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February 17th - March 1st 2016

Is Spain still as cruel and brutal to animals as the world has come to expect, or...

‘Lookalike’ freed at last!

Are times a-changing?

D

LOCKED UP: Dogs transported

OGS dragged behind cars, donkeys crushed to death, bulls driven into the sea... for a decade the Olive Press has reported on animal cruelty in Spain.

Easily the most fiercely debated issue we have confronted, the Spanish are often accused of being stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to animal rights.

It is the country, after all, where throwing a turkey out of a church tower is not a crime but an integral part of a festival and where spearing a bull on horseback is a sign of bravery, not brutality.

However, one result that slipped under the radar last year was the remarkable 220,000 votes that little-known political party PACMA received during the general elections.

A party set up to lobby for animal rights, is this a clear sign that things are changing?

“Despite all these negatives, we believe there is an encouraging future for animals in Spain,” its president told the Olive Press this week.

With support for bullfighting dropping each year and with increasing numbers of Spaniards coming out to denounce cruelty, the Olive Press decided to find out: Is the tide finally turning?

EVIL: Dog dragged behind car in Sevilla, while (above) a turkey in Jaen and a bull in Torre de la Vega

See our Animal Rights Focus starting on Page 4 OLIVE PRESS BRINGING YOU NOT ONE, NOT

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Horse cruelty woman found guilty of starving 16 thoroughbreds sees more horses die in Spain

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The final Countdown

HORROR: Terrible THE countdown to the ‘Big scenes at official Switch Off’ has finally begun. animal centre The clock is now ticking on free-to-air British television in southern Spain after a much-publicised satellite finally started moving into place.

Rumours emerged a couple of days ago that it was heading west towards its destination, and have since been confirmed by those in the know.

At its current velocity the satellite would arrive at its des- A SPONTANEOUS protest tination by the end of month. formed The switch off could happen shelter outside an animal this weekend after any time after that. horrific scenes of cruelty were broadcast by activists in Andalucia.

Woe The satellite has been a hot A petition has now been set topic of conversation around up to demand action against Andalucia since news of its those responsible for leaving hundreds of dogs in pitiful launch broke last year.

It has been the most com- conditions at the official ‘permented post on the Olive rera’ shelter in Mairena del Press website after it emerged Aljarafe, near Sevilla. that the BBC, and possibly During a short YouTube video ITV, will transmit via the new some animals are seen close to death, next to the dead satellite.

Expats have taken to the Ol- bodies of other dogs. ive Press site in their droves Meanwhile faeces is strewn searching for a solution to across the floor and scant food is scattered alongside it. their forthcoming woe.

SAVED: A lucky Galgo Most are keen to establish The pens, each containing dozens of dogs, had clearly Some of the animals had open not been cleaned for days, if wounds, Turn to page 3 while there were not weeks. signs of malnutrition and serious illness.

Dozens of angry protesters gathered outside the Protectora de Animales - described by activists as ‘the Spanish Auschwitz for animals’ - on Saturday afternoon demanding action.

Later that night activists

PITIFUL

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All that glitters is not Goldman - Page 6

them for defamation, as he did with a former member of staff who filmed alleged mistreatment last year.

Last night, a website eldiario. es reported that he was well connected with links to both the police, politicians and Sebroke into the shelter, which villa’s ruling classes. is funded by an estimated 11 He is also said to have close nearby towns, and set around links with Sevilla’s bullring.

Last night, however he agreed 200 dogs free.

The centre, which has been to allow local charities and denounced on ‘numerous’ oc- activists to find homes for the EXCLUSIVE casions by local animal rights hundreds of dogs in the shelgroups, is run by a business- ter.

A tribute to my man - and reportedly a vet - It is said to receive up to 250 Pedro Luis Fernández Castil- dogs a month, many of them mate Michael lo, who has a private kennels hunting dogs, with the numbers increasing as the recesJacobs next door.

According to sources, the sion has deepened.

By his best friend Chris Stewart President is paid an estimated One Olive Press reader Rena My dear friend €100,000 or more each year Turn to page 2 Michael - Page 16 by the different town halls for his ‘animal sanctuary’.

In 2012, Bormujos and Mairena actually withdrew their arrangement with the pound, after a string of denuncias against it for mistreatment.

However the president sued

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EXCLUSIVE The life and times of a perennial fraudster

Investigation into the wicked ways of Nigel Goldman

Massive outcry after horrific scenes of animal cruelty filmed at the ‘Auschwitz for animals’

Available from many Olive Press outlets, newsagents, book shops and hotels throughout the region.

Also check for stockists at www. andaluzjournal. com

EXCLUSIVE

Bouncing back after the tsunami

Interview with Marbella property tsar Kristina Zsekely

July 09 - 23 2009

www.theolivepress.es

Shallow grave

Vol. 3 Issue 62, Western

been TWO foreigners have brutally attacked in Ronda Spanby a gang of drunken ish youths. atIn a case similar to theMaltack on dad Stephen to his lon, who was thrown in death from a balcony a 50Competa last month, and a year-old German man from Finn, 56, were bottled the behind and kicked to

Guide

English-language The original and only in Andalucía investigative newspaper

FIERY FIESTA: Horses in Madrid

A DUTCHMAN wrongly jailed for a rape on the Costa del Sol has been freed after 12 years in a Spanish prison.

Romano van der Dussen (above, left) was put behind bars after being found guilty of three rapes in Fuengirola.

It comes after convicted UK killer Mark Dixie (right) confessed to one of the rapes in July last year and forensic tests later linked him to another attack.

Van der Dussen was convicted because he ‘looked like’ rapist Dixie.

No DNA evidence was presented at the time but advances in technology have been able to clear Van der Dussen’s name.

The case is uncannily similar to the plot of US documentary Making a Murderer which sees Stephen Avery’s wrongful conviction for rape for which he served 18 years, overturned.

Zika alert SPANISH health officials have warned there will be 200 to 250 cases of the Zika virus this year after a second pregnant woman was diagnosed.

There are now 23 cases of the virus in Spain, which many experts believe may cause head-shrinking in babies.

All of those affected had travelled to areas where the virus has been spreading, transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, most commonly found in North and South America.

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22

CRIME NEWS

the Olive www.theolivepress.es Press November 14th - 25th 2016

Cameron’s pledge for Lisa

Agent on the run EXCLUSIVE

By Rob Horgan

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed to investigate the case of missing Scottish expat Lisa Brown.

The mother-of-one’s disappearance in November was raised at Prime Minister’s Questions by Martin Docherty, Scottish National Party MP for Dunbartonshire West.

“I will certainly look into this case, and make sure the Europe Minister meets with him (Docherty) to make sure everything is done for Lisa’s family as soon as possible,” said Cameron.

Lisa’s boyfriend, Liverpudlian businessman Simon Corner, also disappeared days after Lisa, but later released a statement, allegedly from Thailand, claiming he was ‘innocent’ and would meet police.

However, his former legal advisor, reformed UK criminal Jason Coghlan, claims he missed the appointment after arriving in Spain three weeks ago.

“As far as I know he is now a missing person,” he told the Olive Press.

It comes after Lisa’s brother Craig Douglas said he believed Corner’s visit was a ‘hoax’.

www.theolivepress.es February 17th - March 1st 2016

AN estate agent has vanished leaving dozens of expats up to a million euros out of pocket.

Dutch realtor Annika Elena van der Pluijm is alleged to have taken deposits of at least €750,000 on properties before disappearing with the money.

The group of mostly Dutch and British buyers have now been forced to take legal action after the company office, in Almanzora, Almeria, closed without warning.

They have also launched a Facebook page ‘Catch these scammers’ in a bid to locate van der Pluijm, who has also been using the name Ana Sanchez.

Victims of her agency Inmobiliaria Partaloa told the Olive Press that ‘at least six’ official denuncias have been filed with police so far.

One British victim, who asked not to be named, insisted they would ‘not rest until she is caught’.

“She has ruined so many lives,” said the 55-year-old,

Search on for rogue estate agent who has vanished with up to a million euros in deposits who is currently renting in nearby Cuevas de Almanzora.

“So many of us have lost our savings to this scam.”

He has lost €9,500, while the group together has lost over €750,000.

“And more and more victims keep coming forward so we expect it to go up rapidly,” he continued. “We are set to launch a joint action against Annika shortly.”

The Olive Press has discovered that Ana’s German husband Thomas van der Pluijm - AKA Thomas Dollekes - has also not been seen since the end of January.

Both he and the couple’s two young sons and her parents

FEUD: Monk and Christy Kinahan VANISHED: Van der Pluijm and (inset) husband Tom have all vacated the big rural property they were sharing in La Hoya, near Cantoria.

Over a dozen Presa Canario dogs, which they breed, have also been removed from the property.

The couple are understood to have ‘business interests’ in France and Hungary with group members believing she has skipped the country.

And about time too!

THE disgraced mayor of Alhaurin el Grande has finally stepped down after years of corruption.

Juan Martin Seron (right) finally accepted his days were numbered after a vote of no-confidence was tabled for this week by all rival parties, including the PP, PSOE and the IU.

Expat deaths A DUTCH woman and a Senegalese man were found dead at a property in Estepona’s Don Pedro Urbanisation.

The woman, 54, had multiple stab wounds and the man, 30, had slashed veins which have led police to believe the woman was a victim of gender violence and the man killed himself.

Post mortem results pending.

He has been serving Por Alhaurin as a mayor since a ban from public office ended in 2014.

He was banned under the Casa Troya case for taking bribes for building contracts and was caught soliciting €122,000 from a builder in return for planning permission.

Ironically, Van der Pluijm publicly supported our K.O. the Kickbacks campaign to stop the practice of backhanders being taken between lawyers and agents, declaring herself as an ‘ethical estate agent’.

However, when the Olive Press attempted to contact her this week she failed to respond to emails and her phone was switched off.

Gang war

A FAILED hit on the son of an Estepona gangster has sparked a violent drug war in Ireland.

Two men have so far died after four gangsters, dressed as policemen, tried to assassinate Daniel Kinahan at the weigh-in of a boxing title fight in Dublin.

Kinahan - son of Estepona gang boss Christy Kinahan - who is closely linked to the MGM gym in Marbella that organised the fight, was forced to escape through a window of the Regency Hotel.

He was allegedly the main target of the shooting, which led to the death of David ‘Happy Harry’ Byrne.

A revenge attack days later saw Eddie Hutch Snr - the brother of Lanzarote-based mob boss Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch - killed in his home by four gunmen.

NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

We’re going back to the caves

17th - March 2016 the Olive February Press November 11th - 1st 25th 2015

Bossing it!

SPAIN’S cup final this year has been upstaged by the real ‘Boss’.

A concert by Bruce Springsteen at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium on May 21 means that a planned final between Sevilla and Barcelona can no longer take place there.

The two giants of Spanish football have been forced to stand down for Springsteen, known as ‘The Boss’ and will now have to play the game elsewhere.

Music fans however are thrilled that the American superstar has announced three concerts, also including Barcelona’s Camp Nou on May 14 and San Sebastian’s Anoeta on May 17.

The legendary singer retains a fondness for Spain after his sons learned to surf in San Sebastian while the family holidayed in the Basque city in 2008.

ON the back of a horse and carriage wearing a top hat he looks every bit the country gent.

In a new film out in April, Antonio Banderas stars as the explorer who locates the celebrated Altamira cave.

Set in the 19th century, the film Altamira also stars Rupert Everett and Madrid beauty Irene Escolar.

Tripping out Deadly double-act to film hit series in Spain

THEY are known as the deadly double act of culinary culture.

Now comics Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are set to take a journey down south as

part of a brand new TV series.

For the third course of their TV comedy The Trip they are set to visit Andalucia, as well as the Basque Region, Cantabria, Aragon, Rioja and Cas-

IN THE DOCK: Urdangarin and Princess Cristina

Fake names on payroll in Princess trial Royal snub A DOCUMENTARY about Spain’s former king, which touches on numerous sensitive issues, has been ruled not relevant for Spanish national TV. The programme Me, Juan Carlos, King of Spain, which aired in France this week, was ruled ‘not current’ by broadcaster RTVE. The programme, which included five hours of interviews with the former king, was a big hit on France’s state channel TV3 who commissioned it.

3 3

THE husband of Spain’s Princess Cristina put fake employees on his company’s payroll, a court has heard.

Inaki Urdangarin and business partner Diego Torres used the names of family members and even domestic staff to create bogus workers and salaries.

The pair split the fake salaries between them from their company the Noos Institute, according to former accountant Marco Antonio Tejeiro.

Urdangarin is facing 19 years in prison if convicted in the fraud and embezzlement case at Mallorca Court.

His wife Cristina, who is to give evidence this Friday, is facing an eight-year sentence for fraud.

tile La Mancha.

The six-part series will feature the duo’s alter-egos bickering, doing impressions and sampling Spain’s finest food (including manchego cheese and jamon, no doubt).

Filming will start later this year with exact destinations being kept closely under wraps for now.

“Having thought long and hard about yet another sojourn into culinary distractions and middle age, I have reluctantly agreed to Eviva Espana,” Coogan revealed.

The first two editions of director Michael Winterbottom’s programme featured the comic actors driving through northern England and then Italy.

The last series aired on BBC Two more than three years ago, but Sky Atlantic have now snapped up the popular show.

“I’m looking forward to reuniting with Steve and Michael for The Trip to Spain,” said Brydon.

“Same format? Same jokes!”

Pen and ink PENELOPE Cruz was left red faced when an American TV presenter asked her about her ‘ugly feet’.

The shocked actress (right), 41, took offence when NBC’s Savannah Guthrie asked the ex-ballerina whether it was true she had horrid hooves during an interview for new film Zoolander 2.

“No, no, no, no, I haven’t said that,” the star responded.

“I’m OK with my feet.”

However she continued: “When you’re a ballet dancer, you lose your toenails, you get used to throwing them away.”

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ESTACIÓN DE BENAOJÁN, NEAR RONDA, MÁLAGA

4

www.theolivepress.es

T

HERE are around 3,000 fiestas in Spain which revel in the torture of living creatures.

Whether it’s donkeys being dragged around streets by drunkards, turkeys lobbed out of church towers or rats hurled across a Valencian plaza, it’s not exactly hard to see why this country has a shocking record for animal welfare.

And the south, particularly Andalucia, is perhaps the worst culprit.

But on the morning of January 20, 2016, a man called Antonio Moreno got on his bike and began pedaling. It wasn’t exactly Neil Armstrong and the moon, but it was momentous in a more subtle way.

Every day at 10:30, Moreno, from the Axarquia, holds a talk on animal rights issues in whichever city, town or village he finds himself, while also collecting donations for local animal shelters.

He expects to be ‘on the road’ for at least two years.

Moreno is the president of the Andalucian Group Against the Mistreatment of Animals. The mere existence of this group

SPECIAL FEATURE

February 3rd - February 16th 2016

Animal welfare in Spain is often dubbed appalling, but charities, shelters and changing traditions suggest the campaign for change is gathering momentum. Tom Powell asks, has the tide finally turned?

An end to cruelty?

shows that at least some of the country is looking for change, but there is a long journey ahead.

Thankfully the work has begun, with the support that animal rights party PACMA is building at both local and national level.

Evidence of this is the 220,000 votes the party received nationwide at last May’s general election and while it was not enough to gain the party an MP

its strength is harnessing nicely (see Getting away with murder!

Page 5).

These days, for example, there is hardly a single animal-harming festival where you won’t find a group of PACMA protesters filming the events and publicising them to the world.

With the increasing expansion of 24-hour online global news and the need for constantly new material, the likes of the

Daily Mail cannot get enough.

Take the recent rat-throwing festival in Valencia. The footage was hard to stomach for most of us, but the baying crowd flinging dead rats by their tails at each other showed no signs of letting up… and all of it seen in glorious technicolour in the Mail’s infamous - and perhaps appropriately named - ‘column of shame’.

Another example is Septem-

GEARING UP: Antonio Moreno

ber’s Toro de la Vega festival, in Castilla y Leon, in which a bull is speared by men chasing it on horseback, determined to claim their ‘honour kill’.

Pictures are now beamed around the world, leading to global outrage. But it is not just abroad.

Last year, an estimated 10,000 animal rights protesters marched through Madrid in protest; yet it still went ahead.

Elsewhere, at Peropalo feria in Extremadura a donkey is ridden through narrow streets by a drunk man while the crowd fire shotguns and bang drums.

The same donkey, Felipe, was

HOW YOU ARE DOING YOUR BIT TO HELP

Expat victory for wildcat colony A COLONY of wildcats has been saved by a pair of campaigning expats.

The group of around 30 animals will no longer face death

British expats liberate starving pups and their mother from outdoor hellhole

by poisoning after the mayor of the Axarquia village of Periana vowed to ‘keep them safe’.

Thanks to the lobbying of Brits musician Robin George, 53,

and teacher Fiona Bond, 51, mayor Rafael Torrubia has granted sanctuary to the cats.

It comes after the pair, from Wolverhampton, were joined by the Axarquia Animal Rescue charity, to demand an end to continually poisoning them to keep the population down.

The town hall has now agreed to help finance neutering and feeding of the cats.

“Fiona and I hassled the authorities relentlessly for this victory,” Robin told the Olive Press.

“Now, well-fed, neutered and nursed, they live as a wild colony of friendly, healthy cats, much loved, at last, by many lo- SAVED: Fiona with cats and (left) Robin with mayor Torrubia cals and tourists.”

Canine rescue!

FOUR emaciated puppies and their starving mother have been rescued by expats in a daring raid on a hellish costa dog den.

Poisoning claims at French hotel

DOZENS of partridges and at least 20 cats have been found apparently poisoned outside a Manilva hotel.

Expat animal rights groups, including Adana, are now investigating claims that they were killed by workers at the Pierre y Vacances resort.

A series of leaflets claim that the hotel killed the animals after illegally putting down poison to keep rodents at bay.

Hotel bosses have yet to respond to the claims.

EXCLUSIVE

By Joe Duggan

The four-week-old pitbulls and their mother were spirited to safety from a squalid outdoor cage on wasteland behind Casares Golf.

A local British family stepped in after hearing their howls of anguish and finding them on the point of death, crammed into a filthy pen, surrounded by their excrement.

“They were like skeletons,” explained the longtime expat, who insisted on remaining anonymous.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I was shaking with horror.

“The dogs were sitting in their own excrement and very ill, while the mother had big gashes. “When the pups were taken to the vet they couldn’t even neuter them because their umbilical cords were so infected.

I’ll never forget their eyes.

“Whoever did this is a barbarian,” she added.

The heartless Spanish owners are thought to have visited only occasionally since last summer and none of the dogs were microchipped.

It is believed the pups were being bred to sell on as fighting dogs, although when the Olive Press visited the site it was deserted.

The four puppies and their mother have now been rehoused safely.

SAFE AT LAST: Pitbull

used for five years in a row until the Antequera-based charity Refugio de Burritos was granted permission to rescue him in 2015.

He was in a terrible state suffering from laminitis, a disease that causes pain to walk.

The Refugio offered to pay for a wooden donkey for this year’s festival but this was declined in favour of another donkey.

But there are signs of hope.

Thanks to pressure from PACMA last month, a Jaen village agreed to ditch its tradition of throwing a turkey out of its church belltower, instead electing to carry it around the village.

A large chunk of the Refugio’s donation comes from expats, and it is obvious that Spain’s ever-growing foreign population can play an important role in animal welfare.

And there have already been a number of success stories brought about by expats.

