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VALENCI A / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 1 Issue 1 www.theolivepress.es
November 26th - December 9th 2020
OLIVE PRESS
The
We did it again
The
Joy of six!
OLIVE PRESS
The Olive Press proudly launches its SIXTH edition
LOCKDOWN LOCK-IN EXCLUSIVE
COUNTDOWN TO BREXIT
GIBRALTAR
Don’t forget The new rules allowing you to drive in Spain until next summer Page 6
UNABLE to have his regular Friday night down the boozer during lockdown, expat Conor Wilde hit on novel idea for this one - to build a his own pub! The Irish expat, 46, got his mates over and converted his garden shed into what he claims is Spain’s smallFORGET THE DRAUGHT: Conor est watering hole. and pals at makeshift local Measuring 2.4m by 2.5m, it counts
By Eugene Costello
‘sensible’ approach, which has kept the economy running as best as possible.
Back to Blanca
“Life goes on and we must move forward,” insisted Antonio Bernabé, director of the Turismo Valencia Foundation, to the Olive Press, this week. “We have struck a good balance be-
How Amy’s guitar-maker from Valencia won over the world Page 15
Blueprint
A bunch of crooks tried to sell my hotel for a song Page 16
THE WORD ON THE STREETS
BEST FOOT FORWARD: The Olive
HAPPY: An early present In the midst of one of the toughest times in recent years, with your help we have managed to expand to an exciting new region. Despite the spectre of Brexit and COVID-19, the Olive Press now has a SIXTH edition in Valencia and the Costa Azahar. Our fortnightly mix of news and features, experts and entertainment went down well in Spain’s third biggest. city. Delivered to over 100 spots around the city and up the nearby coast, it is most easily found on stands at Mercat Central or at the El Saler shopping centre. It is also well sited at the excellent Paris-Valencia bookshop by Corte Ingles in Plaza D’Alfons and at the popular Bear Club Irish pub.
Flying start
“It’s certainly been flying off the stand outside our office,” said Chris Solomon, manager of HomeEspana estate agency. “It’s obviously convenient being next to an Irish pub… but we’ve noticed quite a few Spanish also taking it.” Meanwhile, you’ll also find it up the coast in town’s like Castellon, where restaurants Puerto del Sol, el Faro Industrial and L’Antigua Valenciana all stock it. Meanwhile golf clubs like Escorpion, in Betera, and the four star Porto Cristo hotel in Peniscola welcomed it with open arms. “It is great to have an English newspaper launching in the area,” said chef Isaac Sidro, owner of the el Faro Industrial restaurant, in Castellon.
No deal danger! Lifting the Val
Is Baqueira really Spain’s top skiing resort? Page 20
Oh la landing Brexit!
Tel: 952 147 834
952 147 834 European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed that an EU summit will begin on Thursday to address the disagreements. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has been firm that talks will not continue past Wednesday and is ‘very downbeat’ and ‘very gloomy’, according to the Irish government. As Johnson took to Twitter to celebrate the first day of the coronavirus vaccine roll out, Belgium’s president jibed that the jab had been ‘Made in Europe’. Meanwhile, Fabian Zuleeg, head of the European Policy Centre in Brussels, wrote he was optimistic Johnson would ‘get a little on fish’ and ‘swallow everything else’.
See pages 24 & 11
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tween keeping life normal and keeping it safe.” While tourism is down 80% on last year, the tourist boss says all activities, including cinemas and museums, are open. Best of all, unlike much of Spain, locals and tourists must only stay in between midnight and 6am. “It’s a great time to discover the city as there are no queues,” adds Bernabe.
“We take the pandemic seriously, but we also believe in the right to have a full life.” Currently few places in the Comunidad face tough restrictions due to high infection rates. The city meanwhile, has developed an activity card called Valencia an app anyone can download, On, not just aimed at tourists.
Palace con
Vol. 5 Issue 137 www.theolivepress.es December 9th - December 22nd 2020
REACHING a trade deal with the EU is looking ‘very very difficult’ claimed Britain’s Prime Minister this week. It comes after weeks of claims that a deal was close to being finalised. “We’ll do our level best, but I would just like to say to everybody - be in good cheer, there are great options ahead for our country,” Boris Johnson said yesterday. Talks with the EU have remained in deadlock for days thanks to disagreement over fishing quotas. While it comprises just 0.1% of the UK economy, the fishing disagreement could spell a hit of up to 3% for the economy and up to the same for Spain, the biggest predicted victim in Europe. A final last minute push will see Johnson travelling to Brussels in the ‘coming days’ in an attempt to salvage a deal.
turning it into Spain’s smallest pub. And if I say so myself, we’ve done a grand job.” Called El Irlandes, after his favourite Martin Scorsese film, it happily fits his closest pals in for the usual Friday night Blarney. Wilde, from Skerries, near Dublin, has run the Found Valencia agency for two decades.
Valencia is open!
