Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 143

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Vol. 6 Issue 143

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September 06 - 19, 2012

Government likely to declare region a disaster zone after Malaga’s worst ever fire

Armageddon

By James Bryce

more than 600 firefighters tackling the inferno, aided by 28 helicopters and planes.

A shocking 224 houses have been either gutted or seriously damaged.

The cost to wildlife and the environment is currently incalculable.

“This is without a doubt the worst fire we’ve ever had in Malaga,” Elias Bendodo, president of Malaga county council insisted.

The Spanish government is now expected to declare the area a disaster zone in the coming days, paving the way for €71 million of humanitarian aid, plus additional EU funding.

The money will be put towards the extensive clean-up operation currently underway, including reforestation projects and the rebuilding of housing and infrastructure.

Emergency coordination centres have been Turn to Page 2

Expats recount horror of Costa del Sol fires as clear-up operation begins

HILLS IN FLAMES: The water tower near Monda

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Picture by: PAUL HARLEY

THEY came in the dead of night. Police going door to door ordering residents out of their homes as the sky above the Costa del Sol turned into an apocalyptic vision of hell.

Frightened and disorientated, around 4,000 people, up to half of them foreigners, were ushered into temporary shelters, including hospitals, churches and even football stadiums, away from the worst affected areas.

Elsewhere, animal shelters powerless to help their charges were forced to release panic-stricken horses and dogs from their compounds to allow them to flee to safety.

Conflicting reports began to come through by late on Friday about the scale and location of the fires, as well as the number of casualties.

A 78-year-old man who died was initially reported as being British - a claim later refuted by the Foreign Office - while a Spanish couple suffered extensive burns.

In total, reports suggest up to 8,200 hectares have been destroyed, with

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“H

COSTA DEL SOL FIRE

www.theolivepress.es

GUTTED: The hilltops near Coin, while (bottom) the fire looks like a A V E volcano eruption from Alozaina y o u e v e r had to wash everything you own?” Nancy Holdsworth asks me in tears, overlooking the charred lawn of her once dream home in the hills above Marbella.

She is surrounded by piles of clothes and explains how she just can’t shake out the smell of smoke.

But tragically, that is all that remains of her two-bed home in the hills of La Mairena.

How awfully ironic that only last issue she and her husband Roger, 58, had told the Olive Press how their dog Dexter had died while being transported back to the UK. When I saw them this week it was because their house had burnt to the ground.

“You must think we are jinxed, a disaster family,” Nancy, 66, a retired teacher, is at least able to joke.

The mother-of-three from Yorkshire has until now been spending half the year in Spain enjoying her retirement.

“But now everything is gone except for a few smokey old clothes.

“It was our dream home, completely idyllic, but now totally destroyed.”

That said, if it had not been for a neighbour they would have likely gone the same way.

“We were about to go to bed when our friend came round and told us to flee,” she recalls. “He ter, the biggest fire to ever hit Malaga. near Mijas, it is like walking into Armasaved our lives as in a matter of minutes While the smoke has cleared and the geddon. the house burnt down. In fact as we ran flames have mostly died down, what is Everything is scorched. Parts are still down the drive the thatched roof caught left is a blackened version of hell. smoking and there is an eerie quiet to fire.

The distant hills at first look in permathe place.

“The heat was so intense it evaporated nent shadow. That is until you get closer Some of those evacuated have still not all the water from the swimming pool.” and see the charred remains of trees returned, while others have literally Their story is typical of over 200 homeand smouldering undergrowth. nothing to return to. owners, who have lost their properties in A sign warning you about forest fires “I have lost everything,” says Sharron the inferno. stands unscathed, while the smell of Cromwell, 47, who until this weekend I drove around the region on Monday tryburning is still strong. lived in a mobile home. “There is nothing to take in the enormity of the disasAs I make my way towards Entrerrios, ing left but ashes and a chassis.

Scorched earth... but the Costa will rise again In her final dispatch for the Olive Press, Wendy Williams meets some of the victims of Malaga’s worst fire in history and finds many poignantly positive

From Page 1

Chaos on the Costa del Sol

set up in Ojen and Marbella to help residents, many of whom have returned to homes without power.

The blaze began on Thursday night in an area known as Cerro Alaminos de Sierra Negra, near Coin, and rapidly spread south and west aided by strong winds, high temperatures and Spain’s driest winter in 70 years.

With the flames only finally extinguished by Sunday, expats are now recounting the terror caused by the fires.

Roger and Nancy Hold-

sworth had their €380,000 two-bedroom villa completely gutted by the fire in La Mairena.

“It went from paradise to hell in just ten minutes. The speed with which the fire took hold was frightening,” said 58-year-old Roger. “I was left coughing and spluttering from the smoke but we are happy to have got out alive.

“But the impact emotionally, practically and financially is going to be terrible,” he added.

Elsewhere, Estrellas de Calahonda resident Gary Joynson, described an eventful night in which his house was in danger of being burnt down and his father-in-law suffered a heart attack.

“The hospital in Marbella told me I could collect him from the hospital at around 2.30am and when I arrived they were ordering everyone not in a bed to leave as they thought they may have to evacuate,” the 58-year-old told the Olive Press.

“We had difficulty getting back to Calahonda because of road blocks. And it was terrifying as my wife kept calling to describe how the fire was getting closer and closer to our home.

“It got to within about 100m of the house. We ended up evacuating to the beach.

“When we returned in daylight a couple of apartment blocks had been burnt, but we were lucky.

“The surrounding area looked like a scene from World War I.”

Picture by: KENTON SMITH

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COSTA DEL SOL FIRE

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Pictures by: WENDY WILLIAMS

Worst fires in a decade SPAIN is currently facing its worst wildfires in a decade.

Around 50,000 hectares of land were razed in the first five months of 2012 alone and the figure is constantly increasing.

There have been serious fires recently in Bedar, in Almeria, where the whole village was evacuated, as well as Estepona, Calahonda and the Axarquia.

Cataluna, Valencia and the Canary Islands have been the three most affected regions however, with the fires in Cataluna, in July, claiming the lives of three people and seriously injuring 24.

In Valencia, fires being fed by strong winds claimed the life of a helicopter pilot as he tried to control flames.

In August firefighters battled forest fires in La Gomera in the Canary Islands which forced the evacuation of nearly 1,000 people by ferry.

Below is a map showing the extent of this weekend’s devastation in Malaga.

DESTRUCTION: Julie Elliott with her children Sam and Leah at their burnt out finca, while (right), their view and a pine tree, before and after the blaze “I honestly don’t know where to go.”

It is incredible how destructive and how arbitrary nature can be, with some places completely burnt out right next to homes completely untouched.

There are many topics of conversation this week, the main one, of course, being about how it started. But many are talking about the speed that it travelled.

“We were literally running from the flames,” says mother-of-three Julie Elliott. “It was miles away, but within just two hours had come over two hills. It was really scary. I feared for my life.”

Only last year Julie, 46, who lives with her family in Entrerrios, told the Olive Press how she was desperate to find a solution after her neighbour blocked the only access path to the house.

“We would all be dead before the emergency services could reach us,” she had said at

GUTTED: Roger and Nancy Holdsworth stand in the ashes of their destroyed dream home the time, comments that now seem particularly poignant.

“It was everything I had feared,” she tells me today in disbelief.

“The police were coming up the track as were leaving, but they couldn’t have reached the house.

“It was chaos, the kids went

Did angry expat start the blaze?

THE fires which have caused devastation across the Costa del Sol were almost certainly started deliberately.

While investigators have still not made any arrests, the gossip suggests it was started by an expat angry at not being able to get a building licence in the Sierra Negra area of Coin, or just across the border in Alhaurin.

“Apparently it was started by a German guy in Alhaurin who had been told he couldn’t build on his land,” speculated Sharron Cromwell, 47, who lives in Entrerrios.

“He had enough of the town hall and set fire to the area.

“If true he should be put in front of a firing squad led by the people who have lost their homes,” she added.

While careful about pointing any blame at this early stage, Spain’s Interior Ministry could only speculate that the fire was started by arson.

Spokesman Jose Luis Espejo, said: “The suspicions of the technical experts are very clear, especially taking into account that of other recent fires - the majority of which were started deliberately.”

with my husband and I was going to come in my car but my husband had the keys, I couldn’t get down and the police wouldn’t let my husband back.

“In the end I had to leave my car and squeeze in with my neighbour who was leaving.

For two hours I had no idea where my family was.”

Driving around the hills near Ojen and over into Coin, you can make out the foundations of what must have been someone’s home, melted garden furniture where people dined alfresco days earlier, and scorch marks that offer no clue what was there.

There is a real sense of community, of coming together to rebuild But in spite of all the damage people are positive.

The atmosphere is one of trying to make the best of a bad situation.

There is a real sense of community, of coming together to rebuild what has been destroyed, and it is incredibly moving.

There is no doubt, like the phoenix from the flames; the Costa del Sol will rise again.

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the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

COSTA DEL SOL FIRE

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Trio of expats give their extraordinary

Like a Spielberg movie A

S we drove with a camera crew up the Camino de Coin out of Fuengirola at around midnight on Friday I suddenly realised the full enormity attached to the glow in the distance. In fact it was verging on ominous.

I’ve seen a few forest fires in my decades living in Spain, but nothing compared to the size of this one.

From a distance it felt like a Spielberg movie, like a giant meteorite had hit the ground destroying the landscape. As we got closer we knew you we were witnessing something close to a potential disaster zone.

We got as close as we could, witnessing the glow of the fire get bigger and bigger, and heard faint sounds of crackling wood.

Strangely, no one seemed to be remotely panicking. There was no screaming or shouting, and orderly calm prevailed as people went about trying to get safely down the mountain; the smell of burnt wood choked the air and clung to our

Paul O Connell covered the fire for BBC radio and Mijas TV

clothes.

A local farmer, clearly distressed and in shock wandered around his smallholding looking for his dogs. He told me how he kept some cattle and goats that were almost certainly dead. He looked deeply affected and traumatised.

The only noise came directly from aeroplanes and helicopters dropping sea water that evaporated 50 feet above the ground. Emergency services were in action and military helicopters buzzed overhead.

I witnessed the carnage in motion and the surreal nature of seeing a landscape destroyed in front of my eyes. Yet calmness from those fighting the fire; and above all resistance and collaboration from the local community certainly helped to save lives.

Homes were destroyed, possessions were gone but bravery was in the air. In many ways a miracle that only one person died.

The landscape will grow back, but will lessons be learnt?

WE SCOURED THEIR ADDRESS BOOK

Jackie McAngus on the panic of trying to locate her elderly parents who live in Elviria hills

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HE first I knew of the fires was at 9.30am on Friday morning when I saw a picture posted on Facebook.

I quickly phoned my elderly parents, who live in Elviria, but there was no answer.

I knew my mother Maggie, who is 87, would be at her weekly beauty salon visit but my stepdad John, 81, should have answered as he can-

not leave the house due to a medical condition.

