Costa Blanca Olive Press - Issue 9

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Vol. 1 Issue 9

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

Please smile at Alex

Jet setters...

A BRITISH lad on his first holiday abroad has been left red-faced after his mum sent out a social media post appealing fellow holidaymakers to ‘smile at him’.

The appeal to ‘cheer him up’ came after he was robbed of his entire €400 spending money by a group of female ‘hugger muggers’ in Benidorm.

Alex Ayland, 20, from Gloucestershire, lost the cash on the first day of his hols, with his mother appealing to a Benidorm Facebook group to ‘give him a smile’ if any members saw him.

She wrote that he was miserable having been ‘robbed by two girls touching him up’.

“It was his first holiday without us and he rang us in tears,” she added. “He wanted the first flight home… so if you see him give him a smile and say hello.”

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As the summer hordes descend, the Olive Press looks at the entourages and bloated budgets of the rich and famous who regularly holiday in Spain See page 6

He’s the dad

After a court ruled that a 43-year-old Valencian was Julio Iglesias’ son, his mother (right) tells the Olive Press about her famous ex-lover’s decades of denial EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

RED-FACED: Alex and pal

On the anniversary of Amy Winehouse’ death we reveal her links to the Costa Blanca See page 10

WHITE-gloved waiters doted on a young Enrique Iglesias as he grew up among palm trees and two swimming pools in a multi-million euro mansion just off Miami Beach, Florida.

Julio Iglesias’ second-born son enjoyed a life of celebrity drop-ins and round-the-clock nannying following a speedy divorce from Enrique’s mother Isabel Preysler.

But not a cent meanwhile was offered to a secret lovechild, Javier Sanchez, who was scandalously conceived just two months after Enrique’s birth in 1975.

A Valencia court ruled Javier was Iglesias’ third-born son last week, but the lifestyles of his doppelganger children could not be further apart.

While Enrique was being pampered in ultra-elite circles, Javier hung out in a dingy restaurant near Valencia’s port where his moth-

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er Maria Edite scrubbed floors to make ends meet.

The former ballerina revealed to the Olive Press how an unexpected pregnancy forced her to shelve a career as a ballerina and raise her eldest child.

And while Spain’s most-successful singer went on to sell more than 250 million records worldwide, he has not stooped to sing even one note of ‘Happy Birthday’ to his 43-year-old son.

“When Julio and I met we were both stars,” she said from her home in the El Cabanyal district.

"We were equal performers on stage when we met in July 1975 in the Las Vegas music hall, in Sant Feliu de Guixols, near Girona.

“But Julio destroyed my dreams. I should’ve known what I was doing, but it's always the woman who has to pick up the pieces."

CONTRASTS: Father Julio lives in luxury homes around the globe, including this Miami villa, while son Javier grew up in this humble local apartment

Maria may be about to reclaim those pieces, however, after Valencia’s court 13 ruled that Javier will be entered into the Spanish registry as Julio Iglesias’ official son.

“This means that Julio is obliged to take responsibility if Javier

suffers illness or is in poverty,” Javier’s lawyer Fernando Osuna, told the Olive Press.

"It also means that Javier will have a claim to inheritance.”

Continues on Page 4

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CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Drawing board SPAIN’s caretaker prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called an end to power-sharing talks with Podemos and ratcheted up the risk of a fresh election in the autumn - Spain’s fourth in as many years.

Freed BRITISH engineer Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, 51, has been released with all charges dropped following a year in an Algeciras prison.

A Guardia Civil raid found 1.5 tonnes of hash in the garage of a property he was renting on the Costa del Sol, and falsely blamed Mansfield-Hewitt.

Race rant

A SPANISH school teacher has launched a disgusting racist attack on two black British men, calling them ‘monkeys’.

Shocking footage taken by the young British travellers shows the unidentified middle aged woman also call them ‘shitty Moors (muslims)’, ‘immigrants’ and ‘f**king Africans’.

The video, filmed on a train in Bilbao, was released by non-profit group SOS Racis-

Repossession SPAIN’S socialist government has claimed ownership of Fransisco Franco’s summer palace, after the Justice Ministry said funds used to buy the mansion were raised via forced donations from the public.

Finally noted

TWO men have been arrested after using fake €500 notes so good they were ‘undetectable by machines’.

The youths, aged 26 and 27, aroused suspicion after blowing €7,500 euros of the notes at a casino in Alicante.

After the notes were sent to technicians from the Bank of Spain’s Counterfeiting Analysis Center they were deemed to be fake, and of an extremely ‘high quality’.

The pair were eventually tracked down and have now been charged with counterfeiting and fraud and are awaiting trial.

Black tourists victims of disgusting racist attack by a teacher on a train mo Madrid on its website Es Racismo.

“We were on the train and my friend and I put up our feet on some seats that were free,” one of those targeted, told Es Racismo.

“Ten minutes later a wom-

Thieving carers jailed A BRITISH couple have been jailed after stealing nearly €300,000 from an elderly couple they were caring for in Alicante.

The pair, aged 51 and 67, have been handed four years after they were found guilty of ‘taking advantage’ of the elderly expat couple.

The judge at Alicante Court ruled that the Dutch victims – both now dead – had become ‘totally dependent’ on their carers.

It led to the pair transferring a total of €385,902 to their personal bank accounts, between 2011 and 2013, of which only €116,000 was justified.

They must now pay €166.332 to the family of the deceased, with the rest impossible to prove as it was taken in small amounts.

The crimes were committed between the end of 2011 and July 2013, when the wife died, with her husband who had serious Parkinson’s, dying soon after.

The case was brought by the son of the deceased, who was unable to corroborate exactly what had happened.

However, the judge still ruled that the pair convicted had used the money for their ‘own benefit’.

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Olive Press Alicante North- 18th July 2019 - 170 h x 256 w

Pie in the sky EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

an walked in and started to tell us that this is a ‘world of women’ and that there is no longer any room for sexist men.”

The woman teaches at a school in the Bilbao suburb of Deusto according to Es Rac-

Complete glasses from €

Benidorm

July 18th to July 31st 2019

VILE: Racist teacher ismo.

The man filming tells his friend to ‘relax’, before saying to the woman: “You’re a fool, you’re a big fool, n****r.”

One of the men can then be heard replying to the angry woman by saying, ‘we’re just passengers init’, before she labels them ‘monkeys’ and makes racist gestures.

The men also attempt to speak Spanish to the woman, but she says that she, ‘doesn't understand anything’.

It is unclear exactly where the men are from, but both speak with southern English accents.

A BRITISH expat claims he has been scammed by a Costa Blanca company offering bogus Sky TV boxes.

Ray Gardner, who runs Moraira Plumbing, paid €99 for the set from Xpat TV Services back in March.

However, after months of failed promises and ignored emails, the box has still not turned up.

“The company kept telling me the courier couldn’t find me, but all my other deliveries get here,” Gardner told the Olive Press.

The longtime British expat, whose company has had a shop in Moraira for years, fears that the company has shut and now come back under a different name Sky Distributors Europe to scam more unsuspecting customers.

Neither Xpat TV Services nor Sky Distributors Europe are registered on Spanish Companies’ House. None of the employees named in emails, including Sales & Programmer John Greenhill, could be contacted for reply.

Have you been scammed by a TV box company?

Call the Olive Press newsdesk on +34 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Alive and kicking Jon Clarke sees a trio of British rock legends wow audiences at Nos Alive in Lisbon

GALVANISED: Thom Yorke performs on stage in Lisbon and (inset) Robert Smith of The Cure

Three times a lady QUEEN Letizia has recycled her favourite high street dress for the third time while attending a cancer charity workshop in Madrid.

The famously thrifty monarch looked elegant in the €80 embroidered pink dress from ASOS. The 46-year-old refreshed the look with bright pink accessories.

Letizia was first spotted wearing the number on an official visit in Zaragoza in May 2018, before donning it a second time in November 2018.

I

T was 1997 at Glastonbury - one of the wettest in history - and the Chemical Brothers were about three quarters of the way through a rousing set on the second stage.

It was around 10.45pm when a mini exodus saw literally hundreds of revellers trudge through a foot-deep morass of mud towards an even muddier field in front of the Pyramid stage.

As the rain continued to pour down on came Radiohead to what has been described as a seminal moment in rock history and, certainly, one of Glastonbury’s best ever performances.

It was the night the five talented members, led by Thom Yorke, came of age.

So it was fascinating to witness Yorke’s first live show in Portugal, supporting headliners the Chemical Brothers this weekend at Nos Alive in Lisbon.

In a steamy circus tent, with the temperature nudging 30 degrees, he shuffled on nervously all dressed in black, apart from his Stan Smith trainers.

But it was soon apparent that the crowd loved it. Atmospheric and moody, with understated graphics and lighting, the electronic sound, coupled with light electro drums, came over brilliantly in the intimate space.

In particular, songs like Traffic swirled around like a dust storm, while Suspirium soared as high as the Trip Hop flag he is so perfectly flying these days. The encore of Dawn Chorus was beautiful.

Bound to be a riot!

LEAD singer of the Kaiser Chiefs, Ricky Wilson has revealed he could be upping sticks to Spain with his bride-to-be.

The British rocker, 41, is splashing out on a new love nest in the Balearic Islands with his fiance, stylist Grace Zito, 31.

The pair are buying a villa on the stunning white island of Menorca, having spent a number of holidays there.

The couple, who first met on

July 18th to July 31st 2019

LONDONER: Jorja Smith was on form But it was the hypnotic Black Swan that really stole the show, with its ‘f**ked up’ chorus, before we all skipped over to the main stage, where Tom and Ed of the Chemicals were soon to blow us all away with a stunningly well rehearsed and planned set.

Not exactly a role reversal, but these two former Manchester University students are at the top of their game and alive and kicking in more ways than one.

More than capable aided by the amazing graphics of Vegetable Vision, who have been doing it for them for over two decades, it was impossible to stand still.

This was a greatest hits medley, with legendary tunes like Hey Boy Hey Girl and Under the Influence - now 20 years old - amazing live. Galvanise from the 2005 album Push the Button also went down well.

Nos Alive is a superb festival to attend, in particular it being so close to Lisbon and just €7 euros by taxi from the centre.

Now well established in its 13th year, it manages to combine enough big name acts, with good up-and-coming groups to justify 20% of its 55,000 daily punters coming from the UK. It’s large, but not too large, with the Portuguese locals charming and welcoming as ever and with prices at just €60 euros for a day ticket excellent value for the amount of acts on show.

Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson buys in Spain with his new bride

EXCLUSIVE

By Charlie Smith

The Voice in 2013, may be moved in by Christmas, with their wedding expected next month.

Frequent visitors to Menorca, the pair were pictured living it up on the island last summer, shopping for art and eating ice creams.

Wilson, who wrote hit songs I Predict a Riot and Ruby, has also described his ‘weird’ deja vu moment WOODY Allen’s new romantic comedy set during a date against the backdrop of a film festival in with Zito at Spain has begun filming in San Sebastian. restaurant Es The film has a working title of Rifkin’ FestiMoli des Raco. val and stars Gina Gershon and Christoph The musician Waltz as an American couple who fall in realised he had love with other people. been there as a It comes as the director faces a long-running kid, when his controversy around alleged sexual miscondad worked in duct, something he has consistently denied. television in Spain.

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Infectious

Other highlights included a soulful, infectious show by Londoner Jorja Smith, a wild, angry explosion by Idles, plus the much anticipated performance by American Bon Iver, which was as interesting, as it was flat at times.

That said, 666 was superb, while wonderful Holocene had more people in tears over the weekend than Federer losing at Wimbledon, and was worth the journey from Spain alone. And finally, the Cure headlining on Thursday night as part of their 40th anniversary tour, was about as good as any Cure fans can remember… once they had got through the first few songs, including the rather tedious Shake Dog Shake.

Highlights were Just like Heaven and Love Song, while the encore of Boys Don’t Cry and Friday I’m in Love sent everyone home with big smiles.

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NEWS

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Backing the Beeb THE Olive Press has been hard at work for a string of national UK newspapers this month.

These include a Mail on Sunday story on the plight of a British man wrongly jailed for a drugs offence in Algeciras, as well as tracking down the mother of Julio Iglesias’s official new love child in Valencia for the Daily Mail.

But it was on the BBC where readers in the UK may have spotted our Costa Blanca reporter Joshua Parfitt.

Speaking ‘live from the internet’, he was roped in for analysis on the tragic story of two Brits who fell to their deaths while snapping a selfie in Alicante.

We have also been helping the BBC on an upcoming crime documentary (hot on the heels of our appearance in Netflix’ Maddie McCann doc).

But we have been sworn to keep tight-lipped, so watch this space!

Your reporters, here to help on the Costa Blanca News Editor Laurence Dollimore and Reporter Joshua Parfitt Contact them with any stories or news on 951 273 575 or email newsdesk@theolivepress.es (Personal contacts on page 6)

SPAIN is the fourth best country in the world to be an expat.

That is according to HSBC’s latest Expat Classification report.

The country jumped up to fourth after being ranked 13th globally in 2018.

Only Switzerland, Singapore and Canada rank higher than Spain, while the UK is rated, in contrast, as the 27th best country for expats.

New Zealand finished behind Spain in fifth, while Australia, Turkey, Germany, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam made up the rest of the top 10.

The results are based on wellbeing, society, finances, ambition and the life

Life’s a beach

for children.

“From Catalonia to the Costa del Sol, expats are feeling benefits to mind, body and soul,” reads a summary of Spain’s results.

The country was ranked best in the world for ‘quality of life’ and ‘physical and mental wellbeing’, and third-best for ‘ease of settling in’.

The statistics taken from 18,100 expats globally, also put Spain third for that elusive ‘work-life balance’.

Expat parents will also be pleased

July 18th to July 31st 2019 that Spain is the second-best place for children to ‘make friends’ and ‘learn’, while general schooling is ranked a respectable eighth.

Spain did less well for areas including ‘political instability’, ranking 15th, while ‘career progression’, came in at a lowly 33.

“While Spain doesn’t receive the same plaudits for career progression and salaries as it does for its relaxed pace of life and scorching summers, expats are happier, healthier and their aspirations are to live comfortably amongst beautiful surroundings,” the report concluded.

You pigs!

AN EXPAT has slammed police over their refusal to rescue a wild boar being ‘barbecued’ in a pen at her neighbour’s home.

Margo Niestadt, 56, from the Netherlands, claims Guardia Civil officers have ‘done absolutely nothing’ to help the animal, locked up 24 hours a day for the last six years.

She insists it is a clear case of ‘animal cruelty’ as the pig

We hate Julio From front

He revealed that throughout two previous court cases, which first began in 1991, Julio has consistently refused a paternity test.

The white-toothed crooner also ignored an order to attend court last month.

This last legal action was only sparked after a private investigator acquired a bottle of water used by Julio Jnr, while out surfing in Miami in May 2017.

DNA analysis proved that Javier and Julio Iglesias Jnr were brothers ‘with 99% accuracy’.

The judge eventually based the verdict on their joint-father’s refusal to agree to a test, and striking facial similarities.

Iglesias’s hotshot lawyers have 17 days to appeal the verdict, while Javier and Osuna are ploughing ahead with plans to sue for moral, psychological and spiritual damages.

"When Javier was 13, we tried to go backstage at a concert and introduce Julio to his son, but we were thrown out,” Maria added.

"What kind of man behaves like that? And not turning up to a court summons? What is that about?"

"We've suffered so much.

The press has called me every name under the sun.

"For Javier, his whole world has changed. But my victory is that I am exactly the same person, because I have always been telling the truth.”

Police ‘indifferent’ to locked-up boar ‘cooking in cage’ and denied water by Spanish owner can’t walk and is locked in a two-square-metre cage all the time.

To add insult to injury, the Spanish owner pinned up a sign insisting nobody should give the boar anything to drink.

It reads: “Please don’t give water to the pig, because it pisses and smells too much.”

“It’s obvious cruelty,” said Margo, who has lived in Polop, near Benidorm, for 27 years with her British husband, 65.

“The pig has never even been out of the pen, apart from when it broke out.

“It can’t get out of the sun,

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

so we give it food and water and have even put parasols over it.”

The pair have made various denuncias to the Guardia Civil’s animal welfare division Seprona on various occasions, but nothing has been done.

“They seem quite indifferent and clearly do not care,” Margo said.

“It seems as the owner is Spanish he can get away with it.”

The Guardia Civil declined to comment on whether it

Kicked out EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

A BRITISH man has been left homeless after he and his six-month pregnant girlfriend were kicked onto the street by her step-father on the Costa Blanca.

Lloyd Tee, 25, was thrown out with all his belongings in L’Altet on Tuesday.

He spent his ‘last few euros’ on a hostel and a sandwich for Panamanian girlfriend Johana, 26, who has lived most of her life in Spain.

The dispute started when police were called after the step-father attempted to strangle her mother for taking sides with the couple.

Revenge

BEHIND BARS: Pig

would now investigate, but said there was no current investigation.

Torched

A FOREST fire has torched 900 hectares and caused 90 people to evacuate their homes near Beneixama.

A total of 26 aircraft were scrambled from as far as Cuenca and Zaragoza, while 51 firefighting crews tackled the blaze on the ground.

The monumental effort to contain Valencia’s first major fire of the summer saw it luckily controlled within eight hours.

The inferno began at midday in the pine-covered hills between Villena and Ontinyent, in the Alt Vinalopó comarca of Alicante.

By 5pm a level 2 emergency situation had been declared - the second of three ‘situations’ which expects ‘serious harm to the population and non-forest natural resources’.

Some 10% of the scorched land is reportedly olive and almond groves.

The fire is believed to have been sparked intentionally, according to the president of Valencia’s Generalitat, Ximo Puig.

GONE: Lloyd and Johana

‘Absolute filth’ ANIMAL loving comic Ricky Gervais has slammed a Spanish ‘horse-wrestling’ festival.

The Office star, 58, branded participants of the ‘Rapa das Bestas’ festival ‘absolute filth’ in a Tweet, liked by 16,000 people.

Briton Gervais is opposed to the festival where local Galician men jump on the wild horses and wrestle them to the ground.

The 400-year-old Galician tradition which roughly translates as ‘Shearing of the Beasts’ sees hundreds of wild horses in various villages herded into small arenas.

Locals then attempt to trim the terrified animals’ manes and delouse them before freeing them back to the wild.

The stepfather got revenge by throwing them out with friends calling them squatters, while police looked on.

“We had been living there just five days with the rental contract still being processed,” Lloyd told the Olive Press from a bus terminal in Alicante.

“We had already paid €300 in rent, with about €100 in food, which was still in the fridge.

“Now he has thrown us and all our stuff out.”

Despite filing a police denuncia and spending six hours in court he was unable to prove he had given the stepfather the money.

The couple have now borrowed money so Joanna can stay with an aunt in Sevilla, while Lloyd is stranded homeless and penniless in Alicante.

It comes as Lloyd is due to begin work with an events agency in Benidorm this week.

Squatter’s revenge A MAN has been arrested for setting fire to three homes in retaliation for neighbours reporting him as a squatter.

The 40-year-old Spaniard was cuffed after allegedly causing more than €500,000 in damages when he set the homes ablaze in La Marina, near Elche.

Investigators believe he is guilty as he had previously threatened to destroy their homes if anyone reported him to the police, ‘even if there were children inside.’

He was arrested for criminal damage, threats and theft.

Now released on charges, he awaits a court date.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Evil driver A KAMIKAZEE driver has been killed in a multiple collision after he drove at 200km/h on the wrong side of the motorway.

The 52-year-old drove for 50 kilometres on the A-8, near Gijon, in Asturias, before colliding with cars in a crash that left car parts scattered for 100 metres.

Two children, aged four and five, have been injured along with a woman and two men.

The children have only minor injuries, while one of the men is still in hospital in a serious condition.

“He had many opportunities to leave the motorway, and he didn’t,” a Guardia Civil spokesman said.

CARNAGE: Suicide smash

together at last!

