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COSTA BLANCA N ORTH SUCCESS
VER the last 12 months, businesses large and small have endured an uncertain period as Brexit gripped the nation, but the majority successfully weathered the storm and we are extremely proud to present a selection of Costa Blanca’s finest. There is no doubt that the region is immensely diverse in terms of cultures and nationalities, all of which assist one another in their efforts to thrive within their own fields, enabling them to grow and succeed. This provides for a wonderful eclectic mix of ideas and concepts to ensure the ongoing growth and success of the area. New business networks continue to pop up in and around the Costa Blanca, encouraging male and fe-
The future looks
THRIVING: Modern beauty amongst natural splendour in Calpe.
bright
male entrepeneurs to share their experiences as well as providing excellent platforms to make new contacts and seek sup-
port. Town halls and local authorities are far more proactive than ever before, forming valuable relationships with their peers across Europe, which can only benefit businesses here at home. And almost every local council has made sure their town and city’s commercial and tourist assets are represented at the biggest industry fairs here in Spain and overseas. They also recognise the importance of non-Span-
ish residents and have appointed special council members to represent the interest of foreigners in the council chambers. In fact, we are now seeing foreign born representatives being elected to different councils in a range of roles. But success is measured in many ways, and charity, lifestyle and also the arts play an important part in the lively area that is the Costa Blanca, and guarantee the region re-
mains an attractive place to live, do business and visit. There are regular theatre performances, museums and art galleries to visit, dance, modern and classical music and film festivals to attend. And the number of different nationalities living on the Costa Blanca has resulted in an ever-growing quality choice of restaurants offering new styles of cuisine to enjoy. The future certainly looks bright and exciting on the Costa Blanca.
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Interview - Amasvista
We know what we are doing • WHY did you choose to set up a business in the Costa Blanca? Myself, my husband Sigi and partner Pedro Vázquez previously worked for another company on the Costa Blanca, but didn’t agree with the business practices of the owner. So, we decided to set up our own business. • What sets Amasvista apart from competitors? All our energy is concentrated on our business, we run the business with our body and our soul. You have to be honest with your customers at all stages and this is the key to running a business in a professional manner at all times. Our background is very important. We have many years’ experience on top of what we learned through studies and gainF success is measured by the amount of money an individual is worth, then Amancio Ortega stands head and shoulders above the other 24 billionaires in Spain with a fortune estimated at €62 billion. It is difficult to be accurate as so much depends upon stock valuation which can change on an hour to hour basis, but there appears to be a general agreement that the founder of Inditex, owner of Zara and many other clothing stores is near the top of the wealth list. The majority of the wealthiest men in the world are American citizens, but Ortega generally appears in the top five whenever a list appears, and on occasions he has been considered the wealthiest of all when the share prices of Amazon, Microsoft and other major stocks take a dip. Intensely private, the Spanish octogenarian entrepreneur does not give interviews nor does he pose for photographs, but prefers to live a quiet life away from the limelight and nowadays
I
AMASVISTA Glass SL Polígono Industrial ‘Les Galgues’ Calle La Pansa 9 03750 Pedreguer Opening hours workshop and showroom: Monday to Friday: 9am - 1.30pm / 3pm - 6pm Saturday and Sunday closed Phone: 966 457 878 or Pedro Vázquez directly on 634 315 559 (also WhatsApp) Email : info@amasvista.com www.amasvista.com
SUNFLEX: Amasvista is the official dealer of Sunflex glazing systems. ing relevant qualifications, so we KNOW what we are doing - this is not the normal way in Spain, where it does not matter if you are not specialists. We are a small business
- in total there are four of us, and we are a friendly company, where the satisfaction of our customers and quality of our products is of the highest priority. Our clients say they
like the “familiar” atmosphere of our business. • And the future? We listen to exactly what our clients want and find a suitable solution, and this is what we will
continue to do, aware of the fact we have a responsibility towards our clients in terms of the quality of our products as well as the quality of services provided.
Spain has 25 billionaires and six are women
appears to be more interested in philanthropy than business. Sandra Ortega Mera, his daughter from his first marriage, is the second wealthiest person in Spain with a personal fortune estimated at €6 billion thanks to her inheritance of 7 per cent of Inditex following her mother’s death. In a ranking of billionaires, Spain comes 19th, surprisingly behind Australia, Brazil and Turkey, but considering the huge division between the rich and poor in Spain following the Civil War, it is clearly possible for individuals such as Ortega and Mercadona boss Juan Roig to create success from modest backgrounds.
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. Vince Lombardi
“ INDITEX: A huge empire from a humble start.
CBN SUCCESS M A S V I S TA Glass SL was founded in 2011, predominantly to ‘fill a gap in the market for quality, custom glazing systems.’ “We felt there was a gap in the market in quality custom glazing systems, windows and doors, offering high value quality and service,” explained Melanie Kunz, who founded the company with husband Sigi and Pedro Vázquez. Sigi is a German licensed technician and is responsible for planning and assembly, while Pedro Vázquez is the salesman, handling quotations and being the first port of call for technical questions. “I am the ‘heart of the business’ - that means being responsible for accounting and all other office duties, so I am working quietly in the background, organising and offering support,” said Melanie. All of Amasvista’s prod-
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The difference is in the ucts are tailor-made to order offering specific solutions at their workshop in Pedreguer. “We attach a very high value on quality of the material we work with and the service we offer products are comparable but we are aware that a perfect all-round-service makes the difference, it’s an integral part of our daily work. “An individual and personal consultation is very important to us because customers have specific ideas and different desires, so we always try to find the best solutions for our clients’ home.” Amasvista operates on the Costa Blanca from Valencia to the Alicante region, from a large workshop and showroom in Pedreguer, offering
detail
clients the chance to have a closer look at the products on offer. They can even watch as their products are fabricated. “We are the official dealer of Sunflex glazing systems, a brand with over 40 years’ experience in design and manufacturing and is one of the world’s leading producer of specialist glazing systems. “That means that clients will purchase one of the only truly German-designed and manufactured glazing systems available on the market today.” Melanie explained that Sunflex has high quality glazing systems, like the original glass curtains, but that there are copies
All products are tailormade to order. on the Spanish market. “You think all glass curtains are the same, but they are not - therefore our products cost a little more. The differences are in the thickness and quality of the profiles which are used, the accessories inside which you cannot see are of a higher quality and, very importantly, our planning and the installation of these systems is
AWNINGS: Offering ‘the best shading solution ever.’ carried out by qualified specialists, Sigi and José. The differences are in the details.” Furthermore, Amasvista sells high quality awnings from Stobag (Swiss made) and Markilux (made in Germany). Both brands are “high quality products and the best shading solution you can ever have,” bringing together the best in design, functionality, technical research and innovation, using the best materials and textiles.” Melanie added: “Doing a job well and then see-
ing the clients’ satisfaction after we have installed our products and knowing it will be there for years (not to say forever) is the best achievement we can have.” AMASVISTA Glass SL offers all kind of glazing systems / individual roofing solutions / awnings or individual shading solutions / windows / arched windows / conservatories / doors / interior glass doors / metal constructions / carports / balustrades - anything and everything glass related.
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very top game
At the very T of their
HREE decades at the helm of one of the greatest live entertainment venues in Spain has done nothing to quash the passion of boss Christine Climent, in fact quite the opposite. Christine, who came to Spain for a week, and never went back having met husband Vicente, falling in love and setting up home here, said: “Have I lost of any of my passion? No, in fact I think I am more passionate, and certainly more critical. Some things I might not have noticed before but as the Palace and the shows have grown, I have grown, too. After 30 years, you know exactly how something should look, and nothing less is good enough.” Christine joked: “I can’t read without my glasses, but I can see a hole in a girl’s tights on stage and it drives me crazy. I am much more observant than before. • So, over the last 30 years, have tastes changed? “Yes and no. No, people still love variety. You do not see variety on TV as much anymore, or in the clubs. Sadly, it has disappeared, which surprises me as we are full every night. “But yes, in the respect that people expect more now and want more of the ‘wow’ factor. That’s a good thing really, as it keeps us on our toes.” There isn’t much that Christine has not seen over the decades, but what in particular stands out? “Years ago, we had to pull down backdrops, nowadays it’s all automised sceneries. I
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SENSATIONAL: Benidorm Palace rocked as Tina Turner tribute wowed the crowds.
will never forget when lasers first came out. I kept pushing Vicente to get some and he kept saying we didn’t have the budget,” laughed Christine. “Finally, I wore him down and they took days to install. “The first time I saw them in action was to Michael Bolton’s Music Was My First Love, and I was in tear as the lasers were shooting around. “It was absolutely beautiful and opened a whole new world for us. Everything then became automised and it made such a big difference.” Christine pointed out that the advance in technology freed up a lot of space in the wings to use bigger and better sceneries that slide on and off, as well as saving a lot of time. “These are all the reasons why we have practices, so that things run smoothly. We have the circus area at the bottom
which people can use to practice, and have a training room just off the balcony, so there is plenty of space for everyone to get things right.” Gala shows for the British are Christine’s baby, and she credits her wonderful choreographers of 20 years or more. “We all absolutely love what we do, and would not change it for anything. “Ironically, as we get older, our shows get younger. Now, we all seem to say “let’s go for it,” we have far more confidence now than ever before. “I used to go to shows in Paris at the Moulin Rouge, and think to myself “will we ever get anything like this?” and now they come here to see what we are doing. “I never would have imagined that Benidorm Palace would be what it is today when we started out. “I always knew we would
Barry Steele is Roy Orbison in a highly polished show.
take it as far as we could, but I never thought we would surpass the Moulin Rouge. I know we have, because our clients are telling us we are, and there is nobody more critical than me.”
CHRIS CLIMENT: Putting the Benidorm Palace on the map.
BENIDORM PALACE: One of the greatest live entertainment venues in Spain.
