Gibraltar Olive Press - Issue 78

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Cookshop, Cookshop, Cookshop, Cookshop, Household Goods, Household Goods, Household Goods, Household Goods, General Hardware, General Hardware, General Hardware, General Hardware, Beach Accessories more Beach Accessories more Beach Accessories & more Beach Accessories &&& more 46 Irish Town, Gibraltar 46 Irish Town, Gibraltar 46 Irish Town, Gibraltar 46 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 75188 Tel: +350 200 75188 Tel: +350 200 75188 Tel: +350 200 75188 Email: bia@gibraltar.gi Email: bia@gibraltar.gi Email: bia@gibraltar.gi Email: bia@gibraltar.gi Facebook: GibraltarBIA Facebook: GibraltarBIA Facebook: GibraltarBIA Facebook: GibraltarBIA

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August 29th -September September 11th 2018 August 29th 11th 2018 August 29th September 11th 2018 August 29th - --September 11th 2018

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ORIGINAL: Fancy dress

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THIS the woman who took on THISisisisthe thewoman womanwho whotook tookon on THIS Spanish police protestors after Spanishpolice policeprotestors protestorsafter after Spanish an off-duty cop kicked her the anoff-duty off-dutycop copkicked kickedher herinin inthe the an stomach during protest the stomachduring duringaaaprotest protestatat atthe the stomach Gibraltar border.

Gibraltarborder. border.

Gibraltar Shocking footage the incident Shockingfootage footageofof ofthe theincident incident Shocking sparked outrage, Erika Gonsparkedoutrage, outrage,asas asErika ErikaGonGonsparked zalez, 35, seen driving red zalez,35, 35,isisisseen seendriving drivingaaared red zalez, Mercedes before her car surMercedesbefore beforeher hercar carisisissursurMercedes rounded by protestors waving roundedby byprotestors protestorswaving waving rounded their flags her windows and theirflags flagsatat ather herwindows windowsand and their kicking her tyres. kickingher hertyres. tyres. kicking The trained nurse can be seen Thetrained trainednurse nursecan canbe beseen seen The exiting the car and approaches exitingthe thecar carand andapproaches approaches exiting the group protestors before thegroup groupofof ofprotestors protestorsbefore beforeaaa the scuffle unfolds. scuffleunfolds. unfolds. scuffle was then that she was brutally Itwas wasthen thenthat thatshe shewas wasbrutally brutally ItIt kicked the stomach by an offkickedinin inthe thestomach stomachby byan anoffoffkicked duty Spanish police officer. dutySpanish Spanishpolice policeofficer. officer. duty believed the mother had Itisisisbelieved believedthe themother motherhad hadaaa ItIt child the back the car. childinin inthe theback backofof ofthe thecar. car. child She told the Gibraltar Chronicle: She told the Gibraltar Chronicle: She told the Gibraltar Chronicle: was trembling, shaking, “Iwas wastrembling, trembling,I Iwas Iwas wasshaking, shaking, “I“I and felt like cornered.” andfelt feltlike likeI Iwas Iwas wascornered.” cornered.” and comes after Jusapol police Itcomes comesafter afterJusapol Jusapolpolice police ItIt union protestors marched the unionprotestors protestorsmarched marchedtoto tothe the union Gibraltar border from La Linea, Gibraltarborder borderfrom fromLa LaLinea, Linea, Gibraltar demanding pay increases after demandingpay payincreases increasesafter after demanding what they described ‘30 years whatthey theydescribed describedasas as‘30 ‘30years years what abandonment’. ofabandonment’. abandonment’. ofof Chief Minister Fabian Picardo ChiefMinister MinisterFabian FabianPicardo Picardo Chief met with Gonzalez hear her metwith withGonzalez Gonzaleztoto tohear hearher her met side the story.

Picardo said: sideofof ofthe thestory. story.Picardo Picardosaid: said: side am very grateful that Ms Gon“Iam amvery verygrateful gratefulthat thatMs MsGonGon“I“I zalez was able come No6 zalezwas wasable abletoto tocome cometoto toNo6 No6toto to zalez explain exactly what happened. explainexactly exactlywhat whathappened. happened. explain was able express her my “Iwas wasable abletoto toexpress expresstoto toher hermy my “I“I anger and regret the way angerand andregret regretatat atthe theway wayinin in anger which she was attacked and which she was attacked and Iwas was which she was attacked and I Iwas also able pledge the governalsoable abletoto topledge pledgethe thegoverngovernalso ment’s full support any issues ment’sfull fullsupport supportinin inany anyissues issues ment’s which arise from this deplorable whicharise arisefrom fromthis thisdeplorable deplorable which and regrettable incident.” and regrettable incident.” and regrettable incident.”

Faking it FAKING IT

BUSINESSES inin Andalucia are BUSINESSES Andalucia are BUSINESSESin inAndalucia Andaluciaare are BUSINESSES paying toto post dozens of FAKE paying post dozens of FAKE paying to post dozens of FAKE paying to post dozens of FAKE five-star reviews on TripAdvifive-star reviews on TripAdvifive-starreviews reviewson onTripAdviTripAdvifive-star sor bid toto increase their sor bid increase their sorin inaaaabid bidto toincrease increasetheir their sor inin rankings. rankings. rankings. rankings.

An Press investigation An Olive Press investigation AnOlive OlivePress Pressinvestigation investigation An Olive has unearthed companies ofhas unearthed companies ofhasunearthed unearthedcompanies companiesofofhas fering packages ofof 50 glowing fering packages 50 glowing feringpackages packagesof of50 50glowing glowing fering reviews for just €400. reviews for just €400. reviewsfor forjust just€400. €400. reviews Restaurants, hotels and gaRestaurants, hotels and gaRestaurants, hotels hotels and and gagaRestaurants, rages have utilised the services rages have utilised the services rageshave haveutilised utilisedthe theservices services rages of company GCI Malaga-based company GCI ofMalaga-based Malaga-basedcompany companyGCI GCI ofof Malaga-based Global, which promises ‘genuGlobal, which promises ‘genuGlobal,which whichpromises promises‘genu‘genuGlobal, ine reviews’ that will be ‘tailored ine reviews’ that will be ‘tailored ine reviews’ that will be ‘tailored ine reviews’ that will be ‘tailored to business’. your business’. toyour yourbusiness’. business’. toto your We can reveal that one of its We reveal that one of its Wecan canreveal revealthat thatone oneof ofits its We can clients, Malaga restaurateur, clients,aaaaMalaga Malagarestaurateur, restaurateur, clients, Malaga restaurateur, clients, managed get number one managedto toget getto tonumber numberone one managed toto get toto number one managed his town on TripAdvisor afinhis histown townon onTripAdvisor TripAdvisorafafin town on TripAdvisor afinin his ter ‘purchasing’ dozens of ‘exter‘purchasing’ ‘purchasing’dozens dozensof of‘ex‘exter dozens of ‘excellent’ reviews over just two cellent’reviews reviewsover overjust justtwo two cellent’ over just two months. months. months. total, 99% the comments Intotal, total,99% 99%ofof ofthe thecomments comments InIn the comments for his restaurant which we forhis hisrestaurant restaurant----which whichwe we for restaurant which we are not naming for legal reaarenot notnaming namingfor forlegal legalreareaare for legal reasons are ‘excellent’ 5/5 with sons- --are are‘excellent’ ‘excellent’5/5 5/5with with sons ‘excellent’ 5/5 with only one ‘very good’. onlyone one‘very ‘verygood’. good’. only good’.

“The restaurant was over 100 “Therestaurant restaurantwas wasover over100 100 “The was over 100 (in the list) but look now,” (inthe thelist) list)but butlook lookat atititititnow,” now,” (in look atat now,” GCI boss Ben Fisher boasted to GCIboss bossBen BenFisher Fisherboasted boastedto to GCI Fisher boasted to the Olive Press. theOlive OlivePress.

Press. the “It doesn’t matter (the review“It doesn’t matter (the reviewmatter ifififif (the review“It doesn’t (the reviewers) eat there not, although ers)eat eatthere thereoror ornot, not,although althoughifififif ers) not, although

launches probe,as asOlive OlivePress Pressexposes exposes probe, as Olive Press exposes launchesprobe, Press exposes launches a Costa del Sol ‘selling’fake customer a Costa business ‘selling’ fake customer aCosta Costadel delSol Solbusiness business‘selling’ fakecustomer customer a reviews on to the global giant’s website reviews giant’swebsite website reviewson onto tothe theglobal giant’s website reviews EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore By Laurence ByLaurence LaurenceDollimore Dollimore By and Elisa Menendez and Elisa Menendez andElisa ElisaMenendez Menendez and

you want to pay bit more we you want to pay youwant wantto topay payaaabit bitmore morewe we you can actually send someone,” can actually send canactually actuallysend sendsomeone,” someone,” can added Fisher, who lives Aladded Fisher, who addedFisher, Fisher,who wholives livesinin inAlAladded haurin de la Torre. haurin de Torre. haurinde delala laTorre.

Torre. haurin “In fact you pay “Infact factififififyou youpay paywe wecan cansend send “In fact you pay we can send “In four people to share fourpeople peopleto toshare shareone onepizza. pizza. four people to share one pizza. four Then we spread the reviews out Thenwe wespread spreadthe thereviews reviewsout out Then we spread the Then over few days. overaaaafew fewdays. days.“I“I“Ihave havedozens dozens over few days. have dozens over of clients.” ofclients.” clients.” of clients.” of The Olive Press probe was launched Posing after we were apPosing proachedPosing by an angry reader, The Olive Press probe was The Olive Press probeby was The Press probe was who Olive had been targeted an launched after we were aplaunchedafter afterwe wewere were aplaunched unsolicited email from GCIaplast proached by an angry reader, proachedby byan anangry angryreader, reader, proached month. who had been targeted by an whoadvert hadbeen been targeted byan an who had targeted by The read: “We offer taiunsolicited email from GCI last unsolicited emailfrom fromGCI GCI last unsolicited email last lor made professional review month. month. month. packages giving your business The advert read: “We taiTheadvert advert read:“We “We offer offertaitaiThe alor boost andread: the edge offer over your made professional review lor made professional review lor made professional review competitors.” packages giving your business packagesgiving givingyour yourbusiness business packages

boost and the edge over your boostand and theedge edgeover overyour your aaaboost the Posing competitors.” competitors.” competitors.”

Posing as potential clients with Posing potential clients with Posingasas aspotential potentialclients clientswith with Posing a holiday rental business in a holiday rental business a holiday rental business in a holiday rental business inin Marbella, our reporters were Marbella, our reporters were Marbella, our reporters were Marbella, our reporters were told by Fisher that thereviews reviews told by Fisher that the reviews toldby byFisher Fisherthat thatthe the reviews told be ‘from real people’. would be ‘from real people’. wouldbe be‘from ‘fromreal realpeople’. people’. would reviews arefrom fromreal “The reviews are from real peo“Thereviews reviewsare realpeopeo“The theCosta Costadel delSol, ple on the Costa del Sol, it’s not pleon onthe Sol,it’s it’snot not ple bunch offake fakeaccounts accountsputputbunch fake accounts putbunchofof aaabunch ting reviews on,”said saidFisher, Fisher, reviews on,” said Fisher, tingreviews reviewson,” ting from Hull.

