Nยบ 189 โ ข DECEMBER 2018
SIR JOE & THE ODDS Globe Magazine Gibraltar
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GLOBE MAGAZINE JULY 2015 5
6 MARCH 2017 GLOBE MAGAZINE
CONTENTS
Nº 189 - DECEMBER 2018 08
AT LA PAMPA, EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
12
THE MOST POPULAR LUXURY WATCH BRANDS OF 2018
18
THE LEXUS NX RANGE
24
ARE YOU A BULLY, HERE’S HOW TO TELL
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CHRISTMASES THEN SIR JOE AND THE ODDS
40
A BOY FROM RED SANDS
48
THE 2018 GIBUNCO INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL
CREDITS
52
A BOY FROM RED SANDS BOOK PRESENTATION
Front Cover: ‘SIR JOE & THE ODDS’- Sir Joe Bossano; The Odds: Douglas McMahon, Denis Valerga, Arturo Bonich and Henry Valerga Photography: Michael John Duran
56
ORION HOUSE RECEIVES A HERITAGE COMMENDATION
58
THE BEST RECIPES OUR CUISINE
60
WHAT’S HAPPENING DOWN TOWN?
64
ISOLAS JONATHAN GARCIA APPOINTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT GFIA
65
IDO VICE-PRESIDENT SEAMUS BYRNE AT THE 2018 WORLD TAP-DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
66
MUSICAL LEGENDS AND ARTISTS FROM UB40 AND DIRE STRAITS FLY INTO THE COSTA DEL SOL TO UNVEIL THEIR NEW EXHBITION
68
UB40’s BRIAN TRAVERS AND DIRE STRAITS JOHN ILLSLEY EXHIBIT 20 ARTWORKS AT THE KEMPINSKI HOTEL BAHIA
72
HOSTING A CHRISTMAS DINNER PARTY
74
SANTA AND THE ‘SHROOMS’
80
GRAND OPENING OF THE HALL OF FAME
84
NIMROD MESSEG EXHIBITION UNVEILED AT THE KEMPINSKI HOTEL BAHIA
86
FOCUS ON: 13 TATTOO PALACE
92
THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 2018
94
HOW THE BEANO SURVIVED WAR AND THE WEB TO REACH ITS 80TH BIRTHDAY
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Globe Magazine Gibraltar The views and opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine may not necessarily represent the views of the publishers. CONDITIONS: Globe Magazine cannot accept responsability for the claims, goods or services of advertisers. The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions.
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At La Pampa, their experience makes the difference! ‘Our Experience Makes the Difference!’ That’s a well chosen maxim when describing lunching or dining at La Pampa because it basically means, years of doing things the right, professional way produces the finest results...Simply the best, for you to enjoy! a selection of ‘Provoletra’ or cheeses is also on the menu and the kids too, can enjoy mini milanesas, as well as, their incredible burgers. At ‘La Pampa’, there’s an ‘off the menu’ choice of specials like, rice black pudding, American angus shoulder of beef, ribeye, pork spare ribs in a barbeque sauce and the options just goes on and on, and if you’re just feeling a bit peckish, tapas can be served with your favourite drink... “Over time our menus have evolved,” Pampa Director, Ara Cano informs me, “You’ll find vegetarian and vegan choices are now provided for in our menus and we’re constantly conscious of our customers’ wishes. We are very mindful also of service at the restaurant to be carried out by our staff in a pleasant manner and to always be aware of the customer’s needs.” Text by Richard Cartwright
It’s so easy to find: cross the frontier on foot, through the shopping walkway to the end and there it is right in front of you at the start of La Plaza de la Constitution, at No. 4 – ‘La Pampa’ Argentinian Grill - ready to serve you, offering a wide selection of grilled meats and more plus a variety of well known dishes, which at La Pampa, are totally made in house with no additives and wholly fresh: things 8 GLOBE MAGAZINE
like, Empanadas, Milanesas, Hamburgers, Hidden Eggs (boiled egg buried in a sort of meatball) – all ‘La Pampa’ originals, where none of the above are bought-in ready-made. Many of their dishes are served with boiled potatoes and ‘Chimi Churri’ sauce, again homemade but you can order other side dishes too. There’s a wide-ranging selection of dishes for your choice, from starters to main course and much more in between: mixed grills such as
Argentinean chorizo and black pudding, salads and tapas - and here are more examples to tease your taste buds: top loin steak, tenderloin steak Pampa style, Iberian pork grill, chicken grill, beef, chicken and pork skewers, your empanadas or pasties can be spicy and include ham and goat’s cheese, there’s an assortment of ‘montaditos’ or mini rolls with anything and everything for you to choose from. Their list of ‘La Pampa’ specials is mouth watering,
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La Pampa’ has been open for 13 years come February next year and still going strong. They have a sister ‘La Pampa’ in Algeciras, which opened for 3 years later and for which Antonio Almagro has been instrumental in both ventures. Furthermore, the firm has the added advantage of relying on Antonio’s vast experience as a former butcher when selecting meat cuts. Obviously, you can’t go wrong! Even though the Algeciras restaurant opened a few years later, it is obviously La Linea’s ‘La Pampa’ the more convenient for Gibraltar customers and don’t forget, you can enjoy La Pampa’s great selection of wines from Spain, other wine producing countries and beers without a ‘driving’ problem as you can walk in and out of La Linea with the restaurant being 10 GLOBE MAGAZINE
a stone’s throw away from the Frontier... “I must tell you about a drinking innovation that was established here, at ‘La Pampa,’” Ara declares, “La Jarra de Cerveza! We are the precursors of serving beer in clay jugs or beakers. We store the jugs in a freezer, then pour the beer into them and serve. Because of the porous properties of the clay jug the beer is constantly kept really
