Gibraltar Insight™ December 2022-January 2023

Gibraltar Insight Deputy Editor: Jean King

Accounts & Administration: Rosemary Salah-El-Din

Creative Director: Ben Lewis

Executive Editor: Ross Ford

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Gibraltar Insight places great importance on the accuracy of the information contained within this publication, but can not accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Views expressed by contributors and/or correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Neither Gibraltar Insight nor GBZ Media Limited is responsible for any claims made, or material(s) used, in advertisements.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE GIBRALTAR PORTION OF BREXIT CONTINUE VERY POSITIVELY ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR. HMGOG HAS STRESSED THAT IT REMAINS COMMITTED TO WORK SEAMLESSLY ALONGSIDE THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, TO WARDS BEING ABLE TO AGREE TEXTS WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BUT ONLY IF THE PRINCIPLES, SUBSTANCE AND TEXTS ARE SAFE AND SECURE FOR GIBRALTAR.

HMGoG has also reiterated that the negotiations are both technically and politically complicated. Despite that, Gibraltar continues to work intensively with the United Kingdom to make as much progress as possible.

At the same time, contingencies have been made to continue to plan for a No Negotiated Outcome in the event that it were not possible to reach agreement.

The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said, "It's clear to me that all parties are putting a lot of hard work and good faith into trying to finalise this important UK/EU Treaty as soon as possible in a manner that is agreeable by all relevant parties.

Great resources are being deployed to try to reach an agreement. We are all optimistic and positive in our outlook.

That there are elements in respect of which we may be largely in agreement at this stage of these long and arduous negotiations is certainly true. We look

forward to crossing t’s and dotting i’s on the text relating to all aspects of Gibral tar’s future relationship with the EU at the right moment and, for the sake and interests of citizens on both sides of the border, we look forward to this process happening sooner rather than later. But we are not there yet."

Trusted Novus Bank has launched a Community Business Series on YouTube. They will be creating original local content, focusing on financial matters which are import ant within the Gibraltar community. The first topic, deals with Fixed Rate Mortgages, given the fast moving inter est rate environment where many people are considering moving on to a fixed rate mortgage.

Just search on YouTube to find out more.

Gomez Does The Double

Mr Gomez was the first Gibral tarian in history to secure this position.

The region includes over 5,000 members in thirteen territories: France, Italy, Switzerland, Por tugal, Morocco, Tunisia, Malta, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Israel, Mona co, San Marino and, naturally, Gibraltar.

In addition, Mr Gomez finds the time to draft anti money laun dering procedures for the whole of the Round Table International organisation.

Well done Nicholas!

NICHOLAS GOMEZ OF CHARLES GOMEZ & CO HAS SECURED A SECOND TERM AS ROUND TABLE INTERNATIONAL'S REGIONAL CHAIRMAN OF THE SOUTHERN EUROPE AND MEDITERRANEAN REGION.

Gibraltar Insight is The Rock’s longest running magazine. For over 25 years we have been distributing this high quality print and online magazine to a wide and loyal audience, catering to Gibraltar’s unique lifestyle, business, lifestyle, sports and culture.

Distribution: free, monthly magazine distributed via hotels, banks, airports, restaurants, sports clubs etc

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Platforms: print, online, social media and Issuu app Quality: our writers, editors and design teams ensure that Gibraltar Insight competes with high end magazines on all levels, making it a sought out publication from a loyal readership. We are passionate about our Rock, the people who live here, the stories we tell, and our valued partners.

ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

A local man is celebrating af ter becoming the first member of the Royal Gibraltar Regi ment to be nominated for the Sportsman of the Year Award, held in Sandhurst.

Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2), Ethaniel Jeffries-Mor, travelled to the UK for the two day cere mony, where he was presented with his Runner Up Sportsman of the Year Award by Major General Zac Stenning OBE, Commandant of the Royal Mili tary Academy Sandhurst.

WO2 Jeffries-Mor, 44, became aware that he had been nom inated for the award when he began receiving numerous messages from the Regiment’s Chain of Command, and mem bers of the British Army Judo and Infantry Judo congratulat ing him on his nomination.

He said, “It took a few minutes before I realised what had hap pened. My family were over the moon when I told them, as

they are the ones who support me day in day out especially my partner and kids, Noah and Chloe.”

Having competed since he was 16 years old, WO2 Jeffries-Mor said, “After so many years of hard work and dedication, self less commitment, even leaving my family behind in order to pursue what I love and repre sent not only my Regiment but also Gibraltar, it couldn’t have felt better to have been nom inated.

“I really couldn’t have done this without the continuous support of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.”

WO2 Jeffries-Mor picked up an injury on his last training camp at the Judo School of Excellence in Walsall, resulting in a fracture to his right foot. Despite this, he remains active in order to prepare for his next competition, the Army Cham pionships in January 23.

The

To

ful

Members

Major Garcia-White marched to wards His Excellency, saluted, and reported that the Gun Salute was complete and that all guns were empty. The gun crews were then given a short address by His Excel lency before he was invited to sign the Inspecting Officers’ book.

SIR JOE BOSSANO LAID A WREATH DURING THE REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY CEREMONY AT THE CENOTAPH IN LONDON, ON BEHALF OF HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR AND THE PEOPLE OF GIBRALTAR.

PHOTOS: BBC

On Monday 14 November 2022, The Headquarters Company, Thomson’s Battery, fired a 21-Royal Gun Salute to celebrate the 74th Birthday of His Majesty King Charles III.

ceremony was attended by the Inspecting Officer, His Excel lency the Governor of Gibraltar, Sir David Steel KBE DL who was for mally received and hosted by the Regiment's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Moore.

mark the special occasion, the first round of the Royal Gun Salute was fired at 1200 under the watch

eye of the Battery Commander (BC) Major Garcia-White.

of the public gathered to watch the salute, which lasted just over three minutes as officers and veterans from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment stood to attention.

FEATURE FEATURE

THE CHIEF MINISTER, THE HON FABIAN PICARDO LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD

Like Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol where the author was attempting to communicate a radical political message in a form that would help to ef fect real change, Jo Ward talks to the Chief Minister about the past, present and future of Gibraltar.

PAST

It has been documented that as a boy growing up in Upper Town the young Fabian Picardo said that it "al ways made me think about the huge potential that the bay of Gibraltar could have as long as we were able to work together with our Spanish neighbours."

Looking back, how does that make the Chief Minister feel now that he is the one that may be able to deliver on that thought? “We are on the cusp of delivery on the Treaty,” he replies, continuing to say that deliver ing the Treaty would be a huge success on behalf of the negotiating team of the United Kingdom and the European Union and therefore of Whitehall and the Gibraltar Team that he has have had the privilege to lead. “It is also a success for our Spanish colleagues who have worked to get the European Union interest ed in this negotiation.”

“We are close enough that we might soon be able to say that we have agreed the principles of the Treaty, which will be quite something because the complexity of this agreement is something that those who com plain we have taken too long really fail to understand.”

There aren’t many people who have been serenaded by The Hon. Fabian Picardo, but as he considers the successes of the past year he breaks into song with the first two lines of ‘Last Christmas’ by Wham!

“2021 wasn’t my toughest year in Government, but it was the toughest year I have ever had in my life,” the Chief Minister states. “We lost more Gibraltarians to one cause of death than we have ever lost even in war, we lost more of our revenue than we have ever lost, and we gave away more of our money than we have ever given away.”

“Our key achievements were communicating with people in respect of the pandemic, dealing with how to pay the additional BEAT payments that we paid to companies and ensuring that we gave additional as sistance through not enforcing Government levies,” he

WORDS BY JO WARD

says. “All of these things were much more complex than the simple and straight forward 2020 system where you were giving people money so that they could survive.”

“Not only were we bringing back communications with the rest of the world, at the same time we saw the European Union accept the start of negotiations between the UK on the issue of Gibraltar with a mandate that was completely unacceptable and which resulted in very difficult nego tiations – so it was one hell of a year!”

PRESENT

The Chief Minister tells me that 2022 has been slightly better but still not easy. “You don't sign up for a job like the one I do if you want is an easy ride,” he remarks.

This has been the year when the Gov ernment has been accused by the Op position of a ‘failure to deliver afford able housing estates’, and whilst The Hon. Fabian Picardo agrees that there is currently a shortage of affordable housing he comments that the Gov ernment are going to deliver more af fordable housing in twelve years than the GSD ever did in sixteen. “It is im portant to judge a criticism against the reality of what objectively has been impossible - so if you look at the numbers of homes that we have de livered between 1988 and 1996 - and the number of homes that we have delivered now between 2011 and 2022 - the GSLP has delivered more afford able housing than any other party in the history of Gibraltar.”

He goes on to say that “we want ed to have delivered even more but of course the pandemic stopped us from breaking ground on two of our key projects - Bob Peliza Mews and Chatham Views – so once we deliver those we will be far ahead of any enti ty in the delivery of housing, so when you look objectively at the criticism that has been made and you judge it against the record of delivery, the Op position should wash their mouth out with political soap and water!”

During the past year the cost of living and inflation rates have been risingas they have in most places - but what has the Government done to help the people of Gibraltar who are struggling on a daily basis? “The key factor here has been the war in Ukraine and that is what has driven up two things, first of all the cost of energy and because energy pervades everything that we do, in particular in the things that we sell, it has pushed up inflation.”

“What we have done in Gibraltar which we have been keen to ensure people understand is that we have capped the increase in the price of energy in a way that is much more designed to deliver to working people than any other European democracy, or indeed anywhere else in the world that is not an oil producing state,” the

FEATURE FEATURE

Chief Minister says. “We have ensured that pensions have increased and we have ensured that the minimum wage has gone up - more than it has ever gone up in our history, and it has gone up by 8.5% up to £8.10.”

In June it was said in Parliament by GSD MP Roy Clinton that Gibraltar is on a “public finance knife edge” bal anced only by increased borrowing that has buried the community “un der a mountain of debt”. Asked how Gibraltar will pull out of a deficit, the Chief Minister answers that the situa tion in which we find ourselves is akin to the situation that every European democracy, and indeed all states ex cept the oil producing states, find themselves in. “At the time of Covid we decided to pay everyone who had been locked down by us a sala ry based on the minimum wage less taxes and social insurance,” he states. “For staying home we gave you £1,100 for a few months, so the cost of that and funding the GHA through the Covid period, funding our compa nies directly where we gave them big payments and foregoing revenue, be cause we kicked forward tax liabilities and social insurance liabilities – the cost of that is in the region of £350 million plus.”

“All our politicians agreed that we should do this and now the question is am I going to be the one holding the baby of responsibility?” The Chief Minister says that he is very happy to be because he was ready to do this two years ago, is ready to stand up having done it now and he is ready to work to pull us out of it now too. “At the same time as we have raised the minimum wage, ensured that our pensioners get an increase in the state pension and welfare benefits and we have capped the cost of energy and we have also put up taxes by 2% for two years.”

Although he admits that will not fill the £350 million to £500 million pound deficit in our public finances, it will start to. “We will also put up other costs to ensure that we start to recover the costs of the Covid pandemic - it is essential that we do that - when I did that in June in my budget people complained that I was raising taxes and yet you look at what happened in the United Kingdom in September - when a different sort of budget was tried - which was simply to reduce things to create economic stimulation without providing for re payment of the public finances and we saw how the markets reacted to that.” The Chief Minister says that the budget that we saw two weeks ago from the United Kingdom was a bud get much more brutal than the one he had to deliver in June but was more akin to what he had done and that is what people called 'responsible'. “In Gibraltar there is no austerity but there is a move to ensure that without austerity and in a responsible way we are bringing back stability to the pub lic finances.”

FUTURE

The New Year will hopefully see the delivery of the new Airport Tunnel and the Chief Minister confirms that they have put out a tender for the man agement of the tunnel. “It is a very sophisticated system which operates to the current modern standards of how a tunnel should be created, run and managed but of course this one also goes under an airport so differ ent issues arise and we are ready to see that start of operation in the first quarter of next year.”

There is also the prospect of the new football stadium. “This is a magnifi cent project that is going to produce the stadium that Gibraltar needs which will be a national stadium, so it can’t be compared to stadia which do not host Champions League match es,” the Chief Minister states. A cost of £100 million has been mentioned, but The Hon. Fabian Picardo clarifies this by saying that it is not only the cost of developing a stadium, but an cillary things such as apartments, a hotel and commercial facilities. “You need to be able to sell those ancillary things in a way that pays for the first one completely so that you have no capital outlay for the stadium,” going on to say that it is a way of creating jobs, economic growth and lasting fa cilities for Gibraltar.

Looking further into the future, what is the Chief Minister’s message for the people of Gibraltar?

“We have been through the most dif ficult period in our modern history in the past thirty-six months, and we are now at a fork in the road,” he states. “With the Treaty our future will be bright with the United Kingdom and with access to Europe for goods and for people, but if we go down the other fork in the road and we have no Treaty our future is equally bright but with a different sort of economic activity and adapting ourselves to dif ferent rules on mobility.

“Given the security we have in the Freedom of Trade Agreement that we have with the United Kingdomthere is no reason not to be optimistic about Gibraltar's future, no reason not to continue to believe that Gibraltar's economy will grow, that socio-eco nomically Gibraltar will continue to thrive.

Gibraltarians are not just here to stay, they here to grow and they have shown that Gibraltar belongs only to the people of Gibraltar who will make all decisions about its future. Whoever leads Gibraltar in the future needs to always look up towards where we are going and not down to those sniping at their ankles and the people of Gi braltar will then always prosper.”

“I’m a funny mixture of classical musician and jazz musician,” he tells me. “There are other kinds of musicians who train all their lives to be second oboe in an orchestra, and that is a fantastic profes sion, but it is not me. I am much more a bigger picture type person so that is why I gravitated towards talking about music as much as playing it because I really wanted to put music in context of where it comes from.”

Sandy explains that he didn’t come from a family of professional musicians, al though there was always music at home, but that music has always come quite naturally to him. “At my boy's school in Glasgow in the early 1970s we all were playing recorders, and from then there was a very enterprising Saturday string school that encouraged people to play string instruments in the classical set ting,” he says. “It was very natural for me to play the violin but we were also taught music theory which gave me a very good classical grounding early on in my life.”

During his musical upbringing, Sandy credits the system of youth orchestras as a brilliant way of learning his craft. “In Glasgow there was a youth orches tra and we used to play symphonies and concertos conducted by professional conductors and with tutors from the big orchestras,” he states. “Then I went on to play with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and it was a really important way into the making of music for me.”

It was in the 19070s whilst listening to BBC Radio programmes that weren’t just playing classical music that Sandy be came interested in contemporary music of all kinds, including Jazz. “When I was in sixth form at school we discovered a double bass in the school music cup board, and as I already played bass gui tar and guitar I picked it up and taught myself how to play, and years later that is what I am still doing.”

Sandy Burnett and aLLTHAT

MUSICIAN AND BROADCASTER SANDY BURNETT CAME TO GIBRALTAR IN OCTOBER TO PRESENT HIS ILLUSTRATED TALK ENTITLED ‘ALL THAT JAZZ’ TO THE ARTS SOCIETY AT THE GARRISON LIBRARY.

