Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 248 by Olive Press Newspaper Spain

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Vol. 10 Issue 248 www.theolivepress.es September 14th - September 27th 2016

Bull battles

SPAIN has seen its biggest anti-bullfighting protest in history. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid, with placards reading: ‘Bullfighting, the school of cruelty’. The event organised by charity PACMA, described bullfighting as a ‘bygone tradition’ and called for it to be banned. It has already been banned completely in ADULATION: Cayetano and Manzanares, while (inset) Gonzalez Catalonia.

Security boss believes there has been a ‘shocking’ increase of robbery by drink spiking EXCLUSIVE By Laurence Dollimore

AN expat security boss is warning people to be vigilant of a ‘shocking level’ of drink-spiking on the Costa del Sol. In just six months since setting up his private security firm CP Marbella, he claims to have heard of at least 15 victims of the crime. In addition to the use of GHB to drug and sexually assault women, he warns of an increasing trend of gangs using women to drug male tourists with ketamine, a horse tranquiliser, that makes them powerless and easy to rob. James Hickey, 36, says he is so shocked at the increasingly brazen approach of the criminals, that he felt he had to speak out. “It’s very worrying as it seems that anyone is a target,” the former Royal Green Jacket soldier,

IT is one of Spain’s most prestigious bullfights. So it was appropriate perhaps that leading matador, Armani model Cayetano Rivera, should have his outfit designed by his wife, Spanish Master Chef presenter Eva Gonzalez. Ronda’s annual Goyesca bullfight - now in its 60th year - also featured fellow bullfighters Manuel Manzanares and Simon Lopez.

The spiking

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body experience, I have never been in a state like that, which is how I knew something was wrong,” said Darren, 49, from Birmingham, who was on holiday with eight pals. “I then got separated from my friends somehow, which has never happened to me before.” The account director suspects he was targeted because he was holding on to the group’s kitty, which was being used to buy rounds of drinks. While the cash, around €150, was stolen in the attack, oddly they didn’t take his wallet or phone. “I did fear for my life a little because I had no idea what was going on,” he said, “I remember a British voice saying ‘don’t move!’ before I passed out cold.” Darren woke up the next morning in Malaga A&E, with four stitches in his head and a bad headache. “I was left unconscious in the street and very lucky some anopeople were there to help.” “It has definitely put us off coming back to the Costa del Sol and I would advise anyone going

ON TRIAL: Mayors Sanchez and Corbacho

Judgement days ahead TWO former mayors are finally being hauled before the courts over the next month. Former Casares mayor Juan Sanchez is facing 18 years in prison and a €2.5 million fine for his role in the infamous Majestic property scandal. Sanchez will be tried on October 24 over allegations that he took millions in bribes from Russian mafia boss Ricardo Fanchini and cohorts Robert Gaspar and Robert Mani in return for building licences.

Disgraced

Meanwhile, disgraced axGaucin mayor Francisco Corbacho will appear at Malaga’s Penal Court Number 4 on September 20, although Gaucin Town Hall refused to confirm the charges. In 2008, Corbacho was fined €2,700 and banned from office for seven years after syphoning off €200,000 of town hall funds. One concerned expat Ron Shotton told the Olive Press his neighbour, Brenda Richardson, had been called as a witness for next week’s trial, but was unable to attend due to her husband’s ill health. “It is amazing that this is all being kept so much in the dark,” he added.

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enjoying a few of drinks with friends in Fuengirola when he claims to have been drugged. He told the Olive Press that he was accosted by a woman down a quiet side street, who blocked his way before he was hit over the back of the head and robbed. “I remember walking and feeling like I was having an outer

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Spiking alert

Hickey, who moved to Estetold the Olive Press. pona after working in the “What we are seeing is an Middle East for the past increase in gangs using eight years. women to flirt with men “People need to make sure before spiking them and they are looking out for robbing them. each other.” “A police contact has One recent victim warned me that crime includes holidayrelated to spiking is maker Darren Parkvery prevalent along the coast,” continued ALARM: Hickey er-Meade, who was

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CRIME

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We’ll retake You animals! Al-Andalus A NEWLY released video by evil terrorist group ISIS has featured Spain for the first time. The video shows an aerial shot of the Alhambra palace in Granada, alongside images of child soldiers being indoctrinated by the group’s leaders. The Alhambra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a major attraction, bringing in around 6,000 tourists a day. The video is the latest in several references to Spain made by the jihadi group in the last 12 months. The death cult has plans to retake ‘Al-Andalus’, the Arabic name given to Andalucia, which was occupied by the muslim moors between the 8th and 15th century. ISIS released a statement in July ordering supporters in Morocco, Tunisia and Libya to attack Spaniards.

Pregnant Muslim attacked A PREGNANT Muslim woman has been kicked in the stomach by two men in Barcelona. The hooligans from the the farright Brigadas Blanquiazules group hit her because she was wearing the Niqab. The two men, who are yet to be named, then assaulted the woman’s husband.

September 14th - September 27th 2016

Watch your drinks

AN investigation has been launched after one of Spain’s highly protected wild bears was shot. The death has sparked outrage, after tourists discovered the body in Muniellos Nature Reserve, in Asturias. Weighing around 105 kilos, the male brown bear was killed by a single shot to the chest. Fundacion Oso Pardo described the killing as ‘extremely worrying’ given that it happened in the heart of a protected area.

From front page

out with their friends to be on alert at all times.” This weekend, an elderly British expat couple from Estepona were drugged with Ketamine in Puerto Banus. The pair, who are neighbours of Hickey, were robbed of their jewellery and watches while in a semi-conscious state. “They were taken to a quiet corner in the port, where they were robbed,” said Hickey. “You have to be really vigilant out here. I hope people take heed.” The Olive Press launched a campaign to address drink-spiking in 2014 after we revealed Spanish police had no records for the crime.

Weekend off!

THE international media empire of Stanley Byron Israel has hit the buffers. Two of his companies Sunsearch Media Group and Simply Media Group are bankrupt, owing tens of thousands of euros. Meanwhile, his newspaper Weekend World has failed to come out for nearly two months, while he is facing yet another court case this month from unpaid staff. According to the government’s Boletin Oficial del Registro Mercantil, the two Malagabased companies are in ‘insolvency’, owing at least €40,806 and €8,161 respectively in interest plus costs. This does not include unpaid staff or printing bills, which are likely to amount to tens of thousands more. Two printers told the Olive Press, this week, that they

More bad news for controversial publisher Stan Israel as newspaper fails to come out for months and companies file for insolvency were owed well over €30,000 between them and both cases were in the hands of lawyers, with one in Estepona court. “It is a total disgrace what he has done to me and my company,” said one of them, who asked to remain anonymous. “I have paid €4,000 in IVA alone and am well out of pocket. “I will now have to spend years getting a ruling, by which time he will have probably vanished.” But Israel - real name Stanley Byron Haw - doesn’t appear to be van-

ishing any time soon. A big fan of the glamorous Costa del Sol lifestyle, he has just launched a new product, a glossy magazine, under the name Luxury Living. Declaring itself an official publication of the private estate of Sotogrande with its official logo on the cover, it has adverts from companies including Rolls-Royce, Etihad airways and Harrods. With a welcome letter from Israel, it is ‘on sale’ in dozens of countries around the world, including Malaysia, Taiwan and Brazil.

However, a barcode on the cover does not work and the pricing is a little awry, being €4.95 in Spain, while £5.99 in the UK. Oddly it is being given away free in various places on the coast - and in Gibraltar - with no attempt to charge for it. The big difference however is the company publishing it. It is operating under the name Press Prefer Publishing SL - a new company registered under Israel’s girlfriend Lisa Brown. Israel already has a checkered history in publishing both in the UK and in Spain. He was ordered to pay €2,800 to a former sales boss by a Malaga court last year, after being liable for not paying her for two months. Other members of staff have told the Olive Press they are launching legal action. Israel was unavailable for comment as we went to press.

VANISHED: Last copy on July 21 and (top) new mag, Luxury Living

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September 14th - September 27th 2016

Film Fever

STARS: Hugh Grant, Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor

A RAFT of international names are set to mingle under the stars in San Sebastian. Richard Gere, Hugh Grant and Ewan Mcgregor are all set to attend the celebrated film festival that begins next week. They will be joined by Monica Bellucci, Ethan Hawke and Javier Bardem at the Basque

event. Ethan Hawke will receive the San Sebastian Film Festival’s Donostia Award honoring his threedecade-long ‘illustrious career’ in the movie business. Organisers will then screen his new film The Magnificent Seven, remade from the 1960s Western classic. Now it’s in 64th year, the film festival showcases films in all genres from thriller to horror. TALENT: Monica Bellucci and Javier Bardem

Extra muscle wanted

Hunky extras sought for Game of Thrones GAME of Thrones producers ware looking for muscle-bound extras to star in the next series of the hit TV show, which begins filming in Spain

this autumn. Casting calls have been issued in Malpartida, a small town with a population of 4,500, near the set of Caceres, and Malaga-based Modexport International Casting has been very specific in what it is looking for - thin people and men in good physical condition, prefREALITY TV legend Peter Andre is to erably with some headline a concert in Fuengirola. military experiThe former pop star will anchor the We ence. Love the 90’s event on October 1. Men can have eiIn total, 15 acts, including Ace of Base, ther short, medium Whigfield and Haddaway, will be on or long hair, and be stage at willing to grow fathe town’s cial hair while wombull ring. en should have long S n a p ! , hair with no streaks w h o s e or highlights. c l u b "Those with hair classic that is green, red, Rhythm purple, blue, pink of the etc, need not apply," N i g h t said Modexpor. t o p p e d A limit of 2,400 authe charts ditions has been set, while those lucky in the UK, enough to get the are also parts will earn €54 on the a day. bill. POPSTAR: Peter Andre

Peter pops in

Strike a pose VOGUE Williams has been showing off her beach body in Marbella. The 30-year-old DJ-cum-TV presenter posted a sun-drenched picture of herself posing in a skimpy black bikini. The Irish lass captioned the image with: “Happy Monday! Life is good.” The ex-wife of Westlife frontman Brian McFadden was later spotted strolling around Marbella’s old town.

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Young at heart

POP star Paul Young worked up such an appetite at the Gibraltar Music Festival (GMF) he later headed to La Sala Gibraltar for a bite to eat. The eighties idol treated the Victoria Stadium crowd to hits like Love Of The Common People before joining Ne-Yo and Heather Small at the GMF official afterparty. Hundreds of GMF revellers enjoyed the restaurant’s live music acts and famous cocktails. Young, who was clearly having a great night, HUNGRY: Paul with staff later tweeted a photo of himself with staff.

Pedro’s six of the best PEDRO Almodovar’s new film Julieta has been selected as Spain’s entry for next year’s Oscars. It is the sixth time the quirky director has been nominated for the award in the Best Foreign Film category, which he won in 1999 with All About My Mother. Julieta is based on three short stories by Canadian Nobel laureate Alice Munro and tells the tale of a woman’s guilt after she becomes estranged from her daughter. It was up for the Palme D’Or at this summer’s Cannes Film Festival.

Happy Holiday FORMER Towie star Lucy Mecklenburgh (left) has been spotted enjoying the Spanish sun. The former model-turned-fitness-guru spent her days on the Costa del Sol mostly sunbathing and working out.

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Three and out FORMER prime minister Felipe Gonzalez has called on Spain’s political leaders to resign if there is a third general election. Socialist Gonzalez, who was Spain’s longest-serving PM, also appeared to urge PSOE leader Pedro Sanchez to abstain in any vote on a new government. “If parties can’t form a government they should not impede others from doing so,” he insisted. Sanchez and his 85 delegates voted against Mariano Rajoy when the PP leader held a vote on forming a new government earlier this month.

Soria shamed MORE than 180,000 people have signed a petition to shame ex minister Jose Manuel Soria. The enraged group - headed by journalist Maximo Pradera - were outraged that he was chosen to represent Spain at the World Bank. The group insist the former PP Minister of Industry is ‘not worthy of representing Spain’ after being removed from the government, in April. His departure came after it emerged that he had numerous accounts hidden offshore, according to the Panama Papers leak.

Spanish Supreme Court backs Gibraltar over outrageous drug dealing slurs on leader

P o li t ics

September 14th - September 27th 2016

Landmark ruling

By Rob Horgan

AN ‘historic’ Spanish Supreme Court ruling has confirmed that Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo is not a drug smuggler or money launderer. In a case that will ‘set a precedent’ for future crossborder cases, the Madrid

PAYING UP: Bernad

court backed a Gibraltar Court ruling that Manos Limpias union leader Miguel Bernad must pay Picardo £30,000 in compensation following the defamatory comments made in front of the European Commision. A total of £1,500 will now be seized from Bernad’s

Schengen army THE EU has begun talks on the creation of a European Defence Union, a collective security pact similar to NATO. France, Italy and Germany’s defence ministers discussed the idea with German Defence Minister Ursual Von der Leyen describing it as a ‘Schengen of defence’. “This is what the Americans expect us to do,” he added. The hopes are that the EU bloc will reach a level of collective security that would guarantee an attack on one member is an attack on every member. The treaty would commit all members to retaliate against any state that attacked an EU country.

pension for describing Picardo as ‘an accomplice, collaborator and co-operator in smuggling, drug trafficking and money laundering’, in 2013. Leading Gibraltarian lawyer Charles Gomez believes that this ‘high-profile’ ruling will send a message out to Spaniards who think they are beyond the reach of Gibraltar’s courts. “Until now there was an urban legend in Spain that rulings in Gibraltar would not be enforced in Spain,” he told the Olive Press. “This high-profile decision will no doubt cause concern in some sectors where Spanish residents thought that they were beyond the reach of the Gibraltar courts.” Bernad, 74, currently remains in prison awaiting trial for charges of extortion, being part of a criminal organization, fraud and forgery. Picardo has always said that he will donate damages to a Gibraltar charity.

News IN BRIEF

Cash for permits SPANISH police have dismantled an illegal immigration ring that saw Chinese nationals paying €8,000 for fake contracts as domestic workers in return for residency permits.

No vote PRIME Minister Theresa May will push through Brexit without holding a parliamentary vote, as had been previously mooted by Remain supporters.

Green beans THE Policia Nacional have arrested four people in Alicante for smuggling 263kg of marijuana to the Netherlands by hiding it among vegetables in heavy trucks.

Golden return SPAIN’S Olympic team returned home from Rio with their biggest tally of medals since the 1992 Barcelona games, with seven golds, four silver and six bronzes.

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www.theolivepress.es Voted top expat paper in Spain

OPINION Spiking shame WHY isn’t more being done to prevent spiking along the Costa del Sol? There is clearly a serious problem that many of the bars or venues are failing to address. It is not a new problem. We launched a campaign two years ago! More warning labels should be on display in bars to remind punters of the dangers of being robbed, or worse, raped in this fashion. It is a stain on the coast and has the potential to turn away tourists who may not feel safe to go out and enjoy themselves.

Evening up the playing field IT has been over a year since the Olive Press exposed the shady business practices of expat publisher Stan Israel. While it is not easy to knock another publication, it is hard to ignore the story when multiple members of ex-staff and former printers queue up with stories of non-payment. Particularly when staff costs at the Olive Press - not to mention the printing bill - are our two highest outlays each month. If nothing else, business owners and readers deserve to know that the playing field is just a little askew... and if they support publishers like this, they should know what they are buying into.

fe at u re

ROKEN dreams, shattered lives, financial ruin. This is the human cost of an alleged string of property scams carried out by a Dutch family gang based on the Costa del Sol, the Olive Press can reveal. Furious British expats and Dutch nationals, back home in Holland, have accused Jan Herman (Henk) Brinkman and several family members of swindling them out of hundreds of thousands, probably millions, of euros. Marbella-based Brinkman, 47, and his father-inlaw Jan Te Riet, 72, are alleged to be at the centre of a web of fake companies that have conned dozens of families both here and back home. But despite a mountain of evidence - and dozens of alleged victims - Brinkman remains at large and was even spotted last week driving a luxury white Porsche Cayenne in Puerto Banus. Today, the Olive Press can reveal just some of the accusations levelled at Brinkman and his cohorts: • • • •

A Scottish family who lost €30,000 renting their Estepona home to Brinkman and his wife Johanna Te Riet An English couple who lost thousands in a rental scam A team of 15 salespeople who lost around €150,000 in a Marbella luxury apartment scam Some 21 Dutch workers defrauded out of

September 14th - September 27th 2016

EXCLUSIVE The astonishing trail of allegations against suspected Porschedriving fraudster Jan Herman Brinkman finally leads to an arrest, as Joe Duggan discovers

On the brink!

Unforgivable IT is unbelievable that someone could be so cruel to murder an endangered bear. If a local farmer is upset that some of his livestock has been killed, killing a bear on a nature reserve is not going to rally people around his cause or solve the problem. But what is equally as worrying is that someone was able to bring a weapon to a protected area, shoot an animal dead and get away scot-free. Hopefully authorities at the Muniellos Nature Reserve are looking into improving their security measures!

