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AFTER a ten-year battle and nearly €100,000 spent installing electricity pylons expats Ken and Val Kendal are still living in the Dark Ages. Despite going through dozens of hoops – and meticulously filling in forms for both the local and regional authorities – the couple in Yunquera have been told they cannot have electricity. Due to a recent change in the law they have been told by their local town hall that it would be illegal to flick the switch. “That is after we spent all this money carefully installing a dozen pylons exactly where we were told,” Ken Kendal, 66, from Manchester told the Olive Press. “It has been going on for a decade and at every stage the Junta, town hall and the Ministry of Industry has had to pass everything. “And just as we get to the final hurdle they do this to us. It has become a very stupid situation and we desperately want answers.” The couple had moved into their home in stunning countryside, near the vil-
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WASTE: A pylon and (top right) Ken
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Expats spend €90,000 installing 12 pylons and cables across their land only to be told, sorry, we can’t give you electricity
and got in touch with Endesa in the hope of installing electricity. But nothing was straightforward, in particular because the houses originally only had licences as ‘casas de aperos’ – basically a tool shed or The cortijo that barn. But, with the help of inspired Lorca’s Blood Wedding the authorities and See full electricity company story on Sevillana Endesa they page 8 struggled on and got the pylons and cabling installed in exactly the correct way. Everything seemed to be going to plan until they were told by the town hall that because of a change in the law last year they couldn’t get the right permission needed to turn on the power.“The new
SAFE AT LAST...
Don’t let the Don’t thein bankslet cash banks cash in www.hifx.co.uk www.hifx.co.uk see page 13 seepage page13 4 see
January 24 - Feb 6, 2013
LIGHT YEARS BEHIND!
lage, in 2002. After initially installing solar panels for electricity and purchasing a back up generator they joined forces with two Spanish neighbours
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EXCLUSIVE By Frances Leate law means you can only have electricity in the countryside for a shed for animals and not a house for humans,” continued Kendal. “It is so unfair... Everything was in place and all Endesa had to do was install a meter and turn the electric on. “But the town hall has told Endesa it is not possible because of this law, which no-one, including staff at Endesa had heard of. It has become a total nightmare.” When the Olive Press spoke to the deputy mayor of the town hall he insisted however, that it was not its fault.
“The problem is that by law we are now not allowed to give a licence of first occupation to any house that has a licence as a tool shed and that is what Endesa require. “Of course we really sympathise with their plight and know they have spent a mountain of money. “If a new attempt by their neighbours to get a licence does not work, then we will try and get it sorted out by getting a licence for a water pump. “Somehow we will get this sorted out,” he promised.
PM to probe €22m PP slush fund SPAIN’S leader Mariano Rajoy has ordered an ‘exhaustive’ audit of his party’s accounts amid claims that top officials received illegal cash payments. PP bosses were allegedly given ‘cash-stuffed envelopes’ as bonus payments from a €22 million slush fund controlled by former PP treasurers. The allegations stretch back to the 1990s and implicate former Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and even Rajoy himself. The money was allegedly handled by former treasurers Alvaro Lapuerta and Luis Barcenas, with the latter now under investigation for alleged money laundering and tax evasion. The first audit will be conducted by party treasurer Turn to Page 10
Cudeca man missing
Have you been affected by something similar? Email newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call 952 895 230.
Horse burgers withdrawn on the Costa del Sol..see page 45
Full story on page 5
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the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013 A TIMESHARE salesman convicted of running dodgy cashback schemes on the Costa del Sol is planning to pump €17 million into his old rugby club. Tony Larvin, 48, hopes to take over indebted Hull Kingston Rovers, where he played as a teenager, despite conning hundreds of holiday makers in Spain. Larvin (left), who still claims he is innocent, spent five months in a Spanish prison after his firm, Cashback Promotions, conned clients out of millions in investment funds. The conman – a former as-
CRIME NEWS
RUCK YOU!
Costa timeshare crook to sink millions into his beloved Hull Kingston Rovers rugby club By Mason Jones sociate of the late seasoned fraudster Garry Leigh – now lives the millionaire lifestyle. The businessman, now
based in the UK, brushed off his damaged reputation and urged people to judge him on what he can do for the struggling club and not on his past. He said: “They were com-
Rape victim confronts her attacker
A BRAVE rape victim has had to face her attacker in court four years after he brutally raped and beat her, leaving her for dead, in Mallorca. Cheryl Maddison, 25, moved to the island in 2008 to start a new life but just six days after she was brutally attacked. Appearing at Palma provincial court she told a panel of judges how Moroccan, Mohammed Fadel El Anssari, followed her to her rented flat and sexually assaulted her on the balcony before taking her into the bedroom and raping her. She said: “I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was by myself in the bedroom. There was blood coming out of my chest. That’s when he entered the room again.
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“He put a knife into my neck and it went right in. I thought he wanted me to die.” After her attacker left, Miss Maddison used a pillow to stem the bleeding and staggered downstairs for help. After undergoing emergency surgery on wounds to her neck, throat, chest and back she made a recovery. Jaime Guasp, prosecuting, told how Anssari, a 31-year-old cocaine addict, had followed her back to her flat. Anssari wasn’t caught until 2011 following another attack on a British woman and a lengthy undercover operation. Police were able to track him down from DNA left on a cigarette butt in Miss Maddison’s flat.
pletely false accusations and I have spent a long time, and a lot of money, clearing my name.” He added: “I have no case to answer and I am here now, trying to do my best for Hull. I hope fans will give me that chance.” The businessman claims he is funding the investment with money he earned from working with investment banks and hedge fund companies since being released from prison in Spain.
Investments
BRAVE: Cheryl Maddison
The Olive Press reported in 2011 how Larvin had bought stunning Bentley Hall, in the village of Beverley and was driving a top-of-therange Mercedes. A close family source said: “That’s not bad for a guy who left Spain with what he could carry in the back of his car. “He says he earns his money in investments but I don’t know how because he doesn’t do anything all day.”
Merry dance comes to a sorry end A FORMER Moulin Rouge dancer has been jailed for benefit fraud after fleeing to Spain. Benefit cheat Dawn Orton, 47, was locked up for 12 months after being convicted of cheating the taxpayer out of as much as €100,000. The mother-of-two had been sentenced in her absence at Hull Crown Court after absconding to the Costa del Sol. A request to have the case transferred to Gibraltar was ignored and an international arrest warrant was issued. She eventually handed herself into police last week. Orton claimed thousands in lone widow payments following the death of her husband, despite being in a long-term relationship with a wealthy businessman. She also claimed incapacity benefit payments for a shoulder injury, despite continuing to play badminton and enjoying skiing holidays.
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King’s head in a Noos By Mason Jones
IN what could see his popularity plummet further, King Juan Carlos faces more embarrassment over the threatened release of 200 emails. One of the emails, which has already been leaked, has already caused speculation regarding the close friendship of the monarch and German aristocrat Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Sayn-Wittgenstein, who is 28 years younger than King Carlos, first made headlines when it was revealed she had accompanied him on his much-publicised elephant hunt last year.
Blackmail
The documents are currently in the hands of Diego Torres, former business partner and alleged coconspirator in the on-going case of the King’s son-inlaw Inaki Urdangarin. In what has been called ‘public blackmail’, Torres has said he will release the 200 emails unless prosecutors spare him jail for the embezzlement charges he faces. He and Urdangarin are accused of embezzling public funds through a non-profit organisation The Noos Institute they ran in Mallorca. The Institute was involved in the sponsorship of sporting events and conferences.
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So who’s the daddy Monica? PENELOPE Cruz’s 35-year-old single sister, Monica, has revealed she has fallen pregnant by artificial insemination. The Spanish beauty explained she had employed the procedure because she feared she would not meet a man in time to conceive naturally. The Agent Provocateur model wrote
on her blog: “I am going to be a mother! I have managed to fulfil the dream of a lifetime and to get pregnant, I turned to artificial insemination.” And she added: “I want to show my thanks to all those anonymous men that help to give many women like me, the dream of their lives.”
Here to stay and not to go now! People power leads to plaza being named after UK rock legend Joe Strummer A GRASS roots campaign has led to a Spanish square being named after British punk rocker Joe Strummer. It comes after more than
By Frances Leate 2,000 local residents backed the campaign, which has been supported by the Olive Press since 2011. Granada town hall has confirmed that a square will be named Plaza de Joe Strummer. The Clash front man - a long-time advocate of ‘people power’ – was a regular visitor to the city and had a home in nearby Almeria. Strummer, who namechecked Granada in The Clash’s London Calling al-
bum track Spanish Bombs, died of a heart attack at the age of 50 in 2002. The unlikely local hero – whose hits included Should I Stay or Should I Go Now and Rock the Kasbah - first visited the city in the 1970s with Spanish girlfriend Paloma Romero, of fellow band The Slits. He later had a home in San Jose, in Almeria, and became involved in local group, 091. Daniel Galan from Granada City Council said: “The initiative came from a neigh-
Shower of compassion SOON-to-be parents Shakira and Gerard Pique have invited the public to their upcoming baby shower. But the ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ singer and her Barcelona footballer boyfriend have opted for more charitable gift suggestions than blankets and teddy bears. Teaming up with UNICEF to host a ‘virtual baby shower’, fans of the couple can purchase presents for needy children around the world. While the due date has not yet been revealed, the couple will soon be joined by a baby boy at their home in Barcelona.
bourhood association, backed by some political parties and was approved. “It was a popular movement. It is very well-known the connection between Joe and the city and people still remember him.” He added: “Joe loved Granada, he loved the whole of Spain but he had a very good connection with Granada because he was friends with 091.”
LINCOLN UP
PRESIDENTIAL: Day-Lewis, Spielberg and Field
HOLLYWOOD royalty has graced Madrid as Steven Spielberg premiered his latest film Lincoln at the Casa de America. The 66-year-old director was joined by actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays the U.S president, and his onscreen wife Sally Field. Lewis, 55, is tipped to make movie history by scooping three Oscars for his portrayal of the president just weeks after picking up a Golden Globe. Oscar rival Bradley Cooper was also in Madrid the same evening to promote his latest flick Silver Linings Playbook.
Make way Hollywood ARE you a budding film-maker with a blockbuster up your sleeve? Marbella International Film Festival (MIIF) has announced it is now accepting submissions for films, documentaries, short films and animation pieces for this year’s festival in October. Submissions are free. For more details go to www.marbellafilmfestival.com
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the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 20134
NEWS
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A BRITISH holidaymaker who went missing more than two months ago has now apparently been spotted in Vera, Almeria. Fears for the safety of Robert Golden, 54, from Sussex,
NEWS
Moving South have been growing since he failed to return from a walking holiday in November. After seeing the appeal in the Olive Press, David Barnet, a resident of Vera, was shocked to see an unshaven
Seen Richard? CONCERN is growing for an elderly charity worker who has not been seen in more than a week. British expat, Richard Sturman, 82, a volunteer at the Cudeca Hospice in Torremolinos, was last seen finishing his shift at 1pm on January 15. Sturman, who is described as being frail, usually boards the Torremolinos bus at Lidl before getting off at McDonald’s, also in the town. From there he walks to his apartment in La Nogalera, near the Plaza Costa del Sol. Anyone who thinks they may have seen him is urged to contact local police on 952378448 or the Cudeca Centre on 952564910.
EXCLUSIVE By Frances Leate
Mr Golden walking past his home on January 9. Walking towards the AP-7
the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
Missing Robert Golden has been spotted by Olive Press reader in Almeria motorway, Mr Golden appeared dishevelled and was carrying a large knapsack. Mr Barnet, who is deaf, told a friend who then reported it to Sussex Police. His friend, Jeff Kember, said: “We hope the police can follow this up and find him, because he seems disorientated and it is a worry.” Golden failed to return from a two week walking holiday after flying to Sevilla on November 5. The IT worker from Sussex told friends he planned to go trekking around Andalucia and has not used his bank card since November 8. The sighting follows a number of reports of Mr Golden being seen in the Alicante area, reported in the Olive Press. Have you seen Golden? Call us on 952 895 230 or email: newsdesk@theolivepress. es. Also call Sussex Police on 0044 1273 475432 quoting serial 0804 of 21/11.