fresh for the duration of the customer’s drink!” This, of course, can apply to Tinto Verano, Sangria or any other beverage Ara tells me. And Director/Manager Ara Cano reveals the reason behind choosing the slogan, ‘Experience Makes the Difference’ ... “Yes, our grill chef is top class. Jose Urite has been doing this for many years
and knows exactly how to produce quality and best results. We like to look at it in three stages: excellence in buying the right meats, excellence in working the meat on the grill and absolute excellence when cut at the table - served on a main dish - and relished by you and your fellow diners. It all has to work seamlessly from beginning to end.” The meats procured for serving at La Pampa derive from a cross breed of Argentinian and North American cattle, hence the top quality! Lunching and dining at ‘La Pampa’ is a memorable experience and Gibraltar customers, old and new, are reminded they’re in the same place – they’ve not gone away! The restaurant can seat well over a hundred customers and many more in summer. If preferred, in the bar and adjacent area outside, there are high tables
and stools for a meal or just tapas and a couple of drinks. Takeaways are also served. Winter hours at `La Pampa’ are from 1pm to 4 and 8 to midnight on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays whilst remaining open till half past midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. They’re closed on Mondays. ‘Experience Makes the Difference’
anytime, at `La Pampa!’...Just saying! ‘La Pampa, Asador Argentino’ is situated at Plaza de la Constitucion 4, La Linea. For Bookings and reservations please phone La Pampa on +34 856 121 230 or e-mail: parrillalapampa@ gmail.com. ‘Experience Makes the Difference’ anytime, at ‘La Pampa!’...Just saying!
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The Most Popular Luxury Watch Brands of 2018
Article by Courtesy of Watch & Bullion
Here at Watch and Bullion, we’re true watch enthusiasts, stocking watches from all over the world with different styles, brands and price brackets. Whilst we all have our own
personal favourites, we thought it would be great to dive into the stats to see which brand is the most popular and how that popularity varies across different time zones. With us all spending a lot of our time on
the web, we wanted to rank our watch popularity a little differently. We’re going to start by comparing the way we hunt out our timepieces online, comparing search engine results from across the globe to see which of the big brands is truly the king of timekeeping.
The Undisputed No.1 We start off by looking into the big figures, the average number of searches for each brand across five of the biggest watch buying countries in the world; USA, UK, Italy, Germany and France. The scale goes up in 1000’s given the massive search volume across them all per month. It’s perhaps no surprise that our Top 10 highest search volumes include some of the giant names we all know and love. From 12 GLOBE MAGAZINE
the underwater heavyweight of Omega, to some up and comers in popular culture such as Hublot
and Audemars, all of the biggest brands take their place at the top of the tree.
The overall winner will come as no surprise to you either. Since their inception and rise through the early 20th century, Rolex not only pioneered the original wristwatch, but continue to blaze the trail of timekeeping today with popular pieces such as the Submariner, GMT Master and one of our personal favourites, the Daytona. If we break down the numbers, Rolex clock in a whopping 2 million searches a month across our 5 countries, with the USA alone breaking down to over 350,000 a month.
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Given the brand’s rich history and market dominance, it really comes as no surprise to see them leading the way, with the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation owned company producing over 1 million watches a year, more than enough to keep up with demand.
So,who’s vying for 2nd & 3rd Place? With Rolex dominating the top
USA Whilst having the accolade of being the first watch on the moon, we’re sure Omega will be equally pleased to pick up second place in Watch & Bullion’s most popular watch brand competition. Peaking just under 215,000 monthly searches, the Swiss brand was known to be a personal favourite of music legend Elvis Presley,
UK Given the relative size of the two countries, the search volumes for the UK front runners drops significantly, but the brand taking second spot doesn’t. With 68,000 monthly searches, Omega retains its dominance over second place as we move across into Europe.
France A quick jump over to mainland Europe means Cartier get a promotion from 3rd to 2nd which is perhaps no surprise given their strong French roots. As one of the largest brands in French history, Cartier’s HQ remains where it was born in Paris and with over 46,000 monthly searches, it’s no 14 GLOBE MAGAZINE
spot, it’s a race for the podium, and this one’s going down to the wire, especially when we break it down by country. Let’s start off across the pond in the USA.
“Rolex lead the global search statistics with over 2,000,000 searches a month worldwide” with modern day names such as George Clooney and Prince William often seen sporting an Omega piece. Whilst Cartier follow behind in 3rd place, their search volume drops down to around 140,000. The luxury French watchmaker is a fan favourite all over the world, but the slightly higher price point may be a factor to their lagging behind two leaders.