Hull. fromHull.

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Please forgive forgive us! us!

Please Please forgive us!

In an open letter Inan anopen openletter letter In In an open letter to Spain, the Olive to Spain, the Olive to Spain, the Olive to Spain, the Olive Press apologises for Pressapologises apologisesfor for Press our unruly tourists Press apologises for ourunruly unruly tourists our tourists our unruly tourists

RRYY SORR RESO E’RE WE’ W So We’re rry

Spain, Spain, Dear Dear Spain, Dear

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Dear Spain,

panos panos Duscul Duscul panos Duscul

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not illegal.

You can’t get prosis notillegal. illegal.

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2

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www.gibraltarolivepress.com

August 29th - September 11th 2018

Waiting on mañana

British graduate forced to stay in Spain for year on drug case that ‘makes no sense’

48

Miller, 25, was arrested in October last year after six marijuana plants were found at the Airbnb property he was renting in La Linea.

The Glasgow lad was working out in the garage-cumgym next to the apartment when police stormed in

A BRITISH expat is still stuck in limbo after Spanish police took his passport off him following a ‘wrongful arrest’ almost one year ago. The Olive Press first revealed how Robbie Mc-

and questioned him about six plants they had found growing around the back.

He was arrested the same day – October 20 – and put in front of a judge and has had to appear on the 1st and 15th of each month since.

The West of Scotland Uni-

BEST

expat paper in Spain

FREE

Summer Fun LOS Álamos Beach Festival, a five-day summer electronic-music event, will move from Torremolinos to Estepona next year (August 1-5).

Prime Location AN estate agency from popular Channel 4 show ‘Sun, Sea and Selling Houses’ has opened a new branch in Albox.

Holy Moly!

A PRANKSTER changed a nativity scene near Madrid to show reindeer copulating and Mary performing leud acts on Joseph.

Vol. 12 Issue 281 www.theolivepress.es December 20th - January 3rd 2018

Young Brit arrested for marijuana plants slams Spain for ‘violating’ his human rights A BRITISH expat is demanding answers after a ‘wrongful’ arrest over marijuana plants has left him unable to work for months.

Robbie McMiller, 24, has had his passport confiscated since October and will be stuck in La Linea over Christmas.

The Glasgow lad was working out in the garage-cumgym next to his rental apartment when police stormed in and questioned him about six plants they had found growing around the back.

He was arrested the same day - October 20 - and put in front of a judge the next day

BUM-NOTE

Planted!

By Laurence Dollimore

MCMILLER: In Limbo

and has had to appear on the 1st and 15th of each month since.

The West of Scotland University graduate had only been in Spain for two weeks when the raid happened, but this still didn’t stop him being the prime suspect.

“It is ridiculous,” he told the Olive Press this week, “the plants were between two and four metres high, I only arrived in Malaga on October 1.”

Since appearing before the judge, he has been given no more information on his case nor has he been given any trial dates.

“I feel absolutely stuck, I might make it through to the New Year but I don’t

know what I will do after then.”

McMiller had recently moved to the area and had been applying to work in Gibraltar’s gaming industry sector. He had just landed an interview with gambling giant BetVictor. But now, with no passport, NIE or Spanish bank account, Robbie feels helpless and furious with the Spanish legal system.

“This would never be allowed to happen in the UK,” he added.

Bullish behaviour

A BRITISH politician has waded EXCLUSIVE into the case of a seriously ill British

By Elisa Menendez man who has been locked up with terrorists for more than two months Police claim he is linked to 1.5 in Spain. tonnes of hashish found in the deChichester MP Gillian Keegan has tached garage, while the owner of been in touch over the arrest of Robthe property has yet to be probed. ert Anthony Mansfield-Hewitt, who Both friends and colleagues of Robhas yet to be charged since being arert are very concerned about his rested over drug-dealing claims in health and insist he was in no way June. involved in the crime.

The Olive Press revealed This week, his British MP last issue how the 51-yearKeegan told the Olive Press old consultant engineer she was ‘very concerned’ was arrested when police about the situation and was TRAPPED swooped on his Airbnb speaking to his secretary in IN HELL rental home, in San Roque, Gibraltar. while he was on a business Robert’s PA Pilar Ford addtrip to Gibraltar. ed she had not had any conVoted BEST

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

Pension shocker

THE EGG TEST

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

EXCLUSIVE

By Luke Madeira

BRITISH pensioners in Spain claim to have lost more than a fifth of their spending power over the last two years as a direct result of Brexit.

Richard Hill, vice president of Brexpats in Spain, claims plummeting exchange rates, taxes and a rise in the cost of living have caused significant income losses.

It comes as the pound sunk to a new low of just 1.10 to the euro last week, as worries of a hard Brexit magnified.

The pensioner, who claims he’s around 22% ‘worse off’ since the referendum, believes expats will struggle regardless of whatever deal is reached ahead of Britain’s exit from the EU. The pensioner added: “The significant problem at this stage with Brexit is the fluctuating exchange rate.

“Obviously fluctuations are normal, however the steady downward trend is seriously affecting people.”

Plummet

It comes after the Rabobank in London warned that a no-deal Brexit could end in euro-sterling parity, while last week saw the pound plummet to an eight-month low.

British expat Karen Watling, from Sheffield, claims she has lost as much as a third of her monthly budget.

“Over two years this has caused us problems financially,” she told the Olive Press. “Prices and commodities have also risen so it has been like a double hit.”

The exchange rate was an average 1.24 in 2014 before climbing to an average 1.38 in 2015.

However the year of the referendum saw the average fall to 1.22 before falling again to 1.14 in 2017. This year so far has been lower at 1.13 and it currently stands at 1.12.

Brexpats in Spain has called for a government-run internet bank offering basic current accounts, debit cards and the option to carry out international and national transfers online.

The group even suggests ordering RBS - the only bank in the UK in which the government has a stake Turn to page 8

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

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

A BRITISH businessman - who atEXCLUSIVE tended Eton with David Cameron

By Elisa Menendez and Boris Johnson - is seriously ill in an Andalucian prison having on June 27. Colleagues and friends told been accused of drug smuggling. the Olive Press that Mansfield-Hewitt, Robert Anthony Mansfield- who has a PhD and no criminal record, Hewitt, 51, was arrested after po- is an ‘innocent man’ and has been lice swooped on his rental home wrongfully imprisoned. during a short business trip to Gi- They added that the Chichester-raised braltar two months ago. engineer is currently in a critical conThe consultant engineer, who dition and is being held in the insists he is innocent, has yet to wing at Botafuegos prison in medical Algeciras be charged over the 1.5 tonnes of - a dangerous jail, which notoriously hashish police found in the ga- houses a number of Basque ETA terrage of the villa he rented through rorists.

Airbnb.

The Brit, a consultant at electrical com- CAGED: Notorious prison while (right) Mansfield-Hewitt He insists he has absolutely ‘no pany Genco Holdings Ltd in connection’ to the drugs that were who regularly travels to the Gibraltar, and (above right) ETA terrorist Rock, sufbeing stored at the rental in Cam- fers from severe liver disease Ascites daily for his illness.”

“The doctor said he hadn’t been pamento, in San Roque. and walks with a cane.

After spending two days in a cell, he given CAPTION: his medication and his liver The owner of the villa, the Olive His PA, Pilar June Ford, 54, said she appeared in front of a judge at San was functioning Press understands, was charged was ‘horrified’ when she received a call Roque court before being sent to Bota- heartbeat was at just 15%. His for importing cocaine into Gibral- from her boss screaming at almost non-existent La Linea fuegos prison. and he was delirious.” tar last year. police station.

Ford is concerned he has not been re- His lawyer Jose Maria Castro In the case, that has strange par- She told the Olive Press: “He Esallels to the plight of Scottish stu- station shouting ‘please helpwas at the ceiving the correct medication, after he cudero believes he is now being dent Robbie McMiller, Mansfield- me, bring me clothes, there’sme, help collapsed in shock as his ‘body started administered the correct medicaloads of to shut down’ on the way to prison. tion, but still remains in a Hewitt was woken up and ‘dragged drugs in the house.’ It was horrible.

He was rushed to ICU at Hospital Pun- condition. The nightmare critical out of bed practically naked at gun- “I rushed there with a huge began point’ by police officers at 8.30pm medication, which he needs bag of ta de Europa where his survival chanc- after police were alerted to the to take es were described as ‘touch and go’. stash after following a man of Moroccan nationality, who pulled up outside the property and attempted to get into the garage.

Police found 48 packets of hashish weighing MINIMARKET around 33 kilos each, or Freshly Baked Deli Products almost 1.5 tonnes.

Tel: 602 514 384 If found guilty he could WhatsApp: 602 559 385 UK BASED be sentenced to up to Opp St Anthony’s College six years in a Spanish La Cala Hills prison.

Closed Mondays According to his lawyer he is ‘fighting every day to free Robert’ and CASHBACK ON get him bail, meaning for Spanish he would likely have to YOUR HOUSE residents report to police once a month while he awaits www.globelink.co.uk

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

A HIDDEN handwritten note has been found up the bum of an 18th cen-

tury statue of Jesus Christ in Northern Spain.

The message dating back to 1777, documents key information about the period including famous people, popular pastimes and political matters.

Signed by Joaquin Minguez, priest of the cathedral of Burgo de Osma at the time, it was found when restorers removed a piece of fabric used to cover Christ’s derriere, exposing a small gap.

Double sided and two pages long, experts believe that the priest’s intention was to make a time capsule.

The wooden statue is now kept at the church of Santa Agueda in Sotillo de la Ribera, in Burgos.

FLASHBACK: Our firstSky’s the limit story

MP steps into engineer drug case

SOME of southern Spain’s most beautiful towns will be on cinema screens as a new animated blockbuster featuring a talking bull will the talk of town this winter.

20th Century Fox’s Ferdinand, the story about a Spanish pacifist bull mistaken for a violent beast will be a real tear-jerker as it depicts Ronda’s famous Puente Nuevo bridge.

Based on The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson, the family-friendly film wrestles with the controversial issues surrounding bullfighting.

Featuring voiceovers from John Cena, Kate McKinnon, David Tennant and NFL star Peyton Manning, it will be released in Spain on December 22.

Teacher fined for gay insult

tact with Robert since August 18.

“We have not had any telephone calls - it’s very worrying,” she said, “Usually he calls two to three times a week.”

Robert, who suffers from severe liver disease Ascites, is currently in a critical condition at the medical wing at notorious Botafuegos prison in Algeciras - which houses ETA terrorists and most recently Kinahan cartel member James Quinn.

