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A DANG could seeEROUS lurch to Vox party Spain’s anti-imthe right ers in this becoming the migrant kingm weekend’s tion. general akelecThe massi the recent ve surge - off of Islam Catalan crisisthe back of ing 15% - could see the and a fear EXCL of the seats party The expec By JoshuUSIVE in Parlia seizment. a Parfit damage ted gains will t centre-right seriously POLICE which could lose over Ciudadanos, have beenon the Costa while the half Blanc slamm Podemos ruling PSOE and its seats, allowed a confused ed after theya are also left fer. tated Britis expected wing and to sufh great- disorienVox, which to walk grand has Spain from pledged into the out of a police father dead of station ed to finish immigrants, to ‘defend’ The famil night y of pensi alone. fourth gener third in the is predictPearc count oner Philip e, 68, are al electio ry’s years. n in as many swers from demanding The latest why he was Benidorm police anby Santia polling suggests releas over ber ed on Septe 10, at its 24 seatsgo Abascal, will Vox, led mThey now 3am. increa in Spain liament ’s 350-seat se to 46. has been fear for his life parmissi after
Duty of care clai police stat ms ion at 3amafter missing in clearly British gre at-g disorien ted stat randfather wa e s allowed to leave
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Press they individual ‘do not comm A Polici cases’ such as ent on Philip’s. claimed a Nacional spoke scrambled‘helicopters’ had sman to searc been various Benidorm h for Philip on However, hillsid 5.30p by a stran Benidorm’s Levan ‘four questions they failed to es. ger to to buy cigare m on September te day scour to five’ hours Polici answe about the tion in ing aband ttes every of his releas 9 the Old a Nacional sta- his bearin exact detail r oned midnight, Town just e gs and before he lost ings and travel s police. around the ler comm build- whether sniffefrom the statio was taken as CCTV firms. n or r dogs and unitie footage after searc Costa to “I even hes s conHowever, sent my Blanca. would be had been deploground GoPro came dog out soon. yed or and why what is not clear bush and ra to search with a the statio he was allowed is how Two mont Wallet in every Have you in every n three hours to leave ive hs on, Lee we’ve found corner, seen Phili “The police Press told but in touch at news p? Get are simpl later. swering search anda request for ‘a the Ol- ing,” McQueen noththeolivepr desk@ y our not groun sniffe said. questions,” ess.es an- unans Pearce, d “I’ve r son Lee left wered, whiledogs’ has gone driver got 130 taxi last night41, told the Olive s who the searching . Press “We for answefamily are at 4am and start “It’s absol just rs. need closu finish at 2am, for us as utely gut-w er my dad re on but where he a family, not renching Lee said. is still alive wheth- the hotels none of and esor not,” tablis is and why knowing “But peared. hmen apart he disap seen a sign ts have “I just want - sent out from claiming of Philmiss him him home so the police some drones to have ip.” to look, The badly. I anyth don’t seem Philip wasso much.” ing to be doing spent family has from the known to be It comes at all.” weeks as score ting up puttia, but early signs ofsuffering idents have s of Britis h res- handi posters and spent when hewas ‘happy and demen- ing for signs of weeks search- of his ng out flyers friend andleft for Alican smiling’ ther-of-thre missing the grand te with father travelling around e. faOwne a partner. r of Alican with contaBenidorm David McQu Find out te ct detail een, saidTransfers, A spokeswom s. eating what’s he has the Britis an for ate told h ConsulPaul Holl Tel. (+34) 96 649 18 the Olive ywood 29 info@h
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UK’s Foreign Office call centre thought British dementia sufferer in late 60s was ‘drunk’ in the crucial hours before his death SPEECHLESS: Lee (inset) can’t understand why dad Philip (right with a pal) was allowed to go
The million fines that shame Spain Page 6
ETA terrorist behind Page 9 Killing Eve
EXCLUSIVE By Joshua Parfitt
THE British Foreign Office (FCO) thought a British holidaymaker suffering dementia on the Costa Blanca was ‘drunk’ and just needed to ‘sober up’, the Olive Press can reveal. A Freedom of Information request concerning the death of British grandfather Philip Pearce, 68, shows the FCO’s emergency contact centre believed he was ‘not vulnerable’ just hours before his death in a ditch in Benidorm. Documents seen by the Olive Press show Spanish cops telephoned a Malaga-based call centre asking for assistance with Philip, who had lost his bearings after going out for ‘cig-
arettes’. He had been taken to the station around 10pm on September 9, last year, by a concerned British tourist who spotted Philip in a ‘disoriented state’. Police asked a consular contact centre assistant what to do with Philip, who did not speak Spanish, and whether the FCO could figure out where his hotel was. But an internal FCO report reveals Philip, from Bridgwater, in Somerset, told the FCO officer he ‘couldn’t remember where he was staying’. Furthermore, he couldn’t even remember ‘where he lived in the UK’. Making matters worse, it was during the horrific ‘gota fria’ storms, which saw temperature highs of 28 de-
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grees followed by torrential rainfall and flooding. As the Olive Press revealed in a front page story in November, Philip was believed to suffer a sudden onset of vascular dementia, perhaps brought on by the weather, and was not well. Yet, incredibly, Benidorm Police let Philip leave the station at 3am on September 10, leading to his son Lee Pearce, 41, to insist the Spanish police had ‘failed’ in their duty to protect him.. “But I think in that phone call the FCO had the power to keep Dad alive,” Lee told the Olive Press this week. An internal email seen by the Olive Press shows clearly that he was not well, with a consular official confirming in the following days that he ‘kept saying he was in England’ and had ‘no clue’ he was in Spain’ during that fateful phone call. Despite these signs of senility, a spokesperson for the FCO told the Olive Press they were ‘not made aware that Mr Pearce was vulnerable’. An internal report on Philip, a former joiner, just says ‘Police will hold onto [Philip] until he sobers up’. Philip’s later disappearance made headlines in the UK and Spain, until he was identified in February from a ‘severely decomposed’ corpse found just 2km from the police station. The corpse carried the same amount of money as when Philip was registered in the station, a death certificate revealed. Philip’s son, Lee, told the Olive Press: “It leaves me speechless how
a 68-year-old man with clear signs of dementia was let go in the worst storm for 100 years. “You wouldn’t let your own dog out in that weather. “I believe that had the authorities realised my dad was not drunk, but had got dementia, he would still be with us.” A spokesperson for the FCO maintained that Philip was the ‘responsibility’ of the Spanish authorities. “We class a British national as vulnerable if they cannot protect themselves from significant physical or emotional harm, or be protected by others,” he said. “Our Global Response Centre provides emergency support to British nationals globally when embassies and consulates are closed. “Mr Pearce was with the Spanish authorities, who were best placed to provide assistance, and we were not made aware by them that Mr Pearce may be vulnerable.” An FCO spokesperson said staff have access to ‘detailed guidance and training on a wide range of issues, including mental health and mental capacity’. Despite this, there are zero guidelines for dementia patients abroad on the FCO’s website. It comes as Philip’s body will be buried in Bridgwater today (May 28), with just a maximum of 10 people due to the coronavirus pandemic. A report from the UK’s Alzheimer’s Society this year also revealed emergency dementia admissions to UK hospitals are up 35% in the last five years. Opinion Page 6
2 www.theolivepress.es Paper trail A DOZY burglar has been arrested after he dropped a document containing his details in the house he was robbing. The 43-year-old suspect left a police fine on the floor of the Elche villa as he made off with more than €3,000 of stolen goods, including an inflatable paddling pool. The thick thief, who has a criminal record, is also now facing charges for disobeying Spain’s lockdown rules.
NEWS IN BRIEF Bra stash TWO women have been arrested in Estepona for hiding marihuana, cocaine and heroin in their face masks and bras after police stopped their car at a checkpoint and conducted a search.
Terror raids POLICE have arrested two suspected terrorists in Ciudad Real who were planning to set up a jihadist cell through internet forums, just a few days after they detained an alleged would be ‘lone wolf’ attacker in Barcelona.
CAUGHT
CRIME
May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
Past your bedtime
British fugitive who escaped from a UK court tracked down by cops to a rural bolthole
A FLEET-FOOTED criminal who bolted from a UK court has been arrested in Spain, the Olive Press can exclusively reveal. Louis Robinson, 25, jumped the docks of Manchester Crown Court back in 2014 just moments after the judge handed him 12 months for attempted burglary and aggravated vehicle taking. Robinson had pinched scrap metal from a skip outside Harpurhey Shopping Centre,
EXCLUSIVE by Joshua Parfitt in Albox
before crashing a stolen vehicle, aged just 19. The wanted man nearly escaped justice again when, in April this year, he escaped Spain’s Guardia Civil by climbing over rooftops from his home in Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia. A spokesperson for the Guar-
Fake kidnap gang nabbed in Alicante
A GANG of bogus kidnappers have been arrested after it emerged that the man they had allegedly grabbed was actually in hospital. Police have revealed that the victim had gone to casualty in Alicante Hospital with injuries at the end of April and was found to have had contracted COVID-19. When the gang heard he was in isolation without a phone they took advantage of him not being able to contact relatives, or his parents, to claim they had kidnapped him. They demanded €1,500 in cash to free him unharmed – even though he was tucked up in a hospital bed all along. To make their demands more realistic, they shot videos wielding large knives. While grainy images of a young man being threatened were in reality one of the ‘kidnappers’ posing. But instead of handing over cash, one of his relatives went to police in Cantabria to report an abduction and an investigation found the man was actually in hospital. Analysis of messages sent to the man’s family led officers to three men, one woman and a teenage boy, all Spanish, based in Alicante.
PICKED UP: Gun-loving Robinson and wanted pic dia Civil in Murcia told the Olive Press he had acquired residency using a false name with the initials LWJ. Armed police later tracked Robinson down to another hideout in Albox, Almeria, from where agents cuffed him and sent him to Madrid for extradition on April 27. A spokesperson for Madrid’s High Courts of Justice confirmed Robinson had ‘accepted’ extradition back to the UK and is awaiting transfer. Robinson was described as ‘extremely violent’ and ‘armed’ by police who were acting on a European Arrest Warrant. In 2018, UK police had sent out an appeal describing him as a ‘prolific offender with a history of robbery and burglary offences’ who ‘knew’ police were after him and actively ‘evaded’ capture. Neighbours of Robinson’s bolthole in Llano del Espino said they had ‘no idea’ a fu-
gitive was hiding out in their tiny hamlet, 15 minutes north of Albox. “Suddenly the Guardia Civil turned up with guns and binoculars to stake him out from the other side of the valley,” one neighbour, who asked to remain nameless, told the Olive Press. “We had no idea a wanted criminal was living out here.” Another neighbour said she had ‘never laid eyes on him’ and was ‘shocked’ when the Guardia Civil turned up outside her house. A local Guardia Civil source said Robinson’s trail had been picked up during a random police road block for the coronavirus state of alarm. He is currently awaiting an extradition hearing in Madrid. Did you know Robinson? Or seen him around? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es
A SERIES of parents have been fined after seven kids were caught breaking Spain’s coronavirus lockdown. The minors, mostly teenagers, were spotted close to the Montgo Natural Park, near Denia, reportedly without sanitary protection. They were not practicing social distancing and were found outside after the established curfew. Officers located the children’s respective parents, before fining them for disobeying the state of alarm.
