Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 152

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 1

olive pressThe original and only English-language

investigative newspaper in Andalucía

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE ONLY PAPER IN ANDALUCIA WITH LESS THAN 1% RETURNS

FREE Vol. 7 Issue 152 www.theolivepress.es January 10 - 23, 2013

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A POPULAR British ex-pat has died cradled in a close friend’s arms after a horrific Christmas car crash.The early-morning tragedy happened near Alcaucin on December 27 when his car full of revellers spun off the road during a night out.The driver, Simon Dent, was thrown through the windscreen and died on the spot, while two friends were rushed to hospital.The 34-year-old, from Enfield - who ran the Rendevous Restaurant in Puente Don Manuel with his partner, Victoria - was described as a ‘fun-loving’ popular man who lived life to the full.A close friend, who asked not to be named, said:

“There was nothing we could do to save him.”The man, who had been out with Simon in Puente Don Manuel before the crash, added: “It is very hard to talk about what happened. It’s still very painful.”The friend - who had been a passenger in a second car returning home from the festive night out - contin-ued: “It’s a very close com-munity here and everyone knew him.“He was a popular, fun-lov-ing man who always lived life in high-spirits. “He enjoyed socialising

with friends and having a good time, all the time.”A 24-hour candlelit vigil was quickly set up at the restaurant with candles, ci-gars, flowers and letters.Tributes to the restaurant owner, whose funeral was at the weekend, came in on his Facebook page.Abbie-Grace Johnson said: “Rest in peace Simon, you will never be forgotten”Adrian Lightfoot added: “I hope you can understand what I can’t put into words. R.I.P my friend, I am sure we shall meet again in the future and have it grande simon style!”His mum and dad, Angela

R.I.P SIMONEXCLUSIVE: Tributes pour in for popular expat after horror crash

and Ken Dent, have since thanked friends for their support.

SafetyOn a Facebook post they said: “We would like thank everyone for your kind messages, love and offers of support which has been a great comfort to us. R.I.P our darling Simon. May the Angels keep you safe till we meet again.”More than 150 family mem-bers and friends attended his funeral.Spanish authorities are now installing safety posts at the junction in the hope of making it safer.

Now you’re really getting my goat!What will Maurice Boland be doing with a goat in 2013? Find out in our predictions for the year on 6

VIGIL: Candle-lit bar where Simon (inset) worked

A BBC documentary has slammed the Spanish authorities after alcohol-fuelled tourism led to a shocking rise of deaths from the ‘balconing’ craze in Mallorca.The programme re-vealed how the number of incidents - which sees youngsters jump from hotel balconies - rose by over a third to around 40 in Magaluf last year alone.“This has gone up from 25 to 30 in previous years and I personally know of 12 people who died in the incidents” a paramedic told makers of The Truth about Magaluf.

BBC doc slams rise deaths in Magaluf

A CHILD was killed when he was run over by the Three Kings parade in Malaga.The boy, 6, was crushed by one of the floats as he col-lected sweets from the road.The victim’s father, a doc-tor, tried to revive the child as the procession was tem-porarily halted.Malaga City Council claimed the accident hap-pened despite the float hav-ing a safety team of 15 peo-ple accompanying it.The city announced two days of official mourning.

Three Kings tragedy

23

THE eurozone crisis may have forced millions to cut back on luxuries in an effort to make ends meet.But MEPs certainly don’t appear to be among them after voting to retain their right to fly business class rather than economy.Despite the crisis, only four out of 41 Spanish MEPs agreed to downgrade from their current allowance of €1,297 for business class fares between Brussels and Spain.Spanish airline Vueling

Business as usual for MEPs

By Frances Leate

2 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 2 CRIME NEWS

HIKER: Robert Golden

A BRITISH holidaymaker who failed to return from a hiking break in Spain al-most two months ago has reportedly been sighted.Robert Golden, 54, from Sussex, arrived in Sevilla on November 5 and was due to return two weeks later.He had told a friend he was planning to hike parts of

HAVE YOU SEEN ROBERT?

UK police appeal for safe return of Andalucian holiday hiker ‘spotted’ in Alicante

By Frances LeateGranada, Cordoba, Cadiz and Jerez, all in Andalucia.But now Sussex Police are getting increasingly con-cerned after he was report-edly sighted 400 miles away in the town of Benissa, near Alicante on December 28.

“We cannot verify the re-ported sighting but we are getting increasingly con-cerned for Robert,” said Detective Inspector Rob Walker.

“We are in liaisons with the British Embassy and are is-suing an appeal to the me-dia in Spain.”The IT worker has been de-scribed as a keen walker and was travelling with a large backpack. He was reported missing on November 23 and has not used his bank cards since November 8.His brother Barry Golden said: “I’m really worried. I’m really missing him and want to see him back home.“Robert loves walking and the outdoors. It is worrying that he can be away for that length of time and not use his bank cards.”He added: “I wonder what he is living on?”Anyone who has seen Rob-ert please contact [email protected] or call Sussex Police on 0044 1273 475432

ELECTRICITY fraud is on the rise because of the re-cession, with nearly a sixth of all connections found to be fraudulent.Following 53,000 inspec-tions last year, Iberdrola reported that 8,000 connec-tions were illegal.This is an increase of 2,000 on the previous year. All 8,000 connections were customers who had reg-istered an excessively low consumption, but who were stealing considerably more.

Electricity fraud on rise

Politicians economy vote

Whodunnit? It’s barking obvious!A THIEF who mugged his victims with a Yorkshire terrier by his side has been ar-rested by police in Almeria.The man is accused of using the pint-sized pooch as an accomplice in 14 violent at-tacks on youngsters over the last few

months in which he also threatened them with a knife.Police are now investigating whether the thief, who has been remanded in custody to await trial, may have committed a string of other offences.

From Page 1

meanwhile charges around €150 for a return flight in economy between Brussels and Spain.However the business class cost is the equivalent of 20 days salary for a teacher. The vote comes as the gov-ernment warned that Spain faces a tough year as it continues to struggle with recession. In his new year message PM Rajoy said: “Spain’s economy will re-main in recession for some time.”


Kylie’s Spanish spa retreatPop princess takes her Spanish beau Andres Velencoso for romantic break near Alicante

EXCLUSIVEby Frances Leate

EXCLUSIVEBy Frances Leate

PINT-sized pop princess, Kylie, has been en-joying luxury treatments in an exclusive spa

retreat in Spain.The Aussie singer, who dates Spanish

model-cum-Hollywood actor, An-dres Velencoso, was seen over the festive period at the SHA Wellness Clinic, in Alfaz del Pi, Alicante.

A source told the Olive Press she was there when it opened a few years ago and was back again recently.“It is the perfect place to relax over Christ-mas,” said the expat based in Alfaz del Pi. “She had a really relaxing time I am told, and was certainly very lucky with the weather.”A spokesperson from the €290-a-night hotel

AS a fashion designer, you know you have made it when fashion icon Michelle Obama (pictured above) is wearing your creations.Even the underwear that America’s First Lady chooses to wear can make headlines so Spanish designer, Adrian Salvador, must have been de-lighted to see her stepping out in an evening dress he de-signed.

EndorsedFollowing her price-less endorsement, the creative designer from Valencia-based fashion company, Siemprevivas, has been handpicked to work for top fashion designer, J Mendel of New York.Mr Salvador has also been headhunted by leading fashion houses such as Vik-tor & Rolf, Proenza Schouler and Alexan-der Wang.He is currently work-ing on a number of designs for actresses attending this year’s Golden Globe Awards and a new collection for New York fashion week in February.

Cleaving out arecord

The ultimate accolade

A BUXOM brunette - rumoured to be a British expat in Spain - has taken the blogging world by storm by uploading daily photos of her cleavage.The 31-year-old engineer has broken Spanish records by flashing the tit-illating images for her league of on-line fans.Since launching the blog two months ago, the internet sensation has had a record two million hits and now counts over 25,000 faithful follow-ers.Her most recent series included the university graduate stripping off for New Year’s Eve merely protecting her modesty with a large silver bell.She frequently scrawls the names of her followers on her chest.Under the blog name ‘Los Escotes de Alicia’ , she later posted three pho-tos swigging from a bottle of pink Freixenet cava.Spanish media has gone into over-drive in a bid to discover who she really is. Both the national press and TV have attempted to uncover the blogger, who claims to work in Valencia city.Intriguingly she posts under the name ‘Alicia Young’ suggesting she might be a British expat based in Spain.

Many happy returns as engineer’s blog makes Spanish record with two million hits and over 25000 followers in just two months... wonder why?

BLOGGER: Busty brunette, Alicia, goes viral in a series of provocative poses

STAR: Clint Eastwood

BACKSIDE OF A BUS: But no-one has yet seen her face

Over 250,000 Britons either live or have homes in the Valencia region and Young is not a Spanish name.Alicia, whose face does not appear in the photos, posted the first photo-graph as a joke.

She said: “I’m not doing this for money. It started as a joke but now I’m having fun and I like it.

Saucy“There are some pretty saucy photos but people know I’m never going to bare all and yet they still keep com-ing back.”Wearing a variety of outfits from plain t-shirts to bikini tops and fan-cy dress, according to local reports she is about to launch a calender for 2013.

A compilation of her exploits can be found on You Tube.h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=0QEz45_XJTM

HAVE YOU SEEN ROBERT?

admitted the singer was a regular visitor to the spa, enjoying a selection of treatments.However she would not confirm the singer’s exact movements due to ‘client confidentiality.”

The five-building minimalist resort boasts swimming pools, waterfalls, numerous relax-ation areas and a Zen tropical garden.

IntensiveA favourite with a host of celebrities from around the world, the spa offers an intensive weight-loss and detox programme.This is one of many Christmases Kylie has spent in Spain since getting together with her Spanish boyfriend of four years.However, the sought after starlet, who battled breast cancer back in 2005, made it back to her home country to see in 2013 at the Sydney Opera House alongside millions of fans.

A LESS than flattering expose of the Hollywood stars who have taken part in the Almeria Film Festi-val has been released by its former press officer.Antonio Sanchez del Amo, author of the book Clint Eastwood will never re-turn to Almeria worked for the annual event for more than a decade.In his book he gives a no-holds barred account of the diva attitude and bizarre antics of top stars, includ-ing Faye Dunaway and Raquel Welch. The book also reveals Clint East-wood’s dislike of travelling. The actor became famous after appearing in a num-ber of 1960s spaghetti west-erns filmed in Almeria.

HOME-GROWN movies are becoming the films of choice for cinema goers in Spain.Spanish flicks have become more popular than ever and in 2012 they accounted for 18 per cent of cinema goers.This is the highest figure re-corded for more than 27 years and brought in more than €106 million in the box office.