Leaving Scotland to broaden his hori zons, Sandy applied and got in to St. Catherine’s College Cambridge. “It was a lovely nurturing friendly place with a really mixed intake and we would go to lectures to study music, but the main ac tivity was done outside the lecture room when we would write music, put on con certs ourselves, do theatrical shows and hold events, and sometimes they would be terrible but sometimes good,” he laughs. “I was still playing violin at this time, but I really don’t very much any more, certainly not for money.”

During his twenties, Sandy became a theatre musical director, but didn’t feel it was the way forward for him. “Through a stroke of luck I pitched for and even tually got a job as a radio presenter/ announcer for Radio 3 at the time when the ethos was changing in the mid-90s and they wanted to bring new people in

who knew about music from the inside as players,” he says.

“That gave me a lot of experience of how to convey the essence of a piece of music to listeners, and although a lot of them are connoisseurs who listen to the radio, particularly that radio station, a lot of them aren't and I think without people like me having a go at doing that - there is a real risk that we will lose the audi ence altogether.”

Yet another ‘string to his bow’ is that of author. His book The Idler Guide to Clas sical Music came about after Sandy held weekly classes in The Idler bookshop in Notting Hill in London. “The literati would come in and I would talk to them about classical music and I realised that there was a gap in their knowledge, so the bookshop asked me to put it in book form to fit in with another series of Idler Guides.”

Lecturing for The Arts Society keeps him busy with around fifty talks a year to var ious societies across the UK and Main land Europe. “I also take people to music festivals through cultural tour companies - mainly in the classical field but some times Jazz as well - and the rest of the time I compose and play music,” Sandy comments. “I think you can tell I am quite enthusiastic about what music can do.”

“For years I have been experimenting with bringing the first side of my work, which is talking about music, together with the second side of my work which is playing and conducting music, so I am doing discovery concerts and discovery events, going to Malta in October 2023 to collaborate with a choir there about the music of William Bird – Queen Eliza beth I’s favourite composer.”

Asked if he has any unfulfilled ambitions, Sandy replies: “to do more of the same but better - and also to see if I could bring my practical music making togeth er with the insight side of things so that we can create discovery concerts and break down barriers within and also be yond music itself.”

WORDS BY JO WARD

THE STORY OF THE FREE FRENCH AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN BY SPAIN

In June 1940, France was fighting Germany as “Free French.” It had capitulated to the Hitler Regime and a pup pet government set up in southern France ON June 17th 1940. The Free French Air Force, operating out of airfields in Morocco frequently used the partially constructed air port at North Front. Although nowhere near as long as it is today, it was adequate for the aircraft in use at the time.

Long before the runway was built, there was a military rifle range at the end of the road which ran alongside the fron tier fence. The sand ramp which held the targets and absorbed the bullets, was built parallel with, what was the northern extremity of eastern beach. This was isolated when the run way was completed. There are many instances of Spanish chil dren crossing the border by swimming around the end of the fence and digging the lead bullets out of the ramp for scrap. In one instance a boy was killed by a bullet.

On 30th June 1940, an eye witness presented his testimony to the authorities as follows.

In reference to the French aircraft shot down by Spanish gunfire last Sunday June 30th, I have the honour to submit to you the following report.

Submitted by a first-hand eye witness;

It was about five thirty in the afternoon. I was seated in my car, looking northward along the pavement of Eastern Beach, between the “A” and “B” butts, (of the rifle range) I was closer to the first than the second, when, after a few minutes, I saw a French airplane flying over the sea towards North front. The aircraft circled three times knowing it was being targeted from Spain as it flew over the neutral ground. Finally it landed after making a half turn. A few moments later I heard the noise of a second aircraft com ing from the east, before recog nising it as French. It flew very low, I should say about 200 feet above the sea, much lower than the other aircraft and that it was preparing to land at North Front. A few moments later it flew over the road, between my car and the “B” butt and continued its course towards Western Beach. When it was about half way to Western Beach the Spanish Guns opened fire, and continued to fire until the aircraft began to veer south, passing over the North Front Barracks. Before it had finished its turn, the aircraft dived suddenly, followed by clouds of smoke and flames.

I drove my car across the racecourse as fast as possible with the intention of giving whatever help I could to the

WORDS BY PAUL BAKER

PERPORTED TO BE THE CRASH OF THE FRENCH AIRCRAFT

FEATURE FEATURE

occupants of the crashed air craft, but on arriving at West ern Beach I realised that it had crashed into the sea and saw several boats heading in that di rection with the view of recover ing the unfortunate crew.

Staying on the beach, where soldiers of the King’s Regiment were assisting and were eye witnesses from beginning to end, who could also testify that the rcraft was over British terri tory at all times from the time it crossed Eastern Beach, until it crossed over Western Beach and finally crashed into the sea.

3rd July 1940 Assistant Com missioner of Police.

The first flight described is probably that of Captain Lager and Lieutenants Aubertin and Saint-Pereuse. The main facts of the report from the eye wit ness are corroborated by three other witnesses discovered by the Coroner, asked for by the Government and still kept in Gi braltar. These witnesses confirm all that was said by the first eye witness.

Part 1 of this testimony of a per son also present close to North Front, told us that the firing came from a battery situated to the west of the Spanish neutral ground. In the important dec laration No.2., it is also proven that the aircraft fired on “had never been outside the Brit ish lines” and that it had flown about 200yards (a little less than 200m) inside the neutral zone, that is to say in the British zone, to the south of the neu tral zone at a height of 300 feet. The witnesses specify also that the aircraft turned on its back before crashing into the sea at 150 meters from the western shore. The Captain of the Port in Gibraltar, who watched the incident from some distance, thought that the crash was a little further from the coast. He also stated that a motor boat from the Shell Company picked up the first two bodies, trans porting them to the hospital. He confirmed that the fire came from the Spanish side of the frontier. Several witnesses draw attention to the neutral ground which separates the British and Spanish zones and specifically to the latter.

Bertrand du Plessis and Cap tain Jaques de Vendeuvre left Casablanca in a Martin (possibly a Baltimore) des tined for Gibraltar but the aircraft was hit on its ap proach to the airport. At the time, this was being built on part of the racecourse to the north of the Rock. Rumours within the Free French camp was that the shooting down of the aircraft may have been instigated by the Germans.

Military Commandant in La Linea was said to have fired on another free French air craft.

A service was held for three of the crew at the Cathedral, officiated by Bishop Fitzger ald on Monday 1st July 1940.

The funeral of the four crew of the aircraft was reported in the Gibraltar Chronicle. The bodies were placed on mil itary vehicles at the colonial Hospital, covered with the tri colour’s and wreaths and tak en to North Front cemetery where they were given a buri al with full military honours. The cortege was followed by many thousands of ordinary citizens and military alike. Shops and offices were all closed as a sign of respect. The band of the King’s Regi ment lead the procession.

At the cemetery the Rev erend N.G. Railton, Senior Chaplain to the Forces offi ciated and the final prayers were read by the Reverend A Kirby the Roman Catholic Chaplain to the forces.

The bodies were laid to rest and the buglers of the reg iment sounded “The Last Post and Reveille”

The French consul gave a brief oration, in which he thanked the local population for their support for the Free French.

There were representatives of all the armed forces and people from all walks of life in Gibraltar.

Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar. Email: historysocietygibraltar@ hotmail.com

Gibraltar remembers the fallen

The challenge was completed by Mark

They rode their bicycles from Westminster UK to Gibraltar in seven days and twelve hours, averaging a distance of 300kms every day through all weathers.

His Worship congratulated Mr Cooper and Mr McNulty on their achievement, which result ed in them raising over £27,000 which they have donated to Cancer Relief Gibraltar and Calpe House GA.

Present at the reception were their support team Neil Crawford and Mike Milward, spon sors, friends and family, as well as representatives of both charities.

His Worship is always keen to highlight and celebrate achievements by people in our com munity, especially, as in this case, when their actions are solely for the benefit of others. He thanked all the challenge’s supporters at City Hall and spoke of the generosity of the people of Gibraltar, saying he was humbled by the overwhelming support of the general public both with their donations and their well wishes.

Flu season has arrived, as such the gibraltar health authority is seeing an increase in the number of flu and covid-19 related cases, with a num ber of people having been hospi talised as a result. Globally there is also a rise in the number of covid-19 cases and influenza a in children.

The gibraltar health authority is of fering a walk-in vaccination clinic at the primary health centre this week between 1pm and 8pm and satur day and sunday between 8am-2pm. This is for people who su er from chronic health conditions such as diabetes, lung disease (including

asthma), heart disease, morbid obe sity and other health problems that can get worse if they contract the flu.

The gha is inviting gibraltarians to attend the walk-in clinic or book an appointment by calling 20052441.

They are also inviting 12-17-yearold children to walk in with their parents and receive the covid-19 or influenza vaccine (parental consent is required). The walk-in clinic op erates between 1pm-4:30pm.

If you have any concerns, please seek advice from your gp.

Flu season is here

HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR, MR CHRISTIAN SANTOS GMD, HOSTED A RECEPTION AT CITY HALL TO CELEBRATE THE SUCCESS OF THE CLOCK2ROCK CHALLENGE.

Cooper and Ben McNulty in October.

MOTORING INSIGHT

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM THE TEAM AT INSIGHT!

WORDS BY MARTIN WARD

Move on 20 years and we now have the C5 X, and the only thing it really has in common with the original, is sharing the C5 badges, everything else is completely new.

The C5 X is undoubtedly the most luxurious car that Citröen produce. It is very difficult to ‘categorise’. It mixes Estate car, long low hatch, and a bit of SUV with its raised height thrown in for good looks; yet all

MOTORING INSIGHT

of these descriptions do seem to contradict each other. But for some reason, the exterior design seems to work well. The rear end, in my humble opinion is very reminiscent of the C6, a car not that popular back in its day, but quite sought after now.

The C5 X I had on test from Citröen UK Press Department was powered by a 1.6-litre pet rol engine, coupled to elec tric motors giving it a total of 222bhp, making it a true hy

brid. It goes from 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds. You can plug it in, and this will give you a range of around 40km. It also ‘selfcharges’ when you are slowing down, braking or going down hills, and this spare energy goes back into the battery, is used at slow speeds, and reduces petrol used - in turn lowering emissions. But the driver does not have to think about what is going on with any of this as it does everything itself. All this

Advanced Comfort Seats, to provide maximum cushioning. A great in-car sound system keeps you from having a sies ta, when you should be driv ing. The cabin is such a quiet, peaceful place to sit, especially when everyone else has nod ded-off. The downside of this ultra-comfy car is it tends to lean a bit on corners, doesn’t feel as sharp at handling as many other cars, but you can’t have it all in one car.

technology and cleverness is coupled to a very smooth and efficient 8-speed auto gearbox.

All models of the C5 X has ‘Pro gressive Hydraulic Cushion Sus pension’ and driving it took me back to the days when Citröen’s just gilded along, you never felt any lumps or bumps in the road, it just drove as though they were not there. The C5 X has got this feeling, only a whole lot better. Added to the superb suspension it also has

The other difference between the original C5, which was made in France, is the all-new C5 X is manufactured in China. It's built to a very high standard with high quality materials and great fit & finish throughout.

I really enjoyed the Citröen C5 X for the week I had it, but after seven days, I was still unsure as to what, it was exactly, or where it fitted in in the market, but, does it really matter?

The original Citröen C5 was produced at the Rennes Plant back in 2001, wasn’t the prettiest of five-door hatches, but sold in reasonable numbers, and the French loved them.

FEATURE FEATURE

Ace Art has much to be grateful for, we launched our Online Art gallery back in July with “Ace Art Revolution” at John Mackintosh Hall.

The exhibition featured local artists Gail Francis-Tiron, Monica Popham and locally based artists Delia Balagu er and Warren Fox. Ramon Maiden, based in Barcelona, joined our contemporary line up with his tattooed pin ups and religious illustrations.

The exhibition was headlined with the artworks of Inter national artist, Jana Nicole. She was recently awarded the prestigious Prix Puvis de Chavannes in Paris at its 160th anniversary. She graced us with her presence at our Revolution Exhibition and fell in love with Gibraltar and its people. We’ll be joining Jana at her own exhibition in Sur rey this month. That special touch at our exhibition was delivered by the Gibraltar Body Paint Association who surprised guests with two spectacularly painted models.

We then travelled to Lon don to attend an exhibition featuring local artists at The Bermondsey Project Space. It was organised by the Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and curated by Philippa Beale. The exhibition was a great showcase for our local artists; Monica Popham, Karl Ullger and Naomi Duarte have all been nominated for awards and entered in both local and international exhi bitions.

We have continued with our pledge of promoting local and international artists with our exciting new ‘WineArt Club’ at The Wine Shop. Guests were introduced to new wines and art works and

many took advantage of the WineArt Club special offers on the night. At our Novem ber event we saw Monica Popham release her first print ‘Blue Casares’. The Limited edition A3 and A4 prints are available on our website for anyone wanting to add some colour to their walls.

Our portfolio also had a boost as we added the works of international artists Heath Kane and Rich Levine. Heath has enjoyed much success with his sell out series ‘Rich Enough to be Batman’ fea turing Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Rich has created a fun, colourful collection featuring some much loved childhood characters such as Tintin, Mickey Mouse and Charlie Brown.

We finished the year with a Pre Christmas Exhibition at the John Mackintosh Hall a few days ago and featured all of our favourite artists. Encouraging people to give the gift of art this Christmas, special offers were available on all our featured artworks.

Ace Art has a lot to be grate ful for this year, thank you to all the artists and collabora tors we’ve had the pleasure to meet and work with this year. We can’t wait for 2023, we’ve got more new artists lined up and some exciting exhibitions planned, so watch this space! But for now, Ace Art wishes you all a very Happy Christmas, enjoy the festive season and we’ll catch up again in the New Year.

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM THE TEAM AT INSIGHT!

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH

WORDS BY JP BAUTISTA

Hello art lovers and welcome to our last column of 2022. It’s the festive season and a time to reflect on the year and give thanks!

SPORTS INSIGHT

2022 SPORT HIGHLIGHTS – HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE YEAR SO FAR...

JANUARY

3rd: Darts supplied the year's first world champion when Scot Peter “Snakebite" Wright won his sec ond PDC World Open title and with it a cool half-amillion quid when beating Michael Smith 7-5 in the final at Alexandra Palace, London.

16th: Australia complete a 4-0 humiliation of an abject England side in the Ashes cricket series Down Un der.

29th: Ash Barty thrilled an ecstatic Melbourne Rod La ver Arena when she became the first home player since 1978 to win the Australia Ladies Open, beat ing American Danielle Collins in straight sets in the final.

30th: Rafael Nadal roared back from two sets down to overcome Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in an epic 5hr-24min Australia Men's Open final, giving the 35-year-old Spaniard a record 21st slam. Sadly, the tournament will probably be best remembered for the deportation of unvaccinated defending cham pion Novak Djokovic.

FEBRUARY

6th: Round One of rugby's Six Nations sees Scotland retain the Calcutta Cup, controversially edging out England 20-17 at Murrayfield.

13th: Los Angeles Rams grab victory from the jaws of defeat courtesy of a last-minute Touchdown to pip Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a thrilling NFL Super Bowl final.

