Gibraltar Insight™ July 2019 by GBZ Media

JULY 2019

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JULY ISSUE 38

Contents

Business Insight 10

BUSINESS NEWS

LEGAL SERVICES FIRM RAMPARTS AQUIRED BY INCE GORDON DADDS

Tech’ Insight 16

SAMSUNG LIGHTS UP TIMES SQUARE

Sports Insight 22

GIBRALTAR WELCOMES THE ISLAND GAMES AND SUSTAINABILITY IS THE WORD

GIBRALTAR CRICKET – COMING BACK HOME AFTER RENOVATION WORK!

27 28

Culture Insight 52 HAMMOND - STILL A STAR AT 75

Features 21

FILM REVIEWS

30 TAKE THAT SET TO PARTY IN GIB 32

KING GEORGE’S VI’S SPEECH ON D-DAY

JOHN MASCARENHAS - BAGPIPER

GIANNI OCAÑA - PROTAGONISTA

MISS GIBRALTAR 2019

Regular Features 6

COMMUNITY INSIGHT

THE FRIENDLY GAMES SET TO DAZZLE IN GIBRALTAR SUN

ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

GOLF NEWS

VET COLUMN – BRACHYCEPHALIC SYNDROME

ON THE SPOT: WALACY FERREIRA

MUM ON THE ROCK – THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF GRANDPARENTS

HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

HOROSCOPES

MAMA LOTTIES RECIPE

WEDDING INSIGHT

SM SERUYA CROSSWORD

History Insight 44 HMS PEPPERPOT – THE STORY OF HMS PENELOPE 48

ROCK’S WW2 HISTORY FEATURED IN EUROPEAN CULTURE CHANNEL

40 MOTORING INSIGHT

Gibraltar Insight Magazine July 2018. Editor: R Ford. Printed & published by GBZ Media Limited, Suite 1, 77 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA. +350 200 40913. hello@gibraltarinsight.com Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. The names Gibraltar Insight, Bermuda Insight & GBZ Media are marks of GBZ Media Limited. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. 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 correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Gibraltar Insight or GBZ Media Limited are not responsible for any claims made, or material used in advertisements. Deposito Legal CA-955/07

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

World Environment Day - celebrated annually on 5th June was once again marked in Gibraltar. It’s the United Nations’ largest event that attempts to engage on environment issues in a positive way. Beginning in 1974, this year’s event in Gib put air pollution front and centre. A number of local schools gathered at Commonwealth Park, accompanied by over fifteen activity-orientated stalls setup by the DEHCC, Government Agencies, non-governmental organisations and local businesses hoping to make a real difference

A double-bill of fundraisers at Ocean Village helped local causes in terms of raising both funds and profile. On 8th June, a Toy Story event took place in aid of Childline Gibraltar, which ended up raising in excess of £400. Many children attended the event dressed as their favourite Toy Story characters and lucky winners Luca, Evie & Noah (pictured) won tickets to the Toy Story 4 premiere at Leisure Cinemas.

Minister for the Environment , Public Health, Energy and Climate, Prof. John Cortes, addressed those gathered and afterwards said, “It’s been an amazing day, with more people than ever taking part. This year’s theme is Air Quality, an area in which we have made great progress, and on which there is much still to do. I am very pleased therefore to today announce that I will be forming an Air Quality Commission with the target of continuously improving air quality in Gibraltar.”.

Later in June, the mystique and intrigue of the untamed jungle arrived at Ocean Village as Go Wild For Fashion turned up the heat for Alameda Wildlife Park. It takes care of exotic animals confiscated by HM Customs, plus unwanted pets - giving them a much-needed home - and also works to raise awareness and sustainability for important endangered species by taking part in captive breeding programmes which helps support species in the wild.

OCEAN VILLAGE FUNDRAISERS TURBO-CHARGE LOCAL CAUSES

Annie Green, Chairperson for Childline Gibraltar commented, “We are very grateful to Ocean Village for organising this wonderful event. Fundraising initiatives like this allow us to offer our service and keep going on our mission to end all forms of cruelty to children in Gibraltar. Lots of children, lots of treasure hunting fun, games and dancing with Woody, Buzz and Jessie, all in aid of Childline Gibraltar. Childline volunteers and the Childline bear were on hand to get the proceedings off to a good start, and we were delighted to see so many children joining the fun. What a lovely time we had with the Toy Story gang!”

in improving air quality. Art competitions, open air chess, face painting and even dance shows also formed part of this year’s initiative.

Over £1,600 was raised during the evening for the Alameda Wildlife Park, with funds earmarked for the Alameda Overground Project, a structure of tunnels and treetop walkways which will enrich the lives of a specific set of animals at the park (especially lemurs, cotton-top tamarins, common marmosets and long-tailed macaques) and create a much more exciting and immersive visitor experience.

Emilia Hazell-Smith, Marketing and Social Media executive for Ocean Village said: “Holding these kinds of events at Ocean Village allows us to give back to the local community and raise money for important local causes, while providing a fun day out for families.”

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST 2019 Her Majesty The Queen has granted the following National Honours:

FRIENDS OF GIBRALTAR VISIT The UK society - Friends of Gibraltar - recently made a trip to visit the Rock. One of its chief missions is to further extend the influence and interest in Gibraltar across all facets of life past, present and future. His Worship the Mayor, John Gonçalves MBE GMD, welcomed the group to the Mayor’s Parlour where much of the major refurbishment was made possible due to the fund raising efforts made by the Friends of Gibraltar. Membership is open to everyone who wishes to support Gibraltar from wherever they are in the world. Find out more at friendsofgibraltar.org.uk

Dr Rene Arthur Beguelin to be an Officer of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to health in Gibraltar. Mr Frances Clive Carreras to be an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Gibraltar. Miss Alice Mascarenhas to be a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to media, culture and the arts in Gibraltar. Mr Horace Gafan to be awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the ship repair industry in Gibraltar. On behalf of the Gibraltar Honours Board, His Excellency the Governor, Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB CBE KStJ, has granted the Gibraltar Award to: Mr Barry Hope for services to the Office of the Governor. Ms Pilar Rodriguez for services to the Community in Gibraltar.

Since being decommissioned from the Ministry of Defence and transferred for civilian use, Europa Pool caught both the sunshine and imagination of locals by attaining over 1000 users in a matter of days.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

GIBRALTAR TOURIST BOARD SHORTLISTED Against a backdrop of stiff international competition, the Gibraltar Tourist Board has been shortlisted in the Travel Bulletin Star Awards 2019. Travel Bulletin is one of the travel industry’s leading titles aimed at travel agents, homeworkers and industry professionals. Nominated in the category ‘Star Cultural & Heritage Destination’, Gibraltar will compete against India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, South Africa and Thailand.

Minister for Tourism Gilbert Licudi QC said: “We are very pleased to be included among this impressive list of culturally rich destinations. This nomination is the culmination of the Tourist Board’s ‘Gibraltar - A Year of Culture’ campaign which launched 18 months ago and aims to promote various elements of Gibraltar’s diverse heritage and culture. The winner will be announced on 9th September 2019.

GPA AT EURO BUNKER CONFERENCE The Gibraltar Port Authority recently took part in the 10th European Bunker Fuel Conference in Amsterdam. John Ghio, Deputy Captain of the Port, participated in panel discussions on setting the shipping, bunkering and energy sectors’ strategies in the route towards the enforcement of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) cap once it comes into place, and the preparations Gibraltar Port is making. This cap will further reduce the use of sulphur in fuel to 0.5%. John also met with some of the Port’s partners based in the Netherlands during his trip and was another opportunity to reassert Gibraltar’s status among industry peers, and this was confirmed by Manuel Tirado, CEO and Captain of the Port, who commented that invitations to events such as these continued to demonstrate the importance of Gibraltar Port within the bunkering and shipping community.

FEES SLASHED FOR INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS

GIB WINS AS NEW BASE FOR VIRGIN BET

Moneycorp bank has introduced fee-free online international payments for personal clients. The move is being touted as a first for any Gibraltar bank, potentially saving customers up to £40 per transaction.

GIB WININSBET

AS NEW BASE

Michael Azopardi, Chief Executive of moneycorp bank commented:

FOR VIRG

Gaming stalwart Gamesys has been successful in its application for a new gambling licence in Gibraltar, aimed at the UK sportsbook market. Virgin Bet will join the other brands operated by Gamesys in Gib, which is the only jurisdiction that has guaranteed market access to the UK in the event of the UK and Gibraltar leaving the EU. Existing offices, staff and technical infrastructure are already located in Gibraltar.

“Removing online fees for those transferring money abroad is another first for moneycorp bank, and particularly important for clients who value our ability to hold their funds in both Euros and Sterling. In a volatile economic climate we help our clients stay ahead of the agenda and profit from keen rates both online and over the phone.”

Minister for Commerce, the Hon. Albert Isola MP said, “We maintain that Gibraltar is a leading jurisdiction from which to operate a remote gambling business. A large number of existing operators, despite Brexit challenges, continue to maintain faith in the jurisdiction and this is shown by the increase in start-up businesses aimed both at the UK and non-EU international jurisdictions. Gamesys’ Gibraltar Marketing Director Simon Mizzi added, “We’re excited to launch Virgin Bet into the world’s most competitive sportsbook market, and we feel that Gibraltar is the perfect location for us to base our operations.”

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FEATURE

LEGAL SERVICES FIRM RAMPARTS ACQUIRED BY INCE GORDON DADDS SERGEANT-MAJOR HENRY INCE OF THE BRITISH ARMY ACHIEVED FAME AS THE AUTHOR OF A PLAN TO TUNNEL THROUGH THE NORTH FACE OF THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR IN 1782 DURING THE GREAT SIEGE, AND GIBRALTAR HONOURS HIS NAME WITH BOTH THE INCE’S HALL THEATRE BUILDING AND INCE LANE AMONGST OTHER PLACES BEING NAMED AFTER THE MAN WHO IS ALSO REGARDED AS THE FOUNDER OF THE CHURCH IN GIBRALTAR. Now the name Ince is back in prominence in Gibraltar with the acquisition of legal services firm Ramparts by Ince Gordon Dadds, to be known in future solely as Ince Gibraltar. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo attended the launch of Ince Gibraltar on the Sunborn Yacht Hotel on the 1st June. The acquisition brings together three companies as part of a bigger group, all specialists in their fields, with more access to resources and expertise. Founder of Ramparts Peter Howitt first came to Gibraltar in 2005 to join gaming company Party Gaming, now GVC, and after working in a few different roles he decided to start Ramparts seven years ago. “We focused primarily on e-gaming which is obviously a huge part of the Gibraltar economy, and my experience in-house as a lawyer helped us grow a gaming practice,” he states. “We do a lot of work for payments companies that has led to work in cryptocurrency related activities and we also have a company administration side, so we manage companies for clients. We also undertake financial services advisory and compliance work.”

In a place not lacking in law firms, Peter comments that some people were a bit surprised at his decision to start another, but he felt that coming from an in-house background would mean he would have an advantage in persuading clients that Ramparts was solutions focused, somewhere people could go to for solving problems, whether related to the law or to practical issues. Having grown Ramparts as a one-man-band from 2012 to a team of fifteen in just seven years, Peter realised that the company had reached a point where it needed to offer something else in the local community. It was an introduction by Andrew Tait, who had spent ten years as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Gibraltar-based operator Mansion Group and had then moved to London as a Partner in Gordon Dadds, which opened negotiations between Gordon Dadds founder Adrian Biles. “It has taken about nine months or so, but we are delighted to be part of a bigger group,” Peter says. Adrian Biles founded the business in 2013 with the acquisition of Gordon Dadds, a small traditional Mayfair law firm specialising in private clients and family law matters.