AWARDS

2015/2016

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

2012 - 2016

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

Publisher/ Editor

Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es

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

Designer James Partington design@theolivepress.es

Rob Horgan rob@theolivepress.es Joe Duggan joe@theolivepress.es Laurence Dollimore laurence@theolivepress.es Samantha Mordi samantha@theolivepress.es Admin & Accounts (+34) 951 273 575 Maria González admin@theolivepress.es Admin and accounts coordinator Héctor Santaella (+34) 658 750 424 accounts@theolivepress.es Admin and account assistant

Distribution Graham Warters distribution@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: sales@theolivepress.es Chris Birkett - Head of Sales chris@theolivepress.es (+34) 652 512 956 Kerry Hicks kerry@theolivepress.es 655825683

ADMIN/SALES (+34) 951 273 575 Newsdesk (+34) 665 798 618 A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 200,000 copies distributed monthly (130,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month. Carretera Nacional 340, km 144.5 Calle Espinosa 1 Edificio centro comercial El Duque, planta primera, 29692 San Luis de Sabinilla, Manilva

•

€365,000 by a company fronted by Brinkman At least 10 people who lost tens of thousands from a dodgy property website, Wijkopenuwdroomhuis.nl

When the Olive Press broke the story of the alleged swindling of German expat stuntman Peter Wicke, 48, in March, we had no idea we that a deluge of alleged victims would contact us. Indeed, in the last two months alone, we have been contacted by over 30 alleged victims and our reports have now featured in national newspapers and on TV in Holland. It all started with when Marbella-based Wicke told us how he lost €2,500 in a bogus €5 million film deal with Brinkman’s investment company JE Investeringen (or JE investments). Describing it as a ‘very clever scam, both deceptive and calculated’, the company had tried to look legitimate by getting registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under the name ‘Jan Te Riet’. British expat Randolph Von Gans also approached JE investments about finance for a multi-million Costa Del Sol property development, but pulled out after becoming suspicious about the company and Te Riet’s demands. But Dutch expat Toon Van De Wiel wasn’t so lucky. The business analyst had first met Brinkman and his wife Johanna Te Riet at a barbecue organised by the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) of exclusive €15,000-a-year Aloha College,

LIFE OF LUXURY: Private school and Porsche cars for Brinkman

concerned.” where their sons were classmates. Tempted by Brinkman to invest in a Marbella Aloha College were unavailable for comment, albeach bar, Van De Wiel transferred €90,000 though it is understood Johanna has now been removed from the PTA. to an IBAN account in BrinkBut the scams did not stop man’s wife’s name, as inthere, allegedly. structed. The Brinkmans claimed the “He pushed us and Another Brit Frank Ferris came cropper when he rented his money didn’t arrive. A monthour six-year-old very athree-bedroom Estepona house long investigation by the bank revealed the IBAN is in agressively then ran to Brinkman and Johanna Te to the bottom of the Riet before agreeing to sell it to the name of Jan Te Riet. The them. garden to escape” money has not been returned “They were very nice. They said to Van De Wiel. money was not a problem, alSince then a number of angry though sometimes Brinkman parents have resigned from the PTA, on which Johanna was conveniently a had a BMW or Range Rover and sometimes an old banger,” Scot Ferris, 59, told the Olive Press. member. “She has been handling money for the PTA,” “Everything was fine for the first 11 months. We explained one. “All the parents at the school agreed a price and contract. But as soon as the think it is a disgrace. It’s disgusting. We are very contract was signed things changed, the deposit was not forthcoming and the rent stopped.” Ferris took the couple to court and they were evicted, leaving the Scot with unpaid bills and legal fees of more than €30,000. But the story became even more remarkable, when Ferris discovered that during the year they had been in the home they had been subletting to holidaymakers via website Owners Direct. One family from Essex, Julia and Colin Reeves paid a €500 deposit via Paypal to rent the home, and were then slapped with a shock text demanding ‘damages deposit’ of €3,500 on arrival by Johanna Te Riet. Mrs Reeves described what happened next as ‘a horror story’. “We ended up handing over €1,500 in cash along with my credit card,” said Mrs Reeves, a 47-year-old PA. It was no surprise that a few days later Barclaycard were in touch to inform her that the card had been used to rent a car. “Obviously I had not authorised this,” she added. On departure, they had to wait hours for the couple to turn up with their damages deposit, alongside their bemused 12-year-old son. ACCUSED: Brinkman (right) ‘Needs to spend next 60 years in jail’

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help, Wijkopenuwdroonhuis (We Buy CRIM E Your Dream Home), promised it could 2 www.theolivepress.es Child a property he had found for a fee. secure HIM GIVE snatching the Unfortunately for him, the site - regisBACK! olive press evaded tered at the same address and Dutch d after String of victims come forwar n Olive Press exposes film conma Chamber Of Commerce number as JE I fell Investments - was run by Brinkman. Net widens thanks to “We paid Brinkman €7,000 for legal for Olive Press THE BIG PAYBACK charges, but then he disappeared,” that said Engelmoer. “I can’t buy the house stunt! and I have had to pay €10,000 compensation to the seller. Child abuse gang held “It has hit us very hard.” At least 10 other alleged victims claim ngster Francis ta del Sol to have been duped by the same webLisa Smuggler faces extradition over New crossfire death site. ON THE TRAIL: Previous Olive Press stories on Brinkman One, Martijn Breekveldt, told the Olive Press he lost €9,250 after his girlfriend “I couldn’t get another job so I couldn’t pay the met Brinkman to discuss buying a house. But oddly, after getting out the €1,500 and Breaking mortgage and eventually lost our home,” said “After I paid him there were all kinds of excuses counting it it in front of them, Brinkman sudBaddies the 53-year-old. “My wife had a mental break- then eventually he disappeared. I haven’t heard denly put it back in his pocket and made a run anything since,” said Breekveldt. down over it.” for the front door. Jailed Bodybuilder Schoor says he has scoured Mar- In a separate case, 21 partners at debt restruc“He pushed us and our six-year-old out of the turing company UW Advies were left €365,000 bella trying to find Brinkman, but to no avail. way very aggressively,” she said. Meanwhile, a Just last month, an investigation on Holland’s out of pocket in 2013, after Brinkman was found friend was pushed to the floor, left badly bruised. main TV channel NPO1, sparked by our stories, to have fraudulently bankrupted the company. “He ended up running round the back of the vilEach paid Brinkman €17,500 for the franchise revealed a string of new alleged victims. la, down the bottom of the garden and jumped One of these, retired Geert Jan Engelmoer, 65, to cover different regions of Holland. through some trees to get away, leaving his son was unable to get a mortgage due to an old Company curator Aniek Gielen confirmed to at the villa with all of us.” FaNtastiC! debt. The company the pensioner turned to for the Olive Press that ‘substantial amounts were Amid the chaos, in scenes reminiscent of Fawlty DEals For transferred from the company’s account Towers, a new family of rental clients sudChristmas & NEw YEar to Brinkman, close family members or emerged the front drive ready for Fabulous food anddenly entertainment including ain 5* Christmas or New Years Eve Gala Dinner with fine wine his personal creditors.’ their summer holidays. “This guy has left a trail of scams in the It emerged they had also been duped into Netherlands for which he is still wanted,” paying €4,000 to rent the house. one alleged victim Arie Boemaars told In their native Holland, the allegations Puerto Marina **** Iberostar **** Isla Canela Golf **** the Olive Press. Benalmadena, Spain Nova Sancti Petri, Spain Ayamonte, Spain against Brinkman are even more serious. “He needs to spend the next 60 years in In 2014, Jan Schoor was one of 3 5 nights 23/12/16~28/12/16 for Christmas Robert 5 nights 28/12/16~02/01/17 for New Year jail,” he added. 15 Dutch salespeople who claim to have Prices are per person for 5 nights half board, twin room This may have come a step closer with lost up to936€15,000 in a fake Marbella GastoN GolF tours Tel: 952 803 Email: info@gastongolf.com www.gastongolf.com the news that Brinkman has recently property business fronted by Brinkman. been brought in for questioning over Schoor quit his successful sales-training the Van der Wiel case. business to join Van Der Meer InvestNational police inspector Juan Fernanments, which purported to have dozens dez Morales revealed in an email to Mr of exclusive Costa properties to sell. Van der Wiel that Brinkman had been “Brinkman said I’d be a millionaire in a ‘arrested’ and it was now being dealt year and I was persuaded to pay €2,500 with by Estepona court. to join and was then given a contract Brinkman and Te Riet were unavailfor €7,500 a month to train his team,” able for comment when the Olive Schoor said. Press contacted them. But two months later, neither Schoor DODGY: ‘It hit us Marbella-based lawyer Julia Emmerich, nor his wife had seen a penny. very hard,’ who has previously represented Brinkman, “I begged him every week to pay me,” says alleged told the Olive Press: “We are not interested he said. “But after two months he said victim in making any declaration. Nobody is going to we weren’t fitting in and fired us. make any declaration.” Property

PAGE 24

La Cala del Sol, Cala de Mijas, Local No. 17, 29649, Malaga tel: +34 951 401 921

Caption

IT brings meaning to a whole new living life on the concept of the edge. Perched above the Med, Casa del Acantilado Cliff House) (The project from is the latest wacky Madrid weird and GilBartolome. architects

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Something of a challenge, it was created Pablo Gil and by architects Jaime Bartolome on a 42-degree on the Granada slope Commissioned coastline. couple from by a young Madrid, ery single window of evhome, near the boasts stunningSalobrena, views of the sea. The state-of-the-art sign split defeatures aover two floors ‘dragon-scale’ inspired curved roof, floorto-ceiling windows and an infinity pool. Its position hillside helpsdug into the the inside stay cool in the summer months and warmer in winter. joyful living, “The project innovative construction combined techniques, the return of craftsmanGranada

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EVEREST Venables veteran Stephen has swapped West Country his in hilly Gaucin.home for a pad The intrepid mountaineer, who found peditions fame leading exthrough the malayas, has HiAndalucian chosen soaring mountains Somerset countryside. over “It’s a strange irony that though I’ve life calling spent most of my taineer, yet myself a mounthis is the time I’ve actually first lived in the mountains,” revealed Venables, 61. Venables from Bath, and wife Rosie, bought a pair small, adjacent of town houses and have knocked them through to village home.create one larger “We are reliant expat communityon the local because are only just learning how we speak Spanish,” to Venables foundhe said. fame forging a new Kangshungroute up Everest’s first Briton Face and was the to summit out extra oxygen. withHe has also explored Antarctica.

ship and the vironmental cave as an enstrategy,” said Bartolome.

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LIVING ON THE EDGE

Iconic Spanish architects complete innovative cliffside pad on the Andalucia coast

Caption

IT brings a whole new meaning to the concept of living life on the edge. Perched above the Med, Casa del Acantilado (The Cliff House) is the latest project from weird and wacky Madrid architects GilBartolome.

xxxxx

Something of a challenge, it was created by architects Pablo Gil and Jaime Bartolome on a 42-degree slope on the Granada coastline. Commissioned by a young couple from Madrid, every single window of the home, near Salobrena, boasts stunning views of the sea. The state-of-the-art design split over two floors features a ‘dragon-scale’ inspired curved roof, floorto-ceiling windows and an infinity pool. Its position dug into the hillside helps the inside stay cool in the summer months and warmer in winter. “The project combined

joyful living, innovative construction techniques, the return of craftsman-

ship and the cave as an environmental strategy,” said Bartolome.

Up IN THE wOrLD!

EVEREST veteran Stephen Venables has swapped his West Country home for a pad in hilly Gaucin. The intrepid mountaineer, who found fame leading expeditions through the Himalayas, has chosen soaring Andalucian mountains over Somerset countryside. “It’s a strange irony that though I’ve spent most of my life calling myself a mountaineer, yet this is the first time I’ve actually lived in the mountains,” revealed Venables, 61. Venables and wife Rosie, from Bath, bought a pair of small, adjacent town houses and have knocked them through to create one larger village home. “We are reliant on the local expat community because we are only just learning how to speak Spanish,” he said. Venables found fame forging a new route up Everest’s Kangshung Face and was the first Briton to summit without extra oxygen. He has also explored Antarctica.

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may be made THE Junta for repaying responsible handed tens of millions training out in bogus schemes. Huelva has A judge in demandfiled a motion money that ing that anyrecouped in cannot be Edu scanthe €2 billion to be paid by dal will have the Junta. In an unprecedented the auEXCLUSIVE case, he insisted be reBy Joe Duggan thorities would comcom- sponsible for any found to set up a joint The plan was he himself was asked pany or individualmoney himself on fire, HE has set speedlegal and guilty of taking is depany, for which €10,000 for that jumped off exploding himself out to stump up fraudulently boats and thrown notary fees. handed over €2,500 be- clared bankrupt. cenof high-rise buildings. In the end he a rat and went to police. The investigation stuntman allocated Now Hollywood fore he smelt system and tres on funds is diving headProductions “It is a very clever crime Peter Wicke people,” to training programmes Costa courtthat Movie Television taken a fair few long into a bitter over a dodgy has probably last night. for the unemployed, PW. company. pany, of films not take place. International Wicke in his own film years room showdown film deal. deal to invest claims Brinkman had no Planning to produce a couple inter- insistedworked in Hollywood for hap- mostly did scheme, milmulti-million he ever “I have in Wicke, who Under the any money in Andalucia, he was naturally like this has offer of Marbella-basedin over 400 films and However, of stumping up I’m not lions were stolenacadhe spotted the with ‘no and nothing him in court after intentionand was merely after his own. bogus ested when has appeared investment pened. If I see a Dutch expat up grants for him Wicke told to contain myself. con- emies, which were setand TV shows, is suingscammed in a bogus foram absolutely raging,” an advert ‘safe and secure’ I will be able “I no payment’. at the end of last sure deception has been very answered buildings claiming he was in disused Olive Press. “I the Olive results, when meetings €5 “This and calculated.” partnership deal. German is gunning the a local newspaper (not in proj- After three was offered a merely furnished to inhe claims he deal from Brink- scious the Olive Press confronted The 48-year-oldJan Herman Brink- in last night, officials were sent offering investment When out of year, ‘business Brinkman about the case,questions. million investment for Dutchmanclaims took him for a Press)Next thing I am thousands spect. ects. never and his mysterious answer our man, who he ride. he declined to Costa del man Te Riet, who Wicke bone-shaking shakedown, he insists pocket.”who has lived on the to find partner’ Jan Invest- Wicke, two years, was hoping com- met. In a classic costa for his company Jene Brinkman’s him thousands after he Sol investment partner for euro an ments owes multi-million entered a promised

Wicke and FLAMING: stunt (right) during

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er smashes car into g

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aving 266 kilos of hashish.

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at Delaney, who jumped l, has been living on the ast for ‘at least’ a year. e was definitely living in e La Cala area last year,” e source said. “He is not sh, but at the same time he esn’t come across as somee on the run. ast time I saw him was in engirola about a month o.” close associate of armed bber and drug dealer Sean an, Delaney has also been nnected to the Kinahan n, based in Estepona, for ound a decade.

By Joe Duggan

AN Olive Press expose into a gang of suspected con artists has featured on Holland’s main TV channel, NPO1. Watchdog programme Kassa - as well as Dutch newspapers picked up on our stories into Marbella-based Dutchmen Jan Herman Brinkman, Jan Te Riet and his son Gert Jan Te Riet. They are accused of running a string of property scams and frauds in both Spain and Holland. In total, they are said to have possibly swindled dozens of victims out of millions of euros. At least 22 new alleged victims have come forward since we revealed how the gang allegedly conned German expat Peter Wicke, this year. Wicke told us how Brinkman had conned him in a bogus €5million film financing deal. Brinkman and his wife Johanna Te Riet have been spotted in Puerto Banus and Marbella over recent weeks.

ANOTHER Irishman has been shot dead in a case of mistaken identity. Trevor O’Neill, from Drimnagh, Dublin, was shot four times in the back after a gunman linked to the Kinahan cartel allegedly mistook him for the nephew of Gerry Hutch. Trevor, a council worker, just TWO Brits have been arresthappened to be ed after police discovered a staying at the ‘Breaking Bad’ style laborasame Mallorca tory in Spain. resort of SanOfficers seized 8,700 LSD tablaney’s arrest came as part ta Ponsa as a Operation Shovel, which lets, 10 kilos of amphetamines member of the w gang leader Christy Kiand 17,000 benzodiazepines, han jailed for for three Hutch family, at the lab, in the Basque town ars. who had previof Leioa. trio of Delaney’s close ously received The designer drugs, labelled sociates also received death threats. Ice N Berg, were being distribgthy jail sentences of beIt is the tenth uted to Europe, Australia, New een seven and nine years killing linked Zealand and the US and some er the 2008 bust. to the Kinahhave been linked to several mong them was former an-Hutch feud rave deaths. eds United goalkeeper since the slayThe Brits have been remanded die van Boxtel, who once ing of Gary in custody after appearing beved a penalty against Eric Hutch in Spain fore a judge. ntona. Olive Press Advert – Gaston:Layout 1 08/07/2016 13:27 Page 1 last year.

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FLAMING: Wicke and (right) during stunt

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

HE has set himself on fire, jumped off exploding speedboats and thrown himself out of high-rise buildings. Now Hollywood stuntman Peter Wicke is diving headlong into a bitter Costa courtroom showdown over a dodgy multi-million film deal. Marbella-based Wicke, who has appeared in over 400 films and TV shows, is suing a Dutch expat after claiming he was scammed in a bogus partnership deal. The 48-year-old German is gunning for Dutchman Jan Herman Brinkman, who he claims took him for a bone-shaking ride. In a classic costa shakedown, he insists Brinkman’s company Jene Investments owes him thousands after he entered a promised multi-million euro

www.theolivepress.es

...How tohave alSPANISH authorities repatriate the tolike live legedly refused Brit Anrockstar dead body ofamurdered March 30th - April 12th 2016 drew Bush. His body is currently in a tomb near to his Estepona home, where he was fatally shot three times by his ex girlfriend Mayka Kukucova in April 2014. a 15 year begun ... why Hugh While she has being found after in Palma sentence is Sam Maex wife, Page 20 guilty, Bush’sFrom son, former BBC TV presenter, says their daughter Ellie Mason-Bush just wants to give her funeral’. father a ‘respectable THE Junta may be made could reresponsible toldforwe repaying were “First we tens of millions handed the Spanthentraining butbogus out in patriate him schemes. their ish authorities A judge inchanged Huelva has filed a11th demandand inhour thethatmotion mind at ing any money that cannot be recouped him, they in slid burying sisted onthe €2 billion Edu scanwill haveshe a wall,” to besaid. paid by him intodal

Hollywood stuntman erupts after losing thousands in bogus €5 million Costa film deal deal to invest in his own film company. However, he claims Brinkman had no intention of stumping up any money for him and was merely after his own. “I am absolutely raging,” Wicke told the Olive Press. “I answered an advert in a local newspaper (not the Olive Press) offering investment in projects. Next thing I am thousands out of pocket.” Wicke, who has lived on the Costa del Sol for two years, was hoping to find an investment partner for his com-

pany, Movie Television Productions International PW. Planning to produce a couple of films in Andalucia, he was naturally interested when he spotted the offer of ‘safe and secure’ investment with ‘no results, no payment’. After three meetings at the end of last year, he claims he was offered a €5 million investment deal from Brinkman and his mysterious ‘business partner’ Jan Te Riet, who Wicke never met.

Doublecrossed Dutch In the anniversary edition of

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Property olive press

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March 30th

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PAGE 23

our Property magazine find out...

THE BATTLE TO SINK SPAIN’S MOST

Everything

A SUSPECTED conman exposed by the Olive Press after duping a Hollywood stuntman in a €5 million deal may be part of a crime family with hundreds of victims. Since the Olive Press front-page story on Peter Wicke’s court battle with Jan Herman Brinkman, half a dozen more victims have approached us. Marbella-based Wicke, 48, handed €2,500 to Brinkman when seeking investors for his

NOTORIOUS PIRATES (PAGES 6&7)

www.smartcurrencyexchange.com

LIVING ON THE EDGE - April 12th

La Cala del Sol, Cala de Mijas, Local No. 17, 29649, Malaga tel: +34 951 401 921

2016

Iconic Spanish architects complete innovative cliffside pad the Andaluciaon coast

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

PAGE 24

Caption

IT brings a whole meaning new living life to the concept of Perched on the edge. Casa del above the Med, Acantilado Cliff House) (The project from is the latest wacky Madrid weird and GilBartolome. architects

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

PAGE 30

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx

PAGE 40

xxxxx

Something of a challenge, it was created by architects Pablo Gil lome on aand Jaime Barto42-degree on the Granada slope Commissioned coastline. couple from by a young Madrid, ery single window of evhome, near the boasts stunningSalobrena, views of the sea. The state-of-the-art sign split defeatures over two floors a ‘dragon-scale’ inspired curved roof, to-ceiling windows floorinfinity pool. and an Its position hillside helpsdug into the the inside stay cool months in the summer winter. and warmer in joyful living, “The project innovative combined construction techniques, the return of craftsman-

Up IN THE wOrLD!

EVEREST Venables veteran Stephen has swapped West Country his in hilly Gaucin.home for a pad The intrepid mountaineer, who found peditions fame leading exmalayas, through the Hihas chosen Andalucian soaring mountains Somerset countryside. over “It’s a strange irony that though I’ve life calling spent most of my taineer, yet myself a mounthis is the time I’ve first actually lived mountains,” revealed in the ables, 61. VenVenables from Bath, and wife Rosie, bought a small, adjacent pair of town es and have knocked housthrough to them village home.create one larger “We are reliant on the local expat community because are only just learning how we speak Spanish,” to he said. Venables ing a new found fame forgKangshungroute up Everest’s first Briton Face and was the to summit out extra withoxygen. He explored Antarctica. has also

ship and the vironmental cave as an enstrategy,” said Bartolome.

