Olive Press Gibraltar - Issue 170

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Jubilee joy THE Earl of Wessex Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex are to visit Gibraltar in June to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.

It has become somewhat of a tradition for the Rock to welcome the couple in a Jubilee year as they last visited in 2012 as part of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The government of Gibraltar confirmed that the Royal visit would take place on June 7-9.

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Rainbow’s end

But no gold for British couple as their dream home is bulldozed in another sad chapter in Spain’s planning history

EXCLUSIVE

by George Mathias

FOR two decades it had been the dream retirement home of British couple David and Janet Hartshorn.

The four-bedroom villa in the hills above the Costa del Sol had all the hallmarks of the perfect escape from rainy, cold northwest England.

The retired publicans from Cheshire, had long dreamed of their place in the sun.

So when the opportunity of buying the dreamy Torrox plot came up, they jumped at the opportunity.

However, Villa Arco Iris (meaning ‘rainbow’) has proved to be anything but its namesake and rather than a pot of gold it has left them hundreds of thousands of euros out of pocket.

The couple had fallen for the age-old trick of trusting local tradesmen in southern Spain.

They had been assured by building firm Nertor that they would be able to develop a small shack on a plot of land into the sizable retreat they valued at €500,000 last year.

But just one year after buying it, they discovered it was illegal.

And that is where their nightmare began.

Some two decades later at ex-

X

“Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar is delighted to welcome the announcement from Buckingham Palace in London and The Convent in Gibraltar that Their Royal Highnesses, The Earl and Countess of Wessex will be visiting Gibraltar in June of this year,” said a statement.

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: "The visit of the Earl and Countess will be a highlight for us in Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee year and will be an opportunity for the People of Gibraltar to once again demonstrate our deep and unwavering affection for our Sovereign and the Royal Family as the embodiment of the British sovereignty of Gibraltar.

"I know that all of Gibraltar will look forward to the visit and that we will welcome the Earl and Countess with open arms, as only Gibraltar and the Gibraltarians know how,” he added.

The last visit was somewhat controversial, with the Spanish authorities describing the visit as ‘unfortunate’ as it coincided with tensions over fishing rights in waters around the Rock.

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DEVASTATED: Janet and David, as home is demolished

actly 9.01am on April 5, 2022, a town hall bulldozer started on a 40-minute rampage to bring it down to rubble.

Their countless pleas to Malaga Court to reconsider, even including a request to give up the property to Ukrainian refugees, were all in vain.

nothing could be done.

To add insult to injury, the cost of the demolition work will be charged to the couple - to the tune of €24,000.

Adamant Now the plot, formerly an idyllic The authorities were adamant setting for the Hartshorn’s and that it should not have been their family friends to spend built and never had the correct long summers, has been reduced to a derelict building site. permission.

Despite enlisting lawyers and “It is very distressing and a big local pressure group SOHA part of our life’s work has been turned to rubble,” David told the Olive Press, last night.

BEFORE: The couple’s dream “We have put all our life home Arcos Iris savings into this work, and now it is all going to be taken away.”

He continued: “It beggars belief how this can happen. Consultation with certain Spanish contractors is a downfall from the beginning.

They bend the truth.”

On Monday morning, David, accompanied by daughter Adelle, 46, who had flown over from England for moral support, finally accepted Portals Nous, the fate of their See page 16 beloved home.

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20-square-metre annexe.

This was spared by the demolition team but it will come as little consolation to the Hartshorn’s, who have been forced to move in with friends nearby and who will leave the country for good on May 6.

The case echoes that of Len and Helen Prior in Almeria who watched as bulldozers flattened their villa after it was deemed illegal by the town hall in Vera.

For 13 years they lived in the garage on the plot, while they mounted a legal battle that eventually declared the demolition was illegal. They won damages.

Another victim, Gurney Davey, saw his home razed to the ground in the Guadalhorce Valley last year.

Painful

The Olive Press has previously reported on 30,000 homes in Andalucia that were retroactively made legal in urban planning law change.

But such a law has not been extended to the Cheshire couple.

“I was not able to watch the demolition, it was too painful,” David added last night.

Opinion Page 6

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CRIME

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NEWS IN BRIEF Winding down DIRECTOR of Public Health Helena Carter announced Gibraltar’s exit strategy from Covid, which envisages a gradual easing of the remaining restrictions over the coming weeks.

Top potter FOLLOWING his victory at the 2022 Gibraltar Open, Snooker player Robert Milkins, 46, became the oldest first-time winner of a ranking event since Doug Mountjoy won the 1988 UK Championship.

Kick off GIBRALTAR’S national futsal team is set to kick off its 2024 FIFA World Cup preliminary qualifying campaign against Germany in Hamburg on April 6 at 7pm.

No view UNESCO’S World Heritage Gorham Cave Complex Viewpoint was closed on Tuesday until further notice due to inclement weather.

April 6th - April 19th 2022

Still on the loose Most Wanted giant Kevin Parle ‘is living in Andalucia and may have killed father-and-son in Estepona’ BRITAIN’S Most Wanted Kevin Parle is believed to be living in Andalucia and working for a drug smuggling gang.

According to a brand new BBC podcast, he is smuggling drugs ‘hidden among pallets of crisps and snacks from a warehouse base’.

This is the belief of retired policeman Peter Bleksey, whose series Manhunt, is released this week.

In the sensational second series of his attempt to track down the alleged British murderer - who the Olive Press

By George Mathias

spotted in Madrid three years ago - he also reveals that the gang is behind another double killing.

Former Met detective Bleksey believes that Parle’s associates may have murdered father and son, Danny and Liam Poole, who have been missing since April 2019.

The pair from Sussex had travelled to Estepona with a suitcase containing £20,000 in cash, which they were due to

Wife-beater fined A MAN who beat up his former partner in a bar has been fined £1,000 after being found guilty of Actual Bodily Harm by the Magistrates’ Court.

Nabil El Khiri, 47, of Glacis Road attempted to persuade the court he had acted in self-defence but the judge found his actions ‘excessive’.

The court heard that at around 4am on Sunday, June 21, 2020, El Khiri and his ex-partner were drinking alcohol at a restaurant after hours in Ocean Village, when an argument began.

The argument became physical between the pair and the victim ended up with two black eyes, swellings to both cheeks, scratch marks behind her ear and bruising to her right kneecap.

The woman managed to escape from the establishment and a security guard called the police. El Khiri was then arrested at the scene on suspicion of Actual Bodily Harm.

HE’S COMING: Former detective vows to catch Parle use in a drugs purchase.

They have not been heard from since and the cash they travelled with was never found but their passports and luggage were discovered at Estepona’s Valle Romano golf resort.

But Bleksey is now sure Parle’s network is behind their suspected murder.

He said a source close to the ‘industrial scale’ drug-smuggling gang told him that the network ‘was responsible for their disappearance’.

“I’ve also identified a number of individuals in Parle’s network, some of whom have addresses in Sussex, not far from where Danny and Liam were living. Everything points to these two cases being linked.”

It is believed the pair met two British men - one with connections to Merseyside - in Estepona the night before they vanished.

Spanish police confirmed they arrested the two men on suspi-

cion of the disappearance, but the pair were never charged.

One subsequently returned to the UK and is currently serving an eight-year sentence for aggravated burglary.

The other has been linked to another high-profile, unsolved disappearance in Spain where he still lives today.

On the run

Bleksey is now appealing, alongside Merseyside Police, to finally help to catch Parle, who has been on the run from justice for 17 years.

The six foot, six inch giant whose nickname is Hemp - is accused of killing two youngsters, Liam Kelly, 16, in 2004, and Lucy Hargreaves, 22, in 2005, both in Merseyside.

Said Bleksey: “I’ve now got a clear picture of how Parle remains on the run - what he does, who he does it for, and roughly where.”

In the slammer A LOCAL man has been handed a 15 month jail sentence after pleading guilty to a string of child sex offences.

Karl Bassett, 26, a resident of Harbour Views was sentenced by the Supreme Court for three counts of ‘sexual communication with a child’ and five counts of ‘distribution of indecent images of children’.

The offences took place between 2018 and 2020 when the two victims were under the age of 13.

Investigation

The court heard how the Royal Gibraltar Police launched an investigation, after the father of one of the victims complained.

The RGP’s Safeguarding Team arrested Bassett on suspicion of Sexual Communication with a child.

