Olive Press Gibraltar Newspaper - Issue 23 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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EXCLUSIVE

Liam Walker hails Lincoln Red Imps’ Celtic effect

Vol. 2 Issue 23

www.gibraltarolivepress.com July 20th - August 2nd 2016

LIAM Walker believes tonight’s historic Champions League tie with Celtic will put Lincoln Red Imps players ‘in the shop window’. The Lincoln ace and his team-mates won worldwide praise for their stunning 1-0 victory over the Glasgow giants at Victoria Stadium last week. With the eyes of Europe now fixed on Celtic Park, Walker, one of the few full-time professionals at the club, feels the biggest game in Gibraltar’s history is a chance for players to

earn a big-money move abroad. “We’re really happy that the football world is taking notice of us,” Walker told the Olive Press. “We are starting to put ourselves in the shop window and there is a chance for the Celtic game to be an option for some players to move on.” He added: “The Celtic win was the biggest shock in the history of football… and we’re going to Glasgow to get a result.”

Walker also revealed that the team have been using Whatsapp to fire themselves up for the Glasgow match. “We’ve got our own Whatsapp group and we’ve been sharing videos of the fans at Celtic Park to motivate ourselves,” he said. “I’ve played in Scotland before and their fans are very passionate. We are going there to enjoy ourselves, but we are going there to go through.” Opinion Page 6

Boris backs Gib New UK foreign secretary gives Rock-solid support over sovereignty issue

GORHAM’S Cave has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Gibraltar Neanderthal home and its sister caves were awarded the status at a key UNESCO meeting in Istanbul. It is the first time a Gibraltar site has been included in the UNESCO list. Professor Clive Finlayson, the Director of the Gibraltar Museum, says he is ‘delighted’ after leading the six-year bid to gain UNESCO recognition. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he told the Olive Press. “We are delighted to be getting a world class badge for Gibraltar which will open many doors for us. It is a huge honour. “We knew we had a good site, but there is always that nervousness.” He added that while the official bid was launched in 2010, research has been 20 years in the making. “We are now looking forward to developing the site's potential through tourism and education as well as the research which continues to be undertaken.”

Photo by Clive Finlayson

Gorham’s Turkish delight

ROOM WITH A VIEW: Gorham’s Cave winsWorld Heritage status

Tel: 00350 200 65154 or 00350 200 65155 sales@gibfibrespeed.com www.gibfibrespeed.com

By Joe Duggan

BORIS Johnson has promised Gibraltar the UK will ‘never’ surrender the Rock’s sovereignty. The new Foreign Secretary confessed he was a ‘fan of Gibraltar’ and that the Rock would be fully involved in Brexit negotiations. During a meeting with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo in London, the pro-Brexit leader insisted: “I am a fan of Gibraltar. I much admire the place. “The people of Gibraltar have repeatedly and overwhelmingly expressed their wish to remain under British sovereignty and we will respect their wishes.” He added: “We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to safeguard Gibraltar, its people and its economy, including maintaining a wellfunctioning border.” Johnson’s positive stance contrasts with outgoing Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond’s more cautious tones over recent weeks. Hammond was twice noncommittal when pressed on the UK’s ability to back the Rock post-Brexit. Picardo called the meeting with Johnson ‘very positive’ ahead of the Conservative MPs trip to

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SUPPORT: Johnson and Picardo

Brussels to meet his EU counterparts this week. “Having an early opportunity to explain all the personal and economic concerns we have in Gibraltar after the referendum has been very helpful indeed,” said Picardo. “Mr Johnson will have the benefit of our briefing for his meetings in Europe.” Meanwhile, exiting Prime Minister David Cameron vowed the UK will ‘always stand up’ for Gibraltar. It comes amid ongoing concerns over Spain’s acting Foreign Secretary Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo’s sabre-rattling over co-sovereignty of the Rock.

Opinion Page 6

May 11th - May 24th 2016 www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Locked up A PAEDOPHILE who abused his victim over a number of years has been sentenced to a lengthy 18 years in prison. James George Bell, 48, has also been placed on the sexual offenders register after being found guilty of 12 counts of rape and other sexual offenses against a young child. The victim was just nine years old when the abuse began. When police raided his home they found he was in possession of hundreds of indecent photographs. Chief Justice Anthony Dudley described it as a ‘horrific case of abuse against a vulnerable victim, who will probably be affected for life’.

No rise in sex abuse

IMPROVED legislation has led to a spike in reporting of sexual abuse, Gibraltar police insist. The Crimes Act and the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act 2012 have been designed to protect witnesses and victims. As well as video links and screens in court, the victim now only has to testify once in court. They had previously been required to give evidence three times, once at the committal stage, once at the arraignment stage and once again at trial. “There has not been an increase in these types of incidents,” said Detective Inspector Roy Perez. “There is more awareness and the public have more faith in the judicial system and in us.”

Arrested fisherman’s family tell of EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan A GIBRALTARIAN fisherman arrested by the Guardia Civil following a high-speed chase ‘believed he would be killed’, his sister has said. Jared Pincho and his friends Stefan Saltariche and Dylan Barber were arrested while fishing after a Guardia Civil vessel sped towards their boat. According to the RGP, who observed the incident, the fishermen were three and half miles east of the Rock and outside Gibraltar’s waters. But bizarrely the three friends were not taken to mainland Spain but to the enclave of Ceuta, off Morocco, Jared’s sister Melanie Harrak told the Olive Press. While Saltariche and Barber have now been released, former Royal Gibraltar Regiment soldier Pincho has been remanded in custody until his court case on August 30.

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Bin blaze

FURY: Protesters and (left) Pincho

Hell at sea

Spanish police claim he rammed their boat at dangerous speed, even though video seems to suggest otherwise. “They were all terrified,” Mela-

Probe launched after ‘unexplained deaths’ AN investigation into two ‘unexplained deaths’ has been launched by the RGP. A 53-year-old man was found dead in his home last week, a fortnight after another 53-year-old man was also found dead. The police are currently treating the cases as unconnected and suspect ‘no foul play’ at this stage. A coroner’s report is expected in the coming days following a post-mortem examination.

nie told the Olive Press. “They thought they would be killed. “They go out fishing there all the time and there’s never been this sort of problem. “Dylan and Stefan are in shock. We don’t understand it. Jared has a huge heart. He would do anything for anyone. Why are they keeping him in? “My mum is crying her eyes out all the time and my dad is going to have a heart attack. It is so unfair.” Melanie added: “Jared has worked really hard for that boat. He has never done anything illegal.” Pincho, who turned 34 while under arrest, works as a steelworker with his father. At a protest addressed by Chief

Minister Fabian Picardo outside No 6 Convent Place, Saltariche’s brother slammed the Guardia Civil. “It’s absolutely inexplicable how the police can ram you and then arrest you!” Lee Saltariche said. A government spokesperson said: “The Government has viewed video footage of the incident and is liaising with the RGP in order to fully understand the events.” An RGP spokesperson said: “RGP vessels will only venture into international waters when involved in a search and rescue operation or in response to a credible threat to life.” The Guardia Civil were unavailable for comment when contacted.

THE Fire department has praised Gibraltar’s public for alerting it to a blaze which incinerated a recycling bin between Morrison’s and St Bernard’s Hospital. Two fire vehicles responded to the call out on Saturday night, but the fire was extinguished prior to their arrival. The Fire Brigade said it was ‘impossible’ at this stage to know what had caused the blaze. “The great thing about Gibraltar is people are very conscientious,” a spokesperson told the Olive Press “As soon as they see smoke, they call us. And we would rather we go out on a false emergency than risk somebody being hurt.”

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July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Ravishing Rachel

Family affair

THERE is a new beauty queen sitting on Gibraltar’s throne. Rachel Martinez was crowned Mrs Gibraltar 2016 at the pageant on Saturday, July 16. The Mrs Gibraltar 2016 1st Princess is Dawn Gaul. This year there were 12 contestants vying for the title of Mrs Gibraltar, a pageant started for women over 25 years old who missed their chance to enter Miss Gibraltar and could no longer do so because they are married or have children. The pageant claims to focus on the positive aspects of modern women today.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo has been enjoying a family holiday in Spain after helping Portugal to lift the Euro 2016 crown. The Real Madrid striker was spotted lounging on his yacht in Formentera, in the Balearic Islands. The player, 31, kept fans updated on Instagram, posting photos with his family and six-year-old son Cristiano Jr.

Becks appeal

LUCKY: Private Edward Victor looks on at David Beckham at Wimbledon

WINNER: Rachel Martinez

Double take

DAVID Beckham was in safe hands at Wimbledon this year, thanks to a Gibraltar connection. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment soldier Edward Victor kept a close eye on England’s favourite football star and his sons Romeo and Cruz on Centre Court. The 24-year-old private was one of three RGR soldiers volunteering at the flagship tennis championship the day Becks took in the Roger Federer v Mi-

ANTONIO Banderas looks like a different man. The Malagan actor has revamped his appearance for a new movie, in which he (aptly) stars as an aging rock star. His new look includes long, streaked curly hair, tattoos and tight, 70s style pants. Banderas stars alongside Ukrainian actress Olga Kurylenko in Salty, a Simon West movie adapted from the Mark Haskell Smith novel of the MAKEOVER: Antonio Banderas’ new look same name.

Rock soldier guards David Beckham during Wimbledon visit

los Raonic match. “I was very lucky to have met David Beckham, and he even said hello,” he told the Olive Press. “My reaction when I saw Becks was

pretty much no reaction at all. I had to remain professional at all times. “But deep inside I was a little bit excited to have seen a legend like him. My grandad is a huge United fan. I saw Alex Ferguson there, too.” It’s the first time RGR soldiers have worked as volunteers at SW19. Back in Gibraltar now, Private Victor added: “It was near to perfection. Everything was brilliant.”

CRISTIANO: With son

Red carpet

GIVING BACK: Allesandra Ambrosio (left) and Eva Longoria IT is a Snapchat selfie to make your hearts melt. International model Alessandra Ambrosio smooching up with actress Eva Longoria at the annual Global Gift Gala, in Marbella. The pair were in town, alongside other stars, including Puerto Rican Amaury Nolasco of hit TV series Prison Break. Desperate Housewives star Longoria had attended the Global Gift party at Olivia Valere’s the night before alongside

hubby Jose Baston. The pair were later seen brunching with a group of friends in Marbella’s old town ahead of Sunday’s gala. Victoria’s Secret model Ambrosio, who is staying in Marbs as part of Europewide trip, was spotted cycling along the golden mile. The gala at Marbella’s Gran Melia Don Pepe raises millions in donations before dispersing the funds to charities around the world, including UNICEF, mothers2mothers and Fundacion SOS.

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C A M P O D E G I B RA LTA RJuly 20th - August 2nd 2016

NEWS IN BRIEF

Tourist space THE Saipan Zoning Board approved the recommendation of the zoning staff to rezone some areas in San Roque as a tourist resort district.

Drug bust

The National Police have arrested 25 people with 5 tonnes of hashish and €400,000 in cash in La Linea.

Boat block Construction is scheduled to begin for a barrier to prevent small boats from making their way inland up the River Guadarranque, a main entry point for illegal drugs into Southern Spain.

Terrific talk A video of San Roque youth football coach Antonio Fernández Fernández’s inspiring locker room lecture has gone viral.

BLAZING: Fire

By Rob Horgan AN appreciation fund has been set up for the firefighters who tackled a huge blaze in La Linea and San Roque. The fire, which burnt for over 24 hours, forced over 500 people to be evacuated from their homes and a nearby hotel in Alcaidesa as the blaze reached a ‘level one’ alert. At least two cars were burnt out and minor damage was done to nearby properties in Alcaidesa in a suspected case of arson. It has now been confirmed that the fire in La Linea had four seats (starting points), while another fire was started THE Campo de Gibraltar should have a special tax status to protect it from the effects of Brexit, the PSOE have said. Around 10,000 Campo workers who cross the border each day are unsure of their future with Gibraltar’s EU status up in the air. Campo PSOE general secretary Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix wants to adopt a tax regime like Ceuta and Melilla, which have 50% tax relief on income tax and corporation tax. At the meeting of local councils, Ruiz Boix also called for

Here comes the fun

Residents show appreciation after suspected arson attack

Firefighter fund

Para recibir el programa comp adicionales, no dude en contac nosotros. Estaremos encantado Reservas online: www.tarifac

For registration and full activi

in San Roque. San Roque’s Mayor Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix said said

Taxing times

large-scale investment in the Campo’s infrastructure and a new initiative to attract businesses to the area. Ruix Boix said: “We need the development of a business plan that will allow the establishment of new private investment in our region.” It was also decided to set up a committee to study the possible consequences of Brexit on the Campo.

that it is visit ‘impossible’ for five www.tarifacamps.com fires to have been started so close to each other without it this QR code You can use being arson. Puedes usar este código He also extended his thanks a nuestra web to the 80 firefighters who took charge in tackling the blaze and a fund has now been set 600 839 975 up by residents+34 in Alcaidesa. “We are collecting online and info@tarifacamps.com offline contributions from residents and friends of Al-

www.tarifacamps.com

Organiza:

caidesa towards a gesture of thanks from the local community,” Jose Luis Sousa told the Olive Press. “We wantColaboran: to raise awareness of the risks that these people take and express our gratiParatorecibir programa completo y detall tude them elfor the admirableadicionales, job they did in protecting no dude en contactar con us and our homes.” Estaremos Tonosotros. contribute visitencantados www. de atende Reservas online: www.tarifacamps.com gofundme.com/2e723g4.