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News IN BRIEF
Help Fleur find a home AN expat who is preparing to return to the UK due to a chronic disease is appealing for a new home for her beloved dog. Tara Benedict, 50, of Estepona, suffers from bowel disease and has fallen into financial difficulty. It has meant she has had to make the heartbreaking decision to re-home her seven-year-old Boxer, Fleur, who she has had since finding her as a puppy on the streets of Fuengirola. She said: “I am barely well enough to even get myself back and there is no way I can do it with a dog as well. I have no choice, I need to be repatriated by the UK. It would take a weight off my mind to know someone could take her and love her. She is a beautiful dog, I hope I can find her a good home.” Fleur is good with children and is in good health with all her vaccinations up to date. Contact Tara via email: tsbenedict@yahoo.com or call 672926573.
Horse cruelty A MAN who allegedly beat his horse to death after it lost a race has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
Hotel anger Around 150 workers demonstrated outside the Melia La Quinta hotel in Benahavis after owners announced they plan to cut staff and only open four months of the year.
Lucky lady Dating service Perfect Liaisons is offering women who join the site before February 11 the chance to win a Valentine’s Day date at a top restaurant in Puerto Banus.
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the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
OPINION Not switched on Another week another story about people getting bogged down in red tape. And this week, even a seemingly simple task like getting electricity installed in your home can result in a minefield of paperwork that would leave even the most patient of souls at their wit’s end. It took expats Ken and Val Kendal the best part of a decade and €90,000 just to be told by the powers that be that they could not get electricity at their home because of a tedious new law. And the fact they had already erected 12 pylons and all the necessary cabling held no weight in swaying the decision. This sorry tale can’t help but provoke thoughts of the famous Little Britain sketch, ‘Computer says no!’ The sketch pokes fun at bureaucracy in the UK, but in reality the red tape is nothing compared to what people can sometimes experience in Spain. The plight of the Kendal family and their frustrated neighbours is just another story that suggests Spain really isn’t as switched on as it should be.
Culture kings THE opening weeks of 2013 may have been dominated by yet more economic gloom, not to mention gloomier weather - but at least Spain’s cultural heritage has reason to be cheerful. The news that Cortijo del Fraile - the iconic building which inspired Lorca’s Blood Wedding - is finally to be restored is heartwarming. The 18th century farmhouse is in desperate need of repairs, but given Spain’s economic plight, the idea of letting it fall into further disrepair is beyond comprehension when considering the potential tourism revenue it could generate. Meanwhile, the decision to honour former Clash singer Joe Strummer by naming a plaza in Granada after him looks like another good decision from a tourism point of view. The city already has a reputation for its Bohemian lifestyle thanks to a large student population. And associating itself with a British music icon who adopted the city as his second home will do no harm in attracting the sort of crowd looking for an addition to the Alhambra.
Nice to be liked IT is always nice to be liked, and 1,000 of you feel exactly that way about the Olive Press. Thanks to a click of the mouse by a man named Tony Stratham, our Facebook page now has 1,000 ‘likes’ while an additional 1,876 of you follow us on Twitter. With both pages updated the second a news story is published, you are sure to get the latest scoops first. So, if you are not already part of the ever-growing Olive Press online community, head to facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or follow @olivepress on Twitter.
theEE
olive press
The original and only English-language
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Tel: 951166060 (admin) or 952895230 (editorial) 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: Frances Leate frances@theolivepress.es Mason Jones mason@theolivepress.es
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RICKS were hurled down Whitechapel Road and lorries overturned to barricade London’s East End. Over 300,000 people had gathered on October 4 1936 to block the route of Oswald Mosley and his 5,000 fascist Blackshirts. Jews and Irish Catholics stood side-by-side with communists, trade unionists and Labour party members chanting – in Spanish - ‘No pasaran’ - ‘They shall not pass’. A huge riot broke out and police horses fell on marbles as the commissioner called for the route to be cleared for the Blackshirts, but the East End refused to budge. Mosley would not march down Cable Street. This would be Spanish Civil War hero David Lomon’s first battle against the wave of fascism that was goose-stepping its way across Europe. Next time, however, it would not be on the streets of Hackney and he would be the one outnumbered. Born to Jewish parents, David would go on to join 35,000 other men and women from across the globe to aid the Republican fight against General Franco and his fascist regime in Spain. From where the famous term ‘No pasaran’ had heralded, most of the 2,500 British volunteers had no experience of war and came largely from working class backgrounds. Although volunteers came from a vast mixture of religions and classes, not to mention political backgrounds, they all shared one common ideal; that fascism had to be stopped. “The awful realisation that fascism was on the march right across Europe created a strong desire to act,” said the late International Brigade soldier Jack Jones, being interviewed before his death in 2009. “The march had started with Mussolini and had gained terrible momentum with Hitler and was being carried forward by Franco,” added the veteran. “We wanted to halt the march.” Many members of the Jewish community joined the group
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No pasaran After the death of Britain’s last Spanish Civil War hero David Lomon (left), Mason Jones looks at the incredible bravery and sacrifice the men of the rag-taggle army of the International Brigades made coming to fight Franco in Spain
BREAK: International brigade troops stop for a musical interlude after hearing of the antiSemitism being preached throughout Europe, while numerous literary figures included W. H. Auden, George Orwell and Laurie Lee. Cider with Rosie writer Lee said: “I believe we shared something unique to us at that time, the chance to make one grand and uncomplicated gesture of personal sacrifice and faith, which might never occur again. “Few of us yet knew that we had come to a war of antique muskets and jamming machine-guns, to be led by brave but bewildered amateurs. “But for the moment there were no half-truths and hesitations, we had found a new
freedom, almost a new morality, and discovered a new Satan, fascism.” Later that year a 19-year-old David Lomon – whose death last month heralded the last in a generation of defenders of the Republic from the UK – didn’t even tell his mother he had signed up to cross the Pyrenees to receive his first taste of military service. With British and French prime
Frostbite had already claimed many casualties when the heavy artillery arrived ministers Stanley Baldwin and Leon Blum calling for Europe not to intervene in the Spanish Civil War, the International Brigade volunteers would have to travel with caution. As they crossed the huge geographical range that marked the border of Spain, they firstly had to avoid French border police carrying out orders to stop any would-be Republicans. The successful ones would spend the night in the castle of Figueras, and from there travel by rail to Albacete which had been assigned as the main International Brigade base in the Autumn of 1936. Men were then divided up according to their origin – and
mostly language - and dispatched to appropriate battalions. Training was limited for the volunteers, as were resources and weaponry. The Soviet Union had started to ship arms to the Republicans, but their efforts could not match the weapons or man-power being supplied to Franco by both Nazi-Germany and Italy who broke the nonintervention agreement almost immediately. Lomon would soon be fighting the fascist ideals that had invaded London and driven him to leave for Spain, but the fight would be very different from Cable Street. He was quickly dispatched to the battle of Teruel, perhaps the bloodiest of the entire war, which began in December 1937 during one of the worst winters in 20 years. Lomon was one of the 100,000 strong team assigned to capture the provincial capital and distract Franco from Madrid. By Christmas in a bloody battle they had made it into Teruel and through treacherous conditions sent the Nationalist defenders packing. But Franco was quick with a counter-attack, sending in more troops to apply pressure to the Republican offensive. Frostbite had already claimed many casualties when the heavy artillery of the Nationalist troops arrived on New Year’s Day. The Republicans could no longer hold on to the town when Nationalists surround-
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BRIGADES: Stations of the British battalions ed Teruel on February 20 and the remaining survivors were forced to retreat. After what had been a two-month struggle through constant blizzards and the bloodshed of over 140,000 casualties from each side combined, Lomon and an exhausted brigade moved on to enter yet another brutal battle, the battle for Aragon. With a large portion of the Republican army still suffering from Teruel, many of the front line troops in Aragon were inexperienced and ill-equipped as weapon supplies began to dry up from the Soviet Union. Franco, with the aid of Nazi-Germany, hammered the Republican forces with air
strikes and artillery attacks while Italian dictator Mussolini supplied thousands of additional troops. The plains of Aragon provided perfect landing pads for Nationalist aerial artillery, driving the Republicans out of position and forcing retreat. The US, Canadian and British battalions of the brigade were the last ones to pull out from the bomb-wrecked region, but many were not so lucky. Lomon was one of hundreds of men captured by Nationalists and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp in San Pedro de Cardenos. Subjected to beatings, denied medical
7 olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013 the aid and living on starvation rations, one in five of the foreign volunteers died in the prison. Fortunately David made it out alive later that year when he was exchanged for Italian prisoners held captive in Britain. He headed straight back to England. He was lucky not to have been put in prison on his return and soon married an English woman and went on to have three children. While he was drafted to fight in World War II, he survived to go on and work in a clothes shop called Barnett Lawson Trimmings for 35 years. He retired in 1982 as Managing Director. Franco’s eventual victory proved what many of the volunteers had predicted before they had even left the British Isles. They realised that Spain would be the testing ground for fascism, and should it triumph it would be exercised on a much larger scale. Adolf Hitler would soon be causing more bloodshed with iron and steel supplied by none other than General Franco. Whatever political alignment the volunteers of the International Brigade may have had, they were all united by the chant of ‘They shall not pass’... a cry, which sadly fell on deaf ears as Franco eventually rolled them over to win the civil war. Either way, as the family of David Lomon gathered to say goodbye to the late Londoner last week, Great Britain, Spain and Europe should say thank you to one of its many unassuming war heroes.
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News IN BRIEF Tourist trip MANILVA’S tourist office received over 4,000 visitors in 2012, with the majority being British and French.
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TRAGEDY ENDS? By Mason Jones
FOR years it has been allowed to crumble brick by brick into the ground. Entrepreneurs and Now, after years of legal new businesses wrangling, one of Andaluare being offered cia’s most evocative monudiscounted office ments has been saved from space at Alhaurin de certain destruction. la Torre’s Business Cortijo del Fraile – the Initiatives Centre. building which inspired Federico Garcia Lorca to write his play Blood Wedding – has finally been taken over by the Junta. A haul of 8,500 illegal weight-loss pills has been In a deal between Nijar seized and two men arrested Town Hall and the ownin Malaga after the pair ers of the finca, the Junta’s started selling the drugs Ministry of Culture will now online. take it over to be restored.
Fresh ideas
Fat busters
A celebrated farmhouse that inspired one of Spain’s most famous plays is to finally be restored after years of neglect
The historic 18th century farmhouse – where in 1931 a bride was killed on her wedding day – will now get urgent work to prevent its collapse. Although classed as a
Green and pleasant land
‘Building of Cultural Interest’ (BIC) in 2008, it disgracefully suffered years of neglect, after the authorities insisted it was the owners who were responsible for maintaining it.
MacAnthony property embargo likely A MARBELLA-based law firm is confident of embargoing the sale of a €20 million villa belonging to Irish property tycoon Darragh MacAnthony. It comes despite a Spanish court quashing an investigation into alleged fraud by the entrepreneur on the grounds that it did not have jurisdiction over the case. The Peterborough United chairman is accused of swindling up to 50 people out of between €10,000 and €15,000, put down as deposits for furniture bought through his MRI firm. The court ruled that it was unable to preside over the case because the alleged of-
fences did not occur in Spain. But Lawbird has appealed against the decision insisting the case involves two Spanish-registered companies. “We are confident the judge will re-open the case when she realises there is clearly a case to answer,” lawyer Antonio Flores told the Olive Press. “If the judge does not change her mind we will appeal to the provincial court in Malaga, but we don’t think that will be necessary.” The luxury six-bedroom property, situated in the hills above Marbella’s Golden Mile, includes a pool, six bathrooms and currently also costs €5,000 per day to rent.
12: THE UNLUCKY NUMBER FOR OUR 1212-12 GIRL
In May last year, the owner, a local agrobusiness, was fined €30,000 for breaching preservation duties, sparking a row between Nijar and the Junta. Its appalling state led the Olive Press to start campaigning for its future two years ago. Nijar mayor Antonio Jesus Rodriguez said this week: “Now it’s time to act quickly so that everything is processed in the shortest time possible and work can begin on the maintenance, preservation and rehabilitation.” It is thought the building could be worth around €4 million once restored to its former glory. It is believed it could become a major tourist attraction for the stunning Cabo de Gata natural park, where it sits.
A GIRL who celebrated her 12th birthday on the 12-12-12 ended up spending the day in hospital after breaking her arm. It comes after we wrote about Abi Savage’s auspicious birthday last month. Sadly, poor Abi fell off her bike on the very same day and spent her eerily dated birthday at the same hospital where she was born exactly 12 years earlier. Left with a broken arm, the tennis loving youngster has started 2013 in plaster. Her mum, Nuala, said: “She was thrilled when she first saw the paper. “But she fell off her bike on her birthday so we ended up, 12 years later, back at Materno Infantil.” The once-in-a-lifetime coincidence of her birth date and her age was even more surreal because of the fact she was also born at midday.