Caption

Property

specialist for both buyer and a seller on Rightmove Overseas and Propertyguides.com

olive press EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan I fell for film company before smelling that a rat and pulling out of a much stunt! bigger deal. But others have not escaped so ‘lightly’. One Marbella businessman Sanne Toon Van De Wiel is battling to get back €90,000 he UNDER FIRE: Brinkman with gave to Brinkman, allegedly for wife Johanna and our story a beach chiringuito investment. In police documents, the Dutch- IBAN that he said was in wife in a dodgy property deal. man claims he was persuaded Johanna’s name. A signed legal document seen by the Junta. In an unprecedented it was a ‘fabulous’ investment, “But afterwards they claimed the Olive Press shows Brinkman, case, he insisted the aubut the money simply vanished they didn’t get the money. They Marbella-based, agreed to repay The plan was to set up a joint com- thorities would be repany, for which he himself was asked sponsible for any combut has yet to do so. with no comeback. to stump up €10,000 for legal and pany or individual found say I didn’t send it, which is pre- Bromhaar, brother-in-law guilty of taking money notary fees. Van De Wiel told the Olive posterous.” Brinkman’s as In the end he handed over €2,500 be- fraudulently that is deboots and football used Brinkman that te Riet was the subject fore he smelt a rat and went to police. clared bankrupt. Press: “We met paedophile gang A SUSPECTED Marbella police are investigat- Gert Jan “It is a very clever crime system and The investigation cenchildren has been rounded up. his wife Johanna Te Riet at our ing after their bank confirmed of a TV crime investigation by has probably taken a fair few people,” tres funds vulnerable allocated toonlure to training programmes insisted Wicke last night. presents children’s school barbecue last the IBAN is under the name of Dutch journalist Rob Vorkink Four men, aged 34 to 55, are suspected “I have worked in Hollywood for years for the unemployed, that as children of and nothing like this has ever hap- mostly did not take place. abuse the September. in 2010, before moving to of taking part in father, Jan Te Riet. pened. If I see him in court I’m not Under the scheme, millions were stolen in became very close to Johanna's another Dutchman Spain. The Brinkmans were not sure I will be able to contain myself. old. years “They five as young “This deception has been very con- grants for bogus acadthe me to in- Meanwhile, for comment as we emies, which were set up scious and calculated.” Police suspect the gang videoedtaken us and he convinced Gerard Grootte Bromhaar in- available When the Olive Press confronted in disused buildings and vest in this bar in Marbella. So sists Brinkman stole €42,000 went to press. Brinkman about the case, last night, merely furnished when abuse, which is thought to have officials were sent to inhe declined to answer our questions. I transferred €90,000 to an houses in La Linea. spect.

With over two decades in business, Cambridge provides secure and affordable ways to make overseas payments from your UK bank, giving you the peace of mind you need to effectively manage the purchase of your new property. For information connect with our Costa Del Sol ofﬁce today ! Costadelsol@cambridgefx.co.uk I +34 952 830176

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March 30th

LIVING ON THE EDGE

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August 31st - September 13th 2016

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place at one of their One man has been named as Natalio footSolis Mayorga, who worked as a was ball coach for years in La Linea and a frequent visitor to Gibraltar’s Victoria Stadium The gang is believed to have used football chilboots and jerseys as presents to earn dren’s trust. after Police were alerted to the group he finding a 14-year-old boy told them had been abused by one of the men.

The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucía

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No. 17, Cala

de Mijas,

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March 30th - April 12th 2016

...How to live like a rockstar

... why Hugh is in Palma From Page 20

THE BIG PAYBACK

FLAMING: Wicke and (right) during stunt

EXCLUSIVE By Joe Duggan

HE has set himself on fire, jumped off exploding speedboats and thrown himself out of high-rise buildings. Now Hollywood stuntman Peter Wicke is diving headlong into a bitter Costa courtroom showdown over a dodgy multi-million film deal. Marbella-based Wicke, who has appeared in over 400 films TV shows, is suing a Dutch expat and after claiming he was scammed in a bogus partnership deal. The 48-year-old German is gunning for Dutchman Jan Herman Brinkman, who he claims took him for a bone-shaking ride. In a classic costa shakedown, he insists Brinkman’s company Jene Investments owes him thousands after entered a promised multi-million he euro

THE Junta may be made responsible for repaying tens of millions handed out in bogus training schemes. A judge in Huelva has filed a motion demanding that any money that cannot be recouped in the €2 billion Edu scandal will have to be paid by the Junta. In an unprecedented case, he insisted The plan was to set up a joint com- thorities would the aube repany, for which he himself was asked sponsible for any comto stump up €10,000 for legal and pany or individual found notary fees. guilty of taking money deal to invest in his own film company. In the end he handed over €2,500 pany, Movie Television Productions be- fraudulently that is deHowever, he claims Brinkman had fore he smelt a rat and went to police. clared bankrupt. no International PW. intention of stumping up any money “It is a very clever crime system Planning to produce a couple of and The investigation cenfor him and was merely after his films has probably taken a fair few people,” tres on funds allocated “I am absolutely raging,” Wickeown. in Andalucia, he was naturally inter- insisted Wicke last night. to training programmes told ested when he spotted the Olive Press. “I answered an advert the offer ‘safe and secure’ investment with of “I have worked in Hollywood for years for the unemployed, that in a local newspaper (not the ‘no and nothing like this has ever hap- mostly did not take place. Press) offering investment in Olive results, no payment’. pened. If I see him in court Under proj- After three meetings at the ects. Next thing I am thousands out end of last sure I will be able to contain I’m not lions the scheme, milof year, he claims he was offered were stolen in myself. pocket.” a €5 “This deception has been very million investment deal from Brinkcon- grants for bogus acadWicke, who has lived on the Costa scious and calculated.” emies, which were set up Sol for two years, was hoping to del man and his mysterious ‘business When the Olive Press confronted in disused buildings and an investment partner for his find partner’ Jan Te Riet, who Wicke never Brinkman about the com- met. case, last night, merely furnished when he declined to answer our questions. officials were sent to inspect.

Hollywood stuntman erupts after losing thousands in bogus €5 million Costa film

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A BRITISH man wanted in connection to the murder of missing expat Lisa Brown has pleaded guilty to people smuggling. Stephen Jackson, 50, has pleaded guilty to smuggling

17 Albanians into the UK and after his trial will be extradited to Spain over his links to missing Lisa. He is believed to have close links to her boyfriend Simon Corner, who fled Spain

A BRITISH man has spoken of his ‘terror’ after a man tried to snatch his four-year-old son from a hotel in Almeria. Mancunian Shaun Kennedy was left with a bloodied face, a swollen hand and a twisted knee after fighting off the child snatcher at the Hotel Best Sabinal. The man struck up conversation with Kennedy and his son Chase before attempting to pull the four-year-old from a lift as the doors closed. Chase suffered carpet burns on his legs as the abductor dragged him along a hotel corridor. Kennedy then grappled with the man to get his son back. “It has really shaken me up and I’m still in shock,” he said. “He was looking at Chase and saying hello. I turned to Chase and asked him if he was going to say hello back and he did. “I just thought that the man was being nice – nothing more to it.” The police are investigating the incident.

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after Brown’s disappearance. Corner was tracked down to Denmark earlier this year and remains in custody in Algeciras after facing a grilling in San Roque court.

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Fabian Picardo issues stinging rebuke to joint sovereignty demands at key National Day rally

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ready to serve LIEUTENANT General Sir Charles Deverell has visited the Rock for the first time since his appointment as Commander of Joint Forces Command, saying he is ready for any challenge.

Dirty cash A 36-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and false accounting, with £10,000 in cash and a motorcycle seized from his residence.

NO MEANS NO: Fabian Picardo delivers clear message

Equal now THE GSD’s petition calling for co-education between girls and boys has been signed by 331 people and praised by students.

‘Not for sale’

‘BRITISH means British,’ chief minister Fabian Picardo boomed at the annual National Day celebrations. Gibraltar will stay under the Union Jack - and no other flag - in a post-Brexit Europe, he insisted at the defiant political rally. However, he compared the ‘challenges’ Gibraltar faces after the June 23 referendum with the World War Two evacuations and the border closure. “It is true that we together are facing a big test. We are facing challenges that can hurt our economy,” he said. “We didn’t choose Brexit but we will deal with

Brexit. If anyone thinks we are going to sell our homeland for access to Europe, they don’t know you, they don’t me and they don’t know the Gibraltarians. “If Brexit means Brexit, British means British. No means no. Never means never. Gibraltar is British forever.” With Casemates Square a sea of red and white, a 21-strong, cross-party delegation of British MPs and politicians gave a series of strong and raucous speeches. Meanwhile a special National Day message from Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was also read out, with the prominent Leave campaigner’s name booed by some sections of the crowd. Picardo read out Johnson’s message, in which the Conservative cabinet minister expressed his ‘resolute support’ for Gibraltar. Johnson also underlined the UK’s commitment to the ‘double lock commitment’ as negotiations about Britain’s future in Europe continue. eignty of another state. “Brexit is just another challenge. Bring it on,” She added that Gibraltar should said Picardo. be ‘fully involved’ in Brexit talks He added: “Look up at that beautiful Rock. and also said the ‘single market’ I don’t see a for sale sign anywhere on that between the Rock and the UK Rock. The red and white nation of Gibraltar. should be maintained. Red white and British, red white and free.” “I am deeply conscious of the Among the visiting group of speakers were, need to ensure that Gibraltar Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat), Angus continues to enjoy the benefits MacNeil (SNP), Fabian Hamilton (Labour) and prosperity that it has deand Jack Lopresti (Conservative). rived from its membership of the Richard Buttigieg, chairman of organisers EU through Britain,” said Thornthe Self Determination for Gibraltar Group berry. (SDGG), also spoke to the crowd.

Labour: We’re behind you

Brexit brief AN official assessment to determine the impact of Brexit on ‘every area of Government business’ will be ready by the end of the month.

September 14th - September 27th 2016

SHADOW Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry has pledged Labour’s support for Gibraltar. In a National Day message, Thornberry insisted the Labour Party has completely distanced itself from former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s plan for jointsovereignty with Spain. She stressed that the Labour Party is fully behind the ‘double lock’ concept which ensures Gibraltar will never pass under the sover-

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Magical moment

A BACKPACKER from Gibraltar has met the Pope, just days after being caught up in a tragic earthquake. Mark Randall, who is currently doing a charity walk from Gibraltar to Jerusalem, came in contact with Pope Francis, at the Vatican City in Rome. Mark said that it is the ‘highlight of his trip so far’. He continues: “I asked him to pray for me and give me the strength and faith to complete my walk to Jerusalem. “Pope Francis blessed me and wished me well for the remainder of my journey. His assistant then handed me a rosary”. The former soldier revealed in our last issue how he felt the ‘ground shake’ beneath him in the recent earthquake that devastated the country and saw 296 dead in Amatrice. The Gibraltarian will continue to Greece and then Istanbul before completing his journey in Jerusalem.

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Best of the wursts

BEERLY THERE: Oktoberfest

BEERS and bratwursts will be aplenty at Torrox’s annual Oktoberfest. Celebrating the area’s large German population, the town will be awash with lederhosen for three days from September 16. With 60 food and drink stands as well as a live music stage, mayor Oscar Medina describes the festival as a ‘blend of German and Spanish cultures’. “Torrox is happy to embrace its German inhabitants through the Oktoberfest,” Medina said. “The festival will take place near Urbanizacion Bau Hoffman which has been home to thousands of Germans since the 1970s.”

Fight on the beaches

Environmental group fights to shut ‘unhygienic’ dog beach

By Samantha Mordi A BATTLE between dog owners and environmentalists is brewing on the beaches in the Axarquia. Environmental group GENA is fighting to close a recently opened dog beach in Torre del Mar. It claims that dogs pose a threat to surrounding plant life as well as creating an ‘unhygienic area’ for beachgoers. The group claims that the 50 metre section on El Morchero beach was opened without authorisation in August. Rafael Yus, head of GENA, claims that the beach breaks the law, which states that it is forbidden to ‘bathe or clean animals on

DOGGY BLUES: Beach under threat beaches.’ Tensions are high between environmentalists and dog lovers with the latter saying that the beach is a ‘brilliant, safe place’ for dogs to play and swim. Danny Santiago, an enraged dog-owner told the Olive Press: “This beach is our only glimmer of hope for the dogs to play and swim. There is nowhere else for us to go.”

Body identified A DECOMPOSED body found in Velez-Malaga has been identified as a 77-year-old man who went missing in March. Porfirio Gutierrez, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s, disappeared after going for a walk. His family identified him by his clothes and his house keys, which were still in his pocket. An autopsy determined Gutierrez died of natural causes.

Last dance saloon NERJA will kiss goodbye to summer with the Chanquete World Music Festival on Saturday, September 17. The brand new festival will be held at El Playazo beach from 5pm to 5am. Bands taking part include Macaco, Chambao, La Mala Rodríguez, El Canijo de Jerez, Morodo & Okoume Lions, Miguel Campello, Tote King and Holy Boiz. Headlining artist Macaco honed his blend of rumba, reggae, funk and Latin American on the streets of Barcelona. His 2009 album Puerto Presente hit number one in Spain and won plaudits from Rolling Stone magazine, with his first single Moving nominated for a Grammy.

September 14th - September 27th 2016

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Something in the water

MOVING IN: Tortoises

Shellshock MORE than 200 families are being forced out of their homes to make way for a tortoise sanctuary. Plans for a 500 hectare tortoise reserve have been submitted as part of the planned AVE route from Murcia - Almeria at the expense of houses and farmland. Residents in Cuevas del Almanzora have now launched a petition to stop their relocation and have garnered more than 2,200 signatories. “Our grandparents and parents have always lived with these tortoises, which we consider part of our lives and our environment,” Spanish resident Blas Guevara Martínez said. “Now a group of politicians and experts want to put 200 families out of our homes. They are destroying our livelihood.” He added: “We want to continue living in our homes and to bring up our children where we have always lived.”

ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 51.90% Same week last year: 62.10% Same week in 2006: 52.64%

“There are clean up teams netting the dead fish and there is a huge JCB digging a proper channel at the sea end. “Normally the sand is cleared every couple of days but I haven’t seen it cleared in the last three weeks. “The town hall needs to take responsibility for this.” He added: “With the hot weather forecast the smell is only going to get worse unless they act quickly.” When contacted by the Olive Press a town hall spokesman said they were doing ‘everything possible’ to resolve the situation.

Electric shocker

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ENERGY giant Endesa is taking legal action against bosses of a four-star hotel after it found the resort was stealing electricity from the street. Sun Village in Lloret de Mar, Girona, is accused of syphoning electricity from nearby street lighting, after Endesa cut the hotel’s power a year ago due to an unpaid bill of €150,000. The Catalan police have now opened an investigation into theft and fraud.

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UNDER FIRE: Sun Village Following the discovery, the town hall has temporarily shut down the hotel on the

Poison Ivy TIME is ticking for a treasured underwater sea-plant in the Balearic Islands. Posidonia Oceanica is slowly being eroded with the current colony being the very last. The plant is unique to the mediterranean sea and it was first spotted in 2006, by keen divers. Currently, the 100,000 year old plant stretches eight kilometres across the ocean, The precious plant, also known as ‘Neptune grass’, is an indication of transparent waters. The clean oxygen the plants produce gives divers and swimmers crystal clear vision when on underwater excursions.

recommendation of the local fire brigade. The illegal electricity line into the hotel was deemed a fire hazard and 238 people were ordered to vacate and given alternative accommodation as a safety precaution by the Lloret town hall. Endesa technicians discovered the crime when carrying out routine works. The €150,000 debt was inherited by Sun Village after the previous company failed to pay their bill for four months. Cut off by the energy provider in 2015, it is unclear when the hotel illegally connected to the grid.

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STINKING: Rotting fish

HUNDREDS of dead fish have been washed up on the river banks in Fuengirola. Questions are now being asked of the town hall after the fish - mostly mullet - were left belly up due to a lack of sea water entering the artificial river. A major clean up operation with a JCB digger as well as a dozen workers was sparked into action at the site in Parque Fluvial, as the smell of rotting fish was made worse by the recent heatwave. “The council are in a panic as it really stinks down there,” one Fuengirola resident told the Olive Press.

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Money talks WESTLEY CAPPER should never have been allowed out in the first place, let alone now (91 days and out, issue 247) He should have been held over Agnese’s disappearance and then the hit-and-run would never have happened. And now he has been granted bail, it's disgraceful what next? I can't understand how the Spanish justice system ,after these two major cases, can let him out on bail. There are many ways out of the country without a passport and I would guess that Westley is a major flight risk now. Then again money makes the world go round. I wonder which judge approved of this? They really should be more accountable for the decisions they make. Suzanne Jones, Marbella

Culture shock IT is good to see Malaga investing in its cultural centres, but to be honest the amount is pathetic (Culture club, issue 247). €10 million would not purchase one decent exhibit, let alone fund all the cultural sites, museums and art exhibitions that this wonderful city has to showcase. The Malaga Pompidou - which has allegedly received a lot of the €10 million - has so far been a major disappointment. A step in the right direction, but a small step at that.

Blow off

Fred Smith, Ronda

THE best news in the article on National Day is that Gibraltar is finally doing away with all those damned balloons (Red and white letter day,

September 14th - September 27th 2016

Battle at sea

Migrants matter

True problem

WHAT an incredible job the staff at Walking Borders do saving hundreds of migrants in the Straits of Gibraltar (Perils at sea, issue 247). It must be heartbreaking to see so many desperate people stranded at sea. On the news these people are reported in such great numbers that it is hard to imagine them. However, the individual stories told in this article bring the whole thing home and although it makes for difficult reading at times it is a story that needs to be told, and told on this level.

Sadly, like all such articles the huge elephant is never mentioned – exploding populations. Why would West Africans want to leave fertile countries with great climates to ‘live’ among peoples they have zero affinity with – poverty brought about only because it is usual to have 8, 9, 10 children. Most of those arriving in Spain are from former French territories but have no wish to live in France. Never do you hear the politicians discussing over breeding. Try discussing this with Catholic priests or Muslim imams – they simply go silent or scream religious persecution.

Sarah Jane, London, UK

Stuart Crawford, Coin

issue 247). It has been a long time coming but it is great to see common sense prevailing after years of resistance. For this Gibraltar, the turtles, dolphins, tuna and even cows thank you for finally acknowledging the issue. Stefano Anslem, La Linea

Year of pain

UK pensioners living at home and overseas are rightly worried about what lies ahead. We have an unorganised, scandal-ridden batch of UK politicians unsure as to their next move following the referendum. Many of us were deprived of the right to vote on a subject that gravely effects us as pensioners living in the EU.

No doubt they will give themselves time to consider the effect of invoking Article 50. Because let’s be honest, Theresa May and the rest of them are petrified of it. Whenever - if ever - that action is taken the full effects of it may or may not be any clearer. Meanwhile here in Spain it is seemingly not much better, we have political situation which seems to be heading towards yet another general election. The time has come for the Spanish politicians to think about the country and its long suffering residents and stop vacillating about establishing a national government. 2016 will go down as the year politicians got it wrong. Robert Peake Mijas

Healthy scepticism I READ the extracts from Love and Wheatgrass with great interest and a pinch of scepticism (How we beat cancer, issue 247). I am all for using good diet and alternative medicines as adjuncts to conventional medicine but as a former nurse I would advise people and author Lorraine Ereira to be very careful when researching. I wish the author’s husband well. The good diet she is providing will benefit him but more importantly is the obvious love with which it is prepared which will do him the most good. TLC (Tender Loving Care) is the most important medicine anyone can give or receive. elena McGinty, H Alhaurin El Grande

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.

Number crunching 0.9%

is how much Spain’s consumer price index has risen.

3% is the amount Spain´s GDP is due to grow by this year.

people have died after a tragic train crash in Galicia.

80% of voters in Catalunya say they wanted to break away from Spain.

20% is the current level of unemployment thanks to an improvement in Spain’s economy.

provinces in Spain, were put on a ‘high temperature’ alert last week, as a heat wave engulfed the country.

150

migrants, were left stranded after trying to cross the border at Ceuta.

280 brown bears live in

protected areas in Northern Spain, where a brown bear was found shot.

7.5 m people live in

Catalunya.