His home was searched and several hard drives containing child porn were seized.

“I’m content with the outcome of the investigation, as this type of crime cannot be tolerated,” said Detective Sergeant Jo Ullger, who heads the Safeguarding Team.

“The community can rest assured that the images seized had no local connection.

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NEWS

www.theolivepress.es SPANISH megastar Rosalia has revealed secret screenshots from fellow singing sensation Harry Styles - but it appears the pair’s interaction got lost in translation.

During an interview on The Tonight Show the Catalan-born songstress explained that she changes her number a lot to help her focus when she’s working in the studio.

When host Jimmy Fallon suggested that friends would then be texting someone else, she responded: “That happened to me – I didn’t know that someone else gets your old number. I thought you use that number and then it disappears or something.”

The 28-year-old revealed that confusion over her digits recently left her red-faced when boyband star Styles tried to reach her.

Instead of speaking to the Spanish warbler, clueless Styles accidentally messaged

April 6th - April 19th 2022

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Lost in translation a mystery individual who inherited Rosalia’s old phone number.

The Spanish pop star pulled her phone out to show the host screenshots of the bizarre exchange Styles had sent her, saying: “Your texts are so confusing.”

In the screenshot, you can see that the British star had sent Rosalia a message about her song ‘Dolerme’, calling it ‘so beautiful’. The person with Rosalia’s old number then replied: “I know my darling.”

After exchanging ‘love you’ messages, the stranger then revealed that they didn’t know who they were texting.

When Styles told them he was ‘confused’, they replied: “This number belongs to someone before. But now it’s my number. So don’t bother me anymore. Good night.”

SLAP (UN)HAPPY… Pedro Almodovar reveals his thoughts about THAT Oscars slap and ‘cult leader’ Will Smith

Top score BARCELONA’S Camp Nou stadium was packed out as a world record 91,553 fans watched the home team beat Real Madrid 5-2 in a Women’s Champions League semi-final.

The previous record for a women’s game was 90,185 at the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Win

Up until now the record for a club fixture was 60,739 supporters who saw Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano back in March 2019.

Club bosses were keen to see a bumper crowd for Wednesday’s match which saw Barca win 8-3 on aggregate.

They allowed Barcelona’s 147,000 members four free tickets each, with non-members able to buy entrance for between €9 and €15.

SPANISH director Pedro Almodovar has described how seeing Will Smith slapping Chris Rock over a misguided joke about his wife’s alopecia provoked ‘a feeling of absolute rejection’ in him.

Almodovar wrote about the incident in a diary on his experience at attending the awards ceremony, for which his film Parallel Mothers was nominated for two Oscars.

He reveals that he had a ringside seat and was ‘barely four metres from where it happened’.

“In the general overhead shots, I am the little white head you see in the photo,” he revealed.

“What I saw and heard pro-

BAD DEED: Almodovar unhappy with Smith duced a feeling of absolute rejection in me. Not only during the episode, but af-

…but Oscar happy THE Oscar headlines may have been taken by Will Smith’s infamous slap on Chris Rock, but a Spanish filmmaker has made a little bit of history.

Spain took home its first ‘Best Animated Short Film’ Oscar, with animator Alberto Mielgo victorious thanks to a 15-minute movie called The Windsceen Wiper.

The short took seven years to make with Madrid-born Milego having to finance the project himself.

The Oscar success came as a surprise as an entry from the award-winning Aardman studio backed by Netflix was the hot favourite to win.

terward, too, in the acceptance speech — a speech that seemed more like that of a cult leader,” he wrote.

“You don’t defend or protect the family with your fists, and no, the devil doesn’t take advantage of key moments to do his work,” he said in reference to the advice Smith said he received from Denzel Washington.

Devil

“The devil, in fact, doesn’t exist. This was a fundamentalist speech that we should neither hear nor see.”

His diary also featured deliciously indiscrete revelations about Kenneth Brannagh scouting for a part in his next film and gripes about America’s tendency to overuse air conditioning.

ESTUCO INTERIORS

Right royal treat QUEEN Letizia stood alongside Prince Charles to cut the ribbon at the first museum in the UK devoted entirely to Spanish art.

The Spanish Gallery, located in a converted high street bank in Bishop Auckland (County Durham), wants to be the Prado of the North.

On its walls hang masterpieces from the Spanish Golden Age by painters including El Greco, Murillo and Velazquez.

The new museum is part of the Auckland Project, a regeneration scheme backed by art collector and philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer.

In 2010, he bought Auckland Castle and its contents which included several paintings by Francisco Zurbaran.

Many pieces included in the first show are from Ruffer’s personal collection with additional loans from Museo del Prado, the Hispanic Society of America and other major collections of Spanish art.

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Day trippers A NEW expedition class cruise ship has made its first stop in Gibraltar.

The Hanseatic Nature cruise ship arrived for its inaugural visit to the Rock last week from Malaga and departed later the same day for Sevilla.

The vessel is a 230-passenger luxury ship from shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd which launched in 2018.

When exploring the Arctic and Antarctica it reduces the number of passengers to just 199 passengers.

Minister for Tourism, Vijay Daryanani MP, said: “We are delighted to welcome Hanseatic Nature on its inaugural call to Gibraltar.

Cruise

“It is always a pleasure to have new cruise ships visiting as it demonstrates the importance of our port as a destination in the Mediterranean.

“We have seen positive recovery in the number of calls this year and I will keep on working with our cruise partners in convincing them to increase their visits to Gibraltar. ” He added: “There is considerable interest in our port and hopefully our marketing campaign this year will attract even more business to Gibraltar in the near future.”

April 6th - April 19th 2022

Superyacht seized JP Morgan is behind recent Russian superyacht seizure in Gibraltar THE investment bank, JP Morgan Chase is behind the recent seizure of a Russian superyacht in Gibraltar.

The banking giant won a court order allowing the Gibraltar port authority to seize the 73-metre yacht Axioma owned by Russian oligarch Dmitry Pumpyansky.

Frozen

Pumpyansky, a billionaire steel magnante, is one of many Russian oligarchs whose assets have been frozen by the British

CHIEF MINISTER Fabian Picardo has reshuffled his cabinet and announced a new department to root out corruption.

Picardo announced the ‘minor adjustment to ministerial responsibilities’ on Monday.

“The decisions about this reshuffle were made when the estimates process started in November and are being implemented on the first Monday of the new financial year,” he said.

By George Mathias

government.

The six-deck yacht, which boasts an infinity pool, a jacuzzi and a cinema, had been on a three week voyage across the Atlantic when sanctions were imposed.

It requested permission to dock in Gibraltar which was granted with the ship being seized shortly after.

The Gibraltar government said: “JPMorgan won the court order allowing port au-

SEIZED: The six deck Axioma thorities in Gibraltar to seize the yacht, called Axioma, and it is acting pursuant to its

CONVERSION THERAPY BAN THE Gibraltar government has pledged to ban conversion therapies which try to change peoples’ sexual identity.

Samantha Sacramento, the Rock’s Minister for the Health Authority, Justice, Multiculturalism, Equality and Community Affairs stated: “I am proud that this Government is now working to introduce legislation banning the practice of conversion therapy, which has no place in Gibraltar.

“The Group for Equal Rights and citizens can rest assured because they are working on the drafting of a Bill, with the aim of enacting it before the summer”.

History, adventure and romance.

That’s just the setting.

Picardo shuffles the pack

mortgage rights."

When the boat was first seized on March 21, Gibraltar's government announced it was taking action on a docked ship ‘confirmed to be the subject of an arrest action by a leading international bank in the Supreme Court of Gibraltar.’

Claims

The Gibraltar government said that the extraordinary measures were taken in the interests of creditors with claims against the vessel.

Several mega yachts have been seized from Spanish ports in recent weeks whilst others, including a €600 million yacht owned by Roman Abramovich, have hastily set sail from Spanish waters.

Policy

Albert Isola will become the government’s policy lead for health, replacing Samantha Sacramento, who will head up a new anti-corruption department.

She will retain responsibility for Justice, Civil Contingencies, Town Planning, Multiculturalism, Equality & Community Affairs and Data Protection.

Picardo also announced his government would mirror the UK’s newly enacted Online Harms Bill, with Sacramento overseeing its implementation.

The Chief Minister warned of a challenging year ahead.