Just a bunch of divas

HURRAH FOR HOME-GROWN

4 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 NEWS4

A MODEL who fell 80ft from her Spanish hotel balcony has learnt to walk again.Chantelle Serginson, 25, from Middles-brough, suffered two brain haemorrhages, a broken jaw and multiple fractures to her legs when she fell from the top of the six storey Hotel Marina Barracuda, in Mal-lorca, last May.Doctors told her she was lucky to be alive and wasn’t expected to walk again after the terrifying fall.But the young holidaymaker has stunned health professionals by getting back on her feet just four-and-a-half months after the horrific accident that could have killed her.She said: “I have gone from a wheelchair to a walking frame to crutches.“The first time my foot touched the floor I was sobbing. I can now walk to the shops but sometimes I need a piggyback.”The model, who hoped to become a dancer, added: “I can’t overdo it and I am still on medication but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.”The accident left her with metal poles and pins in her legs and hips and metal plates in her jaw.She had fallen while losing her balance try-ing to throw a spider from her suitcase.

She is now awaiting a further op to remove a metal pole from her left leg, and some time in the future expects to have a knee replacement.Her injuries mean her dreams of being a professional dancer have had to be shelved but she plans on training to be a support worker to help people who can’t walk.

Model who fell 80ft on a Mallorca holiday can walk in just four months

By Frances Leate

Alcohol blamed for sharp rise in holiday deaths

ON THE MEND: Before and now

The shocking documentary heard how alcohol-fuelled tourism appears to be the

cause of a sharp rise in crime, injuries and deaths in Spain’s most infamous resort.The show, made by present-er Stacey Dooley, claimed

that there were an alarming 200 ‘unnatural’ deaths of tourists last year.A coroner revealed that of the 60 deaths he had dealt

with around 80 to 90 % of the victims were found to have an extreme amount of alcohol in their system.“It is tragic to see so many young people dying out here on holiday,” he said.“We have to work on peo-ple’s drinking habits and explain the consequences.”A receptionist at a hotel - where two guests died from balcony falls last year - re-vealed that one of the vic-tims – a British teenager – died within two hours of arriving at the hotel.He blamed the problems on ‘excessive drinking’ and insisted many of the tour-ists were far too young to be drinking so much.A local policeman added that things are ‘getting worse and there is an in-crease of alcohol-related in-cidents this year’.The problem appears to stem from a system that allows youngsters to drink unlimited amounts of alco-hol in bars from as little as €20 a head.Some were drinking up to ten times the drink drive limit.The mayor of the resort however, shrugged it off insisting 20,000 tourists out in the town each night in summer such problems were inevitable.He said: “Things are out of my hands. I am not a magi-cian. I’m just the mayor.”

From Page 1

Model miracle

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 5NEWS

News IN BRIEF

NUST BE ON RIGHT IN

FIRST 7 PAGES

FIVE YEARS OF PAINA BRITISH couple have slammed the authorities for failing to compensate them for the demolition of their home five years ago.Len and Helen Prior had their property bulldozed in Vera, Andalucia, in January 2008 over ‘planning irregu-larities’.This was despite having the correct paperwork signed off from the town hall.“This whole mess would be bearable if it made any sense,” Helen told the Olive Press.

‘A five-year-old would see this situation as crazy,’ Priors tell Olive Press to mark the fifth anniversary of their home being demolished

EXCLUSIVEBy Lenox Napier and James Bryce

“The latest court ruling say-ing ‘our land can only be used for farming, forestry or animals’ is insane.“Our land butts onto the land of three of our neigh-bours, but their land does not have to be used for for-estry, farming or animals.”The expat, from Berkshire, who lives with her husband

in a garage on the property added: “How can it be pos-sible that this is the only plot which has to be used for that purpose when they are all the same size and have

the same criteria?”She added: “I would think that the average five-year-old would see there is no logic behind this ruling. “The court said that Vera had to pay our compensa-tion, but how long will it take the court to decide how much compensation Vera will have to pay?

CAMPAIGNERS who have been told they can-not rebuild or repair their fire-damaged homes have vowed to get permission

swiftly in 2013.Members of the Phoenix Campaign are set to embark on a series of new actions to get permission to go ahead with work.This includes a letter-writing campaign and plan to visit the ombudsman, as well as the British consulate and Ojen Town Hall.The campaign group was set up last year with the help of the Olive Press to put pressure on the Junta.Spokeswoman Pat Laing said: “The mayor

Banks locked outFAMILIES facing evic-tion after having their homes repossessed by the banks have found themselves with an un-likely ally.Locksmiths in Pam-plona are collectively refusing to open locked doors or change locks on jobs involving re-possessions.“I had one elderly man who was barely given time to put his trousers on.” said one.

“Vera has no money appar-ently, but surely as a public organisation it must carry Public Liability Insurance. “If not, why not? This is not just injustice, this is stupid injustice.”In a similar case in Albox, a British couple are to ap-peal to the European Court of Human Rights in a last ditch effort to save their home from demolition.Like the Priors, the un-named couple have been forced to endure a lengthy legal battle after becoming embroiled in a planning dis-pute between the town hall and the Junta.

See 2013 Predictions fea-ture on page 16

ANNIVERSARY: Priors are still living in garage

Phoenix to fire on all cylinders for 2013

of Mijas has given us his 100% sup-port and spelt out what we have to do to put pres-sure on the Junta.“We intend to make it a very busy year.”The group meanwhile featured on the front page of the Birmingham Sunday Mercury (above) over the festive period, helping to raise the campaign abroad.

Anyone who can help with Spanish translations or with other ideas to help please email [email protected]

Boozing youngstersYOUNG drivers were the worst culprits for drink driving this Christmas, 237 of the 9,600 drivers randomly stopped in Malaga failing a breath test.

Flight riskThe organiser of the Madrid Arena party where five young girls died last year has been arrested and had his passport confiscated.

Sky kingsThe Three Kings chose an unconventional entrance in Benahavis after arriving by helicopter to deliver presents to local children.

Jet lagsTwo Argentinians have been sentenced to 13 years each for transporting almost a ton of cocaine into Spain by private jet.

6 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013

OPINION

The original and only English-languageinvestigative newspaper in Andalucía

Tel: 951166060 (admin) or 952895230 (editorial)A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in southern Spain - 186,000 copies distributed monthly (120,000 digitally) with an estimated readership, including the website, of more than 500,000 people a month.

Luke Stewart Media S.L - CIF: B91664029Urb Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350 MalagaPrinted by Corporación de Medios de Andalucía S.A.Editor: Jon [email protected] editor: James Bryce [email protected]:Frances Leate [email protected] Jones [email protected]

Distribution: 951 166 060Admin/advertising sales:Pauline Olivera [email protected] TEAM:West Costa del Sol Jane Jewson 673 958 858AxarquiaCharlie Bamber 661 452 180CadizElizabeth Gould 620 532 672Ronda/San Pedro/MarbellaJon Clarke 691 831 399

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FEATURE

Eastern promise

WHEN Jiajia Wang’s parents first moved to Barce-lona from China

in the 1990s, they had no working papers and spoke no Spanish. The family ate eggs to survive. Her mother and father worked 12-hour days at a Chi-nese restaurant and after five years, they bought a restau-rant of their own with money borrowed from relatives, in-terest free. She and her brother washed the dishes. Her parents slept on a mattress in the bath-room of their cramped apart-ment so their children could study at night in the other room. Today, while Spanish youth unemployment hovers around 50 percent, Ms. Wang, 24, who studied eco-nomics at Harvard on a one-year fellowship, juggles four jobs: teaching Mandarin, ad-vising Chinese investors in Spain, running a publishing house and writing romantic novels. Incredibly she is able to send home €1,000 a month to support her parents, who re-tired last year. Her family’s story is telling of the ways many of Spain’s 170,000 Chinese immigrants have managed not only to weather a tough economy but even to thrive, aided by intense labour and a strong Confucian model of family loyalty.Meanwhile unemployment and cuts to government ser-vices have left other Span-iards struggling. “The Chinese family is less dependent on the govern-ment because the fam-ily is the welfare state, the bank and social services, all wrapped in one,” Ms. Wang said. “For Chinese people who lived through hardship back home,” she added, “working 16-hour days is nothing, and that has made us more resil-ient during the crisis.” The Spanish government itself seems to have recog-nized the importance of this success. So determined is it to attract Chinese immigrants that in

The Chinese family is the ‘welfare state, the bank and social services, all wrapped in one’... is it any wonder Spain has changed the rules to allow the Chinese to settle here more easily?

November it passed a law offering residency permits to foreigners who buy homes worth more than €160,000, with the specific aim of draw-ing Chinese and Russian in-vestment. As hard-hit Spaniards strug-gle to keep both their jobs and their homes, Spain’s Chi-nese immigrants are starting businesses and buying dis-tressed properties after the bursting of Spain’s housing bubble. Of the 8,613 foreigners who started businesses in the past 10 months, 30 percent, or 2,569 were Chinese.

InfoChina Gestión, a real es-tate company based in Ma-drid that focuses on Chinese investors, said the number of houses sold for €70,000 to €100,000 to Chinese nearly doubled last year, to 813. Mr. House, a real estate com-pany in Madrid, said it was selling at least 10 houses a month to Chinese buyers, a majority of whom paid at least 80 per cent in cash. The types of work many Chi-nese immigrants gravitate to-ward helps explain their suc-cess as much as their work ethic. In a time of economic crisis, ubiquitous low-margin Chinese-owned bazaars and supermarkets have become a lure for cost-conscious Span-ish consumers. “If it wasn’t for the Chinese shops, it would be harder to scrape by,” said Ester Ma-duerga, 30, a shop sales as-sistant, as she scanned the notepads, leather belts and plastic alligators at bazaar One Hundred and More. Xi Li He, 26, the bazaar’s manager, said the business was flourishing, in part be-cause he had reduced prices by importing inexpensive goods from China. When Mr. Xi, fresh from business school, tried to take a job at a large Spanish retailer, he said his mother doubled his salary. That kind of success by Chi-nese immigrants has pro-vided a beachhead of sorts for further investment from

China that has pumped some life into an otherwise mori-bund Spanish economy. Before Spain’s crisis explod-ed in 2008, Chinese foreign investment in Spain was negligible. By last year, it had grown to €70 million, accord-ing to ICEX, a government in-vestment agency. Ivana Casaburi, a professor of international marketing at

Esade business school in Barcelona, said Chi-nese com-panies were being drawn to Spain be-cause it of-fered a low-cost gateway to the EU, the world’s biggest trading bloc. Isla Ramos Chaves, an execu-tive at the Chinese computer maker Lenovo, said that even with the crisis, Spain — the fourth-largest economy in

the Eurozone — remained a market that Chinese compa-nies were eager to tap. She added that Chinese multina-tionals in Spain were proving robust, in part because they were anchored by a huge do-mestic market back home. Executives at Haier, the Chi-nese-owned appliance mak-er, said the economic crisis, rather than being a deterrent, had provided an opportunity, as Spaniards were willing to consider competitively-priced washing machines and air-conditioners, even if their brands were less well known. “I am not sure we would have been as successful if the mar-ket was stable and growing,” said Santiago Belenguer, the general manager of Haier’s Spanish operations.