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Emotional reunion for ‘stolen baby’ Bar owner who was snatched because his parents were NOT married, discovers them 50 years later STILL together By Frances Leate
A MAN who discovered he was one of a generation of ‘stolen babies’ has tracked down his birth parents. Almost half a century after Quique Olivert was taken from his mother during the Franco regime, the bar owner from Huelva traced his lost parents to discover they were STILL together. Dictator Franco’s fascist regime incredibly allowed children to be taken from their parents on moral or ideological grounds. In Olivert’s case the nuns in the centre where his mother gave birth in 1965 took him from her because she was NOT married to his father. Olivert tracked down his parents to Bilbao, northern Spain, to discover his mum, 70 and father, 75, still lived together. He said: “My mother broke down when she saw me. “She told me that she had never abandoned me... that they stole me from her arms and she never knew whether
Energy firm evacuates workers in Algeria ENERGY giant Cepsa says it has evacuated an unspecified number of workers from two oil facilities in Algeria. The move follows the taking of hostages by Islamist militants at a gas plant in the same region. The mostly Spanish workers have been moved to an area in the centre of the country and the measure was ‘purely precautionary’. Cepsa, owned by Spanish company International Petroleum Investment Company, gets half its production from Algeria. Repsol meanwhile said it was operating as normal in Algeria, where it has less than 10 workers. Spain receives just under half its gas supplies from Algeria.
REUNITED: Olivert found his parents I was alive or dead.” He added: “It was very emotional.” The 47-year-old was able to find other family, including a sister, through
charity SOS Bebes Robados, an organisation that campaigns for the estimated hundreds of thousands of people ‘stolen’ as babies.
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PM orders ‘exhaustive’ audit amid claims of €22m slush fund From Page 1
Carmen Navarro before being handed over to an independent firm. “We will turn over every piece of paper if we have to,” said PP secretary general Maria Dolores de Cospedal. She added: “If we have to review the party’s finances 1,001 times we will do so.” Socialist party leader Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba announced he will file a criminal complaint against the PP over the payments. He has called for a full parliamentary investigation into the affair. It comes after the PP president of Malaga Ignacio Gonzalez was forced to admit he owns a €770,000 home in Marbella, bought via an offshore company in the US. He initially claimed he was merely renting the property for €2,000 a month. Now amid claims of tax fraud over its purchase, he has been forced to come clean. An initial investigation led to the disciplinary action of two Marbella policemen for not informing their political bosses. However, Estepona court quietly continued the investigation, revealing the details last week. It has led to a local political leader to liken the attempt to hide the purchase from the taxman as being like ‘banana republic politics’.
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GIBRALTAR NEWS
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Policeman slain in shooting Three men held on suspicion of attempted murder following incident on the Rock A POLICEMAN seriously injured after being shot in Gibraltar is recovering in hospital after leaving in-
tensive care. The 38-year-old Gibraltar Defence Police officer is receiving specialist treat-
ment in Spain after being shot in the abdomen at Europa Point. Three men in their 30s
Spain blocks flight plan THE British government has slammed a plan to exclude Gibraltar from a key European airspace initiative. The Spanish foreign ministry is to veto the Single European Sky scheme, set up by the EU to accommodate the growing level of air traffic in Europe. The plan involves dividing the continent up into blocks of airspace, which would ignore national boundaries, placing Gibraltar and Spain together.
Spain is now being accused of turning its back on a 2006 tripartite agreement which gave Gibraltar an equal say along with the UK over issues concerning the Rock. “Under the Cordoba Agreement of September 2006 Spain agreed to stop seeking the suspension of Gibraltar Airport from future EU aviation measures,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. “The UK will continue to do all it can to hold Spain to its international commitment.”
have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and are continuing to help police with their enquiries after a magistrate agreed to give officers more time to question the trio. Two guns have been recovered, one from the sea bed, while six vehicles have been seized and nine properties searched on the Rock. The shooting of the unnamed officer, who was off-duty at the time, is not thought to be linked to his work. Police have appealed for anybody in the area of Europa Point on Tuesday between 3pm and 5.30pm to call 00350 200 72500.
Gib makes history GIBRALTAR is to make history by holding the first ever leadership election of a major political party on the Rock. The battle to lead the Gibraltar Social Democrats opposition party will be contested by acting leader Daniel Feetham and Damon Bossino. The position became available after party leader Peter Caruana announced his decision to step down at the end of January.
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Gib IN BRIEF Busy traffic
GIBRALTAR’S border queue website frontierqueue.gi had 100,000 hits in its first month, according to the government.
Cough caution A whooping cough vaccination programme for pregnant women has been introduced by health officials on the Rock.
Green greeting
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has returned from a trip to Washington during which he attended meetings related to last year’s Thinking Green conference.
Terror raid
Moroccan officials have uncovered a jihadist terror cell linked to al Qaeda, in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
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AXARQUIA NEWS
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A lesson in violence By James Bryce
Teacher beaten up by parent of student told off for being late
STUDENTS and teachers have held a protest outside an Axarquia school after a member of staff was assaulted by the father of one of the pupils. The incident occ u r r e d when a student at IES Reyes Catolicos school in Velez MalThe animal is thought to have aga called died after being unable to get her father back into the water. after she Loggerhead turtles are reguwas told off larly beached on the Andalucian for being coastline as they attempt to travlate. el between the Atlantic Ocean When he and Mediterranean Sea. arrived at
Heavy load
A TRACTOR was needed to move a loggerhead sea turtle found dead on an Algarrobo beach. The creature, which was around two metres long, was spotted by passers-by before being reported to the Guardia Civil nature protection unit (Seprona).
the school, the man entered the classroom and assaulted the teacher by grabbing his head and pushing him to the ground. The attack, which took place in front of the girl’s classmates, left the teacher with an eye injury and cuts and bruises.
Disgusting
The 300-strong crowd later gathered to condemn the incident, which education authorities in Malaga described as ‘disgusting’. No action has yet been taken against the attacker. It follows a similar protest at another Andalucian school by 45 teachers after a member of staff was punched by a pupil. Education bosses at the Junta are investigating the case.
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POTTED POINTERS ANDALUCIA RESERVOIR LEVELS This week: 70.60% full Same week last year: 76.84% Same week in 2002: 51.24% 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 1.3258 American Dollars 0.8151 British Pounds 1.3114 Canadian Dollars 7.4605 Danish Kroner 10.275 H Kong Dollars 7.3611 Norwegian Kroner 1.6153 Singapore Dollars
Dear Olive Press I AM awaiting my first Winter Fuel Allowance payment, having been spurred into making a claim by one of your articles. Having lived in Spain since I was 48 (I am now 73) like many others it was not until 2012 I was able to claim. However, this week I read elsewhere that a lady was awaiting payment for last year and for the two years prior. I called the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to enquire about claiming for any years prior to 2011 but was told although it had been possible to claim back two years it was now too late. The person I spoke to said the information about being able to claim back payments for two years, was published on 11th July 2011. When I said I, nor anyone I knew, was aware they were able to claim she said the information was in the public domain. I suggested the DWP should have notified all those affected and maybe even automatically paid the allowance to those eligible. On http://www.nidirect. gov.uk/winter-fuel-paymen t-y ou -have-n ot - r e ceived-it-before it states if you receive a state pension
LETTERS
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A winter warmer for all you expats
or certain other benefits you will be paid automatically and don’t need to claim but it seems that does not actually apply. I get the distinct impression we are being cheated by DWP. I have a claim form for back payments which the manager emailed me and will make an out-of-date claim and see what happens. Other readers may like to do the same. Julian Ward, via email
Find my painter Several years ago I met with the artist Jim Park at his studio in Albunuelas and bought a painting from him. I recently tried to contact him via his website www. jimparkgallery.com only to find it is no longer in use. Do you know if he is still
Your starter for 10 - a Black Redstart Following an appeal to name a bird appearing in reader Phil Holman’s garden (issue 152), suggestions have flooded in. Here are a selection. The bird is an adult male Black Redstart (Colirrojo Tizón/Phoenicurus ochruros) a common species which winters at lower levels but breeds up in the higher sierras. Mick Richardson, Granada Wildlife
Your garden visitor is a male Black Redstart, a lovely and bright bird, which indeed can behave a bit like a Robin. We get to see these birds all year round in Malaga, however the ones that breed here and the ones seen in winter belong to slightly different sub-species. The birds like to approach patios and gardens, they love sitting on rooftops, fences, rocks on the ground - constantly flicking their rusty tails. Eva Monica Bratek, Walking and wildlife guide in Montejaque
working and has a different website address now? Patrick Meehan, Ipswich, UK ED: Can any of our readers shed any light on this, or indeed are you reading this yourself Jim Park?
Destroying my seaview home We bought our apartment at la Perla de la Bahia 10
years ago for more than €500,000. We have already lost a significant amount of money because of the recession but when we arrived here in mid November we woke the first morning to hear diggers in front of us digging down to accommodate La Sal beach bar which apparently had been given permission to move in front of la Perla de la Bahia by the Casares Town Hall in 2010. When we bought front line we did not think buildings would be allowed to be constructed in front if us by digging into the beach front.
The bird in question is a Black Redstart. A common winter visitor to our coast. Mike Smith, via email
We have been told all chinguitos will have to be moved off beaches within the next 75 years so why is this happening? We bought at la Perla for peace and quiet, now we will have noise from morning till late at night from March to November also we will suffer constant cooking smells. I would appreciate it if you could print my letter as a warning to all people from all over Europe who are thinking of buying in southern Spain as they need to know that buying frontline in a peaceful setting may not last forever if the Town Hall has anything to do with it.
Fight
Processionary problem Over the past week in Mijas, Alhaurin and Coin I have seen so many processionary caterpillar nests in the pine trees and many beside footpaths where families and dogs walk. In fact I have never seen the trees so laden with them and unless something is done soon I dread to think
what will happen when they come down from the nests. I wonder what the Guardia de Campo are doing, surely this should be their job? Either way, the town halls need to do something about it. Elizabeth email
Simner,
via
We are going to fight against this move all the way, I will be contacting newspapers in the UK, owners from other European countries who own apartments at la Perla (Norway, Holland, Germany etc) and will also be contacting newspapers in their own country and the British Consul in Spain to find out why this has been granted when the law on moving chinguitos has been relaxed. Ceri Bromley, Casares
PLE WR ASE ITE
Letters should be posted to Urb. Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 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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A
ll about
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January 23, 2013
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ndalucia Learning
the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
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A 12-page Olive Press education special
No more coasting! Ashley Bolton and Wendy Williams take a look at the rise of private education in southern Spain and explore its advantages over local state schools
I
PUNCTUALITY PICNIC: British School of Marbella (BSM) pupils have a day at the beach
T’S renowned for its beaches and good quality of life. But many parents moving to the Costa del Sol may be unaware that the coast supports over two dozen international schools. Between Sotogrande and Almunecar, a host of British, German, French and even Scandinavian schools compete with each other in the lucrative market of private education. With 20% of the Costa del Sol’s population officially foreign, it’s not surprising that so many expat schools have opened here. Marbella alone, home to more than 33,000 foreigners (population approximately 140,000) is reported to have the largest concentration of international schools after Madrid and Barcelona. The rise of the international schools can be attributed back to former dictator Franco who introduced tourism to the Costa del Sol in the 1960s as a way of combating poverty among the sleepy fishing ports. Since then, a steady influx of foreign-
ers have decided to settle in their thousands along the coast making it a true melting pot of cultures. With English establishing itself as the lingua franca of the world and arguably the language of tourism (the Costa del Sol’s main source of income), British schools have flourished and are said to account for roughly two-thirds of the private schools on the coast. One of the oldest is Swans School in Marbella, which opened in 1971, while neighbouring Aloha College was established in 1982. The spread of British schools goes from Sotogrande in the West to Almunecar in the East. The most recent international school, The British School of Marbella, opened in September 2010 and is already looking to expand to a second campus in the town. Most British schools are members of the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS) and are inspected regularly in a manner similar to the UK’s Ofsted inspections. Turn to Page 20
Education special
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MAKING THE GRADE - WHICH QUALIFICATION IS BEST FOR YOU? TOUGH educational decisions do not just begin and end with choosing the right school. Parents and pupils also have to choose the right type of qualification for them. With a choice of three routes in Spain,
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Dubbed as the new gold standard for bagging a guaranteed university place, the qualification requires the pupil to take six subjects and three at a higher level. The subjects taken must include maths, science, English and at least one foreign language-that includes a 4,000 word essay. Targeted at students between 16 to 18, the IB takes two years to study like A-levels. Pauline Elkin, whose daughter attends Sotogrande School, said: “The IB has a more international outlook than A-Levels and certainly suits many students with its wider approach.”
the decision will come down to the individuals career plans, choice of university degree and whether they are academically minded or prefer a more practical approach to learning. They are:
A-Levels A-levels focus more on individual subject knowledge and pupils who are aiming for a degree in the sciences, maths, engineering or medicine are sometimes thought to be better off taking them because they focus on the subjects more related to their future discipline, rather than the broader education of the IB. It is also the qualification most recognised by employers and universities in the UK, although this is changing. Ron Griffin, director of EIC, in Marbella, said: “Alevels are better suited to those students who are prepared to study indepth, and research their subjects as they learn.”