Take Casares, which has recently banned animal circuses off the back of a petition launched by Brit Angela Ferguson. Or in Mijas, where activist Michael Owens recently spearheaded a successful campaign to get pony carousels banned by the town hall.

Meanwhile, expats such as Pat Waterhouse, who looks after more than 50 abandoned dogs at her home in Alora, and Jacqui Ross, who runs Last Chance Animal Rescue, set shining examples.

Networks

Then there are all those hardworking volunteers at shelters like Adana, in Estepona, Horse in need, in La Linea, and the Axarquia Animal Rescue Centre, to name but a few.

And don’t dismiss the power of the internet. This time last year, photos emerged of a man tying his dogs behind his car and driving around a town in Sevilla province.

They quickly went viral on social networks and a petition signed by more than 70,000 people was presented to the authorities. The next day, the Guardia Civil dropped by to inspect the dogs.

“There is a really long way to go for animal rights in Spain,” says Maria Gallar, of the Refugio de Burritos.

But at least we are now heading in the right direction.

Every day, the wheels turn on Antonio Moreno’s bike as Spain too gradually pedals its way towards an animal rights revolution.

Perhaps, one day, he won’t need to pedal anymore.

www.theolivepress.es

Vets arrested in mutilation case HALF a dozen vets have been arrested over a case involving the severing of tails and ears of hundreds of hunting dogs.

A further 26 people, mostly hunters in Huelva, have also been arrested after an 18-month Seprona investigation into animal cruelty.

‘Operation Ears’ discovered that the vets were allegedly issuing fake certificates to cover up the cosmetic practice that has been banned since 2003.

Those arrested are accused of severing the parts with knives to save the €40 vet fee.

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Getting away with murder!

Inadequate penalties have allowed abusers to get off virtually scot-free in Spain but change is in the air, writes PACMA President Silvia Barquero

Y

OU can poison, shoot or hang a dog in Spain and you won’t go to prison for it. Nowadays, nobody gets jailed for crimes related to animal abuse.

As long as fines for abandonment or cruelty remain under €300, harming animals will still be virtually ‘free’ for abusers.

More than 150,000 cats and dogs are abandoned each year in Spain, where the law lacks teeth to stop their abandonment

Fishing battle ACTIVISTS have lashed out at illegal tuna fishing that they say is threatening Campo de Gibraltar dolphins Verdermar Ecologistas en Accion is sending a report to Brussels over fishermen from Huelva and Barbate who were caught intruding into the Bay of Algeciras despite the tuna season ending in July.

Herds of bottlenose, common

SPECIAL FEATURE

and striped dolphins eat similar food to the tuna which makes them vulnerable to the fishing boats, claim the environmentalist group.

“They are risking physical and mental damage,” said a Verdermar spokesperson.

“We don’t understand how authorities can apply laws but ignore environmental legislation.”

and systematic sacrifice in regional and local pounds.

Despite all these negatives, at PACMA - a political party set up in 2003 to lobby for animal rights we believe there is an encouraging future for animals.

Last July, thanks to our activism, the Criminal Procedure Code

was modified to add graduated penalties linked to the degree of harm caused to the animal.

A small but significant first step.

We are aware that most Spaniards are strongly against the mistreatment of animals, whether their own or those used in traditional festivals, where bulls are teased and tortured or have their horns set on fire or are drowned in the sea for amusement.

Proof of the support for animal rights these days is the gain we

Ratting out the rat abusers A CAMPAIGN has been launched to ban an ‘immoral’ festival which involves people hurling rats at each other like missiles Animal rights group PACMA is calling for the event in the Valencia town of El Puig to be banned.

Although it was ruled illegal back in 1996, villagers still hurl rats, believed to be dead ones, at each other from balconies and doors during the so-called ‘Battle of the Rats’.

Visit www.theolivepress.es to see footage.

5

NEWS IN BRIEF Fine mess A SHOCKED Mijas driver discovered he had 47 speeding tickets totalling €5,640 for driving between 80 and 100 kph on the A7 after checking his record of fines on the internet.

Trio trashed made during the General Election with 220,000 votes for Congress and more than a million for the Senate.

These thousands of voices endorse our endless work in highlighting the plight of many animals in our country - a situation that is systematically ignored by other political parties.

Last September, our supporters filled Puerta del Sol, in Madrid, in a massive and historical demonstration against the barbaric Toro de la Vega ‘celebration’, in which hundreds chase a lone bull through the streets, jabbing it with spears until they kill it.

Last week, through a campaign that harnessed social, legal and political pressure, we were able to stop the citizens of Cazalilla a small town in Jaen - from holding their annual ritual of tossing a turkey from the bell tower of their church.

This festival may have been part of our past, but it has no place in our future.

It's time for more brave actions in defense of animals and the next government to come to power listens to our battlecry!

CIUDADANOS have expelled three councillors from Jaen Town Hall after they approved a near 33% salary increase for themselves up to €39,820.

Rock on THE Eagles of Death Metal will play in Barcelona and Madrid on March 3 and 4, three months after the ISIS terrorist attack on their Paris Bataclan Theatre gig killed 89 people.

Gang jailed SEVEN members of a gang who operated a €1 million Spanish timeshare scam which targeted vulnerable pensioners have been jailed at Birmingham Crown Court.

OPINION THERE are so many issues that fall under the animal welfare umbrella.

But we felt it was time to take a closer look at the state of animal rights and cruelty across Spain as it truly feels like 2016 could be a crucial year for a change in attitudes.

Either way, expats have been leading from the front for decades, taking in abandoned dogs and cats and campaigning to stop cruelty. It is encouraging to see that the locals are finally also standing up in their numbers to be counted.

As to the ever-thorny subject of bullfighting, we do not want to tell our readers how to think, rather pose a question for you to answer yourself. As writer Lenox Napier argues it has a deep and historical cultural significance here and at least a quarter of our readers do not support an outright ban.

However, when it comes to inhumane acts of unnecessary animal cruelty, devoid of any notion of culture or art, we say it’s definitely time to stop.

Cycle of shame

DOPING’S dark cloud has swirled around cycling for decades.

In the early days of the Tour de France, riders steeled themselves with cocaine, heroin and strychnine before attempting monstrously long routes.

Modern-day riders adopted slightly more refined techniques, with EPO the favoured doping brand of choice. As always, it’s the sporting public who are cheated most.

So the decision of a Spanish judge in 2013 to destroy more than 200 vials of athletes’ blood seized from the notorious Dr Fuentes defied belief. Thankfully, the undestroyed blood samples remain in a Barcelona lab pending a Madrid Provincial Court decision. Who knows what, or who, they could reveal.

Unbalanced scales of justice

THE release of Romano Liberto van der Dussen, who was wrongly convicted of a rape, is a victory for good old-fashioned police work.

In 2007, Spanish cops uncovered DNA evidence that exonerated the Dutchman.

Despite this, Spain’s lengthy judicial process meant Van der Dussen languished in hellish jails for for nine more years.

Van der Dussen still has two sexual assault convictions hanging over his head (which his lawyer is confident he will be cleared of).

But the Spanish legal process should hang its head in shame that it took nearly 10 years for such a glaring miscarriage of justice to be put right.

Olive Press payments THE following companies are no longer allowed to do business with the Olive Press (Luke Stewart Media SL - CIF B91664029), due to long standing debts: - MWM Investments Ltd - Petersham Coins, Marbella - Investor Spain - Simple Care - Autotunes Manilva - Hotel Embrujo, Arriate

the EE

August 6th -February August 19th www.theolivepress.es 66 17th2015 - March 1st 2016

The Refugio del Burrito is still fighting for justice for the donkey killed in a Bethlehem display in 2014, Tom Powell went to see where all the hard work starts

Moment of change

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Rescue and refuge T

HINK animal sanctuary and a serene countryside haven full of happy-go-lucky volunteers usually springs to mind.

And as I approached the Refugio del Burrito in Fuente de Piedra, this seemed to be the case. It looked tranquil, cosy and well kept… but looks can be deceiving.

The Refugio is by all means tranquil, a near-idyllic sanctuary in fact. But it is also a welloiled machine which knows no boundaries in its battle on behalf of the humble burro.

A denuncia against no mightier entities than the Guardia Civil, the Policia Local and Seprona had just been filed as I arrived, lambasting all three for ignoring a tragic case in Valencia involving a donkey called Rosie, who was being slowly eaten alive by her owner’s dog.

They are also taking out court proceedings against the heavyweight man who killed a donkey in Lucena by sitting on it for a photo in a Christmas ‘belen’

(nativity reenactment) in 2014.

The Refugio was successful in getting donkeys banned from last year’s display following a petition signed by 17,000 animal lovers, but the battle is not won yet, I am assured.

It’s clear that this small but determined team, managed

by Spaniard Veronica Sanchez, means business.

The Refugio was founded in

2003 and is a subsidiary of the Donkey Sanctuary in the UK, through which it receives a share of its funding. However, fundraising officer Maria Gallar tells me she wants the Refugio to be financially independent soon.

A s well as

Tackling the taxis THE Mijas donkey taxis are one of the most controversial tourist attractions on the Costa del Sol. They are an iconic part of the town, but there have been too many cases of abuse, highlighted by a video which went viral on Facebook last year of one being kicked and forced to get up in baking heat.

The Refugio has admitted they will not be banned any time soon, so instead provides training for the owners in conjunction with Mijas Town Hall.

The organisation is also allowed to perform checks in the stables and regulate the donkeys.

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Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es Newsdesk newsdesk@theolivepress.es Tel: (+34) 665 798 618 Tom Powell tom@theolivepress.es Rob Horgan rob@theolivepress.es Iona Napier iona@theolivepress.es Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Admin & Accounts:

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Political hurricane Aguirre steps down as Rajoy refuses to budge WHEN a dove walks usually the pigeons follow.

Well, at least in the natural world.

Esperanza Aguirre’s resignation on Sunday as president of the Madrid Popular Party’s (PP) chapter was the best political move of the year.

Showing that she is an example for the rest of Spain by taking responsibility for the corrupt acts of ‘others’ while she served as regional premier, Aguirre has upped the pressure on interim Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and former Valencia Mayor Rita Barbera.

Rajoy claims that he has imminent domain to continue as

prime minister because more than seven million voters gave the PP a majority at the polls on December 20.

He refuses to budge, pressuring instead the secretary general of the Socialist party PSOE and his political enemy, Pedro Sanchez, to form a “grand coalition” government to stop the up-and-coming leftist, radical movement Podemos – now the third political force in this nation— from taking over.

But those seven million voters at the time were not aware that the Civil Guard was planning mass arrests in Valencia and Madrid of top PP officials,

and those connected to the party, for corruption.

Rita Barbera, who has immunity because she serves in the Valencia regional parliament, refuses to leave her home – reporters are camped out 24 hours.

Rajoy and Barbera are in the centre of a political hurricane that will soon reach a category-five stage.

The former Valencia mayor is in the same position as Aguirre – her former subordinates and friends were arrested earlier this month in a massive graft raid focused on alleged illegal party financing.

And some are already looking

RIO

ALEGRI

A

or admin@theolivepress.es or sales@theolivepress.es

rescuing mistreated donkeys, the refuge works to prosecute irresponsible owners, campaign against traditions in which animals are abused, educate people and much more.

But, first things first, I am taken on a tour of the site to meet the four-legged residents, of which there are currently 90. A further 300 are given shelter at a sister site in Extremadura.

They are a noisily braying bunch, with ‘eees’ and ‘awws’ emanating from the busiest enclosure. As well as the staff, there are also two volunteers on hand, a German and a Belgian, who live onsite in a caravan.

As we stroll around, Maria explains where the various animal have come from, and it isn’t pretty listening. I meet Colino, who arrived with a seriously damaged tail, and Paco de Lucia, saved in the refugio’s biggest ever rescue operation in 2014 alongside five other donkeys.

Then there is Glorioso, socalled because he was found on a roundabout in a small village in Jaen.

Not all of them were plucked from a life of deprivation as nativity props or beasts of

MA

6

MADRIDS MATTER for plea bargain deals.

The interim prime minister, who is mostly concerned about staying on for a second term, refuses to say anything about Barberá or whether the PP was illegally raising money aside from Spanish laws.

Instead, he is demanding – or trying to convince his public – that Spain will go kaput if the PSOE doesn’t join a coalition with the PP. For now we know, at least, what his personal priorities are.

www.theolivepress.es burden. Some are simply cases of owners not being able to look after their animal anymore. All the donkeys that are rescued together are kept together at the refuge.

“Animal protection is still not a very popular topic in Spain and there are lots of barbaric traditions we continue to fight,” says Maria.

“Most of our donkeys come from southern Spain and Andalucia, where it is more of a problem.

“We have quite a few expat supporters but we are planning events on the Costa del Sol to raise more awareness,” she adds.

Meanwhile, my newly-acquired donkey knowledge allows me to spot two rogue horses (the ones with smaller ears) in one enclosure.

It turns out they were rescued from last year’s El Rocio pilgrimage in Sevilla province, a marathon trek infamous for its overworking of tired, thirsty animals. In total, the refugio assisted 183 animals and rescued six at the event.

At the back is the quarantine for new donkeys, where they spend six weeks being checked out by vets before meeting their new foster brothers and sisters.

The tour is a fascinating insight into what is a very complicated operation. The refugio can be visited any day, and they also run special workshops for schools and groups.

“The best thing about this organisation is everybody’s commitment to the cause,” explains Maria,

whose previous work for a refugee charity in Algeria has prepared her well for any situation.

Back inside I meet the chief investigator, Brit Nicky Cohen, who is bubbling with stories and anecdotes of her work.

Alongside coworker Coral, her job involves following up tip-offs, visiting cases, taking photos, talking to owners and getting the authorities involved.

And she is quick to tell me it’s the most rewarding job she has done to date.

“We get contacted every day with a case,” she says.

“Sometimes it’s people wanting advice as well.”

“We go and investigate ourselves, it’s not illegal to take photos from outside the property and ask questions but people can get annoyed.”

“After that we contact the officials - Seprona, the Guardia Civil or local police, depending on the situation - and begin legal procedures to acquire the animal if necessary.”

It is certainly not straightforward, but a stroll around the farm to meet the individual animals, each with its own personality, is an instant reminder of what makes this work so worthwhile.

The refuge provides an enjoyable and educational day out for the whole family. But it’s also an absolutely vital player in changing attitudes towards animal welfare in Spain.

There is much more information on all the donkey rescues and campaigns at: www. elrefugiodelburrito.com

Rescuing Rosie

ROSIE the donkey is a shining example of the success stories chalked up by the Refugio.

A lorry driver in Valencia had called up to say he drove past her frequently and was worried that she was always lying down.

He was asked to take photos, then the Refugio contacted police and arranged a visit by a local vet.

However both local police and Guardia Civil failed to act, forcing the Refugio to officially denounce them.

The vet eventually found Rosie in great pain. The owner’s dog had literally been eating her alive.

He agreed she could be taken away and she spent three weeks at Alicante animal hospital.

She is now growing steadily stronger in the Refugio’s Almeria outpost.

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August 6th17th - August 19th1st 2015 www.theolivepress.es February - March 2016

77 7

TRADITION: Ronda bullring and (right) Matador in action

An olé for bullfighting A N article in favour of bullfighting, they said.

It’s not going to persuade anyone who hates it to open their minds, or to give it a chance, I answered.

Those who have their ideas made up about ‘animal cruelty’ or ‘Spanish stone-age traditions’ aren’t going to be swayed by me talking loftily about ‘art’, ‘culture’ or that fruity word ‘catharsis’.

Many British residents in Spain have been ‘got at’ by their white-bread diet of satellite television and entertainers of the standard of Ricky Gervais, who makes his name by publicly playing with puppies and repeatedly announcing that anyone who doesn’t follow his wholesome lead is an utter shit.

In Spain, we have those who like the toros, those who don’t like the toros, and those who don’t like those who do like the toros.

Members of this last group are known as ‘antitaurinos’.

They feel a pious pressure to inflict their arguments – sometimes violently – on everyone else.

So, what’s the point of rolling out artists who loved the bullfight – Picasso, Orson Welles, Goya, Dalí, Hemingway and the the poet Garcia Lorca to name just six.

Or the south American author and hero to many, Gabriel García Márquez - the man who wrote 100 Years of Solitude who famously once said, ‘I’m a Nobel Literature Prize Winner and I love the toros. You: you who fancy yourself an antitaurino... what do you know of culture and tradition?’

What’s the point when you have already made up your mind – or had it made up for you?

Joaquin Sabina, Spain’s top folk singer, said just last week, ‘I think there is a lot of ignorance among the antitaurinos and a lot of scorn over a thing which has lasted for

In a controversial dispatch, expat bullfighting aficionado Lenox Napier argues the case for the corrida

centuries and which can be Some are modern or large city absolutely supreme: a meta- rings, others are small and a phor for life and death’. couple, I am sure, are no lonPerhaps that is part of the an- ger in use. titaurino problem – they can’t I might join a group of friends accept the profound truth to see a novillada – free to the that, without death, there can public, where the young and be no life. inexperienced (sometimes as So: to the young as 14) Bullfight. I go will buy a bull sometimes and rent the The crowd with my friends bullring - all are friendly, and my comfor one expanions, all pensive shot enthusiastic, Spaniards.

I at getting the vocal and am a part of magic right. this culture Another time, generous and spend we might go much of my to see some of time speaking Spanish, read- the stars of the bullfight: the ing, watching, living the vida matadores. There are people española. Thus, I do Spanish who treat them the same things and, naturally enough, way as we used to treat The enjoy this wonderful country Beatles or David Beckham. and its people to the full.

With adulation. One young In my province of Almeria woman of my acquaintance there are sixteen bullrings. knows all of the bullfighters:

To ban or not to ban A QUARTER of Olive Press readers would not ban bullfighting, a poll has revealed.

In the online survey of over 300 users, the other 75% said they would ban the ancient tradition which is popular across Spain.

It comes after a survey of Spanish people found fewer than one in five now support bullfighting.

It showed just 19% of Spaniards aged between 19-65 back the custom, down from one third in 2013.

Attendances have also dropped by 54% in the past seven years.

On February 9, the Balearic Islands voted in a landmark ban on all forms of bullfighting.

The amendment to the Animal Protection Law also prohibits any event which causes suffering to an animal and pressures the national government to eliminate public funding of bullfighting.

Last year, eight men died across Spain after being gored by bulls during festivals.

their names, colours, favourite pases (moves) and so on.

She keeps photographs of herself posing with some of these heroes of hers.

The crowd alone is worth a trip to the corrida. They are friendly, enthusiastic, vocal and generous. You will be lent a cushion to sit on, given a beer or a sandwich or a squirt of warm red wine from a goatskin bota.

You will see, together with a few thousand others, astonishing acts of bravery, of skill and an indifference to danger, to injury. This is Life, because Death is nearby.

Do the onlookers like to see the bull suffer, and die? No. Many turn away from that moment.

Are they cruel? Again, no.

Death accompanies us all – I think that the Spanish are tolerant of this finality.

The crowd, so noisy during the spectacle, leaves quietly and goes home. There is no truculence or fighting or drunkenness, like after a football match.

A corrida is a social affair.

The whole family comes, from small and noisy children to gouty old grandparents dressed in black.

There is an industry behind bullfighting. Many jobs and much money are involved.

The raw material, the fighting bulls known as los toros bravos, are extraordinarily well looked after – if you like – because they are expensive.