For registration and full activity program FIRST-RATE FILMS

visit www.tarifacamps.com MOST kids summer camps involve a trip to the beach and a few games of tag. You can use this QR code to visit our w But at Tarifacamps, your youngsters get to try a range of cool Puedes usar este código QR para acced sports, including kitesurfing, cycling and paddle surfing. A CAMPO film group hosted a nuestra web At this summer camp with a difference, kids have an excitthe Hell Chess Film Festival ing overnight sail around the Rock of Gibraltar, overseen by a in Madrid’s Centro Cultural certified crew and skipper of course. Pilar Miro. +34 600 839 975 And then there is a range of other activities, including beach CAMPING RIO JARA | www.campingriojara.comThe festival showcased daring volleyball, hiking, windsurfing, beach football and kayaking, independent films from all info@tarifacamps.com PIZZERÍA LA OCA DA SERGIO, TARIFA not to mention yoga and art classes. around the world. Organised by Tarifa’s Blah Blah Blah language academy HURRICANE HÍPICA | www.tarifahip.com The French film Carpe Diem www.tarifacamps.com there is the additional optional Spanish class to help your won best picture, while Auskids improve their language skills. tralian director David King, of Organiza: The camp offers both a day camp option from 8am to 9pm Exit, won best director. Monday to Friday, costing €450 per child, and an overnight Speaking to the Olive Press, option from Sunday to Saturday at €650 a week. The price Jorge Blanco, the festival diincludes food. rector, sang high praises for The camps run for three weeks from July 17 to August 14. the two films. For more information, visit tarifacamps.com. “Capre Diem is a very interColaboran: esting film about loneliness. It was made by a young French [Gregoire von Ra- or +34 For registration and full activity programfilmmaker visit www.tarifacamps.com kowski]. Very original experimental film. Good soundtrack using an opera singer and a mix of classical and contemporary music,” Blanco said. “Exit, [by the Australian David King], is a very experimental film in a very risky edition. Very original because of the inner wall. It’s inside a person in a catatonic state. All [David King’s] life is devoted to making something differCAMPING RIO JARA | www.campingriojara.com ent. This is really the spirit of the festival.” PIZZERÍA LA OCA DA SERGIO, TARIFA Speaking further about the HURRICANE HÍPICA | www.tarifahip.com spirit of the festival, Blanco said they were searching for ‘somebody who has a vision of commitment with society and cinema.’ Though the Hell Chess group is based in the Campo de Gibraltar, they held the festival in Madrid to grant the lesser For registration and full activity program visitknown www.tarifacamps.com or +34 600 839 975 films greater exposure.

Para recibir el pr adicionales, no du nosotros. Estarem Reservas online:

For registration a visit www.tarifa

You can Puedes a nuest

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July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Mission for monkeys

DRY: One pond

Ship of fools AN investigation has been launched after a ship steered dangerously close to bathers at Little Bay and Camp Bay. The vessel dragged several dozen buoys and ropes away with it, as concerned beachgoers looked on. Gibraltar Port’s Vessel Traffic Service instructed the vessel to proceed west away from the coastline before reporting the incident.

BUS and taxi drivers have come to the rescue of Gibraltar’s mokeys, after their water supply dried up. The drivers, who ferry tourists to the top of the Rock, have been giving the thirsty macaques bottled water to keep them hydrated. And while emergency water sources have been installed around the Upper Rock, around a dozen complaints have been lodged with the Department of

Chief asks for second EU referendum, while studying a ‘devilish’ plan to stay in Europe

EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan the Environment after two fresh water ponds dried up. The water situation has in fact become so bad that all water on the Upper Rock was switched off for 24 hours, leaving the 300 Barbary macaques without a permanent water source. “This needs to be sorted out,” one resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Olive

Press. “The ponds are dry and we must fill them as soon as possible.” A ‘major infrastructure problem’ is being blamed and the government is working with the MoD and AquaGib to resolve the issue. A spokesman confirmed that both bodies were ‘trying to resolve this issue as soon as possible’. ‘In the interim, alternative sources of fresh water are available to the macaques,” he added.

‘We want another vote’

CHIEF MINISTER Fabian Picardo has called for a second referendum once a post-Brexit deal is struck with the EU. Picardo - who is still in talks with Scotland about remaining part of the European bloc - insists a second referendum should be held once people know what they are voting for. Meanwhile, Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has backed calls for a second referendum and said it would be ‘tempt-

ing’ to stop Brexit if he became Prime Minister. A total of 96% of Gibraltarians voted to Remain in the EU, with just 823 people opting to Leave. “In the referendum two weeks ago it was either in, with our existing conditions, or out,” Picardo told the Financial Times. “But nobody knew what out meant.” He added: “Some people who voted to leave might have thought that an out deal

meant something completely different. “Some people might have voted with rosetinted spectacles, and others might have been persuaded on the basis of a false prospectus that Brexiters advanced.” Picardo also confirmed that alongside Scotland, Gibraltar was looking for a way to redefine the territory of the UK in a way that would leave Scotland, Gibraltar and possibly Northern Ireland as part of the UK, while allowing England and Wales to split. “It is a devilishly simple plan with devilishly complex details. But it is an option,” said Picardo. Castle Estate, Laguna Estate, Alameda EsThe Chief Minister also tate, Glacis Estate and Mid Harbour Estate, slammed Spain’s attempts the GSD claim. at joint-sovereignty and said The opposition party referred to the deal as Spanish resistance could prove ‘pawning the family silver’. problematic to Gibraltar staying in the UK.

Government ‘pawning family silver’ THE GSD is demanding the government explain its plans for £300 million in financing secured against local housing stock. The deal, announced in the budget, was secured against Varyl Begg Estate, Moorish

NEWS IN BRIEF

Over-worked THE Royal Gibraltar Police are in talks with the Gibraltar Government for more staff, admitting it feels overstretched to near ‘breaking point’.

Newbie RETIRING Commander of the British Forces Commodore Ian McGhie was succeeded by Mike Walliker at a ceremony in Gibraltar’s HM Naval base.

Czech, please THE Czech Republic has officially opened an Honorary Consulate in Gibraltar due to the increase in Czech tourists.

New skills THE Gibraltar Defence Police is training all patrol officers in emergency response procedures as part of its new ‘blue light training’.

Solidarity A MINUTE’S silence was held outside No.6 in solidarity with France and in honour of the victims of the Nice terrorist attack.

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investigative

local newspaper

IT was a bright summer morning in 1936, when British pilot Cecil Bebb took off from Croydon Airport. In small plane, Dragon Rapide with a navigator, Major Hugh Pollard, and two female companions, it was made to look like the group were off on an excursion to the Canary Islands. They were really flying to collect General Franco and take him to

OPINION Rock-solid support

It’s coming home! BY the time you read this, Lincoln Red Imps Champions League tie with Celtic will be about to start, or it will just be over. Regardless of the outcome in Glasgow, the club’s entire squad and staff are true Gibraltarian heroes. To engineer a victory against one of Europe’s biggest clubs is nothing short of a sporting miracle. Especially in this day and age, when the financial gulf between football’s haves and have nots is so vast. Gibraltar’s population is 38,000. Celtic Park holds 60,000! This was David v Goliath, but minus the slingshot. Anybody lucky enough to have been in Victoria Stadium on July 12 can tell their children and grandchildren: I was there. And with Europa FC’s fine performance against AIK Solna showing the Premier Division’s depth of strength, plus an imminent World Cup campaign, football is indeed coming home to Gibraltar.

AWARDS

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2012 - 2016

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

ADMIN/SALES (+34) 951 273 575 Newsdesk (+34) 665 798 618 A campaigning, community newspaper, the Gibraltar Olive Press represents the local and expatriate communities working or living on the Rock with 10,000 copies distributed fortnightly on a Wednesday. Clarke Media Ltd. Registration number: 113878 Suite 2B, 143 Main Street, Gibraltar Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A.

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July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Brit who made history - for all the wrong reasons!

The Rock’s only

THE Lazarus-like resurrection of Boris Johnson as UK Foreign Secretary is testament to the breathless pace of British politics post-Brexit. Following his retreat from the Conservatives’ leadership battle, Johnson appeared to be one of the UK referendum’s high-profile casualties. But as Westminster’s tumbrils rolled out their daily cargo of fresh victims, Johnson has risen from the dead to bag one of the most senior roles in Theresa May’s new cabinet. And luckily, for Gibraltar, he appears to understand how we feel. Indeed, his quick, unequivocal support is particularly comforting when the man sitting opposite is one Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo.

FE AT U R E

Morocco, where his army was garrisoned and waiting for him to launch the Spanish Civil War. A known rebel, Franco had been posted to the Canaries by the worried government in Madrid, so a Spanish plane would have looked suspicious. A British one went unnoticed. Organised via the London corre-

spondent of right-wing newspaper ABC, Luis Bolin, it was entirely top secret and went ahead perfectly to plan. It is not known if the British government knew about the plan, but had the word got out, the uprising might not have happened and half a million lives could have been saved.

As Spain marks the 80th anniversary of its bloody Civil War, Ana DeJesus pays homage to the US volunteers who risked everything to fight fascism

T began in Spanish-held Morocco on July 18 1936 with a military uprising led by General Francisco Franco against the Republican government of Manuel Azaña. It ended with the loss of 500,000 lives, many of them foreigners. Defying their own governments’ non-interventionist policy to join up and follow their passion, some of these non-native untrained volunteers risked not only their lives but their citizenship. Known as the International Brigades, they came from all over - from the United States, Poland, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Cuba, England, Peru, France – even from Germany and Italy, countries supporting the ‘enemy’. 40,000 volunteers in all, including a bunch of raw Americans who had never before held a gun in their hand, most of them under 20. Republican ranks had hitherto been comprised of many workers and peasants with the support of the Spanish government, Socialists, and Communists. Rebellious factions of the army, landowners, middle classes, and the Catholic Church supported the Nationalist right. The Abraham Lincoln Brigade was the first American military unit to be fully integrated but this ‘secret army’ was a covert affair. The United States had adopted a policy of neutrality. Afraid of alienating isolationist voters, afraid that the liberal government in Spain might turn Communist, afraid of antagonizing Hitler, America refused to sell arms to a legallyelected government for the first time in history – a policy that implicitly favoured Franco. The Republicans could only purchase arms from the Soviet Union and even those efforts were hampered by a British and French naval embargo. Recruitment for the Lincoln Brigade was organised by America’s Communist party through word of mouth and advertisements in newspapers pretending to seek workers for Spain. But many of the volunteers were simply working men for whom the war offered idealistic adventure and escape from post-Depression unemployment. Their deployment was arranged secretly, as travel to Spain was banned. Pretending to be tourists or students, they crossed the Atlantic under the very real threat of losing their US citizenship, had their true mission been discovered. They were not alone although few volunteers were as inexperienced as the Americans, who were completely unprepared for combat against highly-trained soldiers. And yet for young African-American soldiers in particular, it was their finest hour.

Secret army BRAVE: International brigade soldiers and (right) AfricanAmerican volunteer Tom Page

With the US civil rights movement still 30 years away, African Americans like Tom Page saw war as an escape from racism and an opportunity to live out his political ideals as an equal. Page poignantly recalls that time in the documentary: The Good Fight: The Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. He says: “It was the first time in my life that I was treated with dignity, that I was treated as a human being, as a man, not because of my colour, but as a person, and this means a lot to every individual. I hated to leave that country. I hated to leave it.” His views are echoed by African American nurse Salaria Kea O’Reilly, “I had no problems about being black. I forgot I was black.” The war they entered was unlike any the world had seen before. For the first time in history, civilian populations were systematically bombed by the German Condor Legion. Picasso portrayed the full horror in his painting, Guernica. After the fall of Malaga to Nationalist forces, over 100,000 civilians were forced to make a two-week mass exodus along the coast road

Remembrance

THE Spanish Civil War is being commemorated globally this week. • Television is weighing in with a documentary mini-series. ‘España dividida: La Guerra Civil en color’ brings these turbulent times to life with restored colour images from 80 years ago • The SCW80 Spanish Civil War Facebook Group is posting day-by-day accounts of the war and the role of the International Brigades

•

Catalonia is staging a programme of events to ‘fight against the institutionalisation of forgetfulness. A campaign is underway to open the first international museum in Barcelona telling the story of the war In the UK a special beer called Brigadista is being brewed in homage to the men and women who volunteered to fight against Franco

to Almeria while under attack from air and sea in what became known as the ‘Caravan of the Dead’. By November 1936, with Republican defences crumbling in Madrid, Franco’s troops began invading the suburbs. The Lincoln Brigade first saw action at Jarama, in February 1937, defending Madrid. On the worst day of the battle, 127 died and 200 were wounded. However, the army of civilians and international brigades were able to hold off the Nationalist forces but suffered further heavy casualties as the fighting progressed. And by the end of 1937, with no planes and a shortage of weapons, ammo and medical supplies, Republican defeat seemed inevitable. The United States, France and England still refused to help, even as Hitler invaded Austria. Republicans rallied their forces for a last push in 1938 but were unable to turn the tide of the war. Fighting continued for five more months but for the Americans, with 70% of volunteers dead or missing, the war was over. Ultimately, the Republicans withdrew the international brigades in the hope that world pressure would force Franco to withdraw his aid as well. The Lincoln Brigade left Spain knowing there was no victory, only imminent defeat. “The pain of that loss never quite leaves you. It comes to me in various ways as the days go by,” explains Lincoln Brigade veteran Abe Osheroff. However these valiant volunteers went on to win admiration and a place in posterity from unexpected quarters. Ernest Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls about an American volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, and George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia was similarly inspired, largely by British volunteers. World War II broke out in Europe six months after the fall of Republican Spain, when most of these able-bodied troops joined the United States army to fight fascism a second time.