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KEEN to dispel the myth that the aesthetic business is all about looking like celebrities, Derma Clinic Spain in Albir, points out that 95 per cent of customers simply want to retrieve what they have lost. Clinic owner, Dr Sergiu Vieru, said: “Our patients are not 19year-old girls who want to look like famous people they see on social media. The majority come here to look five years younger as they don’t feel like the person they perceive in the mirror. They want to look better. “We want to take the myth out of the aesthetic business - 95 per cent of our customers come to repair what they have lost, what they had. It’s about adding texture to the cheeks and correcting the lines around the mouth for example.” And for the last six years, the clinic in Abir, led by Dr Vieru, has been doing just that, offering fillers, botox, mesotherapy, collagen, thread lifts, augmentation bioplasty, liposuction without surgery, anti-cellulite treatments, and much more. Sicilia added: “We do all kinds of aesthetic treatments, and in fact Dr Vieru has also developed specialised treatments using his own formula. He instructs the pharmacy what formula to prepare for him and they send it to us. “It’s called Despigmentation and it takes away all of the spots in the skin caused by the sun and ageing. We have been working with this treatment for some time and this winter it
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Experts in skin health&beauty
proved extremely popular. Derma Clinic, which has 10 members of staff in its clinic, laboratory and marketing, has found that the most requested treatment is the collagen treatment, which does not drastically change the face, but has more of a lifting effect Dr Vieru explained: “It grows
from the inside without making the skin heavy, which is not the result we desire. It’s called ‘over correction’ where people have had too much work, but a good professional will not recommend you go to this extreme. It’s definitely not a great advertisement for your clinic.” The clinic also offers facials
and body treatments as well as the full package of wellness and preventative treatments. Doctor Vieru, who has a Masters in Dermatology, added: “We have clients with skin cancer and we do operations weekly. We specialise in preventative treatments but also repair the damage.
“Because we are a private clinic, patients can have operations that same week. They do not have to spend months worrying about something, it can be sorted almost there and then.” Every client is given a personalised assessment before any procedure and the first consultation is free.
Presentation of minimal invasive lifting, with natural products WE all have hyaluronic acid in our body, but from the age of 20, the body produce less, and start to prioritise parts of the body that needs it the most. Hyaluronic acid is therefore used in injections to locally improve areas as shown here. We always focus on a natural result, only reshaping your own natural contour. For more specific questions about the treatments, products and prices, we can offer you a free first consultation with the specialist doctor.
“WE GIVE YOU THE BEST VERSION OF YOU”
Avda del Albir 161: Albir, Alicante. www.dermaclinicspain.com • 674 255 579
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Knowing our business
Interview - Derma Clinic - Sergiu Vieru
DR SERGIU VIERU explains how it all began.
• How did you start the business? I started the Derma Clinic six years ago with an office in Alfaz del Pi and last year we decided to relocate to our premises here in Albir, and from there built up this clinic. We wanted to move to bigger premises and to be more visible. It has certainly given us more potential and is more practical for our clients. We now have an operation room, consultation room, doctor’s surgery, a treatment room, and what we call a room with potential. • How did you develop the clinic? To be honest, it was word of mouth initially. All of our patients
DR SERGIU VIERU: His aim is to always be on top when it comes to the latest treatments and products. come back to us, we have a very loyal client base which we are proud of. Our mission
is always to have happy patients, to put their needs first. They are our clients but we take
care of them in the same way patients are cared for. • What sets you
apart from the competition? I think it is the fact that we have a very
good, close team which works very well together. We are happy working and love our jobs. I think that shows. We personalise all of our treatments because everyone, each patient, is different. Also, we are an international team and speak many languages. This makes it a far more comfortable experience for our clients who can communicate in their own language. • Plans for the future? The aim is to always be on top when it comes to the latest treatments, techniques and products. To be on top of the game and know the industry. That is crucial to the success of any business, and we will continue to do that.
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HE Euro Weekly News is the most successful English-language newspaper in Spain for good reason. A winning formula of delivering extensive news coverage and information to the expatriate community in a non-sensationalist, easy-to-read way combined with a dynamic team always striving to move forward and innovate puts EWN at the absolute top of its game. At the very heart of the EWN’s ongoing success are Steven and Michel Euesden. EWN is entirely owned and operated by Publisher and Director General Michel and joint Publisher and Sales Director Steven, and it is the couple’s incredible determination and unbeatable work ethic which has taken the company so far forward to what it is today: one of the most highly thought of and long-standing weekly newspapers in Europe, which this year celebrates its 21st anniversary. “It is our ongoing aim to each week provide a respected and accurate EWN with the latest news plus up-to-date information of interest to our wideranging readership,” explains Michel. “At the same time we strive to offer our valued clients individually tailored advertisement options and opportunities at extremely competitive rates. “With the full support of an excellent reputation for aftersales back-up, our clients and their businesses are provided with the best opportunity to maximise their potential in today’s very competitive market.” The core set of values which underpinned EWN when it first launched more than two decades ago are one aspect of the company which remains firmly in place. EWN strives not only to inform, but also to serve the community. Over the years EWN has supported many events and charities, large and small, and remains utterly committed to doing what it can to help important and worthy causes of all kinds. Last October’s fantastic Halloween fundraiser for the ‘Ciudad de los Niños’ orphanage
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Winning for
Euro Wee at the top of
puts in Malaga hosted by EWN is just one example. Featuring a full-on Halloween world of show-stopping decoration, activities, games and entertainment, the event was a tremendous triumph and raised more than €10,000 to help make the children’s lives better. The company also throws its weight behind major expat-organised initiatives. In 2019 EWN was sponsor and media partner for the Costa Women’s International Women’s Day conference in Marbella. This outstanding event brought together many of the leading, most forward-thinking women from Spain’s expat community. It provided a golden opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas with likeminded women and to learn from each other’s areas of expertise. Also last year EWN was delighted to be the media partner for the launch of the Best You Legacy Club Marbella, which aims to help people leave a legacy in the business, charitable or personal sphere. The newspaper is justifiably proud too of its close association with the Marbella International Film Festival (MIFF) as official media partner, which has given EWN the opportunity to highlight the invaluable efforts to encourage worldwide talent to develop and grow. EWN’s many charitable endeavours over the past 21 years include its collaboration on the epic Spring Garden Party fundraiser for Age Concern staged at Fuengirola’s Sohail Castle in 2010. More than 500 people turned out to show their support, raising more than €20,000. A further matter of pride for
Euro Weekly News Media Group, s.a. Avenida Ramón y Cajal, 54 - Edificio River Playa Local 2 29640, Fuengirola, Málaga • Telephone: 0034 951 386 161
REPORTING THE NEWS: The EWN team outside the Head Office.
EWN strives not only to inform, but to serve the community. CELEBRATING: Twenty years in business.
www.euroweeklynews.com •
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WINNING TEAM: Michel and Steven Euesden.
ekly News its game
HALLOWEEN: A tremendous triumph.
lynews •
EWN is its media sponsorship and support of the annual Positively Pink Ball in La Cala de Mijas, a great night out which raises money for a breast screening programme for British women living in Malaga Province. What these events, and many like them elsewhere on the Spanish costas, have in common is that they bring the expat community together to pitch in and do what they can to help others and make a difference. And that is what EWN aims to do too. EWN is utterly committed to the interests of its readers and advertisers, and it is that which drives everything it does.
Euro Weekly News
Award-winning EWN THERE is no greater national publishing accolade than to be named the Best Free Newspaper in Spain in 2017 at the Premios AEEPP ninth edition awards ceremony in Madrid. This title is one of numerous awards and honours presented to Euro Weekly News over the years: 2018 - Best Newspaper in Spain Premios AEEPP; 2015 - Collaboration with Foreigners Department Mijas Town Hall; 2014 - Diploma of Honour Premios AEEPP; 2012 - Mist Information Association; 2011 - Company of the Year Costa Del Sol Business Awards 2010 - Marbella - EWN Professionalism 2002 - Collaboration with Foreigners Department Mijas Town Hall And in May 2018, the British Embassy Madrid honoured Euro Weekly News ‘In recognition of outstanding contribution to the local community in Spain on the occasion of the wedding of HRH Prince Henry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle.’
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Interview - LPD Travel
Quality • HOW did LPD Travel come about? I have been a travel agent all of my working life and decided to open my own travel agency in Albir to specialise in offering holidays and cruises with the personal touch, overseeing everything. • What is your secret to success? People’s holidays are very important to them, they save and spend a lot of money, and trust us to make everything right and special. If we say a bus will be there to pick you up at 8.30am for example, it will be there at 8.20am. We are very open and honest, our word is important to our clients who like to feel reassured everything will run smoothly. In addition, our listed prices are always the total cost, there are no hidden charges for insurance or suitcases, IF asked to list the advantages, education and early career achievements you thought you needed to get on in business, it’s unlikely Duncan Bannatyne would be able to tick any box on the list. He came from a poor Glaswegian background with his family living in one room. He left school at 15 with no qualifications whatsoever, joined the navy and then received a sentence of nine months in a Military Correction Centre and a dishonourable discharge for throwing an officer off a jetty into the sea. Bannatyne then trained and worked as a mobile tractor mechanic before he went to the Island of Jersey, where he surfed and partied, funding his lifestyle with a series of jobs, including deckchair attendant, ice cream seller and hospital porter. However, on his re-
of service is so
important We are very open and honest.
LPD TRAVEL: Offering holidays and cruises with the personal touch.
that sort of thing. • Plans for the future? We want to continue doing what we do to the very best of our abilities. There are no plans to open new offices, for us the quality of our service is more important. We are very happy in our jobs and with the customers we help every day.
The Scottish dragon Duncan Bannatyne turn from Jersey, Bannantyne bought an ice-cream van for £450. He subsequently bought others and eventually sold the business for £28,000. He also founded a Care Home providing company and a nursery chain, both of which he later sold for a combined £38 million. Bannatyne has since been involved in his own chain of 71 health clubs, which bear his name, and has diversified into properties and hotels. He was awarded an OBE for his work for charity and amongst others supports an orphanage in Romania
for children with HIV and AIDS. His own charitable trust was started with an initial donation of £1 million. He supports the ‘Geared for Giving’ campaign, a tax-efficient workplace charitable donation scheme. He became president of the UK National No Smoking Day and is a Patron of PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation, a charity set up by PC Rathband after he was blinded by gunshot. The Foundation supports emergency service personnel who
are injured in the line of duty. Bannatyne, however, is best known for his appearances on television’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ between 2005 and 2015. During this time he invested in 36 businesses including an umbrella vending machine, a falconry company and a hat shop. But he later revealed he has since sold all of the investments he made during the course of his appearances on the show. He has married three times and has a total of six children. He now lives with his wife, Nigora, at their home on the Algarve area of Portugal. Bannatyne is said to be worth at least £175 million, a figure which was apparently decimated after a previous divorce.
RAGS TO RICHES: Duncan Bannatyne came from a poor background.