20th: The charming sport of Curling supplied Team GB's total tally of two medals in the Beijing Winter Olympics, with gold coming in the Women's final to add to the silver gained in the Men's event the previous day.

27th: The Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Chelsea produced a pulsating 0-0 draw with the Men from the Mersey clinching victory 11-10 in a bottom-clenching penalty shootout.

MARCH

4th: Australia and the world of cricket recoiled in disbe lief at the news of the sudden death at age 52 of Shane Warne, universally acclaimed as the world's best-ever spin bowler, following on from the pass ing of another Aussie cricket legend Rodney Marsh, aged 74, just a few hours earlier.

18th: Rachael Blackmore became the first female rider to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup when guiding A Plus Tard to victory, the historic event coming just three days after the Tipperary girl retained the Champion Hurdle crown aboard Honeysuckle at the festival.

WORDS BY LIAM BEGLAN, SPORTS WRITER

19th: France clinched the Grand Slam when comfortably brushing England aside in the Six Nations Champi onship in Paris, while Ireland lifted the Triple Crown when routing Scotland in Dublin.

23rd: Reigning world number one and holder of both the Australian and British Open titles Ash Barty shocked the tennis world by announcing her re tirement from the game at the tender age of 25.

26th: Robert Milkins pocketed the £50,000 first prize when he beat Kyren Wilson 4-2 in an all-English final of the Gibraltar Snooker Open at the Europa Sports Complex.

APRIL

9th: Ridden by amateur jockey Sam Waley-Cohen, Irish-trained surprise packet Noble Yeats won the Aintree Grand National at odds of 50/1.

10th: Scottie Scheffler lived up to his world number one ranking when easily winning the US Masters at Au gusta, the 25-year old American donning the fa mous green jacket and trousering an eye-watering first prize of 2.7 million dollars.

MAY

2nd: ‘Rocket Ronnie’ O'Sullivan pocketed his seventh World Snooker Championship title and half-a-mil lion sterling when easily snookering Judd Trump 18-13 at The Crucible, Sheffield.

14th: It was deja vu on the double as Liverpool added the FA Cup to their Carabao triumph, with Chel sea again succumbing in the final, and once more the tie was decided only after a tense penal ty-shootout, which the Men in Red won 6-5.

18th: Heartbreak for Rangers in the Europa League Final, when the Glasgow giants were pipped in a penalty shootout by German side Eintracht Frankfurt.

22nd: Manchester City clinched their sixth Premier League title in spectacular fashion, coming from two goals down against Aston Villa to win 3-2 and consigning arch-rivals Liverpool to the runners-up spot.

28th: More misery for Liverpool as the Mersey men fal ter in the Champions League Final in Paris, cruelly losing 1-0 to Real Madrid, despite totally dominat ing the game, but unable to beat inspired ‘keeper Courtois.

29th: Racing legend Lester Piggott, the greatest jockey of all time, dies in a Geneva hospital, aged 86.

JUNE

5th: Wales seal their place at the Qatar 2022 World Cup finals, beating Ukraine 1-0 in playoff at the Cardiff City Stadium.

12th: Legendary Wales rugby union flyhalf Phil Bennett passed away, aged 73.

19th: Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick, 27, wins the US Golf Open at Brookline Massachusetts.

JULY

3rd: Spain’s Carlos Sainz triumphs in a thrilling F1 Brit ish Grand Prix at Silverstone.

9th: Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina came from a set down to beat Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the Wimble don Ladies final.

10th: Super Serb Novak Djokovic captures his seventh Wimbledon Men's title, comfortably seeing off the challenge of volatile Aussie Nick Kyrgios.

17th: Australian golfing sensation Cameron Smith won the 150th British Open at St Andrews, thrillingly coming from four shots down on the final day to lift the Claret Jug.

31st: England were crowned UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 champions with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time victory against Germany to win their first major ti tle in front of a record crowd.

Nothing could separate the sides after a physical first half, before Ella Toone’s outrageous chip put England ahead and blew the roof off Wembley.

Germany found themselves back in it 17 minutes later though, as Lina Magull finally got past a stoic Mary Earps to take the game to extra-time.

But substitute Chloe Kelly provided the decisive goal on 110 minutes, poking home from closerange before wheeling away in celebration in front of 87,192 fans.

AUGUST

6th: Premier League football kicks off earlier than usual because of the mid-season suspension owing to the Qatar World Cup. At time of writing I’m deliri ously happy because my beloved Arsenal proudly sit atop the table, a full five points clear of nearest pursuer, defending champions Man City.

SEPTEMBER

8th The sporting world united in grief at the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

11th: Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaras, a mere 19, cap tures the US Men's Tennis Singles title, beating Norway's Casper Ruud in the all-European final in New York.

23rd: Not a dry eye in the house, among the ladies any way, as Roger Federer confirms his retirement after defeat in Laver Cup doubles with his close friend Rafael Nadal, a stubborn knee injury forcing the elegant Swiss to call an end to his stellar ca reer.

OCTOBER

9th: Max Verstappen clinches his second F1 champion ship when winning the Japan Grand Prix.

NOVEMBER

12th: Heartbreak for England Women as they lose a dramatic Rugby Union World Cup Final 34-31 to New Zea land at Eden Park.

13th: Better news next day as England tri umph Down Under in Melbourne, when the Red Roses pruned Pakistan, comfortably capturing the T20 World Cup for the second time.

Qatar World Cup: November – December 18

Another World Cup, this time it's the turn of the footy boys to travel, and as I write the Wales and England teams are airborne, enroute to their date with destiny in the Middle East - we wish both squads well in their quest for glory.

Gibraltar Wave FC is happy to have brought many new players to the women`s football scene in Gibraltar who have gone on to other clubs in Gibraltar and even to the National team. Dahlia Salah, Tiana Garcia, Gianelle Hanglin, Julia Lima, and the latest in the Gibraltar Natioanl team who is a Wave through and through Ellen Dixon. We work hard to develop women`s football with the passion needed to turn the many challenges into a solution to benefit the development of women`s football in Gibraltar.

Gibraltar wave FC has grown the female participation base and this shall help the continued and future growth of women`s football in Gibraltar.

We asked ourselves many questions but one that stands out is, How do you motivate a girl to play football?

Our brainstorming on this came up with an swers that females like to belong to a wom en`s only football club, of which very few exist worldwide, and we are the first in the history of Gibraltar. Girls and women need to have a safe space in training and a group they feel comfortable with, a team in which all are encouraged to become role models for each other and especially for the new players we keep bringing on.

The growth in female participation is a major driver of our aspiration. I feel the big mistake in Gibraltar and elsewhere is to “force” men`s teams to have a women`s teams. I feel that the best way for wom en`s football to progress is to have wom en`s teams in their own right and even for women`s teams to be the ones who create a men`s teams and not the other way round as is currently the case, not just in Gibraltar, as I said, but worldwide.

Girls and women need an enjoyable expe rience and common sense tells me having clean toilets with doors, something that most boys and men toilets don`t have as many are simply urinals, is a must. Soap dispensers, hand dryers that work, sanitary bins and providing free sanitary products that females can help themselves to are small things with girls and women in mind. Now that Victoria Stadium is going to be refurbished this small issues need to be tak en into account. Gibraltar can even me the example for the rest of the world, why not?

Being in an all-female environment allows young girls to be themselves because they are more comfortable. Girls will be more confident in their actions, more willing to try new things and make mistakes by trying again and again. Girls are less afraid to give constructive feedback in a more comfort able environment. Having all female envi

ronments allows female leaders and men tors to also feel more comfortable just like the players themselves and thus do a better job of helping the players.

We do our best to promote all the positives of having a female friendly environment. This also involves marketing and promo tion to targeted female audiences and the wider community so that the good work done in developing female teams doesn’t go unnoticed making us able to intake new players each year.

Sport has the power to unite people in a way little else can. Sport can create hope. Breaks down racial barriers, laughs in the face of discrimination.

Football speaks to people in a language they can understand. Said the great Nelson Man dela.

The increased number of female coaches is also one very important way to develop women`s football. We work hard on making our members feel valued and want to return. Have fun, socialise with friends in an active environment. Keep fit and healthy. See that they are improving. Experiences challenge and building confidence one little step at a time does work.

Now comes #3x3eachSoccer. We at Gibral tar Wave FC firmly believe that Gibral tar can and will become a force in sports through this new modality of Beach Soc cer, #3x3eachSoccer patented by me and in partnership with our friends at Victoria Beach Soccer of Keko Rosano would like this to be a Gibraltar creation. Being a small nation with small rather then extensive beaches, what better than #3x3eachSoccer? This #3eachSoccer modality makes Beach Soccer accessible, even more spectacular with airborne goals counting as 2, but not headers amid continued investigations and studies into the potential health risks associated with regularly heading of a ball, which could include dementia and easy on logistics. I discovered this taking the team to UEFA Beach Soccer Champions League in nazare, Portugal in June 2022.

#3x3eachSoccer has been catered for Gen Z, health for urban dwellers in easy to build in urban areas catering for the millions of football players and billions of football fans worldwide who love being entertained playing and watching the king of sports. The paradise surface, beach sand, can also be used by children to play and build their sand castles!

Two halves of 10 minutes make #3eachSoc cer tailor made for Gen Z for watching on a mobile phone. A whole match of Highlights!

SEASONS GREETINGS FROM THE TEAM AT INSIGHT!

WORDS BY STEVEN GONZALES WORDS BY XXX

WORDS BY JOHN GONTIER

FEATURE FEATURE

VACATION? STAYCATION OR

I write these words from the room of my lovely hotel, La Ville, where I find myself “trapped” in a fog-bound Alderney, overlooking the quiet graveyard and church of St. Anne’s, known as The Cathedral of The Chan nel Islands. The fog and heavy rain are all around. A small island that’s part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Alderney has a population of just 2000 persons (“alcoholics clinging to a rock”) and measures just 3 by 1.5 miles. The former residence of such illustrious people as John Arlott (Cricket Commentator), Julie An drews (Actress), George Martin (Producer to The Beatles) Elizabeth Beresford (Author of The Wombles) and Ian Botham (England cricketer), I have thoroughly enjoyed my two-week sojourn in this charming place. It genuinely feels as if one has stepped back in time over 30 years. After over 5 months locked into our island home of Guernsey, we took up the possibility of an internal “staycation” break by travelling the 35 miles to the neighbouring, sister isle. All still within our Covid-free bubble of Guernsey, which has now been virus-free for over 100 days, at the time of writing. We have not regretted a single moment, not even the fog and travel delays. Particularly in the light of all those British holidaymakers (400,000+) who have suddenly realized they need to dash back home from their French vacations this very weekend to avoid a 14-day self-isolation quarantine upon their return.

This story of sudden mass return from France got me thinking about the role that “the holiday” plays in our modern society, and whether the old habits and priorities are being dramatically transformed, forever. More importantly, in this Covid world which we now inhabit, is there a strong argument to be made for no longer travelling abroad in droves, but instead sticking to our regional communities, visiting local amenities, and travelling internally within our own lands? Staycation or vacation? Is one better than the other? Safer? Morally, environmentally and economically better? In this piece I consider the pros and cons of both options and draw a compelling conclusion as to why I personally favour one to the other.

WORDS BY JOSE ROMANILLOS

On the penultimate night of our stay cation in Alderney, my wife Jane and I were kindly invited to dinner by a dear friend and former colleague, a retired Classics & Latin schoolmaster called Anthony. He had relocated to Alderney a number of years ago for health reasons. We had not seen him for many years, until last night.

Over a delightfully convivial dinner we enjoyed talking about past adventures and misadventures, old colleagues, family and friends. I even tried out my new joke, wondering whether a blonde police woman could be called a “fair cop”. Raised barely a smirk.

As the evening finished, our host raised a glass and uttered these sim ple words as a toast:

“To my dearest friends. Thank you for your delightful company and conver sation. It has been a real treat and I will cherish tonight for always”. I replied hastily, paraphrasing Julius Caesar:

“Veni, vidi, cenavi”. We laughed and parted ways, in the pouring rain.

During our discussions, we had shared thoughts on our travels abroad to gether. Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Lis bon. Great adventures that provided a wealth of unforgettable memories and experiences. This is the beauty of holidays and travel abroad. New places, new faces, new experiences, new memories. But it was not always thus…

The word “holiday” has its roots clear ly in Christian practice. Originally a Holy Day, these were times in the Christian calendar (such as Easter and Christmas) when days were granted off work in order to rest and worship. They did not entail travelling away from home, simply staying put and dedicating time to non-work activity, religious practice and leisure. Only relatively recently has the concept de veloped into what we now have taken for granted as the “holiday”, which invariably has become a trip to some foreign location. Until recently seen almost as a mandatory part of mod ern day life.

THE BENEFITS OF GOING AWAY ON A HOLIDAY ARE RECOG NIZED AS NUMEROUS:

1. A complete break from the work and home routine.

2. An escape to the sun, away from in clement and inconsistent weather.

3. Exploring new horizons, diets and countries.

4. Meeting new and interesting peo ple.

5. Contributing to the economic de velopment of the respective tourist and travel industries.

6. Educational.

7. Renewing and refreshing.

8. Re-enforcing the benefits and joys of one's own home.

FEATURE FEATURE

The current Covid story has sudden ly brought into relief the reasons why those that can afford it go on vaca tion. The fact that travelling now brings with it potential dangers and risks linked to the pandemic high lights a long list of negative aspects to travelling on vacation. And there are many:

1. Travelling means pollution of our skies, waters and lands.

2. Mass tourism can mean the de struction of the peace and beauty of the very place people are visit ing.

3. Foreign travel comes with its inher ent dangers and risks - accidents, crime, illness, delays and cancel lations. I can never forget, for ex ample, hearing news on Boxing Day 2004 of the horrific Tsunami in SouthEast Asia. Nor the desper ately tragic case of Madeleine Mc Cann, taken from her holiday apart ment in Portugal in 2007.

4. Travel abroad means that the mon ey is taken away from one's own home-grown tourist industry.

5. Cost - many people regularly put themselves into debt, with loans or credit cards, to ensure their holiday is fulfilled.

6. Travel stress and trauma - many people return after their trying hol idays of marital and family conflicts to admit that they have come back home for a rest! How many divorc es are triggered by a summer holi day?

And many people have conclud ed in this new Covid world that the best thing is indeed to stay in one's own country (at least this summer) and have a staycation. This in turn has created its own set of problems, as we have all seen in the media, of over-crowded beaches and towns, minimal socialdistancing, traffic cha os, road rage incidents and illegal gatherings.

Weighing up the issues and recent de velopments, it seems clear to me that the days of mass tourism overseas are over. For people with money, nothing will really change, and this has always been the case, and always will be. They will always travel wherever they wish. But for those people counting their pennies - and these numbers will be increasing by the millions as we move out of the furlough period of government life subsidy - a foreign vacation will no longer be an option. Hence the compelling attraction of a staycation. Not only will this be cheaper and less risky, it will provide much-needed injection of monies into the local communities and busi nesses. The same could be argued for the tourist industries of Spain, France, Greece etc., whose governments are all desperately trying to convince us that their countries are safe holiday destinations. However, another result of this pandemic will be a “me-first” approach, more so than ever. Look after your family, friends and country first.