 Gibraltar schoolgirl reaches semi

-final of Spanish TV talent show 3065 views

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TAKE TWO: Malkovich as Dali

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la cultura

September 14th - September 27th 2016

what’s on

Spot the difference ECCENTRIC black and white images of John Malkovich will be plastered on the walls of La Termica cultural centre in Malaga. If you look closely, you will see that they are globally recognised portraits, with a different person’s face staring back at you. This is because renowned photographer Sandro Miller’s latest visual installment features only actor Malkovich. The images are a take on pop culture where American Miller has used Malkovich as his muse to recreate iconic images of Marilyn Monroe, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Together, The Perks of being a Wallflower actor and award-winning Miller have recreated 41 of some of history’s most iconic portraits. Commercial portrait photographer, Sandro said: “I have done nudes of John. I have dressed John like Henry VII, I have dressed John like the devil. And I once suspended John from a cross, and John’s never said no.” The Malkovich Sessions will be available to feast your eyes on from October 15.

uerto Banus, until September 11

Free entry to yoga classes and stands selling organic products. Information available at info@vidayoga.es

uengirola, tember 15

Popular band ‘A touch of class’ will donating all proceeds to PAD animal charity, as they perform hits from ‘Songs from around the world’.

DOUBLE TAKE: Being John Malkovich....or not

A Pink Floyd tribute band will play a string of classics from the British band.

Happy snaps ESTEPONA’S popular Crea Competition is accepting entries. The annual event is especially keen on receiving entries for Theatre and Photography. To apply, email cultura@ estepona.es. Applications 17889_GLint Summer Special Quarter page ad SEPT Olive Press 126x170mm_Layout 1 01/09/2016 16:10 close on December 31.

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Madrid wants Germany to give back necklaces, cups and human bones it gave to the Nazis

who had been tasked with proving the superiority of the Aryan race. The gifts, presented to the Nazis following Himmler’s visit in 1940, included gold and bronze cups, necklaces and human remains that had been excavated from a Visigoth necropolis near Segovia. Visigoths were German tribesmen who conquered the Iberian peninsula between the 5th and 8th centuries. The gifts were a bid by Franco and archaeologist Julio Martinez Santa-Olalla to prove the tribesmen’s presence in Spain, which would in turn prove that Spaniards shared the Germans Aryan heritage, making them ‘superior to all other races’ as well. Spain wants to display the gifts at the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid. Sergio Vidal, head of medieval antiquities at the National ArMATADOR Andres Roca Rey was gored by a bull in chaeological Museum, said: Palencia, leaving him with a strong concussion. “Dozens of pieces were sent to The 19 year old, was thrown onto the ground, and laid Germany and they never reunconscious before cuadrillas came to assist him. turned. Now we are trying to find Roca, from Peru was treated by the infirmary in the evidence to show that the mateplaza, before being rushed to Rio Carrion Hospital. rial was sent to Germany only on He is currently under medical observation. a temporary basis.”

orremolinos, September 16

ES LL T D CH A AS AN AN NG CO EM BR ENI THE C D I OP NG UBL O P AL TO E DU

Returning gifts

Sep-

SPAIN has asked for the return of wartime gifts it sent to the Nazis intended to prove the ‘Aryan ancestry’ of Germany and Spain. Dictator Francisco Franco gave several Visigoth artefacts to SS chief Heinrich Himmler,

Gore blimey

Somewhere over the rainbow DO you want to paint Estepona red, yellow and green? The Estepona ‘Race of Colours’ will allow you to do just that. From paint throwing to enjoying music and food, the act of solidarity is in support of muscular dystrophy.

The playful rainbow riot costs €12 entry per person and starts at 6pm on Saturday September 17. Tickets are available from Farmacia Manuel Troyano Martínez on Avenida Litoral and Pasteleria Los Remedios on Calle Mariana.

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September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Ferry to Gibraltar

N plush, velvety tones, Bryan Ferry is telling me about his first trip to Gibraltar, when the 60s hippie trail to Tangier led him to the Rock. The Roxy Music star’s gig at this month´s Gibraltar Music Festival was his first here and for 10,000 fans it was a chance to see a singer who shaped popular culture. But he had been before. “I went to Gibraltar in the late 60s, when I was on an adventure driving round Europe with my first girlfriend,” he says in a warm English burr. “I drove from London to Morocco and spent a couple of days there. I thought it was amazing. Quite magical. It seems so long ago now.” The young, thrill-seeking Ferry was on the brink of a music career that would catapult him to

Roxy Music star reveals to the Olive Press how he once drove from London to Gibraltar, writes Joe Duggan global stardom with a string of extraordinary records.

Magical Roxy Music burst onto the scene in 1971, a glamorous explosion of the avant-garde and colourful. David Bowie had already kicked open the doors of what was permissible in rock and roll with his outrageous

androgyny. Ferry and his arthouse band - with Brian Eno on keyboards and synthesis took up the mantle and ran with it. Their sleek singles like Virginia Plain, Ladytron, Love Is The Drug and Do The Strand were a world away from the leaden heavy rock plodding around the early 70s. With Eno resplendent in makeup feather boas and Ferry immaculate in white dinner jacket, they patented a daring, decadent glamour. It’s hard to imagine modernday musicians making that sort of impression on the national consciousness, I suggest. “There are bands around like Radiohead who are hugely popular and incredible musicians,” says Ferry. “But I don’t think they had maybe such a cultural impact. When Roxy started it did feel quite unique. I was very lucky to be a part of it.” What bands does he like to listen to these days? “Dead ones,” he chuckles. “I still like listening to the Velvet Underground. But I listen to mainly jazz. Sometimes you don’t want to listen to too much rock music. It kind of affects your own vision a bit. You don’t want to be influenced by things. You want to keep a certain purity in your head.” Ferry, the working-class son of a Durham miner, found a creative outlet in fine art before moving to London in 1968 to pursue a music career. His success has allowed him to indulge his original passion (in 2010, he held an exhibition of his private art collection) and frequent trips to Spain are a chance to visit the masters. “When I go to Madrid I always go the Prado to see those incredible Goyas and Velazquezs,” he says. “Normally I go to Sevilla, as I have friends down there. I go to a place called Trasierra, which is outside Sevilla.Recently I was in Granada for a wedding. I love the music. That whole culture they have in the south is fabulous.Sadly we don’t get to play very much over there, so I’m looking forward to this rare visit.” His Gibraltar Music Festival

STYLE: Roxy Music (top) Trasierra and Ferry at GMF (below)

appearance came hot on the heels of a coast-to-coast US tour, which took Ferry to Nashville for the first time and the legendary Grand Ole Opry. Such lengthy tours show that at 70, his prodigious work rate shows no sign of slacking, even if the strain can sometimes tell. “In some ways touring gets

harder on the voice,” he says. “We try to pace it nowadays. In the early days of my career we were always doing too much, really. Making a record finishing a record, then the next day you’re off on your tour. “Now I try to travel one day on and one day off. It’s quite a young band. That keeps me on my toes.” The gigs roll on, but rock’s grim reaper has taken a savage toll among his fellow musicians in 2016. David Bowie’s death in January ushered in a depressing wave of legendary figures passing on. Bowie and Ferry were, of course, closely linked and cut from the same cloth, the two sparking off another throughout the 70s. “I was on tour when I heard Bowie had died. A very sad business,” says Ferry. “I hadn’t stayed close to him as he lived in New York and I’m in Eng-

land. “Prince as well, who I was close to, although we’re both quite reserved people. He made part of his last album in my studio. “Every time I open up the paper I wonder who’s next?” Does that sense of his own mortality push him on creatively, I ask? “You are very conscious of making the most of your time,” he says. “That happened to me a few years ago, when of my best friends died. I got wise to the fact that I must do as much work as I can in my final period, as ghastly as it sounds.” In recent years, he has hit a rich vein of form, with 2014’s solo album Avonmore - which featured Smith’s guitarist Johnny Marr - was a huge critical success. A live album from a 1974 Royal Albert Hall gig is due for release this year. His 45 years in the music industry have brought worldwide fame and success. But would a young Ferry become a musician in 2016? “I’m not sure. I might want to get into the computer business,” he laughs. “There aren’t any record stores any more. It’s a very strange world for musicians now. Everyone wants to be performing live. “But it’s been very good for me, certainly encouraged me to go further and further afield to play live. And end up in Gibraltar.” With that, he rushes off to Abbey Road, promising to play ‘a lot of early Roxy stuff’ at the GMF. Nearly half a century after his first visit, it was good to have him back.

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Don’t get caught out when buying in Spain

Issue 10

Eastender house hunting

Page III

Andalucia’s top Roman ruins

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Cost of mansion life

page xVII

By the book ALMOST 13,000 holiday rental properties have been registered since new regulations came into effect in May of this year. The first three months of the new legislation - which requires properties to meet specific requirements, including adequate furniture, external ventilation, air conditioning and first aid kits - has seen 12,591 homes register. The Junta say the new regulations are designed to give tourists some guarantee of quality service and comfort.

History for € 4.5m

UP FOR GRABS: Palacete de Cazulus is steeped in history

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Demand from overseas continues to grow, with the Brits holding their ground in the face of Brexit, writes market analyst Mark Stucklin

16 16 16

September 14th - September 27th 27th 2016 2016 September 14th - September

3,500

1.45

3,000

1.4

OME sales to foreign buyers are booming in Spain. 2,500 And even the Brits are continuing to flock to their place in the sun. The latest housing market figures from the Prop2,000 erty Registrars based on home sales inscribed in the Registry show that foreign demand for property in Spain grew strongly in the second quarter with British buyers 1,500 holding their ground as the dominant group in the lead up to Brexit. Indeed, foreign buyers were involved in 14,429 home 1,000 sales from April until June, up 29.1% on the same period last year. 500 Total sales in Q2 were up 23.7% to 107,838, as purchases involving local buyers increased 22.9% to 93,409. As a result, the market share of foreign buyers in Q2 0 was 13.4%, almost a record high (see chart above). So it seems that the appetite of foreign investors for property in Spain just keeps rising. The British were once again the biggest group by far with 20% of the foreign market, followed by the Germans with 8%, and the French and Swedish with 7% each. Italian demand was up the most – by 60% – followed by Belgian demand up 46%, and Russian demand up 32%, as the Russian market stabilises after several years of heavy declines. British demand was up 29% year-on-year, which may come as a surprise to those expecting to see a collapse in demand from the UK in the light of Brexit. However, given that the UK’s referendum on EU membership took place on June 23, these figures do not reflect sales after the referendum. If there has been a big drop in British buyers since the Brexit vote, it probably won’t show up until the Q3 and Q4 figures are re- pound at the start of the year. As it happens British buyers stood their ground despite a leased. That said, I was expecting to see a decline weaker pound, and demand from the UK has in British demand simply due to the weaker been fairly steady for four consecutive quar-

1.35 1.3 1.25 1.2 1.15

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Home purchases by British buyers

II IV 16

ters. But given the pound is now closer to €1.15, how long can this last? I expect to see a noticeable decline in the Q3 figures when they come out.

It is interesting to see that both German and French demand decreased, suggesting that the Germans and the French are not falling over themselves to take advantage of low house prices in Spain. Perhaps there are other factors putting them off. The Swedish bought more than 1,000 homes in Spain in one quarter, the first time that has even happened, while Chinese demand is steadily increasing, perhaps due the the Spanish ‘Golden Visa’ scheme. The Registrars also report that their house price index, based on a repeat sale methodology (only counting properties sold twice in the study period), rose by an annualised 7.48% in Q2. All in all the picture is one of increasing foreign demand for property in Spain, though who knows how large it could be if Spain was better governed. Mark Stucklin runs www.spanishpropertyinsight.com for buyers, owners, and vendors of property in Spain

Property

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HAPPY: CEO Bonan

We love the spirit of Spain! Jon Clarke meets the boss of leading furniture brand Roche Bobois as it launches a charity project for Africa

T was during a teenage trip on a moped around Spain that François Roche fell in love with the Spanish. Travelling around with a tent for three months, the young Parisian furniture designer really got a taste for its beauty and its people. 'It's why we launched our first shops in Spain even before Franco died," explains Roche Bobois CEO Gilles Bonan. "It came well before London and we have always done very well here. "I remember François telling me about his adventures here and his love of the country and its spirit." Indeed, the quality French brand, born in the 1950s, has over 20 shops around the country, including one in Marbella. "It's the third most important for us but only just after Barcelona and Madrid," reveals Bonan, a well travelled executive who speaks good English and Spanish having studied at university. "And it is rising all the time now - particularly with all the super wealthy families who don't just buy one sofa but kit their whole houses out with our furniture." To celebrate the success of their growth in Spain, the company has collaborated with a raft of top Spanish designers to create 10 bespoke versions of their iconic Mah Jong sofa. With the aim to raise money for African orphans, the sofas designed by names such as Rossy de Palma and Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, are to be auctioned this year. The company was an amalgamation of two designers in Paris. "Originally they could not agree on whose name should come first,” said Bonan. "So for their first few adverts they interchanged with the name Roche first, then Bobois first."

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Small screen boost

September - September 27th 2016 September 14th14th - September 27th 2016

AND it is not just the buyers heading to Mallorca, celebrities have also flocked to the island this summer with British actress Sienna Miller, X-Men actor Michael Fassbender and ex-Real Madrid ace Ruud van Nistelrooy all spotted on the island

A BUYING boom has exploded on the Balearics following their rise to fame on the small screen. Property sales in Mallorca have soared following the popular BBC drama The Night Manager. Starring British heartthrob Tom Hiddleston and national treasure Hugh Laurie, the setting of most of the series is at a luxurious hilltop hideaway in Mallorca. In fact, Martin Dell, director of Spanish property portal Kyero.com, reports that enquiries in Mallorca are up 38% on last summer, and attributes much of the interest to the BBC drama. “The popularity of The Night Manager has put Mallorca in a different league,” he said. “That as well as the fact that it was named one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 islands in the world to visit in 2016 has done

ISLAND DREAMS: Mallorca property enquiries soar

wonders for the property market.” He added: “The upmarket portrayal of Mallorca on the small screen is reflected in the interest in pricier property.”

In total, more than six million people watched the BBC drama when it aired last spring. The lavish clifftop La Fortaleza estate is owned Tory donor Lord James Lupton, who purchased it for an estimated €40

million in 2011 from another Brit, John Ogden. A one-week stay at the sumptuous estate was auctioned for a cool €265,000 at a Conservative Party fundraiser last year.

Back on track

Eastenders soap star Shane Richie is house hunting for a Costa del Sol bolthole EXCLUSIVE By Rob Horgan

CHEEKY chap Shane Richie is eyeing up a Costa del Sol retreat. The Eastenders star has been viewing properties along the coast for the last two months, the Olive Press can reveal. Originally interested in a beachside pad in Calahonda, Shane, 52, and his wife Christie Goddard are now viewing townhouses inland in their quest for a dream Spanish home. No stranger to southern Spain, Shane - famous for playing Alfie Moon in Eastenders - appeared on hit TV show Benidorm for a one-off cameo appearance last year. It was while filming on the Costa Blanca that the singerturned-actor fell in love with the country and decided to start house hunting. “Shane and Christie are keeping their options open,” a source told the Olive Press. “They are pretty keen on the Calahonda area but are looking at villas, townhouses and beachside properties as

III 17

COSTA COCKNEY: Richie’s house search

Alfie’s on the hunt

well.” Shane and Christie tied the knot in 2007. The couple

have three children aged between 10 and five. It is understood that their

Costa del Sol pad will be used as a holiday home rather than a permanent residence.

AN abandoned train station in Velez-Malaga is to be converted into a bus station. Out of action since 1968, the station, next to Parque Andalucia, will be transformed following agreement by the provincial government to award a budget of €240,208. Town planning councillor Cynthia Garcia said: “The work will recover one of our most emblematic buildings and give it importance once again.”

Giddy up HORSE-DRAWN carriages from the 19th Century will adorn the walls of Marbella’s latest culinary addition. The Town Gourmet Market, set to resemble a town square, will feature pots of colourful flowers as well as recreations of mosaics. The privately funded project will have three entrances, taking up 470 square metres of revitalised space. The mixture of modernity and tradition is the creation of Grupo Afil, Fajardo and T10 Architects.

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Does the perfect living room

exist?

REALTY Building the perfection since 1962

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M re ar po ke rt t

Diana Morales, Founding Partner and Pia Arrieta, Partner and Managing Director

The bigger picture In terms of investment and development, the move is towards bigger, with the bespoke smaller projects gradually overshadowed by larger-scale projects that can now count on participation from major banks. This is in itself a sign of growth, and it comes amid a climate of economic recovery on a national level too, with Spain posting 3% GDP growth in 2015 (the highest in Europe) and a steady drop in unemployment. Public finances are looking a lot healthier than a few years ago, as are the nation’s banks, though it is in spite of the political impasse that marked the first half of 2016. Political uncertainty surrounding the elections of December 2015 slowed the flow of foreign investment into Spain towards the end of the year, yet the good news is that the Spanish property and construction sectors are once again contributing to economic growth as bank mortgages have returned and domestic sales are gradually rising.

The housing market The majority of homebuyers on the Costa del Sol right now are looking for modern/contemporary homes. In the main, these can be defined as apartments and villas that feature sleek white-washed architecture, floor-to-ceiling windows, open-plan living areas incorporating modern style kitchens and the latest styles in bathrooms and terrace areas. In villas there has been a move towards somewhat more compact and easily maintained properties, with wine cellars moving out of the basement to become backlit glass design features often situated between the kitchen and dining room. Home cinemas and games rooms are being integrated into one interactive entertainment area typically complete with bar, with areas such as gyms and home spas, increasingly sophisticated in their aesthetic presentation. Modern technology plays an important role in these homes, with home automation systems, modern lighting settings and online connectivity gradually becoming a must, along with the security offered by gated villa communities. Given such a prevailing wish list, it is not surprising that newly built apartments and villas are leading the way in terms of desirability, prices commanded and speed of sale, with off-plan buying very much back in vogue – as is evidenced by the off-plan selling of projects such as Los Olivos, Les Rivages and La Finca de Marbella.

The property market has taken a battering from outside forces over the past 12 months, yet Marbella is standing strong as always, according to leading agent Diana Morales Properties’ annual market report

Standing firm

ALLING markets, an EU referendum and two - soon to be three - Spanish general elections, everything that could have gone against the property market in 2016 has done. And yet Marbella is standing strong, as it always does. Pia Arrieta, Partner of Diana Morales Properties, explains that despite the political and economic uncertainty Marbella continues to stand on its own two feet. “Marbella is a market unto its own,” she says. “We have gone through ups and downs before and compared to other coastal resorts Marbella has always fared well. This year is no different.” She adds: “The Brexit vote wobbled the market, there is no escaping that.

The lack of a government in Spain also added to buyer’s uncertainty. “But things look to be on the up now. Even with the political uncertainty lingering, buyers are coming back.” And Pia expects 2017 to be a good year for the market, in particular for areas on the outskirts of Marbella. “Seafront properties in Marbella are always going to be popular,” Pia says. “What we have started seeing this year, and expect to see more of in 2017, is a boom in properties on the outskirts of Marbella. “The new Golden Mile in Estepona is getting more and more popular as is Benahavis and areas east of Marbella up to Cabopino.” For more information visit www.DMproperties.com or call 952 765 138

Buyer profile The top segment of Russian buyers who dominated the market at the height of the recession have greatly reduced in numbers. This is not essentially something to do with Marbella but largely the product of geopolitical factors that are also encouraging middle class, affluent buyers from the Middle East. The market is now dominated by properties between €1 million and €5 million, with the rush of Norwegian high-end buyers that led the years of recovery now abating. In their wake has come French and Belgian buyers driven as much by dissatisfaction with high taxes and domestic insecurity as with the charms of Southern Spain. For much of 2015 it was the British who led the way with rekindled gusto. However, interest has cooled in 2016, as many British buyers wait to see what the fallout of voting to leave the EU brings. Countering this, there has been a growth in Middle Eastern buyers, while traditional markets such as the Netherlands retain strong momentum. Interest from China and Latin America has been slower to take off than was at first anticipated. This said, together with a slowly resurgent domestic market the demand for Marbella real estate is both stronger and broadly diversified.