They will live free range on giant farms and will be brought to their destiny when they are four or sometimes five years old.

Contrast this with a bullock taken from a small pen and killed by an electric bolt to the head at 18 months or less... just to make you a nice sandwich.

Will bullfighting ever be stopped in Spain by the wellmeant interference of those with shrunken souls? Not in our lifetimes.

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GIBRALTAR

Give us our money back!

THOUSANDS of pounds in tax rebates are being held back from Gibraltar workers, it has been claimed.

A backlog of tax refunds has built up with some people still owed payouts from as long ago as 2008.

While the Tax Office insists all money owed will be paid, residents are fed up of waiting for money that is rightfully theirs.

The long delay of up to eight years has led a number of Gibraltar employees to contact the Olive Press for our help.

EXCLUSIVE

By Rob Horgan

One insisted she had ‘nowhere left to turn’ and was desperate for the money.

Nurse Donna Alecio, 32, is waiting on two rebates dating back to tax years 2008/09 and 2009/10, which total ‘well over’ £1,000.

The problem began when the mother-of-two was put on emergency tax when she started at St. Bernard’s Hospital, in 2008.

February 17th - March 1st 2016 www.theolivepress.es

Residents demand Tax Office settles long-standing rebates While she is unsure of the exact amount owed (‘because nobody has confirmed it’) the Tax Office insisted it would be repaid two years ago.

She was given the same line this month and is growing increasingly angry.

“I’ve been told I’m owed money time-and-again but I’ve no idea how much or when I will receive it,” she told the Olive Press.

“Then last week, I was told by someone on the desk that all rebates had been put on hold while staff underwent

Court debt crackdown CONVICTED criminals owe Gibraltar’s courts over £600,000.

The arrears come from fines issued to members of the public in Magistrates Court over the past three years.

The figure represents a £54,000 increase on the amount owed a year ago.

The court’s Chief Executive now wants to develop a plan to improve the recovery of fines.

“The Chief Executive is to meet with developers of the Integrated Criminal Justice System in the middle of

June 2015,” said a spokesman for the Principal Auditor.

“She also explained that there was nothing that could be done administratively in respect of the recovery of unpaid fines imposed, as she did not have jurisdiction over timescales set for the payments of such fines nor for any procedures regarding their recovery.”

Meanwhile the public also owes the Housing Department £6 million in uncollected rents.

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a training exercise.”

She added: “Residents are fined for declaring their earnings late, why is the Tax Office not being held accountable for its late payments?”

Another resident - who wishes to remain anonymous - revealed that he is owed £3,000 in a tax rebate from 2010/11.

“I know people who have received tax rebates from that year,” said the fatherof-two.

“I have no idea why my rebate has been left on the shelf.

“Getting your money back seems like a total lottery in Gibraltar.”

A spokesman for the Tax Office told the Olive Press that it was ‘unable to comment’ on the situation, as we went to press.

Somatic movements are very relaxing and easy to do; they are also very effective at releasing pain and tension in the body. In class you will learn skills to help you take care of yourself for years to come!

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GREEN NEWS

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Hairy horrors SPAIN’S dreaded tree caterpillars have made an unwelcome early appearance.

The hairy critters, which can cause harm to children and small animals if ingested, usually arrive at the end of spring.

But hordes of the poisonous pests, which dine on pine trees, have arrived months earlier due to Spain’s unseasonably warm winter.

The caterpillars lay eggs in pine trees and drop to the floor to find food once they have hatched.

Their barbed poisonous hair can be fatal to animals.

Victory!

SAVED: Untouched Cabo de Gata beach

Lovebirds Ebro’s eco war TWO eagles missed out on spending Valentine’s Day in their Antequera love nest after they were captured.

A 20-person team of environmentalists used bait and a ladder to snare the South American Harris eagles that had set up camp in a tree and ‘lightly injured’ two locals.

The birds had fled from their owners several months ago and were preparing a nest for chicks in a pine tree in Calle Ruy Lopez.

The Junta will care for the feathered friends until their owners are located.

ENVIRONMENTALISTS have waded into a battle about the River Ebro as Spain and Catalunya fight over water rights.

Last week 50,000 people protested in the Catalan city of Amposta over the transfer of the Ebro’s water to other parts of Spain.

Campaigners believe the Spanish government’s plans to divert water from the 578-mile river to farmers and developers will harm the landscape, which is famous for its birds and wildlife.

“It’s become a big symbol of the Catalan-Spain conflict, a lot of people seeing it as the red line,” said campaigner Brian Cutts.

The Ebro stretches from Cantabria and through nine autonomous regions until it arrives at Catalunya.

Junta abandons plan for Cabo de Gata beach bar after public outcry

By Iona Napier A 38,000 signature petition has forced the Junta to permanently abandon development plans on an unspoilt Cabo de Gata beach.

After widespread criticism, the environment minister Jose Fiscal announced the Junta has scrapped plans to build a café and shop on Cabo de Gata’s virgin beach Playa de Monsul.

Several groups had protested the build, claiming it would ‘distort’ the natural beauty of the protected space.

Fiscal announced that the aim of the project had been ‘to provide this natural enclave with more amenities for citizens, but only on the condition that it wouldn’t put the integrity of the space or its pure image at risk’.

The change.org petition, which currently counts almost 40,000 names, objected vehemently to the project.

“The department for environment want to put a bar on Playa de Monsul, the most emblematic of the natural park and where it is in no way necessary nor justifiable,” reads the petition, uploaded by Podemos candidate Francisco Jose Peragon just two months ago.

“They aim to camouflage it under the name ‘coast services centre’ with a shop, information centre and bar to attract visitors.

“But there are already visitor and information centres in the area appropriately located, and we have no need for another.”

Dr. Bjørn Abraham-Nilsen, DDS Dr. Tonny Nielsen, DDS

Going national

THE Sierra Bermeja could soon become a National Park after the Andalucia Earth Sciences Institute backed the campaign.

The vast, green mountainous region between Estepona and Casares has attracted researchers from all over the world thanks to its geological features, such as periodotite rock.

It is also home to the rare pinsapo pine tree.

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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

12 12

AXARQUIA

February 17th - March 1st 2016 www.theolivepress.es

12

Snow patrol

NEWS IN BRIEF

Rain ruin EXTREME weather on Valentine’s weekend damaged 50 greenhouses containing produce, with onefifth of potato crops destroyed in Velez-Malaga.

Facelift WORKS on the VelezMalaga Alcazaba have finally finished. The reconstruction cost €66,854 with €18,600 spent on the gardens’ watering system.

Trade boost MOTRIL Port will receive greater funding from central government in order to improve its trading with Africa.

THERE was more than just love in the air over the Valentine’s weekend.

A brief cold snap saw three centimetres of snow fall on the Axarquia and surrounding towns and villages.

Although picturesque the snowfall has left cherry farmers in Alfarnate and Alfarnatejo on tenterhooks as they are unsure if the extreme weather will impact on the trees.

Let there be light

By Iona Napier YOU’D think 2,500 streetlights would be easy to spot.

But Rincon de la Victoria Town Hall is unable to locate the streetlights alleg-

Rincon de la Victoria streetlight mystery sparks PP interrogation edly installed by the previous PP council.

Councillor Jose Maria Gomez has requested more information from former PP mayor

Sewage saga rumbles on WORK on Nerja’s sewage treatment plant can finally begin following a lengthy saga.

After numerous false starts and admin blocks, the town hall and Spain’s environmental department have authorised work on Buriana’s pumping station and several other collectors.

Work begins in the next few weeks however the plant will not be open until 2017.

It has been designed ‘to prevent any bad odours entering the town’.

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Francisco Salado of the expensive order made with suppliers Endesa-Enel Sole in 2013.

So far only 300 lights have been located and Gomez suspects the others were either sold, recycled or turned into scrap without record.

Surreal

The former mayor insisted the allegations were false and all the necessary information was available at the town hall.

“It is surreal and says a lot of Gomez’s management that he has to call a meeting to find materials that he should be responsible for,” he said.

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la cultura 14

what’s on

M

alaga, until February 21 Final chance to see the ‘Picasso. German Records’ examining links between the Malaga painter and German artists between 1905 and 1955. Museo Picasso Malaga. Info: 952 12 76 00

F

uengirola, until February 23 Patrick Hamilton’s Victorian thriller Gaslight features a house full of shadows, a woman on the verge of insanity, and murder. Info: 952 47 45 42

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Hake modern GHOST-LIKE figures sit in the soft sand below Spanish waters.

Accessible only to snorkelers and divers, Europe’s first underwater museum is opening in the clear seas off of Lanzarote.

Installation has begun at the Atlantic Museum, with sculptures by international artist Jason deCaires Taylor lowered on the seafloor.

DeCaires Taylor has created similar sculpture installations at underwater museums in the Bahamas, Mexico and the Antilles. Submerged 12 to 15 metres, the human figures will form part of an artificial reef, acting as a breeding site for local species.

EERIE: Underwater installation

It’s a steal

E

stepona, until March 3 Exhibition of paintings by French artist Emmanuel Janvier at New Longman's whose colourful abstracts and portraits span 14 years of his time in Estepona.

Info: newlongmansshop@ gmail.com

PRECIOUS: Photo of war generals

Ojeando Music Festival unveils the first bands in its summer line-up

I

N recent years there has been a proliferation of major music festivals in Spain.

The likes of Arenal Sound, Sonar, FIB, Primavera Sound, Sonar, Rototom Sunsplash reflect the growing global trend for musical marathons.

This has been mirrored at local level with some great mini festivals, one such being Ojen’s Ojeando Festival.

Held every summer for the past ten years, Ojen near Marbella gives itself over to two days of the best indie music from Andalucia and beyond.

Highlights of past editions have seen bands such as Izal, Supersubmarina, Guadalupe Plata, Nacho Vegas, Love of Lesbian, Russian

SPAIN has lost one of the 20th century’s most valuable historical archives to the USA.

Tuning in Gary Beaumont with

Listen up!

Red and Airbag, amongst many others, headlining the main stage and this year promises to be just as good.

Early confirmations include the winners and runners-up of the latest Ojeando New Talents contest in which dozens of indie bands from across the region battled it out for prize money and a chance to perform at the Ojeando Festival.

The winners were Hungry Butterfly, an electronic duo from Malaga comprising Paloma Bresca and Armando Gil; runners-up were Harakiri Beach, an electro pop trio from Granada; and Caballito de

Mar Man, another trio from Ubeda in Jaen whose music pays homage to comic book heroes.

A special prize for the best band from Malaga went to post rock quartet Alfred Larios.

Other confirmations are pop rock quartet Full from Sevilla and Glaciar, a popular indie pop band from Malaga who will be returning to Ojeando for the second year running.

This year also sees a guest appearance by Irish indie rockers Delorentos.

So make sure you make a note in your diaries for Friday 1 and Saturday 2 July. With

SALE

performances across three venues, including free concerts in the town square, as well as headline gigs in the schoolyard, and with a twoday ticket costing a mere €7, this musical feast is great value for money.

Tickets can be purchased from your local post office or on the festival website www.ojeando-festival.es You can find more information about the local music scene on Gary’s website www.andalucia.com or hear Gary’s radio show on Castle Radio 89.2 FM each Wednesday from 10 pm, repeated Saturday at 11 pm.

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The haul of more than 2,700 items includes letters, telegrams and photographs from leaders such as Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, Franco and De Gaulle.

The Jose Maria Castane Foundation is handing more than 60% of its collection to Harvard University’ following the Spanish government’s refusal to take charge of the collection.

Documents to be sent offer fascinating insight into Russia’s tsars, the holocaust, the atomic bomb and the Normandy landings.

“The legacy will have a sig-

One of Spain’s most important historical collections surrendered to Harvard University nificant impact on the development of our collection,” said Leslie A. Morris, head of Harvard’s Haughton Library.

The Castane Foundation was set up 20 years ago in Madrid by entrepreneur Jose María Castane to collect and protect documents relating to 20th century conflicts.

“The only thing we wanted was for the collection to remain in the hands of a firstrate institution that guarantees their conservation in the best condition without any financial compensation,” said Castane.

The Truman show TRUMAN was the big winner at the 30th edition of the Goyas, sweeping up five of the six gongs for which it was nominated.

Cesc Gay’s friendship drama bagged best film, director and original screenplay. Its star, the Argentine actor Ricardo Darin, walked away with the top actor award, while co-star Javier Camara won for best supporting actor.

Three of Spain’s presidential candidates, Pablo Iglesias, Pedro Sanchez and Albert Rivera, were among the star-studded crowd for this most prestigious date in the Spanish film industry calendar.

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PUPPET show in Madrid has become the latest battleground in the long struggle between Spanish radicalism and the corridors of power.

The arrests of the puppeteers - Alfonso Lázaro, 29, and Raul Garcia, 34, for ‘glorification of terrorism’ has sparked a fierce political row. Praising terrorism has been a crime in Spain since 1995. The men, from Granada theatre company Titeres Desde Abajo, were in prison for five days following their arrest at their show during Madrid’s carnival celebrations on February 5.

In a two-sided verbal showdown reminiscent of the real Punch and Judy puppets, the hard-lef t CNT-AIT t r a d e union has denounced the arrests.

Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena has apologised furiously for the ‘deplorable’ show (which her town hall funded and promoted).

Meanwhile, the puppeteers’ supporters have adopted last year’s Charlie Hebdo slogan with their hashtag Je suis titiritero (I am the puppeteer). Large demonstrations backing the men have been held in Madrid. Pablo Iglesias has even waded into the row.

“It is absurd that in a democratic country someone can find himself

15 February 17th - March 1st 2016

It’s a Punch & Judy showdown in Madrid as carnival puppeteers are jailed for glorifying terrorism, writes Joe Duggan

Strung out to dry

CONTROVERSY: Titeres Desde Abajo puppeteers

in jail for a work of theatre,” said the Podemos leader.

The two were detained following complaints from parents in the audience about their show The Witch and Don Cristobal. Court documents claim the play featured the hanging of a judge and the rape and murder of a nun. In one scene, a banner bearing the motto Gora Alka-ETA is raised. This slogan supposedly a reference to ETA and Al Qaeda - is what put the men behind bars in solitary confinement and facing serious charges. But the CNT-AIT has branded those responsible for their imprisonment ‘Iberian Taliban’.

“The fact that this performance uses puppets does not automatically mean that it is kid friendly,” a CNT-AIT spokesman told the Olive Press.

“It is not glorifying any terrorism act or propaganda in the show whatsoever.”

Rather, the CNT-AIT claim, the play is an allegory which stands for ‘social harmony, tolerance and respect’, the witch representing society’s marginalised people, the judge representing the law and the nun representing religion.

In a statement, the union also lashed out at Spain’s Ley Mordaza - Gag Law - which has seen activ-

ists arrested and free speech curtailed.

“The difference between the judge in the play, who condemns the witch, and the judge in real life, who condemns the puppeteers, is the material they’re made out of: the first is made of rags and the second is an ex-policeman who used to serve the fascist dictator Franco and is now a judge in the Spanish court,” the CNT-AIT spokesperson said.

The CNT-AIT’s backing is a reminder that Spanish radicalism is still alive and well, 150 years after Italian firebrand Giuseppe Fanelli introduced anarchism to Spain.

But the case raises age-old questions about freedom of speech and artistic expression.

‘Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?’, asked 18th-century satirist Alexander Pope.

Certainly the imprisonment of two glove puppeteers seems like a massive over-reaction. It is also an affront to Spain’s proud history of iconoclastic art, where artists from Francisco Goya to Pedro Almodovar have used their medium to attack and mock powerful institutions.

For Manuela Carmena, who was elected last May on a radical platform, the incident is the latest in a number of recent controversies she has become embroiled in.

Two weeks ago, the Ahora Madrid leader’s decision to purge the Spanish capital of all Francoist symbols came under fire when a plaque commemorating nuns murdered during the Spanish Civil War was removed.

Critics also hit out at the lack of tradition at this year’s Three Kings parade in Madrid.

The arrest of the two previously unknown puppeteers has become yet another major cause celebre in the city, another molehill of controversy that has grown into a mountain of trouble for Madrid’s mayor.

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POTTED POINTERS EMERGENCIES Police 199 Medical service 190 Fire 190 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.11 American dollars 0.78 British pounds 1.53 Canadian dollars 7.46 Danish kroner 8.68 H Kong dollars 9.61 Norwegian kroner 1.57 Singapore dollars ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 61.49% Same week last year: 79.55% Same week in 2005: 60.91% AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000

Open your eyes!

I CANNOT believe the Guardia Civil fined the lady for not being able to read her number plate, it is clear as day (The law is blind, issue 232).

It looks to me as though the Guardia should get their officers’ eyes tested more often.

Or preferably, their morals, ethics and honesty.

Venture an hour inland and you come across a different world. Cars are not even road legal, let alone having perfect number plates. Up in the small villages there are essentially no laws for drivers. The traffic police in Spain only function on main roads where they are desperate to fulfill their quota, otherwise they get their own salary cut... ridiculous system, but its like that in many countries.

Harriet Ford, Alhaurin el Grande

Fuel for thought I AM writing to ask the Olive Press and it’s readers to reopen the debate on the UK’s decision to stop the winter fuel allowance to expats. The European Union has made it abundantly clear to David Cameron that he cannot stop the payment of child benefit to families whose children do not live in the UK. Further, while researching this issue over the past 18 months, I came across a European Court of Justice case (case no C-503/09) that I thought was relevant. In the Opinion

LETTERS

Februarywww.theolivepress.es 17th -

Clean it up!

In the dumps

MYSELF and my partner often walk our dogs along the banks of the Guadalmansa River, a local beauty spot popular with hikers and cyclists near Cancelada, Estepona.

Last weekend we were dismayed and horrified to discover that a large pile of rubbish and unwanted household items including a child’s pushchair and a sofa had been dumped at the popular picnic and barbecue area (see above).

I searched the rubbish in vain to find anything that could identify the culprits but unfortunately came up with nothing.

Fly- tipping is a problem in many local scenic spots and I am hoping that the public will help identify and track down people who behave in such an anti-social way.

There are many ways in which people can dispose of unwanted items within the law and without spoiling people’s enjoyment of the countryside.

MY wife and I have planned to spend our winter holidays in the south of Spain to escape the cold in Denmark. We visited Estepona and enjoyed playing golf and going to beautiful sites in Andalucia. BUT on our last day we took a walk on the pier at the Marina Bay and a disgusting scene appeared. The entire area looks like a gigantic garbage dump. All along the pier there is waste, plastic bottles, metal cans, you name it. It looks as if the entire population of Estepona uses this area as their private garbage dump area. In the marina itself a small boat has sunk. Does anybody care?

Obviously not. The boat is on the bottom visible to anyone, and it’s most probably leaking oil and other chemicals. We wonder if it’s a national sport to pollute mother nature.

It’s so disgusting.

Mary Page, Estepona

Knud Stoevring, Denmark

Dirty banks

of Advocate summary, referring to Legal Context section 2a, it stated that a member state could not alter, reduce or rescind payment of noncontributory cash benefits, simply because the claimant lived in a different EU country. This is exactly what the British government has done, stating that their decision is based on the fact we live in a

Each print issue of the Olive Press can be read in its entirety on www.theolivepress.es And our site is updated March daily with1st the2016 latest news, making it one of Spain’s most visited news websites.

“hot country”!

The law is a bit of a minefield for a single person and would most probably carry more weight as a ‘class action’ and I think this is where the Olive Press (always seeking to right wrongs!) and its readers can help! I would be most interested in anyone’s thoughts on this matter.