In one street more than a dozen tapas

bars are owned by Chinese

What is also interesting is that the success of Chinese newcomers to Spain has not spawned the kind of anti-immigrant backlash seen in some hard-pressed parts of Europe like Greece.Immigration experts said Spain’s relatively welcom-ing attitude reflected its new openness after the repres-sion of the Franco years, when the country was a na-tion of emigration. Since the crisis, the return of thousands of Latin American immigrants to their home countries from Spain has also relieved pressure on the work force. That does not mean every-one has championed the success of the Chinese, and some complain of stereotyp-ing and being targeted by law enforcement. In October, the police arrest-

The original and only English-languageinvestigative newspaper in Andalucía

TAKEOVER: Some streets in Spain - like this one in Madrid - are mostly full of Chinese businesses and (top) a worker

Held to accountMASS unemployment, evictions, savage cuts to social services - all imposed by a group of politicians who no longer even bother trying to hide their greed and self-interest.The latest in a long list of galling acts, which beggar belief in the current economic climate, is MEPs refusing to fly economy class.With such a blatant disregard for public money, surely now is the time for politicians, especially those based in Brussels, to be held to account.Why should families have to be face eviction and many others lose their jobs while those in power continue to show no sign of doing their bit to reduce spending?Even a symbolic gesture like agreeing to fly cattle class on short-haul flights would go some way towards reducing the ut-ter contempt with which the average man holds these faceless bureaucrats.

Blacking up debateA race row has erupted after footballer, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, came out to the traditional Three Kings parade dressed as a Middle Eastern king.In an attempt to do a good deed for his community the footballer went to town with his outfit, with black make-up and an impres-sive bejeweled hat and robe.But despite his light-hearted, well intentioned efforts he upset some commentators who felt the outfit crossed the line.In these days of such stringent political correctness it is hard to know what is acceptable and what is not.Children at the event seemed to love it anyway and what a shame if he stops playing a part in his local community in the future for fear of criticism.

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 7FEATURE 7

ed 80 people in a nationwide crackdown on Chinese crimi-nal gangs engaged in money-laundering and tax evasion. The police said the low price of Chinese products was be-ing abetted by some import-ers not declaring shipments from China, thereby avoiding taxes.

Incredibly, the Chinese are buying up restaurants all over the place. In one road in the hip Eixample area of Barce-lona there are more than a dozen tapas bars owned by Chinese.One of the few Spanish own-ers left José Rodríguez at A Porta Galega said cut-rate

prices for everything from beer to shampoo at Chinese-owned shops made it impossible for Spaniards to compete. Still, he added, he would sell his own restaurant to Chinese buyers, “for the right price.”

This article first appeared in the New York Times

CO-OPERATING IS THE FUTURE FOR SPAIN

WHILE the economy is said to be facing dire straits for years to come there is, in fact, a quiet revolution taking place in Spain.Various new social approaches to busi-ness are taking root in the country. And much of it has to do with the age old Spanish co-operative tradition.Spain’s co-operative sector now consists of 22,000 cooperatives, providing 1.2m direct and indirect jobs and a total turn-over of €60bn.From January to March 2012 a total of 223 businesses of this type were created. Many of these are picking up where the state is retreating. Take Aquasport, a public sports centre in Gerena, near Sevilla, which lay empty until four locals set up a co-operative to run the building, making it work, not just as a sports centre but also for fes-tivities, dance classes and other commu-nity initiatives.Others such as Cocope in Castilla, has raised €9m to build a 7,500 m2 care

residence, while Lloc Nou, a not-for-profit co-operative of home owners in Cataluña has already provided homes for 778 members.Then there is Mondragón, which was once a humble co-operative that pro-duced paraffin heaters. It is now the sixth biggest business in the country. Universities are also now collaborating with young entrepreneurs to launch en-terprise initiatives across the country. These include Esade business school teaming up with BBVA to build the Mo-mentum Project that will provide young innovators with training to develop their social businesses.There has been so much success that MIT’s journal, the Technology Review, has for a second year running awarded 10 young Spanish innovators for their achievements in technology and busi-ness.Ultimately then, there is much to be op-timistic about.

8 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 8 NEWS

A GROUP of pilots working for budget airline Ryanair have spoken out over a mon-ey-saving fuel policy that they say could cost lives.As reported in the Olive Press in September, Ryanair was investigat-ed by Spain’s Aviation Authority after three jets had to make emergency landings in Va-lencia because of low fuel, all on the same day, last July.Speaking anonymously on a Dutch TV show, the four whistle-blowers said they were forced to fly the Boeing 737-800 planes on as little fuel as legally possible in order to save the cost-cutting airline money.

Whistle blowing

Ryanair pilots slam ‘dangerous’ fuel policy after three emergency landings in Valencia

By Frances Leate

One said many of the crew were ‘under extra pressure’ because of the potentially dangerous policy.He added: “I hope it doesn’t take a crash to wake everybody up.” Former Ryanair captain Ian Somner also told the TV show the airline operated an ‘oppressive regime’ of ‘bullying, in-timidation, threats and harassment’.But Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary claimed Somner and the other three pilots were ly-ing. He said: “They are quoted anonymously, because what they are telling you are lies.”A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “The claims made by this Dutch TV programme are factually untrue.“As the official report into the three Valen-cia weather diversions confirmed, all three pilots took extra fuel and all three aircraft fully complied with safety regulations.”He added: “The only pressure placed on Ryanair pilots is to prioritise safety, which is why Ryanair has an outstanding 28 year safety record.”

WHISTLE BLOWER: Somner speaks outDrilling protests continue

RESIDENTS in Mijas are continuing their protests against controversial plans to drill for gas off the Costa del Sol.The group will demonstrate outside La Cala cultural centre on January 9 at 7pm.Protesters fear that drilling will have a negative impact on sustainable tourism, could damage the environment and the region’s valuable fishing industry.They want to put pressure on the Spanish government to cancel permits granted to Repsol to start looking for gas this year.

Contact Citizens Against Oil Exploration on 650952081 for more information.


Whistle blowing

10 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 10 NEWS

A CRUEL attack on a pet dog, witnessed by scores of people, has been con-demned by animal rights campaigners.

People watched in hor-ror as a 30-year-old man repeatedly beat his beagle

Pet transport clampdownCALLS for a change in legislation have been made follow-ing a series of horrifying pet deaths during transportation between Spain and the UK.Pet courier business, Animal Express has joined forces with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Britain’s Road Haulage Association (RHA) in a bid to set up a trade association that will improve current legislation.It comes after the Olive Press reported on the death of pet Wasabi last summer. The pug died from heat exhaustion while in the care of Axarquia-based company Pet Taxi.

BRAVE swimmers who went for a hang-over-curing dip in the cold ocean on New Year’s Day have raised more than €5,000 for an animal charity. These included Nep-tune and a mermaid!

Simon Williams, owner of the Caribbean Bar, Fuengirola, organised the swim to raise money for 4 Paws. The event is now in its 7th year and attracts crowds of up to 400 people and a handful of daring swimmers.

Nippy dippers make €5,000 for animal charity

Dog ownerran over hispet in rage

By Frances Leate and then ran it over several times in broad daylight.The horrific incident, which took place in the Parque An-tena urbanisation, in Este-pona, was witnessed by resi-dents who alerted police.The dog, which miraculous-ly survived the ordeal, is now being cared for by local residents.Its owner was later arrested and found to be twice over the drink drive limit.Mary Page, vice-chairman of animal rescue char-ity, Adana, said the police need to come down hard on people who needlessly hurt animals.“This is a horrible example of how animals are being hurt needlessly and cruelly and I can only assume this man had a momentary loss of his senses,” she said.“In this case the police had no alternative but to take action because it was wit-nessed by people but so many cases of animal cru-elty are completely ignored.“It is not a problem that is unique to Spain but there is a need for education when it comes to looking after pets properly.“The government needs to ensure the harshest punish-ments are given to people who hurt animals.”

Did you see this incident? Do you know the man in-volved? Contact [email protected].

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 11GIBRALTAR NEWS

Gib IN BRIEF

Cig seizureFIVE people have been arrested and 80,000 cigarettes seized as part of a joint operation between police and customs officials on the Rock.

Rock honourChief Minister Fabian Picardo has congratulated Gibraltarians Louis Wink, Richard Labrador and Latifa Edmonds after they were recognised in the New Year’s Honours List.

Easy accessGibraltar’s parliament building will be refurbished in March to improve disabled access for members of the public.

Cocaine catchSpanish police have seized 110 kilos of cocaine hidden in a shipment of vegetables in Algeciras.

SPANISH politicians have urged the government to improve relations with Gi-braltar after claiming the re-lationship has deteriorated under Mariano Rajoy. PSOE party members have tabled a motion in the An-dalucian parliament urging Madrid to restart trilateral talks between the UK, Spain and Gibraltar.They claim the current breakdown in talks and ill-feeling over the issue of sov-ereignty is having a negative effect on Spanish nationals working on the Rock.“The Spanish Government concentrates all its efforts on highlighting everything that sets us apart from the Gibraltarians, rather

Must make peace

Spanish politicians urge their government to focus on positive aspects of relations with Rock

than valuing everything that unites us,” the motion states.It follows recent comments by Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Mar-gallo (above) in which he refused to hold talks with Gibraltar’s government.“Cooperation and dialogue are good as long as they are done on dignified and eq-uitable terms,” said Garcia-Margallo.“On sovereignty issues, Spain and the United King-dom do the talking. On other issues, Madrid and London also do the talking, if that is considered conve-nient.”

By James Bryce

12 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 12

Axq IN BRIEF

AXARQUIA NEWS

It’s back on track?

POLICE suspect suicide after a man died when his car was found on fire underneath a bridge near Velez Malaga.Detectives were quickly on the scene, after receiving an emergency call to the bridge beside the motorway near Baviera Golf.Incredibly they managed to extinguish the flames and ini-tially save the man, who was found unconscious inside the car.The 63-year-old was flown by helicopter to hospital in Mala-ga where he remained in a critical condition with 80% burns to his body.Sadly he did not pull through and died over the weekend.

Suicide suspectedin car fire death

Christmas fireA FIRE in Nerja that destroyed six parked cars on Christmas Day on Calle Puente Viejo by the Chillar River is being investigated by police.

Job helpA scheme to help young unemployed people in the Axarquia to find work has been launched by the local government.

Cave chorusAfter a break of more than two decades, piped music is to return to the Nerja caves now a new sound system has been installed. Visitors can now listen to classical music as they wander through the galleries.

THE defunct tram line between Velez-Malaga and Torre del Mar could be reinstated if the town hall can agree on a financial agreement with the Junta.It comes after the Junta announced that an in-depth study is being undertaken to decide if it is financially viable to bring back the controversial tram.While pointing out that it is not in the Junta’s remit, delegate for Malaga Jose Luiz Ruiz con-firmed that they would try to find out ‘if it was viable’ for the area.

Study to investigate if a deal can be reached to bring back controversial Velez to Torre tram

The €40 million service was axed in June last year after just six years in operation because transport bosses ruled it was not economically viable.

The tram, which left the town hall in €2.5 million of debt, could now return but only if state funding is forthcoming.It is hoped the tram can be part funded by the local and regional government.The study, which will assess the transportation needs of the town’s 50,000 occupants, is due to take place this month.The tram line, which opened at the end of 2006, ran from the town centre to Torre del Mar beach. The tram cost €1 mil-lion a year to run and after its closure the town mayor said the money would be invested in the bus service instead.