Squat thrust A GANG of squatters stole so much loot in a series of burglaries they used a second home as a warehouse. Guardia Civil noticed that a small area of Ibi had seen a rise in burglaries. They all happened near a supposedly empty house, which they found to be occupied by squatters. Police carried out a search of the house and found evidence that it had not only been illegally taken over, but was being used as a base for burglaries. Investigators then searched a next door property and found a stash of loot. This included 158 kilos of copper, 220 kilos of other metals and a large number of stolen tools. Two men and a woman – who have a history of violence – were nicked.
Bulls, Bears or Unicorns? What a crazy couple of months we have all experienced, one that I am very sure won’t happen in our lifetimes again. Here’s to keeping everything crossed that this virus is under control!
mainly because there were no fundamental issues with the financial markets, more of an economic slow/shut down and the markets recovered quickly once the pandemic had ended.
Whilst we’ve adapted our home lives, working lives and changed the way we go about our day to day business, how has this pandemic effected the world of finance? Let me give you a brief run-down of what has happened so far…
We are already seeing this happen with Covid 19. Despite the initial dramatic fall, we have now seen the markets calm, and history has always proven that at some point a new bull market (recovery) will begin. With that will come many opportunities for people already invested and those that are looking to invest. Let me give you a clearer picture of how a bear market (when the market crashes) then turns into a bull market (period of market recovery) oh and the unicorn…… just really to get your attention!
It all started at the end of February when the US markets experienced their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. The UK markets shortly followed, and 9th March 2020 was labelled ‘Black Monday’ where the FTSE fell from its February highs of 7436, to lows of 4993, a drop in the region of 30%. The biggest losses unsurprisingly coming from the oil and travel industries. The key difference to this market crash was that it was unexpected, unplanned for and largely unprecedented. The following table shows what impact previous epidemics have had on the world’s economy. If we look at the SARs epidemic in 2003 you will see it was quite a dramatic drop but very short lived. Now, SARs is a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of Covid 19, but there are some similarities and things that we can learn from. Firstly, the market drop for both was steep, quick, but short lived, this is
The 2008 debt crisis was in a bear market for 17 months and lost a total of 57%, but 12 months into the subsequent bull market the markets rose by 68%. Some of you may remember the 1981 inflation crisis, that lasted 20 months and the markets lost 27% but 12 months after the bull market began, the markets had risen 58%. The pattern is clear, we know what will happen, but we don’t know when it will happen and that can make investors nervous. My advice is this, don’t over think how long the pandemic will last or when the economy will recover, but think more about what sectors or companies can make it to the other side. If you’re already invested, make sure
Providing multi-award winning advice for your pensions, investments & tax planning.
By Tracy Storer, Senior Partner
your portfolio is being reviewed, and whilst it is important that you don’t make any knee jerk reactions, it’s at times like these where cracks can begin to show and, in some cases, urgent changes are necessary. To give you some idea/reassurance, clients of Chorus Financial who have been invested in our balanced portfolio are 5% up over the last 12 months despite this recent crash. That is because we build our portfolios using funds that have exceptional track records, strong performance history and good value for money. The mixture of funds we choose create a diverse spread of assets which helps protect our clients in volatile market conditions. If you are a cautious/balanced investor and your portfolio has experienced greater losses over the last 12 months, then there are likely to be some fundamental issues with the funds you hold, and I would strongly suggest you get a second opinion. If you are an investor looking to enter the mar-
kets, well arguably these are some of the best times, as you are getting a ‘discount’ on funds that you buy into! Always make sure that you receive advice, even if you are an experienced investor, as quite often there can be institutional savings to be made and also a professional adviser will make sure your investments are structured correctly to ensure you don’t end up overpaying any tax. So, whether you are already invested in Spanish Compliant product such as Quilter International, Prudential, Lombard etc or you may have a QROPs or International SIPP that you would like a second opinion on, or whether you are looking to get advice on a new investment or a pension transfer please give us a call and we can provide you with an independent opinion. Call Tracy on 693 107 044 or email t.storer@chorusfinancial.es
The advisers trading as Chorus Financial are members of OpesFidelio and authorised to give financial advice subject to contract in parts of the EEA, including Spain, CNMV No Registro Oficial 3970. OpesFidelio is a trademarked network of the Aisa Group which includes Aisa Financial Planning Ltd and Aisa International s.r.o. Aisa Financial Planning is authorised and regulated in the UK as an independent financial adviser for UK retail clients by the Financial Conduct Authority, Reference number: 189652, and has permissions throughout the EEA under both directives IDD and MiFID. Aisa International s.r.o. is authorised and regulated in the Czech Republic as a financial adviser by the Czech National Bank and has permissions through selected EEA countries, including Spain.
Investment contracts are intended as medium to long term investments, and all investments have some level of risk. Figures in our articles are examples of what can be achieved and cannot be guaranteed; the value of your investments can go down as well as up. Fees and charges can vary and will be fully explained to you before any advice can take place. This article should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular product.
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NEWS
www.theolivepress.es THE carer of Alicante-based snooker legend Willie Thorne (pictured left) has made a plea for help as the sportsman hits rock bottom in a new medical crisis. Thorne, 66, has developed sepsis following chemotherapy treatment for a leukemia diagnosis he received in March from Torrevieja’s Hospital Universitario, on the Costa Blanca. “Willie can’t feed himself or put a drink to his own mouth,” his carer told his GoFundMe fundraiser. She is hoping to raise €30,000 to help Brit Willie through his medical battle – longtime friend and fellow Leicester sportsman Gary Lineker has donated €1,000 already. But the GoFundMe also asks for lifts to and from the hospital, a translator to help Willie navigate his diagnoses, or just a
Read between the lines IT is the stunning beachside home that has left millions cooing about the beauty of Ibiza during the lockdown. The sumptuous abode appears regularly in Netflix hit drama White Lines, about a DJ from Manchester who gets mixed up in drug-dealing on the Balearic gem. Except the multi-million hideout is not on the White Isle at all… it’s in Mallorca. Sitting in exclusive Cala d’Or on the south of the island, the four bedroom villa is actually named Can Pirata. Owned by a wealthy Catalan woman, who lives between Madrid and Barcelona, it
3
Help Willie! ‘warm meal’ to his rented flat in Alicante. It comes after the former world no.7 declared himself bankrupt in 2015 after racking up £1 million in gambling debts. He also beat prostate cancer that same year. His carer wrote: “Willie’s life is no secret.. He is on his own and he makes his money through appearances, which have, for obvious reasons, had to stop. “He isn’t entitled to any relief over here, and won’t receive any available funds in England. “This GoFundMe request is not just a request for money, but a request for help of any information, contacts, and whatever else under these circumstances.”
RISING STARS: Zoe (Laura Haddock) and (left) Axel (Tom Rhys)
Hedonism, drugs and corruption - but the smash hit Ibiza series White Lines is actually mostly filmed in Mallorca, the Olive Press can reveal EXCLUSIVE by Isha Sesay in Cala d’Or
May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
STARRING ROLE: Villa home of DJ Marcus (left) is a TV hit boasts jaw-dropping views and has direct access to the sea. Renting on Airbnb from around €1,200 a night, it also counts on expansive gardens, an outdoor pool and now, the real bragging rights factor. Unsurprisingly, estate agent Montse Serradell from La Calma Rental Homes, who manages the property, has been inundated with requests to rent this summer. “The interest has been huge since the White Lines crew reserved Can Pirata for 20 days in May and June for filming last year,” Serradell told the Olive Press. The show is one of the most popular crime series of the year so far. Penned by Alex Pina, the creator of the highly successful Money Heist, the story revolves around Zoe, as she attempts to find out what happened to her murdered
brother whose body has just been found dumped on the mainland in Almeria. Offering a heavy dose of sun and sand in a world of hedonism, drugs and corruption, the 10-part thriller takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride leaving many pining for a holiday on the beautiful island. Yet the vast majority was filmed in Mallorca and features the infamous Restaurante Illeta in Andratx, the Son Oliver villa in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains, Tito’s nightclub, in Palma, as well as Michael Douglas' Valldemossa S'Estaca estate where a raucous orgy takes place in the first episode.
RICH: Grosvenor and girlfriend Harriet
Hugh goes huge! A MASSIVE Andalucian estate and a few blocks of central Madrid have helped to catapult the young Duke of Westminster into Britain’s wealthiest top 10. Property mogul Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, has edged his way up the Sunday Times Rich List, thanks to the COVID crisis. The latest edition of this annual wealth parade values the world’s richest 29-year-old at €11.57 billion. It puts him at the 10th richest person on the 2020 list, having been 14th last year. It comes after the Olive Press revealed that the Grosvenor Group has ploughed more than €300 million into Madrid, over the last few years, while the Duke himself owns the sprawling La Garganta hunting estate in Andalucia. He and his family already own more land in Britain than Elizabeth II – 0.22% compared to the Queen’s meagre 0.03%. Unlike many Rich-Listers this year, the group has increased its wealth amid the pandemic.
PROPERTY: Madrid block and Andalucian estate
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NEWS
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The Media Group on the move!