Gina Watson, Malaga

Costa conman

other classic Costa del Sol conman (Careful what you sign away! issue 232).

He ruined so many people’s lives over a decade ago and it makes my blood boil to see his property scams are still affecting people today.

While I agree with the Olive Press opinion piece that you have to be careful what you are signing for, this man should be held accountable.

Surely someone knows what has happened to him.

JOSE Maseda is just an-

Steven Pearce, Marbella

Gym buddies

olive press online

October 2015

Page views:xxxxxxxxx Spain and Gibraltar’s best Visitors:English xxxxxxxx daily news website Most read this fortnight on www.theolivepress.es  Costa del Sol on weather alert

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Mum’s the word I WOULD like to thank the Olive Press for publishing Leon de Roeck’s work with my son Caine (Caine-ing it, issue 232).

Leon has been a great inspiration to Caine, he takes his time in guiding him and helps him achieve his goals. Caine has Downs Syndrome and it is therefore so encouraging to see his classmate looking out for him and teaching him a new skill. Caine is a very active boy and it is great to see him find a new way of keeping himself fit. Leon deserves all the praise in the world.

Big heart

Karisse McWilliam, Gibraltar

WOW! What can I say! Leon de Roeck is a strong boy with a big heart! And as for Caine, he’s an inspiration to us all! He is such a loving 15-year-old boy who has gained the hearts of many! Never change Caine you are one in a million. I am sure you are both inspired by each other. Keep up the good work and the special friendship.

Heidi Jefferies, Gibraltar Letters should be emailed to letters@ theolivepress.es. The writer’s name and address should be provided. Opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

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ll about

17

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa February 17th - March 1st 2016

Vol. 10 Issue 233 www.theolivepress.es

The perfect catch

PHOTO BY: JON CLARKE

The town that enraptured a Roman emperor, a British Prime Minister and a flamenco star is not resting on its laurels in its drive to attract new admirers. Indeed as Joe Duggan discovers, Manilva is...

END OF THE LINE: Manilva is the last resort on the Costa del Sol while (left) Roman baths and (inset) flamenco star Cameron de la Isla and Prime Minister Ted Heath

J

ULIUS Caesar came for the smelly sulphur springs, flamenco legend Camaron de la Isla for the tranquility, while tourists today come for its rich and varied beaches, emblematic marina and cosmopolitan vibe.

Brand Manilva may not have the instant recognition of its brasher costa cousins but like its locally-grown wine – now being given a Michelin star boost by Basque chef Martin Berasategui – the town is definitely improving with age.

“There is nowhere quite like Manilva,” explains proud expat councillor Dean Tyler Shelton, a businessman who has lived in the town for 18 years.

“We share a fantastic and unique mi-

cro climate nestled between the Sierra Bermeja mountains and the Straits of Gibraltar, there is a great mix of locals and tourists and there are excellent views of the north African coastline, including Ceuta.

“In fact, most of the time you feel that you could almost reach out and physically touch three countries and two continents from anywhere you are standing.”

Manilva’s first port of call is San Luis de Sabinillas, a tourist resort that keeps growing and growing in popularity.

‘Sabi’, as it is affectionately known by locals, has boomed over the past few decades from its humble beginnings as

a small fishing village with fishermen’s shacks literally on the beach.

This jumble of buildings huddled along a narrow strip of the A7 motorway is home to a thriving expat community.

In fact, the European Union flag fluttering at the entrance to the close-knit town of 6,000 is a fitting symbol of Sabi’s multinational appeal, with Moroccans, English, German and Spanish among the easy blend of nationalities living in harmony here.

Street signs in English underline Sabinillas’ undeniably British feel while in bars such as Ricky Lee’s sports bar and Turn to Page 18

Osteopathy Massage Therapy Manuel Jesus Torrejon Perez Edif. La Duquesa, Portal 1 - Planta 1a, No 6, 29692 Sabinillas, Malaga

20 years experience in Osteopath Manual Therapy

18 18

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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

ll about

From Page 17

PALS: Reporter Tom Powell (left) wuth writer Chris Stewart

MANILVA HOME OF THE OLIVE PRESS

THE Olive Press is proud to call Manilva its home.

Relocating to the well located Costa del Sol town two years ago, we have been treated well by the locals and seen business grow as a result.

Based in a spacious selfcontained office overlooking the busy N-340 motorway, we are just 25 minutes from Marbella and 25 minutes from Gibraltar.

“It is a fantastic location, strategically for our growth and due to its friendly, down to earth locals,” explained publisher Jon Clarke The official launch last month was attended by the mayor and Driving Over Lemons writer Chris Stewart.

O’Callaghans, expats gather to while away the evenings.

But Sabinillas’ healthy foreign contingent is far from the stereotyped insularity of some expat communities which hermetically seal themselves off from their Spanish neighbours. Organisations like the Duquesa Society of Saint George, whose charity shops are based in Sabi, have helped foster strong ties between foreign and Spanish residents. The Boxing Day swim, held to raise money for an operation to save a Manilva teenager’s hand, is another example of their community spirit and heroic altruism.

Brit Karen Langridge has lived in Sabi for nearly eight years. For four of them she has run La Boutique on Avenida de Espana.

“It’s such a diverse town, a real hidden gem on the Costa Del Sol. Everyone supports everyone, if anyone has an opening of a new business, for example,” said Karen.

“The beach is stunning and you have a nice blend of the old and the up-and-coming. I have seen Sabinillas change a lot over the years. It’s now becomming more cosmopolitan and elegant.”

Sabi’s scintillating events calendar has also been helping to raise its public profile.

The Sunday flea market has quickly gained a reputation as one of the best on the Costa del Sol. Every August, thousands of

www.theolivepress.es

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

FORTRESS OF FUN

RAMPARTS: Castillo de la Duquesa revellers descend for Manilva’s Full Moon Party. Inspired by the legendary beach parties of Thailand’s Koh Pha Ngan island, this family-oriented event features Chinese lanterns soaring skyward over the sea.

Those same Mediterranean waters have sustained Sabinillas over decades. Fishing

PRIMROSE R E A L E S TAT E

is still part of the village’s lifeblood, and the vast monument on the promenade honours those local men who have risked their lives at sea. A mosaic (see right) on Avenida Manilva also pays colourful tribute to this vital industry.

Meanwhile, sun worshippers and bathers can enjoy the

Blue Flag beach - one of the coast’s best - which fans out invitingly.

Strolling past the restaurants that line the promenade’s wide expanse, you eventually arrive at bustling Puerto de la Duquesa, where the vessels are primarily geared towards leisure.

Ranks of sleek yachts bob

in the harbour, enclosed on three sides by dazzling white buildings.

Famed for its nightlife, Puerto de la Duquesa is also home to well-known bars like Hemingway’s and Leisure Lounge, which has one of the biggest screens to watch sports on the Costa del Sol. Restaurants paying court to a cornucopia of cuisines offer everything from a traditional British carvery to Asian fare and Spanish staples. The best, including Parapiros and Il Capitano, have been plying their trade for over three decades.

Continue on and after five minutes you arrive at the impressive Castillo de la Duquesa.

This hardy fortress has faced the Mediterranean since 1767, when King Carlos III ordered Francisco Paulino to strengthen the coast’s defences. Once home to the king’s cavalry, it now houses a museum. Visitors can amble freely around its well-preserved rooms and ramparts.

In Roman times, Duquesa was famed for its production of garum, a foul-smelling sauce made from anchovies that was hugely popular and exported back to Italy by the tonne (British chemo-chef Heston Blumenthal recently tried his hand at this Manilva

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19 February 17th - March 1st 2016 CAPTION: Caption here

speciality). most fragrant experience, the Plentiful traces of the area’s cloudy blue pools and arched Roman roots are also still to be brickwork offer a fascinating found. step back in time. In summer, Excavation work in 1989 unfamilies frolic in the waters or covered a bath house site near under the shade of eucalyptus Plaza de los Banos Romano, trees. For a primal DIY mud and a Roman necropolis lies pack, simply grab yourself a just north of Castillo de la handful of clay from the surDuquesa. rounding walls and smear it all However one of the most imover! pressive Roman sites in Spain And let’s not forget Manilva villies away from lage itself, the coast in the a sleepy hills below Malittle idyll During the nilva village, on perched Napoleonic wars, high above the border of Casares.

Manilva was one the hustle The Roman Suland bustle of few villages phur Baths of of the cosnot occupied by Hedionda temptta below. ed no greater marauding troops Its whitepersonage than washed Julius Caesar to buildings take a restorative are framed dip and is the reason town got with a neat mustard-yellow its name Casares. trim and capped with terracotToday, visitors can still wade ta tiles, a picture-perfect Aninto the same waters as dalucian image in a town that Rome’s most revered emperor. remains truly Spanish.

The sulphur springs gushing Behind this unpretentious fafrom the valley’s limestone cade, Manilva has another less outcrop have strong medicinal immediately obvious claim to properties. And although the fame: a small wine and grape underground baths aren’t the industry.

WHEELEY GOOD: Sabi Sunday market

Market leader

IT is said to be the best flea market on the coast.

And hours can certainly disappear while perusing all the weird and wonderful oddities at the bustling Sabinillas Sunday market The New Fairground on the Rio Manilva road is the latest home for the famous rastro, a colourful combination of flea market stalls and fresh produce.

The market is always extremely busy with visitors coming from afar to bag a bargain. The recent appearance of bullfighter Javier Conde and his wife, flamenco star Estrella Morente, has only strengthened its reputation.

TRADITION: Manilva’s wine and fishing industies in murals

Good old St. George THE Duquesa Society of St George has long been a cornerstone of Sabinillas’ expat community - and now it has expanded.

Renowned for its charitable exploits, some of the society’s recent good deeds include providing 500 Christmas gift bags to underprivileged local children,donating €2,217 to La Linea charity Hogar Betania and raising €10,000 for an operation to save an 18-year-old rock climber’s hand.

Now as the charity continues to grow, it has opened a new larger shop at Plaza de las Naranjas.

Selling mainly second-hand furnishings, decorative items, books, dvds, cds and pictures.

Its committee of Dean Shelton, Gary Beaumont, Daniela Caballero and Judith Beaumont helps organise events throughout the year, including a Sunday market.

Both shops welcome donations of second-hand goods and volunteers.

The surrounding vineyards harvest the Moscatel grapes to produce s a young wine called mosto.

They also sell the grapes around the country.

The NILVA white table wine (see Page 24) is another local speciality (beer lovers, fret not: local brewery Gran De Select makes some of the finest ales on the Costa Del Sol). In September, the town’s soughtafter juicy Malaga raisins are plucked and set out to dry.

The Plaza de la Vendimia (Wine Harvest Square) boasts a lovingly-recreated mosaic depicting grape-pickers at work (all except one character, portrayed enjoying a sneaky smoke, adding a humorous touch of realism).

On the first weekend in September, the square becomes the focal point for the town’s annual harvest festival.

Held since the 1960s, Manilva buzzes into life as visitors pour in to celebrate the area’s most famous export.

The opening of the Manilva Wine Centre in 2010 further

DOCKED: Puerto de Duquesa

cemented the town’s links with viticulture.

Manilva has a strong sense of its own history.

Old photographs offering snapshots of times gone are proudly displayed outside the town hall and in Plaza de la Vendimia, while a sign reminds visitors of the civic motto. ‘Manilva: Very noble and very loyal’.

It honours the town’s resistance during the Napoleonic wars, when Manilva was one of the few villages not occupied by the emperor’s marauding troops.

Gazing out from the Pedreta mirador towards the rolling green hills embracing the neighbouring white pueblo of Casares, you can see why Manilva’s town folk were so protective of this strategic vantage point with its incredible coastal views.

Meandering back through town, St Anne’s church stands like a sentinel to the town’s past, present and future. Worshippers have been flocking through its doors since 1776.

Next door is the final stop for many of the locals who have spent their whole lives here - the traditional Spanish cemetery whose row upon row of whitewashed niches bloom with fresh flowers left by caring relatives.

Even in death, the Spanish instinct to remain close to one another endures.

Today expats have been welcomed into the mix and this easy blend of nationalities is a huge part of Manilva’s appeal.

Anyone seeking an authentic taste of Andalucia’s laidback charm will find Manilva has it in spades.

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20 20 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

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A

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www.theolivepress.es Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

The Anarchist gestor

‘W

HEN I do a ten-hour day it feels like a half day these days,” explains rushed-off-her-feet Katie Rawlins, of Breaking Spain.

Whether it’s explaining medical documents, translating in court cases or sorting out a driving licence, she does the lot...and the phone starts ringing before 9am and often doesn’t stop till 10pm.

“Chasing up ITVs, sorting out NIEs, enrolling kids at school, sorting out a problem with the electricity bill, getting on the padron, those are just some of the things I do,” she explains.

The all-round problem-solving magic lady/ fixer/agony aunt has been helping expats in the Manilva area (and a long way beyond) for the last decade.

The Penguin Bar is a real local traditional Pub where locals and holidaymakers meet for a chat and a drink in a very friendly atmosphere with a great terrace and There are TV screens showing different events or matches.

· Opening Hours · Mon-Sun: 12:00 - 12:00 Plaza Chanquette, Puerto de la Duquesa Tel 0034 608 49 97 30 find us on facebook

Married to a financier, based in Gibraltar, the 37-year-old Briton moved to the town 12 years ago, following in the footsteps of her mum.

Describing herself as an ‘anarchist gestor’, she spends her time running around helping her 200 odd clients that often give her just hours to get a job done.

As well as working for Premiership footballers and millionaire businessmen, Rawlins - whose grandmother is Spanish from Valencia - mostly helps the common man on the street.

“I only charge 25 euros to sort out a utility bill and I think I am very good value for what I manage to achieve,” she adds.

Visit www.breakingspain.com or call 616686732

Port of Adventure La Duquesa is a culinary voyage of discovery, writes Tom Powell

I

F the idea of travelling around the world in 80 restaurants floats your boat, bustling La Duquesa Port is the perfect spot to drop anchor.

A walk around this whitewashed marina takes scarcely longer than five minutes but just count the blackboards promoting cuisine from all over the globe: China, India, Japan, and Singapore, and a plethora of European ports of call too!

In the maze of alleys behind the port you will also find the excellent Hemingways, its bustling Irish next-door-neighbour Kinsales, as well as Tim’s fish and chips, Italian pizzerias and authentic Spanish eateries, packed together more tightly than wheels in the car-park.

It could be argued that La Duquesa lacks Spanish identity, with more English voices than yachts and more burgers than tapas.

But step out either side of the port, where Spanish chiringuitos (and boatfuls of grilling sardines in summer) fringe

PORT OF COOL: Duquesa

expansive soft sand beaches and you’ll be left in no doubt which country you’re in.

This social meeting point sings through its restaurants, cafes and bars, the people who work in them and the visitors who sit in the sunshine enjoying them.

This elegant enclave of turrets and towers, pretty plazas and steps leading to different levels juts out from the mainland, encircling its attractions like an oyster encloses

a pearl.

Quirky and eclectic, it’s like a younger sister to Puerto Banus – less glam perhaps, but less snooty too; more affable and, importantly, very much

Anything but lounging A

FTER following in his parents footsteps to Duquesa Port a couple of years ago, professional chef Matthew Heath needed a business to run.

Not just content to cook for mum Beverly in her cafe, Coffee Lounge, and help dad, Stewart, in neighbouring bar, Leisure Lounge, he decided to use his skills as a golfer to get on.

Playing off ‘plus one’, he decided to set up a business helping tourists have the ‘best possible’ golf holiday on the Costa del Sol. Organising everything from club hire to transport and from accommodation to green fees, it meant he could spend as much time as possible involved in the sport he began playing at the age of 11.

“I was playing three or four days a week on arriving in Spain and was hoping to become a pro, but the language barrier stopped me sadly,” explains Matthew, from Romford, in Essex.

“Luckily with the new job I get to spend a lot of time on courses and using my knowledge of the

coast to make my clients as happy as possible.”

When he is not organising trips with company Duquesagolfandleisure.com, he still helps out cooking at Coffee Lounge, which has a great range of fresh, healthy tapas and dishes, changing by the day.

He is also busy helping his dad organise the annual Duquesa darts tournament, which takes place over four days in the summer.

A keen Spurs fan, his dad’s bar Leisure Lounge has been showing most live football games and boxing matches on its huge 155 inch screen for the last eight years. www.duquesagolfandleisure.com or call 687471810

more affordable.

This sociable spirit is enhanced by the people who work here, who hail from all over the world and are woven into the ethnically diverse fabric of La Duquesa.

It makes sense that one of the men heavily involved in the port’s growth is Moroccan Zac Hauswirth. In 2014 he opened his fourth restaurant here - Casablanca, specialising in food from his homeland.

He also runs the Ocean Café, where bartender Christian LLosa, who has lived in Spain since 2006, raves about his ‘workplace’. “It’s friendly, trendy and always busy, rain or shine.

Because of the people the port is alive and rapidly growing.”

While Christian admits the average age of customers is over 30, that changes during busy weekend ‘happy hours’ which are popular with young and old alike.

And of course, it’s hip to 21st century requirements, with wifi freely available in all the cafes and every possible amenity a short distance away.

www.theolivepress.es

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

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February 17th - March 1st 2016

Turning Point Tom Powell discovers how a daytime TV game show victory earnt Olive Press’ Head of Sales Chris Birkett a fresh start in Manilva

T

O viewers it was just another TV game show. But to 45-year-old Chris Birkett this was one final chance to give his family the life they dreamed of.

Nerves were high, he hadn’t exactly got off to a great start on ITV’s Tipping Point and the prospect of returning home empty-handed to his two-up, two-down in Essex, seemed a racing cert.

And then host Ben Shephard asked the question that convinced Chris fate was on his side.

“In which British Overseas Territory would you find Barbary Macaques?”

Chris, grinning from ear to ear, replied: “I got married there so I should know this one: Gibraltar!”

Now let’s rewind a bit ...

The year is 2014. Chris, wife Natalie and threeyear-old son

Ethan are living in Ilford but dreaming of sun, sand and sangria (well, Ethan doesn’t know about the sangria yet).

Chris had previously lived in Mollorca (party-lovers might recognise him from his DJ days) so cold, grey England was far from paradise.

He had been working as a presenter on a shopping channel for four years, but they were desperate to move to Spain.

“I went freelance after leaving shopping TV to help us move to Spain but it wasn’t going that well. I was working in dribs and drabs,” reminisces Chris.

He applied for Tipping Point, not expecting a whole lot, and after a lengthy ap p l ication process was eventually invited on the show in Sep-

HAPPY FAMILY: Birketts

PENSIVE: Chris considers the answer and (left) with Ben Shephard

tember.

Tipping Point, for those without an IPTV box, sees contestants answering general knowledge questions to win counters, each worth £50, via a large arcade-style slot machine. Only the winner takes home their accumulated money. The rest go home emptyhanded.

As Chris recalls, it didn’t start too well for him and the others were soon

racing into the lead, until serendipity seemingly intervened.

“There was the Gibraltar question, then one about Egypt where I had been on holiday the year before, and one about Maldon salt which is where I used to work as a chef,” laughs Chris.

“I knew that it was meant to be at that point.”

And it was. Not only did he win the show, the jackpot counter dropped

on his final go, scooping him the full £10,000.

Before his wife knew of the win, he cheekily sent her a picture of him and the host, captioned: “Oh well, at least I got to meet Ben Shephard.”