The Brit who has a PhD and works for electrical company Genco Holdings Ltd in Gibraltar regularly travels to the Rock on business and has no criminal record.

Robert’s lawyer, Jose Maria Castro Escudero, told the paper two weeks WWW.LAVA-PRODUCTIONS.ROCKS

STUCK: Robbie

December 20th - January 3rd 2018

Voted

FINAL WORDS

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

Quality not quantity, and at least half a million readers a month www.theolivepress.es

A TEACHER has been fined 417 euros for saying that homosexuality is unnatural in a philosophy class.

The 64-year-old at the school in Lleida has now apologised to students after comparing homosexuals to being ‘lame or one eyed’.

The comment, which was recorded on a mobile phone, is in violation of law which guarantees the rights of LGTBI members.

versity graduate had only been in Spain for two weeks when the raid happened, but this still didn’t stop him being the prime suspect.

“It would have been impossible for those plants to have grown in just a fort-

A MILLION more passengers have used Malaga airport this year.

Some 17.6 million travellers came through the hub between January and November, an increase of 11.9%.

The figures released by Spanish airport authority Aena, also showed that more than 15 million people flew to or from airports outside of Spain, with domestic flights representing just under 7% of the total.

Growth is expected to continue next year, with a new route between Malaga and Lyon launching in April by Transavia.

Stubbed out POLICE have raided an illegal tobacco factory capable of producing two million cigarettes per day.

Some 18 suspects have been cuffed in raids at the factories in Granada and Malaga, where the cigarettes were sold and distributed.

The factory had a €3 million investment from crime bosses, including more than 14 tonnes of tobacco.

The gang had the same production levels of other legal factories and even had their own packaging process and brand.

It had already made at least 4.5 million cigarettes when it was busted.

night,” he told the Olive Press this week. “Yet they have still not let me off the hook.”

The case has forced him to stay in Andalucia, as police have kept his passport and he has been scraping a living doing some software development work.

“It’s been a really hard year,” he continued. “There have been no updates on the case at all and I have yet to have my day in court.

“I’m still waiting on a manaña that never seems to come.”

Lucky

DESPERATE: Briton Robert ago that a judge was due to visit the prisoner and make a decision on whether to grant bail.

But last night he revealed that the judge has still not visited his client.

“He is desperate,” added the lawyer.

He added: “I'm lucky to have God and friends and family have been helping me out too.”

His lawyer Alvaro Gracia told the Olive Press: “We have asked the court of appeal in Cadiz if Robbie can have his passport back and a NIE so he can rent and work properly in Spain, but that was five months ago and I am still waiting for the judgement.”

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Hot water

SOME 14 fire bosses have been arrested for allegedly embezzling €7 million in public funds.

The Policia Nacional found that the Consortium of Bomberos Cadiz took out mass early retirement insurance policies.

But when their employees retired early, chiefs siphoned off the money from the payouts.

Authorities also found discrepancies in the consortium’s training courses.

Large sums were paid to a company to provide training courses, but no evidence has been found that these courses took place.

Meanwhile, irregularities were also found in grants and subsidies, which cops believe were used to pay for private trips.

The irregularities date back to 2008 and cops believe at least €7 million has been stolen by those at the top.

Pipe ban FRUIT growers in the Axarquia are facing a 60% reduction in water use from the La Vinuela reservoir with no solution in sight.

The Junta has decided to limit its use as the reservoir is already at 22.7% capacity and could drop even lower if the dry weather keeps up.

Costa del Sol hotel has three months to fight decision before it is demolished A HOTEL is to be knocked down for not having enough class!

Benalmadena’s Hotel Vista de Rey must be demolished within three months, a court has ruled, Andalucia’s Superior Court of Justice ruled that the hotel falls short of its four-star requirement.

NEWS

From Page 1

Probing

It began probing the three star hotel and apartment block in 2011 after it was denounced over planning rules which set aside the plot for a four star hotel only.

According to the PGOU town plan an apartment block was not permitted and it also breached rules by being over 700 square meters bigger

December 6th - December 19th 2017

‘He deserves it’ Not enough stars

DOOMED: Costa hotel

than permitted.

Although the town hall and developer maintain this excess was later corrected, the judge ruled that the rectification would have taken place after the granting of the licence, so does not count.

The building has 61 apartments and 46 parking spaces.

The original building was granted planning permission by then mayor Enrique Bolin in 2001.

SMUGGLERS’ WALL POLICE officers have formed a human wall along a beach in La Linea to ensure that the construction of a beach wall went ahead.

The wall, between the church of Nuestra Senora del Carmen and the perimeter wall of the fishing port of La Atunara, hopes to

deter drug smugglers from using the beach as a drop off zone.

A combined police presence of Guardia Civil, local and national officers were present as fears grew that drug smugglers would try and disrupt the work.

He even got himself a financial advice slot on a well known radio station, through which he snared unsuspecting victims.

However, a comprehensive Olive Press investigation exposed his scams that involved stamps, coins and gold.

We also revealed how he and his close pal Barry Nathan wined and dined up to a dozen criminals, anonymously, through the food column.

He eventually fled the country following our expose, but we soon tracked him down to the UK, where he had changed his name by deed poll and was selling coins and antiques on eBay from a small Berkshire cottage.

He was quickly found guilty under English law of conning people and given a suspended prison sentence only due to health reasons.

“And because he promised to never go back to his online cons,” one of the British victim explained.

But this is apparently not the case with two victims claiming he is still using eBay to sell ‘dodgy’ coins and stamps from his unpaid flat in Brighton, using the names ‘gqtrading’ and ‘gqtrading2’.

“We are pretty sure he has broken his bail conditions and will have to finally go back to prison,” said one victim.

“The nerve of this man is unbelievable.”

His landlord last night insisted he should have known something was up from the start.

“When we met to sign the contracts I thought he was a bit slippery, I went to pay for my coffee only for the barista to tell me he had left without paying his bill.”

He continued: “He paid for the first couple of months but then just stopped. He told us his account had been frozen due to a money laundering investigation, which is probably true. “He then told us to stop contacting him and accused us of harrassment.

“Now he is claiming he is seriously ill and can’t work to make payments.

“We’ll see him in court.”

Opinion Page 6

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August 29th - September 11th 2018

3

Bombshell for beauty queen

SHOOK: Gonzales

Queen of the Costas

BRITISH reality TV icon Gemma Collins has revealed details of her upcoming ITV special Diva España.

The Only Way Is Essex favourite said filming for her very own reality show was ‘a dream come true.’

According to Lime Pictures, ‘The Queen of Essex is back’ and this time she's calling the shots in a brand new oneoff special following her life around Essex and Marbella.

Launch

Heading to Marbella to launch a pop-up shop, Gemma's personal and professional worlds collide as she endures yet another hurdle in her on/off relationship with co-star Arg, who has been working part time at his pal Elliott Wright’s restaurant Olivia’s in La Cala.

The special one-off will air on ITVbe tonight (August 29) at 10pm Spanish time.

Rocking around A NEW sound is coming to the Rock thanks to the launch of its first radio station in half a century.

Rock Radio - Gibraltar’s only independent commercial station - will be on air from October 1 with a big mix of locally-produced programmes.

Free from government funding or grants, the station describes itself as ‘editorially independent’.

A FORMER Miss Marbella has been seriously injured after being blasted by a car BOMB that was intended for her boyfriend.

Olatz Bilbao Gonzales is in hospital with serious leg injuries following the attempted assassination in Belgrade, Serbia.

The Costa del Sol native, 20, was sitting in the passenger seat of the Audi car waiting for her partner, Strahinja Stojanovic, 28, who had run back into their apartment to retrieve his phone.

Police believe the bomb was intended for Stojanovic, a local man known to police who has

Costa del Sol expat ‘threw herself’ from cruise ship despite claiming she ‘fell’, probe alleges

NEWBIE: Rock Radio

‘She jumped’

Toppled

The air stewardess - who lives in Benalmadena with her partner Craig Rayment - later told TV crews she had accidentally toppled from the 75ft seventh deck, some 60 miles out at sea.

She revealed how she was forced to tread water in the Adriatic overnight and thanked her fitness and yoga classes for keeping her alive.

However authorities in Croatia and Italy have

EXPAT: Kay

HAPPIER TIMES: Kay with partner

both concluded that she did not fall accidentally, but it was ‘voluntarily’ and in a ‘determined fashion’.

Croatian officials say CCTV images show she was alone at the time of the incident at 11.45pm.

Argument

Her partner Rayment, who runs CR Electrical from a base in Benalmadena, was said to be in bed when the drama unfolded, but the pair are believed to have had an argument.

It was Rayment, who reported her missing at 2am later that evening.

The Olive Press has so far been unable to speak to Longstaff about the incident.

It is understood she will not have to contribute to the cost of her rescue, which allegedly set the cruise company back more than €500,000.

Don Danny HOLLYWOOD actor Danny DeVito is gearing up to receive a lifetime achievement award at the San Sebastian Film Festival next month.

The 73-year-old Batman Returns star will receive the coveted Donostia Award on September 22 for his ‘versatile career’ in theatre, film and TV lasting almost five decades.

Past winners have included Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Bette Davis, while the Basque film festival is considered the oldest and most prestigious of its kind

Speedo Gonzales NOVAK Djokovic has been spotted jogging along the Costa del Sol ahead of this year’s US Open - in tight swimming trunks.

The tennis star was seen enjoying a run in Marbella wearing nothing but his Speedos, cap and sneakers.

He completed the minimal look with a black necklace featuring a gold crucifix.

The father-of-two even had a go on the public gym equipment along Marbella’s beach promenade, performing pull-ups and leg presses, all the while sporting the rather tight budgy smuggler.

The 31-year-old Serbian was later seen taking a dip in the sea after changing into different swimwear.

A BRITISH expat who survived in the sea for 10 hours after ‘falling’ from a cruise ship ‘jumped voluntarily’, investigators have claimed.

Costa del Sol-based Kay Longstaff, 46, told rescuers she had fallen from the back of the Norwegian Star during a cruise from Croatia to Italy.

Followers

It already has more than 2,000 followers on social media and 100 sales enquiries.

Daniel Harrison, Station Director, said: “Speaking with locals from all walks of life, they have all told us that an additional radio station on the Rock, is long overdue.”

Rock Radio is keen to hear from budding presenters who are looking to be the next voice of Gibraltar. Visit the website to apply.

recently been released from prison. He was not hurt. Gonzales, who won Miss Marbella in 2015, managed to get out of the car, screaming with pain, after the bomb went off and was rushed to hospital by ambulance.

Police believe the device was activated remotely.

The investigation continues.

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Our amazing successes

PRIME TIME: Marion and Martin with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning

Real bandwidth

RADICAL CHANGE: Sara Price lost half her body

weight, thanks to Gastric Mind Band

Costa del Sol-based cognitive therapists star on UK television special

H

olly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield talked publishers Hay House in New York, and were then with Martin and Marion Shirran about their invited to share details of their work at two leading Gastric Mind Band® permanent weight loss European psychology conferences at universities in Portugal and Poland. treatment on the This Morning TV Show.