The International Diploma With the International Diploma students have two choices: the academic pathway or the vocational pathway. Either pathway allows students to gain the equivalent of 4 A-Levels and the same number of UCAS points. The vocational route, uniquely, does not involve sitting exams with students instead continually assessed and graded. Karen McGeoghie, headteacher at the Mayfair International Academy, in Estepona, said: “The qualification is recognised by universities and employers worldwide, allowing students on either pathway to continue on to further education or to embark on their choice of career.”
From Page 19
It’s worth noting that all international schools are fee paying compared to Spanish state schools which are open to all EU citizens and free from pre-school to 18. And it’s not just foreigners sending their children to international schools. Many schools along the coast have a large number of Spanish pupils enrolling as parents discover that being fluent in another language gives them an advantage in the job market. But whatever the future holds for the Costa del Sol, it can only be a good thing for the economy that a new generation are growing up multi-lingual.
So what to choose? Of course the school or college you choose will depend on many variables: distance from home, budget, academic standards and style of teaching, etc. But the main choice to make is whether you want your child to go to a Spanish school or an international school. Current figures show that around 80% of expats actually send their children to the local state schools (the colegios for primary school children and institutos for secondary school kids). This has two very obvious
A world
COMPETITION: Street hockey game at Mayfair
advantages. The first is that the kids will pick up Spanish effortlessly and, secondly, they should find it easy to integrate quickly into your new home country. In fact, experts have suggested children under nine usually pick up Spanish in just a year, simply by socialising with Spaniards. The second benefit is that the schooling comes free of charge from the age of three, when children can attend infantil or pre-escolar (basically nursey). Well, that is apart from the cost of books, any trips and a uniform (if there is one, usually not).
However, there are potential pitfalls with state schools. While younger children often thrive in state schools and the integration of foreign kids is usually managed with skill and consideration, older children with limited Spanish often have a hard time adjusting. There are grim stories of Costa secondary schools where guiris are ignored by the teachers and left entirely untutored. And the later they start the more likely they will need a Spanish tutor charging as much as €20 an hour, definitely something worth think-
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of choices OUTWARD BOUNDS: Pupils from Almunecar go on a camping adventure
ing about when working out prefer to have your children the cost. educated in English, then you Furthermore, in some areas are certainly spoilt for choice with large expat communi- if you live on the Costa del ties there has been a growing Sol. problem in recent years of But take note, they range foreign pupils flooding some from luxurious to basic, with schools. fees to match. Of course, In Andalucia, the number one of the main advantages of foreign pupils in Spanish of an international school is schools actually quadrupled it will enable your children to between ease their way 1997 and into school in a 2001. foreign country, In some schools, The result with smaller can some- there can be a com- classes taught times be English. plete divide and a in disrupted Some of them classes, intwo-speed learning even follow a adequate UK curriculum, system teaching with GCSE’s and poor and A-Levels, exam reincluding the sults as teachers are unable highly respected EIC in Marto cope with so many non- bella, which regularly gets Spanish speaking pupils. dozens of pupils into top BritIn some schools, there can ish universities, including Oxbe a complete divide and a bridge. two-speed learning system Increasingly the top schools emerges, with the expat kids are offering the International largely being the ones left Baccalaureate (IB) program, behind. as well as the local secondAnother shortcoming of the ary school qualifications, the Spanish education system is Bachillerato. its methods. This is a great advantage The main criticism is that it for children hoping to study is old-fashioned and unin- abroad in later years, as stuspiring, forcing children to dents at international schools learn lessons by rote instead can often receive both local of by more modern, intuitive and international qualificameans. tions upon graduation. In addition, little emphasis The main difference is that IB is put on the arts, with prac- students take six subjects, as tically no drama and, often, opposed to three with A-level little sport. (see report on page 20). Another general criticism of Another benefit of internaSpanish state schools is the tional schools is the multicullack of extra-curricular activi- tural environment. ties. So be prepared to scout Many international schools around for those extra after- offer a bi-lingual study pronoon tennis or ballet class- gram, accepting both Spanes... and work out the extra ish and foreign pupils, and expense. most have over 20 different Finally, foreign parents nationalities attending. should also prepare for a long This gives students a chance process if enrolling their child to learn various languages, in a Spanish state school – with English and Spanish as with everything in Spain it often being taught hand in requires a lot of paperwork. hand. And, like in the UK, a place is International schools also NOT guaranteed, you might provide what most consider need to check a few different a better learning environment options. with smaller classes, and a On the other hand, if you opt more up-to-date relaxed apagainst the Spanish state sys- proach to teaching. tem, either because you fear “A lot of Spaniards send their the educational standards kids to independent schools will be low or because you because they believe the
state system is not particularly good, the classes are large, kids are running wild and sometimes even assaulting teachers,” explains John Foulkes-Jones, head teacher of Laude School, in San Pedro. “The other key difference is that in the Spanish system they learn by being told, by memorising information, which is not how the English system works. We place the emphasis on learning, not teaching.” And, as Catherine Davies, head of Swans school in
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Marbella adds: “You can go anywhere in the world with an international education, it is like an international currency.” However, there are, of course, some downsides. The most obvious of these is the cost, with the fees ranging from €3,000 a year for primary school to beHE shining white knights from EC2 class at Sotogrande school got tween €6,000 more than they bargained for when they went on a Medieval day out to €17,000 to Jimena castle. They were supposed to cross the bridge, hunt for per year for the treasure and search for the dragon... However they were stunned secondary to discover there was a barrier right across the bridge and a stubborn and schools. hungry horse that they had to defend themselves and their lunch from! Moreover, Out came the swords and luckily some apples which they threw at the this generally horse while they managed to gobble up their medieval picnic before it doesn’t include came back for more! books, materials, extra-curricular activities, transport, something of a cultural bub- in mind as well that while and more, which can all ble shut off from mainstream it’s fairly easy to switch from a state school to a private mount up as well. Spanish culture. Another downside is that chil- Overall there is no easy an- school, the reverse isn’t aldren may find integration in swer. It comes down to indi- ways true. their new country more dif- vidual choice and whether And one final hint to parents, ficult outside of school. And you and your child place more if you do choose to send your with most of the children be- importance on integration or child to a Spanish school you ing from similar wealthy back- an easy transition and largely should also learn to speak Spanish well enough to comgrounds it could be said that a better education. students at these schools And then there is the factor municate with your child’s might find themselves in of cost. It is worth bearing teachers.
V
ISITING the school is an absolute must. And you should take your child with you. On the day of your visit, get there early in order to ‘sniff around’ and watch the pupils arriving. If possible, approach children, parents and staff and ask them questions... it’s amazing how telling their replies can be.
T
How to play detective
Things to look out for during the visit include: * What are the pupils like? Do you want your child to be like them? * Bearing of pupils – politeness, neatness - as well as bearing of staff. Do they look clean, brighteyed and bushy-tailed? * Attitude of pupils to staff and vice versa. Do pupils flatten themselves against the wall as the head passes? Do they flatten him/her against the wall as they pass? * Watch the interaction of staff and pupils: it should be easy and unforced, but respectful. * Is self-confidence universal or confined to just some kids? Is the atmosphere happy? Fraught? Coerced or co-opted? * Do you fall over pupils smoking in corners? * What does the school smell like? What is the state of the paintwork? Check out the pupil toilets! * Grab an exercise book or three in passing and look at the standard of work and the standard of marking – this can tell you an enormous amount. * Ask if you can pop into a class or have a good look through the win-
dow and see what is really happening. Are the children dozing? Is the teacher dozing? Is there rapport between the teacher and the taught? * What is the average age of the staff? All old can mean not enough dynamic new ideas or energy; all young can mean too inexperienced and also, possibly, too transitory. * What’s on the walls? Look for evidence of creativity and the celebration of pupils’ achievements. * Look at notice boards for signs of plenty going on.
* Where is the head’s study: in the thick of things, indicating a finger on the pulse, or still in an ivory tower? * Observe the state of the library: rows of dusty tomes look impressive, but bright, new and dog-eared is healthier. * What are the computer facilities like? Are there enough? How common are laptops? Is good use made of the internet, and is internet access fast? Does the school make imaginative use of computers?
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Education special
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the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
Frances Leate talks to four sets of expat parents, each of whom have chosen a different education route for their children on moving to Spain
Educating the expats
I
T can be an overwhelming experience trying to work out where to send your kids to school. Then try moving to Spain, where the numerous schooling options available can cause a massive headache. Whether it be the local state school - some that teach in two languages, some just in
Spanish - the local private school, the church-run schools or a big international school, it is never an easy choice. Here we break down the different options available and interview a set of parents who have chosen each different educational path for their child.
International school
HAPPY: Theodora Delville at San Jose with children Lucien, Lyndon and Conrad
Perhaps the easiest option is to send education she was receiving. your child to a fee-paying international They now pay €17,000 a year to send school, which are normally bilingual, but her to Sotogrande International School with at least some classes taught in Span- where she is working towards an International Baccalaureate (IB). ish. While most schools on the Costa del Sol “It’s been fantastic so far,” explains Andy. “There are chilare predominantly Engdren with around 46 diflish, most have a genuferent nationalities at the ine international mix, so school and that’s great your child is likely to be ‘It’s a huge financial for any child’s experimaking German, Dutch commitment but ences. and probably the odd “It is very mind-exRussian friend. we hope it will more panding for her to have They are also increasingfriends from all over the ly popular with middle than pay off’ world. class Spanish parents “I also think the IB is who want their children challenging and much to learn English. more rigorous than AAndy Chapell and his partner, Pauline Elkin, both 56, used to Levels, which we think are limiting. “The IB seems to be more varied and as be teachers in the UK. The couple who own Hotel Molino del well as being academic there are lots of Santo, in Benaojan, originally sent their practical assignments, like volunteering daughter, Rosanna, now 17, to a state projects. school in nearby Ronda, but withdrew “It is a huge financial commitment but her because they were unhappy with the one we hope will more than pay off.”
FEEDING THE FIRE OF LEARNING
T
HE poet W.B. Yeats famously remarked, ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’ Looking ahead to a lifelong journey of learning, the decision to place your children in a private school on the Costa del Sol is one whose impact will be felt for decades to come; the experiences that shape young learners extend outward through their lives, running as ripples through their futures in academia, sport, personal creativity and their understanding of the world and their place in it. Schools are comprised of greater things than mere bricks and mortar. The school for your child should be a vibrant and challenging
place, but where they must feel safe, nurtured and respected. Schools can light fires: fires that illuminate internal passions, interests and possibilities. Private schools are able to exert great choice in selecting an educational framework best suited for their students. My school long ago decided to adopt the educational and pedagogical framework of the International Baccalaureate (IB). This globally-accredited system is designed to address the major domains of academic knowledge through rigour, while also engendering deeply-developed skills in thinking, service learning and international mindedness. This framework runs as a core throughout Sotogrande’s en-
tire school program, from the earliest ages straight through to the university admissions process. A good private school can empower your child to access their learning program via both breadth and depth. At different stages in the journey, children need dramatically different things in order to successfully access this breadth and depth of an academic program.