MOVING AGAIN: Velez tram


POTTED POINTERS

ANDALUCIA RESERVOIRLEVELSThis week: 72.63% full Same week last year: 76.97% Same week in 2002: 54.87%

AIRPORTSGibraltar -00350 22073026Granada-Jaen -958 245 200Jerez - 956 150 000Malaga - 952 048 844**For English press 9 Sevilla - 954 449 000

EMERGENCIESPolice 091Guardia Civil 062Medical service 061Fire 080

EURO EXCHANGE RATES 1 euro is worth1.3098 American Dollars0.8143 British Pounds1.2918 Canadian Dollars7.4600 Danish Kroner10.152 H Kong Dollars7.3199 Norwegian Kroner1.6104 Singapore Dollars

LETTERS

Letters should be posted to Urb. Cayetano Arroyo, Buzon 13, Arriate 29350, Malaga or emailed to [email protected] The writer’s name and address should be provided. Published opinions are not necessarily those of the Editor.

PLEASEWRITE

Dear Olive Press

I HAVE just read, with some mirth, the letter in your cur-rent edition from Michael Stevenson defending Ry-anair. His letter is somewhat out of step with the article on your back page regarding the fact that anyone can get on a Ry-anair plane irrespective of where they want to go.His comment that it ‘always delivers on time’ and is ‘a role model’ does not go with my experiences.The problems they had with a rude pilot and an ex-tra person on board on the flight from Manchester to Malaga on December 18 is one example of their indif-ference to their customers as is my experience on the December 19 flight from Malaga to Manchester.The flight that was due to leave at 17.05, did not hap-pen. Eventually the departure board showed a time of 20.00. No explanations and no in-formation but what is new?Many people like myself lined up at their desk, after getting permission to leave the check in area, to be told that they did not know what was happening but there were places available on the flight to Liverpool leaving at 21.20 if wanted. They offered vouchers for

snacks that were going to be made available at an infor-mation desk. It turned out the vouch-ers were worth 5 euros and could only be spent at certain locations, of which some were shut. This was now 19.30.All Ryanair flights due to leave Malaga that night took off on time but the Man-chester passengers were still left to sit there with no information and no idea as to what was happening.About 22.00 there was an announcement that more vouchers were being given out, again €5. By now there was only one place open to spend these vouchers. Out of season Malaga air-port can be a very lonely place at this time.To cut a long story short the flight eventually left at 01.20, a delay of over eight hours. During all the time I was sat waiting to get to Manches-

ter it did occur to me that Ryanair and Mr. O’Leary should go into the interna-tional parcel delivery busi-ness because that is how they treat their customers. Watch out DHL! Kevan Keith, Torrox

Jet setterI read Frances Leate’s ar-ticle about Ryanair.Ryanair display cheap fares on their website. They also ask you to read the rules and abide by them, then you agree and tick the box!Unfortunately, many people only read the cheap fares. These passengers are the cause of all the problems when boarding.I even saw a man trying to get a box of wine on as well as his hand luggage.The unfortunate staff are

Ryanair fails to deliver… again

This bird regularly visits my garden in winter, but I cannot find out what it is.It looks and behaves as a Robin would but it has a black breast and colours on the underside if it’s tail.Have you any idea or may-be your readers know?

Phil Holman, via www.olivepress.es

Please name my garden visitor

the victims as they know that there is only a small designated space for each passenger.Thank you Ryanair over the years for flying me (a bit squashed up, mind you) to Dublin for €5, from Swe-den to Germany for €10 and Dublin to Paris €15!Yes, I’m a real jet setter with my little bag!!

Mary FitzsimmonsMarbella

Happy New Year and keep your eyes peeledI congratulate you on your journalism re. the various rogues on the Costa del Sol. These people have been pos-

ing as the epitome of society down here for years.At last they have been rum-bled and my 2013 wish is to keep this lot on the rack.Keep up the good work Ol-ive Press. The only paper that is not scared to speak its mind. A sincere Happy New Year to all the staff and readers.

David Phillips, Benalmadena

Tax puts me off Spanish propertyI’m an Australian living in Hong Kong and I would like to move to Spain.In November the Spanish government announced the right of non-EU citizens to become residents of Spain - for buying a €160,000 property.Is this a joke?Property in Spain is now inexpensive, but the fees, taxes involved in buying and selling are not.And as a resident I would be liable for tax on my world-wide income.There will not be a long queue for applications.Best regards, and keep up the good work on your on-line publication; it’s excel-lent.

Peter Sherwood, via email

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 15la culturaJuly 26, 2012

15

what’s on

Sevilla, Until Jan 13, 9pm. The

Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporaneo in La Cartuja. The first solo exhibition in Spain by the famous Chinese artist and dissident, who was imprisoned in 2011. Weiwei focuses on mass-consumption in contemporary society as seen in works such as “Sunflower seeds” and “World Map”.

Malaga, January 11 to February

10. The Malaga Theatre Festival is back for its 30th edition with a programme of performances at the Cervantes and Echegaray Theatres. Tickets: € 6 - € 48 at the door and at www.unientradas.es.

Ryanair fails to deliver… again

FO R G E T P r i n c e ’ s idea of par-tying ‘like it’s

1999’, because now its time to par-ty like its 2013.And if you are go-ing to be spending the year in Spain you are in for an endless choice when it comes to live music.Some of the best pop, rock, R&B, hop hop, folk and dance acts of the 21st Century are due to grace our Span-ish shores over the next 12 months.They include well-estab-lished acts like Blur, The Killers and Queens of the Stone Age and newcomers who have taken the music industry by storm in recent months, such as Azealia Banks.If you’re a mud-loving festi-val goer then head to Bar-celona for the Primavera Sound Festival from May 22-26 to see Britpop he-roes, Blur.Or for a healthy mix of vin-tage pop from classics like Pet Shop Boys to pioneering German electronic get up, Kraftwerk, head to Sonar Festival from June 13-15.

And then, of course, there is Benicassim Festival, which has grown in size and be-come one of the best Europe-an festivals in the world over the last decade.This year the festival on July 18-21 will feature the edgy and talented hip hop singer, Azealia Banks, seasoned rockers Queens of the Stone Age and the experts of the drunken pub balled, The Kill-ers.Also playing are Jake Bugg, Palma Violets, Echo Lake, Splashh and Swim Deep.Benicassim is also the place to be if you fancy a heady, co-lourful display of the best in Dub, Ska, Reggae and African music.The Rototom Reggae Sun-splash Festival from August 17-24 is sure to not disap-point.

For a lesser known festival, making its way up the ranks, head to Beni-dorm – for the aptly named - Low Cost Fes-tival.True to its name, the first 2,000 tickets can be bought for as little as €35 and acts include Two Door Cinema

Club, Delorentos, Toy and Monarchy.Another festival to pencil in your diary is Arenal Sound Festival from August 1-4 in Castellon, featuring The Editors and White Lies.For something closer to home, acclaimed guitarist, Mark Knopfler will be mak-ing his way to the Plaza de Toros in Malaga on July 27 for a much anticipated con-cert.Valencia will welcome a string of leading acts in 2013, including The Dogs D’Amour on February 25 at Sala Wah Wah, UK Subs and TV Smith at Rock City on March 1, and Edwyn Collins on March 21 at Sala El Loco.Nearer to home in Murcia head to the S.O.S 4.8 Fes-tival which is not for the faint-hearted running non stop for 48 hours on May 3-4. It will feature mas-sive London band The XX, ModeSelektor and Justice.Murcia will also host gigs from The Godfathers on February 23 at Sala 12 y Medio.

It’s a massive year for music fans around Spain

Let’s get the real party started

ROCKERS: (From top anti-clockwise) Pet Shop Boys, XX, Edwyn Collins, Mark Knopfler, Azealia Banks, Modeselektor, Kraftwerk, Killers, Editors and Blur

16 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 la cultura16

That really gets my goat!

A PET food scare story, sight-ings of Maddie McCann and a UFO scramble on the Cos-ta del Sol.

Yes, it was certainly a weird and won-derful year for the Olive Press web-site.Yet, it was a comical story about a London PR girl, who attempted to

...And what a million people read on our website in 2012

The Olive Press website had a record one million ‘unique visitors’ last year... and these were their favourite storiestrack down her Mr Right in Spain, that really got you going.No less than 22,000 people logged

on to read the sad story about how she tried to locate the English hunk she had met only to find out he was

already married and a philander-er to boot.A total of one mil-lion ‘unique visi-tors’ visited www.theolivepress.es in 2012 to read about the moth-er who found a hand grenade in a sack of po-tatoes and how flash floods had affected the re-gion.Best of all, and probably one of the most posi-tive stories of recent times, you logged on to read how British expats in Spain were the happi-est in the world.Could half of those have been from all you smug readers who live on the Costas?

1) Finding ‘Mr Wrong’ from Spain - A London PR girl who launched an internet campaign to track down a hunk she met on a Spanish holiday, discovered he was ‘already taken’.

2) “I saw Madeleine McCann playing outside Costa del Sol beach restaurant” - A British expat came forward believing to have seen Maddie McCann in Nerja – exactly five years since her disappearance.

3) Hand grenade found in sack of potatoes - A hand grenade was found in a sack of potatoes bought at a greengrocers in Chiclana de la Frontera.

4) Dog food panic spreads around Spain - Dozens of pet owners from across Andalucia, Murcia and Alicante came forward to reveal their dogs had suffered kidney failure after eating Mercadona’s Compy dog food.

5) Was Madeleine McCann in Ibiza? - A German holidaymaker claimed he saw Madeleine McCann aboard a flight from Ibiza to Munich.

FASTEN your seat belts for it is bound to be a fast,

action-packed year ahead.With the recession expected to deepen, at least for the first half of the year, and un-employment unlikely to im-prove, there will inevitably be plenty of trouble and strife.So to cheer you up, we thought we would offer you 13 rather more lighthearted predictions for 2013.

In order of importance here are the biggest stories appearing onwww.theolivepress.es in 2012:

6) Spanish expats come up trumps in happiness survey - Spain has the happiest British expats in the world, according to a new study.

7) UFO claims surround military jet mystery on the Costa del Sol

A number of expats came forward to claim that a series of low-flying military jets that awoke the Costa del Sol may have been chasing a UFO.

8) Olympics tickets for sale on Spanish website - Thousands of unsold tickets to top events for the Olympic Games were flogged on a website in Spain after the initial outlets failed to sell them.

9) Flash floods kill ten in southern Spain - The worst hit areas were in the provinces of Malaga and Almeria, and the Murcia region.

10) Webcam wonderwomen catch a thief - Using the wonders of modern technology, a pair of female expats caught their stealing flatmate red-handed with a webcam.

The Olive Press has a lighthearted look at the year ahead

4 The Costa del Sol’s enfant terri-ble Tony Muldoon escapes prison

in the UK and returns to open a soup kitchen and charity shop to help the coast’s most needy expats

5 Kylie Minogue has a secret Costa Brava wedding to Andres Velen-

coso before moving to cottage in the Pyrenees where she has her first baby

6 President Putin of Russia finally decides Moscow is too cold for an

ageing leader and throws in the towel for a new life as a Costa emigree in his mansion in Zagaleta

7 Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo offloaded to Harry Red-

napp at QPR in the January transfer window, while Lionel Messi becomes a saint in Barcelona

8 After much debate over whether it should have an escalator to

reach it, the authorities decide that the Alhambra should instead have a zip wire to get down quicker

9 Inaki Urdangarin (the king’s son in law) becomes the first Span-

ish royal to see the inside of a modern Spanish prison after being convicted of corruption

1 Art muse-um opens

in Zaragoza in tribute to pen-sioner Cecilia Gimenez (cen-tre) after her world-famous restoration of a church fres-co makes her Spain’s most Googled artist after Picasso


That really gets my goat!