The Costa del Sol is acknowledged around the world They were recently invited to appear on the This for a number of reasons, but for a few in the know, Morning show to talk about the treatment and its including a growing number of celebrities, it remains development, you can see the full interview on the the Go-To destination for those wishing to achieve clinics web site – www.gmband.com.

The revolutionary treatment which can be completed Permanent Weight Loss.

The incredible story around the over either three or four days delivers what is surely Gastric Mind Band® treatment Utopia for dieters... Permanent Weight Loss using a goes back to 2012 when it was range of proven psychological interventions. Today developed at a small clinic the Gastric Mind Band® is regarded by many as the gold standard in permanent non-surgical weight loss in Fuengirola, treatments.

by Martin and Marion Shirran. Helping people The unique approach has been refined during a decade of research and extenShortly afterlose weight is sive client trials. Every element of the wards Claudia Connell (left) a complex task treatment is evidence based. There’s no smoke and mirrors, no diet plan, and no of the Daily Mail, travelled requiring various exercise regimes to follow.

“Helping people to successfully, and perto Spain to techniques manently lose weight is a complex task, meet the developers and experience the requiring a careful fusion of empirically treatment for herself. Two weeks later proven interventions. The treatment inshe wrote a two-page feature in the Daily Mail newspaper detailing her treatment that literally got the corporates Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Neuro-Linwhole world talking. Martin and Marion were then guistic Programming and the clinics own registered, flown to New York to be featured in a Good Morning TactileCBT along with Mindfulness Techniques, each America TV special regarding their approach; result- underpinned as and when required by Hypnotherapy. ing in them establishing a number of licensed clinics The treatment has been further enhanced following the new and exciting research in the field of Neuroaround the world.

Following the TV appearances they signed a multi- plasticity. title publishing contract with leading Mind Body Their past clients have been interviewed in the media and on TV worldwide, Sara Price, lost half her body weight following her treatment, Katie Drew, went on to lose over 100 pounds. Kaye Lindley, a past client was interviewed by Lorraine Kelly on GMTV Breakfast show after losing 105 pounds and reversing her diabetes.

Read their stories at www.gmband.com

TRANSFORMATION: Katie Drew lost 100 pounds

MODERN: the team’s Fuengirola clinic

A MUST READ, DON'T DESPAIR - FIND SUCCESS!!

Their highly-esteemed work has been featured in Vogue, Marie Claire, The Times, Telegraph and The Daily Mail

Written by expat cognitive therapists Martin & Marion Shirran Gastric Mind Band Therapy Elite Clinic, Fuengirola +34 951 311 591 mail@gmband.com www.gmband.com www.pausebuttontherapy.com

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Shall not sink A RECORD 28 vessels have taken to sea in the tenth annual Cardboard Boat Race.

The charity event, run by the RAOB at Ocean Village Marina, was won by O’Reilly’s Unicorns in the junior event and Nathan Lima and friends in the adult race.

Morrisons supermarket meanwhile dazzled judges with its green and yellow Hawaii-style vessel, Morrilicious, taking the crown for Best Boat Design.

The nautical show was watched by ministers John Cortes and Stephen Linares, along with Miss Gibraltar Star Farrugia.

All proceeds went to GBC Open Day and the Gibraltar Cardiac Association.

Ocean Village events executive Emilia Hazell-Smith, said: “It was a fantastic summer’s day out with each team investing many hours of work into their creations!”

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EU migrants can stay in UK... but expats could lose access to pensions in case of no-deal Brexit

Taking the high ground

SPANISH migrants living in the UK will be given the right to remain in the country even if there is a no-deal Brexit, it has been revealed.

The UK government is set to take the ‘moral high ground’ even if the EU and Spain act

differently, according to a leaked government report.

The deal will be offered to all 3.8 million EU citizens residing in Britain who will still be able to use the benefits system and access the NHS. It comes after fears grew over

potential labour shortages in certain sectors once Britain is no longer in the EU. British expats in Europe were warned of losing access to their pensions and hit with taxes when using credit cards if no deal is agreed.

Mum mowed down THIS is the Gibraltar-based mother who was killed after being mowed down on the street at the weekend.

Adrienn Baltes, 43, was walking home from work in La Linea when a car hit her as she crossed the road.

The Hungarian mother-of-one, who has lived on the Rock for at least 20 years, is said to have been killed instantly.

According to investigators, the tattoo artist - whose brother runs popular parlour Gib Ink - died on Calle Principe de Asturias at around 1am on Sunday morning.

It happened when a silver Volkswagen Golf ploughed into her as she crossed at a red light.

Tributes have been pouring in for the expat who had been working that evening at a cafe in Gibraltar.

“She was a great person always with a smile on her face and had a very big heart,” one wrote.

Another said: “I’m totally shocked by the news.

“Adrienn was a wonderful and caring lady, my condolences to her family.

“She will be sadly missed and the Cyber Cafe won't be the same.”

Initial reports in Spanish press that the incident was a hit-and-run appear to have been unfounded.

According to friends of Adrienn, the driver who hit her stayed with her until police and paramedics arrived and was ‘visibly shaken’.

Annuities, deposit services, lending and insurance are just some of the financial actions where expats could face difficulties if the EU does not take action.

UK citizens in the European Economic Area will not be able to access these products without intervention from Brussels before the Brexit deadline.

It comes after the UK government released its no-deal preparation plans last week, in a bid to offer guidance in the event of a so-called ‘hard Brexit’.

Inconvenience

Hugh Savill, director of regulation at the Association of British Insurers, said leaving the EU without a deal would cause ‘major inconvenience’ to millions of pensioners, travellers and drivers.

He added: “We urge the Government to agree a deal as a matter of urgency.”

Savill revealed that insurers have been making ‘contingency plans’ for months but the issues are too deep-rooted for them to fix alone.

NATIONAL HEALTH NEWS FOR EXPAT’S

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Fe at u r e

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

August 29th - September 11th 2018

The Rock’s only investigative

local newspaper

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Gibraltar Olive Press represents the local and expatriate communities working or living on the Rock with 10,000 copies distributed fortnightly.

OPINION

Brits on tour in

TripAdvisor on trial IT’S something everyone has suspected for years, but now, thanks to good old fashioned journalism, it has been finally exposed. In a classic newspaper sting, the Olive Press has this week proven that a variety of businesses along the coast are not scared to cheat in order to get on.

Our front page on TripAdvisor has caught a businessman selling fake reviews in order to help restaurants and rental homes move up the rankings.

And it’s not just a few places.

In one incredible case, a restaurant allegedly rose from 100th position to first place in just two months.

It is a scandal that is as shameless as it is fraudulent and it is lucky TripAdvisor says it is investigating.

If only Twitter and Facebook also better probed those businesses who shamelessly buy followers and ‘likes’ to make them appear more popular.

Well, the proof is in the pudding.

When you see a website, or an Instagram or Twitter feed suddenly grow from 5,000 to 20,000 followers almost in a week, you know something is wrong.

Take it from us, we have built up our massive web following organically and ethically over a decade, with no artificial injections.

It’s a shame some of our rivals have done it differently! Either way, next time you are looking for the ‘best restaurant near you’, take the results with a pinch of salt - many of them could have been paid for!

As we are about to hit ‘scroll free September’ and a British campaign against social media, perhaps it’s time everyone tried to go back to genuine, old fashioned experts. All in all, If you want real, honest reviews use good local media, proper independent websites and good local bloggers. And, above all, trust the word of someone you know. It’s not Fake News, honest.

Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618

Head of SALES Sarah Adams sales@theolivepress.es

Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Elisa Menendez elisa@theolivepress.es Bradley Stokes bradley@theolivepress.es Pablo Balbontin pablo@theolivepress.es

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

Designer Keith Franks

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

Clarke Media Ltd. Registration number: 113878 Suite 1A, 12 Tuckey’s Lane, Gibraltar Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Desposito legal 834-2017

We’re Sorry

In an open letter to Spain, News editor Laurence Dollimore apologises for the sordid minority who reclassify ‘British’ and ‘tourist’ as dirty words

Dear Spain,

W

e know you are a patient and long-suffering bunch, well, please can we ask you once again not to judge us Brits by the sinverguenzas who choose to poo over your balconies or perform oral services for a free cocktail, but by the majority of respectful expats who are privileged to call your beautiful country home.

Seriously though, how did we get here?

Brits used to be famed for their polite manners and punctuality. Now we are better known for our excessive drinking and outrageous party antics compounded by the senseless alcohol-fuelled sport of ‘balconing’. The facts speak for themselves.

Some 46 patients were treated for injuries after falling or deliberately jumping from balconies in Spain between 2010 and 2015 - and 60% were Brits.

The last two years have seen this number grow, with almost 10 Brits dying this year alone .

And that’s only one example from a whole catalogue of outrageous behaviour that has seen holiday high jinks sink to a shocking new low.

Just this week we were sent a video from Benidorm which showed a British reveller putting his penis in the mouth of a passed-out compatriot.

And who can forget the brazen British girl who performed oral sex on 24 men for a free drink in 2016, or the man who fell from a balcony in Mallorca last month while trying to defecate over the edge.

Closer to home, beach club brawls and stabbings at Costa del Sol haunts dominated the headlines last summer.

Two rival gangs’ fight spilled onto the streets of Puerto Banus and ended with one member trying to run over his rivals.

Is it any wonder that some of Spain’s biggest resorts are starting to resent the tourists?

‘Tourists go home’ and ‘Tourist, you are the terrorist,’ are just some of the messages that have been graffitied at hotspots in the past year.

Just because resorts make a killing from visiting Brits every year, it doesn’t mean they have to put up with such antics.

And while most Brits behave themselves, as we know, it’s only the headline-grabbing activities which are etched in the memories’ of fed-up Spaniards - like Freda Jackson, who famously complained this month of there being ‘too many Spaniards’ during her recent trip to Benidorm.

So yes, there will always be Brits behaving badly in Spain, but please, don’t tar us expats with the same brush!

We embrace the culture, we learn - or try to learn - the language and we have the utmost respect and pride for our adopted homeland and Spanish neighbours.

We hope you will bear this in mind the next time you roll your eyes in disgust at yet another story about a British reveller behaving badly, and accept our apology on behalf of the whole damned lot.

Dusculpanos

The Olive Press team

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Celebrating

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ibraltar National Day

Vol. 12 Issue 299 www.theolivepress.es August 29th - September 11th 2018

Red, white and wonderful Gibraltar National Day - always a celebration of sovereignty and self-determination takes on an added importance this year

PATRIOTIC: A sea of red and white will fill in Casemates Square, while (inset) various characters

F

ORIGINAL: Fancy dress is a popular tradition

IREWORKS and beers at the ready... The Passion truly makes this party... and organisRock is set to rumble as Gibraltar pre- ers expect more than 30,000 revellers - not pares for its National Day celebrations. to mention the monkeys (Barbary macaques, Just over half a century on from the ref- if we are being pedantic) - to join the celebraerendum that gave it such a unique appeal, tions. the Rock is standing taller than ever.