I then tried the hairdressers but they were concerned as well as mother had not turned up for her regular appointment - something she would never miss.

They live in an isolated position up in the hills overlooking Santa Maria Golf Club so I was getting very concerned. I phoned the golf club - no answer.

Now, more than a little concerned, I called my husband John, my husband, who immediately left our village of El Gastor to drive down to see if he could find them.

He found the house deserted, with smoke and ash nearby.

There was no power, both cars were in the garage, both mobiles on the desk and the old man’s emergency oxygen supply still in the bedroom.

REUNITED: Jackie with mother Maggie Panicking, I phoned Helicopter Sanitarios to see if he had been taken ill in the night and also the USP hospital where he had been treated in the past.

No sign of him. I suggested John should perhaps go through their address book and start ringing friends to see if any of them knew of their whereabouts.

Taxi

At almost 4pm John called to say that they have just arrived home, by taxi, still in their night clothes.

What a relief. It turns out my mum had been woken at 2.30am by blue flashing lights outside the house. The police had made them leave the house immediately - no time to pick up any money or phones. They offered to take them to Marbella Football Club or the Costa Del Sol Hospital. They chose the hospital due to the old man’s condition, and spent 14 hours sitting in a waiting room.

It’s a day I will never forget.

COSTA DEL SOL FIRE

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accounts of the Costa del Sol fire

My spinklers worked like a barricade Polish homeowner Dr Matia Zanella needed some quick thinking to help save his block in Elviria ENEMY AT THE GATES: The Elviria Hills urbanisation saw flames flickering at its feet

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ur nightmare started at 1am when my parents jumped out of bed shouting about smoke in the house. We looked outside to see smoke and flames on a nearby mountain and discovered there had been a total power cut.

While terrified, I went outside and managed to get some pictures before the smoke got so dense you couldn’t see the street or trees outside.

It was clear the fire was approaching Elviria at a very high speed so I ran home and warned my family and all my neighbours to evacuate as fast as possible.

There was lots of screaming

and people fled as fast as they could, with flames of up to 20 metres now right outside.

At 2.30am police told us that it was even too dangerous to stay at the urbanisation entrance and to go down towards the coast. But I was afraid to lose our home and left the car and ran back uphill with my father to see what we could do.

As soon as we got back we worked out how to over-

ride our garden sprinklers to manual to shoot water across the gardens and make a barricade to the fire.

We then walked around the communal gardens working out ways to water down other plants and trees. With our water hose we managed to soak all our immediate neighbours gardens and when we saw that some palms were starting to go up in flames we got two fire extinguishers and put them out that way.

It was exciting and terrifying in equal measures and we had to hide a couple of times when we saw police outside.

Volunteer valour

AS with many disasters, the fires have helped highlight the positive aspects of human nature through the inspiring work of hundreds of selfless volunteers.

One group of expats set up a remarkable website, sosandalucia.com, during the height of the fire in order to keep people informed of the fire’s many fronts.

Now, in an effort to help coordinate all those wishing to help, it is supervising donations being passed on to the Red Cross, via collection points including Iceland supermarket.

“One person donated a horse box full of food products at Iceland. The support has been so overwhelming it makes me want to cry,” said one volunteer.

Elsewhere, the Andalucian Rescue Centre for Horses is opening a bank account for the owners of animals affected by the fires.

Visit www.horserescuespain.org or call Claire on 635 798 219.

And a Fire Aid concert is being held on September 10 at Marbella’s Hotel Puente Romano to help those affected. Organised with iTalk FM, details can be DONATIONS: Trolley-loads outside found on the station website.

Iceland and (inset) concert poster

Eventually we had to give up and flee as the smoke got so thick, but hopefully our effort went some way to saving our buildings, which mostly remained intact.”

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OPINION Rebuilding the Costa IN six years this is undoubtedly the saddest, most tragic story we have had to cover.

Seeing the wonderful Costa del Sol ripped apart by the biggest fire on record has been heart-wrenching in the extreme.

Not only have people died and 224 homes suffered damage – many of them completely destroyed – but the beautiful hills above the coast will be scarred for decades.

Parks and gardens have been lost, while thousands of wild animals have been killed.

The Olive Press would like to express its most heartfelt sympathy to those whose lives have been ripped apart by the fires, and support any effort to help rebuild the community.

Upsetting and tough as it is, we must now all work together to try and draw positives from an awful situation.

Let us take comfort from the heartwarming army of expat volunteers who are working flat out to make a difficult situation more bearable to others.

Websites set up to help, donations flooding in … and even a special concert have been created all with the intention of helping others make it through.

Onwards and upwards, everyone – we must work to rebuild the Costa del Sol and use this temporary fracture to make us even stronger.

No. 1 English website in Spain

NORMALLY things go quiet in the middle of summer as Spain goes on holiday.

And, while the Olive Press’ newspaper edition has seen a bit of an August dip, the website itself has gone completely the other way.

In fact, our site www.theolivepress.es has pushed on so much over the last two months, that this week we have zoomed up to 76,500 in the world rankings, according to Alexa.com.

To put things in perspective, this is out of 30 MILLION websites – and installs us three times ahead of Euro Weekly News (222,000) and Sur in English, which sits at the 253,000 mark.

It also puts us in front of Typicallyspanish.com for the first time in six years.

According to Alexa we are now the 2,453 most important website in Spain – and, most importantly, the number one in English - coming even in front of Andalucia.com (2,760).

This has come hand in hand with a string of big exclusive stories, followed up around the world.

The 799 websites linking into us include international media organisations such as the Daily Mail, Guardian and Bild, as well as the Huffington Post and the New York Times.

Yes, the website is now taken seriously around the world, bringing in regular readers from dozens of countries.

This month alone we have had nearly 150,000 visitors, with around 90,000 of them ‘uniques’.

Moreover the PDF version of the newspaper is being read by between 50,000 and 60,000 on the site each issue, more than we actually print.

That said, this autumn we are expanding more on the Costa del Sol, strengthening our distribution in Benalmadena, Torremolinos and Fuengirola, as well as putting more papers out in Marbella.

All in all, it stands to be a very exciting run-up to Christmas, with the paper becoming a household name among the expats on the coast and inland.

As our market research currently being compiled will show next issue, the vast majority of you are now managing to find the paper and many are even using us as your internet ‘home page’.

It just begs the question: If you have a business out there not working with the Olive Press... isn’t it about time you gave us a go?

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FEATURE

T this very moment, you could be sitting on a gold mine and not even know it.

Consider all the things stored away in the attic, the garage or that stubborn dresser drawer which requires a serious amount of elbow grease to pry open.

At first glance, all that dustcovered memorabilia might seem like nothing more than worthless junk – but, looking at it another way, it could be a hoarder’s paradise.

That old wooden tennis racquet your grandma used to own or that deck of trading cards you have held onto since you were a lad are likely still around for their ‘sentimental value’.

But what if they are actually worth much, much more?

As the recession deepens and people are forced to tighten their belts, the baby boomer generation, long reputed as master hoarders, is learning to part with its beloved collectibles.

“Since the recession hit, banks won’t loan you money.

This has forced many people to turn to pawn broking for a quick and simple way of accessing some immediate cash,” explains Lucy Barnes from Anthony’s Diamonds, a pawnshop that has been operating on the Costa del Sol for 30 years.

Though pawn broking has had something of a chequered reputation in the past, it is an

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A golden opportunity

With gold at a four-month high, Rund Abdelfatah explores the ways in which you can turn your trinkets into treasure

POTENTIAL: Vintage travel posters can fetch €400, while literary classics could sell for €360,000 old trade that, according to Barnes, has been an ordinary part of our society since the great Italian Medici family, way back in the 14th century.

However, its beginnings can be traced even further back to the ancient Greeks.

And while it was initially popular among the poor, in time people from every class and background embraced the industry.

Indeed, even Queen Isabella of Spain is believed to have pawned her jewels to fund Chistopher Columbus’s journey across the Atlantic, which resulted in the discovery of the Americas.

So whether it is jewellery or porcelain, records or sporting goods, ancient items may be a saving grace amid the economic crisis.

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In fact, the older, the better.

If at least 100 years old, the object is officially classified as an antique and automatically surges in value.

But just because something looks old does not mean it is old.

So what should you be pawning?

Most people keep immediately assume the only valuable items they have are jewels, and for good reason.

As Barnes notes, ‘90% of the business is jewellery, watches and silver’.

Mint-condition promotional recordings can be worth thousands of euros However, that does not mean Grandma’s ring is automatically worth a fortune.

Unless the jewellery is real gold or silver, it is probably worth relatively little.

If you do discover a gold necklace, ring or bracelet, consider yourself lucky.

Even as paper currencies plummet in value, gold is currently valued at a four month high – the last man standing in the financial crisis.

In general, gold is a bulwark against bad economic news, operating as a money reserve. If you start out with one ounce of gold, you will still own one ounce at the end.

A signed designer or vintagestyle piece might also yield a significant profit.

However, while jewellery may be the most popularly pawned item it is certainly not the only type.

“We have lent money on watches, cars, boats, artwork, paintings, silver and bronzes.

As long as it has a reasonable value, we are willing to pawn it,” Barnes explains.

Mint-condition promotional recordings from well-known artists like the Beatles, Elvis and the Rolling Stones are all definite keepers. They can be worth thousands of euros.

Likewise, old vintage travel posters used as advertisements for airlines, ships, trains or movies can sell from €400.

And some old books can make you a pretty penny.

These include good condition photography, art and history books along with collectible first editions from classic authors like Faulkner, Dickens and Austen and a few modern

FEATURE

www.theolivepress.es Tips for pawning (buying/selling): l Don’t throw out items prematurely! If in doubt, get an appraisal l Don’t have your objects valued by the person you wish to sell to. Bring in a disinterested third party l Keep a written record of the purchase (including item name, source, brief description, date of purchase, vendor) l Ask for proof of provenance when purchasing a vintage item l Notify your insurer or broker of significant purchases writers like Stephen King.

A first edition of Ulysses by James Joyce can sell for as much as €360,000.

Rare coins are also a valuable find, with a copper cent coin going for between €340 and €1,600.

But here is a key tip: refrain from cleaning your coins.

“Anything you do will disturb the original surface and affect the value,” advises Bob Walter, co-owner of Sam Sloat Coins in the US. Childhood collectibles are potential gems as well.

According to Vincent Zurzolo of Metropolis Collectibles in the US, comic books from the 1930s to the 1960s that feature first appearances of famous characters are potential treasure troves.

And superhero comics are the jackpot. Superman’s 1938 debut comic sold for €252,450 at auction.

However, comics from the

l Get a professional valuation every three years to guarantee that the insured value accurately reflects market trends l Keep a copy of the professional valuation with your broker, bank or insurer for safekeeping l Take major items to a specialist shop for an annual check up l Have vintage items cleaned professionally l If possible, keep items stored in a safe

past 20 years or reprints will not prove very profitable.