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FE AT U R E

Please let me stay! In a passionate dispatch, exGuardian correspondent in Madrid Giles Tremlett (right) talks about the tragedy of Brexit and why thousands of Britons deserve dual nationality

EXCLUSIVE

HE result was as devastating as it was surprising. With the Brexit referendum, David Cameron gambled on the future of 1.3 million Britons living in Europe and lost. It cost him his job. It might cost us a lot more than that. The subsequent meltdown of the Conservative and Labour parties is no consolation, when we have been cast into limbo while they play strategic – and often personal – political games. Wiser heads tell me not to worry, that Brexit will not be such a big deal. But that ignores the here and now, as well as the years during which Brexit is negotiated. It also assumes, wrongly, that British politicians are on our side. Those of us who came to Spain ten, 20 or 30 years ago did so in the knowledge that, by moving to an EU member state, we would be guaranteed our rights – and know our obligations - as European citizens. Yet who can now make life plans, for their family, their career, their personal finances or their offspring, when nobody in government bothered to prepare for this? If, like me, you were banned from voting because you had lived abroad for more than 15 years, then the result is an imposition. Our EU citizenship has been taken away, and there is nothing we can do about it. Or is there? The day after Brexit I found myself on the same television programme, Al Rojo Vivo, as foreign minister José García-Margallo. I was asked why I did not apply for dual nationality. I had to explain that Spanish law prohibited it. Even the minister seemed surprised. His own son, he told me, was asking for double nationality in the UK. I had not realised that Spaniards in the UK can take dual nationality after five years. This is the background to a change.org campaign I have set up with fellow journalist William Chislett, asking for joint nationality for Britons who have lived for ten years in Spain. This requires a relatively simple change to Spanish legislation. It was only last

POSSIBLE KEY: Could Margallo’s son applying for British citizenship after just five years in London be a good omen for expats in Spain?

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Petition for joint nationality ‘is really taking off’ MORE than 15,000 people have signed They are also unable to vote in Spana petition to give long-term British ish elections. expats dual nationality in "The plans of tens of thouSpain. sands of British people The plea by British journalwho have made their lives ists Giles Tremlett and Wilhere, their careers here, liam Chislett has secured had families here have support from leading Spanchanged dramatically ish intellectuals and politiagainst their wills," Tremcians. lett told the Olive Press. The post-Brexit petition urg"Other than being able to es the Spanish government vote in the European electo offer the 25,000 Britons tions, we are completely who have lived here for disenfranchised if we have more than 10 years, a clear lived out of the UK for 15 mandate to remain. years. Tremlett, a former Guard"We are completely withian correspondent in Maout a voice here, and we drid and ex-Times journalist CONCERNED: Chislett need one now as everyChislett have lived in Spain thing has been put through for over 50 years between the shredder since Brexit." them. Spanish writers including Javier MaLike thousands of others, they were rias and Elvira Lindo and historians, unable to vote in last month's crucial including Sir John Elliott have signed referendum, having lived here so long. up. year, after all, that the PP government of- may have to be brought over and looked fered double nationality to Sephardic jews after? Uncertainties such as these will (the descendants of those expelled in 1492). only encourage people to return to the UK. Germany is considering making a similar of- That is not good for Spain either. fer to Britons who live there. This is encour- Pressure must also now be put on new aging. Prime Minister Theresa May to protect the We estimate there are around futures of all 1.3m people 25,000 Brits living in Spain living here. who might take up the offer. Spain has the largest comThis is only a guess. Once you live in munity of Britons in EuWe believe that by restricta country for ten rope. ing the petition to those who Is it not time, also, to orgahave paid social security connise a response? years you have tributions or taxes, our petiAnother argument, which already shed your I am glad to see backed tion is stronger. We intend to avoid the British here, is one I floated in old identity government, at least for the the Guardian a few years moment, so as not to become ago - that expats should, a bargaining chip for politilike the French or Italians, cians whose priorities are radically different have their own MPs in Westminster. to ours. It is now also being pushed by a new OlInstead, we will take the petition straight to ive Press campaign, launched last issue… the Spanish government. Our plea is based and I hope you will all sign it too. on reciprocity, on the special status thrust ‘Politics’, the clever strategists of Podemupon us by Brexit and on our proven commit- os say, is ‘something you do or get done ment to Spain. to you’. Dual identity is a reality. Once you have With Brexit, it is something that has been lived in a country for ten years you have ‘done’ to many of us. already shed a significant part of your old This petition is a first attempt at salvaging identity. something from the wreckage. Trips ‘home’ gradually seem stranger (the Please sign, and encourage Spanish list is endless: my list starts with ‘child-free’ friends to do so as well. pubs and Top Gear) and your country of To sign the petition (and that of the Olive adoption becomes more and more familiar. Press) visit change.org and search ‘Doble That is so for Spaniards in Britain, and for nacionalidad para británicos con mas Britons in Spain. de diez años de residencia en España’ The worries caused by Brexit are real and im- or visit www.petition.parliament.uk/petimediate. Will we have the right to leave and tions/123429 then return years later? Can our children leave in order to study, and Giles Tremlett is the Economist’s Madrid then return to seek work? correspondent, author of best-selling If you cannot find work, must you leave? Will book The Ghosts of Spain and fellow of Britons be excluded from certain categories the Cañada Blanch centre at the London of jobs? What about elderly parents who School of Economics

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Referendum conundrums No bad offer

Sorry, but it looks like the British Empire does not care about its colonies.

MARGALLO’S offer is for Gibraltar to continue in the EU, with the same laws and fiscal system as now (Government of Gibraltar moves to reassure public, online). So there would be no customs or problems on the border and co sovereignty. I think that is better than losing the financial center and the online casinos when Brexit become real. But I think that the British government will not let you choose this option.

Angel Cervera, Los Barrios

Ahoy Rahoy! EVEN when article 50 is invoked, the UK is actually still a member of the EU for two years from that date (Border delay for Gibraltar Olive Press, online). Let us hope Rajoy is removed and someone more sympathetic to relations between Spain and Gibraltar arrives.

Simon Sanchez, La Linea

Article damage THE worry for Gibraltar is not Article 50 (Government of Gibraltar moves to Reassure public, online). The worry is Spain’s acting foreign minister, Senor Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo. Lenox Napier, Mojacar

Trouble ahead? IT is not true that the Article 50 said that they have two years to leave the EU (Government of Gibraltar moves to reassure public, online). The article said there is a maximum of two years to arrive at an agreement with

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all member of the EU. But if this happens, things could go wrong. Countries as Germany and France are pushing to start the negotiation officially, so I think that Gibraltar is not going to have two years to found a solution. I think that maybe Gibraltar is going to have difficulty to continue with the current special status and treatment.

Football fiesta! WHAT a week for Gibraltarian football! Well done Lincoln Red Imps and Europa FC, flying the flag high. Tuesday night will go down in the annals of the Rock’s sporting history. Lincoln Red Imps beating the mighty Glasgow Celtic is a tale we will be able to tell our children and grandchildren. To beat the European Cup winners in our own back yard is a real David and Goliath story. Lee Casciaro, give that man the freedom of the city! But they were all heroes. And Europa FC did us proud again with their battling 1-0 defeat in Sweden. But what a result to bring back to the Rock this week. Best of luck to both teams in their return legs. With the World Cup coming to Gibraltar, football’s future is bright.

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Police state

WHY are the people of Gibraltar so completely against being part of Spain (Border Delay for Gibraltar Olive Press, online)? In the end it’s just down to freedom and rule of law. These things are anathema to Spain. Just look at the new policing laws pushed through government in Madrid last year. Gibraltar has no wish to be part of a police state. I will help you out my Iberian friends: • British Justice v Spanish ‘Justice’ – Slow justice is no justice Spain. • Corruption in the UK v Spain – UK levels nowhere close to ingrained Spanish graft. • Police – Spain 250,000 – Population 46 million – Police State. • Police – UK 150,000 – Population 64 million – See the difference???

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Let’s twist again

BE ‘APPY! INCOMING: Rudimental

Colour vision!

Download our app now and THE Festival of Colours is set to exenjoying themore. best Spanish plode inbegin Gibraltar once news on the go. Rudimental, KraftyKuts, Cliche, Deflo and Rals and Lima will take the stage at Europa Point cricket pitch on Saturday July 23. Last year, over 2,500 revellers got down to the The Festival of Colour’s summer sounds, but organisers have promised a bigger and better show for 2016. Organiser Chris Yeats said: “We believe Olive Press in qualityThe acts rather than quantity.” TOP for news in Spain!

G-RATED

KIDS can once again enjoy the open air movie screenings in Benahavis. The town hall announced it would renew the children’s summer screenings following the success of last year’s run. Screenings begin at 10pm in the Plaza del Pilar. Spongebob the Movie and San Andreas will play on Saturday and Sunday (July 22 and 23), respectively, while Minions and Jurassic World have already shown. Benahavis Town Hall will also update the schedule on its Facebook page as needed.

ACROBATICS: Twisters aerobatic display

Queen’s Theatre should ‘enhance our culture’, says MP

THEY fly through the air with the greatest of ease. And on National Day, the UK’s Twisters Aerobatic Display will be soaring over Gibraltar. Those magnificent men in their flying machines will scale the heights over Casemates Square at 1pm on September 10. The build up to the big day includes The Gibraltar Beer Festival on August 19 and the Annual Gibraltar Fair will take place from August 20 to August 28, as well as the Gibraltar Wine Festival on Friday September 2.

Put local talent first

GIBRALTAR’S musicians and actors should have a theatre ‘which is fit for purpose’, GSD MP Edwin Reyes has said. During his Budget speech, Reyes compared the cost of last year’s Gibraltar Music Festival with the proposed development of the Queen’s Cinema and Queen’s Hotel sites. Reyes called for the government to ensure the new site brings ‘real value for money’ as well as ‘enhancing our local culture’.

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Reyes said: “If government can afford to set aside £1,500,000, which actually turned out to be £3,600,000 to subsidise a mega concert, then surely our local performers and entertainers are entitled to ask for a theatre which is fit for purpose so that they may too offer live entertainment and develop their skills.” The cinema and hotel closed in 2014 when they were bought by the government ahead of redevelopment plans.

JAMMING: No Sin Musica fans

Cadiz Beats FANS of Spanish music are in for a treat with the No Sin Musica Festival in the heart of Cadiz. Headlining the festival are Spanish singer-songwriter Bunbury and rock singer Loquillo. No Sin Musica, now in its fourth year, aims to welcome 10,000 people through its gates on each day of the three day event. Also making an appearance will be indie pop band Love of Lesbian, pop band Elefantes, and musician Julian Maes (all Spanish) as well as Mexican rock band Molotov. The festival takes place from July 21 to July 23.

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T’S called ‘the most sociable yacht rally in the world’. And as the 16th Gibraltar to Morocco yacht rally set sail for Africa in perfect conditions, a community of intrepid seafarers came together to raise money for Gibraltar Red Cross again. Last year, the rally, which is organised by Boatshed Gibraltar and Ocean Village, raised over £7,000, but organisers expect to surpass that figure this year. At 1pm, the Royal Navy’s HMS Sabre sounded its horn and led the flotilla of 48 ships into the Straits of Gibraltar. As the yachts prepared to sail, a hardy crew of journalists - led by our good Captain Neil - were distracted by a high-speed pursuit between a Spanish police vessel and a jet-ski. But the graceful fleet of

Smooth sailing!

www.gibraltarolivepress.com July 20th - August 2nd 2016

WIND SWEPT: Fleet of yachts sail to Morocco

Gibraltar-Morocco yacht rally raises thousands for Red Cross, writes Joe Duggan yachts soon began making its serene progress past Europa Point and on to Port Smir at a more stately pace. Power yachts set off five minutes later, expertly steering a path through the luminous white shoal of canvas sails. The first yachts completed the crossing to Africa just one

hour after setting off from Gibraltar, with sailing yachts all coming in safely between four and six hours after departure. Once in Morocco, it was time for a bit of terra firma fun. On Saturday morning, participants explored local beaches and the souk at Tetouan with some making an excursion into the Rif mountains to the blue town of Chefchaouen. A fancy dress party - sponsored by GibOil - had bemused Moroccan locals looking in bewilderment at the array of costumes.

Voyage

ALL ABOARD: Excited sea-goers

The following morning, some participants set sail for Ceuta. A 10-knot wind and light sailing conditions gave the crews a smooth voyage home. The gentle sea even gave the homeward bound crews time for spotting turtles, dolphins, whales and tuna. Organisers will announce the final amount raised on July 21.

