERTY

26 October 9th - October 22nd 2019 Airbnb ban BEGUR, the town known as the jewel of the Costa Brava, is clamping down on Airbnb-style rentals.

The local council has decided to stop issuing new licenses for holiday rentals for a year.

Begur, which has a year round population of 4,000, has long been a second home mecca for wealthy Barcelona residents.

However, its infrastructure is now creaking under the pressure of the 35,000 extra visitors it attracts during high season each year.

Backers of the license ban say that holiday rentals reduce the housing stock available to locals and drive up prices. The town follows the lead of Barcelona and Palma in restricting holiday rentals.

Illegal homes decree bashed

by Andalucia’s left and right Right wing Vox and left wing Ecologistas en Accion slam Junta move to help 300,000 illegal homeowners THE rollercoaster ride that is Andalucia’s illegal homes saga has seen another twist as a new law comes into force.

Decree 3/2019 allows some 327,000 illegally built properties in the region to be environmentally and territorially adapted.

Under the legislation, homes older than six years and not built on protected or flood risk

BEAMING: (left to right) Carmen Crespo, Minister for Agriculture, Junta de Andalucia, Marifran Carazo, Minister for Development and Territorial Planning, Juan Manuel Moreno, President of Andalucia, Gerardo Vazquez, Spokesperson and legal adviser to AUAN, Maura Hillen, President AUAN, Tony Downing, Albanchez Residents Association, Brian Reade, AUAN land are able to gain assimilado ly and register their property at they thought was a normal their making.” al regimen de fuera de ordena- the Land Registry. home, connection to water or Meanwhile right wing party Vox cion (AFO) status.

The development will allow electricity. has slammed the legislation, Effectively this allows home- some of the many expats, who Maura Hillen, president of the which has been brought in by owners to access services legal- were duped into buying what homeowners campaign group the PP and Ciudadanos-conAbusos Urbanisticos Andalucia trolled Junta, which it supports.

(AUAN) welcomed the decree, Vox parliamentary spokesperwhile recognising it does have son Alejandro Hernandez said: its limits.

“It does not create substantial She said: “It has been a long progress, despite the euphoria MADRID and the Balearic Is- the most expensive Spanish reand difficult road for homeown- that is intended from the Junta.” lands have witnessed the steep- gion to buy a secondhand home, ers and I am glad that the re- Left wing environmental party est increase in the price of sec- with the price per square metre cent change in the government Ecologistas en Accion has also ondhand housing in the past on average, €3,101. of Andalucia has brought new condemned the move, arguing year.

Nationwide, the average price impetus and new eyes to this that it will ‘open the field to illeThe price of houses per square per square metre of a house issue. gal construction.’ metre rose by 2.45% in Madrid dropped by 1.15% in the last “The decree is not a magic wand A spokesperson for the left and 0.91% in the Balearic Is- quarter. solution but it is a practical and wing group said: “We are totally lands, as the prices of second- House prices in Catalunya, the workable one, which gives the against the regularisation of illehand houses fell across much of third most expensive region, majority of our members a way gal housing, because in the end Spain. The Balearics are already dropped the most, by 2.14%. out of a situation that was not of it will just encourage more.”

House prices stall

26

AGONY Property ANT

September 25th - October 8, 2019

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

What’s app your honour?

Antonio Flores explains the legal ins and outs of using WhatsApp messages as evidence in court SINCE the advent of popular instant messenger services, it is becoming increasingly frequent to hear - in a legal conversation typically - that someone has irrefutable evidence in the form of ‘WhatsApps’ to build a solid court case.

And often, this someone will grab his phone with two fingers and proclaim, in a pseudo-ceremonial manner: “IT’S ALL HERE!” Life is full of surprises as we know, and the law is no exception.

The typical street lawyer would have probably overheard the same nonsense and, just by conversational repetition - as with the infamous 11-month rental contract imagined it had made it all the way into the Spanish Civil Code.

The reality is more complex. For WhatsApps to be admissible evidence in a court of law the bearer of those messages will have to go through a verification process that’s challenging to say the least.

For the avoidance of doubt, a screenshot will not be acceptable unless the sender confirms he/she sent it (wishful thinking most of the time).

So, what’s law/case law saying in these situations? The following bullet points offer some interesting information: According to WhatsApp Inc., […] the contents of any delivered messages are not kept or retained by WhatsApp - the only records of the content of any delivered messages reside directly on the sender’s and recipient’s mobile devices (and may be deleted at the user’s option). This rules out a

business records affidavit from the service provider.

The Spanish Supreme Court, aware of this limitation, established some guidelines in respect to the admissibility of a WhatsApp conversation in a court of law and, with the only exception a full acknowledgement by both parties of that ‘chat’, ruled that ‘the possibility of manipulating digital files through which this exchange of ideas materialises is part of the reality of things… it’s perfectly possible to create a communication in which a single user writes to himself’.

Case law has therefore established that for these types of messages to be admissible, the claimant will need to submit a technical expert report ‘confirming the true origin of that communication, the identity of the parties and, finally, the’ integrity of its content’.

The defendant will in turn need to provide a counter report challenging it after which, based on this and all other evidence, judgement may be passed.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.com

PROPERTY

27

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

TWO-DAY erected BUILD Home in 48 hours

By Robert Firth

IN an unprecedented move for Spanish property, a house has been built on the Costa del Sol in under 48 hours.

The property in Estepona will form part of the largest development of flatpack homes in Spain.

Titled Vanian Valley, the full project will include 53 IKEAstyle homes once it is finished in Spring 2021.

The first four-bedroom townhouse was unveiled during a presentation attended by 100

reveals IKEAstyle future

property professionals.

It took two days to assemble and another week to complete the finishings, inside and outside.

Studio HCP Arquitectura & Ingenieria and developer Adeas Homes are behind the project, which will begin properly early next year.

Adeas Homes spokesperson, Jose Ignacio Fernandez, said: “Buyers of newly constructed homes always want to access their homes as soon

RAPID: The first ‘two-day’ home of 53 properties as possible.

“This is particularly true on the Costa del Sol, where the main demand comes from foreign customers.

“There’s a convergence of buyers with very different profiles,” making reference

New recession?

WITH Spain’s economy stalling at a faster rate than expected, Steen Jakobsen, Chief Economist at Saxo Bank, is coming to Marbella to answer the question on the tip of everyone’s tongue: is there a new recession coming?