CBN SUCCESS OR 35 years, LPD Travel has been making dreams come true, tailoring holidays, cruises and trips from their travel agency in Abir. José A López and wife Adeli, pride themselves on giving every client the personal touch, whether it is a short excursion or a long-haul vacation - the customers’ needs always come first. “I think what we do here is different from what people can buy on the internet. Our clients do not pay any more, but they get the personal touch with security and a quality service. If something happens, I am here to help and sort things out. Some people need reassurance or assurances, and we are here at all times to do that.” As well as flights, holidays, cruises, weekend breaks and excursions, LPD Travel organise bus and train tickets across Spain. Official and licensed
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The personal touch with
LPD Travel people know us. We have many, many clients who have been with us for over 30 years, and keep coming back every year, sometimes three or four times a year. “That is very rewarding, it’s a wonderful thing to be able to do, to help
TRAVEL AGENCY: Making dreams come true. travel agent, José, added: “We work with all travel companies and have clients of every nationality. Our customers are predominantly British and German, but we also have Belgian, Dutch and
Norwegian clients, and we speak five different languages ourselves. “I have worked and lived in Albir for 35 years, doing the same profession, so we have built up a good reputation and
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ensure people have memorable experiences and holidays. “You have to be happy to do this job, otherwise you could not work in this industry. To us, it is also very important to be open with our customers. “We never advertise anything with the price listed as ‘from.’ The price is clearly stated with no hidden extras, everything is included and we can tailor everything to suit a client.” LPD Travel also creates exclusive cruises and organises group trips for up to 60 people, with the ability to offer extremely competitive prices. “I personally see to it that everything runs as it should. I will meet my clients at bus pick up points and will help if they run into problems with insurance claims, whatever it is, we are there to help. The personal touch and service is everything to us.”
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Author writes her life changing story By Tara Rippin IN her own words, author and huge success story J K Rowling “was the biggest failure I knew.” She had just got divorced, was on government aid, and could barely afford to feed her baby in 1994, just three years before the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, was published. While writing it, she was reportedly so poor she couldn’t afford a computer or the cost of photocopying the 90,000-word novel, so she manually typed out each version to send to publishers.
It was rejected dozens of times until finally Bloomsbury, a small London publisher, gave it a second chance after the CEO’s eight-year-old daughter fell in love with it. Her book series has since been translated into 73 languages, sold millions of copies and earned more than €17 billion through movie adaptations and sponsorships. But still, Rowling is adamant she was once a failure. She has admitted that creating her book series was not an easy process, and said it would take years of perseverance to become the success she is today. Soon after conceiving the idea for Harry Potter, Rowl-
BILLIONNAIRE AUTHOR: JK Rowling’s rise to fame is inspiring.
ing began writing but was immediately pulled away from her work by the death of her mother. She stopped writing the book and sank into a deep depression, getting nothing accomplished in that time. She took a job teaching English in Portugal for a year to get away from her troubles and more importantly, use her time off to continue working on her book. She set the goal of having the first Harry Potter book done by the time she returned from Portugal. But she failed and after falling in - and then out of - love, she ended up with a failed marriage and a baby daughter she had to raise alone. Rowling herself has conceded she had no job, no finished product and two mouths to feed. As she struggled with depression, she returned to working on her book in cafes while her daughter was asleep. Rowling found solace in writing, and decided that while she had little, it was enough to be moderately happy. There wasn’t anything left to be afraid of and her work showcased that mentality. When she finally finished the first three chapters, she sent the manuscript off to the publisher, the first of many who passed on the project. Bloomsbury Publishing company agreed to publish Rowling’s novel at the point where she was losing confidence in the book altogether. It’s fair to say that on top of talent, hard work and sheer determination paved the way for Rowling to become the first ever female to become a billionaire author.
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Interview - Proakustik
The sound of
success
NO REGRETS: Christian and Nicole bring a wealth of experience to Proakustik. HAVING gained an enviable reputation for their expertise and professionalism in the world of hearing aids, Nicole Paulini and Christian Cleemann of Proakustik continue to go from strengthto-strength. The hearing aid experts met in school in their home country of Germany and married 18 years ago. In 2015, they visited Denia on holiday for the first time and met up with the previous owner of Proakustik, which had been established for 15 years. Shortly after they decided to take it over and have not looked back. Christian confirmed: “We continue to be delighted and proud at the continued success of Proakustik. In fact, it has grown since day one and our business is still growing.” Nicole brings to Proakustik close to 30 years’ experience as an audiometrist, an expert in hearing aids, whereas Christian’s background is in the motor industry in Germany having worked for BMW and Audi which gave him a perfect grounding for his current role with Proakustik. Christian said: “I spent my time working on designing and testing electronic components used in car steering units. This used similar technology that is used in hearing aids in respect of varying radio frequencies... so I suppose you could say I’ve gone from steering to hearing!” Both Nicole and Christian are seasoned travellers having seen most of Europe, Australia and Puerto Rico to
They have built up a truly international set of clients. name but a few of the exotic destinations they’ve been to. They also keep very active when they get some valuable spare time when they combine hiking, biking and kite surfing... although Nicole confesses that the latter sport isn’t for her! The secret to their success in business is due not just to their undoubted professional attitude and their experience, but by going that extra mile to help and advise their customers. They don’t just stay in the clinic and wait for customers. Nicole and Christian are very much part of the local community and often do presentations to local groups, associations and residential homes on the value of hearing tests and the services offered by Proakustik. If needed, they will also visit customers in the comfort of their own homes for those that are unable to travel into Denia. They have built up a truly international set of clients from the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Holland and such is their reputation and expertise that people combine a holiday on the Costa Blanca specifically to visit Proakustik.
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PROAKUSTIK: Visit them for a free consultation.
Enhancing quality of life THE ability to hear as clear as possible, and to understand other people and listen to the environment around us, increases our quality of life. Hearing aid experts Proakustik - based in Denia for the past 15 years - have been helping thousands of people regain that ability to appreciate all that is going on around them, and they are now enjoying life to the full. When people begin to lose their hearing, it starts slowly and you can be totally unaware you have a problem. You start asking people to repeat themselves; the TV volume needs turning up a notch or two on the remote; you think others are mumbling or slurring their words and you feel you’re understanding less and less. These are just some of the scenarios that can eventually lead you to avoid them... and it’s all
down to a possible gradual loss of hearing. This is the time to visit Proakustik in Denia and speak to the experts. Proakustik offer a free trial test, and then if you do need a hearing aid the price you pay includes free after-sales service and all consultations. They will tailor-make a hearing aid just for you, and completely adapt it for your own lifestyle. And the fact that Proakustik deal with a variety of companies across the world, they will find the product that exactly suits you... and this includes using modern Bluetooth technology which connects to mobile telephones and TVs. From the moment you feel that your hearing has even slightly deteriorated, the advice is not to lose any time in getting it checked out. A free test at Proakustik takes between 30 and 60 minutes and the re-
sults are immediately available. Over the years, vanity may have prevented people from getting their hearing checked with the thought of having to wear large and cumbersome devices that draw attention to their condition. Nowadays, hearing aids are almost invisible, lightweight and have reached the stage of being mini-computers that are able to separate noises from speech and even offer relief from sufferers of tinnitus. So, perhaps now’s the time to address those concerns you may have about your hearing and consult your local experts in Denia... Proakustik, and visit them for a free consultation. You can book your appointment by calling into the clinic, telephoning or by going online. Proakustik are waiting to hear from you...
PROAKUSTIK Avenida Juan Fuster 28c, DENIA Tel: 965 782 548 • Website: www.proakustik-denia.de/en E-mail: nicole.paulini@proakustik.de
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MR Property Management & Rental are based in the centre of Alfaz del Pi and are easily reached using the number 10 bus from Albir, Benidorm or Altea. PMR are an established company providing good quality long term and holiday rental properties all along the coast. Director, Lisa Turner, told us that they are having a flying start to the New Year with lots of new properties on offer. Their holiday bookings for the 2020 season are going really well and Lisa said that they are receiving enquiries and bookings from all nationalities with a big number coming from Russia, Scandinavia and as far afield as America and Australia. This interest is achieved by the company placing advertising worldwide and they are always actively researching the holiday marketplace for new ideas to increase awareness of their brand. Enquiries and bookings are also being taken for 2021 which is very encouraging and they have a good deal of interest from people wanting to just spend the winter months in
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KARREN BRADY, or Baroness Brady, of Knightsbridge in the City of Westminster CBE as she is properly known, is unique. Not only has she had a stellar career as a director of various companies, but the majority of her career has been in the male-orientated world of professional football. Having started her career with Saatchi & Saatchi, she then moved to become an Account Executive with London Broadcasting Company. One of the clients she gained during this period was newspaper owner David Sullivan. Sullivan was impressed with Karren’s abilities and he offered her a job and subsequently appointed her to the board of Sullivan’s Sport Newspaper. Karren then persuaded Sullivan to buy Birmingham FC, which was at the time in receivership, and he put her in place to run the business. Whilst she has faced sexism in the role, it is generally acknowledged that she has readily overcome such arcane attitudes.
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Taking care of things on your behalf
MASTERS OF ALL: The team at PMR in Alfaz del Pi. warmer climes and they have many properties to suit these customers and many of their clients return year after year. Lisa has also told us that the long term rental market is also busy this year and that their of-
fice is attracting more and more enquiries from people moving from other countries and looking to settle here permanently and make Spain their main home. This is good news and
shows that Spain is still as popular as ever not only for holidaymakers but also for all year round living. The Alfaz office always has a good portfolio of properties available for long term rental, which can range from three months or longer. As well as their beachfront apartments being popular they also have a great range of property in inland towns like Callosa or Relleu where you can really experience the Spanish lifestyle. For property owners, PMR offer a full management service to suit any requirements that they may have to ensure that their property is looked after throughout the year and PMR are happy to ‘tailor make’ packages to suit each individual circumstance. In addition to rentals and property management, Lisa’s
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Telephone PMR on 966 260 877 from Spain or 0203 411 7758 from the UK. They can also be reached by email info@pmrspain.com and by visiting their website www.pmrspain.com. experience has shown that expats of all nationalities can often need specialist help in many other ways and particularly when dealing with Spanish documentation. To that end, PMR’s dedicated staff provide professional help to oversee and overcome any potential problems and keep clients updated with any changes in law or resulting from ongoing Brexit negotiations. For example help with translation or applications for NIE and Residencia, change of driving licence or sale and purchase of vehicles and their importation. So, contact Lisa or her team at PMR to book your next holiday, winter sunshine break or your long term rental and remember they are always there to help whatever it is you may need.