Source: College of Property Registrars

Sales and Price Trends

Source: Ministry of Public Works

After reaching a low point in 2011, property sales in Marbella began to rise consistently, recording yearon-year gains that have long since surpassed double digits. In the beginning it was mostly driven by the very top end of the market (often in the form of luxury properties in the Golden Mile, La Zagaleta, Sierra Blanca and Camoján) on the one hand and heavily discounted ‘distressed’ properties located outside the Marbella area on the other. As the unsold housing stock pro-

duced by the financial crisis was gradually absorbed – and here we have to stress that Marbella was only moderately affected by so-called toxic assets – the focus shifted to new-build homes, with the first new projects launched in 2012 and growing in number ever since. Though this has in many ways been a ‘top-down’ recovery, it gradually broadened its scope from a premium segment heavily dependent on Russian buyers to one dominated by mid to high level homes attract-

ing cash buyers from countries such as Holland, Belgium, France, the UK, the Middle East and above all Scandinavia, where Norway led the way. Driven originally by discounted prices, they are now above all enticed by the lifestyle and prestige of this region, and while still keen on value for money are now willing to pay for quality and location. The result has been a gradual increase in property prices (Knight Frank’s PIRI report cites a 2% increase in property prices in Marbella during 2015).

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Murky waters THE sale of Puerto Banus to investors is being delayed by Spain’s political impasse. The port’s current concession holder, Puerto Banus SA, and the investment group making the purchase - which has been negotiating for over a year - are waiting for the government to produce a report to confirm when exactly the current concession to manage the port runs out.

Maximum The original concession was given to entrepreneur Jose Banus in 1968 for a period of 99 years, but the last Socialist government established 35 years as the maximum length of concessions given. However in 2014 the PP put the maximum period up to 50 years again, meaning the original concession could not be up until 2043, massively altering the value and viability of the sale. The ports authority, the APPA, have said the interpretation of state law is the responsibility of the central administration, however with no government in place, decisions about the port are being put on the back burner.

VII September 14th - September www.theolivepress.es 27th 2016

Golden streets

MARBELLA is home to the most expensive street in Spain to rent a house. According to a survey by property website idealista.com, a house on Calle Alcala in Marbella’s golf valley will set you back on average €38,950 a month.

EXTRAVAGANT: Marbella mansions

September 14th - September September 14th - September 27th27th 20162016

Three out of four of Spain’s most expensive streets to rent are in Marbella

Its most expensive property is an eye-watering €118,000 a month, or €3,806 per day. It is this luxury villa, available for short-term lets only, that is said to have brought the street’s average up. The 10-bedroom mansion comes complete with two presidential suites, each of which has a bathroom with its own en suite living room, terraces, a huge cinema, and a separate bungalow for the hired help, all set in a 4,000 square metre plot. Avenida Tibidabo in Barcelona could only muster a distant second, with house rentals likely to cost you a cool €18,363 per month. Sierra Blanca in Marbella came third in the list with average monthly rentals reaching €16,300 while nearby Guadalmina Baja, home to ex-Spanish Prime Minister Jose Aznar, came a close fourth with €16,267.

Sheikh up in MARBELLA

MARBELLA’S port authority (APPA) is looking for new investors to develop the La Bajadilla port after its Sheikh owner failed to present any plans. Sheikh Al-Thani, who also owns Malaga Football Club, missed the final deadline to present his development plans to the APPA after being awarded the contract to develop the port more than four years ago.

His company, Nas Marbella, was given an ultimatum on March 28 to begin the development or face the cancellation of the contract. The APPA is now reportedly in talks with an infrastructure investment fund, an investor from the UK and another from the Middle East. The project is expected to create 3,000 jobs and be a major economic boost for the area just 2km east of Marbella’s Puerto Deportivo.

The only certainty is uncertainty

It is only be three months since the UK voted for Brexit, but it´s now time to focus on the future, writes Smart Currency Exchange Business Development Manager Mark Rickard

E-UNITING with the EU has been dismissed by Prime Minister Theresa May and her government time and again. The challenges of leaving the EU will begin to unfold with the enormous unwinding of the UK’s 40-year relationship with their European neighbours. But now is not the time for doom and gloom. The summer economic data from the UK was better than expected, with sterling bouncing back towards 1.20 against the euro. May has also been rebuilding relationships with global key trading partners at the G20 summit, where 'smiles and promises' were exchanged for the benefit of the world’s media. The political situation across the pond is equally volatile. After a sport-packed summer of football, tennis and the Olympics, it will be interesting to see if more javelins are thrown (at each other) in the Trump v Clinton presidential race. The world will be watching and expect 'fire and brimstone' whatever happens. The US economy has been improving in the last 18 months, and the dollar has benefited sitting at the top the Currency Table by some distance. It will be interesting to see how the dollar re-

acts in November when the 44th president is named. Meanwhile, back in Spain, the Spanish Property market has again prospered this year, despite the summer months slowing down for sales on the coast. There are some fantastic new projects coming to the market this autumn, not just apartments, also villa communities (€450k to €1 million) in Sotogrande, Atalaya and Cancelada attracting buyers from all over Europe and the Americas. The banks are selling their bad stock and giving mortgages again, which bodes well for a good quarter before the end of the year. Hopefully sterling will gain better footings, and improve its position against the US dollar and euro in the next few months. For the latest currency news and rates visit www.smartcurrencyexchange.com

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VIII 22 www.theolivepress.es

Name: Jacqui Reddin-Williams Age: 61 Born: Dublin First Job: Play at the Leicester Repertory Theatre First job in real estate: Independent sales consultant with Beaux Villages Immobilier, France Job History: Stage and TV actress, including playing role of Sandy in Grease in the West End Occupation: Senior sales manager for Beaux Villages, in Jonzac Work Hours: 8am - 9pm Quote: “We are helping people move into their dream home. I love it” Marital Status: Married 26 years to husband Maynard Williams, who renovates old buildings Lives: Historic Stone farmhouse with 18 dogs and 6 cats, near Jonzac

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September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

Tale of two cities Property Magazine talks to two siblings both working in real estate but in different countries, Spain and France. How do their lives compare, discovers Samantha Mordi

HEY are a brother and sister expat pair both working in real estate. Both based abroad, their working lives revolve around finding dream homes for mostly British buyers looking to relocate to sunnier climes. With blonde hair, blue eyes and a distinct London accent it doesn’t take long to work out they are related. But Tony and Jacqui Reddin, from Hertfordshire, are not just polar opposites in terms of personality, they live in different countries and have completely different types of work practice and lifestyle. For while Tony, 56, is a founding member of the Spanish Estate Agent, in Estepona, Jacqui, 61, runs

the Beaux Village office in Jonzac, in the south of France. Some 1,376kms apart, they speak every week, communicate daily online, and keep a close eye on trends in European real estate. “We are competitive in our own right,” explains Tony. “But we are in different countries” Jacqui - who acted for many years, appearing in various TV shows and treading the boards in the West End - describes Tony, a former nightclub owner, as her ‘baby brother’. “He is such a big character, with a larger than life personality,” she explains. But the big question is, how do their lives compare over the border? Here is a potted guide into how their everyday lives compare:

Name: Tony Reddin Age: 56 Born: Harpenden, Herts First job inreal estate: Another estate agency in Estepona Occupation: Senior Sales Executive Job History: Former nightclub owner, and transfer company owner Work Hours: 24/7 I LOVE IT!!! Quote: “This job is anything but a chore. In fact, it is a pure pleasure”. Marital status: Been divorced for 27 years, has one son Home: In an apartment on Cristo Beach, Estepona Typical customer: Retired couples looking for sunshine escape Typical sale: Townhouses between €200,000 to 400,000 Hobbies: Cooking, Winner of Come Dine With Me in 2011

Typical Customer: Couples taking early retirement to live the dream

Average sale time: In Spain it is possible to complete on a house in less than a week but normally it is within 2 months

Typical sale: Old farmhouses with pool, gorgeous views, close to a village for around €350,000

Amount of properties seen before buying:

Hobbies: Photography

On average people see between 6 & 30 properties but sometimes they fall in love with the first one. One client saw one property, put the deposit down & completed in about 4 weeks.

Average sale time: 3 months Amount of properties seen before buying: Around 10

Celeb sale: I sold a luxury top floor apartment to the MD of Barratt Homes (we went to the lawyer on a Sunday) but ALL my clients are celebs to me!!!

Celebrity sale: a Deputy Prime Minister and a President WORLD OF CONTRASTS: La Rochelle (France) and Casares on the Costa del Sol

PROPERTIES SELLING FAST AT THE SPANISH ESTATE AGENT ! Thinking of selling? Get in touch with The Spanish Estate Agent – the fastest growing agency on the Costa del Sol

Phone us now on +34 951 516 905 Come and meet our motivated and professional consultants at Avenida Espana 250, Estepona 29680. Or visit our website at www.thespanishestateagent.com Email info@thespanishestateagent.com

It’s your move!

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EL MADROÑAL

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Ref: OP9341

Rustic-style villa with superb panoramic views

MARBELLA EAST

Great value 3-bedroom family villa, plus 1-bedroom independent guest apartment located in this sought-after urbanisation with 24-hr security, within a 10-minute drive to Puerto Banús! Priced to sell!

ISTAN ROAD

Ref: OP9067

4-bedroom villa in El Rosario, 5-minute drive to the beach. Amazing views. Offered fully furnished, ready to live in!

GOLDEN MILE

September14th 14th -- September 2016 September September27th 27th 2016

Built: 324 m² Plot: 1,390 m² Price: € 1,650,000

Luxurious 1-bed, modern garden flat in Imara complex, with 24-hr security. A few minutes’ drive to the sea and town. Top specs.

Built: 108 m² including terraces Price: € 550,000

Ref: OP8816

4-bedroom villa with wonderful views in Sierra Blanca Country Club, a gated community with 24-hr security. 7-minute drive to Puente Romano.

GOLDEN MILE

Ref: OP9361

Built: 478 m² Plot: 5,000 m² Price: € 1,695,000

Built: 281 m² Plot: 458 m² Price: € 549,000

Ref: OP7561

3-bedroom corner townhouse with patio & garage in this Andalusian pueblo style complex. 10-minutes’ walk to the beach. Priced to sell.

Built: 159 m² Terrace: 15 m² Price: € 430,000

Offices at the Puente Romano Hotel & opposite the Marbella Club Hotel Tel. (+34) 952 863 750 info@panorama.es www.panorama.es An International Associate of Savills

Regulated by RICS

23 V 23

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Property

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September 14th - September 27th 2016

When in Laurence Dollimore explores who was building what and where more than 2,000 years ago

Baelo Claudia, Costa de la Luz THESE ruins some 15km north of Tarifa reveal a once highly strategic and wealthy Roman town.

STRATEGIC: Ancient Roman town

Vital to the trade routes serving Europe and North Africa, its position on the coast near the Straits of Gibraltar made it a crucial stop-off point. The town made most of its wealth by supplying the popular delicacy du jour, garum, a fish paste, to the whole of the Roman Empire. The town, named by Emperor Claudius, who reigned from 41 to 45 AD, boasted a basilica, theatre, thermal baths, aqueducts, lucrative salting factories and the Temple of Isis.

Property Law • Conveyancing Inheritance • Probate • Wills None Resident Taxes Family Law & Divorces • Claims Setting Up Companies We cover from Estepona to Nerja and Inland We speak English, Spanish, Scadinavian, Dutch and French

Dolores Perujo Palomo Tel: 0034 952 587 704 Email: bonafide@bonafidecosta.es Abogada Lawyer nº 4905 C/Cartama, 25 - 29649 La Cala de Mijas, Malaga

HE Romans were the first civilization to experience a coastal real estate boom, and it’s no wonder the who’s who of AD life chose to settle in Andalucia.

From one of a kind mosaic floors to historic baths, our long gone relatives have left plenty of clues that tell us how they lived and what their property portfolios looked like.

Acinipo, Ronda CREATED by retired soldiers from the Roman legions more than 2,000 years ago, Acinipo boasts some of the most well preserved buildings, with its Roman theatre still in use today. The 32 hectare city thrived in 1 AD when it had a population of 5,000, even printing its own money with coins featuring bunches of grapes. Its famous theatre, which is thought to have begun construction in 65 AD and been completed in 200 AD, seated 2,000 and remains in good condition, boasting an orange tiled orchestra pit and actors’ changing rooms, while a modern steel stage has recently been added.

Roman nerve centre, Jimena de la Frontera ONE of the Roman empire’s most important settlements is believed to be lying under the soil in Jimena de la Frontera. Archaeologists have begun digging up what they believe to be a Roman ‘nerve-centre’. Originally uncovered by retired archeologist Hamo Sassoon when he retired to the Campo de Gibraltar, the excavation work could re-write the history books. A complex series of walls, strategically placed castle and layout of the town were ‘obvious giveaways’ to Sassoon. Early excavation work uncovered Roman coins stamped with Oba, supported by his early findings.

Hedionda Roman baths, Casares FURTHER proof of Roman dwellings can be found at the newly renovated sulphurous bathing pool in Casares. The town hall has created a new outdoor bathing area in a bid to preserve the historic site, by building two walls in the channel leading from the bathing room to the adjacent river.

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n Roma

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September - September 27th 2016 September 14th14th - September 27th 2016

XI 25

La Cizana, Torremolinos

THIS once bustling Roman settlement near Los Alamos beach in Torremolinos was an important fish-salting plant. Archeologists have recently unearthed residential areas, industrial facilities and ceramics and pottery typical of the Roman period. The site is thought to be more than two thousand years old, with several tanks for salting fish, a spa complex and a storage area with two large pottery kilns dating back to 100BC also being discovered. The Romans learned the salt-curing method from the Greeks, and it is still widely used today.

Rio Verde villa, Marbella

Italica, Sevilla Just 9km north of Sevilla sits the ruins of Italica. Founded in 206BC the town became an important centre of Roman culture and was later the birthplace of three Roman emperors, Trajan and Hadrian and Theodosius . The town thrived particularly under Hadrian and has been survived by a huge amphitheatre and twenty mosaics, including a highly detailed coloured floor featuring birds, Netpune and the seasons.

IT seems ‘Marbs’ began attracting the wealthy more than 2,000 years ago. This ancient villa, 1km west of Puerto Banus, was once part of the great Roman settlement of Cliniana and is a one of its kind for the stunning mosaic floors it left behind, meaning its owner would have been of great importance. A turn from the traditional classical themes and intricate details, the famous black and

white p a t terned tiles - never before seen in a Roman villa - display a collection of images in black and white, from shoes to kitchen utensils and the infamous Medusa.

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Property Property

IV XII www.theolivepress.es 26

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PAST IN THE PRESENT: Palacete de Cazula has a colourful past

Living history

Pr o FO pe CU rt S y

Steeped in over 500 years of history it is time for a new owner to pen the Palacete de Cazulas’ next chapter, writes Rob Horgan

OASTING a 30ft swimming pool, a hard tennis court and mesmerising gardens modelled on the Alhambra’s expansive grounds, life at the Palacete de Cazulas has never been so good. For while the Palacete today hosts weddings, conferences and yoga retreats, the ‘one of a kind’ property has a bloody and salacious past. Steeped in history the Palacete has borne witness to everything from the murder of a lotharious aristocrat to the invasion of Franco’s forces during the civil war. As British `manager´ Richard Russell-Cowan explains, the attraction of the property - which is on the market for a cool €4.5 million - is as much its history as it is its buildings. “The Palacete has history all around it, every inch of it is steeped in intrigue,” Richard says. “A buyer is not just paying for a beautiful property but is also buying into the Palacete’s rich and colourful past.” He added: “It truly is a one off, there is nowhere else like it.” Just one hour from Granada and halfan-hour from the beach, the Palacete is placed atop a windy road in Otívar in the Sierra de Cazulas.

It was first built in 1492 by Christian nobleman Don Rodrigo de Ulloa who acquired the land from a Moor, just months after the last Moorish king of Granada ceded the city to Christian King Ferdinand. Don Rodrigo eventually went on to become mayor of the Castillo de Almunecar and stayed at the Palacete until his death in the mid 16th century. The estate then passed into the hands of the noble De Castro family who remained there for over 400 years. The most infamous member of the De Castro clan was Don Paco de Castro, a loyal friend to the King who had Droigt du Seigneur (the power to hang people from a gibbet which he placed on a nearby hill above the property for the whole village to see). A notorious womaniser, Don Paco met a bloody end when he took advantage of one local lady too many, to the anger of a jealous lover. Don Paco’s daughter the Marquesa de Montanaro y Balsinas was the last of the de Castro lineage to live in the Palecete. During her time at the estate she had to endure a raid on the premises by Franco forces where furniture, paintings and religious artifacts were burnt in front of the

EXPANSIVE: The main building and its chapel main entrance. The Marquesa and her staff escaped down the river and spent four years hiding in Madrid before returning and renovating the building. The last two decades have been somewhat less dramatic at the Palacete which has allowed British couple Richard and Brenda to turn the estate into a successful business. Previously operating as a hotel, the Palacete is now a rental property and is often used to host weddings of up to 150 people. It is also a popular spot for bird watchers, star gazers, musicians, artists and yogis. Wild flower collectors are also avid visitors with 400 different species in the area, while the estate’s 2,500m2 orchard boasts white and red sweet vines, avocado, cherimoya, bananas and mango. As well as the 12-double bedroom main building, the estate also has an adjoining cottage with three twin bedded rooms and ensuite bathrooms and a 500m2 barn. It even has a museum, library as well as numerous large terraces. For more information visit www.cazulas.com or call 619 040 309/ 686 929 288

LUXURY: Dining hall (above), bedroom (far left) and tennis court (below)

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XIV 28 www.theolivepress.es The Property Insider

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Whether you’re resident or non-resident in Spain you are liable to pay taxes on any income earned from your property

by Adam Neale

Tax implications of letting property to holidaymakers

OLLOWING the passage, in February 2016, of a new law in Andalucia regulating holiday rentals, I've already written about the rules and regulations landlords must comply with and the importance of registering your property with the regional tourism authority over the past few months. But what we've not looked at, so far, are the fiscal implications of short-term letting a property on the Costa del Sol, most likely to holidaymakers, from the landlord's point of view. So, I talked to our friendly neighbourhood lawyer, Adolfo Martos Gross, of Costa del Sol law firm GAM Abogados, to ensure I got the facts and figures straight about the taxes you have to pay, whoever you may be and however you own property in Spain if you already let it or are considering doing so. The general rule, Adolfo explains, is that if you earn any income from a property you own and let in Spain, you are liable for taxation, although the kind of tax and how much you pay depends on where you reside for fiscal purposes and who (or what) you are. For our purposes, there are four classifications of taxpayer in Spain: a resident individual or company and a non-resident individual or company. Individual tax residents of Spain are required to declare any income they earn and pay tax under the

Impuesto sobre la Renta de las Personas Físicas (IRPF, income tax), Adolfo says, while companies that are resident in Spain are required to declare their revenues and pay tax under the Impuesto sobre Sociedades (corporate tax). Individuals pay IRPF in line with a sliding scale levied on total earnings during a fiscal year, while companies generally pay corporate tax at a rate of 25% on any profits. For individuals and companies that are not resident in Spain, Adolfo notes, things get a little more complicated, as where you reside is also relevant. Both are required to pay the Impuesto sobre la Renta de No Residentes (IRNR), which is levied at different rates depending on if you reside within or outside the European Union. Tax residents of other EU member states are liable to pay IRNR at a flat rate of 19% on any income or profits earned in Spain, while residents of the rest of the world are required to pay IRNR at 24%. Another big difference between tax residents and non-residents, Adolfo adds, is how often you have to pay. Residents are required to declare income earned from letting property as part their annual IRPF tax return to the Agencia Tributaria (AKA Hacienda, Tax Agency) and settle any taxes due in June of the following year. Non-residents, on the other hand, have to pay on a quarterly basis, within a period of 20 calendar days after the end of the

quarter. With the exception of those resident outside of the EU, Adolfo says, landlords are able to deduct costs arising from the maintenance of the property, although this does not include improvements; financial costs, such as interest on mortgages or loans used to buy the property, although not the capital; and any taxes, charges or other running costs, including the Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles (IBI, property tax), refuse collection, insurance, community fees and depreciation, arising from the property that is being let. Last but not least, Adolfo says, is the Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido (IVA, value-added tax or VAT), levied on goods delivered and services provided. In most cases, this is not applicable as property letting is exempt from IVA, meaning landlords in Spain are normally not required to charge IVA or declare it. But if the tenant sublets the property to a third party the original let is subject to IVA. But, Adolfo notes, if the property is let on a basis where services, such as daily cleaning, catering and the like, are provided, then IVA must be charged at the reduced rate of 10% and landlords are required to make quarterly IVA declarations and pay the corresponding tax on an annual or quarterly basis, in accordance with their fiscal residence status.