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FEATURE

“At that time it was about 2.5 million pounds of annual fee income and from there we have grown it largely by mergers and acquisitions to a business with 13 offices in 8 countries, 1,000 people and an annualised income of 100 million pounds,” Adrian states. The different sectors of business of the company are shipping, transport and logistics, energy and infrastructure, insurance, technology, media and telecoms, regulatory solutions and gaming. Listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange in August 2017, Adrian explains that Gordon Dadds undertook a merger with world leading shipping firm Ince, and the company is now rebranding the London international offices of the business as Ince. “Gibraltar is a jurisdiction which is extremely attractive from a shipping point of view and, although we are specialists and world leaders in shipping and in gaming law, we have not had our own people on the ground here before, and from that point of view we have recruited a leading shipping lawyer , Anne Rose from Hassans, who will join Ince as Shipping Partner,” Adrian states, continuing, “add to that the relocation of Andrew Tait, who is one of our leading gaming practitioners, so we see that as an investment in Gibraltar and we are looking to contribute to the local economy and to grow our business here over the next few years.” In terms of what Ince will now be able to bring to Gibraltar, Peter is confident that it will mean better recognition internationally for the jurisdiction as a good place to invest in or to move to. “Having an international brand and network will enable us to go out and sell Gibraltar plc really easily and to get those key messages across.” The effects of Brexit on Gibraltar are as yet still unknown but whether there is a ‘withdrawal agreement’ or ‘no deal’, there are bound to be challenges for the jurisdiction. Peter comments that although they were very concerned prior to the referendum, he thinks that one of Gibraltar’s key strengths is resilience, and although it would be nice for the uncertainty to be over – he doesn’t think it really

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matters long-term to Gibraltar’s future. “Luckily for us it isn’t about being in the EU, which is why we think the Ince deal is good and why we will be able to bring business to Gibraltar, because for many of the businesses and individuals that we can attract to Gibraltar it is not that important - it really depends on the sector.” Another key area where Peter is confident that they can offer value, both with their experienced personnel in Gibraltar and access to people in the teams in London and elsewhere, is compliance. “This is a massive part of many operations now where they need to meet all sorts of compliance obligations and it is not just data protection; there is also anti-money laundering, responsible gaming for gaming companies, financial `promotion and conduct of business.” “We also recognised that Gibraltar could really benefit from a different approach to dispute resolution and we are pleased to have on board Fiona Young as a Senior Associate,” Peter says. Fiona has experience as a commercial and employment lawyer and mediator which will help to open up new opportunities for Ince. “We are looking at our clients as more than just their particular issue but identifying what their needs might be in the whole and taking those forward, which is exactly what the Ince brand is doing globally,” Fiona explains. “The other area that I am involved with is diversity and inclusion which is something that a lot of the local gaming companies are developing, so my work is very project based which is also exactly what the Ince brand are doing , breaking the mould of the traditional law firm and looking at our clients’ needs.”

A final point from Peter: “Brexit and the uncertainty surrounding is obviously a really important thing, but the fact is that an international business looking at acquisitions around the world decided that Gibraltar was investable in.”

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TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

SAMSUNG LIGHTS UP TIMES SQUARE Samsung Electronics has completed a massive state-of-the-art fivescreen LED display installation at the iconic One Times Square building in New York City on May 31, 2019. The new high-end displays from Samsung measure more than 11,000 square feet when combined. Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new displays at One Times Square take up the entire front facing panel and reflect some of the most valuable advertising displays in the world. The displays feature premium centre-stage exposure, with full motion video, live-streaming and interactive capabilities. 16

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TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT

Ive will be setting up his own design consultancy and will count Apple as one of its clients.

Tech titan Apple, Inc. took another turn in its post-Steve Jobs era, when it was announced that stalwart designer Sir Jony Ive is to leave the company. Sometimes cited as the Lennon-McCartney of the consumer technology world, Jobs and Ive were responsible for some of the most iconic and successful designs of technology products from the late 1990s onwards. Ive played a major role in the reboot of the company with the original, playful iMac, laying the foundation for collaborating with Jobs on numerous eponymous products. “After nearly 30 years and countless projects, I am most proud of the lasting work we have done to create a design team, process and culture at Apple that is without peer. Today it is stronger, more vibrant and more talented than at any point in Apple’s history,” said Ive. “The team will certainly thrive under the excellent leadership of Evans, Alan and Jeff, who have been among my closest collaborators. I have the utmost confidence in my designer colleagues at Apple, who remain my closest friends, and I look forward to working with them for many years to come.” If you thought 4K was as high-definition as you could get, the prospect of 8K OLED televisions has just become a consumer reality. LG will shortly be taking pre-orders for its 88inch set in Europe that features a custom alpha 9 Gen 2 8K intelligent processor. This processor uses deep learning technology to optimise content and uses effective 8K upscaling, resulting in the most life-like picture currently possible. It also analyses room ambient conditions to achieve the perfect level of screen brightness. “Being the first to market with the world’s first and largest 8K OLED TV shows our commitment to leading the ultra-premium TV segment and delivering the ultimate viewing experience,” said Brian Kwon, president of the Mobile Communications and Home Entertainment companies at LG. “LG was a pioneer in bringing OLED to market and we will continue to introduce state-ofart TV technologies that push the boundaries of what’s possible in home entertainment.” Final specifications are pending and territory-dependent, although features such as Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa integration are slated for inclusion. You’ll never have to leave the sofa again.

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FEATURE PAUL ANDERSON IS AN ARTS BROADCASTER, RADIO PRESENTER, PRODUCER AND JOURNALIST. HE’S KNOWN FOR WORK ON BBC 6 MUSIC, XFM, CAPITAL AS WELL AS HOSTING HIS OWN ONE-HOUR FILM SHOW ‘AT THE MOVIES’ ON SMOOTH RADIO. PAUL IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LONDON FILM CRITIC’S CIRCLE. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @AFILMGUY.

MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL: 12A Seven years after MIB 3 we have Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson who are the secret agents protecting us from alien invasion. The plot loosely resembles the first film in 1997, with Thompson playing the raw recruit to Hemsworth’s troubled veteran. Controlling them are Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson, as the heads of MIB offices in London and New York. This version has had a ton of money thrown at it and amazing digital special effects that would have been too fantastical in 1997. But, for all this it still fails to tell us an engaging, or even particularly coherent, story. The leads are familiar from Thor Ragnarok and Hemsworth is good at the slapstick and strong-arm comedy, however it’s overlong and mostly unfunny.

X MEN: DARK PHOENIX: 12a

ROCKETMAN: 15

Here we go again with the flashback generations. The 19-year-old, 12 film franchise comes to a substandard halt with this saga of Jean Grey (Sophie Turner). Teenage Jean’s mutant gifts inadvertently caused the fatal car crash that killed her mother, landing her in the care of wheelchair-bound Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), who recognizes the traumatized orphan’s telepathic/telekinetic skills. Enter a shape-shifting alien entity named Vuk (Jessica Chastain) who begins twisting Jean’s mind by asking, ‘Are you a scared little girl who answers to the man in the chair, or are you the most powerful being on the planet?’ So, then we get the whole, ‘You’re stronger than you know. You’re special’ malarkey which inevitably leads to disaster, causing grumpy Magneto (Michael Fassbender) to resurface in his remote, rural hut. There are Fleeting visits from Hank/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Nightcrawler (Kobi SmitMcPhee), Quicksilver (Evan Peters) and Storm (Alexandra Shipp) and a prolonged appearance from empowered Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) notes that the X-Men should become the X-Women because “The women are always saving the men around here.”

The story of how Reg Dwight became Elton John. In a recent interview about the film’s rating Eton said I haven’t led a PG 13 life and the best part about the film and certainly the thing that makes it superior to Bohemian Rhapsody the Freddie Mercury biopic, is that it doesn’t hold back. The early stuff is emphasized, mixing genius Reginald Dwight’s stunted suburban childhood with his arrival as a nimble songwriter, upon meeting lyricist Bernie Taupin, played by Billy Elliot’s Jamie Bell. We also meet a remote, homophobic father (Stephen Mackintosh), a self-absorbed mother (Bryce Dallas Howard) and a protective granny (Gemma Jones). These figures haunt Reg, an energetic and vocally talented Taron Egerton. There’s a neat conceit of a choreography of jumbling songs into multiple time frames.

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FEATURE

GIBRALTAR WELCOMES THE ISLAND GAMES

and Sustainability is the Word!

In what has been described as a unique, multidisciplinary sporting spectacle and as a scaled-down version of the Olympics, the Island Games is coming to Gibraltar this month between the 6th and 12th July. Over 3,000 coaches, athletes, officials and spectators will be descending on Gibraltar from all over the world to take part in The Gibraltar 2019 NatWest International Island Games XVIII at some fantastic new venues with the Rock as the backdrop. This is only the second time that Gibraltar has hosted the Island Games, the first being in 1995 when it was dubbed the ‘Sunshine Games’, but it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for many to watch international athletes competing on their home turf, and the good news is that apart from the Opening Ceremony, entry is free to all events. The games started in 1985 as the Inter-Island Games, part of the Isle of Man’s International Year of Sport, which saw fifteen islands with 700 competitors and officials taking part in seven sports. Initially only meant to be a one-off event, the festival was such a success it was agreed to hold it every two years. President of the Gibraltar Island Games Association, Linda Alvarez, has been involved with the Island Games since 1987 when she participated as an athlete playing Badminton in Guernsey, and has been involved in the organisation of the Island Games ever since. “I remember the Games from the last time they were held here and the euphoria surrounding them, and I am hoping for the same atmosphere this time around,” Linda comments. “The Island Games will be a really good thing for Gibraltar and I think particularly in these times of uncertainty that we are facing, it is great that Gibraltar can prove to Europe and to the rest of the world that we are not just a small place but that we can do big things.” The Island Games Association consists of 24 islands and to apply to join, an island has to be under a certain size to become a member. Linda explains that when the Games first began there had been a call asking for islands to participate. “Although we are not an island, it was a great opportunity for Gibraltarian athletes to participate, particularly in 1985 when the frontier was closed, and because up until then we could only compete in the Commonwealth Games,” she says. This year there will be 22 competing islands coming from as far north as Greenland, as far south as St. Helena and the Falkland Islands in the Atlantic, and including the Caribbean Islands of Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. The 14 sports consist of athletics, badminton, basketball, cycling, beach volleyball, shooting, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, judo, ten-pin bowling, triathlon and sailing. “Six new venues have been built just for the Games, which will obviously be part of the legacy for Gibraltar, and the rest of the venues have been revamped,” Linda states.

Sustainability is the word, and Gibraltar is leading the way as an example to the world by reducing its environmental impact during the Island Games with campaigns that will benefit the whole community. All the new facilities have been constructed in an eco-friendly way so as not to negatively impact the environment or heritage, featuring green roofs and solar panels. “We want to educate and inspire the younger generation,” Linda says, “and right from the beginning it was my idea that I wanted to go single use plastic free.” With that in mind Linda decided on a dolphin as the mascot for the Games. “We held a competition with GBC Radio to name the dolphin and the winning name was Hope, which is very apt as it goes nicely with our slogan which is ‘Clean seas, our future’.” Main sponsors for the Island Games, Nat West International, are providing each athlete with an aluminium bottle and Agua Gib will be installing fountains all over Gibraltar, particularly in the sporting venues, so that people can easily refill their water bottles. Linda explains that just as the Olympics has a flame, the Island Games has a similar concept but with water as a symbol of the oceans and seas surrounding the islands. “The water ceremony, the now traditional curtain-raiser to the Games, will take place at the Opening Ceremony at the Europa Point Stadium,” she says. “Every island in attendance will bring water and pour it in the ceremonial fountain which will circulate until the closing ceremony, when a sample will be handed to Guernsey, the 2021 host,” Linda says. It goes without saying that the fountain is going to be made from reusable recyclable material, the podiums are being made out of wooden pallets, and even things like the flag poles will be made out of old broomsticks. “Wherever we can we are trying to be sustainable,” Linda comments. A further lasting legacy will be the tree planted in Alameda Gardens, and to celebrate the event there are ten commemorative stamps featuring various sports. “Minister for the Environment, Dr John Cortes, is hosting a Green Islands conference for member islands before the games to discuss environmental issues,” Linda reveals, “and there is going to be a lovely exhibition in Casemates run by the Department of Culture in conjunction with the Gibraltar Chronicle showing the history of the Games.” There are a whole host of special events for everybody to enjoy taking place during the week of the Games to be held at Grand Casemates Square which will be named ‘Games Square’. These include a special edition of gastronomic food festival ‘Calentita’ to be held on the 5th, the eve of the Games’ official opening and also a selection of live entertainment during ‘Summer Nights’, which will take place on a daily basis from Saturday 6th to Saturday 13th.

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“We will have a stage in ‘Games Square’ where medal presentations will take place every evening, ensuring that locals and visitors alike can get involved in the friendly ambiance,” Linda confirms. The aim of the Island Games is twofold,” Linda tells me. “Firstly, the whole reason it was started was to give athletes from islands opportunities to experience participating in different sports, and secondly to build up some sort of legacy for the islands.” Linda gives an example of the legacy from the 1995 Games. “We built the GASA swimming pool which is still used by the public, and this time we are going to have new shooting ranges, new athletics track, a 50m indoor swimming pool at Lathbury Barracks and a completely new stadium at Europa Point –all venues that can be used in the future by local people and to enhance a sports tourist industry that will bring more visitors and revenue into Gibraltar - so the legacy that this Island Games is going to leave behind is going to be huge.”

of sitting there playing with their computers. “Gibraltar has a high uptake of youngsters taking up sport and something like this can encourage even more to do so,” she comments. “I have been going round to all the schools giving presentations and lectures to try and get the students involved, and this is yet another part of the legacy that we need to leave behind.” Over five hundred local people have signed-up to volunteer as ‘games makers’ to help out with the organising and running of the Games during the week-long event. “We had a fantastic response to our call for help, which is amazing, and from past experience I know that the volunteers make a real difference whilst thoroughly enjoying themselves at the same time,” Linda says. “I can’t state this enough, but it is thanks to the Government and all the different agencies working together in the areas of security, transport, culture and customs that will make this Island Games a truly great success.”

