Cameron Diaz - Totally Marbella Magazine

MARBELLA
January & February 2015
Pre-Nuptial
Agreements
The 1938
Panic Broadcast
An EMPTY
Restaurant Review
The Cause of
Stock Market
Crashes
A Little Bit of
England - near Marbella
Ресторан, который
не разочарует
Cameron Diaz
on “Tallying Up a few Scars”
2
MARBELLACarole Malone “At last, a magazine worth reading”
MARBELLA
3
Contents
A Little Bit of England - Near Marbella
The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights in regards to
copyright of their work. No part of this work covered by copyright may be
reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written
consent of the publisher. Totally Marbella S.L. takes no responsibility for
claims made in advertisements in this magazine
©Totally Marbella S.L. Depósito Legal: MA 2277-2013
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MARBELLA
8
Biting the Hand that Feeds You
10
Life Codes with Heidi Sawyer
14
Avoid Surprises - Insurance for High Net Worth Individuals
16
The Power Struggle
22
A Miracle Slimming Treatment
24
A Spanish Will
28
An Empty Restaurant Review
32
The Panic Broadcast - A Popular Myth?
36
The Cause of Stock Market Crashes - Men
40
Restaurants that won’t Disappoint
42
An Interview with Cameron Diaz
44
How They Mislead Us
48
Positive Thinking
52
How Safe are you on Spanish Roads?
54
Pre-Nuptial Agreements
60
Is Blenheim Palace in Safe Hands?
64
Publisher Totally Marbella SL
Editor Sara Soto Obando
Email: [email protected]
Marbella Sales Office 951 190 489
Totally Marbella Magazine SL
Paseo de la Castellana 179
Planta 1 C1, 28046 Madrid
Telephone: 91 2865 689
Fax:
91 1881 475
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[email protected]
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Main and Sales Office: Hotel Puente Romano - Sales and Rental Office: Guadalpin Banus Hotel
A Little Bit of England Near Marbella
“As you start down
the path it is hard
to believe you are
in southern Spain;
it really is just like
being on a footpath in
Devon.”
by Emily Williams
E
ach autumn I go to stay with friends
who have a small hotel in Lynmouth in
Devon, a village that in the winter has just
70 inhabitants. I spend hours walking in the
hills and by the river; it’s wonderful, with
the cleanest air you will ever breathe and
absolutely peaceful. This year I couldn’t go,
like many from the UK, I need to retain that
connection with my roots.
A friend suggested that instead I take trip
up to Istan – of all places – and go for a
walk there. So, one day recently I rather
doubtfully made my way up to the village,
finding it hard to believe that there could
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MARBELLA
be anything remotely like Lynmouth in an
inland Spanish village. If approaching from
the centre of Marbella, the turning to Istan is
just after the Puente Romano hotel; it’s well
signposted, and it takes about half an hour
on the mountain road to get there.
As you enter the village you will see a fork in
the road; take the right-hand fork signposted
for Plaza del Calvareo, follow that road round
for about 100 metres, park wherever you
can then walk down that road, which is Calle
Calvareo. You take the first right off there,
and after about 50 metres you will reach
a footpath. As you start down the path it is
hard to believe you are in southern Spain;
it really is just like being on a footpath in
Devon.
You generally won’t see anyone else
along the way, although there is an elderly
gentleman who takes his goats for a walk
along the path, as we would a dog. Walking
to the end of the footpath and back at a
leisurely pace will take you half an hour.
However, if you are feeling energetic, you
can go for the day, as Istan has six hours of
country walks.
9
Biting the Hand
that Feeds You
by James Dunbar
T
hose who were around at the time will tell of how they can
remember exactly where they were and what they were doing
when they heard President Kennedy had been assassinated or
when 9/11 happened.
In the same way, I can remember exactly where I was in 1991
when I heard Gerald Ratner’s infamous speech to the Institute
of Directors. Although not a major disaster for the world, this was
certainly a personal disaster for Ratner.
Ratner, who’d left school with no qualifications, took over the Ratner
family jewellers business in 1984 at age 34. Most of their 100 shops
were loss making, but he quickly transformed the company into the
biggest jeweller in the world. He mounted audacious takeover after
audacious takeover until eventually the group had 2,500 shops and
annual profits of £121 million. Shares were worth 27p when he
took over; within two years, they rocketed to £4.20.
There were different parts to the group, some selling very expensive
jewellery and watches under various brand names, and the Ratner
chain of jewellers, which, although catering for the bottom end of
the market, was enormously profitable; more profitable per square
metre than any other retailer in Europe.
Britain was in the middle of a recession when Ratner was invited to
address 5,000 members of the Institute of Directors at the Royal
Albert Hall. Ratner was a very shrewd businessman, but he was
also rather mischievous and liked to introduce a little humour into
his speeches. Although it’s hard to believe, he says the speech he
made that night had been approved by his PR people and that he
had actually used the same material in a previous speech.
The talk was actually very good. Ratner spoke about their upmarket
division Zales, the diamond specialist, H. Samuel and Watches of
Switzerland, which was selling watches at up to £250,000 each.
Then he moved onto the original Ratner group, at which point
things started to go downhill. He said: “We do a cut-glass sherry
decanter complete with six glasses on a silver-plated tray your butler
can serve you drinks on, all for £4.95. People say, how can you sell
this for such a low price? I say because it is total crap.”
Gerald Ratner
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MARBELLA
I was driving along Kensington High Street, just passing Barkers
to be precise, tuned into Radio 4’s The World Tonight, listening to
Ratner’s speech. When he came out with the line about the product
being “crap” it raised a laugh, but not from me; I was appalled. I said
aloud, “Oh my God, what have you done”. Well what he had done –
at a stroke – was bring an enormously profitable group to its knees.
They do say that if you are in a hole, stop digging; but Ratner didn’t.
He went on to say: “We even sell a pair of gold earrings for under
£1, which is cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks & Spencer,
but I have to say that the sandwich will probably last longer than
the earrings.”
The press had a field day; I can remember a journalist who was at
the Royal Albert Hall telling me that once he was sure he had heard
Ratner correctly, he had ran to a phone box to call his editor. His
editor asked incredulously, “Are you absolutely sure he said that?”
The day after the speech, the Sun headline was “Rotners”; the
Mirror tastefully chose, “You 22-carat gold mugs”.
The company was in crisis; the group appointed a new chairman,
who proceeded to cut Ratner’s salary in half, withdraw his fleet of
cars and finally, and unceremoniously, sack him. Personal bankruptcy
and depression quickly followed.
For five years, all he did was cycle every day to combat his
depression. However, he reached a point where he could no longer
cycle, and he lay in bed unable to get up, watching repeat episodes
of Countdown. He tried to set up a consultancy firm, which failed,
and then tried, and failed, with another.
Ratner then had the idea to open a health club, and looked for
a bank to fund him. By this time, he didn’t have the greatest of
reputations. However, a bank was prepared to back him. But why?
They loaned him the money on the strength that he had 500
members registered before it had even opened. This much was
true, but what he didn’t tell the bank was that he had put an ad
in the local paper saying the membership was free. Nevertheless,
the club was a success, and he sold the business in 2001 for £3.9
million.
He went onto set up Gerald Online, his online jewellery business,
using half of the money from the health club sale; this has since
become Britain’s biggest online jeweller. He now lives in an
impressive Edwardian house, and there is a Bentley in the drive. He
cycles 22 miles a day and is content with his life. He admits that he
still makes mistakes, but perhaps not of such epic proportions as on
that fateful night in 1991.
11
Life Codes
January 2015
Life Codes are a combination of numerology and the tree of life. The tree of life is an ancient wisdom, when
combined with numerology it unlocks the secrets of your psyche to reveal new ways of discovering your
deepest potential.
To work our your Life Code add all the numbers in your birthdate until you return to a single figure. A
person born on the 25th July 1982 becomes 2+5+7+1+9+8+2=34. The end figure you add together until
it reaches a single figure. The example figure of 34 becomes 3+4=7 Life Code 7.
For the Life Codes calculator visit www.HeidiSawyer.com/LC
by Heidi Sawyer
Events that have previously been left hanging finally come to a conclusion. Decisions around your self-esteem and worth are much easier
to make. If the time has come to let go of something or someone then left go gracefully. Tidying up is the flavour of the month so if you
need to let go of something or someone who behaved in a hurtful manner then it’s a great time to do it. You’ll feel a sense of relief.
Money is becoming easier if you have finally got a handle on your income and outgoings. Life Code 1 has the habit of letting things drift,
presently it’s a great time to emotionally mature and handle your affairs.
This is your month of new beginnings. Relationships which have been up and down for a while start to get straightened out. Be careful
of unnecessary arguments. You are more honest than usual your communication skills are good. You have a wonderful opportunity to
be heard. New work projects have life this month. Clarity is essential right now as this is the time to set boundaries and see things from
truth. Money issues spring to life mostly to persuade you to tackle things head on rather than burying your head away from confrontation.
Personal affairs especially around friendship and true connection become important to you this month. You’ll start to see the benefit
of genuine situations rather than continue to entertain the superficial or overly dramatic. This month you’ll feel more confident in your
decisions.
Your tendency to rescue people is out of town. The days of feeling you’re the general dog’s body has come to an end. You’ll feel better
equipped to address your priorities. Spare a little time for those close to you, even have a weekend break or holiday. You’ve worked hard
enough to deserve it.
New beginnings are the spirit of this month so letting go of what doesn’t work for you is going through its preparation stage. People need
to decide if they are with you or not. If you’re leading a new project you have a busy month with getting the necessary paperwork in order
before plans are in place to get things moving. Bold statements and clear deadlines will enable people to see you’re serious. Relationships
take on a new direction this month. If you’ve been in two minds about a potential mate now is the time to choose. If you stall now, but
you want them later, they’ll have been snapped up.
You like things to have some semblance of order it helps you to keep secure in the world. This month is perfect for solving the past and
beginning to grow. You’ll feel more mature in your outlook and less emotional than you have been over the past year. This enables your
confidence in new projects to come to the fore. Great time for you to plan your year ahead, it will then feel much less overwhelming.
If finances need sorting out be brave this month to tidy up your bank balance and start to create a bright new future. If a new job is part
of that picture, get to work changing what you currently do.