Office wizard some g for a sorcerer to weave The Olive Press is lookin expand again into new regions. we magic in its head office as ceful and become the glue in the young
our You’ll be energetic and res Personable and bi-lingual you will have a m. tea ing and exp idly literate. rap and iable and naturally computer good phone manner, be soc
Graphic designers
The Olive Press also needs reliable, quick and talented graphic designers for its office in Sabinillas. You’ll have a great eye for detail, plenty of job experience and a good record for turning up on time and working to deadlines
Sales executives We also need commercial sales agents in the following areas: Malaga, Sevilla, Almeria, Murcia, Catalunya, Valencia, Canaries and Portugal. Great rates of pay for those with the right proven skills
Journalists and w
riters
LAST, but definitely not least.. we also need wordsmiths too... can you turn a phrase and/or turn up on a doorstep on time? We are looking for qualified, hard-working hacks and writers around the whole of Spain
If you think you have what it takes to help the Olive Press expand to the next level, please get in touch at accounts@ theolivepress.es at the first instance, sending your CV and a covering letter. These jobs could be part time or full time and will suit either man or woman of any age or colour
May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
Spain issues a ‘go-electric’ order with plan for a ban on petrol cars and coal By Laurence Dollimore
SPAIN will ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars from 2040. The measure is part of a draft climate change action plan, which aims to make Spain’s electricity system 100% renewable by the middle of the century. The proposal, which needs to be passed by parliament, aims to make the country carbon neutral by 2050. Immediate action would also see all new coal, oil and gas extraction projects abandoned. Direct subsidies on the fossil fuel trade will be ended and all new vehicles made emis-
Netted
Off the roads!
sion free by 2040. The aim is to reach the goal of reducing emissions by 23% from 1990 levels over the course of the next 10 years. The country also aims to see
Bitter sweet POLLUTION in Spain decreased by a third in April, one of the highest drops in the world. Carbon Dioxide emissions dropped by an enormous 32% compared with 26% globally. “Emissions fell on average between 20% and 30% in most countries,” said Joeri Rogel, at Imperial College London. During the first days of April, pollution levels fell to lows that hadn’t been seen since 2006. And some 17 million fewer tonnes were released into the atmosphere on April 7 alone, compared to the same day in 2019. However, experts still do not believe it’s significant enough to make a difference to the atmosphere in the long-term. “It won’t make any significant difference in the long-term”, added Rogel, who believes that there will be a rebound with an even greater emissions trajectory, once we emerge from the crisis.
renewable energy account for between 32% and 42% of total energy consumption by 2030. To hit this target clean energy sources will have to make up at least 70% of the electricity mix by the end of the decade. Efficiency measures will also be brought in to reduce energy consumption by 35% over the course of the plan. This would be done mainly through renovating and improving homes and commercial premises. The Pedro Sanchez-led government claimed that the plan could generate €200 billion in new investment in the next decade and create up to 350,000 new jobs. It also forecast that these carbon-cutting measures would boost the country’s economic growth by 1.8% by 2030 compared with business as usual.
A GANG who exploited baby eels to sell to China has been shut down. A total of 16 illegal fishermen that snared the fish in the River Guadalquivir and sent them live to Asia have been arrested. The elvers, as they are known, are a highly lucrative catch, especially on the Asian blackmarket. Criminal gangs made millions smuggling the stilllive creatures by air to sell in China. Fishermen have to use nets with a mesh of just 1mm to catch the glass eels that fetch the highest price. They scoop up all aquatic wildlife along with the elvers, causing untold damage to the ecosystem. During Operation Ave Fenix, the Guardia Civil seized 16 sets of specialised fishing rigs.
EELS: smuggled in case
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Hope on the horizon
HOTEL searches in Spain soared by around 150% over the weekend following the news that the country would be reopening tourism from June 22. According to Spanish travel agency Destinia, the spike occurred between 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, just after the weekly appearance by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on TV. The PSOE leader told those in the country to ‘plan their holidays now’, vowing that
Holiday planning surges as Spain gears up to open for tourism next month
‘there will be a tourist season this summer.’ He encouraged hotels to begin preparations to reopen before adding that foreign tourists, too, can plan their holidays from July, a week or so later. The most sought after towns were Benidorm, Salou, Lloret de Mar, Torremolinos,
Back in the ring SPAIN’S bullfighters are set to return to the ring in August – provided they can get the official go ahead. It comes after key figures met at the Sevilla home of Peruvian-born superstar matador Andres Roca Rey. They were trying to come up with a plan to tackle the crisis which the bullfighting industry has been plunged into by the coronavirus lockdown. Part of the proposals include a drastically reduced capacity at fights, as well as some financial aid from the government to protect the ‘artform’. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez however, has said he was uncomfortable with classing bullfighting as an art.
Benalmadena, Gandia, Mojacar and Puerto de la Cruz. But it wasn’t just beach hotels getting a look in, with rural hotel searches also experiencing a big spike. Director of Destinia Ricardo Fernandez described it as ‘very positive’ news for Spain. “On the one hand, it sends an international message that we want to remain relevant as a favourite destination in the Med, and on the other, it pleases the general public by letting them know we will have summer and we will be able to travel,” he said.
STRICT quarantine rules on tourists visiting Spain will be lifted in July. In a bid to save the nation’s vital tourism industry, worth 12% of the country’s GDP, the government confirmed the rules will change in time for the summer. Up until then, all international travelers have been ordered to self-isolate for 14 days. Although there has been no specific date set, tourism bosses have taken it to mean that the restrictions will end from July 1. Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto added that foreigners should plan for holidays in July. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also told hospitality industry leaders to prepare for the arrival of visitors, saying: “There will be a tourist season this summer.” It came after Junta de Andalucia leader Juanma Moreno branded the quarantine period ‘a nonsense’.
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OPINION Cracks in care ALZHEIMER’S and dementia have become the UK’s biggest killers in recent years. It’s a disease that, with no known cure, and tragically far too common, doesn’t always make newspaper headlines. But in the same way that more than half of COVID-19 deaths in Spain have been in care homes, the death of Philip Pearce must be a symbol of the need for dementia awareness. Neither Police in Benidorm nor the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) recognised the grave vulnerability Philip was facing. Nor did his family, who told this newspaper Philip, 68, worked at a joinery right up until his trip to Benidorm and only had a mild spell of ‘memory loss’ back in 2018. In a story that saw a six month search and today a tiny coronavirus-controlled burial far from the family’s preferred church, blaming someone might help the grief. But, if anything, it’s the way this disease slips through the cracks that must face the biggest blame. Closing all those cracks is the only way to prevent another disaster in memory-making Spain. At present, there is no science linking onsets of vascular dementia with a holiday in the hot sun, but this is at least the second time in six months a British holidaymaker has gone missing with dementia in Benidorm and the FCO can play a massive role in stopping it.
Pot calling kettle The protesters on the streets of many cities this week have a very valid point. But the way their anger has been hijacked by the far right party Vox is nothing short of shameless. Until the weekend, the so-called pot-bashing ‘casserole protests’ were an outpouring of anger at the country’s draconian clampdown that even stopped residents from leaving their homes for exercise for six weeks and led to a million fines. While they were initially spontaneous, a police investigation found, they have been turned into a political rant at the left wing government. Whatever your leanings the government needs to be questioned over its extreme lockdown measures, but it shouldn’t be used as a political tool by the shady far-right.
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A pot of
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an easy target on the Spanish government’s back, and the opposition is in full attack mode with its ‘casserole-bashing’
I
T’S all getting a little bit tense in Spain. Large numbers of cars, driven (presumably) by right wing voters, clogged up a number of cities on Saturday calling for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to resign and a ‘government of national unity’ to take control. They arrived in their thousands in Sevilla, hundreds in Malaga, Palma and Valencia, and supposedly tens of thousands in the capital Madrid. Flying Spanish flags and honking their horns, they drove around demanding a drastic change in the way things have been run for the last few months, and demanding the PM and his coalition partner Pablo Iglesias, of Podemos, step down. The new ‘unity’ government would be made up by three main parties: PSOE, the Partido Popular (PP) and Vox, with the PP and Vox effectively running things, even though voters in the last elections chose otherwise (albeit by a small margin). The pandemic and the lockdown are the key reasons behind the current protests, well, apart from the fact that no one likes their party losing an election. It all started reasonably enough – with city dwellers going out on to their terraces each evening at 8pm to applaud the stretched
HONKING: Demonstrators in their cars hospital staff, who have worked long hours in considerable danger to save many thousands of lives. Country Spaniards and most expats (if we can divide society into two for a moment) haven’t been as cooped up and were able to spend their time outside - picking the flowers, feeding the chickens and wondering at the strange antics of the townies. The appreciative city-folk appeared to be saying ‘Gosh, nurses and doctors are more important for our safety than pop stars, actors and footballers’. Perhaps, indeed, they always were. After a while though, people got a bit bored of the 8pm clapping, and took to singing or playing music from their terraces. And it was only a small step before some of those who
My thoughts by Lenox Napier
had voted for the opposition parties thought they could start bashing saucepans as a political protest instead. Everyone likes a spot of noise before dinner. They weren’t really in favour of a particular plan, but to let the rest of us know that they weren’t ‘socio-comunistas’. Saucepan bashing, with a stick or something which makes a satisfying ‘clank’, is an import from Argentina and is known both there and here as ‘una cacerolada’. The new government, which only took office on January 13, has been faced with an emergency that no one had any experience in handling. Rather than protecting the economy, as a conservative government might have done – they erred on the side of caution and, under the advice of epidemiologists and other medical experts, they went with the lockdown strategy. And after a short while the old right and left wing divides in Spain started to appear again. Some media commentators claimed that the 40 years of democracy after the Franco dictatorship have failed to dismantle the power of the negative Spain – that of the young wealthy gentlemen, the cardboard-generals and ‘the retrograde cardinals’. And of course the bishops have their own radio, COPE, and even a TV channel, Canal 13. They also have the tacit support of a number of conservative daily newspapers: La Razon and ABC among them.
That’s a fine mess! After it emerges Spain’s police issued 1 MILLION sanctions during the lockdown more than three times Italy and 100 times the UK - the Olive Press looks at who’s on the right side of fine. By Joshua Parfitt
I
T will come as no surprise to anyone who lives here that Spain leads the European league table in police fines during the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the country’s administrative penalties broke the ONE MILLION barrier since March 14 when the nation went into a state of alarm. It is trailed by Italy with 310,323, and Romania, with just over 300,000 – until a Romanian court ruled the majority of lockdown fines were ‘unconstitutional’ as they had no yardstick.
Germany and Portugal had very few, while UK police have, so far, only issued just over 14,000 fines to people breaking the lockdown restrictions. Without a doubt, this makes Spanish police the most draconian and over-zealous of all law enforcement organisations in Europe. When you get fined €600 for walking your dog just 150m from your house in the middle of nowhere, €1000 for walking too slowly, or €800 for stopping to chat to a neighbour on the way back from the supermarket, it is understandable there has been a lot of outrage. AN expat The application of the law has been entiin Torre del rely varied though, between utter lenienMar, in the Axarquia, cy to ridiculous behaviour by local police, was fined who are normally not meant to do much €600 for tamore than watch the parks and deliver king his dog legal letters. for a walk We have had dozens of reports of our just over 150m from readers being unfairly fined or treated his home. during the lockdown. Apparently One Olive Press reporter meanwhile, taking your was threatened with a fine for arguing dog for a that he could not do his job at home watride in a convertible is ching the TV and from the internet. fine... The same police force, the Guardia Civil, in Gaucin, in Andalucia, enforced a print media blackout, by stopping its local pezz MADRID police declined to fine a couple caught having sex in a trol station from picking up newspapers car because they ‘couldn’t find intimacy’ at home. Policia Local on the coast, just 20 minutes away, for located the couple in a parked car ‘in full view’ on a street in OVER a month! Villaverde, but the couple complained there were ‘too many Now, as Spain struggles through its dispeople’ in their house. Police let them go, after asking them to parate de-escalation from the coronavidress rus state of alarm, this is a police force that can STILL fine you at least €600 for zz A SHAME-faced man in Motril was fined €650 after he was not wearing a mask. found guilty of going to the shops unnecessarily when police To help you navigate these penalties, found a stale loaf of bread in a plastic bag on the front seat here are a few examples of where the and nothing else police reports have been fine or anything but fine.