...And what a million people read on our website in 2012

The Olive Press website had a record one million ‘unique visitors’ last year... and these were their favourite stories

on to read the sad story about how she tried to locate the English hunk she had met only to find out he was

already married and a philander-er to boot.A total of one mil-lion ‘unique visi-tors’ visited www.theolivepress.es in 2012 to read about the moth-er who found a hand grenade in a sack of po-tatoes and how flash floods had affected the re-gion.Best of all, and probably one of the most posi-tive stories of recent times, you logged on to read how British expats in Spain were the happi-est in the world.Could half of those have been from all you smug readers who live on the Costas?

7 Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo offloaded to Harry Red-

napp at QPR in the January transfer window, while Lionel Messi becomes a saint in Barcelona

8 After much debate over whether it should have an escalator to

reach it, the authorities decide that the Alhambra should instead have a zip wire to get down quicker

9 Inaki Urdangarin (the king’s son in law) becomes the first Span-

ish royal to see the inside of a modern Spanish prison after being convicted of corruption

10 New road rules mean that the locals must say thanks when being let in at junctions.

After posting record half year figures, Inditec (owners of Zara) snaps up Walmart in the US and Tesco in the UK.

11 After five-and-a-half years of living in their garage, a brainwave in Madrid leads to expats the Priors being

offered a pick of any of the million empty homes around Spain.

2 Disgraced former MP Margaret Moran (in-set) allows her Orgiva estate to become the

venue for this year’s infamous travellers’ shindig, the Dragon Festival

3 DJ Maurice Boland finally gives up his job on

the airwaves and becomes a reclusive goat-

herder in the Serrania de Ronda, only to be heard

occasionally yodelling his opinions to his herd.

12 Marbella declares itself an independent state in a bid to distance itself from the

deepening recession dragging down the rest of Spain.

13 After posting record half year figures, Inditec (owners of Zara) snaps up Walmart in the US and

Tesco in the UK.

18 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013The Olive Press NOW has 33,000 papers delivered across EIGHT provinces of Andalucia and Gibraltar every fortnight by our hard-working team of distributors

IF YOUR NORMAL DISTRIBUTION SPOT HAS CLOSED OR DOES NOT HAVE PAPERS THIS WEEK PLS EMAIL [email protected]

ALAMEDAMobile Home Park • Posada Tempranillo • Petrol Station • Casa Benito

ALCALAConexions Centre • Hotel Torrepalma • Library • Tourist Office • Optico Real • Hotel Zacatin • Estate Agent Andaluz • BP English Food Shop (opposite Mercadona)

ALGATOCINBP Service Station

ALHAURIN el GrandeGuzman Garden Centre • BP Service Station • Alhaurin Golf • La Boma • 1st Tabacconist • Annas Butchers • Christinas Paper Shop • Arte Hair and Beauty • Martins Paper Shop • 2nd Tabacconist • British Supermarket • Posh Pets • Cudeca • BP Service Station • AID Dog Home • Las Brisas Restaurant • Montemar Restaurant • Lauro Golf

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ALORAHardware Store • Tropicana • Repsol Petrol • Cudeca • Zalea Bar

ALOZAINAPetrol Station •Dia

ANTAS INDUSTRIAL ESTATEThe Full Swing • El Poligono • Costa Cars • Cepsa

ANTEQUERALidl • La Veronica • Amapola • Antequera Golf • Tourist Office • Hotel Plaza San Sebastian • BP • Hotel Las Villas de Antikaria

ARCHIDONACepsa Garage • 3R Café /Bar • Mercadona Garage • Sunset Estates

ARDALESPaco’s Bar

ARRIATEPetrol Station

ATAJATEAndalazar

BEDAR (El Pinar)Urb. Offices

BENADALIDLos Labros

BENAHAVISCanela Cafe /Bar • Amanhavis

BENALAURIALa Molienda

BENALMADENAHalfpenny Bridge Pub • Kiosko Puerto (Marina) • Tourist Office (main road) • Culture Centre Bil Bil • Paloma Library • Irish Time Bar • Xanit Hospital • UK Foods • Discovery • Rubens xchange • Sunset Beach • Supersave • Miura Bar • Benalmadena Bowls Club • Bar IbenseFedex/ Post Office • Cudeca • Anns Bookshop • Riu Puerto Marina • Riviera Hotel • Potters Lodge • Kwik Save • Dolce Vita • Crystals • Bil Bil Golf • Dalziel Bar • Bar None • Star Bar • Wellness Centre & Gym • Aguila • Los Brothers • Martins Hair & Beauty • Jupiter • Torrequebrada Golf • Sensara

BENALMADENA COSTAWins Bar • Los Mimosas Golf Bar • Divas • Bull Bar

BENAOJANMeroil • Papeleria Ruiz

BENAVISTABowls Club • Ibex Insurance • Grumbles • Experience Group • English Butcher • Costa Less Supermarket • Plaza Hotel • Dog House • Brubecks • El Paraiso Golf •Peggoty’s Fish & Chips • Petrol Station • Kids Kingdom • Agro Jardin • Calpe School • Laude International

BENAMACARRAHotel Cortijo Bravo

BONANZA SQUAREAnne’s Book Shop • Kwik Save • Dec’s Irish Bar

BUBIONSupermercado Coviran

CABOPINOPina Pinaka • Cabo Pizza • Sportsmans Bar • Cabopino Camping • Garage •Shebeens Pub • Paper Shop/Supermarket • Plaza Bar • Alberts Restaurant

CABRATourist Office

CALAHONDAAParty Party • The Pit Shop • GT Mc Kenna Butchers • Mercadona • RBL • Club Naranja • Prensa Piscis

CALYPSOMPA Estates (Bryce) • Inspirations Haidressers

CAMPILLOSFernando s Coffee Bar • BP Petrol StationWildmann-Chard Health & Beauty Centre

CAPILEIRESupermercado Coviran • Cafe Moraima

CARTAMA ESTACIONAguamania • Topres

CASABERMEJAPetrol Station

CASARESArroyo Honda • The Forge • Venta Garcia • Villas and Fincas • La Tienda •Mi Cortijo • Venta Victoria

CHICLANATourist Office

COIN ROADThe Warehouse Outlet • RMDC Glass • Favel • Tamisa Golf • St Anthonys College • Speedys Garage • Camping Fuengirola • BP Garage

COLMENARCO2 • Bar Campesino •Belen Hotel

COMPETATodo Papel • Pavo Real and Restaurant • Sugar and Spice

CORTESCamping el Salitre • Mary Becker • La Fuente

CORDOBABodegas Campos • Hotel Casas de la Juderia • La Fuente

CORTES DE LA FRONTERAPetrol Station •La FuenteCUEVAS DE ALMANZORA (Desert Spring Golf)

Restaurant / ClubhouseDIANA

Royal Nordic Club • Man Friday Supermarket • Super Market • Aud Dublin • Big BlueBox

DUQUESA PORTPaparazzi Neswagents • Supermarket • Las Galleries • English Butcher • Duquesa Golf Club • Paper Shop • Gaston Golf • Manilva Properties • Topline Paper Shop • Clubhouse Bar • La Bella Vista Camping

El CHORROEl Kiosko • Hotel Posada el Conde

EL FAROEl Faro Supermarket • Post Room • Zurich Office • Captains Bar

EL ROSARIOGerman Bakery/Cafe • Da Fabio Restaurant • Mozaic/ Els News • Marbella Golf • The Jeans Factory

EL TRAPICHEEl Trapiche Cafe/ Bar

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ESTEPABP Garage

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ESTEPONA MARINASailors Cafe • Business Centre EportBicUniversal Estate Agents • The Irish FiddlerMarlow Chip Chop

FRIGILIANAHotel Almazara

FUENGIROLAIceland Store • Scotties Butchers • Specsavers • Cudeca • Dunnes Stores • Yorkshire Linen • Euromarkets Cayetano (C/ Malaga) •

Euromarkets Cayetano (C/ San Isidro) • Euromarkets Cayetano (Av de los Lirios) • Salon Varieties• Old Gold• Marfil• Tourist Office• Fafa Foods• Prensa Iberia• Califonia 7• Cafe Fresco• Dunnes Las Rampas• Opticos Vicente• Anthonys Diamonds• Prensa Maxim • David Bookshop • Spainsburys • Woodys • Yaramar • Prensa Quijote • Joys Pies • Prensa Don Luis • Torreblanca Supermarket • Caravajal Supermarket • Red Dragon • Oasis • Torreblanca Post Office • Wessex Bar • Cheers Bar • Manila Bar • Mananas BarTonys Shanleys/ Chequers Golf • Estanco PYR

FUENTE DE PIEDRABar Rebujito • Corner Bar • Diane’s • Donkey Sanctuary

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GUADALMINATricky Rickys • Bookworld

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JEREZTourist Office

JIMENA DE LA FRONTERACepsa• Papeleria Los Garabatos • Bar Cuenca • La Tasca • Hostal Anon • Bar Oba • Estate Agents • Casa Henrietta

JIMERA DE LIBAR ESTACIONBar Allioli

LA CALACafe Boulevard • Cocinas Plus • Prensa Quetzal • BP Garage • Snack Attack

LA CALA DE MIJASCorner Café • Lions Charity Shop • Pensioners Bar • Internet Café • Papeleria Quetzal • Captains Bar • Zurich Office • BP Garage

LA CALETAPapeleria las Colonias

LA COLONIAEuromarkets Cayetano (C/Lagasca) • KSM Properties

LA HERRADURAThe Hideaway Bar • Libreria Coral • La Tartana Hotel • Restaurante S. Nico

LA HEREDIAThe Best of Holland • The Dutch Butcher • Panaderia • La Casita • K Bar

LA VINUELAHotel Vinuela • A & N Gas Petrol Station • Bar Atilla

LANJARONCafe Bar Health • Tourist Information • Los Llanos

LAS BUGANVILLASCactus

LECRIN VALLEYE.S Leman Gasolina

LOJACafe Continental

LOS GALLARDOSSubministros Ridao • Gas station • Camping los Gallardos

LOS ROMANESCamping Bar

LUCENACarrefour Pet Shop • Hotel Bronces • B.P near the fire stn.

