Gibraltar Insight™ May 2021 by GBZ Media

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MAY 2021

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REMEMBERING HRH PRINCE PHILIP, THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH

INSIDE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER

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M AY ISSUE 61

Contents

Community Insight

Features

REMEMBERING HRH PRINCE PHILIP

13 CRIMINALS DO NOT WANT TO GET CAUGHT

ARCHBISHOP ORDINATION

22 INTERVIEW WITH THE CHIEF MINISTER

Business Insight 11

BEAT MEASURES FURTHER EXTENDED

Football Insight 27 LYNX FC: HOMECOMING

Forces Insight 16

MARITIME FORCE PROTECTION EXERCISE

28 THE OFT GIBRALTAR 30 CHRISTIAN HOOK 36 AQUAGIB 39 PHOTOS FROM THE INSIGHT VAULT 45 GREEN CLEAN YOUR HOME

Regular Features 15 TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT: THE MET OFFICE’S MOONSHOT 19 HISTORY: STAND BY YOUR BEDS 26 SPORTS INSIGHT: GOLF MARATHON MAN 35 TAGORE GROUP COMPETITION 40 MOTORING INSIGHT: VAUXHALL-OPEL’S REBIRTH 42 ADOPT DON’T SHOP 43 A VET’S INSIGHT: EARS AND MY PET 46 PACS 52 HEALTH: BE SUN SAFE 57 JUST MARRIED ON THE ROCK 58 HOROSCOPES 62 LIGHT & POWER CROSSWORD

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Gibraltar Insight places great importance on the accuracy of the information contained within this publication, but cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Views expressed by contributors and/or correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Neither Gibraltar Insight nor GBZ Media Limited is responsible for any claims made, or material(s) used, in advertisements. For permission to copy cuttings for internal or client use, contact NLA - nlamediaaccess.com or +441892 525273.

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

Gibraltar has always had a deep affection for HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. After his passing, a book of condolence was swiftly setup to allow all Gibraltarians the opportunity to put their thoughts down to paper. Announcing the sad news, the Chief Minister said:

"Our sadness will be shared across all of Gibraltar and the rest of the United Kingdom. It is a sadness that will extend to all of the Overseas Territories. It will extend also right across the Commonwealth and the rest of the world. The Duke of Edinburgh has been greatly respected throughout the world for his life of dedicated service to the United Kingdom. He will also be remembered for his constant, steadfast support to Her Majesty the Queen throughout their lives together. of Gibraltar and the People of Gibraltar to Her Majesty of course and to all the members of our Royal Family at this sad time. May Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Rest in Peace and may God Save the Queen."

GOVERNOR VISITS POST OFFICE His Excellency the Governor Sir David Steel KBE DL recently visited the Royal Gibraltar Post Office at 109 Main Street where he was greeted by Glendon Martinez, Director of Postal Services and by Minister for Postal Services, the Hon Vijay Daryanani. The Hon Vijay Daryanani commented, “As always it was an absolute pleasure to welcome His Excellency to the Royal Gibraltar Post Office. Sir David enjoyed the tour of the Main Street building and was fascinated by its history and anecdotes. In the short time that he has been here, His Excellency’s passion for Gibraltar and its people is infectious.”

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

GFRS OUTREACH A Monday afternoon in April saw members of GFRS Blue Watch and Fire Safety attend Governor’s Meadow lower primary school. This visit was arranged by the GFRS in order to reassure and help educate children and staff alike to allay any fears that may have been lingering as a result of the recent fire at the school.

The children were given a fire safety talk with a focus on how to react to a fire and what they can do to help prevent fires. Their participation was incredibly enthusiastic with all of them showing an eagerness to interact with the fire crew. Following the short fire safety talk, members of Blue Watch took over, giving the pupils the opportunity to see some of the equipment on the fire appliance. This included the hose reels and the surprisingly popular “BATfan”. Minister with responsibility for GFRS, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, said, “I commend the officers on this outreach initiative and the reassurance they have offered by educating the children at Governor’s Meadow School after the recent fire.”

BEDENHAM EXPLOSION The Deputy Chief Minister - Dr Joseph Garcia - marked the 70th anniversary of the explosion of the RFA Bedenham in Gun Wharf at the end of April by laying a wreath together with His Worship The Mayor John Goncalvez MBE GMD, and the heads of the Airport and Gibraltar Fire Rescue Services Nicky Vinales and Colin Ramirez. A wreath was also laid on behalf of the Civil Defence Association (UK). The RFA Bedenham was a naval armament carrier. It had arrived in Gibraltar on 24 April 1951 and on the morning of 27 April, 70 years ago, was unloading depth charges at Gun Wharf to a shallow-draft boat used in the unloading of larger vessels. A depth charge ignited while in the process of being unloaded.

ARCHBISHOP ORDINATION His Worship the Mayor, Mr John Gonçalves MBE GMD, hosted a lunch on Monday 26th April 2021, at the Mayor’s Parlour, City Hall, in honour of His Excellency The Most Reverend Archbishop Mark Miles, Apostolic Nuncio to Benin and Togo, following his Episcopal Ordination. Also pictured, is a meeting held with the Chief Minister.

This caused a fire and an explosion in the smaller boat which spread to the Bedenham itself. Brave attempts to contain the fire proved futile and the Bedenham too exploded violently. The explosion rocked Gibraltar. Its force was such that parts of the vessel were blown out of the water onto the actual quayside and elsewhere. The explosion killed 13 people, injured hundreds and caused extensive damage to property. Windows shattered all over Gibraltar and the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Convent were particularly badly affected. The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said, “The explosion of the Bedenham was a before and after moment for that generation of Gibraltarians. Everyone could remember where they were and what they were doing when the ship blew up. My own grandfather worked in the ammunition stores in the dockyard at that time, and although he was not directly impacted by the explosion, it did have a profound effect going forward. I know that many families lost relatives and it was very fitting to see some of them represented in the short ceremony."

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SOVEREIGN CORPORATE SERVICES Establish and Support your Business Market Entry Insurance business packages SOVEREIGN PRIVATE CLIENT Wealth management Asset protection Insurance SOVEREIGN RETIREMENT PLANNING Global Personal and Occupational Pensions Founded in Gibraltar in 1987 Sovereign has since grown into one of the world’s largest independent corporate and trust service providers currently managing over 20,000 clients with assets under administration in excess of US$10 billion.

To contact us email: gib@SovereignGroup.com or call +350 200 76173 Bahamas Bahrain China – Beijing, Shanghai Cyprus Gibraltar Guernsey Hong Kong Isle of Man Malta Mauritius Portugal Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa Switzerland United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi, Dubai United Kingdom – London, Wirral

MAY 2021

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BUSINESS INSIGHT IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOVEREIGN GROUP

CRYPTO ASSET TRIAL HM GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR HAS ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH COINFIRM LTD., A LEADING REGTECH FIRM, TO TRIAL A NEW AML RISK MANAGEMENT PLATFORM FOR CRYPTO AND BLOCK- CHAIN ASSETS.

including the destination and source of funds, fingerprints of activity, ownership analysis, e-discovery and clustering algorithms. Albert Isola, Minister for Digital and Financial Services commented, “As we continue to develop our VASP infrastructure, ensuring our regulatory bodies have the tools to combat financial crime in the crypto asset industry is of paramount importance. We must be equipped to counter threats such as those posed by criminal actors. I am very grateful to the team at Coinfirm for their support in allowing us access to and use of their platform.”

The collaboration between HM Government of Gibraltar and Coinfirm will benefit regulatory and law enforcement agencies in the jurisdiction with the use of advanced blockchain-native anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing analytics. This is the first time this innovative technology is being used to support Gibraltar’s work in the international fight against money laundering. The AML Platform is able to monitor high-risk transactions and trace misappropriated funds through visualisers amongst other proprietary investigative tools. The smart, data-led automatic analytics can overcome highly complex criminal enterprise schemes through deploying various methodologies

“Conducting investigations into criminals leveraging crypto assets is becoming crucial in financial crime cases as blockchain’s importance in the wider economy gains steam. With the AML Platform and Coinfirm’s ongoing support we will be able to more effectively challenge the various illicit schemes that malicious actors devise” added Paweł Kuskowski, CEO and co-founder at Coinfirm.

THE CHAIR OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE OF THE SPANISH SENATE, SENATOR ANTONIO GUTIERREZ LIMONES, PAID A COURTESY CALL ON THE CHIEF MINISTER FABIAN PICARDO LAST MONTH. The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia and the Attorney General Michael Llamas were also present in the meeting. The discussion centred on matters of common interest in particular on the matters that are the usual well known views of Gibraltar and the Campo which plague so many people's views of the area. The Chief Minister said, "I am very pleased to have received Antonio and to have had a chance to have a discussion about the issues that are relevant to the reality of impetus that the day to day lives of Gibraltarians and people in the region around us.“

VISIT BY SPANISH SENATOR

BEAT MEASURES FURTHER EXTENDED The Chief Minister has announced some of the business support measures that are set to continue until 30 June 2021. Businesses that are participating in the BEAT scheme will receive the following percentages based on the average payment that they received in April and May 2020: • 30% to be paid for April 2021 • 20% to be paid for May 2021; and • a final payment of 10% to be paid for June 2021.

businesses from these heavily affected sectors will receive additional tailored financial support that will be reviewed by Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar on a month by month basis. This tailored support is also expected to end on 30 June 2021 - if matters progress as hoped. All BEAT payments will be made automatically to participating businesses. Participating businesses do not need to take any action in order to receive these BEAT grant payments. The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce welcomed the announcement by the Government but also added it wanted to make sure that Gibraltar’s private sector could continue to operate and emerge stronger from the crisis of the past twelve months. This would help to put the Rock's economy in the best possible position to deal with the challenges that inevitably lie ahead.

The above payments will be made to all participating businesses, except for those sectors that continue to be heavily affected by the travel restrictions imposed by other countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participating

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FEATURE

WHAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE TYPE OF CYBER ATTACK? Cyber criminals are as the name suggests criminals. Criminal activity by its very nature just happens to be illegal, and if the perpetrator is caught is likely to result in prosecution and detainment at the pleasure of a government somewhere. Clearly this is not an attractive option for a criminal. So, to avoid this cyber-criminals are extremely careful not to get caught. The anonymity that the internet provides is one aspect that can assist the “not getting caught.” The other, more effective method is to avoid detection altogether, cover your tracks and leave no trace, so that you have no idea that you or your business may have been attacked and may have something stolen. But if a cyber-criminal steals something of ours, we will know. Right? Will you? In the good old days, before computers and devices, our world was dominated by tangible, physical things. It was there, present, in our hands, at our fingertips. You would know whether a thing was present or missing. We now live in an increasing digital environment, with more things becoming virtual. We used to buy music on vinyl and CDs, now we stream music. We used to hold paper files in filing cabinets, now they are digital files stored on harddrives and servers. These former tangible assets are now virtual, digital data files. If a cyber-criminal has the access, data files can be copied and stolen, and unless you are looking for it, chances are you will never know.

Businesses are targeted by multiple cyber criminals every day. Each criminal will have their own motivations and level of competency. Some will want an instant payday perhaps through the diversion of a financial payment as part of a phishing or man-in-the-middle scam. Others, the “All-Stars” of cyber criminals may just view you as an access point, the soft underbelly as part of an elaborate strategy to target a bigger, more valuable fish – your owners; your clients; a bigger, more prominent business you supply to. Cyber criminals are interested in the personal data you hold on individuals, or the “trusted” digital connections you have with their “next” intended target, or access point. They can use information/connections to unlock the next part of the puzzle or move onto the next phase. All of this can happen unwittingly, and you can provide the information and connections they need without even realising or detecting that it is happening.

CRIMINALS DO NOT WANT TO GET CAUGHT

So what? How does this affect me? Well, if you happen to be reading this and are sitting there thinking: we are ok, we have not been attacked, I would know. Ask yourself, are you sure? How do you know? Do you have systems and processes for detecting the theft of information? Remember anti-malware looks for malware and viruses, not unfettered access. If your network has inherent design flaws, a cyber-criminal can quite literally digitally “waltz in” have a good look around and take any information that is not secured. How often, if at all, are your log files analysed to identified: who has accessed your network, or what information has left? Would you know? Are you resourced to do this? Do you keep log files? At what point to they get overwritten? Do you even know what log files are? If not, I would suggest you ask these questions to your IT support, or get some support. To be helpful, log files are simply a log of events that have occurred, which can be analysed to understand activity or an incident. They can also be erased and amended.

As a business, we often hear: “We don’t see this as a problem;” “We have not experienced a cyber-attack;” “We just don’t hear about this happening.” The reason for this could be because you are one of the fortunate ones that has not be targeted or suffered an attacked. Or it could be because the cyber-criminal is extremely proficient at their trade, and while you may not have experienced a direct cyber-attack, you may have unknowingly breached information or facilitated an attack that has occurred elsewhere. All businesses must remember that under UK / EU GDPR and similar international data protection regulation, you are obligated under the Confidentiality and Integrity (Security) principle to implement appropriate organisational and technical controls to protect the personal data that you hold. When the true end goal of the cyber criminal’s strategy reveals itself and forensic analysis of the attack is conducted, could it reveal that your business breached the information that enable the attack to occur because of insufficient organisational and technical controls. Would you be willing to accept this risk and consequences for your business? So even though you may not believe you have suffered a direct cyber-attack, are you certain that you may not have been a victim of a cyber-attack? Good to trust, better to check. Michael Wills is co-founder and chief data officer for CSS Platinum. For further information on the company and the services it provides to Gibraltar businesses and the international yachting industry, please visit https://cssplatinum.com and/or email support@cssplatinum.com.