THE FINER POINTS
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May 28th - Jun 10th
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Olive Press online ‘Spain’s best English news website’
I TORN RIGHT: Protestors aiming to change government It is argued that the current outpouring of anger is nothing more than a ‘Revolution of the Rich’ led from the smartest neighbourhood of Madrid, Barrio Salamanca, where the saucepans were being most enthusiastically bashed over the weekend. Said to be waving ‘their hammer and golf-club’ banners, the leftist eldiario.es writes: “What’s happening with the revolution of the rich has nothing to do with the ravages of the pandemic, or the devastation of the economy, or the temporary lack of freedom; what is happening is a manifestation, however freaky, of the struggle of the young gentlemen to hold on to power.” A more cynical version comes from Meneame, which coined it as the ‘Cayetano revolution’ (this
being one of Spain’s poshest names, similar to say Quentin, in the UK). The website said the uprising ‘consists of a group of people who live in the most expensive neighbourhood in this country and who have never come out to demonstrate until they have had their vacations in Bali or Formentera cancelled’. It continued: “Dozens of Cayetanos are demonstrating without keeping the required social distance, endangering their lives and that of their families, and inevitably that of the health workers who will soon have to care for them.” Let’s not forget, after all, that anyone can fall
sick from the virus (our Eton-attending Boris did after all), and the lockdown is only a partial solution to the current COVID problem. However, it’s more comfortable in a large apartment than a small one, or, for some poor folk, stuck for months in a car or a shack. The economist Marta Flich reminds us that ‘the virus has no ideological preference’. I couldn’t help but spot a sad video-clip on social media of a woman rooting through a dustbin as the flag-wearing ‘militants’ passed her by ignoring her completely. Another clip showed a fellow in the back-seat of his chauffeur-driven convertible slowly nosing through the brightly dressed crowd while howling ‘resign, resign!’... A man of few words. A meme from the left says: “Why bang an empty saucepan when you can fill it with stew and give it to your neighbour?” Can one protest against the government without wearing a Spanish flag as a cloak? The point is, the Government is seen as a mixture of the wrong kind of socialists plus the Venezuelan influenced extremists of the extreme left (Podemos to you and me), plus the nationalists, which in Spanish terms are the anti-nationalists – the boyos from Catalunya and the Basque Country.
‘Traitor’
HELD UP: A bicycle courier stopped by a police patrol while working in Barcelona
zz THE Guardia Civil in Alicante created an unauthorised list of 26 foodstuffs, 16 other products and 12 services that justified someone leaving the house back in early April. The list led to the fining of a man in Elche who told police he was going to the supermarket to buy ‘Nocilla’ – a chocolate-hazlenut spread – and this was written on the police report. Spain’s Minister of the Interior later retracted this fine and prohibited agents from using a list z z AN Elche man was sent to prison in April after receiving 47 police fines during the coronavirus state of alarm. The man was said to have ‘all kinds of addictions’ and suffered from an inability to lie successfully. On one occasion he told agents he was going to a town in the opposite direction to where he was walking; on another he told agents he was ‘walking his dog’, but had accidentally left it at home z z A POLICE officer was spotted ‘punching’ a young man carrying beer on a street in Spain last April. “A beer is not a primary need, stop taking the piss,” an officer was heard shouting in a video that went viral alongside condemnation of police brutality. Reports later revealed the boy was carrying a weapon in his belt, which he tried to withdraw after police asked him to empty his pockets. z z A MAN was investigated for serious disobedience after videos online showed him dancing ‘Sevillanas’ dressed as a woman in sunglasses. The Alicante man wanted to honour Sevilla’s Feria de Abril, but police traced him via social media and hit him with a fine of €601. zz A SERIES of brazen penitents were fined after being caught enacting a Semana Santa parade in Utrera, near Sevilla
Then there’s the republicans, who don’t like the royal family and have their own flag. That’s why we wear a Spanish flag, they say, because the others, the 51%, are traitors. All good clean fun perhaps, and worth a few column inches. The ultras are on the warpath. Yawn. But they are good at manipulation… and Facebook and Twitter are full of their propaganda. As Donald Trump or Cambridge Analytica can tell you, the point is to be read. And seen. And heard. Truth is in the eye of the beholder, and fake news often works better than the real thing. So we come to Saturday’s protest. A clever idea to make it a demonstration with cars (poor people don’t own cars). Some 6,000 cars and motorcycles, bedecked with flags of course, jammed the centre of Madrid. The leaders of Vox were conveniently on their stage, at the symbolic Plaza de Colon: Columbus Square. “We want to bring down the traitor Pedro Sanchez and imprison him for crimes against the Spanish people,” shouted Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far right party, wearing a nifty lapel pin of half Spanish colours, half black mourning. The leader of the larger PP is now struggling for space on the political perch. Pablo Casado is trying to woo the far-right voters back to his colours with, as one left-leaning newspaper calls it, ‘his total war against the Government’. Whether the Government, evidently inexperienced in matters of pandemics, has done or is doing a good job is irrelevant. They will be judged once it’s all over. Right now, they are facing two dangerous enemies: the virus and the opposition, both set on scoring maximum damage. The fact is that the conservatives are winning the war at the moment – and Spain most certainly does not need a second open conflict.
Scraping the barrel
N early April a report in a rival newspaper insisted it was ‘pressing times’ for the Olive Press and it was ‘mourning’ our demise. In its poisonous fake news rant, the downmarket ‘scraping’ media group, criticised us for launching a donation page on our website to help pay for the 20-plus journalists and writers who produce it. Well, we clearly haven’t vanished...and to use a famous phrase from Mark Twain ‘reports of my (our) demise have been greatly exaggerated’. Indeed, as we start easing out of lockdown, the Olive Press is waving the flag for our brave, vibrant and innovative expatriate community. Be they British, Scandinavian - or even German! - we are helping them to nurture their businesses back to health, by offering competitive advertising packages utilising our website with millions of visitors a month and our FIVE regional newspapers that go from strength to strength. Yes, the lockdown has been hard for us, like every other media group around the globe… and yes, we did launch a donations page on our website. But this has had a great response with an amazing 300plus donors generously giving significant amounts to allow our journalists to get out and about as far and wide as Salamanca and Barcelona during the lockdown. So cheap attacks by jealous rivals are anything but helpful.
Unbelievable To put you in the picture, our media rival claims to have had 10 million hits on its website in April and fast approaching 20 million in May. It also crows that it is the ‘42nd best website in the UK’, putting it two places behind the Daily Mail and in front of the Telegraph, Mirror and Times. And, of course, this is not the case. But do you know why? Well, it is because, in the words of a UK media lawyer, they are a classic ‘scraping’ site that simply hoovers up stories from other newspapers and presents them as their own often just minutes after they are published by the original site. But worse than that they fail to credit the source and also often use identical headlines, introductions and even captions. It is called plagiarism as we can see clearly from the Times, as an example, this week. But tragically, it is not just the paper’s stories that are stolen… it is even its very own opinions. Take last week’s ‘Our View’ (left) which lifted entire paragraphs from the Guardian newspaper.
People’s paper But then, what would you expect from the so-called ‘people’s paper’ that doesn’t even know the year it was born. Why, for example celebrate its 21st birthday, last month, with a big fanfare, when Wikipedia states the paper’s first issue was in April 2002, making it 18?. And to make matters worse its boss announced his 23rd work anniversary with the paper, just last week, on Facebook. That would be FIVE years before it even launched. When it comes to figures, will anyone ever believe anything it ever writes or says again? As they say, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
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Do’s and Don’ts Lawyer Jose Maria Lomax of Sun Lawyers provides some tips about how to buy the right way in Spain SPAIN is a wonderful country full of new unique experienceswaitingforyousuchasgastronomy, history,architecture,affordableproperty,thesun and beaches. However,beinginlovewithSpainanddreaming about moving to this country is not enough to makeyourplansrunsmoothly,especiallywhenit comestopurchasingpropertyandthecomplexity of the related legal aspects. So, if you are ready to buy property in Spain, you may have decided on the area, the type of property you would like to purchase as well as your budget. The following list of do’s and don’ts will help highlight the safe way to purchasing property in Spain.
Do’s
· Contract a lawyer. Nobody else can take care of this process more efficiently than an experienced property lawyer. A good metaphor: would you build your own home in Spain with your hands? Probably not. You would usually buy it either off-plan, newbuild or second-hand, through a developer or an estate agency, correct? Therefore, the best person to carry out the purchasing process in Spain is a registered and experienced lawyer. · Be tax savvy. The purchasing process involves different taxes, including non-resident tax once the property is on your name. The Spanish tax man will not forgive any mistakes, so our recommendation is to get advice on what taxes you will liable for, so you are prepared once you legally own the property. · Make a Spanish will. You should create your Spanish will once you’ve bought property in Spain. It’s a simple procedure that will make the inheritance procedure easier and less expensive compared to only having a will
from your country of origin.
Don’ts
· Try a DIY purchase. Big mistake. The purchasing process is not only an exchange of signatures and cheques at the notary. Many people end up paying high costs trying to do it themselves or through people who are not experienced in the legal side of purchasing property. · Ignore check-ups. Here are some powerful questions: Does the property have any debt in tax, utilities, community fees? Is the property fully registered at the land registry office? Not revising some critical points could come back later in the form of expensive bills and fines. · Make a ‘risky’ deposit. When you contract the services of a law firm there will be a team of lawyers who will carefully review all the down payments. In Spain, it is quite common to pay a deposit to reserve the property. However, if you have not hired a lawyer to carry out your home’s purchasing process, how would you know your deposit is being kept in the correct way. Sun Lawyers is a Spanish law firm founded in 1985 with offices in Cabo Roig, La Zenia, Campoamor, Playa Flamenca, Calpe & Javea. Our team of English-speaking lawyers represent both residents and non-residents of Spain in all aspects of legal, fiscal and property law, with giving every client a personal experience a priority. As many people remain in the UK throughout the buying process, we often deal with everything via email and phone.