Accommodation for athletes will be dotted around Gibraltar at various locations including the new University student block at Europa Point. “The hotels have been very good and given us around 700 beds and the former MoD property at Europa Walks will house about 1,200 people. The ‘Games Village’ will be housed there and the old St. Christopher’s school site has been transformed into the athletes dining area. There will be a transport link from the venues to accommodation areas so that accredited athletes will be able to hop on and off buses branded with the Island Games logos at special bus stops that won’t disrupt local transportation.

After many sleepless nights, challenges and all the days of hard work that have gone into the huge undertaking to complete everything and make it operational for the start of the Games, Linda is sure of one thing. “It is going to be very exciting,” she remarks.

As a retired teacher, Linda knows that in this day and age it is all about trying to get kids out and about instead

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Coming back Home

AFTER RENOVATION WORK! Gibraltar Cricket is most definitely at a cross roads. For the past 5 or 6 years the certainty surrounding our home, formerly known as the “Europa Cricket Oval”, and local cricket in general has taken a vast effect on our long-term plans. The reduced seasons (explained below) and recently, the last two seasons where not one single ball has been bowled in Gibraltar, has brought us on the forefront of the International Cricket Council’s attention and a possible “suspension” is on the cards, there is no denying this fact. To understand the relief, we as a Cricket Board and as Members of Gibraltar Cricket are feeling these days, one must understand why and appreciate some of the challenges we have faced in recent years. Since the Gibraltar Football Associations admission into the UEFA, Gibraltar Cricket, more importantly, our “Home”, was always under intense scrutiny, whether the big stadium was going to be constructed in this site or not. “It is a sh*t hole”, “There’s only sand there...”, these are some of the comments we read online which stick to mind. The general public wanted the football stadium built in Europa, we didn’t as this was our “home” and had been for many years. This led to a lot of uncertainty around the March/April time for two consecutive years whether we weren’t sure whether we would be able to play cricket there or not. Whilst we have always supported the Football Association and will continue to do so, we are glad that things have turned out how they have, and we get to keep Europa in conjunction with the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union and the Gibraltar Squash Association. We would like to point out to the readers that whilst we strongly opposed the football stadium for obvious reasons, past Gibraltar Cricket Board Members and present have never taken to social media to voice our disagreement.

During this time, we also noticed that there was a huge increase events in the Gibraltar calendar, sadly for Gibraltar Cricket, this meant that the Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority had to start granting event organisers access to the Europa Cricket Oval to be able to host these events. As with any event, there is a set-up period, event date(s) and a clean-up period. There were times where events were “thrown” at us at short notice which brought it’s own problems as I will explain further. Whilst there were good event organisers who stuck to their planned schedules like clockwork, we did encounter some not so very good organisers who once the event had ended would be out of the picture and nowhere to be found. What is the problem? Quite simply, they would leave the facility in an unusable state which reduced our season more and more. This meant more disruption to our members who were already disappointed with the fact that our season start had been delayed and now had to cancel plans, “try to” alter any holiday dates etc to be able to make themselves available for rearranged fixtures. Summer is peak holiday season for the grand majority of humans, so you can appreciate that making plans and being cancelled last minute is going to hamper your availability somewhat.

cus our attention on development and growth of the sport in Gibraltar. We hope to be able to finally offer our Members a facility we are proud of within a clean and safe environment where all ages can enjoy a game of cricket in the summer and top-class facilities for training all year round with the indoor and outdoor training centers. In these centers we are finalizing our plans before we move in to cater for: •

Junior Cricket (finally a facility we can control allocations and play within our desired timings);

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Both Male and Female;

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Senior Cricket:

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Both Male and Female;

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Social Cricket;

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Touring Sides (Recreational plus lower level Internationals due to ground requirements);

In short, The Europa Sports Complex (“the Facility”) has the potential to allow the “non-traditional” or “smaller” sports who have struggled to develop over recent years to have a “Home” and a platform to allow us to thrive and become bigger sports in the local sports market.

Another of the challenges we have had to endure is that with the uncertainty of the future of our ground we have not been able to commit to any oversees touring teams coming down to Gibraltar to play our local sides as we have done in the past. This was a major part of our season and one our members always enjoyed. As you can appreciate, playing against the same players every year can become quite boring in a sporting way. Therefore, we are very positive that the next upcoming months will play a big role in Gibraltar Cricket’s history, with the commitment made by the Government of Gibraltar to provide us with a shared facility with Gibraltar Rugby and Gibraltar Squash as main stakeholders of the Europa Sports Facility, we hope to end all past uncertainties and past challenges and be able to fo-

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JULY 2019

SPORTS INSIGHT

THE FRIENDLY GAMES SET TO DAZZLE IN GIBRALTAR SUN Gibraltar’s ever-growing participation in world sport hits heady heights this month when the Rock proudly welcomes competitors from all over the globe as it hosts the 18th edition of the Island Games. Officially titled the Gibraltar 2019 NatWest International Island Games XVIII, the tournament commences on Saturday 6th, concluding six days later on 12th July and it is the second time this tiny nation has staged the games. Whilst acknowledging the progress Gibraltar has made in major competitions such as the Commonwealth Games and especially in football, where great strides have been made at both club and international levels, the Rock has occasionally been over-faced with a David vs Goliath clash, but in this tournament, affectionately known as the “friendly games”, it’s a level field of play with no giants to slay, where the burning quest is just to be first among equals.

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The Opening Ceremony on Saturday 6th July will take place at the new state of the art Europa Point Sports Complex, where hosts Gibraltar will warmly welcome over 2,000 athletes representing 23 island communities to the games. Most of the competing islands will be well known and loved, like the Isle of Man, where the inaugural games were first held in 1985 and who topped the gold medal-winning table at the last games in Gotland with 39, the lovely Isle of Wight where I’ve been spending summer family vacations over decades, the Channel Islands, Guernsey and Jersey, although I must confess that my knowledge of the latter has been gleaned mainly from watching episodes of the wonderful Bergerac TV series. Other competitors are a tad more obscure, such as Åland, Froya, Hitra, Gotland and Saaremaa, add in the history-steeped duo of the Falklands and St Helena and the tantalizing mixture of mystery and history is irresistible to this inquisitive travel-obsessed rambler, so please come with me and spend a few moments exploring these modern-day love islands. Located in the Baltic Sea and belonging to Finland, Åland Islands consists of a staggering 6,700 islands, many just large rocks jutting out of the sea, with just 80 habitable, a population of just under 30,000, ninety percent of whom live on Fasta Åland and, not surprisingly, are engaged in fishing, farming and shipping. The capital Mariehamn is a popular tourist destination, a nature paradise famed for the beautiful butterflies that inhabit the thousands of flowering meadows surrounding it - a postcard destination that I’ve added to my soon-to-visit list and I’ll be looking to get first hand information from the natives this month when the Viking invaders come calling for the games. Froya and Hitra islands, both with a population of just under 5,000, are linked to each other and to mainland Norway by tunnel. Fishing is the primary source of employment on both islands with Froya famous for its heather and plant life while Hitra boasts enormous herds of wild red deer. Both islands enthusiastically embrace the games but, alas, the tiny populations have meant that since 1985 a total of just four gold medals have been won, three for Hitra and just one for Froya.

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Also located in the Baltic Sea lies the 2017 Games hosts Gotland, Sweden’s largest island with a population of almost 60,000, most of them engaged in tourism and agriculture, many of whom will be travelling to the Rock brimming with confidence of adding to their impressive all-time haul of 243 golds. The Estonian island of Saaremaa, a member of the games since 1991, has roughly the same population as Gibraltar, is an idyllic land where time appears to have somewhat stood still, villages with thatched houses and windmills where the men fish the sea and the women till the land, another addition to my must-visit list. The South Atlantic is home to two members steeped in centuries of history - The Falklands, where Maggie went to war to expel an invading “neighbour from hell”, and St Helena, one of the most isolated islands in the world, where Napoleon was exiled to and died a few years later. Neither of the sparsely populated islands will be confident of striding on to the winners’ rostrum, but the Port Stanley contingent will be hopeful of at least topping the solitary bronze medal reward of 2017. It’s nearly time, the expectation and excitement is bubbling as the Games Mascot, a lovable cheeky, cheery dolphin called Hope, gets ready to greet the thousands of athletes and their supporters as they arrive from many exotic faraway places. I’ve just been down to the Post Office on Main Street and been shown a stunning series of stamps, each one beautifully depicting one of the Games’ 14 sports - an absolute stamp collectors’ must-have dream for their album. Be quick, I can see stocks vanish pronto! Casemates Square is where the medals will be presented each evening and how nice it would be to see Gibraltar add to the 26, six of them gold, won at the last games in 2017. Summer Nights-style entertainment follows the medal-awards ceremony, so the Square is most definitely the place to be for the twilight hours. The weather forecast is fine, the sun will have its hat on, the pubs are double stocked, the visitors are on the way - let the Friendly Games commence - I can’t wait!

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GOLF

NEWS

THE DELI BY GOURMET CATERING TROPHY Med Golf returned to Valle Romano on Sunday 16th June 2019 to stage the Deli by Gourmet Catering Trophy event. The competition was run in the usual individual Stableford format in perfect conditions for golf: pleasant temperatures; a gentle breeze and a well presented golf course with true greens.

The best senior was Chris Warren, on handicap from Eddie Diaz with 33 points and the longest drive was won by Robbie Jones. The best pair was Anthony Bull and Eddie Diaz, not surprisingly perhaps the category 2 and 3 winners respectively with a combined score of 67 points. OUR HANDICAP CATEGORY PRIZES WERE WON AS FOLLOWS: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): Chris Warren was runner up with 33 points losing only on handicap to Matthew Bruce-Smith who also had 33 points. Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): Paul Nash was runner up with 31 points and Anthony Bull was the winner with 34 points.

The Champion of the day, winner of the Deli by Gourmet Catering Trophy and a 60â&#x201A;Ź Med Golf voucher was Matthew Charlesworth with a score of 36 Stableford points. Matthew also featured in the nearest to the pin list. The best gross winner was Matthew Bruce-Smith with a score of 76. Matthew was also the category 1 winner, had the best gross score on the par 3s and was on the nearest to the pin list.

Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): runner up was Steve Guthrie with 32 points while the winner was Eddie Diaz with a score of 33 points. Nearest the pin winners were: Matthew Bruce-Smith, Louis Calvente, Chris Warren, Tim Mitchell and Matthew Charlesworth. Matthew was also nearest to the pin in 3 on a par 5 and Robbie Jones was nearest the pin in 2 on a par. Med Golfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Judith Benezrah presented the prizes on behalf of the Hunter Group.

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JULY 2019

FEATURE

Take That to party in Gib The journey from dancing boy-band to serious adult contemporary musicians is fraught with casualties. Very few artists manage to make the transition successfully. But Take That did such a thing.

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FEATURE Formed in Manchester in 1989, the band currently consists of Gary Barlow composer and lead singer, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. Of course, people of a "certain age" will recall the original line-up that featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. And over time, there have been reunions of sorts - whether on the stage or in the studio. They've had a string of chart hits behind them and some very successful million-selling studio albums.

our new Europa National Stadium and also celebrates the MTV/Gibraltar Government tie-up music festival contract which expires then. Their 7th Tour: ‘Take That’ presents The Circus Live, begun 10 years ago in 2009 on June 5th at Sunderland’s Stadium of light and ended at Wembley Stadium a month later on July 5th. It was seen by

And the good news for Gibraltar is that they're coming to the Rock for Gibraltar Calling 2019. We’re talking about a world class touring band which obviously doesn’t come cheap or small - it’s a big brand and a huge coup to have booked them. We can rest assured that we’re in for a real treat whether a fan or not, because their song catalogue comprises of melodious and heartwarming songs that have become a soundtrack to the lives of romantically-inclined pop music lovers. Songs like Relight my Fire (1993), Back for Good (2005), Patience (2006), Rule the World (2006), Shine (2006), The Flood (2010), are among the best pop written in the last thirty years, and having witnessed their spectacular show a few years ago here on our big screen worldwide release night, I can vouch for their exciting performance and showmanship. It will crown

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Gary Barlow’s net worth is estimated to be around £49.6 million, and he has written thirteen UK number one singles. Jason Orange who left the band in 2014 is worth $30million, to put some perspective into that, Brian May from Queen is estimated to be worth $175million (nearly £138million), so you can appreciate why superstars need to continue to work. They simply want to keep climbing up the rich list to outdo each other (joke), but more importantly, they always reinvent themselves and are always slaves to their concert reputation and song catalogues. That is why we love them, which then translates into their ‘bigger better richer’ and the trappings of their fame. If life at the top isn’t too much fun because of all the hard work and travelling they should try retiring, but then we would all lose out because we wouldn’t be able to worship them at these huge concerts, the likes of which the Rock can be proud to host one soon in our ever-growing Music Festival.

over a million people and made a profit of £40,560,000. At the time it was the fastest selling tour ever with all 600,000 tickets sold for the original eight dates in only five hours! Their current tour sees them in Amsterdam, Zurich, Paris and Berlin and they have revealed that they will embark on a huge UK tour and European tour to celebrate their thirtieth anniversary. That is why that with a little bit of magic and fairy dust we will be proudly hosting them here on the Rock.