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TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

the met office's moonshot THE MET OFFICE AND MICROSOFT HAVE JOINED FORCES TO BUILD WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL WEATHER AND CLIMATE FORECASTING SUPERCOMPUTER IN THE UK. This new supercomputer – expected to be the world’s most advanced dedicated to weather and climate – will be in the top 25 supercomputers in the world and be twice as powerful as any other in the UK. The data it generates will be used to provide more accurate warnings of severe weather, helping to build resilience and protect British citizens, businesses and infrastructure from the impacts of increasingly extreme storms, floods and snow. It will also be used to take forward ground-breaking climate change modelling, unleashing the full potential of the Met Office’s global expertise in climate science. The precision and accuracy of its modelling will help to inform Government policy as part of the UK’s fight against climate change, and its efforts to reach net zero by 2050. UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said, “This partnership between the Met Office and Microsoft to build the world’s most powerful weather and climate forecasting supercomputer is a ringing endorsement for the UK’s credentials in protecting our environment, as we prepare to host COP26 later this year. “The new supercomputer, backed by a billion-pound UK government investment, will act as a catalyst for unlocking new skills, technologies and jobs right across our economy – from data scientists to AI experts – all as part of our efforts to build back better and create a cleaner future.” Penny Endersby, Chief Executive of the Met Office added, “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with Microsoft to deliver our next supercomputing capability. Working together, we will provide the highest quality weather and climate datasets and ever

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more accurate forecasts that enable decisions to allow people to stay safe and thrive. This will be a unique capability that will keep not just the Met Office but the UK at the forefront of environmental modelling and high-performance computing. “This investment by the UK government is a great vote of confidence in the Met Office’s world leading status as a provider of weather and climate science and services, as well as in our national commitment to build a more resilient world in a changing climate, helping build back greener across the UK and beyond.” As the Met Office and Microsoft work together over the next 10 years, it is expected that the collaboration will deliver both scientific and technological innovation that will ensure the Met Office and the UK is ready to harness the next generation of supercomputing and data technologies. This will enable the exploitation of scientific expertise to answer many of the big questions presented by our changing climate – improving forecasting of severe weather and impacts today and in the future. This will ensure the UK maintains its global reputation for world-leading scientific and technological research and innovation. It is expected that the investment will result in financial benefits totalling up to £13 billion (or £9:1) for the UK over its 10-year lifespan. The supercomputer will be based in the south of the UK, and will help to bring about employment, apprenticeships, internships, mentoring opportunities, training in digital skills and support for start-ups primarily in the South West of England. Find out more in the Met Office's Mostly Climate podcast.

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ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

MARITIME FORCE PROTECTION EXERCISE

Following the recent release of the Integrated Review 2021, British Forces Gibraltar took the opportunity to host a Maritime Force Protection Exercise in order to demonstrate its ability to operate as a strategic operational hub in the Mediterranean. Multiple units and agencies which included the Gibraltar Squadron (RNGS), Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RGR), Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP) and Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) as well as the newly arrived HMS Trent, came together to take part in the training. The Queens Harbour Master Lt Cdr Alastair Ley commented, “this exercise will be the first of many that aims to develop further the current doctrine and procedures as well as expanding and strengthening the very good working relationship between both the military and civilian security assets on the Rock”.

HMS DASHER RETURNS The Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron (RNGS) has returned to full strength after HMS Pursuer completed her annual support period, where she received essential maintenance in support of her enduring commitment to Gibraltar. She re-joins her sister ship, HMS Dasher and the RN Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats in providing the important role of force protection and security within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, and above all, upholding UK sovereignty.

GDP ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS COMPETITION WINNERS The Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP) visited the HELM Point Community Centre, Four Corners last year to carry out several Road Safety Awareness sessions with members of the Youth Club. Part of these sessions allowed the opportunity to enter a drawing competition for those involved. After careful consideration by the GDP officers who presented the initiative, Police Sergeant Dylan Borastero and Police Constable Diandra Desoisa selected four lucky winners: • Lavinia Noteyoung • Macy Sutton • Oscar Waldrom • Emily Harris-Joce Due to COVID-19 restrictions the four winners have only recently been able to visit the GDP Headquarters. Spending some time in a policing environment, Emily, Lavinia, Macy and Oscar were shown around the facilities at the GDP Headquarters and saw for themselves the control room where the day to day operations are carried out. They also joined in with officers carrying out a patrol in one of the GDP vehicles and met the Specialist Firearms Officers. Undoubtedly the highlight of the day was the opportunity to mingle with the GDP police dogs, Mira and Arry, who together with their handlers, carried out a display especially for the winners. Overall it was an extremely fun day for everyone involved! The GDP would like to thank all of those who took part in the drawing competition and looks forward to seeing other future police officers attending the GDP Headquarters on many other opportunities.

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PARASOL_ADVERTS_26.11.2020_.pdf

26/11/2020

09:24

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FEATURE

STAND BY YOUR BEDS BASED ON “STANDING ORDERS IN THE GARRISON OF GIBRALTAR 1803” Most of us of a certain age will remember the ridiculous lengths to which we were made to go in preparing our beds, boots and equipment for inspection to please overzealous, tradition bound officers and NCO’s in the Gibraltar Defence Force, now The Royal Gibraltar Regiment. Many evenings were spent in burnishing our boot toecaps into mirrors and polishing our cap badges, buttons and brasses, only to be criticizes by some little napoleon for having a spot on the webbing, or a blanket not quite folded to the correct thickness. BUT, if you think this was ridiculous give a thought to our predecessors in the same boat. In the barracks, each room was approximately 18 x 36 feet and would accommodate nineteen man. Lack of space in some cases made it necessary to provide folding beds. In this area the men would also eat their meals and spend their off duty time when not in town. Each man would be issued with a straw mattress, a box for his personal articles. Wooden tables, benches,

a stove and wood would complete the barrack room. His personal uniform and accoutrements are listed below. Following are some of the “Standing Orders“ in the Garrison of Gibraltar in 1803 during the Governorship of the Duke of Kent. Every NCO, Drummer and Private is to rise at latest, at half past three in the Summer months and half past four in the Spring and half past five in the Winter

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FEATURE when a long roll is to beat at the front door of every barracks, at which time they are immediately to commence folding up their beds, according to the following mode. The bolster (pillow) laid at the bottom of the flock mattress, which is to be doubled over twice, so as to make it lay in three folds with the bolster in the centre; the sheets, blankets and rug to be once doubled from the length, and then turned together in three folds also, the sheets to be first laid on the bed, the blankets on the sheets and the rug on the blankets; at the same time the berths (area around the bed) or platforms (wooden plank beds) are to be swept perfectly clean. At the hour established for breakfast, the quartermaster is directed to visit the rooms and see that they are clean, and the beds folded up as ordered for the first morning inspection, and cleaned, the caps of the NCOs and men hung upon the pegs fixed up for the purpose, the accoutrements on the racks, with the bayonet belts, the arms neatly and uniformly upon the racks, with the cocks let down and good flints in them, the name of every man and the number of his arms written on a card and placed on the top of the arms exactly over the owner’s firelock, the greatcoat neatly rolled up, and with the knapsack hung over the berth or platform. At one and a half hours before the evening gun, the whole, except for the sick, and half of the attendants on them, will parade in open column of Companies with their arms, accoutrements, greatcoats and knapsacks, when the Commanding Officer of Companies are to minutely examine the state and number of every Sergeant’s pike, sword and sword belt; the flintlock, bayonet, ramrod, pouch, pouch belt, bayonet belt, frog (the bayonet scabbard) and sling of every Rank and File; the drums, swords, sword belts and slings of the Drummers; the fifes, fife cases, swords, belts and slings of the Fifers and the hatchets, saws, aprons and slings of the Pioneers; and see that the whole of each man’s arms and accoutrement are marked with the Company’s letter and that the whole set has the same number, that every man has his own, and that none of the marks and numbers are defaced.

DIRECTIONS FOR CUTTING THE HAIR The top or brush to be cut as close as the scissors can catch it, allowing the comb between that and the head; the under part immediately behind the ear to be left somewhat longer so as, when rubbed up with soap and grease and combed upwards, to look as if it was frizzed after being turned with a small curling iron. The hind hair is to be parted from the brush with a string passed from ear to ear, vertically over the top of the head. Every part of the hair that comes behind the string being combed back so as to go into the queue, that which comes before forming the brush. No whiskers to be allowed of but for Drum Majors and Pioneers, but the beard to be always shaved up to the top of the ear; where the side hair is to be left perfectly square and level with the corner of the eye. No part of the beard below the top of the ear or in the neck to be permitted to grow.

DRESSING THE HAIR. In order to prepare the hair to receive the queue, it is first to be moderately thickened with powder and grease, both well combed into the roots; a small pad or cushion covered with black sheepskin and stuffed with bran, about two inches and a half in length and of thickness proportionable to the man’s hair, (known by soldiers as a mouse) is next to be placed inside, above the tie, so as to make it appear full and round, without spreading it too much, and in order to prevent it from splitting; but this is on no account to be placed so high as to touch the head, as that would occasion the queue to stand off from it, or make it bag at the tie, which are the two greatest faults that can be found in any soldier’s head dress. After this, the hair is to be tied exactly level with bottom of the stock and particular care must be taken that the tie sets close to the neck; the top hair is then well rubbed up with soap, flour and grease and combed from the ears straight upwards, so as to have the appearance as if turned by curling irons, the back hair is next to be covered with soap lather, well beat up with flour in a box, until it becomes a stiff paste which is laid on with a small brush (commonly called by House Painter, a Sash Tool), and then regularly and neatly marked with a comb the teeth of which should be about ten to the inch, each mark coming directly down from the crown, where the hind hair is parted off from the top to the tie, after which the whole hair is to be lightly powdered with a thread or cotton puff until it is perfectly white; but not so as to fill up the marks of the comb. When this is done, all loose powder that has not attached itself to the paste where it is directed to be laid on the hind hair is to be blown off so that none may by chance fall on the clothes. The queue which is to be made to receive the whole of the man’s hair and to cover the string with which it is tied, is to be fixed on so that, when the man has his coat on, the queue may be even with the lower row of lace on the collar, and lastly the flash is to be fixed on so as to cover the top of the queue.

FOR THE UNDRESS The hair is to be done according to the foregoing directions, except that the soap, lather and powder are to be altogether omitted and no part to show at all white; the marks of the comb which is used for combing the hair, to be left without being smoothed down, although the marking comb is not to be used The Duke of Kent preserved hair powder and queues for those under his command until much later, even though the practice had been abolished in 1808. As Governor of Gibraltar, he issued a series of orders that" The first person who boarded every ship coming into the harbour was his Royal Highness's hairdresser, and no officer was allowed to land until he had submitted his head to be operated on by this functionary. On the top it was to be cut into a horseshoe form; a string put round the ear and held in the mouth decided the termination of the whiskers” Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar. Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

NB. The top hair is to be regularly cut in the first week of every month by one established Hair Dresser.

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FEATURE

INTERVIEW WITH THE

CHIEF MINISTER

WORDS BY JO WARD 22

MAY 2021

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FEATURE

”We have done so much since then, we have so much still to do.” The Hon. Fabian Picardo QC, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, talks exclusively to Jo Ward on his 10th anniversary as leader of the GSLP, looking back on the past as well as forward to his future as head of the Government of Gibraltar. “I can tell you that I have a barometer of my time in Government, my son is nine years old, my wife got pregnant just after I had become leader of the party and just after we were married, and so I have a living barometer that reminds me of how long I have been in Government - and from a clump of cells to a champion nine year old footballer - my goodness we have come a long way,” the Chief Minister proudly states. “One of the reasons that I think people fall out of love with politicians is if politicians pretend that they can resolve every problem and that is when you fall short,” the Chief Minister comments. “I think that we have ensured that we haven't done that - we have been realistic in what we have said but sometimes people don't hear what we say, they hear what they would like us to have said - but we have been very careful and diligent in ensuring that we have dealt with problems in the order of priority in which they manifest themselves.” “Lawyer. Husband. Proud father of TWO beautiful boys & a gorgeous little girl” proclaims Fabian Picardo’s Twitter profile, highlighting his personal achievements. However, it is the unexpected events of the past year and a half that have had a huge impact on both his personal and political life.