Spain’s first recognised ‘stolen baby’ is reunited with family after 50 years

A WOMAN who was stolen as a baby during the Franco dictatorship has located her biological family through a DNA bank.

Thanks to US company 23andMe, Ines Madrigal was put in touch with a second cousin following a saliva swab designed for testing ancestry and health-related concerns.

Madrigal, 50, has now been reunited with her three biological brothers and sister after 32 years of searching.

Rush to judgement A tardy lawyer who raced along the motorway to attend a court case in Murcia has been arrested immediately afterwards – by cops attending the same case.

Much to the amazement of those attending, the police giving evidence at the trial arrested the man, who had earlier been chased by Guardia Civil and a helicopter, before leaving his car badly parked outside court.

The excuse for his reckless driving was that he didn’t want to be late for the trial in which he was due to testify – that of a traffic accident from September.

MOVING: Ines embraces her sister The Madrid-born Madrigal was involved in Spain’s first-ever ‘stolen baby’ trial in 2018.

During the benchmark case, 83-year-old doctor Eduardo Vela was convicted of child abduction, faking a birth and falsifying her childbirth records.

The case has wider implications for an estimated 300,000 babies who were snatched in a scandal that began under the Franco dictatorship and continued until the 1990s.

Doctors and nuns would tell single or impoverished mothers their children had died during childbirth – meanwhile giving them away to other, often wealthy, families who were unable to conceive.

Many times the victimised families were identified as for-

mer Republicans by the ruling authorities.

In 2012, after receiving a class action lawsuit from 250 families, the Spanish Attorney General’s Office confirmed the operation.

Madrigal described finding her ‘true family’ as a ‘triumph’, this week.

The good news was tinged with sadness, however, as she discovered that her biological mother died in 2013 at 73.

But the new family connection has further legal implications, as the conviction against Doctor Vela was overturned as she had taken too long to complain, the court ruled.

Madrigal has now confirmed that prosecutors will seek to get him convicted again via an appeal to the Supreme Court.

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Horror slide!

DANGER: Benidorm attraction left man critical A BRITISH holidaymaker’s support machine with his life has changed forever after family warned that he could a horrific freak accident at be paralysed from the chest Benidorm’s Aqualandia left down after suffering a spinal him paralysed. cord injury.

David Briffaut, 23, was left “We are living every parents’ semi-conscious after riding nightmare,” his mother Lorthe ‘Splash’ waterslide with raine revealed. “Our son girlfriend Penny Bristow. might never walk again.”

Video footage shows the pair Doctors are now planning laughing side-by-side before to insert two screws in his David’s head snaps forward neck, as well as undertake a as he hit the water. tracheotomy so that he can David, who works at a golf breathe without the use of a course in Essex, could not ventilator. feel his legs when he came A spokeswoman for Aqualaround. He is now on a life andia, which has been open for 34 years, insisted the company was ‘not responsible’ for the horrific accident.

“As you can see in the photos of others press articles, David is in the wrong position whereas the girl who is next to him is in the right one,” the spokeswoman told the Olive Press.

“Our lifeguard team informed him of the rules of PARALYSED: David the ride and he didn’t obey and girlfriend Penny them.”

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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than 500,000 people a month.

OPINION Callous crooner “FOR so long, hiding the truth with lies.”

These are the words to one of Julio Iglesias’ most enduring anthems, Se Me Olvide de Vivir.

He recorded the song in 1978 - when his son Javier Sanchez would have turned three - and the lyrics could not be more appropriate.

Javier’s mother, Maria Edite, revealed exclusively how Julio has not once contacted her after the pair had a week-long fling in May 1975.

Maria admitted she should’ve ‘known what she was doing’, but while she had to raise Javier without any help from Julio, he just lifted his hands and kept on singing.

Even when Javier was declared as Julio’s biological son in a Valencia court this month, the 75-year-old, best-selling Spanish artist of all time, refused to respond to a court summons.

Maria could not have put it better when she said: “It’s always a woman who has to pick up the pieces.”

She must be prosecuted THE news that two British men were racially abused on a train in Spain by a school teacher is horrific.

This country doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to race and identity as it is.

But the fact that a TEACHER is the perpetrator of this tirade of racial abuse, may also be quite telling.

This personal attack on black people is not the first and will certainly not be the last on Spanish soil.

And with a teacher now caught on camera peddling the same old racist stereotypes of ‘monkeys’, is it any wonder racism continues.

As well as black people being made to feel like outsiders, this behaviour has also allowed the likes of Vox to flourish freely.

The right wing party succeeds by using stereotypes like those seen in the shocking footage of this attack.

Vox’s success means that in turn, Spaniards feel able to be racist in public, thus continuing the vicious cycle.

The government of Spain should reach out and make sure she is prosecuted. It would send out the right message that racism is not acceptable.

Publisher / Editor

FEATURE

July 18th to July 31st 2019

The Filthy Rich and their entourage How the other half live when on holiday in southern Spain, from Saudi Royalty to British prime ministers and American billionaires

Pope Benedict XVI

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his ultra-conservative El Papa whose papacy was tarnished by several scandals and a controversial past was a frequent visitor to Spain.

Among his most memorable trips was his visit to Valencia in 2006 for the fifth World Meeting for Families, a ‘public affirmation of the invaluable worth he places on the family’. According to an audit, the Valencian government spent €3.1 million on public loos, €1.7 million on hotels for the papal entourage and his guests, more than €500,000 on 284 planters of varying sizes, €7.5 million on megaphones and screens and €1.5 million on the papal altar.

The official centre where the Pope celebrated mass cost 39% over the original budget, with €451,000 spent on the metal work, €124,000 on zoning costs, and the rest squandered on electricity, plumbing and special curtains to offset the heat from the television lights.

The audit was part of an investigation opened in 2016 into the Valencian government’s contracts under President Francisco Camps who, alongside the Archbishop of Valencia, was suspected of committing crimes of administrative prevarication, embezzlement and fraud.

The Pope’s 2010 pastoral trip around Spain was equally draining on the taxman, requiring a scandalous €4.8 million from public coffers to cover the costs. The visit prompted Europa Laica-Observatoria de la Laicidad, an organisation advocating the separation of church and state, to marshal a ‘symbolic bill’ making both Pope and public aware of

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WO HUNDRED brand-new, imported Mercedes. ONE THOUSAND POUNDS for fresh flowers. HALF A MILLION EUROS on an altar and circa €200,000 on a flight. These are just a few of the luxuries the world’s super-rich have indulged in during their visits to Spanish shores.

As celebs, royals and the super-rich descend on the Spanish coasts for the summer, Maya Eashwaran and Regina Lankenau see how their entourages and expenses stack up.

The Swazis

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he Swazi king, Mswatti III, has long been criticised for his over-the-top spending habits, as his country is one of the poorest countries in the world. He’s certainly got form.

So it should have come as no surprise when, this summer, Mswatti III flew into Marbella for an extravagant stay at a villa in the resort’s most expensive hotels - the Marbella Club, where rooms can cost a whopping €900 a night. He arrived for his Spanish stay with all 14 wives and 35 children in tow, bookended by a massive security entourage.

For his 40th birthday celebration in 2008, by his own royal command, ‘a 15,000seat stadium was built and a fleet of topof-the-line BMW sedans was ordered for the comfort of visiting dignitaries’, according to the New York Times.

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the exorbitant costs associated with his Spanish travels. According to them, the papal visit to Santiago de Compostela cost taxpayers €3 million while his stop in Barcelona racked up another €1.8 million.

However, it was his visit to Madrid in 2011 that met with the biggest backlash. Arriving in the capital for World Youth Day, this orthodox Pope brought together a group (or should that be hoard) of two million young people whose stay ran up an eye-watering €50 million bill. However 70% was paid by the kids themselves and 30% was covered by company donations. The possible profits of the event were projected to be at more than €100 million.

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50+ SWAZI: King Mswatti III

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he former First Lady of the United States’ 2010 vacation to Marbella and Mallorca attracted worldwide attention.

The ‘FLOTUS’ landed in Malaga in early August to a crowd of over 200 Spanish journalists and an assembly of uniformed Spanish Civil Guard, all of whom had been waiting

The Kuwaitis

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uwaiti royals and businessmen have been padding Marbella with petrodollars for over four decades, mainly investing in luxury property in Mijas, Marbella and Sotogrande.

Unlike the Saudis, the Kuwaitis are known for their more reserved spending habits. As reported by El Pais, one Kuwaiti entourage member stated that ‘the Kuwaitis have no need to show off their wealth’. Indeed, despite being world famous for Saudi opulence in the area, the Kuwaitis own more property in Marbella than their Arabian neighbours.

50+

her daughter, Sasha, two friends and four of their own daughters, several White House aides and a few select staff members. They arrived in an Air Force One jet that cost over $11,000 an hour in operation costs, bringing the total cost of the round trip across the Pond to just under €177,408.

While the Obamas were in flight, a fleet of 14 vehicles awaited in Malaga. From there, they were whisked away to Marbella for a few days of luxury at the five-star Hotel Villa Padierna. Michelle had booked around 30 extra rooms for her entourage, both security and staff. The particular villa she stayed in, boasting three floors, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and three terraces. It has since been renamed the Obama Villa. This opulent pad, hemmed on all sides by pristine golf courses, can cost up to €3,600 a night.

Judicial Watch, a US-based conservative organisation, requested and obtained official travel expenses from the US Air Force and Secret Service, as well as documents from the Department of Homeland Security. They reveal a total cost of €414,765 for the Obamas’ Spanish getaway. Secret Service protection alone came to €225,716 — a sum that included the Obamas’ private car costs, payments to a travel company and secure hotel accommodation.

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for several hours for her arrival in the unforgiving Costa del Sol heat. What was initially supposed to be a relaxing, private mother-and-daughter vacation quickly turned into the event of the year for the Spanish media.

According to reports, Michelle was accompanied by

FEATURE

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olive press online

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The Saudis

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UP UP AND AWAY

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arbella is home to a replica of the United States White House known as Palacio Rocio. Previously christened Palacio Mar-Mar, it is a 200-acre personal playground for Saudi royals vacationing on the Costa del Sol. The Saudis first put down roots in Marbella in 1974 with the arrival of King Fahd who visited the glitzy resort on a regular basis, accompanied by a numerically mind-boggling entourage, until his death in 2005. During his final visit, Fahd arrived with a party of 3,000 hangers-on and injected some €90 million into the local economy during his seven-week vacation.

Fahd’s escapades in Marbella are extensively documented in a fashion that reads more like rumour than reality.

In 2002, it was reported that Fahd spent thousands of pounds on silk sheets, villas, five-star hotels and other luxury accoutrements. On fresh cut flowers alone, he splurged around €1000 per day. On top of this, each time he visited his palatial pad he would replace his stable of 200 Mercedes cars with the latest models. At the end of the summer, it is said that the used cars were stacked on top of each other in

hangars to make room for next summer’s bounty.

The wealth of the Saudi royals contributed a large chunk to the Marbella economy. When word was out that they were back in town a crowd of eager locals looking for employment would gather outside the palace gates.

Fahd’s big-spending ways made him a legend in Marbella where he reportedly splashed the cash to the tune of €32,692 a day during each of his frequent trips. He has also made extremely large donations to Marbella in the past, including €2 million for a local affordable housing project in 2002.

By the mid-80s, the wealthy friends of Fahd had built over 400 mansions in the Marbella area, it has been reported. At the time of his demise, the king’s estate alone in Marbella amounted to a staggering €120 million.

His death came as a blow to the entire community. For three days, the flag was lowered to half mast as residents and particularly business-owners felt his loss both emotionally and financially.

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David Cameron

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he ex-British PM’s visits to the Spanish coast have mainly been of a personal nature - family escapes away from Westminster to soak up some Mediterranean sun. He and wife Samantha like to fly by budget airline but they’re not averse to the lap of luxury when they get here.

Frequently snapped roaming the Spanish countryside, the premier responsible for the Brexit referendum has made the trip to sunny Spain an almost annual affair going back a decade. Among the Camerons’ preferred spots are Mallorca, Ibiza, Granada, Ronda, and Lanzarote. If recent visits are any indication, the latter appears to be a particular favourite.

Despite being well known as a regular, the former British leader tends to lean towards low-profile holidays, often enjoying his vacation without much fanfare.

In 2011, he and his wife arrived in Granada unannounced - much to the surprise of the local Granadinos - to celebrate Samantha’s 40th birthday and their 15th wedding anniversary. The couple flew in on budget airline Ryanair, and were tailed by a small inconspicuous entourage of bodyguards as they strolled through Granada’s quintessential Alhambra, blending in like any other tourists.

Un 2013 the pair enjoyed a quiet, week-long holiday relaxing beachside in Ibiza.

The following year, the PM once again flew Ryanair to San Bartolome, on Lanzarote, where he was picked up from the landing strip in a guagua (bus) and taken to a se-

Bill Gates

A 4/5

2

lthough never actually pictured, the Olive Press has it on good authority that the US billionaire visited Ronda back in 2012.

A loose-lipped vineyard owner told this paper how the Microsoft founder travelled to the area under the radar and amazingly without ANY form of security, at least none visible! He stayed in a private villa with his wife and two friends for three days and nobody had a clue it was him.

“He did all the sights and ate at a couple of restaurants and visited a few vineyards,” revealed the bodega owner, wjp asked not to be named.

cure zone within Lanzarote airport. Family in tow, the leader enjoyed his holiday accompanied by four bodyguards, each in separate cars, and stayed at Casa Tomaren, one of the most exclusive rural resorts in the area. The visit caused a remarkable stir among the British press whose coverage of the Camerons at play was estimated to have an advertising value of more than €1.2 million DEPOTS for the Canary Island.

JAVEA MURCIA Returning to Lanzarote in 2016, this time by EasyMALAGA Jet, the family was driven LONDON MIDLANDS around in a Volvo without a significant entourage.

UK: 0208 090 4292 Notably, they stayed at SPAIN: 965 79 46 82 Hotel Gran Castillo, an illegal hotel on the island whose building permit was revoked in 2007, as previously reported by the Olive Press.Most conspicuously in 2017, on his 21 year anniversary holiday with his wife, the DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR pair splurged on a chic €270-a-night Alcuzcuz rewww.way2goboxes.com sort in Benahavis.

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HE Olive Press website has gone stratospheric.

We are now ranked at 137,000th place in the world, having soared by 20,000 places in just one month, according to Amazon’s Alexa.com.

With nearly 30,000 visitors a day - nearly 10% from America and the same from Scandinavia - we can promise local businesses in Spain comprehensive exposure to tens of thousands of potential clients every week.

This is a healthy mix of local expats, as well as thousands of wealthy tourists every day.

Complimented by our 20,000 loyal Facebook followers and 7,000 Twitter fans, there are few people interested in Spain, who are not being reached.

Take the experience of one exclusive luxury hotel on the Costa del Sol that has recently contracted a series of articles on our website.

DDG Retreat received a record 22 requests to book from just one of these posts in both the newspaper and online, costing just €275.

In the words of its manager Daria Doubinina, that article ‘did better than one in the Times newspaper’ earlier this year and earnt the hotel thousands in income.

Why is YOUR BUSINESS still spending far too much on Google adwords and other inferior websites, magazines and newspapers, when the Olive Press GUARANTEES results?

Send us an email today at sales@ theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 so we can find you a better, more effective way to market your business The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are:

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- Costa del Sol beach shut down after bacteria found in water pump (26,107)

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- Man drowns in sea at Costa del Sol beach (25,506) - Irish teenage lad raped by two men in Spain holiday hotspot (21,084)

- British woman dies after getting into pool on Spain’s Costa Blanca (19,340)

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- Two British mates die in 30ft horror plunge while taking selfie on Spain’s Costa Blanca (18,282) Visitors: 489,948 Page views: 666,323

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What’s ons Religious revellers JAVEA’s annual Moors and Christians celebrations continue with events across the town, until a parade on Playa de la Grava closes out the festival on July 21 at 8pm.

Summer nights THE Summer Night Concerts continue in Alicante’s Auditorio Municipal and Altea’s Placa de l’Aigua in both areas on July 18 and 25.

GREEN

THREE people have been hospitalised during Denia’s controversial bull-running festival where revellers tempt the half-tonne creatures to leap into the sea.

On the very first day of the festival, on July 6, a man had his eyebrow ripped off and suffered a concussion after a bull threw him down a set of stairs inside the ring.

A shocking video passed to the

Olive Press shows the bull repeatedly trampling the man as the crowd tried to distract the creature.

“The man was drunk and ran up the stairs to escape, but the bulls can be incredibly agile,” a Spanish eyewitness told the Olive Press.

The festival, declared of national cultural interest, has for decades taken place in Denia’s port in honour of the Santisima Sangre.

DANGER: Denia bull fest causes injuries

Coming out Marina Alta throws its first ever gay pride parade

BENIDORM’S Low festival returns from July 2628, featuring the New Order, Foals, Bastille, the Vaccines and more.

THE first Gay Pride parade in the whole of the Marina Alta region of Alicante has been declared a ‘huge success’.

THE San Javier Jazz Festival continues, with gigs every day until July 27, with Maceo Parker on July 26 among the top picks.

tion

Not running out of steam

Indie fest

Jazz fans

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Do you have a what’s on?

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

A raucous samba band led more than 100 festival goers through the streets of Javea old town with the only impediment ‘an old man growling from a balcony’.

The parade was created by a student-led diversity group Xabia es Diversa, and had the explicit blessing of the Town Hall.

“I’m extremely happy. Ac-

Photos by Olly Tew Photography

REVELLERS: Residents’ show of pride in street

ceptance is so important and this parade has been a huge success,” Javea’s councillor for equality, Montse Villaverde, told the Olive Press.

Villaverde added the parade was the fruit of three years of work taking LGBT educators to teach schools about diversity across the municipality.

“It was a great parade,” Matthew Butterfield, co-owner of the trendy Artesano cafe-restaurant in Moraira, told the Olive Press.

Celebrate

“You might think of rural Spain as being backwards, but London louts are far worse than anything you’ll experience here.”

The parade was even visited by UK artist and musician Osaro Ogbeide, whose 2019 gay pride anthem ‘Believe in Yourself’ was blasted before ‘3,000,000’

revellers in New York this month.

“Having been involved in the largest UK PRIDE, in Brighton, for over 10 years, the contrast could not be more different,” Ogbeide, told the Olive Press.

“In Javea, the atmosphere was far more relaxed, but the message is still the same: we are here and we will continue to celebrate who we are.

“With homophobic attacks increasing around the world, this moment will mean so much to the young people here tonight.”

James Fordham, a chef at the Punch cafe in Javea, said he ‘couldn’t believe’ an event like this would happen in Javea, where there are ‘no gay bars’.

“But the turn-out was great, everyone cheered us on - all except for one old man growling from a balcony,” he told the Olive Press.

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Candy crush TURRON de Alicante has been selected over turron de Jijona in the campaign for a new WhatsApp emoji expected ‘within months’.

Blog Made in Jijona explained that the turron de Alicante, better known as nougat in English, was a better choice than its neighbouring competitor – despite the Jijona variety being the best selling.

“The image of the almonds in the form of tears of the nougat of Alicante is more easily identifiable with nougat as a generic dessert for Christmas or as a delicatessen,” a blogpost explained.

The campaign for a new WhatsApp emoji began on June 7.

The blog behind the campaign said the new design, by Sara Verdu, will be submitted to the Unicode Consortium and should be available ‘within months’.

Made in Jijona added turron is the ‘best known and most-consumed on the planet’, and has a tradition dating back ‘over 500 years’.

It comes after the addition of a paella emoji, which took two years to process.

CHILD’S EYES: War

A brave new book A COLLECTION of children’s drawings from the Spanish Civil War prefaced by famed British novelist Aldous Huxley have finally been published in Spain.

The book was first distributed in 1938 to raise funds to help Spanish youngsters who were living through the Civil War. Republican supporter Huxley penned a preface to the 60 drawings, which were originally released by The Spanish Child Welfare Association of America.