“There is always a real buzz around Gibraltar An abundance of local pride spills out over in the build up to national day,” explains Britvarious days of celebration - including mu- ish journalist Joe Duggan, who covered the sic of all genres, arts, food, Rock for the Olive Press for a photography, fancy dress and year, while based in La Linea.

Overwhelming competitions - and is a perfect “National Day was always one 99% of excuse to bring locals and tourof the highlights of the year ists alike onto the streets. and is a time when Gibraltar Gibraltarians But the big day is September showed off how proud it was of voted to remain 10, a day to show the world its history and successes.”

British there really is nowhere quite The festival is a mix of looklike Gibraltar, and there is no ing back at Gibraltar’s proud group of people quite like Gihistory; and looking forward, braltarians. celebrating the business opportunities, innoThis year, it’s a statement as well as a cele- vation and building plans for this very modern bration; because with Brexit it’s a tense time peninsular. politically, and that only fuels the fire of the Organised by the Self Determination for Gilocals. braltar Group in conjunction with Gibraltar For just as the Rock is a symbol of the coun- Cultural Services, the annual celebration try’s strength and unity, the people are a re- commemorates one of the most important flection of its charm and character and stand moments in Gibraltar’s history: the referenup as one of Europe’s most recognisable land- dum of 1967, when citizens had a say on their marks. sovereignty for the very first time.

On that day, an overwhelming 99% of Gibraltarians voted to remain British and, 51 years later, they are just as, if not more, impassioned - largely due to the ever-volatile relationship with their Spanish neighbours.

As if to make clear where their allegiance lies, the Moorish Castle is illuminated in red and white to mark the occasion for a period of three weeks before the big day.

While the Queen may not have made an appearance since 1954, five years ago Prime Minister David Cameron joined the celebrations in spirit, rallying his loyal troops from a giant screen in Casemates.

“For 300 years we have stood together, as one with our shared sovereign. Let me assure you that the British people and my Government stand with you now. Our relationship is solid, sure and enduring,” he proclaimed to roars of approval.

These sentiments are increasingly important to Gibraltar in the light of international tensions, being stretched to the limit by current Brexit negotiations and how they will play out for the Rock.

National Day is an opportunity to tell Spain Continues overleaf

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ibraltar National Day

August 29th - September 11th 2018

Solid as the Rock From previous Page

DRESSING UP: A pair of war bairns

what chance it has of taking over Gibraltar.

While it’s about a party, it sends a message, loud and clear, in the best possible way - Gibraltar is British with a capital B! The day itself kicks off with live music and a children’s fancy dress competition from 9.30am in Casemates square.

Later there is a Freedom of the City ceremony for Joe Bossano, who has served the Rock for decades, followed by a political rally at 12.40pm, with various speakers.

From 1.15pm there will be various music and DJs in Casemates, while kids will be catered for from 1.30pm to 7pm at John Mackintosh Hall.

Meanwhile, the King’s Bastion Leisure centre will have a series of concerts and special ice skating events, while Ocean Village will have a series of things happening and will be as busy as ever.

Finally at 9pm to 12.30am there is a big concert in Casemates Square with various local acts, while a firework display will light up the night at 10.30pm.

And while not directly connected to the National Day celebrations this year, later in September the MTV Gibraltar Calling Music Festival plays host to the

BOTTOMS UP: Group of girls getting in on the act

likes of Stormzy, Two Door Cinema Club and which also opened two years ago.

Chase and Status, as well as Rag and Bone Quality schools are a priority as booming busiman and Bad Manners. ness means Gibraltar is attracting top talent from Once again held at the national around the world for a new life in football stadium, Victoria Park the sun. the two-day bash on Septem- The Rock already The Sunborn, the world’s first ber 21 and 22, will also feafive-star superyacht hotel, is gohas a university ture the Boomtown Rats, Sister ing from strength-to-strength in which opened at Ocean Village and the nearby Sledge and Suzi Quatro.

Europa Point in But Gibraltar certainly deWorld Trade Center has been inserves a bigger platform in the credibly successful. It has quickly 2016 global arena and the National become a hub of Gibraltar’s busiDay celebrations gives Gibralness sectors, in particularly in tar a chance to show off its ever-evolving so- gaming, cryptocurrency and the fintech areas. ciety.

So while National Day has history at its roots, it is The Rock already has a university, which also a celebration of the enclave’s future: if there opened at Europa Point in 2016 as well as a was ever a time to stand up and be proud of Girecently opened new private school Prior Park, braltar, it really is now.

Celebrate!

NATIONAL DAY Monday 10th September 2018

www.oceanvillage.gi (+350) 200 400 48

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ibraltar National Day

Gibraltarian Yvonne Bassedone on why National Day is so important to the Rock

O

August 29th - September 11th 2018

n the morning of September 10, 1967, over 12.000 Gibraltarians lined up eagerly yet patiently at the polling station in Town Range to cast their vote in a Referendum to decide their future.

It was a vote they were actively encouraged to make, a vote that had been desperately fought for and - in the end - one that spoke with overwhelming clarity.

Only 44 people voted for Gibraltar’s sovereignty to pass to Spain.

The Referendum was a pivotal event in Gibraltar’s narrative, and a key point in the Rock’s history.

In many ways it was the making of our common identity; together we had found a way to defend ourselves against Franco’s Spain and have an effective say on what our future would look like. A future that has remained dedicated to keeping the Rock British and us, as British Gibraltarians.

Today, five decades later, this spirited sentiment of nationalism and nationhood is still very much alive.

The fight for self-determination in the 1960s served to unite and politically mobilise Gibraltar, but it also charged Gibraltarians with a deep sense of pride and patriotism.

Yet, even today there still exists a certain self-consciousness about being Gibraltarian, and it involves an acceptance of our turbulent yet progressive history and how this makes us such

August 29th - September 11th 2018

Reasons to celebrate FINALE: Fireworks are set for 10.30pm

a unique community.

Casemates square. It will be It’s no surprise then that Sep- the heart of the activity, blantember 10 has become synony- keted by a sea of red and white mous with celebrating what it as thousands of Gibraltarians means to be Gibraltarian. waving the Gibraltar and Union The fact that festivities begin Jack flags congregate to take weeks beforehand (you cer- part in the political rally. One tainly can’t in which reavoid the fercent years has vour on the picked up in We all share Rock) is quite pace. stories of the telling: GibralDespite the past; what Gib tarians enjoy a political tone, good show. the emphasis was like with a A selection of is very much closed frontier art exhibitions, on festivity as choir and clasfamilies join in sical concerts, all the enterand quirky events such as a tainment. theme painting and a scale With live music, dance performodelling competition are all mances and plenty of food and on offer. Most are free to the drink, there is an air of a welpublic and allow for an authen- coming street party. tic insight into the Gibraltarian Yet it is the exchange between way of life. different generations that National Day itself centres on makes this party so interesting.

Despite the youngest not having experienced the historical context setting the backdrop, there still exists a very visceral appreciation of our Gibraltarian identity and how far we have come as a people since the first referendum took place.

The year that remains most poignant for many was back in 2007.

This National Day saw 30,000 red and white balloons released in the air, a symbolic representation of each inhabitant on the Rock to mark the new enhanced Constitution.

As I see it, the most striking aspect of the National day celebrations is the conviviality that permeates throughout the Rock.

Doors are flung open for families and friends of friends to visit. We all share food and stories of the past; of what Gibraltar was like when the frontier was closed and how resil-

FAMILY DAY: Kids hold aloft a blow up monkey ient the ‘barricade’ years have made us.

Each different area of the Rock has its unique focus.

Take for example the Caleteños, from the Caleta area. I am told many families spend much of their National Day on the beach meeting friends for a breakfast of churros, followed by a day of shared bbqs and drink on this small cove.

Here sunshades can go up 48 hours beforehand to secure a good spot as visitors know the locals will look after their be-

longings.

Wherever the day finds you, the atmosphere is always one of goodwill.

Gibraltarians know how to share and how to make guests feel welcome - and any visitors to the Rock that day will be more than looked after. We are 30,000 inhabitants living in three square miles, a fusion of different people, and in many cases cultures, that have learnt to live side by side agreeably.

This in itself is enough for a huge celebration.

Timetable of events

What, where and when?

Your guide to all the events in the run up to National Day

August Wednesday 29th to Friday 7th September 8.30am to 9.30pm ‘Our Gibraltar’ Photographic Exhibition Organised by the Gibraltar Photographic Society Lower Exhibition Room

John Mackintosh Hall Entrance Free

For further information please contact mobile: 54409000

Thursday 30th August to Saturday 1st September 10am to 6pm Thursday & Friday and 10am to 2pm on Saturday

Thursday 30th August 8pm

Gibraltar Scale Modelling Exhibition Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery

Choir Anniversary Celebration Concert Organised by the Gibraltar Academy of Music & Performing Arts John Mackintosh Hall Theatre Tickets sold at buytickets.gi as from Monday 20th August For further information please contact email: info@gampa.gi September Wednesday 5th September & Thursday 6th September 2nd Gibraltar Backgammon Open Tournament Organised by the Backgammon Association of Gibraltar Latinos’ Restaurant For further information please contact telephone: 20047755 or mobile: 58772000 Thursday 6th September to Friday 28th September 10am to 6pm

INTO THE SPIRIT: Everyone is set to dress up

Gibraltar Theme Painting Exhibition Fine Arts Gallery

Organised by the Fine Arts Association Entrance Free For further information please contact mobile: 57857000 or Facebook page: Fine Arts Gallery Gibraltar Thursday 6th September 8pm National Celebrations Classical Concert St Michael’s Cave Organised by the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society Featuring the European Symphony Orchestra and renowned international performers Tickets priced at £20 on sale from Monday 30th July at Sacarellos Coffee Shop, Irish Town, the Silver Shop at 222 Main Street and online on buytickets.gi Tickets priced at £10 for senior citizens and students are available at the John Mackintosh Hall reception at 308 Main Street.

Tickets include a return shuttle from the Public Market and opposite the Cable Car. For further info contact the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society on telephone: 20072134 Friday 7th September 8pm

Dance Presentation Organised by the Gibraltar National Dance Organisation Tercentenary Sports Hall Tickets priced at £5 For further information please contact the GNDO email: gndo1981@icloud. com Saturday 8th September 7.30pm Boat Procession From Coaling Island to South Mole For further information contact the Rector at the Shrine of our Lady of Europe on email: rector@ourladyofeurope.net Sunday 9th September 6.30pm National Day Thanksgiving Mass

Shrine of Our Lady of Europe For further information contact the Rector at the Shrine of our Lady of Europe on email: rector@ourladyofeurope.net Monday 10th September See poster back page

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B2 Projects offers commercial office design and build all under one roof

Property design, construction and development company, B2 Projects, specialises in industryleading office design and build as well as innovative residential design, property development and construction. It is the first company on the Rock to manage all of these services under one roof.