Join him in a free seminar on October 24, 3:30-5:00pm at Marbella Investment Academy to hear his insights on the global economy’s health.

A long running trade war between the USA and China, low interest rates and the possibility of no-deal Brexit looming mean some are whispering that a recession is around the corner.

With over 25 years of trading and invest-

ing experience, Steen Jakobsen is well positioned to offer his verdict on the possibility of a new economic downturn.

His 19 years at Saxo Bank and stints at other international banks, including UBS and Citibank, have given him a wealth of experience in forecasting economic trends.

Having build up an esteemed reputation in financial circles, he also regularly appears as an economics pundit on Bloomberg News and CNBC, commenting on the latest international financial developments.

Registration for the seminar is free at BinckBank.com/seminars

to the mix of foreign buyers and Spanish nationals seeking a second home nearby.

Adeas Homes plans to invest €950 million in the Costa del Sol in the next few years and plans to build around 2,600 homes.

White Isle rises IBIZA Town has been named the most expensive city to buy a house in Spain.

The price per square metre in the Balearic island’s capital now stands at €3,709 for the second quarter of 2019, according to Government data.

It comes after property prices across the White Isle have surged by 56.5% over the last five years.

The next most expensive towns and cities are San Sebastian, Ibiza’s Santa Eularia des Riu, Barcelona’s Sant Cugat del Valles, Barcelona and Madrid.

28

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

HEALTH

Quicker doses

IF you’re in quick need of some Ibuprofen, you’ll probably pick it up sooner living in Navarra than the Canary Islands.

The rural region of Navarra has the most pharmacies per head in Spain, with 1063 per person, a study by Consultancy firm IQVIA has found.

At the other end of the scale, the Canary Islands has the lowest number of pharmacies

With salt Faecal fountain causing three million A WATER play area that was closed after 71 people became ill was contaminated with faeces, an investigation has found.

The play area in Sant Andreu, Barcelona was forced to close after just 20 days because of several reports of gastroenteritis amongst children who had played there.

An investigation by the Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB) found that the faeces probably came from somebody using the play area.

The study found that 97% of people who were admitted to hospital suffered from diarrhea, whilst a further 72% suffered abdominal pains.

The play fountains attracted 10,000 visitors in the three weeks they were active.

deaths a year, warnings are vital for packaging

SALT sold in supermarkets should carry graphic health warnings, such as those on tobacco packets, medical experts warn.

The move is vital with as many as 85% of Spanish children eating too much salt, according to research.

Scientists from The World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Hypertension League (WHL) believe that

Nurse attacked per head, with each pharmacy serving on average 2792 people.

It is closely followed by the Basque Country, where each pharmacy serves 2,634 people.

Andalucia has 2131 people per pharmacy, just above the national average of 2,115 people per pharmacy.

Some 24 new pharmacies opened in Spain in 2018.

A NURSE and doctor were forced to lock themselves in a consultation room after being threatened by a patient who had to wait fifteen minutes extra for an appointment.

The nursing union, Satse, said that the duo had gone through ‘real terror’ during the incident at the Alcala

del Rio Health Centre in Sevilla.

The delay came about because the two health workers had to attend to an emergency.

Reyes Zabala, the head of Satse Sevilla, said: "Nurses are here to take care of people and it is not fair that we are subjected to these assaults.”

The incident temporarily forced the closure of the health centre, leaving the 12,000 residents of Alcala without emergency care.

Table it many countries, including Spain, are not aware of the dangers.

While most countries have sodium information on the labels of processed food, these are often ‘difficult for people to interpret and do not warn of any health risk.’

Excess salt consumption is estimated to have caused more than three million deaths a year, from strokes and heart disease.

The WHO has now set countries a goal of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2025.

Dr. Norm Campbell, of the

WHL, said: “Governments and the food industry have been working together to reduce salt in processed foods.

“However, urgent measures must now be taken to sensitize consumers to these dangers.”

He continued: “Although many countries have begun to consider a variety of public health measures to encourage people to eat less salt, we do not know of any that have required salt containers to have

HEALTH RISK: Experts demand cigarette-style warnings on salt warning labels.”

Jacqui Webster of the WHO added: "Eating too much salt increases people's blood pressure, which is one of the main contributors to premature death.”

Research published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that 85% of Spanish children eat too much salt.

The majority of this is from processed and fast food, with only 20 to 25% coming from table salt.

Safe to vape?

In an insightful new column Jeremy Kenton explores the dangers of vaping

S

tylish stainless steel or polished piano black holders, vaping products, often with coloured lights illuminating the vapour cloud, are recreating the elegant look of the cigarette holder of the 1930s.

As if the horrors of the effects of smoking with lung cancer, damaged circulation, heart and lung disease are not enough, a new outbreak of smoking related problems appears.

As millions of people turn to vaping as a safer alternative to smoking, the discovery of 500 fresh cases of a mysterious lung disease has cast doubt on its safety.

Vaping is not smoking; it does not involve the process of burning a substance like tobacco.

Vaping is using an electronic device to create a vapour mixture from a liquid, which is

known as an e-juice or e-liquid. This vapor is inhaled into the lungs and the residual vapour is expelled by the person vaping.

Already various issues have been seen with Harvard researchers seeing a link between popcorn lung and vaping last year.

Popcorn

Popcorn lung is the common name for a disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, an incurable condition that causes damage to the smallest parts of your lungs, called the bronchioles and alveoli.

Popcorn lung occurs when scar tissue builds up within these tiny passageways, making it hard to breathe and expel air.

It is caused by the chemical fumes of diacetyl which was first seen in workers in popcorn factories.

Oil accumulation in the small passage ways in the lungs is another issue attributable to vaping which is seen by many scientists as a possible cause of breathing difficulties in vapers.

The true cause of the current outbreaks is still unknown but there is no doubt that better controls about the quality and safety standards of vaping liquids is required. Only last week the Indian Government banned the use of vaping products, joining many far east and South American countries who have taken on board the warnings issued by the World Health Organisation in 2008.

•

HEALTH

29

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Future proof your eyes HEALTH and wellbeing is high on the agenda for many of us, but while diet and exercise may take top priority, do you ever stop to take notice of your eyes?

Evidence suggests our eye health isn’t something we pay close enough attention to as a quarter say they don’t have a check every two years.