“This year will be, in financial terms, probably the most challenging year for elected politicians since the Franco restrictions started in 1967.

Join us for a celebration of history, art, heritage and pageantry in a unique part of the world.

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NEWS

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New colours THE Royal Gibraltar Regiment received its new Colours from the Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, at Windsor Castle.

The ceremony was the culmination of a tour by the Regiment to London to conduct ceremonial public duties.

These include guarding the Tower of London, St James Palace, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace.

Prince Edward, who will be visiting the Rock in June said: “This is your Sovereign's personal recognition of your professionalism, skill, courage and unique contribution to our nation's defence.”

Guard

Gibraltar mourns Former Governor of Gibraltar Field Marshal Sir John Chapple passes

FIELD Marshal Sir John Chapple, former British Army chief and Governor of Gibraltar, died aged 90 on 25th March 2022 after a short illness.

Flags were flown at half mast on the Rock the day after news of his passing as a sign of respect and affection from the people of Gibraltar.

Career

Sir John’s military career culminated in his appointment in 1988 as Chief of the General Staff. Following his retirement from the Army in 1992, Sir John was promoted Field Marshal and served as Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar from 1993 to 1995.

He was the Vice Lord Lieu-

By Jorge Hinojosa

tenant of Greater London between 1997 and 2005.

Among a wide range of other appointments, he was a Commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea and President of the Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation and the Combined Services Polo Association and was stalwart supporter of the Gurkhas who he served alongside during the ‘Malayan Emergency’ Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo led the tributes.

“I have been greatly saddened to hear of the death of former Governor Field Marshal Sir John Chapple,” Picardo said in a state-

He added: “On behalf of Her Majesty, I hand over these colours in the confidence that you will guard them well. That they will be symbols of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment's enduring spirit and devotion to duty.

“That it will inspire you in the face of uncertainties.

That as an emblem of your achievements it will be an embodiment of your Regiment's traditions, heritage and ethos.

“But most importantly, I give it into your care as a token of Her Majesty's admiration and trust in each and every one of you and in the regiment in which you serve.”

ON DISPLAY: The Regiment displaying their colours

RESPECTED: Sir John Chapplement. “Sir John remained, throughout his retirement, a huge supporter of Gibraltar, attending all our events when he could”.

Keith Azopardi, the Leader of the Opposition, described Sir John as “a good friend of Gibraltar. He culminated his illustrious career in Gib after service as a Gurkha & Chief of Defence Staff. Always well liked he continued his strong interest in Gibraltar after retirement. Warm condolences to his family. RIP” Sir John is survived by his wife Annabel and their four children, Rachel, David, Kate and Sasha.

April 6th - April 19th 2022

5

Rain record ONE of the longest rainy spells in Andalucia history will continue into Easter week.

But at least the heavy rains of March have helped to fill up the reservoirs.

While a drought warning has still not been rescinded, March was one of the wettest on record.

According to official figures from AEMET some parts of the region have had nearly SEVEN times their usual rainfall for March.

While Malaga had four times the usual amount with 218 litres falling per cubic metre by March 28, Almeria had a staggering 111 litres (or 687% over the average).

The region as a whole averaged 336% over the normal amount of rain, with Sevilla receiving 93 litres and Granada 73 litres.

That said the region has seen just 60% of what it normally gets in the hydrological year which runs from October.

While reservoirs are filling up (they are at 35% around the region), they vary from 49% of capacity in Malaga to just 12% in Almeria.

There is enough water for the tourist season in Malaga and the Costa del Sol, but the region is still critically short of water, insist scientists.

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A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

OPINION NOT AGAIN! THE horror and heartbreak of seeing one’s home smashed into smithereens isn’t a fate reserved solely for those living under threat of Russian bombs in the Ukraine.

And while Andalucia is far from a war zone and noone is in fear for their lives, it must feel pretty close to it for the couple who this week watched their dream home reduced to rubble.

It’s a travesty that such a terrible outcome continues to happen to those who fall foul of Spain’s planning laws, either because they were duped by unscrupulous developers, trusted the wrong legal advice or unwittingly failed to follow the proper procedure. Or in some cases, like the infamous Priors, did everything right yet ended up having to live in their garage.

For decades Andalucia’s political factions have passed the buck on ending such abuses and streamline the planning process, not just to prevent rampant corruption of town halls but to protect those who bought in good faith and invested their hard-earned life savings to spend their retirement in the sun.

Despite amnesties, ombudsmans and appeal processes, we are still writing headlines about bulldozers rolling in. It’s time Spain took responsibility once and for all to protect homeowners instead of penalise them.

ROYAL WESSEX WELCOME IT is welcome news that the Wessexes are to return to the Rock for the first time in a decade. With Spain increasingly posturing following Brexit, Gibraltar’s British sovereignty is all the more in need of shoring up.

Here’s to hoping the visit is less marred by politics than it was last time where tensions over fishing rights led to the Spanish government condemning the visit.

Whilst Gibraltarians long held wish of a second visit from the Queen herself has not yet been realised, the announcement is nonetheless a boon for the Rock, residents of which tend to be strongly pro-monarchy.

It makes sense from the palace’s point of view too, as they seek to tidy up their own house in the wake of scandals involving the Earl of Wessex’s brother, Andrew and give the Wessexes more of a significant ceremonial role.

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NEWS FEATURE

A viable alternative Forget mystery skulls and the Maddie McCann suspect, Orgiva’s globally-known alternative community is bustling with cultural links to Robert Graves, Genesis, the Olive Press, and even the Romans, writes Jo Chipchase

S

PAIN’S most famous alternative community has been in the news this year after a human skull was found in its midst, while it also emerged the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann mystery spent considerable time in Orgiva.

Christian Brueckner, 45, was a regular visitor to the Dragon Festival and frequently stayed in the Alpujarra area following the toddler’s abduction from Portugal in 2007, as we revealed.

However, these are just a handful of the rich and varied things that happen in and around this thriving Granada market town.

With an artistic and colourful community that attracts people from around the world, Orgiva is one of Spain’s only rural places that is a hive of activity for most of the year.

The hub of the country’s alternative scene, rather like Glastonbury or Totnes in the UK, hundreds of free-spirited individuals live in Orgiva, where coincidentally the Olive Press launched in 2006.

But forget the town itself, nearby is a trio of alternative settlements - Ben-

O

UCH! Another electric bill arrived today as more evidence of the skyrocketing price of energy.

Electricity costs have quadrupled - yes quadrupled! - from February last year to February this year, according to official figures.

You might assume then that any additional source supplying power to the grid would be much welcomed.

Not so, if you consider the current hot debate in town halls around many parts of Spain.

Take inland Valencia. Requena, Utiel and Siete Aguas are all opposing the installation of 10 new wind turbines in the nearby Sierra de Tejo.

These turbines are massive significantly larger than those in nearby Buñol and other parts of the province - and would be installed atop towers of up to 110 metres and with blades measuring 150 metres (normally 40 to 90 metres).

To proceed, two forest tracks will have to be built and maintained to accommodate the oversized turbines around Siete Aguas.

Healthy stands of pine and oak will need to be cut, resulting in potential erosion, while a high voltage line will run to a substation on the opposite side of the A-3 highway.

Such are the concerns for bird mortality, the town halls are preparing a motion to expand the special ZEPA bird protection zone, an EU directive that already covers much of the Sierra del Tejo area.

On many levels, I hope they are

eficio, Cigarrones and El Morreon that date back to the 1980s, when the UK had a thriving new age traveller scene – one that easily relocated to sunnier climes at the drop of a hat.

Completely multinational Beneficio is the only true ‘community’, explains Ela Graves, the grand-daughter of celebrated writer Robert Graves, who has lived around Orgiva for four decades.

And, as the Olive Press discovered, not everything is rosy in these ‘social experiments’.

Beautiful Beneficio Some 400 people live in this stunning valley between Orgiva and Canar, with various long-term residents living high up on the land, near an old Roman road.

Very international today, the community was originally established by Brits, mostly from Wales, including Sorrell Badger, who came from the Tally Valley, in the 1980s.

“We were discussing finding somewhere warmer and drier to live under canvas,” she explains. “So a small group left Tally and came to Spain to look for a suitable place to live, and here they discovered Beneficio.”