The book sold for a dollar, with proceeds going to the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that worked for the relief of children in Spain.

Commenting on the lives of Spanish children growing up between the 1936-1939 war, Huxley wrote: “The one overwhelmingly significant fact in the world of today, is the military plane.”

The author of Brave New World was reportedly friends with Juan Negrín, Spanish prime minister between 1937 and 1939, and the writer gave him a copy of the book the year that it came out.

It is now being published under the name They Still Draw Pictures! By the La uña rota publishing house.

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

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GREEN

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

fashion flix

A NEW documentary has offered a glimpse into the hidden life of Spanish fashion designer Palomo.

Entitled Boys, Some Girls and Other Cookies, the short film looks at Alejandro Gómez Palomo’s rise from Cordoba to the catwalks of New York Fashion Week.

Palomo left Andalucia aged 18 to go to London where he worked at a bar in Knightsbridge before enrolling at the London College of Fashion.

The Palomo Spain label’s AW19 collection, inspired by rural 20th century Spain, debuted earlier this year in New York.

“Even though I’m private, I decided I had to show people what my real world is,” explained the 27-year-old designer.

Rural return

Music, dance and theatre festival in rural inland town celebrates fifth anniversary AN award-winning festival held in a small, rural village high in the stunning Alpujarras mountains is set to return for its fifth year next month.

Me Vuelves Lorca, named after Granada poet and playwright, Federico Garcia Lorca, is a nine-day event, run by British-born Anna Kemp, in the village of Laroles (Nevada), that aims to emulate Lorca’s work immersing rural communities in culture.

The festival is held in a beautiful, handcrafted stone amphitheatre which was built by the local community in 2013 around an ancient corn-threshing circle.

Inspired by childhood holidays at the Minack theatre in Cornwall, Anna, who studied English at Oxford before moving to Spain, start-

ed the project in collaboration with the local ayuntamiento, as a catalyst for a new kind of tourism in a place threatened by depopulation.

Run by an ever-growing group of volunteers from the local community and beyond, the festival prides itself on its top quality programme.

The main attraction this year is a week-long artists’ residency by theatre company La Rueda Teatro Social, which will ‘work with residents’.

Local people will offer their stories and memories, collaborating with the Madrid-based group to develop a play to be performed in Laroles amphitheatre on August 10.

A stripped back acoustic set by award-winning Spanish singer, Carmen Paris will open the festival on August 2, before iconic 10-piece Madrid jazz band, Mastretta hit the stage the following night.

Madrid swing academy, Big South, will also host dancing workshops, while other performers include swing band Enric Peidro Swingtet; theatre group A Panadaría; and comedians Jamming on tour.

Me Vuelves Lorca runs in Laroles from August 2-10 and tickets start at around €12 from www.

UNIQUE: Theatre event at festival while mevuelveslorca.com (top right) Carmen Paris

July 18th to July 31st 2019

LA

Back to

With the anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s death this month, the Olive Press reveals how she composed three songs from Back to Black while holidaying in Alicante

F

EW knew that when the soulful, heart-wrenching vocals of Back to Black hit top-ten charts around the world in 2006, they would turn Amy Winehouse into the first British woman to win five Grammys, and blossom into the UK’s second best-selling album of the 21st century.

But even less is known about the holiday in Alicante that birthed three of the 13-times Platinum album’s songs - and saw the purchase of her all-time ‘favourite’ guitar.

Now, on the eve of the anniversary of her death on July 23 eight years ago, the Olive Press made a visit to the in-

WHO KNEW?: Winehouse penned a trio of hit songs on Spain’s Costa Blanca land town of Gata de Gorgos, where The list of legends who own handshe found the instrument. made Guitarras Bros instrument in“My father remembers meeting Amy cludes Ed Sheeran, Will Smith and pretty well,” Adam Broseta, 33, tells will.i.am. the Olive Press amid the fragrant saw- The Gipsy Kings, Tom Hanks, Richdust of the Guitarras Bros workshop in ard Gere and Jeremy Irons have also the workaday town. acquired instruments from the work“It was 2006 and he didn’t have a clue shop. who she was at the time, but she was In 2006, Amy was ‘just another singfriendly.” er’ in a long line of artists who have Far from being insular and blind to held a masterpiece of the Valencian the international music scene, the guitar-making tradition.

65-year-old family business is in fact But today the British singer-songwritfamous around the world. er appears appropriately at the top of the list of ‘artists’ who have bought from them on the company’s simple website.

“To me, she’s the most important of everyone,” Adam explains in the workshop’s office space, surrounded by posters of many of the world’s musical greats.

“She is a talented, an undeniable legend, and the amazing part A-LIST: Ed Sheeran (left) and Tom Hanks (right) show off their instruments made in Gata de Gorgos is we completely

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GENIUS: Adam Broseta adds finishing touches to guitars for the stars in his Gata de Gorgos workshop

FREE SPIRIT: Amy in Alicante (left) while (right) she gets inspired with a CD and a cigarette forgot she owned one of our guitars.” to eat.

In 2012, Adam received a phone call congratuThese songs laid the foundation for the Mark lating his business for its appearance in a Vanity Ronson-produced album that was sensationally Fair feature on Mitch Winehouse’s new biograreleased in October that year. phy: Amy, My Daughter.

In email correspondence with Guitarras Bros, Racing to a petrol station, Adam purchased the last Mitch would much later confirm that of ‘more copy of the monthly magazine, and there it was. than 50 guitars’ in Amy’s possession, the one In the article appeared the words: “The guitar was from the Costa Blanca had became her ‘favousmall, Spanish, bought in Guitarras Bros, in the Alrite’. icante village of Gata de Gorgos.”

After Back to Black’s stellar success, the trouIts purchase happened during bled singer’s tortuous relationship a brief holiday in 2006, after with Blake, who she married and Amy had split with lover Blake then divorced, was a period in Fielder-Civil, who had temporariFound with five which Amy Winehouse spiralled in ly returned to one of his ex-girland out of addictions to alcohol, times the legal heroin and crack cocaine. friends.

As Amy went ‘back to black’, demonised singer, who wore drink-drive limit The into her infamous manic deher heart on her tattooed sleeves pression, she was persuaded to of alcohol in her and belted out searing emotion join her father for the holiday in beneath that infamous ‘beehive’, blood Alicante, where his second wife was tragically found dead on July Jane’s family owned a house in 23, 2011. the campo.

She was found with five times the “The only problem was that she’d forgotten to legal drink-drive limit of alcohol in her blood. bring her guitar,” her father’s book continued.

That holiday in Spain, however, marked a moBut after spending ‘hours’ intent on finding one ment of clarity in the tabloid storm of Amy’s life. in the nearby workshop in Gata de Gorgos, an In his official biography, Mitch recalls a period inspired Amy returned to the house and locked of sobriety in early 2011, writing: “I hadn’t seen herself in her room for hours. her focus like that since those days in Spain Emanating from those four walls Mitch heard when she’d locked herself away and written a the birth of You Know that I’m No Good, Love lot of Back to Black. “Creating music - her greatis a Losing Game and Wake Up Alone, with Amy est passion - seemed to be doing her more good so spellbound she refused to even come down than anything else we’d tried.”

Perhaps it has something to do with the handmade masterpieces at Guitarras Bros: each one has its ‘own soul’ and is a work of art in itself, with centuries-old wood from as far as Madagascar seeing strummers fork out up to €12,000 a piece, with tailor-made rosettes and machine heads.

Or perhaps it has something to do with the agreeable weather, or the tortilla de patatas that Amy loved, according to the Vanity Fair article.

Either way, something magical happened between the walls of that house on the Costa Blanca - the loss of which the world is still coming to terms with these eight long years later.

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LETTERS

LE T T E R S

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Your expat

July 17th to July 30th 2019 Vol. 13 Issue 322 www.theolivepress.es

Jet setters...

As the summer hordes descend, the Olive Press looks at the entourages and bloated budgets of the rich and famous who regularly holiday in Spain

(far BIG FANS: Obama, Cameron and it right) Saudi royalty know how to spend

STUNNER: Lopez landing on Marbs

J.Lo-ving it!

Innocent Brit wrongly fingered for drug

Is it up? Is it down?

Where’s the property market going this summer?....Don’t miss this month’s Property Property Magazine Final hurdle

engineer wrongly accused of storing BRITISH A tonnes of hashish in the wrongly imprisoned for a 1.5 of a property where year for drug smuggling garage he was renting a room in has finally been released.

Roque.

Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, San innocent Brit - who has 51, was let go without The for the MOD for 20 charge after being locked workedmuch of it in Gibralup for more than a year years, - was taken to infamous alongside terrorists and tar prison in Almurderers in a Spanish jail. Botafuegos on June 27 last year The Ministry of Defence geciras a dramatic night (MOD) worker had been following

go-to Spain’s magazine property

Issue 31

July 2019

Looking for a cool place to stay this summer?

It doesn’t don’t get much hipper than these boutique hotels...

See Simply the rest,

page VI

Dollimore

FREE INSIDE

prison

Lazy Brits

EXCLUSIVE

By Laurence Dollimore

raid. He quickly became the Guardia Civil’s main suspect despite having no previous convictions and the actual owner of the property having a previous drug conviction in Gibraltar.

Despite, a lack of evidence and three front page stories

of our front pages THRILLED: Hewitt with two a shocking seven months to by this paper - he was held at formally charge him - after the notorious jail, home to denying him bail three times.

ETA terrorists and Irish maDespite a serious long-term fia members, until last week. liver condition, which saw “It is amazing to be finally him moved in and out of hosout,” Hampshire-based Manpital, he did not get his day in sfield-Hewitt told the Olive court until May 27.

Press from a restaurant in La Incredibly, he has still been Linea this week. ordered to pay a €1,500 fine “I’m still getting used to being for ‘renting unlicensed tourout, it has been a crazy ride.” accommodation’. ist He also thanked the paper He revealed he is now set to for all the support and legal take legal action against the pressure we have put on the state but for now is focusing authorities since his arrest. on getting home.

“It is great to have had a local He is flying back from Malaga media group keeping this in the public eye. Without your Continues on Page 4 help, I’m sure it would have taken longer,” he said.

Opinion Page 6 In draconian circumstances, it took Spanish authorities

Dear Olive Press,

Unfortunately some British people in Spain are just lazy (WATCH: Well-known British expat commended online for saying ‘Brits in Spain SHOULD speak Spanish’, online, July 5).

They would rather have the Spanish speak to them in English than bother being respectful and trying to learn the language.

It’s shameful really.

I love how helpful the Spanish are when I make a mistake or ask a question.

At our little local restaurant I asked what a ‘little bird’ was called.

The waiter asked me what I thought it was, and then corrected my pronunciation and told me that I was doing great.

I also love it when we’re out and about, and the little kids are talking.

I still can’t get over how cute they are, with their ways of saying things.

It’s hard if you don’t get practice.

I get by on the basics well enough, but I will have to do lessons to get to a decent level.

I still have a long way to go, but I’ll get there with all the Spanish helpers out there.

Tel: 952 147 834

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Issue 31

July 2019

Looking for a cool place to stay this summer?

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Development’s designs

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As the summer hordes descend, the Olive Press looks at the entourages and bloated budgets of the rich and famous who regularly holiday in Spain

BIG FANS: Obama, Cameron and (far right) Saudi royalty know how to spend

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it

HE’S OUT! Innocent Brit wrongly fingered for drug

haul finally released from year in violent

prison

A BRITISH engineer erty where he was renting wrongly imprisoned for a a room EXCLUSIVE in San Roque. year for drug smuggling The

By Laurence Dollimore innocent Brit - who has finally been released. has Robert Mansfield-Hewitt, for worked for the MOD ous drug conviction in Gi51, was let go without in 20 years, much of it braltar. charge after being locked to Gibraltar - was taken Despite, a lack of evidence infamous Botafuegos - and THRILLED: Hewitt with two up for more than a year prison three of our front pages in Algeciras on ries by this front page stoalongside terrorists and June paper - he was rant in La Linea this week. local media group keeping murderers in a Spanish ing 27 last year follow- held at the notorious jail, “I’m still a dramatic night raid. home jail. to ETA terrorists ing out, itgetting used to be- this in the public eye. WithHe quickly became the and has been a crazy out your help, The Ministry of Defence Guardia Irish mafia I’m sure it Civil’s main sus- until last week. members, ride.” would have taken longer,” (MOD) worker had been pect He also thanked despite having no “It is amazing wrongly accused of stor- previous to be finally for all the supportthe paper he said. convictions and out,” and legal In draconian ing 1.5 tonnes of hashish the Hampshire-based pressure we actual owner of the Mansfield-Hewitt have put on the es, it took circumstancin the garage of a prop- property Spanish autold the authorities since having a previ- Olive Press thorities a shocking from a restau- “It is great to his arrest. have had a months to formally seven charge him - after denying him bail three times.

Despite a serious long-term liver condition, which saw him moved in and out of hospital, he did not get his day in court until May 27.

Lettings | Sales UK BASED Incredibly, he has still been ordered to pay a €1,500 Reliable private hire transfer Investments | Relocations fine for ‘renting unlicensed services for any occasion tourist accommodation’.

Commercial and Residential • Luxury vehicles He revealed he is now set to • Door to door service take legal action against the Tel: +350 200 44955 • Airport collections state but for now is focusfor Spanish enquiries@seekerspropertygibraltar.com • Weddings transport ing on getting home. residents • Sightseeing day trips He is flying back from Mal• Restaurant shuttles aga to London this week, www.globelink.co.uk where he plans to take a few Find out more at: 10 Engineer Lane, www.simply-shuttles.com Gibraltar GX11 1AA tel: 951 279

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Opinion Page 6

All about

Your expat

voice in Spain SEARING: Mallorca hits 40ºC

Scorched MALLORCA is to bake again this weekend after the European wide heat waves saw the hottest June on record with temperatures hitting 40ºC Medical teams on the island are preparing themselves to treat sunstroke victims after three people died across Spain in the last ten days.

The soaring temperatures have been driven by hot air from Africa which reached Mallorca first before spreading to the rest of the country.

Tragically a 36-year-old Britis ish woman on the Costa Blanca among three people believed to have died from heat-related causes during the onslaught.

The woman, who was not named,a tragically died after getting into pool in Orihuela and suffering convulsions.

Authorities are suspecting heatstroke as the possible cause of death.

Meanwhile a 93-year-old Spanish man fatally collapsed during the heat in Valladolid, and a 17-year-old boy died after jumping into a swimming pool in Cordoba.

Highest-ever temperatures were recorded in seven monitoring stations around Spain, while 26 saw their hottest June days in history.

BURNT

Property

www.theolivepress.com

Final hurdle

Giant €750m multi-sports and property development enters final furlong

A RAFT of international sporting stars are lining up to back an exciting “This will be massive for Mijas and will €750 million sports be the largest sports project on the Costa and residential sports events venuetourism and multidel Sol. Maria Sharapova, Rio businessman behind in Europe,” the Ian Woosnam have all Ferdinand and thony Arnold, from the project, Anexpressed a keen the West Midlands, interest in the huge British-funded told the Olive proj- Russian tennisPress this week. ect to revolutionise Mijas’ ace ed hippodrome racecourselong-neglect- involved in the Sharapova has been interior site.

The trio are just some project, called ‘Mijas design of the looking to back the of the big names while former EnglandCity of Sport,’ captain Ferdiment, which includes Mirage develop- nand is set to add multi-sports venue, a golf course, a Escapes company.the site to his Football a trio of hotels and over 1,000 luxury apartments, TRIO OF BACKERS: The firm style Sharapova, Woosnam the Olive coaching provides premier football and resort for the professional sports Press can exclusively and Ferdinand (below sports business community’. courses at some of reveal. left) the most It will include exclusive resorts around a five-star hotel, spa, casino Welsh golfing legend the world.

Woosnam, mean- and luxury apartments. while, has helped design An entertainment venue the signature campus and university 18-hole golf course are also being considered for the up the gold academy.and will be heading site, according to the The proposed project overview of the project, detailed 17-page seen by the Olive 250 hectares - will be - which sits over Press. different areas under divided into three Construction is planned the brand name to begin by the Mirage. middle of next year Mirage Sport will feature which has still not if Mijas town hall ing events venue, elite a large sport- ernment followingformed a working govand a 400-room hotel training facility - gives it the green recent local elections mercial, conference andalongside a com- of Malaga will be light. HCP Arquitects officially unveiling the business centre.

Meanwhile Mirage Golf will also have masterplan in the next few weeks. a hotel and 1,200 luxury “I’ve apartments, now been working on this for eight years alongside its course. and we are so close to getting the Finally Mirage Club backing we need,” continued Arnold. “It sive sporting club will be an exclu- will be hugely important ‘designed as a lifejas but the whole Costa for not only Midel Sol.” MIRAGE:

FREE INSIDE

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It comes after Donald Trump tweeted his support for the move, while Spain said it wanted to mount a full investigation.

It was later confirmed the tanker was carrying 2.1 million barrels of crude oil which the US feared was being taken to support the war effort in Syria, defying EU sanctions.

Picardo also revealed he had written to both the president of the European Commission and European Council, Jean-Claude Junker and Donald Tusk.

“We acted because we had reasonable grounds to believe that this vessel was in breach of EU sanctions against Syria,” said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo in Parliament on July 12.

“These actions were contrary to the law of Gibraltar as the sanctions were contained in an EU regulation which is directly applicable to Gibraltar since 2012.”

He said that the consequences of these actions could ‘now be challenged in court by any party’.

The storming of the ship was a unanimous decision of the Gibraltar cabinet.

Four crew members of the Grace were interviewed by the RGP whileI equipment was also seized.

A senior Iranian cleric has said UK will be ‘slapped in the face’ for the the move.

21/6/19 13:30

Spain’s property

voice in Spain

Vol. 4 Issue 101 www.theolivepress.es July 17th to July 30th 2019

RICK Astley has been announced for MTV’s Gibraltar Calling Festival. The 1980s British pop star will be the warm up act to Take That on Sunday September 8.

The Never Gonna Give You Up singer will be performing a medley of his greatest hits.

THE Gibraltar government has denied it was following orders from the US when it detained the Iranian supertanker Grace I last week.

It comes after the Royal Marines and local law enforcement stormed the oil tanker and sparked an international row between the US, Iran and the UK. The Chief Minister denied Spanish reports that the detention was a vour to the US but said he would fatry to make sure there would be no ‘transboundary effects’.

“There has been no political requests at any time from any government act,” he said. “The decisions of to the government were taken totally independently.”

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July 5th - July 18th 2019 Vol. 3 Issue 58 www.theolivepress.es

Don’t miss our FREE supplement inside with everything you need to know about the Costa de la Luz

Why aye read the Olive Press when I come to Toon

What happened when Letizia met Loach?

C

10TH ANNIVERSARY SUPPLEMENT

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UROPE’S most southerly town looks out across the Strait of Gibraltar where two mighty continents collide. But the clash of cultures is entirely geographic.

Indeed, Tarifa radiates such a calming vibe it would threaten to relax the mighty shoulders of the titan Atlas himself but there’s no danger of the sky falling down...Hercules’ two mythological pillars (Gibraltar and Mount Jebel Musa in Morocco) have long since relieved him of that burden.

Shaded by pine forest, cushioned by soft dunes, and 14 kilometres from Africa, this Costa de la Luz gem’s Carribean-copy beaches and laid-back vibe set it apart from the more structured resorts along the Malaga coast to the east.

And that’s unlikely to change thanks to Tarifa’s protected location in El Estrecho Natural Park.

The coastal town in Cadiz province is an endearing mix of beach bum bohemianism and boutique chic, with the added attraction of great seafood and restorative Atlantic winds.