STEADY: Captain Neil

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the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

what’s on

rt Show, Ongoing

Photo by T.Bickerstaff

Fine Arts Summer Show at the Fine Arts Gallery from June 27 to August 23

NEW WALKWAY: For macaques and (right) under construction

Ana DeJesus was sent to walk the planks to investigate Gibraltar’s latest tourist attraction

A bridge with a view

WOULDN’T say I’m afraid of heights but I’m Way, a small trail I was eventually able to lonot exactly comfortable with the idea of a cate with the help of a tour guide. suspension bridge swaying over a 50-metre There is nothing quite like catching a glimpse gorge. of that engineering feat among the rocks afNever one to back down from a challenge, I set ter hiking for almost two hours. off to my conquer my fears and put Gibraltar’s Set high above a 50-metre gorge, the suspennewest tourist attraction, the Windsor Bridge, sion bridge is the length of seven and half to the test. double decker buses. Except first I had to get to the Upper Rock, It was designed by a local firm and specialwhich is no stroll in the park for locals, let ist contractor to complement the Innovative alone an American who’s never before been Nature Lover, History Buff, Let’s Go Ape, and south of Casemates Square before. Thrill Seeker Trails in an effort to rebrand the After climbing very steep steps, I approached Upper Rock. the guard at the enAs part of the sustrance to the Gibraltar tainable tourism iniNature Reserve and tiative, it is meant to asked for directions. encourage a healthier “You can get there from lifestyle and outdoor here but it’s a long activities. walk,” he said, pulling The bridge is new (it ofout a map. ficially opened in June) My taxi suggestion was but looks like it belongs met with a sad shake on the Upper Rock as of the head, and so much as the macaques. I resigned to my fate Everything from the and paid fifty pence for wood planks to the simwalker’s admission. ple wire siding remind Map in one hand, camtourists that while they era in the other, I set may have come for the off to find the bridge... thrill of a swaying bridge it better be worth it, I what they’re really here muttered to nobody. to see is the incredible A half hour later I spot view. a little friend among My first few steps were the dry leaves. It may deceptively stable. be a lizard, but it’s also Looking down to check the only living thing for movement and seeI’ve seen for what feels ing none, I shrugged, a like too long. bit disappointed. Soon after this I am alIt doesn’t even sway, most hit by the truth in I thought, and continthe form of a taxi turnued moving forward ing the corner. confidently. Despite what the nice Then a strong breeze man at the Moorish swept in and I made Castle said, there are LONG WALK: To the other side the mistake of looking taxis and tour buses down. up there. It sways alright, not danIn order to get to the Windsor Bridge I would gerously flinging you from side to side, but have to pass the Apes Den, home of Gibral- enough to make your heart beat a little (okay, tar’s Barbary macaques, the only wild mon- a lot) faster. key population in Europe and a major tourist For a great photo, ask someone to take a picattraction on the Upper Rock. ture of you standing on the bridge from the path I was beginning to think I was doomed to a that loops behind it. You’ll get the full effect of monkey-less trip, when just beyond where the bridge and the view and nobody will be able the trail split into two roads, five macaques to see your sweat patches from the hike up. tumbled into view. I started walking back down, happy to have Amused and intimidated by their antics, I took found the bridge, but quickly realised with hora picture of one on a ledge with the view of ror why my journey there had taken so long. the port behind it. But when I turned around, Frightened by the macaques’ acrobatics, I had four came soaring towards me like ninjas. not dared cross their path and by doing so, I did what anyone what do in that situation: missed the trail that would have taken me right scream, duck and take the other trail. to the bridge. A braver person that I, one local embraced the Instead I walked above it, overshot the bridge, oncoming monkeys letting two of them climb and had to walk down and back adding an extra all over him (see pic, right). 45 minutes to my hike. The Windsor Bridge is along the Royal Anglian I blame the macaques, but still, it was worth it.

each Markets, August 17

oncert, gust 20

Catch the last Evening Beach Market at Catalan Bay featuring arts and crafts, food stalls, karaoke, dance groups, fire-eaters and much more from 6-11pm

Au-

World renowned reggae band Inner Circle, known for their hit single “Bad Boys,” is coming to Gibraltar for the first time

M STUNNING: Views

usic Festival, August 6

4th edition of the Gibraltar Electronic Music Festival featuring emerging and established artists like Deekline, Deflo, and Lady Waks at Victoria Stadium

BQ Feast, August 13

A night of BBQ food, wine, and live music at Chef Shaun’s BBQ Extravaganza at My Wines Gibraltar

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the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Caught l

Jon Clarke catches the Pixies, New Order and Chvrches live at BBK in Bilbao

YOUNG TALENT: Chvrches Lauren Mayberry

ive

This monkey was in heaven!

LEGEND: Black Francis of the Pixies lets roar during Friday slot, while (below) New Order IS demonic guttural screams cut Now in its 11th year, the wonderful festival is through the cooling mountain air like a breath of fresh air from others around the a gorilla in full attack mode. peninsula. Perched above the hip, industrial From such a short, unassuming man, city of Bilbao - a true foodie Mecca - it is surthe sheer energy Black Francis conjures up is rounded by green hills and counts on hunlittle short of breathtaking. dreds of trees around the site, with a funky Then again, this is the Pixies, a band that indance area literally hidden in a copse. spired Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain, and ‘changed Top performances definitely included Scotthe life’ of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, while at tish band Chvrches, who are slowly coming school. of age and perhaps deserved a better slot erything from swamp rock to surf, and counPart psychedelic, part punk - totally rocking than 8pm. try to even pop, particularly with hits such as their near two-hour headlining set at Bilbao’s Striking singer Lauren Mayberry also did her BBK festival is almost perfect; one of the very Here Comes Your Man and Monkey Gone to bit to represent the feeling of most British best live shows I have seen in a decade in Heaven. pop acts in Europe these days, apologising Spain and easily up there with Blur at Benic- Highlights were definitely Debaser, which for Brexit and insisting the UK was full of ‘aris based on a film by Spanish genius Luis assim, last year. seholes’. Hardly drawing in breath, the band, tore Bunuel, and Isla de Encanta, appropriately ‘We are really sorry – we didn’t vote for Brexit in Spanish with its chorus ‘Me Voy, Me Voy’. through a mix of musical genres, taking in ev– we don’t understand it,’ she told the audience, before launching into a great rendition of the song Gun, with its chorus ‘better off dead’, which she appropriately dedicated to Boris Johnson. The new songs from album Every Open Eye came over well, but without a doubt, the highlight for most of the crowd was their hit Deepest Blue. New Order’s later headline slot on the second stage was a damp squib (and not just because of the drizzle), with Bernard Sumner showing little interest in the show, indeed anything, but his glass of wine, plopped on his amp behind him.

H SPANISH BAND: The Hinds

t live

Caugh BELTING IT OUT: Keith Flint

Firestarter By Ana DeJesus

UP to 50,000 young Spaniards went wild to British festival favourites The Prodigy. An incredible late surge saw the Alrumbo Festival in Chipiona, packed by fans of the indie dance group, famous for hits Firestarter and Smack My Bitch Up, which had everyone jumping around. Playing for nearly two hours, they came back on for an encore after the crowd begged with a classic Viking thunderclap raised in unison. The Cadiz festival, now in its seventh year, saw 150,000 spectators enjoy three days of live music. Highlights included Spanish indie rock group Lori Meyers, as well as massive underground rap band Violadores de Verso, in their only Andalucia show this summer. The night before Vetusta Morla played an amazing set, despite being let down by poor sound quality, while legendary US rappers De la Soul were forced to come on at 2am after their flight was delayed. Massive Dutch DJ Martin Garrix played at 6am, while Julian Marley and the Uprising and The Gipsy Kings also drew a decent crowd.

Whipped

The problem was the short, largely poppy set, geared heavily towards new material from recent album Music Complete, with few classics bar The Perfect Kiss and, to be fair, an excellent Blue Monday. While Everything’s Gone Green was OK, Temptation was butchered and Barney marched off at the end admitting: “You’ve been a great audience, shame about me.” The night was fortunately rescued by Arcade Fire, who brought a dozen talented Canadians for a master class in showmanship. They whipped up the crowd with genuine enthusiasm with highlights being ‘My Body Is A Cage’ and a duet between the Butler brothers. The crowd lapped it up. Other acts worth a mention are creative Canadian songwriter Grimes, who put Lady Gaga in the shade with an amazingly visual show, and Hinds, a fabulous girl group from Madrid, who are so incredibly infectious I can’t wait to see them again. Last, and indeed, very last, were Underworld, on stage at 2am, with a fabulous dance set that took me back a couple of decades to a field in, well, somewhere off the M25.

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GO GIRL: ‘Home-saver’ awarded MBE

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Meet the new captain of the Sunborn

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Celebrity comings and goings

Page VII

Bilbao’s most powerful tower

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Spain Property Guides

Don’t get caught out when buying in Spain

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

When money talks From €29m to €2,900, we found a Spanish property to suit every budget

Brexit bounce BACK? AN Olive Press panel of seven experts has gathered to discuss the impact of Brexit on the Spanish property market. While, they confirm the market has suffered from initial knee-jerk reactions, they remain optimistic, expecting the market to bounce back once the dust settles on the political landscape in the UK and Europe.

While Brits make up a large amount of the market, others like the Scandinavians and new arrivals like the Polish are filling in the gap left by the drop in British sales. But the lull is widely seen as temporary, with the think tank insisting once the exchange rate stabilises, things will return to normal. Read the full Observatory, Part II from page 14

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the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th Property

Short term pain, long term gain

Yes, some British buyers have pulled out, but the Olive Press’ second Property Observatory discovers a panel of experts optimistic post Brexit much thanks to buyer diversification. By Laurence Dollimore

HE EU referendum was always going to have an impact on the property market in the British buyers favourite of Southern Spain, the question was which way?. Now after months of divisive campaigning, the nation voted for Brexit, sending shockwaves around the world and throwing up many questions, most of them still unanswerable. But of all the talk of doom and gloom and ‘the end of the world’ narratives, what has really happened to the Costa property market in the short term? The Olive Press sat down with a panel of seven local property experts, from cur-

rency analysts to surveyors and developers to lawyers to ask what they have seen so far… and, perhaps more importantly, where they see the market going this summer and towards 2017. This month’s roundtable discussion, hosted by Real Capital Solutions-SPP, in Centro Plaza, Marbella, included SPP boss Taylor Cox (TC), alongside: Mark Rickard (MR) from Smart Currency Exchange, Alex Radford (AR) from My Lawyer in Spain, Campbell Ferguson (CF) from Survey Spain and estate agents Scott Marshall (SM) from PropertieSpain, Jerry Kyrk (JK) from Fastighetsbyran, , and Adam Neale (AN) from Terra Meridiana.

THE HOTSPOTS

Axarquia still up and coming Quality properties in demand New shopping centre in Torremolinos a potential ‘game changer’

TC: Estepona to Mijas is still the key area to buy, although I personally love Sotogrande because I think it is so well laid out, but I do think the impact of Brexit may be felt there for a while because of how close it is to Gibraltar. I think going East is the logical way to go, and all the way to La Herradura, which is a great spot. SM: Estepona is doing very well right now as are Nerja and the Axarquia region. What is important is that you are not more than 50 minutes away from a good airport, otherwise you might have trouble selling. AR: That rules La Herradura out, but Nerja is definitely fine. I also think Benalmade-

na will continue to grow. I know someone building 700 homes there at the moment, and soon there will be the massive shopping centre in Torremolinos, which will be huge. TC: That new centre is going to be incredible, it could change the game there for sure, Benalmadena and Torremolinos markets will benefit a lot from that. AR: I also know someone who is thinking about building 2,000 properties in Nerja, but I think Torrox and Rincon de la Victoria are going to see the best growth in the Axarquia because they have less restrictive planning laws and are nearer Malaga.

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LEFT TO RIGHT: Alex, Taylor, Scott, OP editor Jon Clarke, Mark and Campbell

BREXIT BLUES

High end market least affected Market loses around 20% of British buyers Optimism however over a bounce back British sellers more likely to negotiate

SM: I lost two sales the day after Brexit on June 24 and have had several cancelled appointments. Many others are now just waiting for the market to stabilise, they say ‘we like it and we want it but we will wait’ until it all calms down. Luckily, we have diversified rapidly to market to other nationalities and have luckily had more interest from Belgium and other European clients since then and things are still attractive here because the prices are still low. CF: We had three surveys cancelled the day after Brexit, which says it all. AN: We also had a few clients pause for sure, but we envisage them coming back once the exchange rate starts to improve for the pound. It has created uncertainty and dropped the exchange rate making it more expensive for UK buyers, at least in the short term TC: Obviously uncertainty is never good for the market, we lost 20% of our British buyers (post Brexit), which is not great but it’s not catastrophic. The realities will not be known for more than two years, the real interim game is the currencies, with around 50% of our British buyers now waiting for Sterling to stabilise before they jump in. But I would say the drop in the pound is more a problem for the sub €200,000 market. I would be more nervous for these sales because the buyers are on tighter budgets and could feel the difference. People with money who are buying in places like Marbella, they don’t like to wait around. On top of that, if you’re British, where else are you going to go? It is still Southern Spain. The sun is still out. Turkey and Egypt are too dangerous, Florida is too far away and the dollar too strong, Spain is still the best place for a holiday home. Some pessimistic people will remain nervous but I think things will stabilise and return to normal fairly soon. MR: If there’s a Spanish bank mortgage

involved in euros in the purchase it means the buyer’s exposure is minimalised wealthier buyers with spare cash will push on because they want their property now and have probably set their sights on it a long time ago, they don’t like to wait or to put their lives on hold. JK: I noticed in the run up to the vote that the Scandinavians were definitely more reluctant to buy and nervous about the result, but ever since it has been fantastic and they have jumped back in. I think they were simply more concerned about the vote itself than the actual result and our sales at Fastighetsbyran have actually been better in July than in May and June combined. I guess they realised that the world has not ended and have carried on with business as usual. MR: On top of that, buyers can also now negotiate more and get a discount, to make up for the loss with the pound. It is also possible to do the purchase in Sterling if the sellers are British, although some notaries are not keen on it, due to the tax complications, so don’t count on that always being possible. AR: That said, my legal firm is seeing more and more people doing a large chunk in pounds, say 20% in euros and 80% in Sterling. Yes, sure some notaries don’t like it, but some are happy with it, so you just have to find the right notary. AN: My advice to UK residents living permanently in Spain is to stay calm and see what happens. Both Europe and the UK need each other, Germany runs a trade surplus with the UK, the UK is the third most important export market for Germany after the US and France; in contrast the UK is the ninth most important country for imports to Germany. Both sides have very good reasons to negotiate an amicable divorce settlement. The pound will bounce back

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15 III

ARE PRICES SET TO GO DOWN? TC: I don’t see prices decreasing because we are dealing in quality assets, and there aren’t many quality assets around today, the supply/demand ratio is still very much in our favour regardless of Brexit, people still want mid-market or high quality homes.

where British sellers are concerned. The British will be more willing to negotiate now. In the prime locations however, I expect them to stay the same or go up a little. It is more in the lower end of the market where prices will be affected more.