But 3rd place allows us to add a new name to the list; Tag Heuer. With strong sporting endorsements with the English Premier League and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton, Tag’s UK popularity is unquestionable, and at 63,000 searches, wasn’t too far away from taking 2nd spot.
surprise to see the conglomerate posting $6 Billion annual turnover figures in 2017. In third, a familiar name in Omega. Proving that alongside Rolex, the Swiss luxury watchmaker was a truly worldwide appeal.
“Omega prove their worldwide appeal with over 1 million monthly Google searches”
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Germany
its love of precision engineering across the globe, it only seems right that the aviation precision of Breitling makes the cut. With the brand sponsoring a number of aerobatics teams across the globe, over 51,000 Germans a month want to get their hands on their very own piece of military-grade timekeeping.
We finish off in Germany with Omega again appearing in our Top 3, taking the bronze medal! But our German friends have shot a brand new brand in our list up to second place, Breitling. With Germany renowned for
Italy
Cartier as our overall 3 rd place.
All of the big names stand fast with our Italian search results, with Omega and Cartier taking 2nd and 3rd spot respectively with 41,000 and 26,000 searches each. A notable mention at this stage is Montblanc who just missed out on 3rd place by 3,000 searches and make their only appearance in any of our Top 5’s.
So, what does it all mean? Alongside Rolex, Omega has a real penetration in the luxury watch market, both within the USA and Europe. Whilst Rolex have the prestige of being one of the original, most innovative and powerful brands on the planet, as a new watch enthusiast, you may need to spend more to get yourself
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“Swiss heavyweight Tag Heuer receive over 625,000 monthly Google searches”
The Podium
even the entry level Oyster. On the other hand, Omega do come in a little cheaper for a brand new piece, with prices for a new watch often creeping below £2,000. This entry level status may be a contributing factor to the high search popularity across the globe. Aside from Rolex and Omega, we have seen a number of other
brands breaking into the Top 5. Cartier consistently appeared in our roundup, with their relative popularity soaring in their homeland of France, as you would probably expect. Tag Heuer also made regular appearances: their low entry point also a potential contributing factor to their cross-continental popularity and they just about tip
So, it’s a 1,2,3 for Luxury Swiss Watches in our most popular showdown as Rolex takes 1st place, with Omega and Tag Heuer jostling closely between them for 2nd and 3rd respectively. All 3 have great pedigree, fantastic ranges and strong brand recognition across the globe; coming together to clock up a massive 3.6 million searches a month across our 5 surveys countries. Fancy getting your hand on your very own piece of Luxury? As always, head over to the Watch & Bullion store to find your next great timepiece.
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The 2018 Lexus NX Range
Despite its aggressive styling, the NX 300h is an even more ‘sensible-shoes’ compact SUV than the NX 300 upon which it is based. It retains the visual attitude of its stablemate while delivering even better fuel economy Since its launch in 2014, the Lexus NX crossover has quickly established itself as a key player in the Lexus range accounting for more than 30 per cent of Lexus European sales since its launch. It has been successfully attracting customers - many of them new to the brand - with its combination of luxury, cool and contemporary design, intelligent packaging and enjoyable driving dynamics. Its sales success has been further supported by a choice of petrolelectric self-charging hybrid and petrol ‘power-trains’, plus front and all-wheel drive options. 18 GLOBE MAGAZINE
the Lexus NX’s strong appeal, Lexus has initiated a package of revisions and improvements, covering exterior and interior styling, safety, driving dynamics and equipment features with the Safety System+ standard in all NX Models. The new NX made its European debut at the 2017 Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) and reached European retailers from November 2017. Its performance has been stronger than even Lexus anticipated, breaking sales forecasts in all the
world markets where it is available, including Europe. To build on that momentum and maintain
The strong design essence of the NX has been preserved in the 300h but given stronger visual
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can make 66bhp, but its output is capped when combined with the other motor and the engine so that no matter whether you’re in a two-wheel-drive or four-wheeldrive NX, the rated 194bhp output stays the same – as does the 9.1sec 0-62mph claim.
impact with a number of detailed changes including a new-look spindle grille, reshaped front bumper and LED headlamp units with sequential LED turn indicators. At the rear, there are adjustments to the form and finish of the lower rear bumper and new lamp clusters. New alloy wheel designs have also been produced. An F Sport option package is again available; it turns up the aggression with its black mesh grille and different wheels as is an Executive Package. Many advanced driver safety systems, including forward collision mitigation, are now standard on every NX 300h. New features include power-folding mirrors, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a larger infotainment touchpad and screen. The Lexus NX 300h is available 20 GLOBE MAGAZINE
in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive versions, but in either case, the total power output at any given time is 194bhp.Only 153bhp of that is accounted for by the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. The rest is supplied by an electric motor and battery, which
at the front is rated at 141bhp. However, it doesn’t generate its maximum power at the same time as the engine. For the four-wheel drive system, there’s yet another electric motor, driving only the rear wheels. This
Six trim levels are offered across the range – S, SE, Sport, Luxury, F Sport and Premier. All are well equipped; even the entry-level S comes with adaptive cruise control, dual-zone climate, a reversing camera, DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity.