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Bones, a testimony to pain THE medieval inhabitants of Muslim Granada suffered from terrible teeth, bad backs and painful joints, scientists have concluded after the remarkable discovery of 40 ancient tombs. Archaeologists uncovered the graves in a suburb of the city, which was the last stronghold of the Nasrid dynasty whose greatest monument is the Alhambra Palace. Nine specialists from the University of Granada and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), analysed the skeletons of 40 males and females ranging from newborns to 60-year-olds.
LA CULTURA
Making a killing Smash BBC TV drama is based on one of Spain’s most evil female terrorists
By Laurence Dollimore
Hard labour
They had been uncovered during excavations in the city’s ancient San Lazaro neighbourhood. They found that the inhabitants of Middle Ages Granada were relatively small - on average 163.28cm (5ft 3”) for men and 157.95cm (5ft 1”) for women. The experts concluded that the people analysed had led lives of hard physical labour, shown by evidence of inflammatory diseases to their joints and bones. Many were afflicted with painful arthritis in their spines, fingers and feet. Poor dental hygiene meant they also suffered cavities, loss of teeth and tartar build-up. However, infectious diseases were practically non-existent, at least in the bodies most recently discovered. This surprised the analysts as they knew that the Black Death, or plague, wiped out a third of Granada’s population between 1348 and 1349, when it was still under Nasrid rule. It had been assumed infections were widespread. It was the last of the Muslim dynasties in Spain, founded by Muhammad ibn al-Ahmar in Granada, and it endured for two-and-a-half centuries from 1238 to 1492.
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Song and dance THE Granada International Festival of Music and Dance will launch on June 25, despite the crisis, it has been announced. The 69th edition of the festival will be held ‘against all the odds’, the first such event to take place in Spain and in Europe. It is going ahead, assuming Granada has entered Phase 3. It will open in Granada Cathedral with the city’s orchestra and choir, under the direction of Andrea Marcon, performing Mozart’s Requiem to raise money for the Food Bank of Granada. On July 9, the Festival’s Medal will be awarded to the Spanish healthcare system. All shows are only permitted to have audience numbers at 50% capacity and cannot exceed 800 people.
ROLE MODEL: Comer’s character is based on killer Idoia Lopez Riano (left)
A RUTHLESS Spanish terrorist has been revealed as the subject matter behind one of the UK’s biggest TV hits of the last few years. Former ETA killer Idoia Lopez Riano - aka La Tigresa - was the inspiration behind Villanelle, the psychopath viewers just can’t get enough of. Played by Jodie Comer in the hit BBC series Killing Eve, she’s the cold-hearted killer for hire with an eye for fashion - and herself. Incredibly vain, but equally brutal and lacking in any empathy, the Russian mercenary embarks on a cat-and-mouse game-cum-love affair with an MI6 officer played by Sandra Oh. But in the real world, the assassin who inspired the multi-lingual Villanelle is the former terrorist who was found guilty of killing 23 soldiers and policemen - and rumoured to be behind many more. Luke Jennings, who wrote the novels behind the series, revealed that Comer’s character was actually based on Riaño, the infamous Basque separatist hitwoman, who was behind some of the worst bombings Spain has ever witnessed. Jennings revealed how he first came up with Villanelle while reading about Riaño, who was behind the death of 12 young policemen from one car bomb in Madrid alone in 1986.
She was allegedly so evil she would seduce off duty Guardia Civil officers in bars in Bilbao and San Sebastian to later extract key sensitive information during pillow talk. “She was clearly a psychopath and completely, completely without empathy,” Jennings said. The vanity of Villanelle, which sees her often staring longingly at herself in mirrors and shop windows, also rings true of Riaño, who once became too distracted by her own reflection while en route to kill a policeman. “At the key moment, Idoia, who was supposed to be doing the killings, didn’t actually see him because she was so entranced with the window of a fashionable store and her own reflection in it,” said Jennings. Indeed her vanity was even noted by her killer compatriots, including fellow terrorist Juan Manuel Soares Gamboa, who once said she cared more about her appearance than murder. In the TV series, Villanelle opts for female lovers who usually wind up dead or extremely damaged. Riaño, who began her killing streak at just 20 years old, hid out in Algeria for seven years before being finally snared in France in the 1990s. She is now 55 and is free after being released from jail in 2017 following a 23-year sentence. Having lived for some years in Andorra, where her sister lives, she is now living in Barcelona, where she works for an NGO.
Raffle-winner bags Picasso for peanuts
AN Italian woman has won a Picasso painting worth €1 million in a raffle. The painting, titled Nature Morte was painted in 1921 in Paris and is an oil-oncanvas depiction of a newspaper alongside a glass of absinthe. Claudia Borgogno from Ventimiglia, north-western Italy received the raffle ticket as a Christmas present from her son. Borgogno summed up her amazement: “I have never won anything before.” Her son Lorenzo Naso referred to it as the
best decision he’s ever made in his life. Neither Naso nor his mother had watched the raffle, in fact they didn’t even know when the draw was taking place. “When I arrived and I told her she had won she was like: ‘Please don’t joke’,” he said. The 51,140 tickets were sold for €100 each, with the proceeds going to provide water for villagers in Madagascar and Cameroon. The draw was originally scheduled for March, but that was delayed due to the
coronavirus pandemic. Although organisers valued the painting at €1 million, the art collector who provided it, David Nahmad, claims it’s worth at least two or three times that. Nahmad will be paid €900,000 for the work. The painting was the smallest of 300 works by Picasso that he owns, the largest private collection of works by the Spanish artist. The date and style of Nature Morte are reflective of the ‘crystal’ period in the artist’s career.
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LETTERS
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May 28th - Jun 10th 2020 Check out our issues online at www.theolivepress.es Mallorca Issue 80 MALLORCA
Your expat
voice in Spain
Vol. 4 Issue 80 www.theolivepress.es May 15th - May 28th, 2020
THE MAN WHO BEAT COVID TWICE
GIFTED: Trevor and Pauline are fighting on LEAVERS: Trio of Brits in Spain
An expat from Alicante has proven you can catch coronavirus a second time... and still survive
Every cloud
Find out how on P5
DISASTER TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS: Ian Tanner
Down the pecking order
has twice been diagnosed but cheated
death
The likely cancelation of summer holidays for Brits in Spain will ‘catastrophic’ for the Balearics be
THE European Union is making a desperate bid to salvage the holiday season for Spain. By Laurence Dollimore and It comes after Brits were warned Isha Sasay abroad this summer are ‘very likely’ that holidays to be cancelled. The move has been received with Health Secretary Matt Hancock broke asthe potential- tonishment ly devastating news for Spain the tourism by those working within sector in Mallorca, with during an appearance on ITV’s hoteliers and business associations This Morning on Tuesday. publicly criticising the decision. AN emu has become the latest “We haven’t made a final de- The president of the Business Assovictim of coronavirus. cision... but it is unlikely that ciation of Balearic Travel Agencies The flightless bird in Verdegas, big, lavish international holi- (AVIBA), Alicante, has been left homedays are going to be possible the movesFrancesc Mulet, described as ‘completely wrong’, less after its owner died of COfor this summer,” he told hosts claiming that the quarantine period VID-19. Holly Willoughby and Philip would ‘completely destroy the BaleIt was part of a menagerie of Schofield. aric economy.’ animals, which also included27 The move, if confirmed, would “Health a llama – since re-homed in Barbe a huge blow for the Spanish applied protocols should instead be celona – that were left abantourism industry, and more so This wasat airports,” he insisted. echoed by doned. the Minister for for Mallorca and the Balearic Labour, Commerce and Tourism, A concerned local called in Islands as a whole, a region Iago Negueruela, El who stressed the Refugio del Burrito donkey which is heavily reliant on the need to implement a health passsanctuary in Cordoba, which hundreds of thousands British port. has been sending supplies tourists who visit every sum- This would for monitor variables such the animals to be fed. mer. as the temperature of visitors, thus When it comes to being Some 12% of the country’s giving the rehomed, the emu has been left GDP is from tourism, while in sess the authorities a way to ashealth of those arriving to firmly down the pecking order. Mallorca it generated 14.6% of the islands. Nicky Cohen, from the refuge the region’s GDP in 2019. However, said: “The problem is that you According to the president of hope for there is still a glimmer of need a special zoological the Government of the Balear- nounced tourism after Ryanair anlithat it would restart apcence to own an emu. ic Islands, Francina Armengol, proximatey 40% of its flights across “If there is anyone who does the autonomous community Europe from July 1. have the right papers, will suffer the most, foreseewe would love to hear from them.” FREEDOM: Palma residents finally ing a 30% drop in earnings this get to enjoy a drink on a restaurant teryear. race as Mallorca enters Phase 1. Positive See full story on page 6/7 Largely attributed to a loss of tour- In more positive news for Mallorca, ists, if the prediction rings true, the the airline also revealed that it inBalearic economy will shrink three tends to commence its first routes to times more than the rest of Spain. Palma’s Son Sant Joan airport from The revelation by Hancock came the end of June. just hours after the central govern- Flying out of 80 bases, their destiment announced a mandatory 14- nations and the probability of them day quarantine for all international filling up will depend on agreements UK BASED travellers arriving from May 15 between countries. same measure announced by the the The UK has already UK confirmed, for on Monday. example, that quarantine measures This would mean that tourists would will not apply to those travelling have to stay inside their accommo- from France or Ireland and there dation for two weeks, before having will be considerable lobbying by the for Spanish to quarantine once again when ar- Spanish tourism industry and airriving back to the UK. lines over the next few weeks. residents “It will most likely continue This week, the European Union throughout the de-escalation www.globelink.co.uk pe- confirmed it would do everything it riod,” confirmed Health Minister could to help. Salvador Illa. It proposes a phased approach For those without second homes across the European Union that and who don’t plan on staying 96 626 5000 for sweeps away closed borders and months at a time, it makes a holiday travel restrictions. +44 (0) 1353 699082 to Spain practically impossible in The Commission said it is looking to the short term.
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ON THE HUNT OF THE NAZI GOLD a Nazi U-boat base in the Hot on the heels of our dispatch onGold Trail to Madrid and, Canaries, we investigate the Nazi light on a shady chapter in allegedly Gibraltar, shedding new See Page 10 history that has never been fully resolved.
Unlock the Rock! by the public through social media and broadcasting.