Challenged
Private schools typically enjoy a great deal of autonomy, and also possess resources to support young learners as they grow, making sure they are challenged, but ultimately encouraging them to forge
Spanish private school For a less expensive option Spanish private schools can offer an opportunity for your child to really integrate within the community while getting a good quality education following the Spanish curriculum. Theodora Delville, 41, and her partner, Adam Neale, 43, send their two children, Lucien, 7, and Lyndon, 5, to Colegio San Jose, in Estepona. The €500-a-month-ahead school was the obvious choice for Belgium-born Theodora who was keen to integrate as much as possible after
moving to Spain ten years ago. She says: “If we are going to live in Spain then I think it is important that
‘If you live in Spain it’s important your children grow up as Spanish children’ our children grow up as Spanish children. “The school has an excel-
lent reputation and it has a very good learning environment with tennis courts and a swimming pool. “They have small class sizes and lots of extracurricular activities such as music and sport.” She adds: “The Spanish education system, although a bit rigid, is very similar to the one I am familiar with back home in Belgium. “The kids seem to be getting on very well at the moment but if that stopped being the case we would maybe look again and change.”
H O M E You won’t SCHOOLING ‘With the ausregret terity meachoosing sures state schools are just to take not encouragthecreativity.” ing
private route with your children, writes Chad Fairey (above), head of Sotogrande International
their own personal path. Private schools provide a rigourous academic program, while designing their facilities and timetables to support student learning. Schools are more than their most obvious academic parts, however. Private schools use their ample resources and talented staff to create engaging programs that teach and reach ‘the whole child’. At Sotogrande, we place equal emphasis on cultivat-
ing skills in expression, in performing, in creating, and in simply doing. We have great sporting facilities and studends can perform in an assortment of musical and artistic venues, and participate in service with groups both local to Andalucia as well as places as far-flung as Uganda. Ultimately, students should access a learning program that is both wide and deep and one that challenges and
prepares them for both university and employment. However, they should also be nourished to become confident learners and develop skills and passions that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. The right school for your child can make all the difference - creating that tell-tale spark of engagement, igniting the flames that flicker on, and feeding a fire of learning that will burn on into the night.
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Most people will, of course, opt for local state schools (known as public schools) which are free. Classes are usually taught in Spanish, with English as the main foreign language, although increasingly various state schools are adopting English for many classes. Insurance broker Carol Crompton and her husband, Mike, moved to Spain 12 years ago with their twoyear-old son, Jake. Weighing up the financial considerations, the couple decided to send him to a state school along with younger sister, Sophie. Jake is now in his third year at Instituto Las Vinas, in Manilva, and Sophie at-
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Local state school tends CEIP primary school in Casares. Carol, originally from Oxford, explains: “Our de-
‘The state system is more demanding here than in the UK, which is no bad thing cision was financial to a certain extent but we also wanted them to be part of the system here, we wanted
Home schooling
them to speak the language and now they are both bilingual. “They started schooling here from the beginning which made it easier for them to pick up the language, but we have a friend whose eight-year-old son came from England not knowing a word of Spanish but by attending school, with all the classes in Spanish, he soon picked it up. “I think it depends on the individual child because we have had friends whose children have ended up going to an international school because they just didn’t get on with the Spanish system.”
WELCOMING: The Cromptons with bilingual Sophie Despite now being fluent in Spanish, Carol admits that it is sometimes hard to keep up with the parent and teacher meetings. She says: “It’s true that I have come away from the odd meeting not entirely sure I have completely grasped what has been said! “But I have found both
‘With the austerity measures state schools are just not encouraging creativity among kids’
The Association for Home Education in Spain (ALE) was set up a few years ago to bring together families who want to home educate their children. It wants to give home education the same status as it has in other EU Countries and get it legal status and make it a valid option for people wanting to educate their children themselves. One keen advocate is Louise Sutton, 48, who has lived in Spain for 35 years and has always disliked the conventional education system. She sent her son, Thomas, to a local school until the age of nine, but withdrew him when he began to get unhappy and despondent towards his studies. While technically illegal, Thomas, now 11, is taught at home with a combination of private tutors, online courses and outside activities. Sutton explains: “I would like people to
be more aware that home education is a viable option for people unhappy with the school system, who can’t afford private schools or those living out in the country. “Although legally things are blurred it is possible. My son just wasn’t happy in the school environment, he wasn’t interested in the material and the way it was being taught and it made him miserable.I think it is a very archaic system and it needs a lot of reviving which I think they are aware of. But unfortunately with the austerity measures it is very hard to offer much more than basic learning. “At the moment, it just doesn’t encourage creativity.” Contact her by emailing: sutton.lulah@gmail.com and visit: www.educationlibre.org
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schools to be very friendly and welcoming.” Both children are working towards their Baccalaureate, the Spanish equivalent of GCSEs, where they have to pass a variety of exams in up to nine different subjects. Carol adds: “The Spanish education system seems to be much more demanding than in the UK, which may not be a bad thing. “My only concern is that it is not as creative as I would like, it is all about learning by the book and not really thinking outside the box.” While being bilingual is certainly an asset, parents need to ensure English reading and writing skills are kept up to scratch at home. Young Minds Abroad, www.youngmindsabroad. com, is a parent-based resource for people wanting to give their children extra help with their English skills.
DECADES: Mayor celebrates Aloha anniversary
30 years of excitement
SO excited were the pupils at Aloha College about the school’s recent 30th anniversary that one woke up his parents at 4am as he wanted to put on his special anniversary tshirt and get to school for the ‘party’! Here Marbella mayor Angeles Munoz cuts the chord.
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Education special
the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
www.theolivepress.es
A year of fun and games
SADDLE UP: Horseriding at BSM
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Most good independent schools on the coast put an emphasis on outdoor learning and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. At the British School of Marbella (BSM) all pupils from year one to four take part in daily sports, while at 3pm all pupils swap their classrooms for a host of outdoor activities, including horse riding, swimming, athletics, dance and ball games. Children are also taken out into the local environment to support classbased learning, with activities including boat and horse and carriage rides.
THE PUPILS AT SWANS FEATURE IN A COLOURFUL 2013 CALENDER CELEBRATING A YEAR AT THE SCHOOL
It’s Roll of Honour time in January (left), while above an April trip to Roman ruins at Baelo Claudia
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Fancy dress for February Carnival, Easter celebrations in March, Sports Day in May, and ‘hallelujah’ sings the choir on the last day of term in June
Hats off to top results in July, while bouncing into summer in August and team building for IB students at El Chorro in September (below left). A visit to the botanical gardens in October, Rememberence Day in November and Santa arrives for Christmas
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Education special www.theolivepress.es
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EXPERIENCED: Giselle and Jane have 50 years of experience while (inset) nails by Jagoda
Cruise control AS far as beauty goes they have got it covered with over half a century of experience between them. The director of Marbella Beauty Academy, Giselle Beck-Davies, has been working in the industry for over 30 years and head tutor Jane O’Brien for over 20 years. Both have teaching and assessors diplomas and a wealth of experience in different aspects of this varied career. They also have a qualified team of specialists working underneath them, including Liza Mayne, a well known make-up artist and Jagoda from the popular nail academy. Then there is Suzanne Lequesne, a nutritionist and specialist in raindrop therapy, who also offers reflexology, Indian head massage and many more holistic subjects, as well as hairdresser Alex Maloney, who previously worked as a trainer for Toni & Guy. The academy is a great place to get yourself a career and has been running C.I.B.T.A.C courses for five years in Marbella. And it has
Get a beauty diploma at the Marbella Beauty Academy and you could land yourself a job on a cruise liner
given the team immense satisfaction watching their students grow in confidence, as they learn and then go on to reap the rewards of their hard work. Contrary to popular belief, beauty therapy is an academic subject equivalent to ‘A-level standard’. And it is a great place for students who have often struggled through their school years and feel they have been non achievers. At the Marbella Beauty Academy they can get a qualification, including the stand alone Anatomy & Physiology diploma. And with this international diploma, students are guaranteed, at the very least, an interview with Steiners to work on board the Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
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Education special
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the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
NAME:
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The Olive Press runs a rule over nine of the region’s top schools
NAME: N: LOCATIO 1997 ED: ie FOUND cGeogh Karen M ion/ oundat HEAD: ulum, F ic r r u C UK orm ULUM: Sixth F CURRICy/Secondary/ Primar 4 923 / 952 78 om : .c T y C CONTA ayfairacadem www.m OICE: nd FOR CH S N O broad a S REA ovides aich is enriched r r p y m Acade rriculum wh xtra-curricula Mayfair nced cuy a choice of e ts to meet la a b ll we en lly nced b done a h all stud n are tota e and nablinghool. The staff ality e s ie it qu activ s of the sc g high ual has the the aim ted to providin divid in eed to y it r e comm g so that ev support they n ially. The c o teachin gement and ically and s rriculum encoura, both academ a choice of cu oth achieve y also offers ich includes b y of Academth Formers wh The philosoph h a for Six and VRQs. e students witring A Levelsool is to providuccess by offellowing all the sch for future s support and a ial. platformgement and eir full potent encourats to realise th studen
NAME:
University College – Marbella Design Academy
LOCATION: Monda FOUNDED: 1995 HEAD:
Helle Bryn
CURRICULUM: Three year courses at BA degree level CONTACT:
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THE REPORT CARD 952 45 70 90/ www.designschool.com
REASONS FOR CHOICE: University College Marbella Design Academy is a state-recognised international design college offering three year courses at Bachelor degree level. With 18 years of experience, and a dynamic and professional team of tutors, it competes with the best design schools in the world.The tuition is given in English in a family-like atmosphere among students and staff. The maximum number of students is 230 and courses begin in January and in September.
www.theolivepress.es
Europe
Says P ESFC isrincipal Deb the wh the only cobie Campbell on off ole of Malag llege of its : ‘The personering the hig a. We pride kind in our sm al care for e hest standa ourselves 12) alo all class size ach individu rds of teachinng with the s (maximum al with highes g. t qualitof y of We ha over thve consisten t e ly raised results past few ou more u obtained foyears gaining r profile n r people iversity en our studen in tr finding t employants and mors with ment e e We of v f e e ry yea various r vocation r. a Psycho levels inclu l courses at and IC logy, Travel ding: Art & D univer T. These ca and Tourism esign, employsity entrancen be used for ment. or dire ct acce ss to
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NAME: LOCATION: FOUNDED:
NAME: BRITISH SCHOOL OF MARBELLA
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1982 K r (seco athryn Sa ndary) lmon (p CURRIC rimary ) and E Stage ULUM: Pr lizabet h the In 1 and contin imary Schoo u t l e e b s r e n t g a h ins wit tional Second r o u g h P h Intern ary School rimary Curr the themed Foundation it ic un ational Baccalais IGCSE at ulum (IPC). I its of n 16 and ureate CONTA the pr the CT: Diplom a o r 9 A-leve e-university 52814 REASO 133 / w l progr NS FOR ammes w w .a CHOICE loha-co . Aloha ll : e g C e .c o ll o e m g charita e is a n parent ble trust w ot-for-profi in the s of the schith a Board o t organisatio Foundadevelopmentool: all surpluf Trustees c n run by a 20 alt tion’s statut and improve s income is omposed of 12 in 6 hough most es limit clas ment of the reinvested Spanis th form. Theclasses are s s sizes to a college. The the to h with aroun main nation maller. The maximum of investmtal of approxd 45 other n alities are B maximum is alread ent in the f imately 750 ationalities ritish and are to y excellent e acilities and pupils.Ther making up imagin enlarge each xamination annual impr e is continua spirit oation and de student’s kresults. The ovements in l ve p n th f inter nationalop a set of owledge, exprimary aims e m er l under standinoral principle ience and s, g and in tercha within a nge. HEAD: Batche lo
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www.theolivepress.es
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UK Na CONTA tional Curricu almuneCT: lum 9 58 635 carinte 911 ww rnation alschoo w. REASO l.org NS FOR CHOICE Owned : establi by the pare native shed in orde nts, the sch expat Spanish and r to serve a ool was educatfamilies requ (predominan community o achiev ion for their iring an Eng tly British) f offers es high GCSE children. T lish-style and se dual Spanis and A Levehe school universnds pupils toh and Englishl results, and ot ities. One b both Spanis certificatio is a re her schools inig differenc h and Britis n studenlatively small the area ise between t h caring ts Spanish. T school with the size. Ithis environ 8 h ment f is lends itse 0% of the or the lf Head t c hildrento a very is smalleacher Sue . here. W, the studenRichards said t : e s “ f f B eel ocu ec realise their p s on the ind safe and re ause it la ividual otentia to mak xed l.” The sc e them h o o l a part in lso enc o e u x r t a r ge aincludin g the Dcurricular sps students t ot or uke of Edinbu ts and activ ake it rgh Aw ard ies,
Swans International School Marbella 1971
HEAD: Catherine Davies CURRICULUM: IGCSEs, including ESO for native Spanish speakers followed by the International Baccalaureate Diploma CONTACT: 952 773 248 or 952 902 755 / www.swansschool.net Swans School offers a truly international education for all its students - there are over 30 nationalities within the 680 students currently enrolled. We pride ourselves on the fact that all our students leave for university with every advantage that a multi-cultural upbringing can provide. Our teachers are dedicated, fully trained professionals, who help our students achieve their potential. Our ‘State of the Art’ facilities include a 25-metre ozone indoor swimming pool and a purpose-built theatre. The recent capital investment has created an excellent learning environment, where both teachers and students can thrive.