However, the biggest benefit for me in this staycation story is actually linked to people, and was brought home to me at dinner with my good friend An thony. Travelling abroad means meet ing new people, often very nice and very interesting. Travelling “at home” on holiday means you have the op portunity to meet your friends, again, as well as your family, who may be scattered to all four corners of the nation. A reacquainting and refresh ing of those connections, bonds and friendships. For that reason alone a staycation will always come above a vacation for me in its importance and value. To return to my ex Classics master friend, I summarize with a line from the philosopher and thinker he admired the most, Socrates: “Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, be firm and con stant”.

Website: www.jlromanillos.com Email: jose@jlromanillos.com

NB. FOOTNOTE RE ALDERNEY RESTAURANTS/HOTELS

Eateries in Alderney are surprisingly nu merous and of a very good quality. Great places to meet friends and share good food experiences. For me the following have been tried and tested and I can thoroughly recommend them, including the venue of our delightful dinner with Anthony*. We did not have time, regrettably, to try the other great places of repute, including a Breton French Restaurant, a Curry House and a Steak House. We will try these on our next visit.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER OF PREFERENCE:

THE BRAYE BEACH HOTEL - lovely restau rant with stunning view over the beach. The locally produced pork (chop) was amazing ly moist and tasty. Their signature seafood Hot Pot for me was also a winner.*

THE BLONDE HEDGEHOG - named after the local albino animals, this new hotel and restaurant offers nice fine dining and wines. Lovely gardens, too.

THE GEORGIAN HOUSE - simply excellent. Loved the mackerel, moules frites and choc olate fondant dishes. The tasty local pork chops again featured. Nice terrace garden in the rear.

CANTINA 16 - nice selection of tapas and pizzas. Sea view again.

THE OLD BARN - lovely garden restaurant alongside stunning Longis bay.

MAI THAI - atmospheric Thai restaurant that also does takeaway. Nice service and very moorish food. Best in the Channel Is lands, even?

THE MOORINGS - incredibly popular out door pizza specialist.

LA VILLE - fantastic cooked breakfasts and unctuous Beef Wellingtons. Great position in the centre of town. Lovely service and attention.

TRAVELING HOME

FOR CHRISTMAS

Travelling back home at any point in the year feels comforting, stabilising and full of loving expectations but our journeys back at Christmas time are extra special.

However near or far your jour ney is, there is no doubt that we all travel with a warm heart and sense of returning where we emotionally belong. Perhaps parents wine there to welcome us, family members or friends that have become our family. As we know, families and a sense of security comes in all shapes and sizes, ages and locations.

The weather might be season ably mild or crisp underfoot - no matter. Whether we are huddled up in coats and hats or simply need an over jacket, inside, we feel warm and fuzzy.

All of us have a Christmas jour ney to share. It might be a joyous occasion or a situation where it was touch and go that you made it to your Christmas festivities in time.

Bernie Flynn from Bedfordshire had not returned home at Christ mas for several years. Family up sets had made travelling home a challenge she could not face. Bernie continues, ‘years ago I met someone who I adored. I was head over heels about him. That Christmas, I wanted him to meet my family in Ireland. My parents and siblings were so excited, as was I. It became clear after a couple of days that my family were not too keen on him. It was really disappointing as I had naturally wanted them to love him as much as I did. Af ter we left and I returned to En gland, the relationship with my parents became strained. They

were honest with me and said they thought my partner was rather controlling. It was devas tating.

Fast forward five years and of course, my family were right. My relationship broke down due to my partner’s behaviour. I felt foolish, alone and realised I had sacrificed the special bond I had with my family.

Last November, my mum called me and simply said ‘please come home, we all want to see you.’

The rush of relief and love was indescribable. I literally couldn’t wait to see them. Although my journey was relatively short, it felt like forever. To be honest, the emotional gap that had de veloped between us is what seemed vast, not the physical miles. When I arrived at my par ents, it was magical. The nor mality of it, the familiar smells the same tatty decorations that they used every year. It was per fect and I knew immediately that the journey home that Christmas was the most important journey I will ever experience.’

Like Bernie, many of our most significant and poignant jour neys back home at Christmas come from an emotional, pos sibly difficult relationship situ ation. As challenging as these reunions can be, there is also an extra special feeling that ac companies such meetings. It is often the expectation that keeps us going no matter how tricky or delayed our journey is.

When travelling by train or coach, a positive tactic is to make sure you are wrapped and have sufficient provisions. Even a simple sandwich and coffee can make any journey more bearable.

Food and drink certainly fea tured in a train journey experi enced by Lisa Hamilton. Lisa was making the rather lengthy return home from London to Cornwall. It was a winter when the weath er was unkind to the train tracks and the travellers.

‘As soon as I arrived at London Paddington, I sensed there were delays. Even for the Christmas season it seemed particular ly chaotic. I just groaned and thought I am never going to get there!

Eventually, we were able to board a train to Penzance - it was quite a tussle. Although I had booked a seat it had bevy’s bit of a free for all. Luckily, I was sitting with three others around the table and it soon became clear that my journey was going to be anything but dull. The two chaps sitting in the aisle took their lack of seats with good grace and even shared their considerable supply of fizz. My fellow travellers and I emptied our food supplies on the shared table and it worked out rather well with a mixture of sweet and savoury items to tuck into. Obvi ously we were fed up with being delayed and having to contact various family and friends to

pick us up at different times but the whole experience felt like a real show of Christmas together ness. I still keep in contact with a couple of my Christmas train pals. It made such a difference to share the experience with others who wanted to celebrate going home rather than become miser able because of the delays.’

Creating a positive travel experi ence like Lisa is a wonderful way of battling a potentially stress ful journey and turning it into a fun filled occasion. Of course, it depends on your fellow travel lers but at a time like Christmas, we all want to achieve the same goal - meeting up with our loved ones. Hopefully, that gives us the positivity and determination to make the best of a difficult sit uation.

Travelling at Christmas is so full of expectation and excitement. Realistically, we frequently en counter delays and travel relat ed problems but unlike other times of the year, the prospect of meeting up with loved ones gives us the strength to contin ue and possibly even enjoy our journey.

So, like any journey, be well pre pared. Everything feels more bearable with a cheeky snack and drink in our bags and during the festive season definitely do not forget to bring the Christmas presents too!

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH

The truth is if the Christmas standards seem a little old-fashioned now, many of them seemed somewhat old-fashioned even at the time. One of the odd things about the Christmas canon is how it insists there’s only one real Christmas: a rural, snow-filled Christmas.

Christmas song writers are determined to steep us all in that winning combination of snow, nostalgia, twinkling lights and omnipres ent good cheer.

Perhaps the most famous Christmas pop song of all is White Christmas, whose introductory verse makes it clear that if you live in a place with no snow, you’re not really experiencing the season at all.

Within the broad genre of Christmas music, there are a few more specific categories: the bangers, like "All I Want For Christmas Is You"; the classics, like "White Christmas"; and the ones that make you sad and hap py at the same time, like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and "Blue Christmas." And while there really is nothing like a Christmas jig, those nostalgic, lump-in-your-throat, sentimental songs are often the ones we have on repeat throughout December.

At such a magical time, why are we drawn to stirring, seasonal music that makes us both happy and sad? Turns out, there are a few possible psychological explanations.

Music has a strong tie to nostalgia which is why hearing a song from the '90s can take someone directly back to elementary school, and why listening to certain Christ mas songs can make people feel warm, fuzzy, and return us to childhood. In a 1999 study, researchers examined people's ability to recall memories after hearing a clip from a song. While they weren't able to think of an ex act event from the time when the song came out, they were able to recall the general emo tion that they felt during that time. So, listening to some Christmas tracks might make you feel wistful for your childhood or just generally fes tive and happy, rather than remorseful about that Christmas when you broke up from your partner - your brain has already created posi tive associations with the music.

There is no doubt that nostalgia is an intrigu ing sensation because it can make you feel happy and sad at the same time. Interestingly, other studies have shown that listening to mel ancholic music can evoke feelings of comfort. This could explain why some people decide to listen to more emotionally raw songs they need a pick-me-up or to feel comforted. With Christ mas music, in particular, the sad nostalgic emo

tions that you feel when listening to certain songs could, in theory, have the same positive effect as sad music.

Christmas music is also often structured in a way that makes it innately pleasing. When you hear a song for the first time, its melody gets tracked in your brain's prefrontal cortex. Your brain is then always searching for that melody, or a similar one, and when you hear it again it feels very satisfying and soothing.

Compared to other genres of music, Christmas music and pop tend to have very predictable melodic structures. Hearing something you are musically familiar with automatically provides

the celebrations of Jesus’s birth. Christmas carols have an appropriately uplifting and cel ebratory style to honour such a memorable occasion.

Little wonder they have endured as a popular way to highlight and celebrate the arrival of the Christmas season.

Christmas carols, almost always have wonder fully memorable melodies and captivating har monies. Performed by choirs of voices, often with an organ or instrumentalists accompany ing them, the songs create a wonderful atmo sphere and resound with positivity.

So, is Christmas music good, or do radio presenters deserve coal in their stock ings? It is a truly individual answer. For the eternal romantics and fans of nostal gia the so-called songs of the season are joyous audible additions to our Christmas preparations whereas the Ebenezer’s of the world sneak earplugs under their ear muffs.

It is Christmas music season, that (most wonderful) time of the year when, no matter what the prevail ing style in pop music is the other 11 months, we are thrown into a sort of musical time warp where we indulge in listening to music from all eras.

you with strong expectations. You are making predictions, having this moment of tension and then realising the prediction was correct. When you combine this aspect with nostalgia, it is obvious why Christmas music makes you feel such a diverse range of emotions.

Of course Christmas carols hold a particularly special place in many peoples hearts. We sing Christmas carols because they are a way of telling the story of the nativity and the birth of Jesus Christ. As well as explaining what hap pened around Jesus’s birth, the songs enable us to encapsulate and express the joy, devotion and awe-inspiring scenes of the nativity.

Apart from telling the nativity story, Christmas carols spread joy and warmth during the bleak est months. In Christmas, the Christian faith brought together traditional winter feasts and celebrations. They were designed to spread light in the dark, deep midwinter months, and

Like most things, it’s all a matter of per spective. It is important to remember that no matter how you feel about the holiday classics, the world is a fragile place these days and so are we. If a particular song or carol provides us with a warm glow, sim ply enjoy it.

The ultimate joy about Christmas music is we can all enjoy our diverse tastes and personal melodic preferences, as well as everything else Christmas related. Like all aspects of the season, it is our varying tastes that make it such a unique expe rience.

So, for Christmas songs fans - that is all of us, surely - remember that Christmas music:

• IMPROVES MOOD – Christmas music lets us relive the best moments from holidays past – anytime we want.

• RELIEVES STRESS – Christmas music takes us on a vacation from our troubles and helps lower stress.

• INCREASES RELAXATION – Christmas music literally soothes our brains.

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH

Eating AT

Christmas dinner. The mere mention of it conjures up plates of steaming, delicious food, chilled glasses of fizz and merriment from all those sitting around the family table.

Christmas dinner. The mere mention of it conjures up plates of steaming, delicious food, chilled glasses of fizz and merriment from all those sitting around the family ta ble.

However, is it really so strange to assume that other families may have a tradition of going out for Christmas dinner? Truth is, every family will have their own routine on December 25th and deciding on a way to suit everybody is never an easy task.

Christmas is around the corner and we will soon be heading out with our families and friends for a festive meal.

Restaurants know that December means in creased business, but there are also signifi cant downsides to this which on occasions might outweigh the benefits.

Let us consider the pros and cons of eating out v staying at home:

Let us consider the pros and cons of eating out vs staying at home:

The Pros:

No cooking or cleaning up I can hear a collective cheer from all of you. No washing up, no cleaning, no stress.

This is definitely one of the main pros of dining out at Christmas. It is especially great if you have a large group as there will be far fewer dishes for you to do afterward.

Superior Food

This is especially true if you go to a restau rant that is known for its good food. The chef has had more time to prepare and will know your taste preferences better than you would yourself.

Try new dishes

Restaurants often have special Christmas menus which include festive favourites as well as some more unusual dishes. If you are feeling adventurous, this could be a great way to expand your culinary horizons.

Celebrate with other families

This could be a pro or a con. However, if you are someone that likes to socialise and spend time with others, then this could be a big bonus.

Not only will you get to meet new people, but you also get to share in the Christmas spirit with them.

The Cons:

It can be expensive

Now you don't need me to tell you that din ing out at Christmas time is likely to be an expensive affair, so you need to work out if this is really worth it or not.

Of course, the joy of going to a restaurant is that somebody else does all the cooking and cleaning up afterward. But I think we can agree that you probably don't want your family and friends to do too much for you at Christmas time, so maybe you should just put in some extra hours in the kitchen yourself.

Restaurant temptations

It's all too easy to be seduced by the de licious aromas coming from the kitchen when you're eating out.

If you're trying to stick to a diet or avoid certain foods, this can be quite difficult.

Less personal attention as you would if you were cooking at home

This is especially true if you go to a large restaurant. The chef and staff will have their hands full and may not be able to give you the level of attention that you would receive if you cooked at home.

You miss out on cooking and eating together

This is one of the main reasons why many people choose to cook their Christmas meal at home. It is more intimate and cozy than eating in a restaurant, and you can avoid temptation if you're not constantly surrounded by it.

Less control over what you eat

Restaurants often serve large portions, which can be difficult to resist. If you are trying to watch your weight or eat healthily, dining out may not be the best option.

Disturbed by other parties

When you are dining at home, the only peo ple you have to put up with are those who are present in your house.

When you go out to a restaurant there can be a lot of noise and commotion from other tables if the place is full. This can be very distracting.

This could be the major stumbling block to enjoying a Christmas dinner out. It all de pends on how well you can hear yourself think as to whether it's worth the risk or not.

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH

The wait might be too long

Depending on how finely tuned the restau rant is a service, you may have to wait a while for your food. This is especially true if you go to a popular restaurant around Christmas time. You may have to wait for a table, order, receive your food, and then eat it – all within a two-hour window.

If unorganised, you might miss your re served table

This is another potential pitfall of dining out at Christmas. If you're not careful, you might find yourself rushing to make your reservation on time.

Of course, several different things can hap pen at this time of the year so it's not al ways possible to plan ahead. If you are an organised person, this could be a bit of a headache.

Finally, remember that Christmas is a time to relax and enjoy yourself - so don't worry if things don't go according to plan. Simply have a laugh and order another drink.

So there you have it – some pros and cons to help you make your decision on whether or not to dine out at Christmas. Hopeful ly the above will give you a good starting point.

Overall, both staying in or going out for your Christmas meal have their pros and cons. In reality, it all comes down to what you feel happiest doing. Whereas one per son may thrive on cooking for a group of 15, another person may have the fear of being stuck indoors all day with family members. The choice really is yours to take.

Enjoy a delicious Christmas!