They initially bought and settled on a finca and soon many like-minded people joined them investing time and money, including John and Yvonne, who started a communal tipi called ‘Big Lodge’.

One British old-timer – who visited on holiday in 1992 and simply never left – invested with some other community members, who bought two adjoining farms.

Today, most of the land is privately owned, although some is natural park and people aren’t permitted to camp within 15 metres of the river.

While described by some as a ‘peaceful retreat’ and ‘a spiritual

Wind of change Two sides of the ecologist movement clash as Spain debates renewable energy, writes Jack Gaioni

successful, but there is another side to this debate: On windy days in Spain, wind generation supplies up to 71% of the nation’s demand - surpassing all other electricity sources.

It is cheaper per kilowatt hour, emits much less greenhouse gas and uses less water consumption than any other energy source.

Furthermore, it makes electricity

directly, circumventing the need to burn fossil fuels (coal) or process uranium for nuclear power.

Spain has a favourable topography and climate for wind power and is, in fact, the fifth largest wind power creator in the world.

As it did with tunnelling (due to its mountains), the country has developed proven technical know-how to improve and ex-

pand in wind generation.

Climate impact vs. high c energy debates will not en arguments both for and a wind power are symptom complex, multi-faceted that have no easy solution The energy companies an halls, like those in rural cia, both make convincing ments for their side.

cost of nd. The against matic of issues ns. nd town Valeng argu-

www.theolivepress.es

April 6th - April 19th 2022

MEET THE OP TEAM

7

A busy life

A focus on Olive Press journalist Alex Trelinski

H awakening’, others revealed a growing division between some of the old-timers and the more recent (and transient) car park dwellers, over ‘partying’ and keeping the place tranquil.

There are also tales of ‘fake gurus’ targeting younger girls, and most residents agree that ‘Bene’, as it is often known, has more than its fair share of problematic people.

“A lot of people with mental health problems are attracted to Beneficio,” explains Tony,

who has also lived in El Morreon.

But half the time, explained another, the local police and Guardia Civil literally send them up there. “They sometimes literally drop them off at our entrance track,” she adds.

Despite this, there are many positive features to Bene, in particularly its woodland setting.

Romanian mother-ofthree, Chunga, who has lived there for 12 years, showed us its communal lounging and cooking facilities, a natural pool for a cool dip, a women’s space, clothes sharing spaces, and an adventure play area for children.

Despite claims by some local authorities that the locals aren’t correctly registered in Spain, the majority are actually on the official ‘padron’ at nearby Canar town hall.

Counterculture of Cigarrones

There are no easy answers; the exponential rise in electricity costs are draconian and the arguments against turbines are often strong.

The best we can do is apply careful scrutiny and scientific rigour to the debates in each specific area… and all the while, turn off the lights, and watch our energy consumption.

Along the riverbed, near Tablones, are hundreds of alternative people who privately own their land.

Famed for the annual Dragon festival, which was eventually banned, Cigarrones had an alternative scene in the 1970s, when dozens of English students left the UK to buy and renovate a series of abandoned buildings.

Forward-thinking individuals, including Ela Graves, who bought in the 1980s, they believed in the concept of permaculture and utilised the already-existing irrigation system.

Graves, the grandchild of celebrated writer Robert (I Claudius and Goodbye to all That) she was joined by her recently-deceased counterculture hero brother, Davey Graves.

Across the river, Driving Over Lemons writer, Chris Stewart, carved out his own little corner of sustainable paradise.

A creative scene developed, involving the arts and music and, in 1987, a series of new age party crews from the UK started parking up and joining until in 1996 the Dragon Festival was born.

During its heyday in the early 2000s, this anarchic festival attracted over 10,000 revellers, which didn’t please everyone, including the then-mayor, Adolfo Martin Padial, who sent in the police.

A more receptive socialist mayoress helped a little but the antagonism between the organisers and the town hall eventually became too much and, in 2009, it came to a halt, with large fines issued to the organisers.

They had been on the authority’s radar since activist Vittorio Miotto organised a series of protests against a quarry scheme in 2004, which led to arrests, but, in the end, derailed the plans.

As Miotto recalls today: “I first turned up in Ciggy to help someone sort out a clutch problem on a bus. It was love at first sight - I’d landed in

paradise with food growing everywhere.”

And he’s still there today. “Ciggy is forever changing, it’s an un-intentional community - everyone just does their thing with respect for others. The ‘elders’ who have been there since the early 90s are all still there, so it must be working.”

Cigarrones has a collaborative vibe where people can display their arts and crafts, and share home-grown vegetables and snacks.

Autonomy in El Morreon El Morreon runs along the Rio Suico towards the Rio Guadalfeo.

Set up by Israelis in the 1980s, they launched a campaign for anyone to turn up and join their free-spirited, open-minded community, where they were told you would ‘never starve’.

Nikki B, who came from the UK in 1994, explains: “It’s a village of many nationalities, including Spanish. Although it’s not a community in the sense of everyone working together as a whole, the village comes together in times of need, change, work, necessity, and the occasional celebration.

“We are a group of similar-minded individuals connected by common aims and inspirations such as self-government, self-responsibility and sustainable living through exchange.

“We also believe in hard work in the gardens, as well as alternative energy sources and low impact dwellings, plus respecting our neighbours and our differences.”

The place has certainly changed a lot over the years, she continues.

“When I arrived it was dry and barren, while now it’s green and abundant. Every year I make olive oil, dry almonds and fruits and preserve vegetables.”

Nikki certainly didn’t starve. “In this environment, I have lived from donations and exchanging skills and food with others.

“Consumerism does not rule my life and I have time to explore my art and music.

“I was able to follow some of my dreams. I was once told ‘when you live here, you become more yourself than you ever thought.

Nobody will take responsibility for you here’.

What a beautiful introduction to autonomy and authenticity.”

AVING interviewed a legion of political leaders, from Tony Blair to David Cameron and Paddy Ashdown to Tony Benn, getting a comment from a councillor in Javea or Orihuela must sometimes seem trivial.

But there’s never been a dull moment for Alex Trelinski, since he rocked up on the Costa Blanca 13 years ago.

Now the rock of the Olive Press reporting team in the East of Spain, it was certainly a change of lifestyle for a man, who worked since 1981 as a presenter, producer, and manager at the BBC. Cutting his death at Radio Humberside, his first major interview was with actress Rula Lenska, which he conducted in Polish for 20 seconds to shock both himself and his listeners.

He went on to present hundreds of sports shows for over 25 years following the likes of Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

He also worked as a presenter for BBC Sport in London rubbing shoulders with presenters like Chris Evans and Chris Moyles, before becoming boss of Radio Derby.

Political programmes were also his passion and election night programmes were frequently anchored in the Midlands and the North.

Grilling the likes of ‘Red’ Ed Milliband and Neil Kinnock came easy, while not so easy was handling a drunk councillor suggesting studio guest Margaret Beckett wasn’t wearing underwear, live on air.

His most memorable broadcast moment came when he was dragged from the pub on a Sunday night in 1989 to present all-night coverage of the Kegworth air disaster, which killed 47 people as the plane landed on the M1 motorway.

His reporting team went on to recieve an international award for its coverage.

Come the late noughties, he approached his personal half-century and fancied a life change and a move abroad.

Spain and the Costa Blanca came out of the hat, and Alex has worked on local radio and other media over the years before ending up in a key role with the Olive Press.

Despite occasionally missing the BBC, it’s a move that he has not regretted.

The top five most read stories on www.theolivepress.es in the past two weeks are: PICS: It looks like armageddon Costa del 1-SolIN turns orange yet again as another calima hits Spain brown Spain’s white villages call for 2- Stained help to clear up after Sahara sandstorms have gone forward but here’s why 3- TheSpainclocks is still stuck in the wrong time zone never buy pre cut fruit and 4- Why youvegshould at supermarkets in Spain Putin: despite Spain declaring there 5- Chateau are no oligarchs based here, the Olive Press can reveal at least one

Get in touch today at sales@theolivepress.es or call us at 00 34 951273575 for more info

8

www.theolivepress.es

GREEN

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOR NEVER

Calls for Spain to stop plans for farms in protected wetlands LEADING supermarkets across Europe including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco and Asda are calling on Andalucia to halt plans to allow more strawberry farms near protected wetlands.