It makes it the perfect escape (along Continues overleaf

SERENE: An inlet near Barbate, horse riding in El Palmar and arch in Tarifa PERFECT PLAZA: In Vejer

EX CL PI USIVE C

SICKOS FIND OUT WHY ON PAGE 3

FIND OUT ON PAGE 3

The Catalan city of Lleida, for instance, saw its previous monthly record of 40.6ºC smashed by a 43.4ºC spike than began on June 24 lasta week. Spain’s highest temperature, seething 44.4 °C in Badajoz on June 29, was still shy of the country’s alltime record of 46.9ºC from Cordoba in 2017.

The searing temperatures, caused by high pressure and winds from the Sahara, have also sparked wildfires all over Spain.

Firefighters battled blazes not seen for 20 years as 500 operatives controlled a 6,000-hectare conflagration near Tarragona, in Catalonia.

Meanwhile on the Costa Blanca, thousands of Washingtonia and date palms burnt in the UNESCO World Heritage orchards of Elche.

Trees were scorched in four separate orchards during the early hours of Saturday morning, before 31 firefighters put out the reportedly ‘intentionally started’ blaze.

The hot weather turned into tempests in the northern region of Spain on Wednesday, while temperatures have platead nationwide just above the 30°C mark.

TOUGH TALK: Diego Quintes

Defend democracy

In the sickening ‘league table’ of injutop ries and fatalities, the UK comes inwith six ‘points’ allocated for three juries and one death.

“I found the website disgusting and insist it must be banned and those who run it jailed. the “I still have nightmares about things I’ve seen, just somebody imagine that’s falling from 13 stories high and knowing they are going to die,” Quintes told the falls Olive Press this week.

Mallorca Facebook ranks fatal “Often you find them DISGUSTING: Balconing distasteful move comes just still alive, trying to more ‘stupid’ and ‘drunken’ This after a 20-year-old British man, move and talk to you, couraging attempt these life-threaten- weeks as Freddie Pring, died on June asking you to please tourists to named ing stunts. falling from a hotel in Magaluf. help them. have a petition on Change. 7 after in “And what makes They even of a provocative campaign Quintes, who moved to the UK after falling in love with a Brit, matters worse are org as part balconing made an Olympic 2002 to see firm action taken against the actions of other to have wants ‘trolls’. holidaymakers, taking sport. has not only put these balconingshould be forced to see people videos and pictures “The ‘balconing’ on the world map of risk “These from their balconies,” Magaluf is also an effective catalyst the aftermath of these horrific accisports but he added. dents so they can see with their own selection. devastating consequences of ‘Balconing’ sees holi- of natural a handful of drunken eyes the balconing has caused not only day makers attempt to “Each year, choose to eliminate their what families and friends of the declimb onto balconies tourists the evolutionary race, thus to the but also to the first responders and either jump from genes from ceased stupid, least the – fittest the room to room, or into allowing to the incident, in this case – to occupy their biologi- “I don’t know how they make fun out a nearby pool.

Some sick mem- cal niche. of this. They should be prosecuted.”

“The solution to ‘balconing’ is more 15:36 of the balconing 16/06/2017 1 bers Untitled-1.pdf caption accomOpinion Page 6 the reads ‘balconing,” have Facebook group the petition. posted messages en- panying blasts trolls

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As it emerges Spain is second only to Cambodia for missing persons, a mass women’s grave is set to be opened in Andalucia, despite Franco still staying put in his Madrid burial place, writes Heather Galloway

A

HUSH descended on the tiny village of Zufre as the names were slowly The 16 Roses of Zufre read out.

It was November 4, 1937 and RESTING PLACE: Higuera de la Sierra 1. Teodora Garzón Núñez, approaching dusk in the mountain settle- 1936 and the 46, local militiamen quickly capmarried. ment that sits inside the stunning Aracena tured 60 Nationalists 2. Remedios Gil Cortés, 58. soldiers as prisoners.

Natural Park, in Huelva.

Franco had been furious and ordered an 3. Modesta Huerta Santos, Most of the local villagers had just made aerial bombing 30, of the town, which quickly liwidow and UGT socialist labour their way back into the village from the berated his soldiers, with most of the locals union activist. nearby fields. fleeing into the nearby hills or ‘relocated’ to 4. Josefa Labrador Arroyo, A total of 16 women were called out and Badajoz.

40, married. each was asked to jump aboard a truck The 16 mothers, 5. Elena Ramos Navarro, 55, that was supposed to be en route to the thers rounded daughters and grandmoUGT up that day were never seen socialist labour union activist. nearby market town of Aracena. again.

6. Bernabela Rodríguez Ruiz, Ostensibly they were to make statements That is until this 39, married. about the Civil War before the Nationalist is expected to month, when a mass grave 7. Dominica Rodríguez Ruiz, authorities, who had secured the region for llage of Higuerabe opened in the nearby vi39, de la Sierra. widow. dictator Franco some months earlier.

It is the fifth unmarked mass burial site to 8. Felipa Rufo Alcaide, 40, married.

However, nobody locally believed it and, be opened in 9. Amadora Sánchez González, Andalucia over the last few according to witnesses, there was an eerie years and archaeologists 53, married. are expecting to understanding that the fascist soldiers on find the bodies 10. Mariana Sánchez Vázquez, the truck had other plans for their captives. likely tortured of women, who were most 51, and raped before being kiUGT socialist labour union activist Zufre, after all, had been a staunchly left-le- lled. and avid reader, married. aning Republican town on the outbreak of “They were rounded 11. Antonia Padilla Blanco, 51. up in 1937, when the war in Franco’s forces made a concerted effort 12. Encarnación Méndez Díaz, 56, to find the locals who had deserted villamember of the UGT socialist ges across Andalucia,” labour union.

13. Faustina Ventura Sánchez, explains Cecilio Gordillo, 62.

14. Amadora Domínguez Labrador, the driving force behind the organisation Todos los UGT socialist labour union Nombres. activist.

15. Carlota Garzón Núñez, 47.

For the last 13 years he 16. Alejandra Garzón Acemel, has been investigating the 62, fate of the ‘disappeared’ vicaka la Pistola. tims of the Civil War, a third of whom were buried in Andalucia.

“There was a wave of repression exclusively with women and Zufre will be against the women who lived in the fifth such grave, though it is suspected Andalucia,” the former bus driver told there may be a few men in there too.” the Olive Press.

However, “Western Andalucia is the only place in believed he warned: “At least two graves Spain where they have found graves filled executed to have contained the remains of women were empty so you never know what you will find until they are opened.”

He, along with the CGT-A Andalucia Working Group for the Recovery of Social Historical Memory were given the go-ahead last year and it is still expected to go ahead from July 15, despite the new right-wing PP-Ciudadanos-Vox coalition proposing to cut the historical memory budget.

However the dig will be highly controversial and emotive, as they usually are.

“We are having a meeting this Thursday to discuss the exact timescale,” confirmed local Higuera archaeologist Jesus Roman, who is involved in the dig.

The move comes just weeks after the five judges in Madrid postponed moving the body of General Franco from Spain’s huge Valle de los Caidos memorial, which is meant to be for victims of both sides of the war.

It would be something of a disaster to not afford these women a decent proper burial, believes Gordillo.

He explained that most of the 16 women knew this was to be a one-way ticket, despite their innocence.

One of them, 62-year-old Alejandra Garzón Acemel, aka La Pistola, turned to embrace a friend, whose name was omitted, crying: LOCATION: Zufre in Huelva “Carmen, my dear, we are not going to see each other again.”

Suzie Morritt, Torrevieja

Good for you Gazza

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

I once spent an afternoon with him and Chris Waddle down the Emerald bar a few years back (Second rounds, Issue 8, pg 3). I’m glad he’s trying to stay off the booze!

A Cup of Tetley

SECOND ROUNDS

X FACTOR star Danny Tetley has come back to Benidorm for exclusive shows to last all summer.

The Bradford-born singer just missed out on X Factor 2018’s final after a sound issue ruined England ace his performance of Queen's Gazza tells Olive Who Wants To Live Forever.

But the 37-year-old entertainer Press he has will now be at the Riviera Music Lounge for his thousands of stayed off the fans to see. booze despite “We are proud to announce that from Monday July 1, every breaking his night at 11pm, our dear Danny thumb on a quad Tetley will be on stage for you all,” a spokesperson for Riviera bike during Music Lounge said.

Spanish hols Tetley earned a standing ovation from judges, including EXCLUSIVE Simon, following an emoBy Joshua Parfitt tion-charged rendition of Jenin Benidorm nifer Hudson’s And I’m Telling ANTICS: Fishing in costa pool and You I’m Not Going in August (left) on jet ski 2018.

BRINGING one of the It was the second time in 17 UK’s ter his first suffers from being most legendary OCD and years Tetley had met Simon af- boozers to Benidorm proper holi- bipolar. was day for years. ter being booted out of Pop Idol always going to be He revealed risky.

“I hadn’t been on speaking gigs,that his public in 2002.

But former England which saw him Before having his second suc- ‘Gazza’ Gasgoigne star Paul holiday in a while and I came in Orihuela and cessful attempt at X Factor, Olive Press he had told the here to enjoy myself without last month, have Benidorm given him Tetley had spent the interve- tion’ of taking a ‘no inten- booze. his ‘football buzz’ back. drink while “I’ve been working ning years honing his craft in enjoying a two-week out break in day for the past six every This was despite being accuBenidorm bars. weeks, Spain. keeping busy and enjoying sed of singing a ‘foul mou“I haven’t come here to thed’ anti-catholic chant in life,” he added. drink,” he revealed to the paa Benidorm pub, the night The former England ace per before a speaking event in who famously cried after before. the Costa Blanca resort.

England failed to reach the However, he laughed this “I can drink in my own hou1990 World Cup Final - has off as a joke (“I wear a cross se if I want to, I don’t have to had trouble with drugs and around my neck, I’m not anti come to Benidorm to do that.” alcohol since his retirement the Pope”) and insisted the The ex-Tottenham legend only scrape he had was when in 2005.

A FORMER boxing champion who has he crashed has been rescued off Spain af- and out notoriously been in Despite being widely recog- nearby hills.a quad bike in the ter a fire broke out on a luxury revealed of rehab for years - nised as the most naturally “I went that he had instead talented a bit crazy going yacht he was renting. player of his genebeen horse riding and jet skiration, he has been addicted through some trees, hit a Ex world heavyweight cham- ing. to everything from cocaine to boulder and backflipped over pion Wladimir Klitshko, who The 52-year-old, the quad. who also Calpol. retired from boxing in 2017, played for “I was cut to bits and broke Lazio and Rangers, He admitted was on a boat trip off Mallor- said he was ‘feeling great’ af- noisseur of he was a ‘con- my thumb - it’s well out. ca with family and friends rehab’ and also He later told the audience when a fire started onboard. at La Marina hotel, in BeniThe yacht was reported to dorm, that he was back to ‘fehave been adrift 10 miles soueling great’. thwest of Port Adriano with Gascoigne’s manager Shanine people on board. ne Whitfield told the Olive “No worries: we are all fine!,” Press that Gascoigne does he reported the next day.

‘50 events’ a year now for his company Kong Events.

Whitfield explained three years ago when he relapsed in a hotel room before a gig in the UK. “Because of who he was, the people close to him have broken his trust,” Whitfield As accolades go they don’t get much said. better.

Expats along the costas have been given an order: Read the Oli- “I’ve given him back the basic things in life he never had: ve Press, by Paul Gascoigne.

BOXER: Klitshko just calling him up for a coHolding up the paper, he insisted: “Read it, it’s the truth!” ffee, or taking him jet skiing.”

Sucker punch

Paul Demopoulos, Javea

Read it, it’s the truth!

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July 4th - July 17th 2019

Trans posed A MISS W o r l d trans-fer battle is set to begin as three sizzling contestants from the Valencian Community compete to take over the Miss Spain title from current transgender holder Angela Ponce.

The beautiful bunch is made up of Andrea Galan, Cristina Campillo and Alba Rodriguez, representing the provinces of Valencia, Castellon and Alicante, respectively.

The hopefuls travel to Melilla on August 18, to see if one can win the right to attend the 69th Miss World contest in London on December 14.

The last winner Sevilla-born Ponce became famous after becoming the first ever transgender winner of Miss Spain last year.

Ponce then went on to represent her country at Miss Universe 2018 in Bangkok, but did not make the finals.

Perfect sands

A SPANISH beach has made the world’s top 10.

La Concha Beach in San Sebastian was ranked as the fourth best globally, by velers’ Choice Awards 2019. Tripadvisor’s TraThe Basque beach was rated by 8,736 Tripadvisor users. an average of 4.5/5 The number one spot went to Baia do Sancho, in Brazil’s archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. Cuba’s Varadero Beach was ranked second best in the world, while Eagle Beach in Aruba, came third.

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Yet again, another so-called ‘cultural activity’. No wonder there is so much cruelty and domestic abuse in Spain when this is seen as acceptable.

Jeni Obbard, Alhaurin El Grande

2

Held to account

Little ears A BOY aged 10 has rescued a 64-yearold Dutchman who fell into a fissure in the mountains of Picos de Europa, northern Spain. The boy split from his family to take photographs when he heard the injured man scream for help.

Once a wolf

The Spanish really need to learn how to play quietly amongst themselves and leave the innocent alone.

Deb Coom, Sotogrande

FIVE members of the ‘Wolf Pack’ gang have been found guilty of rape after the Supreme Court overturned a regional court’s lesser conviction of sexual assault. The five men will each be jailed for 15 years, instead of 9 years, for raping an 18-year-old and filming it in Pamplona.

Delay PEDRO Sanchez has delayed a vote until July 23 in order to convince Pablo Iglesias’ Unidos Podemos to for a coalition with the socialist party.

PSOE won 123 seats during the April elections, but need 176 to become a majority in the Spanish congress.

Unexpected baggage A MILITARY official travelling with Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro was detained in Sevilla after 39kg of cocaine was found in his suitcase on the presidential plane.

July 4th - July 17th 2019

Crack hawk down

A SURVEILLANCE helicopter has caught a man travelling at 223 km/h on the AP-7 motorway on the Costa Blanca while ‘high on several drugs’. The Pegasus helicopter from Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) caught the driver at 13.42 in Gandia on Saturday, before notifying the Guardia Civil’s traffic unit.

The man was detained and tested positive to ‘various narcotics’.

The Spanish government brought in surveillance helicopters to catch speeders back in 2007.

A total of eight now patrol the Spanish skies. The Pegasus choppers uses two cameras which monitor the speed of a car and record its number plate. The cameras can also determine if a driver is using a mobile phone or riding without a seatbelt.

Trapped in hell British expat says council are ‘ignoring’ attempts to rescue mistreated dogs A BRITISH expat who has fought for eight years to rescue dogs trapped in a ‘hellhole’ says town hall councillors do nothing due to their friendship with the owner.

Grace Boas, 63, said there are six podenco hunting dogs stuck in an abandoned house ‘without windows’ on Cami Sant Miquel, near Benimeit, in Teulada.

She said the dogs live surrounded by ‘excrement and worms’ and they ‘never leave’ the property.

“I walk my dogs there every day and they bark non-stop,” Grace, who is secretary of PLUTO Protectora Animales, told the Olive Press.

“Four denuncias, two instancias and a complaint to the EU Commission have been made against their owner,

EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

Fernando Serrat, but nothing ever changes,” she explained.

Grace believes nothing has been done is that Serrat’s daughter is the director of the Auditori Teulada and ‘good friends’ with former health councillor Rosa Ana Caselles and former mayor Carlos Linares.

A series of letters addressed to both politicians pleading for ‘a solution’ have gone unanswered.

“We want to give these dogs a life of liberty, without fleas, worms, poor nutrition and horrific conditions,” read one letter to Linares.

She was recently told by Serrat’s daughter that she failed

Spit and run

TWO men have been arrested in Barcelona after robbing 23 tourists by using the ‘spitting’ method.

The men were seen on CCTV spitting on tourists, and while one offered to clean the victim’s jacket the other made off with their suitcase.

The thieves, of Peruvian nationality, reportedly made €73,000 in the scam.

MISTREATED: Dogs trapped in abandoned house to ‘understand Spanish culture’.

“But is this really culture? It’s

COLLARED

A WOMAN has been arrested after her dog died from strangulation and heatstroke.

The 27-year-old is charged with animal abuse after her ‘dying’ pet was spotted on a balcony in Valladolid.

After police officers saw the animal ‘panting intensely’ and could not break in, firemen were called to rescue the animal.

But the dog could not be saved, and it died of ‘suffocation due to strangulation’, according to a vet.

certainly not European behaviour, or shouldn’t be,” added Grace, who retired to Spain 15 years for health reasons.

She believes that the keen hunter Serrat, aged 77, is now ‘incapable’ of caring for his six dogs.

However there is hope on the horizon with both Linares and Caselles no longer in power after May’s elections.

She hopes new councillor for Animal Welfare Adrian Ruiz will be more ‘animal friendly’.

“The maltreatment of animals really upsets me,” added Boas, who narrowly missed a seat on Teulada council with the PSOE in the recent elections.

“I’m really praying something can finally be done.”

A WORLD CLASS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LOCATED ON THE CUMBRE

MONSTER: John Worboys

Black cab rapist’s costa plans

ONE of the UK’s most dangerous men has been learning Spanish as part of his plan to relocate to Spain on his release.

Infamous 62-year-old taxi rapist John Worboys - who now goes by the name John Derek Radford - is hoping to start a new life here, when released.

But the sex offender, who was set to be released this year, may spend a lot more time behind bars at Wakefield prison after a massive public uproar.

“He had all the books and DVDs and was becoming pretty fluent,” a source at the prison told a UK newspaper.

“He wanted to eventually live in Spain where, worryingly, he’d be totally anonymous and God only knows what he’d get up to out there mixing with tourists.

“He had also changed his name so he could slip under the radar.”

Worboys was jailed in 2009 for a spate of sex assaults on 12 women in London.

He could have obtained permission to travel abroad from probation officers after a Parole Board deemed him to be no longer a danger. But the decision is expected to be reversed when he goes in front of a judge to be sentenced in September after he admitted attacks on four more women.

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Animal cruelty is Spanish ‘culture’? (Trapped in hell, Issue 8, pg 2) I don’t think so, not the Spanish friends I have. If the Ayuntamiento won’t do anything, she needs to start a local petition to get these dogs away from the owner.

CRIME

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS IN BRIEF

SPAIN has been referred to the EU Court of Justice for imposing disproportionate fines on taxpayers who failed to report assets held in other EU countries.

Play nicely boys

Quality Beds & Linen from Budget

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Not all of Spain

Valerie Schultz, Benidorm

Telephone: 671 698 769

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Where is this happening? What is it with the Spanish? They are allegedly so macho, but obviously have tiny c**ks.

Roy Price, Mijas

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

Death sentence If only our laws would simply sentence these criminals to death (Black cab rapist’s costa plans, Issue 8, pg 2) That would be great for society and save millions, but of course the do-gooders would be up in arms.

Shona Branagan, Dublin

M

UK BASED

www.globelink.co.uk

July 4th to July 17th 2019

With the rise of the far right in so many countries at the moment it’s more important than ever to speak about these events (Remembering the roses, Issue 8, pg 6). We need to remind ourselves how fragile democracy is and how important it is to defend it.

C

TRAVEL INSURANCE

PUBLISHER / EDITOR Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Joshua Parfitt joshua@theolivepress.es

Gillian Keller gillian@theolivepress.es

I have never heard of this before. Although I totally agree with Gervais about bullfighting, I do not see anything drastic about this. After all it is what I always wanted, the matadors in a bull ring to fight with their bare hands if they dared. But in this case, they only groom the horses and let them free. There are no spears, swords or dead animals like in the barbaric bullfighting!

Same old same old

THE Olive Press prides itself on being an animal rights-supporting paper.

This week’s Costa Blanca edition celebrates the story of an intelligent pig that escaped slaughter and wound up at a British-run animal sanctuary.

We also have a story detailing legal action taken by a Brit against the appalling treatment of dogs, which has reportedly fallen on deaf council ears.

If there is someone breaking the law, or engaging in cruelty to animals, we will investigate if it is in our readers’ interests.