PHASE FOUR By Diexter Thomas on The fourth phase is set to start FREE movement will be allowed June 16 and will see people finally in Gibraltar from May 21 - with the able to go to bars and cafeterias. to lockdown to be ended in August. These establishments will need The Chief Minister announced the get a permit, much like the opening proposed ending of COVID-19 reof restaurants in phase three. strictions on the Rock after steerPicardo said he expected the bathing ing clear of a serious pandemic on beaches to be allowed by midin of since the first case was recorded June, depending on the progress March. the virus. The ‘Unlock the Rock’ plan was un“I want to be clear that our ambiveiled on Tuesday, and will consist tion will be to see a normal bathing of four main phases, with two reseason with normal beach going,” view stages to see if there has been Picardo revealed. restricany any increase in cases. see “We do not want to to The ‘Rock Unlocked’ phase could tions whatsoever on our ability 1, be in full effect from August attend beaches, but this will require with over 500 emergency beds still common sense from the public. available in case of a relapse. “You will have to pitch your tents Gibraltar is currently undergoing further away from each other than the first phase of the strategy, with we are used to. the second phase set to start on “We will not be able to crowd spots best the May 21. and shore the around esThe second phase will see free as we each like to do, this will be movement re-established with musential.” seums, exhibitions and galleries opening again. Bathing But it is not good news for everyone. He warned that if there was a spike Chief Minister Fabian Picardo inin active COVID-19 cases, the Govwould reserve the right to sisted that people with a BMI of 30 ernment or or above, who are older than 70 ‘re-impose restrictions.’ have a weak or compromised im“We are considering making Europa mune system - are recommended pool in the bathing pavilion at NASA the Rock to be completely open must adhere to the rules for to stay at home as much as possible. exclusively available to our elderly DAWN: Locals can go out but “This will take effect from the 21st NEW contact tracing app will start to kick citizens. of this month if things are progresswaiting list after a long 60 day hia- into force, using people’s mobile “It will allow them to bathe without in Some schools, construction sites members of ing well, and we see no increase phones to alert them if they come mixing with younger gyms could also see a return in tus. added the Chief infection rates,” explained Picardo. and 2, with the latter ‘subject to into contact with someone with the community,” “We will continue to have rules Phasecontrols’. PHASE THREE Minister. COVID-19. five and six will about large gatherings so the law strict health services will restart This is also the phase where people Finally, phases third phase is set to take place will be able to eat at restaurants, serve as phases for reviewing those will still restrict the constitutional Many screening for patients on the GHA’s The and gyms from June 1 freedom of association.” be limited to a 50% occu- restaurants, cafes, bars and will see which will only if they have a permit that continue to remain closed. religious ser- pancy, but of Health. “Assuming everything has gone well, taking from the Department then we vices Road will partially be which is a big assumption, place ‘under Line Wall Chatham Counterguard will move to ‘Rock Unlocked’ - phase very strict dis- closed and off as part of previ- ‘new normal’ as we head into the autancing con- will be shut the ous announcements to reduce air tumn,” said Picardo when we must trols’. “That is the moment traffic to help with The Govern- amount of be most alert of how things progown quality. ment’s be ress.” UK BASED Public transport will and coming with bus routes It is around then that weddings normal atseeing new timetables for funerals will have almost tendance figures returned. passengers and drivers. will Theatre performances take place behind closed Opinion Page 6 doors, but will be viewed
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May 14th - May 27th 2020
THE MAN WHO BEAT COVID TWICE An expat from Alicante has proven you can catch coronavirus a second time... and still survive
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DISASTER TOUGH AS OLD BOOTS: Ian Tanner
Down the pecking order
THE European Union is making desperate bid to salvage the holidaya season for the costas. It comes after Brits were warned that holidays abroad this summer are ‘very likely’ to be cancelled. Health Secretary Matt Hancock broke the potentially devastating news for Spain during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday.
By Laurence Dollimore and Joshua Parfitt
has twice been diagnosed but cheated
death
Expats describe the likely cancelation of the summer holidays for Brits in Spain as ‘catastrophic’
“We haven’t made a final decision... but it is unlikely that big, lavish ternational holidays are going to inbe possible for this summer,” he told hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip huge blow for the Spanish tourism inSchofield. “To have to wait four fallow months dustry, with the costas heavily reliant The move, if confirmed, would be a on the tens of millions of British tour- and then have the summer taken AN emu has become the latest away from you… it’s catastrophic.” ists who visit every summer. victim of coronavirus. He added: “A number of entertainers Some 12% of the country’s GDP The flightless bird in Verdegas, is may be forced to go home, from tourism, while in the Comunidad though I do Alicante, has been left homeValenciana it is the biggest employer, believe it’s a question of staying strong less after its owner died generating 14.6% of the region’s GDP. in body and mind. When it does open of COVID-19. up, Benidorm will be ready like a ragThe revelation by Hancock came just ing bull.” It was part of a menagerie of hours after Spain announced a mananimals, which also included27 datory 14-day quarantine for all inter- There is still a glimmer of hope for a llama – since re-homed in Barnational travellers arriving from May tourism, with Ryanair announcing celona – that were left abanthat it would be restarting around 15 - the same measure announced doned. by 40% of its flights across the UK on Monday. Europe from A concerned local called in It would mean tourists having to stay July 1. El Refugio del Burrito donkey Flying out of 80 bases, their destiinside their accommodation for two nations and the probability sanctuary in Cordoba, which weeks, before having to quarantine of them has been sending supplies filling up will depend on agreements once again when arriving back to for the animals to be fed. the between countries. UK. When it comes to being rehom“It will most likely continue through- The UK has already confirmed, for ed, the emu has been left firmly out the de-escalation period,” con- example, that quarantine measures down the pecking order. firmed Health Minister Salvador Illa. will not apply to those travelling from Nicky Cohen, from the refuge France or Ireland and there will This could run into July. be said: “The problem is that you For those without second homes and considerable lobbying by the Spanish need a special zoological tourism industry and airlines over who don’t plan on staying for months lithe cence to own an emu. at a time, it makes a holiday to Spain next few weeks. “If there is anyone who does practically impossible in the short have the right papers, term. we Flexible would love to hear from them.” FREEDOM: Palma residents finally The moves were described as a ‘disas- Last night the European Union conterrace as Mallorca enters Phase get to enjoy a drink on a restaurant ter’ by the Costa Blanca’s leading hotel firmed 1 it would do everything it could association, Hosbec. to help “If the quarantine is still in place It proposes a phased approach across in July and August, we can wave good- the European Union that sweeps away bye to any hopes of British tourists closed returning this summer,” its president, The borders and travel restrictions. Commission said is looking to Toni Mayor, said. give people the ability, confidence and “For places like Benidorm that safety pend so heavily on UK tourists,de- “Free to travel again. it movement and cross-border would be a disaster.” travel are key to tourism,” insisted He added: “I don’t see international spokesman. a flights to Spain resuming until July at But he warned: “This approach must the earliest. It’s a body blow.” also Local expats are certainly in agree- bilitybe flexible, including the possito reintroduce certain measures ment. if the epidemiological situation reFormer West End star and leading quires.” Benidorm entertainer Jamie Somers, Germany is now studying an agreesaid he’s already seen ‘thousands in ment with Mallorca, while a corridor losses’ and won’t make a penny until is already set to open up between ‘July or August’. Czech Republic and Croatia, takingthe SALES & RENTALS SPECIALISTS in The singer, who performs 14 times Austria and Germany. week in the summer, added: “Whata Whatever Moriara•Calpe•Jalon•Javea•Denia•Altea happens, it will be a maspeople tend to forget, is most in sive blow for Spain if the usual British the entertainment game live hand-to- influx does not happen in July and mouth from November until the seawww.moraira-hamiltons.net son picks up.
After three months of hard work we opened our gift shop in Puerto de la Duquesa. political as a from essentia our cusEU,with sees the praise muchlly, Moore Rose l start a wonderfu We had The serpg 7). 325, Issue needed proud, ent much and and (Leave hipthe environm dictators lovely tomers for reality vice. is the opposite. There are 28 sovereign states, due to the to become to close chose 13, welyhad voluntari March which UK,on later, Four daysthe including lockdownd.. Steve Dunne believes that the UK would associate hadtogot so who wifeso.Pauline going for myNot I’m not shockterms. quite It was onaWTO better fair excited. down your letters page by quoting chapter and weigh be working. and it seemed her idea looks into the It was but nd that toSteve I recomme verse, a gift horse lookTrump going toThat pun, we were the industry Still, forgive he knows. that not of any specifics shop too. an online creating about set we so mouth, the in should UK EU-free an with deal trade a is trying to get friends and family with up catch to time the used also We deals trade Trump’s to know: tell you all you want friends Legion British Royal my and cing conferen video by for labels. Finally, Brent Mahler speaks have US-first zooming. wary of an EU armed force met through of UK citizens number aAlso e. has been most supportiv our landlord ideas arethe However closer ever an and fact that gifted by we are, these easy, but beenunion. not it’s yes So I am from policy. EU not and people specific by floated support great had and virus-free we have remained proinsidious atinthe worriedity more . 40-plus years of Sabinillas the commun h, the by the the EEC/EU job despite great Telegrap a Mail, paganda have done the Spanish We thinkagainst Times and, of course, The Sun. What did Express, difficult time. so anwhy he was day and each asked sanitised wasstreets he the say when Murdoch to see We feel lucky into I gocontrol. “When under lines of: things the keeping g along police Somethin and the ti-EU? kept clean No. 10 they do what I say: when I go to the EU.” The he had to ask for an appointment! implication is that Trevor and Pauline Andrews, Puerto de la Duquesa
Readers react to a Spanish sexpert warning against ‘rimming’ and French kissing as Spain emerges from lockdown (Dog days aren’t over, Issue 14, pg 16)
Ignorance is bliss I thought I knew a bit about this, but what the heck is ‘trimming’? No don't tell me – I'm too old at 76 years! Pauline Laverick, Torrevieja
Worth the wait That’s the funniest article I’ve seen during the whole lockdown. It’s almost been worth being inside all this time just to read this! Hilarious. Thank you Olive Press. Sharon Dolman, Malaga
Help me, Google! OMG, I actually spat my tea out! I confess, I had to Google ‘rimming’. Jane Burgess, Marbella
Light relief The best article I’ve read in a long time.
Kelly Ainsworth, Blackburn
Photo by Allan Binderup
At least you can do this at last..
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Has anything piqued your interest in this week’s Olive Press? Have your say on the matter by emailing letters@ theolivepress.es or message us on at www.facebook.com/OlivePressNewspaper or Twitter @olivepress
Dear Olive Press, I just wanted to say how much I love the paper and would like to thank you for your informative articles during the crisis. I enclose a €20 donation in cash, as I don’t use all this PayPal malarkey. Keep up the good work!
Brian Snell, San Fulgencio
Misunderstanding I read in your paper some criticism of a vet who thought it wise to put a cat to sleep (Claws out, Issue 14, pg 2). I would like to say the Butibamba vet is one of the very best on the coast. I suggest that the owner was very stressed and hysterical, hence there was a row between her and the vet. I had two dogs in his care. He was recommended to me and I have been a client of his for six years. Unfortunately I was not a witness to the incident but know him to be highly intelligent, gentle and very caring. I can’t believe it is in his nature to be aggressive at all and can only think that the woman concerned was in a highly emotional state and provoked him in her grief.