“You gave it your best shot, well done,” she replied.

Then he sent a photo of the £10,000 jackpot and rang her. Her exact words aren’t suitable for print, but she also wept tears of joy, knowing that this was the moment their lives changed forever.

Looking back now from his Duquesa village home on a sunny February morning, Chris says: “If we hadn’t won the game show, we would still be in London.

“We moved here just over a year ago now and chose Duquesa because it’s so close to Gibraltar and a great area to bring up a kid.”

“I owe a lot to Ben Shephard too, he is a great guy and between the rounds he calmed me down.”

Chris joined the Olive Press sales team last April and was rewarded for his hard work by being made Head of Sales just three months later.

Perhaps, along with luck and a little help from Ben Shephard, sheer determination and willpower also played a hand in dealing Chris and family their shiny new life in Spain.

e and from May onwards we will be opening again on Sundays. Weekly and monthly magazines are also erman22 andtheFre nch 22 www.theolive. The Olive Press November - 25th TV 14th Choic 22ine is available every Thursd e 2016 magaz Sabinillas and so you can pla ll about Manilva, ay n wh at’s on ! o rent on a yearly basis and can be shared by up to 4 namPuerto de la Duquesa es per box. The service includes emails once ou know exactly when it arrives. A passport service is als o available where the passports are sent and ntly within a 3 week time frame.

Manilva Supplement:Layout 1 11/02/2016 14:50 Page 1

The

A Bookshop -Sabinillas Not just a bookshop

When Steve Davies took the “English Bookshop” on in Sabinillas a lot of eyebrows were raised “Good luck with that one” were amongst many of the comments made, however 5 years on Bookshop and the transformation is almost complete. The “Sabinillas Bookshop” ied out a ser The Sabinillas offers ies of cou rse s foc usi ng on He lium Ba lloo n secondhand dec or whbooks as it is preferred to be called now boasts 28 bookshelves carrying from Crime, Adventure, Romance, Saga ichboss something for every occasion, as ember of the Qualatex Whyrk change to Sabinillas Bookshop? biographies and many many Balloo n more.

Netwo Steve earns his stripes asWell, a we also have books in Spanish, German, andtheDavies Cename rtified Ba lloo n Art ist, French, Scandinavian etc so not just an Englishballoon Bookshop!

As well as secondhand books we also have a huge range of greeting certified artist eople foundDutch, hila riou s, how eve r acc ord ing to Ste ve it wabanners, s vertable cards to cater for every occasion. Party ware including, badges, confetti, y inte nse!!candles and sparklers. Our large selection of HEN Steve Davies took sparklers. Our large selection ns and fresh gift wrap, bags and tags English Bookshop suitable for allofages. gift ide wrap, andtás tags compliment asbagsFan tico Celebour Sports Bar ratquirky ionsthegifts and Eve nts

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was born, helium balDaily loons, As weare ll as offerin newspapers available and g from willche be opening Sundays.

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A passport service . Eve rywhen balloo n ord er is tail oredis also available where the passports are sent and brought by courier, 3 week time frame. e endless sin ce back there are socurrently manywithin typaes and colours of balloons to to the “balloo In September 2015 out absi series courses focusing on Helium Balloon decor which n artist” orSteve visitcarried the we te ofww w.f antast ico-es.com Balloon Artist, resulted in him becoming a member of the Qualatex Balloon Network and Certified BALLOON MAN: Steve Davies · Opening Hours 12 till Late · on in Sabinillas a lot compliment quirky gifts suitof eyebrows were raised ‘Good able for all ages. Daily newsluck with that one’ were among papers are available and from May onwards we will be openmany of the comments made.

However five years on and the ing again on Sundays. Weekly transformation is almost com- and monthly magazines are plete. The ‘Sabinillas Book- also on sale in Spanish, Engshop’ as it is preferred to be lish, German and French. The called now boasts 28 book- TV Choice magazine is availshelves carrying secondhand able every Thursday so you can plan what’s books including on! Our PO crime, advenBoxes are ture, romance, Every balloon available to saga biograorder is tailored rent on a phies and many to the individual. yearly basis more. and can be Why change the The options are shared by name to Sabinilendless... up to four las Bookshop? names per Well, we also box. have books in Spanish, German, Dutch, A passport service is also availFrench, Scandinavian etc so able where passports are sent it is not just an English Book- and brought back by courier, currently within a three week shop!

As well as secondhand books time frame. we also have a huge range of In September 2015 Steve cargreeting cards to cater for every ried out a series of courses fooccasion as well as partyware cusing on helium balloon decor including badges, banners, which resulted in him becomtable confetti, candles and ing a member of the Qualatex

which funnily enough a lot a people found hilarious, however according to Steve it was very Balloon intense!!

Network and Certified Live Sports shown in HD Balloon Artist, which funnily So, with new found qualifications and fresh ideas Fantástico Celebrations and Events was born, enough a lot a people found Large Outside Terrace hilarious, however according to which is the"Free newWifi" name for our helium balloons, As wellFan as offering balloons in bunches, we can also Steve it was very intense! So, tas tic o Ce leb rat ion s with newfound qualifications Open 7 days a week create balloon displays, such as balloon bouquets, columns of balloons staggered in heightsand andfresh ideas Fantástico & Eve ntsEvery balloon order is tailored Celebrations and Events was the baseSabinillas for floors or tables, and even balloon arches. weighted at Almina, born, which is the new name Urb Punta for our helium balloons. As The594 Sa bin893illa the individual.

The options are endless since there are so many types and colours of balloons to offering balloons in Telto0034 633 655 / 952 275s well as bunches, we can also create choose from, call andok speak to the “balloon artist” or visit the website www.fantastico-es.com find us onin facebook Bo balloon displays, such as balshop

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loon bouquets, columns of balloons staggered in heights and weighted at the base for floors or tables, and even balloon arches. Every balloon order is tailored to the individual. The options are endless since there are so many types and colours of balloons to choose from.

Call in and speak to the ‘balloon artist’ or visit www. fantastico-es.com

Fantastico Celebrations & Events The Sabinillas Bookshop

illas The Bookshop

Ask in the shop for Sabinillas details

PO Boxes Available Ask in the shop for details

Celebrations and events

Large range of Greeting Cards Balloon décor for Weddings, Birthdays, Parties & Events Ce le br at ions and evanden tsDrops.

GreetinDaily • Magazines • Maps g CaNewspapers including Arches, Columns Balloon rds lloon décor for WeTable décor helium balloons dding s,and Birpersonalized thdays, Pa Passports Postal Service • Day Trips •Ba rtie s & Events Magazines • Maps• with company logo. including Arches, Columns and Balloon Drops.

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Table décor and pe Trips • Tel: Pass952 T:rso952 ports 891 545 nalized937 helium692 balloons witM: h comp any log o. 934 634 314 Guides • BoEmail: okssteve@sabinillasbookshop.com

891 545

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Email: info@fantastico-es.com www.fantastico-es.com

23 23

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More growth

February 17th - March 1st 2016

March 5th - March 18th 2015

Manilva property market continues to rise ahead of new luxury Crystal Lagoon site, estimates boss of Primrose Estate

A

S 2016 kicks into life, Manilva’s property market has plenty to be excited about, according to Duquesa expert Lynn Van Wilderode from Primrose Real Estate With the Costa del Sol continuing to see healthy growth, Manilva’s superb beaches, proximity to Gibraltar and relaxed pace of life make it a standout draw for those looking to invest or rent.

The luxury €121 million Crystal Lagoons resort - in the hills between Manilva and Casares - is also set to create a huge leisure area for local watersport lovers.

And with thousands of golf fans attending the Sergio Garcia-hosted Spanish Open at the nearby Real Club Valderrama , in Sotogrande, this April, the future is bright for Manilva.

“We are really excited,” says Lynn, who has lived and worked in the area for 13 years.

“A lot of people are

STUNNING: Crystal Lagoons resort

finding Estepona too busy, or too expensive, so they are venturing further down the coast.

“There are lots of changes happening down here and things are looking really promising.”

The area’s wide expanses and warm community spirit make it perfect for those looking to avoid the hustle and bustle of other costa resorts.

“It’s nice and quiet,” says Lynn. “People are not crammed into a small space. It’s also residential - there are people here all year round.”

With a shortage of long-term lets in the area and demand high among people commuting to Gibraltar for work, it’s an ideal market for those looking to invest.

“I have seen an increase in people looking to rent and they can’t find properties. If people are looking for an investment, this is a great area,” says Lynn.

And with the rent-

al market offering exciting opportunities, Lynn’s Primrose Real Estate is introducing a rental section to its website as the company expands.

Manilva’s resale market is also buoyant, with a lot of big investors buying half finished developments, finishing them off and selling them as separate units.

As always, British buyers are leading the charge. But concerns over security elsewhere in Europe appears to be leading a growth in interested buyers from elsewhere.

“There are a lot more Belgian people, these days,” says Lynn, who speaks Flemish, Spanish and English.

“I was in a beach bar with a client the other day and every single person there was Dutch or Belgian.”

The USA firm Crystal Lagoon’s first project in Spain, Alcazaba, will create four-acre crystal-clear lagoon that is ideal for swimming, kayaking and other water sports.

The site will initially see 450 new apartments with 350 more to be added.

“It is something different we have never had here before,” says Lynn. “We are hopeful that when that is finished it will bring a lot of international people.”

For more information call 661 193 789 or visit www.primrose-realestate.com

Europe comes to the coast EDUCATION CENTRE Tutoring in small groups We motivate your children Spanish lessons for non Spanish English lessons for all abilities

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Tel: 655 078 187

EVERYTHING from small apartments to luxury villas are being snapped up in Manilva. That is according to leading agent Coast to Coast properties.

Set up in 2002 by Brit Brian Berney, Coast to Coast has established itself as a go-to agent for clients from across Europe.

With staff able to speak English, Spanish, French and Italian, Coast to Coast has been finding dream homes for people from all corners of Europe and even further afield.

“The last 18 months has seen a boom in the number of people coming to Manilva from across Europe, especially Brits and Scandinavians,” Berney says. “Being close to both Marbella and Gibraltar is definitely a pull for Europeans.”

He adds: “People are still on the lookout for a bargain, but as more and more property is bought up the real bargains are becoming harder to find.

“However, it is good news for the market which at last looks to be stabilising.”

For advice on how to buy, sell or rent contact sales@ c2cproperty.com or call 952 892 517

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Call us now for advice on how to sell or rent your property fast tel: 952 892 517

24 24 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

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ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

www.theolivepress.es

Humb

Just one man stands in the way of developers to protect Maniva’s historic wine tradition.

In a remarkable success story, he has now managed to get his wine into the world’s best restaurants, writes Iona Napier

I

F you are lucky enough to dine at the swish Basque Restaurante Martin Berasategui – the world’s best restaurant according to TripAdvisor – order a bottle of Nilva from Manilva.

Produced from moscatel grapes grown on a tiny vineyard overlooking the sea, the dry, fruity white made a big impression on the eight-Michelin-starred chef, Berasategui, who personally selected it for his wine list last year.

And he’s not the only big name to back Nilva: the wine is now also available at three-Michelin starred Arzak in San Sebastian and endorsed by TV chef David de Jorge of Telecinco show ‘Robin Food’.

This success would be remarkable by any standards but the fact that Nilva is the realisation of one Albacete man’s dream makes it all the more astonishing.

When I ask Argimiro Martinez Moreno how many people he employs to make the wine, his answer is simple: one, himself!

Not long ago the only local wine came in a plastic bottle with no label.

Now Argimiro is leading a battle to revive and promote the town’s winemaking which, after all, has been going on since Roman times.

His wine, says Argimiro, is ‘the only wine made on the Costa del Sol and

TOP BUYER: Argimiro with Berasategui the first to be sold in restaurants and official shops’.

Several restaurants and bars along the coast stock the delicious wine, but there should be far more.

“I don’t know why more local establishments don’t serve up local produce, particularly as Brits and Scandinavians love dry, fruity wine and have given great feedback.”

The Manilva vineyards are now, officially, at the heart of a massive project to boost local tourism.

Argimiro also runs the new wine mu-

FROM GROUND TO GLASS: Picturesque P

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tel: 952 892 097 – info@costamanilva.com Av. Manilva 1 – Edificio Avenida, 1F – Sabinillas – 29692 Manilva

www.theolivepress.es

ble origins

Penoneillo grapevine in Manilva

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

2525

February 17th - March 1st 2016 seum and ‘wine interpretation centre’ money selling their land to deat the entrance to Manilva, a treasure velopers than from making trove of exhibits, with audiovisual room wine,” he explains. showing educational films, a chance to “Perhaps 30 to 40 times that see wine being made, and local art ex- amount.” hibitions which change monthly.

Some of the most productive Entrance is just €3 (and free for Manil- vineyards, such as around va residents). There are extra options Dona Julia golf course in for every budget, including a guided Casares, have long gone due tour with wine-tasting and appetis- to the construction boom. ers for groups, starting at €13, and a One of Spain’s most infamous new tour of the museum, bodega and developers Rafael Gomez Sanvineyard followed by a local speciality chez, aka Sandokan, allegedly of lamb chop grilled on vine branches bought up around half of the land (‘buenisimo’ according to Argimiro) around Manilva village and it was only from €30 per head. the property crash that stopped him The impressive museum which boasts digging up the lot. an underground bodega and lab, huge “I am passionate about protecting the auditorium, bar and vines,” says Argimiro, terrace, was built who is now lobbying the by the town hall authorities to protect Argimiro is now in 2008 and used the vineyards and help lobbying to for two years as a to give them new life. wine school (ArgiAn agricultural enthe authorities miro was originally gineer by trade, he to protect the a teacher) for 24 moved his family to vineyards lucky students until Estepona in 2009 and the Junta ran out of rented the vineyard ‘del funds.

Penoncillo’, the bodega But, either way, Argimiro is convinced and museum from the town hall. that the town can cash in on the es- “It certainly hasn’t been easy,” admits timated six million people coming to Argimiro, who, currently bottles beSpain for wine tourism each year. tween 2,500 and 5,000 bottles a year “I believe we can attract a new cul- depending on the harvest. tured crowd to Manilva, aside from “It definitely isn’t profitable yet, the world the traditional beach tourism,” he es- of wine is very slow, but I believe it will be.” timates.

He continues: “It is also perhaps ironic More than just a tourist attraction, the that I have to pay so much to use the museum’s purpose is to inform locals museum and land while I am doing so as well as tourists about the area’s long- much for tourism. standing winemaking tradition. And also “I guess I must be a little bit mad to the need to protect it. pursue this, but if that’s what it takes Maps and guides some 500 years to succeed then I’m happy to go with old show that Manilva was covered that. I really believe in this project.” in vines way back from Roman times. It’s hard not to admire this man for upBut since then nearly three quarters rooting his life in Albacete to bring his have vanished, most of them in the wife, Inma, and kids Argimiro, 20, and last two decades due to development. Carlos, 15, with him on his wine crusade.

“Ultimately owners made a lot more He was raised by a father who made

wine as a hobby, so the passion for winemaking is almost genetic.

And his agricultural engineering degree, which he got in Cordoba, led to designing vineyards and other projects.

Now his key goal is to get more international chefs, like Martin Berasategui, to visit the winery and stock his wines.

He had first met Berasategui in San Sebastian, last year, after sending him some samples to try.

“He has completely backed our project, sponsored some vines and is planning to visit in the future to continue supporting our vision,” he said.

If you don’t have the budget to sample Nilva along with a three-course dinner at Restaurante Martin Berasategui, you can buy a bottle from the museum in Manilva where it sells from €5.

You never know, the local restaurants nearby might let you open it with lunch.

For more info visit www.nilva.es

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Cirque to Soleil Rob Horgan discovers how a British expat went from elephant trainer in the USA to chef at Manilva’s coolest chiringuito

F U R N I T U R E - D E C O - U P H O L S T E RY Horario de apertura: lunes a viernes 10:30 -14:00 mañana / 17:30 -20:00 tarde sábado 10:30 -14:00 mañana Urb. Pedraza Beach. Crta. N-340 Km. 142 Manilva (Málaga) Telf: 952 89 17 47- 952 89 03 16 e-mail: info@ornatus.es www.ornatus.es

UNLIKELY PALS: Nigel with Flora, while (below) his new beach bar home Floria

F

ROM training elephants to topping pizzas, Floria chef Nigel Crumplin certainly has an interesting

CV. Arriving in Manilva five years ago, Brit Nigel swapped the circus for the kitchen when he teamed up with Floria’s charismatic Dutch owner Peter Nette.

And while Nigel, 48, admits there are ‘little-to-no transferable skills’ between training circus animals and serving up tapas, his move from Circus Flora to Floria chiringuito ‘seems like fate’.

“The similarity in name is uncanny,” Nigel, originally from Wiltshire, says. “If you had told me all those years ago that I would be working at a beach bar named Floria I wouldn’t have believed you.”

Nigel spent four years touring the USA with the circus in the 1990s.

His main duty - and the one he enjoyed the most - was training with the star act, Flora the elephant.

“We had a great relationship,” Nigel says. “Our act was a theatrical circus, it was mainly comical stunts.”

“Flora could do all sorts of things, but her best trick was spraying a member of the audience with shaving foam and pretending to give them a shave.”

He added: “To be honest, once you were shown how to train the animals it wasn’t that hard at all.

“It really was a unique experience, it was the best time of my life.”

As well as training Flora, Nigel also worked with four horses, a goat and a piano-playing cockerel.

Nowadays, sporting an apron and chef’s hat, he has trouble convincing Floria’s punters of his glamorous past.

“People see me in the kitchen

now and assume that is what I’ve done my whole life,” he adds.

“I now don’t leave the house without taking the photo of me kissing Flora on her trunk.

“It certainly is a conversation starter.”

Find Nigel at Floria, where there is a large decked area as well as musical performances, for kids’ parties and special occasions.

For more information call 600 654 286

27 February 17th - March 1st 2016

Famous faces at the Oasis PAUL Hickling created his dream restaurant on the side of a hill, miles away from civilisation at the time.

Over three decades later it has developed into one of the most famous, emblematic eateries on the Costa del Sol, as well as being a personal favourite of the late Keith Floyd.

With more than one bump in the road along the way to success, Paul has penned the ups and downs of his time at the Roman Oasis in his book, My Roman Oasis.

FROM A FIELD TO FUN, FUN, FUN: The Roman Oasis has changed a lot over its 30-year genesis and (centre) owner Paul Hickling with Keith Floyd

In a excerpt from his book British restaurateur Paul Hickling recalls how he set up a restaurant the Roman Oasis up a dirt track behind Manilva three decades ago

The day I arrived in a dusty ghost town

S

PAIN has changed out of all recognition in the past 30 years and mostly for the good. But driving into the village of Manilva in the 1970s was a little like a entering a Mexican border town in Wild West times.

As I rode in on my steel horse to the centre of the village, the sound of the exhausts reverberated off the neat white houses of this apparent ghost town, and when I parked, mine was the only car in town.

Heat shimmered off the empty, dusty streets where the only moving thing was the hind leg of a scratching dog and the only sound was of loud male voices coming from a nearby bar. But when I looked at the windows up and down the street there were female faces at them, all staring at me as though I had just landed from the planet Splogg.

Had not these humanoids seen a scarlet Versace shirt before in a Morgan Plus Eight? Probably not, as the car was a British right-hand drive, the like of which they had never seen before in Spain. Then I noticed they weren’t actually looking at me but at my Alsatian dog, Maeda, who was in the passenger

seat and appeared to them to be the one who was driving.