“The past year has been a life sucking, mind numbing, horrible experience, for everyone I think,” he says. “Remember that it is true that whilst others were locked down in effect by the Government, some people were spending more time at home than ever, but I was probably spending less time at home than usual. For me it was a little surreal and I have lived it in a different way to the way most people have lived these successive lockdowns and the difficulties that we have had.” Images come to mind of the Chief Minister holding video conferences with other world leaders whilst smartly attired on the top half of his body but wearing pyjama bottoms are quickly dispelled. “I confess to having done something for my old college Gaudy where I appeared to be wearing the decent part of black tie - but it was early September and it is too hot here to wear trousers then,” he laughs. With a busy household and three children, how did he cope with home schooling? “My wife Justine and I employ a fantastic, lifesaving nanny for our children who is like the third parent in the home and without Sarah we would have found it almost impossible to continue with our obligations and our duties in this period.” Back to a time when nobody knew there would be a coronavirus pandemic, the Government of Gibraltar were focused on other things. “We had just come out of a general election and we were looking at the possibility of Brexit towards the end of 2019 - that was put off for a shorter period and we were really working towards ensuring that we had our post Brexit arrangements finalised in time for the United Kingdom's de jure departure from the European Union, but pandemic history got in the way,” the Chief Minister explains. On 31st December 2020, the UK and Spain announced an agreement in principle under which Gibraltar would join the EU’s Schengen Area, but the Chief Minister states that he had already been looking at the possibility of Gibraltar forming part of or entering into an arrangement with Schengen as far back as 2014 when Danny Alexander, then the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, came to Gibraltar. “I had also met with Cecilia Malmström who was then the Commissioner with responsibil-

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ity for Immigration in the European Union and she had said that she saw the possibilities for Gibraltar to have a different sort of relationship to Schengen than the one that we have had until now.” The Chief Minister explains that he had said at the time that if they are looking at Schengen they needed to consider what sort of relationship they would have with the Customs Union going forward. “It wasn't however until last year - just before the pandemic hit - and I had said in the context of the negotiation on the future relationship with the European Union that we needed to consider the possibility of making a final decision which would be a decision for Gibraltar, for the United Kingdom, for Spain and for the European Union about changing Gibraltar's relationship with the EU on immigration matters.” After days of intense discussions and with just hours to go, the Chief Minister was able to announce in his New Year’s Eve Statement to Parliament that an Agreement had been reached regarding Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU. The framework agreement opens the door to a treaty that could see Gibraltar become part of the Schengen area, effectively suppressing immigration controls at the border. “Since then the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary Dominic Raab has been to Gibraltar and Gibraltar and the UK have agreed our mandate in a joint ministerial conference on how it is that we will negotiate this Treaty with the European Union, and the European Union and Spain in particular are considering how they will set out their mandate for the negotiation,” the Chief Minister says. “Once those two mandates have been published - until now only ours has been - we will see the start of the negotiations which I think can actually move with quite a bit of alacrity because a lot of the difficult balancing work has been done in the negotiation between Gibraltar, Spain and the United Kingdom.” Moving on to talk about COVID-19 and the fact that Gibraltar has been held up as a beacon of hope on the world stage, the Chief Minister says that the reality is that it is only as a result of the United Kingdom having done such an excellent job in backing different vaccination projects and therefore being at the front of the queue to receive the product, that Gibraltar has been able to access the doses that have been needed to inoculate all the residents of Gibraltar and cross frontier workers. “We would not have been able to access the vaccines otherwise so we have to thank the United Kingdom for providing the vaccines and we have to recognise the magnificent work that has been done by the Gibraltar Health Authority led by Minister Samantha Sacramento, but also in particular by those who were involved in the vaccination programme itself which enabled us to ensure that the vaccines we were provided were not sitting in a fridge at minus 70 degrees, but that they were getting jabbed into the arms of those who were - in keeping with the priorities set out by the UK JCVI (The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) - the ones who should have been receiving the vaccine as soon as possible, and that work has really been remarkable.” The Chief Minister went on to praise the work done by so many people, from the highest echelons of the British Government from the level of the Prime Minister, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary and the Minister for Health Matt Hancock, through to the Minister for Defence and the Armed Forces who ensured that the RAF would fly the vaccines in which couldn’t be flown in by commer-

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FEATURE cial aircraft because of the dry ice required to pack them in. “We must also thank the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Regiment who escorted our precious cargo of vaccines and the GHA staff that jabbed it into the arms of our citizens, this is their success and I will be very keen at every stage not to attribute to myself any credit for it because it is the success of all those who were involved in the supply chain and then in the inoculation process that we today can enjoy what post-pandemic life may feel like in the rest of the world in the future, subject of course to the fact that we may have to go through all this again in the Autumn with booster shots and depending on variants of concern, but at least this is precious breathing space that we can thank all of them for.” On the afternoon of the day we spoke, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed Parliament about the new Indian variant and said that “it is still just a variant under investigation, not a variant of concern.” There are of course a lot of people in Gibraltar who have family relationships in the sub-continent and in this respect the Chief Minister went on to state that Gibraltar was adding India to the list of red countries where individuals will need to report, quarantine and test if they arrive in Gibraltar having been there in the last fourteen or twenty-one days. “I hope that we will soon be able to have a better understanding of what that variant means and whether we will be able to inoculate against it or whether our existing inoculation will protect us against it.” He added that he wants to ensure that India is maintained on a red list for as short a period as is absolutely necessary so that people can travel to and from their families in India as soon as possible.” Part of the Government's mandate was to deliver a greener Gibraltar and a child friendly city, but this hasn’t been without hiccups and public opinion has in certain cases made them change some of the planned projects. In July last year the Government released its plans for the beautification of Line Wall Road, to include a one-way traffic system, cycle lanes, green areas and promenades. “I said during the course of my New Year's Eve address that I think we got that wrong, I don't think there was a public appetite for the pedestrianisation of Line Wall Road,” the Chief Minister comments.

“I have also made clear that our manifesto was designed to be delivered post-Brexit but that it was not designed to be delivered post a pandemic like the one that we have seen, and it is very likely that we unfortunately will not be able to deliver the most ambitious projects that are set out in our manifesto.” Stating that the public finances of Gibraltar have been gutted by the pandemic in the same way that the public finances of most nations in the world have, the Chief Minister says that a lot of what the Government had wanted to do will not go ahead yet. “I hope that people will understand that because we have wanted to prioritise what we need to do over what we would like to do - it doesn't mean that we are abandoning what we would like to do, but we do recognise that we have an obligation to do what we must in the context of the provision of health care, education and all of the basics, and when we have less money available we have got to ensure that we cover those before we move on to our other priorities.” As part of the Government’s continuing policy to provide affordable housing for the people of Gibraltar, the Chief Minister said in July 2019: “When we build affordable homes, we

are laying the foundations for building more Gibraltarian families. These are the building blocks of the longevity and strength of our nation’s future.” “The number of homes that we are building both for sale as well as rental in our new developments is unprecedented and these are a set of projects that we consider to be essential,” he comments. “Hassan Centenary Terraces is already underway and a second phase will commence as soon as we have been able to clear the rubble from that area, and Chatham Views will start as soon as we have fully demolished West Side School.” Now that the new LNG power station has been commissioned the Chief Minister confirms that: “as soon as the old power station which used to run on grimy, smelly diesel has been decommissioned and is gone we will be able to see the building of Bob Peliza Terraces.” The Chief Minister confirmed that contracts are already being signed for the proposed developments at Hassan Centenary Terraces, Bob Peliza Mews and Chatham Views.

“We will be able to deliver those additional 2,400 units of affordable housing in the time that we expected that we would.” COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the tourism industry worldwide, but Gibraltar has been particularly hard hit as the Rock relies on the tourists that come through by car, air and by cruise ships with many companies that depend on the revenue from tourism, such as the hospitality and catering industry, suffering the most. Asked how Gibraltar will bounce back, the Chief Minister says that one of the things that he is very hopeful about is that Gibraltar will be on the green corridor with the United Kingdom. “Gibraltar is likely to be one of the very few European Jurisdictions to which British travellers will be able to come to without having to quarantine when they return to the United Kingdom,” he says. “If that is the case, and that of course is not a decision for us, it is a decision for the UK Government and we have to respect their autonomy to make the decisions that they consider to be safe for the people of the UK, then I think Gibraltar is very well placed to receive an influx of tourism this summer from the UK and I think they will like what they find in the refreshed Gibraltar that we have to present to them, and will therefore potentially be a source of returning visitors for many years to come.”

“Gibraltar is constantly being referred to in the media as the safest jurisdiction for Britons in Europe and I look forward to welcoming many of my British kith and kin to Gibraltar.” The life of the Chief Minister is a constantly busy one but there has to be some kind of work/life balance and his ongoing fitness regime, including his daily cycle rides up the Rock, is well documented in the social media posts of Fabian Picardo often accompanied by some truly stunning early morning images. “I recognise I fell off the saddle over the second lockdown a little, the weather was awful and I couldn't get up the Rock and that was as bad for my head as it was for my heart,” he comments. “Cycling up the Rock of Gibraltar has helped me in my mental health as much as it has helped me in my COVID and physical health - so I recommend to everyone that they should consider the possibility.” Justly proud of Gibraltar, the Chief Minister’s message to inspire future generations of Gibraltar is that it is probably the most manageable quantity on the planet. “If Barrack Obama at the height of his powers had

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announced that he was injecting 100 million dollars into the economy of the United States that would represent barely 50 cents for every American, and if the Chief Minister of Gibraltar is enable to announce an investment of 100 million pounds on projects in the lifetime of one Parliament, then the effect on the daily lives of Gibraltarians is huge.” The Chief Minister’s view is that Gibraltar is an oasis in what is otherwise a very cruel and difficult world. “I would simply ask my fellow citizens to spend some time reflecting on what life is like for citizens of other nations, particularly those nations around us - we live on the shores of the Mediterranean, we live on the southernmost flank of Europe and if anybody were to reflect for a moment how difficult life is everywhere else on the shores of the Mediterranean and in particular the southernmost flank of Europe and the northernmost flank of Africa, I think an appreciation of how well we have it in Gibraltar is long overdue and long merited and would inspire people of all political complexions in Gibraltar to appreciate a little more what we have and to protect it.” When I interviewed the Chief Minister back in 2014, in response to a quote from the opposition at the time which said that: “Mr Picardo must get his priorities right and spend less time and money on parks and vanity projects and address Gibraltar's energy needs” he said “I think it is a bit rich for those who have caused the problem to ask me to resolve it with a magic wand - I am no Harry Potter - I have never pretended to be.” Asked if he had managed to wave his magic wand in the interim years since those quotes, he replies: “Well there is no magic wand to wave but there is now a new power station which runs exclusively on LNG, a non-polluting fossil fuel, and we are ensuring that we can add renewable sources of energy to our grid and we have also added a lot of solar since then, so I think we have demonstrated that although we might not have been able to deliver things in the time that we might have expected because there might have been necessary delays along the way - you need to make sure that you get it just right.”

“But I would say to the many, many ‘Draco Malfoys’ and to ‘He Who Must Not be Named” who oppose us politically that we will keep going and that we will show everyone in Gibraltar all the little things that they tried to hide in their Chamber of Secrets!” Still relatively young for a politician, he turns 50 next year, how does the Chief Minister see his future panning out? “One of the key issues to understand is that the pandemic has deprived us of the first half of the lifetime of this Parliament and to understand therefore that the mandate that we took from the public in 2019 is not a mandate that we can fulfil, but that because of the pandemic and because of the Brexit negotiations we have an obligation to see this Parliament through.”

“I said I would stand for election on three occasions, and I think I need to review that and in conversations with my family consider whether I should go forward to a potential fourth term - and if my party wishes me to lead it into its fourth potential election victory, if the public were to give us their support then and subject to all those caveats I am very clear that circumstances have conspired against me to require me to take very seriously the possibility of asking the public once again for their support.”

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SPORTS INSIGHT

David S teele Former golf professional and European Tour player David Steele, well known in the golfing fraternity along the Costa del Sol and for his family connections in Gibraltar, is holding a unique fundraising event in aid of two Spanish charities: Cancer Research and Centro Contigo in La Linea.

for some but obviously not for David and Gianella because that was the date on which they met, became engaged and got married. “It was a very lucky date for me,” he smiles. Their wedding in 1991 caused a bit of a stir when Gianella drove from her home in Irish Town up Main Street to the Cathedral in a golf cart. “After the ceremony we had a police escort to the Caleta Palace for the reception,” David explains. “Gibraltar had never seen a golf cart so there was a huge amount of interest, with crowds gathering outside the Cathedral to look at our unusual mode of transport.”

This will be David’s third Golf Marathon challenge, and at the age of 64 he has decided it will be his last! In 1993, at the age of 38, David raised funds to buy an ambulance for the village of Guadiaro, playing 315 holes over 17 and a half rounds during daylight hours at the San Roque Golf Club. Ten years later in 2003 at the age of 48, Dav i d attempted to break the world record for the most number of holes played in 24 hours using a golf Cart at Dama del Noche in Marbella, raising the extraordinary amount of €100,000 for Cancer research, CIOMA, Assn Espanola Contra El Cancer and CUDECA. The event was covered for television by Sky Sports. This year the event will take place at the El Higueral 9 hole golf course in Benahavis, on Monday 7th June when David will attempt to play 324 holes of golf over 18 rounds during daylight hours. Golf is something that is in David’s DNA but surprisingly he didn’t take up the game until he was 13 years old. “My father was a golf professional at Gosforth Park in Newcastle, alongside Dave Thomas who played in the Ryder Cup and nearly won the British Open twice,” David says. “I was named David Thomas Steele after my godfather.” David’s father was one of the first British professionals to go and teach the game to the Scandinavians, going over to Sweden in 1954 where David was born the year after. “We spent five years in the south at Falsterbo Golf Course and then five years in Stockholm, and my father’s claim to fame is teaching Prince Carl Gustaf to play golf who is now the King of Sweden.” Returning to Newcastle at the age of 10 years old David indulged his passion for playing football, but to the delight of his father he took up golf three years later. “By the time I was 15 I represented England and went on to play for England as a boy, youth and full International until I turned professional in 1975 and played the European Tour for eight years,” he explains. Eventually coming to La Manga to go to Qualifying School, David ended up losing his playing card and made his way to Marbella where he met Alan James who had a travel company. “I ran golf holiday tours and then when Alan bought El Paraiso Golf Club in 1984 he asked me to become Golf Director.”