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

Not Intu it A MULTI-MILLION euro shopping complex funded by British company Intu has been hit by further delays. The commercial and leisure superstore, in Torremolinos, has so far been halted for five years and could face further setbacks. Previously, the Junta has turned down the project several times, because it was considered a risk for flooding. The Junta’s latest decision on whether or not construction can begin is expected in October or November.

Page turner RONDA’S regional library is up for a global architectural award. Opened in March this year, the library has been shortlisted as one of six outstanding project’s for this year’s World Architectural News Civic Building Awards. The awards recognise public buildings for their originality, innovation, design, sustainability and integration into the local community. The building is up against buildings from as far away as New Zealand and Canada.

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 Insurance Brokers Gardening & Plants 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

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Do you live in Spain and still have UK and Offshore Investments? - by Richard Black / International Financial Adviser

general income for the year and taxed at the scale rates of tax of up to 48% in Andalucía. ISAs too are fully taxable in Spain in the hands of Spanish residents at the corresponding savings income tax rates (19%, 21% and 23%). This applies to income and gains from cash and share ISAs. Many expatriates mistakenly think that, since they are UK investments, and tax-free ones at that, that they do not need to be declared in Spain. In fact they do, and with the new global automatic exchange of information regime which started this year, the Spain tax authorities will be informed about your UK investments. Other UK investments Many UK nationals have accumulated savings and investment portfolios using an array of options such as National Savings to Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), Personal Equity Plans (PEPs) and Premium Bonds. Unfortunately, once you take up residence in Spain, the tax incentives provided by the UK schemes fall away and the income and gains may become wholly taxable under Spanish law. When you move to a new country, it is a major change and should prompt a complete review of your wealth management to ensure it is as effective as possible for your new life. Similarly, if you have lived in Spain for a number of years, it would be wise to have a full review of your saving / investment / pension position to ensure optimum benefits. Premium bonds and ISAs They do not provide any automatic interest earnings or capital growth, but the possibility of winning a large prize made them quite appealing. However, the prize fund has been slashed over recent years, with further cuts from this June. One key attraction is that they have always been tax-free. So even if you are lucky enough to win the £1 million jackpot, you do not pay any income tax on this. They are not tax-free if you live in Spain though. As a Spanish resident, winnings are taxed as general income. So they are added to your

You should also look at your other UK investments, such as shares, unit trusts, OEICs and investment bonds and consider how they are taxed in Spain. Are they the most tax efficient way possible for you? Investment bonds are another vehicle people use in the UK to hold their savings. UK residents can withdraw 5% of their original investment each year with no immediate liability to UK tax. This 5% tax-deferred allowance does not extend to Spanish residents. In many cases the Spanish tax treatment of such investments is not particularly beneficial, so seek advice if you have these bonds. UK rental income If you rent out property in the UK, this income remains taxable in the UK. It is also taxable in Spain if you are resident here, and must be added to your other general income and taxed at the scale rates of tax. A 60% reduction is available in Spain against the net rental income, but only for long-term lettings. The UK tax paid on this income can be offset against the Spanish tax on the same income.

Bank interest, whether earned from Spanish, UK or offshore banks, is taxed as savings income at rates of 19%, 21% and 23%, depending on the amount earned. To help you consider your own situation • Are your savings accounts earning the best returns they can or like the majority of funds on bank deposit earning virtually no interest? • Are your investments performing the way you would like? • Is the financial adviser you used to deal with no longer here and advising you? • Have you a Pension in the UK which needs reviewed? • Are you aware that many defined benefit pension schemes are seriously underfunded and deficits are growing all the time ? We have entered new era for international tax planning and cross border wealth management.

What you can do and where we can help We will meet with you at our office in Marbella or at your preferred location, and have a friendly and relaxed conversation about your general situation. From this starting point we can determine a course of action that will ensure your situation is in the best possible shape moving forward.

To organise a review, please feel free to contact me on 0034 952 816 443 or email richard.black@blacktowerfm.com

The UK government has made changes over recent years that make owning UK property less attractive. Non-residents are now subject to capital gains tax when selling UK property, on gains from 6th April 2015; previously they were exempt. The rates of Stamp Duty Land Tax (applied to additional residential properties and buy-to-let) are going up. Bank interest

Blacktower Financial Management (International) Ltd is licensed by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission Licence 00805B and with the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

Looking for peace of mind? • Expert wealth management • Effective tax planning • Tailored investments • International Pension Transfers • Private Banking • Discretionary Fund Management Contact the Marbella or Gibraltar Office: O T +34 952 816 443 | +350 200 42353 E info@blacktowerfm.com Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited is licensed by the Gibraltar FSC Licence 00805B and registered with the DGS in Spain. Blacktower Financial Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

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Bringing rural tranquility to the Costa del Sol, SPP and Real Capital Solutions is set to break ground at the picturesque Arboleda development in Benahavis

T will be surrounded by white-flowered honeysuckle, pink and purple bougainvilleas and lemon and orange groves, the setting of the Costa del Sol’s highly anticipated Arboleda development will resemble a hilltop hideaway in the Guadalhorce Valley or a retreat in Cordoba’s mountainous Subbetica region. But the new Arboleda development is in fact on the Costa del Sol; just two minutes from a golf course, as well as a cluster of shops and restaurants. Better still it is just a five minute walk to the beach. Located on the road to Benahavis, an award-winning team has created a beautiful, state-of-the-art development that combines 21st century living with rural tranquility. Named Arboleda - the Spanish word for grove architect Francisco Robles has used materials to compliment their surroundings, with a special focus on providing natural lighting and revealing ex-

Get in to the grove

pansive views to the surrounding 50,000 squaremetre of protected woodland. “Being part of a community whilst retaining individuality – this is what I envisioned for Arboleda,” he

says. “Providing five different types of villas allows diversity in size, style and use, while all of them have elements in common to unite.” The team at SPP and Real Capital solutions are set

to break ground on September 15, with an ‘exciting amount of interest’ already bubbling away. In total there will be 18 villas of various shapes and sizes, released in a series of construction phases with prices ranging from €719,000 to over a million. With all the necessary planning permission in place, the company has an office on site and is ready to listen to offers, with construction time expected to be 18 months from the point of sale. With a focus on open-plan living an American design consultancy has been drafted in to provide a sophisticated interior. Underfloor heating, botanical gardens and a private swimming pool are a few more features the development has to offer. For more information visit www.rcsspain.com or call 951239866

Property

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Sweet dreams

Average costs per month

Mansion life

•

Gardener: €1000

•

Maid: €1,260

•

Chefs: €4,480

•

Chauffers: €2,800

•

Pool maintenance: €500

•

Community Fees: €1,000

The cost of living the dream in one of the Costa del Sol’s most exclusive communities?

OST of us dream of purchasing a bolthole in the exclusive enclaves of Marbella’s Zagaleta or Guadalmina Baja, but even if we could the depressing reality is that we probably couldn’t even afford the maintenance fees. Such estates need so much upkeep that the town’s surrounding them have more work than residents. Benahavis mayor Jose Antonio Mena recently described every mansion as a ‘small business’ because they have to hire six to eight people, adding that his town now has increased job security thanks to the likes of neighbouring Zagaleta and Guadalmina. But just how much do the extra costs add up to? After paying for housekeeping, a chef and community fees, mansion living costs a cool €11,040 per month.

LIFE looks sweet for a former sugar factory near Marbella. The Trapiche El Prado factory’s fortune is set to change, with Marbella Town hall and the Junta deciding that urgent work needs to be carried out. The derelict building was bequeathed to Marbella Town Hall in 1992 and looked set to be transformed into an old peoples home. However, the building has been abandoned and grown more ruined ever since, with the town hall struggling to fund the reformation. A campaign group, Plataforma en Defensa y Mantenimiento del Trapiche del Prado, has decided to tackle the walls, remove trees and clear vegetation first, before moving on to the rest of the building.

OVERHAUL: Sugar factory

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Up, up and away PROPERTY prices in Spain are soaring to pre-crisis levels. The dark days appear to be over for the Spanish market, with a 7.5% increase for homes in the second quarter. Data from the Colegio de Registradores de la Propiedad has confirmed that property is now on average the same price as it was in 2004.

ENROUTE: China´s magic Wanda

Wanda wonder A CHINESE hotel group has got its eyes on the Costa del Sol. The Wanda group met with senior officials at Marbella Town Hall, to see how they can best begin to build here. The hotel supergroup put forward its best players to cement the move, including Eddy Tiftik, deputy director general of the group's hotel, and local representatives Oded Arbel and Carlos Pulido. Tiftik said: “Luxury activities such as golf, yachting, shopping and skiing makes the area very attractive to the middle and upper classes of tourists from China.”

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September 14th - September 27th 27th 2016 2016 September 14th - September

Taxing times

11+

years experience in

ALL PROPERTY MATTERS

RICS SURVEYORS & VALUERS BY BUILDING CAMPBELL FERGUSON

For peace of mind follow these property buying rules

How Spain’s tax system is undermining the property market and its would-be buyers

HE situation in Spain is fragile, what with Brexit, the continuing dictatorship of Sr Rajoy and the out of control national and regional debts. Tourism, residential expats and short stay are a major contributor to the Spanish economy that appears to carry on regardless. However, it’s ‘on a shaky peg’. All it would take would be one small tremor or a bomb in a tourist place, and Spain could be in the same position as all the other Mediterranean countries. The exceptional numbers of tourists this year is not because of an overwhelming desire for Spain, it’s due to the impression of there being nowhere else ‘safe’ to go in the sunshine. And as for the longer-term residents, they are being hit for tax in so many ways. Frighten these people away and their energy, work and spending power is lost, plus that of all the people they give jobs to. That’s all money brought into and distributed in the economy of Spain, keeping employment and services alive. It’s an active problem as last month there was a report stating Marbella has recently ‘lost’ 5,000 residents. Here’s part of an email I received recently from someone who has lived on the Costa del Sol for decades.

“The Spanish government do nothing to attract any investor into Spain. No one wants to invest and therefore buy property in a country that’s apparently staggering on the verge of bankruptcy, and as proof increases existing taxes and constantly seem bent on inventing and applying new ones. It’s now classed as one of the highest taxed countries in the world. The latest that definitely affects Costa buyers is the application of the draconian law on holiday rental properties whose effect is to extract more taxes. Thus the idea of buying a second home to earn some money from it while it is not in use is now impossible. Buying it only serves to invite loss as there’s not a sufficient property value increase to cover the costs of buying and

Find Your Property selling and running the property while it’s owned. It encourages the Spanish taxman to steal your wallet as he delves into your international tax affairs. Buyers are naturally deterred and will Instruct never return.Instruct It’s a Surveyor bad and worseningBuilding omen for SpainLawyer and its property markets.” A lawyer told me he has a client who owns a large villa in a Spanish company and Buy with Knowledge keeps a car in the garage& for use when Confidence here. He is now being taxed for ‘notional income’ that the +34 company could have 952 923 520 Connect with us! earned by renting admin@surveyspain.com out the villa when he surveyspain.com is not there plus rent on the car for the same periods! They’ll start at the top, but soon it will be everybody who owns a property and/ or car that’s not occupied or used all the time. It’s the same principle as being taxed on gains a seller should have made and purchase taxes a buyer should have paid, but ‘avoided’ by selling/buying a property at below the taxman’s notional value for the property. Is the fairness of these taxes being challenged or are the professionals scared off by the hacienda threatening them and all their clients with draconian and repeat ‘investigations’? The law works so slowly and who is going to take on the tax authorities?

Contact Campbell and the team on +34 952 923 520 or email info@surveyspain.com

EXPERIENCED ENGLISH SOLICITORS & SPANISH ABOGADOS Looking to buy a Spanish property? Contact us for your free guide to buying Spanish property safely & securely. We provide a wide range of legal services including: Conveyancing

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ATALAYA

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Larger than average 2 bedroom apartment, Estepona, Costa del Sol This beautifully presented spacious apartment is located in one of the most sought after areas on the Costa del Sol. It has an open plan living/dining area with a separate large kitchen. Gated Community / Communal Pools / Air Conditioning / Underground Parking / Covered Terrace Bed 2 | Bath 2 | Built 110 m2

€1,175,000

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GUADALMINA ALTA €495,000 REF: WW281 Beautiful 3 bedroom single level villa, Guadalmina Alta, Costa del Sol An attractive villa nestled in a quiet cul-de-sac, has stunning 360º panoramic views of the sea and mountains from all windows of the villa. Alarm Sytem / Private Swimming Pool / Double Glazing / Fruit Trees / Fireplace / Seclusion and Privacy Bed 3 | Bath 3 | Built 177 m2 | Plot 1397 m2

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NEW GOLDEN MILE €1,175,000 REF: WW620 Magnificent beachfront apartment, near Estepona, Costa Del Sol

SAN PEDRO DE ALCANTARA €850,000 REF: WW607 Beautiful family home with independent guest studio, Costa Del Sol

This exceptional two bedroom luxury apartment epitomizes all that is luxury and quality living. It is located in one of the most exclusive and prestigious developments. Access to the Beach / 24 hr Security / Breathtaking Views / Highest Quality Materials / Alarm System Bed 2 | Bath 2 | Built 190 m2 | Terrace 105 m2

A gorgeous 4 bedroom detached villa in a prime area of San Pedro de Alcantara. It is beautifully presented and has an independent studio flat. Solarium / Jacuzzi / Garage / Private Garden and Pool / Utility Room / Fitted Wardrobe / Store Room Bed 4 | Bath 3 | Built 266 m2 | Plot 937 m2

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NEW RELEASES 2016/2017

· Arboleda Villas, Atalaya LAUNCHED

Aria Apartments, Mijas Costa

· Treana Ultra-Luxury, Benahavís

A collection of exciting new property developments brought to the Costa del

New Releases Info:

Sol by Real Capital Solutions Spain. More beautiful apartments, penthouses and

www.RCSspain.com/2016

villas coming soon.

Tel: +34 951 239 866 commercial partner

RCS New Releases SP Sep.indd 1

13/09/2016 16:17:28

-final of Spanish TV talent show 3065 views

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BUSINESS

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NEWS IN BRIEF

The future’s BE ‘APPY! orange

NETWORK company Orange is investing €1.5bn in a bid to reach an extra four million Spanish homes with its fibre optic broadband by 2020. IN TUNE: Castle Radio Download our app now and begin enjoying the best Spanish New blood news on the go. SPAIN’S CaixaBank has hired ex-Banco Santander executive Ingio Bastarrica to help it expand into corporate banking.

Sounding good The Olive Press

A HOST of talented DJs have been lined up for the re-launch of Costa del Sol radio station Castle Radio FM. Just five years after launching in his bedroom, founder Andrew Charles has opened a new state-of-the-art studio in Duquesa port as Castle Radio becomes a commercial radio station. A number of experienced DJs on the Costa del Sol have been

September 14th - September 27th 2016

Tuning up drafted in, including Olive Press head of sales Chris Birkett who enjoyed a decade-long career as a live DJ in Mallorca in the noughties. “I am excited to be bringing one of the only late night English language shows to the coast,”

said Chris. “I will be playing great music and hope to get some good debate going on the Last Word.” Also coming on board is station manager Sid Olivera, who has over 35 years of radio experience.

Oil syphon

MUSIC sales in Spain rose for the fourth in ain row, TOP foryear news Spain! increasing by 4% year-onyear in the first half of this year.

Car trouble AUTOMOBILE manufacturer Nissan has been fined €6 million by Spain’s competition regulator CNMC for antitrust practices.

Exchange rates 1 euro is worth

1.12 American dollars 0.85 British pounds 1.48 Canadian dollars 7.44 Danish kroner 8.72 H Kong dollars 9.27 Norwegian kroner 1.53 Singapore dollars

driver and his Gibraltar-based company Olivia Investments face a parliamentary inquiry over his disastrous handling of the stricken retailer BHS. Chappell, 49, claims to have financed last year’s BHS takeover by his consortium Retail Acquisitions with funds from the Gibbased firm. Two-times-bankrupt Chappell paid just £1 to buy BHS from retail magnate Philip Green. BHS collapsed in April with a pension deficit of £571 million, putting 11,000 jobs at risk. Ironically, Chappell cited his ‘very successful’ stint at Olivia Petroleum as a bargaining chip in his BHS takeover bid.

One step closer

SHAMED: Dominic Chappell

Property AGONY ANT

Here are six myths about the law in Spain: 1. Administrative residency and tax residency are the same: taking out your “residencia” at the Police Station does not make you a tax resident of Spain. To be one, you need to prima facie file tax returns in this country or you are exempt from doing so, prove continuous residency via electricity bills, “empadronamiento” certificates and so on. 2. Infidelity is a ground for divorce: as explained in the previous article, the only “ground” for divorce is to have been married for 3 months. End of. 3. Public nakedness is a criminal offence: unlike many other countries, walking around naked per se is not a statutory offence unless it is proven there is a sexual connotation. However, if you expose yourself you will be subject to heavy fines: The Supreme Court ruled in 2015 that nudity cannot

Urban myths

MYTH: Strolling naked not illegal

be condoned for it affects the peaceful daily coexistence. 4. Eleven months is the limit for short term rentals: Never has a legal urban myth expanded so rapidly and damagingly. There is no such thing as an 11-month contract that is different from say one with a 9 or 13-month term. In fact, the law in Spain states that any residential rental contract can be

legally extended to 3 years by the tenant. Holiday lets do exist but they are not defined by the term, but by the use of the dwelling: sporadic, non- permanent, accidental, circumstantial are some of the words use by the Courts to differentiate short term from long term or permanent. 5. Red cars cost more to insure: many people will not know it

Email Antonio at aflores@lawbird.es

A STUNNING path through Ronda’s ‘el Tajo’ gorge and the old town is now one step closer. The mayor of Ronda, Teresa Valdenebro, together with Elias Bendodo, President of Malaga province council, has pledged to reinstate funding to the tune of €300,000. The 300 metre path, which was approved by the council last year, is expected to attract half a million visitors each year.

Back to work

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BY ANTONIO FLORES

Spain is not different when it comes to “legal urban myths”, statements that sound true but are legally wrong

“The challenges of starting a new commercial radio station and training new presenters in the art of broadcasting, is just about as exciting as it gets and at the risk of sounding a little bit cheesy, it’s like giving back to an industry that has given me so much pleasure for 35 years and continues to do so,” Sid said. Starting next week, you can listen to Castle Radio FM on 89.2FM or online.