AN: They are definitely going to continue going up

MR: The Spanish are also coming back to the coast again, from the key cities of Granada and Cordoba, and they are a much bigger market than the Brits, so

CF: I don’t agree. I think they will actually go down, particularly

they will be making up for it... leading to price increases. SM: On top of this, it is so hard to get licences to build, so it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve all three criteria Location, quality and price. To get all three nowadays is pretty difficult, last year or the year before no problem, but this year it’s much harder, so that makes sure prices stay up and continue to rise.

CF: People are jittery in Sotogrande because if the PP get into power they are going to be far more likely to push for joint sovereignty of Gibraltar and make things very difficult. The old Franco-faction of the party has a fixation on Gibraltar and see Brexit as their golden opportunity. While they are nervous about buying in Spain and working in Gib, more people are looking on the Rock because they do not know if they will be able to get to and from Spain each day.

Nationality trends Polish and Chinese new arrivals Arabs returning More South American investment

MR: The Polish are buying a lot more at the moment, and I have heard quite a few South Americans are coming too, particularly from Argentina. CF: Yes there has definitely been an increase in Polish buyers, it is a growing economy and there are many Polish who have made money in the UK and Ireland and they are now investing what they have earned into a holiday home in Spain. AR: We actually had a Polish sale today. Cultured buyers who actually bought a place in Granada city after earning their money elsewhere, so yes definitely a growing market. TC: Development-wise there is an increase in South

American interest too, there are now three big Chilean funds buying up land and properties here. JK: In addition, the Scandinavian market is continuing to grow and this month has been crazy, but I have also seen an increase in Chinese buyers and due to an improvement in oil prices a lot more Arabs are coming back. SM: In terms of small buyers the Americans are coming and lots of Canadians too, in fact two of the biggest funds out here right now are American. AR: Yes lots of Canadians, it’s such an international market here and that seems to be becoming even more so now.

SM: I agree that the government could

NEW RENTAL LAWS Rent likely to increase Can add value to property CF: It will affect the low level market a lot more because they look to rent out their properties on the cheap, so they are losing out on the extra costs. AR: We have had quite a lot of registrations since the new rental laws actually, and it is not too expensive, it’s reasonable, and it’s more straight forward now as there are no grey areas, you just have to pay your tax, end of story. CF: Additionally, if the property complies with the laws it will actually earn more in rentals than those that don’t, because you have a stamp of approval and it increases the confidence of your clients. JK: Rent prices will go up for sure, it is what happened in Barcelona and Madrid and for sure it will happen here, but that will lead to more people wanting to buy so I guess it’s good for us.

Concerns for Gibraltar Fears of a PP government Jitters in Sotogrande Increase in interest on the Rock

make things very difficult at the border, especially if PP gets into power again. Margallo has made it clear what his intentions are. JK: Gibraltar is very important to Spain’s economy, particularly on the Costa del Sol. They do spend money here, from Sotogrande to Marbella, in particular, so I think to undermine that would be a bad move, but the PP do have an obsession with Gibraltar, so I can see them pushing for joint sovereignty or making things more difficult. AR: I agree. I am sure they will keep the border open, Spain relies a lot on Gibraltarians spending their money here. I think the UK will spend six months debating what relationship we are going to have with Europe and I think we can negotiate for many of the same terms we had before. MR: But let’s remember Spain does what it wants, whatever logic there is, whatever Brussels insists, if they want to close the border they will close

General trends Manilva shaky, while Banus is also losing its edge Benahavis more international British dominance fading

TC: There are funds increasingly buying up land and renovating developments in Manilva and around that way, which can be a fun game to be in, as long as you’re the cheapest product, because as soon as a big half built site next door is liquidated by Banco Popular, whoever, and another fund gets in there and undercuts you you’re dead in the water.

The Olive Press property observatory panel this issue included

Taylor Cox

CF: I heard that the top level are not coming into this area as much because places like Banus are just so terrible as an environment, they need to clean it out. The high quality shops like Gucci etc are also having second thoughts because they are finding that people are just not coming to them as much, they’re wondering if Banus has lost its spark. JK: I think Banus is still a magnet, it still brings people and I think we slowly see that as new restaurants and new places are opening, but of course the second row is more sleazy as it always

Alex Radford

Campbell Ferguson

has been. Maybe there should be an effort to clean it up a little. CF: I have seen changes in the makeup of Benahavis, it used to just be Brits, but now we are seeing Belgian, German, Dutch, mainly it used to be British but it’s changing. AR: In general the market here has become in-

Jerry Kyrk

Mark Rickard

creasingly international, I know Mark’s currency clients here were from 25 different nationalities, whereas ten years ago it was like 80% Brits, but now that’s all changing, this is an international market, the Scandinavians love coming down here, the Germans, Belgians, Arabs etc, the Brits no longer have such a big hold on the market. They are big, but after Brexit, slightly less so.

Scott Marshall

Adam Neale

16 the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th Property

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€29m to €2,900 W When a mansion in La Zagaleta is priced at an eye-watering €29million (one of the most expensive EVER seen on the Costa del Sol) Lance Rutkin asks what can you get for €2.9 million, €290,000 … or even €2,900?

E know it’s one of the priciest places to live in Spain but what are they selling in La Zagaleta? Plots of gold? A €29m public price tag for a villa is a local record-breaker by our reckoning and it’s being advertised now, here on the Costa del Sol. Not to knock the Olive Press salary

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structure but there are no potential buyers in our office, even if it did bring Vladimir Putin’s private life within zoom lens reach of our next exclusive. Instead of forming a penny-pinching pity party, we organised a tongue-in-cheek search for what you can buy a few rungs down the price ladder.

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

€2.900.000

€29.000.000

LAS BRISAS, NUEVA ANDALUCIA

Price: €2.9million Bed/Bath: 6/6 Area: (Building/Plot): 730/1595 Amenities: covered terrace, fireplace, pool, golf course access, two-car garage, wine cellar, solarium Other details: La Concha views as the villa sits beside the 18-hole Las Brisas golf course

LA ZALAGETA

Price: €29m Bed/Bath: 10/10 Area (Building/Plot): 1600/6900 Amenities: private office, library, gym, bar, wine cellar, billiard room, home theatre, bowling alley, golf simulator, sauna, steam baths, salt bath and, of course, that must-have caldarium (ED: what’s that?) Other details: The villa boasts a south facing vista of its flat plot and the Mediterranean. (We also happen to know that deer and wild boar live in La Zagaleta, too.)

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the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th 17 www.theolivepress.es July 20th - August 2nd 2016

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€29.000

New Sunborn skipper

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€290.000

Price: €290,000 Bed/Bath: 2/2 Area: (Building/Plot): 167/Amenities: AirCon, terrace, marble floors Other details: The penthouse apartment in Elviria offers a panoramic view of the Med, the golf course and La Concha

HIS wife calls him the ‘cruise director’. Now Marc Skvorc is taking the helm of the good ship Sunborn Gibraltar. The luxury yacht hotel’s new general manager landed on the Rock after a 25-year career, with spells at world-class establishments like Ritz Calton, Hilton and W Hotels. Following a 12-year stint in Finland, where he founded Helsinki’s award-winning Klaus K Hotel and Sky Lofts, the 49-year-old father-of-two aims to bring the Sunborn ‘to the next level’. But Skvorc was first bitten with the hotel bug while travelling extensively through Europe as a young

Expat receives royal honour for service to British people living in Spain

Price: €29,000 Bed/Bath: Studio with bathroom

By Rob Horgan

Area: (Building/Plot): 20/Amenities: Lift Other details: Microscopic rather than bijou but the location has something going for it - two minutes walk from the train station and eight to the beach

€2.900

WHEN Maura Hillen packed her bags and headed to Spain nine years ago, she could never have imagined what a pivotal role she would end up playing in the lives of hundreds of expats. Leaving her busy life in London’s banking sector, Maura and husband John moved to Albox for a ‘slower pace of a life in the sun’. But it didn’t take her long to get involved in local politics. In fact, just one year after setting up in Spain, Maura was named president of Abusos Urbanisticos Almanzora No! (AUAN), a body that defends property owners. Since then she has spent the best part of a decade fighting battles on behalf of the hundreds of expats wronged by the property system (Not to mention being voted into local council where she currently acts as deputy mayor for Albox.) And now, eight years since she took the reigns at AUAN, Maura, 53, has been awarded an MBE for her services to the British community in Spain. “I am of course very pleased but AUAN is a collaborative effort and I see this as more of an award for the association and its members than me personally,” Irish expat Maura told the Olive Press. “It is a real vindication of our efforts over the last 10 years and we are all delighted.”

€2.900

ALMERIA

Price: €2,900 Bed/Bath: 0/0 Area: (Building/Plot): -/12 Amenities: None Details: The price buys you a plot designated as an open parking space, though it’s very close to the beach. If you want covered parking, an underground garage space will set you back €6,000

AVILA Price: €2,900 Bed/Bath: None Area

Collaborative

In total, AUAN represents 500 expats, mostly British, Irish and Belgian. Under Maura’s leadership the association has defended the rights of homeowners, won compensation claims for countless victims and even forced change in Spain’s murky legal system. Her personal highlights include watching the Spanish senate

(Building/Plot):

-/414m2 Amenities: None

Details: This plot near the Castille town of Avila may require a fair deal of labour, but you could end up rubbing shoulders with former PM John Major, who holidays here

PS...

And if you’ve only got €2900 you could always take this great value offer in your awardwinning Olive Press newspaper

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110.000 Euros 2A-2582: PRIME HOLIDAY OR PERMANENT HOME 2 BED 2 BATH Offering to the market this 2 bedroom third floor apartment situated in the beautiful town of La Cala. This apartment boasts an american style fitted kitchen along with a terrace overlooking a well kept pool and gardens. Location is key here being minutes away from an array of shops, resturaunts and bars and of course La Calas gorgeous beaches making this a prime holiday or permanent home.

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2A-2580: BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED CORNER APT 2 BED 2 BATH Beautifully presented corner apartment in this sought after development. Within 5 minutes walk of the beach and shops and only 10 minutes walk into the centre of la cala. The property enjoys a sunny south west facing aspect with over 30m2 of terrace to make the most of outside living. Comprises: kitchen, lounge, 2 double bedrooms (one-ensuite), shower room and comes with garage and storage space. Immaculate and one of the best on the market so close to La Cala!

220.000 Euros 3V-3109: IMMACULATELY PRESENTED VILLA 3 BED 2 BATH VILLA Immaculately presented villa in a desirable location and within walking distance of amenities, the beach and la cala. Currently a single storey property with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, utility, entrance hall and lounge. The villa has ample terraces with some sea views, a lawned area and a newly fitted pool that enjoys all day sun. A carport provides parking and there is a gym/ guest 4th bedroom. The villa is being sold with plans to build another level. Making it a very attractive proposition.

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man. “When I was exploring and soul-searching I realised the hotel business is a place I have always felt at home,” he says. “In every strange land you go to, the hotel is a sanctuary and a place where you can feel comfortable. There’s always a need for a hotel room.” He added: “My mission is to enrich the lives of my guests from the doorstep, whether it’s having a cappuccino or helping a young guy propose to his future wife in the lobby.

Congratulations Maura!

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V 17

HONOURED: Maura Hillen to recieve MBE

Tireless contribution

British Ambasador to Spain, Simon Maley: “SINCE 2008, Maura Hillen MBE has made a tireless contribution towards resolving the property problems that affect thousands of British homeowners in Spain. I am very pleased that Her Majesty The Queen has approved this honour, which recognises her dedication and resilience. “Under her leadership, AUAN is a professionally-run, wellrespected organisation that has secured expert legal advice and in turn proposed realistic solutions to the Spanvote ‘virtually unanimously’ to amend the criminal code in March 2015. This allowed a person who had purchased a property built without planning permission by a rogue developer to be compensated prior to demolition. Her work also led to a change in administrative law, to allow

The Great Escape

MORE UK residents are considering a move abroad in the wake of Brexit. Searches by UK residents to move abroad jumped 30% following the referendum result according to data compiled by cost of living comparison website Expatistan. In the two days after the UK voted to leave the EU, comparisons between UK cities and non-UK cities on the site increased by 50.8% from the week before. The website also found that there was more interest in moving abroad from cities with higher percentage of Remain votes. Canada, Germany, and Thailand were the most popular countries researched.

HIGH PRAISE: Manley ish regional and national authorities. “I know Maura intends to keep campaigning for more action to resolve outstanding cases and to increase the legal security for future buyers.” compensation to homeowners when their planning permission was revoked due to an error on the part of the administration. But, for Maura, greater things are still to come. “My proudest moment is yet to come but it is coming soon,” she said. “On July 20-21 the parliament of Andalucia will vote on a bill to amend the planning laws of Andalucia (LOUA) which will allow many more properties to become legalised. “There is every indication that this bill will be passed. This will be my proudest day.” Maura is also determined to finally win compensation for Len and Helen Prior whose property demolition nightmare has been ongoing since 2008. And she has already begun work to see a reform of the Land Registry. Clearly as determined as ever, Maura deserves all the praise she gets.