Alternately, home decor may be your golden ticket.

Auctioneer Walt Kolenda says furniture made of Stickley mission oak or branded as Heywood-Wakefield is highly valuable, in addition to orien-

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tal rugs and collectible 18th century European figurines.

However, he warns against 1920s dining sets that are reproductions of 16th and 17th century pieces, which are relatively worthless.

And for sports enthusiasts, those ancient sporting goods

OLD has held a mysterious value for centuries - not surprising when you consider all the world’s gold would fit into two double decker buses.

Its rarity has assured it as a stable store of wealth, and more lately as a currency. When I first started dealing in gold coins nearly 40 years ago, we used to trade gold sovereigns in rolls of 50 coins at just over a fiver each we were lucky if we made half a crown profit on each coin.

Today a gold sovereign trades for over €310, and the spread - the difference in price between buying and selling is more likely to be €25 a coin - four

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012 in the garage could prove valuable.

While not every pushbike is worth something, a vintage Schwinn bicycle, dating to the 1950s or earlier, has a starting value of nearly €800 – with some retailing for much more.

So how to go about selling?

The value of a pawned item is contingent on several factors: the state of the economy, how in demand it is, and whether similar items are available in a shop down the road (or on eBay).

To ensure you get the best price for your things, keep them safe and have them professionally valued.

Even if you do not wish to sell, have the items assessed for insurance purposes.

There are several venues through which to sell your

TROVES: Porcelain and ceramics could be worth a small fortune items.

You might choose to sell through a dealer but, before doing so, make sure you establish rapport with the person to ensure they are trustworthy.

Alternatively, you could sell through a ‘consignment’ shop, which generally charges one-third of the selling price but facilitates, and hopefully expedites, the entire process for you.

World’s gold fills just two double deckers

Gold trader Nigel Goldman on the constantly rising commodity times the value of four decades ago.

In 1967 South Africa issued the world’s first one ounce gold coin, the ‘krugerrand’. This has now become the stable unit of gold, and trades at a small premium to the gold price all over the world.

Of course, not all gold is traded in coin or bar form. Much gold trading is now

conducted on paper, through spread trading, futures and options.

These are highly sophisticated instruments, with high levels of gearing and massive volatility, and certainly, as I have found out over the years, not for the faint-hearted.

Contact Nigel Goldman on 951778900 or at nigelgoldman1@gmail.com

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Make sure you understand the terms of your contract and their sales practices.

Some shops drastically decrease the price if the item fails to sell in a certain time frame.

If you are looking for a quick option, you might prefer to sell at auction.

However, you have much less bargaining power so you may be disappointed with the selling price.

Finally, you may opt to sell through eBay. While seemingly the easiest option, online pawning is by no means one click away.

In actuality, you must engage in a long process whereby you first establish yourself as an honest, trustworthy seller and then create a buzz for the object you wish to sell by promoting it on other sites like Facebook and Twitter.

So before you start selling everything in your attic, keep one goal in mind – to get the full value of your objects – and you might just unearth a gold mine.

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NEWS

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the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

Obama exposed Spanish magazine causes controversy by Photoshopping the First Lady as a 19th century slave MICHELLE Obama may be used to appearing on the cover of magazines, but it is unlikely she gave her approval for her latest appearance.

The Spanish magazine Fuera de Serie has stirred up controversy by revealing a Photoshopped picture of the First Lady bare breasted and as a 19th century slave.

The original portrait, titled Por-

David Guetta renews wedding vows INTERNATIONAL DJ David Guetta has renewed his wedding vows in Ibiza.

Celebrating 20 years of marriage, the 44-yearold producer and wife Cathy reaffirmed their love in an intimate ceremony attended by close family and friends.

Their two children, Tim, eight, and five-year old Angie, accompanied them down the aisle.

Guetta sported a small black tuxedo while his wife opted for an elegant knee-length white dress.

And the location was perfect for the occasion, as the couple considers the small island their favourite holiday getaway.

Tinie’s big performance

UK hip hop & RnB star Tinie Tempah has performed at Aqwa Mist in Puerto Banus.

Tinie, real name Patrick Okogwu, tweeted pictures of himself enjoying the Marbella sun to fans, before heading to the club for what Aqwa Mist described as ‘the biggest night of the summer’.

The Pass Out and Miami 2 Ibiza singer has previously performed with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, Dizzee Rascal and Swedish House Mafia.

Irish Incognito

STEALTHY: Higgins

ORIGINAL: Painting from 1800 trait D’Une Negresse, was released in 1800, when French artist Marie-Guillemine Benoist exhibited the painting at the Louvre’s annual exhibition.

At the time the portrait was viewed as a tribute to emancipation and the beginning of a feminist movement in France, and coming just six years after the country had abolished slavery.

But this message has been lost on online viewers who have simply found the cover offensive and racist.

Even the article’s headline Michelle: Granddaughter of a Slave, America’s First Lady’ has done little to calm readers’ fury.

HE may be the President of Ireland, but Michael Higgins managed to go unnoticed during a three week break in Spain.

The politician spent his time getting to grips with the lingo on a language course in Santander ahead of an institutional trip to Chile, Argentina and Brazil.

According to the International Menendez Pelayo University where he studied, the President now has an A2 level of Spanish and is able to speak and read fluently and understand complex literary texts.

Girls on tour

Nudes

PUCKER PRAWNS!

HITCHED: Couple renew vows

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HE had only really popped in for lunch while on a whistlestop trip to Marbella with his missus Jules.

But celebrity chef Jamie Oliver ended up spending five hours at popular restaurant La Sala last week.

“He was just having a short break with some mutual friends,” owner Ian Radford told the Olive Press. “I think he prefers it inland generally, but he certainly had a good time here.”

According to Radford he tucked into spaghetti vongole with prawns and Thai green chicken and asked to talk to chef Ramon afterwards.

Here, he is pictured with Radford and his wife former Big Brother contestant Claire Strutton.

“As a non-Spanish speaker I first looked at the image and just thought OMG that’s Michelle Obama’s boobs,” writes Jessica Wakeman on The Frisky.

However the artist responsible Karine Percheron-Daniels has defended her work saying it shows an ‘alternative unexpected reality’ by allowing the viewer to see ‘famous individuals in a different way’.

“I’m sure Obama would love it, and I hope that someday she can see it,” she said.

The image is part of a series of edited photos that show famous people’s faces on the heads of other nudes.

Spanish gong for Obi-Wan SCOTTISH actor Ewan McGregor is set to become the youngest ever person to receive a Donostia award when he is presented with the accolade at the 60th edition of the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

The 41-year-old has been hailed ‘one of the finest actors of his generation’ thanks to a diverse line-up of characters inclding his breakthrough role as the heroin-addicted Mark Renton in Trainspotting, and legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.

The award will be given before he presents his latest film, The Impossible, directed by Juan Antonio Bayona, in which he stars opposite Naomi Watts.

There will also be a special 60th Anniversary Donostia Award for Oliver Stone.

SPLASH: Lloyd has fun on holiday in Spain WAG and mother-of-two, Danielle Lloyd left the kids with footballer husband Jamie O’Hara as she flew to Marbella for a girls’ holiday.

She was spotted getting a bit wild, drinking shots off her friends’ bare bodies and partying poolside.

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant donned a revealing black jewelled bikini along with Indian style head jewellery and silver wedges.

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10 NEWS

NEWS

News IN BRIEF

Swingers hotel

HOTEL Castillo in Monda is allegedly being run as a private swingers club, which includes 83 British members.

Green bash

A conference on how to create sustainable communities and reduce carbon footprints will be held at Marbella’s Palacio de Congresos on October 27.

Job scheme

Mijas Town Hall has started taking applications for the second round of its programme aimed at providing sixmonth cleaning and maintenance jobs for the unemployed.

Ronda rough Ronda’s welfare department has offered to help the 15 homeless people sleeping rough in Alameda Gardens.

www.theolivepress.es

‘Healthcare must be free for all’

Junta refuses to bow to ‘xenophobic’ rules forcing foreigners to pay for treatment ANDALUCIA is ignoring government orders to deny the region’s 46,000 undocumented immigrants free healthcare.

It comes after Madrid brought in new rules this week preventing those without residency from using health services except in cases of emergency.

An estimated 910,342 for-

Job exodus AROUND 11,000 Andalucians are heading to the wine regions of France for the grape harvest.

According to the UGT union this is a 10% increase from last year.

It comes as increasing numbers of young people are looking to Germany and the UK to find work.

By Wendy Williams eigners have lost their health cards which is expected to save around €1.5 billion a year.

But Andalucia has confirmed that the foreigners can ‘rest easy’ as the Junta will shoulder the costs.

“We are talking about a universal, free healthcare system that cannot change from one day to the next,” said health boss Maria Jesus Montero.

“We can’t just stop treating these people.”

Asturias, the Basque country, Canary Islands and Cataluna have also objected to the ban. Meanwhile the move sparked protests in Madrid with hundreds gathering under the banners ‘These aren’t cuts, they are xenophobia!’

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS

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the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

Daredevil walkway Caminito del Rey is back on the cards

Back on track IT is one of those dream tourist projects that would put the region firmly on the map.

Now a plan to renovate the daredevil walkway el Caminito del Rey, in el Chorro, is apparently back on track.

The narrow 3km path pinned to the side of a vertical gorge – 100m above ground – is set to be repaired, after claims last month that the scheme had been scrapped.

An agreement between the

By Mason Jones Junta and Malaga county council will see both bodies putting money aside to create the key tourist attraction.

Dubbed ‘the most dangerous walkway in the world’, the path - built between 1901 and 1905, to transport workers building a dam on the Guadalhorce river needs major work.

It is missing handrails for most of its length and many

sections have completely caved in.

Despite this, every year hundreds of walkers risk their lives to walk along it, with one or two falling each year.

The exact funding arrangements are yet to be finalised but officials confirmed that they expect the work to begin next year.

“This is an emblematic project and will bring a huge economic boost to the area,” said a spokesman for the Junta.

Creating your dream home has never been easier. The Homes, Gardens & Outdoor Living Show, is set to bloom into action at the Palacio de Congresos, Estepona on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 November.

SOL Productions & GM Events have teamed up to deliver the next high profile event to burst onto the scene on the Costa del Sol, with our very own favourite gardening guru Charlie Dimmock, from UK TV’s Ground force, making an appearance on the Saturday to chat, give advice and sign autographs.

The Show has proven to be a huge success with visitors in May forming a massive queue an hour before we opened and storming the Castle, near Alicante, where we staged our last Show.

And as the Show keeps growing our next stop is the Costa del Sol… Estepona are you ready? With everything from celebrities and classic cars, to photography and plants, the forthcoming Homes, Gardens and Outdoor Living Show has it all. This is no ordinary exhibition!