I walked across the street, parted a beaded curtain and stepped into the bar which was dim and reeked of stale booze and where men sat around tables on wooden chairs playing dominos and drinking. It was just like in the movies when the bad cowboy pushes through the swing doors into the good guys’ bar, and it was at about this point that the shirt got some notice.

There was instant silence as 41 uneasy eyes turned to fix on me, which added up to 21 people if you included the one eye belonging to Miguel el Ojo, a veteran of the Spanish Civil war which loosely translates as Mike the Eye. Was I going to accuse someone of cheating, kick over a table, draw my guns and blast away?

I decided not and, mentally spinning my pearl-handled

“The Best Italian flavour” www.parapiros.com OPERATING HOURS: Monday-Saturday: 19.30pm - 12.30am - Closed on Wednesday Sunday: 13.30 pm - 15.30pm / 19.30 pm - 12.30 am

Colts back into their holsters, walked up to the bar at the rear. A barman of dubious hygiene standards was polishing a glass with a cloth to match and on the shelf behind stood a few dusty bottles keeping him company. After keeping you waiting for no reason, an upward jerk of the head and a grunt in these parts seems to mean, ‘Buenos dias señor, what can I have the pleasure of serving you?’ Oh, and imagine the smile ‘cause it ain’t there. As I didn’t know the Spanish for ‘a shot of red eye’, I ordered a San Miguel beer ‘cerveza’ (pronounced San Miggel unless you are more recently in Spain and order a San Migwell which gets a few laughs from the locals).

People began to speak again, but in low voices which is a rare occurrence indeed in a country where even little old ladies can deafen you at fifty paces by speaking in their nor-

mal tones. Atrocious Spanish was used on my part due to ignorance, and atrocious Spanish was used on their part due to the complete disregard by the people of Andalucia to use the correct pronunciation as practised by the rest of Spain.

I gave up verbally and resorted to hand gestures and maps drawn on those ineffective paper serviettes from the plastic dispensers that are found in all Spanish bars. After a couple of hours, many beers and tired arms I hit pay dirt. The land was owned by a Señor Ferrer! The shaking of hands and the clapping of backs signalled my imminant departure, for the only thing left to complete my mission was to know where he lived. That wasn’t to prove too difficult as, with my ample experience by then, I could have been the star in a charade contest. To my dismay when I mimed the question of ‘where does he live?’ the answer was the internationally recognised sign - a finger drawn across the neck. Yes, he had snuffed it. Back to the drawing board!

28

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Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

Venta that drew the crowds

F

OR decades it was the stop off for artists, politicians and celebrities.

So, it was something of a tragedy when Venta Madrona was knocked down due to the construction of an underpass through Sabinillas a decades ago.

One of the main stop-offs for travellers between Gibraltar and Malaga for centuries, the historic restaurant was always full and served up an excellent range of dishes.

“We had an amazing range of visitors, including Frank Sinatra, Ted Heath and former Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez,” recalls the son of the former owner.

Now running his own wine and lottery shop nearby, Jose Antonio Madrona recalls the frequent visits from famous flamenco stars Valerin and Cameron, Spain’s most famous flamenco star.

“He was often here as he was a friend of my uncle.

He stayed the night and frequently sang. I remember even dancing for him as a child.”

The venta, which was built in 1929, also counted on the founder of Andalucian nationalism Blas Infante as a regular. “He had plenty of meetings here in the run up to the civil war,” added Jose, who studied history at Malaga University, before studying viticulture.

The family now run the wine and lottery shop next to the roundabout, which at least prides itself on being a busy hub of the community - like Venta Madrona before it.

NEW LOCATION FOR LA PERLA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT Jane Clay has opened the doors to her plush new office in Sabinillas and couldn’t be happier!!!

With it’s central location it’s now even easier to pop in and have a chat to resolve all your doubts on your property in Spain.

La Perla Living in Bahia passed on to be La Perla Property Management in 2010 and Jane has over 29 years experience of managing property on the coast. In DLP San Pedro in 1987 then in Sotogrande in Paniagua and followed by La Paloma de Manilva where all the infraestructure was renewed and all the villas built, moving on in 2003 to La Perla de la Bahia where she now manages 140 of the properties onsite.

The services are dedicated to taking the ‘hassle factor’ out of being a homeowner in Spain, making your life as easy as you want it to be and increasing the enjoyment of your property. They are always making improvements to be able to offer an even higher quality of service. They offer an array of services for your convenience and they can be specifically tailored to your situation or needs.

Services include: Cleaning packages A, B & C Annual Air-conditioning Contracts Gardening & Plants Insurance Brokers Welcome Package Personal Secretary Weekly Check Maintenance Service They can manage the Sale or rental of your property for long or short lets.

If you bought your property as an investment or as a second home, they can arrange rentals for the periods where the house is not being used with the advantage that they always have a person on site to help the rental clients and to make sure that your house is always being looked after.

Jane Clay – La Perla Property Management jane.clay@laperladelabahia.com janelclay@hotmail.com Tel : + 34 952 890 930 Fax: + 34 952 897 377 Mobile + 34 620 368 288 Conjunto San Luis, Portal 3 Local 4 (next to Banco Popular), Calle Isaac Peral, San Luis de Sabinillas, Manilva, 29692 Malaga

www.laperladelabahia.com

Jane and her team can’t wait to welcome you to their new office and help you in all your needs

29

29

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Tax and legal paperwork can be a minefield when residing overseas, so for quality help and advice it is paramount to talk to people you can trust

Keeping it in the family T

EXPERTS: Carlos (left) and Gabriel, while (inset) Juana

HE Recio & Madrona team is made up of economist Gabriel Recio Madrona and lawyer Juana Maria Madrona, who are cousins and are both born and bred in Sabinillas.

They are supported by hardworking Carlos in the office.

Between them they combine charisma, legal knowhow and tax expertise which makes for an unbeatable team.

They have had many British clients and continue to enjoy a thriving trade.

The homegrown team provides legal, tax, accounting advice as well as specialist assistance with partnerships, vehicle transfers, non-resident procedures, rentals, sale and purchases, property registry, litigation, wills and inheritance.

They are both graduates of the University of Malaga: Gabriel trained in Economics and Business and Juana in Law.

Dive in at Hotel Erina

Open 10am-7pm Mon to Fri, Sat 10am-2pm

Tel. 952 897 477

· Curtains, Bedding & Bespoke Blinds ·

www.curtainandbeddingshop.com CONSULTATION Beds, Blinds and Home FREE and measuring service Calle Bolivia, 20, Jardines de Sabinillas . Manliva email: thecurtainandbeddingco@hotmail.com

IF laid-back charm and easy access to virgin beaches is what you are after for a holiday then take a break at Hotel Villa Erina.

This charming boutique hotel lies just a pebble’s throw from the Castillo de la Duquesa and boasts a salt-water, non-chlorinated swimming pool and whirlpool.

Owner Romeo Rammazzo, originally from Puglia in Italy, has more than 40 years experience in the hotel industry and has been welcoming guests to the Costa Del Sol since the hotel opened four years ago.

“This is a small and luxurious oasis in the middle of the countryside, five minutes from the beach and close to all the services you need,” said Romeo.

So if you’re looking to disconnect from the stresses and strains of modern life in an area where the locals will offer a warm Spanish welcome, Hotel Villa Erina is the place for you.

Contact 672236603 or visit www.villaerina.com

March 5th - March 18th 2015

Gabriel has 20 years experience in tax and has developed his career from originally starting as a tax consultant in 1995 and then expanding into administration management in 2013.

He is currently the only person in Manilva who can register a vehicle under a new name after sale, and is in high demand for changing cars’ foreign number plates to Spanish ones.

Juana has been working as a lawyer since 1997 and has experienced practically every possible scenario.

She takes care of legal issues and property sales, ensuring sellers are legitimate, handling town hall liaison, and guides you through the whole process of buying a house smoothly.

Now that expats have to pay taxes, Juana can take care of your yearly non-resident taxes, IBI, saving a lot of extra work.

For info call 952 892 097 or email info@costamanilva. com

The Spring is coming to Villa Erina An elegant balance between simplicity and luxury

Come and meet our beach club

www.villaerina.com · Av. de Suecia, 70 · urb. Princesa Kristina , Manliva (Autivía A7 Exit 141) · Tel. +34 - 951 277 022 · +34 672 236 603 email: parkhotelvillaerina@gmail.com

30

30 30 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

CRUZ BLANCA CERVECERÍA

Speciality in tapas Homemade dishes

Menú del día

10 €!

A

ll about

WHERE TO EAT

There is a host of good places to eat in Manilva if you have the knowledge, writes Dining Secrets of Andalucia editor Jon Clarke

www.theolivepress.es Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

Manilva munchies

Open Tuesday - Sunday Visit us in Plaza Ginebra, local 1, Sabinillas, Manilva Tel. 952 892 672 MEAT FEAST: At Bistro in Duquesa

I

thebistro

T has taken a number of years to sniff out the true dining secrets of Manilva.

Starting in emblematic Duquesa Port, you need to get away from the waterfront and head up into the warren of squares to find the best places to eat.

Here you will find two of the longest-serving Italians on the entire Costa del Sol, El Capitano and Parapiro.

El Capitano has been here since 1983, when there were only three restaurants in the entire port.

Run by talented Pino, from Basilicata, it is charm personified with sumptuous deep red

steakhouse love food, dine out for less...

SWEET TEAM: At Miel

the bistro steakhouse To make a reservation

tel: 952 936 344

info@thebistrosteakhouse.com www.thebistrosteakhouse.com

Next to The English Butcher Duquesa Port DON’T FORGET your reservation for Sunday 6th March – Mothers Day Sunday 27th March – Easter Sunday

decor, talented paintings and, even a ceiling not a million miles away from the Sistine chapel.

In total, there are over 200 dishes and more than 30 pizzas alone to keep punters satisfied.

Pick of the bunch was easily an amazing panzerotti with spinach, cheese, mushroom and cream, while pasta stuffed with pear, ham and balsamic vinegar was also impressive.

Nearby at Parapiros, which opened just two years later in 1985, you are also spoilt for choice with quality Italian food.

Usually packed at weekends, this ‘institution’ has a slightly more traditional menu, also with a nice range of pastas and pizzas.

I particularly liked the veal chop, stuffed with ham and parmesano, while a beef carpaccio starter was delicious loaded with fresh mushrooms and celery.

Also in the port, make sure to look out for the well established The Bistro, a steakhouse which serves the best steaks in Manilva, unsurprising given that its ‘sister’

PIZZA PERFECT: Young diner at Parapiros business is the English Butcher next door.

Sitting in a great location, there is a good kids menu and the Panko breaded prawns and the duck parcels, with shredded duck in filo pastry, come highly rated.

A true dining secret is Floria, which has been dubbed a cross between a ‘Spaghetti Western and the Flintstones’, but to me feels more like Robinson Crusoe’s shack.

Out on its own with the deep blue sea crashing onto the nearby shore, this spot is run by amiable Dutch-South African Peter and his missus Karen, from Antwerp.

The menu is simple and is all about good fresh fish and barbecued meats, while the pil pil

prawns are easily some of the best on the coast.

Nearby on the main road look out for Marlows, probably the finest fish and chip shop on the entire coast.

Well established, having first opened in Gibraltar in the 1960s, punters drive for often over an hour - from Ronda, for example - to sample the amazing cod and chips.

A true institution, owner Steve Marlow, has run restaurants around the world and is a classically trained chef, with a good knowledge of the business, having learnt everything from his father before him.

Across the road, down by the sea look out for the area known as ‘el Castillo’, where you will find the ancient 18th fortress.

www.theolivepress.es

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015 ALTERNATIVE: Hip Floria

3131

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Restaurante

This is a real hive of decent restaurants, many having plied their trade for decades, and well known along the coast.

One recently opened spot though is Freiduria Anka Juanito, where Juan and wife Noelia, serve up a great range of seafood in a charming spot.

Having worked as a chef nearby for 27 years, Juan is a talented chap and his three Ps, the prawn pil pil, pulpo and paella come highly rated.

Up in central Sabinillas, the beach is lined with restaurants, but one of the best is Miel, run by friendly Dutch boss Kaat. An institution with high standards for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

With excellent coffee and a great snacks and tapas menu, it is hardly surprising it is usually full.

Another fine place to eat is Marengo, which has a distinctly different feel to its nearby rivals.

Run by Isabel, from Madrid, it has a great range of tapas, pinchos and racions to share.

Just inland on the main square be sure to look out Lo de Andres, run by Andres, of course, who grew up working in his dad’s tapas bars in Ronda.

TASTE LESSON: Pino explains his tiramisu to a client A friendly chap, the mixed and always some good value tapas plate is fabulous, while tapas at the bar. the ribs and other fresh dishes Owner Juan is a local busiare extremely popular with ex- nessman, who takes a real pats. pride in the place running like On Friday night, this is the clockwork and being the sort of place to come for live enter- place that he would like to eat. tainment and now a Spotify set He has recently opened an ice up, where you choose your own cream parlour next door and is songs. soon to open, yet another, resNearby hunt out Cruz Blanca, taurant alongside this Spring. a typical Madrid-style bar/res- Another institution and a fabutaurant, which serves up ice lous surprise walking in is El cold beers and some excellent Molino, which is beautifully fresh seafood. built and created in a baseThere are specials by the day ment, just off the main N-340 highway.

Deceptively big, it has been lovingly created with old wooden decor in the style of a windmill, hence the name.

Best of all, it has a great mix of tapas and raciones, in particular the bacalao and the foie with jamon.

Another emblematic place is Café Nenit, where Jose and his team serve breakfasts and pastries from early morning, tapas for lunch and bar snacks into the evening.

In the heart of the town meanwhile, look out for O Callaghan’s pub if that is more WINNER: Plate of mixed tapas at Lo de Andres your bag.

A great range of beers and snacks, you would be advised to look out for Karaoke and quiz nights each week.

While not open till July it would be impossible to write about food in Manilva without mentioning the amazing Roman Oasis, just inland on the road to the Roman baths, of course.

Over three decades old, it was here that legendary UK chef Keith Floyd came to spend some of the last few weeks of his life.

A massive fan of the eclectic, original spot, he and owner Paul were close buddies and this is obvious by the amount of photos of Floyd on the walls.

TYPICAL: Madrid style bar Cruz Blanca

TAPAS · RATIONS · MEAT · FISH OPENING HOURS: 13:00-16:00 19:00 · until late TUESDAY CLOSED C/ Octavio Paz, nº 1 . Bajo . San Luis de Sabinillas (Manilva) elmolinosabinillas@hotmail.es T. 630 91 63 74 / 666 28 99 23

www.ilcapitanoristorante.com Puerto de la Duquesa, Plaza de la Fuente · Manilva Málaga, Spain

Tel. 952 890 520

A

32 32 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

ll about

Manilva, Sabinillas and Puerto de la Duquesa

www.theolivepress.es

Property Cheap and cheerful 33

33

the Olive Press June 25th - July 9th 2015

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Banks buy up cheap houses in small towns to flip a quick buck

THE lure of the pueblo blanco is not solely reserved for expats searching for a taste of Spain.

The country’s national banks

are also turning their attention to Spain’s towns and villages.

In a bid to make a quick buck, Spain’s banks are flipping

cheaper property in small and medium sized towns and turning their backs on larger cities.

In the last 12 months Spain’s

Moving to a foreign land can seem a far-fetched dream. Tancrede de Pola explains how a broker can make that dream come true

B

UYING property overseas can seem like a daunting prospect… but it needn’t

be.

Whether you are looking to make the move to Spain, or you are an expat looking to branch out across Europe, the Finance Bureau can help buyers make their dream move come true.

Searching for a home abroad is an exciting prospect but it is just one piece of the puzzle. The larger - more complex - part of that puzzle is financing a move.

While a small number opt for cash transactions - if lucky enough to be able to - most buyers will need to take out a mortgage.

And the most important thing to remember - in the words of Michael Jackson - is ‘you are not alone’. Gaining financial advice is the most important thing to

Leap of faith do before taking the property plunge abroad.

Despite a recovering Eurozone, most banks in your home country still won’t finance a move overseas. Although some international firms do offer products in more popular countries. (For example HSBC will lend on property in France, Malta, Greece and Dubai while Spanish lender Santander offers mortgages in Portugal.)

However, in most cases you’ll have to arrange a loan with a bank based in the country in which you’re looking to move to - which can obviously have its obstacles if you don’t speak the

language or aren’t familiar with the country’s processes.

But that is where the Finance Bureau can help Brits looking to move to Spain.

With established links to all the major Spanish lenders the Finance Bureau acts as a go-between for the client and the bank - but it is important to remember that the broker is not connected to the bank and works to find the buyer the best deal available.

When buying abroad it is imperative to know how much you have to play with when scouring the foreign property market. This will be dictated by various factors including the amount of deposit

lenders have sold 66% of their property portfolio in towns of less than 50,000 inhabitants.

In fact 42% of the sales were in villages and towns with a

MORTGAGE THINK TANK by mortgage broker Tancrede de Pola available as well as the level, any type, of income of the applicant.

It is therefore important to remember that banks in most countries will not take property rental income into account when offset against the loan repayment.

When looking for a property, mortgage amounts are only measured against your personal income and outgoings must be between 30 to 35% of your income in order to qualify.

But the best - and easiest - way to make sure your dream move abroad comes through with no hiccups is to talk to a broker… that is what we are here for after all.

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

population of under 20,000, according to property portal Idealista.es.

On the flipside, only 8% of all homes sold by banks were in cities with a population over 500,000.

A spokesman for Idealista said the figures represent a change in mindset from the banking sector.

“Banks have turned their backs on the old school of thought – buying expensive

property in the city and selling it off for even more,” he said. “Instead they are buying cheap and selling off quickly.”

He added: “They may make less on individual sales but they are able to do it quicker and on a larger scale.”

In fact, some 59% of bankowned property is priced at lower than €100,000, with just 2% priced at over €300,000.

TINY: World’s smallest hotel

Pint-sized hotel THE planet’s smallest hotel popped up (literally) in Madrid for the FITUR travel fair.

The Room Mate Hotel crams a reception, lounge, gym, bedroom and bathroom into just 15m2.

The record-breaking space, which has a sustainable energy supply and is eco-friendly, was also on show outside Principe Pio station in the summer of 2014.

LIBERTYHOME

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Our reputation is your assurance.

Be sure. Be Liberty Seguros.

Better care. Better service. Better insurance.

believe in the Market leader.

For an instant quote call 902 255 258 or go to www.libertyexpatriates.es

The Olive Press – 170 x 256mm

17th February

The Expats’ No.1 Choice

www.theolivepress.es 34

Property

the Olive Press34 June 25th - July 9th 2015

Esteemed Middle Eastern estate agent teams up with Spanish builder

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Eastern promise

A MIDDLE-eastern property conglomerate is eyeing up a move to Spain.

Saudi-based real estate development giant Cayan Group is teaming up with Spanish construction firm Sarena to develop in Marbella.

A spokesman for the company said it was dedicated to ‘penetrating the European market’ this year.

The group – which has offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia – developed the Cayan Tower in Dubai, the world’s tallest twisted building.

TOWERING: Saudi firm’s Marbella plans

Details of the Marbella project are currently under

Rent buoyed

NEW on the Costa Del Sol Prices from EUR 90 + IVA Get those all important viewings with good pictures

www.marbellarealestatephotos.com

Shaken, not stirred!