18 the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th Property

Power tower

Torre Iberdrola epitomises Bilbao’s emblematic rise to economic powerhouse status

OWERING 165 metres over one of the country’s most populated metropolitan areas, the Torre Iberdrola boasts 40 floors, 22 lifts and the ever essential helipad. Designed by Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli, the financial and commercial epicentre is the tallest building in Bilbao, and has been praised for its elegant, sober lines and its use of glass with travertine, marble and metal. Built in the Abandoibarra district, which has undergone huge renovations, the skyscraper houses mostly office block as well as an auditorium that can hold up to 200 people. It is the first building in Europe to obtain the LEED Platinum certification for its sustainable design - the highest rating achievable from the US Green Building Council - reflecting the city’s commitment to sustainability. The imposing structure is home to almost 40 global companies, including British Telecom, KPMG, Nespresso, Canon, PWC and of course, the Iberdrola headquarters. The presence of global companies is largely thanks to the city’s heavy industrialisation in recent years, which has led to it becoming the second-most industrialised region of Spain behind Barcelona. Mirroring London, it has become a vigorous service city, and is still experiencing an ongoing social, economic, and aesthetic revitalisation process. This began with the iconic Guggenheim Museum (pic above right) and continued with the airport terminal, rapid transit system, tram line, and the multi-purpose venue Azkuna Zentroa. As the Basque economy continues to grow, so too will Bilbao’s development, with the Torre Iberdrola central as the epitome of its successes.

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HELIPORT

IBERDROLA

30 29

NOT TO BE SNIFFED AT: Tower by the Guggenheim celebrated flower dog

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For Sale

the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th 19 www.theolivepress.es July 20th - August 2nd 2016 Prince - While the world is still mourning the loss of this music legend, superfans with cash to burn can get that bit closer to their idol by snapping up Prince’s Marbella palace.The 13-bedroom mansion in “Paraiso Alto” on the border with Estepona is on the market for a princely €5.25 million and, like its owner, it doesn’t do things by halves. The salmon pink des res overlooking the Med boasts an outdoor jacuzzi, a duplex master bedroom suite and a colonial-style double staircase with white marble balustrades sweeping down to a chandeliered entrance hall. All that’s missing is lighting to turn the rain purple.

Buying

Brangelina - Hollywood power couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fell so in love with Spain they couldn’t help but buy another family home. The eight-bedroom €3.47 million mansion, has stunning views of the Mediterranean and Puerto Andratx, west of the Mallorcan capital of Palma.

Spain has long been a honeypot for celebrities. But while Brangelina, Gillian McKeith & co are moving in, others are buzzing off to pastures new. Laurence Dollimore clues up on the celebrity comings and goings that are leaving some stellar pads up for grabs

Live like a celeb E VER since the Marbella Club hosted the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Laurence Olivier during the 1950’s, the Costas have been a hotbed for an international Who’s Who. Think Russian President Vladimir Putin, now investing in a Marbella hideaway, and Status Quo’s Rick Parfitt who gave up Rockin’ All Over

For Sale

Glenn Hoddle - Score a five-bedroom mansion in swanky Sotogrande for €2.4 million and you get to boast that football commentator and ex-Spurs star Glenn Hoddle once lived here. He’s moving on from Spain after 13 years to explore his love of golf in other parts of the world. The threestorey bolthole boasts spectacular views of countryside and features an amazing pool and sun terrace.

VII 19

For Rent Audrey Hepburn - While the Hollywood beauty is no longer with us, her Golden Mile mansion in Marbella where she stayed regularly in between filming, is still in tip-top shape. Not yet up for sale, Fine and Country Marbella are renting out this gorgeous beachfront villa for €1,000 per day. The four-bedroom hideaway comes with its own pool and is surrounded by towering horticulture to give you all the privacy you need. A more perfect spot for breakfast than Tiffany’s!

the World to settle with his family in Alhaurin. But life moves on, and so do some of the stars. And while it’s not a case of ‘I’m a Celebrity - get me out of here’ (they’ll miss Spain almost as much as we’ll miss them) there’s always a fresh batch of big-name arrivals to look forward to. And while they pack up, you could move in ...

For Sale

Rick Parfitt - The rock legend is changing the Status Quo and moving on from his Guadalhorce Valley mansion. Nestled into the foothills of Alhaurin El Grande, this sixbedroom, five-bathroom villa could be yours for a cool €995,000. It comes complete with Whatever You Want (more or less) including tennis courts, a swimming pool and a garden to rival any horticulturist’s wildest fantasy.

Buying

Gillian McKeith - The 56-year-old Scottish health guru and hubby Howard Magaziner are said to be in the process of buying a dream property in the soaring Serrania de Ronda. The couple are understood to be buying a 26-bedroom hotel in Cortes de la Frontera.

20 the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th Property

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-final of Spanish TV talent show 3065 views

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Winner, Winner AMCO Ltd has won the tender for the the Europort Avenue Storm Water Installation for a sum of £295,000.

THE Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce (GCC) has welour app now‘cauand comed Download the government’s tious’ budget. begin enjoying the best Spanish The body was responding to news on theFabian go. Chief Minister Picardo’s first budget since the Brexit referendum. The GCC also praised Picardo’s announcement that there would be no increase in social security costs while Gibraltar faced post-Brexit ‘uncertain- SUNBRON: Riding the waves of success ty’. But it also called on the public The Olive Press sector to reduce its spending A GCC spokesperson said: news of in the Spain! “GivenTOP the for outcome recent EU referendum Chamber of Commerce agrees with the government on the need SUNBORN Gibraltar is exfor caution with regards to fu- panding its workforce to meet a ‘surge’ in demand, the yacht ture spending. “The Chamber welcomes the hotel’s managing director fact that no material increase Hans Niemi has revealed. “The business is going really in business costs were an- Speaking at the press launch well. It’s a huge change from to welcome Marc Skvorc, the nounced in the budget. Sunborn Gibraltar’s new gen- last year and the last two eral manager, Niemi revealed quarters of the year are lookEfficient that the five-star hotel is fully ing super,” said Niemi. “We’re running short of staff “The uncertainty facing Gi- booked for July and August. braltar’s economy means that And with new airline routes so we are going to be training the private sector must not from Manchester expanding more staff locally, working be burdened with additional Gibraltar’s appeal even fur- with the employment office. ther, the Sunborn Gibraltar is “We’re looking at our best costs.” The government’s new start- adding ‘at least’ 20 new staff season so far. We are super enthusiastic at how the future up scheme, which offers a tax to its 220-strong workforce. incentive of up to £55,000 a year, was supported by the GCC. Picardo’s call for civil servants to go ‘further, work harder THE LNG plant to fuel Gibraltar’s power staand be more efficient’ was tion will ‘dramatically reduce emissions’, Fabian also welcomed. Picardo has said. “The Chamber believes it is Shell is set to win the contract to use LNG as a now, more than ever, crucheaper alternative to diesel at the plant, it was cial for the public sector to announced in this month’s budget. increase its productivity and The plant will cost $44 million over two years reduce its expenditure,” a and will be fully owned by the government at the spokesperson said. end of a 20-year contract. “LNG will produce cleaner and more efficient power. Gone will be the days of grimy, smelly, dirty diesel pollution,” said Picardo. The new plant and power station are due to open in just over a year.

Legal Tender

Sunborn in jobs boost Sunborn hotel expanding staff by 10% amid ‘surge’ in bookings looks with such a talented guy as Marc at the helm of this flagship of ours.” Niemi also revealed that, far from having a negative effect, the Brexit referendum has led to a huge rise in interest from both the UK and Europe. “We have seen a surge in queries from the UK market,” he said. Gen01.pdf 1 16/10/2012 08:30:24 “There is more business than

LNG’s clean future

A TAX-FREE property measure to boost Gibraltar’s rental market has been warmly received on the Rock. The measure, announced in this month’s budget, grants a 24-month tax credit to any rental property constructed in the next 30 months. Mike Nicholls of Chestertons Gibraltar said: “This is good news for employers concerned that their staff are forced to live in Spain and for employees who seek to move in to Gibraltar but cannot due to lack of supply of property. “It should maintain current momentum of building in uncertain times from an EU perspective.”

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

GCC gives BE ‘APPY! budget green light

Taxing times

Spain sanctioned THE European Commission has concluded that Spain failed to take ‘effective measures’ to reduce its GDP deficit to the set goal. The deficit remains at 5.1% of the GDP, some way off the required 3%. Portugal also did not adequately reduce its deficit, and both countries could now face fines. But the European Commission is split; while Germany would prefer to use Spain as an example to other member states by issuing heavy fines, France and Italy, who could be future candidates for sanctions, want a more lenient response. If the issue is included on the agenda for the next meeting, Spain will have ten days to lodge claims and the Commission will have twenty days to create a sanction proposal. If not, the sanction proceedings will be moved to autumn. Spain prefers delayed proceedings due to current political instability after the repeat elections. Nothing is certain but the Commission could either order budget cuts and fines up to €2.1 billion or the proceedings could be cancelled entirely.

Last chance saloon for Spain SPAIN has increased its corporation tax in a bid to avoid potentially devastating EU fines. Large companies will now have to pay a percentage of the tax on expected profits before their annual tax declarations. If they over-pay, they will have to apply for a

rebate on the following July tax return. The government expects the hike to create an additional €6bn along with a further €1bn from a planned tax evasion crackdown. The government has to convince Brussels that it can bring the deficit down to 3% if it isto avoid fines for missed deficit targets.

CMY

last year and we are seeing no drop whatsoever. The devalued pound is making it easier for Euro clients to come to Gibraltar. “And for UK businesses, it makes sense to go to a UK destination. So there is no negative side to our business here. “If Brexit is a concern, it shouldn’t be. For us, things are even better.” In further developments, the Sunborn is also looking to create a catering business this year.

THE Gibraltar government has invited tenders for both ambulance vehicles for the Health Authority and supply vehicles for the Royal Gibraltar Police.

Care Needed UNEMPLOYED Gibraltarians will be vetted by the Ministry of Business and Employment and the Department of Employment to fill 50 local care worker vacancies.

New Rules EMPLOYMENT tribunals will soon benefit from increased simplicity and more qualified chairpersons after the Gibraltar government passed an Industrial Tribunal reform.

Property

22 the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th www.theolivepress.es 22

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KEEP CALM & DIVERSIFY - By Karim Micael Assad / International Financial Adviser

these tumultuous times that the world is experiencing right now? Simple, DIVERSIFY. In other words, don’t put all your eggs into one basket. Therefore, an important principle when it comes to investments is to diversify your portfolio by spreading your investments over multiple, unrelated products which reduces the risk of a sudden, unexpected outcome i.e The Brexit and Negative Interest Rates.

What is ‘Diversification’

As Warren Buffett was once famously quoted saying “Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you are doing.” Nothing can be further from the truth now than ever. Ever since the UK had their surprise outcome from the Brexit referendum, market volatility has been at an all-time historical high. The VIX (better known as the fear index) went through the roof when the final results came in, to a drop of almost 42% last week, the biggest decline in history. We have seen several countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Japan in the past years cut their interest rates to negative or below zero and by mid-2016 some 500 million people, a quarter of the world economy, are living with rates in the red. This situation was unheard of before the 2008 financial crisis, but now it has unfortunately become the norm, an upside down world where borrowers get paid and savers get penalised.

Zero Hedge

So what do you do in order to protect your family and your hard earned assets from

According to Investopedia, the definition of diversification is a risk management technique that mixes a wide variety of investments within a portfolio. The rationale behind this technique contends that a portfolio of different kinds of investments will, on average, yield higher returns and pose a lower risk than any individual investment found within the portfolio. In a basic, diversified portfolio one might include several investment categories such as stocks, bonds, funds, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), cash and a whole host of other asset types. A loss in one product is offset by gains from another product. As such, one can expect to get decent returns, though the returns would not be exceptionally high or exceptionally low. Your allocation to each of these broad categories should be based upon your investment goals, your tolerance for risk, and your time horizon for needing the use of the money. In short, your asset allocation should be an outgrowth of your own personal financial plan. There are two types of risk that you will experience when investing. The first is the undiversifiable risk or Systematic/Market risk which one cannot avoid, it is not specific to a particular company or industry, and it cannot be eliminated or reduced through diversification, it is just a risk that investors must accept. These are things like the interest rates, inflation rates, exchange/currency rates, political instability and war.

Equity/ Debt vs Funds Equity has high risk but also has the highest potential to give high returns over the long term. Equity has become volatile and many market players are predicting that this volatility is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Debt or Bonds are generally more secure and provide consistent returns, with a lower volatility as compared to equity. Fixed deposits offered by banks and companies are generally secure too. However, with the reduction in interest rates, the prices have become too expensive compared to the yields they are offering, since there is an inverse relationship between the price and the yield. To reduce risk and to increase diversification, invest in funds rather than directly investing in shares. Small saving schemes are offering attractive returns, safety, convenience and liquidity and are among the most popular investment avenues today.

Re-Cap Diversification reduces and helps an investor manage risk by reducing the volatility of an asset’s price movements. Also, diversification among assets with low correlations to one another further reduces risk. Keep in mind, that no matter how diversified your portfolio is, risk can never be eliminated completely because we have no way of knowing which investments or asset classes will perform well or poorly or when. The key is simply to find a balance between risk and return; this ensures that you achieve your financial goals while still getting a good night’s sleep. Keep calm… Call us now for a consultation to discuss your situation on either 952 816 443 / 603 310 872 or email: karim.assad@blacktowerfm.com

The second risk is the diversifiable risk or Unsystematic risk. This risk is specific to a company, industry, market, economy or country and through the use of a proper diversification strategy one can mitigate or reduce these adverse business and financial risks.

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Business

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BUSTLING: Costa del Sol

the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th

New incentive scheme could benefit young online firms, is a ‘good step in the right direction’, a leading Gibraltar lawyer has said. Philip Vasquez, an organiser for the Gibraltar Startup Community, helps local entrepreneurs and tech geniuses looking to set up their own small business. The Chief Minister’s announcement of the scheme to give new businesses a tax credit of up to £50,000 a year was welcomed by Vasquez. “This is a good step in the right direction,” Vasquez told the Olive Press. “This budget was expected to be tentative given the political climate but this announcement is yet another reason to start your business in Gibraltar. “It adds to the Rock’s commitment to assisting startups and growing commitment for startup incentives.” He added: “The tax credits are likely to benefit particular business models that are more likely to return a profit in the first three years. “These changes could assist the likes of, for ex-

Time for a tutor? The tell tale signs that your child may need extra help

Start her up!