REMEMBERED

They say that enduring memories are those that we see through our rose tinted spectacles. The older one gets the more we like to hang on to memories, although I guess that holds true for everybody, as Christmas is a special time when we are treated by and likewise we like to treat those whom we love. My best remembered Christmases were those of my childhood and what made them special were the times spent visiting relatives and the times that they came round visiting us. Like most Gibraltarian households, the twelve days of Christmas were mostly spent huddled around the Christmas table eating or trying not to eat. There were a few other traditions to uphold as we shall see later.

In those days of yore no one thought of expanding waistlines and if you were trying not to eat it was because you had literally stuffed yourself silly and your di gestive system was on semi permanent overload. Our mentor was Santa and he had a very generous waistline, no doubt acquired by overindulging in mince pies and ‘polvorones’ (almond and cinnamon cakes). I remember not wanting to give up believing in Santa although, truth be said, in those days of the mid fifties here on the Rock, the presents were brought by ‘Los Reyes’ (the Three kings) on Janu ary 6th, the feast of the Epiphany. You were indeed privileged if you got presents on Christmas day and on ‘el dia de Los Reyes’ (the day of the Three Kings). There was that beloved uncle who shall be nameless in my story, who would tease us children that Santa didn’t exist. “Of course he does- who gave me my scooter last Christmas” etc ... It was all done in jest and probably fuelled by the Christmas ‘spirit’ that pours from bottles.

The traditions, some of which are still held by a few to this day and some now long disappeared, were that we used to go to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, (‘Misa de Gallo) notwithstanding the or deal of trying to remain well behaved while feeling over stuffed and over ea ger for the delivery of some Christmas presents - at least to tide us over un til the Three Kings ‘arrived’ in January. The other tradition now all but lost, was that relatives brought around ‘pander os y zambombas’ (percussive Christmas noisemakers) that would accompany rousing traditional carols (sung?) in Spanish. The musicality of these tunes was always question able but the spirit be hind them was to make merry and celebrate and we usually succeeded on

both counts. Soon the adult contingent of family members would be sporting flushed faces, laughing too much and getting louder as the night wore on. There were some nostalgic tears as well as those who had passed on were remembered and toasted.

Another tradition here was that on Christmas Eve you had to eat salmon salad (a la ‘John West’ I remember well) and no ‘Noche Buena’ table was complete unless the ‘Ajuelas’ (rolls of puff pastry in syrup decorated with colourful hun dreds and thousands) made an appearance followed by the cinnamon and raisin cakes (tortillas de pasas - also in syrup -yummy). The antidote for those excessive family poisonings in the name of celebrations was the trusty white tin of Andrews liver salt (Sal de frutas) and many a journey to the ‘throne’ was com promised by eager bowels now best not remembered!

WORDS BY JOE ADAMBERRY

On the tender side of those memories are still the beautiful Spanish ‘Villancicos,’ carols with their lyrics centred on the wonder of a God-child born in a stable. Even to this day new carols are added to the popular repertoire and a recent addi tion to the St Paul’s Choir is a tune called (Piensa la Mula). The concept of this lyric is that the donkey/mule that was carrying Mary while theywere looking for accom modation was a sentient being which felt privileged to be a part of the impending birth of the God-Child and it wanted to ‘hurry’ to the stable to get its precious cargo comfortable. ‘La Mula’ is blessed with a beautiful melody that truly cap tures the spirit of Christmas like the great ‘Silent Night,’ both of them steeped in re ligious tradition. That is not to say that the popular English and American Christ mas carols do not capture the same spirit of love. You would have to be made of very hard stuff not to get a lump in your throat seeing school children singing car ols at their Christmas assembly.

Happily that tradition is very much alive here and soon we shall be see ing them on our TV screens dressed up as shepherds and angels, reminding us that especially at Christmas we all want to be young and still believe in Christmas and Santa. This Christ mas take a moment to re member how fortunate we are here in this community that still upholds some tra ditions which make the sea son what it is, a religious festival that, although it has been taken over by commercialism, still brings us together as families. Let us make it our toast this year- to families here and everywhere. Happy Christmas everyone!

Gift Ideas For Frequent Travellers

Gift Ideas For Frequent Travellers

‘What do you want for Christmas?’ is a ques tion I find myself asking some of my family and friends every year. As we get older you start to realise there’s not many things that people ‘need’ but some presents can always be useful. I remember when I went travelling for a year I got a number of practical pres ents that I still use to this day. If you have someone in your life who is constantly trav elling, here are some gift ideas they’ll enjoy!

1. SUITCASE

Depending on what your budget is - then a matching set of suitcases would be a per fect gift for someone who travels often. I purchased the American Tourister Bon Air Spinner case and found that I actually pre fer a hard shell case. It’s lasted me 4 years so far! I like the number of compartments, the 4 wheel function and that it has a built in code lock.

2. GIFT EXPERIENCE

If you know your friend has a holiday com ing up, take a look on a tour website like GetYourGuide and see if there is a fun ex perience or activity you could surprise them with. My friend bought me a 'flower bath' experience when I went to Bali a few years ago and I loved it. My mum also bought me a bungy jumping activity for my time in New Zealand which I had mentioned I wanted to try. Make sure you find out if your friend is the adventurous type before booking some thing like that though!

3. PACKING CUBES

These have been a game changer for my trips and I have a number of friends and family members who now use these too. They’re essentially ‘cubes’ or zipper bags of different sizes that can be used to store all your travel items. They’re great for keeping all your items organised, and if they often travel with a backpack it will definitely make finding things 100 times easier.

4. LUXURY HOTEL

This could be a great present for yourself too if you’re planning a trip with a signifi cant other or friend. One experience that I’ve been recommended and I’m hoping to go myself next year, is the Nomading Camping in Ronda. You essentially sleep in a ‘bubble’ dome under the stars, and have your own private area too. If my boyfriend is reading this, take this hint!

5. IPAD COVER

Because what good is taking your Ipad to entertain yourself on a 4 hour flight when you can't get it to sit properly on the tray ta ble? I made the mistake of not checking the reviews when I bought my cover two years ago and the flap doesn't actually hold the weight of the iPad, so I end up having to bal ance it awkwardly and hope the passenger in front doesn't move his seat too often. The ‘Moko Ipad Cases’ (£12.99) are available on Amazon and will hold your iPad up so you can watch your shows on any surface!

6. BACKPACK

If you're looking for a gift for someone who likes to travel hands free then these are always useful, and this one in particular is very practical and inexpensive. Cabin Max's (£30) backpacks come in over 20 colours and are designed to maximise hand luggage allowance on most airlines with its size of 55x40x20cm (44L). It features 3 main lock able zipped compartments, and an organi sational pocket featuring 2 zipped internal compartments.

7. EYE-MASK

Especially for long-haul flights, it can be hard to fall asleep if the passenger next to you wants to pull an all-nighter on the flight and get through a whole season of The Crown. This would make a great stocking filler or for a secret santa present.

8. TRAVEL JOURNAL

If like me you know someone who likes to document their trips in one way or an other, then the Travel Listography (£20) book which you can purchase on Amazon or Urban Outfitters, is a great gift idea. It features over 100 pages of travel related prompts such as 'interesting people you've met whilst travelling' to 'places in Europe I'd like to visit' to 'lakes, rivers and oceans that I've swam in'.

9. KINDLE

I've been known to take two books with me when travelling because I'm worried I'm go ing to finish one and then have nothing else to read on the flight. That's the beauty of a Kindle (£69.99) - you can read as many books as you like and they're all kept in one compact device. These range from the orig inal Kindle, to the Paperwhite and Kindle Fire - depending on what your needs are.

10. FLIGHT VOUCHER

With most airlines charging you for your overhead luggage now, even a gift voucher of £25 would come in handy to take away the frustration of all the added flight ex penses. I recommend choosing an airline like Ryanair or Easyjet that fly quite frequently from Malaga. If you want to go the extra mile, you could even in clude some flight destinations that you’d recommend!

WORDS BY GIANA SPITERI

Giana Spiteri is a local writer, specialising in lifestyle, beauty & travel.

WINNERS

Are grinners

Lorraine Laguea was the winner of the Delia Balaguer Print featured on our November Insight front cover answering 1790 to the question When was Prince Ed wards Gate built.

Maurice Napoli was the lucky winner of the the Sunborn Meal for two voucher. answering the question Which Holly wood actor played six different roles in the film Polar Express. The answer is Tom Hanks.

Jennie Halkett won a Apple Home pod mini kindly donated by Newtons store answering Ebeneezer to the question what is scrooges first name.

Our world cup question. Sandra Lane seen here collecting the Adams shop £50 Gift card on behalf of the winner Steven Lane who answered France to the question who won the 2018 World Cup Final.

DIFFERENT TRADITIONS Different Faiths

With over 4,200 religions around the world, some of which celebrate Christ mas and some of which don’t, we take a look at a few of the different celebra tions and traditions that are celebrated by other faiths.

HANUKKAH

Hanukkah meaning ‘dedication’ is an eight day event and commemorates when the Jews were able to reclaim their land from the Seleucids around 200 BC. It typically takes place between late No vember and late December, beginning on the 25th day of Kislev, which is the ninth month of the Jewish calendar.

Christmas sometimes overlaps with the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah where the customs are similar to that of Christmas and apart from sending cards to loved ones, and decorating the Christmas tree, you will find them lighting candles on the menorah (candelabra) and frying latkes (pan-fried potato pancakes). Although there are only eight nights of Hanukkah, there are nine branches on a menorah because the one at the centre is intend ed to hold the Shamash, a candle used to light the others. During each night of the festival, the family gathers around the menorah. On the first night the head of the family lights one candle with the Shamash and on the second night two candles are lit, and so on, until all eight candles are lit on the eighth night. Each night, gifts are given. In some families, children play a spinning game with a small four-sided wooden top called a dreidel. On each side of the top is one letter of NGHS, or Nes Godol Hoyoh Shom, which means “A great miracle happened there.”

DIWALI

Diwali, the five-day Festival of Lights, is celebrated by millions of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains across the world and depend ing on the Lunar Calendar it is held in either October or November. It is widely associated by Hindus with the goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises three virtues: wealth and prosperity, fertility and abun dant crops, as well as good fortune.

The festival celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Festivities reach their peak on the third day, Diwali itself, when the occasion is marked with can dles and lights in homes, businesses and temples and people dress up in brightly coloured new clothes and beautiful saris, shiny gold and silver jewellery and paint their skin with henna designs.

RAMADAN

Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, which marks the month the prophet Mohammed is believed to have had their holy book, the Koran, revealed to him by God. Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar, be ing 11 to 12 days shorter than the Gregori an calendar. The celebration starts at the first sighting of the moon in Ramadan.

Muslims cannot eat and drink at all in the daytime during this period, breaking their fast, called sawm, only when the sun sets and again before the sun rises. During the fast, no food or drink is con sumed, and thoughts must be kept pure. Followers of Islam believe that fasting teaches patience, modesty, and spiritu ality.

Meals served before sunrise are called Suhoor, and after sunset they are called Iftar, and these meals are eaten with family or with the local community. Many Muslims observe Iftar by eating three dates, just as the prophet Mohammed did when he broke his own fast.

Suhoor and Iftar meals typically con tain fresh fruits, vegetables, halal meats, breads, cheeses, and sweets. The days are spent in prayer and reflection and it is also a time when Muslims are encour aged to give to charity, strengthen their relationship with God and show kindness and patience

EID

The fast ends with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, meaning ‘Festival of Breaking the Fast’, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The three day feast, often referred to as ‘Eid’, is a time when family and friends give thanks to God

BY JO WARD

and usually begins with morning com munal prayers with people congregat ing in mosques and at community cen tres where Muslims wearing their finest clothes greet each other by saying 'Eid Mubarak', which is Arabic for "Blessed Eid". Prayers are traditionally followed by a big meal where gifts are shared.

KWANZAA

Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of Af rican-American culture that takes place from 26th December to the 1st January, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day.

Families celebrating Kwanzaa decorate their homes with colourful objects and wear brightly coloured kaftans made from African cloth called kente, primarily in three colors: green (a symbol of Afri ca's rich land and hope for the future), black (representing people of African descent), and red (which stands for their struggle).

At the centre of the celebration is the lighting of candles on the Kinara (a sev en-stick candleholder) which is placed on a straw mat (mkeka), alongside a basket filled with fruits and vegetables (mazao), a communal cup (kikombe), and gifts (zawadi). Ears of corn (muhin di), one for every child in the family, are placed beneath the kinara. Kwanzaa cel ebrations often feature African drum ming, dancing, and storytelling and, of course, a feast that may include black eyed peas and collard greens which are a type of large, leafy green vegetable

BUDDHISM

Buddhists do celebrate Christmas, but in a non-Christian way, focusing on help ing the needy and giving back to others.

On the 8th December Buddhists cele brate Bodhi Day, which is when Buddha achieved enlightenment beneath a bodhi (fig) tree. In many Buddhist homes a fig tree is decorated with lights to com memorate this event and a traditional meal of sweet, sticky rice will be eaten and heart shaped cookies are baked to symbolise and match the leaves of the fig tree.

ALTHOUGH CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS ALIKE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS, CHRISTIANS MOSTLY SEE CHRISTMAS AS A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY OCCASION, WHILE MOST NON-CHRISTIANS MARK IT AS A CULTURAL TIME OF YEAR.

WORDS

Yes it’s that time again, Christmastime to dig out your lights and dec orations, spend hours getting them set out just right and finding a spare socket or two to plug them in. No easy task.

Let’s start with those lights: Firstly always buy lights that have a CE mark and a BS-EN number.

Make sure that they’re suitable for where you want to put them. Any mains voltage lights that you want to put outside must have an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of at least IP44. Fortunately nowadays most Christ mas lights are low voltage LEDs and are therefore intrinsically much safer, they’ll have a transformer to take the voltage down to as little as 5v, so if the light string will be OK outside, they’ll be safe. Remember that the plug will usually need to be inside the house though.

Now with the lights chosen and fixed where you want, you’ll need to get them powered up….

If you have European two pin plugs fitted to the lights you MUST NOT plug them directly in to a UK style

damage the socket, making it unsafe to use even with a UK plug.

Always use the correct type of fused adaptor (with the correct size fuse fit ted) or better still change the plug if possible. Earthed Schuko plugs MUST have an earthed adaptor, if not or if you decide to put these in a UK sock et without an adaptor, your lights or appliance will not be earthed and it is extremely dangerous.

that is long enough rather than plug ging several together to get where you need to.

In general, extensions are not water proof though enclosures are available to put them in that will keep them dry.

DO NOT rely on a plastic bag!

While it’s unlikely that even several sets of LED fairy lights will overload a 13A extension lead you must pay attention to the load you’re connecting to it. The most frequent problem is not having enough space on the ex tension for those bulky transformers to sit properly, or they’re too close to gether, which can cause them to over heat and fail or even worse!

Remember to switch off and unplug any extension lead when it’s not be ing used.

Now with plugs and adaptors in hand and no socket where you need one, let’s break out the extension leads.

It’s absolutely fine to use extension leads as a temporary solution to get power where you need it, you just have to be sensible about things.

As with your lights only buy extension leads that are CE marked and get one

If you’re unsure about anything re garding the suitability of your lights, plugs, adaptors, extension leads or how much load you have connected to an extension, you should speak to a competent electrician or your local specialist store who should be able to give you advice.