A public letter signed by major food companies and sent to regional president Juanma Moreno urged him not to approve a plan that would allow the creation of new farms in an area already threatened by water theft that has drained vulnerable aquifers.

Moreno is studying legislation that could approve more agriculture within the Donaña National Park, one of Spain’s most valuable wetlands and a UNESCO protected wildlife site.

Lynxes

The marshes are visited by millions of migrating birds each year and the area is also home to a sizeable population of endangered Iberian lynxes.

Some 1,900 acres of the park is occupied by greenhouses cultivating strawberries.

“The existing special plan is an important tool to ensure more sustainable cultivation at the origin of the supply chain,” they say. “We are concerned that the proposed changes undermine this goal and endanger the Doñana national park,” says the letter.

“Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the sustainability of water and soil management in Doñana in the long term,” it continues.

“Should this

By Katharina Beiersdoerfer

not succeed, we believe that the reputation and the long-term development of the region as a supply area are at risk.”

April 6th - April 19th 2022

Take a bow THE UK’s first liquified natural gas-powered ferry has made its inaugural voyage as it sailed from Portsmouth to Bilbao.

Brittany Ferries’ Salamanca departed with more than 600 passengers and freight vehicles on a trip that will now become a regular route.

Brittany Ferries CEO Christophe Mathieu said: “LNG-powered ships like Salamanca are a clear statement of our commitment to the future and to fleet renewal.

“They are cleaner vessels, significantly cutting air quality emissions like soot and sulphur.”

The Salamanca will now make two trips to Bilbao each week as well as a weekly return-voyage to Cherbourg in France.

Both Bilbao and Santander ports will host refuelling terminals to power the ships in partnership with Spanish fuel giant Repsol.

Environmental disasters that need action now

HEED THE NEWS! APART from the devastating and deeply upsetting events unfolding in Ukraine, two very noteworthy pieces of news were in the news last week that should not be allowed to pass by without comment.

I will cover them both separately. They equally reinforce my constant message that more needs to be done to protect the environment for future generations.

PLASTIC IS TOXIC A new study has revealed that of those people tested, 77% had plastic in their blood.

Microplastics (tiny plastic particles) are pollutants found almost everywhere on Earth.

Scientists have detected microplastics on Mount Everest, in the Mariana Trench, in baby poo. AND NOW IN HUMAN BLOOD. Polthylene Terephthalate (PET), commonly used in disposable water bottles, was the most widely encountered plastic, closely followed by Polystyrene (PS) which is used for food packaging.

Green

WHERE IS IT GOING IN OUR BODIES?

Some will be excreted, but some will be retained in our organs.

Not a pleasant thought.

Microplastics, like all plastics, are non-biodegradable.

They can take hundreds of years to degrade in the environment. Our bodies do not last that long.

It is yet another wake up call for us all.

Plastic pollution is a widespread problem. It contributes to climate change, threatens ocean health, damages the health of marine species, food safety and quality and affects coastal tourism.

And now it is being proven to affect human health and it is all at a phenomenal cost to the world’s economies. Experts predict that the societal cost of plastic pollution produced will exceed €7 TRILLION by 2040.

Last year, the estimated costs of plastic pollution topped €4 trillion.

In addition 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels gas, oil and fracked gas.

It is truly toxic and harms all aspects of life from the moment production begins.

HEATWAVE IN THE ANTARCTIC How does the coldest place on earth have a heatwave?

It is yet another wake up call.

At the end of March an unprecedented temperature was recorded in the Antarctic. A temperature of 40C ABOVE AVERAGE was recorded at the French/Italian research station Concordia, located over 3000 metres above sea level on the Antarctic plateau.

Meanwhile at the other extreme of the planet in the Arctic, in the absence of sunlight, a temperature 30C

higher than the March average was recorded.

With both the Antarctic and Arctic breaking records this calls into question even the most pessimistic climate change models.

So what does all this mean? Scientists are predicting catastrophic polar ice melt that will cause sea levels to rise and disrupt ocean currents.

This reinforces my regular message - climate change is NOT a future problem, it needs tackling now.

Every fraction of a degree increase in global warming matters.

Francisco Navarro, a glacier expert at the Technical University of Madrid, warns that these polar heatwaves contribute to many recently documented disasters.

And what more, if we warm the planet by two degrees more (which we are on track to do) these events will be 14 times more frequent.

The damage caused by global warming in these regions is irreversible. A temperature spike on February 8 this year caused the collapse of an ice shelf measuring 3,800 square kilometres.

Sea levels in Antarctica are predicted to rise by up to 1.7 metres by 2100.

All this sadly has consequences for us all.

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Property

S pr pa op in’ in er s b En ty es gl ma t ish g

APRIL 2022

€12.7m

www.theolivepress.es

Survey Spain's Campbell Ferguson ask if war and inflation will affect sales in the coming year

Life in the shade THE enclave of Zagaleta has often been described as ‘southern Europe’s most exclusive place to live’.

And when you count on the celebrities, captains of industry and, now, the global dictators who stalk its privileged spaces, that’s no surprise.

The multi-million price tags certainly follow suit, as does its incredible golf course, which has just a few hundred people allowed to play… and then there’s its intriguing recent links to Russian dictator Vladamir Putin, who owns a property there.

The giant 2000 sqm palace, known as the Rock of the King (or Roca del Rey) counts on its own private vineyard, helicopter pad and bowling alley.

But it’s the three floors underground that has got eyebrows raised among Europe’s security and defence elite.

As revealed by the Olive Press last month, it counts on armed guards and has a deep bunker monitoring the

It’s one of Spain’s most expensive places to live. But few know what goes on behind the high tech fences of La Zagaleta, where Putin is said to own a giant palace. Olive Press Property takes a peek Straits of Gibraltar 24/7. And this in a gated community that claims that security is ‘its number one priority’.

Indeed, security is of so much importance that after a late-night incident last year, an Israeli company was commissioned to build a new ‘high tech electric’ fence.

Expected to become the most expensive in Spain, it will run around the 900-hectare estate that sits in Benahavis, between Marbella and the foothills of the Serrania de Ronda.

“The residents are being charged 5,000 euros each in two installments to help pay for it,” reveals a source. “They are not exactly happy about it.”

It comes after Head of security Jose Miguel Navarro boasted last year that

his team have a ‘maximum response time of three minutes to any alert’.

“Our perimeter shielding, detection systems and security routines will thwart most attempts to attack properties, which explains why the incident rate is 100 times lower than in other residential complexes,” he claimed.

The estate was originally called ‘La Baraka’ and owned by disgraced billionaire Saudi arms dealer, Adnan Khashoggi, who was said to have held some of the world’s most debauched parties at the hunting lodge in the 1970s.

Today it is the clubhouse of the resort, which was acquired by a group of investors in 1989 led by Andalucian banker, Enrique Perez Flores, who came

from Huelva.

The giant estate was then divided into approximately 420 plots, of which around 240 homes have so far been built.

“Most homes go for around 7 to 8 million euros,” explains one British agent, who has sold a number of properties there over the last year. “And some have even doubled in price over the last few years.”

All surrounded by deep woodland, they have either sea or mountain views (or both), while there is also a private equestrian center and golf course, with a second one on the way.

The amazing course, said to be one of the best in Spain, only counts on 250 members, which is because only homeowners can join.

“The price for membership alone is 120,000 euros and then it’s 10,000 a year for the lead member and 7,000 for the second member of the family,” adds the agent.

“It’s real royal golf and the attitudes of the locals are to match,” he continued. “It’s ultra exclusive and so snobby, way more than the Chelsea or Cheshire set.

“Owners put 10,000 euros behind the club bar so they can always get a drink or cigar when they want and the place is literally crawling with Aston Martins, and DB4s and McClarens.”

Thesedays, the company behind Zagaleta is run by Ignacio Perez Diaz, after his father died two years ago.

According to its last available accounts in 2019, its immediate holding company Zagaleta International UK Inc is based in Panama, while two other entities, Soto Properties SA and Campo Alto SA, are based in Switzerland.

10

PROPERTY

April 6th - April 19th 2022

A safe haven

OVER 3,000 kilometres separate the ‘tranquillity’ of the costas from the horrors of Ukraine. However, the effects of the war have become the ‘trigger’ for a sharp rise in inflation and shortages that have been building up since the financial crisis in 2007/8.

This has been building with 14 years of quantitative easing, which basically means the ‘watering down’ of currencies.

