British writer risks death in the afternoon

The pavement outside a tapas bar in London's Old Brompton Road is a far cry from a bullring in Spain.

But that doesn't stop British writer, actor and amateur matador Alexander Fiske-Harrison from leaping to his feet mid-conversation and demonstrating a series of sweeping passes.

"There is no winning. It's not a fight," he says of the bloody Spanish spectacle. "It's a tragic play in three acts."

Fiske-Harrison, an Old Etonion and Oxford graduate, is following a line of non-Spanish artists to have been captivated by the "corrida de toros" that includes film-maker Orson Welles, critic Kenneth Tynan and, of course, Ernest Hemingway.

His just-published book "Into the Arena" sets out to explain the world of the Spanish bullfight and to examine its moral dilemma --the killing of an animal for entertainment.

It comes out at a time when the corrida is under sustained attack from animal rights activists in Spain and abroad and is feeling the effects of the country's economic crisis.

To get to the heart of the matter, Fiske-Harrison, 34, spent a year living in Seville and training as a matador, learning the cape passes and the technique of killing with the sword.

He took part in more than a dozen "tentaderos" -- private fights at bull ranches aimed at testing young bulls -- and finished by killing a three-year-old Saltillo bull before an audience of 100 spectators last November.

"I had qualms. There was a real possibility it could go horribly wrong. It just seems to me that if you are going to write, let's try to describe it properly. So I went for going over the horns. The moment of truth," he told Reuters.

Along the way he befriended matadors such as Juan Jose Padilla, one of Spain's most fearless, and Cayetano Rivera Ordonez, whose father Paquirri was killed in the ring in 1984 and whose grandfather Antonio Ordonez is one of the all-time greats.

He also hung out with breeders on the ranches where the bulls roam free until their date in the ring, including the Miura family, whose feared bulls have killed more matadors than any other breed.

He also tried his luck running with the bulls at Pamplona's San Fermin festival and will be there again in a few weeks time.

Fiske-Harrison, who wrote and acted in "The Pendulum" in London's West End before embarking on his taurine adventure, agrees with Hemingway's dictum that bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in danger of death.

But, he says, the corrida is not about blood lust.

"The bull is not scared, it is fighting. It comes down to the elegance of the visual spectacle. The man standing rigid with this raging fury of blood and thunder going past him. And the danger, bringing it closer and closer.

"The matador evokes or inspires emotion in the audience."

Opposition to the bullfight -- not least in Britain -- is often hypocritical, he says. The bull has a better life and no less unpleasant death than beasts that are bred for the dinner table and slaughtered in abattoirs.

"We're not as into animal welfare as we like to think we are. We want a cellophane-wrapped steak from a supermarket. We'd rather not see it die," he says.

A ban on the bullfight would also be an environmental disaster. As well as spelling the end of a species bred solely for the purpose of the corrida, the rugged, unspoiled lands occupied by the ranches would be given over to mass commercial farming, destroying the Spanish landscapes, he says.

LAST SERIOUS THING

The future of the spectacle has come under threat, not just from overseas but also from within Spain by opponents who say that tradition or not, it is a barbaric act that has no place in a modern society.

Last year the region of Catalonia voted to ban it, although the move was interpreted by many as reflecting the desire of separatist-minded Catalans to dispense with culture originating from elsewhere in Spain. Polls also show fewer Spaniards taking an interest in the bulls.

Fiske-Harrison believes reports of the demise of a spectacle that back in the 1930s poet Federico Garcia Lorca called "the last serious thing in the modern world" are premature.

"In 2008 there were more fights than there have been in history. In Andalucia, in the Basque country, in Madrid, it can't die. They love it. Go to Seville in April. It's impossible to get a ticket."

A top matador like Jose Tomas commands huge fees and his scheduled return to the ring in July after recovering from a terrible goring in Mexico a year ago is creating a buzz.

The bigger threat is economic, with fans unable to afford tickets on a regular basis and local councils cutting back on funding bullfights as part of town fiestas.

Still, he says he was "morally agnostic" when he set out on his project and even now is somewhat ambiguous.

Describing the experience of killing the bull, he says: "It's only you and him in the ring. You go through this thing together."

"When the sword went in, I felt I had done something wrong. However, I do not regret it."

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Businessman defends decision to demolish ‘Conan’s cave’ in Almeria.