LOCATION: Marbella FOUNDED:
September 2010
HEAD:
Sian Kirkham
CURRICULUM: English National Curriculum CONTACT: 952779264 / www.bsm.org.es/ home/InternationalSchool/en/ REASONS FOR CHOICE: “We are a British School with clear aims, a standardised curriculum and high academic standards” explains Sian Kirkham, Head Teacher. “Though traditional and formal in style, we are also progressive, dynamic and have a modern approach to teaching and learning. We combine the rigours of classroom work with a welcoming learning environment. Children are encouraged to do their best at whatever they attempt, and to achieve their full potential in all areas. Our staff set the very highest standards, not only academically, but also in terms of behaviour and social skills. “We are very fortunate to have combined a dedicated team, with a fabulous campus located in the centre of Marbella. Together, with rich academic resources and the use of state-of-the-art technologies, it allows BSM to provide a first rate education for the children. We aim to instil, from the very youngest age, the ability for critical thinking and reasoning, while gaining essential social and learning skills, which will be integral to their school life.”
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la cultura 31
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July 26, 2012
the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
Trading nations
Bardem up for a British Bafta, while Ewan and Naomi eye up Spanish Goyas
THEY were hotly tipped to be among the awards nominees following starring roles in two of last year’s biggest films. But in something of a role reversal, British actors Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts have been recognised in Spain, while Spaniard Javier Bardem is among the contenders for a Bafta. Bardem (left) has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the British awards ceremony for his role as Bond villain Silva in Skyfall. However, the 43-year-old - who won the same category for his portrayal of a serial killer in 2008 hit No Country for Old Men - has been overlooked in this year’s Oscars nominations. Britons McGregor and Watts (right) meanwhile, have been nominated for best actor and actress respectively at the prestigious Spanish Goya awards. The pair played the role of a Spanish family who survived the 2004 Asian Tsunami in box office hit The Impossible.
HUNT IS OVER Police find artefact dating from second century BC hidden in cardboard box
A
EXCEPTIONAL: Vase depicts rare hunt scene
Treasure auction A precious jewel recovered from a Spanish galleon which sank off the US coast is to be auctioned at Sotheby’s. The Renaissance Colombian emerald-set gold jewel is expected to fetch up to €190,000 when it goes under the hammer in New York on February 1. The valuable piece was part of an impressive haul of treasure salvaged from the 17th century ship Nuestra Senora de Atocha which sank in a hurricane in 1622.
PRICELESS vase dating from the 2nd century has been seized by police after it was discovered during a routine search. Officers arrested the owner of an antique shop after the artefact was discovered in a cardboard box at a property in El Campello, near Alicante. The vase, of ‘exceptional value’, had been stolen
from an Iberian era archeological site nearby, according to an Interior Ministry spokesman. The piece is decorated with a painting telling the story of a hunter who killed a wild boar - a rite of passage at the time for youths entering manhood. “We are not yet aware of the full importance of this discovery, but in 20 years time we will still be talking about this ase,” World’s first travel guide vsaid Jose Luis SiAN exhibition charting the history of one of mon, an Spain’s most valuable cultural artefacts has expert begun in Malaga. In light of the Calixtino: from the the codex of Santiago, tells the story of the cultural medieval manuscript dubbed the world’s heritage first travel guide, after being created for service of pilgrims following the Camino de Santiago the Minisroute. It includes texts, photographs and a try of Culcopy of the codex, as well as an explanation ture. The of the book’s contents and details of the pilantiquity grimage route. The codex was stolen from has been Santiago de Compostela cathedral in Galicia moved to in 2011 before being recovered by police last Alicante’s year. The exhibition runs at Ateneo de MalArcheoaga until February 1, 6pm-9.30pm Monday logical to Friday. Museum.
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what’s on
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orremolinos, February 7 to 10 at the Palacio de Congresos. The 19th annual Rockin’ Race Jamboree, Spain’s largest 50s-style rock & roll festival featuring an international roster and headlined by Jack Scott and The Trashmen. Tel 952218603
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ranada, March 8 at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos. Music from flamenco sensation Estrella Morente. Tickets from €35.
M
arbella, February 5 at Guey Restaurant and Skybar. 50 Shades of Pink, a fun-packed women’s only night in aid of cancer charity Positively Pink. Visit www. costawomen.ning.com
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Priestly protection
SECURITY has been stepped up around a painting donated to a church after an unauthorised advert for its sale sparked a bidding war. Art dealers from across Europe and America bombarded the bishopric of Quesada, in Jaen, with offers of up to €200,000 for the painting by Spanish artist Rafael Zabaleta. The oil on canvas was put up for sale by the parish priest, without the permission of the bishopric, in an effort to raise much-needed
funds for maintenance work. But the artwork, depicting St Peter and St. Paul, has been placed in secure storage amid fears that its increased profile could make it a target for thieves. Expressionist Zabaleta donated the painting to the church in his hometown in 1940. The masterpiece is a rare example of religion in the Spaniard’s work, which more commonly depicted scenes of peasants and rural life.
RARE: Zabaleta’s piece is being held in secure storage
Weavers sale
T
HE owners of a unique weaving mill are holding a stock clearance sale in a bid to chase the midwinter blues away. Paul and Dawn Sutcliffe, of the Lanas del Rio mill, near Gaucin, are offering pure wool blankets, ponchos, scarves, shawls and serapes at amazing prices. The event at the charming country estate of La Almuna on February 2 is taking place in cooperation with several other traders. Lanas del Rio now has two traditional shuttle looms spinning and is quickly running out of space. Says Paul: “We have so much stock we decided to have a bumper sale and get some of it moved on, much of it at a fraction of the usual price. We are busy weaving a whole new range and we really need the space.” At the event, next Saturday, Almuna owner Diana Paget will be cooking wholesome hot food, while Mick’s Bloody
Mary Bar will take care of the liquid side of the lunch. There will be live music from ‘human jukebox’ Marcus Myers and other offerings include Chris and Vanessa Barber’s vintage fashion and silk kimonos, photography and prints by Jane Jewson and Tone Barker’s gorgeous silk dresses from Denmark. There will also be superb wines on sale from Roland Wines of Jubrique and wellness products from Celeste Rawlings. If it is raining, the event, which takes place from 11am to 5pm, will TENS of thousands of revellers descend move inside on the Spanish town of Bunol each year to with log fires. pelt each other with tons of tomato at the To get to Almuna take famous La Tomatina festival. A369 But they will now have to pay for the privi- the lege after the town hall introduced a €10 south from charge in a bid to limit the number of par- Gaucin and take the first ticipants to 20,000. after It comes after 50,000 tourists from left around the world visited the town last ‘km6’ sign. AlAugust, prompting town councillor Rafael muna is 500 Perez to declare it ‘a miracle’ no one had metres on the right. been seriously injured.
TOMATINA TAX
AUTHENTIC: Stunning weavings from Lanas del Rio (top left) will be on sale at Gaucin fair
Top Dollar
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East end of an era Spanish brandy company sold to Filipino conglomerate
mark, which has been registered since 1942. Brandy from Jerez is incredibly popular in the Philippines. Emperador president Winston Co said the takeover TIPPLE: Spanish brandy gives the company, ‘one of the world’s best brandy stock - some of it quite rare and aged for more than 40 STRUGGLING famiyears in the bodegas’. lies are cutting back Emperador sold more on their food bill due than 31 million cases of to the financial crisis. brandy in 2012. Popular items such as meat and fish are being dropped in favour of cheaper alternatives like pasta, rice and cheap meats, acEXPATS who spend more than 183 days a year in Spain now cording to stats. have to inform the tax authorities about assets worth more Spending on food than €50,000. per person dropped The new declaration rules, which came in to force at the bein three consecutive ginning of this year, mean that after the deadline for the months, with Septemfirst declaration on March 31, it will become a criminal offence not to inform the Spanish tax authorities about the ber witnessing a 2.3% assets. fall and October 1.8%. Offshore assets which have to be declared include bank acWine sales dropped counts, property, investments and assets in trusts. 9.4% and olive oil Failure to report the assets could result in a heavy fine. sales fell by 15.7%.
BRANDY loving Filipinos will soon be glugging more than 60 years of Spanish expertise. It comes after Philippines distiller Emperador bought Spanish brandy house, Bodega San Bruno from sherry magnate Gonzalez Byass. The deal means the Filipino company will own the San Bruno vineyards in Jerez as well as the trade-
Crisis bites
Don’t miss the deadline
A wintry outlook for UK economy Continued uncertainty over Britain’s future in the EU has affected value of the pound, writes Keith Spitalnick
T
HE UK saw its first widespread snowfall last week, coinciding with a fall in value of sterling against the majority of it counterparts in the foreign exchange market. In particular, the pound struggled against the euro, hitting its lowest level against the single currency since April 2012. The main factors behind the weaker pound include fears over a
triple-dip recession and a drop in credit rating due to poor growth and missing debt reduction targets. The UK’s shaky relationship with the EU doesn’t help either. Unless you’re an exporter, the prospects for the pound don’t look good this year, especially when you compare the UK economy to that of the US. The US economy grew last year and is expected to do so again in 2013.
NO GO: The UK economy needs a push start
Closer to home, investors look likely to limit their exposure to the pound due to the potential for instability in the UK and its personality clash with the EU. Investors will also be considering the impact on the pound of the ‘positive contagion’ in the eurozone, where sovereign borrowing costs continue to come down. From the point of view of the UK, the best outcome would be for the eurozone crisis to continue hogging the headlines in order to draw attention away from its own problems. However, following the more positive forecast on the eurozone economy from ECB President Mario Draghi, the exchange rate between the pound and the euro continues to languish at the 1.20 level. That may be just the medicine that the Bank of England has ordered to give a shot in the arm to exports and rebalance the economy.
Keith is 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 or email olivepress@hifx.co.uk
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Road to Riches, by Richard Alexander
Non-disclosure no-nos Expat residents in Spain face huge fines for failing to declare overseas assets over €50,000 THE potential cost of nondisclosure of overseas assets by expats who are officially resident in Spain could be more than the value of the assets themselves. Under new rules which took effect on January 1, any assets held overseas with a value of €50,000 or more need to be declared by March 31 2013 to avoid the risk of receiving a heavy fine. For example, an undisclosed investment of €200,000 would be taxed at 52% (€104,000). But the penalty could be up to an eye-watering 150% of the tax, a further €156,000, which would not only wipe out your investment but leave you owing the tax of-
fice a further €60,000! On that basis non-disclosure is simply not worth the risk. If you have several different offshore bank accounts all with a balance under the €50,000 threshold, be warned. If collectively the balances exceed that figure, you are required to disclose account numbers and details of the balances as of December 31 2012, or the average balance over the last three months of the year if that figure is higher. The different asset classes that the new legislation applies to are: cash on deposit, real estate, stocks & shares and collective investments. If you are named as the ben-
BE WARNED: Do your homework eficiary to any trusts, these amounts will also need to be declared as the Spanish legal system does not recognise trusts as having a legal status of their own. The Spanish tax authorities are clamping down on nondisclosure of worldwide assets by tax residents and so there is no time to delay in dealing with the matter. You should speak to your
tax adviser in Spain to ensure that you are fully compliant with these requirements. These new requirements should also focus your attention on whether your investments are held in the most appropriate way. For example, if you have money on deposit, which you do not need on a regular basis for capital or income, then the interest you earn as a Spanish tax resident should be declared and tax paid on it. However, by investing in a smarter way, you can avoid the need to pay any tax until such time as you need to draw down some of the money. This is not complicated financial planning but simply using some tried and tested tax compliant methods, which are designed to defer tax until you make a withdrawal.