With over 25 years’ experience ranging from multi-million-pound projects to one-day makeovers, the company knows how to maximise the efficiency of a workspace, shop or residential property.

Whether you need an end-to-end design and build service, quick office renovation, shop rebuild or a traditional construction and redevelopment service, they can help to create something special.

One of the company’s most recent projects was the build of a new bar, Paradise Tiki Bar, in Market Place. In just four days the company turned this space around.

The prestigious house on Main Street that B2 Projects is currently working with Gibraltar Heritage to refurbish into high-spec commercial office space and luxury apartments

Brand new Paradise Tiki Bar in Market Place built by B2 Projects

The company also offers workplace consultancy where they work closely with a business to assess the best layout, format and structure of their office based on maximising the efficiency of their space in line with how the business operates and the staff interact.

Jason Harper, the Founder of B2 Projects, believes investing in cutting-edge, contemporary design helps to motivate staff, fostering a sense of pride in the workplace. His clients consistently report increased levels of staff retention, morale and productivity upon moving into their new or refurbished premises.

Addison Global Limited’s new design-focussed offices designed and built by B2 Projects

B2 Projects has already worked with and delivered services to a number of top Gibraltar businesses including Bet Victor, Collingwood Insurance, Addison Global Limited, Signature Litigation, Pragmatic Play, Heredium and other development projects.

PROJECTS

To find out more about B2 Projects or to discuss a project, please visit www.b2projects.co.uk or email Hello@b2projects.co.uk

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August 29th - September 11th 2018

ibraltar National Day

Remarks of

The OP asks locals wha

W

ITH Gibraltar’s National Day festivities fast approaching, the entire Rock is buzzing with excitement.

For residents of the British territory, the September 10 holiday —

Kristin Mahon, 67

“

Gibraltar always pulls together anyway, but Gibraltar Day is like everybody- dogs, people, children- it’s our day, and we celebrate it big-style.

Everywhere you’re walking it’s just streams of red and white. Everybody’s out celebrating- all the cafes, the bars, the restaurants- it’s brilliant.

Me and my neighbour, we normally go down to Casemates, and they normally have shows on, people talking, so we normally go down to Casemates in the morning and we just walk around talking to everybody because everybody’s in the jubilant ‘it’s a great day’ happy-go-lucky mood… I mean we’re all lucky, everyone living here. Very, very lucky.”

Clive Borg, 64

“

The day is very important because we were given the freedom to vote. We voted that we wanted to remain British so that’s what we celebrate: freedom to vote and to be British. It’s a day for families. There are parties at night for young people. During the day, a jumping carousel for the children. In Casemates, they bring UK MPs and they assure us that Gibraltar will always be British as long as the people of Gibraltar want.”

Joseph Cirdao, 50

“

It’s a great day. I have an excuse to drink more; 10 drinks instead of one. I don’t go to the city centre. I do something different and go to the beaches on the outskirts.”

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August 29th - September 11th 2018

the Rock

13 13

August 29th - September 11th 2018

at National Day is all about celebrated on the anniversary of Gibraltar’s first sovereignty referendum of 1967 — represents historic pride. With a fair amount of hedonistic partying thrown in for equal measure.

And whether it’s fun at the feria, a day of dancing or a barbecue on the

beach, there’s something for everyone at the celebrations.

One thing is certain: If the enthusiasm of these Gibraltarians is any indication, the patriotic tunes and red balloons are sure to soar higher than ever at this year’s celebrations.

Priscilla Link, 68

Annalise Rodriguez, 50

“

We celebrate being Gibraltarian and British, and this all began about 20 years ago to celebrate that day, and we all dress up in red and white. The whole day is full of celebrations and nobody works that day.”

Jon Ignacio, 66

“

We’re Gibraltarians. Not English, we don’t want to be with Spain.

We’re just all Gibraltarians.

We just want to be independent.

We’re friends with the Spanish, coming in and out, but the government doesn’t want to be Spanish, and we’re clearly not about that. We don’t like that.”

Ryan A, 24

“

It’s celebrating our national identity - our ability to vote, to remain British and to have our own self-determination. Our family tends to go out to a restaurant and drink wine. We also go to the beach together.”

“

We want to be British. We celebrate all day. Everybody dresses in red and white to say that we’re British, and everybody goes out for lunch in Casemates. We get people from England to come and talk about Gibraltar. And then they party into the night.”

Megan V, 23

“

National Day is a celebration of being Gibraltarian. It’s also my dad’s birthday so there’s always a family party. Also, there are street parties and other parties in the stadium for teenagers.”

William Vass, 74

“

We celebrate our independence. We are not independent from England, but it reminds us of our roots. We are Gibraltarians. We were born here.

Spain used to harass us a lot. It’s a way to make ourselves strong and celebrate Gibraltar Day.”

Patricia Gerada, 63

“

I was only 13 when they closed the frontier. We had a referendum before that where we decided that we didn’t want to be Spanish. So it brings back nice memories; the whole of Gibraltar was dressed up in blue, red and white, and we painted all the steps and we did everything. It brings back nice memories.”

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ibraltar National Day

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rock reflections

The Olive Press sent its American interns Diana Tang and Grace Lee to give us their feedback on Gibraltar

T

HE first thing we saw when we crossed the border was a red telephone booth, the iconic postcard staple of Great Britain.

But we were nowhere near Buckingham Palace, nor the London Eye. We were at the southern tip of Europe, literally just two steps away from Spain.

Gibraltar is an anomaly on the Iberian Peninsula. The famous British rock juts out from the sun-kissed beaches of southern Spain seemingly out of nowhere. A geographical freak of nature and all the more impressive the nearer you get.

Crossing the border from Spain into Gibraltar was a real new world for us, a melting pot of Spanish and British cultures and incredibly eye-opening.

Restaurants served both tapas and fish and chips, while the residents spoke both languages, occasionally mixing the two.

Occupying a space between the two nations as an isolat-

ed British territory sharing a border with Spain, Gibraltar has forged its own unique identity.

Despite the fusion of culture we witnessed, Gibraltarians do not want to be defined by the intermingling of identities; instead, they are just Gibraltarians, proud British, and nothing else. When we interviewed locals about their thoughts on National Day, ‘pride’ and ‘freedom’ were the two words that dominated their responses.

To them, it represented a day when Gibraltar was recognized as not just a subsidiary sect of other countries, but as an independent body which had a right to determine its own identity in a referendum that granted its people autonomy and freedom.

Most assured us that National Day is a day not to be missed as the whole territory would be covered in red and white, rejoicing in festivities that would start at Casemates Square in the centre of town.

Casemates Square and the Main Street that leads off from the square are hubs of activity in Gibraltar, filled with scrumptious food and quirky merchandise. And they were perfect reminders that we were no longer in Spain. The cobbled Main Street is lined with fish and chips pit stops and red and white banners, as well as plenty of Union Jacks.

The colourful building facades seemed straight out of a movie set.

We would definitely come back as there was clearly so much more to see.

So as we walked back to Spain, across the airport runway with the Rock to our backs, we thought about the woman who reminisced about her childhood day when Gibraltar became free, the man passionate about his ability to vote for his future and the Union Jack postcards on every store’s window display - distinct fragments which contribute to the strong identity that is Gibraltar.

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ibraltar National Day

Born to be wild

IN THE KNOW: Dr Shaw

Gibraltar’s famous Barbary macaques have been branded as vicious but that’s a load of old monkeys, Dr Eric Shaw tells Bradley Stokes

T

HEY’RE more photo- To find out more, I visited the graphed than Miss Gi- Helping Hand Trust where braltar and they grab he has been in charge of Gias many headlines as braltar’s non-military troupes the Rock’s Chief Minister, since 1988, and has an intimostly because of their mis- mate knowledge of their perchievous monkey ways. But sonalities and behaviour. despite a few hairy moments, There are many tales spread the Barbary macaques of Gi- about Gibraltar’s monkeys, braltar are not even though as scary as they are tailpeople think. less themAccording to selves, I joke.

Dr Eric Shaw, Well, there’s the British Terthe first monritory’s resikey myth exCHEEKY dent Monkey ploded. They do MONKEY Snakes Man, they’re have tails, says alive! more chilled Dr Shaw, but than we are. they are only “They are the length of a the most tolgrain of rice! erant speAlso contrary cies you are to popular beever going 1099€ to lief, there are 899€ find,” insists not as many Dr Shaw, a leading player macaques on in monkey conservation for Gibraltar as 649€ people think over 25 years.

196 to be exact, dispersed 56

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Unlucky for some

FINAL WORDS

A REPORT has shown many in Spain regard Tuesday 13 unlucky as opposed to Friday 13. Martes translates from Mars who was the Roman God of War.

Thunderbirds!

THUNDERBIRD 4 has rocked up in Spain during a 1’800 mile journey.

A charity bought along the famous vehicle after travelling across Europe in aid of Alzheimers Research.

Clock off

CARLOS Recio has been banned from public service jobs after skipping work every day for ten years. Arriving for work at 7.30am, he would clock on then leave, before returning to work at 4pm to clock off.

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Family loses five passports and money at the top of Gibraltar to

SCARY: Serpent

an ape named Dracula EXCLUSIVE

By Jon Clarke

IT is possibly the last place you would want your handbag grabbed by a monkey.

And particularly when it contains your entire family’s passports, not to mention holiday spending money.

But this is what happened to one unfortunate British family when they took a trip to the newly-installed Skywalk in Gibraltar last week.

Having made their way up to the top of the Rock they came face to face with one of the enclave’s cheekiest monkeys, appropriately named Dracula.

As they made their way along UNMOVED: Dracula the death-defying glass instal- swiped the unprepared mothlation, the aggressive male er’s handbag. macaque swooped over and As quick as a flash he climbed

down below the see-through glass walkway and proceeded to empty it out, throwing all five of the family’s passports and around €100 out of the bag.

“There was literally nothing they could do,” explained staff member Shaun Williams.

They could only watch as their documents got scattered on the nearly vertical slope and the money blew away.

“There was no way they could go down and get them and they had to go to the police station to report them missing. It took a shine off their day trip from Marbella,” he added.

“That Dracula is a really evil one and was only after food. As soon as he realised there wasn’t any

he ran off.”

This week the Olive Press managed to track down Dracula, who looked entirely unperturbed by his actions. Two of the passports could still be easily seen below.

“They were just lucky that the father had kept the hire car keys in his pocket or they wouldn’t have even got back to their hotel that night,” added Williams.

Last year, the Olive Press reported how a British tourist filed a sexual assault claim against a Gibraltar monkey, only to be told there was no law against it. She was furious after police allegedly asked her if she expected them to arrange a line up to pick out the guilty ape.

Bijoux corner sofa

THIS is the second snake to be captured by terrified homeowners in Malaga this month.