Never before has there been so much under one roof; giving visitors the chance to browse hundreds of exhibitors’ stalls as well as being entertained with a great line up from fashion shows to singers. There will also be guest appearances by UK TV’s gardening guru Charlie Dimmock, football pundit Steve Claridge, Dick Hanscombe Mediterranean Gardener, plus plenty of experts in their fields, so you can ‘Ask the Experts’. Even Santa will be at home in his Grotto! – Well, Christmas is just round the corner and what better way to start finding that perfect Christmas gift?

Besides all things Homes, Gardens and Lifestyle there are also competitions and give-aways including a chance to win a luxury weekend break and even a fantastic cruise in association with The Milton Express, with ‘Name That Tune!’

Try your hand at Green Bowls and visit the Bodegas offering samples of their finest wines, along with a superb array of refreshment areas to quench your thirst and satisfy your appetite while you enjoy the Show.

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www.theolivepress.es

www.theolivepress.es

NEWS

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

Olive Press exclusive (left) praised after massive global follow up

Keeping Maddie in the news!

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Ruth and Jose’s bodies ‘found cremated at finca’

By Mason Jones

DELUGE: News reports in Germany, Spain and UK, and (top) Olive Press

A FORMER British detective has praised an Olive Press exclusive on a possible spotting of Madeleine McCann on a flight from Ibiza. The story was followed up in over a dozen countries.

Former Met officer Ian Horrocks praised the quick thinking of reader Frank Bode, whose claims were followed up by numerous national newspapers, including Bild in Germany, the Mirror in the UK and Diario de Noticias in Portugal.

German businessman Bode was so convinced he had spotted the youngster with a German family on the flight from Ibiza to Munich a fortnight ago that he contacted police, the family and the Olive Press, after taking a photo.

Bode claimed that the girl was British and did not seem to ‘fit with the family’.

Both Maddie’s family in the UK and detective Horrocks, a former kidnap and ransom squad officer, praised his actions. Scotland Yard is still investigating the claims.

Horrocks believes that the longer

Madeleine has been missing, the more likely it is that people will spot her.

He said: “It has previously been said, ‘Who is going to openly walk out with the world’s most wanted child?”

“This was clearly relevant in the days, weeks and months following her abduction but, as time has gone by, whoever took Madeleine is likely to be more confident about taking her out in public,” he added.

Prediction

The sighting ties in with claims of psychic healer Carol Everett, who has worked on finding missing people and criminals on the run.

The Murcia-based psychic claimed in 2007 that she could ‘see’ Madeleine with a German-speaking couple.

Speaking to the Olive Press this week, she reiterated her claims: “My prediction has been there from day one, I haven’t changed my claims.

“I’m not a detective, I just put my points in the pot and very often come up with the missing links.”

She continued: “I can’t say that it’s her, but it certainly fits. A German family with two other children.”

Over the next couple of months two libel trials are expected to be heard regarding the case.

In one, the McCann family are taking retired lawyer Tony Bennett to court in the UK, over repeated claims that they were involved in her death.

Meanwhile in Portugal, former detective Goncalo Amaral, is being tried over claims in a book that she was most likely killed by her parents.

ANGELIC: Ruth and Jose TOXICOLOGY reports will this week confirm whether the bodies of missing youngsters Ruth and Jose Breton were burnt on a bonfire at their grandfather’s estate near Cordoba.

It comes after an independent forensic report into remains found two days after they disappeared claimed it was them.

While police had originally insisted they belonged to an animal, the findings have now been provisionally backed by a second report, commissioned by the government.

The report, to be officially confirmed by Spain’s Toxicology Institute, this week, apparently confirms that the teeth and bones are those of two young children aged two and six.

They had been burned at a temperature of 800 degrees so that the remains were cremated and DNA would have been destroyed.

Father Jose Breton, who has been in custody since October 2011, is now expected to be formally charged with their murder.

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GIBRALTAR NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Shark scare on Gib beach BATHERS were ordered out of the water after two sharks were reportedly spotted near a Gibraltar beach.

The incident caused officials to close Miami Beach in Black Strap Cove, with red flags being flown to warn swimmers of the potential danger.

Royal Gibraltar Police took to Twitter to warn beach-goers, posting: “#gibbeaches reports of 2 sharks sighted off Black Strap Cove (Miami Beach) No bathing allowed. Red flags flying.”

While the sharks have not been formally identified, the sighting is believed to have been a Basking shark, which are occasionally spotted in the Straits.

“They were most likely Basking sharks, we tend to see them about

two or three times a year out on the boat, the most recent was about three months ago,” Tony Watkins of Dive Charters Gibraltar told the Olive Press.

“They are absolutely huge and so it may have looked like two sharks because of the distance between the two fins, although I expect it was just one. I would be very surprised if it were any type of predatory shark.”

Watkins added with a laugh: “Having said that, everything that comes into the Mediterranean has to pass through the Strait, which is only five miles wide, and one of the biggest Great White sharks ever caught was near Malta!”

The beach has now reopened.

Terror crackdown Government pushes for tougher laws to deal with terrorism threat following recent Al-Qaeda plot

GIBRALTAR government is set to boost anti-terror laws following the recent arrest of three Al-Qaeda suspects accused of plotting an attack

on the Rock.

The tough new measures would include allowing police to tap the phones of terror suspects and increasing

the amount of time they can be detained without charge.

Senior officials on the Rock are said to consider the current legislation ‘inadequate’ and have called for the laws to be updated to bring Gibraltar in line with other EU countries.

Improvements

Current anti-terror laws are governed by three seperate pieces of legislation.

Any any new measures would need to be approved

by Home Secretary Theresa May before being brought into force in Gibraltar.

“Government is currently reviewing terrorism-related legislation to consider what improvements if any should be made,” said Minister for Justice Gilbert Licudi.

“We are constantly vigilant on all matters concerning terrorism and are committed to take all necessary measures to ensure law enforcement agencies have the resources that they need.”

www.theolivepress.es

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GIBRALTAR NEWS

Gib IN BRIEF Bomb scare A THREE-hour bomb scare at Cepsa petrol station on Winston Churchill Avenue was caused by an electrician’s bag, police have confirmed.

Bribe boob A man has been arrested after attempting to bribe a Guardia Civil officer into turning a blind-eye to tobacco smuggling at the frontier.

Open at last Gibraltar’s new terminal building will be fully operational

by September 26, with all flights operating exclusively from there after that date.

Cancer help Gibraltar is taking part in The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning to raise money for MacMillan Cancer Support, with an event at the Rock Hotel on September 28.

I did it!

A GIBRALTARIAN athlete has expressed her pride after competing at the Olympic Games in London.

Georgina Cassar became the first athlete from the Rock to compete at the Olympics, as part of Team GB’s rhythmic gymnastics team.

The 18-year-old, who also represented Gibraltar at

www.theolivepress.es Gibraltarian Georgina Cassar speaks to the Olive Press about her pride at representing the Rock at the Olympic Games

EXCLUSIVE

by Mason Jones the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, helped the team finish 12th in the group all-around competition, narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

“It is amazing to be able to say I am an Olympian, and it is something no one can ever take away from me,” Cassar told The Olive Press.

Bite attack sailor charged AN AMERICAN sailor who hit a police officer and bit an innocent bystander while drunk on a night out in Gibraltar has been ordered to pay a £500 fine.

Juvenal Ramirez, 23, a crew member on the US Navy´s nuclear submarine USS New Hampshire, will also face disciplinary action following the incident in Irish Town.

The submarine had arrived on the Rock last week as part of a scheduled stop-off to allow its 160 crew members some relaxation time.

“I set my mind to aim for the Olympic Games and I did it!

“The atmosphere was insane, there is nothing like the roar of a home crowd” she added.

Multinational

The former Governor’s Meadow First School and Westside pupil trained with the Gibraltar Rhythmic Gymnastics Association before relocating to Bath last year.

She flew back to the Rock after the Olympics to give a motivational talk in the hope of inspiring others at her old club, but hopes to stay longer next time.

“I hope to come back to Gibraltar soon although I expect to be training in Bath for at least another year,” she added.

www.theolivepress.es

AXARQUIA NEWS

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Ugly row over beauty spot

Visitors to Rio Chillar unhappy at town hall plans to restrict access VISITORS to a popular beauty spot have hit out at a town hall plan to install a barrier preventing cars from parking close-by.

The Rio Chillar, near Nerja,

By Rund Abdelfatah attracts scores of walkers every weekend, but the access restrictions will mean

BOAT BOOST

Nerja tourist attraction La Dorada, a replica of the boat used in hit Spanish TV series Verano Azul, is to be restored by Nerja Town Hall.

an arduous trek with no shade just to reach the area where the walk begins.

Officials - who claim the decision is aimed at reducing congestion and littering - have already opened a free car park to tackle the problem, insisting it is proving popular with visitors.

Long Walk

But some walkers who visit the site regularly insist the restrictions will prevent many from accessing the site due to the long additional walk.

“The number of cars still parked and the number of people walking back suggests to me that the council have no idea how many people want to enjoy this walk,” one user commented on Nerja Today website.

“If they do put up this barrier it will prevent a lot of people using the walk due to the long way to get to the start.”

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Axq IN BRIEF Simm search VOLUNTEERS are to launch a fresh search for missing hiker Gordon Simm, who has not been seen since going missing in the Rio Chillar area on July 21.

Sponsor plea Axarquia Rugby Club is appealing for more sponsors ahead of the new season after unveiling their latest kit.

Fine fight Nerja Business Association is appealing against a €3,000 fine imposed by the regional government after it claimed a trade fair held in February breached trading laws.

Tasting time Insolito restaurant in Benagalbon is open for business after owners Ivan and Nenno closed their previous venture El Molino de los Abuelos in Comares.

AXARQUIA NEWS

www.theolivepress.es

Tranquil Triana

A

S far as villages in the Axarquia go, Triana is far from normal.

While the area may be famed for its steep inclines and mountainous terrain, Triana is extremely flat, making it an attractive destination for the less energetic.

Situated less than seven kilometres from Velez-Malaga, it is a relatively modern settlement, built in the late 19th Century.

At first, foreigners settled across the river in La Zorilla, which had once been inhabited by bandits and smugglers, but the river meant there was no way across and people were stranded for months on end.

Lucrative Up in the mountains in areas known as La Dehesa´ and Las Chozas, there was once a school for the farmers children.

But that closed and workers began to move down the mountain to find work, leading them to build houses and a new school.

Citrus fruit was planted close to the river in the valley and the area took on a lush, verdant appearance.

Now the farmers have changed their crops to the

Sally Harrison takes a stroll around Triana, which once played host to bandits and smugglers

AWAY FROM THE NORM: Sleepy Triana Square more lucrative mango and avocado, so instead of driving over lemons as you twist and wind your way along the road from Trapiche to Benamargosa, you drive over avocados.