NX 300 F SPORT Revs Up Performance: The NX 300 F SPORT grabs the senses with its amped-up design, handling performance and sound. The F SPORT option ex-
terior also enjoys updates including a unique honeycomb front end with a more aggressive grille, optional Hi LED headlights and a lower bumper updated with more elegant chrome treatment. The front-end of the NX 300 F Sport achieves an even more aggressive appearance thanks to a revised lower bumper, rear lower bumper and tail lamps, an additional of laser fog light housing, larger exhaust opening and newly optional 18-inch F SPORT alloy wheels with All-Season or Summer tires. Enjoy the sound of an engine rev-
Body-hugging, quilted ‘NuLuxe’ sport seats are exclusive to the F SPORT, which also offers an exclusive interior colour, Circuit Red. The driver grips a perforated leather F SPORT steering wheel and brushed metallic gearshift.
Lexus LFA supercar. The driver can view real-time performance with the Lexus-first G-Force meter “G-ball” in the Multi Information Display. The G-ball moves in response to the vehicle’s lateral and longitudinal forces. The MID displays the peak force in each direction. Display bars indicate the steering angle, throttle opening angle and brake pressure. The MID also provides a turbo-boost display.
The F SPORT’s unique instrumentation was inspired by the
The F SPORT package exclusi-
ving? The Lexus NX 300 F SPORT obliges with Active Sound Control (ASC), which brings some of the engine note through the speakers and enhances it, with volume adjustable by the driver.
Lexus Luxury, by Design
vely offers perforated Black or Circuit Red ‘NuLuxe’, each accentuated by metallic trim. The F SPORT seats feature black accent strips with perforated ‘NuLuxe’ seat inserts and smooth bolsters. Genuine leather in Crème or Black distinguishes the Luxury package, which also trims the cabin with Linear Black Shadow Wood. The Lexus NX 300h can be viewed at Bassadone Motors, 42 Devil’s Tower Road, Tel: 200 79004, distributors in Gibraltar for Lexus.
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Are you a Bully? Here’s How to Tell
Text By Chantal Gautier (Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Westminster)
www.theconversation.com
From the playground to parrliament, bullying exists everywhere. In fact, a recent report into bullying in the UK’s parliament revealed just how serious this problem is, urging behavioural change among MPs. But why is bullying so widespread and difficult to tackle? Part of the problem is that bullies sometimes don’t even realize that they are bullies. For example, bullying managers may easily justify upsetting certain employees by telling themselves that they are only pushing
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them to be their best. Or they may be nice to the people they bully at times, and only remember those instances. They may even think that people who break down as a result of their behaviour are not strong enough to work in the profession in question. But how do you know you are actually bullying someone rather than just dealing with an overly sensitive person? Academics still disagree about how bullying should be conceptualised and defined. The first
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researcher to investigate bullying – in Norway – used the word ‘mobbing’ to describe it in 1973. Most Western countries have borrowed the English term for bullying, yet this is not always the case. Bullying may take many forms, from physical assault, verbal abuse and social exclusion to cyber bullying. Generally, to be considered bullying, the practice must be carried out either by an individual or a group, repeatedly over time, and with an intent to hurt an individual person. The fact that we have no clear definition might explain why it is sometimes difficult to estimate the prevalence of workplace bullying. In 2017, the Workplace Bullying Institute estimated that 60.3m workers in the US alone have been affected by workplace bullying. In the UK, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) reported having received 20,000 calls from workers related to bullying and harassment in 2016, many of whom were from an ethnic minority employed in the public sector or women who worked in traditionally male-dominated professions. The real figures may be distorted
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as bullying is not always reported, out of fear of retaliation or perhaps because the person affected might not realise they are being bullied. If your self esteem has been crushed, you may end up blaming yourself, thinking you are worthless and even justify
it may contribute to people failing pathy – a sense of understanding to recognise themselves as bullies. for how those affected might feel when they bully. This could also Some researchers have found evi- contribute to them failing to asdence that bullies actually score sociate their behaviour with buhigh in their social information llying. They may intend to hurt processing abilities, as it takes an individual in the brief moment a certain amount of skill to re- they are attacking them, but afterwards tell themselves that it wasn’t a big deal, that the victim somehow deserved it or that it was a one off.
RED FLAGS So how can you know whether you are a bully? It is not possible to “diagnose” in an article such as this, but if you think some of the points below apply to you, it may be worth paying attention to how you are treating others.
being bullied – not realising you are actually being abused.
LOW IQ STEREOTYPE Bullies have traditionally been viewed as having low IQ and being socially inept – lacking in social cognition. We now know that this often isn’t the case, but
1. You repeatedly upset someone around you. You may notice this if someone gets angry at you a lot, complains about your behaviour or is tearful often. These reactions are indeed a red flag and should cognize who to target and how. be taken seriously. What bullies often do is to seek out people with low self-esteem to 2. You have a lack of empathy. pick on. In doing so, they main- This is not always easy to recognitain their standing and increase ze in oneself. You may want to ask their confidence, which in turn people around you whether they raises their own self-esteem to think that is the case, or even take an empathy test. unrealistically high levels. However, bullies often lack em- 3. You can get aggressive. This
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may include openly shouting, threatening or humiliating someone in front of others. But it could also be passive aggressive comments, such as “Oh, you are doing it that way, that’s brave.” 4. You thrive around insecure people. If you make yourself feel better by evoking discomfort or insecurity in a colleague, that would be a classic sign of bullying. This could be done, for example, by persistently picking on someone or deliberately setting them up to fail.