WORK has started to demolish the Cueva de San Roque in Almeria. It is known locally as ‘Conan’s cave’, as it was where the Arnold Schwarzenegger film ‘Conan the Barbarian’ was shot in 1982, as well as scenes from the first Indiana Jones film.
The promoter of La Rambla Shopping Centre, Jose Luis Carrion, has said that the cave is collapsing due to the soil shifting, and that he doesn’t want it to be his fault if anyone gets hurt. In 2006, he requested a geological study which revealed there were cracks and instability.

Last year, who large rocks fell and ended up just metres from the petrol station on the access to the motorway, and permission to take action was requested and granted by the city hall. Carrion claims that just days before the Lorca earthquake he was informed by staff at the petrol station that there were further falling rocks.

He also pointed out that the cave is not natural and was created during the Civil War. For years it was used by drug addicts until it was covered over. “No-one has taken any interest in it at all until it was reported that it was going to be demolished” he said.

 

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Spanish bank repossessions attract more buyers

Property prices are still falling in Spain with international buyers cashing-in on bank-controlled discounts and 100%-plus mortgages in some prime Costas.

With house prices continuing to fall in Spain, more international buyers are tapping the Spanish bank repossessions sector with its even lower prices and bigger loan to value mortgage deals.

The latest Knight Frank Global House Price Index, Q1 2011, shows that in Spain average prices are down 4.6% year on year, but drastic discounting on repossessions and developments controlled by banks has forced prices down a further 4% so far this year. This has resulted in the highest-ever LTV advances - some as high as 110% include most of the buying costs.

The general IMIE (Spanish Property Market Index) for May recorded a higher year-on-year price decline to 8.1% compared with 6.4% in April for villas and apartments on the main Costas. But while the official cumulative fall in prices, showed 21.5% and surpassed the 20% mark for the first time, hefty discounting in some Costas resulted in average prices 34.5% lower than the peak year 2007.

There are plenty of bargain properties in the main Costas with discounts on book price ranging from 16% to 53% that come with guaranteed 90% mortgages and others with 80% mortgages and interest-free, repayment -free offers for the first three years.

One of the best deals for key ready property is at Mojón Hills, Costa Calida, where a bank-controlled developer has slashed prices by almost half to EUR 135,000, supported by the bank with 107% mortgages that include Government tax. There are similar deals at Coto Real Duquesa, Costa del Sol where 50% price cuts are supported by 100% mortgages.

In Mallorca, one bank has forced the distressed owner to cut EUR 500,000 from the asking price of EUR 1.7m on the sea-view finca estate near Pollensa.

Bank property specialists, PropertyInSpain.Net have reported sell-outs on developments offering big discounts and top-level mortgages as developers sought to meet their bank loans and bankers reduced the level of toxic assets under the orders of regulator, the Bank of Spain.

Buyers mainly originate from Scandinavia, Belgium, Holland and Russia with Britain, mistrustful of banks, bringing up the rear – and missing out on many of the best deals.

 

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Swedish holidaymaker, 19, murdered in hotel room by sexual predator

30-YEAR-OLD Moroccan national has been arrested in connection with the homicide of a Swedish holidaymaker, 19, in a Costa del Sol hotel.

Police say A.B., a resident in Spain, reportedly called round at the room in the Hotel El Cid in Fuengirola (Málaga) where the teen was staying with her friend of the same age and nationality.

The girls had apparently met the accused at a disco on the night of the incident and it is believed they opened the door to him when he knocked, as in the city were no signs of forcible and violent entry to the room.

He is said to have booked into the hotel for just one night, and gone to the girls’ room with the intention of forcing them to have sex with him.

When they resisted, the suspect is said to have pulled a knife on them.

One girl perished instantly from stab-wounds to the neck, and the other suffered deep cuts.

She ran from the room and called for help, and both the clerk and on-duty police officer pinned down the man until extra forces arrived.

The surviving teenager was taken to Marbella’s Costa del Sol hospital for treatment, and later discharged.

Hotel sources say the two girls had been staying at the hotel since June 16 on holiday following the end of their first year at high school.

 

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A TIMESHARE salesman who allegedly made a fortune from dodgy cashback schemes on the Costa del Sol is said to be buying a three million euro mansion in the UK.