For leisure, a new swimming pool and children’s playground has been built and the school gates are left open in the evenings for the kids to play football or roller skate. There are a few bars serving food, a supermarket and a collection of small shops. There is a plaque on the wall of a house in the vil-

lage square honouring singer José Beltrán Ortega - known as Niño de Vélez in the flamenco world - who was born in Triana in 1906. The annual Romeria takes place in June and Triana’s main festival is every July. Just outside the village is a small riding school where you can ride out along the now dry river bed to one of the many bars, tie up the horses and have a drink and tapas. For the more adventurous, you can ride up into the mountains where the views are spectacular.

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

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A very w eighty issue 20

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week:57.53 per cent full - Same week last year: 79.24 per cent - Same week in 2002: 50.49 per cent AIRPORTS Gibraltar 00350 22073026 Granada-Jaen 958 245 200 Jerez - 956 150 000 Malaga - 952 048 844* *For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000 EMERGENCIES Police 091 Guardia Civil 062 Medical service 061 Fire 080 EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth 1.2570 American Dollars 0.7914 British Pounds 1.2405 Canadian Dollars 7.4515 Danish Kroner 9.7504 H Kong Dollars 7.3118 Norwegian Kroner 1.5677 Singapore Dollars

TRIPADVISOR LETTERS SPECIAL

GOOD reporting. I believe TripAdvisor is waning as an influencer as more social media outlets gain followings.

They are surpassed today

by Yelp, Twitter and Google (which owns Zagats) review sites. One issue not fully explored is how many local businesses hire people to write fake reviews on TripAdvisor.

This is a rampant practice that cheats the system.

These grey areas are payto-play promotions, but it is never made clear to readers that this is a paid promotion or paid advert.

Juan Gomez, Torremolinos

A pinch of salt Great series of articles. My go-to reference when looking for somewhere to stay

Despite TripAdvisor marketing itself as the ‘the truth’, the Olive Press discovered it was anything but. Here’s what you thought...

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REAL TEST: Olive Press investigation last issue

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In an ob the Olivejective (as po remark Press takes ssible) in-dept able an h d surprison TripAdvisor...investigation , ing resu with so lts me

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is the Sawday’s guide. It has never failed, well not yet.

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Revealing the real truth

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TOP RA and De TED: La Vil la Ma region Locos Tapa rbella ’s best, s accord restaurant hotel ing to ar TripA e the dvisor

system open to abuse. And it does get abused.

The second issue I have is that all too often reviews of restaurants in Spain focus on whether English is spoken or on ‘the romantic atmosphere’ rather than on the quality of the food.

For hotels I look through the reviews on booking.com.

At least you have to have stayed at the hotel in question before being invited to submit a review.

That review is then moderated before it goes online.

OK, so there are some reviews that, for me, are awry but you can be sure that the booking.com system has not been abused in the same way that TripAdvisor has.

sor reviews at face value, but it can be a useful starting point when planning a trip.

Now people like me have a say, for better and worse.

azahar, via website

Waste of time

Tony Bishop, Ronda

Almendra, via website

Be savvy

Having a say

As with all such lists, they are always highly subjective.

The problem with TripAdvisor is it doesn’t differentiate between a neighbourhood tapas bar and a posh restaurant.

I don’t think any savvy traveller would take TripAdvi-

Varied approach I know TripAdvisor isn’t perfect but personally I would rather see a variety of opinions from lots of different people, than trust a guide book expressing just one person’s view and sold for profit.

Service and price are an important part of the decisionmaking process for many people.

I love TripAdvisor and I wouldn’t go to a hotel that I had not vetted via its website.

In the past you had to rely on guides like Michelin or Zagat where a so-called ‘expert’ would tell you where to go.

Dante, via website

TripAdvisor reviews, Facebook likes, Google rankings, Twitter followers etc etc – all a total waste of time for finding facts. All can be manipulated and bought en masse online in seconds.

Any establishment that relies on TripAdvisor and constantly worries about their reviews is not concentrating on its core business.

Fred, via website

Use wisely Of course there is a place in the online world for the opinion of the individual expert reviewer, just as there is a place for open review sites, warts and all.

Both types of resources, used wisely, have much to offer.

Daniel, via website

PLE WR ASE Letters should be posted to Urb. Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate ITE 29350, Malaga or emailed to letters@theolivepress.es The writer’s name and address should be provided. Published opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

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July 26, 2012

After being thrust into the global spotlight following her handy work, pensioner Cecilia Gimenez has helped bring unexpected benefits to her village

Restoration tourist boom

INFAMOUS: Gimenez with the fresco of Jesus before and after her dabble A SPANISH pensioner who became an overnight celebrity following her infamous ‘restoration’ of a fresco of Jesus has helped create an unexpected tourist boom for the church.

Cecilia Gimenez, who is in her 80s, shot to fame after turning the prized image into

a ‘childish picture resembling a monkey in a tunic.’

Her handy work has led to a huge rise in the number of tourists visiting the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza, with the painting now roped off and watched over by security guards.

In total, up to 20,000 people

Comic ‘Oscar’

A SPANISH comic shop has won a prestigious gong at an awards ceremony dubbed the ‘Comic Oscars’.

Arika Comics, saw off fierce competition from around the globe to be crowned the best comic shop in the world at the International Comics Convention in San Diego.

The Madrid-based store, which has been going for 19 years, becomes the first in Spain to claim the highly sought-after Eisner Prize.

are said to have visited the church in the last fortnight.

Tens of thousands of people have also signed an online petition praising Gimenez’s restoration, while countless images parodying the painting have appeared online.

But not everyone has seen the funny side, with relatives of the painter who created the work expressing their anger at the damage caused.

“Until now she just painted on the tunic but the problem started when she painted the head as well, because she has destroyed this painting,” said the artist’s granddaughter.

Experts are set to meet Gimenez to discuss what materials she used in order to help determine how best to salvage the image.

Iconic cafe saved

A FAMOUS cafe once popular with Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner is to be saved after a rival bid for the use of its terrace was withdrawn.

Cafe Gijon in Madrid was on the brink of being closed down after the town hall granted the license to a firm which bid twice as much to use the space.

But the company withdrew its offer amid economic concerns and uproar over the closure of the 120-year-old cafe, which relies on the iconic terrace for 70 per cent of its income.

Bullfighting is back on TV BULLFIGHTING is set to make a comeback on state TV after being banned for six years.

In a highly controversial decision TVE has reversed an earlier move to stop broadcasting bullfights due to the high costs involved along with child protection reasons as the fights coincided with ‘Children’s Time’.

The state-owned station will now show live coverage of fights at Valladolid Feria on September 5.

It comes after the public broadcaster struck a deal with the bullfighters, their managers, and the rancher Victoriano del Rio to waive their rights, meaning TVE will only have to pay for the technical costs.

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Top Dollar

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Jobless payment boost LONG-TERM jobless Spaniards no longer entitled to unemployment benefits are set to have their social security payments increased.

Those unemployed who have at least two dependents, not including their spouse, will now receive €450 instead of €399.

Destitute

The government reforms also include plans to get the long-term unemployed back into work through retraining schemes run in collaboration with the regional authorities.

Labour Minister Fatima Banez said: “The government wants to ensure that nobody really in need should find themselves destitute.”

www.theolivepress.es

Thousands of pensioners could claim allowance following EU ruling

Expat fuel payment windfall

THOUSANDS of expats could be eligible for a winter fuel payment under the terms of an EU ruling.

The announcement is good news for the estimated 100,000 British pensioners who live in Spain, many of whom are not able to claim the allowance under current laws.

Previously, elderly expats could only receive the payment if they turned 60 before leaving Britain and if they had left after the payment was introduced in 1998.

But expats now only need to have a ‘genuine and sufficient link to the UK’ to qualify, including having ‘lived or worked in the UK for most of their working life’.

Britons who live outside Britain, but within the EU. Anyone born on or before July 5, 1951, can now make a claim for the payment this year, which ranges from €250 to €380 depending on your circumstances.

Ludicrous

KEEPING WARM: Fuel boost The ruling by the European Court of Justice affects around 440,000 elderly

In the 2010-11 winter, 72,840 expats claimed winter fuel payments, at a cost of almost €20 million - a figure which could rise to €125 million if all of the eligible expats were to claim it.

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith called the ruling ‘ludicrous’ and has promised to introduce a ‘temperature test’ to determine eligibility.

In his monthly column, Keith Spitalnick looks at some of the ways expats can protect their pensions against fluctuations in the value of sterling and the euro

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

A

CCORDING to UK government statistics there are currently 1.2m Britons claiming a pension abroad and in recent years retired British couples in Spain have seen their monthly pension incomes severely affected by sterling/euro volatility.

In these tough economic times everyone is feeling the pinch, so it is no surprise that a group of expat pensioners have appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to have their UK state pensions inflation-proofed.

Although volatility in the foreign exchange markets was tame in August, the situation can change quickly.

Politics, economics and wars all need to be priced in, and with the US elections fast approaching the markets are bound to liven up again.

So far this year the markets have been strongly focused on the sovereign debt crisis within Europe, although the euro has started to show recent signs of fighting back.

With further sterling/euro volatility predicted, any British pensioners who are on a tight budget and who cannot afford to see the value of sterling decrease any further should consider the regular payment service we offer at HiFX. Typically clients who use this service are making monthly transfers for a variety of reasons, including mortgage payments, pension transfers or salary transfers.

For these clients, buying currency on a regular basis is time-consuming, while currency fluctuations can make budgeting impossible.

International transfer fees and commission charged by the banks can also add up to a tidy sum.

Unlike your bank, HiFX allows you to automate your payments via direct debit and fix the exchange rates for up to 12 months ahead so you know exactly how much is being transferred every month and by using direct debit, you can save up to €380 on transfer fees alone, as the banks charge transfer fees of up to €38 on each and every transaction.

Keith is the new head of European Sales at HiFX. To contact HiFX and find out how the team can help you with your international transactions, call in at the office in Centro Plaza, call 951 203 986, mentioning the ‘Olive Press’ or email olivepress@hifx.co.uk

Top Dollar www.theolivepress.es

34

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

25

AGONY ANT

YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

T

HERE are no two ways about it: the Spanish Land Registry system has utterly failed to warn of any of the major problems that property buyers have been hit with recently: land grab, due registration of illegal properties, planning scandals, serious discrepancies between the real and registered sizes and descriptions, etc.

In my opinion, no matter what registrars say about the enhanced security of the system, there are very serious

Following the paper trail Antonio Flores looks at the various ways secretive property owners attempt to hide their real identity shortcomings that have to be addressed.

Coincidentally, The Daily Telegraph recently highlighted it as a service that provided misleading documentation in indecipherable English.

There are however some interesting features that law-

EXPATS living in Spain have plenty to smile about.

Whether it be the fantastic climate or relaxed lifestyle, there are generally few complaints.

But as with anywhere, things can go wrong when you least expect it, particularly on the country’s roads.

The Spanish authorities have undergone a big road safety campaign in recent years in a bid to reduce the number of accidents, but inevitably they are still occurring on a daily basis.