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Bullying is especially likely to take place in stressful workplaces with poor leadership and a culture that rewards aggressive, competitive behaviour. We know that bullying can trigger an array of mental health issues including depres6. You misuse your power or posi- sion, burnout, increased absention about performance issues. For teeism, low self-confidence and example, you may intentionally stress. block someone’s promotion or take away duties and responsibilities Employers who do not provide a without any rationale or substance. safe environment for their emploOther possibilities include delibe- yees are in fact breaking the law. rately and persistently ignoring or While most countries have some excluding someone from joint co- sort of policy on tackling bullying in place (including Canada, Ausllaborations and social events. 5. You spread malicious rumours about a staff member. It may not seem like a big deal, but spreading rumours could make someone’s life a living hell – costing them professional and social success.
tralia, the Netherlands, Sweden, France and Denmark) we need a greater global push to recognize how widespread the problem is. Educating people about bullying is a positive step forward. This will also create a safer environment for victims to come forward. Hopefully, the change brought about by the #metoo movement with regards to sexual harassment will soon spread to include bullying. In the meantime, we should all make sure we are doing everything we can to treat others with respect.
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Christmases Then ‘Older’ generation Christmases were different; you received less, only indulged in reasonable amounts of food and drink but most notably of all, enjoyed the welcoming, warm and tender feeling of closeness of family and friends
Text by Richard Cartwright
The fact that the ‘the patio ambience’ of old, where neighbours lived so very closely with neighbours is no more, has meant that Christmases, - which were wonderful events year in year out – have become, in the eyes of many senior members of our community, uninspiring and lack lustre affairs. “That’s not to say that today’s youngsters don’t look forward and enjoy this time of the year and as they are not able to relate to those times many of us remember, they will look forward to having a good time and enjoy all those lovely presents today’s children and grandchildren receive at Christmas.” Those are the words of someone, who went through very poor Christmases in Spain after returning from the WW2 evacuation – a person now retired for many years who still vividly recalls... “I remember that during this time, the kids in the village would go out collecting asparagus (esparragos) and other vegetables for Christmas dinner and then we may have got a toy walking stick or something similar for Christmas 32 GLOBE MAGAZINE
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or for ‘Los Reyes.’ But polvorones and things like that were always there on the table and are still around today, of course.” Joe points to people’s values as the most important factor that has changed, especially at times like Christmas. “Yes, it’s not the same anymore. People don’t behave the same. Now you probably don’t even know who your neighbour is. Christmases in the 40s, 50s and 60s were full of fun, companionship and friendship. We would pop into our neighbours for a Christmas drink and a chat and they would come to our home on another night. You may remember ‘las comparsas’ that used to go round the streets in fancy dress singing Christmas songs with their ‘sambombas’ and ‘panderos.’ They would go from house to house singing for a drink and ‘un polvoron!’ Those are great memories and very happy times.” Joe tells me that because he was always been so busy working, he didn’t get that involved in the preparations for the ‘great event’ but I, also remember the Christmas mood in Main Street and all the other streets. The toy shops, ‘Raffo’ with the turkeys and Christmas goods, ‘el hombre de las castañas’ (the man selling roasted chestnuts) and there just was a lovely atmosphere. You could sense that Christmas feeling almost to the touch! Joe continues, “But at home, my wife used to do all the work especially at that time. I remember also, the making of Christmas decorations with cut out bits of coloured paper and flour and water to stick the bits together, so you see, we couldn’t even afford Christmas decorations but I know everyone had a lot of fun making these
things. It was a very modest way of life and not having very much didn’t matter. We were very lucky really.” And some families had even less: Chatting to some Mount Alvernia residents a few years ago, one gentleman told me
how his dad would take the leg of lamb or pork to work to have it cooked there because they didn’t have an oven at home and recalls he didn’t receive a single present because they couldn’t afford them! A lady resident remembers stocking foodstuffs like flour, sugar, dried fruits and
nuts in the weeks leading up to that all important festive event, and, like Joe, she too remembers it was a great family occasion where everyone was happy and had a good time. Another lady remembers sleeping on the kitchen floor with her brothers and sisters because it was a small house – “But you know what?” she said, ‘I remember Christmases then were lovely with all the family and they were happy times!” So, when reminiscing about Christmases of yesteryear, my friend Joe agrees that nowadays too much is spent on children during the year which is wasted. “Yes and that means that when Christmas comes around, it’s not the same anymore. It doesn’t have the same meaning because they get gifts at anytime during the year.” Perhaps also, in some cases, there isn’t that same closeness at this time compared to past Christmases in the sense that family members come by for Christmas dinner and then go off with their friends or to some function or other and that ‘all together’ family atmosphere is not maintained as much. Senior members of our community love reminiscing about Christmases past and accept that time moves on and so we have to leave it up to our new generations to spend the yuletide as befits their pleasure. But it’s a great time of the year for most and as far as the seniors are concerned, they want to wish everyone everywhere, and on the Rock especially, a very Merry Christmas, yes to all, young and old. “And kids, enjoy your many presents and have a great time, but for us… Christmases of the distant past, were better!” GLOBE MAGAZINE 35
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Sir Joe and The Odds Photographs by Michael John Duran
Following the successful launch of Henry Valerga’s book “A Boy From Red Sands”, recently knighted Minister for Economic Development, Joe Bossano agreed to have his picture taken with the four original members of 60’s ‘Beat’ group “The Odds”, who after
more than half a century, reunited and performed exclusively for the occasion. THE ODDS: Douglas McMahon, Denis Valerga, Arturo Bonich & Henry Valerga.