BEAUTIFUL: Ronda path

Cadiz oil company line up lawsuit against shamed BHS boss THE disgraced former owner of BHS is facing a legal battle over allegations that he misappropriated hundreds of thousands of euros from a Cadiz oil depot. Olivia Petroleum, which owns Istamelsa storage facility in the port of Cadiz, is reportedly preparing a denuncia against Dominic Chappell and his wife Rebecca. Chappell is accused of taking ‘improper payments’ from the company, owned by accountant Steve Rodger, to spend on yacht accessories as well as sending his wife money. In total, Chappell reportedly took €368,800 from the company. It comes as the former racing

1535

but the car insurance industry is colour-blind. 6. Legal letters have to be replied to: it is often the case that parties to a legal dispute feel that one email or letter needs to be matched with a reply, thus causing endless threads of communications. No such thing is true in Spain, unless these letters come from the courts or from Government offices.

MIJAS has created more than 70 jobs for its unemployed residents. The town hall is pumping around €230,000 into the initiative to provide three month contracts. The Employment Aid Programme is open to people that are at risk of social exclusion, are unemployed or have a reduced income. Applications can be made at the town hall’s social service department and the building for training and employment. The programme, due to start in December 2016, will be accepting applications until September 9.

16 36

BUSINESS

www.theolivepress.es

September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

logging off social media PEOPLE around the world are spending less time on social media. A new study shows that Spaniards were on Twitter for almost half an hour less every week in 2015 compared to the previous year. In fact almost all social media platforms

FRIENDS: Rajoy and Xi

Foreign affair CHINA wants to take its relationship with Spain to the next level. Speaking at the G20 summit in Hangzhou in east China, President Xi Jinping has said he appreciates Spain’s support for the Belt and Road Initiative, adding that his country’s companies would continue to invest in Spain. “We should also expand our trade through the cargo railway link connecting Yiwu in east China’s Zhejiang Province with Madrid in Spain,” he said. Acting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Spain speaks highly of the Chinese government’s efforts to tackle ongoing economic challenges, adding that his country is willing to work with China to explore further trade and investment.

THE Sierra Nevada has had an influx of tourists this summer, without a snowflake in sight. From June 25 to September 4, some 42,000 visitors flew into the mountain range above Granada, pumping a sizeable amount of money into the area. Indeed, summer thrill seekers are estimated to have spent around €8 million in local hotels, restaurants and businesses.

Busy

Minister of tourism Francisco Javier Fernandez praised the entrepreneurial nouse of local businesses for evolving from the busy winter season to the usually less-frequented summer season. “The goal is that the Sierra Nevada is closed for the shortest possible time so that it can continue generating wealth and employment,” he said. “In this sense, it has evolved into an all-year market through our ‘seasonal adjustment plan’, which has allowed the Sierra Nevada to attract an increas-

saw a decrease in the amount of time their users spent on them. Instagram saw a weekly usage drop of 15 minutes, Facebook eight minutes, Linkedin 32 minutes, Twitter 23 minutes and Pinterest 49 minutes. Only Spotify saw its users spend more

time on its music streaming app, seeing a boost of 21 minutes per person each week. A further nine countries saw a drop in social media use of at least 8%, including the UK, US, Germany, Australia, Brazil, India and South Africa.

TOURIST ATTRACTION: Sierra Nevada

On your hike

Sierra Nevada attracts 42,000 summer visitors

ing number of visitors every summer since 2010.” The minister also highlighted a 40% increase in sum-

mer activities, which was ‘especially visible’ at the new bike park. Bird watching and mountain

hiking is also on the up in the region with the ministry of environment supporting the tourist industry plans.

Smooth operator THE largest private hospital operator in Spain has been bought by one of Europe’s largest health care providers. German-based company Fresenius has acquired IDC Salud Holding for more than €5.8million. As part of the deal, Fresenius would inherit 43 hospitals, 39 outpatient centres and 300 occupational risk prevention centres across the country. Based in Bad Homburg, Fresenius operates four main health care businesses, with more than 200,000 employees and had sales of €27.6 billion in 2015. This is their first business dealing outside of Germany.

Golden deal FUNERAL specialist Golden Leaves International is extending its cut price special offer for another month. Due to ‘overwhelming demand’, the Almeria-based funeral company is extending its €100 discount until the end of September. For more information call 966 493 082 or visit www. glexpatservices.com

Health

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September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

17 37 37

Vicious virus circulates in capital city Madrid

MEMORABLE: Keith

Ride down memory lane A BRITISH widower has cycled from the north of England to the south of Spain in memory of his wife. Cycling 750 miles from Merseyside to Benicassim, via the Portsmouth to Santander ferry, Keith Dawson raised €4,150 for cancer charity The Julie Mountford Dawson Foundation; set up in honour of Keith’s wife who died last year. Visiting some of Julie’s favourite places in the UK and Spain on his journey, Keith returned to the Benicassim beach where his wife last walked on sand and swam in the sea.

Grateful

“My main intention in setting up the foundation, and embarking upon my ride back to Julie's beach, was to keep Julie's memory alive,” Keith, 49, told the Olive Press. “Raising funds to help people living with cancer can only be a good thing, and I am so grateful to everyone who has made a donation to the foundation, no matter how big or small. “I am also extremely grateful to Spain for welcoming me with open arms, and to the Spanish people who I met during my ride, who took such an interest in what I was doing and in Julie's story.” The foundation will be donating approximately €1,800 to Wirral Hospice and the remainder will be divided between four UK cancer charities.

MADRID Regional Health authorities has confirmed two cases of a deadly virus circulating in the capital city. The tests were received from the National Microbiology Centre, confirming the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, which has resulted in one death and put two people in isolation.

Family left in nightmare as young son is left stranded in hospital after horrific fall A BRITISH family are in a ‘living hell’ after their four year old son broke his leg on holiday. Alfie Barton was playing on a slide at Magic Excalibur resort in Benidorm when he slipped and broke his femur. Little Alfie, who may need surgery, was rushed to Alicante General Hospital where the family are in a bid to bring him back home began, as Alfie is not eating the food and the language barrier is proving problematic. His mother Rachel Barton and her husband Karl Barton have called it “every parent's nightmare”. The family from Barrow took out travel insurance with Go Panada, a firm underwritten

The first Spanish casualty, a 62 year old man, died on August 25 in Madrid's Gregorio Marañón University Hospital. The second casualty is the nurse that cared for him who is currently receiving treatment at the infectious disease wing of the La Paz-Carlos III Hospital. 200 people that have come into contact with infected patients are being

Leg break horror

STUCK IN HOSPITAL: Alfie Barton by HCC before flying out last Monday. Go Panada has refused to fly Alfie home.

Rachel said:’’ I don't want him operated on here, he'll end up malnourished," she said.

Heads up

MEDICAL MARVEL: Baby born in sac

Tired eyes

Eye health advice for the over 70s, by Amrik Sappal, store director at Specsavers Opticas Fuengirola

S we age, our eyes undergo many changes and most people require glasses in their later years. While some changes are perfectly natural and nothing to worry about, older eyes are also more susceptible to certain issues, which if left undiagnosed and untreated can lead to irreversible damage and sometimes total vision loss, so this month we wanted to answer your questions about this important topic. Q. How often should I get my eyes tested when I’m over 70? A. We advise that all people over 70 should have an eye test at least once a year. It can be easy to forget about getting your eyes tested and only react when you notice that your vision is bad. However, when you reach your 70s there are a number of conditions which can threaten your vision if not caught early and have few noticeable symptoms before they reach an advanced stage. We are urging that those over 70 make it part of their routine to schedule a regular eye test and make sure

checked, while some people have been confined to their homes. The widespread and contagious disease is caused by a tick-borne virus, or coming in contact with animal blood. Currently it is endemic in Africa, the Middle East and Asian countries. The disease has a 40 percent mortality rate.

that their optician is offering a thorough check which includes checking the back of the eye.

A SPANISH baby was born completely intact in an amniotic sac. The rare moment known as ‘caul’ only occurs once in 80,000 births. The baby was born with the membrane covering its entire body, just moments after its twin was delivered normally. The medical marvel occurs when the mother’s waters do not break as expected.

"The doctors don't speak English, Alfie's not eaten for three days, it's just not what he's used to. All they'll give him for the pain is paracetamol, I'm at my wit's end." The Bartons, who were meant to return on September 2, are spending €260 a day in taxi fees to get to the hospital, which is 40 minutes away from their resort. Desperate Rachel, 38, has flown out her mum to help with the other children, 11-year-old Tegan and nineyear-old Jacob who has Tourette's, attention deficit disorder and an autism spectrum condition. Rachel added: "We just want to bring Alfie home, that's our main priority. I never want to have a family holiday abroad again. "All I want to do is make my son feel better. “There's only room for one of us in the hospital room, and because no one speaks English we can't leave him even for a minute. "Karl will stay here with him and I'll have to fly home with the kids. “It's one hell of a mess." The family are in communication with the British consulate.

FISHY: Healthy eating

O-Mega study

THE health benefits of following a Mediterranean diet have been brought to the fore yet again. Having at least two servings of fatty fish every week may lower the risk of contracting type two diabetes, according to a Madrid research centre. The Spanish Biomedical Research Center in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, concluded that exposure to omega-3, largely through fish, dramatically reduces the chances of developing diabetes. The centre is also working on a theory that olive oil and nut consumption reduces the chances of heart-related illness.

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BREXIT Bulletin

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September 14th - September 27th 2016

Rock politicians lambast Spain’s foreign minister after joint-sovereignty ‘obsession’

OBSESSIVE: Margallo still pushing for Gibraltar

THE joint sovereignty plans of Spain’s acting foreign minister are an ‘unhealthy obsession’, the government has said. Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo was slammed by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and the GSD after the PP politician declared he would brief EU ministers on joint-sover-

‘Fantasy’ land

eignty over Gibraltar. It comes after , Margallo claimed that Brexit would represent the best opportunity since the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht for Spain to regain control of the Rock. But Picardo hit back, warning of the possible job losses in the Campo should Margallo close the

border. Picardo said: "It's time that we saw a more mature approach from the Spanish Foreign Ministry. “This fanciful and futile repetition of the nonsense of joint sovereignty is a waste of Europe's time and energy, and a waste of time for the people of the Campo who

Brief By Charles Gomez

This Green (and pleasant) land In his maiden dispatch lawyer Charles Gomez asks: why is Greenland

are once again facing the prospect of losing their jobs in Gibraltar by these veiled threats. “History will be a stern judge of Mr Margallo's record as the undiplomatic head of Spanish diplomacy." A GSD spokesperson claimed Margalo had ‘lost grip on reality’. “Gibraltar has seen the back of many others who, like Sr. Garcia-Margallo, felt they could bully our fellow Gibraltarians. It failed then and it will fail again,” the spokesperson said.

relevant to Brexit? asks Charles Gomez

HE poet William Blake was extolling England, not Greenland, when he wrote of a ‘green and pleasant land’. But I plan to look at both in the context of the Brexit referendum, as well as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. Firstly, why is Greenland relevant? It has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1397. Of course the Danish kingdom that joined the European Community in 1973 included this huge icy territory but in a referendum in 1982 the Greenlanders voted to withdraw from the EC, so part of the Danish realm is in what is now known as the EU and the larger part is outside. Thus the question asked by some since June 23 is why should similar provision not be made for the United Kingdom with England exiting from the European Union and the countries sometimes referred to as the ‘Celtic Fringe’ and Gibraltar which voted to remain, remaining? It was certainly an idea which Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo discussed when they spoke as early as June 27 and again since. Under the internal legal arrangement of the UK and Gibraltar there would not seem to be any conceptual difficulty in effecting what has

Practical difficulties of a reverse Greenland? No doubt, although Northern Ireland and Gibraltar are separated from the British mainland by bodies of water as is Greenland from the rest of Denmark. Political issues too; would a reverse Greenland signal the break-up of the United Kingdom? The 1982 referendum does not appear to have weakened the Danishness (‘Danskhed’) of Greenland but certainly Spain among others recoil at the idea of allowing for the creation of a precedent for Catalunya and the Basque country seceding from Spain. Holyrood and No 10 Convent Place Gibraltar have gone a wee bit quiet on the reverse Greenland option since July so maybe it has been discounted. Indeed, the latest from Nicola Sturgeon is that she is looking to influence the Government in London for what she has termed a ‘soft exit’ – time will tell. Next issue: “Does Brexit need Parliamentary approval?”

Readers of the Olive Press are invited to discuss this or any other legal matter with Charles Gomez by emailing charles@gomezco.gi

Help at hand WITH hundreds if not thousands of questions still unanswered following the Brexit referendum, Linea Directa is offering up advice to its insurance policy holders. The company’s legal assistance service is open as always to policy holders. If they are unable to assist then the insurance company has a number of lawyers who can be contacted. “As the Brexit negotiations evolve, our legal team will keep abreast of all the latest developments relating to events occurring in the Spanish territory and those to which Spanish legislation is applicable,” a spokesman said. “Should you require an immediate legal consultation, which due to the gravity of the matter in hand cannot wait, we offer a 24-hour legal advice service. “Regardless of the time of day, we can provide immediate specialist legal advice for emergency incidents.” The service is entirely in English. For more information call 902 123 282 or visit www. lineadirecta.com

Not up for debate BRITISH lawmakers have debated a petition signed by more than four million people that demands a second EU referendum. Politicians on both sides gave their thoughts on Brexit in parliament's second debating chamber, which does not have the power to change the law. David Lammy from the Labour Party said the public had been "lied to" during the referendum campaign and that a second vote on the Brexit deal was the only way out of a "constitutional crisis". THE US has promised He added that the that Brexit will not affect meaning of Brexit its close military alliance was unclear, as were with the UK. the terms whereby US Defence Secretary Britain would have access to the EuroAsh Carter said President pean single market. Barack Obama will continJohn Penrose, a ue to count on a strong UK Conservative Party to be a staunch ally. lawmaker who op“That was true the day beposed the motion fore the Brexit vote and said: "Brexit must it’s true today,” he added. mean Brexit and it Speaking alongside Carter is up to every redahead of an international blooded democrat, peacekeeping summit in no matter which London, the UK Defence side they were on Secretary Michael Fallon before the result was confirmed that the US will known, to accept the deploy F-35 fighter planes clear electoral veron board the Royal Navy's dict and to pull tonew aircraft carrier HMS gether to deliver it as Queen Elizabeth when it best we can." Theresa May maincomes into operation in tains that ‘Brexit 2021 - while UK planes are means Brexit’ and expected to do the same that there will not on US vessels ‘in the fullbe a second referenness of time’. dum.

Brothers in arms

GREENLAND: A model for EU deal? come to be called a ‘reverse Greenland’ – England out and Northern Ireland, Scotland and Gibraltar in. After all they have always been different jurisdictions with distinct legal systems and the EU is nothing if not a legal construct. (Wales may be a different matter since it has effectively been the same legal jurisdiction as England since 1536). Moreover, Gibraltar shows how it is possible for the UK ‘member state’ to have a different regulation within the EU; although Gibraltar has been part of the EC since 1973 and post the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, part of the EU, it has always been outside the customs union and VAT area and is exempted from the Common Agricultural Policy. Similar examples can be found in the Schengen Agreement of which the UK and Ireland never ratified and of course the single currency of which several countries opted out.

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Education

September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

Suspended before school starts

VANDALISED: School left in a state

A TRIO of naughty schoolboys attempted to extend their summer holiday by vandalising their school just a week before term started. The three 11 year olds have been suspended after causing €8,000 worth of damage to the school building. Smashing through windows, the children also destroyed computers and graffitied on walls throughout the school in La Coruna. The Guardia Civil are currently investigating the incident.

School given grant

Prior debut

THE Junta is pumping €132,000 into two Cordoba schools in desperate need of repair. International school Lope de Vega Fuenta Obejuna and primary school Colegio de Educación Infantil y Primaria are set to get a much needed financial boost for construction works. Lope de Vega Fuenta Obejuna have budgeted €79,000 for repair work on the school changing room which is currently closed and is in danger of falling down. More than 500 students are enrolled at the two schools.

Top of the class A TOTAL of 12 Spanish universities have been named on the 2016 top 500 list. The University of Barcelona has been named as Spain’s top university on AWRU’s top 500, while Madrid University came second and the University of Granada was named third. Overall Harvard was named the best university, with 15 of the top 20 universities based in the USA. Three British universities: Oxford, Cambridge and UCL were also named in the top

Calls for improvement as 12 Spanish universities are named in the world’s best 500 20, with 37 British institutions named in the top 500. Since taking office in 2011, Spain’s education minister José Ignacio Wert has sought out an overhaul of the Spanish university system. He has already pushed through legislation to put Spain’s universities ‘in line’ with the rest of Europe but has faced a back-

Numbers behind books

AS many as 14% of all books released in Spain in 2015 were printed in Catalan. In total 11,348 titles were printed in Catalan, with just under half of all books in Spanish also being printed in Catalan. In total the Catalan book trade amounted to €230 million in terms of sales. “There is no doubt that Catalonia is a strong centre for the publishing industry”, said president of the Association of Publishers in Catalan Language, Montse Ayats. Of those 11,348 Catalan language books, 3,524 were school books, 2,888 fiction books and 2,706 children and teenagers books.

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lash from students. Last year, Wert was named as one of the least-liked members of the cabinet after a student strike was coupled with criticism of top university chancellors. In an effort to make Spain’s universities more appealing to international students, Wert pushed through a bill that will lower the duration of most undergraduate degrees from four years to three, bringing Spain close to practices across the rest of the EU. In theory, the change will make it easier for young Spaniards to study abroad, and should also make Spanish universities more attractive for foreign students. “We need to converge with Europe and improve the excellence of our universities,” Wert said. “We are currently isolated from the rest of Europe. We currently don’t recognise graduates from other countries with a three-year degree, even if they come from Cambridge.”

PRIOR Park School, Gibraltar's first independent, coeducational school opened its gates to 60 new pupils on Wednesday. Headmaster Peter Watts welcomed pupils from Years 8, 9 and 10 into the former Sacred Heart school, with the Old Town premises undergoing renovations this summer. From next September, Prior Park School pupils from Years 11 and 12. As well as new subject specific teaching areas and 21st century technology, the character of the building has been maintained. Mr Watts said: "Today sees the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work, both on the ground here and from Prior Park College in Bath.

Proud

"I would like to thank all those involved but particularly the parents of our students here today, for their invaluable support and faith in the school. "I am extremely proud of all that has been accomplished. The real work begins now and I and my team are looking forward to becoming an integral part of the Gibraltar community. Exciting times lie ahead." A broad range of activities and opportunities will include algebra and zumba. The school will work closely with its alma mater, Prior Park in Bath and is one of four in the Prior Park school family. An official opening will take place in October with the Bishop and Governor attending. An Open Day for prospective parents interested in viewing the school will be held on October 28. Anyone interested should email Gibraltar@priorparkschools.com

Food, drink & travel www.theolivepress.es

with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

Little cheer SPANISH wine exporters are being put off by Ireland’s tax on wine imports. The Emerald Isle has the highest tax on wine in the EU, with importers and distributors now paying €38,240 on tax per 1000 cases imported, 12% higher than the UK. Sergio Soriano Cano, a Spanish Wine exporter from Grupo Barón de Ley said: "The biggest challenge I see by far is Ireland’s crippling excise rate on wine, which makes the Irish market challenging. In Spain the excise rate on wine is zero.” The Irish Wine Association is calling for a 15% alcohol tax reduction in the upcoming budget.