Fundraising for charities has always been a big part of David’s life and together with Alan James, David started the Jimmy Tarbuck Classic which has now been going for 40 years, raising over 1 million euros in Spain for handicapped children and latterly in Portugal, where the charity event is run by David’s brother, for a children’s hospice in Faro. ‘Steeley’, as he is known to most people including his golfing friends Ian Woosnam (‘Woosy’) and Sandy Lyle (‘Lyley’), is being supported by two Ryder Cup heroes, Manual Pinero from Spain and Eddie Polland from Ireland, who will take part in a Q&A session prior to a dinner and the auction of some amazing prizes at the launch of the Marathon event on Sunday 5th June at the San Roque Club, which is also the venue for a Charity Golf Marathon Tournament followed by cocktails and the presentation of prizes on the 12th June. David has set a target of €50,000 for this year’s challenge which he hopes to raise via sponsorship, donations, an auction and raffle and a ‘How Many Shots Will I Hit’ competition at €5 a guess. This will be no mean feat for a man who is now older, less fit and a little heavier than when he undertook his previous events. “It would be wonderful if I could raise enough to assist these two worthy charities,” David comments. “No donation is too small.” For more information and to donate, please go to: David Steele Charity Golf Marathon Go Fund Me page

1989 was a big year not only because David became the first official foreign distributor in Europe for E-Z-Go Golf Carts, selling the business in 2003, but because he met Gianella Imossi who went on to become his wife. “That’s when I fell in love with Gibraltar,” David states. Friday the 13th is unlucky

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FOOTBALL INSIGHT

homecoming FANS RETURN TO LIVE GAMES ON THE ROCK

It was Wednesday 14th April when all Club’s had received the good news from The GFA (Gibraltar Football Association) that the Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority would be allowing fans back into the Stadiums as from Friday 16th April 2021. It has been a long time coming and we have learned a lot, and we hope that by the third week of April we can start to have a percentage back in the stadiums. Gibraltar has suffered its fare share of Covid-19 cases, but the infection rate has dramatically been brought down to a halt thanks to the Vaccine being administrated to the whole population.

Gibraltar as a whole, and bringing people here who may not have considered it as a travel destination before, to see what Gibraltar has to offer.

Everyone was cautiously watching Easter, a key moment to see how things are going and it would provide an indication of whether fans returning to sporting facilities would have any inclination for the worst.

Football really is a different game without the fans present. The noise and atmosphere they bring to the stadium really does make the game. A stadium without fans even makes the television viewers experience a whole lot different. While artificial noise is available on many live matches, it’s clear it is not the same. Players no doubt missing the support and noise in the closing minutes which gives a boost and added intensity to their

Lynx has continued to take nothing for granted but If we see that a fourth wave has not started, we can begin to raise very important questions for fans, supporters, and the clubs themselves.

game in trying to get a last gasp equaliser or winning goal. Celebrating scoring a goal in front of the fans is what the players want. Football is made what it is by the fans. Having them back is crucial to the game. We can’t wait to see the joy and emotion back in the stands that adults and children alike bring.

The Yellow Army fans had received the news they have waited months but how will everything work and how many people will we see inside stadiums in the coming month? Supporters have been banned from watching all local games at stadiums and events since the coronavirus pandemic gripped Gibraltar in March 2020. Since then, the Lynx Media Team took ownership of broadcasting their games to all fans alike. It was a true success, and the discovery has given a broader option to those unable to attend the game. Since the start of broadcasting our games to fans around the world during the global pandemic and lockdown, there has been an increase in interest from these fans in coming to Gibraltar and attending a match once travel restrictions are lifted. This would be great not only for the local game, but also for

The ban had hit us financially, whilst we still incurred costs, but suffering from much reduced income. Elite sports in places like England has continued behind closed doors during their four-week lockdown, but grassroots and amateur sport has been halted since 5 November. A lot of work has been done to test approaches to the safe return of fans and this, combined with the findings of the government's Working Group, will be used to inform best practice.

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FEATURE

THE OFT GIBRALTAR Francis Muscat, CEO of the Gibraltar Office of Fair Trading since its inception in 2015, explains the role of The Office of Fair Trading (OFT). “It is a statutory regulator established by Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar and its main purpose is to regulate businesses, but only businesses which are otherwise not regulated by another enactment.” “By regulation what we mean is that we licence businesses, so in order to do business in Gibraltar you need to have a business licence and we are the authority that issues those licences,” Francis says. “We also carry out a consumer protection function to ensure that our consumers are well treated, that the legislation is adhered to and that consumers are protected and their rights are upheld by businesses, but as well as these we have other responsibilities relating to money laundering and anti-terrorism financing.” As part of its on-going Consumer Awareness program, the OFT were recently at the Piazza to raise awareness of ‘Travelling in the New Normal’. “We raise awareness of key consumer issues throughout the year, and in April we fo-

cused on travel as a result of the many enquiries and complaints at the office regarding issues with travel post-Covid and post-Brexit,” Francis states. During the course of the year, the OFT Consumer Awareness team hold other outreach events, including one focusing on second-hand car sales coming up in May and another during Halloween about toy and costume safety. The busiest period for the OFT starts with ‘Black Friday’ which is the commencement of the most intense annual period of consumer spending, then comes Christmas and of course the January sales. Francis comments that this year the OFT is using more social media and outreach and really trying to make those very bespoke to Gibraltar based on the complaints and queries that they receive. There is no doubt that coronavirus has changed the way we travel and during the height of the lockdown the OFT received a large number of complaints with regard to travel cancellations. Francis says that in June last year they issued consumer guidance, updated in November, on what

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MAY 2021

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FEATURE to do whether it was a local travel agent or a third party provider, what the rights are in law and how people can go about claiming back money or get redress for those travel arrangements. “If the third party provider is EU based we will probably know enough about it that we can give a bit of guidance, but even if it is not or if you want a bit more specific help, we can probably direct you to the right authority in that country,” he says.

In the near future a new Fair Trading Act 2020 will come into place. “It has to be debated in Parliament, but we expect that it will go through and it is a significant improvement for the service users, from the public perspective, for the consumers and businesses perspective,” Francis explains. “It will make our role easier to perform for the benefit of the people we protect by way of example and we should have a more mediatory role once it goes ahead.”

“More recently we have been receiving queries regarding whether consumers can or cannot travel, and we have been approached to see whether there are any issues that need to be borne in mind before booking,” Francis confirms. On the back of those queries, the OFT has created a checklist of things that people may want to take into consideration. “Brexit is not the easiest thing to have navigated through and it is particularly difficult after you add Covid and the lockdowns into the mix,” he says. People are anxious to start travelling again and it is worth remembering that it is not the same as previously, so the advice from the OFT is something that consumers should think about beforehand to avoid being disappointed.

Francis says that this will enable the OFT to provide more holistic protection for consumers. “The Act also deals with cottage industries and artisans, so that if you have a turnover of less than a certain amount (which is yet to be subscribed in regulation), you don't require a licence and you just need to register with us, so that will substantially facilitate matters.”

The OFT is not just there for consumer protection issues but also for businesses. “Remember that if you are doing business in Gibraltar you will need a licence of some sort, probably one of ours, but if you approach us we are more than happy to let you know the right authority to handle that for you.”

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them into compliance rather than coming after them with a stick - that is not our approach - we really want to encourage them to comply,” Francis states. “For consumers, we literally will assist with anything that they come up with - even if it is not ours and we can't assist we will go beyond what are our limits to try to ensure that they get some sort of redress.”

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The OFT also has a good relationship with traders. “We conduct inspections quite regularly and check things at the premises from which they are operating, and whenever we go we always offer the opportunity for them to ask any questions.” Francis says that sometimes before a consumer even comes to the OFT, they will get a call from a trader in advance stating that they have an issue and asking for guidance on their rights. “There are obviously some more contentious matters when we have had to take enforcement action, but those seem to be very few and far between and we can normally avoid them by engaging and just making sure that the traders understand what their legal obligations are,” he states. “At present we have four or five ongoing investigations and these are things that could end up going to court, but we have a system of approaching it incrementally where the enforcement gets more significant the less unsatisfactory the response.”

“We generally are a Regulator that really tries to get our businesses to comply and we are trying to assist

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Francis confirms that the main thrust of the majority of complaints to the OFT concern goods or a service bought from shops or businesses in Gibraltar. “This usually surrounds goods not being as described or not fit for purpose,” he says. “Maybe the consumer is having issues with the trader and they want us to try to assist them, but it is very important you should know that by assist we mean that we will engage with the consumer to find out what the information is and then engage with the trader, but at the moment we can't play a mediatory role.” The OFT is only there to try to prevent practices which may cause consumers harm, and this often results in the consumer getting redress.

The ‘Travelling in the New Normal’ leaflet handed out at the Piazza is a condensed version of the full guidance that can be found on the OFT website, and if you already have the leaflet just click on the QR code to take you straight there.

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Restrictions regarding travel are changing daily and because it is such a fluid scenario the OFT has compiled guidance on everything that should be borne in mind before going away, whether that is to Spain or further afield, including driving licences, changes to pet passports, changes to E111 and healthcare.

“As well as a News section on our website, which we keep up-to-date, we have a general Consumer Protection page and we also have an Awareness page containing guidance documents for businesses and for consumers.” It’s also worth checking out the OFT social media platforms. “Every month we pick a topic that we are focusing on and put little snippets of what the guidance is, with links to the full OFT Event at Piazza guidance on our website, so if you want to stay abreast with consumer topics in Gibraltar, that’s the place to go.”

Francis and his team of twelve are always on hand to answer questions, whether that is when they are out and about holding awareness events at the Piazza, via the phone lines, email, in person at the office, or even by Zoom. “We are very flexible,” he states. “Just know that we are always here, you can always approach us and we are more than happy to assist,” he states. The OFT office is based at Suite 975, Europort, or go to the Contact Us section on the website. More information can be found here: www.oft.gov.gi

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FEATURE

CHRISTIAN HOOK INTERVIEW

WORDS BY JOE ADAMBERY 30

MAY 2021

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FEATURE The last time we spoke to Christian Hook for Insight Magazine he had already taken the art world by storm and he was ready to move on to something else - such was his need to take on new challenges and break down barriers all the time. Life is not fast and challenging enough in his eyes and it gets in his way but he always seeks to break the mould and think outside the box. That makes him the great artist that he is today. “There are two things that I hate a lot - routine and repetition. I am dyslexic and when I took the test for it, done by a professional earlier this year, I found that I was dyslexic. I don’t have it for reading and writing but for the rest yes. One of the things that I have a strong reaction to is repetition. I can’t stand repetition, so if I have a highly organised list of things that I must do in a day, like fifty things, I can’t stand that. Having to be somewhere or having to do something at a specific time gets to me in a negative way. Nowadays even my meetings are not regimented like that so that flexibility in timings keeps everything new for me.” That is an exclusive insight into the man who has shaken the art world and is also the mark of evolution of the artist who is extremely talented and extremely restless in equal measure. He has an inquiring mind and gets bored quickly once he has executed his ideas, which are always the most challenging ways to do things, to discover new ways to marry art and science, his favourite subjects and consuming passions.

“I have already been included in most national galleries although I think there was one still missing. I have already done all the arts festivals in New York. I did an around the world trip with presidents kings and queens. I also travelled in India and many other places and in truth once you have your work in national galleries, apart from the Turner Prize and being included in contemporary history books, which I am, there is little left to conquer.” I sense immediately that Christian Hook has moved on and we are going to see less of his art on canvas as he strives to conquer other mediums. His goals are always set quite high and he will not shy away from the impossible. Now influential enough to be heard and followed, he is determined to discover new ways of understanding reality through science and art. “In terms of achievement you can only expand financially. For example if the number of art galleries increases so does your exposure. I have always wanted to try other things, like I wanted to extract my art from painting and include it in other mediums. The same process that I would use in my painting I wanted to use for other mediums. Since I started to focus on new things I now have seven businesses apart from art and I always try to get from A to B in every way that doesn’t yet exist. I have to invent a creative way to get there.” At this point I remind Christian that this is what he did when he studied Calligraphy – he was trying to measure the energy in his brushstrokes so that he could discover what made them unique and spontaneous. Although my hopeful interruption was in English he continued in Spanish (Yanito) and I followed on too,

not wanting to slow down his thought process by having him think and translate. His restlessness and inquiring mind only allows him to share his ideas quickly and I remind myself that he hates repetition so I listen. “Up to now I had done nothing with Gibraltarians involved so when I came back here before the lockdown the first thing I thought of as a project was music involving local talent. Before I tell you about that I have to take you back to what made me decide on music in the first place. It goes back to Jay Z (Beyonce’s husband) and to a long flight where I wrote down ideas for a film. I told my team in London to get me in touch with him and he liked the idea. I went with his people to see a high profile and sold out Rap concert by ‘Drake’ in the NY City’s biggest stadium.” “Although I’m a great fan of ‘Drake’ I was amazed at the high standard of music which I had not thought possible in Rap music until then. When I heard what was happening musically in that concert, I thought that it was really good and totally something else, another dimension which I had not been exposed to and which I had yet to explore.” Rap is quirky, angry and challenging musical convention and lyrical content all the time and Hook has been touched by a spark which turned into a fire as he searched for a way to harness what he saw and felt and tried to translate it into music which, he insists, should be done in a different way - by deconstructing

it and doing it wrong just to challenge the medium. It’s exactly what he does in his painting all the time. “I always wanted to work with top scientists to see whether a new door could be opened through art and science working together. Many breakthroughs in artistic development throughout history prove that artistic enlightenment came after scientific concepts were broken down for artists to understand and interpret in their unique way. I already had this script which I had written for a film where the plot is that I wanted to paint ‘something impossible’ and top scientists would help me achieve it. In reality top scientists like Nobel Prize winners would not want to help me and jeopardise their status and reputation collaborating in my experiment, that is, unless one influential figure among them came fully on board with my idea”. A year earlier Christian had met one such high profile scientist an Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli whose book ‘The order of time’ and other books are huge best sellers. He is being hailed as the new Stephen Hawkins. Hook was impressed by the latest book too and he had told Rovelli in a meeting that he wanted to work with him on a project. A year passed and they didn’t get together until a Sky Arts team was asked to contact him and revive the collaboration initiative. To Christian’s amazement Carlo Rovelli said yes immediately and unconditionally...and there was not even a project on the table yet! For the last few years Christian Hook leads a committed group of high profile ‘enablers’ (my description) whose diverse skills are channelled in order to facilitate the plethora of

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FEATURE ideas and projects that flow from the artist. “At the very least they prepare a first draft which captures the idea and spirit of discussions before ‘they are lost in translation’ so to speak.” Hook’s current fascination with Carlo Rovelli stems from a theory that the physicist holds which is that ‘we only live in a five percent of reality because we cannot see the other ninety five percent’. “I wanted top scientists including NASA scientists to try and measure what the balance of our reality might look like. I wanted to ‘open a new door’ which could be followed in a film documentary which I was embarked on.”

add the textures which are the local talent in my team here... Dylan Ferro, Danni Fa, James P Ablitt, Aouatif Ghabraoui and Tiffany Ferrary and then the songs take on new life. They have trusted my unconventional ways of making music and we have worked hard to produce something fresh and real. This is a 100 per cent local project and there is a lot of talent here. It’s been challenging to get here but we are all very proud and excited with the results. “I have influential UK friends in the music industry who have heard what we are doing and they are excited because it’s new and compelling. I set parameters that this music must be local and all produced here. So far we have a bunch of finished songs with lyric videos” (which I have seen and listened to and can vouch for their impact on me and their likeability factor. Impressive! JA).