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If you haven’t got your Gibraltar Calling Music Festival tickets yet, get your skates on, as incredible as it sounds, they will sell out. Look at how Andrea Bocelli tickets sold out in just two days. He’s here for our National Week Concert on September 9th. We can do the impossible but miracles may take a little longer as they say. Till next time, ‘try a little patience’ breathe music ... it’s cleaner than air, and good for your soul too!

FEATURE

King George VI’s Speech On D-Day “Four years ago, our Nation and Empire stood alone against an overwhelming enemy, with our backs to the wall. Tested as never before in our history, in God’s providence we survived that test; the spirit of the people, resolute, dedicated, burned like a bright flame, lit surely from those unseen fires which nothing can quench. Now once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time, the challenge is not to fight to survive but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause. Once again what is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance; we need a revival of spirit, a new unconquerable resolve.

AFTER NEARLY FIVE YEARS OF TOIL AND SUFFERING, WE MUST RENEW THAT CRUSADING IMPULSE ON WHICH WE ENTERED THE WAR AND MET ITS DARKEST HOUR. We and our Allies are sure that our fight is against evil and for a world in which goodness and honour may be the foundation of the life of men in every land. That we may be worthily matched with this new summons of destiny, I desire solemnly to call my people to prayer and dedication. We are not unmindful of our own shortcomings, past and present. We shall ask not that God may do our will, but that we may be enabled to do the will of God: and we dare to believe that God has used our Nation and Empire as an instrument for fulfilling his high purpose. I hope that throughout the present crisis of the liberation of Europe there may be offered up earnest, continuous and widespread prayer. We who remain in this land can most effectively enter into the sufferings of subjugated Europe by prayer, whereby we can fortify the determination of our sailors, soldiers and airmen who go forth to set the captives free. The Queen joins with me in sending you this message. She well understands the anxieties and cares of our womenfolk at this time and she knows that many of them will find, as she does herself, fresh strength and comfort in such waiting upon God. She feels that many women will be glad in this way to keep vigil with their menfolk as they man the ships, storm the beaches and fill the skies. At this historic moment surely not one of us is too busy, too young or too old to play a part in a nationwide, perchance a worldwide, vigil of prayer as the great crusade sets forth. If from every place of worship, from home and factory, from men and women of all ages and many races and occupations, our intercessions rise, then, please God, both now and in a future not remote, the predictions of an ancient Psalm may be fulfilled: “The Lord will give strength unto his people: the Lord will give his people the blessing of peace.”

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JULY 2019

FEATURE

JOHN MASCARENHAS BAGPIPER If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not sport or another hobby it could well be music. So guitar, piano, drums or even violin or cello, would be first choice... but bagpipes? Some say they sound like a cat in terrible pain! However, there are those who are fascinated by the bag producing a humming drone!

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FEATURE

But in fact, it was a more conventional instrument that first attracted musician John to the world of music. “That’s right, I was six years old and I remember watching a scary series on television and then one evening, a piano that I had been bought began playing all on its own! That terrified me.” Eventually, the puzzling event was solved as John recalls the mystery piano player happened to be a mouse running around inside. The resident musician removed, he started teaching himself to play, but never learnt to read music. That was John’s introduction to his chosen hobby which happened in a strange way, to say the least. Like most youngsters, pop music was the genre to get into with friends, so forming or joining a group was an obvious next step. At 13 he joined a group, coming together with some friends (by then playing guitar), later switching to his keyboards performing with more established bands like Jade, The Mockingbirds, Los Peninsulares and of late, gigging with the New Shadows for a while, experiencing an assortment of styles which can only be useful for your own development.

So how did the love of the whining, musical instrument materialise? Well, the Rock’s military history has meant there have been several military regiments stationed here – many with their own marching bands, amongst them bagpipers. “There was one particular bandsman known as Rob Roy of Tobruk and he really got me interested in the instrument. We also had the Sea Scouts Pipe band on the Rock, so I quickly joined the 5th Sea Scout Group mainly to learn to play the bagpipes and join the band. Tony Galliano – a top piper – took me under his wing and taught me all about the instrument, and to this day we still play together at many functions.” John, who also plays the

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penny whistle and harmonica, was in his early teens when he became a Sea Scout piper and so the task of keeping the bag full of air began and that’s continued to the present, keeping 58 year old piper John’s lungs busy I’m sure! Some historians claim bagpipes originated from ancient Egypt brought to Scotland by invading Roman Legions. Others claim they came over from Ireland by Scots who had colonised Ireland. John tells me the Celtic music played on a variety of bagpipes can be found in Ireland, Wales and Cornwall - as well as Scotland - also in the North of Spain, Asturias and Galicia and I’m sure in many other countries too, importantly keeping their folk traditions alive. John really admires Carlos Nunez, a famous piper from the north of Spain, who performs the world over and with whom John as had the pleasure of performing with. Hevia is another top instrumentalist of the bagpipe genre keeping the trend alive. From time to time our Bagpipe enthusiast is called upon to perform at weddings and other functions on the Rock, across the frontier and further afield at other im-

portant functions with the Sea Scout Band, with bagpipe veteran Tony Galliano and as a soloist. “I’ve played in many places in those different combinations. We’ve played in London, Scotland, performed with the Algeciras Symphony Orchestra a couple of times, at the re-enactment `Battle of Albuera’ in Badajoz, at a launch of a new whisky - ‘born in Scotland and raised in Jerez’ - at the Gonzalez Byass Estate, playing on a 44kms trek (almost non-stop from 8am to 3pm), and with the Chichester Essential Services representing the Gibraltar Security Police (now GDP) which I was a member of. As well as here on the Rock, with the

Re-enactment Society and the new Gibraltar corps of Drums Association, for members of the Saudi Royal Family in Marbella and in Morocco attending the `Fiesta del Rey de Marruecos’ (King of Morocco festival) and I’ve even played at a wedding in Barcelona!” But it doesn’t end there, `John the piper’ has been asked to play solo at other military concerts and recently he performed at an event which would probably go down as a highlight of his bagpipe playing career. “That was a scary event for me. I was contacted by The British Consulate in Sevilla who invited me to play at a football match. At half-time, I stood in the middle of the Sevilla Football Club ground during a first division match - Sevilla v Real Sociedad and I played a medley of tunes for a few minutes to a crowd of about 38,000 fans who clapped and cried out when I finished performing, and what took me by surprise was

that after the match, Sevilla’s top players were asking to have photos taken with me and my pipes - instead of the other way around - which was amazing.” Oh, and he’s also played with for those who remember - The Smith Family musical group who were very popular on the Rock three or four decades ago. But strangely enough, for a lover of the bagpipes and having already visited Scotland, John has never been to the Edinburgh Tattoo to which he has now firmly decided to book a flight for himself and wife Terry – who supports John’s love of the instrument – and attend the world famous spectacle. Bagpipes are difficult to learn, John tells me. “You have to learn to control the pressure, keep the `bag’ full of air, blow that air into the `blowpipe’ as you play the notes on the `chanter’ producing that unique sound through the `drones,’ add to that, if you’re a member of a band, keeping in step whilst

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marching! A decent set of bagpipes can cost upward of £800 and are not difficult to look after, applying a little almond oil from time to time. In the meantime, recording a second CD is on the cards for John now, also the wedding season is upon us so there are more bookings there and no doubt, judging by the variety of engagements he’s been invited to perform at so far over the past months and years, who knows... perhaps a gig at the much loved Edinburgh Tattoo? Whatever happens, the sound of the bagpipes arousing stirring emotions of Scottish laments or the happier Irish tunes will continue to be part of John’s performances in full regalia or other attire. I rather like, `Scotch on the Rocks! Can you do that one?’

ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

JOINT of thanks TRAINING

FLAGS

22 Police Officers recently took part in a week-long joint Licensed Search Officer course. The attendees - consisting of members of the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Gibraltar Defence Police - hosted four specialist UK College of Policing staff.

Over 40 flags were made, and each carried its own extraordinary message both about itself and the person who made it, enabling Gibraltar to send its own message from the Rock’s community.

In a joint statement Police Search Advisors Sgt Stewart Stone (RGP) and Sgt Adrian Sodi (GDP) said: “Providing a search capability is an integral part of the service our organisations provide for the Gibraltar general public and for the Ministry of Defence. You may often see our teams searching areas such as below street level utility covers in public areas, refuse bins and similar areas prior to an official public engagement taking place, or even during a bag entry search at a Convent Open Day”.

Gibraltar made its own heartfelt contribution to Armed Forces’ Day by contributing to the Flags of Thanks project. British Forces Gibraltar’s Community Support Team (CST) was contacted by Alabaré’s Homes for Veterans, a charity that provides supported accommodation to British Armed Forces veterans who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.

After being on display in the UK, they will be made into sleeping bags or quilts for the residents of Alabaré’s Homes for Veterans.

RG PROMOTION A Royal Gibraltar Regiment officer has recently been promoted to the rank of Major. Capt Grant Smith was promoted to Major on 20 May and is one of two RG soldiers currently on long term deployment from the Rock.

BACK IN THE WATER HMS Scimitar has returned to active service in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, after a month’s hiatus for necessary maintenance.

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JULY 2019

MOTORING INSIGHT

NEW DEFENDER Some stunning shots of the new Land Rover Defender have emerged, showcasing the reborn vehicle in one of its most favoured environments.

It’s been on an intense testing programme with the Tusk Trust in Kenya in support of lion conservation. In doing so, it was put through a number of real-world tests in the 14,000-hectare Borana Conservancy that included fording rivers, pulling heavily loaded trailers, and negotiating difficult and varied terrain. Nick Collins, Engineering Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar Land Rover, said,

“We are now in the advanced stages of the new Defender’s testing and development phase. Working with our partners at Tusk in Kenya enabled us to gather valuable performance data. The Borana reserve features a wide range of challenging environments, making it a perfect place to test to the extreme the all-terrain attributes JULY 2019of the new Defender.”

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MOTORING INSIGHT

WAYMO PARTNERSHIP Motor manufacturers continue to jostle for supremacy in the post-combustion engine world, with many deciding that strategic alliances with existing leaders in electric and autonomous vehicle production provides the best platform for continued innovation, growth and market share. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi has signed such an agreement with Waymo, the world’s most experienced self-driving company, having racked up over 10 million miles of transit on public roads. The company started life as Google’s autonomous vehicle project in Mountain View’s elite “X” lab, before being spun off as a subsidiary of the search engine giant.

The agreement marks a first step to developing long-term, profitable driverless mobility services. The first step will take place in France and Japan, home to Groupe Renault and Nissan headquarters, with further markets earmarked for expansion. Thierry Bolloré, Chief Executive Officer, Groupe Renault commented, “The story of tomorrow’s mobility will be jointly written, with the cooperation of the Alliance with Waymo, as industry leaders, opening new perspectives for driverless mobility services. We believe this partnership will accelerate our commitment to deliver new shared mobility services and benefit the automobile ecosystems by placing us at the forefront of driverless mobility new business streams in our key strategic markets.”

VW ANNOUNCES CADDY ESPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR POLICE DOG USE Volkswagen has unveiled a new addition to its commercial vehicles range, aimed especially at police forces. The versatile Caddy van has been repurposed to feature a removable dog kennel with adjustable temperature controls and a full-compliment of “blue light” necessities including lights, siren and livery. The kennel has been built to DEFRA/RSPCA animal welfare specification which dictates size along with ventilation and air conditioning requirements. Steven Cowell, Technical Sales Manager at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said, “Our latest blue light conversion is a fully-operational dog van based on our Volkswagen Caddy. We’re delighted by the finished product after months of hard work by the team in partnership with PressFab Evo. Police forces require a versatile and reliable vehicle and that’s exactly what the Caddy offers, and why it’s already so popular with such a wide range of businesses.”

Bentley Boys Honoured In Le Mans A legendary car marque, a legendary race and a legendary achievement came together in Bentley’s 100th year. The racing pedigree of Bentley Motors was cemented between 1924 and 1930 when the “Bentley Boys” won five Le Mans 24hour races and entered motor folklore. The City of Le Mans chose Bentley’s centenary year as a fitting time to rename one of its streets, «Rue de Laigne». It will now be known as «Rue des Bentley Boys». The Mayor of Le Mans, M.Stéphane Le Foll, led the renaming ceremony and was joined by representatives of Auto Club de l’Ouest President M.Pierre Fillon, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Brian Gush, Bentley’s Head of Heritage Collection, Robin Peel and several modern day “Bentley Boys”.