But we also live in Spain, and are a paper that loves this country.

This is why, in efforts to understand local culture, one of our reporters went to a bull-running event and visited a ranch. It does not mean this paper condones such practices. But we believe that without understanding one another’s culture, we become divided. That’s why we will continue supporting British expats campaigning tirelessly for animal welfare, but also strive to celebrate Spanish traditions - believing that somewhere in between, our readers can discover the best of both worlds.

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

What I’ve always wanted

Ethel Du Plessis, Alicante

Facebook Former security guard slams page mocking British holidaymakers killed in Mallorca balcony falls A SECURITY guard who witnessed has a horrific ‘balconing’ death slammed a Facebook ‘league table’ mocking deaths from balcony falls.

Diego Quintes has labelled the ‘Balconing Mallorca’ page as ‘disgusting,’ recalling the horrific incidents he witnessed working in hotels in the 1990s.

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July 18th to July 31st 2019 Culture wars

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EXCLUSIVE By Laurence

and will be massive for Mijas sporting “This will sports tourism and multibe the largest A RAFT of international in Europe,” the back an exciting stars are lining up to and residential sports events venue the project, Anbusinessman behindthe West Midlands, €750 million sportsdel Sol. project on the Costa Ferdinand and thony Arnold, from this week. told the Olive Press Maria Sharapova, Rio expressed a keen Russian tennis ace Sharapova has been left) Ian Woosnam have all of the projand Ferdinand (below in the interior design Sharapova, Woosnam interest in the huge British-funded long-neglect- involved called ‘Mijas City of Sport,’ TRIO OF BACKERS: project, ect to revolutionise Mijas’ site. captain Ferdiwhile former England sports ed hippodrome racecourse of the big names the site to his Football style resort for the professional The trio are just some Mirage develop- nand is set to add community’. and sports business looking to back the a golf course, a Escapes company. premier football It will include a five-star hotel, spa, casino The firm provides ment, which includes a trio of hotels and coaching courses at some of the most and luxury apartments. multi-sports venue, and university the Olive the world.

An entertainment venue exclusive resorts around over 1,000 luxury apartments, Woosnam, mean- campus are also being considered for the reveal.

Welsh golfing legend Press can exclusively detailed 17-page the signature site, according to the while, has helped design and will be heading overview of the project, seen by the Olive 18-hole golf course the up the gold academy. - which sits over Press. planned to begin by The proposed projectdivided into three Construction is if Mijas town hall 250 hectares - will be the brand name middle of next year a working govwhich has still not formed different areas under elections following recent localArquitects Mirage.

HCP a large sport- ernment gives it the green light. unveiling the Mirage Sport will feature training facility officially ing events venue, elitealongside a com- of Malaga will benext few weeks. and a 400-room hotel business centre. masterplan in the on this for eight years “I’ve been working the mercial, conference and Golf will also have now and we are so close to getting “It Meanwhile Mirage Arnold. apartments, hotel, casino and apartments backing we need,” continued a hotel and 1,200 luxury designs include five-star for not only MiMIRAGE: Development’s alongside its course. will be an exclu- will be hugely important Costa del Sol.” Finally Mirage Club‘designed as a life- jas but the whole sive sporting club

haul finally released from year in violent

Olive Press for Robert Mansfield-Hewitt thanks year-long campaign for his release

www.theolivepress.com

and property Giant €750m multi-sports final furlong development enters

See page 6

HE’S OUT!

she JENNIFER Lopez has confirmed will play on the Costa del Sol to celebrate her 50th birthday.

49, The forever-young Latina legend, will take to the stage at Marenostrum Castle Park in Fuengirola. will The unmissable gig on August 8 mark over seven years since the Jenny from the Block singer’s last Spain appearance.

J. Lo takes part in the Marenostrum Festival, which has also seen the likes of Daddy Yankee, Carl Cox and Rod Stewart.

Having sold in excess of 80 million records worldwide, Lopez, who was the born to Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, New York, is regarded as US. most influential Latin artist in the

OPINION NEVER was there a truer-to-life Babe than the pig that ran away to an animal sanctuary on the Costa Blanca.

Escaping certain-slaughter in a ‘filthy shed’, Rupert the pig now lives among the horses, donkeys, dogs, cats, chickens, peacocks and pot-bellied pig Isadora, at the Easy Care Horse Rescue centre near Torrevieja.

But more than a feel-good story, let this be a reminder that pigs are in fact highly-intelligent creatures.

Far from their reputation as lazy, dirty and greedy ‘swine’, Rupert managed to sniff his way to safety from around 3km away.

And now at the farm, Susan Weeding insists Rupert is not only ‘enthusiastic’ but leaves his plate of food when he gets full.

He also has a sharp dislike of carrots and apples, favouring the juicy crunch of a plum.

It is said a tree is known by its fruit, but perhaps also a person is known by how they treat their animals.

Let’s be thankful this little pig managed to escape its metal fence and show us how resilient it truly is before the hour became too late.

Readers react to Ricky Gervais slamming participants of a Spanish ‘horse wrestling’ festival (online, July 8)

voice in Spain FREE

www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

‘Absolute filth’

Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es Andalucia Issue 322 Mijas Costa

6

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than 500,000 people a month.

Puzzle by websudoku.com

Across 7 Maritime (7) 8 Reflected sound (4) 9 Soufflé essentials (4) 10 Staple of Mediterranean cooking (5,3) 11 Back and forth (2,3,3) 12 Large stone (4) 14 Secondhand (4) 16 Practise (8) 18 Supply with water (8) 20 Underground part of a plant (4) 21 Surreptitious warning (4) 22 Unhurried ease (7) Down 1 Beautiful (8) 2 Spice up (6) 3 Uneasy (13) 4 Severe mental disorder (13) 5 Shooting star (6) 6 Siamese (4) 13 Patron (8) 15 Of delicate beauty (6) 17 Skylighted lobby (6) 19 Hurry (4)

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Property

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www.theolivepress.com

Issue 31

July 2019

The art of renovating ancient buildings See Keeping history alive, P16

It’s an order!

BOTCHED OR BEAUTIFUL: Everything you need to know about transforming those ancient spaces

Former dictator Franco’s €5 million mansion seized following government ruling and legal action against family

SEIZED: Franco’s house Pazo de Meiras is to be repossessed

THE Spanish government has seized General Franco’s summer palace after telling the dead dictator’s family its sale was ‘fraudulent’.

Pazo de Meiras, in Galicia, valued at €5 million, was allegedly bought for Franco from the forced donations of Spaniards during the Spanish Civil War. But the stunning 19th century property has now been claimed by the Ministry of Justice, which said it has a ‘solid argument, documents and legal position to defend public ownership’.

Legal action has been launched against Franco’s relatives over the illegal sale of the property to a pro-Franco organisation in 1938 before being sold on to Franco himself in 1941.

However the move has been blasted by Franco’s grandson Francis Franco, who labelled it part of a ‘strategy of retaliation’ by Spain’s

HOUSE OF HORROR: General Franco’s luxury pad taken by Spanish government

socialist government.

It comes as Pedro Sanchez’s PSOE administration has pushed on with a plan to exhume the remains of the Fascist dictator.

He is currently buried in a tomb in the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial on the outskirts of Madrid to victims from both sides of the Civil War. The Spanish Supreme court blocked his exhumation, just days before it was planned for June 10.

14 14

July 2019

PROPERTY

Mark Stucklin

www.theolivepress.es

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Bad model

U

NLESS the EU puts a stop to it, or unless you have at least €1 million in liquid assets which open up investment strategies to avoid it, the Spanish ‘Worldwide Asset Declaration Form’, known locally as ‘Modelo 720’, is a serious problem for Spanish-resident expats with offshore assets worth €50,000 or more that have to be declared to the Spanish tax authorities in a process that is fraught with risks and ruinous penalties.

Though not a problem for non-residents buying second-homes in Spain, it’s a reason for expats with troduced back in 2012 in the depths less than €1m in liquid assets to of the economic crisis by Treasury think twice before investing in a Minister Cristóbal Montoro from home that the Spanish taxman can the People’s Party, the Modelo 720 embargo in the event of problems was supposed to be, in the words with the Modelo 720. of Montoro, a ‘carrot and stick to With its impractical reporting requi- regulate the submerged economy,. rements, and crippling fines for even But it turned out to be a stick to beat innocent mistakes, the Modelo 720 innocent expats with rather than coleaves you at the mercy of the impe- rrupt Spanish politicians like many rious Spanish tax authorities even if of Montoro’s buddies from the PP. you act in good faith.

The aggressive way it “All on its own meis designed to punish rit, in recent years offshore wealth hits Going soft on the Modelo 720 has expats the hardest, as become the terror of few Spaniards have wealthy tax taxpayers with assets wealth to the tune cheats hiding abroad,” comments of €50,000 or more Spanish lawyer José outside of Spain, whitheir assets María Salcedo, who lst tens of thousands abroad specialises in purof expats do. So the suing appeals against Modelo 720 looks the tax authorities. suspiciously like a cyEven Spanish courts nical trap designed by the Spanish are starting to rule that the Modelo tax authorities to relive expat retirees 720 penalties are out of all propor- of some of the wealth they built up tion. during a lifetime working and saving I suspect that the 720 Form’s one- outside of Spain. That said, I don’t rous reporting requirements, and think it’s a cynical trap, I think it’s extortionate penalties, put many just very badly designed tax law, as foreigners off relocating to Spain, is often the case with Spanish tax releaving the country poorer for it. In- gulations.

www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

The Modelo 720 is no longer fit for purpose and is putting prospective expats off moving to Spain, writes Mark Stucklin of Spanish Property Insight

DUMAS

Your Spanish home is the first thing the tax inspector will embargo if you trip over the Modelo 720 At least in theory your Spanish home is the first asset the tax inspector will embargo whilst pursuing you for ruinous fines if you fall foul of the Modelo 720. So even if you decide to move to Spain for the unbeatable quality of life, the Modelo 720 should make you wary of putting wealth into Spanish property, where it is within easy grasp of the high-handed Spanish tax authorities.

At the very least, the Modelo 720 gives you a reason to think twice before investing in Spanish real estate, which you can’t move offshore in the event of trouble with Spain’s 720 Worldwide Asset Declaration obligation. As an expat in Spain, perhaps renting is a better option if you have wealth offshore.

If, on the other hand, you have €1m or more in liquid assets, then investment strategies become viable that allow you to avoid the Modelo 720 problem altogether. As usual it’s the average expat with a bit of wealth back home, rather than the wealthy expat with lots of wealth outside of Spain, who is most at risk from the

Spanish Modelo 720 Worldwide Asset Declaration threat.

‘Modelo 720’ Worldwide Asset Declaration form under pressure from Europe Even though the Modelo 720 gives Spain a bad reputation abroad, and probably reduces tax revenues at home, the current Spanish Government shows no signs of scrapping it, because on the surface that would look like going soft on wealthy tax cheats hiding their assets abroad, or at least that’s the way the hard-left Podemos party the Socialists need to support them would see it.

But at least the EU is showing an interest in putting Spain under pressure to do something about it. The European Commission is taking Spain to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the Modelo 720 for being disproportionate and discriminatory, and for infringing fundamental li-

berties of the EU. So far Spain has ignored all advice from Europe to reform the Modelo 720, and now it will have to go to the ECJ to defend it. That might lead to improvements in the next few years.

Investment solution that gets round the Modelo 720 problem There is an investment solution that allows expats living in Spain to invest any amount offshore without having to declare those investments in the 720 form. The solution I have found also comes with extra, additional tax breaks that make the solution hard to beat from a fiscal point of view.

However, the setup and running cost of this investment vehicle only make sense for people with €1m or more of liquid assets to invest. Get in touch here if you live in or plan to move to Spain and want to know more. www.spanishpropertyinsight.com

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www.theolivepress.es RESIDENTS on a Costa Blanca mountainside who cut tree branches poking into their windows have been told by police they must ‘obtain a permit’.

The row comes amid a long protracted battle with Denia Town Hall, after residents found their homes suddenly within the boundary of a nature reserve.

An association for the Marquesa IV urbanisation, in the Montgo area, say the town hall has ignored their complaints as a pine forest sprung up around them.

Residents fear that a lack of 'fire breaks' is making their homes a prime target for forest fires - something which intrusive branches make even worse.

José Luna, vice-president of the neighbourhood association, submitted a denuncia at the end of 2018 asking Denia for 'more control' to stop the 'fire risk'.

After that denuncia received no reply, a second denun-

PRICEY: Palma de Mallorca

Milliondollar question

PALMA and Marbella have been ranked among the four most expensive places in the country to buy an apartment.

The Mallorca capital has the third highest number of apartments valued at more than €1 million.

It was followed by Marbella, Valencia and Ibiza.

Madrid and Barcelona claim the top two spots accounting for 94% of the €1m plus valued apartments in Spain.

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Special branch Bubbling up cia was made in May. This latest denuncia asked for permission to 'prune' the trees creeping into windows and turning the urbanisation into a 'cinder box'.

But there has still not been a reply… until residents took shears into their own hands.

As soon as cutting began the police 'immediately' turned up 'warning them that in order to prune, they should notify the town hall for permission'.

The Denia councillor responsible for the Department of Ecological Transition, Maite Pérez, said: "I was unaware of the problem because I've been in this job for a month."

Parking in paradise IT WAS named as one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain.

Dramatic ravines sheltering the crystal waters of Playa Granadella put it into the Top 20 out of hundreds of stunning contenders, in an El Pais poll.

But homeowners living in a nearby urbanisation have criticised plans by Javea town hall

Fit for a king

FIX UP: For iconic Malaga fortress

15 15

July 2019

THREATENED: Playa de Granadella to be ruined by drivers

RESTORATION work has finally begun on Malaga’s stunning 10th century Gibralfaro Castle.

Vital repairs to deteriorated parts of the towering fortress, and improved drainage, are among the priorities. A total of 17 different sections are to get a facelift, including bricks at the main entrance, various walls, marble columns and walkways.

Meanwhile, visitor information panels are also to be fitted in the ‘Mudejar room’ as part of the €150,000 project granted by the Ministry of Culture.

Playa Granadella was named as one of Spain’s top 20 beaches, but a plan to build a ‘reckless’ car park could damage the destination’s image EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

to spend €223,000 on a ‘disaster waiting to happen’.

The plan involves asphalting a steep slope to make a 250-space car park for the beach’s growing fanbase.

“Javea will cook the goose that laid the golden egg,” said Tracy Beaver, who has lived with husband Noel for 16 years in the nearby Pic Tort urbanisation.

“The road is so narrow you can only go one way. It’s on a dangerous precipice where boulders could come tumbling down.”

She suggested the Town Hall extend an existing car park on a properly asphalted road leading to the isolated cove.

A spokesperson for Javea Town Hall said the council cannot purchase any more land, but will make sure to ‘add barriers’ to the planned road for ‘increased safety’.

“We can’t take the perspective of a few people protesting; we have to take into account what’s best for everyone,” the spokeswoman added.

SPAIN’S Mediterranean resorts have seen the highest house price rises.

A total of 45 Med municipalities are experiencing a consistent 10% surge in value each year6, according to the report, Housing in Costa 2019, by appraisal firm Tinsa.

The research, which analysed 159 locations, each with more than 10,000 people, even identified prices in Ibiza, as above those seen during the property bubble leading up to 2008.

The average cost per square metre on the Balearic island now stands at €3,455, compared to the €3,080 seen in the third quarter of 2007.

Rude awakening RESIDENTS have hit out against ‘thundering’ roadworks that are going on outside of Javea’s summer timetable for roadworks.

The special timetable permits construction work only between 9am to 3pm, and 5pm to 8pm, from Monday to Saturday as of July 1.

But residents are complaining a number of works are continuing regardless.

“I wake up to the whole house shaking, I honestly thought they were going to come through the wall,” Hannah Williams, who lives in Altamar, told the Olive Press.

“They’re going full whack from at least seven in the morning.”

16 16 July 2019

PROPERTY

www.theolivepress.es

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Keeping history alive In the second part of a series on the renovation of a protected townhouse in Ronda, Gabriella Chidgey reveals what to preserve and some tips on how to get planning permission and find the best builder

I

t is a privilege to work with historic buildings.

While it scares the hell out of most people, generally they are better constructed than anything built over the last 30 to 40 years.

Most Andalucian properties built over 100 years ago are solid with metre-thick walls and often made of stone.

If their roofs have stayed intact, chances are their interiors, including beams, floors and decorative features, will also be in a decent condition.

We were very lucky at Ronda Romantica Apartments that the former owners of this 19th century townhouse - built by legendary torero Pedro Romero, once painted by Goya - maintained it well and even put on a new roof a few years ago.

Even better, it had been on the market for years and the price had almost halved, we learnt, as a result.

Much of this was due to the sheer scale of the place (around 350m square) and the higgledy-piggledy nature of its layout, not to mention the long recession that Spain had suffered from 2008.

It was immediately clear that this had once been a grand old property and poking around it we spotted many of its charming hidden

features.

It had a trio of wonderful oak doors, plenty of beams, two areas of vaulted ceilings and a charming fireplace.

Doors from an internal courtyard led to a large external courtyard, with chicken and pig sheds, a back kitchen replete with a manger.

Meanwhile, a narrow stairway climbed into a long loft space where the metal roof beams had hooks intended for curing hams and a string of garlic still dangled from one.

In every space, dusty but dry furniture, baskets, pots, pans, tea sets, rush chairs, beds, framed prints of Saints and family photos detailed the lives that had been lived here over the last century, at least. With the exception of the roof the property needed a complete renovation. And my husband and I were inspired to restore beauty to this once happy home.

During my years here in Spain I have observed that there appears to be two distinct speeds in which things get done; either at a pace so slow that I nearly implode with frustration or at such unparalleled speed and competence that I am left agape.

THE BUILD In Ronda, while the bureaucracy crawled forward millimeter by millimeter, much due to getting planning permission and the mortgage, the build ‘incredibly’ took just four months to finish.

The main goal while renovating Ronda Romantica Apartments was to maintain its historic charm.

So charming was the front of the property, which sits in the casco historico beside the ancient Plaza de San Francisco, it needed nothing more than a lick of paint and the removal of some pebble dash footings on the wall.

We naturally kept Pedro Romero’s crest in the stone portal by the front door, as well as the original metal rejas (wrought iron grills) on each window.

And that was our philosophy with the en-

tire build: Only where the structure wa dangerous, the beams rotten or the plaste cracked, would we strip back to start again One fireplace in the old kitchen was com pletely intact and so atmospheric we me rely removed a line of rather bizarre lime green paint.

Under the vaulted ceilings we discovered solid pillars of Roman style bricks, which we decided to leave uncovered in two places.

It turned out that most of the house had been built with these bricks, and the more typical mixture of rubble and stone wa found only in the courtyard for anima shelters.

The number of beams used to construct the ceiling also confirmed that this had once been a house of some note, since this wa a very expensive way to build. We found no less than four separate layers of wood between the ground and first floor in the

HOW TO GET PLANNING PERMISSION NOTABLE: Goya’s portrait of Pedro Romero, who also built Ronda’s famous stone bullring, left and above right

From experience, so much of this is about finding the right architect.

You may think you can do this on your own, but having a local professional with the right local knowledge and, most importantly, connections (or as they say here ‘enchufes’) is vital.

Our architect Andres Melgar was not just that, but was also insistent and unrelenting in his zeal to get the job done.

He knew the town hall like the back of his hand and was well versed in the power play Game of Thrones-style politics that exist in most Spanish towns today.

Even more important is to perhaps understand the grading of your property, whether it is rustic or urban, and whether it affords protection status, or as in some cases, there is almost complete prohibition on touching it.

We were already aware that our building had the highest level of protection in Andalucia, but didn’t realise that permission needed to be sought from the culture department in Malaga city - not in Ronda - just to touch it.

This meant an inevitable delay, which we thought would be months but in many cases, we discovered, can take up to three years to get a building licence.

It was a very nerve-wracking process, and in the end we were lucky having to wait just eight months for ours.