Nina Jones, Mijas
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FOOD,DRINK & TRAVEL
Can’t have your cake THE Mediterannean diet may be the pinnacle of a balanced diet, but neither olive oil nor fresh vegetables feature in the top 10 products bought by Spaniards during the lockdown. Cakes and confectionery instead hold the top spot for supermarket purchases during Spain’s state of alarm, according to a report. These are followed by spices, cheese and frozen fish. The report by consumer statistics site Nielsen found the top purchases during the beginning of the state of alarm, on March 14, included basics such as toilet paper, rice, pasta and beans. Then as a panicked public realised the supermarkets would not sell out, sales of beer, wine and confectionary began to skyrocket. It comes as the Official College of Dietitians and Nutritionists of the Valencian Community is fearing an increase in obesity following the coronavirus lockdown. The increase in the purchases of chocolate, cakes and alcoholic beverages, together with a decrease in physical ac-
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May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
Cool beans
But Spanish avoid Med diet staples in favour of comfort foods during the lockdown
By Joshua Parfitt
tivity, could leave a lasting impact on the health of Spaniards. “Now that we are getting back to work, we are starting to see what’s ahead of us,” said Rafael Birlanga, the president of the college. “Some 80% of nutritionists who have participated in a study of ours believe there has been a worsening in health and that levels of overweight and obesity have increased during this period of quarantine.”
You are a healthy lot! The 10 products with the highest sales include, in order: 1. Cakes and confectionary 2. Spices and flavourings 3. Grated cheese 4. Frozen fish 5. Dried fruit 6. Sanitary/ hygiene products 7. Sauces and condiments 8. Coffee 9. Beer 10. Tinned and preserved fish
&
AN expat cafe has seen its sales rocket compared to before the coronavirus lockdown. Caffe Milano, run by a British-Italian family in Javea, immediately adapted to state of alarm rules by launching an online shop to keep customers engaged. Co-owner Matt Lewis told the Olive Press he and wife Federica ‘never thought about the situation as a crisis’, but ‘an opportunity’. “Crisis? There were restrictions, but I would call it a challenge,” he said. “We kept in touch with our customers via social media, advertising and personally delivering ground and roasted coffee beans to Javea, Denia, Moraira and Alicante each week. “In between roasting coffee at the shop
(with the music on slightly louder than normal) and deliveries, we started to see an increase in demand each week. “I taught myself how to build an online shop so that we could have a window to the world and facilitate deliveries via UPS. “We always planned to have an online shop and the state of alarm helped facilitate the time to be creative and adapt and think about opportunities.” After seeing a ‘five times’ increase in retail coffee beans and ground coffee, Matt began seeing orders from Italy, the UK, Netherlands, Germany and even Australia. The authorisation of pre-ordered takeaways – paninis, salads and cakes – during ‘phase 0’ of lockdown then saw like-forlike food and drink sales compared to pre-lockdown weekly takings.
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May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
Corona viewings RULES on how to safely conduct property viewings have been laid out by an estate agents’ governing body. Agencies in regions that have entered Phase 1 of the lockdown exit can now show homes and open small (less than 400 sqm) offices to clients by appointment only. The General Council of the Official Associations of Real Estate Agents (CGCOAPI) says that at the
moment viewings can not be arranged to people living outside the same province as the property. Homeowners will have to leave the premises at the time of the sales visit and it should be completed as quickly as possible. Masks and gloves should be worn by both agents and customers, and social distancing maintained at all times, particularly when going through communal areas of buildings.
PROPERTY Siesta’s over By Joshua Parfitt
AN iconic expat-run chiringuito in Spain’s Alicante has been suddenly shut down by authorities, leaving over 100 workers afloat amid coronavirus lockdown. La Siesta, part of Javea’s leading restaurant group Javea Company, announced last week that Alicante’s Provincial Coastal Service had ‘sealed’ them off. La Siesta said ‘for reasons they don’t know’ their allegations against the service – known in Spanish as Costas – have gone unanswered. A change.org petition challenging the shutdown has hit 2,000 signatures, complaining that the state of alarm had cut off communications with authorities. “Hundreds of jobs are directly affected, not to mention those that depend on La Siesta’s custom,” a statement reads. However, according to local reports, La Siesta has faced five legal proceedings from authorities
Famous beachfront bar La Siesta shut down as petition begs Costas to save over 100 jobs
back to a case in which La Siesta allegedly worked on a septic tank without permission. The establishment also allegedly built a cocktail bar, various gazebos and installed a market stall on municipal land without permission. BREAK DOWN COVER to use and really useful when you need it most. Councillor Jose If your car breaks down it can be an upsetting Luis Luengo said experience, especially if you don’t have roadside BREAKDOWN KIT during a council assistance cover. But they are also the most com- To help you stay safe here is a checklist of some meeting that ‘ev*Fully comprehensive offer valid for new customers only. Guarantee subjec t to cover, repair at mon type of problem on the road. importantapproved safety items in the of a breakgarage, and cour tesy vehicle availabilitevent y. Subjec t to conditions. O ffer ends 30/11/18. ery years Costas TM down. This emergency breakdown kit should be fines them, they STAY SAFE kept in your vehicle at all times. The kit includes: pay, and continue TheOlivePress-256x170-CAR-4.indd 1 2/8/18 17:01 If you break down, stay calm and safe until rescue a torch and spare batteries, warm clothes and doing the same’. support arrives. Remember that while you wait for blankets, high-visibility jacket, first aid kit, jump Javea Company help, your priority is to safeguard yourself and any start cables, empty fuel can, food and drink, two boss Edgar Slama, fellow passengers. Línea Directa policyholders reflective warning signs, a road atlas, and a mofrom France, told simply call 919 171 171 and inform the emergen- bile phone charger. the council he was cy hotline where you are. Línea Directa provides ‘more than hapemergency roadside assistance anywhere in OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERTISE py’ to comply with Spain 24/7 and 365 days a year, with a national As Spain’s most experienced provider of insurcouncil rules, but network of operators and recovery vehicles. ance for British expatriates, Línea Directa has it is not yet clear been keeping motorists on the move for over 20 for what particuGEOLOCATION SERVICE years. lar reason La SiThis service is exclusive to Línea Directa and esta has been shut allows breakdown recovery and roadside as- We hope the information provided in this down. The muchsistance services to pinpoint your location and article is of interest. If you would like to loved chiringuisend help directly to you. This service is available contact Línea Directa please call 952 147 to’s social media throughout mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands 834. More information about Línea Directa continues to post and the Canary Islands. The technology is simple online at www.lineadirecta.com positive messages with the hashtag We hope the information provided in this article is of interest. If you would like to contact ‘there’s no sumLinea Directa please call 952 147 834. More information about Linea Directa online at mer without la siwww.lineadirecta.com esta’. due to environmental, urbanistic and spacial problems since opening
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BUSINESS
13
We will not fly
HALF of Spaniards have said they will not go on holiday this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new survey has also revealed that four out of 10 ‘will not fly’ until a vaccine
W
Why Go to a Nursing Home When You Can STILL ENJOY LIVING IN YOUR OWN HOME
May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
ISLAND BREAK: Mallorca this year?
Spain swaps foreign holidays for domestic breaks as tourist spending set to take corona hit
for the killer virus is developed. Domestic spots like the Costa del Sol, where
hile listening to Javea’s Bay Radio last week, when a guest speaker was in full flood about the effect of the virus on the world’s economy, insurance claims were mentioned as being extraordinarily high. I was extremely cross when the speaker declared: “You know what insurance companies are like, when they have to pay out on claims, they try their hardest to refuse the claim.” The remark was obviously based upon pure ignorance, as the amount of settled claims my company processes can be quite astounding. Liberty Seguros have the reputation of being one of the best regarding their claims and, of course, due to the excellent policies, much more is covered to make a claim on. Additionally I have a dedicated Claims Administrator, who will help you through the whole process and is prepared to go the extra mile for my clients. However, there are a number of reasons why a claim could be declined. The first one being fraud. Some claims are turned down due to poor or lack of maintenance – some people are convinced insur-
65% of holiday homes are Spanish-owned, are therefore the most popular op-
Dear Jennifer: Why would an insurance claim be refused?
ance gives them a life-long guarantee. Then of course, some clients are under insured, and they think they are covered but they have decided to keep the insurance costs down and not taken the cover they require for, for example, accidental damage. Then there are the consortium claims, which recently have cost millions. Having an experienced administrator assisting on clients claims is especially helpful in a foreign country where, of course, many rules are different. The assessors are very experienced, knowledgeable and totally independent, and are always very thorough with their reports. I know that they have a tremendous respect for Liberty Seguros, which is a professional, bona fide insurance company. So, no. The comment made does not apply to my company or the companies I work alongside with.
If you require help or information regarding a claim, please contact my Claims Administration and if you wish to ensure you have the correct cover for your particular requirements, contact one of my consultants on 966 461 690 or www. jennifercunningham.net.
tion. Of the 50% of respondents who intend to take a vacation, 41% will do so in Spain, according to the EY-Parthenon study of 2,106 people. An additional 8% who were due to holiday abroad, will now also take a break domestically, while 9% still plan to travel outside Spain in 2020. Meanwhile the research is damning for tourist spending, with 42% of those polled saying they will shell out ‘less, much less or nothing’.However, 16% claimed they would be willing to increase their holiday budget and 38% said it would remain unchanged. On the other hand, 70% said they would be open to spending ‘a bit more’ if they were allowed more wiggle room over cancellations and booking modifications. The study also found that 70% of people would spend the same in cafes, bars and restaurants, with the other 30% likely to splash ‘less, much less or no cash at all’.
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May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
HEALTH
Stub it out
THE sale of menthol cigarettes has been banned throughout Spain. The ban is part of EU rules that were passed in 2016 and shops found selling them will face fines of up to €10,000. The ruling was passed as, while menthol cigarettes are seen as less harmful, they are actually just as bad for your health, if not worse.
Gateway
Menthol also has a dilating effect on the pulmonary alveoli, which causes a faster absorption of nicotine from toproduct and there is a false perception that they are healthier or less harmful than other cigarettes,” said a spokesman for Spain’s health ministry. “Some consumers choose this alternative instead of quitting permanently, which has a negative impact on your health.” Campaigners have welcomed the new law on the so-called ‘gateway smoking’ products, as they encourage young people to pick up the habit.
Snakes alive!
Lisa Burgess
Lisa Burgess confronts her inner serpent during lockdown and puts it right back in its cage...