An extraordinary career
VICE-CHAIRMAN WEST HAM UNITED: Karren still fulfils the role to this date. When Birmingham FC was sold, Karren soon followed Sullivan to West Ham United FC, which he had bought with David Gold and she was made vice-chairman, a role which she fulfils to this date. In addition to her sales and football management careers, Karren has also appeared on television as Lord Sugar’s assistant in The Apprentice, writes columns for newspapers, has written
novels, is on the board of various companies and is a motivational speaker. Karren is a great champion and advocate for Women in Business and is Chairman of Mentore, which works with businesses to harness the talents, ambitions and drive of women. One of her primary goals is to ensure more women are appointed to senior management and board positions within their compa-
nies. She also has a keen interest in supporting women in sport. In 2014 Karren was appointed a life peer and now sits in the House of Lords as a Conservative with a specific role within the Culture Media & Sport’s Women in Sport Advisory Board. Karren is married to a Canadian ex-football player, with whom she has two children, and is said to be worth £85 million.
KARREN BRADY: Has succeeded in a male-dominated industry.
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Rest easy with The Bed Centre ND to improve efficiency and make shopping easier and more convenient for their customers, owner Lucy Rowat Grande launched a web shop, https://www.thebed centre.com/ last September. “The web shop gives people more of an idea of what we sell, not just mattresses. We couldn’t be prouder of the huge range of bed linen, soft furnishings, headboards, bespoke beds and contemporary mattresses sourced from all around Europe,” said Lucy, adding: “Every product on the page has a button that sends us an email so we can send more information about the product to the potential client. “A lot of people have limited time while they are here, to set up homes for holidays, rentals or to live in. The web shop allows them to shop with ease and gives flexibility to our customers.” People can order and pay
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For almost 30 years, The Bed Centre in Calpe has been providing the best and most comfortable beds available, to ensure customers get the best night’s sleep, whatever their budget.
THE BED CENTRE: Keeping up with new innovations. online, over the phone or in the shop. There is also the option of collecting products or having them delivered. The Bed Centre was es-
tablished in 1992, primarily for expats looking for quality beds, and Lucy said there have been significant changes in the in-
dustry since then. “Technology has really moved on, and there are some incredible mattresses
and beds available from local suppliers. We offer beds for rentals through to handmade bespoke from the Burgess Beds collection, which are made by Guild of Master craftsmen.” L uc y a d d e d : “ T h i s i s a fashion industry and fabrics have got better, they are more durable and practical, and headboards are more practical.” Keeping up with new innovations is also important to The Bed Centre’s ongoing success and they have just introduced a soft and light eco-duvet which is made from recycled plastic bottles. The Bed Centre is highly s e r v i c e - b a s e d , a n d L uc y and her team strive to always put the needs of the customer first. “We love our customers. Gemma is a star and our delivery men, too. We want our customers to go away happy with the product, price and the service they have received.”
Interview - The Bed Centre - Lucy Grande
We listen to our customers • WHY did you choose the Costa Blanca? I came to Calpe for a birthday party in 1981 and never went back. I was doing a road trip with my mum and had a friend here who had a boutique, so I went to work for her, we were artisans. After a while I started work in The Bed Centre, which was established in 1992, and I have been here ever since. The Costa Blanca is a great place to live and work. • How did you build the business? As I say, the business was already established before I took over, so it was more a case of developing the lines further and moving with the times. Tastes and fashions are always changing. And of course, we are now becoming more digital. • Plans for the future? We want to keep doing what we are doing and developing
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LUCY GRANDE: “We offer beds for rentals through to handmade bespoke from the Burgess Beds collection.”
It’s always difficult buying a bed but the staff were very helpful, patient and honest with us, and we were very happy with the bed we eventually chose. It was especially helpful that they took away our old bed when delivering the new one, and they were very good at keeping us in touch with delivery dates and times. All round, a good experience. John Tandy
the web side of the business, while staying current with our products and styles. The most important thing is to listen to what our customers want and meet their needs. • You also play a big part in your community. Can you tell us more? My husband Tony Grande and I founded the charity Make A Smile in 2008 from our hearts and it has got bigger and bigger. The aim is to make a difference in the community, and support disadvantaged children by concentrating on education and work experience, to provide them with a more positive future. In addi-
tion to The Community Recycle Project, which includes a charity shop in Teulada and a furniture recycle centre, Make A Smile organises fundraisers, coin collections and an annual ‘Christmas Bag Appeal.’
The Bed Centre CC Biblos 03710 Calpe, Alicante 0034 965 836 814 info@thebedcentre.com https://www.thebedcentre.com/ To find out more, visit www.facebook.com/ makeasmile.es
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Incredible achievements N 1971, Rowland Brothers International (RBI) was founded by Tony Rowland with very noble beginnings. A French countess repatriated to France in a hearse on a cross channel hovercraft, proved to be RBI’s first client and it evolved from there. The International Department developed a close relationship with holiday tour company, Intersun, and wherever they created a tourist area, RBI was asked to set up the infrastructure to repatriate any tourist should they pass away whilst abroad. Now one of the largest companies of its kind in Europe, and possibly the world, RBI repatriates more than 2,000 people of all nationalities to and from the UK every year. It was in 1984 that Tony developed a funeral planning company in response to demand from the communities of Croydon, and Golden Leaves Funeral Plans was born. A quarter of a century later and Golden Leaves is now offering its services to other funeral directors throughout the UK. In early 90’s, the company launched its services in Spain, as well as Portugal and Cyprus, to provide a vital emergency service to all expats. As the business continued to grow, it was decided to open a head office in Javea in 2015, and Golden Leaves is still growing
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STILL GROWING: Golden Leaves’ flagship office was opened in 2015.
Keith White: Both Golden Leaves and the funeral director… helped me to arrange the funeral, just as my wife had wanted. I would like to thank Golden Leaves, not just for their professional help and advice, but for their outstanding compassion.”
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Client’s testimonial
across the coast with a second office in Turre, Almeria. In fact, the last 18 months have been incredibly significant for the Golden Leaves brand with numerous accolades and accreditations. Founder Tony Rowland was awarded with an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen in 2019, the same year Golden Leaves was recognised as one of the growing businesses of the year as a national finalist in the Amazon Business Awards. This came on the back of gaining BSI ISO:9001 accreditation and launching the independent sector’s first guaranteed disbursement funeral plan. To be featured in the 2019 Parliamentary Review in recognition of best practice
AWARDED MBE: Founder Tony Rowland. really was the prestigious icing on the cake, rounding off an incredible year. Golden Leaves Group Managing Director, Barry Floyd, said: “There are some fantastic Funeral Planning companies operating in our
sector and so to be selected as the best practice representative for the industry in such an important and prestigious publication has left us not only honoured, but also deeply proud of the achievement.”
info@goldenleavesinternational.com • goldenleavesinternational.com
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Interview
The one-stop shop HE name Golden Leaves International is synonymous with funeral plans, but the company actually offers a whole lot more, including additional Expat Services to all expatriates living abroad. The company can literally look after every need and requirement, providing Health Insurance, General Insurance, Legal Services, NIE and Residencia Assistance, Wealth Management and a Currency Exchange, which makes it a one stop shop for all expat needs. International Operations Director, Emma Quantrill oversees all of the company’s activities and manages the team with individual responsibilities, while she herself specialises in funeral plans. She told Euro Weekly News: “There are two reasons people opt for funeral plans. The first is peace of mind. Planning a funeral is a very emotional process and we take that burden away from the families. “The second reason is financial. People know what they are paying in advance and that is comforting. “There is a lot of red tape in Spain, there is a language barrier, bank accounts can get frozen, a lot of legalities to consider at a time when people are grieving. “With just one call to us we can take care of everything, holding your hand throughout removing any stress or worry at an emotional time.” There are various stages of grief and ways of dealing with it, and Emma maintains she, and her staff, have to be aware of what sort of support a client needs. “This business is not just about selling a product. It’s also about assisting clients throughout the whole process, it’s all about the after care. It’s a very difficult time when someone loses somebody. Every client is different and deals with grief in a different way.
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PASSIONATE: Emma Quantrill loves her job and says she is always learning and developing.
“With one telephone call we can deal with everything. We liaise with the police, doctors and hospitals. It differs depending on the client and the circumstances.” Emma has been in the industry, selling funeral plans, for almost eight years. “I had my own expat services business and sold Golden Leaves’ funeral plans before being head hunted, and asked to run the international arm of the business. Golden Leaves then acquired my business.” Golden Leaves was set up in Javea five years ago to help expats with everything from moving home, relocating, residencia, insurance, health care and wills. “If we can’t do it ourselves, we will put our clients in touch with one of our board of panel partners. “For example we deal with health insurance and general insurance, but have experts who deal with probates and wills. We also work with currency and give people the best options at the time.” The company’s client base is extensive, with expat customers from around the world. “We deal with expats, a lot of English, Germans, Dutch, Rus-
sians and Americans, all of the expat community really. “We have multilingual staff in our office, but predominantly converse in English.” • Has Brexit had an impact on business? “Funeral plans are extremely important, regardless of Brexit, mainly because of the language difference here in Spain and the red tape, there is so much to deal with. Saying that, Brexit has meant there is more urgency to have everything in order. Expats were worried about residencias etc before Brexit, but as things have settled, they realise end of life planning funeral plans, wills, these sorts of things need putting into place too. “I go out into the field to speak to clients, see what the climate is like, opinions on Brexit, all of these things, and bring all of that information back to help support the community where we can.” • So how have things changed over the years? “A lot of people are far more aware of making comparisons nowadays, they are more cau-
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Joining Golden Leaves was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
tious. It’s always important to look at the small print, and we always stress this. “People buy a package and then something happens and they discover they are not covered. We always explain exactly what we offer and people can make an informed decision. “We believe if we can’t sell our products on their own merits then we should not be selling them at all.” • What are Golden Leaves’ future plans? “We are looking to open more offices on the coast but it’s all about finding the right location. “We had a Parliamentary Review recently, a guide to industry best practices, and we were the sole best practice representative of the UK’s Funeral Planning industry. “Here in Spain we are Golden Leaves SL, but effectively the
same company. We provide Golden Leaves services and we offer the same standards as Golden Leaves Ltd. We have to be on a par as our products can be purchased here and used in the UK. “We constantly follow the same code of conduct and Data Protection procedures, and are always conscious that things are carried out correctly. “Investing in and inspiring our staff is important. You have to know what drives people and how to encourage them to better themselves. The idea is to make people feel confident in themselves and their abilities, to instill good skill sets. “I encourage my team to try something out of their comfort zone and you have to know your staff to get them to that point.” Emma went on to say: “You are only as good as your team and your team is only as good as you. “I love my job. Joining Golden Leaves was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have grown and developed in so many ways and learned so many lessons. “I am extremely grateful to the group’s Managing Director, Barry Floyd, and Golden Leaves' owner, Steve Rowland, for giving me this opportunity. “One of the main differences I see in myself is that I am more refined. I listen, watch and learn and make more informed decisions, I’m not as impulsive as I used to be. I have also learned a lot about people, good and bad.” In fact, Emma undertakes personal development courses in her own time for business and personal reasons. “I do it for my own development, but also for my job. I treat the business as though it is my own and will do whatever I need to do to bring it forward.”
info@goldenleavesinternational.com • goldenleavesinternational.com
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GOLDEN LEAVES FAMILY: Multi-skilled and passionate, the team are always on hand to share their expertise.