It came after an alarmed family came home to find it on their patio on Calle Subida San Cristobal.

In a video shared by the Policia Nacional, one plucky officer grabs the serpent, measuring more than a metre in length, and puts it into a plastic bag.

It was released into its natural habitat in the fields nearby.

Another snake was found sleeping in a baby’s pram, last

around the Rock in troupes day. Gibraltar’s macaques ranging from a pueblo-sized are wild, the only free-rang10 to a metropolis-sized 36. ing primates in Europe. They When Dr Eric have the freeShaw and dom of the his team are Rock in no counting them As primates, we’re small thanks it can take the legend also curious but to them up to a that if they year to com- the danger comes leave, Gibralplete the task! will cease from getting too tar It is believed to be British. that the maSir Winston close caques have Churchill been resident took that very since the 12th much to heart century as they are depicted when he topped up their in paintings of the period. dwindling numbers during There are 80 different spe- WW2, just in case... cies but centuries ago, this Females rule specific type – the only ones in this mathat live outside Asia today - t r i a r c h a l was also found in Scotland, m o n Ireland and Italy, probably as a result of the international exotic pet trade which continues to-

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Pocket of patriotism

Admiral Nelson’s legacy in Gibraltar lies beyond cemetery walls DESPITE its name, Trafalgar Cemetery is home to just two victims of 1805’s almighty battle.

Instead, many tombstones commemorate those who died in three devastating yellow fever epidemics around the same time.

Nonetheless, this tiny pocket of Gibraltar still radiates patriotism. Its moss-covered graves and low-hanging branches could tempt anyone in for a moment of reflection while enroute to the cable car.

The cemetery – originally known as Southport Ditch Cemetery – was abandoned for many years until a huge restoration effort in the 1980s.

Each year on the Sunday closest to the battle of Trafalgar (October 21), the Royal Navy holds a ceremony here.

While most of those that died at Trafalgar were buried at sea, Admiral Nelson’s body was being transported back to London for a state funeral and burial at St Paul’s cathedral.

However, he was initially taken to Gibraltar’s Rosia Bay, in his ship HMS Victory, where his body was put in a vat of rum to conserve it, before being sent to the UK. But the connection goes deeper, before his heroic death Nelson would have been a regular on the Rock, especially at naval haunts like the Victualling Yard and Old Naval Hospital.

And it was his close friend Aaron Cardozo – a wealthy Gibraltarian merchant – who inherited Nelson’s medal commemorating his victory in the Battle of the Nile.

TROUPE: With the mother always at the helm

MonKEY facts •

Macaques are not apes. Apes have no tails but macaques do (sort-of)

•

A number of Gibraltar’s monkeys are killed in traffic accidents

•

Mother Nature gave them furry raincoats – a long-haired outer layer to drain the water off and keep the shorter body fur dry

•

They are wild and free-roaming and no Spain/Gibraltar border can contain them

•

Keep a three-metre distance to avoid a monkey pout

•

They have few predators and live for around 25 years

•

They like their own space, often under cafe tables between customers’ legs

•

A campaign to end to their urban forays means they’re now mainly confined to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve

August 29th - September 11th 2018

August 29th - September 11th 2018

PATIENT: The macaques are slow to react to photos

key society although males help to raise their young and have a playful and protective instinct where offspring are concerned. Indeed, male monkeys are sometimes protective to human babies and have been known to dash over and scare parents.

They’re also territorial and when we approach them too closely to take pictures we often leave them only two choices: fight or flight. Macaques have sharp teeth and can weigh a boisterous 20 kilos so watch out.

“They are not vicious, it’s just the natural behaviour of wild animals,” says Dr

Shaw.

“They are curious and protective and we shouldn’t be misled by their occasional outbursts of anger, they are really very chilled.”

However human interaction rubs off on macaque behaviour which resulted in cheeky monkeys invading the town and private homes and snatching tourists’ belongings, once even climbing onto a baby’s pram.

“People have a bad habit of feeding them so they have become accustomed to knowing when food is around,” says Dr Shaw. “It’s a common mistake made by new mothers taking prams up the Rock with baby food stored underneath - the macaques will go for it.”

Warning

As primates ourselves, we’re also naturally curious but the danger comes from getting too close. If that happens, look out for a monkey pout, a warning sign not to come closer. If you feel a monkey invading your own space, pout back.

Gibraltar’s monkeys have adapted to Instagrams and selfies to become regular social media stars but that’s another monkey myth.

Dr Shaw has a simpler truth: “Macaques are threatened by prolonged eye-to-eye contact and when you’re taking your shot, your eyes are covered.”

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SOCIALMEDIA

Business

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olivepressnews +TheolivepressEsBooming Save our tourism sector job toysBE ‘APPY! sparks growth in

Andalucia

DESPITE the closing of Toys ‘R’ Us stores in THE tourism industry is the United States now the biggest employer and the UK, the inin Spain. ternational retailer Download our app now and Figures show more than is here to stay in 2.65 million people – 2.17 begin enjoying the best Spanish Spain and Portugal. million contracted worknews on the go.

Some 60% of the Iberian subers and 483,861 private sidiaries of the multinational contractors – were emcompany has been acquired ployed in the sector this

by Portuguese investment spring. firm Green Swan.

This represents 13.7% of The remaining 40% is still Spain’s working populaunder the current managetion (19.34 million peoment team.

ple), meaning tourism has overtaken construction as Ambitious The Olive Press the top employer in the With this investment, the toy country. and baby retailer has manTOP for news in In Spain! fact, a whopping 75.5% aged to save its existing 51 of the country’s working stores in Spain and 10 in Porpopulation are employed tugal, as well as 1,300 jobs. in a service-related job.

Portuguese Paulo Sousa However despite the Marques will replace Jean booming tourism secCharretteur, the current CEO tor, wages have remained of Toys ‘R’ Us in the Iberian stagnant. peninsula and France.

The company has announced that under the new leadership, it will undertake an ‘ambitious long-term development project’ over the course of the next couple of years.

It is set to open a new store in September in Islazul one of largest shopping centres in Madrid.

Increase

Hospitality employees were paid an average of €9.32 an hour in the first semester of 2018, while construction workers received €11.73 an hour.

Catalunya welcomes the

August 29th - September 11th 2018

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Good job!

On the up SPAIN’S economy is set to grow by 0.7% over the rest of this year.

The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) has predicted it will speed up on the back of the 0.6% growth registered in the second quarter.

Target

TOURIST BOOM: Some 13.7% of the workforce are employed in tourism

highest number of tourists in Spain, with 19 million foreigners and five million Spaniards visiting the region last year, according to the INE. It is also the region that employs the greatest number

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Sunny Andalucia comes in second place with 433,853 workers – a 7.5% increase upon last year’s figures from

the same period.

Although Madrid receives fewer visitors than the Balearic and Canary Islands, it has more people working in tourism – 400,000 compared to 169,000 and 244,000, respectively.

This improvement in expectations comes from the latest data for social security affiliation, as well as electrical energy consumption and financing for companies and households.

The national deficit, however, will reach 2.7% of GDP this year, remaining five base points above the original target of 2.2% set

by Brussels, opening Spain up to punitive fines.

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Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish news on the go.

PAD: In Marbella

Luxury life

ICONIC: Cave homes and (right) refugee residents

A BEACHFRONT mansion in Marbella topped the list of the 10 most expensive houses currently in the Spanish market recently published by Idealista.

The luxurious 6,663 square meter property is listed for 50 million euros. It features six ‘suite’ bedrooms and two guest houses.

Another Andalucian pad, a 7,000 square meter villa with 12 rooms, a tennis court and a swimming pool in Mijas, came in second with a market price of 35 million euros.

Six of the 10 properties featured on the list are located in Andalucia, making it the autonomous community with the greatest number of the most expensive properties in Spain.

PRICEY: Mansion has huge dining room and pool

Photographer documents the locals staying put in Andalucia’s cave homes A CHILEAN photographer has spent two weeks in Andalucia documenting hundreds of cave dwellers and their fascinating homes.

As part of her project, Tamara Merino photographed cave homes and their residents in Gaudix and Sacromonte in Granada.

“The most important thing was not to have any preconceptions,” she told The National Geographic magazine.

“I like to sit with people and hear their stories. I share my life with them as well.”

Gaudix is home to around

Meet the cavemen The Olive Press

TOP for news in Spain!

2,000 underground houses, where many residents still live an agricultural life similar to that of 500 years ago.

“They still live with the animals inside the caves,” added Merino.

Tocuato Lopez and his family have lived in the Guadix caves for four generations. They offer shelter from the unbearable summer heat while ‘providing a sense of deep-rooted community’.

“I’m very proud of being from the cave and still living in the cave,” he said, “I will die in the cave.”

Sacromonte, which sits across from the iconic Alhambra in Granada, is mainly occupied by illegal squatters.

Meanwhile, the lower portion is mostly home to legal residents drawn to cave life for environmental and cultural reasons.

Many members of the com-

munity, like Henrique Amaya, continue to live in the caves as a way to honour their Romani culture.

“I was born inside a cave with the animals and the beasts,” Amaya, whose family has lived in the Sacromonte caves for six generations, told photographer Merino.

His ancestors were the originators of the Zambra flamenco, first performed in the caves more than 500 years ago.

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The Rock’s contrary street names are enough to lead you up a blind alley, writes Belinda Beckett

B

RITISH Bobbies are famous for knowing every street on their beat but they have their work cut out in Gibraltar.

At 6.7km2, it’s not a big place to get lost in but things can take a complicated turn in a bilingual territory where most streets have two names.

Take Calle Real, Gibraltar’s famous shopping street. Nope, I’d never heard of it either but I nearly fell out with our Spanish plumber who was equally insistent there was no such place as Main Street. And a word of warn-

T

Columnists

August 29th - September 11th 2018 August 29th - September 11th 2018

Lost in Gibraltar

ing - Main Street does not translate into Calle Principal, nor Calle Real into Royal Street, unless you want to end up in queer street arguing about four streets.

Before the British arrived, Gibraltar’s streets had colloquial names made up by the locals, usually after some activity or landmark. There were no street signs so for generations everyone simply knew them by word of mouth. It wasn’t until 1870 that English names were given and signs put up but by then it was too late. The Spanish had stuck.

Indeed, Calle Peligro (Danger

he Costa del Sol music was shocked by the sudden death of Mel Williams this month.

From thousands of people in Marbella and further beyond, Mel was the music scene on the Coast. From running clubs, to playing solo or with bands, to MCing charity functions, Mel’s career spanned over 40 years on the Coast alone I first met Mel when I came to Marbella in the mid 80s. Puerto Banus was very much a different place back then, with dozens of live music and piano bars. The musicians who played wanted somewhere to relax and let off steam, and so Mel’s Beach was born.

Soon, the rich, the famous and the infamouswere partying on a Sunday afternoon like there was no tomorrow with some truly hedonistic jam sessions and building huge pyramids of beer cans.