That is why as part of Blindness Awareness Month this October, Specsavers Opticas is urging the nation to take action today so they can protect their vision for tomorrow.

Having your eyes tested does not just check for changes in vision but can help prevent sight loss through early detection of conditions and even spot other health concerns such as brain tumours or problems with your circulation.

Dr Nigel Best, Specsavers clinical spokesperson, said: “Vision is our most precious sense and the one people fear losing the most.

“It deserves care and regular attention. There have been significant advancement in opticians’ ability to diagnose disease and everyone should take advantage of the latest innovations at high street opticians.

“Regular eye tests combined with some simple wellbeing habits can help reduce the risk of developing certain conditions and make it more likely that any problems are detected early.”

Here Dr Best shares some everyday habits we can adopt to help future proof our eye health: • Stay active to reduce the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts • Don’t hold back the tears – a good cry can lubricate our eyes, wash away foreign matter and help reduce the risk of eye infections • Eat plenty of fish which is high in omega 3 fatty acids to help with eye lubrication • Get enough sleep to avoid twitching eye muscles

Specsavers Opticas recognises Blindness Awareness Month by getting experts’ advice on eye protection

• Enjoy Avocados as they are rich in zinc and vitamin B which help stave off cataracts, and have a high amount of lutein which research suggests can help to prevent age-related macular degeneration • Drink plenty of water to avoid symptoms of dry eye • Don’t leave your eye makeup on when you go to sleep as it will increase your chances of getting bacterial and oil build up around your eyes or even inflammation • Wash your hands before handling your contact lenses and ensure you care for your contact lenses properly to reduce the risk of getting bacteria in the eye • Your eyes can reveal a lot about your health so it’s really important to have regular eye tests – once every two years, or more often, if recommended by your optometrist.

To find out more or book your next appointment head to your nearest Specsavers Opticas store or visit www.specsavers.es

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30

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Twits

TWITTER paid the Spanish treasury less tax than it pays its average worker last year. The social media giant paid €113,131 in tax to the Spanish government, while the average salary its 19 workers in Spain earn is €131,578, including social security contributions. Twitter, like other big tech companies, minimises the amount of tax it has to pay by basing its European headquarters in the Irish capital of Dublin, where tax rates are low. Twitter Spain’s net profit shot up by 13.9% last year to €221,038. In reality the turnover of its Spanish subsidiary is far higher.

BUSINESS

Trade war

CHEESED OFF: Sanchez brands Trump’s tariffs ‘unacceptable’

SPAIN’S acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said he will defend his country from the ‘unacceptable’ tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump.

It comes after the American leader tabled taxes of 25% on swathes of European agrifood products, including Spanish wine, olive oil and cheese.

The US threatened to impose taxes on 150 different products in total, as well as 10% taxes on aircraft it buys from Spain.

Money overseas Jonathan Holdaway explains the complex world of offshore finance and reveals the key to successful planning

L

AST issue I outlined the difficulties when investing in volatile markets and the importance of having a diversified portfolio, with a tongue-in-cheek reference to ‘Tim Nice-but-Dim’ a comedy character from Harry Enfield’s stable.

However, investing for your financial future can often be no laughing matter as many who have invested in ‘offshore’ financial products can testify.

In most cases, clients are using mutual funds to spread the risk in each asset class, managed by professional investment houses.

Each of these can experience very different fortunes depending on the selection of the individual stocks and shares sitting within the funds.

However, as well as their performance the charges levied - not only by the funds but also by the financial products they are using to access the various asset classes - can have a huge impact on the future value of their investments.

I speak to many clients day to day who have existing investments, often in the

“We are an administration that wants to maintain the best possible transatlantic relations but my responsibility as prime minister is to defend the agricultural sector in the face of any attempt to railroad us with tariffs,” Sanchez said.

The heavier taxation of EU goods came after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled that some subsidies EU countries had paid to Airbus were illegal, giving the US the right to impose tariffs worth billions of eu-

ros.

It is estimated by Spain that the tariffs, which also target its liqueurs and cordials, olives and pork products, will affect around €1 billion of annual exports.

In 2018, wine and olive oil alone were the Spanish products most exported to the US, with the total put at just over €700 million.

The list of proposed taxes is only provisional and will be ratified on October 14 by Trump and the European Commission.

Jonathan now has an office Malaga, which can be found here: Alameda Colón, 9, 1, 7 29001 Málaga, Spain Phone: +34 951 579226 SPOTLIGHT: A look at investing offshore

EEA or international market, who are their ‘insurance licence’ with no real investing with one of the major insurunderstanding of how to actually manance linked providers such as Utmost age the assets within the portfolio. The Worldwide or Utmost PanEurope (Forclients also have no knowledge of the merly Generali International, Generali charges or commissions they are payPan Europe or Generali Worldwide), ing which are often hidden in the small RL360 (previously Royal London 360), print of their policy documents.

Old Mutual International (originally I help many of these clients by firstly Royal Skandia or Skandia Internationreviewing the asset allocation, fund al) , Hansard, Prudenchoice and investment tial, Investors Trust and products within their Friends Provident Interportfolios, to ensure Difficult to track national. they are appropriate to investments Again it can be very their long term goals, confusing and difficult their attitude to risk and when companies to track investments their current financial, when companies are tax and/or residency are constantly constantly changing position. changing their names, through I find many clients who merger or acquisition. have been sold these They may also hold investments are ofthese platforms or ten then left to make products through their QROPS or SIPP their own decisions or are confused pension investments with companies about how their policies actually work such as Momentum Pensions or Sovor where they are invested. They will ereign Pensions. then be managed professionally and Many advisers in the offshore market reviewed constantly to ensure they sell these platforms to clients using continue to be ‘fit for purpose’ and

changed if necessary.

The key to successful financial planning is to constantly review your approach to the management of your wealth and ask how, why, where and how much you are investing.

The investment plans with some of the providers mentioned above can be a useful tool for clients but sometimes can lead to missed opportunities or be totally unsuitable or expensive.

I offer potential clients a free review of their investment portfolio and underlying costs of their products.

This will show you the current geographical spread of the investments,

the asset class spread and overall risk grading of the current portfolio along with detailing any specific issues with individual fund holdings or overweight/underweight concerns - the kind of information that I provide to my clients on a regular basis.