BUSINESS IS says Rock business adviser BOOMING THE Rock’s new budget start-up incentive scheme ANDALUCIA’S international tourism has seen abundant growth over the past year, according to new figures. A report by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) shows that 18.1% more international tourists have visited Andalucia so far this year compared to 2015, the highest increase in Spain. This statistic comes on the heels of the Costa del Sol’s May tourism report, which boasted a robust one million tourists to the holiday mecca. Meanwhile, the peak season projection stands at a whopping six million visitors, although this figure could theoretically be hampered by a weak pound.

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Y child is not failing. My child is not struggling. Why do I need a tutor? This is a common misconception about private tuition; it is only for children who are struggling in school or those whose test scores are disappointing. While private tutors can be helpful for students who are in this position, tutoring can also benefit a wide range of other students. The question is – how do I know if a tutor may help my child and why bother? In this article I will argue that parents should consider hiring a tutor if they answer yes to any of these five questions. 1) Does your child struggle with time management? When given a choice most children are going to pick watching YouTube or playing on the XBox rather than doing homework. It's natural. However if your child is constantly putting off tackling important tasks or starting longer projects this may be a sign of something more significant, especially if the child ignores repeated reminders. Time management is a vital skill. A tutor may help. 2. Is Your Child Gifted or Talented? It’s not just children who are struggling at school who need tutors, it is also those who need further challenge and extension. If children are not being challenged in school they can become bored and disengaged. Sadly not all schools have the capacity to meet the needs of truly able children. It is very important to support and extend children who are gifted or talented in a particular area. 3 Are you Busy Parents? When children are younger it is easier to see how they are getting on at school. It is also easier to help them with their reading and maths. As they get older things change. Some parents lack the time to help their child with homework others simply do not understand

ample, online service based businesses who wish to be based in Gibraltar, such as remote software development teams or recruitment companies.” Vasquez, a lawyer by profession, also believes Gibraltar could benefit from improved local IT skills, with Gibraltar relying heavily on imported IT talent. He added: “Gibraltar is already a great place to set up. Looking to the next five to 10 years, our local pool of talent needs to be market responsive.” “Gibraltar’s graduate pool could be richer in computer science and on the internet side of things in general.” “To this date a lot of this talent in Gibraltar’s economy is not home grown. The Government does know of this and it’s encouraging to see it devoting investment into Computer Science training. “The next generation has already given us tell tale signs that we are more than capable of producing great talent,” he added, pointing to Bayside School’s recent cyber-security competition win.

VISION: Philip Vasquez

Teachers tips

with Stephen Co ventry

what is required. 4 Does Your Child Want To Aim High? Your child might be doing OK in Middle School but want to improve their marks or results before they join secondary education. Middle schools stream for English and Maths. Bayside/Westside stream pupils into teaching sets, often at the end of Year 8. Grades matter. They open doors or close them. A private tutor can help your child achieve the grades they need to join the course/University they want. 5 A Puzzling School Report? Have you ever read your child's school report and wondered who they were talking about? Despite your best efforts you cannot make sense of the words or grades? Clearly the first step is to make an appointment and see the teacher/teachers concerned. If you are still confused, see the head of department or deputy head teacher. It may be the teacher is really pleased with your child and can explain (in plain) English what is going well and what is not. However this may not be the case. Some teachers find it difficult to give frank feedback and tell parents exactly what their child needs to do to improve. Private tutors can help you make sense of all that "teacher talk" and help your child get on track. At the end of the day - it's a personal choice. Tutoring is expensive and may not help. Some parents have model students who just "get it". They breeze through school and make it look so easy. Others are not so lucky. As a parent, my child needed a little extra help. So we hired a tutor. The expense was never more than a Pizza dinner (for three) once a week. Not too much of a sacrifice to help your child succeed? In the end its your choice. However, always remember Professor Hindsight is never wrong!

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Columnists

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Olympic fever will have well and truly gripped the world next month (and Olympic Fever isn’t slang for the Zika Virus by the way)

Going for Gold

T promises to be an unforgettable spectacle with the world’s finest athletes competing at this pinnacle of sporting excellence with its Olympic values of fair play, gentlemanly conduct and respect for the opposition…. That is, unless Mongolia are delving back into their past and modelling their Olympic squad on Gengis Khan. It was whilst pondering the Mongolians (as you do), and other smaller nations represented at the Olympics this year, that the thought occurred to me: if Marbella finally declared independence from the rest of Spain – and after years of town hall ‘management’ by Gil, Muñoz and

OP blogger Marianne Hill on the fate of bullfighter Victor Barrio

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AST week a young man lost his life live on TV. A shocking occurrence. But are people mourning his death? Qué va! Instead it is being celebrated by so-called animal lovers because this particular young man was Victor Barrio, a 29-year-old bullfighter who was killed at a corrida in Teruel. The day he died, my Facebook feed was full of people sharing links to articles and video clips of the actual moment he was fatally gored. Sadly, I wasn’t surprised to see that the majority of comments posted on these links were full of vitriol, with hundreds applauding Barrio’s death and wishing the same to all bullfighters and people who watch them. ‘The best thing for him!’ screamed one comment. ‘The only thing that would make it better is if there were a fire in the bullring and the doors were locked so that all the participants and spectators suffer and die together.’ Really? I too despise bullfighting. It is an abhorrent sport. I see no entertainment value in watching an animal endure torture and death. Like many of us, I feel physically sick to see any living creature deliberately hurt or abused and would love to see animal blood sports outlawed worldwide. However, just as I wouldn’t wish this on any animal, nor I

Roca, Madrid has rightly regarded Marbella as a Banana Republic for over a decade now – what events could the brave new nation expect to win Olympic medals in? And what new events would the organisers have to sanction so that Marbella had a sporting chance? Located as it is on the sparkling shores of the Mediterranean, you would think Marbella would be in with a fair chance of a gong in one of the sailing events. Unfortunately though, most of the action on the waters off Marbella takes one of two forms. However, the introduction of the five kilometre superyacht/floating gin palace

cruise could see Marbella on the winners’ podium, especially if the crews had to moor outside Nikki Beach and pick up a dingy full of bimbos in the shortest possible time. They would also excel in a 14 km moonlight contraband dash across the Straits in a stripped-down powerboat. Their biggest opposition in this event would be expected to come from Morocco, Gibraltar and, of course, the Guardia Civil. Strangely enough, swimming doesn’t feature highly in the list of events that Marbella could expect to do well in. Although the town boasts an impressive range of beach clubs, very few people actually swim in the pools. This is possibly due to the on-air admission of one of the TOWIE girls that when she goes to a champagne spray party in Marbella, she prefers to pee in the pool rather than queue for the ladies. Charming. Talking of champagne parties, Marbella could certainly pick up a medal for champagne spraying, and, judging by the amount of white powder and rolled up banknotes left behind in the cubicles, downhill ‘skiing’ too... Then there is track and field. Marbella could expect to bring home a host of medals in the Blue Riband events of 100 and 200 metres. You only have to clock the speed that the Lookie Lookie men sprint out of Banus when the Policia Local are doing a spot check to realise there is a wealth of talent out there. The same also goes for the girls working the second line. If you’ve ever watched the speed and teamwork that these ‘ladies of negotiable virtue’ employ in getting a leg-over when to have become so prevathey spot a group of drunken lent in the news: terrorist golfers - all while wearing high attacks, high school shootheels - you’ll realise they are ings, child abuse deaths, naturals for the 4x100 metres every day there is so much hurdles. tragedy in the world. But Other events would require we mustn’t lose sight of the small changes, such as the fact that life is a precious Pole Vault becoming the Pole thing and should be valued Dance, and the Women’s Trias such. athlon comprising of Sunbed, No, I didn’t like what Victor Fake Tan and V-Jazzle. Marbella Barrio chose to devote his could also do well in the shootlife to. Yes, I feel strongly ing events although only in the that bullfighting should be ‘drive by’ and ‘automatic weapbanned. But do I celebrate ons’ categories. the goring of a young man With this wealth of medals who died soon afterwards, gained, the only final point to an event shown so publicly consider is the anthem to be on live television that was played. And although Bamboundoubtedly viewed by his lero, the Benny Hill theme and family and friends? Not a Spandau Ballet’s Gold were all bit of it. For that would be considered, in the end I decided heartless, and if we can reon any song from George Bengard the loss of any life so son. After all, he’s played here flippantly and with such ferenough times to be put in charge vour, then I despair of the of composing the Marbella Anfuture for this world. them!

Death in the afternoon

wouldn’t I wish death or suffering on any human being. Within my class of young children at school is the son of a Spanish bullfighter; a very famous bullfighter. While this father is not a personal friend of mine, nor are we close, he is a person, and a very lovely person at that.

Heartless

While I don’t agree with what he does, this doesn’t take away from the fact that he is a loving family man with a wife and a four-year-old son who chooses to do something that I personally don’t like. Does this mean I would be happy to see him die in the bullring? And would I rejoice that he got his ‘comeuppance’ practising a sport that so repulses me? Of course not! In recent times, death seems

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Death toll crashes SPAIN has had one of the highest reductions in car crash deaths. Between 2000 and 2013, the number of people killed in car accidents in Spain reduced by 75%, more than any other country in the study. Conducted by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it found that the average decline among 20 western countries was 56%.

Autism link

A SPANISH study has found that boys who are exposed to paracetamol before birth are more likely to have symptoms of autism during childhood. It suggests that acetaminophen, widely prescribed to pregnant women, can impact brain development and behaviour in children who are exposed in the womb. Researchers in Barcelona asked 2,644 mothers about their use of paracetamol during pregnancy and evaluated the children either at age 1 or 5 for their attention abilities. Boys who had been consistently exposed had more autism symptoms, while every child who was exposed consistently was more likely to be hyperactive and impulsive.

Health

Zika fears grow

A NEW infographic has revealed where in Europe you can and cannot safely drink tap water. Created by citybase apartments, the infographic warns of diarrhoea, Hepatitis A, typhoid and cholera when drinking unclean water, or even just using it to brush your teeth. Spain and the UK have been given the all clear, but most of Eastern Europe and Russia are, according to the graphic, a no-go for tap water. Advertorial

Hospital Clinica Ochoa celebrates its first anniversary of the pioneering ReLExSmile laser technique

Laser quest

and astigmatism, providing great advantages and comfort for the patient. In addi-

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Drink up?

A LITTLE over a year ago, Hospital Clinica Ochoa launched the ReLExSmile technique in their Ophthalmology Unit, the most advanced microsurgery of the market in the field of laser surgery. A technique that allows eliminating nearsightedness and astigmatism in a few minutes. So far, hundreds of patients have benefited from improving their visual acuity. In fact, up to 97% of patients operated with this technique highlighted that their vision the next day of the operation was "good" or "very good" and practically 100%, despite the nerves caused by ocular surgery, described the procedure as "comfortable" or even "very comfortable". Hospital Clinica Ochoa became at the time the first and only center of Malaga, a place it still holds, in using this treatment. But what is the ReLExSmile technique and what makes it so special? Developed by the prestigious firm CARL ZEISS, it is the most innovative technique for correcting myopia

the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th

tion, it is the least invasive procedure in eye surgery, which allows interventions

without cuts in the cornea and respecting its structure. This means that subsequent complications are minimal and patients can recover their normal activity almost immediately. Other advantages are the elimination of dry eye syndrome, of the risk of infection or a considerable and ostensible reduction in the amount of severed. In conclusion, ReLExsmile is the very forefront in laser techniques for the correction of myopia and astigmatism. Work, sports and driving without glasses or contact lenses will be a reality within a few days after this surgery in Hospital Clinica Ochoa.

SPAIN’S Health Ministry has confirmed the first case of the Zika virus being sexually transmitted. With that the total number of cases of the Zika virus in Spain has risen to 167. Twenty-two of the confirmed cases are pregnant women. The other 166 cases were detected in people who had recently returned from affected countries. There have been five cases detected in Andalucia. Zika spreads to people primarily through the bite of an infected mosquito but it is also transmitted sexually from infected men and can be passed from pregnant women to their fetuses. The symptoms of the illness are usually mild but scientists believe that the virus is responsible for a surge in infants born with microcephaly, a birth defect that results in smaller head size and developmental issues. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika or microcephaly.

Pop-up surgery

PIONEERING: Laser surgery

A WOMAN in Spain has died after having open-heart surgery in the street. The unnamed 48-year-old was allegedly stabbed in the neck and chest by a 55-year-old man after an argument broke out on the streets in Madrid. She was in such a critical condition that paramedics operated on her in the street where they found

her. When they arrived at the scene, they discovered a stab wound in the side of her chest. They decided to immediately cut into her chest wall and massage her heart. They managed to stabilise her and transport her to hospital, but she died within minutes of reaching the operating table.