Add in a sudden shortage of fuel, wheat and other commodities, alongside disruptions of trade caused by Covid, and consumers are suddenly finding they’re not getting so much for their Euros, Pounds or Kroner, and definitely not their Roubles.

Inflation is traditionally slowed by wage and price controls, with the latter now being implemented in Spain for fuel, as well as restrictions on rent increases.

It is also controlled by reducing the amount of money available, by increasing interest rates. This leads to cash and savings having less value, meaning people start using it to buy things that will hold their value, such as property.

While rising interest rates

Is the Ukraine war (and inflation) affecting Spain’s property market, asks Campbell Ferguson of Survey Spain

make mortgages more expensive, at a time when consumers are spending more finding any evidence of chanof their income on general ges in the local market. living costs, there are some Overall, the answer has been, positives.

‘Not yet’. But there’s greater In particular, property is seen uncertainty about the future, as a safe haven in times of inparticularly from their clients. flation… and Spain has a nice With some, there is an urgenrange of it as far away as one cy to buy just to can get from the get the security troubles in norof a ‘fixed’ asset thern Europe, including the There’s greater before anything major happens.

Ukraine war. uncertainty With others, Then there are there is greater the obvious about the caution and a factors like the future wish to hold onto weather and what they’ve got. cost of living, but One lawyer even also things like said that two the ‘free’ enerclients had pulled out of deals gy from the sun being readily within the last few days, losing available here. their 10% deposits.

Over the last week, I’ve asked Either way, agents have rarely many professionals if they are

G

ON THE UP!

been so busy with deals being concluded and the difficulty of finding properties for their clients to buy.

The logic is that demand should go down for those just looking for a holiday home, as there will be less money around.

British buyers are likely to be some of the worst affected as they are already suffering from the impact of Brexit. Russians, too, will be absent.

However, the reduction in these sectors are being made up for by buyers anxious to place their funds in solid assets, far away from the current conflict.

And the costas have already seen significant increase in buyers from Germany, and interestingly Romania, over recent

months.

Golden visas Something else worth considering is the EU’s planned changes on the granting of investment-backed visa’s.

This is likely to cause a rush of applications with ‘golden Visas’, as they are called, getting granted to families investing more that €500,000 in property here.

They can also be acquired by investing the same amount in Spanish companies or even Spanish Government Bonds.

Overall, expensive property should not see any significant changes, with an increase of interest rates.

However, lower value property purchases are more often linked to mortgages, and that market

may stutter as buyers find it harder to find a mortgage or shy away from them in case interest rates rise substantially.

Fixed rate mortgages are becoming hard to find.

We tend to forget that higher interest rates were once common around Europe, with them being as high as 17% in the UK in 1979, when inflation averaged 13%.

Fortunately, and hopefully, we are a long way away from those levels.

To conclude, I believe the demand for property from those with money will continue, therefore encouraging the upper price sector of the market in Spain.

However, buyers, agents and other professionals will be ‘looking over their shoulders’ with unease, unsure of what lies ahead.

IBRALTAR has undergone a major transformation evolving from a small British Colonial Garrison Town into Campbell D Ferguson, FRICS. Chartered Surveyor in Spain. RICS Registered Valuer. a self-thriving economy built upon a wide range of commercial business activities Director – Survey Spain SL. Regulated by RICS. ranging from tourism, shipping, and port inTel: 00 34 952 923 520 & Mobile: 00 34 650 599 701 - www.surveyspain.com dustries to highly regulated financial services BFA takes a look at property and the gaming industry. development in Gibraltar All of this has generated demand for property construction both for commercial and resi- undertaken by Harbour Developments Limitdential needs. ed, a consortium made up entirely of locally Continuous economic growth has encour- based developers. aged significant public-sector investment into The reclamation, situated in a prime location new schools, sporting complexes, roads, air- to the West of Coaling Island, aims to create port, public transport, services, and clean en- up to 60,000 sqm of new land area. ergy infrastructure, all within a vibrant econ- Another spectacular development has been omy and a strong growth in Gross Domestic the recent concession granted to the TNB Product per capita.

Global Foundation to develop a multi-millionThis direct investment has fuelled and moti- pound marina development, which will proTHE Plaza de Toros de vated private sector investment into property vide an exciting mix of residential and comFuengirola is looking for development which is being delivered to in- mercial amenities in a waterfront environcreasingly higher standards through compet- ment incorporating landscaped recreational new owners. itive tendering. gardens, hotel, and superyacht marina.

Turina Victoria, the The last 18-24 months has seen an acute company that owns the increase in property sales as a result of an bullring, has set an askincrease in purchaser demand and with liming price of €4.5 million ited resale supply of properties, with high end property fetching as much as £8,000 for the historic building, £10,000 per m2 circa £1,500 more per m2 which has a capacity of than two years ago. over 4,000. partaco,” the listing on Idealista said.

This surge in demand, primarily driven by The premises were refurbished in 2012 preBullfighting in the square normally takes speculative investors, has in turn encourserving the facade and expanding the premplace in the summer season and during the aged the developers to re-launch the luxury ises by 2,500 square metres. month of October as part of the Fair of development schemes which had been put on hold.

A statue of bullfighter Anthe Virgen del Rosario, patron saint of New Developments in the Gibraltar offers a safe and desirable place to tonio Jose Galan, known as the city. live and work embracing luxury lifestyle with pipeline for construction Feungirola’s favourite son, is Not limited to bullfights, the ring comfort within a secure andVILLAS structured UNDER CONSTRUCTION – RESERVE YOURS NOW! LASTliving REMAINING one of the defining features of has hosted a wide variety of culfiscal environment.

Register with BFA for your VIP listings grounds. tural events over the years includRecently announced Within the enclavebyofthe theGibraltar natural Govbackdrop of thebefore historic North Gorge of Gibraltar, thisthe development of 48 detached launch of off plan sales The bullring, built in 1962, is being equestrian shows, dressage ernment, andand probably the most ambitious Hilton Project - The 160 Bed terraced houses is underway as The scheduled following the successful off plan sale of Phase I. project to be supported by the Government, ing advertised on Spain’s propevents, and carriage displays.

Hilton Hotel for anda2Gibraltar Luxury Residential The North Gorge development has been shortlisted Sustainability Award.

Few remaining properties is a significant private investment initiative to erty portal Idealista and inA number of parties are thought developments. reclaim land from the harbour. developforThe sale in phase II with pricesPlaza ranging betweenand £1.4 to £1.8 million. cludes the bullring, the car park, to have already expressed interest Queens - Commercial ment project known as ‘Victoria Keys’, will be Residential Development and all commercial premises. in acquiring the bullring, with at North Gorge - Luxury Eco Friendly Vi“Over the course of 60 years, least one interested in changing llas within the surrounds of a Natural the most outstanding figures of its use.

17B Casemates Square Sanctuary bullfighting have performed However, under law, the build-

Bullring up for sale

NORTH GORGE DEVELOPMENT

The Balcony Gibraltar Tel: 00(350) 200 71131 / 71625 Email: info@bfagib.com

And other smaller and exclusive projects underway…

here including Antonio Ordoñez, El Cordobes, Paco Ojeda and Es-

ing must be retained for predominantly cultural use.

NORTH GORGE DEVELOPMENT LAST REMAINING VILLAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION – RESERVE YOURS NOW! Within the enclave of the natural backdrop of the historic North Gorge of Gibraltar, this development of 48 detached and terraced houses is underway as scheduled following the successful off plan sale of Phase I. The North Gorge development has been shortlisted for a Gibraltar Sustainability Award. Few remaining properties for sale in phase II with prices ranging between £1.4 to £1.8 million.

THE BUCKTHORN – GIBRALTAR

THE FIG – GIBRALTAR

£1,800,000 (OFF PLAN PRICE)

£1,490,000 (OFF PLAN PRICE)

Bedrooms: 5 | Bathrooms: 5

Bedrooms: 4 | Bathrooms: 4

Semi-detached 4 storey villa with integral garage, garden, balconies, car port and solarium terrace with jacuzzi. Passenger lift serving all levels including roof.

Terraced villas also with integral garage, balconies, car port and solarium roof terrace. Passenger lift serving all levels including roof.