“As I developed a common theme which might unite science, art and hopefully a ‘greater reality’ I hit upon the idea that ‘the sentiment between two people’ could perhaps be measured scientifically. Is love measurable between two people? Is love a tangible unit of connectivity? When two people are separated by physical distance is their connection severed or does it stay intact? When two people are heartbroken what is happening to their connection? Can these emotions be measured scientifically?” consuming passion is now his new music but composed under his strict parameters of trying to make it work in new ways. The same as in his art, approaching song writing and song producing as paint on his canvass. “Create something beautiful- try to destroy it and then salvage the best parts without losing the essence of the idea (or tune in music) and always trying to find a new way of telling the story.” “Of course you can’t destroy everything to create new music. You need to hang on to parts that make it familiar to understand and in a sense likeable to its creator. Once I started writing the new music I built a recording studio here at home with great help from Danni Fa and then I wrote some more songs. The first one we worked on was called ‘Safari’ and when we recorded it Dylan Ferro begged me not to destroy it because it was too good to spoil. I went ahead and did the complete opposite and rebuilt the song from scratch without losing the best bits and using my new focus and latest technology.

All those questions and more provided the flesh and bones for his film so Hook selected a long time couple who had split and each formed new relationships, then reunited again later on in life and now they both run spiritual centres because they believe that they have a spiritual connection. Christian remembered that he would need input from Carlo Rovelli who could explain in a scientific way how a connection is made in spacespace being here and all around us - so while he was still trying to ‘paint the invisible’ Rovelli’s theories could perhaps be measured and they could break new scientific ground in art.

“I like ‘Cold play’ but I remember that when I first heard ‘Cold Play’ I didn’t like them as a band but on subsequent listening they grew on me and that is what you need to achieve in music in order to break new ground. Something that holds your attention beyond first listening until you relate to the new substance and style of it. “In painting you can choose what to like for some it’s texture, for others the content, or others even the story behind the image. In my new music I rewrite the songs after all the production experimenting has been refined and I then concentrate on my lyrics which provide the story to carry the music. Then I

Christian took a whole year off to make that documentary film which features Nobel Prize scientists. It’s still untitled and yet to be scheduled for TV. They went to the Imperial College with the world’s top neurologist, they used NASA’s equipment and in the course of making the programme they discovered new material which can be called groundbreaking in science and all the while Hook was painting these ‘invisible’ concepts trying to create a new way of seeing hidden reality artistically. In short this film could possibly start a new ‘ism’ in art (as in Cubism etc).

Christian will not be performing his new music. He will be more interested in exploring new concepts and deeper lyrics along with ways of making them work musically. He assures me that the nine songs that I have heard so far are a marriage of ideas which shouldn’t work but through experimentation have been made to work successfully in sound and vision. The excellent lyric videos which accompany the recordings have been painstakingly put together by Hook who is a master of visual art and also a great musician so you do get a sense of his artistic touches coming through all the songs. There are various significant projects which he told me about that can’t be publicised yet and at least two of those excite me enough to predict that they might be winners. His lockdown time has been used to create some really beautiful work and I didn’t see a brush or a canvas anywhere during our meeting at his home (I saw his recording studio though). I came away knowing that I had been in the presence of a creative force that is still at the zenith of art in more than one way. Who knows how the rest of this year might play out for the Hook projects?

I gradually steered Christian’s attention back to what I wanted to know, which is what he was doing now while still in (February) lockdown in Gibraltar and I was pleasantly surprised that it had nothing to do with painting at all...so he has moved on...his

“The way I see things progressing is that once we have twelve songs ready (we already have nine), we will release them via a record company for them to promote the music. I have already placed one song in the new documentary that we made for Sky Arts. It’s not yet scheduled for release but that will be a significant window of opportunity for this new music. The songs will also be sent to various other entities and my hope is that our team of local musicians will be able to perform and promote this music in ways that are current and trendsetting. It’s the only way that we can put ourselves out there in the music scene.”

MAY 2021

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FEATURE

“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” Jacques Cousteau Paul Singleton, Managing Director of AquaGib since 2013, leads a team of just over one hundred employees who are dedicated to their core service which is the supply and distribution of Gibraltar’s water. “Because the main sewer is at Line Wall Road level and most of the residential property is below the main sewer level, we also run the operation and maintenance of the twenty plus sewage pumping stations which pump the sewage into the main sewer before it travels down to Europa Point,” he explains. Historically, ground water was collected in wells and rainwater was collected on the catchments on the east side of the Rock, but they have been out of commission for a long time now and all the water for Gibraltar is now produced by desalination, also known as Reverse Osmosis (RO). “We have two pumping sites, one in the North Mole area and the other down at Governor’s Cottage, and we take the sea water, pass it through membranes which produces fresh water and then we pump it to the reservoirs up in the Rock from where it is distrib-

uted by gravity down to the public,” Paul states. Reverse Osmosis, although it sounds complicated is in reality an easily explained process. “Basically it is just the passing of sea water through a very fine filter that removes everything in the water, down to beyond Nano level.” Regarding quantities, Paul says that AquaGib produces somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 metres cubed per day. “Our theoretical maximum is about 2 million metres cubed a year and we currently supply about 1.7 million metres cubed per year of fresh water and 1.5 million metres cubed per year of saltwater.” Customer service is paramount in AquaGib and Paul confirms that they are customer focused. “We like to have relationships with our customers and to look after them,” he says. “Our senior manager in charge of customer services is always trying to find innovative way of saving his team time by generating new ways of paying, but also by trying to be a bit more personal about how we have that interaction with our customers.”

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FEATURE One of these innovations is that now when you call AquaGib you will be placed on hold and treated to local music by local artists. “We had previously had some negative interaction about our onhold music and this has proved to be a great idea and one that has been really positively received.” Something else that will make life easier for customers is the installation of a self-service payment kiosk at the Cashiers Office on the ground floor at Leanse Place. “We pride ourselves on trying to provide as many different ways for people to pay as possible and now they can do so by simply scanning the QR code that is printed on their bills.” Currently only cash is being accepted at the kiosk, although a card payment option is coming soon. “From a coronavirus perspective it was essential that our staff did not handle cash due to the possibility of transmitting the virus so we had to close our Cashiers Office under Public Health advice,” explains Paul. “With the self-service payment kiosk, we are now able to efficiently tackle these unforeseen new challenges and reduce the need for slower face-to-face interaction.” During the initial lockdown period last year, AquaGib had to clarify a controversy over high water bills, explaining in a detailed statement at the time that June bills were based on accurate meter readings that reflected usage over the whole lockdown period and not just that month alone. “I don't think people realise that we read most of the meters every month and that they are charged on their actual usage,” Paul states. “During lockdown we took meter readers off the streets as a way of reducing potential transmission of coronavirus, so we stopped reading meters and we started estimating, and obviously people here are not used to having meters estimated.” Confusion arose because due to factors such as washing of hands etc., water consumption was higher than usual for some consumers. “That is the downside of estimating not being an exact science - but it was all resolved and nobody paid for anything that they didn't use.” Plans for the future include introducing smart meters in the next three to five years and Paul confirms that they already have some trial smart meter environments in Gibraltar in places such as Rock Gardens and in certain areas in Marina Bay. “At the moment we are testing the capability of how they read - they mainly communicate with the cloud via mobile phone signals so they tend to be 3G and 4G - but that's not conducive to working in some of our meter rooms, many of which tend to be at the bottom of buildings or in concrete boxes where the mobile signal is not perfect, so we need to make sure that works throughout Gibraltar.” There are 20,000 water meters in Gibraltar at the moment, so changing all those to smart metering is not going to be an overnight process. In keeping with AquaGib’s commitment to the environment, smart metering will go some way towards educating consumers to use water more efficiently because they will be able to see how they use their water on a daily basis. With new developments constantly being built around Gibraltar, how does AquaGib cope with the increase in water usage? Paul clarifies that there are two aspects to this. “Firstly, we have to make sure that we have enough water for everybody which means investing in new Reverse Osmosis plants, and we are looking at doing this in the next year to eighteen months which will increase our capacity by 25%.” There are also operational issues in making sure that the water that is needed can get to the sites so that they can produce and pour the concrete, and that involves careful liaison from the Water Networks Team. “Sometimes it means replacing small pipes with bigger diameter pipes or installing new pipes so that they can carry more water, ensuring that there is no impact on supplying a site.” “We try to stay ahead of the curve and in that respect being part of the building application process helps because it means that we get advance warning of all these developments, but there is always

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stuff that catches us by surprise and suddenly we have to think how we best supply them with the water they need.” Paul says that the Government is committed to making sure that the water supply from AquaGib is throughout the whole of Gibraltar. “In certain parts of Gibraltar water was once supplied by the MOD, so until that land is handed back there are certain areas where essentially Government doesn't have a network, so consequently AquaGib doesn't have a network.” There are still some places where it is just supplied by the MOD and where sometimes AquaGib customers are on MOD water mains. “In that situation we have a water transfer agreement with the MOD whereby an AquaGib customer uses MOD water and we then transfer the water back,” he states. Looking forward, Paul says that from his perspective the company will be building for the future to ensure that AquaGib is a great business that has longevity. “It is about making sure that our supply is sustainable and Reverse Osmosis, whilst it is a very efficient way of producing water, is power hungry so electrical efficiency is key.” He goes on to explain that AquaGib has reduced the amount of electricity per metre cubed over the last five years by about 25 - 30% by investing in new power efficient pumps. “That's vital because electricity is a resource that is expensive and we want to be as efficient when we use our electricity as everybody else wants to be, and that means updating infrastructure and making sure the most efficient pumps are in place, making sure that we have got general water supply and investing in a new RO plant - that is a significant investment.” The last RO plant was bought in 2011, bringing the number up to five. “We are looking to invest in a sixth - which will mean another 20/30% of water being able to be produced which will see us through for another ten or fifteen years - and that is taking up a lot of our time right now.” Having Northumbrian Water as a shareholder in AquaGib allows the company to use their knowledge and expertise, which would otherwise cost a fortune in consultancy services. “Having them as a parent company is really important to us,” Paul comments. “As an example, if we suddenly want to do something such as implementing a sustainability report we are able to go to Northumbrian Water and ask them how they do theirs.” Paul explains that the Government of Gibraltar is both their primary customer and shareholder and as such they have a very good relationship and are involved on a dayto-day-basis with them. “We work hand-in-hand to supply water to Gibraltar and from their perspective the water supply is hardy and sustainable and is doing what it is supposed to do.” Public awareness and education is a huge part of the water company’s ethos and in this respect Water Production Director Chris Gomez goes into schools and organises visits to Reverse Osmosis plants and to the reservoirs. Water is one of the most important substances on earth, and as demonstrated by their motto, AquaGib is ‘committed to your life source’. “Unfortunately interruptions are a necessary evil,” Paul says. “Pipes do sometimes burst and need to be replaced on occasion, but we try desperately to make sure any interruptions are minimised and affect as few people as possible and we always try to provide the best possible service to our customers.”