Being involved in an accident can be a frightening and disorientating ordeal

yers, private investigators and other professionals find useful when trying to obtain relevant information pertaining to properties.

The most straightforward way to obtain information on a property is by requesting a search by the name of the per-

Road to recovery that can lead to poor decision-making under stress.

With this in mind, insurance firm Linea Directa has come up with the following steps to take in the event you are involved in a crash.

Call the emergency number: 112 - The emergency services will coordinate the situation.

Remain calm at all times - Switch on the emergency lights and remove

son we think owns real estate, or directly by land registry (LR) details if we have them, and collating the results.

It starts getting more complex when we know that a property is ultimately owned by the person but he is using a straw man or a ‘dummy corpora-

the car from the road if possible.

Signal the accident location - Put on your high-visibility jacket and place warning triangles.

If someone is seriously injured, never try to move them unless they are in imminent danger - Keep them warm and reassure them until the emergency services arrive.

European accident report - Fill out to ensure your insurance claim is handled in a timely manner.

For more information, call Linea Directa on 902 123 104.

tion’ to hide the real ownership, and obviously we do not have LR registration details.

In this case, the LR will need details of name of street and number, ownership details of a neighbour or alternatively, if in doubt, one can request all LR certificates on all units of a certain block of flats, urbanisation or road, and then pick the one we think is the right one.

More and more buyers are feeling that using a company is a safer method to buy property, as anonymity is guaranteed.

But this is not always the case: for instance, if you incorporate a Spanish limited company it is possible to make a search by ‘founding member’, and more so where you appoint yourself, or a family member with the same name, as the director.

To avoid exposure, the method of choice is to buy a shelf company, where share transfers don’t get registered un-

less requested, and appoint a different director different from one.

In this case, only the authorising notary, or the courts, by forcing a shareholder to disclose his/her identity, can produce the results...

It is not unknown for some professionals to use friendship with notaries to extract information on certain transactions that they could not otherwise reach, publicly.

For example, if I am good friends with a notary, I can ask him for information on a specific company share transfer deed which, in principle, is not in the public domain.

He may feel inclined to tell me the content of it owing to friendship but as a professional, he is not allowed.

Finally, where someone uses a say a Luxembourg, or Andorran company, it is possible to make searches in the registries of these countries to ascertain details of ownership and directorship.

26

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

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Example income rates:e20,000 pays income e130 per month X 2 years e50,000 pays income e325 per month X 2 years

26

Top Dollar

EU officials are refusing to issue Spain with a bailout until it seeks assurances about the amount required by its banks.

Spain’s Economy Minister Luis de Guindos announced in July that €30 billion of emergency funds from Brussels would be received within days.

But the EU is yet to release the money after questioning the exact amount needed. It is understood to be awaiting the results of a comprehensive audit of Spain’s banking sector before agreeing to the deal.

That is expected to be completed by the end of September, although

e80,000 pays income e656 per month X 4 years

Example growth rates:-

e80,000 becomes e114,928 after 4 years

These are illustrative rates correct at going to press

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Because we create accurate and bespoke financial solutions for our customers we pride ourselves on having long lasting relationships with our clients.

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Bailout delay

EU forces Spain to wait for €30 billion cash injection Brussels may wait until the end of November before committing the funds.

Desperate

On Friday, Bankia announced losses of €4.5 billion up until June, leaving it with less than the minimum capital requirements

and highlighting its desperate need for cash.

In the absence of a full bailout, Spain has been forced to prop up the ailing lender using money from the Orderly Bank Restructuring Fund (FROB), run by the Bank of Spain and the Finance Ministry.

Road to Riches,

by Richard Alexander

e20,000 becomes e23,241 after 2 years e50,000 becomes e58,102 after 2 years

www.theolivepress.es

If it sounds too good to be true...

P

Inexperienced investors should avoid any products that offer a guaranteed 10% a year return

roducts offering 10% annual returns should be avoided like the plague, unless of course you are a sophisticated investor who really understands the type of investment you might be looking at.

I am not saying that there no investment option is capable of paying 10% annual income, in fact there are quite a few.

The problem comes when you start to look into the ‘guaranteed’ part of the deal when things start to get a little more complicated.

The advertisements that draw you in will be highlighting the headline rate of return and emphasising that there are guarantees; all very enticing but as always, the devil is in the small print!

The types of products that offer these returns could fall under the heading of unregulated collective investment schemes (UCIS) or could be properly regulated structured products.

The FSA in the UK has all but closed the door on UCIS schemes to UK advisers and as always with regulatory intervention, it wields the veritable sledgehammer to crack the tiny walnut and the collateral damage is that some otherwise quality investment options get closed down along the way. So much for the UCIS saga but what about structured products.

Once again, these can come in many forms and will broadly fall into categories where either the capital is at risk or the capital is protected/guaranteed. But it is what supports the guarantee that needs to be examined closely, because these types of investments are not funds in the traditional sense but are a collection of financial instruments or derivatives that are being packaged into a product that is designed to perform in a cer-

tain way, given that certain circumstances prevail.

In the event that the prescribed events do not happen, then there will be potential for reductions in the return if the capital is not protected, you probably will not see all of the capital returned at the end of the term.

Historically these structured products could be linked to a trackable index and can tolerate a certain amount of under-performance before the guarantees are breached. But even then you need to look carefully at who the counterparty to the arrangement is who is supplying the guarantee.

Fallout

Often the product information will talk about the credit rating of the counterparty but even then you should think twice. After all, in July 2008, Lehman Brothers was the fourth largest bank in the US with a strong credit rating and yet on 16 September that year, it filed for bankruptcy protection.

The fallout left thousands of investors with structured products that all of a sudden had no counterparty and while some were rescued, others were doomed to total failure.

The compensation and regulatory arguments go on today!

The moral of this story is very simple, if you are considering this type of investment, make sure that you understand the risk associated before committing any money.

And even then don’t risk more than you are prepared to or perhaps can afford to lose.

Richard Alexander Financial Planning Limited is an appointed representative of L J Financial Planning Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK. Contact him at Richard@ra-fp.com

www.theolivepress.es

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

Bring this advert for a FREE car valet by Car Care with your first transaction.

international payments to and from Spain eXpertly done Your high street bank offers foreign exchange as part of its service. At HiFX, foreign exchange is our business.

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HiFX Plc is authorised by the Financial Services Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2009, registration 462444, for the provision of payment services.

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the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

28

Top Property

www.theolivepress.es

Bargains galore as prices plummet

NEW LOW: House prices have hit rock bottom

Spanish house prices drop by 11.2%, the biggest decline since March 2011

SPANISH house prices have experienced their biggest fall in over a year, as an estimated two million homes remain unsold.

Figures for July showed an 11.2% drop - the largest since March 2011 - with the Balearics and Canary Islands the worst affected, down 14% overall.

The average price per square metre in July was just €1,606, down 8.3% on a year ago, with flats in the major cities that would have

cost €400,000 in 2008 now selling for just €275,000.

Likewise, flats on the Costa del Sol that would have fetched more than €300,000 four years ago are now on the market for half that figure.

The downward trend has continued steadily since the crisis began, with the Spanish property market having lost 31% of its value since 2008.

House prices fell by 3.6% between the first and sec-

ond quarters of this year, confirming a continuing trend of annual and quarterly declines, according to the Global Property Guide House Price Index.

Attractive

However, falling prices, low interest rates and a weak euro, combined with banks eager to offload property mean Spain remains an attractive option for Britons looking to buy overseas.

Top Dollar

www.theolivepress.es

29

Support for wildfire victims

DEVASTATION: The weekend fire in Malaga AS the clear-up operation gets underway following some of the worst wildfires to affect Spain in years, homeowners have been left counting the financial cost of the devastation.

While many expats will be counting their blessings after a lucky escape, others have not been so fortunate, with properties along the Costa del Sol suffering varying degrees of damage.

Thousands of euros worth of insurance claims are expected to be processed in the coming weeks

and months, with insurance firm Liberty Seguros among those showing support for the victims.

“The Liberty Seguros Group would like to express its sincere support and solidarity with all those that have been affected by this event,” read a statement.

“We remind all clients who may have been affected by the fires in Malaga to phone 902 300 047, should they require further information or assistance. Alternatively, you may contact your insurance broker.”

Green tax wrangle SPAIN is to reform its energy sector as part of tough austerity measures.

The controversial twophase overhaul will involve a new tax regime for the industry, followed by a shake up of the energy market.

The financial crisis has forced the government into making €65 billion of cuts,

Government to raise taxes in bid to reduce €24 billion tariff deficit €8.6 billion of which will come from new energy and environmental taxes within the next three years.

Among the reforms being considered is a tax on the purchase of natural gas, although any such tariff

Andalucia requests €1 billion bailout

ANDALUCIA has requested a €1 billion loan from central government as it continues to fight mounting debt.

The region - which accounts for around 15% of Spain’s gross domestic product - is the fourth to seek emergency funding, following Valencia, Cataluna and Murcia.

Regional finance chiefs say the money will be used to pay bills in the short term while a formal request for a state bailout is considered.

Officials in Madrid set up an €18 billion fund in July to help the regions meet debt payments.

would not be introduced until 2013.

Under current legislation, energy companies cannot charge consumers above a certain threshold, which is not high enough to cover their costs.

This has created a €24 billion tariff deficit which the government has so far had to compensate through subsidies.

The plans have caused friction between the treasury and industry ministers over how the reforms will be implemented, with energy firms including Iberdrola and Endesa claiming it will wipe out their profits.

Consumer groups are likely to be suspicious that it will be the public ultimately shouldering the costs.

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

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the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

..E .. ...........C ..............

30

n Buen

amino

www.theolivepress.es

Camera care SPEEDING motorists are more likely to slow down if speed cameras are clearly marked, according to a study.

The Associated European Motorists (AEA) based its findings on 5,000 fines issued by the Guardia Civil and Catalan and Basque regional police forces over the last six months.

The list includes the 25 busiest speed traps in Spain, with the highest concentration coming in Madrid.

Toledo and A Coruna were among the regions with the highest number of speeding fines, with the AP-2 toll road in Lleida also prominent on the list.

“We are opposed to the policy of not signalling to motor-

Motoring association insists trap signs help reduce speeds

“The object of the exercise shouldn’t be to collect revenue from speeding motorists, but to get them to slow down.”

Government body DGT, charged with promoting road safety in Spain, does not release figures on the amount of money it gathers in fines, but the government’s 2010 budget estimated the figure at a record €431 million.

EFFECTIVE: Speed warnings

Successful

ists that they were entering a Despite complaints from mospeed trap,” said Mario Ar- toring organisations, speed traps have generally been naldo, president of the AEA. successful, with the average speed on Spain’s roads dropping from SPANISH scientists have taken a giant leap towards putting a robot 116.7 kiloon the moon. metres per The rover - tasked with driving around and sending live images back to hour to 110 earth - will be launched in 2014 from China after the Barcelona ‘Moon km/h since Team’ struck a deal with a Chinese firm. the launch The project is part of an attempt to claim the €24 million Google Lunar of a national X PRIZE, available to anyone who can transmit the images back from campaign in the moon before December 2015.