CONTRAST: While the front of the property was perfect, the back was a junkyard

as er n. mee

d e

d e as al

e e as d d e

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

17 17

July 2019

What lies beneath

most intriguing pattern, perhaps to offer insulation, as well as solidity.

All the ochre painted doors have either remained in place or have been reused for wardrobes. The original earthenware baContinues on Page XIV

Exposing beams and vaulted ceilings can be risky, as if anything goes wrong the entire ceiling can cave in. We got conservation specialist Linda Watson (pictured) an architect in the UK, to double check before picking away and exposing two of the 18th century pillars.

&

SOLD!

+34 965 270 636 info@coastandcountry.properties www.coastandcountry.properties

When it comes to selling your property, choose people who care. List your property with us...

18 18 July 2019

PROPERTY

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

CONSERVATION PROCESS: As many barro floor tiles were saved as possible, as well as original beams, with end result (right)

Flooring it From Page XIII

rro floor tiles were lifted to repair rotten ceiling beams, however enough survived to surface two apartments and all the window sills.

We had planned to remove the terrazzo floors laid in the front apartment, but eventually decided to keep it since terrazzo is made from local, natural materials and is very typical of the Ronda area.

Not to mention that it is also, rather fortuitously, having its moment in the world of interiors.

For other floor areas and showers, we were lucky to be offered old, encaustic cement tiles that were being removed from two local convents.

They looked amazing and couldn’t be distressed this way even if we tried.

HOW TO GET THE BEST BUILDER We had plenty of time to find the best builder.

This process involves having an architect to help create the designs and then a technical architect to price the job and create a point by point costing of the entire build.

Our technical man Vicente Compas made a specific document and then we took it to the various builders we had in mind.

The architect then made NEXT ISSUE I’ll give you a few tips on design, decoration and colours.

Ronda Romantica Apartments comprises of five spacious apart-

a comparative table of the quotes and filled in the gaps that almost all builders leave out, as a typical trick.

We then got a real price of what the job should cost and could choose our favourite builder.

We chose three, but in the end, used a fourth who also happened to be the building firm of the technical architect.

This is not generally the best idea, as he should be independent but in our case we discovered Com-

ments and a swimming pool in the heart of the old town in Ronda.

Each has a kitchen, bathroom, sitting area with television, a sofa

pas’ firm Ari Contratas had a good understanding of local historic buildings and was undertaking work on a local convent as well as a local school.

He had also built a couple of large supermarkets on the coast. It is of course vital to go and visit the previous jobs of any builders you are interested in, and naturally, also get a number of references.

A contract always needs to be drawn up and this can be done via your own lawyer or by the lawyer of the builder and then checked by yours.

bed and double bedroom. Most have private outdoor terraces, and all benefit from a courtyard garden. All flats can sleep four people, while one is designed for

wheelchair accessible. Visit www. alcantarilla.co.uk or to book this stylish new apart-hotel in Andalucia’s most charming town call 654152122

WE TRANSPORT: YACHTS, CARS, MOTORBIKES, POWER BOATS, WORK BOATS, BARGES, MOTORHOMES, STATIC CARAVANS, MOBILE HOMES, TOURERS, AND ALL TYPES OF GENERAL HAULAGE. SPECIAL TYPE VEHICLES FOR WIDE, HIGH, LONG LOADS.

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FOR A FREE QUOTE CALL: +44 1522 702 443

19

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July 2019

MORTGAGE THINK TANK

www.hispaniahomes.co.uk

GUIDE

Want to sell your property?

by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola

Spain joins the rest of the EU as its new mortgage law comes into effect

PAIN’S new Mortgage Law officially came into effect last month after more than three years of delays and controver-

sy.

Also known as the Housing Credit Law, it should greatly diversify what is on offer for homebuyers while providing better protections.

So what’s so good about the new law?

The costs of a mortgage are now shared in a fairer way, with the banks obliged to pay for the tax, notary, land registry and gestoria fees.

There are also caps on what can be charged for repaying the mortgage early.

Meanwhile banks are required to be more transparent and ensure clients know the detail of their loans before signing.

One of the less well thought out stipulations, however, is the requirement for the borrower to go to the notary to take a test 10 days before completion.

This is clearly unworkable for most non-resident clients and, in practice, it is often being left to lawyers to do this on behalf of the client using their power-of-attorney.

VENDORS

HOW TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY QUICKER AND BETTER

Growing up

S

19

Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 29

July 18th to July 31st 2019 info@hispaniahomes.es

Ask here for our VENDORS GUIDE and get the most success in your task

Certified Residential Specialist The Proven Path to Success

Avda. Madrid, 24, 03724 Moraira - Alicante

Money isn’t everything When it comes to selling your house, Hispania Homes know that peace of mind is most important

W This, it is hoped, will reduce the number of lawsuits in the sector which have caused backlogs in the judicial system, most famously in the ongoing floor clause saga.

Additionally, the new law is making it harder for banks to foreclose on homes.

Lenders can only foreclose if the customer owes 12 months or 3% of the mortgage in the first half of the loan term - before, it was only three months - and is extended to 15 months or 7% of the debt in the second half.

However, it is

Sofa-r so good Expat-run furniture firm continues to make inroads in Costa Blanca

H

ARRIS Furnishings is celebrating its third anniversary with a sale, offering up to 50% off selected items in store.

The family-run business relocated from Gata to Pedreguer in July 2016, with British couple David and Jayne Harris at the helm. Expats in the area can choose from a wide range of furniture styles unlike others found in Spanish stores including: sofas, chairs, recliners, rise-recliners, sofa beds, English beds and outdoor sofas as well as beautiful accessories like coffee tables, mirrors and rugs.

The business also offers a unique in-house ‘Sofa Medico’ service, providing everything from complete re-upholstery to professional cleaning - which is where the business’ journey began in 2007. Thanks to the pair’s unique skills in upholstery and design, the business has carved a niche for itself in the competitive Costa Blanca market and gained itself an untarnished reputation for quality work and service. “We can re-upholster or make pretty much anything and everything,” says Jayne. Indeed, everything from pouffs to pergolas can be seen leaving the business’ on-site workshop. The company is best known, however, for its range of furniture that beckons customers for a sit-down from the other side of the road; their glass-fronted showroom acts like a gateway to Pedreguer’s ‘Les Galgues’ industrial area.

The sale lasts until the end of July and covers all floor models and orders.

So, if you’re looking for that missing piece of the patio puzzle - or want a living room centerpiece that can adapt to the shifting seasons of life - do not forget to pop in.ç

Find Harris Furnishings on the Les Galgues industrial estate, located at 1 Calle de la Marroquinería, Pedreguer - or visit www. harrisfurnishings.com.

Call us 9am - 6pm, Mon - Fri or 10am - 1pm Sat on: +34 96 646 9371 and +34 699 836 251.

Contact us via email: sales@harrisfurnishings.com.

important to understand that any late payment can have an adverse impact on the individual’s credit score and severely compromise the ability to obtain credit again in the future.

The law is not retroactive so the new norms will not be applied to mortgages agreed before it came into effect.

Despite this, those already with mortgages could benefit from the changes in the law when renovating or subrogating their loan.

The new legislation should reopen the mortgage market after months of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, lenders can return to medium and long term strategic planning in their mortgages.

To contact Tancrede for all your mortgaging needs call: 666 709 743 or for insurance queries call: 951 203 540 Email: tdp@thefinanacebureau.com The Finance Bureau Centro Commercial Guadalmina, 2nOffice No. 7 Guadalmina, 29670

hen selling your house, who do you trust? Who do you believe is quoting the correct price?

And how many valuations will give you that security? If these questions are going through your mind, keep on reading.

At Hispania Homes, it’s our goal to give you the peace of mind you deserve, knowing you’ve made an informed decision.

The launch price of a property is extremely important.

It cannot just be a random figure pulled out of the air; it should be carefully thought through and researched.

If the property is overpriced, you risk losing out on the fresh interest when the house is launched.

A high price can lead to less - if any - viewings and necessitate a reduction in price further down the line.

But if it starts out underpriced, however, you might increase it at a later date and annoy buyers who have viewed the property with the asking price in mind.

A house with a sudden reduced price will never get the same amount of interest as a house that is new to the market - so a vital marketing opportunity has been lost.

An honest valuation is always the sensible option.

Ask us for a valuation, and we’ll give you what you need.

Find us at Av. Madrid, 24, 03724 Moraira, Alicante.

Get in touch with us on 0034 96 649 18 29 or email info@hispaniahomes.es

Established in 2006 – Good old fashioned customer service – Fantastic range in a 400m2 showroom – All work and products fully guaranteed

SOFAS | CHAIRS | CORNER SUITES | SOFA BEDS | OCCASIONAL PIECES | FIRESIDE CHAIRS RECLINER CHAIRS | POWER RISE RECLINER CHAIRS

Visit our showroom where our experienced staff will offer all the help and advice you need.

Find us on the Poligono Ind. Les Galgues, opposite the new Mas y Mas in Pedreguer. Ample parking.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 1pm Sunday closed 966 469 371 / 699 836 251 sales@harrisfurnishings.com www.harrisfurnishings.com sofamedico@ harrisfurnishings.com

PROPERTY Off plan points to consider

20 20 July 2019

W

www.theolivepress.es

E asked our legal experts for a few pointers for clients considering buying off plan.

Is your money safe?

Promoters are obliged by law to guarantee the return of the amounts paid during construction in the event building works don’t commence or have not been completed on the date agreed.

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Thinking of buying off plan? Our property specialist Adam Neale has everything you need to know

Likewise, they are obliged to deposit money in a special bank account, to be used exclusively for costs directly related to the construction.

The bank must be vigilant in maintaining this account and

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have a signed insurance contract, or some form of collateral, to guarantee return of payments advanced by the buyers.

However, the ‘guarantee’ only comes into force once the building licence is obtained.

This is very important, as most promoters start signing contracts for purchase reservation agreements before obtaining the licence.

This means that the amounts paid by buyers for ‘reservation’ purposes will not be guaranteed, except for the solvency of the promoter.

Nor is the promoter obliged to deposit said payments in a ‘special account’.

Be careful with any agreed extras.

They also should be guaranteed in the same way as the original purchase price.

Play it safe It is common practice for promoters to provide the guarantee or certification several days after a client signs the purchase agreement and receiving payment

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The Property Insider

by Adam Neale

from the buyer.

Our advice is to demand it simultaneously, as required by law (section Three, last paragraph, of the D.A. 1st. of the LOE), because only then will you have full coverage. Promoters are usually reluctant to do things this way, because the bank or insurer demands that this money is first deposited previously with them.

You should also check with a registry that the insurance company guaranteeing the refund is authorised in Spain.

In the previous decade it was very common to work with insurers not authorised to operate in Spain.

In many of these cases, the promoter’s directors were responsible for their negligent behaviour when contracting these companies, knowing that they do not have any authorisation to operate in Spain.

Buyers must also keep payment proof of the amounts delivered to the promoter, because if this

can’t be legally certified, and even if the contract says that they have been paid, the insurer or the bank can refuse to reimburse you.

This is stated in section i) of section 2 of the D.A.1ª of the LOE and is relevant because sometimes, the form of payment is not indicated and over time it can be forgotten or lost.

I also advise buyers to demand the following before signing anything: identification of the insurance company or bank that is going to guarantee the return and a certificate from the bank identifying the ‘special account’ opened by the seller.

It is not advisable to simply trust what the promoter tells you.

The guaranteed amount should cover not only the amount that has been delivered to the account, but also the interest generated from the date of delivery until the promoter’s estimated delivery of the project.

This is usually fine, as it is usually expressly indicated in the endorsement or guarantee certificate.

Finally, as a buyer you should exercise caution regarding any extensions of the home handover; if the developer does not renew the insurance policy or the bank has not guaranteed to extend it to the new planned delivery date, the guarantee or insurance will not cover the amounts paid by the buyer during that time.

Terra Meridiana, 77 Calle Caridad, 29680 Estepona • Tel: +34 951 318480 Office Mob: +34 678 452109 • Email: info@terrameridiana.com • Website: www.terrameridiana.com

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BUSINESS www.theolivepress.es

Bright future

BRUSSELS has raised its forecast for Spanish economic growth, despite the minimum wage rise and political instability.

The European Commission predicted that Spain’s GDP would rise 2.3% in the next year, while the eurozone average would be 1.2%.

It comes after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez raised the minimum wage by 22% this year to €900.

Brussels had predicted that 70,000 jobs would disappear in two years following the move, but the economy is seemingly unaffected.

Drop in the ocean PUERTO Banus has overtaken ‘Ibiza Magna’ to become Europe’s most expensive port.

Docking a 55-metre boat in the Marbella marina will now set you back €4,289 per day, while Ibiza Magna is a slightly more modest €4,084.

This is a 20% increase on Puerto Banus’ 2018 rates, which were just €3,545, according to luxury yachting firm, Engel & Volkers.

It comes after business owners accused Puerto Banus of forcing them to accept rent increases of up to 700%.

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Expat-run exterior design company doing a roaring trade selling bull sculptures to Spaniards AN expat-run exterior design company on the Costa Blanca has revealed how its life-size bull sculptures are ‘booming’ among Spanish buyers.

Even a well-known bullfighter, Julio Norte, has ordered a bronze beast from Dumas Design, based in Benissa.

The Dutch, family-run business saw a toro-sized gap in the Spanish market and applied their knowledge from previous dairy cow designs in the Netherlands.

“No one else is really selling

Taking design by the horns Ball’s in

EXCITING TIMES: For El Corte Ingles

their Corte

ANIMAL FIRM: Pigs and bulls rake in thousands

Off the rails VIRGIN Trains has revealed it is eyeing up Spain’s railways after being disqualified from bidding for new British contracts.

It comes after the Spanish government announced it would be opening up its highspeed train network to bring competition to the state-backed Renfe from December 2020.

Virgin Trains was banned from bidding for the HS2 line between London and Birmingham this year while its partner Stagecoach was barred from East Midlands Trains and Southeastern tenders over its failure to quantify future pension risks.

Patrick McCall, Virgin Group’s senior man-

T

HE suspension of Woodford Equity Income a month ago sparked the biggest controversy in UK fund management for a decade.

Hundreds of thousands of retail investors were unable to reclaim their capital from a fund that has since been forced into a fire sale of its assets and while investors in this fund can only wait out the suspension for now, there are some important lessons that can be learnt for the future.

Whether it’s reviewing your current investment portfolio or using this checklist next time you’re planning to invest in a new fund, the Woodford situation highlights the main areas investors need to check before investing.

Diversification of risk is key You don’t want to put all your eggs in one basket... diversify, diversify!

You need to check that you have a good spread across different funds, sectors and countries and review your investments each year. Rebalance if needed, so that you don’t end up too concentrated. If you are invested in a portfolio, the portfolio manager should do this for you.

Diversification is just common sense, as a reasonable spread of assets can potentially limit exposure to market downturns, fund suspensions and volatility.

21 21

July 18th to July 31st 2019

FOUNDER: Richard Branson aging director, confirmed the company has declared interest in Spain.

“We’ve revolutionised UK rail over the last 22 years,” he said.

these sculptures,” Arthur van der Mast, one of three brothers in the business, told the Olive Press.

“But after just one Facebook post, a Spanish bullfighter suddenly turned up. We were blown away.”

The bulls sell for a hefty €2,499, and come in bronze, gold or silver-leaf, or can be painted any colour using ‘car paint’.

Dumas Design are almost out of an initial batch of 28 bulls, which rapidly became the business’ ‘best-seller’.

The entrepreneurial family have now branched out into Iberian pig sculptures, which sell for €549.

“We’re also planning a new line of horses and lions,” said Arthur, whose company was only set up in September last year.

Listen up!

These are the keys to successful investing, writes Blacktower’s Christina Brady Make sure you understand what you are investing in This is especially true if you are self-investing - the guiding principle of the Warren Buffett school of investment. Buy blue-chips and brand names you know. Anything else, avoid.

Know the difference between best buy tables and actual advice This could perhaps be the biggest lesson learnt from the Woodford saga. Mr Woodford was a firm favourite of fund ‘best buy’ lists, Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the most influential financial intermediaries, has received major criticism since the fund’s suspension for this reason.

Understand liquidity This is how quickly you can buy/sell an asset and as investors have found, investing in unquoted smaller companies via an open-ended fund can create a liquidity mismatch. Just because a fund says it offers daily dealing, doesn’t mean it always will.

There is the argument that a crackdown is needed on open-ended funds investing in illiquid assets. However, it does allow customers to invest in a diversity of fund options.

BY Christina Brady

EL Corte Ingles has launched an ambitious bid to be the next Amazon, as it elects its first female president.

The luxury department store chain, headquartered in Madrid, has just secured a new partnership with China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Chinese customers in El Corte Ingles’ 97 stores across Spain and Portugal will now able to pay in their own currency on mobile phones thanks to the AliPay technology.

The new deal comes as the Spanish retailer has just elected Marta Alvarez as its president, the first ever woman in the post.

The daughter of former president, Isidoro Alvarez, who died in 2014, takes on her new role, as net profits have just surged by 28%.

El Corte Ingles has made inroads into online retailing, launching its Click & Express service to rival the likes of Amazon.

This new feature promises to deliver products within two hours of orders being placed, which Amazon is currently unable to do.

www.theblacktowergroup.com

Following a ‘star’

If you are unsure that your current investments are diversified enough, or are beNo one fund manager has the secret to ing offered an investment with terms that outperforming the market in all conditions seem too good to be true, or you are new and therefore you should expect everyone to investing, getting advice from a finanat some point to have bad performance. If cial advice company that has weathered someone has a good long-term track record, more than one or two financial downturns don’t just assume it will continue. Don’t have is essential for your well-being and peace the herd mentality and just follow everyone of mind. Blacktower Financial Manageelse. ment has been established for over 32 years and has Don’t be greedy with its clients If someone has worked through the good and the We would all love our invest- a good long-term bad times, offering sound ments to grow year on year, financial advice. track record, but that is not how it is in Blacktower will be by your the real world and markets don’t just assume side both now and in the fugo down as well as up. If an ture, we are here to help you. it will continue. To arrange a professional investment offers you consistently good or above average and impartial consultareturns no matter what the tion please contact me by market conditions are, it will end in tears email christina.brady@blacktowerfm. and you will lose money (usually all your com or call me on 658 892 330. Webmoney invested) in the long run. site: www.theblacktowergroup.com Beware; scammers and fraudsters love greed, investors wishes for unrealistic reThe above information was correct at the turns on investments are music to their time of preparation and does not constitute ears, it’s the way they make money, you investment advice and you should seek adlose, they win! vice from a professional adviser before emIf it seems too good to be true IT IS! barking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain

22 22

BUSINESS

www.theolivepress.es

July 18th to July 31st 2019

July 18th to July 31st 2019

a c n la B ta s o C in s is m to t o n r e p a THE p

THE Olive Press is now distributing all over the coast in a whole host locations.

Found at golf courses, tourist offices, museums and petrol stations, it has become the most sought-after English newspaper on the

SERVING YOU: Olive Press locations

Costa Blanca every fortnight. Look out for one of our many stands, as seen below at local newsagents.

We print around 15,000 copies every issue and take our distribution very seriously, and

DENIA DENIA DENIA DENIA JAVEA JAVEA JAVEA BENISSA BENISSA MORAIRA MORAIRA MORAIRA MORAIRA GANDIA GANDIA ALBIR ALBIR ALBIR CALPE CALPE CALPE PEDREGUER PEDREGUER ALTEA ALTEA ALTEA ALFAZ DEL PI

Carrefour Consum Denia market Tourist office Iceland Yorkshire Linen Bay Radio Iceland Pepe Sal Pepe Sal Iceland Quick Save Telitec Carrefour Tourist office Consum Mendoza Albir Sur Consum Britannia clinic Calpe Dental Harris Furnishing Monroes Yorkshire linen Dial Prix Albir Colonial Costablanca

need you, the readers to keep us informed of numbers... and more importantly if each location needs more or less papers.