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GIBRALTAR INSIGHT PHOTO VAULT The team at Insight has found these photos in the archives. They may be from the evacuation to Madeira... do you know more? Get in touch

+350 54063880 or jeaninsight@gibtelecom.net

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MOTORING INSIGHT

vauxhall-opel's rebirth

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MOTORING INSIGHT

VAUXHALL STARTED LIFE 164 YEARS AGO AS A COMPANY MAKING PUMPS AND MARINE ENGINES, AND BASED INITIALLY IN WANDSWORTH ROAD, VAUXHALL - IN LONDON - AND SO HENCE THE NAME. YOU HAVE TO GO WAY BACK TO 1903 TO FIND WHEN THE COMPANY BUILT ITS FIRST CAR. FAST FORWARD TO 2021, AND VAUXHALL AND OPEL ARE NOW PART OF THE FRENCH PSA GROUPE. AND VERY RECENTLY FIAT GROUP JOINED THE SAME SETUP, SO NOW THE WHOLE COMPANY HAS BEEN RENAMED THE VANILLA “STELLANTIS” WITH CITROEN, PEUGEOT, DS, FIAT, ALFA ROMEO, JEEP AND MANY MORE FALLING UNDER THIS MADE-UP-WORD'S UMBRELLA. With all the technology and much more financial support, Vauxhall/Opel has managed to produce more new cars, much more quickly, due to the availability of extra platforms (chassis) and drivetrains. I have recently tested three new cars, all UK Vauxhall badged. The latest is the all-new Mokka, and I drove this as both the pure electric and with a 1.2-litre petrol. The Mokka is a small five-door SUV, but has plenty of interior space, and a great looking car, with lots of character. With the battery fully charged it has a range of around 200 miles (320km). The second in the trio I drove was a Corsa electric that I had on test from Vauxhall press department, and like the Mokka has a range of 200 miles. It was quick, and as expected very quiet, but charging the car using public charging stations proved to be a bit “hit and miss” and not very reliable. But with the car charged up, it was great fun to drive, and for a small hatch, had plenty of room for five adults.

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The Insignia has had a major overhaul and facelift recently and it is a handsome large five door car, with some great lines and some precision pressings in the body panels. But as good as it is, this sector of the market is losing favour with the buying public as they now much prefer a more practical SUV, and you have to wonder if the days are now numbered for this type of vehicle. The one car out of these three that hit the right spot, and did everything right, for design, packaging and value has to be the Mokka, in either petrol or electric, they have got it absolutely right. All these three cars were up to an exceptionally high standard, in the build quality, materials used and fit and finish, all thanks to being part of the large group with a funny name - Stellantis. As time goes on, more and more cars in the group will benefit from more advanced technology and use of shared parts, which will probably end up being not a bad thing for the consumer.

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HELIO

Helio arrived at Los Barrios pound in 2018 and was about 2 years old. He was found abandoned. He absolutely adores people and having cuddles, he also loves playing with people or other dogs. Helio lived in a cage with his friend Fafy, but she has been adopted and so now Helio lives alone. He looks so sad when he sits there looking through the bars... He is waiting…

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ATHENA

Spanish Stray Dogs UK

TEQUILA Tequila is a 6 year old female looking for a forever home. She is a calm, loving girl who is great with children. She loves being round people and really enjoys cuddles . She would do best with an active family where can she can be a solo dogs and enjoy long walks.

Athena is 6 months old and a gorgeous, happy puppy. She loves people and enjoys cuddling . She responds well to training and is already walking well on a lead. She is curious and enjoys playing with other dogs and is just looking for a family to welcome her home. More info: www.ainf.gi

ESMERALDA

Esmeralda arrived at Los Barrios pound in January 2021 and was about 2-3 years old. She is a gorgeous cross breed that was found abandoned. Esmeralda is such a happy girl, she loves people and cuddles and she is great with all the other dogs, small and big, Spanish young and old, males and females.

Dogs

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A VET'S INSIGHT

EARS AND MY PET A FREQUENT QUESTION THAT I GET FROM CLIENTS IS IF WHAT MAINTENANCE DOES MY PETS EARS REQUIRE. THERE ARE LOADS OF PRODUCTS OUT THERE TO TREAT AND CLEAN EARS BUT IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES MY ADVICE IS IF IT ISN’T BROKEN DON’T FIX IT. In the main your pet’s ears do not require anything done to them. If there is some debris on the inner side of the pinna (ear flap) then just wipe it with some wool or gauze, do not start putting drops in the ear unless you are advised to do so by a professional. If you irrigate an ear and don’t do it properly you could end up doing more damage than good. You could push a plug into the ear canal that could then become infected if moistened by an agent and then we could have a problem. If you dog has hairs inside its ears then these need to be plucked, cutting them makes them grow back with more vigour, so it important to pluck these ears regularly, with regular plucking the procedure becomes less uncomfortable for your pet. Common breeds with this problem are poodles, waterdogs and schnauzers.

nal ear canal is an extension of the animal’s skin. If the dog is susceptible to allergies then allergens that come to rest inside the canal will cause an allergic reaction, ears will become inflamed and produce some serous fluid, bacteria and yeast will find this fantastic medium to grow in!!! These pets will need regular ear cleansing with proper washes; the type will depend on your specific problem and which infections your animal is prone to. Regular cleansing, and proper drying will clean out allergens from the external ear, in this way there will not be a secondary inflammatory reaction and the chances of an infection decrease dramatically.

Your pets ear canal has two sections, the more exterior vertical canal and the inner horizontal canal which is separated from the middle chamber of the ear by the ear drum (tympanic membrane). If anything nestles in the horizontal canal it could be become plugged, at this juncture the problem could escalate dramatically.

An untreated external otitis will lead to a rupture of the tympanic membrane and will lead to a middle ear infection, connecting the middle ear to the inner ear are three small bones, if the infection damages these bones then your pets hearing will be damaged irreversibly. In summary, don’t touch your pet’s ears unless there is a problem, if this is the case seek veterinary attention sooner rather than later, your pet’s hearing could depend on this!!!

If your animal’s ears start to smell then get it seen by a vet sooner rather than later. Depending on the problem the ear could be treated with a variety of products and in severe cases will need a course of systemic antibiotics and painkillers. Getting shown on how to clean your pet’s ears properly and thoroughly is the first step in getting those ears back to normal soonest.

For more information please phone Gibra ltar Vetinary Clin ic on 200 77334

Some dogs and cats are prone to ear infections. In the majority of cases these are allergy based. The exter-

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FEATURE

do you remember the days when armed with your marigolds and a host of cleaning products full Thankfully, times have changed for the better and since then there is a better understanding of the risks of toxic chemicals that has resulted in a move towards natural cleaning. There is also evidence to suggest that the use of household cleaning products containing synthetic chemicals can contribute to the development of or can aggravate asthma and allergies. So it’s time to ditch the highly corrosive bleach, something that our own house-proud mothers would routinely use to clean baths, sinks and toilets, and look at eco-friendly ways to spring clean that don’t have a negative impact on the environment. Although there are many excellent cleaning products that contain non-toxic ingredients that are easy on the environment and leave your home smelling beautifully perfumed, they can come at a cost, but if you do choose to buy them, beware – check the labels first and steer clear of products with VOCs (volatile organic compounds), fragrance, irritants and flammable ingredients. It doesn’t take too much effort to make your own healthy household cleaners that are great alternatives to those you will find in the supermarket. You probably already have the basic constituents lying around the house, many of them use the same ingredients regardless of what you are cleaning, and don’t forget about good old soap and

green clean your home

water which are sometimes all that is needed to make things sparkly clean! The top natural ingredients for greener cleaning to include in your homemade toolkit include white vinegar, baking soda, borax (a powdery white mineral that has been used as a cleaning product for several decades), lemon and essential oils. Use spray bottles to make and store your homemade cleaners and if you don’t want to buy readyto-go bottles you can repurpose old ones, just make sure you wash them out thoroughly first. Always store the bottles out of direct sunlight or heat, which can change the chemical constituents in the essential oils. Distilled white vinegar is one of the most versatile, affordable, and accessible cleaning products that you can find. Its cleaning capabilities include glass, floors (not marble or granite), bathrooms, dishes, fabrics, stains, and more. You can use white vinegar in its pure form or diluted with water or baking soda for more natural cleaning. Baking soda is another one of those kitchen cupboard staples that is fast and easy to use, and it’s also extremely inexpensive. Many recipes for green cleaning combine white vinegar and baking soda for dual power eco-friendly cleaning. Borax is probably one of the most unique ingredients for

of nasty chemicals and toxic ingredients you would set about spring cleaning your house?

green cleaning, and although natural, it is recommended that you avoid eye contact and undiluted skin contact with it, as well as ingestion of it. Most of the recipes that use borax use it in a diluted form which makes it a very usable natural cleaning ingredient.

bathroom and spray everything down after your bath or shower.

Lemon juice is an amazing addition to add to your natural cleaners. Lemons contain antibacterial properties which aid in fighting unwanted germs and bacteria in the home and the citrus fragrance will help to make rooms smell fresh and clean.

Oven cleaner: Mix baking soda with water to make a paste and spread it all over your oven, then leave it on for 12 hours. Wipe the paste off with a damp cloth, then spritz the inside of the oven with distilled white vinegar before wiping it down again.

Essential oils can be mixed with water and vinegar for an easy household cleaner. You can also use an essential oil diffuser to help purify the air and fill it with a clean scent.

Glass and window cleaner: This is where we should take heed of what our grandmothers used. Nothing beats a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water mixed together in a reusable spray bottle and wiped with a soft rag or microfiber cloth.

To make an all-purpose cleaner: Place a small funnel into the opening of an empty spray bottle, and pour in 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and wait for the foaming to subside then add in 10 drops each of tea tree and lavender, or eucalyptus, essential oil. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Soap scum remover: Combine equal parts water and distilled white vinegar in a reusable spray bottle, then add a few tablespoons of organic, non-toxic soap and shake to mix. It can be a good idea to keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water in your

Wood polish and cleaner: For wood cleaner, mix 1 cup filtered water with 3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar. For polish, mix 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil with cup fresh lemon juice.

Ensuring our spring cleaning process is eco-friendly should be a priority for us all. Go green, stay clean and look after not only your health but the health of the planet. A word of warning, don't ever mix vinegar with bleach as it will create toxic chlorine gas. Vinegar can irritate your eyes if contact occurs. Flush liberally with water for 5 to 10 minutes if the product gets in your eyes. It is also important that you use essential oils safely and always read the instructions on the bottles.

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PACS

We are delighted to make two exciting announcements! Firstly, after a year, the Family Centre is reopening which means that our Monday session can reopen! This group will now be known as Totally Toddlers! To begin with, strict COVID restrictions will be in place, therefore we will have a booking system. Please check our FB page for more details on how to book, timings etc. And our other exciting news is that PACS will be making our move to the Methodist Church permanent! The team at the church and the Living Room café have been a great help and support with helping us to get back up and running during the Covid restrictions. As before Bumps & Babies will run on a Wednesday morning from 9.30am and Playgroup will run on a Friday mornings. Timings for all of our groups will confirmed on our FB page. We are aware that, like us, you are keen to for Cooking Club to return. Please be assured

that we are working very hard to make this happen and hope to make an announcement soon. Alongside plans for our cooking session to return, this move enables us to expand what sessions we can offer and hope to be offering not only additional free play sessions but specially designed craft and sensory sessions! We are hoping after a difficult 2020 that this year will continue to allow PACS to offer not only our previous session but much more to the local community. Of course, being back in business means that we are looking for some more volunteers to help us run our sessions. PACS is

completely funded by attendee donations and manned by volunteers who give up their time to run sessions and therefore we are always on the look out for new people to join our team. All volunteers are offered training and support and the children are always happy to see you! If you think you could offer up some time then please get in touch with us at pacsgib@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you all soon and hope to offer a bigger and better PACS!

Love from all the Team @ PACS

BENEFITS OF READING With research showing that children nowadays read less frequently than previous generations, the good news is that the UK’s National Literacy Trust Children has found that children turned to reading even more during lockdown because for some of them it provided refuge during the difficult time, supporting their mental wellbeing and enabling them to dream about the future

What can you do as parents if your child just isn’t motivated to read?

Children grow up with a continuous stream of entertainment including endless TV channels, on-demand streaming and numerous digital devices. For most children screen time is habitual and they would prefer to play video games than to pick up a book.

Create a cosy space where your child can settle down and spend time with a good book.

One huge reason that children don’t like to read is that unfortunately many parents don’t read themselves and are rarely seen to have a book in their hands, and this filters down to the children. Reading aloud to children from an early age is so important and kids can learn to have a lifelong relationship with the printed word if they start young.

Make time for reading in their busy schedule and allow it to become a relaxing and enjoyable time. Set aside a regular time to read aloud with your children.

Select a humorous book aimed at your child’s reading level and read the first chapter aloud. Children who read for pleasure have increased concentration, memory, confidence, greater self-esteem and general knowledge. Make sure that reading is still valued and let it flourish, even if your kids are avid gamers, and they will reap the benefits as they grow up.

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A great place to gain key social skills As mothers ourselves, we’ve seen it all when it comes to toddlers behaviour at Playgroup, from them making friends and playing together as well as the not so great pushing, not sharing, hitting and biting to name just a few things. Young children / babies crave attention. They learn from their peers and flourish on interactions that help them develop and grow. Play and socialisation in a setting such as playgroup gives a child the chance to navigate social situations such as taking turns, conversation skills, when to join in a game, emotional expression and tolerance of others.

year old to a playgroup! But the only way they will learn to play is to stick with it and continue to put them in social situations. They in turn will learn from those around them. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any techniques you can try;

From the age of 0-2 children tend to focus more on toys than other babies / children. Obviously, there is some interaction but generally they are more interested in their parents / carers rather than children their own age. When they hit the age of between 2 – 3 they slowly begin to play independently from their carer and interact with children their own age. This is a great time to introduce them to different social situations. However, be prepared that during this transition period, children may act out. It is perfectly normal for a child to hit, scratch, pull hair and bite another child. This is not to say that this doesn’t cause you as a parent immense stress. But always remember that you are not alone.