T

HE Costas of Spain are favoured by nature.

No hurricanes, blizzards, monsoons or volcanoes.

Yes, an occasional downpour or a whirlwind, but otherwise charmed.

BUT, did the earth move for you last month? Yup, we do have the occasional earthquake. But earthquakes occur all over the world and yes even in the UK. There are two measures of the strength of earthquakes.

The Richter and Mercalli Scales, which measure earthquakes according to oscillations or ground ef-

FROM car insurance to life cover Liberty Seguros has established itself as expats’ first choice.

Currently, Liberty Seguros has around 175,000 expat clients serviced by over 300 dedicated brokers and agents determined to provide the best service possible.

Covered

wraps, however a spokesman for Sarena said it will be ‘spectacular’.

“Cayan are well known for developing some of the most creative buildings in the RENTERS are paying more for their digs across Spain world,” he said. “Their as the country’s property market picks up. projects are exemplaThe average price of house rentals has increased in evry, and we are pleased ery region apart from the Basque Country in the past to be partnering with a 12 months. group of such calibre The overall market increased by 4%, with prices in and reputation.

Catalunya rising the most by 11%.

“We look forward to Meanwhile rentals in Madrid increased 6.5% and in Anthis partnership which dalucia 3.5%. will also open the door In the Basque Country, rented property was down 0.5% for Sarena to enter the in price.

Middle East region.”

Marbella Real Estate Photos

Safety first

Building properly is the best safety measure against earthquakes fects, while the effect largely depends upon the depth.

So what can we do about it?

Building properly is the best safety measure.

Spain’s principal regulation is Royal Decree 997/2002.

As can be seen from the map below, various areas of Spain can be graded according to their risk and so the regulations differ in these areas.

That’s why all the modern houses here are built with a reinforced concrete structure that is designed to absorb some of the movement

caused by earthquakes.

Older houses, where the upper floors and roof are supported by load-bearing walls, are more at risk as these walls haven’t been designed for earthquakes.

It’s why you should ensure that your property is covered by decennial insurance, as is the law, and even if the 10year period is over that it was covered when it was built.

As the insurance companies will be guaranteeing the property for 10 years, they make sure that it is built according to the regulations.

Disturbingly, architects inform us that many additions and modifications to properties, which should also be covered by such insurance, are not and don’t comply with the appropriate regulations.

The main danger with earthquakes appears to be that things fall off the buildings rather than the buildings collapsing completely.

So if there is some serious shaking going on, make sure you get well clear of the buildings if you are running out of them.

Inside, there are two theories. One is to ‘drop, cover and hold on’, which urges people to take cover beneath something like a heavy table

As director Ivan Ortego explains: “We endeavor to provide the best insurance cover at the best price, so that our customers are covered for as many eventualities as possible.

Liberty Seguros provides cover including car, life, marine, commercial (office and industrial), pet, leisure, as well as personal and public liability insurance.

For more information call 902 255 258 or visit www.libertyexpatriates.es

11+

years experience in

ALL PROPERTY MATTERS

RICS SURVEYORS & VALUERS BYBUILDING CAMPBELL FERGUSON

For peace of mind follow these property buying rules

to avoid falling objects.

The other is the ‘triangle of life’, where it’s better to Find lie beside a Your solidProperty object so that if roofs and walls collapse you’re protected in the triangle created.

What are the chances of thereInstruct being a reallyInstruct big earthquake in Spain? Lawyer Building Surveyor Over the centuries there have been some as evidenced by cracking in some of the major buildings in Buytown withcentres.

Knowledge the older & Confidence Various sources indicate that there is a serious earthquake of over six on the Richter scale every 200 years (so we have al+34 952 923 520 Connect with us! ready had that one!). Othadmin@surveyspain.com surveyspain.com ers indicate every 70 years with the same source indicating that the last one occurred in 1884.

There is an interesting website that gives a daily record of quakes (earthquaketrack.com) and of course it’s also on Google Earth.

However, there is much more likelihood of being injured by a trolley in Mercadona, and certainly while driving there and back, than by an earthquake.

Perhaps we should all follow James Bond’s advice, “shaken, not stirred”!

Contact Campbell and the team on +34 952 923 520 or email info@surveyspain.com

Top Dollar

www.theolivepress.es

35 35 the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

December 10th - 22nd 2015 February 17th - March 1st 2016

Valentine’s pay IT’S the most romantic day of the year, and the hearts of Spanish traders were a-flutter with the ker-ching of cash tills. Last February, candle sales on Amazon alone rose by 1,200%, prompted no doubt by the universal need for dimly-lit Valentine’s Day dinners.

Sales of heart-shaped products went up by an astonishing 436% the week before The Big Day last year. And flowers were of course as popular as ever, with Valentine’s Day accounting for 10-15% of total annual sales, according to the Asociacion Espanola de Floristas.

Not sure restaurateurs should get too excited: While plenty of people eat out, the average spend per person in bars and restaurants MONEY SPINNER: V’Day on February 14, according to Fintonic, was a relatively modest €20.

Britishrun tour company wins top gong for Andalucian tours

Smooth operator

AN expat-run tour company has been named Tour Operator of the Year for Malaga at the 2016 Holiday and Tour Specialists Awards.

The win for Tour Andalucia International was announced at the recent Luxury Travel Guide Awards ceremony.

The company was praised

for its personalised tours of olive mills and wine bodegas across the region.

Director Gary Montagu said he was ‘thrilled’: “The award was totally unexpected, but it is really good to receive acknowledgement for the hard work we all put in. We are proud to make our small con-

Banks bashed FEARS over a new financial crisis have rocked global markets as Spanish stocks were routed on ‘Black Monday’.

The IBEX 35 dropped 4.4% on February 8, its steepest fall since August.

Spain’s banking sector has now lost over a fifth of its share value worth €40 billion over the past year.

Shares in Grupo Santander were down to €3.56, less than half what they were worth in September 2014 when the price stood at €7.90.

tribution to Andalucia and its economy,” Montagu told the Olive Press.

“We are the David against Goliath when compared to the large coach operators.

“But because we are smaller, our guests get a more personal experience and many have become friends.”

Having worked as a business manager in the UK’s technology sector, Montagu moved to Spain with his family to experience the Andalucian countryside. And, discovering Cordoba, Malaga, Sevilla, Ronda and Granada were all within driving range, he decided to set up his tour company.

Offering trips for small groups of two to seven people, Tour Andalucia International strives to provide a more ‘flexible, friendly and private’ experience.

For more information visit www.tourandalucia.co.uk

AGONY ANT YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

I don’t bequeath it!

Do 40,000 Andalucian families really move to Madrid each year for inheritance tax reasons?

A

CCORDING to the Spanish right-wing PP party, 40,000 Andalucian families relocate to Madrid every year looking for a more favourable inheritance tax (IHT) treatment.

The socialist-run Revenue and Public Administration Council has disputed this and state that records show that in 2015, no more than 81 Andalucian families moved ‘abroad’ within Spain, and only 17 to Madrid.

If we consider that the above data is offered by bitterly opposed political parties, the truth – first victim of the debate - must lie somewhere in between the quoted figures.

But there is no denying that IHT in Andalucia, compared to other regions in Spain i.e. Madrid, is seriously onerous.

For example, a 40-year old person registered in Andalucia (or any EUEEA resident inheriting in this region) that receives by way of inheritance €200,000, will pay €28,250 to the Tax Office, whereas a Madridbased inheritor will only have to

part with €285.

In addition, defective law drafting means that a person receiving estate under the €175,000 allowance (97% of cases in 2015) from his/ her parents will be exempt from IHT but if that same person receives a further €25,000 (as in the first case), he/she will be slapped with a €28,000 tax bill!

This ‘tax bracket creep’ is one of the great challenges faced by Maria Jesus Montero - Revenue Counsellor of the Junta - for 2016. Conservatives, led by the PP, are all for eliminating IHT altogether between parents and children, irrespective of the size of the estate, on the remaining 3% tax returns.

Dealing with that relatively small 3% gap will avoid the proliferation of illegal tax evasion schemes using foreign companies or equity release mortgages, uncertain avoidance loopholes or outright rejection of inheritances, such as when the taxes to be paid are higher than the equity on those properties.

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

NEWS IN BRIEF

Taxing times THE UK tax authority has contacted several Spanish debt collectors to pursue expats with disputed tax bills.

On track RAIL company Renfe recorded the first profit in its history in 2015, closing with an annual profit of €37.3 million.

Wage crisis OVER six million workers in Spain - one in three - earn less than the minimum wage, with only 40% of the population on permanent, full-time contracts.

Cashing in SABADELL bank recorded a net profit of €128.6 million for the fourth corner of 2015, after its TSB banking group purchased boosted income.

35

Top Dollar

36 36 the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

www.theolivepress.es February 17th - March 1st 2016

I

EDGE gingerly into the shop, an Aladdin’s Cave of antique clocks, vases, figurines, portraits and jewellery glinting from black velvet cases.

Two showpiece antique desks line one wall, each manned by an expert.

Charismatic boss Anthony Barnes is holding court at the largest desk at the back. You can hear his laugh from the doorway.

It is a weekday morning but the shop is full-to-bursting with people happy to queue and enjoy the show while Anthony and his two chipsoff-the-old-block sons Thomas and Harrison (plus employee Peter), are hard at work.

Close your eyes and you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a bar.

There is laughter and joviality as customers peruse vintage Rolex watches and offer up their own valuable items for sale.

The three musketeers - Anthony, 66, Thomas, 24 and Harrison, 22 - look dapper in blue shirts, chinos and loafers, chatting to customers like old friends.

And many of them are: take British expat Michael Weeks, who is buying his wife Barbie a ring to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

They’ve shopped here for years. Not just for the diamond deals Anthony offers but for the friendly welcome.

It’s that kind of place.

The expertise is also 22 carat. Born into the antiques trade and raised in Petticoat Lane in London’s East End, Anthony learnt everything he knows from his family and later honed it in The Lanes of Brighton, the place for antiques, gold and precious gems.

His sons also spent time in Brighton, both studying business and management at the university. They later gained qualifications in dia-

DIAMOND GEEZERS: Hamilton, Anthony and Thomas

Taking care of business

It’s a family affair at Anthony’s Diamonds, where Eastender Tony and sons provide a 22-carat welcome, and rock solid value for money, writes Iona Napier mond grading and valuing coloured gemstones and studied history of art via specialist auctioneers Bonham’s.

Like father like sons, it is clear to see that both brothers are a hit with the customers.

While Anthony specialises in allround antiques and paintings (‘It’s dad’s baby, he likes to be in control,’ the boys tell me), pony-tailed Harrison is making a name for himself in the watch department while Thomas (short crop) is especially good with rocks of the valuable variety.

He is also the company’s ‘star seller’.

The three men all live separately which explains why they get on so famously at work.

Both sons were schooled locally at the English International College in Elviria, which has left them with

‘friends all over the world’.

And despite having the opportunity to set up a life in the UK after their studies, they were keen to come home to Spain and get stuck in at their father’s booming business.

“You can run a family business and the kids don’t want to know,” Anthony tells me.

“But the business is in their blood and sometimes you can’t escape that… they are doing very well here and I want to teach them an eye for quality.

“Anyway the secret of this shop is not to sell things to people but to have fun,” he adds, jovially.

Despite the office banter, it is clear that Harrison and Thomas respect their father and believe in the business.

“It is amazing to be able to buy and sell these interesting objects, and although it’s a huge responsibility it is also an amazing experience,” says Harrison.

“It’s satisfying to be learning all the time.”

Thomas echoes his brother’s views.

“I have been here for three years and I am still learning a huge amount.

“Dad lets us make our own mistakes and you learn fast, but the real strong point here is customer service.”

He continues: “We know peoples’ names, their kids’ names, it goes way past business. That’s part of the enjoyment of being here.”

They clearly have a winning formula, which Thomas sums up as ‘we buy at the right price, we sell at the right price and everybody’s happy’.

Simple!

“And in the afternoon we do house calls, travelling around and doing free evaluations always putting the customers first,” he adds.

Together with 62-year-old Brit Peter they make a diamond team.

“I have been doing jewellery all my life,” Peter tells me.

“The reason people love this shop is because we’re fair, not greedy. You really can get fantastic deals here.

“Once people come here they never want to go anywhere else.”

And along with the Barnes bonhomie and eloquent expertise, you can usually find a parking spot right outside their emporium in Avenida Ramon y Cajal, making it hassle-free for taking away your precious purchases or art and jewellery.

Visit the website at www.anthonysdiamonds.com or call 952 588 795

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the Olive Press November 14th - 25th 2016

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Columnists Sleeping through seismic disturbances on the coast

I

WOKE in darkness a few mornings ago, glanced at my watch on the bedside table and saw it read 1.30am.

Unable to get back to sleep, I decided to catch up on my reading so donned the head torch. (Half past one in the morning is a little early to be trudging down to the end of the garden and turning on the generator. It makes a bit of a racket. Put it this way. After the recent earthquakes shook Marbella, I received more than a few enquires wondering if I had installed a new, more powerful power unit at the lake).

I read for an hour before I was more than a little surprised to hear the first stirrings of the local flora and fauna as dawn broke.

Puzzled, I looked over to my watch. It was upside down. The time was actually 8am. I’ve been assured that it’s an age thing...

On the subject of earthquakes, I slept soundly through the recent seismic disturbances on the coast.

Maybe because the Casita is a one storey structure that was built in the 18th Century and has walls so thick that they stand a sporting chance of

41 February 17th - March 1st 2016

Quaking in my boots

OI, OI SAILOR: Giles on the lake

withstanding a direct hit from a Cruise missile, never mind a mere 6.1 leg trembler on the Richter Scale.

Looking at Social Media

the next morning, however, I thought that the “Big One” as my Californian friends call it, had hit San Pedro, nevermind San Francisco.

Tales of beds swaying, walls shaking and Plasma TVs falling off walls were all over the InterWeb. People who demanded penthouses with sea views were more than a little nervous and checked to see if their buildings had been designed to be earthquake proof (as a general rule of thumb, if they were constructed during the Jesus Gil era, not a chance).

I did look out across the lake, however, just to check there was no tsunami speeding towards me.

A few days later, we had a night of heavy rain.

Not enough to raise the level of the lake, but once again, social media went into overdrive, only just stopping short of telling everyone to build Arks.

Since then I’ve stocked up on tinned food and have been hunkered down at the Casita, waiting for the next natural disaster to strike. I’m fully expecting a meteorite strike any day now, or something a little Biblical in its proportions.

Maybe a plague of locusts or, given its Sodom and Gomorrah reputation in the Press, perhaps the denizens of Puerto Banus will be turned into pillars of salt.

Northern glory A

CITY known above all for its famous bank, Santander is in fact a rather untouched corner of Northern Spain.

Overshadowed by surrounding mountains, overwhelmed by the Atlantic out beyond, one particular zone of Santander, El Sardinero, makes it worth a visit.

Held as ‘uno de las zonas mas elegantes en todo de España’ (‘one of the most elegant zones in all of Spain’), El Sardinero is a popular beach zone stretching from the Magdalena Peninsula to Mataleñas. About a quarter of the way along, ‘los jardines de Piquio’ divides the wide promenade that runs its entire length.

The waterfront is lined with beaches of golden sand, hotels, restaurants and a casino. Local fisherman cast in hope from the shorelines.

From dog walkers to surfers, the zone attracts all manner of individuals.

Rather packed in summer, El Sardinero could make the perfect spring getaway. A Spanish friend, a citizen of Santander himself, described how Spaniards from the interior regions of northern and central Spain come up to Santander specifically looking to vacation at the Sardinero.

Popular amongst Spaniards, it should appeal to those who’ve little or no interest in a ‘full British onslaught – Costa del Sol style holiday’.

That preserved feel of a real Spain, accompanied by the beauty of golden beaches overlooking towering mountains is surely desirable.

The area is rich in wildlife: seagulls, terns and seabirds in general are the most noticeable.

The mountains in the distance are home to many a fascinating creature from endangered bears to more plentiful, yet shy and secretive, wolves and wild boar.

Venturing up north Olive Press blogger Ben Anson discovers what Santander has to offer

GLOURIOUS TOWN: Santander The mountains make an extremely stimulating sight from El Sardinero’s waterfront, especially if one has knowledge of the history and wildlife of las sierras. It was far up in these remote parts of Cantabria, for instance, where antiFranco guerrilla fighters conspired against the infamous general for many decades.

Hotels can vary in price, and indeed style.

The best in the city are located within the Sardinero, naturally. El Hotel Real, dating back to 1917, sits in a privileged location overlooking the bay, with El Palacio de la Magdelena, an English-influenced grand palace built by public subscription as a gift to the Spanish royal family in 1909, nearby Like the ‘Real’, most hotels are four or five stars, and not exactly economical, however there are many hostels and hotels with decent prices located slightly further into the city centre. I stayed at the ‘Hostal Del Carmen’ on

Calle de San Fernando for €30 a night – a private room with on suite bathroom, wifi and television. Excellent.

The restaurants are well-priced with many local dishes on offer. Seafood plays a large part in Santander’s cuisine with ‘aabas’ or fried calamari and paella being popular choices.

El Sardinero is featured and recommended in the gastronomic tour of the city.

Santander has become an ethnically diverse city, and walking its streets is therefore most intriguing. The Casino, completed in 1916, is one of the Santander’s greatest landmarks; located in central Sardinero, it makes a perfect rendezvous point.

The weather in winter in this part of Spain is noted for its rainfall and cold blights.

But with Easter coming early this year, I’d personally recommend planning in advance for a Spring break here.

Mon-Sat 19.00h to 24.00h Calle Pintada 23, 29780 Nerja, Malaga

tel: 653 689 452 www.sollunrestaurante.com

42

FOOD & DRINK

43 www.theolivepress.es

with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

The only English 43 newspaper in Spain with a dedicated food and drink section every issue

Manna from heaven Legendary cookery school reopens with Junta support

CELEBRATION: As classes resume at La Consula

Lightening lunch

ONE of the Costa del Sol’s most picturesque restaurants is offering diners a meal deal they can’t ignore.

Located on the Paseo Maritimo on Marbella’s seafront, the Boardwalk has launched its €5 lunch menu.

And there is something for everyone with 10 options available each week, including pork and prawn dim sum, chicken and leek pie as well as chicken pil pil.

The offer runs from Monday to Saturday, 12.30 pm - 4.30 pm.

Offering up casual beachside dining in a contemporary surrounding, the boardwalk has both indoor and outdoor facilities.

On February 26, the Boardwalk will also be running an event raising money for charity Children of Syria.

For more information call 952 864 736

the Olive Press November 11th - 25th 2015

CLASSES are resuming at world-famous cookery school La Consula after months of conflict and closure in January.

And there is finally security for workers who have gone months without payment.

Now incorporated into the Junta’s department for employment, they are set to get paid at the end of this month.

The conflicted school, which has produced some of Spain’s best chefs such as Diego Gallegos and Dani Garcia, saw students notified by whatsapp not to return to class in January.

But there is renewed hope now that delighted employees have fixed work contracts from the Junta, who ‘didn’t expect it to happen so quickly’.

Meetings have already taken place to adapt the course which has seen disruption and strikes over the last year.

“We are extremely satisfied and happy,” cooking teacher Jose Antonio Jimenez said.

“We can finally sleep easy, this has given us the stability we desperately needed.”