We also want to know where you would like to see it and where you don't think we should

ALFAZ DEL PI ALFAZ DEL PI FINESTRAT JALON JALON

supermarket Mendoza PMR Marina S Cafe Ole Garcia Villas

bother. Here are a select group of a few dozen key drops.

Please get in touch at Newsdesk@theolivepress.es to find your nearest drop or suggest another.

JALON TEULADA TEULADA BENITACHELL BENITACHELL

Hamiltons Consum First Stop Lady Elizabeth School Javea golf club

Advertise with The Olive Press TEL: (+34) 951 273 575 EMAIL: sales@theolivepress.es

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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL

23 23 July 18th to July 31st 2019

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Michelin fusion

Posing a risk A TURQUOISE lake in Spain popular among Instagrammers has been revealed to be toxic and ‘dangerous’ to swimmers.

Monte Neme, in northern Spain, appears to have crystal clear waters and has attracted snappers keen to pose in front of the seemingly idyllic scene.

Some have even bathed in the chemically-contaminated waters, the site of a former tungsten mine during the First and Second World Wars.

The body of water is surrounded by mounds of heavy metals that leak into the water and create the hypnotic colours.

Those who have gone for a short bathe at Monte Neme have complained of eye and skin irritation.

A local Instagrammer told Spanish newspaper Publico she bathed in the bright waters because it looked 'very pretty' and saw no signs saying swimming was banned.

Henry’s Hoggs is Spain’s first ‘mobile British butchery’ that delivers sausages and bacon right to your door EXCLUSIVE

By Joshua Parfitt

A BRITISH-run ‘mobile’ butchery has chosen the Costa Blanca as the first destination for its traditional products.

Henry’s Hoggs, based in Madrid, is believed to be ‘Spain’s first’ shopless British butchery, with plans to deliver handmade sausages and bacon all over the Iberian peninsula.

Owner Simon Wilkinson, 49, said he chose Javea as the first area for his mar-

July 18th to July 31st 2019

VAIN: Instagrammers ill from lake She soon began vomiting and developed a nasty skin rash, which persisted for about two weeks.

Authorities warn prolonged or repeated exposure can pose more serious health risks.

THE purchase of the restaurant owned by the Valencian Community’s first Michelin-starred female chef will herald ‘one of the most important gastronomic collaborations’ in all of Alicante.

It comes after the two-Michelin starred Bon Amb restaurant, in Benitachell, bought the Casa Pepa restaurant, in Ondara.

Alberto Ferruz, BonAmb’s head chef, said in a statement the move was intended to continue the ‘legacy of Pepa Romans’,

Homing sausages keting as he saw a gap in the market for his monthold business.

“There’s nothing wrong with Spanish sausages, but they miss the wealth of flavours and varieties we enjoy in the UK,” Wilkinson, who trained as a butcher at Smithfield College in London, told the Olive Press.

“One night my wife and I opened and bottle of wine at our house in Madrid,

EXPAT BANGERS: British meat direct to your door

and we grew nostalgic for British sausages.”

After Wilkinson’s wife pressed him to start making them, he refused.

“A week later there was a courier outside my door with all the equipment,” he said.

Wilkinson said the new varieties, made from the heritage Durok breed of pig, include: honey roast; pork, apple and cider; sweet chili; garlic and herb; pork and leak; Cumberland; chipolatas and gluten-free sausages.

The business operates a fleet of refrigerated vehicles, delivering the sausages made with ‘no rubbish stuff’ to your door within days.

“We use only natural skins, and all sausages are handmade myself,” Wilkinson added.

“We wanted to produce something our kids could eat - no lips and arseholes.

“My five and three-year-old

do all the tasting, but their favourites are the honey-roast chipolatas.”

who passed away in 2016.

“After a long time of conversations between both parties, we decided to undertake this operation and continue enhancing the cuisine of our Marina Alta,” Ferruz said. Although the management of the restaurant will pass

HEAD CHEF: Ferruz to BonAmb, Casa Pepa's cook, Soledad Ballester, will continue to head the kitchen in this iconic partnership.

Casa Pepa was founded in 1986, and reopened its doors with BonAmb at the helm earlier this month.

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Armitage thanks

POET: Simon Armitage

BRITISH Poet Laureate Simon Armitage has confirmed he will travel to Jerez to bring a barrel of sherry back to Britain.

The 56-year-old, who is a professor of poetry at Leeds University, continues a tradition that began in 1668.

The custom, revived in 1984, sees the Queen’s poet pick out and sign a barrel, or ‘butt of sack - equivalent to 600 bottles.

Yorkshireman Armitage follows the previous three poet laureates,

Taste the history SHERRY BARREL: Signed by ex poet Laureate Ted Hughes

Ted Hughes, Andrew Motion and Carol Ann Duffy, who have all taken part..

Armitage has said that he’ll keep a few of his bottles on the side, but will auction most off for charity.

For bookings and more info visit www.alcantarilla.co.uk or call 654 152 122

24

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Crash course

What you should do if you have a car accident

S

UMMER is coming and with temperatures soaring it’s a great feeling, although a tad hot at times for all expats that live and work in this tranquilo environment.

Tranquilo that is until the influx of tourists from many countries around the world, especially the UK and the rest of Europe.

Now, more than any other time of year, one needs to be careful on the roads.

With all the extra cars and drivers, who are perhaps more used to driving on the left, there is an inevitable increase in the risk of traffic accidents.

That’s why you must always make sure your tyre pressures are correct by checking them at least once a month.

Also check your car’s radiator level is topped up; the last thing you want is to overheat and have to wait for a breakdown truck on the edge of a busy motorway!

It’s also illegal to run out of screen wash, so make sure this is topped up too. And driving with flip-flops or shoes with no back is not permitted either.

Needless to say, seat belts must be worn and young children need safety harnesses.

Using mobile phones is, obviously, a definite no.

Should an accident happen, here are some tips everyone should remember: • Stay calm and wear the reflective vest which should be in your vehicle • Get to a safe area near the accident scene, turn on your emergency flashers and use the two triangles • Make sure everyone is okay and call 112, if necessary • When it is safe, take pictures of the vehicles involved, damage, road signs, etc.

• Get statements and contact information from any witnesses • Complete the accident report: write down the other driver’s licence number, insurance details, vehicle information and phone number. Remember it has to be signed by both drivers and reported within seven days; If you need road assistance, call immediately to 900 101 369, Liberty Freephone Number, where you will be attended in your own language.

Liberty Seguros Car Insurance is tailor-made with you in mind and is perfect for expats in Spain. It offers total coverage to both the driver and passengers in case of an accident, as well as 24/7 roadside assistance by calling a freephone number. It also includes a courtesy car for up to 35 days, personal liability for you as a pedestrian or amateur cyclist and you will get a 30% compensation on top of book value in case of total loss or theft. You can also select a vehicle repair garage of your choice to trust and give you peace of mind.

Liberty Seguros is considered the preferred expat insurer in Spain today and has an extensive network of over 300 brokers and agents, who have many years of experience, and are dedicated to give you in-depth information about the different policies not only for car, but also life, home, business, commercial, funeral, etc., and advise you on the best cover to suit you and your family, in your own language.

To find out more visit www.libertyexpatriates.es or call 91 342 25 49.

Happy holidays!

For more information, please contact: Julia Chacón on Julia@plcspain.com or phone 956 794 112

FOOD,DRINK

Witch this space GHOSTLY: The village of Trasmoz in Aragon has just 62 residents...as well as a dark criminal past

Local superstition cleared out a Spanish village in the 14th century before turning it into a must-visit festival, discovers Jack Gaioni

W

E called her ‘The Witch.’

We were classmates in secondary school.

After all, her name was Hazel so it wasn’t a quantum leap to be nicknamed ‘The Witch’ (read: Witch Hazel).

She was good-natured about her nickname and didn’t seem to take offence.

In fact, she ‘leaned into’ her moniker as ‘The Witch’ to some extent.

Hazel had long dark hair and wore ‘goth-like’ clothing.

But more than anything else, her laugh resembled more of a cackle than a giggle. I was reminded of Hazel, aka ‘The Witch’, while visiting a pueblo in northern Spain recently.

Let me explain…

Trasmoz is a small pueblo nestled in the northern foothills of Aragon within sight of the snow capped Moncayo Mountains. There is a 13th century castle that dominates above the town.

It was once was a thriving pueblo home to 10,000 inhabitants with silver, iron and lumber bringing prosperity to the village.

Today, however, Trasmoz has a mere 62 people

EXPOSED: A ghoul in Trasmoz’ Terror Museum with no schools, many dilapidated homes and only one bar/restaurant.

Why the decline? It seems that in the 1500s, some local citizens began counterfeiting coins with silver and lead from the nearby mines.

They used the castle to house their forge and as a base of illegal operations.

Local authorities became suspicious.

As subterfuge, the counterfeiters began rumours about witches brewing potions at night while dragging chains around the castle and lighting fires in the towers at midnight.

The rumours were meant to scare away inspectors and local citizens from the castle.

So strong were the suspicions of witchcraft in Trasmoz that exasperated local church authorities, and the Archbishop of Tarazona, officially cursed, then excommunicated the entire village. The excommunication order remains in effect today. Trasmozis the only pueblo in Spain ever to hold this dubious honour.

Today Trasmoz embraces their witch-craft VILIFIED: Trasmoz still has an excommunication order in place today

& TRAVEL

25

July 18th to July 31st 2019

SPOOKY: Demonic engravings adorn the front door of a Trasmoz home

UNLIKELY ATTRACTION: Trasmoz draws thousands of tourists to its annual ‘Festival of Witches’ (above and top right) heritage and status as a one-of-kind (and hallucinogenic!) properties. customs of fire are said to keep Tras‘cursed and excommunicated’ pueblo. There is live music, falconry demon- moz warm in the winter while scaring Every summer thousands flock to Tras- strations, sword fights, hypnosis and away evil spirits. The castle above moz to witness reenactments that de- magical shows. town has been restored and is now a pict witches being hunted and tortured. The highlight of the festival is a pa- witchcraft museum replete with examKnown as the Feria de Brujeria, (Fes- rade that features the naming of the ples of cauldrons, brooms and sculptival of Witches), the streets become ‘Witch of the Year’ concluding with a tures of past ‘local’ witches. medieval markets selling their wares fireworks demonstration.

The experience of Trasmoz with witchof lotions, magical potions of native Trasmoz also celebrates All Saints day craft is the exception rather than the plants and herbs said to have healing and the Winter solstice where pagan rule in Spanish history.

Contrary to the reputation of the Inquisition, Spanish authorities were sceptical of supernatural phenomenon of any sort—witches, fortune tellers, oracles or sorcerers.

They considered witchcraft to be a northern European or Protestant superstition.

The incidents of large-scale witch trials in England, France, Germany and

Colonial America far surpassed anything that occurred in Trasmoz or for the rest of Spain for that matter.

By coincidence, I met up with Hazel recently. I hadn’t seen her in 30 years.

Her hair is short and greying and she was dressed more conventionally.

When we recalled her days as ‘The Witch’ she laughed … errr… she cackled.

Our prices start at

There is NO IVA & NO INTEREST should you wish to pay by instalments, you only pay > the price you see.

26 26

FOOD,DRINK

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

July 18th to July 31st 2019

The art of taking it slow

SLOW TRAVEL: Maya practices getting lost in Ronda

Olive Press Princeton interns Regina Lankenau and Maya Eashwaran run down their rev count in Ronda where slow travel is the new mantra

T

WO hours before midnight, the whitewashed walls and polished cobblestones of Ronda’s Barrio de San Francisco are momentarily painted an olive oil gold.

We follow the creeping sunrays down a callejon on Calle de Angelita Aparicio, the slap of our sandals the only sound in this corner of the cloistered mountain town.

At the end of the dipping alleyway we come to a plot of well-tended land where Jose Luis, a Rondeño with saltand-pepper hair, waves us over. Crouching down, he tells us his allotment

CROSS-CULTURAL: Hub of Entrelenguas

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

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is ‘just a hobby,’ and, chuckling at our fascination, hands over a zucchini the size of his forearm.

‘A gift,’ he says.

Shortly after, he adds a cucumber to the mix, clumps of dirt still clinging to the knobby skin.

For many, travelling is a desperate race to hit the top attractions before the sun sets. Itineraries in hand, they eat quickly, walk fast, ticking the sights off their checklists like chores. Each day is swallowed before it can be chewed.

But for others, the act of travel is less planned. Days are spent wandering. A 20-minute walk could take an hour. Detours are welcomed, and locals become the best of guides.

Slowness, as a concept, began in 1986 with the slow food revolution. After the first McDonald’s opened in Italy on Rome’s Plaza de Spagna, thousands assembled to protest. Then-journalist Carlo Petrini made a name for himself by passing out plates of FRIENDLY: Pongo the dalmation says hi traditional Italian penne pasta to the protestors. Three years later, tourism. Mar Rodriguez, Javier approach.

Petrini found himself at the fore- Criado, and Alejandro Montesi- “There’s no way you can undersfront of what is now known as the nos — a trio of Rondeño specia- tand the culture of a place with Slow Food Movement, an interna- lists — founded this cross-cultural ordinary tourism. You have to get tional organisation dedicated to hub in 2014 to provide a different under the skin of the place,” said the preservation of local food and approach to tourism in their ho- Annie. “We’ve been in Ronda for metown.

12 years now, and we’re still disthe traditional lifestyle.

With tapas and sobremesa Espousing the slow philosophy, covering new things.” among the national pastimes, at one end of this hip locale is a “We came with the intention of Andalucia is ideal for this kind brightly-lit classroom, at the other assimilating into the culture,” of unstructured exploration. And an array of artisan products, from John added. one town in particular has made wine to fans. The relaxed vibe is Entrelenguas actively works to Petrini’s slow living principles its completed with a mosaic-encrus- protect that cultural authenticity ted bar, an indoor swing, a back and stave off the influx of mass mantra.

Ronda, surrounded by the Serra- terrace with picture postcard tourism. nia de Ronda and punctuated by views and the friendly presence “Many places attract tourists by of Pongo, the dal- making up products. These placraggy outcropmatian. ces aren’t real, and they aren’t pings, has manaIn its five years, being honest with tourists,” ged to maintain Flamenco E n t r e l e n g u a s said Rodriguez. As a native who agricultural tradiclasses, leather has formed se- doesn’t dance flamenco or contions dating back veral partners- done bullfighting, she’s also keen to the Reconquisworkshops, hips offering an to show other sides of Spain not ta. taste covered in glossy travel brochuIf, from a distanorganic farming authentic of life in Ronda. res. ce, the town does Flamenco clas- “We know the local produce, the and free hikes not look very alive ses, leather wor- local wines. Those other places it is because resikshops, organic are contributing to the clichés of dents are probafarming and free Spain,” she added. bly ensconced in one of the many plazas. Retirees in Panama hats hikes are among the immersive However, for the traveller pressed shuffle around in groups of three, Spanish experiences on offer. Ac- for time, it isn’t always easy to chatting over drinks. Families ga- cording to Montesinos, ‘the goal differentiate between the manuther for al fresco dining, their kids of these cultural events is to meet factured and the authentic. It was playing until late evening. There is other people from Ronda’ which, surprising to learn that the ‘paella no need for security cameras, as he added, ‘is what many people individual’ commonly advertised all the terraces are equipped with who pass through are most loo- in restaurants was a phenomeking for.’ For British retirees John non invented for the checklist observant abuelas.

In a corner of one of Ronda’s win- and Annie, Spanish classes at traveller; the overpriced dish is ding streets, Entrelenguas invites Entrelenguas are key to helping far from the family ritual of shaboth transient visitors and sett- them become Spanish citizens. ring a cauldron-sized paella on a led expats to learn more about They have been taking classes Sunday.

Spanish language, culture, and for the past three months and are To guide travellers away from the proponents of the centre’s novel trite, Entrelenguas offers a map

& TRAVEL

27 27 July 18th to July 31st 2019

www.theolivepress.es

July 18th to July 31st 2019

AUTHENTIC: (Left) a bounty of jamon while (centre) view from Entrelenguas and (right) a typical Ronda sunset highlighting places that have been vetted for them in olive oil. This classic bocadillo is the authenticity. Distinguishable by an ‘Experien- perfect accompaniment to a stroll through the ce Local’ sign, these shops provide the best town. seasonal goods. By sourcing their products Across the Puente Nuevo, past the cameentirely from surrounding farms, they also ra-happy sightseers, sits El Lechuguita, a bar contribute to the town’s susoffering over 80 different tatainable development. pas at less than a euro each.

In the old town, La Tienda de The faces of the Owned by three brothers, Trinidad is all you expect from the unpretentious decor and a traditional venta: an impres- people who gave standing-only room does nosive line-up of jamon iberico thing to reel in unsuspecting hung from the ceiling, and an you directions to tourists. And that is precisely assortment of chorizo, goat places unlisted its charm. cheeses, wines and beers It’s a different story round the on maps from which to sample the full corner in Ronda’s bustling Andalucian experience.

Plaza España, where McDoMiguel, the owner, recomnald’s is doing a brisk trade mends visiting the bakery down the street, An- — a sight that would have made Petrini weep. tonio’s Panaderia Alba, to pick up some fresh Our shoes skid along slippery Puente Viejo, bread first. Slicing it in two, he expertly drapes worn smooth by centuries of travellers, both several slices of jamon on top and drenches friendly and conquering. The walk to the bus

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

station under the sweltering sun is one we severely underestimated; carting our suitcase up the bridge was an almost Sisyphean task.

Earlier that morning, we carefully wrapped the zucchini and cucumber Jose Luis had so thoughtfully gifted us. Sandwiched between a sun hat and a water bottle, the vegetables jostled around in our case during the journey back to the Costa del Sol. Travel can be a dislocating experience in so many ways. But, tucking into our fresh ‘campo’ zucchini stir fry back home, it becomes obvious why it’s worth it. Far more than the picturesque sights and Instagram opportunities, the human memory bank stores the best moments.

The faces of the people who gave you directions to places unlisted on maps. The kids who showed you shortcuts to the best views in town.

The simple kindness of a farmer.

Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.

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

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

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July 18th to July 31st 2019

X marks the spot A TEAM of scientists in Madrid have discovered a new therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s, which they believe could stop the disease in its earliest stages.

Researchers Paola Bovolenta and Pilar Esteve, at the Severo Ochoa Molecular Biology Centre, found that in Alzheimer's patients the levels of a protein - called SFRP1 - are ‘abnormally high’ and rise as the disease progresses.

Experiments already carried out in mice have shown that when the protein is inactivated, the progression of the disease also stops.

“A road is still long, but we have a good base to find a cure,” said Bovolenta.

Alzheimer's is characterized by the progressive and irreversible loss of cognitive abilities in patients - and its treatment, according to the scientists involved in the study, needs alternative approaches.

Bovolenta said the innovative study on SFRP1 is precisely the potential new route that could lead to better treatment.

"We believe that measuring the levels of this protein in the cerebrospinal fluid or serum could also become a useful diagnostic marker in the future," Esteve said in a statement.

HELP: Hernandez assisted wife

HEALTH OVER 1 million people have signed petitions in support of euthanasia in Spain.

The Spanish Government, which is still struggling to sign power-sharing deals, will be presented with the requests for change on July 19.

Signatories of petitions on Change.org are requesting that the law be changed to decriminalize ‘assisted dying’, as it is sometimes known.

A doctor, Marcos Hourmann, set up the petition after the video of a man who helped his wife with multiple sclerosis die, went viral.

Angel Hernandez filmed himself giving

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Our choice

his wife, Maria Jose Carrasco, a lethal substance, which she consented to drink on camera.

It comes after surveys have shown that 84% of Spain supports changing the legislation on euathanasia.

“Support remains stable through time and across ideologies, with barely a bump when it touches on religious beliefs,” said Rafael Serrano del Rosal, a researcher at the Institute of Advanced Social Studies at the Superior Scientific Council.