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
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AGONY ANT
YOUR LEGAL PROBLEMS ADDRESSED
Know your status
Antonio Flores from Lawbird looks at 10 important indicators to consider when paying tax in Spain
T
he tax status of foreigners living in Spain has been subject to extensive debate and is a question open to interpretation, particularly considering the ability of people to travel freely within the EU. This column is far too short to be able to explain in details all the intricacies of this matter but the 10 points below will help clarify some of the most common questions about tax residency status. •The distinction between tax domicile and tax resi-
dency is a concept more associated with common law systems, and almost ignored by Spanish laws. •Firstly, tax residency is demonstrated by means of a Fiscal Residency Certificate, issued by the tax authority, which should confirm the taxpayer is a fiscal resident in that country and that he is subject to tax on worldwide income. According to Spanish Courts however, this is not the sole means of proof. •The Spanish Income Tax Act states that tax residency in Spain will be determined
Ask Ant
by one or more of the following: spending more than 183 days of a calendar year in the country, having a business based in Spain and having a spouse and dependent children residing in Spain. •The 183-day count ignores temporary absences except where the taxpayer demonstrates tax residency in another country, with a certificate as per point two. •Tax residency in more than one country is possible; double tax treaties signed by Spain generally stipulate where such taxpayers should be taxed. •Where the taxpayer invokes tax residency in a tax haven, the Spanish Tax Office may request proof of physically being there more than 183 days, in addition to the documentary evidence as per point two. •Where a taxpayer of Spanish nationality changes his tax residency to a tax haven, the Spanish tax authorities will still consider him/her a tax resident in Spain for the next four years.
Q. What is the judicial procedure to remove a Judge who is biased? A. The procedure is called ‘recusation’ and it implies challenging a judge or magistrate because of a possible conflict of interest or lack of independence. This judicial disqualification process needs to be brought on the basis of being related to any of the parties having friendship or enmity with them and generally, having a direct or indirect interest in the case. Q. I have not paid my property service charge and my name has been prominently displayed in the entrance hall to my building. Is this legal? A. In principle, the Data Protection Act prohibits publishing personal information in public places, this being one of them. However, in respect to these debts, where the Community of Owners has been unsuccessful in notifying you personally, they are entitled to use the notice board without risking breaking the laws.
•Where a taxpayer has economic interests in more than one country, the tax authorities will take into consideration the weight of each as well as the intensity of social, political and family relationships in each of such countries, or having a permanent dwelling in, or nationality of, that country. •Spanish authorities may apply for information from countries with whom a tax information exchange agreement has been signed; the UK is one such country. •Double Tax Treaties are in place to prevent tax evasion, not to encourage it: this applies to the anomaly of using UK companies to avoid Spanish inheritance taxes.
Top Dollar
37 www.theolivepress.es
Killjoys!
Many happy returns as engineer’s blog makes Spanish record with two million hits and over 25000 followers in just two months... wonder why? Spanish authorities clamp down on non-resident property owners not paying Deem Income Tax NON-RESIDENT property owners are being warned they are still required to pay tax on their home even if it is not earning them an income. The Spanish tax authorities are clamping down on those who have failed to pay Deem Income Tax -
dubbed the ‘enjoyment’ tax - over the last four years. Letters are being sent to non-residents who have not paid the charge, along with fines for late payment. “Unfortunately, ignorance of the existence of this tax does not excuse you from
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O
NE of the Costa del Sol’s most successful stores has really gone stratospheric. In a bid to keep up with demand from its new website Yorkshire Linen, in Mijas Costa, had to take on new stock and even new staff in 2012. The site www.yorkshirelinen. es can supply a huge array of soft furnishings to every part of mainland Spain for just €4,95. It can even guarantee next day delivery by a reputable courier company, which is fully
insured. The large superstore, near Dunnes Stores and Iceland in Fuengirola has been open since 2008. It is one of over 40 shops throughout the UK, Spain and Portugal. It stocks a vast range of soft furnishings such as curtains, cushions, rugs and bedding, all now available online. For any queries contact our helpline number on 952 197 577. And, NB, if you live in Gibraltar there will be a delivery service to La Linea in the very near future. Visit www.yorkshirelinen.es or call 952 197 577
paying it,” said Jose Lopez Avalos, from Manilva Solicitors. “It is understood that non-resident clients are benefitting through ‘enjoyment’ of the property, and this is taxable. “It means the taxman not charging tax on real income such as rent, but on a deemed income from the property. The tax is used to fund airports and motorways used by non-residents in order to to enjoy their properties.” He added: “The tax is not usually high so it is worth paying on time to avoid the risk of being fined.” Non-residents can pay the tax using Form 210, available from the Spanish tax office website www.aeat.es. Payment for the 2012 tax year must be made before the end of 2013. For more info contact Manilva Solicitors on 952 901 225 or mail@manilvasolicitors.com
the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
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Top Property
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I’VE BEEN HAMMERED! Property owner slams government after shelling out €40,000 in fees
Building on success WHILE many businesses are struggling to balance the books during the recession, one Costa del Sol-based real estate company is bucking the trend. Since August 2012, VIVA has opened no fewer than six new offices in Malaga, the most recent of which is in Alhaurin el Grande. The firm is no stranger to selling homes, having built up a wealth of experience during the highs and lows of the past 16 years. “We have a fantastic team, all of whom are hardworking and put in a lot of extra hours and our office in El Rosario is open seven days a week,” said VIVA managing partner Martina Heynemann.
A PROPERTY owner has been hammered after transferring his property from an offshore company into his three sons’ names. Julian Winton has slammed the Spanish government after being forced to shell out almost €40,000 for the three-bedroom apartment in Estepona. After a three-year process he has ended up paying the sum, via a solicitor. “It was an unbelievably large amount of money which I have had no choice but to somehow
Gibraltar company, in Alcazaba Beach, in 1987 for €199,000. But after the Spanish government started to raise taxes in the recession, he discovered that he would have to pay €30,000 in tax or the property could be sold at auction without his permission. So in July 2009 he began the lengthy process of closing the offshore company and putting the property into the names of his three children. Now, after a three year process, he has been shocked to a letter from his How the bill totted up receive solicitors saying he owes more than €39,000. Notary & Registry fees €2,000 He said: “Many of these Stamp duty €6,375 extra costs have mateNon-resident tax €12,750 rialised since the recesSolicitors fees €5,142 sion hit and after we Town hall tax (Plusvalia tax) started the procedure. €12,695 “Of course we can unPolice fees €48 derstand stamp duty, but residents tax and come up with. It has not been town hall tax are all a nasty shock to us. easy,” he said. Winton, from Middlesex, had “It all seems very unjust as if we bought the holiday home via a hadn’t done it we could have lost the home altogether.”
Further 50% drop in prices
AIN AG E D PE SAL OP DR UICK ,000 E 5 Q IC PR FOR € 13
SPANISH house prices could drop by a further 50% and may not recover for the next 15 years, claims one expert. The Costa del Sol is among the worst affected areas in the country, with the total fall in values predicted to be as much as 75% in some areas. Some 300,000 houses have been foreclosed by the banks and a further 150,000 are in proceedings. What’s more, developers have 700,000 completed units not on the market and another 250,000 still under construction. “The market is broken,” said Fernando Rodriguez de Acuna of RR de Acuna & Asociados. “In places like Castellon, where overdevelopment was mad, banks are not financing anything. Banks are offering huge discounts and nobody is calling. Marbella has already fallen by 50% and prices are going down and down.”
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the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
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40 the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
In the swing of it
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THE OLIVE PRESS’ MONTHLY GOLF SECTION
Valderrama legend dies VALDERRAMA Golf Club founder Jaime Ortiz-Patino has died aged 82. Ortiz-Patino, known to friends as Jimmy, passed away at the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella on January 3. The popular Spaniard is credited as being one of the driving forces behind bringing major golf to Spain after Valderrama became the first European course outside the UK to host the Ryder Cup. “Valderrama is his masterpiece, his legacy,” said 2012 Ryder Cup captain Jose-Maria Olazabal. “He wanted to make it a very special place, and he did it. “He put Valderrama and that part of Andalucia on the map.”
Leading names pay tribute to man who brought the game to Andalucia
Desert training BRITISH golf stars of the future are heading to Andalucia for intensive training in the Spanish sun. The group of 26 young putters and three professional staff from Hartpury College Golf Academy in Gloucester will be based in Almeria from February 4-9. The talented youngsters will hone their skills at Desert Springs Resort, on the Indiana course designed by Peter McEvoy, a British former amateur golfer who played at the US Masters.
Quality
Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who won the 2011 Andalucia Masters at Valderrama, added: “This is a very sad day, not just for Spain but for the whole golfing world.”
In addition to the 1997 Ryder Cup, Ortiz-Patino saw 16 Volvo Masters, two World Golf Championship events and two Andalucia Masters tournaments held at his course.
“The warm weather training opportunity at Desert Springs coupled with the outstanding golf facilities, provides the players with the opportunity to practice and bond together in an environment that allows quality practice and golf performance,” said Richard King, Academy Manager at Hartpury.
GREAT NEW GADGET
G
OLFING perfectionists are in for a treat with the latest in swing analysis tech-
ADVANCED: Golf City’s Peter Williams takes a swing with the gadget before getting feedback on his phone
nology. The 3BaysGSA is the lightest system available and allows golfers to instantly review their swing on a mobile device. The ‘plug and play’ technology uses a small pin inserted in the grip of the club to record everything from swing speed to the impact in which the ball is hit. An animated version of the swing is then generated to help players work towards improvement with ten valuable parameters and a ‘best swing’ comparison. The device, which is available from Golf City in Estepona, is suitable for iPhones, iPads and Android phones. Visit www.golfcitysport.com
C E ..................... ...................... www.theolivepress.es
Green Hope
PETROL-HEADS across Europe are becoming increasingly green-minded, according to a survey. In a study conducted by Ford, 53% of drivers considered climate change to be the world’s most important issue, while 57% said they would like to lead a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. A further 35% of people said they would spend more money on a green car. Although many said they would pay more for an environmentally efficient vehicle, 71% said they have reduced spending. “The survey shows that even in economically difficult times there is a clear desire for vehicles that are more environmentally friendly,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president of product development at Ford Europe.
n Buen
EXPAT drivers will be forced to undergo a medical examination under strict EU laws introduced this month. The new legislation means all drivers in Spain over the age of 65 will have to take the test every five years, with those under 65 taking it every 10 years. Drivers will be subjected to a simulated driving scenario designed to test their sight, hearing and basic coordination. The legislation, which came into affect on January 19, will allow drivers to keep their UK license, although they must notify the DVLA driving authority of their Spanish residency. Expats must however be able to declare a UK address as their permanent
amino
41 47 the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013 41
Motoring medical residence, which according to the rules, is one in which a person lives for at least 185 days of the year.
Should expat drivers wish to change to a Spanish license, this can be done at the time of taking the test.
Car sales slump in Spain CAR sales in Spain are the lowest for 15 years, according to vehicle registration statistics. The figures show monthly sales were down by 23% in 2012, with a total of just 699,589 cars sold
throughout the whole year. Ford is among the manufacturers hit hardest by the European crisis, suffering a drop in sales of 31% in Spain and 40% in France. Europe’s leading car producer, Volkswagen, saw
its Spanish sales slide by 15%, while Opel declined by 17%. Manufacturing activity is also decreasing, with December marking the 20th consecutive month in which car production fell.
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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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We are on the lookout for key staff for our new Costa del Sol office:
GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ LAYOUT ARTIST You should be fully experienced in using InDesign and Photoshop, and must be able to work under pressure. You should be a native English speaker (Spanish useful but not essential) and preferably have some newspaper or magazine experience. Job based in new Costa del Sol office.
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l s If you feel you can meet the above, job del So s e al please send your CV to ta eles w Cos t d W jon@theolivepress.es r ne NO e an nc in ou T US ela Fre ilable NTAC ava e.. CO c offi
COLUMNS
www.theolivepress.es EVERY town in Spain seems to have a Plaza de España or Calle Madrid, so in the interests of diversity I was more than pleased to read in the Olive Press that the late great Joe Strummer will have a square in Granada named after him following a Facebook campaign. Plaza de Joe Strummer will be formally inaugurated later this year, in honour of The Clash’s iconic leader, who mentioned the city in the song Spanish Bombs. He also worked with local band 091 and spent long periods of time there with his Spanish girlfriend Paloma Romero. I think it’s great that Granada has done this for
the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013
Recognising Joe
someone who has connections with their city. It makes more sense than the spate of Nelson Mandela streets that we witnessed springing up around London in the 90s.