WORDS BY NATHAN GREEN, LIGHT & POWER SHOP

Survival GUIDE

Christmas is coming and the excitement is building. Alright, I know it’s early, but twinkling lights are already evident in shopping centres and the sentimental adverts that cajole us into buying lots of Christmas goodies that we don’t really need have started to be shown on television.

So what is the secret to having a happy and stress free Christmas? It’s meant to be a time of good cheer, but for some it can be anything but merry!

Mum on the Rock has a few tips that may help.

Remember

It’s only one day. Why do we all get ourselves so worked up over cooking the Christ mas dinner when it’s really not much different to pre paring a Sunday roast?

Presents

Present buying can be stressful, especially for those of us on a budget. Teaching children to understand how fortunate they are that they receive lots of gifts is im portant, so a nice idea can be to also make Christmas about giving to others. Ask ing them to donate one of their presents to a charity of their choice will help them learn that not everybody is as lucky as they are.

Supermum is a myth!

“I did all my Christmas shop ping four months ago,” she exclaims. Whilst it can be a good idea to pre-plan and look out for bargains, how many of us realistically buy next year’s Christmas pres ents in the January sales?

Make your freezer your friend

Leaving everything until the last minute can be exhaust ing, so take advantage of your freezer and fridge and take the chaos out of Christ mas. Most all your Christ mas dinner dishes can be frozen or put in the fridge beforehand.

Lists

Make a list – and check it twice! Well, maybe don’t do that, but definitely making a list will ensure that you don’t forget to buy a present for Auntie Sue or omit to buy the cranberry sauce.

Delegate

Nobody can be expected to do everything, so divvy up the jobs. Get someone to lay the table the day before, get someone else to peel the potatoes and make sure that someone else is in charge of buying batteries. Toys with out batteries on Christmas Day equals disaster, and no body wants to make that trip to the garage to buy some.

WORDS BY JO WARD

Valerga Brothers release ‘Soundtrack of My Teens an album for Calpe House

Three years ago I found myself announcing an album from the Valerga Brothers when they were inducted to the Hall Of Fame Class of 2019. Covid delayed that album and forced into isolation, the brothers put to good use the ex tra time available and started to add songs to it with a view to making it a double album. Recordings went on until they had thirty three songs for the final project – that’s nearly a triple album’s worth of memorable classic songs!

The Valergas reached out across our musical community and secured stellar collaborations from musicians of all genres and the expanded project is now presented as a beautiful CD/USB package finally on sale at Khubchand’s, who have sponsored the album so that the entire proceeds

WORDS

from the album sales will go entirely to Calpe House. The launch of the album took place recently at the City Hall hosted by Mayor Christian Santos, with Sir Joe Bossano and Minister John Cortes also present. Pre sales of the al bum had already clocked up over thirteen hundred pounds which were presented to Calpe House representative Al bert Poggio during the launch.

“The ‘Soundtrack of My Teens’ by The Valerga Bothers is our ‘opus magnum’ ” says Henry Valerga. It’s a snapshot of our early years in music, pictures and biography, pack aged with the soundtrack of the 60’s and 70’s music which shaped our teens. This bumper musical offering includes great covers of big hits from many legendary artists and

BY JOE ADAMBERRY

FEATURE FEATURE

we have also brought in local artists to the album in the hope that Calpe House, a charity really close to all our hearts, will benefit greatly from the entire proceeds of this thirty three track album.”

In his opening address Mayor Christian Santos welcomed the many collaborators present and praised the great col lection of ‘songs from another time.’ He encouraged those present to spread the word and help to bolster the sales of the album so that Calpe House would benefit greatly from this noble project. Henry Valerga spoke of the broth ers’ involvement in music from a tender age and the social history of their growing up in Red sands Road. He alluded to the content of the album as a ‘time capsule of years passing’ and being marked by great songs which made up the soundtrack of their lives and our lives too. “These foot prints of nostalgia have been raised to another level with the collaborations giving the music a new lease of life with a special local significance always respecting the original versions.” Henry gave detailed thanks and mentioned by name many who were involved in the project from the start and then invited a close friend to say a few words.

Barrister Levy Attias, a published poet and great friend of the Valerga Brothers entreated those gathered for the launch to ‘consider for a moment a life without music’. Where the ‘soundtrack’ of these songs recorded here have served us as a backdrop for romances or even break ups, as most of us remember specific times in our lives when music of bygone days jogs our memories and tugs at our heart strings. He paraphrased the great Abba hit ‘Thank you for the music’ and raised the chorus of agreement to a warm applause.

At that point Sir Joe Bossano was invited to the micro phone and he spoke warmly about Calpe House and how it belongs to all of us and how it’s now considered a home from home to many recovering patients before returning home after UK treatments. The presentation of a cheque to Albert Poggio of Calpe House followed on and Albert highlighted by way of a statistic that as many as a quar ter of our population has benefitted from shelter at Calpe House during times of treatments. A sobering thought that underpins the many charitable endeavours that our com munity undertakes to raise money for the charity.

The guests were then invited to purchase their copies of ‘Soundtrack of my Teens’ and the gathering then mingled to the backdrop of some songs from the new album in a video presentation by Eddie Adambery. My own thoughts after hearing the album are that as Christmas is just around the corner, there is no better way to give music this Christ mas and help a really worthy cause, but more than that, this great collection of songs of our youth will take pride of place in many musical collections across Gibraltar. What do you get for £20? A great album which is guaran teed to raise many smiles and evoke musical memories as we remember those bygone days when many great songs from great artists marked our youth. Big value with plenty of photographs and well researched historical comments on the tracks, why they were chosen, who collaborates on them from our local artists and compelling pointers as to why the music of the 60’s and 70’s was so successful and has remained etched in the memory of so many from that generation. There are many interesting stories behind many of the featured songs which were new to me and these little gems of information are always entertaining to read and to know. It’s a big listening experience and very well produced indeed.

The photography and design throughout are excellent and bring to life the story in pictures of this established sibling duo that have been with us for 57 years and counting. In a

two CD pack you would normally get 24 tracks but in this one the USB increases the capacity so you get a CD with 19 songs and the USB has 33 songs (which I’m told is the format most convenient to use in your car stereo). When you add all the aforementioned pictures and information to this great musical package you will agree that it’s an excellent gift to give music this Christmas. Especially for the Calpe House

The album which has been financed by Kamlesh Krishna Khubchand, consists of a beautiful front cover painting of brothers Henry and Denis by artist Leslie Gaduzo. Stephen Perera has done the graphic design and produced the twelve page libretto which includes many photos from the era in montage using vintage cameras and layout. The local artists collaborating are Chris Montegriffo on harmonica, guitarist Paul Patrick Cano, Trevor Guilliano of ‘After Hours’ (recording assistance), singers Corrine Cooper and Seila Pavon, tenor Nathan Payas and soprano Claire Hawkins, veteran Rocker Giles Ramirez and veteran Rock guitarist Harry Chichon.

A more recent contribution was made by Eddie Adambery who is a long time friend of the brothers and now lives locally after he retired from a UK career in song writing producing and recording. The Gibraltar National Youth Choir conducted by Christian Santos also took part in the project, with spoken words by Krisna Gulraj and Michael Cortes, which were recorded with Brian Torres and Nicky Gonzalez assisting. That represents a wide cross section of local talent who have rallied round to embellish the project with their selfless contributions. There are more contribu tors not mentioned here for brevity.

“The songs we have chosen are legendary classics, ev ergreens from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Ani mals, The Kinks, Simon and Garfunkel, Procol Harum, The Righteous Brothers, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Donovan, The Everly Brothers and many more. Our versions of their songs are backed by rich instrumentation and versatile vocal arrangements which we and the other contributing local artists have poured their hearts into. I think that we have achieved a recording milestone in the way that our covers of these classics have turned out. It’s the biggest project that we have ever attempted and we are immensely proud of everyone with the results that we have achieved.”

I have selected a few songs to mention as a trailer and ‘The Boxer’ immediately stands out as does ‘You’ve lost that loving feeling’ both great productions. ‘Grocer Jack’ features the GNY Choir on it and has all the tenderness of the original. Henry’s vocal in Donovan’s ‘Catch the wind’ gives you goose pimples and ‘Universal Soldier’ is a truly epic production. Denis Valerga sings ‘Blackberry Way’ and he has orchestrated a ‘Penny Lane’ type of trumpet solo at the end which is a masterpiece. ‘Ruby Tuesday’ is given a sensitive treatment which evokes all the magic of the ear ly Rolling Stones at their acoustic best and Don Maclean’s ‘Vincent’ is also a truly standout track which captures the beauty and fragility of the original.

I can vouch that you will be in for a feast of classics which will make you feel proud of the local talent on display in these collaborations. They really do stand out as special musical treats and I can see many copies of this album from the Valerga Brothers selling really well in support of Calpe House.

On sale at Khubchands, The ‘Soundtrack of my teens’ will gladden many hearts with the nostalgia and the musical journey of two brothers who have captured our hearts and still endure with their music.

We all know about compassion... compas sions for others , compassion for animals... but, for the most part, we stop short of even thinking of having compassion for ourselves. The most likely reason before this being that we grew up in a society in which we were taught to put others first and put our own needs last. Many of us were taught to ‘just roll uo your sleeves and get on with it!’ or ‘who do you think you are?’ ‘pride comes before a fall’ .. and so on. Children in the current times are more encouraged to put themselves first in an increasingly narcissistic society but that too, is devoid of self compassion. Self-centredness and self-compassion are two very different things.

“Self-compassion is simply the process of turning compassion inward. We are kind and understanding rather than harshly self-critical when we fail, make mistakes or feel inadequate. We give ourselves sup port and encouragement rather than be ing cold and judgmental when challenges and di culty arise in our lives. Research indicates that self-compassion is one of the most powerful sources of coping and resilience we have available to us, radi cally improving our mental and physical wellbeing. It motivates us to make chang es and reach our goals not because we’re inadequate, but because we care and want to be happy” Kristin Neff

Self compassion is about treating our selves with the same kindness and ac knowledgement with which we treat others. Our expectations of ourselves are always harsher than our expectations of others. When we are dealing with life’s challenges it is essential that we learn to give ourselves the time and the kindness to take stock of just what we are dealing with and recognise that it is in the best interests of everyone that we do so.

It is not easy to change ingrained habits or to silence the little voice which is so diligent in reminding us how flawed we are. But, as Kristin Neff points out so well, it is one of our most powerful sources of coping …. Radically improving our mental and physical well being.”

sELF

My younger brother has had a stroke and I am his next of kin, his big sister and therefore his surrogate mother. It doesn’t matter that he is 60 years old or that he is a youthful, fit, active, healthy 60 year old, he is my little brother and my heart is breaking. He had a brain bleed three months ago and was making excellent progress, had come to stay with me while we worked on him regaining full health. He felt a bit odd one day last week and before we knew it, he had had anoth er, … this time an aneurysm - a massive brain bleed - and given two hours to live. That was nine days ago and he has come through four separate medical proce dures and basically defied all odds to stay alive. He opened his eyes two days ago and is focusing, letting us know that he is in there, still with us and not ready to drift over to the other side just yet. I am effec tively carrying this myself, though I have a very supportive partner who keeps re minding me to be gentle with myself and to acknowledge the enormity of what I am dealing with. My brother’s life in its entirety, is balanced in my hands to a large extent. I am his source of communi cation and I am acutely aware of the gift that I have been given and therefore that I have the inner strength and capacity to help this man on his journey wherever it may go. And to do it with grace and dig nity. For me to do this I absolutely must practice self-compassion.

IN THE DIFFICULT DAYS AND TIMES IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING I FEEL IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO ABOUT, UNDERSTAND AND BEGIN TO PRACTICE SELF COMPASSION. BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS SELF COM PASSION?

I find so often that when I choose a sub ject to research and write about that life gives me the opportunity to walk my talk! So, it is hardly surprising that I am now being given the opportunity to walk my talk of self compassion. And, I can tell you first hand, it is not easy.

Do not wait till something so extreme happen in your life before you conscious ly begin to allow yourself some self-com passion. I have been teaching these prac tices for many, many years and yet still I am caught unawares. But this is my op portunity to share with you, my readers, the essential value of taking care of our selves with love and compassion.

We can only give to others what we have enough of within ourselves and we only ever have one real relationship and that is the one with ourselves. The others are all reflections

Remember this …… First is God. Second is Self. Third is Others.

Kate Mchardy MA(Hons) PGCE MSPH

Spiritual coach, teacher and healer. katemch@gmail.com The University of Light Group www.thehealingretreat.net Tel: +44 7712889534

WORDS BY KATE MCHARDY

HEALTH & WELLBEING

KEEPING WELL THIS

Christmas is a hectic time of year for most. The stress of Christmas preparations coupled with the cold winter weather leaves many feeling tired and sluggish; lack of sunlight (which disrupts our sleep / waking cycles) often adds to it all. This year, the Covid-19 pandemic has seen a number of additional challenges weigh on our minds: how to protect our most vulnerable, how to ensure we stay in touch despite restrictions in social “bubble” numbers, whether or not to take vaccines we may not have had before…

Recommended tips to promote physical health, mental health and overall well-being include:

• Keeping a regular routine by starting your day at roughly the same time. Although it is tempting to stay in pyjamas all day, a regular routine is essen tial for motivation, self-confidence and sense of purpose.

• Spending time outdoors in natural daylight on a regular basis. Make sure to wear a mask if you can not maintain a reasonable physical distance from those outside your network.

• Switching off in your free time – avoid engagement in any work or information that is not conducive to your mental health; ensure you have screen-free time at least an hour before bedtime.

• De-stressing with exercise or meditation or other activities that can be carried out as a family. Reg ular exercise helps to control weight and boost your immune system along with, improving pos ture, sleep quality, bone health and concentration. Family activities are also a great way to break the tension that can build if the family is constantly cooped up inside the house.

• Staying in touch with those you love is vital. Social connections are invaluable for providing support and easing anxiety; call by telephone, face time, fill out a festive card or write a letter.

• Eating healthy and avoiding the temptation to reach for unhealthy comfort food is especially important. Try to meet your your 5 A Day target of fruit and veg a day, opting for multiple colours to get the best intake of vitamins and minerals. Should you find your self craving sugary treats, try a juicy piece of fruit instead!

A warm bowlful of breakfast on a cold morning is a delicious way to start the day.

Try some porridge or Weetabix with a sliced banana, some ber ries or other fruit to add flavour.

• Keeping hydrated - opt for water as opposed to several juice drinks that inevitably increase your sugar intake. Avoiding excess consumption of al cohol; if you do decide to drink keep to recom mended units spaced out over several days.

• Refraining from smoking and ensuring that you, your children or pets stay away from exposure to second-hand smoke.

• Asking your local pharmacist for advice on how to treat symptoms for coughs, colds, sore throats, aches and pain; remembering that if you have any Covid symptoms it is important to stay home, iso late and call 111 for guidance.

• Making sure your medicine cabinet is adequately stocked and all supplies are not past their ‘sell by’ dates.