Shows the five of us walking casually down the pathway carrying our instruments
A parallel to the Beatles album Please, Please Me where the Fab Four pose looking down the stairwell of the EMI building
Sir Joe and me complete with my Taylor guitar and our beloved Rock behind us
Sir Joe and The Odds with the iconic Trinity lighthouse as backdrop 38 GLOBE MAGAZINE
Sir Joe &and The Odds
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‘A boy from Red Sands’ (Henry Valerga) He may have ended up running one of the UK’s top restaurants, or become Gibraltar’s most senior meteorologist. But we all have dreams and his was to make it in music... ‘Make it,’ being the operative word or phrase and that, he did, regardless of the craving for that ever elusive goal...of fame and fortune!
Text by Richard Cartwright
Chasing the rainbow is an arduous task and in the performing business or visual arts, it’s never easy, even to make ends meet sometimes. Endeavouring to ‘make ends meet’ is what forces you – in Henry’s case – to put down the guitar, get out there and find yourself a job, because the din of jingle-jangle in your pockets has become barely audible and eating and paying rent are at the top of the agenda now! Henry, like many other performers has had to take on any number of jobs to keep the wolf away from the door whilst at the same time working hard towards, perhaps one day, seeing his name up in lights – the tough grind never stops... Yes, working in many restaurants waiting on tables, serving in shops and other short lived casual jobs were the norm for Henry as he ventured towards a career in showbiz – becoming a Scientific Assistant in the Met Office at North Front was in fact, the only ‘proper job’ he undertook during that time (he later took on the 40 GLOBE MAGAZINE
role of Entertainments Manager at the Europa Road Casino) but, he declares enthusiastically... “You know what, it’s all given me great
pleasure and I wouldn’t change a thing!” And that’s the sentiment held
right through the 250 page hard back in Henry’s – or, ‘Enriquito’ as he was endearingly called by family members and close friends - autobiography entitled, ‘The Boy From Red Sands.’ It catalogues his life from 0 to 21 (21 to the present is reserved for a future publication hopefully), living in Red Sands House on the ‘Humphries Estate’ through the 50s and 60s, attending the Gibraltar Grammar School and forming his first pop group, ‘The Odds.’ Although making some long standing friends in school, his experience with some of his teachers was not a happy one... Henry says, “They would strap you for next to nothing: on occasions I just didn’t know what I’d done wrong. I remember having to drop on your knees at noon everyday to pray. They were religious freaks reeking of whiskey and tobacco and not very nice.” Perhaps that atmosphere, plus the fact he was bullied for wearing glasses, may have contributed to Henry wanting to shoot off school at 15 and not wanting to continue in higher education.
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It’s all in the book! It was the late 60s and music was his dream. He dabbled in piano lessons for a while but was clearly attracted to the guitar but to this day still considers himself more of a singer than an instrumentalist. His love of music was influenced by others, who were already in local groups, who by this time, had headed off to UK and Spain to try their luck in the ‘real professional’ music scene. Older brother Tito was instrumental in really getting the music bug going in Henry and taught him to play the guitar. However, there had been music in the family in the past in the form of guitar and mandolin ensembles, “That was my grandfather, who was part of a ‘Rondalla’ and ‘La Tuna’ in the 30s and 50s but I can’t say my musical inspiration came from him.” The book recollects memories of how Henry formed his first group called the ‘Odds’, who many may be familiar with. A very young pop group, which became extremely popular performing in many venues on the Rock and elsewhere – Morocco, Spain and heading off to the UK also and the hardback has some great stories relating to the ‘Odds’ pursuit of a place in the world of pop: there are many interesting accounts of the group’s travels to those destinations in the book, which the ‘Odds’, still in their very early teens - drummer Arturo Bonich, bass guitarist and singer, Douglas Mc Mahon, lead guitarist and brother Denis, Henry on rhythm guitar (and Elizabeth Valverde on keyboards for a time whilst in Gibraltar) – experienced. The group name incidentally, was chosen by Henry, blindly placing a finger on a dictionary page at random...The finger landed on the word, ODD! ‘A Boy from Red Sands’ takes us 42 GLOBE MAGAZINE