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FEATURE

Fresh from publication in the avant-garde South-East Asian literary magazine Outcast (Volume III, Once Upon a Time) with his short story ‘City of Bridges’, twenty-oneyear old Gianni Ocaña is now testing his creativity with a first novel, titled ‘Protagonista’, to be posted in regular instalments on Wattpad throughout summer and beyond. “Every so often, hopefully weekly but more realistically fortnightly, I will post a new chapter to this online platform that affords exposure to writers and illustrators. I am introducing every chapter with my hand-drawn illustrations, to highlight the salient parts of the cepisode,” the young author says. The novel fits in the romance genre with some forays into horror and fantasy. Its most captivating stylistic trick is narrating the storyline in first person, but from the perspective of both protagonists, so that each chapter is split in two parallel narratives, one delivered by the Dreamer, closely followed by his love interest (even before knowing it), the Millionaire, offering his own rebuttal. In other words: a story so nice you gotta read it twice! And because it is delivered feuilleton style, it will contain plenty of cliff-hangers to keep readers hooked and hungry for more, so that they return to Wattpad regularly. Gianni claims this to be a loosely autobiographic story, largely based on his recurrent dreams: “Set in Gibraltar and in a make-believe metropolis the readers won’t have any trouble to identify with the real one that inspired it, this is an intense love story between two young men, developing throughout their twenties, but there is no definite ‘happily ever after’, so I can leave my options open for the sequel, and perhaps a trilogy.”

Unrequited, tempestuous at first, his romance is also marred by an atypical triangle with a ghostly presence that lurks in the shadows of both protagonists’ lives: “There is another central figure who is the reason behind the Dreamer’s reality shifts and the dark aura haunting the Millionaire, who isn’t rich on his own credit, but because he inherited his fortune from his orphaned best friend, self-made businessman with no family but the (future) Millionaire to leave his wealth too, when premature death strikes.” Gianni continues: “The dark character can alter reality because he is a writer and illustrator - and there is a bit of myself in him too, although I tend to identify the most with the Dreamer. There are two versions of him in this world, one is the antagonist of the protagonist, so to speak, whom readers will love to hate, but he will take up a complex role in the sequel, where he will be likeable.” He analyses how the characters fall in love with personality and how their physical appearance and emotional history come into the equation to affect it, and mould into a uniquely shaped piece of the puzzle into which only one other person(ality) fits perfectly. Hence his characters steer clear from the clichés of romance fiction – no tall, dark and handsome brooding heroes or blonde beauties, which are conversely tipped to make an appearance in his forthcoming fantasy series ‘Emerald Kingdom’. Here, the protagonists are a beautiful golden-haired princess and her suitor, moulded upon Gianni’s parents, whom he describes as fully supportive of who he is and the dreams he follows. The drafts of this series, or better said, saga, date back to his childhood when he imagined an Emerald Club, populated by magical and extraordinary creatures. “These stories are all interconnected, and already fleshed out in my mind; I just need to find the time to write them down, between my studies and part-time job.”

The main character concocts his love interest in his dreams and falls in love with him. Later, through some spectacular shifts in reality, he bumps into him in person over and over again, and has to overcome many obstacles to conquer his heart. “I prefer writing in first person and past tense, because it is easier to identify in the narrator and explore his thoughts and actions, but first person obviously poses some limitations in the story’s objectivity, and makes it unilateral when it comes down to analysing other characters’ feelings, motivations or actions when the narrator isn’t present. “There are always two or more sides to one story: I reckon that telling them both or all helps readers learn about twists in the plot gradually, with each side highlighting what is most relevant for them and altogether contributing to the bigger picture.” Gianni wants to portray all facets of his characters, as he believes that we are different people to different people: “For example, I was bullied a lot in school, but I learnt not to regard them as ‘just bullies’ when I saw them laughing with, and not at, their friends, or hugging their parents: I realised that deep down they were decent people to someone else, friendly to their friends, and devoted to their families.”

Gianni is in fact hoping to pursue an academic career in creative writing soon, while he works as a cameraman to film local football matches, which gives him the opportunity to learn how to narrate epic battles, such as the ones he is planning for his ‘Ivory Kingdom’, a fantasy novel based on chess, where he adds a red army to the standard black and white ones, for extra suspense in a love-war triangle. He is not intentionally writing a roman à clef, but his work does contain positive messages sprinkled around so sparingly that you blink and you miss it. Yet, they don’t get lost on shrewd eyes, and his stories have been praised by the sternest critics, his friends and teachers at the College, who got an exciting sneaky peek into a world where everyone is a protagonist. Like his Facebook pages Protagonista: Dreamer Side and Protagonista: Millionaire Side and follow him on Instagram as just_another_wolf.

WORDS BY ELENA SCIALTIEL GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

JULY 2019

FEATURE

HMS PENELOPE ARRIVING IN GIBRALTAR SHOWING THE “PEPPERED” HULL

THE STORY OF HMS PENELOPE Based on the Captain’s report. My thanks to Mike Bee of the HMS Penelope Association for his assistance

COMPILED BY PAUL BAKER 44

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FEATURE

With a displacement of some 5200 tons and armed with six, six inch guns in three turrets and eight, four inch and an array of 20 and 40mm anti aircraft guns and with a top speed of 32.25 knots, she could hold her own in most circumstances. She arrived in Malta on the 9th of September 1939 joining the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet. By 1940 the Penelope was back in the European theatre where she saw action in the Norwegian campaign and around Iceland. The cruiser returned to Malta with HMS Aurora on the 21st October 1941 where they joined Force K. In December she was slightly damaged when the force found itself in an enemy minefield off Tripoli and went into dry dock in Malta, returning to active service in December. More actions followed but by this time the Germans were making it impossible to have surface ships in the harbour in Malta now that they had new air bases in Sicily. A number of ships were sent to Alexandria and others to Gibraltar, including the Aurora the sister ship to Penelope. On the 25th of March the combined German and Italian air force commenced a heavy and concentrated attack on the Harbour. Bombs fell all around the Penelope but on the 26th whilst lying at Hamilton Wharf, she was damaged by near misses forward and aft from JU88 dive bombers. The blast near the bows caused flooding below the two forward mess decks and lifted the deck which strained the watertight doors. The damage aft also flooded some compartments putting A and B gun turrets out of action. The after superstructure was also damaged. On the 28th The Penelope went into No.4 dry dock. The ship was camouflaged and pumping out the flooded compartments commenced. All the time the air raids continued. Once the dock had been pumped out it was possible to assess the full extent of the damage to the hull. The keel plate had been bent upwards for a distance of 30ft in a dent 6 to 8ft deep and the plate cracked for some 12ft. The authorities decided that it was not safe for the ship to remain in dock for the four weeks it would take to repair the damage so it was decided that she must sail as soon as the dockyard were able to get her sea worthy. A first aid plan was put in motion. At one stage the dry dock caissons caught fire, if they had given way, the Penelope would have ended up smashed and probably hundreds of feet beyond the end of the dock from the force of the water entering the empty

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dock. On April 3rd the enemy turned their attention on the Penelope, it was obvious that sooner or later she would get a direct hit, so everyone on board set to assist the dockyard workers in getting the ship ready to float. After the early morning raid, the Captain sent for the padre saying “we have a drinking song, we have a hunting song, we need a shooting song.. Can you compose a simple tune and simple words, as crude as you like.” An hour later it turned up and was approved. The Marine Bandmaster orchestrated it and at dinner time the crew were piped aft and with megaphone in hand, the Captain climbed onto the after gun turret and led the crew in a rousing singalong with the words written on a blackboard. The song was an immediate success and could be heard around the ship with some unprintable variations. Next day a bomb damaged the dock caisson and it began to leak and unfortunately the dock pumps were out of action but they were restarted that evening. Another bomb hit the dockyard wall and another hit a building close by hurling masonry onto the quarterdeck. On the last attack of the day a bomb hit the port bow and exploded under it. The port side of the ship was peppered with holes made by the masonry. The propellers were damaged, fire started in the Captain’s store and some of the after cabins. A call for help went out to the army for welders who promptly answered the call. The dock was beginning to fill up and the ship was in danger of coming off the blocks on which she was resting on the dock floor, fortunately the pumps got going just in time. The 4inch guns on the ship were wearing out and premature explosions had cost the life of a gunnery officer but there was no time to change the barrels. The situation was desperate and so it was decided to flood the dock and make a dash for the open sea under cover of darkness. The plan was put into operation but as the dock flooded leaks began to appear but as a raid was in progress the dock continued to fill. The Penelope started

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FEATURE

of the lower steering compartment but use of the engines helped to keep the ship more or less on course. On April 10th the Penelope entered Gibraltar. Because of all the flooding and damage the accommodation areas were unusable so everyone was billeted ashore. The Penelope had already received a number of messages of congratulations in the past for their actions in the Malta conflict and received the following in Gibraltar the day after arrival from the Vice Admiral Malta. â&#x20AC;&#x153;True to your usual form. Congratulations.â&#x20AC;? She entered No 2 dock on the 11th of April and stayed there until 9.30am on the 9th of May 1942. The damage was so extensive that it was decided to carry out essential repairs in Gibraltar and then cross the Atlantic to the New York Navy Yard where she could be completed refitted. The Cruiser left Gibraltar on the 10th of May 1942

COMMANDER J.W CAPTAIN A.D.NICOLLS AND

GRANT

to float as she cleared the blocks beneath her. There was no turning back. At 3.45am re arming commenced but by 8.30am a mass attack started. A bomb hit the starboard brow making even more holes in the starboard hull. Only the more serious damage was repaired the rest were plugged with wooden stoppers. All the time the 4inch guns were in action, but there was a shortage of anti aircraft ammunition so there was nothing left for the voyage. After a hairy fuelling operation a call went out for some 4inch and Pom-Pom shells which was answered from all the ships in the vicinity and five hundred 4inch and other ammunition was loaded. The lower steering compartment was flooded but it was decided to sail anyway.

While in Gibraltar The Duke of Gloucester, as First Sea Lord, who had originally laid the ships keel, visited the ship and saw the Captain in hospital, following wound he received in Malta, where he congratulated him on his safe arrival in Gibraltar. Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar. Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

As stock was taken of the period between 25th March and 8th April, 6500 rounds of 4inch, 20,000 rounds of two pounders, 8000 rounds of Oerlikon and 35,000 rounds of 0.5 rounds were fire by the Penelope. Four of the crew had been killed and twenty seven wounded. The cruiser left harbour at 9.15pm on the 8th of April heading for Cape Bon. The holes in the hull were still causing problems. Water was raising six feet above the forward platform deck so measures had to be taken to counteract this extra weight which was causing a list to starboard so some of the heavier gear was thrown overboard. That day the Penelope was attacked by bombers and torpedo aircraft but they were fought off without further damage. By this time they were down to 80 shells. The ship was difficult to steer due to the flooding

JULY 2019

HOLES MADE BY THE MASO NRY FROM AD AND BUILDIN JACENT GS

WALLS

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

JULY 2019

FEATURE

WORDS BY JOE ADAMBERY 48

JULY 2019

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

FEATURE

THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INTEREST IN GIBRALTAR BY COUNTRIES MUCH BIGGER THAN US. THIS MAJESTIC LIMESTONE ROCK, AN ICON WHICH WE CALL HOME, HAS BEEN FEATURED ON MANY TV CHANNELS ACROSS THE WORLD FOR SEVERAL REASONS BUT MAINLY DUE TO OUR UNIQUE HISTORICAL LINKS WITH THE UK AND A NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY WHICH HAS DESIGNS ON OUR FUTURE AND WANTS TO ABSORB US INTO ITS GEOGRAPHY.

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JULY 2019

FEATURE Recently local historian Tito Vallejo was interviewed by TV Arte on the subject of ‘Operation Copperhead’ the official military name for a brilliant deception ruse by Dudley Clarke for British Intelligence during WW2 which fooled the Germans into thinking that General Montgomery was here on 26th May 1944 (and in another location in Africa later).The successful operation later spawned a war film called ‘I was Monty’s Double.’ The operation involved Australian actor Miles Mander who posed here as the British General so that spies would report his whereabouts and mislead the German commanders in the days immediately preceding the Normandy landings. Tito takes me over the story which he told TV Arte for ‘Invitacion au voyage’, a cultural TV magazine which airs in France and Germany. “The Operation worked out beautifully and I think that British actor David Niven, who was a military commander, was also one of the architects, as you have to remember that Churchill had a double who was used to hide the whereabouts of the real Winston Churchill. The fake Montgomery was only here on an overnight stay and was invited to a Governor’s reception at the Convent so that he would be seen by spies here. The Governor played out the charade with ease because Mander was such a good double. From here he was flown to North Africa to direct attention away from Monty’s real location.” Tito was kept busy on location by the TV Arte film crew mostly talking about ‘Operation Copperhead’ outside the Convent where at the time of the wartime operation the British wanted Monty’s double to be seen, and they also filmed at the airfield where he had landed and taken off purely for the benefit of the German spies operating in the area. “They fell for it hook, line and sinker because as we all know the British are masters at that sort of deception. They also conducted a similar operation with ‘The Man Who Never Was’ when the body of a fake military man with a briefcase full of fake secret documents washed up on a nearby Spanish shore, again with the sole purpose of fooling the German high command with false intelligence about the British and Allied military operational intentions.”

wealth of photographs he showed me as he told me many stories that describe the pictures. “You know that we have such a vast pool of history here that is really interesting like the ‘human torpedoes’ and the diver mother ship ‘Olterra’ anchored in the bay, from where they operated. A film was made about that called ‘The Silent Enemy.’ Operation Tracer, Stay Behind Cave, Operation Torch and many other stories and their locations should invite us to do a lot more about selling our rich history. It hasn’t got to be totally serious and it can all be backed up by humour, photographs and released secret documents.” We have all been duped at some point in our travels abroad when we go on historical tours which don’t even begin to compare with the richness and heritage that we have here. At this point he shows me official Spanish identity papers belonging to Spanish prostitutes who used to work here when the Gibraltar Governors had to pay more attention to the ‘recreational’ needs of the several thousand troops garrisoned here and, more importantly, when the home fleet came in and there simply had to be more busy ladies entertaining in New Street and in the cabarets dotted along our Main Street. He showed me some spectacular photographs of the Spanish dancers of the day and of himself as a very young boy on a little tricycle inside the ‘Winter Gardens’ (taken in daytime of course) which was then among the top cabarets in town. Tito Vallejo lives and breathes local history and you will regularly have seen him with the History Re-Enactment Society marches which give the tourists and our Main Street great character and photo opportunities, providing historically themed entertainment on Saturday mornings. Next time you see one of his talks advertised at the University or anywhere else, don’t miss it because you will be enriched by great stories and the great pictures he has which back them up. He should publish a book soon just to get all this material off his chest.