• Strongly considering vaccination if you have been advised to do so; ensure you get your information from the right sources before making your deci sion. Your GP/ Nurse Practitioner will likely provide the relevant reasoning at the time. The flu vaccine prevents several strains of the influenza virus, it also reduces the risk of flu related illnesses and de creases primary care visits by more than 40% [CDC,2020].

WORDS

BY KATHLEEN NORTH

A PRIVATE CONSULTATION WITH DR. MARCO VRICELLA OF ARIA MEDICAL GROUP COULD BE THE FIRST STEP TO WARDS CREATING THE 2023 YOU WANT.

NEW YEAR, NEW CONFIDENCE

Cosmetic surgery can really transform lives, creating a more confdent person. Facelifts, tummy tucks, liposuction and breast surgery including augmentation, uplift and reduction for example are all procedures which will make you look and feel your best, renewing your appearance. These are all pro cedures that address issues that cannot be signifcantly im proved with diet or exercise alone.

FREE, PRIVATE, CONSULTATION

To fnd out more please book a consultation with Dr Vricella at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar. All consultations are private and free. This is your opportunity to fnd out more, and to understand your suitability for a procedure, allowing you to make an informed decision.

FREE AFTERCARE

To fnd out more please book a consul tation with Dr Vricella at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar. All consulta tions are private and free. This is your opportunity to fnd out more, and to understand your suitability for a pro cedure, allowing you to make an in formed decision.

Tel: (+34) 671 639 353 Email: info@ariamedicalgroup.com

www.ariamedicalgroup

Throughout the winter months there are positive strategies we can adopt to help us enjoy this time of year:

MONITOR YOUR NEWS INTAKE

If you feel negatively impacted by the news, limit your exposure. Some people spend hours in front of the television watching cable news and getting fired up by the political dra ma. Try limiting your news exposure to 15 minutes, then shifting your at tention to something more uplifting, like a TV show or film you enjoy. The same applies to scrolling through social media apps. Limit your time and move on to a more rewarding activity.

STAY CONNECTED

Staying connected may seem easy with social media and new technolo gy, but some ways of connecting are better than others. While a simple text can make a difference to some one who is struggling as it lets them know you’re thinking about them,

HEALTH & WELLBEING

reaching out in other ways can be better. Try to make it a phone or video call rather than email or text, or meet up with that friend you ha ven't seen in a while if it’s safe to do so. You’ll share a lot more than you would over social media and talking can be a good way to tackle a prob lem you've been carrying around.

And if you know someone who might be lonely or on their own over Christmas, why not spend some time with them?

TRY TO STAY ACTIVE

The shorter days, colder weather and darker nights can put many of us getting outside as much. You also may find that you’re not able to do some of things you used to due to the pandemic. But finding ways to exercise and get outside can help protect your mental wellbeing. Why not take up an online exercise class, or go out on a daily walk during your lunch break?

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH

TAKE NOTICE

With so much going on it is import ant we appreciate what’s happening now, and not dwell on the past or worry about the future. Why not put a mindfulness book on your Christ mas list? It can be a great way to destress and train our brain to be in the moment.

LEARN

Learning can be fun, and also in crease our confidence. So take time out to read a book, learn how to use a new gadget or take up a new hob by.

VOLUNTEER

It feels rewarding to give so why not use some of your time off to volun teer for a cause you feel passionate about. It’s been proven that an act of kindness boosts your mood and increases your wellbeing.

SOME OF US CAN STRUGGLE WITH OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING DURING THE COLDER MONTHS AND IN THE RUN UP TO CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR. IT IS GENUINELY OK TO FEEL LIKE YOU ARE STRUGGLING.

START A GRATITUDE JOURNAL

Though it only takes five minutes a day, keeping a gratitude journal can signifi cantly elevate your mood and mental outlook. At the end of each day, write down at least one thing that you are grateful for that day. It can be as mi nor as, “I enjoyed the sandwich I ate for lunch.” What tends to happen is the nature of your thoughts will change. As you go about your day and consider what you are going to write down later, you’ll start paying more attention to the happier moments, shifting your narra tive from negative to positive.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

Most adults should aim for around sev en to nine hours of sleep per night. In the winter time, it can be tempting to turn up the heater and pile on the blan kets, but research shows sleeping in cooler temperatures is better for you. It can help with insomnia, reduce stress, and decrease depression. Try keeping your thermostat in between 60 and 68 degrees, but make sure you’re still com fy and not cold.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Dawn Baxter, is the founder of Beyond the Dawn Digital and is a marketing expert & certified positive psychology coach.

Dawn states ‘A great hack for missing the sunshine and coping with the win ter months can be to use youtube as your fake window friend. Luckily on youtube some wonderful humans have created some videos of scenes that in clude sunshine and beautiful scenery. This will not fix the feeling but can be comforting on the darker days.

The darker nights can make us feel as though our days are a lot shorter. If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a bird’s eye view of what is necessary and pick only the really important ar eas to tackle first. Consider your needs in the emotional, mental, and physical states as you do so and make it non-ne gotiable that you are considering your needs vs what needs to "get done" at the same level of priority. If you are a list maker, so many of us are, add realistic timescales to it and make the lists ac tually achievable otherwise all you are doing is creating another tool of emo

tional torture when you inevitably do not complete everything you set out to achieve. Take care of you, truly and the rest gets easier.

Using mind-mapping or journaling is an excellent way to lighten the men tal load. This is a technique used to re move thoughts or worries that would otherwise have you ruminating and preventing you from focusing on differ ent elements of your day. This might in clude important decisions you have to make, stresses from your day; anything that blocks you finding the level of re laxation and focus needed. Similarly a lovely technique to implement at the end of the day is to journal out some gratitudes; to lay out your final thoughts for the day. This acts as a visualisation to take off the weight of everything that has happened that day, as well as ev erything you might be planning for to morrow or the rest of the week.’

Dawn Baxter, Founder of Beyond the Dawn Digital,

There is nothing worse than waking up the day after a party with a hangover, but did you re alise that this is caused by etha nol, a substance found in alcohol which is a toxic chemical which, among other uses, is used as an industrial solvent added to gas oline for vehicle fuel!

It’s no surprise therefore that ethanol is responsible for some nasty effects in the human body, including dehydration, disrupt ed sleep, electrolyte imbalance and an upset stomach. With this in mind it is a good idea to focus on healthy drinks as a substitute for alcohol and to keep your body hydrated.

DRINKS THAT SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

There are drinks that you can make yourself to support your immune system.

Hot lemon and ginger tea - lem on and ginger are both full of antioxidants and vitamins, so drinking a cup every day can be good for your immune system.

Berry smoothie - berries are really good for you as they’re full of the vitamins your body needs.

Orange or grapefruit juice - a glass of your favourite citrus juice every morning with your breakfast will give your body some much-needed vitamin C

Alternatively, Captain Kombu cha Original Bio-Organic Drink from Holland & Barrett is a de licious naturally bubbly drink with unique nutritional benefits. Every bottle is created and fer mented with Captain Kombu cha culture and only the highest quality certified BIO ingredients.

VITAMINS

Keeping your immune system healthy and functioning is es sential and one of the best ways to support your natural immuni ty is to nourish your body with the essential vitamins and min erals it needs to thrive (the ones your body can’t make by itself).

There isn’t just one vitamin that helps to support the immune system, there are a few! Here are some of the best vitamins to keep topped up if you want a healthy functioning immune system:

Vitamin A is essential for the normal functioning of the im mune system. Some sources of vitamin A include eggs, cod liver oil, and dark green leafy vege tables.

Vitamin C helps support the cellular functions needed for a healthy immune system. Orang es, orange juice, kiwi fruit, toma toes, strawberries broccoli, and red/green peppers are some of the best sources.

Vitamin B6 (also known as pyr idoxine) helps support our im mune systems, as well as ner vous system function, protein metabolism, and red blood cell formation. It’s usually found in animal products like pork, fish and eggs and plant foods like chickpeas, wholegrains, banan as, squash and more.

Vitamin B9 (Folic acid). Also known as folate, vitamin B9 plays an essential role in chemi cal reactions in the body that af fect our immune system. Good sources of folic acid include broccoli, leafy green vegetables, and Brussels sprouts.

Vitamin B12 helps make nucleic acid and cell proteins associat ed with our immune system. You can find it in meat, fish, dairy, eggs, enriched nutritional yeast, fortified milks and mock meats.

Vitamin D helps to keep your immune system functioning normally. We make most vitamin D by exposing our unprotected skin to direct sunlight.

Taking vitamins such as milk thistle in the form of Holland & Barrett Over Indulgence Milk Thistle Capsules or Overhang Revitalising Drink With Milk Thistle can help with recovery from excessive food and drink intake. Alternatively, take a multi-vitamin and multi-miner al formula tablet such as Hol land & Barret Radiance Multi Vitamins & Minerals One a Day which provides all round nutri tional support for adults.

SUPERFOODS

One of the biggest ways you can support your immunity is to eat a healthy diet. Superfoods, which are so-called as they are believed to be nutritionally dense, contain a variety of nutri ents such as vitamins, fibre and antioxidants that can benefit your overall health. These tips can help you get more super foods into your diet:

Look at the colours on your plate. Is all of your food brown or beige? Then it is likely that antioxidant levels are low. Add in foods with rich colour – choose the veg you like!

Add shredded greens to soups and stir fries.

Try replacing your beef or poul try with tofu or another meat alternative.

WORDS BY JO WARD

Add berries to oatmeal, cereal, salads or baked goods. Start your day with a tasty bowl of porridge made from Prewetts Coarse Oatmeal which is avail able from Holland & Barrett and is high in natural fibre

Make sure you have a fruit or a vegetable every time you eat, including meals and snacks.

Have a daily green or matcha tea. Try Heath & Heather Or ganic Imperial Matcha Tea Bags from Holland & Barrett.

Make turmeric, cumin, orega no, ginger, clove, and cinnamon your go-to spices to ramp up the antioxidant content of your meals.

Snack on nuts, seeds (espe cially Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds) and dried fruit (with no sugar or salt added). Holland & Barrett Nut Mix contains Brazils, Cashews, Walnuts, Almonds and Pecans, all rich in vitamins, fibre and protein. Advisory Information: Food

This year we will be helping the chil dren to write a letter to Santa! We will also read “Dear Santa” by Rod Camp bell to our toddlers at story time. It’s the follow-up to the classic Dear Zoo. Our toddlers love to lift the flaps to unwrap each present, until Santa finds the perfect present. The repeating phrases are ideal for a pre-read er. Another favourite is “How the Grinch stole Christmas” by Dr Suess. Its rhymed verses and unique illustrations make it a fun for parents to read aloud to their children.

Remember paper doilies? They make the perfect stencil for snowflakes. For one of PACS Christmas crafts we simply secure the doily to a paper plate with paper clips. Tod dlers apply paint usually dark blue using a sponge. Then they simply peel off the doily to reveal the snow flake pattern. A perfect short winter craft for toddlers. Another fun craft is painting

pinecones to make mini-Christ mas trees. Toddlers paint a pine cone using green paint and then add glitter and sequins to decorate. Its also great fun to find your own pine cone if you can make it to the woods for a winter walk with the family.

Sensory Storytime will have lots of glit ter, sparkle, fairies, elves and snowman and at Cooking Club we will make Christ mas cookie jars as gifts for the family. Whether they are store bought or home made, toddlers love decorating Christ mas cookies with icing and sprinkles. In fact, some of their creations have more sprinkles than biscuit. We’ll also be mak ing Bread & Butter pudding. Always a firm favourite.

We hope you can join us at our sessions this December to get into the Christmas spirit. Or try these stories, crafts and rec ipe ideas at home.

Whether you are celebrating your baby’s first Christmas or have excited toddlers and pre-schoolers who are beginning to understand the magic of Christmas, we wish you a wonderful Christmas.

In the eyes of children, we find the joy of Christmas; in their hearts we find the meaning.

TOTALLY TODDLERS - 10.00 - 12.00PM

Mid Harbours Family Centre. Come join us for Storytime, craft and play.

BUMPS & BABIES - WEDNESDAYS 9.30AM - 12PM

The Living Room Café (Methodist Church). Our regular social catch up for parents to be and babies in a home from home atmosphere. This is a relaxed session where parents can meet up with their young babies to enjoy a cup of tea, make friends and talk about the highs and lows of parenting.

COOKING CLUB – WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY 12.30 – 2.15PM

The Methodist Church. A fun session aimed at toddlers aged from 2.5 upwards giving children the chance to make and try different foods. Booking required.

SENSORY STORY TIME – THURSDAYS 1.00 – 2.00PM

The Methodist Church. Come join us for some interactive Story Time Fun! Different themes every week!

DIDDY DISCOVERERS – FRIDAYS 9.45 -11.45AM

The Methodist Church. Come join us for free play, story time and song time fun!

MONTHLY CRAFT CLUBS

Ages 2.5 upwards. Details will be announced on our Facebook page.

FEATURE FEATURE

THE LADIES THAT ROCK THE R CK

AS PART OF THE PLANS FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023 EVENTS, AND FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF THE BOOK “THE LADIES THAT ROCK THE ROCK”, BY THE AUTHOR AYELET MAMO SHAY, A NEW AWARD PROGRAM HAS BEEN LAUNCHED, CALLED: THE LADIES THAT ROCK THE ROCK AWARD.

This Award program will give the oppor tunity for the people of Gibraltar to nomi nate ladies who have contributed to Gibral tar, from all walks of life, to be recognised and rewarded for their achievements and ef forts. A committee com prising of both men and women, from different walks of life, including a representative from the Ministry of Equality, will select the winning nomi nations.

The program will culmi nate with a Gala Dinner to be held on 8th March 2023 (International Women’s Day) at the Sunborn Ho tel, where the Award Ceremony will take place, with one of the awards to be presented by the Minister of Equality, Samantha Sacramento.

There are seven Awards to be won as part of this program, for the fol lowing categories:

• Business Leader Award

• Diversity & Inclusion Award

• Influencer Award

• Health & Wellness Award

• Women in Media Award

• Social Impact Award

• Lifetime Achievement Award

Commenting on the Award pro gram, Ayelet Mamo Shay said: "

The book The Ladies That Rock

The Rock has triumphed the suc cess of 22 inspirational ladies in Gibraltar, and last year we celebrat ed that with a gala dinner, an ex hibition and a ladies delegation to Morocco. However I feel that there

are many incredible ladies out there that have done so much for Gibraltar and deserve the recog nition. We are invit ing individuals and companies across Gibraltar to partic ipate in the Award program, submit their nominations, champion Equality and celebrate Inter national Women’s Day with us".

Mamo Shay added: "Last year 10% of the proceeds of the Gala Dinner and the book launch were donated to Jane Wink foun dation(families in need). This year our focus is on the youth and we will be donating hundreds of cop ies of the book to local schools to inspire the young generations".

The Nomination form can be ob tained by email by sending a re quest to: TheLadiesThatRock@ gmail.com

Deadline to submit nominations is 7pm on 31 December 2022.