MALAGA CITYBritish Consulate• Dunkin Coffee (Corte Ingles)• Hotel Tribuna • Pizzeria el Laboratorio • Restaurante Vino Mio • Terra Sana & Gorki restaurants (El Muelle Uno Shopping Centre) • Calle Brusseles • Celtic Irish Bar • Café con Libro • Picasso Museum • Robert Boyd • Plaza Restaurant • Hotel Don Curro • Hotel Molino Larios • Tourist Office • Hotel Vinci •Escuela de Turismo

MALAGA AIRPORTHelle Hollis • Car Parking Malaga • Arrivals Information Desk • Monarch

MANILVAManilva Solicitors • English Bookshop • Manilva Properties

MARBELLABP Garage -Marbella Arch • Hotel Fuerte • Swans International School • Vergola • Puente Romano Hotel • MC Cafe Marbella Club Hotel• Polo House • Cocinas Plus • Panorama • International School

MIJAS PUEBLOTourist Office • Town Hall • BP Garage • Mijas Hotel

MIJAS ROADWorld of Sofas • Centro Idea Danish Centrel • Euromarket

MOJACAR PLAYA (Centro Comercial)Masko Cafe • Habana Cafe•Diego Ortega Notaria • Michael Davis Solicitors • Clinica Dental • Ibex Insurance • Pippas Cafe

MOJACAR PLAYAGas Station • Koi Cafe • Kasbah Romantic • Sal’s • Currency Exchange • Paco Salas Farmacy • El Olivo Restaurant • Total Entertainment • Tomas Supermarket • Mojacar Estates • Beachcomber Restaurant • H Puntazo Hostal• Trufibar • Kimrick Restaurant • Parador • Cafe Bellagio • K7 Real Estate • Price, Brown Partnership • Tourist Office (Playa)Tito’s • Los Arcos Bar • Los Amigos Bar • La Posada • ELC

MOJACAR PUEBLOCentro de Arte Municipal • English Library • Bar Pavana •Bar Habanero •Bar Cherigan

MOLLINABar Margarita • And Estates • Brit Shop • Lazy Days Mobile Home Park

MONDAPaper Shop • Petrol St. •Design Academy

MONTEFRIOAlan Russell

MONTE HALCONES (Ronda Road)One Stop Café • Irish Café

MONTEJAQUELas Casitas

MOTRILCafé AL Campo • Tourist OfficeLos Moriscos Golf • Bar/ Rest Moriscos • Gran Elba Hotel

NERJAHotel Carabeo • English Book Shop • Supermercado Iranzo • Smiths Bookshop • Tourist Office • John the Barber • H2O Bar • Keyhomes Estates Agents • Team Estate Agents • Olas Bar • Cocinas Nerja

NUEVA ANDALUCIAAloha News • Garden Bar • Yanks • Wilsons • Alberts • La Sala • HIFX • Mad Hatters • Terra Sana • H10 Hotel

OLVERAPetrol Station • Dynos • Olvera Properties • Via Verde • Rest. El Puerto

ORGIVAIndoor Market • Camac • Internet Café • Alpujarra Supermercado • Baraka •Limonero

PAMPANEIRA

Cafe AlfonsoPERIANA

Cantueso •VerdugaPITRES

Camping • Bar La Taha • Bar FrenazoPIZARRA

Spa • AliproxPRIEGO DE CORDOBA

Tourist Office • Kiosko MaribelCepsa Garage

PUENTE DON MANUELMoreno’s • Ian Petts Dentist • English Shop • Arkwrights

PUERTO BANUSBookworld • Iceland • Cravings Cafe • Starz Cafe • La Sala • Mad Hatters • Yanks • Asiatic Food • HIFX • Studio B • Aloha News • The Garden Bar • Terra SanaH10 Hotel • Hairworks • Currencies DirectGuey Skybar

PUERTO REY (VERA)Club Deportivo • La Esquina

RINCON DE LA VICTORIATourist Office • Hotel Rincon SolAnoreta Golf

RIO FRIOHotel Almazara

RIOGORDOCoviran

RIVIERA DEL SOLMiraflores Bowls Club • La Terraza Supermarket • La Terraza Paper Shop

ROAD BETWEEN CAMPILLOS AND RONDA

Meson Diego • Petrol Station Cuevas del Becerro • BP Garage

RONDAAlmocabar • Bar San Francisco • Tourist Office • Atrium • Chocolat • Casa Ortega • To-Toro • Traga Tapas • Hotel Maestranza • Hotel Colon • Hotel Polo • Hotel Don Miguel • Locutorio • Serrania Services • Libreria Dumas • Huskies • Heaven Irish Pub • Pedro Romero

RONDA ROADMonte Halcones One Stop Cafe • Irish Cafe

RUTEEstanco

SABINILLASEnglish Bookshop • Eden • Visage Hairdresser • Coast to Coast Properties • Bar • Lidls • Kwasi Bar • Curtain & Bedding

SALINASCasa Monolo • Meson Estacion

SALOBRENABest Western Hotel • Post Office Antonio Machado • Tourist Office Plaza Goya • 1616 Books

SAN PEDROTourist Office • Passion Café • TRE Radio Station • Staysure

SAN ROQUESan Roque Golf Suites Reception area and golf clubhouse • Okay cafe • Supermarket

SAYDO MARKETAngela Sat • Bakery • Chrissy • Hotel Reception

SIERRA DE YEGUASKiosko

SITIO DE CALAHONDAClub Naranja RBL • Plaza next to Paper Shop

SOTOGRANDE GUADIARONewsagent • Corner Café • Lemon Tree Café • Estate Agent • English Butcher Shop • Sotofiesta • Business Centre NH Hotel • Abbeygate Insurance • Mara Rest. • Anglo Wines

SOTOGRANDE MARINAVideola • 50K Bar • La Brasserie • Hairy Lemon • Hotel Maritimo • Midas

TARIFATourist Office

TOLOXCross Road Bar • Vent Garradena

TORRE DEL MARPapeleria el Faro • English Bookshop Pasatiempo • Expatriate Help Centre • Lukuma • Baviera Golf • Las Yucas • Cudeca

TORREMOLINOSTourist Offices x 2 • Cudeca Town Centre • Baileys BP Garage • Parador Golf Hotel • Parador Golf • Riu Belplaya • Shennanigans • Hotel Melia • Rubens Exchange • Nigel & Cheryls Rest. • Cosy Nook • El Mojito • Toms Tavern • Wellness Clinic • Fig & Olive • Full House • Talk of the Tyne • BP Garage

TORROXRussels English Shop • El Pino English Shop • Light of India • Tourist Office

TURREFundraiser Shop• Zambra • Casa Diego • Total Entertainment • Tio Tomas •Connexions

UBEDAGolden Poppy English Center

VEJERTourism Office • Califa • Camping Vejer • Monte Medio Golf • Barca de Vejer • Castilleria Restaurant

VELEZ MALAGAGarden Centre La Palma • Eroski Centre • Bar Jamaica • Dunnes • Pronumatico

VERAIceland • Galasaa

VILLANUEVA DE ALGAIDASLa Bodeguita

VILLANUEVA DE ROSARIOBar • Bar • Town hall

VILLANUEVA DE TAPIALa Paloma Rest.

VILLANUEVA DE TRABUCORonnies • La Plaza • La Rubia • El Rincon de Teresa • Trabuco Books

YUNQUERAPetrol Station • Bakery

ZAHARA DE LA SIERRAAl Lago

50 NEW DISTRIBUTION SPOTS IN FUENGIROLA AND BENALMADENA including Xanit hospital, Woodys, Spainsburys, Caravajal, Kwik Save and Torreblanca supermarkets AND 50 IN MARBELLA / PUERTO BANUS INCLUDING Marbella Club Hotel, BP, Bookworld, Cravings, Aloha News and Guey

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OPThe Olive Press’ monthly youth and education section 19Xtreme

THE Swans cheerleading team (above) brought some real cheer to Christmas at the school’s annual festive fair.The fair, which was attended by Santa and the Three Kings, featured a number of stalls, as well as face painting, a bouncy castle and a surf machine. There was also a popular raffle. Staff from the school meanwhile had a festive party at the Senator Hotel, with fine food and a cabaret.

SOLIDAS AROCK

Spanish children are among the most stable in the western world with over 90 per cent living with both parents

SPANISH parents come up trumps when it comes to their children’s stability.Around 91.5% of children under 14 in Spain live with both their natural parents, making it the third most stable country in the world.Social commentators who helped commission the table say the good positioning of Spain could be because of the countries high emphasis on marriage and family life. Only Finland and Greece come higher.A spokesman said: “Spain is a country that re-ally values family life and marriage is still con-

The crying game

Real Xmas cheer

MOTHERS have been told to leave their ba-bies to cry when they wake at night.Child development experts insist they should instead allow them to go through their normal sleep cycle and get them-selves back to sleep.Professor Marsha Weinraub, from Temple University, in Philadelphia, said: “The best advice is to put infants to bed at a regular time each night and allow them to fall asleep on their own rather than re-spond right away to awakenings.”Professor Weinraub’s new research looked at the sleeping habits of more than 1,200 babies.

sidered important.“The older generations have passed down their values onto the younger ones who then strive to create a stable home life for their children.”The stability league table was commissioned by the organisation of economic co-operation and development in 2007 and looked at every coun-try in the Western World.Spain was in joint third alongside Luxembourg, while Britain limped in 27th with just two thirds of children still living in the same household as both parents.

LESSON: Spain comes tops for happy families


Fancy amovie?If you want to head to the cinema this weekend, but your Spanish is not up to scratch, check out the VO/VOSE films (Original Version) available in your area

King’s Bastion Leisure Centre, Gibraltar Parental Guidance 18:00 Jack Reacher 18:30 Hotel Transylvania (U) Sat & Sun 16:00

Cinesur, FuengirolaThe Hobbit 16:00, 19:10, 22:20

Plaza Mayor, MalagaThe Hobbit 20:30, 23:50Les Miserables 16:25, 19:40, 23:30Zero Dark Thirty 16:20, 19:20, 22:20

OPXtreme20

THE Christmas trees and decorations may have come down but there have been a few more subtle changes to

the British School of Marbella over the Christmas holidays.Teachers were the first to notice as they wandered the school corridors last Tuesday morning with empty coffee mugs hang-ing desolately in their hands wondering where on earth the staff room had gone.But after a quick perimeter search of the premises they were relieved to find the staff room, and more importantly the coffee pot, which had been safely moved to the other end of the building.The reason I hear you bellow?Well our pupil numbers have been expanding faster than our waistlines over Christmas so we’ve had to convert our beloved caffeine sanctuary into a new Year Two classroom.The conversion comes complete with new teacher Miss Potter who has been shipped over from Eng-

The case of the missing classroom

land for the New Year.But moving swiftly on, our Christ-mas production of Hey Ewe was a success after completely selling out.Demand was so great this year we had to put on a third perfor-mance. Around 100 budding thespians took part in the production that saw stellar performances from sheep, stars and shepherds.

Our Christmas Fair was also a big hit with families turning up to eat mince pies, enjoy a cheeky tipple in the dad’s bar and listen to Christmas Carols.There was even an impromptu Gangnam Style dance off that no one saw coming after Princess Studios invited teachers up on the stage.And last but not least two of our staff members were crowned Costa del Sol Jive Champions af-

ter winning a dance competition in the last week of term.Foundation Stage Leader Donna Fry and teaching assistant Mr Bolton showed off their winning dance routine to open mouthed pupils on the last day of term but have reportedly turned down an offer to become full time Jive pro-fessionals. So from everyone here at BSM, happy New Year!