A COMMITTED and dedicated team is the backbone of most companies, and Golden Leaves is no different. Each and every member of staff, based predominantly at the head office in Javea, Costa Blanca, has a specific role to play, with the interest of the client at the forefront of their minds. Emma MacPherson - General insurance specialist
Haylee Roebuck - Marketing manager
There is much more to Golden Leaves than funeral plans, and Emma MacPherson is responsible for every other aspect of General Insurance, including policies for the car, home, life, travel, marine and business. “I have been in Spain for seven years and with Golden Leaves for the last three. I love my job. I really enjoy speaking to clients and helping them. If they need anything at all, it’s great to be able to assist them.” Emma, also likes the fact each day brings new challenges and experiences. “No insurance is the same, especially for the home. There are so many options, and each client is an individual, that makes each day different. “My job is very important to me, and I would like to build up a bigger client base for the general insurance side of things. I want to do my bit to help the company grow.” When she is not at work, Emma makes the most of valuable time with her partner and three children. “It’s a bit like a family here in the office. Everybody gets on, I know I could go to any one of my colleagues if I had a problem. We all care about our clients, the company and our products. I would most definitely buy our products as I have every confidence in Golden Leaves.”
Haylee Roebuck, spends most of her time working from the Golden Leaves office in Almeria. Her job entails marketing, continually updating the database, making appointments and dealing with clients in the Turre office. “I deal with the funeral side of the business, that’s where my focus is, and am constantly updating our system to ensure every opportunity is taken advantage of. I am on the phone much of the day, talking to clients, which I really enjoy. “As I’m based in another office, I organise my own day, but regularly speak each day to Emma and the rest of the team. “I enjoy my job very much, and the people that I work with. With regards to our products, I have every faith in what we do and what we sell. I believe in our products and know that, out here, when you are an expat, you do not know the language or don’t have the knowledge to do certain things. It’s great to be able to help and guide people through an emotional and upsetting process.” A huge music fan, Haylee spends her free time going to concerts and is a journalist and editor for a dedicated American website, Inside The Set List.
Michele Mawbey - Head of admin
Annette Bowen - B2B advisor
Administrative Manager, Michele Mawbey, solely looks after funeral plans. Michele has a long history with Golden Leaves and was office manager in the UK for five years. “I moved to Spain in 2002, and when my father passed away in 2013, I went back to England, joined Golden Leaves, and returned in 2018, staying with the firm.” This experience has given Michele, fluent Spanish, a firsthand insight into the importance of being prepared. “To me it’s common sense, particularly if you live here in Spain and do not speak the language. Having a funeral plan in place gives you peace of mind.” Known as ‘the oracle’ in the office, Michele added: “This is what I know, and what I have known for seven years. “I’m very happy here and glad I made the move, it’s a great quality of life.”
Affiliate Development Advisor, Annette Bowen has been selling for Golden Leaves in Spain for 12 years, and now works on the business to business side for the company. She is also involved in several charity events within the community, while spreading further awareness about the company along the way. “I was invited to take on this role 14 months ago, and was delighted to take on the opportunity. The Affiliated Development programme provides an opportunity for other businesses to work with Golden Leaves. “The affiliates are pleased to have one contact dedicated to their needs, they also see the value of having funeral plans as part of their portfolio. Annette previously had her own company and made a choice to sell exclusively Golden Leaves products - such is her confidence in the firm. “I have been there at the time of a client passing away and know it works. I am proud to work for the company and to sell our product.”
Victoria Appleton - Health insurance specialist
Tess Wynn - Book keeper
Private Health Insurance Specialist, Victoria Appleton, is multiskilled and can help each client through every aspect of the process. For example, if you are applying for a Health Policy to assist in obtaining residencia, Victoria will book the appointment, fill in the forms and advise on all documentation required. “I have been with Golden Leaves in Javea for two and a half years and I enjoy it very much. It’s a brilliant team, we get on very well and help each other out. I love coming to work and I completely trust and value our products. “It’s so important to have things set up and organised in the event of a death within the family, especially for expats living here in Spain.” Our Health Insurance policies are very comprehensive and good value for money, there are no copayments and we use English-speaking doctors at some of the top hospitals in Spain.” There are no waiting lists, emergency travel care abroad is covered, as are annual check-ups, dental cover, ambulance and emergency care. As well as being passionate about her job, Victoria loves going to rock concerts and spending time with her partner and child.
“My main job is the running of the financial side of the office, liaising with accountants, paying invoices, day to day accounts. “I truly enjoy my job and working with such a great team, and having been here for three years, I am aware of all of the decisions and legalities expats face living in a foreign country. “Golden Leaves’ funeral plans are excellent, and offer peace of mind to a lot of people and their families who are able to put the harrowing prospect of burying their loved one into our hands. We can take all of that reponsibility and worry off their hands and help wherever possible.” Tess has a 14-year-old son, and said life outside of work tends to be wrapped around him. “However, I like to keep fit and I cycle to work in all weathers,” she added.
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Funeral plans... made simple P
EACE of mind for you and your family is priceless. We are fortunate to live in Spain, enjoying the sun and the friendly expatriate communities we have made home. However, should the worst happen and you pass away, would your loved ones and those around you know what to do to arrange a funeral that suits your wishes? Pre-planning your funeral takes all of that responsibility away from those closest at such an emotional time. It’s a responsible and thoughtful way to show that you care about your family, and you are guaranteed the funeral of your choice at the same time. Your family are spared the emotional and financial burden of organising everything when they can least cope. As an expat living overseas, pre-planning your funeral is not just a caring thing to do, it’s essential. There are very significant differences between funerals in the UK and in Spain, which can make funeral planning unnecessarily complicated and stressful. Outside of the UK, a funeral normally takes place within 48 hours, and may require payment within 24 hours of death. If you are unable to pay upfront, the funeral could be postponed and you may incur charges for every additional day that it is delayed. There are other obstacles to consider, such as complicated regulations, red tape, and then there’s the language barrier. It’s therefore not surprising more expats are opting to pre-arrange and pre-pay for their funeral service in advance. And Golden Leaves International is here to make the whole process as smooth as possible with three packages to suit all needs.
The Opal Plan - €3,650 This plan provides for a simple funeral service covering the essential items, like the removal and disposal of the deceased, and is suitable for single people with no family. This funeral can be completed within 72 hours.
The Pearl Plan - €4,050 This comprehensive plan has the added benefit of a floral tribute and premium coffin - a funeral service you would expect in the UK, allowing for five days for family participation, especially important if you are based in a different country. This plan is geared towards couples and families.
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One call does it all GOLDEN LEAVES INTERNATIONAL is committed to making one of the most difficult times in anybody’s life as painless as possible. As such, the company offers 24-hour emergency hotlines, available 365 days a year. Emma explained: “Specially trained bereavement co-ordinators are on hand around the clock to deal with all emergency calls. We want to be there to help our clients every step of the way. Just one call does it all.” From Spain, Freefone 8000 98309 (24 hours, no international code required from a Spanish mobile or landline). From UK, Freefone 0800 85 44 48 (24 hours) From Portugal, Freefone 800 814 567 (24 hours) From Cyprus, Freefone 8007 7376 (24 hours) Email: Info@goldenleavesinternational.com Web: goldenleavesinternational.com
OFFICE CONTACT DETAILS Golden Leaves International (Spain) Javea office Avenida De La Pla 123-125, Edificio Caribe, Local 1, Javea, 03730, Alicante, Spain.
Telephone 0034 966 493 082
Golden Leaves International (Spain) Almeria office Avenida de Almeria, 39, Local 1, Turre, 04639, Almeria, Spain.
Telephone 0034 950 049 431
Golden Leaves International (UK)
The Golden Plan - Repatriation - €9,000 A plan for repatriation back to your home country worldwide, and a contribution to a simple funeral at the destination country of choice.
16th Floor, No. 1 Croydon, 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, CR0 OXT United Kingdom.
Telephone 0044 208 684 3464
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Interview - Optica Ifach
Knowledge and experience • HOW did Optica Ifach begin? I’m from Benissa and have been an optician, and now an optometrician, all of my working life. When I started working here in Calpe and got married, I decided to moved here too. I opened on January 2, 1998, so have been here for 22 years. Until 10 years ago, I operated from a different location in Calpe before moving here. It’s so important that clients know who you are, that you are part of the community. I did not want anybody to be able to say to my daughter for example, ‘your father is not good at what he does,’ so have always done my very best. I wanted to establish a good name and a good business in a wonderful community. This is a great location.
• What is your secret to success? I am always learning, studying and gaining qualifications and accreditations so that I can give all of my clients the best knowledge and experience possible. I am very open and honest about my prices, you will not see all of these two-forone promotions, I keep my prices clear and do not raise them so that I can then offer what appear to be discounts. It’s all clear from the outset. I am also very conscious and aware that some people are nervous, and always empathise with my clients. Most of my clients come back to thank me afterwards, which is a very special feeling. • What are your plans for the future? Two years ago, I started doing
OPTOMETRIST: Jose Vicente Gilabert Valles is continually studying to stay at the top of his profession. hearing tests and providing hearing aids and will continue with that. I will carry on learning and studying to keep offering the best service possible and staying on top of the fashions. And I will always try to find the best quality, not just the most popular frames.
Patricia Marina: Magnificent treatment to solve the problem with my glasses while on vacation. A great professional, thank you very much.