GIBRALTAR

GIBRALTAR

Rock on the MARRIED

HOROSCOPES HOROSCOPES

Horoscopes 2023

ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20)

Your sharp intellect will be called into action in the first part of the year, Aries, when you find yourself solving problems, not just for yourself but for others around you! This will in volve looking at your life in a whole new way and you are guided to look at various aspects of your life from a different perspective. So, tap into your creative genius and explore possibilities that you would not have previously considered. This should also help to resolve a financial issue which has been dogging you for some time and as we move towards springtime you will have a clear feeling of relief and liberty.

Like a weight has been taken from your shoulders. As sum mer becomes autumn, you are encouraged to spread your wings further and fly! Have fun, be curious and enjoy the new potential that you are allowing to flow into your life. Be year end you’ll be experiencing a life force and vitality that you had thought was available only to others.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21)

You’ll be learning lessons in love this year, Taurus. Not the usual lessons but the unconditional love associated with the higher frequencies. You’ll learn to express your love confi dently within the social structure of your family, in particu lar, without the added pressure of expecting some form of reassurance and reciprocation. As the year progresses, you will take this new found confidence and finally be able to acknowledge your own special qualities and rejoice in your uniqueness. The summer months find you ready to bring about change in the dynamics of your family or wider com munity and a willingness to stand up and be counted. When you know something is right for you the Universe will ensure that it is everyone’s best interests that it unfolds. Self-disci pline is the basis for mastery of all things and that included you!

WORDS BY KATE MCHARDY

HOROSCOPES HOROSCOPES

GEMINI (May 22 - Jun 22)

The year, 2023 promises to put you into the role of teacher, Gem ini! However, do not panic as this will manifest more as teaching by example rather than formally. The energies in the Universe are changing rapidly and many people are becoming physically sick or insecure and unhappy as their comfort zones change and even slip away. Your amazing gift of communication was virtually born for this time and you will be flitting here and there throughout the year helping people to feel safe and secure and even excited about what lies in store in the years ahead. The world needs love and people need to feel confident in the ability to share love …. And you will be out there doing just this. By the time the year end is approaching you’ll find yourself on a whole new trajectory which you’d never have imagined possible a few short months ago.

CANCER (Jun 23 - Jul 22)

This year you’ll be called upon to honour your natural mothering and nurturing qualities, Cancer. These aspects of your nature are going to be indispensable in supporting some close friends or family who need the safe space that you can offer. Spend some time during January centering yourself and creating your own in ner balance so that you feel protected enough within yourself to give without being drained. As the year progresses, you’ll be do ing more self - healing work as you begin to value yourself more and come to understand that this is the only way to go forward in your chosen path and be an effective healer with other souls. As Autumn gives way to Winter you need to be appraising and re or ganizing your finances. Our finances always reflect our sense of self - worth so there is much to be learned. from becoming comfortable in working with them.

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 23)

The energy of 2022 is calling upon you to work a little more on un derstanding others’ needs, Leo, and also improving your listening skills and personal interaction. This will help you to plant seeds of light within your immediate family and social circle. Your profes sional contacts may a little more difficult as they may not be com fortable with a new, more confident you and you will simply need to be patient. When you feel the need to centre yourself, then work with your breath. Focusing on slowly releasing the outbreath is a wonderful way to centre and ground yourself. There may well be a new addition to the family in springtime and also cause for cele bration around the time of your birthday which will mean a double celebration. An opportunity for overseas travel will present itself... Much to your delight.

VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sep 23)

2023 is a year of major change for you Virgo. Your purpose throughout the year is to nudge people towards enlightenment and to hold their light and inner power as the world energy rollercoasts towards a time of peace and harmony. Difficult though it may be to imagine at the moment, deep down we know this is what is hap pening and that our role in it is crucial. So, be alert for unexpected change in your social circle, particularly around mid-March and be careful to raise your consciousness to avoid drawing in a negative energy. Set pure intentions so that you attract only good things. You have skills and talents that help you to get around obstacles that others find too challenging and these skills will be called upon as the year progresses. Your creativity and intuitive understanding will lead the way for yourself and others to let go of the old and bring forth the new as you say goodbye at year end.

LIBRA (Sep 24 - Oct 23)

Your leadership qualities will be called upon this month, Libra, and in your gentle, practical way, you will rise to the occasion. You have courage, balance and a sense of justice in your soul and you are able to balance these qualities with the more feminine virtues of love, tenderness and wisdom. The world needs you at this time! There are many people feeling vulnerable and afraid as they nav igate the huge changes happening on our planet and throughout the year, you’ll be developing a greater confidence in your innate ability to support and nurture many. As the year progresses you may be drawn to working with crystals. This is part of your path and you are guided to follow your intuition and dive into learning just the power of these beautiful tools which you will then be using for your healing work with yourself and others.

SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22)

You may well start the year feeling out of alignment with those around you. Scorpio, however, this will pas as things settle into Springtime. Spring is, as we know, about new life and inspiration and always a beautiful reminder of the seasons of life continual ly coming around. Thus, you’ll be planting new seeds born of the fruit of your experience earlier in the year and your renewed un derstanding of believing in yourself and how much you are needed by dear Mother earth to help heal the planet. You can help yourself feel balanced by holding out your right hand and feeling a white dove landing gently. As you listen to it cooing gently in your ear you will tap into your inner peace and share it with who or wherev er comes into you mind. As you plant seeds of kindness, love and cooperation you will notice beautiful changes occurring all around you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 21)

The energy around you will feel lighter this year, Sagittarius. In many ways you will feel blessed though this may not be obvious initially. There will be blessings and blessings in disguise. You are being guided to practice gratitude, gratitude for those things that have already come your way and thus paving the way for more. As always, our fortunes in life are lessons for not just ourselves but for everyone else we come into contact with. When you become aware of this, there is no need to try, the Universe takes care of the rest. A niggling health issue will need attention around September so have it seen to, be patient and all will be well. A younger relative may need some reassurance or just a shoulder to lean on towards the end of the year. Just be there for them and allow them to unravel the situation in their own time.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 20)

This is the year when you learn to truly listen with your heart and soul, Capricorn. This way you will begin to understand what people are really saying. Use all your senses to note what they are truly imparting and what is going on inside them. This is the 5th dimen sional way of listening and is the way to discover more than you thought possible. It is listening from soul to soul. As the year pro gresses you will be drawn to colour. You will be working with colour and seeing colours more brightly than ever before. You will crave more colour in your home and surroundings. Colour allows the an gels to radiate their light and share their lessons. You are here on earth to learn everything you can while in a physical body and so you must take every opportunity to hone your gifts and help others on their journeys.

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19)

You may find yourself having to co-operate with others and even compromise against your inner feeling, Aquarius, but trust the Uni verse to guide you and know that it is all part of a plan for the higher good. Structure is important for us all to thrive and some times that mean giving way and letting go. Thus, we can each play our best part even if the ego objects. Spend some time during the summer months, making your home more welcoming and harmo nious. Those little things that have been irking you because you know they need adjusting and realigning. You can even widen this to your local community. For example, instead of being irritated by litter you could start to pick it up and inspire others to do the same. People, in general need to reclaim respect for our beautiful planet and it begins in small ways and by example.

PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20)

During this great transition, Pisces, we are all being called upon to act from a deeper place within than we have ever even known about before. Your guidance at this time is to be free and indepen dent within your given community, thus experiencing a sense of space and independence without losing the safety of the group. If, at any time you feel misunderstood (and you will), remember that you have an inner wisdom which will always remind you of your true essence, which may not always be recognised but is always there. Throughout the autumn months you may be called upon to carry out some fairly menial tasks and you will do so with joy as you realise that it is part of your contribution to caring for Mother earth. Continue to develop your sense of self worth and learn to value your uniqueness and many will be drawn to your energy.

ADOPT

DON'T SHOP

Dogs

Rio is about 1,5 years old, he arrived at the pound in April 2022 with another small dog after spending his short life so far on a chain. He gets on with all dogs and is a confident, fun boy that needs a home with a very secure garden, another female dog and humans that are home a lot.

More info: www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk

Scotty is around 3 years old and gets on well with children and other dogs and has lived inside with cats before. He loves being with people and playing, he is currently living with lots of other dogs in a foster home but he is looking for a permanent home where he can be part of the family. More info: www.ainf.gi

GORDO

Gordo is almost three years old and has a beautiful nature. He is very loving and gentle with children and good with other dogs. He lost an eye after being attacked by a cat but remains a gentle and loving boy. Gordo is struggling in kennels and is desperate for a new family home where he can relax and enjoy life, please help this lovely boy have the life he deserves. More info: www.ainf.gi

Bandolero arrived in June 2022 and was about 6,5 years old. Poor Bandolero did have a home before but he was out with his owner one day, she didn’t have him on a lead or with the correct documentation so he was taken from her and brought to the pound. For reasons unknown, she has not come to collect him, so now he is stuck in a cage all day every day. Poor boy.

Pets are companion animals, adding one to your household should be a well thought out process where the pros and cons are careful ly weighed. Purchasing or acquiring animals on a whim often leads to a spate of unwanted animals soon after and also to many deaths of pets through sheer ignorance of people who do not know the requirements and costs of looking after animals.

An animal acquired as a pet has many re quirements that the new ‘care provider’ has to adhere to. The animal will need shelter, food and water and someone to care for it every day, they don’t know it’s a weekend or you are away for a couple of days etc etc.

Christmas Pet Safety Tips

Christmas is a wonderful time of year – but not always for your pets! Here are some tips for keeping your pets out of danger.

Food to avoid giving your pet at Christmas

• Alcoholic beverages

• Chocolate (can be toxic to pets especially dark chocolate and cocoa powder)

• Coffee

• Mouldy or spoiled foods

• Salt

• Chicken or Turkey bones (they can splinter)

• Raisins and grapes have on rare occasions caused acute irreversible renal failure in dogs, so be aware of this.

Avoid giving your pet any of your leftovers as this can cause diarrhoea. This is particular ly the case with dogs that are used to a dried

diet, owners often feel that their pet has to partake in the Christmas binge and this can result in acute gastroenteritis.

Also keep your pet away from cooked bones: they can splinter or get lodged in your pet’s throat or can cause serious damage by punc turing the intestinal tract.

Pet hazards around the Christmas tree

• Fallen Christmas tree needles are very sharp and can easily get stuck in your pet’s paws or throat. Sweep tree needles up reg ularly.

• Do not hang your chocolates from your Christmas tree: they can be toxic and your pet will be tempted if he can see and smell them.

• Cover up electric cords and flashing tree lights so your pet can’t chew them and electrocute himself.

• Try using fairy lights that don’t flash as some pets when up close can get very scared by these.

• Christmas tree decorations can cause a nasty accident or be fatal to your pet. Cats, and young pets especially, will show a great interest in decorations hanging from your tree. Try to use unbreakable decora tions and nothing too small. Avoid tinsel or ribbons as these are dangerous to the gastrointestinal tract if your pet swallows them. I have on numerous occasions had to perform lifesaving surgery on cats who have swallowed long strands of tinsel.

• Be very careful with any balls purchased for your dog to play with, if they are large enough to swallow but too small to pass through the intestines they will cause an obstruction.

• Make sure your tree is well anchored so your pet can’t pull it over.

• Cats have a fetish for eating tinsel, on many an occasion I have to operate on cats as a result of this. On one occasion the cli ent waited too long before presenting the cat for surgery and sadly the animal died

Other Christmas dangers to pets

• Remember loud noises will panic your pet, such as Christmas crackers, poppers, bal loons, and champagne bottles.

• Remove your Christmas wrapping paper (and toys) from the floor to avoid your pet chewing or swallowing it.

• For your pet’s safety this Christmas always buy your pet’s presents from a reputable outlet.

• In many households this is often the only time of year that your pet is exposed to large gatherings of noisy excitable people and children. This can scare your pet, and this may result in unusual behaviour, plac id dogs have been known to get aggressive in this scenario. Therefore make sure your pet has some place where it can find a de gree of sanctuary.

• Locally lilies and poinsettias are seen as common Christmas decorations; these are poisonous to pets and must be kept well out of reach.

WORDS BY MARK PIZARRO

DON'T SHOP ADOPT

MILAN

Milan

MISSY

More info: (Facebook) @SaveGibStreetCats

Missy is looking for a home as her owner is sadly unable to keep her due to health reasons. She is a friendly, affectionate 11 year old girl who is best suited to a home that is experienced with cats, but one without other cats or young children.

is an incredibly loving and affectionate 4 year old boy who loves both human company and to lay upside down, showing you just how comfortable he is! We think he arrived in Gibraltar uninten tionally via boat and he’s now looking for his forever family. Milan is good with kids, but best homed as an only cat.

Gibraltar’s middle eastern cultural connections takes form in this Israeli inspired dish known as Shakshouka or Shakshuka. Usually served as a hot breakfast dish or light lunch, this dish, meaning “all mixed up” is best enjoyed with a roll or a few slices of bread to soak up all that lovely sauce.

It’s no surprise that with Gibraltar’s vibrant Jewish communi ty, this delightfully simple dish ended up in my diet. However, I’m not saying this is the traditional way of making it or by any means the only way, but this is how I’ve come to enjoy my Shakshouka dish with great pleasure.

METHOD

Dice your onion into little piec es and fry until soft, do the same with your peppers and add to the frying pan. Stir ev erything together, frying until soft and tender.

Once these are ready, chop up fresh tomatoes and add to your red onions and peppers. Fry until these reduce and soften.

Pour in the tomate triturado and season with salt, a pinch of sugar and a teaspoon of pi

menton dulce, taste until satis fied.

Stir the ingredients in the pan and crack four eggs through out the pan over the tomato mixture. Cover the pan and leave over a low heat until the eggs turn white and cook throughout.

Season with parsley and spar ingly sprinkle over the finely sliced spring onions

Have you been allocated a new home at Hassan Centenary Terraces, Bob Peliza Mews or Chatham Views?

Have you been allocated a new home at Hassan Centenary Terraces, Bob Peliza Mews or Chatham Views?

If so, do you need help with your monthly instalments?

If so, do you need help with your monthly instalments?

Our new Affordable Housing Bridging Loan will help you meet your deposit requirements to buy your new home.

Our new Affordable Housing Bridging Loan will help you meet your deposit requirements to buy your new home.

Your Local Bank offering Local Solutions

Your Local Bank offering Local Solutions

For a free initial review with no obligation contact our team representative Kayley Danino on 200 13900 or email her at gibraltar@gibintbank.gi to discuss your requirements. We are here to help.

For a free initial review with no obligation contact our team representative Kayley Danino on 200 13900 or email her at gibraltar@gibintbank.gi to discuss your requirements. We are here to help. traditonal banking with a modern feel gibintbank @gibintbank www.gibintbank.gi |+350 (200) 13900 | Gibraltar International Bank Ltd, PO Box 1375, Ince’s House, 310 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA

traditonal banking with a modern feel gibintbank @gibintbank www.gibintbank.gi |+350 (200) 13900 | Gibraltar International Bank Ltd, PO Box 1375, Ince’s House, 310 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA

Gibraltar International Bank Limited is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Company Registration Number 109679

Gibraltar International Bank Limited is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Company Registration Number 109679

We hope and trust you have a fabulous, happy and a peaceful Christmas, from all at BMI Group.

WORDS

BMI GROUP ESTATE AGENTS

BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT