Archive for the ‘Interview’ Category

Here as promised in the magazine is the full Quickie Interview with Evie’s answers as well!! Don’t forget if you want to take the Quickie Interview or nominate some-one else just get in touch.

Jeremy and Evie

1. Who most inspires you?
Jeremy: Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp
Evie: My mother
2. Any new/exciting news to share?
Jeremy: Opening the art shop so that local artists can buy the same supplies we use.
Evie: Well two actually, launching the web-site to support the shop and also our daughter’s wedding.
3. What was the last film you saw in a cinema?
Jeremy: We haven’t been to the cinema for about four years but the last one we saw on DVD was Mama Mia.
Evie: Yes, Mama Mia
4. What did you have for breakfast?
Jeremy: I don’t really eat breakfast
Evie: Porridge
5. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Jeremy: Anything by the Stones
Evie: Michael Bublé
6. What characteristics in other people do you most despise?
Jeremy: Duplicity
Evie: Dishonesty
7. What characteristics in other people do you most admire?
Jeremy: Creativity
Evie: Honesty
8. If you could go anywhere on holiday where would you go?
Jeremy: Leptis Magna in Libya. It was a important city within the Phoenician and Roman empire and remains one of the most unspoilt roman ruins in the Mediterranean. Spike Milligan visited there with one of his pals when he was fighting in North Africa in WWII.
Evie: India
9. Favorite sport to watch?
Jeremy: Motorcycle racing
Evie: Any equestrian sport
10. Morning person or night owl?
Jeremy: Both
Evie: Night owl
11. What did you want to be when you were little?
Jeremy: Fireman and then an artist having been inspired by the sight of mist raising from a valley floor and wishing I could paint something like that.
Evie: Working with horses, a mummy and then something artisitc.
12. What are the different jobs you held?
Jeremy: TV presenter; Designer for Heals; one of the most interesting design project s I have undertaken was for Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum, designing four kitchens for his four wives.
Evie: Interior design for the govemnment building and embassisies around the world; the Royal Courts of Justice; running lots of art courses including Paint finish.
13. Favorite day of the week?
Jeremy: My favourite un-day is Monday. I’ve never liked them.
Evie: Sunday.
14. Favorite restaurant?
Jeremy: A little chiringuito in La Garrucha, which sells fish as fresh as it can possibly be served.
Evie: El Rancho in Taberno. The alioli is to die for; it’s like they have grown the garlic especially for it and the chef uses a grill over an open fire.
15. Favorite flower?
Jeremy: Brugmansia Datura
Evie: Climbing Rose
16. Diamonds or Pearls?
Jeremy: Leather
Evie: Pearls
17. Normal bed-time?
Jeremy: Whenever
Evie: About 2 am
18. What is your favorite colour?
Jeremy: All colours
Evie: Pink
19. How many tattoos do you have?
Jeremy: 0
Evie: 0 but I would like one, I think it’s about time. Maybe some small on my foot, definetly not on my shoulder.
20. What is your favourite joke?
Jeremy: How many surrealists does it take to change a lightbulb? Fish!!
Evie: I don’t have one sorry.

John & Muriel Burns at the Albox Car Boot Sale

If you enter ‘John Burns Demolition Albox’ into Google, up come pages and pages of links to virtual reams of newspaper, magazine and website articles about the demolition order John and Muriel Burns received on the 22^nd December last year – a great Christmas present!  They were one household out of nine in the Albox area who had their Christmas ruined when the regional government nullified their building licences and issued demolition orders.  Nothing sells papers like a villain, and  when pensioners invest all their life savings in a dream home then risk having it razed to the ground all publicity is welcome. So it’s great to see that  John and Muriel’s case sparked a lot of interest from the English nationals; The Guardian, The Times, The Standard, Daily Mail and The Sun all wrote articles and ITV came out to film an interview accompanied, no less,  by the Consul, Ambassador and Europe minister, Chris Bryant 

Our intrepid reporter Jo met John at the Albox Car Boot sale where he works on a stall raising money to help home owners who are now experiencing the same problems as John and Muriel. 

Sentinella: How long have you lived here? 

John: We moved here 10 years ago after I’d had a serious heart attack and a triple heart bypass.  We had the house built for us and then built the swimming pool ourselves and landscaped the garden.  It really is our dream home and we plan to live out our lives here! 

Sentinella: How is it possible that you lived here for 10 years before the Junta revoked the building license? 

Muriel: For the first few years all our post was delivered to the builder.  It seems we had had communication from the Junta in 2002 and 2005 but it was never passed on to us.  

John: The Guardia Civil turned up on our doorstep 3 days before Christmas and asked us to sign for an envelope.  I agreed to take the envelope but refused to sign for it and took it straight to Joanne at Albox Town Hall to find out what it was about.  

Muriel: Joanne looked horrified and told us very slowly what the letter said, that our house was on the list of demolitions and it would happen the following April.  I collapsed on the spot and then didn’t stop crying for the next few weeks. 

John: We went straight to see a lawyer and he started on our case the next day.  We were incredibly lucky, he was superb and eventually the case was dropped on account of us not having been properly informed.  

Sentinella: So tell me about the Car Boot stall you have every Saturday in Albox? 

John: The car boot sale is to raise money for people who had to employ lawyers to legalize their homes.  Although we are now personally in the clear there are still a lot of people who are still fighting and can’t afford the legal fees.   

The past year has been an eye opener and although we’ve been disappointed by many, Muriel and I believe in doing right by people so we will always do whatever we can to help others.  There are many like minded people out here as we have found out, so a message to people who are feeling hopeless is come and see us at the Car Boot or get in touch with one of the many organizations around here, Almanzora Group of Friends is a good start! 

The Albox Car boot sale is held every Saturday morning at Cafe Bar International from 09:00-13:00. Situated on the Baza road just outside Albox heading towards Huercal Overa.