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Client’s testimonial
Everyone can be successful HE word actually means so many different things to different people and is a concept which has no true definition. As far as some are concerned, success is judged by monetary results and the more money and possessions you have, the more successful you may be considered, but this whilst praiseworthy - is just one of many possibilities. Artists and musicians may not be the most popular in the world or earn large amounts from their work, but if they produce something which they consider to be a genuine piece of art, then in their own eyes they will see themselves as successful. For others, success is managing to have children and raise a healthy and happy family which is why many of us have chosen to move to Spain where the climate is good and the general way of life is more laid back, allowing us to live rather than exist. Success has different meanings as you get older; for a baby,
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success is making those first hesitant steps and then perhaps learning to talk and read, whilst for a child, being popular and making friends whilst learning more about life could be seen as a success. Then passing exams and finding your first boy or girlfriend could give a feeling of achievement which is reflected in the eyes of those who love us and of course anyone who masters Spanish as a new language has to be congratulated. For the majority of people, financial stability through steady work is very important, and if you are able to afford and enjoy the lifestyle which you crave, then in your eyes, you are a success. Sporting achievement is another goal for many, and it can be seen not only as an enjoyable pastime, but in some cases, a real way of achieving recognition and in the case of professionals at the top of their game, a significant income and adulation. For those who suffer from
REACH FOR THE SKY: You will succeed.
mental or physical difficulties, success can be measured by the fact they have managed to get through another day without pain or knockbacks. Another area which seems to attract large numbers of expatriates is the cause of charity, so that many people, especially those who are retired, devote a great deal of their time to helping those who are worse off than themselves. It doesn’t matter if it’s finding homes for cats, dogs or horses, helping raise funds for the disadvantaged or those who are suffering from illnesses such as cancer, but there is no question that every life helped, can be considered a success. Sometimes we have a tendency to overlook our own achievements, but in the end, those who manage to enjoy their life and help others from time to time, can rightly be proud of what they have achieved and should consider themselves a true success story.
CBN SUCCESS OPTICA IFACH is run by Calpe’s only VPC certified optometrist, which means he is officially recognised by the General Council of Colleges of Opticians-Optometrists as being ‘at the highest standard’ within his profession. This means that Jose Vicente Gilabert Valles’ clients can rest assured that his visual health care meets and maintains the strictest standards to practise as a primary health care professional in his field. “I’m the official representative for all optometrists in this area. If they need help, they come to me, so I need to be on top of everything going on in the industry.” And in order to stay at the top of his game, Jose spends at least one weekend each month studying his profession and gaining new qualifications. “I want to be able to offer the best knowledge and expertise to my cus-
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The highest standard and expertise
OPTICA IFACH: Offering the best in eye care for 22 years. tomers, this is extremely important to me so every month I study for a new qualification to learn new techniques and stay at
the top level of my profession. Jose opened Optica Ifach in 1998 and runs the opticians single-handedly.
“When I started, I began with a lot of dreams and originally opened for 12 hours a day, but customers soon urged me to
close for lunch. “I was the first optician in Calpe to do servicing in one hour. If someone needs new lenses that we don’t have here, then it takes 24 hours.” Three years ago, Jose expanded into hearing aids and gained the necessary qualifications to allow him to carry out hearing tests and provide ‘audiologia prostesica.’ “I do all of the tests here and sell the hearing aids. I love my job, my profession, and I love studying. A lot of customers give me presents because they are so happy. “Many opticians nowadays do not have the ma-
chine to put lenses on the frames etc. I do, I think it is important to know how everything is done. I am not just selling glasses, I like to find out exactly what my customers need and it is necessary to listen and empathise as some people are scared about wearing glasses.” Jose, 51, admits to having recently started ‘training/exercising’ his eyes every day, and offers these techniques as part of a service to his clients. “The most expensive thing here is time. I spend a lot of time and money on qualifications. That’s where the value is. Yes, we have lots of frames and different prices, but the value is in the knowledge and experience. I like to always be clear and open with my customers.”
Optica Ifach: Edificio Apolo VII, Av de los Ejércitos Españoles, 4, 03710 Calpe. Alicante. 965 838 187 • WhatsApp: 606 013 302
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Interview - Trafalgar
We want our diners to
feel at home • WHY Costa Blanca? “It was my idea really. I wanted to open a good restaurant for people who live here. In our restaurant you can sit and relax, and enjoy a relaxing break between dishes. The dream was to create a family restaurant. “I did my research and realised there was a gap for an elegant restaurant. There are restaurant/pubs, but the area lacked an exclusive restaurant geared solely towards a dining experience. “We want our diners to feel at home, and we have slowly built up our reputation and our good name. “This is a working town, people live here but work elsewhere, and we wanted to create a place where people who live here could enjoy ex-
AMBIENCE: Diners are encouraged to relax and enjoy the experience. cellent food in a relaxed environment. I don’t think there is anything like Trafalgar in Alfaz or Albir.
“We are not really competition to anybody else. We do not look at what others are doing, we have our own way
Maximum success in maledominated haute cuisine HE domestic kitchen is still seen as women’s territory in many parts of the world, but curiously the top chefs have traditionally been men. Clare Smyth has smashed that stereotype. Smyth became the first British female chef to run a restaurant with three Michelin stars when she was Chef Patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, proving beyond all doubt that women can reach the very top in this male-dominated profession. In the summer of 2017 she opened her own restaurant Core in the fashionable Notting Hill area of London, which was awarded two Michelin stars in the 2019 guide. Smyth has a whole bunch of other awards to her name, among them an MBE for services to the hospitality industry. She was unsurprisingly named the World’s Best Female Chef 2018 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. She is also now quite the celebrity, and frequently pops up on popular TV programmes like Masterchef. The real icing on her celebrity
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cake was providing the catering for Prince Harry and Meghan’s evening wedding reception. Smyth’s incredible achievements are in great part down to her complete devotion to the art of creating fine food from an early age. She moved to England from her native Northern Ireland at 16 after a holiday job in a local restaurant inspired her to become a chef, and trained in some of the world’s top kitchens. She remains a total grafter, putting in the kind of hours many people could never survive, and spends a significant amount of her free time devising new recipes. Smyth has commented she is proud of being made of tough enough stuff to reach the top of the game in the notoriously off-the-scale stressful world of haute cuisine. She has also admitted that as a woman she had to learn to deal with being in the minority in upscale kitchens and the sexist and negative attitudes which have often gone with them, if anything having to be even tougher than her male counterparts to prove her gender wasn’t a handicap.
and we continue to try to improve on that. • What is your secret to success?
We allow our diners to take their time and enjoy the experience. In addition, everything we serve is fresh. Our chef creates everything from scratch, including the spices and sauces. Our fish, we get direct from Norway. There is excellent fish in Spain, but the best cod and salmon come from colder countries, and we make sure we can provide it. • Plans for the future? We have only been open for 18 months so we plan to keep doing what we are doing, listening to our customers, and offering them what they want. There are around 260 restaurants listed in Google Business... and we are already 107 after 18 months, with 4.5 stars on TripAdvisor - I’m very happy with that.
Umbrella Parking UMBRELLA PARKING is a long-term car park company located on the N-338, opposite the Alicante-Elche airport. Customers park their vehicles and Umbrella takes them to and from the airport in their shuttles available for immediate transport. Customers with annual contracts know they will have no unpleasant surprises as they will come back to clean vehicles, fully inflated tyres and batteries charged. Umbrella Parking can also arrange to have car batteries replaced, get cars fixed at reputable garages, and take them for ITV testing. What was previously a rose greenhouse, was turned into what is now Umbrella Parking in 2010 and has been growing since, becoming the biggest car park at the airport. Umbrella Parking is the largest in-
door car park at 27,000m2. The huge parking space allows the company to offer great competitive prices, satisfying all client needs. Customers can find the most efficient staff at Umbrella Parking, always glad to help out and making sure they feel comfortable leaving their cars parked with them as they would at home. “At the end of the day, what our customers value the most is our dependability and kindness,” a company spokesperson said. Umbrella Parking currently offers an annual outdoor parking deal for €220, which includes seven rides to and from the airport.
For more information, visit www.umbrellaparking.es, or contact the firm at info@umbrellaparking.es or ring them on (+34) 966 445 778 or (+34) 627 608 858, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. N-338, Km. 0.4 03195 El Altet (Elche) Alicante
CBN SUCCESS RULY international fine dining is on the menu at Trafalgar Restaurant in Alfaz del Pi. With its elegantly traditional restaurant, multilingual staff and exquisite dishes, owner and General Manager, Olga Andreeva, has cooked up a delicious recipe for success. In just 18 months, Trafalgar has established itself as the place to enjoy a relaxing evening, sampling the finest cuisine created by new Andalucian/French Master chef, Ricardo Cobos. “We opened Trafalgar in June 2018. I did not particularly want to be located in a tourist area. I wanted to open a good restaurant for people who live here. In our restaurant you can sit and relax, and enjoy a break between dishes.”
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Trafalgar Restaurant Olga added: “I did my research and realised there was a gap for an elegant restaurant. There are restaurant/pubs, but the area lacked an exclusive restaurant geared solely towards a dining experience. “We are not really competition to anybody else. We do not look at what others are doing, we have our own way and we continue to try to improve on that.” A myth Olga is keen to dispel is the perception Trafalgar is a British pub, because of its name. “People think of us as a British pub, but we are actually an international restaurant, offer-
TRADITIONAL: Trafalgar caters for groups and celebrations.
ing completely international dishes. Our team is completely international, English, Russian, Spanish, French, Dutch, Arabic and German. When it comes to the name, Olga explained: “I love history and was looking around for inspiration for a name. A friend of mine, who adores England, suggested Trafalgar. I loved the idea because when you look at the history of the Battle of Trafalgar, it encompasses both Britain and Spain.” The restaurant is open 1pm to 10pm except Mondays, when the restaurant is
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closed, and the kitchen is open between the hours of 1pm to 4pm and 7pm to 10pm. Trafalgar offers a la carte, a suggestion of the chef of the week, and eight or nine dishes of fish or meat and chicken, mixed with various influences. Menu of the day is available from 1pm to 4pm at €17.50, including a half bottle of wine, and changes each week. Sunday is ‘chef suggestion’ and a la carte. Olga explained: “We can cater for 50 to 60 people and cater for groups of at least 15 to 20 people, and do birthdays and celebrations, people can choose the menu they want and we can negotiate. “We welcome everybody to come in and enjoy what we have to offer.”