2005.

MOON MOTORING

by Herbert Raven with 44 points off handicap 15.

Michele O’Sullivan triumphed for the ladies with 33 points off handicap 22 with Joy Champion coming home second with 32

prepared the hampers and well done to everybody!

WINNERS CUP he Winner’s Cup was held early November. To qualify, you had to have won either a monthly Stableford, a monthly Medal or an Honours Board event in the last 12 months.

With nearly 60 players trying their best, Herbert Raven (our current Vice Captain) came home for the men with 38 points off handicap 15 and Ali Easter for the ladies with 33 points off handicap 12.

Well done Herbert and Ali!

T

In the swing of it www.theolivepress.es

THE OLIVE PRESS’ MONTHLY GOLF SECTION

31

he Santa Maria Annual Charity Golf Event was held on the 9th December.

The day involved an AM AM golf competition played off the white tees (best 2 scores count per hole), closest to the pin prizes, longest drive prizes, lunch, a raffle, a grand auction and a prize giving ceremony.

A full field of 21 four-man teams made an early shotgun start before being wined and dined in the main clubhouse.

The overall team winners were “The Caddymasters” with a fantastic score of 101 points (David Mosely, Mark Webber, Fernando Ortega and Pepe Gago).

In second place were team “Siesta Time” with 86 points (Chris Day, Mike Smith, Tim Swift and Villen Mehilenin).

Just beaten into third place were team “Mixed Bag” with 85 points

T

points off handicap 23.

Thanks to Glenis Harley who

Sponsored by

(Dave Roberts, Andy Walker, Jason Tucker and Kane Tucker).

Nearest the pin prizes were won

by Olav Maaland and David Mosely and longest drives were won by Andy Walker and Greg Peel.

The sponsors are too many to mention but special thanks goes to the Management of Santa Maria Golf & Country Club who again provided the complete golf course and all the buggies for the event.

A total of €8,740 was raised for The Butterfly Children Charity (DEBRA).

Special thanks also goes to the 10 Santa Maria ladies – organised

by Pat Smith – who devoted their whole day to making sure the men did as they were told and were in the right place at the right time!

Thanks again to ALL our sponsors and we look forward to the 2012 Charity Event already.

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

DISCOUNT OUTLETSALE JANUARY NOW ON!

Sergio surges into Ryder Cup

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24

ISSUE 97 - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2012

Spanish favourite Sergio Garcia books place on European team following US SERGIO Garcia has guaranteed his place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team after winning the Wyndham Championship in the US. The Spaniard claimed the last automatic place in the side for the showdown in Illinois following a two-stroke victory, his first in America for four years.

The result comes at the expense of Englishman Ian Poulter, who slips out of the automatic places as a consequence of Garcia’s impressive showing.

The 32-year-old Garcia was unable to claim back-to-back titles on the American tour though, blowing an overnight lead to eventually finish joint-third at Bethpage State Park, four shots behind the winner Nick Watney.

Europe captain Jose Maria Olazabal will be joined by Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Peter Hanson for the Ryder Cup from September 28-30.

Revenue rescue RECESSION-HIT Andalucia may be struggling with huge debts and record unemployment figures, but the region continues to benefit from its role as a popular destination for golfing holidays.

The area generates €400 million a year - more than any other region in Spain - through the golf industry, according to a survey by auditors KPMG. The region has more than 100 registered golf courses, with Malaga and Cadiz provinces having the highest concentration of greens.

One million foreign golfers visited Spain last year, accounting for around 35% of golf tourists in Europe and boosting the Spanish economy by €1.2 billion.

The Canary Islands generated the second highest income, approximately €177 million, followed by the Balearics with €161 million.

TEENS TEE-OFF ENGLAND’S under-16 golf team has beaten Spain in a tournament held in the UK. The mixed team of four girls and four boys triumphed in the annual contest near Harrogate with Ashleigh Greenham, from Essex, earning the biggest victory with a four and three win over Ana Pelaez.

Lancashire girls Sophie Lamb and Eloise Healey and Warwickshire’s Victoria Mallett also won their games, while Billy Spooner, from Lincolnshire, secured a close victory of two and one over Ivan Cantero.

“It was a very convincing win and there were some very good individual performances,” said Scott Godfrey, the England coach.

Meanwhile, the UK and Spain are well represented

RYDER ROOKIE: Toby Tree in the 2012 Junior Ryder Cup after the European team was announced ahead of the tournament to be held in the US from September 24-25.

England’s Toby Tree and Bronte Law will be joined by Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan, with Spaniards Covadonga Sanjuan and Harang Lee also selected.

WINNER: Sergio Garcia books his place in the Ryder Cup

DO YOU HAVE A GOLF BUSINESS THAT IS LOOKING TO

EXPAND?

Advertise here from just 50€ per issue email jon@theolivepress.es

31

32 the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012 32

the olive press

C lassifieds

24

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40

To place your classified, please call 951 16 60 60 or email admin@theolivepress.es 83 cents per word. Minimum charge based on 10 words per issue and a minimum of 2 issues. IVA not included All ads include the first 2 words in bold. For all text in bold add 25%

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olive press

FR

Telephone: 951 166 060 or 691 831 399

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 186,000 copies distributed monthly (120,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month.

Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029 Urb Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350 Malaga Printed by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A. Editor: Jon Clarke jon@theolivepress.es News editor: James Bryce james@theolivepress.es Reporters: Eloise Horsfield eloise@theolivepress.es Mason Jones mason@theolivepress.es Distribution: 951 166 060

Design and page layout: Jackie McAngus Admin/advertising sales: Pauline Olivera admin@theolivepress.es SALES TEAM: West Costa del Sol Jane Jewson 673 958 858 Axarquia Charlie Bamber 661 452 180 Cadiz Elizabeth Gould 620 532 672 Ronda/San Pedro/Marbella Jon Clarke 691 831 399 Torremolinos to Marbella Mark Courtney 665 798 618

www.theolivepress.es

COLUMN

UNETHICAL PRACTICE

U

NTIL recently I had thought that falsification of information and manipulation of evidence was the speciality of politicians and the Catholic Church but a recent report reveals that scientific research, especially in the field of medicine, is riddled with rogues and fraudsters too.

The list of acknowledged medical cheats is too long to reproduce here but it includes prominent heart surgeons, geneticists, biologists, psychiatrists, anaesthetists and dentists – just the people from whom we expect the highest standards of professional probity.

Their reprehensible activities include fabrication of research results, falsified data and faked clinical investigations.

Plagiarism was a common but comparatively minor offence.

It was also suggested that news-hungry journalists exacerbate the problem by promoting anything that hints of a medical breakthrough.

Like politicians and the church the various scientific bodies to which these discredited researchers belong simply close ranks and attempt to minimise the effect of the chicanery.

Calls for more rigorous policing of scientific study have been rejected on the grounds that research professionals are generally above such nefarious activity and that, in any event, their peers will find them out.

This response is naïve at best and tends to suggest that the people at the top of these organisations think that Ethics is a county on the east coast of England.

Next time you read about the new wonder drug that will cure everything from herpes to amoebic dysentery, remember that scientific researchers may be telling you what they would like you to hear rather than what they can actually deliver.

Never mind the headlines, the elixir of life may not be on its way to a chemist shop near you.

What a banker!

I

AM considering applying for the soon to be vacated position of Governor of the Bank of England (BoE).

The incumbent, Mervyn King, has had enough of the cut and thrust of international finance and has decided to retire so as to spend more time with his own money.

However, I strongly suspect my curriculum vitae will be found wanting in certain areas of expertise regarded as essential for the job.

For a start, I have not been involved in reducing a worldleading national currency to the value of the peso.

As far as I am aware £5 notes are not actually being given away with packets of cornflakes (yet) but, given the rate of quantitative easing employed by the BoE, I predict that it won’t be long before some enterprising marketing executive at Kellogg comes up with the idea.

Next, I am entirely inexperienced in manipulating the Libor interest rate – that in-

33

INCUMBENT: BoE boss Mervyn King ter-bank lending mechanism about which nobody outside of the major financial institutions has even the faintest understating.

If I get to the interview stage I will explain that I am, like the

current governor, prepared to learn how to ‘ignore’ the situation as long it doesn’t entail appearing before a Parliamentary Committee to explain myself or the reason why I was totally unaware of the activities of the people who worked for me, reported to me and enjoyed my company on numerous occasions when we had lunch together.

Despite my family interests, I will be able to claim absolutely no personal experience whatsoever in commercial banking, corporate finance, international currency exchange or money laundering.

I have never worked for or with Goldman Sachs or any of the many and varied banks that have collapsed for many and varied reasons.

I may be in favour of the UK adopting the euro but, on the other hand, I may not.

In short, I know very little about international finance, fiscal policy, the ECB or the IMF. I am probably the ideal candidate for the job.

Disgruntled of Andalucia (formerly of Royal Tunbridge Wells)

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

41

33

34

COLUMN

the olive press - September 06 - 19, 2012

L

IKE most northerners, I love pubs.

Unfortunately, they don’t love me.

Perhaps it’s my fiery genes, inherited from a clan still referred to in Dublin as the ‘Fighting O’Rourke’s.’

Maybe my working-class upbringing is to blame - in Jewish communities, a boy becomes a man after his Bar Mitzvah, in Burnley, it is a bar-brawl.

During my uni days, I kept myself in Playboys and PotNoodles by pulling pints at Lancashire’s grottiest bar.

There were no poncy pear ciders here; just counterfeit fags and details of local scrappers, deemed too ‘psycho’ to be served.

‘Pub Watch’ contained the names of every dreg in society. Their mug shots were printed in sepia, which gave them a WildWest feel. Embarrassingly, they once stuck the ‘Mad Dog’s’ name in this book of bandits. Never for fighting mind, just foolish things like cheating at cards, or ‘adrenalin karaoke.’ Look, I know that swinging mics is dangerous, but I DID warn those pensioners to move back! Still, even with a history of bizarre bannings, last week’s took the

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WEIRD SCIENCE!

biscuit.

Picture the scene; it’s Friday night and I’m enjoying a few birthday sherbets with expat pals. When chat turned to the Twilight Zone, I decided to share a mysterious anecdote.

Back in 2009, I was living in a 15th Century cottage in the West Pennine Moors. The place was quaint, but always had a funny odour. We bought so many Glade Plug-Ins; B&Q nicknamed me John-Wayne Gacy!

Pagan imagery adorned the walls, and a dead Quaker lay under the patio. The beams were so low I spent six months concussed (partly from head-bangs, and partly from Plug-In fumes)!

One wintery eve, a ball-oflight surfaced in the lounge.