· Remove your child from the situation

Often a child chooses to act this way, as a way of communicating. They are not able to verbalise in the same way as adults, so chose this way to get what they want. As we all know, its not always easy to share! It can be tempting to stop taking your child to playgroup when they go through this phase. Believe me, there were many, many occasions when I thought it would be much easier to stay home rather than taking my biting, hair pulling, hitting two

What should you do if your toddler hits? · Discuss alternative ways to act · Provide emotional support · Prevent the hitting before it begins (sometimes there are obvious signs)

What should you do if your child is pulling hair? · Teach them how hair should be handled · Ask them how they would feel if they had their hair pulled

What should you do if your child is biting? · Be calm and firm. Address your child with a firm “no biting” or “biting hurts”. Keep it simple for them to understand

Obviously, each tactic applies to all of the above. Whatever their behaviour is, get down to your childs level and explain calmly but firmly that their behaviour isn’t acceptable and explain its wrong. When your child is acting out in this way, it’s a good idea to become their shadow within social situations so you can prevent the worst from happening. This can prevent a situation from occurring in the first place and you will learn the cues that you child might react badly and remove them temporarily from the situation. As a parent / carer its always a good idea to talk to other parents / carers about their experience. It was a huge relief to me to know that other people were going through the same thing. I often just wanted to cry but talking as a Mum of a now 12 year old who did all of the above, I can confirm that they do grow out of it. Its just a hard phase to deal with! Always remember that here at PACS, we are not here to judge. We are always on hand to lend an ear and offer a hot cup of tea. We’ve all been there and have come out the other side. Now if anyone can help with the pre teen stage, I’d certainly love to hear from you!

· Comfort the other child to show your toddler that their actions have hurt someone · Offer alternative ways to interact with their peers · Remember that biting is a normal part of childhood and not to blame yourself

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

available from Holland & Barrett and will, alongside a sensible diet and exercise programme, maintain your energy levels and help burn fat.

Some good hints and tips include; ditching alcohol that is high in calories and drinking water before each meal. Walking on a daily basis is really good for weight control because it helps you burn calories. A brisk walk is around 3 miles an hour, which is faster than a stroll, and you don’t have to walk for miles because a brisk 10-minute walk gets us moving while also getting some fresh air in our lungs. Another way to help you lose and then maintain your weight is through nutrient rich meal replacements - a convenient and easy way to stop common diet-sabotaging dilemmas. Don’t worry about feeling satisfied with a liquid meal replacement, you’ll be surprised how filling they can be. Holland & Barrett sell a range of shakes including the USN Diet Fuel Vegan MRP Strawberry powder that you can use for one or two meal replacement servings daily. Simply add 2 scoops (55g) to 250ml-300ml of cold water, and mix thoroughly in a blender or a shaker for about 30 seconds.

Have you heard of garcinia cambogia? This sour tasting tropical fruit is traditionally eaten across South and South East Asia. It’s commonly used as a cooking ingredient, and when dried or smoked lends a savoury flavour to dishes such as curries and soups. If you are looking for a herbal weight loss aid, take two capsules daily, one before breakfast and one before lunch, of Holland & Barrett’s Garcinia Cambogia & Guarana Capsules.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Long used in traditional Chinese medicine, glucomannan, also known as Konjac fibre, is now sold as a dietary supplement and weight loss aid. It is a natural, water-soluble fibre derived from the roots of a south-east Asian plant called the elephant yam. Like all soluble fibres, glucomannan is highly absorbent, binding to water to form a gel. This helps create a sensation of fullness that can reduce appetite and delay stomach emptying, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. Try the Holland Barrett Glucomannan Complex Capsules if you want to lose weight as part of an energy-restricted diet.

One supplement that can help you maintain a healthy weight is CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). CLA is an omega-6 fatty acid found naturally in meat and dairy, especially from grass-fed varieties. It comes from the linoleic acid (LA) in the grass and grains eaten by animals such as cows and sheep. CLA is thought to trigger a series of chemical reactions that stimulate fat-burning in the body. It has been seen to improve metabolism, insulin resistance, the way our bodies mobilise stored fat and can also help to kill white fat cells. Take one to two USN CLA Green Tea softgels from Holland & Barrett two to three times daily with or after meals.

Most of us try at some point in our lives to lose weight, but the issue is how do we maintain that weight when we go back to our old eating habits? There are some key points of which we should all be aware, such as eating fewer calories than we burn, exercising regularly… and the list goes on.

There are several natural fat burners out there. These include caffeine which is of course found in our tea and coffee and there is even a little in dark chocolate bars. Similar to caffeine is green tea extract, which will help you feel alert, energised and give your metabolism a boost. It does contain caffeine, but another of its ingredients called catechin is where it’s real fat burning properties lie. Grenade Thermo Detonator Capsules containing green tea, bitter orange powder, cayenne, phenylalanine and green coffee is one of the most popular fat burning products

Remember that what you eat has a huge affect on your weight. But when you eat it can cause weight gain too. It’s quite simple really! Take when you eat into account when looking at your routine: do you have a physical job or a sedentary one? Do you work 9-5 or shifts? Are your mornings, afternoons, or evenings most active? And when do you exercise? Try to spread your meals out evenly during the day, but eat your more calorific foods when you need the energy.

Do you need to increase your weight? Instead of adding high calorie foods to your diet, you should look to gain weight the healthy way, with the addition of weight gain shakes, also known as mass gainers, which are an effective way to get all the nutrients your body needs. However, it is important to ensure that you use them as a supplement to a balanced diet and exercise programme, rather than relying solely on them to gain weight. Have a look at the Precision Engineered Muscle & Size Gainer products available from Holland & Barrett, which come in vanilla, strawberry and chocolate flavours, or the Optimum Nutrition range of ‘Serious Mass’ powders. For best results, mix your protein powder for weight gain with milk or a plant-based milk substitute, rather than water, in order to get extra calories. Ultimately, weight management and maintenance comes down to ensuring you are meeting your nutritional requirements as part of whatever regime you follow, and supplements may help you achieve your goals.

Advisory Information: Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking any medications or are under medical supervision, please consult a doctor or healthcare professional and always read the label before use.

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FEATURE

second

STRESS

hand

Even without the pandemic creating challenging stress levels, as caring individuals, we often want to empathise and support those who are stressed. However, the back story is that we end up absorbing their anxieties. When listening, empathising and supporting others we do this for the very best of intentions. We all need a support system and acts of kindness when we feel emotionally fragile or particularly vulnerable. What also happens is we take on the worries and concerns of others - a kind of emotional osmosis. Often we have no idea this is the psychological impact it is having on us as we are naturally more focused on helping the person who is sharing their troubles. Is there a way to balance the support we want to share with the recognition of how it is impacting our own mental health? We all find caring for others hugely rewarding and clearly we want to continue supporting each other. We also need to understand how our own health is affected by absorbing others distress. Dr Alka Patel is a lifestyle medical physician, GP, Coach, Speaker and Podcaster. Dr Patel explains what second hand stress is, how to recognise it and tips on the best ways to deal with it:

Tell tale signs - what to recognise If you’re feeling stressed but can’t put your finger on why, the source of stress could be someone else. Secondary stress can feel exhausting, so look out for feeling more tired than normal, feeling forgetful or unable to concentrate.

Second hand stress busting strategies – helpful tips In the face of second-hand stress, focusing on your positive attributes can help.

PAUSE and don’t ignore those feelings and signs of stress – feeling on edge, sweaty palms, racing mind

OVERCOME stress through mindfulness and attention training – shift your attention to the present moment, using your 5 senses to fully experience the moment that is now; notice 5 things you see, 4 things you touch, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste; practice this through the day just for a few minutes

SPREAD positive emotions instead of stress – smiling, laughter, kindness, patience, compassion- be a positive influence on others instead of letting their negativity affect you

INFORM the primary source of stress of the impact they are having on you and offer a listening ear

TAKE a breath – the power of breathwork is incredible; reducing your breath rate down to 6 or less breaths a minute switches off your stress response and switches on your relaxation response – gives you calm in the moment and long term protection from the health effects of chronic second-hand stress

INTERACT with inspiring people regularly – maintain social connection with people who provide uplift

VISUALISE positive, images, thoughts and situations – make this a daily habit.

EXPRESS gratitude daily – write a journal every evening with 5 things you are thankful for.

What exactly is second-hand stress? Second-hand stress is a neurological phenomenon observed as the spread of emotions. Stress is contagious and can be caught. We communicate our emotions through our body in our facial expressions, movements, posture, energies and even our smell. We interact with each other through our mirror neurones and mimic the expressions of others This mimicry is an important way for us to build our emotional intelligence and emotional empathy and helps us engage with each other better emotionally. Our expressions and movements in turn tell our brain how we are feeling. If the corners of your mouth lift into a smile, your brain interprets this as happiness. If your brow muscles deepen into a frown, your brain interprets this as stress. This is how we absorb the emotions of others as our own and why we feel stressed in the company of others who are stressed, feel tired if others are tired yawn, when someone else yawns – it’s mirror neurones at work. We’re hard wired to

respond to threats as part of our survival mechanism through our sympathetic nervous system– remember S for sympathetic, S for survival, S for stress. Which is why it’s easier to absorb negative emotions from others more easily than positive emotions. If others are stressed, we perceive a signal that we should be stressed too.

Typical scenarios of when a person might experience itexamples of situations? My daughter’s currently going through GCSE’s and the stress levels in the classroom are at an all time high. She’s generally a very calm person but has noticed her own stress levels rising when others are talking about how worried they are. Second-hand stress is common in exam situations. It’s also very noticeable in working environments – a stressed boss, colleagues on edge with the pressure of deadlines – this is transmissible and creates a stressed working culture In my lifestyle medicine practice I see second-hand stress spread through families – depressed, tired mums present with children who also display low mood and fatigue. Most worrying, an 8 year old little boy who said he was stressed. If children as young as 8 are using the word stressed, something in that child’s environment needs to change. It’s also interesting to note that second-hand stress can also be transmitted through screens. My husband has recently been enjoying watching the seat-gripping Line of Duty before going to bed…. followed by extremely restless nights. We can catch stress even through screens This was shown in a study in which a group participants took a stress test involving mathematics and interviews. 95% showed an increase in cortisol levels – our primary stress hormones. A group of observers watched the participants take the stress tests.26% of the observing group also showed an increase in cortisol levels A group was also asked to watch videos of participants completing the stress test, 24% showed an increase ins tress levels – witnessing anyone experiencing stress in person or through a screen causes a response, Stress presents an evolutionary advantage to survival and response to dancer, but continued, chronic stress can affect long term health and risks of high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

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Be Sun Safe With sunnier days approaching, it is important to remember to protect yourself against the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. We should aim to strike a balance between protecting ourselves from the sun’s harmful effects and getting enough vitamin D from the sunlight. Excessive unprotected sun exposure can result in skin damage, eye damage, immune system suppression and skin cancer. Sun Awareness Week is being celebrated this year from 3rd - 9th May, with the aim of highlighting the dangers of exposure to the sun. It is easy to forget that sunburn does not just happen at the beach or on holiday! You can burn even when it’s cloudy. Some sun safety tips to keep in mind are: • To spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest.

In order to receive optimum protection, it is important to apply enough sunscreen. As a guide, you should aim to apply the equivalent two tablespoons for covering the whole body when wearing a swimming costume. The equivalent of two teaspoons of sunscreen is sufficient if you are just covering your head, arms and neck.

• Make sure you never burn. If you do burn, sponge affected area with cool water and apply Aftersun Cream or Aloe Vera Gel. Seek medical help if you feel unwell.

With many of us exercising outdoors, we should be reminded that the harmful effects of the sun can occur even if we do not feel the sun rays – up to 80 per cent of UV rays can penetrate clouds! Here are some extra precautions you can take to ensure you are protected next time you head out the door;

• Cover up with suitable clothing. Darker clothing may offer more protection than lighter coloured clothing. A wet t-shirt is much less protective than a dry one. Clothes made from tightly woven fabric offer optimum protection.

•

Sunscreen is an essential part of protecting yourself from UV rays. When choosing a sunscreen, it is best to look out for a label with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to protect against UVB. UVB and UVA are both types of ultraviolet radiation linked to skin cancer. UVA rays penetrate the skin deeply and cause what is known as photoaging, or premature aging of the skin. Your sunscreen should have a 4-star UVA protection rating or more. Ensure your sunscreen is not past its expiry date, most sunscreens have a shelf life of 2 years. Some people may skip the sunscreen for various reasons, for example, they may worry about sunscreen causing breakouts, or even the effect of sunscreen on the environment. There are lots of different options on the market, with oil-free and non-comedogenic sunscreens for those prone to breakouts, to reef-friendly options for those worried about their environmental impact.