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July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Fizzed out

GIBRALTAR’S own Mum on Fizzy drink tax Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish the Rock has welcomed the gov- gets thumbs up ernment’s new tax on sugary news on the go. drinks. from Gibraltar’s THE chef behind the world-re- Mother-of-two Polly Lavarello nowned Azurmendi restuarent added that it is time the issue of most famous in Bilbao is set to set up shop in a children’s dental care is tackled mum new restaurant in London. head on. Eneko Atka will open the doors This month, the government’s fizzy drinks,” Lavarello told the to his self-named restaurant budget slapped a 10% import Olive Press. Eneko on August 1 at the presti- duty on fizzy and other soft “Obesity and dental decay are a gious One Aldwych hotel. drinks with 5g of sugar per problem everywhere and fizzy drinks are definitely a culprit. And for the month of August all 100ml. The Olive Press meals will be half price. “I think it’s fantastic. For par- Particularly in Gibraltar beWork at the Covent Garden- ents it’s very positive, although cause it is so hot. news Spain! basedTOP hotelfor began last in winter, some people I have spoken to “People here are always having after three-time Michelin star say they do not like the fact that a cold fizzy drink in the summer chef Atka announced the news the government is targeting and it’s so bad for your teeth.” of a London venture. And One Aldwych hotel general manager Kostar Sfaltos has liked what he has seen from the Basque chef. FOOD stalls, fire eaters and DJs will all be on display “Eneko has incredible vision and at the second in a series of evening beach markets passion for Basque cuisine and which gets underway on July 20. shares the same high standards Running from 6pm until 11pm at Eastern Beach, of quality, quest for innovation dance groups and magicians will also take to the stage and respect for traditions as we followed by a karaoke evening. do,” he said. A tug of war event is also scheduled for the evening The restaurant will focus on with local teams of eight tuggers doing battle. Atxa’s ‘fresh modern Basque The first of the beach markets took place at Camp style’ and dishes include TradiBay on July 5 and the third and final market is set for tional Talo, Cod Bizkaina and Catalan Bay on August 17. Basque Style Risotto.

Shelling out

EMPTY CUP: Fizzy drink tax hike She added: “But I think it’s also a question of education. Experts should go into schools to talk to children. In 2013, Health Minister Dr John Cortes labelled obesity in Gibraltar ‘a ticking timebomb’. In the UK, the £520 million raised from a similar tax announced this year will fund a doubling of spending on sport in primary schools. A Gibraltar Government spokesman said: “Revenue from this import duty becomes part of the Public Finances. “Specific provision is made from Public Finances for investment in young people and investment in projects to combat childhood obesity.”

THE food of love is making a return to Gibraltar’s menus. Almost 100kg of European flat oysters have been reintroduced to British Gibraltar Territorial Waters to replenish local stocks. Local marine biologist and diver Dr Darren Ba has led the project along with Aquareef Tech, with oysters planted around the Marine Reserve to allow them to reproduce. Gibraltar’s flat oyster used to be in abundant supply, but overfishing in the 19th century hit their numbers in local waters. Records indicate the luxury shellfish - which fetch eye-watering sums in top restaurants - were used as filler for Gibraltar’s original city walls.

Put away the Pimms BRITS may put away a fair amount of sangria when on their holidays, but the country’s love affair with the drink goes back further than first thought. In fact it has been revealed that Spain’s national tipple was invented by the British. According to Father Esteban Torres’ 1788 dictionary British expats living in India were the creators of sangria. Defined as a ‘drink invented by the English’ the word sangria reportedly originates from the old English word sangaree which was inspired by the word sangre (blood) because of its colour.

the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th 28

Food, drink & travel

www.gibraltarolivepress.com 28

STRAPPED IN: Marbella Mayor

Pie in the sky

Rob Horgan reports from up where the seagulls fly as La Sala takes its dining experience to dizzy new heights

TRAPPED into a leather racing seat at a restaurant table hovering 50 metres above Marbella, I was poised to try the craziest take on ‘haute cuisine’ ever. Combining fine dining with aerial thrills, La Sala in the Sky has taken eating out to a whole new level. And with the soccer star-owned restaurant group backing it, I was expecting a lot more than ‘high tea’. With views across Puerto Banus to the sparkling Med in one direction and iconic La Concha mountain in the other, they’ve certainly scored with their high table dining concept, where even the air tastes like wine. As I made my way past Banus bullring to the crane that would winch me skyward to the dining world’s new 50-metre high club, the sight of the 22-seater restaurant pod swaying above me made my stomach somersault like a chef flipping a burger. But after one glass of wine and a reassuring pep talk from Luke, my waiter and host for the evening, I was raring to try this new foodie flight of fantasy. Although I’d have to wait on a little longer for the first sitting to finish. Marbella Mayor Jose Bernal and his entourage were still up there, having arrived ‘fashionably late’. In fact, the delay was a blessing in disguise as we were able to watch a fabulous sunset turn day into starry night day while we were airborne. But as all 22 diners buckled up, a cry of ‘get me off, I suddenly have somewhere to be’ came

HIGH-CLASS: La Sala in the Sky

PERFECT HOST: Luke

from across the table. I won’t spare his blushes: it was OP columnist Giles Brown, who looked a hugely relieved man to be out of his ‘hot seat’. Conquering his vertigo will have to wait for another day. With a replacement found to take his abdicated ‘high chair’ and a round of chanting ‘Up, up, up, up!’ the crane swung into action, and we all relaxed as we watched Marbella retreat to toy town dimensions from the best seats in the house. The food - show cooking at its best - was another spectacular highlight: a five-course dinner prepared by famed local chef Aitor Perurena in front of diners. First ‘up’ was a bloody mary foam with avocado and fresh cockles. The nerve-soothing glass of Marques de Riscal white served with it also worked wonders, even going to the heads of those who don’t normally have one for heights. Up next was tuna tartare with lime cloud, wakame seaweed and soy mayo - a zesty twist on a firm favourite deserving of lofty praise. One or two seagulls were eying up the possibilities of hijacking free feast on the wing as we were presented with an enormous cardinal prawn topping a tempting spider crab cannelloni. Then came the piece de resistance: teriyakilacquered beef with celery and asparagus, tender enough to cut with a spoon, served with a delicious Yllera red wine. And lemon mousse in the shape of a white Magnum ice cream was not the finale. After a glass of La Sala’s premier rosa cava to toast the chef and his worthy team, I was beginning to feel giddy and we hadn’t even started the descent. But all too soon we were back down to earth, wondering whether dining out could ever reach such heights of perfection again. The dining experience lasts 70 minutes and introductory offers start at €99+IVA. To reserve your ‘food flight’ visit www.lasalainthesky.com or call 952 781 522

the Gibraltar Olive Press October 1st - 14th

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

Sport

31 July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Joshua no-show

Bitter Swede for Europa EUROPA FC president Peter Cabezutto has praised his team for earning football’s ‘respect’ in their Europa League qualifier with AIK Solna. The Gibraltar team went down 1-0 in Stockholm’s majestic 50,000-capacity Friends Arena, the venue for this season’s final. After holding out for 89 minutes against much-fancied opponents, Sergio Carlos Strandberg’s last-minute header broke Europa’s stubborn resistance, but the Rock minnows earned huge praise. “We might have lost in the last minute of the game but Europa FC has earned Europe’s respect after playing against one of the finest Premier League teams in the Swedish league,” said Cabezutto. “The team are keeping Gibraltar proud.”

HEAVYWEIGHT boxing champion of the world Anthony Joshua was forced to postpone his trip to Gibraltar last week. The current Olympic Gold medal holder pulled out of a meet-and-greet onboard the Sunborn after being drafted into BBC’s Olympics team. SKY Sports are in hot water after mistaking a series of spoof statistics on the Lincoln Red Imps as facts. A Twitter user had posted a mock-up Sky Sports ‘profile page’ of the Gibraltar club which featured several hard-to-believe ‘truths’. But seemingly without double-checking, the Sky Sports News team picked them up before news presenter Mike Wedderburn reeled them off as fact. According to the picture, the Imps play to an average home crowd of 28, had never scored a goal against a professional club

Joshua will be travelling over to Rio in the coming weeks where he will be commentating on the boxing. He was due to appear on the yacht hotel on July 15, but is now planning to travel to Gibraltar in November, although a date is yet to be confirmed.

Red-faced

Gibraltar Red Imps consider suing Sky Sports News after embarrassing statistics gaffe (despite having advanced to play Celtic) and cannot train on Tuesdays as a local metal detecting society

GAFFE: Sky Sports’ Wedderburn and (right) the faked grahic

How’s that?

MOVING UP: Carreras

Top Spin

A CALL for better cricket and football facilities has been made by GSD MP Edwin Reyes. Reyes has proposed a ‘proper home’ for the Gibraltar Cricket Association following the latest budget announcementw. He said that the ‘limited’ facilities at Europa Point are currently ‘not adequate’ for the association. “I urge the government to be ever mindful that a level-playing field must be provided for all sporting associations,” Reyes said. As well as calling for a home of cricket, Reyes also called on the government to improve football facilities ‘for the benefit of the community at large’.

TENNIS player Amanda Carreras has achieved her highest career singles ranking, reaching 280 in the world rankings. The Gibraltarian moved to UK when she was nine and now lives in Barcelona for her tennis career, but she remains a point of pride for the Rock. Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo tweeted a congratulatory message for Carreras following her Italian Denian quarterfinal victory against Manon Arcangioli in early July.

If you have a sports story, contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 0034 951 273 575

uses their pitch. The ‘statistics’ also claimed striker Lee Cascairo spent six years in prison for selling Class A drugs while manager Julio Cesar Rebus was hired after winning a competition. The Gibraltar side are now considering whether or not to sue, saying in a tweet: “Lincoln Red Imps Board are reviewing the very damaging and defamatory reporting made last night on a TV channel.”

Sky Sports had been analysing the team after their shock 1-0 triumph over Glasgow’s Celtic in the first leg of the Champions

League qualifier. They have since apologised and rectified the duff information that was broadcast.

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FINAL WORDS

GREENPEACE UK has bought Boris Johnson’s infamous ‘£350m to the NHS’ Brexit bus. The group is in the process of altering it.

Well played GIBRALTAR’S Bayside and Westside Drama Group won the Duncan Rand Youth One-Act Play Festival in Kent with their production of The Trial.

Scam’s the word THE Citizens Advice Bureau is urging people to spread the word about scams and expose fraudsters throughout July as part of Scams Awareness Month.

Vol. 2 Issue 23

www.gibraltarolivepress.com

July 20th - August 2nd 2016

Hungry monkey!

Striker who guards submarines is forced to swap shifts to play in Champions League game

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan in Glasgow LEE Casciaro has swapped shifts with a police colleague so he can fly to Glasgow for Lincoln Red Imps’ crunch Champions League tie with Celtic, he has revealed. Lincoln’s hero from last week’s 1-0 win over the Scottish giants was set to work a series of 12-hour shifts for the Gibraltar Defence Police this week. But he has told the Olive Press, he was luckily able to change the rota so he can play in the biggest game in Gibraltar football history. It meant he was able to join his other colleagues to fly out of Malaga airport on an Jet2 flight on Monday. “Thankfully I managed to swap

PUCKER UP: Chipolina plants a kiss on Casciaro

I’ll sink Celtic!

with a colleague so I could fly out for the game,” he told the Olive Press. “When I get back, I’ll cover their shifts. It was the only way. “I do the marine section so I

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police the beaches. We do the western side and the RGP does the eastern side. I’ve just done a 12-hour shift. “When we have ships or submarines in we are in charge of their security. Last week we had HMS Ocean and a submarine. But that is my duty, football is my passion.” Casciaro’s goal against the Bhoys stunned the football world and gives Lincoln a fighting chance of knocking out the former European Cup winners. And the omens bode well: He has happy memories of Glasgow, having scored Gibraltar’s first ever competitive international goal at Hampden Park, in 2014. But even though Casciaro has lined up against World Champions Germany, Tuesday’s win at Victoria Stadium is his ‘most cherished’ memory “It was the highlight of my football career. I don’t think scoring that goal will ever really sink in. It’s like a dream,” said Casciaro. “In Glasgow, I will try my best and any ball over the top I will fetch it like a bulldog. “Having 60,000 fans cheering them on, should hopefully spur us on. They are not going to boo us; we are ordinary blokes just like the fans.”

NEVER before have the Rock’s Barbary Macaques looked more like the humans they share Gibraltar with. On a recent trip up the Rock, Olive Press reader Richard Lake was left ‘in awe’ by the sight of a monkey tucking into a packet of biscuits. “It was unreal, it was like watching a human eat,” insisted teacher Lake from Shrewsbury. We couldn’t agree more, particularly after we got a photo of a monkey handling and then drinking from a Coke can (inset). Send your photos from around the Rock to newsdesk@theolivepress.es

Flower power A GREEN-FINGERED Gibraltarian has been awarded at the Chelsea Flower Show. Vivienne Rosales Llufrio claimed a silver medal at the prestigious flower show in the ‘Beneath the Waves’ category. Her exhibit The Beauty of the Colours of the Barrier Reef was planted in Wales where Llufrio now lives with her daughter April. Llufrio has won a number of awards for her floral arrangements, including ‘best in show’ at the Royal Welsh Flower show.

For summer break: read break-up IF you’re reading this on holiday then you should perhaps think about how much you drink tonight. Up to half of British couples fall out when on holiday together, according to a survey. If true, then over a million British tourists to Spain could be returning to UK shores, newly single this summer. An amazing 40% of tourists fight between one and two times per day, with arguments sparked over where to go out, too much drinking and spending too much money. The overwhelming factor in the break-ups is accredited to spending too much time with your other half. The survey, by car hire comparison site Holiday Autos, also found that 28% of Brits argue in the first 12 hours of arrival while 5% erupt into a blazing row within the first half hour.

Ocean makes waves ROYAL Navy assault ship HMS Ocean has arrived in Gibraltar for a routine visit. While here, Royal Marines loaded up the flagship with amphibious vehicles. It was a more successful visit than in 2002, when the assault ship accidentally landed in La Linea and caused a minor diplomatic incident when a platoon of 30 Royal Marines ‘stormed’ San Felipe beach armed with mortars and SA-80 assault rifles. This time, the trip passed off without any such incident.