Trafalgar Restaurant: Avda Pais Valencia, 43, Alfaz del Pi, 966 580 509 • Trfalgarrestaurant2018@gmail.com • www.trafalgar-restaurant.com
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Family run business SG Haulage Ltd are a family-run business trading since 1993. The European side has really taken off and we are moving Cars, Boats, Caravans, Motorhomes and have invested in an enclosed Transporter to transport vehicles that need to be covered in. We have a base in La Cala and to offer the full package for people wanting to move abroad we work closely with Sol Moves and Lifestyle Spain who deal with the legal side and car registrations onto Spanish Plates. SG Haulage Ltd is your one stop shop for all your European and UK transport needs.
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100 per cent commitment to the needs of their customers.
SG HAULAGE: Transporting all types of vehicles for their clients.
Overcoming life’s challenges IF there’s a woman who knows how to overcome a life-changing challenge then it has to be Katie Piper. Author, inspirational speaker, TV presenter, charity founder, mother, and contestant on Strictly Come Dancing: Katie is an inspiration to many having rebuilt her life and achieved so much after suffering a vicious acid attack which left her with severe burns and partially blinded. She had trained as a beautician and was beginning to break into the world of modelling and media, but at the age of just 24 she found herself beginning a long and painful journey of countless operations and skin grafts. A real survivor, Katie has used her horrific experience to help others, deciding to raise awareness about the situation for burn victims and the treatment they go
KATIE PIPER: A true inspiration.
through. She agreed to have her story told in the 2009 Channel 4 documentary Katie: My Beautiful Face, and set up the Katie Piper Foundation to help people with burns and other disfigure-
ment injuries with their rehabilitation. She has become a regular on TV magazine and chat shows, and has presented programmes like Channel 4’s Katie: My Beautiful Friends,
on which she met others who have been disfigured, disabled or physically altered as a result of illness, injury, assault, accident or surgery, Bodyshockers about people having cosmetic and surgical
procedures they regretted, Never Seen a Doctor, plus her own show Face to Face, meeting other people with skin conditions. She has also been part of TV projects like The Secret Millions, on which she worked with reformed prisoners preparing to get back into the job market. Katie has written memoirs, self-help and motivational books, been a magazine and newspaper columnist, and has toured the UK with her theatre show What’s In My Head, giving an intimate insight into her personal battles and experiences. After she was voted off Strictly on the fourth week Katie said she’d known she wasn’t the best dancer in the world, but characteristically she’d wanted to set herself a new challenge and gain confidence in yet another area of her life.
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Yorkshire Linen a feel-good business For more than 15 years The Yorkshire Linen Costa Blanca shops in Javea and Altea have been welcoming customers, offering excellent quality with a friendly service at prices to suit all pockets. EIGHT members of staff keep both shops running smoothly, under the guidance of Glenn Jongenburger, who took over nine years ago. “I think having the right staff is crucial, staff who care about the company, their colleagues and most importantly the customers,” he told the Euro Weekly News. “We are a one-stop shop and offer everything in terms of home soft furnishings. It’s all about service with a smile, that is the key. I like to think of this as a feel-good business.” Yorkshire Linen has been in Javea for more than five years, and longer in Altea. “Both are great visual locations with parking,” said Glenn. “Our staff speak more than four languages so can take care of
clients from many nationalities.” Although based in Spain, Yorkshire Linen is a UK related brand. “We have a lot of stock from the UK, but we are in Spain so also have Spanish suppliers. For me, price and quality have to be in balance.” Glenn said linen trading and home furnishing is influenced by seasons, adding: “However, we are fortunate to be steady all year round. “We have a wide range of bed linen in terms of colours and sizes and stay on top of the trends. There are four seasons of the year, so collections change accordingly. “We have many clients who have rental properties so need to replace items regularly, and
some have been with us for years and come in with their wish list. “We can tailor products to our customers’ needs and have a wonderful local seamstress. I like to work with local people, people whose lives are invested in this area. “People change their colour schemes, accent colours, or designs and we can accommodate that and customise where necessary. If I do not have a size or design, it can be ordered in.” Glenn said bedding and pillows are the company’s “bread and butter,” and a diverse market. “Every nationality has different sizes and different ways of
JAVEA TEAM: Having the right staff is important.
PRODUCTS: A wide choice. using bedding. One of the nicest things to see nowadays is reversable duvet covers which can also be used as flat sheets or top sheets in the summer.” When designing your bed, Glenn says it’s always best to go back to basics - mattress covers, toppers, fitted sheets and then you can dress up your bed and ponder on which pillow to choose. “Price is not the most important thing when it comes to pil-
lows. It is such a personal thing and there are so many options, soft, firm, feather, memory foam and more.” To stay on top of fashions and trends, Glenn regularly attends Trade Fairs in the UK and elsewhere. “I was amazed at a recent fair to see that many manufacturers are investing in environmentally friendly products, including fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles and tea towels made from recycled clothes. I will definitely be looking to get these things in our shops. We have to change things for the future and coming generations.”
Interview - Yorkshire Linen - Glenn Jongenburger
It’s a very exciting market • WHY did you select Costa Blanca? We have two shops, one here in Javea and another in Altea. They are wonderful locations, very visual and with plenty of parking. Importantly, they have great communities. I really love being able to offer great collections and products to people who live and work within our communities. The Costa Blanca is a very convenient and rewarding place to have a business. It’s an attractive and safe place to work, and close to major cities. • What do you think is the key to success? It’s important to have a great location, to be visual as we are, or in a high street, where there is always more potential. Good service is of course crucial, and I believe our staff play
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We change our displays regularly to keep the shops fresh.
an enormous part in our success. They do not need to know everything, but must do their best to give service with a smile. We do everything to the best of our abilities. I like our shops to be looked after, taken care of. There is always something to do, and we change our displays regularly to keep the shops fresh, it’s an ongoing project. Then of course, there are the products, everything we touch and supply has to have a certain quality and standard.
• What are your plans for the future? I think we are happy with the two shops that we have, but we will definitely be looking further into ecofriendly products, that’s a very exciting market. Our business is all dependent on what customers want, so we will continue listening to them and ensuring we cater for their needs. In the future I see Yorkshire Linen staying on top of the trends. Listening to your clients is so important. It's a good sign when you see apartment buildings going up. If the real estate market is appealing to buyers, it benefits all of the community, including us.
• Being a UK influenced company, has Brexit had an impact on trade? I think the whole Brexit thing kept a lot of people busy for a long time, but it did not really affect our business. We have a lot of British clients, but luckily for us we have a nice mix of nationalities who shop in our stores.
GLENN JONGENBURGER: Likes to stay on top of the trends.
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Simply the MATCHING buyers worldwide, to their ideal property. Select Villas of Moraira celebrate their 14th anniversary this year, together with their 14th year record of continued sales growth! The business was created by Linda and husband Chris in 2006 who are fully cognisant of the fact that traditional values such as honesty, efficiency, integrity and professionalism continue to be valued by their buyer and vendor clients, alike. Linda and Chris have been visiting Moraira since 1983, and it was love at first sight for them with this delightful resort on the Marina Alta coast of northern Costa Blanca. They inevitably concluded that they would like to ultimately move to Moraira and retire however; they did not have the best experience when searching for their own property and found the whole process strewn with pitfalls and ‘dodgy’ middle men serving ‘dodgy’ agents! Having spent most of their working lives in service industries of one kind or other, they really felt they could do much better with a
Best totally fresh approach, based on customer service and listening carefully to their client’s needs and requirements. Regarding the town itself Linda said “Moraira hasn’t been allowed to become over-developed the way other similar resorts have, especially when it comes to high-rise development. This ensures that Moraira continues to maintain the village feel of its origins, that we loved so much when we first visited.” Beyond Moraira itself, Select Villas cover the neighbouring areas of El Portet, Benitachell, Benissa, Javea, Jalon Valley and in to Denia and Calpe. They specialise purely in sales, but can recommend several tried and tested rental agencies, for clients seeking
OFFICE MANAGER: Dawn Williamson. to utilise that option. Their long-standing knowledge of Moraira and the surrounding area is a great asset when it comes to helping both vendors and buyers. Linda very much believes in the people side of the business (she is a qualified Psychologist) which helps with dealing with both clients and staff. They are very proud of the quality
of their current team of staff, who between them represent in excess of 140 years of living in this wonderful part of Spain, and between them speak English, Spanish, Valenciano, French, Dutch, German, and Arabic. The team are very able and capable to market and deal with virtually all eventualities and enquiries, worldwide.
Interview - Select Villas
The Select Villas team bid a sad farewell to a much-loved and valued colleague last month, as Martin Shaw took early retirement to explore Spain. WITH 30 years’ in real estate under his belt, Martin brought decades of experience to the company, having spent much of his career in Saudi Arabia, where he was vice president of Dubai Properties, responsible for 20,000 leased units, commercial, retail, residential and industrial. And over the years, Martin says he has seen many changes. He told Euro Weekly News: “Clients are more discerning these days, more knowledgeable about the area, the market and what they want. Meeting people has been the best part of this job, and it’s always wonderful to see people delighted with their new property. I will certainly
On the
move
miss coming to work and being part of this brilliant team.” Explaining his decision to take early retirement, Martin said: “My wife Maureen and I purchased a property in Moraira 20 years ago while living abroad, working in Quatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi. “We were enjoying our property here as a holiday home, then, more than three years ago I thought, why not transfer the skills I was using in Saudi Arabia to the real estate market in Spain, and make Moraira our permanent home.” Martin joined Select Villas and has enjoyed every minute of his time with the company. “It’s a great place to work. We pride ourselves on being honest in an industry that has, in the
past, been described as dishonest with little regulation. Here, our honesty is our badge of honour.” But he now feels it is time to start a new chapter in his life, and has lots of plans on how he will spend his free time. “We live in such a beautiful country and Maureen and I want to see more of it, places like Sevilla, Galicia, Cadiz, there are so many places to explore and enjoy. We’ve been to Barcelona and Madrid, but have only really scratched the surface.”
NEW CHAPTER: Martin Shaw is off on a new adventure. Keen off-road cyclist and walker, Martin joked: “I intend to do more cycling and Costa Blanca walks, as well as a lot of DIY, but in my case that stands for Damage It Yourself, so it remains to be seen how
that goes.” Office manager, Dawn Williamson, added: “On behalf of the team, we would like to wish Martin a very happy retirement. We will miss his jokes and his sense of humour.”