After sussing us out, the ‘Orb’ went crazy, bouncing about like balls on a treadmill!

ever reached Burnley!”

Now, normally I wouldn’t bite.

But the 42ºC heat was already boiling my blood, and I muttered something under my breath. Naturally, this got his back-up, and we were It was a bit like soon rowing about religion and creationism.

‘Frost v Nixon’, It was like ‘Frost v Nixon’, albeit a low-budget version with albeit a pretty the US president being played low-budget by a 50-year-old bar-monkey from Crewe! version “So science explains everything?” I questioned, and bilBefore I could finish my story, lions of ‘believers’ are simply Steve (the pub’s atheist land- wrong? Sheesh, if mankind lord), decided to but in: “Utter has become THIS arrogant, crap! Orbs are just electrical maybe it’s time we went the energy,” he said. “Something same way as the dinosaurs – you’d know if the internet had some thousand years before.

“Did you just say a THOUS A N D years?”

WHICH teenage British Olympian found this crusty critbarked ter in the garden of his Spanish villa? Apparently, the C a t h y 18-year-old ‘dived’ for cover when he saw the freaky(Steve’s looking frog (and no I don’t mean Gerard Depardieu). wife), “Try Helpful by nature, the ‘Mad Dog’ decided to contact 65 milthe Gold medallist (via Twitter) to offer some ‘crack’ lion…MOsurvival tips (i.e. scoop it up on a shovel and toss it RON!” over your neighbours’ wall). Who said that staying up At this till 3am, just to watch Bear Grylls, was a complete point, the waste of time? shit really

Wicked Whisper

Follow me on Twitter @Mad_Dog_Column

hit the fan (or more specifically my bag of mixed-nuts hit Steve’s chin!) and I was immediately ordered off the premises.

As I sloped off however, something came over me (and no, it wasn’t Cathy’s Tia Maria). As minority expats, it wasn’t the brightest move to get barred from the town’s only Brit pub. Luckily, Steve was looking equally reluctant to lose a harddrinking regular. Therefore, we both apologised, and buried the hatchet with a late-night lock-in!

Though regrettable, the incident provided valuable lessons.

For instance, even though we wind each other up, an isolated expat is a lonely cloud, and it doesn’t matter how blue the Spanish sky is. I’ve also learned that Mediterranean meltdowns are much healthier than the British way (i.e. letting things stew in rage-filled ratatouilles!).

I’ve often heard of religion being the root of all wars? I just never thought it would be responsible for a ‘MixedNut, Orb Conflict.’

Thoughts of the Fortnight!

STAGE your own ‘Spaghetti Western’ by introducing six shady meatballs to Rancho ‘Ragu.’ For extra authenticity, add parmesan ‘sandstorms’, and basil tumbleweed!

EXPATS, recreate the Match of the Day experience by gushing about all the teams you hate, and slagging off your own club for 30 seconds before bed. Set of biased b*stards!

ORDINARY Twitter and Facebook users earn yourselves a cool ‘Troll’ nickname by simply telling celebrities the truth about themselves!

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Spanish olive oil receives top marks

AN Andalucian olive oil has been voted one of the top 50 best food products by experts at an international food show in the UK. Cortijo de Suerte Alta natural extra virgin olive oil, from Cordoba, saw off competition from 8,800 foods and drinks from around the world to gain the honour, at the annual Great Taste Awards.

The prize-winning product was the only olive oil to be voted into the prestigious list by the panel of 350 food critics, which included Charles Campion and UK Masterchef winner Mat Follas.

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Teenager earns tasty six-figure sum in first year selling British food products to expats

A TASTE OF HOME A TEENAGER who dropped out of university to set up a business selling British food to expats has made over €600,000 in her first year of trading.

Katie Smith, 18, quit her economics degree at Loughborough University last October to set up her UK-based company Tastes Marvellous.

The former expat, who grew up in Saudi Arabia, has so far exported British treats to 84 countries, including Spain, with best-sellers including Marmite, Minstrels, Hartley’s Jam and Bird’s Custard.

And while her biggest single market is the US, orders have come in from as far afield as Botswana, Kuwait and Greenland.

“During my first week at university, I realised that I had so many business ideas that I did not want to wait for three years,” said Smith.

“I really believe that I have learned so much more this year through practical experience than I ever would at university.

“Now I want to increase the business

ENTREPRENEUR: Smith Japan and the Far East. The world is our oyster.”

See Feature The Nations’ Favourites on page 38

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SAUCY BEHAVIOUR

IT is dubbed the ‘largest food fight in the world’ and sees the streets transformed into a sea of red.

And this year was no exception at the annual ‘La Tomatina’ tomato fight in the Valencia town of Bunol, with 40,000 revellers hurling 120 tons of the fruit at each other.

Many participants wore goggles to protect their eyes at the festival thought to date back to 1945 - as the pulp from thousands of tomatoes thrown from a convoy of five trucks created a mushy carpet.

The food fight boosts the town’s economy to the tune of €300,000.

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The nations’

I

, LIKE many expats, have lived in Spain for several years now and grown accustomed to the food, the language and the lifestyle.

But there are some English habits I am unable to break and having a proper cup of tea in the morning is one.

And it seems I am not alone in missing the odd home comfort.

The best selling product in the Costa del Sol supermarket chain Cayetano & Euromarket is not a staple such as eggs or milk (although they have sold 5,000 litres of imported Purity fresh milk so far this year) but Heinz Baked Beans.

This product may bemuse the Spanish who write it off as part of a calorific English breakfast but the expats cannot get enough of them.

Already this year the supermarket has sold a staggering 40,000 tins of the British household favourite.

And one of their claims to fame is that they actually sell more beans than any other supermarket in Spain.

They also sell thousands of packets of PG Tips (10,000 packets so far this year to be

Wendy Williams talks to the Costa del Sol supermarket chain Cayetano & Euromarket to find out what foods expats just cannot live without…. exact), thousands of packets of Burton’s biscuits to accompany the all-important cuppa, and a surprising amount of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (6,000 tubs in the first six months of the year).

The Spanish write beans off as part of a high calorie English breakfast but expats love it It all goes to show that expats know what they like and being thousands of miles away from home doesn’t change that.

With this in mind supermarkets along the Costa del Sol have succumbed to the man-

tra ‘the customer is king’ and have adapted to the consumer habits of the ‘guiris’ who want to buy imported goods.

“Since the beginning of tourism in the area, we have tried to offer all kinds of products to suit our customers,” explains Rosa Gomez, marketing director for Cayetano & Euromarket, whose father Cayetano Gomez Vaquer launched the company in 1930.

“Cayetano & Euromarket has always been based on two fundamental premises: variety, which is more or less obvious from the number of different items on sale and the attention paid to foreign clients, and secondly, quality.”

Today the company, which has outlets spread through-

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favourites out Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, San Pedro and Estepona, offers no fewer than 70,000 different items, of which 20,000 (nearly 30%) are imported goods.

It is certainly paying off with the supermarket seeing foreigners make up around 80% of customers.

And it is not just the British hankering after their country’s delicacies.

Interestingly, the chain’s first imports from northern Europe came from Denmark and it continues to be the country where they get the most goods including the famous Danish Bacon and Havarti cheese.

Meanwhile 10,000 tins of Arenques S.Rollmops Skipper have been flying off the shelves this year as German customers are also stocking up on their favourite things.

So here we look at some of the other popular products that expats simply cannot do without...

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the FREE

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FINAL WORDS

A SENEGALESE man has been deported for attempting to snatch a three-year-old child from a park in Malaga.

John Leach, a 65-year-old former El Dorado actor is still missing after disappearing from his home in Mijas on August 21.

Fuel woe

Petrol and diesel prices are now at record highs in Spain - hitting € 1.5 a litre - yet continue to be cheaper than elsewhere in Europe.

September

06 - 19, 2012

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Vodka shots for Alex ‘Ugly competition’ keeps Spain smiling

Adios abductor

Missing

Onwards and upwards in 2012 with 186,000 papers www.theolivepress.es (120,000 digital) and around 150,000 visits to the website each month… The Olive Press just keeps growing!

GRIMACES: Some contestants

70 years young

A SCOTTISH writer has discovered a hamlet in Spain where the youngest resident is 70 years old.

Tom Pow travelled to Villabandin in Castile Leon for his latest book, In Another World: among Europe’s Dying Villages.

According to Pow, social and economic change has drained many remote villages of people, with only the old and retired remaining.

MEN and women of all ages have come out to compete in Bilbao’s annual ‘ugly competition’ contorting their faces into the foulest expression they could manage – the uglier, the better.

The contest provided a bit of comic relief amid the on-going economic crisis, proving that Spaniards have not lost their sense of humour.

It was the highlight of Bilbao’s ‘Big Week’, a nineday festival begun in 1978, which features fireworks, concerts, and bullfights along with food stands and dancing in the streets.

Barcelona’s boy wonder Boy with no feet earns place on key training camp AN 11-year-old boy who was born without feet has incredibly earned a place to train with Barcelona FC. Gabriel Muniz from Brazil, was initially offered a place at the team’s training academy in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, after appearing on a national sports programme.

despite his physical limitations.

“He started walking before he was one. We would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never

did,” she said.

Last year he was donated foot-ankle prosthesis, but he discards them to play football, often against boys twice his size.

Skilful

But his story and skills so impressed the club’s managers he has now been invited to the team’s Spanish camp in September.

This skilful youngster, who is one of the best soccer players in his school despite not having feet, will now get to meet his hero Lionel Messi.

According to his mother Sandra Muniz, Gabriel has always lived a normal life

SPORTING MIRACLE: Gabriel Muniz

All roads lead to Cartama CRICKET fans from up and down the Costa del Sol will be flocking down to the Oval this month... the Cartama Oval that is!

They will be attending Andalucia’s first charity cricket festival from September 27 to 29.

Raising money for local cancer charity Cudeca, the three day festival also aims to raise the profile of cricket in southern Spain.

“The Cartama Oval is an incredible place,” explains Yorkshireman Tim Meal, 57, from Alora.

“Few people realise we have a league playing almost every weekend here.

“There are players from eight nationalities ranging from aged 19 to 70, yet most people have no idea about us.”

The games are free to watch and there will be a raffle with many prizes.

Contact Tim (662 233 302) for more information.

BURPEE CHALLENGE WANT to be a record breaker?

Sotogrande-based fitness instructor JoJo France is looking for volunteers of all shapes, and sizes to join a Guinness World Record attempt for the most collective burpees done in one hour.

Each person in the team will aim to do 600 burpees, with all money going towards the local Patricia Darch cancer charity.

The group are hoping to raise €20,000 in the attempt which will take place at The Courtyard, Mar y Sol in Sotogrande on September 14.

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the explicit permission of the publisher. While efforts are made to ensure the authenticity of advertisements and articles appearing in The Olive Press, the publisher does not accept any responsibility for claims made, nor do contributors’ opinions necessarily represent his own. Copyright Luke Stewart Media S.L 2012