PROPERTY DETAILS

PROPERTY DETAILS

Interior size: 232m² | Total area: 338m² Balconies: 13m² | Roof Terrace: 46m² | Garden: 47m²

Interior size: 180m² | Total area: 268m² Balconies: 17m² | Roof Terrace: 53m² | Garden: 18m²

THE BAY – GIBRALTAR

THE FERN – GIBRALTAR

£1,440,000 (OFF PLAN PRICE)

£1,710,000 (OFF PLAN PRICE)

Bedrooms: 3 | Bathrooms: 3

Bedrooms: 4 | Bathrooms: 4

Terraced Villas also with integral garage, rear garden, balconies, car port and solarium roof terrace. Passenger lift serving all levels including roof.

Terraced Villa also with integral garage, balconies, car port and solarium roof terrace.

PROPERTY DETAILS

Interior size: 160m² | Total area: 233m² Balconies: 9m² | Roof Terrace: 43m² | Garden: 21m²

17b The Balcony – Casemates & First Floor Hadfield House Library Street, Gibraltar

PROPERTY DETAILS

Interior size: 204m² | Total area: 301m² Balconies: 17m² | Garden: 18m²

Tel: 00(350) 200 71131 Email: info@bfagib.com www.bfagib.com

LAST REMAINING HOUSES – RESERVE YOURS NOW – EMAIL INFO@BFAGIB.COM

12

LA CULTURA Final drum roll

April 6th - April 19th 2022

Cashing in SPAIN’S government has approved a birthday gift to all 18-year-olds in the form of a culture voucher worth €400.

The Youth Cultural Bonus, which can be spent on books, concerts, cinema tickets, museum entrances or even video games, has been passed by the Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the scheme last year, saying it would introduce youngsters to Spain’s rich cultural history.

FOO FIGHTERS have cancelled their 2022 tour following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

It means the band will no longer be playing two planned gigs in Madrid and one in Valencia.

Emergency services were called to a hotel room in Bogota, Colombia after Hawkins complained of chest pains whilst

Pass

He added that it would also support Spain’s culture industry which suffered a 15.8% decline in spending in 2020 as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions bit.

Approximately 500,000 teenagers are said to be eligible for the pass.

The money will be loaded onto a virtual card and spent via smartphone.

Youngsters will be able to spend up to €200 on live experiences, including concerts and festivals, and another €100 is available for physical products, like records.

A further €100 is for digital products, such as mp3 albums.

Foo Fighters cancel Spain gigs in Madrid and Valencia after death of drummer

By George Mathias

on tour with the band last weekend.

They found him unresponsive upon arrival and administered CPR, but were unable to revive him.

A band spokesman said: “It is with great sadness that the Foo Fighters confirm the cancellation of all our tour dates due to the shocking

loss of our brother, Taylor Hawkins. We are sorry and share the disappointment of not seeing each other as planned.

Instead, let’s take this moment to heal, to draw closer to our

Don’t make him cry CELEBRITY chef Dabiz Muñoz has ignited fresh debate on the eternal question of what should go in an authentic Spanish tortilla.

Muñoz claims that onion in the omlette is strictly a no-go, saying that the sweetness of the vegetable tarnishes the overall flavour.

The Spanish staple has countless recipes that vary drastically by region.

The three Michelin star chef admitted that his remarks were likely to cause considerable controversy: “Whenever

I say that tortilla should be made without onions, people tell me that I am silly, and I have no doubt that I am.”

Dabiz Muñoz, who will soon open a new restaurant - RavioXO in Madrid, - claims that the onion gives an ‘excessive and unnecessary sweetness’ to the tortilla.

“A good egg, a good oil and a good potato is a good combo that does not need anything more than a little salt,” he added during a presentation at Fusion, held at Madrid’s Ifema.

CRISIS PLANNING How to protect yourself against the volatility in the Pound Euro exchange rate, writes FX veteran/specialist Peter Loveday

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR Dominating the headlines at the moment, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is also behind a lot of the movement in the Pound Euro pair.

While both the Eurozone and UK economies are exposed to the economic fallout of the war and the sanctions levelled at Russia, the EU is particularly vulnerable, largely due to its energy links.

So when there is positive news – such as progress in peace talks – the Euro tends to get a boost, while negative developments in Ukraine downgrade it.

Of course, the situation in Ukraine is rapidly developing and constantly changing and even the savviest analysts are unsure how it will unfold.

CENTRAL BANK POLICY Both the Bank of England (BoE) and the European Central Bank (ECB) are in the unenviable position of deciding on monetary policy at a time of surging inflation and faltering growth.

Monetary policy has a massive impact on exchange rates. Usually central banks signal plans ahead of time so that any changes don’t shock markets.

However, the huge amount of uncertainty at the moment makes it hard for policymakers to even decide on the best course of action, let alone communicate it in advance.

That’s why the March meetings at the ECB and BoE both surprised markets, causing sharp changes in the GBP/ EUR rate.

Opioids

Hawkins, 50, joined the band in 1997 and went on to record eight studio albums with the band.

A toxicology report found at least 10 substances in his body, including opioids and cannabis, though the cause of death has not yet been established.

AFTER a two year break Fuengirola’s Feria de los Pueblos festival is making a comeback.

The festival - which has been renamed the Feria de los Paises - is famous for its multicultural celebration, with the UK, Greece, Australia, Hawaii, Belgium, India, and Paraguay just some of the countries represented.

The event first started in 1994 as a promotion of the 130 different nationalities who call Fuengirola home.

Pre-Covid, it regularly drew in more than 100,000 visitors, many of whom take part in a giant parade across the town.

Each nation involved usually offers up its own programme of activities including concerts, dance shows, craft markets, workshops and food stalls showcasing national delicacies.

Ukraine will also be taking part.

The mayor of Fuengirola, Ana Mula, said: “Ukrainian citizens need our support and affection at the festival more than ever.”

Russia however will not be represented at the festival.

The celebrations kick off on Saturday, April 30 at 11.30am on the Plaza de Espanza.

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HE Pound Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate has seen some wild swings in recent months.

In March alone, it fluctuated between €1.183 and a fiveyear high of €1.217 – a movement of around 2.8%.

While we’re seemingly past the worst days of the coronavirus pandemic, other crises have stepped in to fill its place, injecting fresh uncertainty into the currency markets.

Here’s what’s driving GBP/EUR at the moment and how you can protect against volatility:

loved ones, and to cherish all the music and memories we’ve built together.”

The band also announced that anyone with tickets will be automatically refunded.

The promoters of the gigs in Spain, Live Nation, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce that the Foo Fighters concerts in Valencia and Madrid are cancelled.”

Comeback time

Plaza de las Orquídeas, Calle Orquídea, Local 5, Nueva Andalucía, Marbella, Málaga, 29660 marbella@currenciesdirect.com +34 952 906 581 FUENGIROLA ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY Adding to the volatility, both the UK and the Eurozone face increasing economic uncertainty. Britain and the EU initially bounced back from the pandemic but Omicron, soaring inflation and the Ukraine war have cast doubt on growth outlooks.

When forecasts are cloudy, volatility can increase. Long-term planning becomes harder, so markets are prone to more shocks, spikes and dips as new economic data emerges.

PROTECTING AGAINST VOLATILITY This kind of volatility can cause some nasty surprises if you need to transfer money overseas. On a £20,000 transfer, that threecent gap between €1.18 and €1.21 translates to a €680 difference. And the larger the sum, the higher the discrepancy.

Fortunately, there are ways that you can protect against volatility.

Specialist currency brokers, such as Currencies Direct, offer different tools to help you navigate the ups and downs of the currency market.

For instance, you can use a forward contract to secure an exchange rate for up to a year. This way, you won’t lose out if the market moves against you.

Services like rate alerts and daily updates make it easy to keep track of what’s going on in the forex world so that you can make informed decisions.

And with Currencies Direct you’ll have a dedicated account manager here in Spain to provide guidance and support whenever you need them.

The people at Currencies Direct are a friendly - and locally based - bunch, so get in touch with them if you want to find out how they can help you.

Avda. Alcalde Clemente Díaz Ruíz s/n, Urb. Puebla Lucía, Edificio Leo, Local 1, Fuengirola, Málaga, 29640 fuengirola@currenciesdirect.com +34 952 906 581 BENALMADENA

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April 6th - April 19th 2022

DON QUI-NOT

12 essential Spanish literary works that are not Don Quijote

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HENEVER iconic Spanish literature is mentioned, the first and sometimes only work that comes to mind abroad is that of Miguel de Cervantes.