Anthony Larvin, an associate of infamous conman Garry Leigh, is said to have made an offer on stunning Bentley Hall, in Yorkshire, it can be revealed.
According to sources, the former director of Cashback Sales and Administration, has had an offer accepted on the six bedroom mansion that comes complete with three acres of grounds including a fishing lake, clay pigeon shooting, tennis, a gym, a swimming pool and sauna.
The news will come as a bitter blow to the hundreds of holidaymakers who lost their life savings in the  cashback scheme linked to the late Garry Leigh’s notoriously dodgy Incentive Leisure Group.
Larvin, who fled Spain last year, was taken to court in 2008 by his former business partner Stuart Tristram for stealing money from the company and putting it into liquidation.
Enviable
In a letter sent to all clients in 2009 Tristram wrote: “Anthony Larvin has been removed from his position and is currently being pursued through the courts.”
He added: “Mr Larvin has made a preliminary court appearance and appears to have admitted to most of the charges against him; he has also surrendered his passport and agreed to remain in Spain until the case is resolved.”
This, however, is apparently not the case and he is currently living an ‘enviable lifestyle’ back in the UK, the Olive Press can reveal.
According to a family source, Larvin is driving around in a brand new top of the range Mercedes and is known locally as someone ‘who likes to spend big’.
She said: “Larvin has put in an offer to purchase Bentley Hall and it has been accepted.
“Not bad for a guy who left Spain with what he could carry in the back of his car.
“He says he earns his money in investments but I don’t know how because he doesn’t appear to do anything all day.”
Local estate agent Matthew Limb confirmed that the property had been sold but was unable to reveal the name of the buyer.


However, when the Olive Press spoke to Larvin he denied his millionaire lifestyle.
“It is absolutely not true,” he said.
“I am not buying a mansion and I am not a millionaire although I wish I was.”

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They say money can't buy happiness, and for many of Britain's wealthiest, the answer lies abroad.

While they might have the cash at home, the nation's highest earners say they would leave the UK to find a better quality of life.
A survey of rich Brits finds that wealthy people overwhelmingly think the UK offers a poorer lifestyle, worse well-being, and less 'general happiness' than other developed countries.

The YouGov study for Lloyds TSB International Wealth, which surveyed 923 people each of whom had more than £250,000 of savings and investments, has added to fears that Britain's well-heeled residents might move abroad in search of a superior lifestyle.

A meagre 5% of Britain's high flyers believe people living in Britain are happier than elsewhere.

The grass is greener for 53% of those polled, who say people living in Britain are generally less content.

The poll took place after the government announced plans last November for a 'Happiness Index' – a measure of well-being based on more than simply money.

The project, undertaken by the Office of National Statistics to measure the nation's happiness, is expected to provide a regional breakdown of nationwide 'life satisfaction' levels.

An exodus of miserable millionaires could spell trouble for the economy, as it would direct much-needed investment and skills away from Britain. The survey revealed that 36% of high-earners are keen to move abroad, while 14% are considering moving in the next two years.

The research reveals a perception among richer residents that life in the UK is more stressful than elsewhere. Only 3% think people in Britain are less stressed than in other developed countries, compared to 58% who think they are more stressed.

According to the poll, cash is not the key when it comes to being happy. Just under two-thirds of high-earners think that when measuring well-being, monitoring happiness is just as important as economic measurements such as GDP. Only 13% disagreed, saying money is all-important.

Nicholas Boys Smyth from Lloyds commented: 'Many wealthy people are downbeat about life in the UK. There's a groundswell of opinion that the key to happiness may not be found in Britain and that a better life can be had elsewhere.

Maybe Britain needs to get serious about being happy – certainly wealthy people think that monitoring national well-being could be a means to start improving it.'

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The celebrities of the golden age came to Marbella to see and to be seen, a sentiment echoed by the current generation. In the Nineties, the genteel glamour of old Hollywood was replaced by the flashing of Euro-cash

The celebrities of the golden age came to Marbella to see and to be seen, a sentiment echoed by the current generation. In the Nineties, the genteel glamour of old Hollywood was replaced by the flashing of Euro-cash – emblazoned with designer logos was the only way to dress. Fashion may be about being more discreet, but tell-tale signs, such as the red soles of a pair of Louboutins, show that the credit card is pure gold, if not platinum.

For the British tourists flocking to Marbella this summer, the party starts even before they board the plane. The Friday afternoon flights are filled with women with rollers already in their hair. The tabloids might have had a field day implying that Samantha Cameron was raving it up in Ibiza last weekend, but the party she attended was actually over by midnight.

