By James Bryce

WHETHER it’s a famous name or an unsung hero – we want to know who you think are the expatriates who have had the biggest impact on Andalucia.

From Chris Stewart to Washington Irving and from Maurice Bolland to Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe, who has really helped to put the region on the map?

The Olive Press is attempting something that has never been done before – to put together a definitive Expat 100.

To aid us in drawing up a definitive list of the most influential expats of the last two centuries, we need you to nominate your favourites.

Whether it be German poets or winemakers, Irish entrepreneurs or Swiss businessmen, we need your help.

And we don’t just want dead people. We also need you to help us uncover the current crop of influential expatriates forging forward in exciting pursuits and helping to shape this rich region of Europe.

Be it hard-working hoteliers, innovative businessmen or charitable citizens, they must all have made a significant impact on the Andalucian landscape.

To help knock the list into shape we have enlisted a panel of local expatriates who have decades of experience of living here.

Louise Cook Edwards, editor of marbellas.com, Rod Younger, from book4Spain and former Fleet St journalist Giles Brown, will agonise over who makes the final cut.

But before they can do that, we need your help.

We want you to send in your nominations to jon@theolivepress.es   – listing no more than 20 of the expats you would like to see featured on the list.

“It’s important to vote for people who have opened the door for others to come and make a life for themselves here,” explains Louise Cook, who also runs her own international PR agency Media Machine.

“Those who have inspired and taken risks and done fairly adventurous things in order to make a difference.”

Rod Younger, who recently had success with his first book on the coast Deadly Secrets (under the pen name Robert Tenison), added:

“I think the Expat 100 project is a marvellous idea. It should go back 200 years and must include ‘transient’ foreigners so that Wellington, Borrow, Ford and Irving could be included.

“It should also focus on foreigners who have raised awareness of Andalucia and contributed in a significant manner to its development.”

Former Daily Mirror reporter Giles Brown added: “Few people realise the impact that foreigners have had on Andalucia over the last few centuries. And even today there are many unsung heroes, working quietly behind the scenes to continue making Andalucia great.”

Editors tip:

Malaga’s Mark was a true hero

Olive Press editor Jon Clarke wants to nominate William Mark, the former British consul, who set up Malaga’s English cemetery.

“Until it was set up in 1831, non Catholics were traditionally buried at sea or up to their necks on the nearby beaches, often picked apart by dogs.

Mark put paid to that, but not only ensured the graveyard offered Protestants a decent burial, but ensured that other denominations also had a decent burial.

It makes me very proud to see the graves for Hindus, Muslims and Jews alongside the Protestants.

There are many graves for German sailors and even Catholics, sickened by their local religious leaders.”

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92 COMMENTS

  5. Yerma, my lol was directed at Paul Whitelock actually, but your post came in before mine and spoiled things.

    I have not undermined anything. I live here, I work here, I pay my taxes, I support the local economy. You just have a hatred of anyone who is successful and who has an opinion that differs from yours, Yerma, and you don’t like Brits much either, do you? I actually got some votes by the way, you didn’t, lol.

    Andalucia has let itself down through corrupt and inefficient government and with a social attitude that allows and feeds of such behaviour. If you want to see who has undermined your country, just look at your planning and legal systems. Quite laughable that one person can be charged solely with undermining a whole region when you conveniently forget all the injustices that are currently ongoing. As the Indignant marching through Madrid today said, “It’s not the crisis, it’s the system”. I agree.

  7. could you change the photograph that headlines this…? The person and the clothes are quite nauseating….!!!
    Last but not least….. what about good old Jesus Gil….? after all he did shake things up… and also did do some good…!

  8. A (Tongue-in-cheek) polite question for Jon Clarke.

    I am not questioning that Maurice Boland is worthy of nomination and that must be why so many people have nominated him. However, I don´t see any mention of some sort of prize for getting most nominations. Maybe I have missed something here but I thought this was about nominating people for the Top 100.

    Have I missed something obvious, or do you think people are just making sure that MB gets onto that Top 100 list? At the moment I would have thought that list of nominations totals no more than 30 names so I think there is little fear of that happening.

    Just wondering…

  9. actually tony, including email and post we have probably now had well over 100 names thrown into the ring… but the idea is not to literally see who gets the most votes, but for us and a panel to decide who really deserves to be included.
    That is why I have asked people for more than one nomination… other suggestions, off beat ones, original ones and, ultimately, we can try and get as good and definitive list as possible.
    As for the wally who nominated Jesus Gil… he was not an expat, but an alien!

  10. Ken Brown from Lookout Magazine (nearest thing we ever got to National Geographic), Maura Hillen from AUAN (tireless efforts to protect the owners of ‘viviendas ilegales’). Gino Hollander, American artist who lived many years in Pizarra.

  13. The late Marjorie Eileen Henrietta Grice-Hutchison
    (Baroness von Schlippenbach). For her tireless energy & generosity on behalf of the English Cemetery. born 26/05/1909 died 12/04/2003.
    She wrote a book about the cemetery last edition published 2001

  16. and before am called a wally again for nominating J.Gil and now jaime de Mora…( who was exiled in the UK..so qualifies I think as Hon. Expat..) Reason I said J.Gil was because whilst not an expat..he did some good… then went power mad…but he did do good..! Expats..there are possibly only 20 or so that qualify… and MB certainly not one of them … So, in view of the limited amount of real Expat candidates why not reduce 100 by half or even less…or at least include..anyone who has done good and has promoted the CDS without personal financial gain as the motive…

  19. I suppose ‘the biggest impact on Andalucía’ would go to Helen and Len Prior, who’s unjust home demolition in January 2008 (they’ve been living in their garage ever since) has cost the region its reputation abroad – to say nothing of billions in lost sales.