VALENCIA remains open for visitors, with COVID restrictions more relaxed than most other regions, insists tourist chiefs. The city has been praised by businessmen and tourists alike for its
The Rock’s only free local paper
on a cornucopia of Emerald Isle collectibles… and it even has Guinness on draught. “After being cooped up like a man in solitary in March I came up with a plan,” the Valencia-based real estate consultant told the Olive Press. “I had an old shed in the garden. got the lads over – Tuejar, El Gal-I lego & Champ – and we set about
o n l y .
S u b j e c t
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Press Valencia team getting the message
A TRADE deal between the EU and is on the verge of being finalised, Britain EU looked set to cave in on fishingafter the An MEP broke ranks to say that itrights. likely the French would have to looked compromise with Boris Johnson’s demands over UK waters. Christophe Hansen said the EU have to meet the UK’s demands to would clinch an agreement. "There will be compromises to be made on fisheries. The status quo, that is somewhere we're not going to land,” he told an event. French fishermen are understood to have backed the compromise despite losing on access to certain fishing grounds. out It came after the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier demanded the need to com-
out around the city this week By Dilip Kunar
promise in order to get an agreement. France had previously been refusing to back down on any fishing deal, demanding near-parity to the UK’s coastal waters. It comes as the governor of the Bank gland warned that a no-deal Brexit of Enbe more economically damaging would than COVID to the UK. Andrew Bailey said failure to get a deal signed would create a massive cross-border trade blockage and damage goodwill tween Brussels and the UK for years. beMeanwhile, Ireland leader Micheal said on Monday he was hopeful that Martin a Brexit deal would be completed this week.
Run by Visit Valencia it offers a huge range of discounts for museums, events, restaurants, transport and even hotels. You can find it at www. valenciaon.com, and it is completely free. Roland Wareham, 55, a company director from Andalucia, was impressed by how well the city was handling the pandemic. On a business trip from his native Mijas this week, he said: “I was struck by how normal life seemed. In Ruzafa, all the bars and restaurants were open, and the terraces were crowded with families and friends enjoying the al fresco lifestyle. “In Andalucia, meanwhile, bars and restaurants must close by 6pm, and my town is like a ghost town at night. “Valencia should serve as a blueprint for the rest of Spain.” Opinion, page 6 Taoiseach Martin said ‘by the end week we could see the outlines of a of this He said it would come down to deal’. will, both in the United Kingdom ‘political clear the political will is there fromand I’m the European Union’. EU ambassadors were told over the end that a trade deal with Britain weekis on the verge of being finalised. They were told the majority of the 11 main negotiation issues have ‘joint legal texts with fewer and fewer outstanding points’. The European commission president, sula von der Leyen, struck a positive Ursaying: “After difficult weeks with very,note, very slow progress now we have seen in the last days better progress, more movement on important files. This is good.”
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21/6/19 13:30
Get jabbing! Green light given to COVID vaccine as roll out starts in the UK
CHEERS: Health workers applaud as the first doses of the vaccine are administered in the UK yesterday suit. reunited with our loved ones, not forgetBy John Culatto The news of the vac- ting the very important lessons that this cine’s imminent ar- terrible pandemic has taught us.” rival comes as num- With a 95% effectiveness in trials, the THE green light has been given to Gibers of active cases shrunk to 46 on the vaccine is now due to be supplied via the braltar to vaccinate its population Rock, with only four in hospital. against coronavirus. NHS to the GHA after months of testing. The Gibraltar Government said it was The first citizens to be vaccinated will be Now the government has pledged to ‘delighted’ by the approval of the regula- the over-80s group as well as healthcare get 35,000 doses of the Pfizer-Biotech tor in the UK. COVID-19 vaccine ‘as soon as possible’. staff who look after them and the most “This is excellent news indeed, and I urge vulnerable in the community. Although the exact date is still unclear, everyone to take up the opportunity to However, until then, the Chief Minister the Medicines and Healthcare Products If you suffer from... Or you need... be vaccinated against COVID-19 at the urged people to ‘not let down our guard’. Regulatory Authority has given the go• Mobility problems • Help with earliest possible opportunity,” said Chief “The virus is still out there and a vaccine ahead for its use in the UK and with it Minister Fabian Picardo. Gibraltar. The first vaccinations started washing /dressing • Pain / Breathlessness is not a cure,” he said. “There is no better way to round off 2020 “Please, continue to protect yourself, in the UK yesterday (Tuesday), and it is • Falls / Stumbles • Supervision than with this extremely uplifting news, your loved ones, our GHA and our econexpected that the Rock will soon follow for which we omy. You could be entitled to extra income have all been “Wash your hands, wear a mask where hoping for a you have to and keep a safe distance by claiming UK sickness/disability long time now. from others.” benefits while living in Spain “The vaccine Gibraltar’s normally resilient economy is the first real has suffered a big blow to its tourism secSee page 11 step towards tor from COVID-19. FOR ADVICE OR TO BOOK A CONSULTATION getting back to With the arrival of the vaccine it is excall 950 169 729 or 663 297 568 a more normal pected to make a swift recovery - Brexit www.ukbenefitsinspain.com life and being deal permitting.
KIM CLARK
Benefits Consultancy
Tel: 952 147 834
147 834
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