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right through the 50’s and 60s from the moment Henry was born - almost to the very loud bang of the munitions ship Bedenham, which exploded in the Naval Dockyard in 1951 when he was just a few weeks old – to 1971. Many of us reminisce of what I think is true to say, were the halcyon days of our lives during those years playing in the streets with your friends on homemade scooters and carts or, as illustrated on the book’s cover, playing shops on a cardboard box for a counter, selling or displaying trophies made out of silver cigarette paper, going to the cinema really animated to see your favourite actors in their latest film with perhaps just a few old pence in your pocket for a lollipop or a bag of sweets. Henry recounts playing and exploring in the Alameda Gardens opposite the estate on the other side of the road... “I also remember dads were quite strict then and we never answered back and that’s probably why I never dared question the Christian Brothers in school about why I was being punished.” Venturing into town with younger brother Denis, they would dare peep through doors of the busy bars, which servicemen would frequent. Excitedly they’d witness girls on stage, scantily dressed dancing to a four piece band entertaining rowdy, beer drinking, soldiers and sailors and recall how they would sometimes be chased away by the doorman. Henry remembers how ‘Pitto Menswear’ shop was the place to go for your clothes. You’d make a down payment of 10 old shillings (50p) choose a jacket and pair of pants or a suit and pay the rest on tick or ‘aplazo!’ There is much reference to the word RED, popping up every now and then in the book, always in RED! Poet Henry shares a lovely poem highlighting the word as being the colour of blood sig-
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2. Tu mirada 3. En cavalín 4. The Odds. 1966 5. In performance with The Odds 1966 6. With the striking Red Höfner Galaxie guitar 7. In the army 8. And I will sing a lullaby 9. Mr. Moonlight 10. The singer 7
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nifying life, Ruby Tuesday - a favourite song, the highest arc of the rainbow, the Chinese flag representing the most populated nation on earth, STOP being the warning sign signalling you to stop and other RED references are woven into the well thought out poem. If I wrote, ‘and there are 10 or 12 photographs and illustrations in the book,’ I would be lying...There are loads upon loads, depicting every stage of the period Henry’s written about and they’re all captioned. Well, my word limit for this article does not allow me to go much further just to say... Get the book! ‘The Boy From Red Sands’ was written over six years, which at times, was re44 GLOBE MAGAZINE
legated to the back burner but it’s done, and here it is now. It’s a very interesting read full of anecdotal episodes including references about his childhood sweetheart – now his wife - Elizabeth, named after Queen Elizabeth, having been born at the
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time of the Queen’s visit to the Rock in 1954, starting a family, nearly joining La Linea’s very successful pop export to the whole of Spain – The Rocking Boys, the Gibraltar Regiment, a UK consultant predicting, ‘he would never sing again’ and so
much more... Oh, and the time brother Tito advised him to pee on his fingers to reduce the pain from learning to play the guitar whilst pressing hard on the instrument’s steel strings! And so it’s a must...There has to be a Part Two to Henry’s musical journey: leaving the Rock again with Tito and Denis on another mission to hopefully become successful recording stars, other experiences and the return to his home town without the fame and fortune most of those in the performing arts seek. Well, he’s done his thing: he’s happy, welltravelled, treasures experiences galore and as he says, ‘wouldn’t change a thing’ so yes...he has `made it!’
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The 2018 Gibunco Literary Festival
Text by Joe Adambery Photographs by Johnnie Bugeja
The Literary Festival came and went and was a huge success; I went to two of the many events that covered books and authors. Dr.Pooky Knightsmith may not yet be a household name here but she has been advising GHA on mental health issues since last year and she made a mark on a lot of Westside school students attending her talk. Her new book is called ‘Using Poetry to Promote Talking and Healing’. She got a very generous introduction from GHA’s Wayne Barton and proceeded to tell her own harrowing story, which she used to illustrate 48 GLOBE MAGAZINE
the need to write down thoughtsgood and bad- as a way to open up on mental health issues. I was enthralled and fully taken to her honesty and clear instruction
on how to find ‘your own words’ to describe something that you can’t find other words for. She had disciplined herself to write a poem a day for three years whilst she was trying to get to grips with trauma
and personal tragedy. She succeeded in that but she was still in the vice grip of anorexia only eighteen months ago and strong emotional connection to her family and a firm belief in what she was sharing for the benefit of education has seen her through the worse. Her book is really an invitation for anyone to try and write simple poetry to help communicate. After the poems on the book, there are therapeutic prompts and discussion points set out to help clarify our own understanding of her work and issues, which in turn can help us through our own peaks and troughs of the secret journey of thought processes.