September 14th - September 27th 2016

Cafe con manners Spanish cafe rewards polite customers with cheaper coffee ORDERING a cafe con leche before shaking the morning blues could end up hitting consumers in the back pocket. Inspired by a cafe in Paris, a restaurant in Spain has begun charging its customers more for their coffee and pastries if they are

rude to staff. Restaurant Blau Grifeu on the Costa Brava is charging grumpy punters €5 for their morning caffeine hit while those who behave more graciously pay just €3. And a ‘please’ and/ or ‘how are you?’ will bag a coffee

Wine o’ clock MANILVA is to be proud parents of two new wines. The new tipple will feature local ingredients, creating a dry white wine and a sweet wine. A treat for the tastebuds,the bubbly is the brainchild of the Mayor of Manilva Diego Jimenez, and wine expert, Marcos Lojo. Around 2500 bottles will be produced, with the first batch of the boozy beverage available to sip in March next year.

September 14th - September 27th 2016

for as little as €1.30. Colombian owner Marisel Valencia Madrid claims the scheme is working with customers beginning to be more polite to her staff. “People seem to be in a rush these days and are forgetting to say ‘please’ when they ask for something,” she said. “Hopefully this can help people be more well-mannered in life in general.”

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Food, drink & travel

September 14th - September 27th 2016

From yoghurts to salads, mangos always go down a treat. But the succulent fruits are also a key economic export. Samantha Mordi examines how mangos have mesmerised the world for centuries

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Mango Facts:

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Mangos are used to make juices, smoothies, ice cream, fruit bars and pies The fruit of the mango is called the drupe, consisting of the mesocarp and endocarp Mangos are the cousins of cashew nuts Mangos are the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and the national tree of Bangladesh Mango trees live up to roughly 300 years Mangos have recalcitrant seeds; they do not survive freezing and drying The English word "mango" (plural "mangoes" or "mangos") originated from the Malayalam language via Portuguese

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Mango madness

MOUTHWATERING mangos are melt in the mouth treats. Axarquia celebrates the much loved fruits with a yearly harvest, where mangos have become amongst some of the most profitable fruits in the world. The sun-loving, oval fruits fetch an estimated €1.30 per kg, with around 20 million mangos a

year coming from the region, which is then exported globally, around the world. With the moniker as one of the the world’s oldest fruits, the succulent pome originates from SouthEast Asia. It was here, Spanish travellers spotted them and began their travels, bringing the dessert favourite, from India to Manila and then all the way to Luzon towards the end of the 14th Century. Peppered Roast Beef and Mango Sandwich Highly venerated in India, the rich, fragrant, fruit is particuIngredients: 1 Mango (ripe) larly revered in Hindu and Tahi 1 jar of Good quality mayonnaise culture, where it is steeped in A pinch of sriracha (or Asian chili-garlic sauce) ancient mythology. The fun-fruit 2 Whole wheat slices of bread, toasted ranges from being the symbol Roast beef of love to being an unusual Watercress granter of wishers. Method ‘The King of Fruit’ as it is afSpread mayonnaise and Sriracha on whole-wheat toast. Form a fectionately called, has handy sandwich with roast beef, thinly sliced mango, and watercress. numerous benefits, with over 400 varieties, morphing from chillingly cold ice cream, to a refreshingly tasty drink and the more unconventional superspicy chilli sauce. If you wanted to enjoy the fruity favourite for health reasons,the benefits are ripe! Mangos are rumored to help with weightloss, prevent some cancers, improve the immune system and if you are feeling adventurous, are excellent lathered all over the face for a beauty treatment. Here’s a look at some of the many things you can do with the fleshy, deliciously sweet fruits.

Mango Muffins Ingredients (Makes about 18 muffins) 2 cups flour 4teaspoons baking powder 1⁄2teaspoon salt 1cup sugar or 3⁄4 cup honey 1⁄4cup vegetable oil 1cup milk 1egg 1 -1 1⁄2cup mango, pulp of (2 very ripe mangoes) 50 Ways Method

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Cut and peel two very ripe mangoes and reduce to soft pulp and juice. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine oil, milk, and egg. Mix liquid ingredients with dry until just moist and stir in the mango pulp. Fill greased muffin tins, or paper muffin cups two-thirds full.

with DINING SECRETS of www.theolivepress.es September 14th - September 27th 2016 ANDALUCIA.com

WHAT ARE YOU CELEBRATING? September 14th - September 27th 2016

Just outside Ronda is a small hotel and restaurant which is perfect for celebrations of all kinds. l Anniversaries l Birthdays l Family Gatherings l Reunions with Friends l Being in Love

BRAND LOYALTY: Beers’ popularity by region

Spaniards stay loyal to local beers with southerners the biggest drinkers SOUTHERN Spaniards are the country’s biggest beer drinkers, a new survey has shown. The report by Nielsen also showed Spaniards are fiercely loyal to local tipples. A whopping 21.5% of all beer is drunk in Andalucía

Mixing your drinks and Badajoz, with eastern regions Valencia, Murcia and Albacete consuming the

second largest amount, with 15.1%. The northeast area, excluding Barcelona, accounts for 11.6% with the Catalan city itself washing down 8% of the total. Boozers in the Madrid metropolitan area consume 11% of the overall total, with the more sparsely populated regions of Galicia and Asturias knocking back 7.6% of all ale. The famous Spanish regional differences are clear in preferred brands, too. Madrilenos prefer a Mahou, Barcelona’s favourite beer is the locally brewed EsRock near a dripping pipe, be- trella, whereas Galcause hops need a lot of wa- legos go for Estrella ter.” Galicia. Hops are used to give beer its Down south, it’s bitterness and aroma. Cruzcampo for AnBrunnschweiler, who is a fre- dalucians, although quent visitor to Gibraltar, Dutch beer Amstel travelled to the Rock last week is most popular in to enjoy the National Day cel- the east and around ebrations - and a drop or two the Basque country of Gibraltar’s own beer! and Rioja.

Meanwhile in Gibraltar...

A BEER boffin is seeking recruits to grow hops around Gibraltar. Martin Brunnschweiler, the master brewer behind Bushy’s Gibraltar Barbary Beer currently grows the plant at several locations around the Rock. The seeds are then taken back to his Isle Of Man brewery to add an authentic taste of Gibraltar to each drop of the 4.4% ale. But with demand for Bushy’s Gibraltar Barbary Beer high, Brunnschweiler has called for a fresh batch of green-fingered beer fans to help grow the creeper plant. “We are always on the lookout for places to grow hops in Gibraltar. If anyone’s interested I will pay them with beer,” said Brunnschweiler, who is originally from Blackburn. “I planted some on the Upper

In the Doghouse A NEWLY managed bar has changed the meaning of being ‘in the Doghouse’. The Doghouse bar in Benavista has recently celebrated its second birthday, with a bang. With its energetic bar staff, Andrea, a cook and Natalie, an expert on the best booze to set your night off, the entertaining bar pull in around 150 revellers, looking to paint the town red. Drinks start at a pocket-pleasing €2, which is washed down to enjoyable Reggae and Hip Hop tunes.

Whether it’s for a meal, or an overnight stay, or a long weekend, or a whole week... or longer Make someone’s day by celebrating with us at awardwinning Molino del Santo... but don’t leave it too long we close on the 2nd November 2016.

Contact us via e-mail info@molinodelsanto.com or phone 952 16 71 51 at any time – and check out our website for more information www.molinodelsanto.com Mention The Olive Press for special last minute rates. ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

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46 26

Columnists

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It’s a wild wild life! F

or years we’ve been told that we would reap what we’d sown with our uncaring attitude to the planet. That global warming would come back and bite us on the collective derrieres if we kept on going the way we were And now it seems that certain species have decided to take matters into their own hands. First off was the reported sighting of a big cat, possibly a Puma, on the loose in Estepona. It even made the papers back in the UK . We’ve become used to the sight of Cougars in Banus recently. But that’s usually the drunken Mum at

Ever get that uneasy feeling that the environment might be out to get you?

September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

WILD AND FREE: Cougar on the loose

her daughter’s hen party. Over in Gibraltar the Barbary Apes have a well deserved reputation for waging guerilla (or is that gorilla?) warfare on unsuspecting tourists. I once saw an ape pull off a brilliant flanking attack on a French visitor on the top of the Rock. The monkey had blindsided the Frenchie for his baguette and was gone before you could say “Sacre Bleu!” Living up at the Casita on lake, I’ve had various run ins with the

flora and up to Istan in my 4x4 wasn’t fun, fauna over the years. These have although it was presumably less ranged from the comifun for the afformencal – including findtioned boar. And no ing a bat living in my I didn’t stop and lug It was like a roof beams as well his body back to the scene from ‘Jaws’ as chasing a paniced house, just in case partridge around the one holidaymaker his older and angrier living room, (not the said very scared brother was about. first time I’ve chased a And now there are reat first desperate bird around ports of a shark sightmy house) to the ing just off the beach scary. Running over in Fuengirola. “It was a wild boar at 3am on the road like a scene from ‘Jaws’ one holi-

daymaker said: “It was very scary at first. “The lifeguards ran along the shoreline blowing on their whistles and shouting, ‘Out of the water, out of the water’. “There was a real commotion at the shoreline as everyone tried to get out of the water as fast as they could.” You could, of course, argue that there have been sharks on the Coast for decades. Mainly working in timeshare...

UK pensioners living in the EU should be afraid, very afraid… but help is on its way, writes Olive Press blogger Nigel Nelson

The Olive Press Insider’s Guide

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There is a whole new way to discover Andalucia @allaboutandalucia @aboutandalucia @allaboutandalucia All about Andalucia

ODAY there are over half a million UK state pensioners living overseas who do not receive an annual increase to their UK state pension. Since the pension payment is never increased, it is known as the “frozen” pension policy. What has this got to do with UK pensioners living in the European Union (EU) you may ask? The answer is six letters: b-r-e-x-i-t. With Brexit the UK has voted to leave the EU and this may have a seismic impact on UK state pensioners residing permanently in the EU, of which, there is 472,000 of them living mainly in Spain, France, Cyprus and Portugal. The UK state pension is based entirely and solely on a person’s National Insurance Contribution (NIC) record. However, the annual increase is based on a different set of rules altogether, and the UK government only pays the annual increase where they are legally obliged to pay it. Currently an overseas UK state pensioner only receives the increase if they live in the EEA (which is the EU plus Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein), or a handful of disparate countries such as the USA and Jamaica. Just like the “frozen” pensioners living here in Canada (I am a Brit and a Canadian), UK state pensioners living in the EU may no longer receive the annual increase to their state pension, as the UK government will no longer be legally obliged to pay it once the UK is no longer a member of the EU. David Morris, the Chairperson for the notfor-profit organisation, the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP) recently commented: "For us, the emphasis is on Alliance as much as Canadian – it is our goal to remove the “frozen” pension policy once and for all, thereby helping all overseas state pensioners. We encourage every UK pensioner living in an EU country to join us in this battle". There are many stories from UK pensioners who have lived in “frozen” countries for a number of years. There is one octogenar-

Pension panic

ian who moved to Canada in 1983 and then retired in 1998. When he first retired, his UK state pension was £65 per week, which converted to CAD$150. Eighteen years later he is still getting £65 per week, but due to a significant drop in the exchange rate over the years he is only getting CAD$110 now – CAD$40 less than he was getting in 1998! During this time inflation has been an average of nearly 2%/year, and for every CAD$100 spent in 1998 you would now have to spend CAD$140. The octogenarian has lost significantly in his purchasing power! There are heart breaking stories as well –

one 91-year-old UK pensioner, who moved to Canada many years ago, is now living on the breadline. She says: “It’s the small things, and the injustice, that is really getting to me. I value my independence, but I can’t go on living on the breadline and I don’t want to inflict this on my family. As well as ever-increasing poverty, I feel a sense of stress and shame, which is affecting my health. This is complete and utter discrimination. I have paid all my contributions to the National Insurance Fund in Britain and now I have no option but to return to get something back”.

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Sent off

A FOOTBALL spectator was expelled from a match in Spain after telling the female referee to ‘go wash the dishes.’ The sexist remarks were hurled towards Marta Galego, who was refereeing the match between UE Valls and Cambrils Unio in the Catalan second division. Galego promptly stopped play and ordered the offending fan to be removed from the grounds. The spectator was removed within three minutes and the game was resumed. Fans at the game applauded Galego as the spectator was carried out and it is expected that the incident will be reported to the Catalan Football Fededration.

PLAYING BLIND: Messi

Tunnel vision

LIONEL Messi and his Barcelona teammates have taken on Spain’s Paralympic blind 5-a-side football team before they head to Rio. Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Sergi Roberto joined the Argentine maestro in the UNICEF-sponsored event. Wearing blindfolds, the blaugrana stars were shown how to kick and control the ball, which makes a noise when touched. Unsurprisingly, Messi tucked away a spot kick as the teams drew 1-1 in a penalty shootout. During the Paralympics, Spain lost 1-0 to China and Argentina with a game against Mexico yet to be played.

Sport

September 14th - September 27th 2016 September 14th - September 27th 2016

27 47

Incoming? MGM Marbella boxing gym want Irish Olympian Michael Conlan to join their ranks. The Belfast slugger is considering turning professional after vowing to never box in an AIBA-accredited competition again after he was ‘robbed’ of an Olympic medal in Rio. Conlan - whose younger brother Jamie is already signed to the Marbella gym - believes judges were bribed in his Olympic boxing contest with Russian Vladimir Nikitin. Run by ex-fighter Matthew Macklin, MGM Marbella has come under scrutiny in recent months after a MGM weigh-in in Dublin was stormed by gunmen in February, sparking the Hutch-Kinahan gang war. Mob boss Daniel Kinahan is closely linked to the gym, acting as the manager for a number of boxers.

Quintana secures first Vuelta a Espana victory NAIRO Quintana has admitted he ‘suffered’ after holding off Team Sky’s Chris Froome to win the Vuelta a Espana. The Colombian Movistar rider secured his second Grand Tour by 1 minute 23 seconds from secondplaced Froome, the threetime Tour de France winner. Climbing specialist Quintana, who won the Giro D’Italia in 2014, battled his way to victory in the crucial final Saturday stage between Benidorm and Alto de Aitana. But the day before, Froome had sliced two minutes off Quintana’s lead with a dynamic time trial victory. “I want to congratulate him. He is a great rival,” said Quintana, 26. “He had a great time trial and he made me suffer. Riding against the greats like Froome and Alberto Contador gives this win so much more importance.” Following tradition, Froome didn’t attack his Movistar rival on Sunday’s final stage into Madrid, which was won by Magnus Cort Nielsen (Orica-BikeExchange).

READY: Conlan and (left) Jamie with Kinahan

Nairo shakes the Froome DEBUT: Celta Malaga

Come in number four

SKY HIGH: Quintana sees off Froome

Raging bull FORMER boxing world champion Ricky Hatton’s fall from grace has been as dramatic as a heavyweight hitting the canvas. The Hitman has been involved in two bar brawls in a matter of days in Tenerife, a far cry from the glory days when thousands of fans followed him to Las Vegas for bouts against the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Hatton’s latest barroom sparring partner - Brit holi-

RUGBY teams from across Spain went head-to-head at the annual Torneo Villa de Puerto Real. Taking place in the Cadiz seaside town, local side the Watermelons hosted 10 teams including Ronda’s Los Bandoleros as well as Rugbeers from Cadiz and Sevilla, Hienas of Huelva, Madrid side the Politicians and Sevilla outfit Mercanarios. The Madrid side run out overall winners, beating the Mercanarios in the final with the homeside beating Ronda’s Los Bandoleros in the third/ fourth playoff.

day maker Daniel Culloty - was left hospitalised with several teeth missing after making a joke about the boxer’s karaoke performance. Just two days before Irishman Stephen O’Hagan received a broken jaw, eye socket, nose and wrist after the hitman reacted badly to a joke about Manchester City during the Manchester derby. Both incidents are said to have happened in the same Irish bar near to where Hatton now lives.

Egg chasers

Tournament sponsor Dawn Hutchinson of ArayoWeb said the tournament was a resounding success. “The beach rugby was a truly memorable occasion,” she said. “Thanks again to the Watermelons and the Ayuntamiento of Puerto Real for organising such a fun and professional event, which was also streamed live on YouTube for those who want to watch it.”

A FOURTH Gaelic football team is set to join the Andalucian arena. With the popularity of the Irish sport booming on the coast and inland, Celta Malaga has been born. Training at Torremolinos Polydeportivo from 8.30pm every Wednesday, club founder Liam Riordan is urging anyone interested to get involved. “We are excited to be bringing Europe's fastest growing field sport to Malaga,” Riordan told the Olive Press. “We will be joining the three existing teams in Andalucia for the local league and 30 plus teams in Spain for the national championship.

Exercise

“Come on down, get some exercise, meet new people and have a drink after." Meanwhile training has commenced for the Costa Gaels, Gibraltar Gaels and Eire Og Seville, with opening fixtures being played in October. The first game sees the Costa Gaels - sponsored by Estepona Irish bar and restaurant Healy Macs - go head to head with Gibraltar on October 1. For more information on Celta Malaga visit www.celtalaga.com or call 633146168

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September 14th - September 27th 2016

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AN MI6 report has revealed that Winston Churchill had to bribe Spain to prevent it joining the Nazis during the Second World War. When an MI6 spy, known as Agent T, uncovered a secret meeting between Adolf Hitler and Spain's dictator General Franco about entering WWII as an ally of the Nazis in 1940, a panicked Churchill spent the equivalent of €996 million to halt the plan. The money was used to bribe

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Heat waves goodbye

FINAL WORDS

TEMPERATURES are expected to drop sharply across Spain in the coming weeks after a gruelling summer, according to meteorological agency AEMET.

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Net gain THE first Spanish production made by Netflix 7 años (7 years) is set to be released in 190 countries via the streaming content provider on October 28.

Loyal Love A PUPPY waited for its owner for six days as she was treated in hospital in Alicante. The two year old Akita Inu called Maya, stayed put outside the building until her owner arrived.

Vol. 10 Issue 248 www.theolivepress.es September 14th - September 27th 2016

A first for Spain as fashion mogul becomes richest man in the world By Laurence Dollimore

FROM an idea in his living room to a multi-billion euro fashion empire, it has taken Amancio Ortega half a decade to become the world’s richest man. Replacing Bill Gates on top of Forbes’ 100 rich list, Ortega’s fortune is valued at €69.5 billion, just €600 million more than the Microsoft founder. The owner of Inditex fashion group, which includes Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull & Bear, begun from much humbler beginnings. Indeed, the 80 year old once revealed that he was ‘hurt and humiliated’ as a child when his mother was refused credit at a bank. Leaving school at 13 he

Top of the world worked in retail until the 1960s when he and his exwife Rosalia Mera founded Zara in their living room. Inditex’s model, based on an established local supply chain, has seen almost unprecedented success with more than 7,000 stores

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Spanish generals and businessmen to persuade Franco not to support the Third Reich. The bribery has been revealed by Angel Vinas, author of Bribes: How Churchill and March Bought Franco's Generals. Vinas claims Agent T was a member of the Falange Spain's fascist political party - who was secretly working for MI6 to the tune of 5,000 pesetas a month. Franco steered clear of formally joining the Axis powers, but did allow volunteers to join the German army on the clear condition they would only fight against Soviet forces.

Towie snub SUCCESS: Amancio Ortega

worldwide. But despite his overwhelming success, Ortega is said to have remained frugal and down to earth, eating lunch with his employees in the staff canteen, buying coffee from the same cafe for years and dressing in the same blazer and

shirt every day – neither of them from Zara. His life is notoriously private and is said to revolve around his children and grandchildren. He rarely ventures far from his home in A Coruna, in Galicia.

ELLIOTT Wright has announced he will not be inviting his former Only Way is Essex co-stars to his wedding. The reality TV star, who owns Olivia’s restaurant in La Cala, says he is no longer close to the likes of Gemma Collins or Arg. Now the star of his own show, Elliott Wright: Playa in Marbella, he is set to marry Sadie Stuart later this year.

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Olive Press Newspaper – Issue 248

Published on Sep 14, 2016

The original and only investigative newspaper in Andalucia

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