And that’s no surprise as his famous tome Don Quijote de la Mancha is not only one of the best-selling books in history, it is after the Bible the second most translated book in the world.

But in reality there are other novels and plays that are shorter, easier to read and with more exciting subject matters than the senile old gentleman who famously tilted at windmills.

Nada

by Carmen Laforet

Luces de Bohemia

by Ramon Maria del Valle Inclan

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HE oldest literary prize in Spain, the Nadal Prize, was awarded to this book in 1944 in its first edition.

The title Nada (nothing) captures the essence of this novel: an existentialist work that captures the day to day life in post-war Barcelona: Sadness, poverty, desperation... A young Andrea arrives in Barcelona to study literature and sees her initial enthusiasm and innocence clash with the reality of his tragicomethe times. dy novel starring Calisto and Melibea was published in 1499. The mad passion of Calisto for Melibea leads him to break all moral and social barriers and ally himself ew works of theatre define tragedy as aptly as the with a dubious malast play by the great Granada writer Garcia Lorca. dame, Celestina. A After the death of her second husband, Bernarrace then begins da, the mother of five daughters, goes into secluin which the charsion and imposes a rigorous and suffocating eight-year acters selfishly period of mourning on her grown-up girls. But a love seek their own affair that entangles the daughters who all hanker for benefit: Calisto the same man will change the lives of all of them. The to have Melibea play begins and ends with Bernarda saying the same and Celestina to word: Silence. get rich at the expense of his master.

La Celestina

by Fernando de Rojas

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A

lso a tragicomedy, this Valle Inclan play is about literary life in Spanish society in the early part of the 20th century.

It focuses on the nocturnal stroll through Madrid of a blind poet, Max Estrella, accompanied by his agent Don Latino.

The story recounts the last hours of elderly Max’s life and visits countless spots in the capital and a cast of fictional and real people.

La Casa de Bernarda Alba

by Federico Garcia Lorca

F

Fortunata y Jacinta

by Benito Perez Galdos

San Manuel Bueno, Martir

by Miguel de Unamuno

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his realist novel reveals a writer committed to his times and a progressive Spain. The stormy love affair between Juanito and Fortunada, unable to overcome the difficulties that their different social status, takes place in the traditional atmosphere of the late 19th century. The book portrays the role of women in society, with the pair as its greatest exponents.

T

he novel revolves around the author’s great obsessions, immortality and faith, although they are presented with a new approach for him: the alternative between a tragic truth and an illusory happiness. When Angela Carballino writes the story of Don Manuel Bueno, a parish priest of his little village Valverde de Lucerna, multiple events show him to be a saint of flesh and blood.

Everything changes when the parish priest confides to Angela’s brother Lazaro - of progressive and anticlerical ideas - his most intimate secret: he does not believe in faith or in God, but pretends to do so in order to maintain peace and belief in the afterlife among his faithful followers.

El Lazarillo de Tormes by an anonymous writer

Fuenteovejuna

by Lope de Vega

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ope de Vega’s play, written in verse and published in 1619, belongs to the Spanish Golden Age. Fuente Ovejuna is a small village under the rule of Fernan Gomez, a cruel and unscrupulous man who exploits his vassals. The people get fed up with his malice and decide to kill him, agreeing to all insist the killer ‘was Fuente Ovejuna’. It is considered a symbol of the unity of a whole people against feudal tyranny.

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ritten in 1554 by an unknown author, this is an adventure of a roguish, but appealing hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society. Dickens, Mark Twain and Burroughs were all influenced by the novel that revolves around Lazaro, a naive boy who, struggles to get through all the adversities and complexities of life. In a nutshell, after his father dies, his mother puts him in the service of nine masters, all of whom represent a criticism of society.

LA CULTURA

April 6th April 19th 2022

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Platero y yo

by Juan Ramon Jimenez

El camino

by Miguel Delibes

P

T

ublished in 1914, the book represents the transition of the narrative of modernism and all subsequent currents. Platero is a muchloved donkey in the care of a young boy who treats him as his best friend. An incredible bond is created between the human and the donkey due to various reasons, among them the death of his relatives, which makes the boy not trust any human being.

his is Delibes’s third novel, published in 1950 and set in post-war rural Spain.

It tells the story of Daniel el Mochuelo who goes to the city to study travelling through the countryside with his friends Roque and German and reliving the adventures of simple village people.

Don Juan Tenorio

by Jose Zorrilla

T

enorio is one of the most famous characters in Spanish theatre. The story takes place in Sevilla during the Golden Age. A year after making a bet to see who is more wicked and womanising, Don Juan Tenorio and Don Luis Mejia meet to recount their exploits, which end with Tenorio as the winner. But everything changes when, after a bet to seduce a nun, he falls madly in love with Doña Ines.

La vida es sueño

by Pedro Calderon de la Barca

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ritten in 1635, the play has the main character questioning the meaning of life while in captivity.

The drama revolves around the deprivation of Sigismundo’s freedom by his father, King Basilio of Poland, who imprisons him for fear that the predictions of a consulted oracle, according to which he would defeat and humiliate him, will come true.

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Talking turkey

FINAL WORDS

TURKEYS escaping from Torrevieja’s (Alicante) Parque de la Naciones have been terrorising passers-by and flocking on to the N-332 main road, leading the local council to call in a specialist trapping firm to rehome the birds.

Hands off!

VETS at Barcelona zoo have been unable to find out the sex of a rare newborn Spider Monkey as its’s mother is so protective they can not examine it.

The

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Drive for equality

Black Hawk Down

Police catch dive-bombing hawk that attacked humans and caused terror A BIRD of prey that was causing havoc in the town of Tobarra, Albacete, has finally been caught.

The Harris hawk had escaped from its owner, a local falconry enthusiast from Murcia.

It decided to settle in Albacete, some 150 km away, and was causing panic for the town's 8,000 residents.

It was seen swooping down

on children in the streets, striking fear into locals that someone could be seriously injured.

Environmental rangers were called in to help a team from Seprona, the nature protection arm of Guardia Civil.

Together, they hatched a plan to catch the rogue bird with a trap involving decoy birds, culminating in its capture in the net of a five-metre-long pole.

WINGS CLIPPED: The rogue hawk was finally captured

The operation was not made easy for them due to the bird’s use of the town’s electricity

Ham fisted

HAMBURGLAR STRIKES AGAIN

A 52-year-old man has been arrested for stealing premium legs of ham from a Malaga market, with him accused of nicking €10,000 worth of the delicacies after climbing a street light to get in the premises on six occasions.

A RESTAURANT bill dodger has once again proven there is such a thing as a free lunch.

Hamburglar Antonio Miguel Grimal fell back into his old ways and tried to flee without paying for a burger - mere days after being released from prison.

The Olive Press previously reported that the 47-year-old

from Zaragoza was cuffed after he refused to pay a €70 bill.

The crook was sent to prison but on his release went straight back to skipping payment and refused to pay a €47 bill at a hamburger restaurant.

The fraudster has been arrested over 30 times since 2016 for the same crime.

poles as a vantage point.

The raptor was captured safely and without being harmed before being sent to the Wildlife Recovery Center of Albacete.

The bird, native to America, is known to be very aggressive when stressed.

It is a popular bird among falconists and they are often used to disperse pigeons from London’s Trafalgar Square and the tennis courts at Wimbledon.

Harris hawks range in length from 46 to 59 cm, with a wingspan of up to 120cm.

MORE than half of women in Spain say they have been the target of sexist statements about being bad drivers.

A survey reveals that 50.6% of Spanish women have had the trope about women behind the wheel said about them.

Meanwhile 18% of men admitted to believing that women are worse drivers than men.

The findings were published as part of a campaign by car maintenance firm Midas to bust the myths that women are worse drivers than men.

The company has now teamed up with the charity Ayuda en Accion to empower women on the roads by paying for driving lessons for women who can’t afford them.

Paws for court A MADRID court is to bring in dogs to help support and calm witnesses and victims when they are about to testify.

The programme, launched under the name ‘Dogtor Animal’s Courthouse Dogs Research project’, is being trialled. Research in the US has shown that pooches can aid in calming the victim and eases the process.

952 147 834

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