•

apply sunscreen according to manufacturer’s instructions. avoid exercising at when the sun is strongest – between 11 am and 3pm from March to October

• Ensure you are adequately hydrated. • Wear a cap to protect your face/eyes from sun damage. Even one severe sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your chances of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, later in life. Sun damage builds up over time, throughout our lifetimes. Therefore, UV damage can occur, even if there is no obvious sun burn. It is important to check your moles regularly for any changes. In order to do this, you should stand in a well-lit room and use a mirror to check your body all over. Ensure that you are able to check hard to see areas such as your back and scalp. When checking moles, key factors to keep in mind are asymmetry, borders, colour, diameter and evolution, firmness and growth. If you have any concerns, make sure you speak talk to your health care provider.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

FROM COVID The Pandemic has shone a light on many things. One of them is the importance of community in our lives and just how our sense of connection can have an impact on our physical and emotional wellbeing. Making a connection with your local community and feeling a sense of belonging can change your perspective in significant ways. Throughout the pandemic a significant number of people have volunteered or set up community groups or projects. There is little doubt that those involved in these activities receive so much back themselves - improved emotional wellbeing and a sense of purpose. They realise that they can affect positive change in other people’s lives. Community gives us a sense of being cared for and valued which is incredibly important to how we view ourselves. Kindness to others benefits us as we feel less lonely and our voice can be heard and acknowledged on a local level. Another major positive from the pandemic is re-establishing relationships. Maintaining and nurturing emotional connections were challenging pre-pandemic - work, family commitments, friendships can all take up a large amount of our

time and energy but during the pandemic, we had the opportunity to reflect on our emotional lives. Whether the relationships you are re-evaluating are family, work or perhaps neighbours, it can be extremely empowering to make a positive decision to reconnect to those close to us, to spend time appreciating the worth of your connection. Like most valuable areas of our lives, we need to invest time and energy to nurture it. Our relationships are exactly the same - neglect them and they diminish, possibly to a point where it is difficult to pull them back from an emotional abyss. The pandemic has challenged us in a variety of ways but the one constant that has been a continuous thread is how we have supported each other, how we have looked to each other for strength and understanding. We have experienced huge sadness and anxiety but there have been a raft of groups and organisations who have actively reached out to all parts of society, from those isolating to those who have found the whole ex-

perience emotionally and mentally overwhelming. During these stressful times, many of us have remembered those who mean - or have meant - a great deal to us. For some, contacting those in our lives has been a natural path in this uneasy time. Whereas we often promise ourselves to call or contact someone who is on our minds, the pandemic has put our connections into sharp focus. It has placed our priorities centre stage, Human connections are what guides us through when the present and future seem so uncertain. The world around us has been a fearful place and the desire for reassurance has been absolutely key in finding our way through. Reconnecting with individuals has been essential Dr Deborah Lee believes there have been a number of silver linings from the pandemic. Dr Lee highlights the areas of our lives we can appreciate even more:

Dr Deborah Lee believes there have been a number of silver linings from the pandemic. Dr Lee highlights the areas of our lives we can appreciate even more:

Less traffic, less air pollution, and fewer car accidents.

Many people have developed new hobbies, and interests

Road traffic was reduced by 73% - levels not seen since 1955. In London and other big cities, air pollution fell by 30-50%. Road traffic accidents fell by 11%.

In one UK survey (by Serenata Flowers), 50% of women were found to have taken up a new hobby since the start of the pandemic and 67% were doing this at least once a week. Gardening, cooking, baking, were the most popular. 15% of women had learnt to crochet, knit, or do embroidery.

Staying at home meant saving money.

We saw an outpouring of generosity and kindness There are numerous examples. Volunteers came forward to shop and deliver food to the elderly and those who were shielding. Others donated time driving, doing odd jobs, walking dogs, and helping people get their medication. Many got to know their neighbours for the first time. There was a big surge in community spirit.

People began to realise the importance of green spaces. Having been cooped up at home, we all now appreciate green spaces. This led to an increase in interest in outdoor hobbies such as gardening, which has been shown to be good for health. Others decided to relocate – leaving big cities to live in the country or by the sea.

A massive increase in people undertaking online learning Online learning became the norm through necessity whether this was through schools, colleges, universities, or businesses. Many children were given a laptop from charitable donations they would otherwise not have had.

People spent less and were able to save more. Consumer spending decreased by 7.1%. Two-thirds of UK residents are estimated to have saved around £7,032 over the course of the year. Moreover, these saving habits, such as not going out for takeaway coffees and watching movies at home, have taught people how to save and may continue long into the future.

A huge increase in telemedicine It’s now the norm to contact your doctor online and then have an online or a telephone consultation, which is a much better use of time all around. During the pandemic, more than 70% of consultations were carried out online. The positives Dr Lee mentions are all incredibly important in different ways. It can be easy to feel that such a stressful and uncertain time as the pandemic cannot any positive moments. However, many of us have experienced life affirming situations since the first lockdown. Human connections have never been so integral to our wellbeing. Living through the pandemic is one challenge but trying to look to the future and beyond our present struggles is particularly tough. It is only through recognising the uplifting moments during our darker times that enables us to not only pull through but to understand exactly what is important in our lives. Finding positives from such a distressing time can feel odd, possibly wrong for some individuals but our emotions are complex and we need to believe heart warming experiences can be achieved, even during our darkest moments. Dr Deborah Lee can be found at Dr Fox Online Pharmacy - https://www.doctorfox.co.uk/

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HOROSCOPES

YOUR FUTURE IN THE STARS

MAY

WITH KATE MCHARDY

ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20)

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 23)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 21)

Step into your magnificence this month, Aries, and recognize how significant you are in the lives of others. Make sure to keep your thoughts and actions in alignment with love and remember to sing!

ou know you have angels all around you, Leo, and they are calling you to share your knowledge and to act as the wise teacher that you are. Your mission is to enlighten others and help them build their confidence. People will be drawn to you so choose your words carefully.

In these times of uncertainty it is essential that we find the strength of remaining true to ourselves, Sagittarius, and this month you will find yourself being challenged to do just that. This will not be easy but your integrity will not let you down and you will set a powerful example to others in doing so.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21) This month you are being guided to either begin or to deepen your meditation practice, Taurus. You have slipped out of alignment with your inner yearnings and it is time to get back in track. You will find this very healing.

VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sep 23)

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 20)

You have been on a rollercoaster of emotions lately, Virgo, but remember that you have the attributed of the wise, compassionate leader and you are being called upon to be a peaceful warrior at this time. An upholder of justice and equality for those who are most vulnerable.

This is your month for spreading messages of peace and harmony, Capricorn. Take deep breaths and centre yourself until you feel calm and relaxed. Think of the sound of a dove cooing and allow this to seep into your being. Let your energy fields glow and share this peace and harmony.

GEMINI (May 22 - Jun 22) Relax this month, Gemini, and reclaim your sense of independence. Everything you need to know is already within you so take time to surrender to the divine order of the Universe in order to access your inner wisdom.

LIBRA (Sep 24 - Oct 23)

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19)

You are being guided to acknowledge your own uniqueness this month, Libra, and in so doing, acknowledge the uniqueness in everyone. We are all different and we are all special… the world will benefit when humanity can see this and each can enjoy being just who they are, without judgement.

The world needs you to shine your light right now Aquarius. In this period of massive transition and uncertainty you must remain centred in your heart and help others to do the same. Illuminate the Universe and the cosmos will flood you with love and abundance.

CANCER (Jun 23 - Jul 22) If you have been taking things a bit too seriously recently, Cancer, then time to lighten up and laugh a little at your troubles. Ask Archangel Gabriel to surround you in his beautiful clear light. Filling your aura with light in this way touches and heals others also.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22)

PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20)

More than ever now the world needs to be filled with unconditional love and this month, you Scorpio, are being asked to tune in with this energy and be an envoy. You must centre yourself and come into balance and be sure to remain grounded at all times. Then you can shine.

Believe in yourself, Pisces, and know that you are special and beautiful. Trust your inner self and have the confidence to act with calm, peace and grace. Even when your inner thoughts are working overtime you can maintain a relaxed and serene exterior thus creating an energetic pool of peace around yourself.

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FEATURE

animal communication DO YOU FIND YOURSELF CHATTING WITH YOUR DOG? ASKING YOUR CAT WHAT IT WOULD LIKE FOR SUPPER? OR JUST SHARING THE MINUTIAE OF YOUR DAY? YOUR ANIMALS PROBABLY APPEAR TO LOVE IT EVEN THOUGH YOU FEEL FRUSTRATED THAT YOU CANNOT ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MIGHT BE TRYING TO TELL YOU. OR IF THEY ARE TRYING TO TELL YOU ANYTHING AT ALL! OR IS IT JUST HUMAN NEEDINESS HOPING THAT IT IS SO. I have been working with animals for many years and over this last year I have found many making their presence felt in my life – both waking and asleep. In coaching sessions and in readings with people I have found that animals, mainly dogs, having been making their presences felt very clearly, often with very powerful messages to impart. As we know, our animals (perhaps dogs especially) are the embodiment of unconditional love. They so desperately want us humans to learn how to be envoys of unconditional love …… it is so hard for us. At this incredible period in time, we all know that love is essential for our planet and that shining our light is the most powerful thing we can do. I believe that our animals are desperately trying to help us. As we all experience a world in turmoil, we do seem to agree that our beloved planet is in dire need of unconditional love and, as humans, we find this very difficult. I would go as far as to say that our animals have a very important role at this time, that they are coming into their own in terms of teaching us their masters, about better behaviour, releasing judgement, developing patience and more. I feel my dog spends hours every day just waiting for me. Waiting patiently while I finish whatever it is that is more important than him . . . . . bless him! Can you identify with this? I am sure many of you can. Then we take them for a walk and immediately pull out the mobile phone and start scrolling. I am now consciously switching my phone to silent and zipping it in my bag. Carrying it with me only in case of emergency. I think this is essential for our connection and communication. This animal who shows

me infinite patience and who puts me first at all times – would protect me to the death - deserves my full attention when we are out in the woods or the park. He deserves my patience as I wait for him to check the latest news bulletins from his fellow four leggeds who have already had their morning walk ….. catch the gossip and pee regularly just to let them know he’s on the case!

Do not dismiss anything that happens or you may miss a very important message. Do not doubt yourself or imagine that you are making it up. The worst that can happen is that you are wrong and that so doesn’t matter. Trial and error are how we learn from babyhood. A baby never gives up trying to walk at the first fall … can you imagine. The harder we practise then sweeter success tastes.

So, how do we know what they are needing to tell us? Are they in pain? Hungry? Itchy? Depressed? Missing a loved one? So many things we just have to guess at …… or do we? Well, in my experience the key things to be aware of are the need to be still and to listen deeply. To do this we must regulate our breathing. We need to find a quiet comfortable position and just be still. Breathing in and out through your nose, slow down your breath, and begin to breathe along with your animal. Do not rush this but stay in the moment and keep your thoughts with the animal. If thoughts drift just refocus. Now, think a question that you would like to ask. Think it as a thought form or a mental picture. Animals do not engage in words like we do ……. They are much more to the point. Communicating in mental images is a great way to start. And, depending on whether you are predominantly visual, auditory or kinaesthetic then the messages will come to you in your preferred way. Let go of all preconceptions of ‘how it works’. It is communication with another being and so it will depend on what works best for you both.

Our animals help us heal in so many ways. Most obviously when they allow us to feel sad or to grieve. Just being with us and knowing exactly when and where to lay their head. Because they resonate on much sharper vibrations than we do they also pick up our emotions and fears. They will often manifest physical ailments or habits which mimic something we are dealing with. A client of mine shared a concern about putting off making a vet appointment for her dog who had a cough and was making a slight choking noise when eating. As this sounded to me like throat chakra clearance, I asked my client if there was something she was holding back from expressing … maybe anger or upset with someone. It turned out to be serious unfinished business with her deceased father. She was able to write it out with passion and then burn the letter, letting go of the pain and hard feelings. Her dog recovered within 24 hours.

A thought may pop into your head, maybe a colour, maybe a memory. Perhaps a smell or a certain taste. Maybe a mixture. Hold them.

Kate Mchardy MA(Hons) PGCE MSPH Spiritual coach, teacher and healer. katemch@gmail. com / Tel: +44 7712889534. Facebook: The University of Light Group / Readings at The University of Light (@tarotangelspiritreadings).

WORDS BY KATE MCHARDY

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Spoil yourself this weekend with a Rosti for breakfast. Cheesy, crisp and delicious with some bacon and eggs.

INGREDIENTS 2 large sweet potatoes

vinegar

1 onion

salt

2 eggs

pepper

butter

olive oil

smokey bacon

METHOD Heat up some oil in a pan and fry some shopped up garlic and onion until soft and tender. Grate the sweet potatoes, season with a pinch of salt and place them in a kitchen towel. Wrap them up in the towel and squeeze to release all the water. Lay some bacon out on tray with grease proof paper and transfer to the oven to bake until crisp. In a large bowl mix together the sweet potato, cheese and now cooked onion and garlic and give it a good toss. Now transfer the rosti mixture to a pan, flatten like a pancake and fry until crisp, then carefully slip and do the same. Lay the rosti on a plate with chopped up bacon and a poached egg and enjoy.

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1. A friend. (4)

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2. A state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern. (4)

7. A condensed account, especially of a literary work; abstract. (7)

3. A person who informs or gives information. (9)

9. _ _ a, a period of time. (2)

4. Run-down and often overcrowded houses, especially in a poor section of a large city. (9)

11. A succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep. (5)

6. _ _ _ _ _ _ e, to estimate the nature, quality, importance, etc. (7)

12. An appeal or entreaty. (4) 13. Chief in size, extent, or importance. (4)

8. A number of persons associated in some joint action. (4)

14. A breath of fresh. (3)

10. A rounded mark or stain. (4)

15. A self-operated portable device used to treat chronic pain. (4)

11. The head of a school, or admin division in a university or college. (4)

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T H E

H A R G R AV E

THE ART OF TOWN CENTRE LIVING

It’s not all just about a sea view. Our cityscape is full of character and beauty.

Gibraltar’s town centre is vibrant and charming and it’s only getting better. Over the years developments like The Arches, Prince Edwards Gate and Tarik Views, to name a few are restoring the beauty of our Old Town. The Hargrave aims to continue with the restoration of decaying yet stunning buildings into their natural glory with that contemporary touch.

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