Directing the Gibraltar filming for TV Arte was French producer Camelia Encinas who previously directed a similar five minute magazine segment on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the wedding on the Rock of Beatle John Lennon and Yoko Ono. On that occasion my name had been put up for it and I took the TV crew to the airfield for the backdrop of their iconic wedding photograph and to the Law Courts forecourt where the old registry was located to show them the location where the famous Beatle’s wedding took place just over fifty years ago. I have a copy of the travel TV Arte magazine ‘Invitacion au voyage’ programme in which the Rock and its popular tourist attractions like the apes and cable car are featured and although it’s dubbed in French it can be appreciated as a high quality culture and travel segment on another more recent aspect of our history. That one was screened early last year and the ‘Operation Copperhead’ feature with Tito Vallejo will have been screened on June 11th as the producer confirmed to me last month. I have every reason to believe that it will be worth watching out for because she sent me a link to see the edited TV segment.

He will find a ready market for it here I’m sure. Should he not do so soon, this writer will be chatting to him again and will bring you snippets and teasers that make our history truly come alive. The French producer said in her email to me ... ‘Well done Tito’. I want to add that as soon as he agreed to participate for the ‘Operation Copperhead’ segment, I knew I had put her on to a winner and the finished TV segment richly illustrated with archive film and Tito’s commentary (dubbed in French) is definitely a winner.

Coming back to my recent chat with Tito I was struck by his infectious and light hearted approach to our history, which importantly is always backed by photographs of what he talks about. His mobile was chock-a-block with pictures that bring many a great story to life and he has things in the pipeline which will be a joy to see and hear stories about. He regularly lectures at our University, in our schools and in the Campo schools too, with frequent invitations to lecture further across the border. His talks (he prefers that term to lectures) he tells me are always richly illustrated with the

JULY 2019

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

JULY 2019

CULTURE

Johnny Bugeja Gibraltar Chronicle

INSIGHT

WORDS BY JOE ADAMBERY 52

JULY 2019

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

CULTURE INSIGHT

HA MMO ND a star still rising at 75

How many famous people do you know whose life journey has been blessed with success through hard work and good fortune but they simply don’t want to retire because they seem to have found their calling? Not too many I bet. But I do know one who just fits that description and he’s very famous and very passionate - but he is getting on and in a rare heart to heart he agreed to share his philosophy. His name is Albert Hammond and he is a local universal legend who has touched the hearts of many millions through his wonderful music. Read on and enjoy a success story that is still unfolding even after most of us have retired at sixty thinking that perhaps we had done enough. “I’m not 30 anymore, I just turned 75. I’m still as motivated as ever, still always moving and full of energy just like the universe. You see as I journeyed through my life I realized I was not into being famous or making tons of money, I knew that would all come with success, but it would only satisfy my ego and not my spirit, and what is fame?” He pauses here to reflect for a moment: “Think of all the famous bad guys from the beginning of human existence. Then think that after all, life goes by like the blink of an eye and then you die so for me it was always about something else.” Fame has not really changed Albert Hammond, he is still humble, creative and restless, always looking for new ideas for new songs which he knows may never get published (he records them into his two phones) but he is still searching and still open to learning. “I grew up in the times of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, the Dali Lama and I read the teachings of Buddha, Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet and even read a little of Rumi. These were my spiritual heroes and they didn’t care about being famous, they cared about humanity and the world, their goal was to help society through goodness, through kindness with love, compassion and empathy and being conscious. I wanted even in a tiny way to live that mystical journey, to be a small part of that spiritual world.” The memories linger and come back vividly. “I remember my mother telling me a story that while pregnant with me in London she would encounter an image, more so a spiritual energy, every night outside the window of the 8th floor of the building she lived in, and she told me that one night she felt it come to her womb and never saw it again, so I’ve always believed this to be the explanation of why I found my love for music.” That enduring love is not unlike the strong bond which beckons to him to come back here to visit his mum regularly. “She’s over 99 years of age and is now at the John Mackintosh Home, but a few weeks ago when I went to see her and asked her to tell me about those times during the war in 1944, she still tells me that same story.” Albert was born in the UK during the evacuation years but that graphic story that his mother tells him is very present in his mind. “It’s really amazing to me and I have never forgotten that. I lived in Shakery’s Passage until the age of seven and always knew that music would be my life and my afterlife. My life because I did it whilst living and my afterlife because my music, my energy and my spirit will live on after I’m gone.“ That last statement is sobering but so true, you only have to think of the musical legacy of many great composers and it seems that they are still here with us. “I learnt many spiritual and mystical lessons whilst growing up and going through my journey, some good and some not so good, but the most important one was humility, staying humble and true to yourself, knowing that what you did as a singer songwriter changed peoples’ lives for the better, it helped those in pain and those who had terminal diseases, it brought people together and in my case because I grew up on the Rock, which is also a privilege, because of that I was able to do it for two cultures. The Anglo and the Latin and I can now say that was and is still my purpose.” There it is - that explains his calling. He doesn’t do it for himself, although he has to feed his ego and to be able to enjoy what he does in his concerts he has to be secure and happy in himself and always give 100% - which explains why his peers have finally invited him to play at the biggest green field music festival in the world - Glastonbury.

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“So now we go to Glastonbury and yes of course I’m excited and it’s a wonderful achievement, very fulfilling and it’s a wonderful stage to play where all the greats have left their fingerprints. It’s just as incredible as being responsible for the sale of over 300,000,000 records, or The Hall of Fame or The Emmy, The Ivor Novello nomination to the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the Grammys, even the OBE and yes of course now finally - the biggest Rock Festival - Glastonbury and am I excited? Yes of course I wouldn’t be human if I wasn’t, but at the end of your life all will be forgotten. Every now and then someone will mention your name, maybe on your birthday. But my music will live on, and no one can ever take that away. That’s why I’m here, that is my purpose in life.” Hammond will play at the iconic Glastonbury, a musical milestone reserved for legends, on Sunday June 30. He will play the sub headliner spot on the Acoustic Stage (40,000 capacity arena) and will precede American Country Rock artist Rickie Lee Jones who tops the bill, but his catalogue eclipses most contemporary songwriters. “At the ripe old age of 75 I’m invited to play Glastonbury, the largest green field music festival in the world. Wow, how exciting is that and even more so because I’m from Gibraltar”. This milestone concert in Hammond’s illustrious career celebrates him as a song writer with a career spanning over five decades of hits and importantly as an artist in his own right. Although he would have known that his name was on the cards for Glastonbury the reality is a sobering thought. “Who would have thought some kid from Gibraltar was ever going to play Glastonbury?” “Sometimes I think back to my childhood days on the Rock which were wonderful and that dream that was always in me and still is. Now I know my purpose in life and that is to touch people with my music” It’s a well-known fact that he’s touched the hearts of 300,000,000 people with his songs that have been sung by top artists like Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Starship Trooper, The Hollies, Julio Iglesias, Willie Nelson, Leo Sayer and many others in the Latin markets. “I’ve had an incredible career both as a songwriter and a performer and I’ve accepted many awards and nominations, but to be invited to play Glastonbury has to be one of my highlights”. Albert Hammond is now at a stage of his touring career that has regularly seen him play many major cities and summer festivals over the last five years, but the thrill of playing Glastonbury this year has crowned his recent 75th birthday celebrations. “It is one the most iconic festivals in the world and so many incredible artists have performed there, like David Bowie, The Who, Radiohead, Cold Play and Adele, just to name a few, so for me it’s another milestone in my career and what an exciting one it is”. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity of asking him how he would pick the set list from his vast catalogue of hits. “One of the problems I have is what songs do I leave out, as you well know I was given an Ivor Novello Award for ‘Outstanding Song Catalogue’ a few years ago, so choosing the Glastonbury repertoire will not be easy because there are songs that I can’t leave out like ‘It Never Rains In Southern California’, ‘Free Electric Band’,’ The Air That I Breathe’, ‘When I Need You’, ‘When You Tell Me That You Love Me’, ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ and ‘One Moment In Time’, to name but a few”. Well Hammond’s star is in the ascendancy as all these things unfold, and there are plans to release a new album and for a US tour all lined up for next year. “Last year I played ‘Proms in the Park’ at Hyde Park and now this year ‘Glastonbury’, so if you ask me how I feel, I feel really grateful.” It will remain one of the unfortunate conundrums of our life and times if we as his community miss out and don’t welcome back this national treasure, who keeps making so many people feel good with his wonderful music and give him the ‘home concert’ he so richly deserves. A concert with all the stops pulled out and all tickets selling out in the new stadium, because that is what should happen before he decides to stop touring. As the US is seeing him tour next year, I wonder whether that will finally be the clincher to spring our movers and shakers into action and claim a date for Gibraltar in Albert Hammond’s diary. That will be one for the history books in which we can all share.

JULY 2019

This Month’s Featured Dog:

Salvadora Salvadora is a young sweet girl who is blind in one eye through a head trauma. Despite her difficult start in life, all she wants is to be with people, she loves getting cuddles and treats! She gets on well with other dogs and is a firm favourite of the volunteers due to her loving and calm nature. Please consider adopting Salvadora. To adopt Salvadora or one of the many dogs awaiting their forever home: https://www.ainf.gi Facebook: Animals In Need Foundation (Adopt a Rescue Dog Gibraltar) If you would like to make a donation to our society, please see info below:

One Love Week

St. Paul’s First School and Nursery shared their love during One Love week from Monday 3rd June to Friday 7th June by creating plant pots out of plastic bottles, decorating them with paint or other decorative items such as string and buttons, and filling them with soil and seeds. Each child had the opportunity to invite a family member or a loved one to join them at school to work together on the project, ensuring that it was a memorable experience. The theme of the week was ‘Sharing Our Love’, which sought to instil in the children the value of sharing with others and to teach them how to inspire others through positive actions. Headmistress Rosanna Hitchcock said: “We are encouraging 21st Century skills such as Collaboration and Communication. This is why the children and their chosen adult are given an open-ended task, which encourages talk about the finished product as well as working together on creating it.” Later, in St. Bernard’s Hospital Gardens in the presence of Neil Costa, the Minister for Health, and Sandie Gracia, the GHA’s Director of Nursing, pupils presented GHA staff with the plant pots made during the ‘One Love’ sessions, proving that they were ‘sharing the love’.

JULY 2019

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

Brachycephalic

Syndrome

Article by Mark Pizarro

This is a medical condition that affects short snouted dogs and cats. Brachycephalic breeds are particularly common nowadays with a massive increase in numbers of French bulldogs, pugs and Staffordshire bull terriers.

s a direct result of this increase in these breeds we are seeing a rise in cases of animals suffering from Brachycephalic Syndrome. What this effectively means is that there is an airway obstruction in these pets that results in these animals having to make more of an inspiratory effort when they breathe.

respiratory problem. Consequences of the above can be catastrophic for the animal. The increased respiratory effort over a long period of time has knock on effects on the cardiovascular system, and long term will cause heart failure and chronic respiratory problems.