Musicians passing through made sure they stopped off – including on one oc-

Street), notorious for its diseaseinfested brothels, was expressly renamed ‘New Passage’ so that visiting sailors couldn’t find it.

It caused such confusion for newcomers in the early days of the British garrison that a code book of street names had to be drawn up to prevent messages falling into the wrong hands.

Some streets gained multiple names as the landscape changed. There’s a great new vegan restaurant called the Kasbar in Castle Street, if you can find it up a steep alleyway aka Calle Comedia after its 19th century

Holy

CONFUSION: Most streets on the Rock have two names burlesque theatre and Calle de la has had at least 14 different names Cuesta because of the slope. since its Moorish heyday including Gibraltar’s second largest square Alameda, The Parade, Commercial

Remembering Mel casion Stevie Wonder’s backing band.

The Great Man himself had played the Football Stadium the night before and was resting, but the band turned up in three black limos, played an amazing three-song set, before disappearing back into the limos.

My memory from Mel’s Beach was that unforgettable afternoon when soul legend Edwin Starr turned up unannounced to do a set, followed straight afterwards by Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott and his new band, who blew the roof off the place.

Mel also had his own club in Banus ‘Mel’s’ that became the late night venue of choice for locals, tourists and the odd passing celeb. Jo Cocker would

be in there when he was in town, as would Rod Stewart, Jasper Carrott, and Kid Creole – who famously took one look at my fashionable waistcoat and ordered a cocktail from me, thinking I was a waiter.

Mel was always playing, always performing, and the rock behind him was his wife Sally.

Behind every great man is an even greater woman, and this was doubly true with Sally. Quite simply, Mel wouldn’t have been able to perform without Sally, whosworganisational skills were second to none.

It might not have been a career that brought fame and fortune – his autobiog-

All you need is

‘Bringing music to your ears, and Gibraltar to your screen’

Square, Plaza Mayor and Plazuela del Martillo. The insistence of some Gibbies on still calling it the Piazza rather than John Mackintosh Square, its current name, had me running round in Google map circles and late for an interview.

raphy was called ‘Nearly Famous’ - but there were innumerable highlights, including appearing on stage at the Royal Albert Hall with Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler and Roger Daltrey for his friend Lonnie Donegan’s Tribute Concert. Over the years he raised thousands for charity. If you were organizing a charity event, Mel was always the first to say yes.

At his funeral, hundreds crammed in to see Mel arrived flanked by an honour guard of his beloved Harley Davidson biker brothers.

Sally, incredibly strong, gave a deeply moving eulogy of love, tears and laughter, and the wake afterwards turned into a rock n roll party, with Mel’s memorabilia on display.

It was the sort of party that he would have been mad that he had missed!

RIP Mel. Yours was a life well lived, and you were so, so much more than ‘Nearly Famous’

Governor’s Street is also Calle Cordoneros after the Catholic Brotherhoods who shopped for their Holy Week robes there in days gone by. Tuckey’s Lane (after a local bigwig) is also Callejon del Jarro (Jug Alley) after a long-defunct wine merchants.

Library Ramp, known as Ball Alley after a racquets court, is pronounced ‘El Balali’ – that’s Llanito, a kind of Spanglish patois that the Gibraltarians also speak! It’s easy to see how the ordinary man in the street could get totally lost.

However in a street-smart move of its own, Gibraltar Tourist Board has turned administrative chaos into a heritage walking trail with street plaques giving explaining their curious origins. Everybody wins. Gibraltar gets a new tourist attraction, visitors are less likely to suffer the ignominy of getting lost on a tiny rock and the Royal Gibraltar Police can reserve their built-in GPS for more pressing frontier business than the whereabouts, or not, of Royal Street.

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+TheolivepressEs Spanish Shared players furious at plans to host goal BE ‘APPY! La Liga games

in the US

MOROCCO is planning to join forces with Spain and Portugal to launch a bid to joint-host the 2030 World THE union of Spanish Cup. footballers (AFE) has According to Moroccan unanimously come out news outlet Al Yaoum Download our app24, now andin opposition to La Liga's relevant parties from all plans to play regular seabegin enjoying the best three countries have met Spanish son games in the US - and news on the go. regularly over the past few it won’t rule out going on months and an agreement strike to protest against has been drafted for the the proposals. first-ever pan-continental La Liga’s organising body bid to host the tournament.

Football’s staying home of the union this year when Luis Rubiales left the role to become president of the Spanish Football Federation, did not rule out organising a players' strike if their concerns are not heard.

"I will state very clearly that we will do everything possible to avoid this," he added.

A La Liga spokesperson said the organising body "will meet with AFE in the appropriate forum to discuss the plans".

announced in partnership with multinational media, sports and entertainment Fouzi Lekjaa, the presigroup Relevent that it dent of the Royal Moroccan plans to hold Spanish topThe Olive Football Federation, hasPress flight games in the US in claimed there is ‘no doubt’ the future.

Losing

that the country willnews bid for TOP for in Spain! the World Cup again after Compensate losing out on five previous occasions.

La Liga has not given deThe bid will have stiff comtails on when the first petition given that the 2030 matches there would take edition will mark 100 years place, how many games since Uruper season would be inguay, in asvolved, how they would sociation be selected or whether with Parait would compensate the guay and loss of home advantage for Argentina, teams involved. first held the Captains and vice-captains cup, and the representing the 20 clubs trio of Latin in the league including American Barcelona's Sergio Buscountries quets and Real Madrid's will be bidSergio Ramos attended a ding again, as will meeting in Madrid called England.

by AFE president David

Aganzo in response to the announcement.

"The captains are surprised and angry that such an important decision was taken without being consulted. The players are unanimously against this, no-one is in favour of it," Aganzo told a news conference.

"There are some clubs that are in favour and others that are against it, but I'm speaking on behalf of the footballers."

Aganzo, who became head

We’ll be just fine REAL Madrid will be fine after losing Cristiano Ronaldo as long as they ‘keep calm under pressure’, coach Julen Lopetegui has said.

It comes after Los Blancos came from behind to win 4-1 against Girona.

"Both halves were tricky," Lapotegui told Spanish TV station Movistar.

"Girona have a good collective game, they started well got an early goal and could have had another.

"We kept calm under pressure and played well enough in the second half to deserve the victory.

"We were calm and clear and had plenty of space When we have that this team gets going, it works and the goals start to flow.”

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RAFAEL Nadal has supported the French Open’s decision to ban Serena Williams from wearing her iconic catsuit.

The US tennis star returned to Roland Garros earlier this year donning the sleek black and red ensemble, but French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli insisted that her ensemble would not be ‘accepted’ in future tournaments.

Quizzed

“I think we sometimes went too far,” he told Tennis Magazine’s 500th edition. “The combination of Serena this year, for example, it will no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place.”

FAUX PAS?: Serena in catsuit and (right) Nadal

When quizzed on the move, Mallorca-born Nadal sided with the event he’s won a record 11 times.

“I think that everybody is fair to do whatever works better for the tournament,” he said. “I really believe when you have a tournament like Wimbledon that they do what

they want.

“You cannot say to another event that they have to do another thing. That’s my opinion.

“Why if Wimbledon have their own rules, why Roland Garros cannot have it?”

Williams has yet to address the French Open comments.

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Vandalized history A VANDAL has drawn a cat face in blue on a 12th century marble sculpture at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, a World Heritage site. The vandalism is seemingly a tribute to rock band Kiss.

Masked A man wearing a medical mask and a cap broke into a coffee shop in Málaga and threatened the workers at gunpoint, robbing about 1,000 euros.

Selfie Danger A 17-year-old boy who was taking selfies with his friend at the train station in Coslada has been hospitalised after being electrocuted by a cable.

August 29th - September 11th 2018

Vol. 3 Issue 78 www.gibraltarolivepress.com August 29th - September 11th 2018

Vicious black fly is buzzing its way down to the Costas VILE blood-sucking flies are on the rise in Spain - and they're spreading around the country.

La Mosca Negra - or the black fly - was first detected in the country in 2006 along the banks of the river Ebro, in Aragon.

Unlike other flying insects, the black fly attacks during the day, and is able to get inside long garments to reach your skin.

Only the female bites and in the most serious cases they can land you in the hospital.

When they bite, they remove a little piece of skin and inject a special anesthetic to be able to feed on your blood for a while without you noticing.

The saliva of the fly causes the reaction, which is usually a red lump which can swell and be aggravated depending on how

Bite-mare!

WATCH OUT: Black flies leave a nasty bite allergic you are.

Their bites are capable of killing mice and birds.

When they first appeared in Aragon in 2006, over 2,000 people had to be treated for

bites.

Last year the region saw a whopping 28,500 medical consultations, according to El Confidencial.

They are slowly coming south,

Rough rental WHY rent a room when you could rent a ‘grubby’ sofa for €375 a month?

This is the advert which has caused outrage across social media this week, after a Facebook user advertised a ‘sofa for rent’ in a shared apartment in tourist hotspot Ibiza.

The Facebook post read: “Sofa for rent in ample living/ dining room with very nice views from the balcony. There are three of us and we need to reduce expenses to feed ourselves.”

The current roommates - three professionals - were looking for a ‘quiet tenant with a job and good vibes who does not go to parties often’.

A blurry image of the 6.6 foot couch was accompanied by a shot of the view from the balcony, while social media users slammed the grim-looking piece of furniture as ‘grubby’.

with residents of Madrid suburb Butarque, now suffering the consequences of a black fly plague.

Experts say they have colonised on the nearby Manzanares River, which will most likely help them expand to other areas.

The black fly has already reproduced massively in Catalunya and Valencia and most recently in Murcia.

"They are here to stay, and they are going to go further...

In the last ten years we have seen how specific plagues have already multiplied," animal expert Javier Lucientes said.

He added that climate change was making the matters worse, as the mild winters were not killing them off.

“They are taking advantage of the higher winter temperatures,” he said.

Slice of fortune A SPANISH restaurant has forked out €14,300 for a block of cheese.

The owners of Llagar de Colloto, in Oviedo, paid the astronomical sum for a block of the Asturias region’s famous Cabrales.

The cheese in question was a 2.5kg Valfriu, whose makers Salud and Francisco Herrero, won top prize in this year’s annual Cabrales Awards.

You can buy your own Valfriu by the same cheese makers at supermarket Corte Ingles for €20 a kilo.

Cabrales is a blue cheese made with cow's milk or a mixture of goat, cow and sheep’s milk, and with the same fungus as Roquefort cheese, its French predecessor.

Cabrales cheeses are matured for between two to four months.

The gag is up THERE have been ZERO fake food poisoning claims by Brits on package holidays to Spain this year.

It comes after 2013 saw a 500% hike in the bogus claims, which were dubbed by the Spanish hotel industry as the ‘diarrhoea scam.’

Last year was one of the worst on record in the Balearics, with Mallorca’s Hotel Federation announcing false gastroenteritis claims had soared by 700% since 2015 and had cost hotels on the island €50 million in 2016 alone.

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