ANGELS: But surely not always? While (above) teachers and kids dance Gangnam style, dads man a stall and (top) Santa drops in

By headmistress Sian Kirkham


T Sop alud22

THERE are at least two certainties in life; death and taxes. And having to ar-range a funeral in a foreign country for a loved one can be very distressing.

You can make this time of grief much easier on your family by having a pre-planned and pre-paid funeral plan ready in the event of your death.Iberian Funeral Plans SL is one of the key professionals in the sector and after dra-matic expansion over the last 12 months the company has opened a new office in Manilva.As boss Stephen Nelson explains: “We want to be able to offer the full range of benefits of an Iberian Funeral Plan to everyone irre-spective of where they live”. That is why Iberian has developed a net-work of locations throughout Spain and its islands.By pre-planning now you fix the cost of your funeral at today’s prices, which are inflation-

proof irrespective of how long you live. Pay-ment can be made in euros or sterling either as a lump sum or by a deposit and regular installments which attract no interest. In recognition of the opening of our new offices in Manilva we are offering a 5% dis-count on our most popular plan the Cedar (€3495) – for all plans taken out before Feb-ruary 28 this year.In addition to this saving we would point out that our plans ARE NOT subject to IVA, furthermore we do not charge a set up fee, administration fee or interest – should you wish to pay by instalments. All our plans are transferable and fully opera-tive in the UK.Iberian is a fully registered SL Company and all funds are held in secure accounts with Santander and BBVA Bank. We use the ser-vices of several major funeral directors en-abling us to operate throughout Spain to the highest possible standards.

Advertorial

Discount to celebrate new Manilva premises for Iberian Funeral Plans

Come to one of our offices or arrange a visit to you home by calling 952 490 690 or 952 595 691 or visit our website www.iberianfuneralplans.com

New office is Edificio Los Jardines, Bloque V, Local 1B, Sabinillas, Manilva. Other offices can be found in Alhaurin el Grande, Ayamonte, Benijofar, Castilla, Nerja, Mallorca,

Tenerife, Portimao and Macclesfield, in the UK.

IT’S not just humans suffer-ing from the norovirus this winter as it sweeps through Britain and Spain... a robot has now become the latest victim.The robot, which has been affectionately named, ‘Vom-iting Larry’ (pictured left), was made to help research-ers at the Health and Safety Laboratory understand the bug.The puking robot allows re-searchers to evaluate how the virus can spread so eas-ily from person to person.He is made up of a cylinder body filled with water and florescent liquid.He has a head with an open mouth and a pump which ejects water through the mouth to simulate a robotic form of projectile vomit similar to that of humans.The extent of contamina-tion is then measured by the amount of fluorescent par-ticles in the room.Thanks to Vomiting Larry, researchers have discovered the virus could spread over three meters. This means the area that

needs to be cleaned and dis-infected is much larger than previously thought.The virus is also resistant to several cleaning products,

Boffins find a novel way to understand the spread of the winter vomiting bug

such as ones that are used to clean bathrooms and kitch-ens and hand sanitizers.To see Larry in action follow this link: http://

w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=me21QEpg760

Visit your doctor regularly - As we age, it is an unfortunate reality that our risk factors for many diseases increase. In many cases, early detection can make a critical difference in your prognosis.Exercise regularly - For many health conditions, regular exercise can reduce your risk factors. Pensioners should engage in 20 to 30 minutes per day of physical activity.Eat well - Foods that are low in saturated fats are best in order to reduce the risk of can-cer and heart disease. It is best to avoid red meat and fatty dairy. Instead, choose lean cuts of meat and vegetable proteins.Quit smoking - Smoking greatly increases your risk for various cancers and heart dis-eases.Have your cholesterol tested - Having your cholesterol checked can help to reduce your risk of heart disease. Determining if you have high cholesterol can be critical in as-sessing your risk for heart disease.Have an annual mammogram - Women over the age of 40 should have a mammogram every year and pensioners should continue this approach.Colorectal cancer screening - Men and women over the age of 50 should have annual fecal-occult blood tests. Depending on your specific risk factors, your doctor may order these preventative health care procedures more frequently.Diabetes screening - Adults should be screened for diabetes after age 45 and this will continue once they become pensioners.Have your blood pressure tested - High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart dis-ease, stroke, and hypertension and should be regularly checked by your doctor. For more information visit www.simplecarehealthplan.com

Preventativehealth caretips for pensioners

MEET VOMITING LARRY

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 233146 Complementary Salud! 23

DEMAND for complemen-tary and alternative medi-cine (CAM) is increasing, according to a European-wide survey.

Alternatives on the rise Increased uptake of

complementary medicine is taking place throughout Europe

By James BryceThe popularity of the holis-tic approach to health is on the rise as more people seek

alternatives to conventional treatment, claims research network CAMbrella.The survey, carried out in nine countries, found nearly

half of respondents used al-ternative healthcare.It comes after the European Commission estimated that €100 million is spent on

CAM each year.In Europe, there are more than 180,000 registered and certi-fied non-medical CAM practitioners and more than 150,000 registered medical doctors with addition-al certification.However, Europe is seen as trailing be-hind other parts of the world in its under-standing, with prac-titioners calling for a coordinated effort to enhance knowledge. “CAM is not part of the medicine we teach in European universi-ties, but it is never-theless used by large numbers of patients across Europe,” said a CAMbrella spokes-man this week.

Yoga with Rachael Hemming

Benefits•Stretchesthesidesofthetorsoandspine•StretchesthehamstringsOpenstheshoulders•Stimulatesabdominalorgansandlungs• Increaseslungcapacity•Helpstobuildconfidence• Increasesclarity•Reducesstress

How to do itHowtodo itKneelonthe floor, toespointingawayfromyou.Torsostraight,shoulderssoft,armsbyyourside.Extendyourrightlegouttothesidewithyourfoot parallel. Position your instep in line with yourleft knee. Press the edge of your right foot towardsthefloor,engagingthoughyourankle. Ensureyourlefthipboneisinlinewithyourleftknee.Inhaleandraiseyourleftarmaboveyourhead,exhaleleanoveryourrightleg.Allowyourrightarmandhandtorelax

on your right leg. Keephipsinline,donotallowyour right hip to dropback. Allow your leftarm to drape over andabove your head withfingersrelaxed,directedtowardsyourright foot.Turn your head to looktowards the ceiling.Breatheintothepostureallowingthebreathtosof-tenthetensiontheposturecreates.As andwhen your body yields allow the bend toincrease. If yield occurs allow your right hand tomovetowardsyourrightankle.Donotstrain.Take5-10roundsofbreath.Comeoutslowlythewayyouwentin.Restthenrepeatontheotherside.Ifinanydoubt,pleaseconsultyourdoctor.www.theyogicemporium.com

Seatedspinaltwist (Matsyendrasana)

24 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 J U24

p the ardin path

HAPPY new year to you all!For all of you that feel guilty after over indulging, it is time to put your boots on and get out into the garden. If you haven’t pruned your grape vine or fruit trees, I

suggest now is the time to do so.Once the pruning is done, you need to be thinking about ‘poo’. The addition of a mulch of manure at the base of the trees and vines will help increase macrobial activity and moisture retention later on. As well as a mulch, a light sprinkling of a general purpose fertiliser is also recommended. You may be interested to know that on our commercial field crops, which we supply to Marks & Spencer among others, we are not allowed to use fresh manure because of the risk of spreading e-coli.To those of you who are keen veggie growers, a whole range of crops can now be planted or sown. Covering the newly-sown crops with fleece, known as manta termica, will make a notice-able difference to the speed at which they develop.As winter turns to spring I hope that we at Garden la Palma will be able to maintain our very varied selection of plants and flowers to enable the gardens of the Axarquia to bring a sense of pride and colour into our lives.Contact Peter Langdale on 606941140 or email [email protected]

SPAIN is the world’s largest pro-ducer of olive oil and some 75% is produced here in Andalucia. The olive is a native of the Medi-

terranean region and is an integral part of

The olive’s hidden talents

Poo and pruning time

Herb specialist Sue Rodgers reveals the true value of Spain’s famous olives

the healthy Mediterranean diet. But the ancient olive tree is also now be-ing studied for its many varied medicinal benefits. A liquid extract of olive leaves has shown

it to have doubled the anti-oxidant capacity of green tea and quadruple that of Vitamin C. While other studies have found that olive waste can produce 2.5 times the energy generated by burning wood.Olives have been cultivated since pre-historic times, and are best known for providing oils and fruits for culinary purposes, as well as for use in lamps. Less familiar are the medicinal benefits, which in-clude making use of the leaves and bark as well. As a herb, olive is antiseptic, astringent and is known to lower blood pressure and fevers. The oil is a laxative and an emollient and can be used to ease constipation and soothe peptic ulcers. The Romans of course used olive oil to cleanse their skin as part of their bathing ritual. Mediterranean women with their glorious glossy hair have known for centuries the value of apply-ing warm olive oil to revive dry lifeless hair.The bark can be harvested as required and used fresh in an infusion, to relieve colic, however I warn you this is not for the faint-hearted. Let’s just say the taste is an acquired one! Similarly the leaves can always be harvested and made into an infusion – simply put a small handful of leaves in a mug and pour boiling wa-ter over it, and allow to infuse for 10 minutes – then drink to help reduce high blood pressure. As it has a mildly irritating effect on the gut it is best drunk with a meal.One things for sure, the humble olive is far more than simply a bar snack. [email protected]

HE KNOWS HIS ONIONS! by Peter Langdale

26 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 40

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the olive pressTo place your classified, please call 951 16 60 60 or email [email protected]

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Check out www.hellehollis.comand you will be pleasantly surprised!*special conditions apply

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B.basic

83 cents per word. Minimum charge based on 10 words per issue and a minimum of 2 issues. IVA not included All ads include the first 2 words in bold. For all text in bold add 25%

Display boxesSingle column display box 35 euros per issueDouble column display box 49 euros per issueThree column display box 72 euros per issue

Full name and passport or NIE number must be provided when advertisements are placed. All ads must be paid prior to publication

the olive press

C lassifiedsAdvertise here for as

little as 40 € per issue

We are on the lookout for key staff for our new Costa del Sol office:

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/ LAYOUT ARTISTYou should be fully experienced in using InDesign and Photoshop, and must be able to work under pressure.

You should be a native English speaker (Spanish useful but not essential) and preferably have newspaper or magazine experience.

REPORTERWe are also looking for fully-trained and experienced English journalists for expansion in 2013. Must have clean driving licence and have good command of Spanish.

If you feel you can meet the above,please send your CV [email protected]

We are also looking to expand

our sales team between

Marbella and Malaga

CONTACT US NOW

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 27COLUMNS

Tales from a bookshop

the olive press

MO S T of you p r o b -ably felt

quietly optimistic as you spent the first hours of 2013 swigging cheap cava and cramming in 12 grapes in an effort to appease the Economic Gods. Prime Minister Rajoy however was quick to deflate any slight bubble of hope the country generally might have had for the year ahead.It came after he asked for ‘comprehension and solidar-ity’ from the populus while his government continued to implement painful reforms.During his review-of-the-year address (or Spain’s end-of-term report, if you like) he insisted he wouldn’t ask for more patience ‘because Spaniards have given too much already’. Nor would he ask for ‘blind’ confidence... ‘because politi-cians owe the people a daily dosage of scrutiny’. “But I am going to ask them for comprehension and soli-darity,” he added.He insisted that without the PP reforms, the situation would be ‘intolerable’ with a public deficit over 11% of GDP. “And who would lend us money under that situation?” he asked. “It is better that we don’t think about that.”He also said there were no plans to revise the cost-cut-

ting measures for the regions, despite pleas from cash-strapped administra-tions.So it looks like even more belt-tightening for most of us in 2013. And as Headmaster Rajoy says “we must all try harder” and then hands out E’s all round.