And since the PSOE government took down all references to Franco and the rest of the dictator’s cronies, there are plenty of calles, plazas and avenidas that could benefit from a name change.
Michael O’Reilly gets a snap shot of human life when working in his bookshop
WHAT THE DICKENS WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS NOT BY DICKENS? VANITY FAIR, OLIVER TWIST OR NICHOLAS NICKLEBY?
TWO books arrived in the shop this week and left again with remarkable speed. One was Claire Tomalin’s Life of Charles Dickens; the other was The Presbyterian Cavalier, Andrew Lownie’s biography of John Buchan. They were brought in by a Welshman who’s selling up and heading home. What surprised me was that among his other books there was nothing by Dickens or Buchan. “Why read about the writers if you don’t read what they wrote?” I asked Deirdre. “Well, it’s not as though he has to have Greenmantle and Great Expectations on his bookshelves just because he’s interested in the authors,” she said. “If you read a book about Barack Obama it doesn’t mean you want to be president.” This was oddly conclusive but, I felt, not entirely satisfactory. “Would you like me to bring you a sticky bun from the supermarket?” Deirdre asked. Predictably, when the subject shifted to sticky buns the debate about literary correctness wilted. Deirdre went to the shops and I began pricing the new arrivals. “What have you there?” asked Beate, one of our regular customers. Beate is from Bremen and is a PG Wodehouse fan. Her husband, Alec, is from Belfast and reads thrillers in German so as to perfect his mastery of Beate’s native tongue. She picked up The Presbyterian Cavalier and scanned the blurb. “I wish to buy this!” she said. Seeing my surprise, she added, “I am an admirer of your Richard Hannay.” Beate has the gratifying habit of using the possessive pronoun in such a way that the person she’s speaking to is granted ownership of plays, books, museums and even whole towns (“Your Brighton is an architectural gem”). “Ah, The Thirty-Nine Steps,” I said. “Not the book!” she interjected quickly. “The film! Your Robert Powell is very handsome!” The connection between the biography and my Robert Powell – Richard Hannay in the seventies film of The Thirty-Nine Steps struck me as somewhat tenuous. But I’m a bookseller. When a sale is in the offing I don’t quibble. “Here’s Alec!” Beate announced with schoolgirl enthusiasm. “Look what I’ve
Marbella already has a Avda. Julio Iglesias and Plaza Antonio Banderas, but it could really do with a statue to the Unknown Town Hall Planning Councillor. Using Facebook to drum up support for name changes after music stars could have problems, however. Imagine seeing a Rincon de Rihanna or (shudder) Boulevard de Justin Bieber.
warning before I light up a Monte Cristo. But ever since Demi Moore was on the front cover of Vanity Fair, it seems that every soap star, pop singer and reality TV bimbo is wittering on about being pregnant and doing a nude photoshoot with their bump. Please stop!
43
ephant project of them all. When Aznar was prime minister, he declared that no one would live less than 30 minutes from an AVE station. Which is all well and good, but the only people who benefited from the AVE were the German and French companies that built the actual trains, plus the usual bunch of corrupt politicos who awarded station building contracts to their mates. When I was living near Antequera I used the AVE to pop down to Malaga. But I’m sure that half-sozzled hacks weren’t
Pregnant pose
Tales from a bookshop
GENIUS: But what did Dickens write? bought!” she told her better half. “Oh aye?” he said in his cautious, understated way. Almost at once, Alec’s glance fell on the Dickens biography and he picked it up with interest. I began to wonder if we should abandon the whole system of putting books on shelves and just pile them willy-nilly on the counter and let chance do the rest. “This any good?” he asked. “It has excellent reviews,” I replied truthfully. “But you don’t read Dickens!” Beate told her husband. “I did when I was at school!” he said, a bit defensively. “I read Oliver Twist and Vanity Fair.” “Vanity Fair?” I raised an impulsive (if commercially irresponsible) quibble. “That not Dickens?” “Thackeray.” “There you are!” Alec told his wife triumphantly. “I’ll take this! Clearly I don’t know enough about Dickens, and I’d like to know more!” Deirdre returned with sticky buns. The two biographies had been snapped up, I said. “By fans of the authors?” “Sort of,” I replied.
South American superstar Shakira - the hottest export from Colombia since Pablo Escobar went to that great drug lord hacienda in the sky - posed in a bikini this month. Normally that image alone would have been enough to have me taking a lie down in a darkened room. But for this photo, the heavily pregnant Shakira posed with her boyfriend, Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique. Now, I’ve nothing against pregnant women - and normally give them a five minute
MYSTERY: A UFO or just Antequera AVE station?
White elephant
Meanwhile, Spanish trainspotters will be getting themselves into a froth at the prospect of traveling from Madrid to Paris non-stop on the AVE this year. The last high speed stretch of track went into service on January 9, allowing passengers to make the journey between the two capitals in nine hours. New figures, however, reveal that Spain’s AVE obsession might be the biggest white el-
what the high speed rail planners had in mind when they designed the service. And talking of design, all the AVE stations suffered from what I call ‘quasi - Guggenheim syndrome’ - a manic desire to use wavy bits of steel. The station at Antequera - a mere 20km from the town itself with no bus link - was located in the middle of olive fields, giving an impression at night that the mothership had landed.
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the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
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FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
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45 the olive press - January 24- February 06, 201345
Horse burgers withdrawn BURGERS sold in Spain have been pulled from the shelves after horse DNA was discovered in several ranges sold by UK super-
By James Bryce
its stores, while Lidl and Aldi have also been affected. markets. The Food Standards Agency Iceland has withdrawn two (FSA) which discovered the of its own-brand lines from equine meat, insisted there was no risk to public health, as it emerged a Spanish supplier was AFTER 25 years they should have no del Santo owners Andy Chapell one of two being picked up a few tips on how to and Pauline Elkin to be told their suspected of behotel was second best in Spain for ing responsible look after their guests. for the DNA conSo it was a great honour for Moli- customer service. The stunning 18-bed boutique ho- tamination. tel (left), in Benaojan, near Ronda, In tests by the it also was handed the gong in the annual FSA, that Traveller’s Choice Awards given emerged three out of 24 out by website TripAdvisor. It comes after the hotel won an chorizo products award in 2010 for being the Most also had traces of horse meat. Romantic Hotel in Spain. spokesman Dubbed the ‘Oscars of the hotel A world’, Andalucia dominated a list for Iceland conof awards dished out by the web- firmed that the affected burgsite in Spain. Among the big winners was the ers were stocked Vincci Seleccion Aleysa in Benal- in its Spanish madena, voted the best luxury ho- stores and that tel in Spain, as well as La Fuente a product recall de la Higuera, in Ronda, the Mar- notice had been bella Heights Boutique Hotel and issued. “Pending further Casa Grande, in Jerez.
Accommodating Andalucia
Iceland pulls own-brand burgers as Spanish supplier is blamed
investigation, Iceland has withdrawn from sale the two Iceland brand quarter pounder burger lines implicated in the study,” a spokesman told the Olive Press. “Iceland will be working closely with its suppliers to investigate this issue and to ensure that all products meet the high standards of quality and integrity that our customers are entitled to expect.”
Nightmare market MORE horses are being sold for meat as their owners struggle with the cost of maintaining them in the financial crisis. In Andalucia, production rose by 255% to 3.197 tons, with 16,608 horses killed between January and October 2012.
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FOOD & DRINK www.theolivepress.es with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
Anyone fancy With the avocado season in full swing, James Bryce discovers there is no better time to enjoy a fruit which takes its name from a Mexican word meaning male genitalia
AVOCADO FACTS The avocado season runs from October to May. To eat fresh, look for varieties with a ‘give’ to the flesh and do not refrigerate as they will not ripen properly. Over-ripeness will result in discoloured or mushy flesh.
FOOD & DRINK with DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com
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47 the olive press - January 24- February 06, 2013 47
a green ‘testicle’? T
AKING its name from a Mexican word meaning ‘testicle’ and branded ‘alligator pear’ due to the scaly appearance of its skin, the avocado is hardly blessed with good looks. But what it lacks in appearance, the humble fruit more than makes up for in flavour and health benefits, having been found to help lower cholesterol. High in mono-unsaturated fat, omega-3 and Vitamin E, avocados are also rich in fibre and contain 60% more potassium than bananas. Known as the fertility fruit by the Aztecs, the avocado has become an integral part of the Mediterranean diet since its introduction to Europe in the 1500s. The warm climate in Andalucia has led to it becoming a key area for the cultivation of avocados in Europe, with up to 60,000kg produced each year in the Axarquia alone. While avocados are available in Spain 365 days of the year, now is the perfect time to make the most of the fruit while it is at its best.
Spicy bean & avocado tostados Ingredients 4 flour tortillas 400g can refried beans big pinch cayenne pepper 200g can kidney beans in water, rinsed 2 handfuls cherry tomatoes, quartered 50g vegetarian cheddar 1 green chilli , thinly sliced 1 avocado, halved, stoned and sliced handful coriander leaves, to serve Preparation method Heat grill to medium-high. Put two tortillas onto a large baking sheet, then grill for two mins. In a bowl, mix the refried beans, cayenne pepper, kidney beans and cherry tomatoes, then divide half the mix between the tortillas. Scatter with half of the
cheese and half of the sliced chilli, then grill again until the cheese melts. Lift onto plates and top
with half of the avocado and coriander to serve. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
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the FREE
the olive press - January 24 - February 06, 2013
More links to the UK
RYANAIR is set to run flights from Jerez to Edinburgh, Dublin, Brussels and Bremen starting from March.
Covering Andalucia in 2013 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!
olive press
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January 24 -
February 6, 2013
FINAL WORDS
Aqua scare Farmers in the Guadalhorce Valley fear that water released by the Junta has come too late with some crops already damaged by dry spells.
Tax cut
Mijas Town Hall will offer a 5% discount on municipal taxes paid in the month of February which are not made via standing order.
Radical
The skate park in Alhaurin de la Torre has received a €45,000 upgrade from a local company installing new ramps and jumps.
FROM DOLE TO DROLE
www.theolivepress.es MUSICIANS stormed into a packed unemployment office in Spain to play a Beatles classic in the hope of cheering people up. The stunt took place in Madrid as part of a radio show for Cadena SER. The flashmob orchestra emerged alongside the long queue of people and began a rendition of Beatles classic Here Comes the Sun. Staff and customers were soon singing along to the optimistic tune and work in the office came to a temporary standstill. It comes despite Spain facing the worst economic crisis in modern history, with 26% of the population unemployed and Oxfam predicting that 38% of Spaniards will be living in poverty by 2022. The video can be downloaded on YouTube.
Sell your property THIS WEEK with an online ad reaching thousands for just
49,99 euros www.allabout andaluciaproperty.com
(brought to you by the OlivePress)
Are you sure you’d rather go to Margate? AN advertising campaign for Spain by airline Easyjet has been dropped following complaints it was a ‘cheap jibe’ against the seaside town of Margate. The budget airline was forced to drop the adverts urging holiday makers to “This year end up in Malaga, not Margate” after a series of complaints from Margate residents. Upset locals quickly demanded the advert was scrapped. Town councillor Will Scobie added: “Margate is a fantastic town for people to visit and we’ve just been named as one of the top 10 places in the world to visit.”
Wal-Mart of doping
RUDE TUBE MADRID’S underground was last week full of halfdressed commuters celebrating No Pants Day. The 12th annual No Pants Subway Ride saw scores of chilly train passengers braving arctic conditions in London and wet weather in Madrid. The event, dubbed ‘an international celebration of silliness’ is organised by the Improv Everywhere entertainment group.
THE Spanish government has been accused of suppressing evidence linking footballers and tennis stars to a doctor who allegedly gave out performance enhancing drugs. Detectives in Spain have been gathering evidence from all over Europe about Dr Eufemiano Fuentes since raiding his offices in 2006. Fuentes is set to go on trial in Madrid this week and has been described as a 'oneman Wal-Mart' of doping.
Spank the monkey
A SCIENTIST in Sevilla has discovered that chimpanzees – even females – have a penchant for porn. The primate named Gina has developed a liking for adult entertainment channels after staff at Sevilla zoo installed a television visible from her enclosure. The discovery came after Gina was given the remote control in a bid to stimulate her mentally and stop her getting bored at night. Red-faced staff discovered that she was favouring the porn channels to all the others available.
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 2013
Published on Jan 23, 2013
The original and only English-language investigative newspaper in Andalucia