I can also provide advice on alternative investment platforms or products that may be cheaper or better suited to your needs if required.

As we come to the end of the year it is the perfect time to ensure you are positioned correctly and see how your portfolio’s current holdings fit with your needs and financial goals.

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.

What Spain doesn’t want you to see Spain is one of the countries most guilty of attempting to censor what its population views online SPAIN has made it into the top 20 countries which censor online data the most.

In 2009, Google started recording the amount of content removal requests it received from governments and courts across the globe.

Several other major media companies then followed suit, such as Twitter, Facebook and Microsoft.

Pro-consumer site Comparitech then used the data to analyse which countries were the most concerned with online data.

India dominated the top spot with 77,620 requests, Russia was second with 77,162, the United Kingdom came in tenth with 6,402.

Spain, meanwhile, came in 12th place, with 1,592 removal requests since 2009.

Data also showed the main reason behind removals was ‘national security.’

BUSINESS GROWTH SPUTTER THE manufacturing sector in Spain has shrunk at its quickest pace since 2013, according to a survey of industry executives.

September has seen the country’s factory dramatically decline, with the IHS Markit Spain Manufacturing PMI falling to 47.7.

It was at 48.8 in August, making that a fourth month it has consecutively declined, the worst drop in over six years, since in January 2013 when it reached similar territory.

Paul Smith, economics director at IHS Markit, believes that Brexit is the reason for the fall: “Political and economic uncertainties across Europe and around the world are clearly weighing

on the country’s manufacturing economy.

“There also seems little hope of a fast turnaround — confidence about the future has slumped to its lowest level in over six-and-a-

Capital punishment SEVILLA is the most expensive city in all of Spain to own a business, it has been revealed.

The Andalucian capital has very high business tax-rates and companies suffer a clear disadvantage when compared to other large cities.

The businesses are charged under Property Tax (IBI) and Business Tax (IAE), with each rate stamped according to the loca-

tion of each business on the high street.

Currently, the rate for ‘first category’ streets is at 3.462%, which is only lower than Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, at 3.8%.

The ‘second category’ streets rate matched the capital and Barca, at 3.284%, but was higher than the rest of the country.

Bilbao has a 1.55% rate, while in Valencia it is 2.58%.

31

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

It's not just the UK that’s suffering economic turbulence thanks to Brexit

half years as domestic and international political problems such as Brexit show little sign of being resolved.”

Despite hopes that Spain would receive 20% of its GDP through manufacturing, multiple reports this year are indicating that it is in retreat.

Now as the Brexit deadline looms, the precariousness of the situation is seemingly not only impacting on the UK, but also other nations in the EU which rely on the country for trade.

There is a clear concern, too, in the La Linea and Gibraltar region, where possible restriction of freedom of movement may impact on the livelihoods of residents in the area, particularly those who need to cross the border to work, adding further to the economic downfall.

Peak season ahoy

THE debut of Malaga’s busiest cruise season in October is expected to see a 13% increase in the number of passengers on last year.

Almost 100 ships, half of which are luxury, are expected to dock in Malaga’s three cruise terminals during the busiest period of the year.

The busiest day of the season is expected to be November 6, when five ships will dock in the port, carrying a total of 9,500 passengers.

In total 180,000 passengers are expected during the peak months of October and November, 13% more than during the same period last year.

The first part of the year saw a small decrease in the number of cruise passengers arriving in Malaga.

the Keys to success

THE suspension of the Woodford Equity Income Fund and its continued suspension have caused the biggest controversy in UK fund management for a decade, and with hundreds of thousands of retail investors unable to access their investments, there are some important lessons that can be learned for the future.

Whether it’s reviewing your current investment portfolio or using this checklist next time you’re planning to invest in a new fund, the Woodford situation highlights the main areas investors need to check before investing.

Diversification of Risk is key You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket, diversify, diversify! Check that you have a good spread across different funds, sectors, countries etc. etc. and review your investments each year and rebalance if needed, so that you don’t end up too concentrated in one area. If you are invested in a portfolio the Portfolio manager should do this for you.

Diversification is just common sense, as a reasonable spread of assets can potential-

Following the Woodford saga, here are the main things to check before investing

BY Tim Govaerts ly limit exposure to market downturns, fund suspensions, volatility etc.

Make sure you understand what you are investing in This is especially true if you are self-investing - the guiding principle of the Warren Buffett school of investment. Buy blue-chips and brand names you know. Anything else, avoid.

Know the difference between best buy tables and actual advice.

This could perhaps be the biggest lesson learned from the Woodford saga. Mr Woodford was a firm favourite of fund ‘best buy’ lists. Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the most influential financial intermediaries, has received major criticism since the fund’s suspension for this reason.

Understand liquidity This is how quickly you can buy/sell an asset and as investors have found, investing in unquoted smaller companies via an open-ended fund can create a liquidity mismatch. Just because a fund says it offers daily dealing, doesn’t mean it always will.

There is the argument that a crackdown is needed on open-ended funds investing in

illiquid assets. However, it does allow customers to invest in a diversity of fund options.

www.theblacktowergroup.com

Following a ‘Star’ No one fund manager has the secret to outperforming the market in all conditions and therefore you should expect everyone at some point to have a bad performance. If someone has a good long-term track record, don’t just assume it will continue. Don’t have the herd mentality and just follow everyone else and a best buy list.

Don’t be greedy We would all love our investments to grow year on year, but that is not how it is in the real world, markets go down as well as up. If an investment offers you consistently good or above average returns no matter what the market conditions are, it will end in tears and you will lose money (usually all your money invested) in the long run.

Beware: scammers and fraudsters love greed and people’s desire for unrealistic returns on an investment is music to their ears. It’s the way they make money. You lose, They win.

If it seems too good to be true IT IS! If you are unsure if your current investments are diversified enough, or are being offered an investment with terms that seem too good to be true, or you are new to investing, getting advice from a financial advice company that has weathered more than one or two

BAN: Neil Woodford’s fund Woodford Equity Income Fund suspended financial downturns is essential for your financial well-being and peace of mind.

Blacktower Financial Management has been established for over 32 years and has worked with its clients through the good and the bad times, offering sound financial advice.

This article is based on the opinion of the financial adviser and author, and does not reflect the views of Blacktower. The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain

32

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL They just keep coming

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Uber-lucia

UBER Eats has just got bigger on the Costa del Sol. Residents of San Pedro and Estepona can now enjoy fastfood delivery straight to their front door.

This tasty new service is available from Monday to Friday, 12 am - 5 pm, and from 7 pm - 11:45 pm, while at weekends you can enjoy delicious delivered food from 12 am to 11.45 pm.

McDonalds, sushi, Indian or pizza all are just a click away via ubereats.com or through the app. The company expects more restaurants will join them in the future.

There’s no minimum order, and the delivery cost will be €2.50 at any time of the day.

The company has made unprecedented growth in Spain’s south in recent years, creating branches in Granada, Sevilla, Malaga, Almeria, Huelva , Cadiz and Jaen.

Yuri Fernandez, Uber Eats spokesman in Spain,is delighted with the expansion: “We are very happy to reach these new locations and continue to grow on the Costa del Sol,” he said.

Spain is still THE place to go - after all, 78 million tourists can’t be wrong!

SPAIN pocketed over €40 million from the travel and tourism industry during the first seven months of 2019, an increase of 3.6% on the same period the previous year.

It means that the Spanish tourism sector is on course for the tenth consecutive year of growth, since the 2008 global recession.

Income from tourism increased by €1.39 million, meaning that Spain earnt a massive €40,134,000 from tourism between January and July.

But challenges to the sector lie ahead.

The collapse of travel giant Thomas Cook is expected to

cause the immediate closure of 500 hotels, according to the Spanish Confederation of Hotels.

That said, some 29.6 million foreign tourists are expected to set foot on Spanish shores in the third quarter of 2019, an increase of almost 2% on the previous year.

Meanwhile, 48 million international tourists last year arrived in Spain during the first seven months of the year, a 2% increase on the same period last year.

Even better for Spain, the amount of money these tourists are spending is increasing. Total tourist expenditure reached €52.36 million euros between Janu-

Thirsty work Here’s a quick quiz...which drink is best for hydration?

Hint: It isn’t water!

No taxing tourists! ary and July 2019.

Tourists in July were on average spending €150 a day, IF you’re feeling thirsty, you should swap a glass of water for a glass of milk scientists reckon.

A study by the University of St. Andrews has found that water, despite its reputation, is not the most hydrating drink.

Researchers discovered that drinks with a little sugar, fat or protein help keep the

4.9% more than they were at the same time last year. body hydrated for longer.

Milk contains sugar, proteins and some fat which help slow the emptying of fluid from the stomach, which in turn keeps the body hydrated for a longer period.

It also contains salt, which acts as a sponge, allowing the body to retain more water.

THE mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, has spoken out against charging a tourist tax in the city - for now at least!

‘We are not in favour of implementing it now,’ he said.

But the mayor added he was open to discussing the tax in the future, but said he thought the Tourism Forum of the City of Malaga should make the final decision.

Latest figures show that Malaga attracts 1.3 million tourists per year. It’s hugely popular with British tourists with around 120,000 visiting every year.

In 2018 experts recommended the Spanish government to introduce a tax of between €2 and €5 a day on resorts.

33

September 25th - October 8, 2019

34

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

Oranges or Urine?

If you want to really know a city, follow your nose, as Maya Eashwaran does in Sevilla

L

URINE-COATED: A Sevilla street looks charming but may smell

AS Setas - translated, ‘the mushrooms’ - are rightly named.

From afar, they appear to be massive mushroom caps floating above Sevilla’s Plaza de Encarnacion (pic above).

A towering honeycombed pergola, the Metropol Parasol - to give it its real name - was completed in 2011.

It is the largest wooden structure in the world, designed by German architect Jürgen Mayer. The fan-like patterning bears a strikingly similar look to its ecological namesake. The platform at the top is the place to go for one of the most breathtaking views of the city.

This lookout point at sunset is crawling with couples and backpackers dangling elongated selfie-stick arms over the edge to capture a snapshot of the golden city below.

Sevilla is not a hidden gem. It’s one of the most visited cities in Spain, but it’s not a large place, certaintly in the centre.

Most streets are so narrow that cars can hardly squeeze past without grazing the mustard yellow and rust-red buildings.

The narrow pavements force groups to walk single-file. The trees are heavy with sagging bitter oranges and limes their skins thick and oily to the touch. It is a city that begs for gratuitous description.

Sevilla is a proper city with thousands of inhabitants and just as

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

CLASSIC SMELL: Tradition dictates that Sevilla smells of orange blossom, or azahar many smells, varied and pungent, each street corner and barrio emanating its own bespoke cocktail of sweat, food, perfume, beer, trash, grass, paint, - the list goes on.

Smell reminds us of the city’s humanity.

The people of Sevilla are, after all, people. They shower, they smoke, they travel, they drink, they eat, they sometimes vomit.

The smell of a city is what makes it so human, so overflowing with life.

According to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning author of Americanah, Philadelphia smells like ‘history’, New Haven of ‘neglect’, Baltimore of ‘brine’, Brooklyn of ‘sun-warmed garbage’.

Each place has a dominant smell, one that lifts off the smell-

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.

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A year of Culture

Bring hearts, minds and souls

35

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

ROOMS AT MOLINO DEL SANTO! map and characterises both the city and its people, for betfactory.”

As we enter the final straight of our 2019 season, Molino del Santo is ter or worse.

Henshaw’s blog, aptly named Smell and offering some hotel rooms at half price! Not many rooms, but some.

What does Sevilla smell like? The answer to this question is the City, references Marcel Proust’s fadeeply contested. mous ‘madeleine scene’ from his novE-mail us for a list of the dates that this offer is available. info@molinodelsanto.com American author Dan Brown had a few things to say about el, In Search of Lost Time, in order to mention half price rooms - and we’ll send you details of what is on special offer before we it in his debut novel, Digital Fortress, set in Sevilla. Brown demonstrate how the senses aid memclose on the 3rd November. Some rooms are going from as little as 64,50€ - with breakfast claimed that Sevilla was full of ‘hospitals that stink of urine, ory recollection. hopelessly inefficient phones, and corrupt policemen’. In reProust wrote: “No sooner had the warm included. Offer only available by e-mail. sponse, the local government invited Brown to speak in the liquid mixed with the crumbs touched city he so openly bashed in 2005, hoping to draw tourists my palate than a shudder ran through and refute Brown’s harsh judgements. me and I stopped, intent upon the exResident bloggers suggest that their city, despite its welltraordinary thing that was happening to Don’t forget our highly-praised restaurant is open every day until the 3rd November too known beauty, smells of ‘horse piss’, others me. but please reserve. argue it’s only smell is quintessentially orange “An exquisite pleasure blossom (‘Not even in the best of perfumeries! had invaded my sensttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt Smell allows I’m talking about the orange blossom, the smell es, something isolated, of smells’). detached, with no sugus to access Smell is contested because of its role in memogestion of its origin. ry recall - it’s a sensory documentation of emo“And at once the vicisfeelings like www.molinodelsanto.com | info@molinodelsanto.com | 952 16 71 51 tion that is logged in our brains without us even situdes of life had behomesickness, come indifferent to me, knowing it. Smell-mapping, or taking smellESTACIÓN DE BENAOJÁN, NEAR RONDA, MÁLAGA walks, are adding an olfactory twist to tourism. disasters innocuous, anger and love its A group of researchers (or, as the Washington its brevity illusory - this Post calls them, ‘a group of brave people’) hailnew sensation having ing from Bell Labs, Yahoo Labs, and the Univerhad on me the effect sity of Cambridge to name a few, have created smell-maps which love has of filling me with a precious essence; or rather this esof London and Barcelona using social media data. sence was not in me, it was me. … Whence did it come? What did it One such researcher, the late author and academic Victoria mean? How could I seize and apprehend it? … And suddenly the memHenshaw, led hundreds of ‘smell-walks’ throughout cities ory revealed itself. and towns around the world. Henshaw’s work also shows “The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday that we’re actually losing smells. In Wired magazine, she mornings at Combray (because on those mornings I did not go out beclaimed that this ‘eradication of aromas is eroding our fore mass), when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, sense of place’. my aunt Leonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea She’s right - smell and sense of place are inextricably conor tisane. nected. And it all boils down to biology.

“The sight of the little madeleine had recalled nothing to my mind beHere’s how it works. Our olfactory bulb, the part of our brains fore I tasted it. And all from my cup of tea.” that processes smells, is closely linked to the amygdala, a Distinctly and purely Proustian, it is. But it’s also a fascinating look into set of neurons that are responsible for processing emohow we’re able to access this flood of memory from a simple act - like tions. This relationship explains why smells often surface drinking a cup of tea - through the senses. certain memories and the strong emotions related to them.

Similarly, smell can awaken memories that are seemingly dormant, reIt’s the reason why people who lose their sense of smell vealing why documenting smell and their associated memories is so experience a ‘strong sense of loss’, as reported by the BBC. crucial in preserving the ‘sense of place’ of a city. Projects like HenSmell allows us to access feelings like homesickness, anshaw’s smell-walks, as well as Natalie Bouchard’s ‘smellstories’ which ger, longing, fear, love, happiness. It is an integral part of seek to archive stories and their corresponding smells into the Theatre how we process, manage, and express our emotions. of the Olfactory Memory, attempt to save smells before they’re gone Henshaw’s 2014 opinion piece in the New York Times urges for good. us to embrace the smelliness of life.

High above the city from Las Setas, Sevilla looks empty. It’s quiet, and “The pervasive whiff of trash is a visceral reminder of what the smells are dim, diluted. the seething masses leave behind that no amount of SanDown below, teenagers gather over bottles of beer and gossip with aniitation Department activity or hosing down of streets can mated hands. A woman attempts to hang her laundry in the fierce wind. hide,” she wrote. “But don’t hold your nose. Teach yourself Couples walk hand in hand as they share a cigarette. to parse the city’s odours and you will find a new dimension What does Sevilla smell like to me? It is this smell - all salty sweat and of urban experience opening up before you. Accept the olsunscreen and lipstick and something unidentifiable burning - that will remind me, years into the future, of this scene.

Time is running out though - don’t leave it too late

MOLINO DEL SANTO

BUSTLING: Revellers of all ages share a drink in a typical Sevillan bar

36

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

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38

October 9th - October 22nd 2019

COLUMNISTS

Mallorca diaries

Just 14 last things!

W

ELL my lovely readers, oh yes I know that there’s at least two of you and you’re both lovely, I’m very sad to say that this is my final column. No more witterings from me. The time has come to return to the motherland after three enjoyable and fascinating years.

There are many things I could say now, but I thought my last offering should be devoted to helping you all get the best out of life here based on my experiences. Here are a few things I have discovered, usually the hard way, which I hope you can now avoid.

1

Car washes don’t allow cars with tow bars or so I was told by the garage after at least my fifth problem free visit, it upsets the computer apparently (The computer says ’No Tow’). This means you have to use their jet wash.

2

Never use the jet wash whilst wearing a white t-shirt. The only time this doesn’t apply is if you are a size 12 or less, a female who is too young to remember when TV only had three channels, or are hoping to get chosen for Miss Wet T-shirt 2020. Sadly, this is not me and it’s not a good look as I discovered this afternoon.

3

Don’t ever leave a damp cloth on the floor. This will very quickly become a social club for cockroaches. I left

By Lesley Keith

In her last column (sob!) in Spain, Lesley Keith shares some shrewd advice to make living here oh so much easier. Trust us, you won’t find this in any guidebook.

Ignore at your peril! one by my washing machine to go in with the next wash. When I picked it up twenty small, fast and annoyed cockroaches fell out of it and scuttled off.

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Leave loads of room around your car when you park. Failure to do this will result in you becoming a victim of the Spanish kiss, or more appropriately for here, the Marbella snog. This is when your car is shunted along to make way for a car that’s too big for the space.

Never turn the light on in the middle of the night without stamping your foot first. This gives all those scuttlers time to make for safety and get out In view of of sight befothe above, re your eyes never bother Always assume adjust. Once with a pristine you’ve seen the other driver car: it just won’t them and stay decent for is an idiot know they’re long. In fact, it’s really there very liberating not because they you’ll have no to have to worry chance of geprobably are too much about tting back to your car bodywork. sleep.

One more dink or scratch will not affect its perAlways assume the formance or resale value at all other driver is an idiot so just relax. because they probably are.

They won’t signal, let you out When buying clothing or wait for a safe place to stay away from polyester overtake and to be fair does or nylon fabrics because they anyone really know the priority will cook you alive in your own at roundabouts? Assume the sweat for eight months of the worst: you probably won’t be year. Cotton and linen may look disappointed. continually crumpled, but co-

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CAREFUL: Where you park, and don’t buy a brand new car. It’s not worth it. llapsing with heat exhaustion isn’t much of a good look either.

Always carry water with you. This is not only to drink, but to pour down your back when the heat gets too much. In the same vein, if you need to walk anywhere, time it for when the sprinklers come on in public places so you get a lovely cool misting. You won’t care about your hairstyle, trust me.

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Save money by not bothering with expensive perfumes. The one scent you need here is Eau de Deet.

Forget all those bottles in the bathroom. For a couple of euros you can buy insect repellent and be mozzie free. It is the only thing that really works and it will be the best money you

spend by far.

It’s never quiet. This is Spain: dogs bark, people shout, building work is continual. Jet skis and motor boats come into secluded bays and no-one, and I mean no-one, knows how to close doors quietly. Why shut when you can slam? Sound proofing doesn’t seem to exist so just ignore it.

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Cyclists. I’ll leave that one with you.

Never assume anything about anyone. That guy boasting about selling his company for millions was probably a carpet fitter from Dagenham. That old scruffy Fuenginola guy with hardly any teeth who shuffles

Donkeys and Dough balls

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Finally, don’t work too hard on the lingo for they seem to have their own secret language that only those born here really understand. If they want to, they’ll know what you’re saying. If they don’t, well it doesn’t matter how you say it, you’ll be wasting your time, So that’s really all from me.

With a heavy heart and a weak stomach (or is it the other way round?) I wish you all contentment. My final thought to you is ‘Today’s trauma is tomorrow’s funny story’. Take care x

MIJAS MATTERS

By Bill Anderson

Bill Anderson has had enough of the donkey debate in Mijas, especially as those complaining didn’t even vote

HAVE often tried not to get into debates about the Mijas Donkies because people tend not to think with their heads.

Their thinking often takes place about 24 inches below, and everyone is an expert and a Dr Dolittle.

They can speak to the animals.

“The donkeys are tired. The donkeys’ feet are hurting. The

donkeys are sad.”

Fancying myself as a bit of an empath, I can kind of go along with this up to a point.

Where I get more defensive is when people start being offensive and insulting on behalf of the donkeys.

Cards on the table! Do I think that in 2019 we should be exploiting animals for financial gain? No, I don’t.

It’s Only Rock n Roll

Do I think that the emblem of Mijas should disappear? No, I don’t.

Do I think that the donkeys of Mijas are well looked after? Not well enough.

Do I think that they would be better off as dog meat than to have the life they have now?

This is a silly question because I believe that the donkeys’ lives can be made much better with a bit of compassion and imagi-

After a 30-year hiatus Giles Brown gets his band back together for a birthday party in Marbella

LAST year I wrote about my friend Fish’s visit from Washington and the jam session that we had.

During the 80s we had a band that consisted of various Marbella Rock n Roll types that went through several incarnations.

The first line up - ‘Medicine Show’ - consisted of myself, Fish and the fabulously named and sadly now departed to the Great Gig in the Sky, Brenton Macbeth Blackwood.

I left to London to continue what is laughingly referred to as my career, and the band then became ‘The Good, the Bad and the Nice’, when the supremely talented Nader and Adam joined.

Adam left to NYC, becoming a regular on the live music circuit there, Nader to Brussels for a while - continuing to record superb music and returning to

build his dream musician’s villa in the hills overlooking Marbella.

Fish moved to Colombia, where he gigged at the Hard Rock Cafe, Bogota in all probability to an audience of Shakira and Scarface lookalikes.

In the meantime, I struggled to fret a B chord.

While he was over last time, we all got together for an afternoon jam session, where things went so well that we decided that we should do it again.

Be careful what you wish for.

This month Fish celebrated a ‘landmark birthday’, and, as Paola, his ridiculously gorgeous Colombian wife, had rented a nine-bedroom villa, it seemed the perfect opportunity to get the band back together, man.

Two run-throughs in the week leading up to the party and we were ready to perform. As celebrations go, Fish’s birthday was

one of the best.

Great friends, fabulous food and enough free flowing booze to stop a heavy cavalry charge.

We had all clubbed together to buy the man himself a handmade Spanish guitar, a gift that actually had him shocked.

And as a, ahem, ‘specialist’ who has been to some of the world’s most (double ahem) ‘interesting’ places - a mobile phone call in Kabul springs to mind, where I thought there was crackling on the line but was blithely informed it was small arms fire - the present had him lost for words. The gig itself was huge fun - I managed not to hit too many bum notes and we even renamed the band.

After 30 years, three of us no longer have our hair, so we renamed ourselves…

The Good, The BALD and The Nice!

nation.

At our recent August Council meeting, my colleague, Mario Bravo, presented a motion which proposed several things: clarifying weight limits to be written into the ordinances; good quality stabling with sanitation, allowing the donkeys to rest well at night and on off time; an area for the retired or injured donkeys to be able to move about freely and enjoy a donkey’s life.

The motion was rejected. In fairness, they did say that they wanted to do some of these things, but not how we presented it.

A commission would be set up to look into it. At the time of writing this, there is no news of a commission. Well, so much for the donkeys. What about the dough balls?. When I posted about the donkeys, it went crazy. Within 48 hours the reach of the post was over 32,000.

I tried to control the comments, but there were simply too many.

Someone even blocked me from commenting on my own post by reporting it as spam.

Most of the comments, given that it is an English language page,

were from the International Community, in Spain and abroad.

The motion we presented was not new. It was always part of our election plan, yet 90% of the Internationals eligible to vote in the May elections didn’t bother either to register or to turn CRUEL?: But hardly bullfighting, writes Bill up to vote.

That is how much they really where these animals are brucared about the donkeys! With tally disposed of at the end the full intention of offending peo- of their useful life; where bull ple, they are the dough balls: very fights are still popular, and little substance, floating random- where having a bull running ly on the surface, and producing down a street with its horns little more than air and gas. Was set on fire is seen as fun. that clear enough?

The Mijas donkeys don’t even Incidentally, the claims of ‘tor- come close to that. ture’, ‘abuse’, and ‘cruelty’, have We will continue to pursue to, in my opinion, be put into a this issue, not to please all the context of a country in which moaners, but for the sake of breeding farms for hunting and the donkeys, who do deserve racing dogs are rampant, and a better life.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Perhaps, 8 Niece, 9 Nasal, 10 Content, 11 Raindrop, 13 Stop, 15 Loss, 16 Sorcerer, 19 Zambezi, 20 Blest, 22 Reign, 23 Acrobat.