  20. 1.Washington Irving
    2.Michael Jacobs
    3.Gerald Brenan
    4.Ian Gibson
    5. Paul Preston

    These people are known for their litarature influence in Spain.

    What actually shocks me are the amount of Brits on the cost, who barely can pronounce cafe con leche..I can´t stand these people with NO SPANISH….

  21. ”These people are known for their litarature influence in Spain.

    What actually shocks me are the amount of Brits on the cost, who barely can pronounce cafe con leche..I can´t stand these people with NO SPANISH….”
    Spot the deliberate mistakes or stop throwing stones in your glass house.

  28. i,ve got to say this because its been simmering in my brain everytime i read your comments

    i used to like maurice but if he is such a good person then he should pay the money he owes to someone who does far more for charity in england and doesnt ask for credit or honour for himself. he will know who i,m talking about.

    my nominations DUKE OF WELLINGTON TERRY CLEAR TONY KEYES SID OLIVERA STEVE RITSON AND MARY HARBO?

  29. Got to be MB now,I was listening to Talk Radio Europe today on the subject of Andalucía’s Top 100 and was amazed to learn that The Olive Press has asked a member of their staff to sit on the deciding panel, I say this only as It’s generally known that Maurice Boland is well ahead of the race and it looks like now he’ll be pulled down at the final hurdle.. What a disgrace

  31. ad – Why are you are so obsessed with Maurice Boland?

    It’s a bit pathetic to equate him to a bunch of crooks when he has given so much to charities on the coast and has never been convicted or even accused of anything illegal. You seem to have some kind of vendetta against the man as all you seem to do is mention his name on this site and it’s getting very boring. The man may or may not have cheated on his wife with a younger woman, but has not stolen or killed anyone and has paid a dear price for his “sins”. Please pray tell what has he done to you that makes you so upset? I wonder if perhaps you may have a business that might have gone downhill as a result of someone leaving???

    If you have a problem with men who have nothing to do with you being with a woman under a certain age then I assume you don’t listen to the music of (or watch their movies):-

    Elvis,
    Jagger,
    Jerry Lee Lewis,
    Rob Lowe
    Woody Allen
    etc.
    (bare in mind these are just some of the ones that it is a FACT that they have not only slept with young girls, but some of them were under the legal age of consent at the time)

    And do you go onto internet message boards to vilify them too?

    Dude you need to concentrate on your own business instead of sticking your nose into others.

  32. Get a grip for god´s sake and grow up. Can´t you lot think of anything beyond your tiny little brit-corner of the costa? Most inhabitants of the region have absolutely no idea who you´re talking about.

    Andalucía is a remarkable place with an extraordinary history to which many expats from all over the world have contributed.

    Just one other example – Washington Irving, who introduced the western world to the extraordinary Alhambra Palace. Probably contributed more than anyone else to it´s conservation and the fact that it now attracts more than 2.5 million visitors per annum.

  35. I see there are still some people who think this is about voting for a “winner” but I don´t see any mention of this in the introduction. All I see is encouragement to nominate people for the top 100. Would anyone like to clarify this for me?

  37. I see you said the Judging panel has now met and a result will be announced on Sep 7th . I only hope that it’s an honest and fair result. Its obvious to me and I’m sure everyone else which name has had the most favourable reaction and I hope now that he gets the praise he deserves and will return to the public arena and restart his invaluable work with various charities.

  38. This may be too late, of course, but time constrains … I don’t see Hamo Sassoon mentioned anywhere. This member of the famous family settled in Jimena after a long career as an archaeologist in Africa. He was instrumewntal in having many small villages in the Campo de Gibraltar become aware of their architectural heritage. He made several interesting discoveries, and produced a number of theories that have since been confirmed. Born in 1925, he died in Jimena in 2004 and now rests in the castle grounds at Jimena, which he did so much to protect. (More information available if needed).

  39. Ones definitely not to vote for include thugs like the Real Ronda bloke who bring their yobbish english behaviour to this beautiful area! Can’t they just stay away and leave the place to people who deserve to be here?
    And not that Irish bloke from the radio either!!

  40. I know I’ve been critical of the Olive Press but I must take my hat off to you, well done for supporting Maurice Boland and I hope know that you can both work together in the future. A great radio station (iTalk) a great newspaper (Olive Press). Welcome back Boland.

  41. I nominate Norma Wilson who for the last 27 years has been the front of house face at the salon del varietes, she is a little lady in statue but does a big and important job, without her giving clearance to backstage, ie everyone from the bar area into the auditorium on time, the production would not start, apart from being in attendance every night there is a performance of some kind she has many more jobs to do plus manning the desk at the salon every Monday…..all this for 27 years, always kind, helpful and above all still enthusiastic and all voluntary…by the way she has just celebrated her 80 birthday but dont let on you know as she just does not look or act her age, her energy is boundless.

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