They will pick up payslips at the end of February, but will not be reimbursed for the months missed.

We kut the mustard...

Risky business THE world’s best pastry chef is branching out of Spain for the first time.

Barcelona-born chef Albert Adria is leaving his home comforts for the big smoke of London.

Launched on February 12, Adria’s 50 Days restaurant at London’s Hotel Cafe Royal is the former elBulli chef’s ‘biggest risk’ to date.

Running until April 9, Adria is equally ‘nervous’ and ‘excited’ about the project.

“This is a big challenge for me, it is the biggest risk I have ever taken,” he said. “I have never opened anything abroad before and I feel very exposed at the moment.”

Adria was named the world’s best pastry chef at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards last year.

Since elBulli shut in 2011, Adria has opened six restaurants in Barcelona as well as one in Ibiza.

NERVOUS: Adria

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43

44

the Olive Press November 4414th - 25th 2016

Brute and veg A MOB of angry French farmers have ambushed a Spanish truck and destroyed 18,000 kilos of fruit and vegetables.

Around 120 farmers and tractor drivers protesting against low market prices attacked the lorry near the southern French town of Aries.

The driver, who was travelling from Murcia towards Austria, was reportedly threatened before half his load was emptied onto the road and burnt.

The remaining fruit and vegetables were sprayed with a fire extinguisher to ensure they were inedible.

Condemning the incident, Spanish farm union the urged French authorities to deal once and for all with ‘these criminal actions’.

The attack came as thousands of Spanish agricultural workers marched in Almeria to demand ‘fair and reasonable’ market prices.

FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

www.theolivepress.es

Restaurant hoping to be staffed by the disabled set to open this summer in Andalucia

Santi’s legacy AN inspiring restaurant staffed by only disabled people, the brainchild of the late father of Catalan cuisine Santi Santamaria, is set to open this

Brew boom NO longer are microbreweries exclusively for hipsters with beards and tattoos.

In Spain, craft beer is growing faster than anywhere else in Europe, with the industry employing around 257,000 people according to the Spanish Agency for Food and Safety.

Gourmet beer is going mainstream with the number of companies in Spain increasing by 1,600% between 2008 and 2015, from 21 microbreweries to 361.

Local manufacturers are using traditional methods to make their ale Catalunya has the highest concentration of the breweries.

POPULAR: Craft beer

summer in Jerez.

Friends and family of the first Catalan chef to earn three Michelin stars, who died in 2011, are pushing to

Melonheads THE melon industry is huge in Spain and is the world’s second biggest exporter.

Second only to Guatemala and ahead of Honduras, the USA and Brazil, Spain holds a dominant position in the EU. The reason: Guatemala and Honduras send up to 90% of their melons to the USA. Murcia is the region that produces the largest volume of melons, producing 50% of Spain’s total exports and a massive 210 million kilos in 2014, 9% of the world’s total.

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LEGEND: Santamaria open Universo Santi.

It is a haute cuisine restaurant which will offer some of Santi’s culinary favourites from his iconic El Raco de Can Fabes restaurant.

The twist: it aspires to be ‘100% staffed’ by people with disabilities.

The chef will be Angel Zapata of Barcelona’s Hofmann and names such as the Roca brothers, Martin Berasategui and Juan Mari Arzak are supporting the project.

The idea was sown two years ago and Abel Valverde, director of Santi’s Madrid restaurant, hopes the premises in Jerez, finca El Altillo, will be open by this summer.

“It is a personal and professional challenge,” he said.

“But it was Santi’s dream to tackle social inequality and he always wanted to create a school.”

Universo Santi will include a free training centre for future employees of the eatery.

Sandwich filler THE team at Free Lunch Spain are preparing for their latest event.

Having supplied essential information about life in Spain to over 2,000 people, the company now has a 96% satisfaction score from those who have attended previous events.

Experts from four local companies are overwhelmed by the massive popularity of these events. As a result they are now expanding the number of seminars, and the next one is to be held at El Gusto Restaurante in La Cala de Mijas.

The topics to be covered will be savings, wills, pensions, currency exchange and Spain’s funeral system.

The event begins at 1pm on February 23. To register your question and to attend this unique event you can e-mail freelunchspain@gmail.com with your name address and telephone number or call 966 799 070.

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www.theolivepress.es 45

n Buen

Hire ground

SPAIN is driving ahead when it comes to car-hire prices.

A new study shows Spain is behind only Croatia and Portugal in terms of renting a vehicle in Europe, with an average price per day of €12.86.

Valencia was the cheapest city in Spain at €6.94 per day, according to price comparison site Happy Car. Alicante was second cheapest at €7.57, with a car in Malaga costing €11.94 per day.

The report looked at bookings made for 20 countries and 250 cities from November 2015 to March 2016.

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Car crash

Spanish roads need at least €3 billion investment before driverless cars DRIVERS dreaming of roads where cars do all the work may have to wait.

An engineer with German car giants Bosch says Spain needs to invest at least €3 billion in its infrastructure before introducing driverless cars.

Maria Belen Aranda Colas told a Madrid conference that huge sums are needed to update road signs so cars can anticipate diversions or closures.

“An 80% average improve-

ment could be achieved in traffic, and drivers could recover nearly one hour which they lose each day driving their current cars,” said Colas.

The Spanish engineer said extra funds would also be needed to update and maintain the signs each year.

In November, a Citroen C4 Grand Picasso became the first driverless car tested in Spain, travelling 373 miles on motorways from Vigo to Madrid.

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Round we go

Round and round again THERE may be plenty of them, but it would appear nobody in Spain quite knows how to use them… Until now that is!

The Guardia Civil have finally released a comprehensive guide to using roundabouts so that Spanish drivers can navigate them successfully.

45 45 45

IF you are unsure about the correct way to negotiate roundabouts, here are some simple rules to help you enter and exit roundabouts safely and in the right lane.

APPROACHING ROUNDABOUTS It’s important to remember to give way to traffic already on the roundabout. If the roundabout is outside urban areas of towns or cities, keep right.

If the roundabout is in a built-up area inside a town or city and the lanes are clearly marked, you should use the lane that best corresponds to the exit you need to take.

LEAVING ROUNDABOUTS This causes the most confusion among drivers. Drivers must exit roundabouts from the right hand lane, because the only way to leave the roundabout is by turning right.

However this simple rule, in practice, can be more complex.

EXITING FIRST EXIT Enter roundabout keeping to right hand side lane. Stay in lane until exit is reached. Indicate and exit roundabout.

CONTINUING STRAIGHT ON Enter roundabout keeping to right hand side lane. Stay in lane until exit is reached. Indicate prior to exit and leave roundabout.

TURNING LEFT OR CHANGING DIRECTION Enter roundabout keeping to left hand side lane. Stay in lane until you have passed the exit before your turn off, then change lane by indicating right.

Contact Línea Directa on 902 123 282

TRANSMATIC

LONG WAY OFF: Driverless cars

January sales

CAR sales leapt by a whopping 12% in January.

The year-on-year jump put Spain in second place behind only Italy in Europe, according to LMC Automotive.

The increase was part of an overall average rise of 5.8% across the continent, although experts warned the global economy could threaten sales throughout 2016.

“While the market is forecast to continue to grow for the third consecutive year, economic headwinds from outside Europe provide a downside risk,” said LMC Automotive analyst Emiliano Lewis.

Electric avenue JUST 2% of Spain’s drivers are zooming around in electric cars.

The 20,000 electric car drivers making this figure far short of the million

ex-minister of industry Miguel Sebastian predicted in 2009.

A massive 63% of Spaniards drive Diesel and just over 35% drive petrol cars.

The nation trails far behind Norway where 20% of cars on the road are electric, and in France where the use of the cars is 64% higher than it was a year ago.

The most basic electric car costs €20,000 minimum.

46 46

GOLF In the swing of it 23 46

Sergio’s search SERGIO Garcia is adamant he can break one of golf’s biggest hoodoos and win his first major.

The Spaniard (above) recently turned 36, but despite 20 top-10 major finishes, he is yet to secure a victory.

And with the Ryder Cup looming in September, Garcia is keen to replicate the success he has had with the European team in that biennial tournament.

“I guess every year that goes by, it feels another chance that has kind of gone by,” he said.

“But if I get to 45 and I haven’t won any, then I will probably feel a lot of pressure then.

“I still feel like I’m young enough to be able to do it, hopefully several times.”

essentialmagazine

Valderrama victory

Exclusive golf resort to pair up with Sergio Garcia for Spanish Open in April ANDALUCIA’S most iconic golf resort is teaming up with Spain’s best golfer for this year’s Spanish Open.

In a huge boost for southern Spanish golf fans, Valderra-

ma Golf (pictured) will host the Sergio Garcia-sponsored tournament from

March 17th hole A COSTA del Sol Gaelic Football team is teeing up for its St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Marbella’s Costa Gaels are hosting their annual Golf Classic on March 17, a flagship fundraising event for expats and locals alike.

Traditionally, each of the Golf Classic’s 18 holes are sponsored by local businesses and this year the Gaels are hoping to secure a tournament sponsor.

The club, which caters for more than 30 senior players and around 50 junior members, is due to travel with its juvenile teams to Madrid for a series of games soon. Club officials also recently travelled to Cadiz to train local children for the first time.

April 14-17.

The Valderrama Open of Spain by Foundation Sergio Garcia will take place just after the Masters in Augusta.

Garcia tweeted: “It’s a huge honour that my foundation is hosting the Valderrama Golf Open this year, that will be played the week after the Masters.”

It’s the second piece of great recent news for Valderrama after the announcement that the resort will host a major new tournament in 2017.

Teeing off

®

Angel’s wing and a prayer

16 years 1999-2016

w w w. e s s e n t i a l m a g a z i n e . c o m

FLAMBOYANT Spanish golfer Miguel Angel Jimenez is determined to smoke one of his famous cigars on Rio’s Olympics fairways.

The 52-year-old, currently ranked number three in Spain, is behind Sergio Garcia and Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

And with Garcia a nailed-on certainty to go to Rio this summer, the race is on for second place.

“I’m going to dedicate myself to the European Tour,” said Jimenez.

“The Olympics is close.

“I’m going to play a little bit more here because I’m third among the Spanish now. I was second before this week, and now Rafa Cabrera-Bello has just passed me.”

Stocked up EVERYTHING from designer shoes and caps to golf balls and gloves are up for grabs at Estepona Golf’s brand new pro shop.

Stocked with big name brands such as Callaway, Garmin and Ecco, Estepona Golf’s shop, is bringing the best golfing gear on offer to the Costa del Sol. And to celebrate the shop opening, everything is 20% off until the end of February.

For more information call 952 937 605

GAME ON: At La Reserva ONE of the Costa del Sol’s most exclusive resorts is holding the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) golf tour for the first time.

MENA’s qualifying school arrived at Sotogrande’s Almenara Golf Club from February 13-16.

The Sotogrande Masters will

then be held at La Reserva Golf Club from April 3-6.

The tour, founded by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation, was created in 2011.

This is the first year it will have been played outside the Middle East and Africa.

sport

47

February 17th - March 1st 2016

Long-ball game THE threat caused by stray balls from Victoria Stadium (right) landing on the airport runway has led to football matches being halted.

Eight balls have landed on the runway since July 2015, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Matches will now be stopped during take-off and landing, although a plan to instal roof netting is currently being worked on.

“The Airfield Station Commander, the Director of Civil Aviation and Victoria

stadium officials agreed that the ongoing issue of balls landing on the runway was a very serious safety issue,” a MOD spokesman said.

“This is a temporary measure until roof netting can be installed.”

It comes amid a political dispute in which the government was forced to clarify that it is upgrading the stadium to meet Champions League and Europa League standards.

However, the stadium will not be promoted to the cat-

egory 3 level required for international matches.

Instead, the GFA is apparently working with architects on designs for the new location at Lathbury barracks.

Own goal!

A GROUP of Gibraltar footballers have been accused of betting against themselves following a blunder by Bet365.

The players from Red Imps - a second division reserve side - are being investigated by the Gibraltar FA after they allegedly placed bets of up to £500 on their second round cup game last week.

It is understood that some of the team may

have even wagered against themselves winning, which is illegal.

It comes after the gaming firm Bet365 incorrectly put their rivals - Gibraltar United - as 17-1 underdogs, when in reality they were massive favourites.

The company had mistaken them for the Premier Division Champions, Lincoln Red Imps, of which they are the reserve team.

Doping D-day Long wait over

BARCELONA star Lionel Messi has finally been named Spain’s player of the month.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been made to wait over two years for the player of the month award, since the competition’s birth in 2013-14.

In fact, no Barcelona player had won the award until November 2015 when Neymar broke the Catalan giant’s duck.

Messi claimed the award after bagging six goals in five games in January.

However, not everything is rosy for the Argentine skipper who has been labelled as disrespectful after passing a penalty to teammate Luis Suarez in Barcelona’s 6-1 win over Celta Vigo.

Gary to go?

WINNING his first La Liga match may not be enough to save Gary Neville’s job.

The embattled Valencia manager could be replaced by outgoing Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini despite last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Espanyol, reports suggest.

The Chilean is favourite to succeed Neville this summer if the ex-Manchester United man gets the chop following a disastrous first spell as manager, according to Valencia newspaper Super Deporte.

Scandal as authorities hit out at possible destruction of ‘Doctor Blood’s’ athletes’ samples ONE of the world’s biggest sport doping cases could be scuppered if over 200 crucial blood samples are destroyed, Spanish authorities have warned.

Enrique Gomez Bastida, director of the Spanish AntiDoping Agency (AEPSAD), said it would be a ‘hard blow’ if an appeal court ordered samples from the ‘Operation Puerto’ case should be destroyed.

Bastida said: “It would be a hard blow because it’s important to send a clear message in the anti-doping struggle.

It’s important that those implicated recognise the facts.”

DR BLOOD: Fuentes In 2006, police seized over 200 bags of blood, marked with coded names, from doctor Eufemiano Fuentes’s known as Dr Blood - Madrid office.

Fuentes was found to be doping some of cycling’s biggest names, including Spaniard Alejandro Valverde.

Fuentes was banned for a year, but despite Fuentes

claiming he also worked with stars from tennis, football, boxing and athletics, in 2013 a Spanish judge ordered the blood samples to be destroyed rather than handed to anti-doping authorities.

Madrid’s Provincial Court is due to deliver its verdict on appeal against Judge Julia Patricia Santamari’s 2013 ruling.

El Pistolero aims for 2017 ALBERTO Contador is determined he won’t retire in 2016 if his new team wins a WorldTour licence.

The seven-time Grand Tour winner hopes to raise €15 million for his RH+ Polartec development team to ride in the 2017 Tour De France.

Contador’s current team, Tinkoff-Saxo, is set to withdraw at the end of this season, leaving a WorldTour space for next season.

“There are two options in my head: to keep the idea of retirement that I expressed a year ago, or [ride for] the professional team that we are planning,” said Contador.

IT IS THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN AT BENAVISTA LAWN BOWLS CLUB. THE CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE BEING PLAYED. LAST YEAR OUR SINGLES CHAMPIONS, WERE WENDY AND BARRY PEMBERTON, WE THINK THE FIRST TIME A MARRIED COUPLE HAVE WON!!

MEANWHILE THE GIRLS AT THE GREEN BAR ARE WAITING TO

SERVE YOU WITH ANYTHING FROM TAPAS, SNACKS TO A FULL MEAL, WHY NOT HAVE A FEW DRINKS. COME AND JOIN US!!

CALL US ON 952885148.

E.MAIL doreen@fate.co.uk

This meant the odds for the Rock Cup game were wildly skewed and Bet365 was forced to suspend betting the night before the match after a series of big bets began flowing in.

A GFA spokesman said: “The Gibraltar FA’s Integrity Unit has begun a full investigation”.

Gibraltar United went on to win the match 2-1.

the

Covering Andalucia in 2016 with over 200,000 papers (130,000 digital) and around 500,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

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Telephone: 951 273 575

February 17th - March 1st 2016

SOCKING IT: Fire-fighters

Love for Lesbos

www.theolivepress.es

Be my PC valentINE?

A POLICE press officer found himself in hot water on Valentine’s Day when he hinted that sexual harassment may not be a crime.

It came after the National Police employee tweeted that ‘stealing a kiss’ on February 14 should be encouraged.

The tweet read: “If someone ‘steals’ a kiss from you, it is not a crime. Happy Valentine’s Day.” It was followed by a lips emoji.

And although 2,800 people retweeted the message and 2,500 ‘liked’ it, many others argued it encouraged harassment.

Three hours later the National Police released a follow up tweet which read: “If YOUR lover ‘steals’ a surprise kiss from you, enjoy it! If someone does it without consent, #Denuncia.”

FINAL WORDS

TOWIE touchdown THE cast of TOWIE, including Danielle Armstrong, Liam Blackwell, Michael Housini, James Lock and Pete Wicks have arrived in Gran Canaria for their annual holiday special.

Royal visit QUEEN Letizia visited Madrid’s Prado Museum with husband King Felipe on Wednesday to meet the institution’s Board of Patronage.

OA-pleased NEW death maps for Europe have revealed people in Spain have a higher chance of reaching age 84-95 than those in Britain and Scandinavia, largely due to the Mediterranean diet.

REFUGEES at the epicentre of the Greek immigration crisis are getting some localSpanish support.

Marbella citizens are donating an incredible 40,000 pairs of socks, 4,500 pairs of shoes, 80 wheelchairs, 60 prams and numerous boxes of clothes to be delivered by fire-fighters to immigrants in Lesbos.

Mayor Jose Bernal said the donations had ‘exceeded all expectations’.

Bordering on madness

Eccentric Polish man stopped after stealing a police car on Gibraltar’s frontier

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CAR JACKER: At Gibraltar border A POTTY Pole has been vehicle was later returned. stopped at the Gibraltar bor- The unknown man had apparently been spotted lookder in a stolen police car.

Dramatic video footage ing suspicious after being shows the moment the Guar- turned away at the border dia Civil vehicle came speed- without a passport. ing through the frontier be- Officials are now investigatfore being ordered to a halt ing why the Guardia Civil vehicle had been apparently left by border guards.

The Polish man was quickly ar- with the keys in the ignition. rested and handed over to the To see the video visit Spanish authorities, while the www.theolivepress.es

Gypsy kids FLAMENCO culture lies at Spain’s heart, but now for the first time its colourful traditions are coming to its classrooms.

Castille y Leon has become the first Spanish region to include ‘Gypsy studies’ on the 2016-17 school history curriculum.

“This is an act of justice,” said education minister Fernando Rey. “We want to defend the culture and history of the gypsy people.”

Around 800,000 people in Spain classify themselves as Gypsies. Romany communities have been recorded in Spain for over 700 years.

Choc-chip prison buns PRISONERS in Granada were given a rude Valentine’s surprise when they discovered mouse droppings in their breakfast.

Officers were forced to change the menu after complaints that the excrement was peppered over bread rolls.

Important engagement FUTURE brushing brides and golden grooms will be wanting to sail away into the sunset at The Sunborn Wedding Show taking place this weekend.

The event, showcasing the best suppliers and professionals to help make your special day unforgettable, will include a catwalk show, bridal bar, onstage entertainment, food tasting and workshops.

Among a host of professionals on hand for tips and advice will be dress designers, florists, cake-makers, stationers, photographers and many more.

The free, ticketless event runs from 1pm-5pm on Saturday 20 and from 3pm-7pm on Sunday 21 February at the Ocean Village Venue.

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