Down: 1 Opener, 2 Ores, 3 Ballads, 4 Psychological, 5 Deserter, 6 Beat-up, 8 Nine, 12 Insomnia, 14 Iceberg, 15 Lizard, 17 Rotate, 18 Bean, 21 Ebbs.

SUDOKU

I

down to a little old Spanish bar for tapas and a red wine could own half the town. Just be nice and respect everyone, it costs nothing.

If you have a sports story, newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575

Birthday result A YOUNG British Malaga CF fan whose dad splurged on a Shinji Okazaki shirt for his sixth birthday was disappointed when the Japanese player left the La Liga club before he had a chance to wear it.

However, he received something even better – birthday greetings Tweeted by the star striker himself.

Joseph Wilson’s father, Simon Wilson, ordered the sports shirt online for his son’s big day but Okazaki had already moved on to SD Huesca when it arrived.

Malaga CF cited financial reasons for the exit of the Premier League-winning player.

Simon posted on social media: “Joseph’s birthday today!

Unfortunately, I ordered this before the contract debacle He still loves it though and will wear it to the game this evening.”

Indeed the boy and his father took the top to Leicester’s game and uploaded it to social media.

Then, brilliantly, Okazaki saw the post and Tweeted Joseph personally to send him birthday wishes.

SPORT

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October 9th - October 22nd 2019

Dina takes it all UK triumphs as Spain stalls at controversial World Athletics Championships in Doha

DINA Asher-Smith has made history for Britain, winning the 200m Gold at the World Athletics Championships and becoming the first Briton to scoop three medals at a major global athletics event.

The 23-year-old sprinter picked up three out of Britain’s five medals at the event in Qatar and broke a national record in the 200m, finishing in 21.88 seconds.

She also earned a silver medal in the 100m sprint and was part of Britain’s silver medal winning 4x100m relay team.

“Normally I am so chatty and

HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT: Asher-Smith bags gold, while (right) Spain’s Ortega leaps to victory full of energy, but I am lost for words,” said the 23-year-old after storming to victory in the 200m race.

The World Championships in the Qatari capital of Doha has been less kind to Spain, whose Orlando Ortega was initially robbed of the nation’s only

medal in the 110m hurdles, after Jamaican sprinter Omar McLeod fell into his lane.

Ortega was in third place when McLeod clipped a hurdle and flung his arm towards the Spaniard, forcing Ortega to dodge him.

Spain appealed the obstruction

Muguruza withdraws FORMER world tennis number number one Garbine Muguruza will end her 2019 season early and ‘go back to the drawing board.’

The two-time Grand Slam winner has tumbled 27 places to world number 28 since her peak as world number one in 2017.

The 25-year-old Spaniard has endured a terrible season, losing

seven of her last eight matches since the French Open in June.

She has also split with coach Sam Sumyk, who helped her win Wimbledon in 2017 and climb to the top of the tennis leaderboard.

Asked last month about her struggles, she said: “I am simply in different circumstances, challenges, but I feel super motivated.”

and at first the jury denied the appeal, arguing such incidents weren’t ‘unusual’ at hurdle events.

The International Association of Athletics Federations later backtracked and awarded Ortega a bronze medal.

The 2019 World Championships has been marred by controversy since it began, with French Decathlon medalist Kevin Mayer branding it ‘a disaster’.

“There is no one in the stands and you can’t get used to the heat,” he said.

The IAFF, which organises the event, has been accused of treating athletes as guinea pigs, forcing marathon runners and race walkers to compete in 31C heat.

Solheim time MARBELLA City Council has gone gung-ho in its pursuit of hosting the 2023 Solheim Cup. The council has been galvanised by the success of Marbella’s own Suzzan Pettersen at the 2019 event where she helped her European team beat the USA to the trophy.

Marbella councillor María García stressed that golf on the Costa del Sol is one of the most important tourist attractions in the province, and that the competition would put Malaga ‘at the epicenter’ of women's golf and be ‘a great showcase'.

The

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Ham fisted

FINAL WORDS

ACTING Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has outraged farmers after confusing the delicacy Jamon Iberico with the cheaper Jamon Serrano.

Sinning sisters FEMINISTS appearing in court for parading a huge plastic vagina through Sevilla during Semana Santa have denied they intended to ‘insult Christians’.

Big ask THE man who opened Mallorca’s first kebab shop, Salem Smati, has now opened a restaurant in Palma where you pay for your meal by its weight.

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Run for your wife (or hubby)

A RACE offering one lucky couple the ‘wedding of their dreams’ has been announced for the Costa del Sol. The winning lovebirds will bag a day of nuptials worth €40,000, including a dress, private villa, photographs, flowers, jewellery, hair and makeup.

The Corre por tu boda Run for your wedding event next February will see hundreds of lovers run

Race winners will get their ‘wedding of a lifetime’

against each other over the 5km circuit.

Only one person in each couple may participate, while there are a couple of smaller prizes on offer too.

Those who finish in under half an hour will then be

entered into a raffle for the top prize.

“We were looking for a

Feria across the Mersey MERSEYSIDE has received an early Christmas gift from Spain.

Liverpool has been gifted with a life-size replica of Malaga’s famous light tunnel.

The 70-metre-long structure, previously installed in Calle Larios during the festive season, has been sold by Iluminaciones Ximenez.

good way to combine our wedding company with Malaga’s position as the European sports capital in 2020,” said co-director, Ceci Correnggia.

“We thought about how we could do it, so we set out to organise a fun race in which you could win a wedding.”

Registration, which opened on October 1, is €40 and must be completed before February 9.

KIND: Narcos rescue cop

Happy pills BIG-HEARTED drug traffickers stepped in to rescue a trio of cops who were chasing them.

The gang stepped in when the Guardia Civil’s patrol boat tipped over throwing its three-man crew overboard.

Noticing that the police boat was out of control and circling the agents dangerously, the four suspected narco-traffickers turned around and pulled the police into their boat.

Despite their valour the gang were still arrested when 80 bundles of hashish were found on their boat.

The dramatic rescue was recorded by a police helicopter overhead.