This month you’re finally rolling forward even though it feels like baby steps at times. You’re now ready to embrace the new and you’re
excited about it. There are choices this month for you, perhaps too many. This will create confusion but instead of being immobilised by
it, make a bold step forward and go for what you actually want rather than continuing in the stop / start fashion you’ve been used to.
There are fewer places to hide and excuses to make. You’re going to need to finally tackle those fear monsters and take a bold step out
into the world. Trust that nothing can really shoot you down.
Your energy as a Life Code 4 is learning about the meaning of love. You are though extra cautious in all matters of the heart. This month
you may find yourself even more cautious than usual. It’s time to take a step back and a realistic look. What’s the worst that can happen?
More importantly: What’s the best that can happen? Others are looking for trouble. Your idea of methodical is your colleague’s idea of
procrastination. Don’t be intimidated but you do need to finish things up this month as the feel is that of endings. Family and friends
appear more argumentative than usual. Roll your eyes and keep out of it. You’ve got better things on your mind.
You are beginning to feel more settled and at peace with the world. Finances have the opportunity for a brighter year beginning. This
month is about endings, finishing before a beginning can reveal itself. If you’ve been in denial about change, an awakening is about to
happen. Boundaries set and favourable outcomes.
If you’ve recently upset someone close with your lack of availability, the resentment will ease up and things will get back to normal. You’ll
feel you have more of a central balance and focus. Your instinctual deeper senses are stronger this month, your intuitive senses become
more reliable as you learn to relax.
Major decisions should not be made this month from frustration or anger. If frustration is part of the picture then leave things until others
resolve their own issues and you can calm down. Any family difficulties will come to a conclusion this month. Previous arguments are
now settled, igniting them again only delays things.
Life Code 6 people often find themselves the centre of much attention and activity. Some of that is wanted, other times it isn’t. Be careful
not to get involved with gossip as it could get out of hand and others hurt. You’re a kind person so gossiping will only leave you with a
feeling of unease.
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February 2015
You’ll be tempted to withdraw this month into your internal world and explore the meaning of life whilst contemplating future courses
or new paths of education. This will involve you reading books on subjects you have an interest in to explore potential avenues deeper.
You’re looking for something new to inspire you to help manifest your sense of life purpose. As a Life Code 4 you like to experience
things in a solid form with plenty of progress this year is great under the energy of the soul’s progress for such an endeavour. If your
life purpose has eluded you, now you will start to see the way forward but remember the crucial aspect – Purpose comes from within.
You’re a bit confused at the moment as life is changing to something unfamiliar and unrecognisable territory. You can either go with
the flow and accept the changing path is beneficial to you in the long-term or try to punish those who want things to adjust. The latter
option will not entice compliance in fact the opposite will occur. You’re in danger of losing everything if you insist on having it your way.
Compromise and fair behaviour is necessary even if you can’t see things from a different point of view. Letting go will free your thinking
and take you on a new adventure, one which leads to more security. Travel is highlighted for you this month. Take the time to enjoy
yourself. Relationship wise this month you may be feeling a new beginning is necessary for things to work. Try not to trigger arguments
with loved ones, walk away into another room if necessary. At the moment you want to relax, and get to know yourself.
Your world is busy this month with lots of new beginnings and important decisions. It’s time to calm down, and get your priorities straight.
If you can’t get them straight in your outer world work on getting them straight in your head. This is your year of intuition this month allow
yourself to use it. It’s time to delegate, let others help you in the areas they know best whilst you stick to your strengths rather than trying
to do everything. Make more time this month for relationships and loved ones you have lots to learn from them as they have from you.
You’re now in the fast-track to soul development so make the most of what you learn from others.
After a previous time of turmoil and emotional loss in one sense or another, you are now getting back on an even keel. If there is anything
left to be said, that will happen this month as things start to come to a conclusion.
A long period of time where your life has been ruled by self-esteem issues now has its chance to finally solve and straighten out once
and for all. You have the opportunity to find your sense of self is stronger and let go of old habits, frameworks and family patterns. Take
the incredible opportunity for change.
New starts and transformation always brings a mixed response of heightened emotions for you. This month is full of new starts some of
them a welcome change, some of them a little unexpected. Try not to allow your thoughts to skip back to the past, this unleashes old
anxieties and it’s now time to step forward rather than worry about what could have been. Allow a sense of freedom, peace, and a tickle
of excitement to come into your life. Working relationships started this month could have an up and down motion to them but will in
time even out. Try not to feel too emotionally paranoid even if the circumstances call for it. You’re learning to trust more these days, the
trust is in your own ability to make intuitively correct decisions.
Life is quieter this month as events both internally and externally begin to slow down. Your emotional world has had its moments in
the last few months, now you’re feeling more settled it’s easier to make long-term commitments. Money wise life events start to solve
themselves so you can make better financial decisions.
It’s a great time for some rest and relaxation so if you haven’t yet had time to book your holiday, now is the time to decide where you’re
going. Now that you’ve calmed down, you’ll find people are a lot easier to get along with.
Transformative change begins this month but may not properly manifest for a little while longer. The changes feel too huge to handle in
the first instance but will soon transform into wonderful new opportunities. On balance, you’ll come out a lot stronger. It’s now time to
balance your life whilst accepting responsibility for yourself. The acceptance of responsibility will bring instant relief and a settled inner
world. It’s been a long time coming but the instant acceptance will help things to move forward substantially. Keep working to balance the
family finances and you’ll get there even if it feels a long way off. You’re distracted this month so it’s not the best time to start relationships
both on the personal and work front. Concentrate on getting your priorities straightened out so your confidence can grow.
You like to see the finished product of all that you start. This month you’ll see the end result of many things you’ve been working hard
on. Conclusions, seeing your results from all your personal efforts and development make life richly rewarding for you. If you’ve been in
a ball of procrastination you need to get out. If you have recently been following the flow of the Life Code 9’s natural energy you’ll be
feeling much lighter than you have done in recent times. All that hard work will start to pay off and you’ll start to feel proud of yourself.
Relationships are easier because you’re feeling better not because the person has changed. Confidence is your key this month, let it rise
to the surface and make the most of things.
You’re being asked to take on new roles and responsibilities in the home and work place. This is both an exciting and daunting time. All
the recognition you’ve been desperate for is about to land in your lap. Suddenly you move from invisible to completely seen. Last month
you were completing unfinished business. This month you’re starting afresh. Health worries relating to stress have and will continue to be
on your mind. Relationships take on a new guise and level of commitment. Unsavoury characters you’ve been holding onto finally begin
to drop into the background. Popular at work, your opinion and abilities are starting to be seen by those who matter the offers begin to
come in. You have more attention for personal relationships. Focus on making these strong.
MARBELLA
15
DENTAL CLINIC
Our objective is the satisfaction of all our patients by offering
our best personalised quality treatments.
Avoid
Surprises
Insurance for High Net Worth Individuals
W
hat follows is an example of an actual
case: Mr. and Mrs. Granger are British
and own a nice villa on the Costa del Sol.
They have happily spent the last eight years
in Spain, but recently had an unfortunate
experience. During a trip abroad, a neighbour
informed them that their home had been
burgled. They cut short their holiday and
flew home. After passing through security
at the airport, in the middle of the stress,
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MARBELLA
Mr. Smith realised that he had lost his iPad,
valued at e800.
Back at home, they found that amongst other
things several valuable items were missing:
silverware valued at e16,000, an eighteenthcentury cuckoo clock valued at e10,000
and a stamp collection valued at e8,000.
Additionally there was some damage to
a window and a door. They immediately
contacted their insurers, and discovered that
not all the items were covered and therefore
they were not able to claim for everything
they had lost. The iPad was classed by the
insurer as a “loss” rather than theft, and so
was not covered. The clock’s value was not
taken into consideration because it was not
individually declared in the policy as a special
valuable object; the same rule was applied to
the silverware.
Our COIMAR team of doctors and hygienists are in constant training and regular seminars in
order to offer you the newest treatments available.
• We always find a way to treat our patients in the least aggressive manner.
Therefore we strongly believe in the importance of prevention check-ups every
6 months.
• “Teeth in 1 hour” Having a 3D radiography, our own exclusive laboratory and
our specialist team of doctors will enable you have the best smile in Marbella,
without delay.
• 24 h, emergencies at weekends: we look after you 7 days a week.
• Sedation: Clinic COIMAR offers you all the treatments with Sedation.
• Specialists in the gentle care of children’s teeth, treating those small mouths
and teeth making it a fun time. We have a kid’s waiting room and perfectly suited
treatment room to relax them.
Dental Esthetics | Dentineers | Implants | Incrustations | Orthodontic treaments
Preventive check ups | Root Canals | Sedation | Sinus elevation | Whitening
C/ Estébanez Calderón, 6.
Edf. Nereira Poseidón Local 9
29602 Marbella (Málaga)
+34 952 771 464
[email protected]
So can standard off-the-shelf insurance
provide adequate coverage for those
who own luxury homes where high-value
buildings and contents coverage is required?
5
As the owner of a high-value home, you
probably take great care when choosing
your financial advisors or when deciding on
whether to make a particular investment.
Many people do not take the same care
when selecting an insurer for their home,
however.
6
Nearly all High Net Worth householders (97
percent) insure their property with a standard
off-the-shelf insurance policy, simply because
many are unaware that specialised High Net
Worth insurance exists.
7
Standard off-the-shelf insurance is fine
for standard homes, but if you have
a little more to protect, or if you lead
a dynamic lifestyle, then a standard
policy is unlikely to provide you with
the coverage you need, as Mr. and Mrs.
Granger’s case shows. Unfortunately,
this usually only comes to light when
you make a claim, and many realise that
saving a few euros on the premium can
mean losing thousands of euros in the
event of an actual claim.
10 Reasons why
you should get
a quote from a
specialised High
Net Worth Insurer:
1
A specialist High Net Worth Insurer only
insures high-value, quality homes, and
will therefore understand your needs and
requirements far better than a mass market
insurer would.
2
They will arrange for an Independent
Valuer to visit the property and advise
on the correct sums insured, and all aspects
of security and precautions vis-à-vis fire and
burglary.
3
You will have the benefit of a worldwide
“All Risks Covered” programme and
much broader coverage in general.
4
High Net Worth policies tend to be
“warranty free”—in other words, no
restrictive clauses that can cause problems
in the event of a claim.
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MARBELLA
The limits and sub-limits will be much
higher and will be far better-suited to the
dynamic lifestyle of those with high-value
possessions to protect.
No average clause will generally apply,
and buildings tend to be insured on an
“Extended Reconstruction Value”, meaning
that in the event of a total loss, the insurer
will bear the full cost of reconstruction of
your home, even if it is greater than the sum
insured.
High Net Worth Insurers will provide
coverage that addresses the multitude
of new risks facing wealthy families—for
example, when an artist dies and a work of
“Standard off-the-shelf
insurance is fine for
standard homes, but if
you have a little more to
protect, or if you lead a
dynamic lifestyle, then
a standard policy is
unlikely to provide you
with the coverage you
need.”
art goes up in value, high-risk insurers will
normally take this into account, even if they
hadn’t previously been informed. Other risks
covered include defective titles, stolen credit
cards, new possessions, emergency travel,
acquired disability coverage and much
more.
8
Communication with specialist High Net
Worth Insurers tends to be fluid and
based on good old-fashioned common
sense, as opposed to the more modern
“one size fits all” approach that so many
mass-market insurance companies seem to
have adopted.
9
High Net Worth Insurers and Brokers
tend to make the whole claims
experience far more bearable and will not
have you running around getting endless
quotes. In fact, recent studies show that up
to 40 percent of claims paid under a High
Net Worth policy would not be covered
under a standard policy.
10
A tailored High Net Worth product
need not cost more than a massmarket product, and can in fact often
cost less—in particular if the sums insured
are very high or if there is a considerable
collection of art and/or antiques.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger received a pay-out of
just e8,000, when they could have received
e34,800 if they had been insured under a
High Net Worth policy. This prompted them
to study their case with an insurance
broker, who advised them to take out
insurance with a specialised company.
They finally decided to extend their
home protection and changed to a
High Net Worth Insurer that provided
the specific coverage they needed. The
additional benefits provided by the new
policy were worth the change.
We hope that this article has highlighted
that there is a little more to insuring a
high-value home than simply going with
the cheapest quote, and just because
there is a global household brand
name attached to the policy does not
necessarily mean that the coverage
is suitable for high-value homes and
dynamic lifestyles.
This is where a specialist High Net
Worth Broker can be of great assistance,
as he or she will be able to identify the
insurance that is best suited to your
requirements, and will discuss your
personal requirements and highlight any
specific areas you should be aware of.
The Broker can advise you on the differences
between the types of coverage available in
Spain when compared to northern Europe,
and proactively service your policy. In
particular, the Broker can ensure that if you
are unfortunate enough to have to make a
claim, it will be dealt with swiftly, fairly and
professionally.
Written by Danni Worth,
of Op de Beeck & Worth
Insurance Brokers
Sánchez & Beck Abogados es un despacho especializado en todo tipo de
procedimientos judiciales de materia civil, penal, administrativa, mercantil
e inmobiliario, así como asesoramiento extrajudical, emisión de dictámenes
e informes jurídicos e intervención en compraventas y otros contratos.
Nuestra filosofía es la del trabajo serio y profesional, prestando a nuestros
clientes un servicio directo y personalizado.
Sánchez & Beck Abogados is a law firm that specialises in all kinds of court
proceedings of civil, criminal, administrative, company and real estate
nature as well as in delivery of legal opinions, advice, legal reports and
intervention in sale/purchase operations and other contracts.
Our philosophy is that of responsible and professional work and rendering
a direct and one-to-one service to our clients.
Sánchez & Beck Avocats est un cabinet d’avocats spécialisés dans
les procédures judiciaires de tous types; en matière civile, pénale,
administrative, commerciale et dans l’immobilier, ainsi que dans le conseil
juridique, dans l’émission de rapports et d’expertises juridiques et dans le
contrat de vente et d’achat et autres contrats.
Notre philosophie est celle d’un travail sérieux, professionnel, assurant à
nos clients un service directe et personnalisé.
C/ Notario Luis Oliver 6, 6º - 29600 Marbella, Málaga
Tel. +34 952 903 306 • Fax +34 952 902 608
[email protected]
www. abogadosmarbella.net
The
Power
Struggle
One of the many and varied joys of spending
a large part of each year in our home in
southern Spain is the thrill of opening
the pile of post delivered in our absence.
Despite owning a home here for nearly 12
years, it is a matter of great regret that our
grasp of Spanish is limited fundamentally to
the essentials; ordering a meal and a drink
while using the fail-safe pointing and smiling
system developed over many a gruelling
evening. So while bills can be neatly stacked
on one area of the kitchen table, any
letters, particularly from utility companies or
government or tax departments, are carefully
scrutinised for a hint of their meaning. Clearly,
we are “esteemed clients”, I get that. But
thereafter, the words are simply a jumble on
the page and the attachments, which look
even more daunting and important, appear
unfathomable gibberish.
It is at times like this that our wonderful
Spanish cleaner/angel rides to the rescue.
Her English shames us, even though she
is married to an Englishman (no excuse I
know!). It is only ever on her arrival that we
learn that a visit was planned to a) repair a
valve on the boiler b) check the gas supply
or c) cut us off for underpaying by €3 due
to an unexpected shortage of funds in the
Spanish bank account. All of these events
were to take place, naturally, while we
were thousands of miles away in blissful
ignorance, or at home, as we prefer to call it!
So it was on our most recent arrival. On a
previous visit, we discovered we were being
“fined” by Endesa to the tune of €90 per
month due the kW rating of our meter.
I hadn’t actually fitted the meter myself,
having assumed that was their job, and
had never applied for a particular kW rating
when we bought the apartment from the
friendly and helpful developer. However,
I now needed to (as my wife would say)
“deal with it”, and found myself on my way
to old town Marbella in the company of our
cleaner/angel who had insisted on picking
me up, driving me and acting as interpreter
in helping to resolve this matter.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of a trip to
these offices, I really think you’re missing
22
MARBELLA
out on one of the genuine experiences of
Spanish living. First, you need to get up at
some ungodly hour like 7.30 am so that
you can get into Marbella and park. The
parking place of choice for our cleaner/angel
is a bombsite high above the town where
a young man who has acquired the badge
of office of all parking attendants (a high-vis
vest) will accept your cash and allow you to
park in this particular spot. You then make
your way by foot to the offices themselves,
which are ideally situated up a cramped
and narrow side street not far from Orange
Square.
Unprepossessing is the word that springs
to mind most readily. If you were expecting
shiny, state-of-the-art offices with a whizzy
reception and lots of steel and glass you
would be dreadfully disappointed. Outside,
at 8.10 am, there is already a gathering of
“esteemed clients” dodging the traffic and
jostling for position.
You have to announce your arrival very
clearly to establish who is last in line before
you, and then ensure that any subsequent
“esteemed clients” arriving are fully appraised
of their place in the hierarchy developing on
the pavement as the temperature increases
considerably.
The offices do not open until 9 am, but this
is only what you might call a preliminary
queue. Once the old wooden doors covered
in typed instructions creak open both slowly
and grudgingly, you have to fight your way
through to be greeted by a young lady
whose days on the customer service course
were sadly wasted. Her job is to organise
what I will call the queue proper; you are
handed a ticket, on which there is a number
that will be called when you are considered
esteemed enough to be dealt with.
The excitement at this stage is so intense
that it is sometimes difficult to remember
the purpose of your visit. Getting a seat
in front of one of these highly trained and
motivated operatives seems somehow to
be reward enough in itself. But the queue
proper does at least afford you time to take
in the shabbiness and total air of neglect in
the offices; every expense has clearly been
spared.
The objects of your (now) raging desire sit
behind small metal desks that house huge
computer screens and telephones. There is
also a forest of Post-it notes, a large amount of
personal detritus and all sorts of handwritten
sheets, one of which, I’d be prepared to
bet, says in Spanish, “You don’t have to be
mad to work here…”. Still, as you sit in the
by David Lawson
stifling heat, with the slightly acrid scent of
more and more “esteemed clients” talking
ever more animatedly on their mobile
phones and invading your personal space,
you are at least safe in the knowledge that
you have your numbered ticket and, at some
stage, you will be dealt with.
When that finally happens, a rush of
gratitude and relief and joy wash over you,
a bit like being a supporter of the Spanish
national football team not all that long ago,
I imagine. As soon as you scoot into the
seat on the esteemed side of the desk of
course, the operative lumbered with the job
of dealing with your query always seems to
have some pressing business involving her
neighbouring operative, the acquisition of
chewing gum (apparently essential for all of
them) or a phone conversation that simply
cannot wait. When what she can spare of
her attention is with you, the matter of the
fine, the meter, the kW supply level, et al. is
both swiftly and sympathetically dealt with.
Only thanks, of course, to the presence of
my native-speaking cleaner/angel who, as
we skip out of the office laughing slightly
hysterically and high-fiving each other down
the cobbled street, is to be rewarded with a
coffee at the best place in town!
So that, you may think, is that. But that is as
far from that as that can be actually, as we
discovered on arriving back this time. After
our visit to their offices, they had written to
us to confirm everything that was agreed
at the meeting. Unfortunately, this involved
signing and returning an attached form
within 20 days of that visit. Since we had
left the country seven days after the heady
excitement of spending a few hours in their
offices, the letter lay unopened for over a
month, meaning none of the agreed actions
were carried through.
Your lawyer,
your accountant.
Working together
for you.
Your business is in good hands at marbella’s leading spanish
property lawyers, accountants and tax consultants.
Also, to make your legal and financial matters easier for you
to understand, at arcos & lamers asociados we speak
several languages including spanish, english,
dutch, German and french.
¨civil legal and extrajudicial proceedings
¨purchase and sale of real estate
¨tax law: tax and accounting advice
¨corporate law, trade companies
¨inheritance, wills and succession
¨spanish employment advice
¨trademarks and patents
¨criminal law
¨bankruptcy proceedings
¨legal and fiscal advice in general
maite arcos & wim lamers
Laugh? Well, no, not really.
avda. ricardo soriano, 12 · edif marqués de salamanca, 10 -3 · 29601 marbella · tel: +(34) 952 775 010 · fax: +(34) 952 900 577
www.arcos-lamersasociados.com | email: [email protected]
23
A MIRACLE
Slimming
Treatment?
by Lucia Stephens de la Rosa
I
onithermie is a treatment that that will
remove unwanted inches instantly – or will
it? This treatment is most commonly offered
on cruise ships, and of course it is no
coincidence that this is where many people
tend to eat and drink to excess; it must
seem attractive to lose the inches you are
putting on during the course of the cruise.
It has been hailed as a “miracle” treatment
for slimming, skin toning and the removal
of cellulite.
Over the years, I have looked at lots of
treatments and sadly have never come
across anything that remotely resembles a
miracle. But there will always be those who
opt for a treatment that offers an alternative
to the simple and straightforward – but less
appealing – way of losing weight, namely
eating less and exercising.
This lengthy treatment starts with the body
being brushed with a dry brush, similar to
a hairbrush. I have been skin brushing for
years. The skin is the body’s largest organ,
and a third of your toxins are excreted
through it; my understanding is that dry
brushing assists in unclogging the pores and
excreting toxins that have become trapped
in the skin. Some people believe that skin
24
MARBELLA
25
brushing can assist with weight loss, but
could this be a bit of window dressing when
incorporated in the Ionithermie treatment?
The treatment continues with a shower,
which is what you should do after skin
brushing. The areas you aim to lose weight
from are then covered with an algae-infused
clay, before electrodes are placed on the clay
and a current applied to make the muscles
twitch. But can clay and making muscles
twitch really help you lose weight? Is there
any scientific evidence that this works? I am
aware of no such evidence.
One website for a clinic that offers this
treatment claims: “Just one session of
the Ionithermie ‘Body Melt’, worldwide
established French instant slimming and
anti-cellulite treatment, and – Voilà! – your
favourite dress fits perfectly again!” Really?
They go on to say: “Ionithermie is the only
cosmeceutical treatment to detoxify the
body at the cellular level. The treatment
gives immediate sustainable inch loss of up
to eight inches per treatment.”
But what is cosmeceutical? No such word
existed until about 20 years ago, when the
cosmetics industry invented it to describe a
cosmetic product claimed to have medicinal
or drug-like benefits. So can this treatment
make you lose the inches it claims to?
Wrapping yourself in hot clay will cause you
to sweat a lot; if you cover part of the body
with anything – even old rags – and make
it sweat, then it will shrink. However, this is
a temporary effect, and will probably last for
less than a day. Many of the clinics offering
Ionithermie treatment claim the effects can
last for months.
Aromatherapy is often introduced as part
of the package, and I am always wary of
packages where a product or service is
padded out with various components; often
there is no reason other than to justify the
high cost.
Weight loss and anti-ageing treatments is
a multi-billion dollar industry, and when it
comes to marketing and packaging, no
expense is spared; the practitioners are
highly trained in convincing you to part with
your money. That is not to suggest they
will all pull the tape tight when carrying
out the “after” measurements, but it is not
unheard of, and perhaps sometimes done
unconsciously.
M O N A C O
E X C E P T I O N A L
P R I V A T E
V I L L A
The sales people in the diet and anti-ageing
industry are highly trained. Some of you
will have been approached, as I was in a
shopping centre in Madrid, by someone
selling anti-ageing creams. They will walk
up to you and before you know it, they are
applying the cream to one side of your face.
Then they show you in a mirror how one
side of you face has less lines and wrinkles,
and indeed it does. So have we at last found
a miracle treatment? Well, not really; one
side of your face does indeed have less
lines and wrinkles, but then it did before
they applied the cream, as our faces rarely
age in the same way on both sides. You may
have thought that they randomly chose one
side of your face, but what the experienced
sales person actually did was make a splitsecond assessment before choosing where
to apply the cream.
Perhaps one day there will be a slimming
treatment that allows people to eat as much
as they like, or a face cream that will put
all cosmetic surgeons out of business, but I
wouldn’t bet on it.
So is Ionithermie worth trying? If you are on
a cruise, you have the time and want to be
pampered, why not? Although the exercise
bike would probably do you a lot more
good.
n Marvellous Belle Epoque property of 900 sqm
plus terraces
n Option to extend by 800 sqm or more
n Original period features and 4 metre high celings
n Confidential file on application
n €26,5 million
CA ROLINE OLDS REAL ESTATE
The British Agency
26
MARBELLA
www.carolineolds.com
Please call +377 93 25 86 66/+33 680 86 82 16
Email. [email protected]
A Spanish Will
DES0708
by Rafael Berdaguer
or stirred…
when repatriating your
funds back to the UK
Get more money when making international
money transfers with Moneycorp.
M
any foreign citizens in recent times
have invested in real estate in Spain.
Having gone through the experience of
buying the property, they are now enjoying
their time here and life in the sun. However,
a number of those who own property here
fall into the older age group. Therefore,
they, and indeed anyone who would like
to save their heirs legal complications on
their death, are strongly advised to make a
Spanish will, which will make for a speedy
and smooth transfer of their Spanish estate.
Advantages of having a Spanish will
The will is a vehicle that will allow a person
(“the testator”) to dispose of his or her
assets upon their death to their chosen
heirs. Wills have existed in virtually all ancient
civilisations and today remain a useful tool
in the majority of legal systems throughout
28
MARBELLA
“Wills have existed in
virtually all ancient
civilisations and today
remain a useful tool
in the majority of legal
systems throughout the
world.”
the world. Where foreigners have assets
in Spain, the advantage of executing a
Spanish will is mainly to save the heirs
administrative delays upon the death of the
testator, thus allowing the Spanish part of
their estate to be wound up without delay
and simultaneously with their foreign estate.
Apart from the Spanish will, only two other
documents are required to transfer the
assets in Spain to the heirs:
1) The death certificate of the testator;
if they die outside of Spain it must be
translated into Spanish by a registered
translator, and notarised and legalised
at the relevant office in the foreign
country, and
2) A certificate from the Registro
de Ultimas Voluntades in Madrid
confirming that the testator has left a
To find out how easy it is, pop in for a chat
or call us on +34 952 587 657,
email [email protected]
or visit moneycorp.com/spain
will executed before a public notary,
and also confirming that it is the last
will left by the testator. The Registro
de Ultimas Voluntades is an official
registry where all wills executed before
a Spanish notary are recorded. Once a
Spanish will has been made, the notary
concerned is required to provide the
registry with the following information:
The particulars of the testator, name of
the notary, date and protocol number
of the will.
When a testator makes a will, under Spanish
law the latest version will always supersede
any previous will; therefore, the testator’s
last will is always the one that appears in
the register. At the registry office, wills
written and notarised abroad can also be
registered in Spain, providing they have
been translated into Spanish and legalised.
Legalised means that the relevant office in
that country has officially authenticated the
will and it has been witnessed and signed
and sealed by a notary.
With the two documents described above
and a notarised copy of the Spanish will, the
appointed heirs or someone with the power
of attorney, usually a lawyer, can carry out
the necessary legal work to ensure that
30
MARBELLA
the assets are transferred to the appointed
heirs. A deed has to be submitted to the
Spanish inland revenue for payment of
death duties within six months of the death
of the testator, and once the tax has been
paid and the deed has been lodged with
the land registry, the assets will pass into the
names of the appointed heirs.
“If someone dies without
having a Spanish will, the
heirs will need to contact
a firm of solicitors in
their own country in
order to wind up the
foreign estate.”
If someone dies without having a Spanish
will, the heirs will need to contact a firm of
solicitors in their own country in order to
wind up the foreign estate. If the will in that
country has made provision for the Spanish
assets, a Grant of Probate will have to be
obtained through that country’s courts to
sanction the legal heirs to the part of the
estate left in Spain.
If a person dies intestate, the courts in their
home country will need to establish who
the legal heirs to the estate are. When this
has been established and probate has been
granted, this will have to be translated into
Spanish by a registered translator, notarised
and legalised. By the time the heirs have
gone through this lengthy and costly
process, the six-month statutory time limit
allowed to submit a return for death duties
in Spain that pertain to the Spanish assets
will most likely have passed, and surcharges
and penalties will be added to the tax bill.
Therefore, the advice to all foreign property
owners in Spain is to make a Spanish will.
Rafael Berdaguer, lawyer from
the firm Rafael Berdaguer
Abogados based in Marbella,
Spain
31
An EMPTY
Restaurant Review
D
espite visiting two restaurants for this edition, we have no
restaurant review for our readers. If we print a review, it is
because the restaurant is good, not because we have been paid
to do so.
So what happened? Well, both restaurants are ones you will probably
know, and are located in nice settings. In the first establishment,
when the waiter came to take our order we weren’t quite ready,
so we asked if we could have a moment
longer. After 20 minutes, none of the waiters
on duty were anywhere to be found, so I
went to look for our waiter and found him in
the bar, which rather irritated him because
I interrupted him sending a “WhatsApp”
message.
The evening continued in the same vein,
and we were made to feel that the waiters
were doing us a favour. The shame is that
the food was actually very good. However,
if a restaurant has a nice setting, good food
but poor service, it is not an establishment
we can recommend. It’s a management
problem but easily rectified; they need to
re-train their staff.
Then there was the house wine. We always order house wine
because a house wine should be good. Our waitress gently tried
to steer us off the house wine, so I guessed it wasn’t going to be
good, and it wasn’t. It wasn’t like a carton of Don Simon, but I would
guarantee that you could buy a bottle in the supermarket for two
Euros and it would taste better. A restaurant should be proud of its
house wine, not have one that forces you to order something more
expensive; that should be a matter of choice.
This means there is nothing to recommend for this edition, but do
look at the Restaurants that won’t disappoint section – they are all
fine establishments.
MARBELLA
Gaucho Restaurant, Tower Bridge
M
any of those who reside in Marbella also have property in
London, so I thought I would tell you about my experience
when I went to Gaucho, at Tower Bridge, just before Christmas.
Situated next to the Shard and with Tower Bridge right in front of the
restaurant, it’s a great setting; the interior is lovely, with low lighting.
Eight of us went and had a set menu.
The starter was cured, braised and spitroasted beef. It seemed a strange starter
because it was like a main course; quite
honestly that would have done it for me:
I was ready for the dessert. We were then
each served a platter with six different cuts
of beef, consisting of rib eye, rump, flank,
sirloin, fillet and skirt. It was enormous, and
I probably ate about 10 percent of it. Those
amongst us with a really big appetite ate
about half and left the rest. So what was the
point in serving a dish that hardly anyone
can eat? It was described on the menu as
a feast of hedonistic pleasure. This was
followed by Malbec sorbet and a cheese
platter that nobody touched. We were offered a digestif; but the
digestive I really needed was an Alka Seltzer.
“Our starters, which were
hot – or meant to be –
had clearly been in the
microwave; parts were
very hot but they were
cold in the middle.”
The second restaurant we visited was the reverse; the service was
great but the food wasn’t. We had a lovely waitress who was very
kind and attentive, but our starters, which were hot – or meant to
be – had clearly been in the microwave; parts were very hot but
they were cold in the middle. When the main courses came, the
plates were cold and the food lukewarm.
32
by Daniela
The service was faultless, but the bill was something else: for the
eight of us it came to £1,600. Was it worth it? At around 250 euros
a head I can’t see how it was, since we left most of what was served
uneaten. I suppose they have got it right, though: the restaurant was
absolutely packed. As one table was vacated it was quickly cleared
and prepared for the next guests, who were waiting in the bar. The
manager / head waiter who gave us the bill told us service was
included and that it all went to our waitress. So we checked with the
waitress as we left to make sure that was the case: “Well yes” she
replied hesitantly, which I read as “Well no”.
Anyone who thinks that some of Marbella’s restaurants are
expensive should give some of the central London restaurants a
try: it really puts things into perspective. And then there are the
taxis. You should never ask a London taxi driver how things are; but
if you do, he will tell you they haven’t had a good year since the
1958 London bus driver strike. Meanwhile the meter goes sky-high;
sometimes you are tempted to get out before your stop, just to
stop it from going any higher. I think I’ll stick to Marbella restaurants
and taxis.
33
Sotogrande - Price on Application
Ref: 127639
A unique villa situated in the heart of Sotogrande. Meticulously
constructed to the highest standards and offering incredible sea views.
On the ground level there are two large bedrooms both of which
have en-suite bathrooms. There is a home office and for those relaxing
evenings an eight seater cinema room with wc. The fully fitted, top of
the range kitchen also has a second industrial kitchen for entertaining.
The living room with generous dimensions and room for dining
completes this floor and leads out on to the large wrap around terrace
which looks out over a good sized garden.
The semi-basement features an enormous entertainment room
decorated in Ancient Egyptian sculptures and motifs. On this level are
a further two en-suite bedrooms both with natural light and ventilation.
There is also a gym area. Then perhaps one of the most distinctive
and stunning rooms ever to be encountered: a scaled down replica of
a famous London West-End Theatre. With room for up to fifty guests
and featuring a stage and elegant regal boxes it is the perfect place to
enjoy private performances of all your favorite theatre shows.
Build: 2.000m2 Plot: 3.040m2 Beds: 8 Baths: 8
Guadalmina Baja - 8.500.000€ Ref: 127343
An incredible villa, situated in a quiet cul-de-sac, only minutes from
the acclaimed Guadalmina Spa & Golf Resort Hotel and the sandy
Guadalmina beach. The property combines the flavour of an original
Moorish design by the well-known architect Cesar de Leyva, with
modern, luxurious living standards.
The stunning gardens are a particular feature and have been designed
in the style of Madison Cox, the same gardener who oversaw the layout
of the famous gardens within the Morrocan home of French fashion
designer Yves Saint Laurent.
Accommodation comprises a very spacious living room with fireplace
and french windows, a separate dining room with a charming covered
terrace with barbeque and Andalusian fountain, kitchen equipped with
the most modern appliances including a cold room/larder and breakfast
area.
The upper floor hosts the master bedroom suite and one of the most
amazing bathrooms we have seen! The fifth bedroom suite is also on the
upper floor with its own fully decked roof terrace.
Build: 1.178m2 Plot: 3.979m2 Beds: 5 Baths: 6
34
MARBELLA
35
The
PANIC BROADCAST
- a Popular Myth?
by James Dunbar
A
n adaptation of H.G. Wells’ science
fiction story The War of the Worlds
was broadcast on radio by Orson Welles’
Mercury Theatre Group on October 30,
1938. It later became known as the “Panic
Broadcast”. What the group did that night
has been done many times since, but at
the time it was almost unheard of; they
created the radio play to sound as if it were
a quite different radio broadcast being
36
MARBELLA
interrupted by alarming newsflashes, giving
the impression that the state of New Jersey
was being invaded by Martians.
This is said to have caused widespread panic
throughout the United States. The story goes
that phone lines were jammed as people
tried to call the police, while many are said
to have fled their homes and congregated
in churches. It is also claimed that some
contemplated suicide, whilst others armed
themselves. The problem, it is claimed,
was that listeners tuned into the radio
programme part way through the broadcast
and didn’t realise it wasn’t true. But did it
really cause the panic that we have been led
to believe it did by the newspapers of the
day, and by the subsequent books written
and films made about that memorable night
in 1938?
37
After all, just how many people would have
tuned into this radio programme part way
through? Millions? It is claimed by those who
support the mass panic claim that many
households tuned into the programme
during the musical interlude on the popular
“Chase and Sanborn Hour”; however, there
were many other shows they could have
tuned into, as it wasn’t the only radio station
around.
A ratings firm that was conducting a survey
that night confirmed that just 2% of the
American public was listening, and of
course many of those would have listened
to the programme from the start and not
believed it was real. This is not consistent
with accounts of the whole United States
being placed into wild panic. Also, it doesn’t
account for the fact that there would have
been some voices of reason around,
perhaps pointing out that Martians, like
Dracula and Frankenstein, don’t really exist.
Over the years, this has prompted
researchers to look for proof of widespread
panic throughout America that night, and
real evidence has been very conspicuous by
its absence. It is certainly true that phone
lines did become jammed as people tried to
phone the police and authorities, probably in
38
MARBELLA
most cases just looking for confirmation that
the whole thing was a hoax. Where there
was any panic, it was probably confined to
New Jersey and New York – in other words,
closest to home.
It is certainly true that
phone lines did become
jammed as people tried
to phone the police and
authorities, probably in
most cases just looking
for confirmation that the
whole thing was a hoax.
Interestingly, if what is claimed were true,
you would have expected researchers to
find cases of injuries caused by panicked
masses trampling others underfoot as
they attempted to escape the attack, and
even increased cases of heart attacks, but
hospitals in the affected areas reported little
evidence of this. Law enforcement agencies
also had little to report in this respect.
There is, however, a much more likely
explanation as to how this was blown out
of all proportion, which relates to how the
newspapers chose to report the incident. At
the time, newspaper advertising revenues
had declined drastically. The culprit? Radio
stations. This then became an opportunity
for the newspaper industry to collectively
demonise the broadcasting companies to
prove to advertisers and regulators alike
that radio management was irresponsible
and not to be trusted. It became a crusade
against radio, an attempt to drive people
back to newspapers by discrediting radio as
a source of news.
Of course, the newspaper industry would
later find that radio was the least of their
worries when, in the late 1940s, television
broadcasts began. In 1948, there were
102,000 TV sets in the United States, with
two-thirds of them in the New York area.
Today, the US has a population of 316
million people, 290 million of them have
TV sets and over 75% of households have
access to the internet. A bit of competition
from the radio station that broadcast The
War of the Worlds must seem like a dream
compared to the competition newspapers
face today.
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•
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39
The Cause of
Stock Market
Crashes - Men
E
ven since the South Sea Bubble in the
1720s (up until its collapse, the very
poorly run South Sea Company offered
investors guaranteed interest of 6% pa),
when many investors lost everything,
markets have been crashing on a regular
basis. As caution turns into enthusiasm,
enthusiasm turns into over exuberance,
followed by fear, panic and a massive sell
off. So why does history keep repeating
itself?
Well, it’s now official; men are the cause of
stock market crashes. A recent study carried
out by State Street found that men suffer
from something called “self-attribution
bias”, which is believed to be of particular
significance in the world of finance. State
Street’s Suzanne Duncan, who is responsible
for research and thought leadership for the
investment management industry, says this
40
MARBELLA
means that when things go well for men –
for example, when there are large gains in
the fund they are managing – they tend to
be very self-congratulatory, but when things
go wrong they look to blame others.
This makes them over confident, and
when markets are rising, rather than simply
accepting that almost everybody makes
money in a bull market, they start to believe
that the success is due to their special skills,
which means they are less able to spot
a bubble when it is on the way. Because
they are quick to blame, they are less able
to learn from their mistakes. One of the
biggest downsides of blaming others is that
you cannot learn; there is nothing to learn
if it’s always someone else’s fault, so the
mistakes tend to be repeated.
Women on the other hand are less self-
by James Dunbar
congratulatory when things are going well,
and generally blame themselves when
they are not. So what is the answer? Well,
if women make up 50% of those working
in this field, we presumably have a 50%
chance of avoiding the downfalls of “selfattribution bias”. The trouble is, women
don’t make up 50% of those working in
the investment world. They only account for
10% of those in traditional finance and 5%
of those in venture capital and private equity
companies. In hedge funds, this figure drops
to just 3%.
So, it would appear that we need more
women working in these fields; but of
course, with men likely to be the employers
in more than 90% of the cases, we shouldn’t
expect this to happen any time soon.
“
I know you
better than you
know yourself
Book your Life Plan Reading with
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”
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Part 1: Archetypes - The goal and mission of your
life. What you are here to do.
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way and stop sabotaging yourself.
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talents that are uniquely yours, that others
can see but you don’t notice.
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41
Restaurants that
Won’t Disappoint
There are some wonderful restaurants in Marbella; below
are those that we have managed to review so far – and
can highly recommend.
Café de Ronda
La Trattoria
The best coffee in Marbella and some
very un-café like high-quality food. Their
solomillo con salsa bearnesa, which is really
tender beef served with a béarnaise sauce,
is definitely worth trying.
A real Italian restaurant with great authentic
Italian food and wine. The menu is very
varied and they serve a wonderful selection
of Italian cheeses you won’t find anywhere
else. The service is impeccable.
Ramón Gomez de la Serna 23. (two minutes
walk from Marbella’s Palacio de Congresos)
Calle Las Malvas Edificio Online. (Next to
the Marbella casino and hotel Andalucia
Plaza, with easy parking)
Tel: 952 90 08 99
by Daniella
Tel: 952 81 75 91
C’est la Vie
Bar d’o
Wonderful food and excellent service. Don’t
think about going into Marbella to dine if you
live in San Pedro, but do consider travelling
in the other direction.
Bar d’o boasts one of the best chefs in
Marbella, Tim de Helt. Lobster is a speciality
and their Belgian stew is mouth-watering.
Avd. las Palmeras, 15, San Pedro (near San
Pedro’s 24-hour pharmacy).
Avd. Principe de Hohenlohe, Edf. Milla de
Oro (on the Golden Mile opposite Hotel
Guadalpin).
Tel: 952 78 33 94
Tel: 952 82 12 29
Restaurante d’Maria
Villa Tiberio
This is a very basic Spanish venta that is
always packed – and with good reason. If it’s
luxury you are looking for then Restaurante
d’Maria is not for you; however, if you want
some of the best-value food in Marbella
then you will love this establishment. The
set menu including wine is 8.50 Euros.
Luxury at it it’s best, a beautiful restaurant set
6,000 square metres of gardens, with high
quality food and service, run by its hands on
and charismatic owner Sandro Morelli.
Bulevar Principe Alfonso Hohenlohe Km
179, Marbella (just off the Golden Mile
opposite Marbella Club Hotel).
Carretera N-340, Km 178.5 (The Golden
Mile) It’s on the same side of the road and
very close to the Marbella Club hotel
Tel: 952 77 17 99
Tel: 952 77 18 22
42
MARBELLA
43
Cameron Diaz, 42, stars in her first musical, Annie, playing the evil Miss Hannigan
and reveals to the world that not only can she act, write a book (The Body
Book), and produce - but she can also carry a tune. Starring alongside Jamie
Foxx, Quvenzhane Wallis and Rose Byrne, this Broadway classic is produced by
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Diaz has been getting a lot of attention lately for donning a gold and diamond
ring given to her by rocker boyfriend Benji Madden, 35, which has sparked
rumours of an engagement. The Good Charlotte musician (whose twin brother,
Joel, is married to Nicole Richie) follows other notable boyfriends of Ms Diaz
including Justin Timberlake and New York Yankees baseball star, Alex Rodriguez.
Q
: How scary was it for you to be in a musical, and such an iconic
one as Annie?
Really scary. Are you kidding? I mean, I’m singing in it! It was
absolutely terrifying but I wanted to take a chance. I just went for it
(laughs).
Q
: And it’s not all about the superficial?
It goes back to being grateful. I’ve been making movies for over 20
years, I’m proud of the work I’ve done and that I’m able to continue,
so yeah, I’m happy.
Q
Q
(laughs) Yes, that as well as gratitude. That’s another motto that
I live by and it works. When you’re grateful you’re not in need of
anything else. I don’t take anything for granted.
Q
. It’s incredible how happy you’ve always come across and your
demeanour has never really changed throughout the years of
doing these interviews with you.
CAMERON
DIAZ
Q
No, it’s not. We live outside ourselves, we are totally into Selfies
and we are all totally about the exterior and what other people think
of us and how our façade looks to everybody else. To me, I just
don’t personally think that that’s the way that life has to be. I think
of all the forms of expression that I have put out and I understand
it. I am not taking anything away from wanting to look beautiful
on the exterior and I think it’s part of being a human being. We
are birds, we have feathers, we want to wear beautiful colours and
make them look beautiful when we spread them out. That’s part
of nature. I’m very aware about us being animals. We are actual
living animals and we are very, very complicated, and we need to
remember that.
: ‘Going for it’ seems to be your motto in life?
Petra Weller Interviews
I have gained. Look at all these amazing things that I am capable of
doing; I have maintained myself, I am taking care of myself, I have
expanded my mind, I have created abilities in my body that I never
thought that I could.’ It’s a journey that you take with your body.
: Is that why you’re not worried about aging?
It’s not that I don’t worry but I’m active and present in it. I’m
accepting of it and because I am accepting of it, I try to do the best
that I can. I’m not going to be able to stop it and turn it back so how
do I be the strongest most capable, most vital person that I can be
at this moment while I’m alive? And how can I set myself up to be
that way for the rest of my life? You need to be present and pay
attention. And you need to do that from a young age.
Q
: What age?
Well, I see a lot of 25 year old girls just doing what 25 year old
girls do. They are not taking care of themselves because they are
living off of youth. Fine, great, go ahead. But at some point, reality
sets in. We get older, and getting older is not just about your butt
dropping; getting older means that your body starts to breakdown
on a cellular level, and we die. (laughs) And the journey from here
to there doesn’t have to be one of hatred towards one’s self. It
doesn’t have to be about looking at yourself and wishing that you
looked like you did when you were 25. It can be, ‘Wow, look at what
: You have a great attitude towards life. I know that you maintain
friendships with your exes – that’s quite a feat. You’ve even
worked with some of them, including Justin (Timberlake) in Bad
Teacher a couple of years ago.
Well, Justin and I had a journey together and we continue to have
a journey together but it’s changed and I’m okay with that; he’s
okay with that. I love this man and I’ll always love him in so many
different ways but love evolves and it’s a wonderful thing to be
able to share that with somebody whom you really care about. I’m
not mad that we are not where we were the first day we met each
other and I’m glad we are not where we were the last day we said
goodbye to each other. I’m grateful for where we are at right now.
Q
: Can you talk a little bit about your fashion sense. What would
you advise women in their 30s and 40s to wear or maybe what
not to wear? And how would you describe your own style?
Well, I would say people should wear whatever they are comfortable
in.(laughs) I think whatever you feel great in is what you should
wear.
MARBELLA
45
Whether it’s something that makes you
want to accentuate things that you feel good
in or hide things that you don’t necessarily
like about your body, but also to understand
your body, how it works, and how to have
the best, strongest body that you can have
so you can and feel as confident as you can.
And how would I describe my own self as
far as style? Just casual and relaxed.
Q
: What fashion item could you not live
without and why?
Q
: Is that all you’ve got?
(laughs) It’s life, it’s just life, and it’s
what happens. It’s how you handle it.
Q
: You have a lot of female friends and
don’t seem overly competitive?
I hate competition between women. I think
with everything I am not a competitive
person. I am always about celebrating
people. I want everybody to succeed and
definitely, when it comes to other women,
Q
My jeans.
: Can you talk a little bit about
your shoe collection?
Q
: Why?
Yeah, Pour La Victoire is a shoe
line that I am branding and it’s just
so much fun. I just thought, ‘How
fun would it be to have shoes and
bags that you looked at and you
were like, God, I wish I could have
that, lust over it, and then walk over
and look at the price and think, I
can afford this! I can have this!’ I
also wanted to make a shoe that
could just come into a women’s
wardrobe and be able to crossover
and also be contemporary to the
fashion. And not just that but to be
also something that’s authentic.
Because
they
are
like
everything. They are just perfect,
jeans are perfect.
Q
: How comfortable are you on
the red carpet? Does it have
an element of scariness to it or is it
something you get used to?
The red carpet is interesting. There
are all different reasons to be
there and I mean, the red carpet is
business for everyone who is on it.
For me it’s business because I am
usually on it to present a product or
promote a product, or participate in
something that is celebratory which
has to do with my business so it’s
something that I have always tried
to stay focused on. I just like doing
the best that I can for that job, but
at the same time every once in a
while when you get in front of the
cameras and there are so many
lights going, there’s this weird thing
that happens where sometimes you
think your lip is shivering. (laughs)
and I am trying to smile and I can’t
hold that smile for so long and everybody is
screaming and there are so many lights and
so you just have to go into a Zen place. You
bring it back in, calm down, stay focused,
there’s a lot going on.
I definitely want other women to succeed.
I don’t believe in being jealous of other
people for their beauty or their talent or
their ability that’s just something that I am
not really into.
Q
Q
: I know you don’t always like to discuss
your current relationship but do you
get concerned about things other women
obsess over, like fidelity?
I think everybody has been cheated on or
everyone will be cheated on. (laughs) I can’t
fix that and I don’t have any judgment on
anybody. We are human beings, we are
complicated, you cannot go through life
without tallying up a few scars, you cannot
go through life unscathed, it’s just what it is.
It’s all meant to happen, take your lessons;
figure it out, move on. (laughs)
46
boundaries, you can never satisfy a child.
But you put a boundary on them and you
show them this is how it ends, this is right,
this is wrong, you don’t cross over it, and
if you do, shit goes down. That child is a
happy child. That child can find contentment
and that child has a sense of security and
it understands where everything is. I think
that’s what a strong, ethical sense of how
life works means. It gives a person who lives
by that an idea how to function and how to
live life happily.
MARBELLA
Q
: Where do you see yourself in
ten years?
: Do you think it’s better to go through
life with a lot of boyfriends?
Why not? Why would that be so bad?
Q
: Is it easier to live with an ethical sense
of life, or be totally free and do whatever
you want?
I think it’s better to have an ethical sense
of life, honestly. It’s like a child. If children
are really crazy and unhappy and you
see them acting out and are screaming
and inconsolable it’s when they don’t
have boundaries. When they don’t have
If you go back twenty years to the
first interviews that I did in this
very hotel, (laughs) if you literally
go back and find some of those
interviews, I got asked the question,
‘Where do you see yourself in ten
years?’ And I said, ‘Happy hopefully.
Like, that’s my goal.’ Where else
are you supposed to go? And, I
am very much a person who lives in the
moment. I have always been that way, and
I don’t project. I don’t worry about where I
am going to go or what I am going to do
or how it’s going to happen, I am really a
person who kind of just chips away, every
day, and just keeps it going. I get it asked all
the time and I just go, ‘Hopefully I am just
doing something I love and I am passionate
about.’ That’s where I exist today and that’s
what I am doing right now. If I can keep this
up, then whatever it might be and I have
no idea what it’s going to be, I mean had
no idea I would write a book when I did.
And also, I had no idea I would be making
movies for twenty years, I had no idea I
would be doing any of this shit that I am
doing right now in my life. (laughs) So, I
don’t ask for it, it just comes to me.
47
How They
Mislead Us
by Lisa Parsons
On the recommendation of a colleague,
I recently started drinking distilled water.
I listened to her telling me about the
enormous health benefits, but all I was
really thinking was how great it would
be not to have to risk a dislocated back
putting cases of bottled water into the car
at the supermarket and then carrying them
upstairs to my apartment. I immediately
bought a water distiller.
T
he advertising material for the distiller I bought claimed
that it cost nine cents a litre in electricity, which I took with
a pinch of salt; it costs that to have the cooker hood light on
for ten minutes, given that Spanish electricity costs are now
off the scale.
Anyway, the taste was wonderful, and I was really getting
along well with it when friends who knew I was drinking
distilled water started to forward me some extraordinary
information and dire warnings they had read on the internet
about distilled water. I then realised why a number of people
had told me that they had a distiller but had since stopped
using it.
Some of the article headings were: “Early death as a result
of drinking distilled water”, “The dangers of drinking distilled
water”, “Health risks from drinking de-mineralised water” and
“Distilled water – why put your life at risk?”
I did become slightly concerned; if I am going to suffer an
early death thanks to drinking something, I would certainly
like it to be something stronger than water. It occurred to me
to put the distiller back in its box and revert to carrying cases
of mineral water up the stairs.
48
MARBELLA
49
But then I felt slightly guilty; when I first started out I worked
for a very kindly and mostly drunk London editor who took me
under his wing; he used to take me down to the pub and tell
me stories about politicians and royals that would make your
hair stand on end. He always used to finish up – as he drained
his whisky glass – with “Never believe what you read my dear”.
So I started to dig a little. These voices against distilled water
are very loud; is it just possible there is an axe to grind?
Certainly, some of the authors had no medical qualifications
whatsoever, but others were indeed doctors, although it’s not
unheard of for a doctor to be in someone’s pocket.
What I wanted to find were doctors in favour of distilled water
because I could see that a doctor could have a financial
interest in condemning it, but I couldn’t see how a doctor
could have a financial interest in recommending distilled
water. According to a report by Business Insider, $100
billion worth of bottled water is sold throughout the
world every year, and nine billion gallons of bottled
water are consumed annually in the United States,
whereas there are no great fortunes to being
made in the manufacture of water distillers.
It wasn’t long before I found 24 doctors
in America whose support for distilled
water was absolute. Could they have
an axe to grind? Not that I could see.
Here is what a few of them said:
Dr. Allen E Banik: “It is the only water
that can be taken into the body
without damage to the tissues. The
only minerals that the body can utilize
are the organic minerals from fruits
and vegetables.”
Dr. Paul Bragg: “When distilled water
enters the body, it leaves no residue of
any kind. It is free of salts and sodium.
It is the most perfect water for the
healthy functioning of the kidneys.”
Dr. James Balch: “There is only one
water, and that is clean, steam distilled
water. No other substance on our planet
does so much to keep us healthy and
get us well as water does.”
Dr. C.W. DeLacy: “There is no doubt
as to the high value of distilled water
used freely as a retarder of the ossifying
conditions which appear to constitute the
condition of old age.”
Dr. Charles McFerrin: “Distilled water
is ‘empty’ water – a water capable of
absorbing body poisons.”
Dr. Robert W. Flinchbaught: “The evidence
that distilled water acts as a solvent within
the body, dissolving the inorganic mineral
deposits, is very important. A growing body
of evidence suggests that distilled water
dissolves and removes these disease-
50
MARBELLA
causing minerals and flushes out the
hundreds of dangerous chemicals that
have been taken into the body as well.”
Dr. Robert D. Willix: “The ‘gold standard’ for
purifying your water is a system that distils
your water and filters it. You have the comfort
of knowing there is no chlorine, fluoride,
bacteria, viruses, pesticides or lead. You get
nothing but H2O.”
Dr. Peter A. Lodewick: “The only type of water that
seems to be fit for consumption is distilled water,
which is water that is absolutely free of any minerals
or chemicals.”
Dr. Norman W. Walker: “People who say that
distilled water leaches minerals out of the body are,
therefore, correct only in this respect. Such minerals,
having been rejected by the cells of the body, are
of no constructive value. On the contrary, they are
debris which distilled water is capable of picking up
and eliminating from the system.”
Dr. Paul Conn: “When one drinks impure,
dirty water, the body acts as a filter,
trapping a percentage of the solids
suspended in the water. A filter
eventually becomes clogged and
useless – fit only to be thrown away.
The human body might well face
the same fate. But the basic point
– that only distilled water avoids
mineral build-ups in the body – is an
inarguable one”.
That all rings fairly true to me, and with
no apparent financial benefit in making
these statements, why wouldn’t I
believe them? Louis Pasteur, the French
chemist and microbiologist, said that
“we drink 90% of our illnesses”. So
what is the real motivation of those
who so vociferously oppose the use of
distilled water? I think the clue lies in the
$100 billion worth of bottled water sold
every year; there is clearly a great deal at
stake in this market.
If large numbers of people began drinking
distilled water, it could prove disastrous
for the bottled water industry. What I
believe they are trying to do is nip the
drinking of distilled water in the bud, and
they have largely been successful.
Many people want to look after their health,
and that of their children, and distilled
water appears a very effective way of doing
this. And me? I am ashamed to admit that
my main interest is not having to heave all
those cases of water up to my apartment
POSITIVE
Thinking
by Lesley Freeman
OK, I know some of you are sceptical about
the concept of positive thinking. The word
is if we think positive, the law of attraction
will kick in and we can cosmically order
whatever we want. No wonder I see so
many Range Rovers on the road; I guess
they are being delivered directly
to the latest person
to discover
positive
thinking and who has decided to change
their old banger for the latest model!
I know it all seems outrageous and farfetched, but there is a science behind it. You
see, it is all to do with the pineal gland. This
gland or organ is situated between the two
lobes of the brain. It has granular particles
like crystals, similar to those contained in
a crystal radio set, and these deposits are
capable of sending and receiving messages.
This is an organ of thought, by means of
which we can acquire inner perception
and thereby carry out ideas and project our
thoughts out into the cosmos.
We are surrounded by thought fields all
the time, a continual universal broadcast
just like the workings of radio waves. The
pineal gland produces melatonin, and the
more it produces the more receptive the
wavebands. So, the higher the melatonin,
the greater the increase in cosmic
awareness – a state of “simply knowing”.
It is interesting to note that Eastern
cultures call this the “Third Eye”.
So, thoughts are magnetic and have
a frequency, and you are a human
transmission tower; to change
your thoughts, and therefore your
frequency, you can change what it is
you are attracting. If you are feeling
negative, you will be emitting
negative waves, and as the law of
attraction says, “like attracts like”.
Now, I can hear you say, “Well
that’s easier said than done, how
52
MARBELLA
do I change my thoughts in order to change
my circumstances?” or “How can I improve
my life just by changing the way I think?”
You may be surprised that it takes very little
effort; the first step is being aware of your
thoughts and assessing whether you are
thinking positively or negatively.
Once you have identified your thoughts, you
can work on whether you need to change
them, and how to change them, but until
you are aware, nothing will change. Einstein
said, “You can never solve a problem on
the level on which it was created”, meaning
if you keep doing things in the same way,
your life will remain the same.
One of the best ways to change from
negative to positive thinking is to be grateful
for everything you have; that is, looking at
what you have rather than what you don’t
have. If you want money, act as if you have
money, as that way you are not focusing on
lack and therefore attracting more of it. The
saying “think lucky and you’ll be lucky” is
so true. If you want to be slimmer, think of
yourself and imagine yourself slim. You have
to develop the neurons in your brain, just as
when you’re learning something new, such
as a foreign language; your brain will thus
learn and change direction to your new way
of thinking.
So, change your thought pattern and
see what happens. Oh, I think that’s the
doorbell; I guess it’s my new Range Rover
being delivered!!!
53
M A R B E L L A
How Safe are You
on Spanish Roads?
by Les Mitchell
T
here are of course many accidents
involving young motorcyclists between
the ages of 18 and 25, and this tends to
distort the figures and make the risk to
motorists appear greater. The figures are also
distorted by the high number of accidents
involving cyclists, while a surprisingly high
number of those killed in car accidents
are not wearing their seatbelts. Indeed, it
is quite extraordinary how many motorists
simply drape their seatbelt across them,
without fastening it.
Something else to consider for those who
worry about their safety is that it’s an awful
lot safer here in Spain than in France,
Italy and Portugal, not to mention Greece,
where the road traffic accident death rate is
nearly three times that of Spain.
54
MARBELLA
Spanish roads are probably safer than you may think,
and the number of accidents has fallen significantly
in recent years. And although the statistics show the
death rate as 50% higher here than in the UK, this
doesn’t tell the whole story.
The fact is that, wherever you live, getting
behind the wheel of a car is the riskiest
thing most people will ever do; worldwide,
1.2 million people are killed in road traffic
accidents every year. That’s the equivalent
of two 747s crashing every day. If that were
to happen, the air transportation system
would be shut down; however, road deaths
seem to have become an acceptable part
of life.
Again, it depends very much on where you
live. Once you start to look at the Middle
East, it really puts things into perspective;
in Iraq, for example, where they have
risks enough to worry about, road traffic
accidents account for 48.3 deaths per
100,000 of the population. In Spain, this
figure is 6.1.
by
I believe that the overwhelming majority of
Spanish motorists actually drive very well
and quite safely, and a proportion are even
frustratingly slow. However, what you have
here is the lunatic minority, who account
for most of the accidents. They overtake on
blind bends, drive at inappropriately high
speeds and travel at a distance behind the
vehicle in front that makes you think they
must be harbouring some sort of death
wish. Braking distance doesn’t even enter
into the equation; they wouldn’t even
get through the thinking distance before
colliding with the car in front.
I have been involved with motor racing for
most of my life, and many of my friends
are motor racing drivers. We take risks, but
calculated risks, not the risks I see drivers
Ramón Gómez de la Serna, 23 Marbella Spain
Tel: +34 95290 08 99 www.cafederonda.es
taking on the N7; this means serious
accidents on the racetrack are quite rare.
Michael Schumacher’s accident happened
whilst skiing, and even Frank Williams’
accident in 1986 had nothing to do with
motorsport, other than the fact he was
driving back from the Paul Ricard Circuit in
France when he lost control of the hire car
he was driving. He is the first to admit that
given the way he drove in those days, it
was an accident waiting to happen.
The motorists who take these extraordinary
risks on the road are largely those who
are killed and injured in accidents, but of
course innocent victims are also involved;
the secret is to keep out of the way of
these drivers.
If you take as an example the section of
the N7 between Marbella and Malaga
– which incidentally at one time had no
central reservation and was classed as the
most dangerous road in Europe – it is not
at all dangerous if you follow a couple of
basic rules: keep to the inside lane and
keep your distance.
The only occasions I move out of the
inside lane are when I have a heavy goods
vehicle driving close behind me, when
I have an elderly couple in a hire car
travelling at 30 kph in front of me or when
the same elderly couple sit for minutes
waiting to join the N7 and when I come
along they suddenly pull out right in front
“The motorists who take
these extraordinary risks
on the road are largely
those who are killed and
injured in accidents,
but of course innocent
victims are also involved;
the secret is to keep
out of the way of these
drivers.”
of me. In fact, something I always do when
a vehicle is waiting to join the N7 – and
this has probably saved my life on a couple
of occasions – is to keep a very close
eye on the outside lane, which means if
someone pulls out right in front of me I
know if it is safe to change lanes to avoid a
collision.
My car has a top speed of 197 mph (317
kph), which is great for the Ascari racetrack
but not in my opinion for the N7. In any
case, the vast majority of this section of
road has an 80 kph speed limit; I just
drop down to the speed limit and stay
there. Some motorists know where the
cameras are, and only reduce their speed
to 80 kph when passing them, before
speeding up again. However, I have been
told – although I don’t know if it is true or
not – that the authorities are operating an
average speed system between Marbella
and Mijas, and many motorists are being
caught out.
It is only when you drive in other countries
that you realise we don’t have a lot to
worry about here. I drove through Greece
many years ago, which was a hair-raising
experience. In Athens, the city’s buses were
multi-coloured; that is, they started out as
one colour but had every colour imaginable
on their bodywork, evidence of all the
cars they had hit. If you saw a bus coming
towards you, you had two choices – get
out of the way or get hit.
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Pre-Nuptial
Agreements
by James Dunbar
D
o prenuptial agreements work, or is
this just setting off on the wrong foot
and damaging the marriage before it even
starts? Some would argue that by asking a
partner to sign a prenuptial agreement, you
are in effect saying, “I am not sure this is
going to last and I don’t trust you to be fair,
should we divorce”.
That is one way of looking at it. I am sure
Paul McCartney would at some stage
have been advised to have a prenuptial
agreement prior to marrying Heather Mills;
however, he was very clear that he didn’t
want one. So why didn’t he, given that they
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MARBELLA
61
were, it seems, constantly fighting even
before they were married? Probably for the
same reason that many choose not have
a prenuptial agreement; they feel there
is something rather distasteful about the
whole issue. McCartney again chose not to
have such an agreement when he recently
married Nancy Shevell. The fact that Shevell
is the heiress to a haulage fortune probably
had little to do with his decision.
that they should continue to enjoy a good
standard of living, but does that even take
£24.3 million?
There is of course a quite different scenario
where a couple have been together for
many years and the wife –not always, but
usually the wife – has looked after the
home and brought up the children while the
husband built a successful business. Having
take into account the influence often brought
to bear by “friends” and family, some of
whom no doubt think he should be wrung
dry for “what he has done”. Also, a lawyer’s
duty is to get the best possible deal for his or
her client; their job is not to be reasonable.
This often means that something that at first
looks like it can be resolved between two
reasonable people soon becomes a bitter
battle.
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What is inescapable is that a prenuptial
agreement between McCartney and Mills
would have saved a lot of grief. And that
raises a question: was she entitled to the
£125 million she was claiming as a divorce
settlement, or indeed even the £24.3 million
plus £35,000 per annum she was awarded?
When somebody with little in the way of
assets marries into substantial wealth, why
after a few years of marriage would that make
them entitled to a £125 million pay out? Of
course, having become accustomed to a
certain quality of life, it is not unreasonable
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MARBELLA
gone through the hardship of the early
days, probably helping in the business and
sharing the worries about losing the house
when things weren’t going well, there surely
cannot be a reasonable argument as to why
the wife is not entitled to half of the assets
in the event of a divorce. It is something
they have done together; one could not
have done it without the other.
Divorces can become quite acrimonious;
sometimes a wife doesn’t want to take her
ex-husband to the cleaners, but instead only
wants to receive what is fair. But that doesn’t
Therefore, perhaps there is a good argument
for a couple having a prenuptial agreement
if approached in the right way. It doesn’t
necessarily mean that one is saying to the
other that they don’t trust them; let’s face it,
nobody can guarantee that they are going
to stay married forever, however much they
want to. So why not agree at the outset
on the division of assets in the event of a
parting of the ways, and keep lawyers and
well-meaning family members completely
out of it?
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63
Is Blenheim Palace
in Safe Hands?
by George Hodge
B
ut perhaps Blandford has calmed down
from those days when he was rarely
out of the news; we are soon to find out.
Certainly, his appearance has changed,
and at 58 he has put on weight and now
looks rather like Kenneth Clarke, with Boris
Johnson’s hair.
first-born child died as a toddler in the year
Blandford was born, 1955. The Duke of
Marlborough remarried in 1961, to Athina
Onassis, ex-wife of the Greek shipping
tycoon Aristotle Onassis. This gave Blandford
a step-sister, Christina Onassis, who was not
a particularly good influence; she became
befriended by John Hervey, the Marques
of Bristol, also not the best of influences.
Hervey was addicted to drugs and alcohol,
with his speciality; flying helicopters whilst
drunk. He went through £35 million,
managed to lose the family seat and died
aged 44 as a result of his drug abuse.
addicted to prescription drugs, married four
times and was eventually found dead in the
Buenos Aires home of a friend in 1988.
Her death was attributed to a heart attack
brought on by years of drug abuse.
Blandford went to Harrow, where he was
Blandford went to New York and his trust
fund supported a life of heavy drinking, fast
cars, and cocaine and heroin addiction. In
1985, he further disgraced the family when
caught burgling a London chemist, for which
he received two years’ probation. Within a
Giving him the benefit of
the doubt, a Marlborough
source, when referring
to Blandford, said: “I
am not denying that
he has had a colourful
past, but it’s been very
much over-dramatised.”
Well, Blandford’s past
probably
needs
no
over-dramatisation, and
some may consider
“colourful” to be quite an
understatement.
Until recently, drink and
drugs played a major
role in Blandford’s life,
along with various counts
of breaking and entering,
theft, road rage, being on
the run from the police
and periods in prison; he
was jailed for six months
for a road rage incident,
and was also imprisoned
on two other occasions.
On the death of his father last October, Jamie Blandford became the
12th Duke of Marlborough, and the question of whether Blenheim
Palace is in safe hands is worrying many. He has not had the best of
records to date. The 11th duke – who was estranged from Blandford
for some time – was sufficiently worried about his son’s conduct to
go through the courts in a long legal battle to try to prevent him from
gaining control of the management of the Blenheim Palace estate.
Not the best record you
may think for someone
who now has one of
Britain’s most prestigious
peerages and finest
palaces. The privilege
Blandford was born
into is something most
could only dream of, but
he once said: “I have
always resented having
my life mapped out for
me. I don’t really know
what to do with my
life.” He blames his past
behaviour on his parents’
divorce and the lack of
affection shown by his
father, who was an Old
Etonian and served with
the Life Guards, where
a stiff upper lip was very
much the order of the day.
It was certainly a rather unusual childhood.
His father married Susan Hornby, a member
of the W.H. Smith family, and the couple’s
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MARBELLA
65
year, he was jailed for three months for
breaching the probation order. He was also
sentenced to prison – suspended for two
years – for possession of cocaine.
from Queen Anne. Building work started,
but when the costs ran out of control, the
queen refused to pay for it and the duke
fled the country owing £45,000.
He married in 1990 to Rebecca Few-Brown,
but within a year he was in prison for driving
whilst disqualified. The couple split up in
1992, and for a time Blandford was on
the run from the police for refusing to pay
maintenance for their son George, who was
born in the year they separated. There has
been a string of offences since, ranging from
forging drug prescriptions to imprisonment
for a violent road rage incident. He was
remarried in 2002 to an artist, Edla Griffiths.
Perhaps Jamie Blandford’s behaviour is
in the genes; in the early 1800s, the 5th
duke depleted the family fortune to the
extent that most of the assets, apart from
Blenheim had to be sold; he was described
Blandford’s father saw little hope that this
behaviour was ever going to stop and tried,
through legal proceedings, to pass Blenheim
directly to Blandford’s son George, but an
Act of Parliament passed in 1722 prevented
him from doing so. There was nothing to
prevent Blandford from keeping the title or
living in the palace, although it will be run
by a trust.
Not that Blenheim has a history of being in
safe hands; quite the contrary. The 1st Duke
of Marlborough won a significant battle over
the French in 1704, and Blenheim was a gift
“Blandford’s father
saw little hope that this
behaviour was ever going
to stop and tried, through
legal proceedings, to
pass Blenheim directly to
Blandford’s son George,
but an Act of Parliament
passed in 1722 prevented
him from doing so.“
by diarist Harriet Arbuthnot, as “little better
than a common swindler”.
Blandford has been a regular resident at
the Priory Clinic, although apparently he has
been drug free for a time now. When his
father had to come to terms with the fact
that, come what may, Blandford would be
inheriting Blenheim Palace, he capitulated
and publicly said: “I am fully confident that
James will be able to keep the place going,
things are looking much more settled at the
moment.”
So how settled is he? The new Duke
of Marlborough is talking about hosting
Glastonbury-style music festivals – which
will please the locals – and he also wants
to introduce motor racing to Blenheim
somehow. He has said he likes the idea of
having a fountain installed in the middle of
the lake, which will shoot water 400 feet
into the air. None of this sounds terribly
settled, but we will see. Blandford insists
that he will live up to his responsibilities, and
has said Blenheim Palace will be like having
a high-maintenance wife; perhaps a bit like
having a high-maintenance son.
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