There are four main anatomical deformities that cause this constriction:

Very little exercise tolerance/collapse

Signs/ Symptoms to look out for: Loud inspiratory noise. • Mouth breathing

Narrow nares. • Sleep apnoea. • Snoring

Stenotic nares • Elongated soft palate

Regurgitation /choking/vomiting • Cyanosis (blue tongue)

Everted laryngeal saccules • Narrow (hypoplastic) trachea Stenotic nares: This problem is visually obvious and can be seen in a normal consult. Looking at the nose the nasal folds are collapsed inwards, as a direct result of this the animals have a constricted airway, which would be like trying to breathe through your nose whilst pinching your nostrils. Elongated Soft Palate: At the back of the mouth on the dorsal aspect behind the hard palate lies the soft palate, a tissue that acts like a valve preventing food going up the back of the nasal cavity. In these problematic breeds there is often a problem where the soft palate is too long and fleshy and this results in a restriction of air flow through the pharyngeal area. Everted laryngeal saccules: At the entrance to the trachea in the larynx there are laryngeal saccules. Due to negative inspiratory pressure in animals suffering with stenotic nares and the elongated soft palates, this often results in eversion of the saccules, this in turn further compounds the narrow airway. This element of the condition can be prevented in many cases if surgical correction of the nares and palate are tackled early. Narrow hypoplastic tracheas: This is pretty much self explanatory and there is nothing much that can be done with these cases. These animals will also always have a GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

Treatment With advances in veterinary medicine and equipment, surgery of the nares and the elongated soft palate can be done with very little risk to the pet. It is very important that this is done early when the dogs are still young as this will mitigate long term damage to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. THIS IS NOT A CONDITION TO IGNORE UNTIL AN ANIMAL GETS OLDER. Surgery is not 100% curative due to the major anatomical problems but they will alleviate symptoms and will extend the life of your pet. At the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic we have invested heavily on a laser machine to undertake laser surgery, this means that soft palate surgery is as safe as spaying your pet, there is practically no bleeding and there is very little damage to the surrounding tissue. Therefore there is hardly any postoperative swelling; this was often the problem with the older more primitive techniques. In summary Brachycephalic Syndrome is a common ailment of brachycephalic breeds that if left will substantially decrease the lifespan of your pet. If you feel your pet is suffering from the above please phone the clinic on 20077334 and make an appointment to discuss your case. Don’t ignore it, surgical correction could extend your pet’s life. JULY 2019

FEATURE

MISS

2019 Top Miss Gibraltar producers Neish CELINE TOOK THE CROWN WITH tend the Miss World Pageant would and Santos were always going to be for a whole month, ` too long a be hard acts to follow, so given the JANICE AND JYZA ACHIEVING stretch not being yourself,’ she said. task to take on the social calendar’s SECOND AND THIRD PLACES. `Be natural and stay true’ was most hottest event of the year for 2019, TWO AND A HALF HOURS EAR- important to bear in mind. The invitmust’ve given YDS directors plenLIER, NO ONE COULD BE SURE ed entertainment on the night came ty to think about, enough to get on from across the way. We had a hard with - including sleepless nights, no WHO THE WINNER WOULD BE! rocker, Rafa Blas - Spain’s 2012 La Voz doubt - and deliver the goods on the THE CLOCK STRUCK NINE AND winner and mainstream singer Soraya day! Yalta Pons and Darion Figueredo THE MISS GIBRALTAR 2019 SHOW (Arnelas) who took part in Operacion claimed they would produce a show Triunfu in 2005. They were both very `with a difference,’ a term that rolls off GOT UNDERWAY TO A GREAT good and sang predominantly in EnSTART! the tongue as the well worn cliché it glish, which must’ve pleased many in is. Well, the production was different the audience and others enjoying the and rated a success, appreciated by show at home. the 400 plus audience at the newly installed venue close The Special Olympics Hall - venue on the night - experito Europa Point - The Special Olympics Sports Hall - and enced some snagging problems right up to the previous many more at home. day just ahead of the show, but in the end technical and The opening was loud, vibrant and attention-grabbing other issues were overcome and all was well for the event. as the eight contestants made their way to the front of It looked bright and quite elegant. The stage was simple, the stage strutting their stuff in their punky/gothic attire. with plain, black and white screens and the now common Original routines followed as they performed confidently feature at events like these, of a well programmed, video throughout the show. The four months spent rehearsing, clips back screen. Pyrotechnics were also evident. The being coached and running through routines repeated show was a modern affair put together by YDS and their again and again certainly show, when on the night, the hard working crew backstage plus all of those helping to contestants are assertive and confident as they go... the put on a Miss Gibraltar Show long before the event hits work clearly paid off and `coming out of their comfort the stage. And who else helped to make the show a great zone’ didn’t seemed to be an issue for any of them. DJs success? The clue lies in the fact 2009 was a decade ago played a prominent part in the show as they blared out and Miss Gibraltar became Miss World in that year! Yes, the latest club mixes getting the mood going pre and Kaiane Aldorino Lopez appeared on that back screen during the show: DJ Basecake (Cheryl Jeffries), DJ Rawly commemorating that great event and that was not all… (David Rawlinson) and DJ El Deni aka Denis Alvarez were Kaiane then walked on stage looking fabulous as usual to right on the mark. Each contestant had their own music great applause. She gave us a few words cataloguing her mix as they took their turn to swagger across the stage... experiences to the present day culminating in her time as good work with those well-edited mixes. Mayor and having her first child. That was a great touch adding to the night’s performances. We’re accustomed to see the reigning Miss Gibraltar appearing on stage at the end of the show to crown the new But it goes without saying the stars on the night were `Queen.’ At this event 2018 winner Star Farrugia joined the eight, brave ladies vying for the coveted title: Jyza the aspirants, right at the beginning during the first paBalban, Janelle Busto, Soraya Garcia, Victoria Sanguinetrade, and that was different! Presenter on the night was ti, Celine Bolanos, Janice Sampere, Deanna Palmer and Rock Radio’s Michelle Rugeroni who in passing drew atDaniella Ambrose who gave of their best. There were tention to the fact there hadn’t been a female Miss Githree other awards presented at the show - Miss Gibralbraltar presenter or show producer for 18 years: Yalta and tar 2019 Celine Bolanos also took the Top Model and Best Michelle broke the pattern successfully on this occasion. Interview prizes and Daniella Ambrose was awarded the `The Rouge’ did a fine job keeping proceedings light and Miss Friendship title. Many thanks must also go towards relaxed in-keeping with the atmosphere on the night. She the Cultural Services and Ministry of Culture, the many descended into the audience and chatted to the judges businesses and other institutions for their contributions. who again, kept the atmosphere light and jolly as they I think it’s true to say the biggest challenge over the past later left the comfort of their seats and danced in the few months leading to putting on a prestigious event like aisles during one of the guest artists’ invitation to do exthe Miss Gibraltar Show - which just happens to be the actly that, `get up and dance.’ The overseas Judges semost important event on the social calendar - must fall lected for the show were author Janet Hoggarth, fashion on the show’s producers. The task was taken on by YDS designer Rafael Freitas (from Portugal), cruise director known for their many innovative presentations in the Joanne Boase, Miss England 2017 Stephanie Hill, and the `dance genre.’ This one was a new experiment for them chairman was actor Ben Humphrey. During Michelle’s to confront and they did it well... very well. Hats off to short interview with the former Miss England Stephanie Yalta Pons, Darion Figueredo and all the hard working Hill, her message for the girls was to keep true to themindividuals coming on board to prepare the run up to and selves by not pretending to be something or someone present a fabulous show, and full marks to the `new Miss they’re not. The message especially went to whoever Gibraltar producers on the block’! won on the night emphasising the stay in Thailand to at-

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FEATURE

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ON THE SPOT

WALACY FERREIRA SALES & MARKETING MANAGER - INFINITY FITNESS & SPA Where did you first start your employment? “When I was 9-10 years old my dad used to take me on his sales adventures and I did also go helping mum at work before and after school as most of the time she didn’t have anyone to leave me with. However, my first “Official” employment was back in Brazil in 2002 as an administrative assistant.”

go Musical. (Ps. Usually I do change Roxie for Wally.)”

How would you describe yourself? “I am a people-person, ambitious, driven, positive, thankful, grateful, easy going and a bit complicated too.”

What’s the best country you’ve ever visited and why? “My very own country Brazil. After so many years in sales traveling around my country for work, plus 7 months travelling as a tourist with my partner in 2015, I must say that I was and I am still impressed by the won-

Which person has been the biggest influence in your life? “MUM. She taught me how to be a hard worker, independent, kind, humble, honest and grateful. Also, I will never forget when she told me in a very difficult period of our lives that ‘Life is not going to be easy on you sometimes, however it’s up to you to decide how to face it and how to move forward... be wise...”

What’s your biggest fear? “To lose my mum, for her to not longer be around.” If you could change something about yourself, what would it be? “I would like to able to take bigger risks without thinking too much.”

ders that my country has to offer, which as Brazilians sometimes we don’t even realise.”

Have you had any embarrassing moments? “Yep, many. Usually when I laugh when I shouldn’t.” Which word or phrases do you most overuse? “OMG, really, for example and yaaass!” Do you have any regrets? “Yes, not have taken my degree while I was still in Brazil.” What keeps you awake at night? “Being treated unfairly and “big little lies”, if you know what I mean.”

What’s the best experience you’ve had in life so far? “To have had a chance to live abroad, explore Europe, US and to meet so many great people on the way.” If you didn’t live where you are currently located where would you like to Live (Money no object)? “In a beach house where I could open my living room door and walk through my garden, then reach the sea with only a few footsteps, plus, hear the sound of the sea from my bedroom wouldn’t be bad at all. (working on it).” What person historic or living would you most like to meet? “Roger Federer is an inspiration not just for me but for many people I think, he is focused, smart, strong, persistent, humble, kind and so many other qualities that an opportunity to meet him would be a dream come true.”

What’s the best book you’ve ever read? “There is no such thing as a hopeless situation. Every single circumstance of your life can change!”

If you could change one thing about Gibraltar what would it be “I would like to introduce “Aqua Taxis” to Spain and Morocco for a quick day trip. Wouldn’t that be a thing?

The Secret - By Rhonda Byrne

What makes you laugh? “Basically anything. It’s embarrassing sometimes.” What’s your greatest ambition? “To run my own successful business.”

What is your favourite hobby or interest “Travelling! No question, wish I could do go more often. #addicted.”

What’s your favourite music track? “It all depends on my mood, right now answering this questions I would say: Roxie - Song by Renée Zellweger - Chica-

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What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Not trying to be perfect it’s a good start. Just be kind, humble, work hard and spend time with those you love, respect people as they are and don’t take anything for granted. This is happiness for me.”

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MUM ON THE ROCK

THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF

GRA N D PAR ENTS NOT ALL CHILDREN HAVE LIVING GRANDPARENTS, BUT IF YOURS ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE GRANDPARENTS WHO WANT TO PLAY AN ACTIVE PART IN THEIR GRANDCHILDREN’S LIVES, THEN COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. Whether they live nearby or whether they are long-distance grandparents who communicate via Skype, or whether they are biological or non-biological grandparents, it is important to nurture the grandchild grandparent relationship and wise parents will keep the flow of communication open by whatever means. Becoming a grandparent is part of the cycle of life and for those in their twilight years there is nothing better than cradling a new baby in their arms and being in awe of the tiny human that is just beginning their life. Studies have shown that the quality of relationships between the two generations has measurable consequences on the mental well-being of both. Researchers polled 2,000 British grandparents and discovered as many as 51% feel sad or depressed that they do not see their grandchildren as much as they want, with a further 14% saying they hardly see them at all. Being a grandparent is an undeniable privilege and although we all know the old adage ‘at least we can hand them back at the end of the day’, there is a certain truth in the fact that grandparents usually benefit from quality time and often miss out on the stress and the tantrums. Very often grandparents are good role models and mentors, having a wealth of experience that they can pass on to the younger generation. Generally, grandparents have more time to devote to what are deemed to be the ‘fun’ elements of brining up children; playing, reading, exploring and learning. Engaging with the spontaneity naturally found in children can help to recapture lost passions and reconnect the oldies with their inner child, stirring those footloose feelings and emotions from a time gone by. Remember that grandchildren love unconditionally and we can all learn from their example.

INTERGENERATIONAL CARE ntergenerational care is the practice of bringing the young and elderly together by introducing nurseries and care homes to one another. It started in Tokyo, Japan in the 1970s and was soon adopted in many other countries, including the US and Australia. The UK was slower off the mark, but there has been a rapid expansion in the past two years, inspired in part by the hit Channel 4 show, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, and it seems to be going some way to addressing the current epidemic of loneliness in old age. Studies claim this type of intergenerational interaction can decrease older people’s loneliness, delay mental decline, lower blood pressure and even reduce the risk of disease or death and it was evident from the TV programme that the adults were happier and that it helped the children to become more confident, develop their social skills and improve their language, reading and communication skills. Who could fail to feel energised by a gaggle of happy kids! ‘Healing the Generational Divide’: A report by the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Social Integration, highlights the need to bring together children with older people in care settings. Maybe this could be rolled out in Gibraltar – something that would be sure to put smiles on everyone’s faces.

how to use digital technology, or maybe even how to floss (that’s the dance not the dental procedure)! With the ‘Baby Boom’ now becoming the ‘Grandparent Boom’ there are more grandparents than ever, but some have less contact than they would like and grandparents’ groups in the UK have been campaigning for over a decade to make the law and policy around post separation or divorce easier for grandchildren to see their grandparents. There are also an increasing numbers of grandparents who are solely caring for their grandchildren during the day or who have full legal custody of their grandchildren, making them surrogate parents and ultimately resulting in them having a particularly strong influence over their upbringing. Grandparents are also the biggest fans of the achievements of their grandchildren – and the proudest! Simply having the love and support of grandparents can make a huge difference to a child’s confidence and self-esteem. So whether it’s through practical help such as offering childcare, or emotional support such as providing a shoulder to cry on when a grandchild is having a tough time at school, at home or because of bullying, grandparents are often utterly indispensable and a lot of families would struggle to keep going without them. Cherish grandparents!