Get tested!

British expat launches cancer awareness campaign after mum dies from cervical cancer at just 41 SHARON Norrie tragically passed away last month at the untimely age of 41, from complications that began as cervical cancer.

The well-loved commercial director of Bay Radio, in Javea, became a household name during her four-year spell as a director of telecoms company Blu. The ‘bubbly’ mother-of-one, however, was snatched too soon from a lesser-known cancer that was misdiagnosed by doctors.

“She had been bleeding out for a month, but the doctor

told my mum it was just her period,” Sharon’s daughter Laura, 24, told the Olive Press “When she didn’t stop bleeding, we took her for the smear test.

“The results came back that not only did she have cervical cancer, but ulcers that we found out about far too late.”

Aged 36, Sharon had an immediate hysterectomy, but in the ensuing five-year heroic battle the world’s second biggest killer ended up spreading to her lungs.

“No one had a bad word to say about my mum,” Laura said.

Smash hep C HEALTH experts in Spain have launched an ambitious bid to eradicate hepatitis C. Doctors at Madrid’s Complutense University have said the solution lies in ‘the sum of the forces of legislators, managers, clinicians and patients’.

Julia del Amo, director of the National Plan against AIDS, and Dr Jose Luis Calleja, vice president of the Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver, have registered their ‘firm commitment’ to rid Spain of the liver disease.

Their aim is to change the existing ‘Elimination Plan’, so it can better reach out to those diagnosed, and make accessing treatment easier.

Since 2015, 128,534 hepatitis C patients have been treated with Spain’s national plan, while 399 000 people die from the disease each year.

Escape from stigma

TOO SOON: Sharon Norrie (right) had misdiagnosis “Everybody knows about “The IVO is Europe’s secbreast cancer, but the cervical ond-best hospital in cancer cancer that took her is still a treatment,” Laura added. mystery.

The now administrator for “A smear test can save your Bay Radio, who moved to life - all it takes a visit to the Spain in 1996, said Costa gynaecologist.”

Blanca residents are ‘lucky’ Laura said that women be- for having such a strong institween 25 and 49 should have tution so close by. a test ‘every three years’.

“My mum knew about smear She added that she is now tests, but she just wasn’t fundraising for the Institu- booked in for a check-up that to Valenciano de Oncologia year,” Laura said.

(IVO), in Valencia, which did “Had she got checked in time, ‘everything in its power’ to who knows how things could help her late mother. be different.”

THE Museum of Malaga has organised a treasure hunt and escape room for the treatment of pediatric patients.

The activities are for children in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit (USMIJ) of Malaga’s University Hospital.

Kids aged 8-14 with Asperger's Syndrome were invited to hunt for treasure in the museum’s archaeological archives, while some teens took part in an 'escape room' session.

Head psychiatrist on the USMIJ wing, Joaquin Urquiza, said the new activities aimed to ‘decrease the stigma associated with mental illness’.

The wobbles You may think that loose teeth can only be solved by dentures, but Karan Sud Dental’s fibrebond technology can save you the time, effort, pain and cost

S

UFFERING with loose teeth?

You may have been told you will now need dentures or implants.

But this is not actually the case, especially with regards to the front teeth.

At Karan Sud Dental, in Calpe, we use fibrebond technology to splint loose teeth together and replace missing teeth.

This innovation uses a resin-based fibre, placed behind the affected teeth, that can strengthen them without having to pull them out.

This allows you to keep your teeth for much longer.

Dentures are bulky, and affect both taste and

function. They also can jeopardise the health of remaining teeth.

Dental implants in the anterior region - or front teeth - are also very complicated.

They involve surgery, and take a lot of time, effort and expense.

With fibrebond technology, however, you can save on all of these thing, as well as pain.

If you have mobile or missing teeth, please call us to see if you’re a suitable candidate for this innovative treatment.

Dr Karan Sud British dentist Calpe

“Very pleased with my new dental treatment from Karan and the team. My teeth were loose, but this treatment solved the problem completely. I am usually very nervous around the dentist, but the procedure was pain-free and the aftercare was easy and exceptional. Well done.”

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For more information visit www.ksuddental.com Tel: (+34) 965 837 553 - 24h emergency: (+34) 602 612 688 Clinica Britannia, Avda Ejercitos Españoles 16, first floor, Calpe

without giving up everything you love

Looking sexy, svelte or built by BPT but additional treatments loving their truSculpt iD in your clothing is one thing. may be required for optimal results. In a separate study Looking better in the buff is a runners and yoga enthusiasts sculpting results. of individuals who had the whole other ballgame. Clothing topping the list.

“TruSculpt iD is a very procedure, 100 percent said According to board- exciting new development in they were satisfied, would get - even low-cut necklines, shortwww.theolivepress.es to Julyit 31st 2019and would refer plastic surgeon non-surgicalJuly shorts or tight-fitting tees - can certified body18th contouring. done18th again July to July 31st 2019 hide your flaws and accentuate Walter L. Bernacki, MD The lower abdomen and love a friend for truSculpt iD. And your assets, but when you are of Ohio Plastic Surgery in handles can be treated in just a everyone felt better in - or out Ohio, “The newest single 15-minute comfortable of - their clothes. nude, there’s nowhere - lenge or way Central COCKROACHES have begun developin - to hide anything.

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Scientists from Purdue University ex- The vile bugs, which come out in force study.

(RF) technology to target and achieve with this innovative without resorting to drastic from it.

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29 29

Cock-blockers

You’re ok better inscrewed the buff: Get your sexy back without giving up everything you love

alth & Beauty

Brits pay for services already

‘NO RISK’: Kids’ cream

Creamy confusion SPAIN has ruled that sun creams labelled as dangerous by a consumer group are ‘not a risk’.

The Ministry of Health responded to the Organization of Consumers and Users’ (OCU) damning assessment of the Isdin and Babaria brands.

Despite being labelled SPF 50+, the children's creams were found to be just SPF 15 and 30, respectively.

Unfair

“A certain unfair variation has been observed in the methodology used in the laboratories,” said a spokesperson from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS).

The OCU and AEMPS have both now called for testing to ‘standardised’ so discrepancies are less likely to occur.

(EHIC).

Looking sexy, svelte or built “These companies are in your clothing is one thing. charging assistance Looking for better in the buff they is a arewhole not other providing,” Daballgame.said Clothing vid- even Medina, sits on the low-cutwho necklines, shortASPE of directors. shortsboard or tight-fi tting tees - can ASPE has flsingled up to hide your aws and out accentuate 15your different health inassets,British but when you are surance firmsnowhere that engage in nude, there’s - or way these ‘fraudulent’ - to hide anything. activities.

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Fully one-third of Americans opt for minimally invasive fat reduction or body sculpting treatments to look better in the buff, according to a new survey of 500 men and women from Cutera, Inc. And those who exercise regularly are most likely to have a body-sculpting treatment, with

ERV Medi-Care, Leisurecare policies. treatments but additional X5, World may be required for optimal First and Traveler Get going runners yoga and enthusiasts sculpting results.

Travel topping theInsurance. list.

“TruSculpt iD is a very ItAccording comes as ato no-deal board-Brexexciting new development in it could see an end to these certifi ed plastic surgeon non-surgical body contouring. ‘fraudulent’ practices, as lower abdomen and love Walter L. Bernacki, MD The haveSurgery more restrictof Brits Ohiomay Plastic in handles can be treated in just a ed access Spanish healthCentral Ohio,to“The newest single 15-minute comfortable care. non-surgical body contouring treatment session. Our patients system Cutera’s truSculpt with ASPEisfiled a complaint have been very pleased with the iDthe thatUK’s uses Financial radiofrequency body sculpting results they can Conduct (RF) technology to target and achieve with this innovative Authority back in 2016, acpermanently destroy fat in your says Dermatologist cording to system,” El trouble spots (think muffin tops Jeffrey S. Dover, MD, FRCPC Pais.

Frauduand love handles)lent - in just 15 of Skincare Physicians in insurance comfortable minutes with no Chestnut Hill, MA. policies repredowntime. We have found thatof be-By and large, people are sent a loss the treatment works on all skin tween €75-100 types, sizes andmillion physiques, a year including individuals who forconsidered the Spanish were previously not health sector. candidates for body contouring The tourist procedures.”

What’s more,hotspots truSculpt of iD produces an Andalucia, average fat the reduction of 24 Balearic percent, and Islands, Valencia visible improvements are seen in 6 to 12 weeks following the first treatment. Multiple areas can be treated in one session, by BPT Multi-traveler

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Let there be light

S

URGERY can be a scary, complicated and painful intervention.

Which is why Clinica Britannia is a pioneer of non-invasive forms of treatment to heal its patients of their ailments.

And to this end, the 22-yearold clinic has now added a new form of light therapy to its armoury.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a treatment that uses a light source and light-sensitive medication to destroy abnormal cells.

On their own, the medication and light source are harmless, but when the medication is exposed to the light it activates and removes nearby cells. Diseases that can be healed by PDT include anal

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COLUMNISTS

www.theolivepress.es

July 18th to July 31st 2019

By Loraine Gostling

Small talk

N

O, I am not going to talk about the weather…

And with that opening statement, just how many of you will now turn the page and flip over to page 32?

But seriously, what is it with people and the fascination with weather forecasts?

It was not until I started to

It’s too hot for Loraine Gostling on the Costa Blanca, who explores why we just love the weather run a local information website, that I realised just how much importance that big ball of fire (or lack of said ball) had on so many people, and our dear friend Facebook, pretty much proved it for me.

I shall now digress a bit (as I do) and come back to that a tad later, but contrary to my opening statement, I am actually going to weather-whip you for a bit.

I wanted to try to find out why squillions of us wallow in weather reports and why so many have the need to ‘like and share’ every last detail of how freakin’ ‘scorchio’ it will be, why you will need to get your washing in before 4pm or why ‘the salt trucks are out of stock!’

So why is the weather is so high on our list of fascinations and regular discussions with each other?

And is it really necessary to have 20 or so words for various states of

H20 falling from the sky?

So, I poured a strong coffee (yes coffee…I am typing before gin o’clock today) and set about trying to find out why we love to wallow in weather.

It would appear that the weather section of the news has, indeed, become an enormous staple in most households all over the world, but our weather observatories weren’t actually originally built for such enormous public consumption.

However, the weather is ‘ideally suited to our electronic age’, wrote Bernard Mergen, a professor of American Studies, in his book Weather Matters.

“It’s constantly in motion, frequently fast-moving...ubiquitous and visually beautiful.”

Australians, for example, search online for weather more than they search for sex.

According to Google, by the beginning of 2017, ‘weather’ outstripped ‘sex’ by a ratio of four to one – a trend replicated in several other western countries.

And it’s not just Australians who are obsessed. A survey in the USA found that weather was the most followed topic of local news, ahead of breaking news, politics and crime.

In Brexitland, where the outdoors has never been negotiated without being totally prepared with everything from sun cream to galoshes (and all the props in between) the majority of adults surveyed by the Met Office reported that they checked the weather either within an hour of getting up or before leaving the house in the morning.

Another finding (that I think we already knew) was that British adults ‘weather-chat’

SCORCHING: Spain’s baking temps a source of endless chat

on average six times a week, dals and dig out the cap and beating the other gossip fa- sleeved t-shirts form the winvourites like money, relation- ter wardrobe, but hang on ships…and in my case, what until January when we have to have for dinner tonight. to finally give up, drag the It even beats topics such winter jacket out of mothas Kim Kardashian’s bum, balls and cover up that sun blaming Canada for Justin tan as we know full well that Bieber, the February will race for Therebring those few sa May’s keydays when it is Photos of ring and right so bloody cold now, England’s cumulus thingies, that you could cricket triumph cut glass with red sunsets, that will conyour nipples! stantly be disAt the end of hailstones the cussed, liked, March, as the size of boulders skies clear to shared etc., I imagine for the that beautiful next century azure blue, the (excuse the pun). big ball of fire regains its full Spain, as those who live here force, and the arms are bared know, is a land of extremes - for the first time in months. everything is either black or At this point, local Spanish white and the Spanish love people cry in anguish, wiping to talk about atmospheric their brows, ‘Pero que calor conditions as much as the hace!’, as if they’ve just arnext man! rived from Scotland and are For example, in November, totally unused to perspiraas soon as the tempera- tion bubbles at 9:00 am. ture drops below 12°C, it’s Just for good measure, Irish all ‘Ay! Que frio!’, and they people are so fascinated run for the scarves and Ugg with the weather that a few boots, whereas we Brits will years ago their interest acjust change from the bright tually inspired a TV show pink flip flops to maybe the called Weather Live! tan coloured sling back san- So, having learned a little more about this world-wide obsession, I have some advice to offer…

If you want to build up your ‘likes’ on Facebook, or followers on Instagram, then jump on those weather sites, add dramatic photos of cumulus thingies, red sunsets, hailstones the size of boulders or a snowman by the swimming pool and share the hell out of them...others will follow…I jest you not!

Finally a helpful handy phrase to remember when in the highly unlikely position of having to discuss a ‘pea-souper’ with a Spanish friend on the Costa Blanca, ‘No se ve tres un burro’.

OP Puzzle solutions

Quick Crossword

Across: 7 Oceanic, 8 Echo, 9 Eggs, 10 Olive oil, 11 To and fro, 12 Rock, 14 Used, 16 Rehearse, 18 Irrigate, 20 Root, 21 Psst, 22 Leisure.

Down: 1 Gorgeous, 2 Season, 3 Uncomfortable, 4 Schizophrenia, 5 Meteor, 6 Thai, 13 Customer, 15 Dainty, 17 Atrium, 19 Rush.

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SPORT

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COACH: Scariolo

Mainly on the plane SPAIN’S 16-man squad for the Basketball World Cup 2019 in China has been announced by Italian coach Sergio Scariolo.

A notable exception is Serge Ibaka, a player with Toronto Raptors, which just became the first Canadian club to win the NBA. Ibaka’s fellow Raptors teammate Marc Gasol, has however been awarded a place on the Spain team plane to the Far East.

Scariolo, who is also an assistant coach for the Raptors, also left out Sergio Rodriguez, a European champion with CSKA. Spain kick off the tournament on August 31, taking on Tunisia in Guangzhou.

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Master minds Star-studded lineup revealed for Spain’s hottest tennis tournament

CHAMP: Feliciano Lopez

DAVID Ferrer is among a trio of Spanish stars to have been announced for the Marbella Senior Masters Cup 2019.

The 37-year-old from Javea, who retired in May, will be joined by his compatriot Feliciano Lopez from Toledo.

Lopez, also 37, was knocked out in the second round of Wimbledon by Russiam, Karen Khachanov.

But his two Queen’s 2019 titles in the singles and doubles may make him favourite for the Costa del

McLaren kids

SPAIN and Britain have combined, with the announcement of McLaren’s F1 team for 2020.

At just 19 years of age, Brit Lando Norris has been chosen again alongside Spain’s Carlos Sainz, 24.

The Spaniard replaced Fernando Alonso, who retired from the sport last year.

Norris has impressed bosses in his debut season, describing his own progress as ‘pretty awesome’.

“They are the future for this team,” said McLaren boss Andreas Seidl.

The chief executive of the team, Zak Brown, also said that the lineup of drivers was ‘never in doubt’.

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SLAPPED: Gerard Pique

Piqued off

LEGEND: Ferrer in Marbella

Sol tournament held from September 27-28.

The fourth edition of the competition also features ATP Tour legends, German Tommy Haas, 41, and another Spaniard, Tommy Robredo, 37.

Unmissable

Haas bagged himself a silver medal in the Olympic Games in Sydney in 2000, while Catalunyan Robredo is a former world number five after he won the 2006 Hamburg Masters.

Lopez is set to take on

Robredo at 5:30pm on September 27, before the second semi final between Ferrer and Haas at 8:00pm.

The third place play-off will take place at 5:30pm the following day, with the final later that evening.

Marbella’s stunning Club de Tenis Puente Romano is the chosen venue for this unmissable seniors event.

The tournament has been dubbed a ‘tennis show’ by Joaquin Rios, from the organising company Tennium.

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BARCELONA defender Gerard Pique has been ordered to pay €2.1 million in back taxes and fines over tax evasion.

The 32-year-old Spaniard, who made 52 appearances for Barca last season, saw a decision concerning image rights payments from 2008 to 2010 upheld.

The ex-Spain international can now appeal to the Supreme Court, after being slapped with the fines.

Pique joins Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, who was also ordered to pay €2 million for tax evasion, and former Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo who had to fork out €18.8 million.

It comes after Pique’s partner, Colombian pop star Shakira, was also accused of a €14.5 million fiscal fraud.

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HARRY Styles has brought his alleged Spanish stalker Pablo Taeazago-Orego to court after claiming he has been putting notes in his mailbox and ‘making his life a misery’.

FINAL WORDS

Trip to Spain ENGLAND fullback Kieran Trippier has completed his move from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid in a transfer thought to be worth €25 million.

Bearing fruit PATROLS in watermelon groves have borne fruit after three men were caught stealing 350kg of the summer crop in Pilar de la Horada. The region is known for is ‘tasty and quality’ watermelons, according to Policia Local.

Love where?

THE Love Island girls have suffered an embarrassing geography fail as Belle Hassan, 21, asked Joanna Chimonides, 22, and Jourdan Riane, 24, if ‘Barcelona was in Rome’. Jourdan replied confidently: “No, Barcelona is in Italy.”

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Heavy Your expat

voice in Spain

July 18th to July 31st 2019

Hail Mary American football star leaps bulls with ease at ‘too safe’ San Fermin festival A CELEBRATED American sportsman has been caught on camera performing a series of death-defying leaps over bulls.

High-octane footage shows Washington Redskins player, Josh Norman, 31, hurdle not one, but two toros at the annual Pamplona festival.

“It was really worth it,” he said after his acrobatics at the San A BALD attempt to smuggle drugs into Spain has been stopped after a man was found with half a kilo of cocaine hidden under his toupee.

Arriving at Barcelona airport from Bogota, the Colombian man attracted suspicion with a disproportionately large hairpiece under his hat.

Officers detained the man and found a package stuck to his head with about €30,000 of cocaine.

metal

Fermin festival, in which eight people were gored by bulls.

While he was certainly dicing with death or injury, this year’s festival was criticised for ‘not being dangerous enough.’

Veteran bull-runners have slammed the daily runs known as encierros - claiming they have been ‘adulterated’ with the bulls running the

Hell toupee

course in much quicker times than before. Over the last decade the 875-metre runs have generally decreased to nearly two FEARLESS: minutes - Norman which is half leaps over the length bull that they were in the 1990s.

Critics insist the bulls are no longer able to break free from the castrated steers, who accompany them and are too fast and trained.

This makes the entire run far safer for the runners.

“This is the end of the encierro as we know it,” said Joe Distler, an American, who has completed 50 bull runs. He was among several runners - or mozos - to

A TEEN with cerebral palsy who crowd surfed in his wheelchair at a heavy metal gig has described his ‘incredible’ moment.

“I felt like God,” said Alex Dominguez, 19, who went viral after he was filmed being held aloft by crowds at the Resurrection Fest, in Galicia.

The second year law student was watching Swedish band Arch Enemy, who later thanked their fans for ‘being awesome.’

Ladies first

stage a sit-down protest on the course before one of the eight runs. It came despite numerous injuries this year, one involving a man’s arm being split open ‘like a fillet’ and another suffering serious head injuries.

“Society has said for 20 years that the run was too risky,” insisted a spokesman for the festival. “Now they complain that there is no tragedy.”

SPAIN’S Armed Forces have their first female general.

Patricia Ortega Garcia, 56, is the first elected female leader in the army’s 500year history.

She takes up her role some 31 years after women were first allowed into the army.

The servicewoman, from Madrid, signed up in 1988 as a student lieutenant. Mum-of-three Ortega is no stranger to making history, after becoming Spain’s first female lieutenant colonel in 2009 and colonel in 2015.

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