At that time, the bars of Puerto Banus, the main strip in Marbella, are only just beginning to fill up. Here, while the money flows, so will the champagne and vodka on tables which have a minimum spend of €450 (£400). Nights are spent partying until the small hours, but here the mantra is "go hard or go home" and after a couple of hours' sleep it's time to stumble down to the beach to soak up the sun, before heading back into town later to do it all again.

There's no rest for the wicked, and Sundays are no exception, when the beachside Ocean Club hosts the only party to be seen at. Entrance to its Champagne Spray Party, held on the last Sunday of every month, comes with a €125 price tag, for which anyone willing to stump up the cash will receive a bottle of Veuve Cliquot.

You would be forgiven for thinking the champagne is for drinking. The aim of the game is in fact to spray your fellow revellers, preferably while jumping around on the sun bed you've paid €1,750 for the pleasure of renting. Bacchanalian revels had nothing on this lot.

Marbella, it has to be admitted, is something of a cultural vacuum, so the word on everyone's lips this summer is not the Arab Spring. Instead, the main topic of conversation is the meteoric rise to D-list celebrity status of the cast of The Only Way is Essex, or TOWIE, a Bafta-winning reality TV show which documents the lives and loves of a gaggle of young Essexians.

The cast of TOWIE, who were recently spotted in Marbella, are adored by their fellow holiday-makers because they are famous – which most people still equate with being rich – and "just like them".

Revelling in their fame, the cast were seen socialising, playing up the catchphrases and signature looks that have caught the imaginations of their audience. They readily posed for photos with intoxicated and awestruck fans as well as the paparazzi, who lined the beach waiting for a sighting of their cash-cows.

The key to a successful holiday in Marbella, as with so many things in life, is to be part of the in-crowd. Entrance can be bought via the appropriation of extension and augmentation hair, eyelashes, nails and breasts – nobody sunbathes topless so as to keep their surgery scars hidden.

Tanning is an important part of life, and melatonin injections are commonly used by men and women. The Ocean Club boasts a large pool, but few people venture into the water. This is probably just as well, as all-day drinking and deep water do not happy bedfellows make. Instead the time is passed dancing, posing, and ogling each other from behind the lenses of designer sunglasses, before the revellers make their bedraggled way back to their accommodation when the venue closes at 9pm.

It would be wrong to represent the revellers in Marbella as being purely of Essex-extraction. The accents of Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester mingle with those from the Estuary, but whatever the accent the sentiment remains the same. The only way is excess

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Back in the Fifties, the Spanish resort was a magnet for movie stars. These days, it's full of reality TV stars with money – and bare flesh – to burn

David and Samantha Cameron, or more likely one of their advisers, may have thought they were showing a common touch when they chose a family getaway in Ibiza this half-term, but really the place to be seen this summer is an old Andalusian fishing village.

The coastal resort of Marbella may not boast the pure white sands of nearby Ibiza, but that hasn't stopped the European jet set from colonising the warren-like alleys of Arabian architecture and luxury hillside villas for their summer playgrounds for decades.

The resort first attracted the spotlight in the Fifties and Sixties when it played host to stars of the silver screen such as Sean Connery and Diana Dors. George Best, football's first sex symbol, was a regular visitor in the Seventies, a tradition – along with the partying and fondness for company of the opposite sex – which his son Calum, a recent visitor, has kept alive.

 

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Holiday homes bosses accused of huge swindle

The founder and top executives behind former holiday home giant MRI face legal action in Spain after hundreds of Britons allegedly lost money estimated to amount to £13million.

Dubliner Darragh MacAnthony, who owns Peterborough Football Club, which has just won promotion to the Championship, set up MacAnthony Realty International (MRI) in Marbella as the Millennium began.

Hugely popular on the British market, MRI boasted a £100 million annual turnover before the credit crunch. As well as property development in Spain, MRI marketed villas and apartments in Morocco, Bulgaria and Cape Verde, where the company also arranged furniture supplies.

But now MacAnthony, 35, and his former joint chief executives, Michael Liggan and Dominic Pickering, have been accused of ‘theft by swindle and misappropriation of funds’ in a claim filed in Madrid by 60 British and Irish claimants who say they lost more than half a million pounds in undelivered furniture five years ago.

Lawyer Antonio Flores of Marbella- based property solicitors Lawbird, accused MacAnthony of failing in an obligation to file for insolvency for his Spanish companies.

 

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