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David Andrews, Eve Browne, Rachel Haynes and Liz Parry. Salvador Salas
The tandem driving a Costa del Sol pioneer
SUR in English 40th anniversary gala

The tandem driving a Costa del Sol pioneer

Special Recognition ·

For well over 20 years SUR in English was lovingly nurtured by the duo formed by editor Liz Parry and advertising manager Eve Browne. The 40th anniversary gala brought back many memories

David Andrews

Malaga

Monday, 14 October 2024, 12:39

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Both Liz Parry and Eve Browne are now enjoying their retirement, but for well over 20 years they formed the dual backbone of SURin English. Filling more or less fifty per cent of the paper each, the advertising and editorial teams worked hand in hand.

Eve Browne was advertising manager in SUR in English from 1989 to her retirement at the end of 2011. A greatly respected, much-loved and well-known face along the Costa del Sol, Eve had cut her newspaper teeth in the Gulf News in Abu Dhabi before moving to Spain with her husband John.

Eve always had the solution to any problem, which was basically buying advertising, and she made sure that each client felt special and looked after. Her success in turning SUR in English into one of the most profitable newspapers in Spain was supported by her stalwart legion of agents and agencies along the coast. She could always be found on the phone coaxing and cajoling them into selling just one more page for the latest supplement that she had just created. The only complaint usually from agents and customers alike was that no one could actually speak to her as she was always on the phone.

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Eve made a huge effort to integrate in Spain and learn the language. Her diligence was rewarded and she could hold her own, and usually win, in any heated meeting with her Spanish colleagues. Being a demure English rose and being married to an Englishman meant, however, that she had little idea about the more colourful Spanish slang. She will always be remembered for flooring her Spanish-speaking colleagues by asking, “¿Qué significa xxxxx?, which was usually some particularly crude word that she had picked up while checking the latest edition as it came off the printing press on a Thursday.

When asked for a quote for this supplement, Eve replied, “Starting up the SUR in English advertising department was very challenging, especially taking into account its wide distribution area, but I can say I honestly loved my job and never lost my enthusiasm for the fight to get that one extra colour page before deadline.” Just one more page…

At the 40th anniversary gala on Monday former editor Liz Parry recalled how she failed her first interview at SUR in English due to her lack of typing skills. However something must have clicked with Pedro Luis Gómez, one of the Spanish founders of SUR in English, as he called her three months later to ask whether she had learned to type. She had, and the job was hers.

Liz was at the helm of SUR in English as editor up to her partial retirement ten years ago. She could spot a spelling mistake in English or Spanish from across the newsroom. Liz held herself and her staff up to very high standard, but this was due to her belief that readers deserved to read factual, researched and well-written Spanish news in English. Her mission was to bring the Andalucía she loved so much to an international audience.

Liz was in the perfect position to link the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking communities. Educated in the UK, she had come to Spain to bring up a bilingual family and moved between the two worlds with grace.

Her labour of love was recognised in 2017 when she was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to British nationals living in Andalucía.

Her work for the community has continued since her retirement through her involvement with the English cemetery and Cudeca.

Both Liz and Eve received special recognitions at the 40th anniversary gala after reminiscing during an informal chat with current editor Rachel Haynes.

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