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Flame
than a carvery
DRIVEN by a desire to provide the best quality food and service around, Black Flame Bar and Grill in Pederguer is constantly adapting to market trends and has undergone a facelift and a name change in the last 18 months. Promising far more than just a carvery, Black Flame, owned and run by Heidi and Sam, will not disappoint. Known as Monroes Carvery for 15 years, Heidi and Sam were keen to distinguish the restaurant from the Moraira based eatery, to reflect the management’s different approach to dining and its diverse menu. “To make the distinction between the two restaurants, we changed the name here to Black Flame Bar and Grill over a year ago, and since the name change, we have got busier. People realise we are doing so much more now from our flame-burner kitchen, rather than just carvery. “We’ve always done steaks, and are now offering ribs, pies, fish and chips, and specials. We are predominantly grill and carvery, as the name suggests, but we do offer vegetarian dishes and will be introducing a vegan burger soon.” Heidi and Sam are constantly changing and adapting the menu to suit trends and ensure they maintain the hundreds of regulars who visit frequently, and the new clients they attract every day. “We do our market research to stay on top of our game and offer Easter and summer menus, cater for children and do cocktails all year round.” Monday night is pie night, which is €7.95
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SPACIOUS: The elegant and comfortable restaurant can cater for groups. with a dessert. Lunch menu costs €7.25 for two courses, and there are two and three-course options priced at €9.95 and €11.95, depending on your choice and served with half a bottle of wine. Then there’s Fishy Friday specials with live entertainment, full English breakfast for €4.25, and of course ‘the best Sunday roast in the area.’ One of Black Flames’ novel options is the Greedy Boy Breakfast for €8.95, where diners are challenged to finish off a plate
consisting of triple everything! “That’s really popular in the summer,” said Heidi. “It’s really important to know what people like and what they want. Their theme nights are always a funpacked draw, whether it be country and western, an 80’s disco, karaoke, Halloween, or their New Year buffet celebration, and you never have to miss top sporting action as games are shown in the bar. Heidi and Sam own the business and says they will continue to invest in its future. “There are 12 members of staff here, all
Black Flame Bar and Grill: Avda Garrofer, 0, Pedreguer, 03750 965 761 731 • www.blackflame.es • https://www.facebook.com/PedreguerCarvery/
GIFT: The bar bears a sign presented by a regular called Steve. of whom have been here for a long time, some since we opened. “Customers appreciate we are a good team, they always comment on it.” And it’s not just the clients who appreciate the staff’s hard work, as Heidi and Sam took colleagues to Las Vegas to thank them for their efforts. Heidi and Sam are proud of the fact Black Flame is very much a part of the local community, and to give something back, she does a lot for charity, fundraising and supporting a children’s home, Preventorio in Gandia. “I’m now a volunteer as well,” said Heidi: “The home is not state funded so we help provide food, clothes, shoes, toiletries, that sort of thing. “We came up with the idea to get sponsors for all of the 51 children. It’s not really about giving money. These children are of all ages, from babies to teenagers, so it’s more about providing them with things they need. A few weeks ago, we took 51 pairs of trainers for the kids, and got them all their own washbags.” There is a collection point at the restaurant, so everyone can help, and it’s a good idea to ask in advance what is needed. "I constantly ask the home what they need so that we are supporting the communities real needs."
Interview - Black Flame • WHAT attracted you to the Costa Blanca? I (Heidi) have actually been in Spain on the Costa Blanca for 32 years and originally ran Monroes in Moraira with family. I opened what is now Black Flame and Grill as an overflow for Monroes during quite a boom time, but things took off and I decided to put all of my efforts into this restaurant. Then there was a recession and it went quiet everywhere, so we realised we had to adapt and introduced the grill, while keeping the carvery. It has gone from strength to strength and people realise how much more we now offer, other than a carvery. It’s also a great location and we get a lot of holiday
strength to strength
From
“ TEAM WORK: Heidi (right) and Sam offer much more than a carvery.
We always listen to what our customers want.
makers as well as our regular customers. • Is there a secret to your success? We have a varied menu of quality dishes, the majority of which is home-made. Our restaurant and bar are both spacious and welcoming and we show all sports and have live music, as well as a terrace for outside dining and drinking. We do our market research to stay on top of our game, and always listen to what our customers want. • Plans for the future? We have done a lot to the restaurant already but we are still finishing off the bar. We will continue to invest in the business, and adapt to the market wherever necessary.
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Fog Off SPAIN’S premier and largest mosquito and pest control company, Fog Off, has helped tens of thousands of people beat the bite and enjoy ‘no-fly zones’ in Spain for five years. Clark Hartwell and wife Suzi launched Fog Off pest control in 2015 with an ageing van, and today employ 10 members of staff and operate seven vans. Clark told Euro Weekly News: “We were based in Calpe, but needed bigger offices to work from with a garage for our machines, and this is perfect.” The company’s core business is in Costa Blanca north, with the main office now located in Teulada. However, three years ago, Fog Off - named after the technique used called fogging - launched in the Costa del Sol, and has a further
franchises in Torrevieja covering the Costa Blanca South region and Tenerife. “We started single-handedly with a beat-up old van and the company has gone from strength to strength. We have invested a lot to get where we are, nothing is easy in Spain, but we are fully licensed and insured to do what we do.” The majority of Fog Off’s business is residential, but the technicians also carry out
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the ultimate in
protection LUNA: One of only two dogs in Spain trained to sniff out bed bugs
treatments at large urbanisations. “Some people have 30m2 gardens and some have 5,000m2, no job is too small,” said Suzi. “We treat the outside of properties, check drains etc, and advise people on how to spray indoors. Every product we use is safe
for pets and animals, but they are pesticides so should always be treated with caution. “We have carried out tens of thousands of jobs, a lot of our clients have pets and children, and they have all been satisfied with the results.”
Over the years, as well as expanding, Clark and Suzi have diversified into general pest control, including cockroaches, ants, wasps, silver fish, rodents, ticks, fleas and bed bugs. In fact, they own one of just two sniffer dogs in Spain trained to detect bed bugs. “Her name is Luna and she lives with us. She’s brilliant at her job, is very well behaved but absolutely full of energy. She’s become quite a celebrity and is well-known now.” Fog Off’s packages include regular visits from a trained technician who will ensure your home and garden remains free from any unwanted guests. They also stock a host of pest control products.
Contact Clark or Suzi for a free, no obligation quote. Fog Off: 681 609 730 • www.fogoffspain.com Interview - Fog Off
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• WHAT made you choose the Costa Blanca? We lived in the Costa del Sol for eight years before moving to Moraira. We loved it here but decided to move back to the UK, although we didn’t really want to go. Just before we left a friend pointed out there was no mosquito control in Spain, and kind of sowed the seed. “We went back to England anyway, but lasted three weeks before we returned with a view to setting up our own business. It has literally gone from strength to strength from there.” • How did you develop your business? We started off with just a beat-up old
van and through word of mouth and advertising, we built up a good reputation and the business took off. We invest our time and money into the company and strive to make sure every one of our clients is happy and satisfied with our work. • What are your plans for the future? We have a few things in the pipeline. We want to expand into the islands and have looked at Ibiza and Mallorca, as well opening a few more franchises in the mainland. • Any tips on keeping mosquitos at bay? Make sure there is no stagnant water in
VANS: Clark and Suzi now have seven vans covering the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol. your garden as mosquitos will create larvae and it does not take long for them to start hatching and causing a problem. Turn empty pots upside down, that sort of thing. Any pool or fountain, as long the water is moving, will be ok.
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12 - 18 March 2020
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38 EWN
12 - 18 March 2020
SPONSORED BY
www.euroweeklynews.com
CBN SUCCESS
CBN SUCCESS
www.euroweeklynews.com
SPONSORED BY
12 - 18 March 2020
EWN 39
Interview - Currencies Direct
Currencies Direct 2020 has already been quite dramatic in the world of currency, with the UK’s exit from the EU, Coronavirus fears and central bank speculation all driving movement in exchange rates. The volatility makes it difficult to time currency transfers effectively and ensure you’re getting the best deal when moving your money to or from Spain. But that’s where leading currency provider Currencies Direct come in. Today we’re talking to Paul Harrison, their Regional Sales Manager. How did Currencies Direct find 2019? “2019 was an exciting year for Currencies Direct in the northern Costa Blanca, with the opening of the new office in El Albir. We have seen an increase in the number of clients in that area over the last couple of years so we decided it was time to open an office there so we could provide a localised service for our growing British and Scandinavian customer base.” Based on your interactions with your clients, what impact has Brexit had on their desire to buy or sell property in the area? “Clients who move larger sums of money usually do so in relation to a property related purchase or sale. Perhaps surprisingly, Brexit does not seem to have impacted this in any negative way. There has been no noticeable difference in the numbers of British people looking to sell their properties in the area. As part of our national banking agreement in Spain we are able to deposit bankers drafts completely free of the usual Spanish banking charges, and as part of that service we usually meet vendors on the day of comple-
MOVING MONEY: Let us help you.
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As we look forward to the rest of 2020, clients want to take advantage of a recently strengthened Pound.
tion to assist them in banking their bankers drafts. Of all the clients that I have, I can’t recall anyone citing Brexit as a reason for them selling their property.” How are things likely to change in 2020? “As we look forward to the rest of 2020, the feedback from potential buyers at the moment is that they want to take advantage of a recently strengthened Pound, and some people will be looking to buy before the end of the transition period at the end of December 2020. Estate agencies are reporting a
stronger than expected number of enquiries from British clients in January. That said, as soon as anyone involved in the Brexit process speaks, there is some impact on the currency market. That’s why it’s so important for customers to speak to us if they want to maximise their savings on any currency transfers. With local offices on the northern Costa Blanca in Albir, Moraira and Javea, we are very accessible and our staff are always happy to share their market knowledge. Making sure they get the best possible exchange rate can help customers save thousands of euros on their property purchases or sales.” Have you got any advice for anyone planning to buy a property or remain in Spain after Brexit? “The advice for anyone looking to buy a property in Spain, or currently living here, is to make sure your paperwork is in order and to do things properly. If anyone is looking to fly under the radar they may have issues down the line, but for everyone else it is business as usual.”
About Currencies Direct: We’ve been helping people move money in and out of Spain since 1996 and have worked with more than 325,000 customers during that time. With excellent exchange rates, no transfer fees, local banking agreements and expert insight, we can help make your money go further. We also employ over 500 currency experts and have 16 Spanish branches (including our new branch in Albir) so we’re always close by when you need us.
40 EWN
12 - 18 March 2020
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