Storm the RockRecently released Cabinet papers reveal that the Span-ish media’s support for Ar-gentina’s invasion of the Falk-land Islands in 1982 raised Margaret Thatcher’s fears that rogue elements within the Spanish military might try to seize Gibraltar, prompting her to increase security on the Rock.Five days after Argentina’s military junta invaded the Falklands, Thatcher called for an ‘urgent assessment’ of Britain’s ability to defend Gibraltar, prompted in part by the ‘jubilant reaction’ to the invasion in the Spanish press.Then during the conflict there was further suggestion that

the Spanish military might launch an attack. At the beginning of June, as the war was reaching a

decisive stage, the Foreign Office received a message from Spanish Foreign Minis-ter José Pedro Pérez-Llorca y

Rodrigo, warning of the “pos-sible danger of action against Gibraltar by pro-Argentine el-ements.”

This prompted The Iron Lady to write: “Are we READY should such an in-vasion occur?” An answer we have not yet seen.In secret evidence to the Franks inquiry into the Falklands crisis later that year, Thatcher admitted that the threat to Gibraltar had left her living “on a knife edge.”It is all so very dif-ferent now, with the joke often doing the rounds that Spain will give up all claims to the Rock if it can have Marbella back from the British.

In with the new - same as the old!

Lights, Camera, ImpossibleI’m a big film fan and really enjoyed Skyfall though I did think that Judy Dench and Al-bert Finney stumbling around the Highlands while bullets exploded around them was more like a Saga day trip gone horribly wrong. I like my Bonds to have Brazilian Babes. That aside I was de-lighted to see Spanish films achieve their biggest share of the Spanish box office in 27 years in 2012 with 17.9% percent. The truth however, is that most of this total comes from Juan Antonio Bayona’s English-language tsunami film The Impossible, starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, which racked up €40.5 million at the box office and attracted 5.8 million people to the cinemas. The next film I’m going to see, by the way, is The Hobbit. But I’m going to see it in French, where it’s called “L’obbit”!

GOOD VIEWING: Some of the stars of the ‘L’obbit’

Back next issue

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 29FOOD & DRINKwith DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

29

Only virginOlive oil market shaken by ‘extra virgin’ lies

Wine and Dine

WHILE many people have now turned their attention to losing a few pounds, the over-indulgence continues in Malaga.Around 10,000 shoppers were treated to a slice of a gut-busting 300-kilo short-bread. According to the bakers, the huge polvoron - a staggering five metres by 2.4 metres - was only lim-ited in size due to the diffi-culty of transporting it.

AN Andalucian town has announced plans to boost tourism in the area by be-coming a hotspot for wine and olive oil production.Officials in Ardales, near Malaga, had originally ear-marked a three million square metre plot of land for 2,000 new homes.But the scheme has since been scrapped in favour of a plan to create a series of wineries, vineyards and ol-ive groves alongside a hotel complex. The amended blueprint - which will now only include 190 new homes - will now be reviewed by the Junta de Andalucia.

A SHOCKING nine brands of ‘extra virgin’ olive oil have been exposed as being just the standard ‘virgin’ variety.Spanish watchdog, the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), claim that by using the word ‘extra’, the oil is being sold for up to €1 more than it is really worth.

Following an analysis of 40 makes of olive oil the consumer group found that Eroski, Hojiblan-ca, Coosur, Ybarra, Consum, Ateoliva, Condis, Olisone, Aliada, Maeva and Olian were all de-frauding their customers.

In the case of the Maeva and Olian brands the consumer group found that the olive oil had not even been properly processed, making it “unfit” for consumption.

OCU said although the labelling on the brands of olive oil was correct they were ‘incom-plete’ and although not technically ille-

gal they exploited the current leg-

islation and mislead custom-ers.

Wining plan

We’re going to need a bigger truck!

IT was certainly a jolly do as the British Assoca-tion of Marbella (BAM) enjoyed its annual Christmas bash at Casa-nis restaurant in the old town.No wonder they look happy after a four-course slap-up lunch ending with ‘a bit more wine’.For more info on the as-sociation call 952 835 947 or 952 927 807.

GOOD TIME: Marbella residents (top) enjoyed Casanis bash

FRAUD: Companies are deceiving customers

30 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 FOOD & DRINKwith DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

30

Coming toa home

near youHow one adoring husband brought the team of Andalucia’s top restaurant Calima to his home as a surprise for his wife’s birthday

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Birthday girl Theodora gets a total shock when a delivery of boxes and a team of unfamiliar men arrives just as she thinks she is leaving for a local restaurant

CHORES: The maitre’d commandeers the Neale’s kitchen table and even brings his own industrial-strength iron for those oh so annoying wrinkles

CAN’T be bothered to head out to the region’s best restaurant? Don’t fancy having to mix with the regulars, their irritating accents

or over-bearing aftershave? Well help is at hand from the very capable team at Marbella’s two Michelin-starred Calima. As well as the food, the events arm of

Dani Garcia’s famous restaurant can now send a team of chefs, a maitre’d and all the plates, cutlery and glasses for you to have a very elegant tip top meal in your very own home. This is exactly what Este-pona estate agent Adam Neale decided to do for his wife, giving her the shock of her life - and a fabulous birthday treat!

www.theolivepress.es the olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013 31FOOD & DRINKwith DINING SECRETS of ANDALUCIA.com

31

IT’S ALL IN THE PREP: A pair of chefs led by Calima deputy David Oliva (far right) unpack the tools of their trade and get prepping in the unfamiliar, yet ample, surroundings of the Neale kitchen

DELISH: Some of Calima’s signature dishes served on your very own kitchen table

I COULD GET USED TO THIS: The birthday girl samples the high life with champagne and a crispy king prawn in basil, and checks to make sure she doesn’t eat her special Christmas snowman dessert before midnight when her actual birthday begins

AFTER THE PARTY’S OVER: A good night was had by all - four satisfied customers and the pleasant and extremely proud staff

TASTER: And, quite rightly, the restaurant’s hard-working No2 takes a well-deserved swig of birthday wine

ALL CHANGE: Maitre’d makes a quick change from casual to smart and adds the elegant, final touches to the table, each guest getting his own personal menu

FINALE: Chef David Oliva reveals a dish of oxtail ravioli with mushrooms, truffle and cauliflour in Calima’s exclusive crockery

32 www.theolivepress.esthe olive press - January 10 - 23, 2013the olive press

Wishing all our readers a very happy and healthy 2013 from all the team at the Olive Press

FREE

Telephone: 951 16 60 60 January 10 - 23, 2013 www.theolivepress.es

No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the explicit permission of the publisher. While efforts are made to ensure the authenticity of advertisements and articles appearing in The Olive Press, the publisher does not accept any responsibility for claims made, nor do contributors’ opinions necessarily represent his own. Copyright Luke Stewart Media S.L 2013

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rooy caused a stir with some fans branding him racist for the ill-ad-vised stunt.One fan told the Daily Mail: “He clearly thought he was doing a good deed but he just didn’t think it through.”However most locals loved his appearance, which was never in-tended to cause offence.He was recently quoted as saying how much he loved the ‘quiet life’ in Spain and how well he had been accepted by the community.

Top of the flops

THE last known British survivor of the Spanish Civ-il War has died aged 94.David Lomon, originally from Hackney, in East Lon-don, was one of 2,500 brave Britons who volunteered to fight against General Fran-co’s fascist army during the 1936 to 1939 civil war.The war hero signed up with the International Bri-gades in 1936 following a run in with Oswald Mos-

As last British Civil War soldier dies we must....

ley’s Blackshirts at the Bat-tle of Cable Street, which took place just yards from his home.At the time he was also a member of the Young Com-munist Party.After signing up he fought in the battle of Teruel,

which claimed 140,000 lives and marked a major turning point in Franco’s eventual victory.He was captured in 1938 and became a prisoner of war at a camp in San Pedro de Cardenos, enduring bru-tal beatings and starvation

before returning to the UK.Jim Jump, secretary of the International Brigade Trust, paid tribute to Mr Lomon and said: “He had a conventional life when he returned.

Gentlemen“He was not the type to boast about what he did.“He was a lovely man; very polite; a classic English gentleman.”Although the UK’s official stance was non-interven-tion thousands of British men signed up to fight fas-cism in Spain, including writers George Orwell and Laurie Lee.

By Frances Leate

FIN

AL W

OR

DS

THERE were no Three Kings gifts for Anda-lucia from the El Nino lottery. Instead, the €840m of prize money was divided up between Alicante, Leon, Madrid, Murcia and Tenerife.Tickets for the annual draw cost €20 with a maximum prize of €200,000. One ticket office in Ma-drid alone sold 200 of the winning tickets, to-talling €40 million in prize money.

Malaga bottom out

SOCCER star Ruud Van Nistelrooy controversially visited a Spanish children’s hospital ‘blacked up’ as a Middle Eastern king.The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player dressed up as King Balthazar for the tra-ditional ‘reyes’ parade through Marbella.The Dutchman, who now lives in Marbella, later visited a children’s hospital in the get up.Wearing black face paint and a leopard print robe, Van Nistel-

Rey Ruud makes a striking display

No winners

IT was a predictably good start to the year for Barcelo-na star Lionel Messi (above) after the Argentinean claimed his fourth World Player of the Year award.But former Premier League stars Luka Modric and Alex Song were left to lick their wounds after being voted the worst signings of the year in Spanish football.Former Tottenham mid-fielder Modric, who joined Real Madrid last summer and ex-Arsenal star Song, now at Barcelona, were se-lected for the unwanted gong by readers of Spanish newspaper Marca.

BRAVE: Members of the International Brigades

HERO: Lomon with Republican flag

Tennis upsetSPANISH tennis duo Anabel Medina Garrigues and Fernando Verdasco beat favourites Serbia to win the Hopman Cup in Australia.

On trackSpain’s Prince Felipe has opened a new high-speed rail link between Barcelona and Figueras.

Celtic sunScottish champions Celtic are in Marbella for a training camp ahead of a return to domestic action on January 19.

Ill healthOver 300 healthcare managers have resigned en masse in Madrid over plans to privatise part of the city’s health service.

JUST when Malaga FC thought their luck couldn’t get any worse, it did.Fresh from being handed a one-year European ban for failing to pay tax bills on time, the high-flying side lost to the team at the bottom of the league.The 1-0 defeat to Deportivo capped a miserable start to the year for the club who ended 2012 with a famous win over Real Madrid.Malaga must now pay its debts by March 31 to avoid a further one-year ban from European football’s gov-erning body UEFA. So far over 50,000 people have signed a petition against the ban.

NEVER FORGET

Olive Press Newspaper - Issue 152

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