Chris Stewart has been voted the most influential expat of the past 200 years in Andalucia
Individuals included on The Olive Press's “Expat 100” list ranged from little-known historical figures such as Amelia Loring, the grandaughter of a former British consul who founded Málaga's botanic gardens in the 1850s, to modern-day celebrities such as Sean Connery, who lived for many years in Marbella. Top of the list was Chris Stewart, ex-drummer of the British band Genesis, whose books about life on his Andalucian farm have, the newspaper said, “completely changed the perception of Andalucia as a region, as well as encouraging thousands to visit". Mr Stewart said that he was "flattered and privileged" to have been given first place. “I’m a huge fan of multiculturalism and the presence of foreigners here has really helped the region,” he added. Stewart was closely followed by the American author Washington Irving, who is credited with rediscovering Granada’s Alhambra palace, Prince Alfonso de Hohenlohe-Langenburg, the Bavarian-Spanish playboy who transformed Marbella from a tiny village into a thriving tourist destination, and Joan Hunt CBE, the British founder of the cancer hospice Cudeca, on the Costa del Sol. Less famous characters who also made the list included Canadians Scott Abbott and Chris Haney, who invented the game Trivial Pursuits while in Nerja, and Betty Molesworth Allen, a New Zealand expat who became an expert on Andalucia's flowers and plants. Readers generally responded positively to the choice of expats on the list, which was compiled with help from the British consul in Málaga, a judging panel of prominent local expats, and readers who sent in nominations. Opinion was divided however over the exact ranking order, with one reader complaining that there was an over-prioritisation of "fame and celebrity". Top 10 influential expats in Andalucia
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