M
ENTAL health is often neglected in these dire times so to keep the brain firing on all cylinders I do frequent Zoom quizzes in Dulwich with my British, Irish and French friends. Friday night was girls versus boys and the subject was history. When asked what battle English Henry V won against the French, I was at the ready with the Battle of Agincourt but got stuck on what film was written and directed by Luc Besson in 1994? I knew it, it was on the tip of my tongue but my opponents got it: Leon (Lion). Talking about ferocious beasts, my Facebook Memories threw up a picture of me with a large snake and 3 Irish models from 5 years ago, when I worked on Ireland AM's morning show. It was a moment in time where I had to face my ‘ophidiophobia’ and get on with it, much like my carcinophobia (fear of cancer). Actually, the snake was charming! As I was browsing my happy
SLIPPERY CHARACTER: Some of Lisa’s old TV friends memories there was a sudden We were looking forward to our thud from my washing ma- first night out in Phase 1, courchine. Let's put this in context: tesy of friends at a luxury villa in the fridge, cooker and washing La Cala, for another fierce quiz machine have all had to be clash themed on the animal replaced recently due to their kingdom. During my research, antiquity, much like myself I found that spitting cobras can and The Hundred Years War blind an adult male lion in secensued when my fella Joffrey, onds. a chef in case you don’t know, I pondered on the subject of toxdid not appreciate that my TWO icity and emotional well-being, dressing gowns were being held especially the tumultuous intercaptive in the load, hiss spit. I nal mind battle one faces under commenced immediate social lockdown. The words of William distancing from the kitchen Shakespeare's Henry V gave me and to say we were in a spin is some much-needed counsel: an understatement but it was ‘men of few words are the best eventually resolved by Chef with men’. a little help from Alexa. It made me realise that my own Prior to the laundry skirmish, we human behaviour needs adaptagreed Joff would trim my hair ing so I intend to hold my asp but I cast a beady eye on him tongue and be more subdued hacking vigorously away at the lioness at the quiz, the better to onions and decided Mona Lisa direct my focus on winning the should remain Corona Lisa. lion’s share of the points!
Bridge the gap DREADED is the dentist – and dreaded still are dental implants. The popular procedure to turn toothless grin into beaming smile is costly, lengthy and requires intensive surgery to screw a tooth into your gums. It’s not for the squeamish. Dental implants can also create a risk of infection and pain, especially when pressing on unintended nerves. Which is why K Sud Dental are offering a new, cost-effective procedure to replace missing teeth in just one visit to the dentist. The fixed bridge can also replace dentures at an affordable price. The
procedure is also low risk, reversible and doesn’t involve putting a screw in, well, anywhere. “We’ve been able to convert someone’s existing removable denture, and it works really well,” Dr Karan Sud said. “The fixed bridge looks the same, but feels amazing because you won’t have your palate covered anymore. “There are no hidden surprises, and you’re no worse off than when you started should any complications arise.” K Sud Dental is a British dental clinic based in Clinica Britannia in Calpe. We offer general and cosmetic dentistry along with facial rejuvenation treatments. All work is carried out by British qualified clinicians in a cross infection quality controlled medical centre.
Visit: www.ksuddental.com - Email: ksud - Call: +34 965 83 75 53
“I chipped my front tooth on Saturday, phoned Monday, and got a cancellation appointment for Wednesday afternoon. I thought my 30 minute slot was for Karan just to look, but he repaired there and then. Perfect. This is the best, most organised dentist I’ve ever been to. Great people, these are now my forever dentists.” Mark Kirby
OP Puzzle solutions Quick Crossword Across: 6 Tyrolean, 8 Next, 9 Oral, 10 Souvenir, 11 Asphalt, 14 Here, 15 Page, 16 Tripods, 20 Waxworks, 21 Aims, 22 Airy, 23 Painting. Down: 1 Pool, 2 Vessel, 3 Snout, 4 Knee-deep, 5 Excite, 7 Yards, 12 Highways, 13 Tut, 15 Placid, 17 Rustic, 18 Demon, 19 Props, 21 Arts.
SUDOKU
14
Americans opt for minimally invasive fat reduction or body sculpting treatments to look better in the buff, according to a new survey of 500 men and women from Cutera, Inc. And those who exercise regularly are most likely to have a body-sculpting treatment, with
candidates for body contouring procedures.” What’s more, truSculpt iD produces an average fat reduction of 24 percent, and visible improvements are seen in 6 to 12 weeks following the first treatment. Multiple areas can be treated in one session,
HEALTH
www.weekender.news
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May 28th - Jun 10th 2020
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THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the coronavirus may never go away. by Even BPT if a vaccine is found, controlling the runners virusand willyoga be a enthusiasts ‘massive effort’. topping the list. “It is important put According to toboardthis on the table: this certifi ed plastic surgeon virus may become just Walter L. endemic Bernacki,virus MD another of in Ohioour Plastic Surgery in communities, and this virus may newest nevCentral Ohio, “The er go away,” said Dr non-surgical body contouring Mike Ryan. system is Cutera’s truSculpt There are currently iD more that uses than radiofrequency 100 poten(RF)tial technology to developtarget and vaccines in ment, but he highlightpermanently destroy fat in your ed how is nstill trouble spots measles (think muffi tops eliminated com-15 and not love handles) in just pletely, despite already comfortable minutes with no having vaccines. downtime. Weithave found that However is still possible to control the treatment worksthe on virus, all skin but sizes there and is no physiques, guarantypes, teed way of easing reincluding individuals who strictions without trigweregering previously not considered a second wave of candidates for body contouring infections. procedures.” It comes as the UN warned more, that thetruSculpt panWhat’s causingfat iD demic produces was an average widespread distress reduction of 24health, percent, and and mental parvisible improvements are seen ticularly in countries in 6where to 12 weeks the there’sfollowing a lack of in mental firstinvestment treatment. Multiple areas can healthcare. be treated in one session,
Clinica Britannia can privately offer two types of coronavirus test at their Calpe clinic on the Costa Blanca
but additional treatments loving their truSculpt iD you feeling anxious or worried about a may Are be required for optimal results. In a separate study high-risk family member? Do you want peace sculpting results. of individuals who had the of mind? “TruSculpt a very procedure, 100 use percent said Why notiD putisyour mind at rest and either exciting new development they were(ELISA) satisfied, would get ‘direct’ (PCR) or in ‘indirect’ procenon-surgical bodydetecting contouring.coronavirus? it done again and would refer dures for (PCR) fragment The ‘Direct’ lower abdomen andmeans love athat frienda for truSculpt of iD. the And RNA virus (SARS-CoV-2) detected in handles canof be the treated in just a everyone feltisbetter in - or out patient’s fluid (mostly respiratory). singleany 15-minute comfortable of - their clothes. ‘Indirect’ means whatthinking is detecttreatment session.(ELISA) Our patients So,that if you’re about ed is not the virus, but the reaction of the imhave mune been very pleased with the looking into a new kind of system against the virus. bodyThe sculpting results they can personalized bodypresence sculpting reaction is identified with the achieve with this innovative to drastic of antibodies, either without called resorting ‘IgM’ (early resystem,” says showing Dermatologist measures,immunity) find a truSculpt iD sponse short-term and/ orS.‘IgG’ (late showing imJeffrey Dover, MD,response FRCPC provider nearlong-term you by searching munity).Physicians in https://trusculpt.com/find-aof Skincare PCRHill, (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is a techniChestnut MA. provider. test are that can detect the virus at Bycally and specific large, people
health system to have the corona virus diagnostic tests. Please remember it is mandatory to consult with your doctor to decide on what test is necessary and the interpretation of the results.
an extremely early stage. It is considered the most accurate, but there is a window of two to three days for the results. The ELISA test detects the antibodies in the blood. This is a simpler test with results usually in 24 hours. Both tests direct or indirect can be done in asymptomatic or symptomatic patients. It is NOT necessary to go to hospital or the public
For any further questions, please feel free to contact us. Clinica Britannia Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm Av. Ejercitos Españoles 16 BIS, 1st Floor, Calpe www.clinicabritannia.com Tel: 965 837 553 / 965 837 851
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Cooking for trouble… AROUND 200 chefs – including several Michelin-starred – have marched on Congress in Madrid in their whites to demand more help from the government during the coronavirus crisis.
Fallado DENIA’S firework-fuelled Fallas will be postponed until 2021, putting to bed rumours the May event would be reheld later in the year.
Stuck fast TWO hikers in Cartagena had to be rescued by sea after they decided to try to reach a beach, but got stuck on a steep slope at the foot of Monte Roldan.
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A star is born
Well-heeled compo A WOMAN has won €8,101 from Valencia Town Hall after her stiletto heel got stuck between a paving stone and a manhole cover. Eva M, claimed she fell over on April 18 in 2017 after tripping over a paved manhole cover at a set of traffic lights in the Plaça del Ayun-
Pedestrian gets €8,000 from town hall after ‘avoidable’ traffic light trip tamiento. She reportedly received medical treatment for a ‘lesion’, and demanded €16,203 for damages caused.
The original compensation claim was broken down into: €451 for six days of ‘serious damage’; €4,066 for 78 days
Just the ticket
LOTTERIES have returned to Spain after two months of inactivity due to the coronavirus lockdown. Loterias y Apuestas del Estado (SELAE, Spain’s state-owned lottery operator) will begin selling tickets online and in person. Small ticket shops may now open – except for those in commercial centres that lack independent access. SELAE suspended ticket sales and pre-programmed draws on March 15. All suspended draws will take place in the next few days, with tickets having the same value and legitimacy as before. See our online article for the dates of all upcoming and rescheduled draws.
BETSON: Lottery shops reopen
of ‘moderate damage’; and €1,834 for more days of ‘basic damage’. In Spain, claims are also made by evaluating damages – termed ‘secuelas’ – on a scale of 0-50 where each ‘point’ translates to roughly €1,000. The claimant asked for €5,012 for six points of ‘secuela funcional’, for reduction in mobility; €3,239 for four points of ‘secuela estetica’, for aesthetic damage; and €1,600 for medical intervention. The Town Hall, which repaired the manhole cover after the accident, alleged the paving stone was ‘barely exposed’ and should not have been a significant obstruction to pedestrians. The local authority, which sits on the same square where Eva fell, last Friday agreed to settle for half the amount requested after admitting the fall could have been avoided.
A SPANISH politician has become an internet hit – or rather the ostrich that photobombed him during a press conference has. Miguel Angel Revilla, the President of Cantabria, was totally oblivious to the special guest that ended up stealing the show. A video showed the inquisitive bird standing behind the politician and looking over his shoulder. The bird looked at everything that was happening in absolute amazement.
Homer
The incident occurred when Revilla held a press conference to speak about the reopening of a zoo. However, he did not notice the bird and continued speaking. It was only later that the politician noticed the inquisitive bird. Proving he has a sense of humour, Revilla posted on social media an image of the incident together with one of Homer Simpson in an uncannily similar situation.