Grandparents can also pass on valuable life skills and hobbies, both consciously and unconsciously, some of which may be lost unless they are passed down from generation to generation. There is also a whole wealth of knowledge that grandparents have to divulge about the past that can contribute to preserving the family history. However, we mustn’t forget that it can work both ways and grandchildren can be just what the doctor ordered for the older generation who can sometimes be stuck in their ways. The little ones in their life can keep them up-to-date with current trends, help them to see things from a new perspective and teach them new skills such as

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FEATURE& HEALTH WELLBEING

NATURAL VITAMINS FOR

Healthy Skin

The skin is the body’s largest organ and it is important to take care of it so that it remains healthy, although it’s not necessarily considered to be the most important organ by our bodies and the nutrients we ingest typically go to other more vital organs first, with little left to nourish the skin. This means that we should make sure that we apply vitamins topically (directly on to the skin) to be sure that it gets what it needs. Most of us have a regular skincare routine that involves cleansing, toning and moisturising, sometimes with the added boost of anti-aging products, and most of us know that we should wear protective sunscreen to limit exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. In fact sunscreen is often the first thing on a dermatologist’s list when it comes to skincare, because it’s the best anti-aging product around. However, a little bit of sun can be beneficial because our body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin when we’re outdoors. Just 10–15 minutes of daily exposure helps manufacture vitamin D throughout the skin. Vitamin D is one of the best vitamins for your skin, along with vitamins C, E, and F. Taking vitamins in supplemental form can keep your skin healthy and supple and looking youthful, but they are also found in vitamin enriched skincare products such as moisturisers, serums and cleansers, and are a great addition to incorporate into your established skincare routine. Here’s our guide to the ABC’s of vitamins: Vitamin A wins the gold star because in its purest form it is also known as retinol, beloved by dermatologists for restoring and regenerating damaged collagen. If your skin is dry, rough, or slow to heal, then this is a good sign that it needs Vitamin A. Using a retinol-based product may make the top layer of your skin dry and flaky, so it’s best to apply it at night and wear moisturiser and sunscreen the next morning. Always sk a dermatologist if you are unsure about how to use it properly. Choose skincare products containing common vitamin A derivatives such as retinol and retinyl palmitate to help minimize fine lines and even skin tone and texture.

it may help reduce the appearance of age spots and other forms of skin discoloration Vitamin C is another powerful antioxidant that again protects you from free radicals and can possibly assist in lowering your chance of skin cancer. This vitamin is also known for its brightening effects on the skin and its ability to protect against pollution. Use it to help brighten dull skin and decrease dark spots with continued use. Vitamin D was traditionally used to treat conditions like psoriasis, but also assists in repairing skin damage and can help in preventing infections that might be caused due to skin injuries as well as being used in creams to rejuvenate the skin. It can be applied topically as an oil to soothe the skin. Vitamin E is commonly found in skin care products and can aide certain skin disorders as well as being used for skin repair, for cellular restoration from sun damage and as a healing support for scars or burns. Vitamin E is an antioxidant preventing oxidative damage to cells by helping to remove free radicals and is often used for its moisturising properties. Vitamin F, sometimes thought of as the new-kid-on-the-block vitamin, is probably best known for its ability to hydrate, plump and heal the skin, but it is an excellent carrier oil that can get below the surface of the skin and is often used to facilitate the penetration of other active ingredients such as antioxidants. Unfortunately, having great skin is not part of our DNA and can be affected by the environment, where we live and by air pollution, so using essential vitamins can help you achieve optimum skin health. Always contact a dermatologist or seek medical advice if you have any queries or experience any problems using skincare products.

Vitamin B is in the rock star category in skincare because these can keep the skin protected from free radicals and therefore keep it more youthful looking. The skin loves Vitamin B and this makes it well suited for faces creams and body creams, particularly for dry or eczema-prone skin. There are several B-complex vitamins that may improve skin health such as B-3, or niacinamide, which may help some signs of skin aging. Some studies suggest that

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST! Pica tell tale signs and treatment of the non food eating disorders “Eating dirt is beneficial for children: it builds their immune system!” The old wives’ tale reassures mums who watch in dismay their tots nibbling at the sandbox or licking the floor. But what if it becomes a habit? If this behaviour continues consistently and sometimes compulsively, you may want to seek medical attention, in particular if they are pre-teens, teens or young adults.

identifying the missing nutrient(s) and modifying the diet accordingly. There are no path-lab tests to ascertain pica, but iron and other minerals deficiency tests are advised, because the disorder may subside as soon as supplements are introduced in the diet and the chemical balance is restored. The patient should also be tested for potential side effects of the substances ingested, for example for

Pica is diagnosed through the medical history of the patient, usually after a series of acute episodes, whether or not resulting in a trip to A&E - although medical attention is always advisable if you’re concerned your child may have swallowed something dangerous.

Pica was first described by Hippocrates and later named after the Latin word for magpie, a bird popularly believed to steal and be able to digest everything. Subtypes are named after the Greek word for the substance ingested: geomelophagia for raw potatoes (watch out! Uncooked spuds can be poisonous!); xylophagia for wood and paper; acuphagia for sharp objects; hyalophagia for glass; lithophagia for stones; cautopyreiophagia for spent matches, and so on.

The incidents must be acknowledged as developmentally and culturally inappropriate to qualify for a pica assessment.

Children under two years of age do mouth objects to explore the world and this leads to accidental ingestion, but it doesn’t mean to be a pica telltale, unless they throw mealtime tantrums as a consequence. However, pica seldom causes loss of appetite for conventional food, and sufferers tend to binge on non-food items on a whim. Often it is a sign of mild or severe malnutrition and it can be corrected by

Pica may also be a side effect of mental disorders and it can lead to spotting the early signs of autism or schizophrenia. Here, the patient can be dissuaded from consuming non-food items with the offering of treats of the same aspect, such as chocolate if they want wood, or jelly beans if they fancy flower petals. Pica may follow trichotillomania, the hair pulling disorder, when the patient ingests or tries to ingest any pulled hair (trichophagia), and excoriation, when scabs and skin are picked, as well as onychophagia, caused most of the time not by sulfur deficiency alone, but by anxiety and a lower degree of self-harm tendencies.

If relatively big quantities of substances with no nutritional value, toxic or dangerous for the body, like rusty scraps, glass, plastic, wood, soap, pebbles, metal, ash, are ingested voluntarily, consciously and repeatedly for a month at least, it is advisable to make a GP appointment to discuss treatment, whether pharmacological or psychological.

In fact, some cultures consider acceptable and actually advisable the ingestion of non-food items like clay or charcoal to treat dysentery, or flowers or ash for ritual purposes: in these cases, pica is ruled out because ingestion is not the consequence of a recurring impulse, but an informed choice.

their bodies that are lacking in calcium for the baby’s bones. They should then redirect their attention towards cottage cheese or brown bread.

lead poisoning if they ate paint flakes, or intestinal blockages if they went for paper or hair, and for viral or bacterial infections if they ate contaminated matter – urgently in case of their own excrements, which isn’t uncommon for potty-training toddlers. It is frequent for pregnant women to crave for non-food, especially pebbles, so they must discuss it with their obstetrician as soon as it happens. Furthermore, amylophagia (cravings for purified starch) may indicate gestational diabetes. A sudden desire for chalk for example can be an instinctual cry for help from

Bodily fluids make the list too with mucophagia, emetophagia, urophagia, coprophagia and hematophagia: these must be taken very seriously since they are the cry for help from a malnourished body in such desperate need for nutrients to be prepared to recycle its own refuse. This article is aimed at being informative only with no medical pretenses. Consult your GP if you suspect someone is suffering from the condition described.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

GHITA HEARING LOSS SUPPORT GROUP Words by Jo Ward

1 in 6 people may find it difficult to hear a conversation. By the age of 50 this is 42% of us, rising to 71% after 70. Yet approximately 40% of those have never worn a hearing aid.

round 10% of people in Gibraltar have Tinnitus and for about 300 people this affects their quality of life. Little is known about the number of people who also have Hyperacusis (noise sensitivity). Meniereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear, probably affects 50 Gibraltarians mostly over the age of 40.

rights to services, and to give support to people suffering with hearing loss issues including Tinnitus, Meniereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s or Hyperacusis. GHITA is active throughout the year, giving talks to schools, charities and Government departments about Deaf Awareness.

People with hearing loss may use British Sign Language (BSL) or they may lip-read. They could have a hearing aid or cochlear implant.

Having an informal chat over coffee with others with the same issues is often the best way to come to terms with hearing loss. Meeting with other people going through the same journey can prove therapeutic and complements existing therapy or help in the absence of any support. Everyone is welcome to join us for a coffee and a chat. Please keep in touch via the Facebook page at Gibraltar Hearing Issues & Tinnitus Association (GHITA & BSL Club). The support group meet on the first Monday of every month except on a Bank Holiday or during August, and the next three meetings will be held on 1st July 2019, 2nd September and 7th October from 17.00-18.00.

Worldwide there are 432 million people who are deaf or have a significant loss, including 34 million children. By 2050 this will rise to 900 million.

The Gibraltar Hearing Issues and Tinnitus Association Support Group (GHITA) is a registered charity that runs a support group who meet once a month giving guidance to anyone requiring it, offering advice about the help and equipment available in Gibraltar and signposting people to other services. The aim of GHITA is to increase awareness about ear health,

uis

329c Main Street Gibraltar Tel: 200 50710 luisphoto@gibtelecom.net

PHOTOS Commercial Photographer Finest collection of old photographs on the Rock

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Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 21) Seems like you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, Aries, and beating yourself up along the way. So - stop! Take some time to recharge those batteries and be kind to yourself.

Taurus TAKEAWAYS

(Apr 21 – May 21)

VEHICLE REPAIRS

You are so full of energy this month, Taurus, and you are finding it difficult not to strain at the leash!! But you’ll miss out on some important opportunities if you don’t prioritise.

Gemini (May 22 – June 22) The social calendar is pretty full on for you this month, Gemini, and you find it tricky to fit it all in. Just remember that you don’t have to.

Cancer June 23 – July 22) A period of introspection will pass this month, Cancer, and you will now be able to move forward with a clear head and a new and healthier perspective.

Leo July 23 – Aug 23) Patience is your key word this month, Leo. You need to take a step back and revise your plans a little. Things are going really well but it’s important not to rush.

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 23)

BARS / PUBS

Hah .. you’ll be tripping down memory lane this month, Virgo, and you’ll be loving every step. Sharing old memories is so good for the soul and your soul will thank you.

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23) Your life will improve in so many ways when you pluck up the courage to look within and identify what has been holding you back, Libra. Believe me, it will very much easier than you think.

Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22) Well, you are in creative mode this month, Scorpio, so go ahead and give yourself permission to get on with it. Doing so will benefit every aspect of your life.

Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21) Your head is in competition with your heart this month, Sagittarius …. And you must allow it to win. Ouch - I know it’s not what you want to hear but it is for the best!

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

INDUSTRIAL

Take the bull by the horns this month, Capricorn, and forge ahead like there is no tomorrow. Ignore what others say as this is your moment and the results will speak for themselves.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19) Let the more daring side of your nature shine this week, Aquarius, and watch the effect on those around you. They need your approval more than you realise and will appreciate you more than you know!

Pisces

Feb 20 – Mar 20) This is a great period for you to meet new people, Pisces, and to be open to new opportunities. People will appear as from out of the woodwork and you will feel blessed. 68

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I always remember having these as a kid, so deliciously tender, with melted cheese pouring out as you cut into it…yummy! Cooking Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients 2 chicken Breast Fillets Smoked Ham Mature cheddar cheese Breadcrumbs Flour 2 Eggs Parsley 1 Garlic Clove Method Preheat oven to 190 °C. Slice your two chicken breast fillets in half into slightly thinner slices. Cut a pocket into your chicken breast fillet and fill with cheese and ham. Sear the chicken in a hot pan so that the outside is just cooked and the inside remains raw. This will ensure that the chicken remains juicy when cooking in the oven. Remove from the pan onto a plate and allow the chicken to cool. Whilst the chicken cools, finely chop some parsley and the garlic clove and mix this with your beaten eggs. Proceed to bread the chicken by covering with flour, into the egg and into the breadcrumbs. Place the chicken pieces in an oven dish and cook in the oven for 30 – 45 minutes, until thoroughly cooked and golden. I boiled some simple white rice to go with it.

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Just Married on the Rock Adam & Megan, married on 7th May 2019. Photo by Radka Horvath.

Shannon & Glen married on 10th May 2019. Photo by Radka Horvath.

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on the Rock

Mobile: 58897000 Email: nicholas64@gibtelecom.net

Helen & Neil Casey, married on 24th June 2019. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

Caroline & Robert Carter, married on 22nd June 2019. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

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