‘We all have a job others have dreams’ was from the brief introduction that colleague Richard Cartwright gave to Kenneth Castiel at the Garrison Library. We had already been greeted by three TV screens displaying ‘It can be done I promise.’ In an interview followed by a Q&A, retired businessman now life coach and author, Kenneth set out his vision and how he got to where he wanted to be by delivering to himself on the goals that he had set out to achieve. “The key to all is doing it- you have to deliver on yourself.” There were other nuggets of wisdom like “repetition is the mother of skill”
and “God doesn’t create junk” the latter to reinforce that each one of us is special and that came out from a convention in Atlantawhere Coke comes from. As you would expect his talk was richly illustrated with quotes and life stories too. The inspiring and the motivational is what his latest book ‘The Hero and The Villain Within’ deals with. The constant awareness that we must have about tripping ourselves up and thereby limiting our true potential in what can be achieved. Knowing the man from way back, what attracted me to his talk was that when I saw
him on GBC recently, his book had managed to get into three different bestseller categories. It got to number one on Amazon but I asked him which category
was his favourite... “Creativity and Genius” he came back with a wry smile. The book is a self -help genre and the reader has to work through the tasks set by the author. A highlight of the chat was the film shown of his HALO jump in the US when he parachuted from 30,000 feet becoming only the 81st person in the world to do so and he did it for GBC Open Day. “The book took two years to write but I spent 10 years thinking about it and I should have done it sooner.” Success comes to those who want it enough to work for it. GLOBE MAGAZINE 49
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‘A boy from Red Sands’ book presentation Photographs by Johnnie Bugeja
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Orion House receives a Heritage Commendation Just Real Estate, part of the Hyperion Group of Companies, is honoured to have received the Special Commendation Award from the Gibraltar Heritage Trust for the Orion House project. In a ceremony held at the University of Gibraltar, presided by the Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Edward Davis, Mercedes Scanlon and the team gratefully accepted the framed
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certificate from Minister John Cortes on behalf of the firm. The award was given in recognition of the considerate and respectful redevelopment of Orion House, a single residential property into four self-contained apartments. Just Real Estate, Hyperion Group of Companies and Our Town Ltd are proud to help in preserving the heritage of Gibraltar and will continue their work in doing so.
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The Best Recipes of our Cuisine
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Christmas Turkey SERVES: 8 · PREPARATION: 1 hopur 30 minutes · COOKING TIME: 4 hours 35 minutes to 5 hours 5 minutes • REST: 45 minutes • INGREDIENTS: 5.4Kg (12lb) oven-ready turkey with giblets, thawed if frozen - 2 onions, 1 chopped and 1 quartered - 75g butter - 450g premium sausagemeat 225g cooked chestnuts, chopped - 1 ripe pear - 100g fresh white breadcrumbs - 1 egg, size 3, beaten - 100g craisins - 6 cloves - 4 bay leaves 325g rindless smoked streaky bacon - 325g Lincolnshire chipolata sausages - 100g ready-to-eat apricots
HOW TO MAKE IT 1. Remove giblets from turkey. Reserve liver for the stuffing and the rest for the gravy. Rinse inside of turkey, drain and wipe with kitchen paper. Remove wishbone by easing skin gently back from neck end. Scrape knife down wishbone then cut down back to remove. 2. To make stuffing: fry the chopped onion in 25g of butter for 5 min, transfer to a large bowl. Finely chop reserved turkey liver and add to bowl with the sausagemeat, chestnuts, pear, breadcrumbs,
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beaten egg and craisins. Mix and season well. 3. HSpoon into neck end. Reserve any excess stuffing.Stud the onion quarters with cloves and push inside opposite cavity with bay leaves. Turn the bird over and sew the neck skin under. If necessary, truss bird loosely with foil; cook at 180 C (350 F) for 4 hours. Remove foil, increase oven to 400 F (200 C) for 30 min. 4. Meanwhile, using the back of a knife,
stretch bacon until doubled in length. Halve widthways. Wrap half the bacon around sausages and remainder around the apricots. Put into a small roasting tin. Roll remaining stuffing into balls, add to tin, cover and chill. 5. To check turkey is cooked: cut the skin between the leg and breast, insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg. If the turkey is cooked, the juices will run clear. If not, return to
the oven and cook for a further 30 min. 6. Remove turkey from oven, put on to a serving plate. Cover with clean foil and about for clean tea towels and leave to rest for 45 min. 7. Meanwhile, remove sausage and apricot rolls and stuffing balls from fridge and cook in the oven for 45 min. Arrange around the turkey with ‘Rosemary roots’. Garnish turkey with a bunch of fresh herbs and a few sprigs of rosemary.
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What’s Happening Down Town?
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1. GABBA Mini Basketball fun day in aid of Breast Cancer Support Gibraltar. 2. GAMPA Official Inauguration. 3. The GNDO winner of the £100 hamper was claimed by Mr & Mrs Victor & Glenda Yusifredo. 4. Afterhours at Toto ‘40 Trips Around The Sun’ in Dublin. 5. The Original Boys From Red Sands Denis & Henry Valerga. 6. Prime Minister Theresa May with Chief Minister Fabian Picardo 7. Brothers Steven & Terence Moss toast to a good health.
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ISOLAS Jonathan Garcia appointed to the Executive Committee at GFIA Jonathan Garcia, a partner in the DLT/Fintech team at ISOLAS, Gibraltar’s longest established law firm and home to the market’s leading blockchain legal practice, headed by Joey Garcia, was recently elected to the Executive Committee of the Gibraltar Funds and Investments Association to serve for the period 2018/2019. “The Gibraltar Funds & Investments Association (GFIA) is the association representing the interests of the funds and investments sector in Gibraltar. This includes the interests of investment managers, investment dealers, banks, brokers, fund administrators and fund directors. GFIA’s objective is to develop and maintain Gibraltar as a specialized investments jurisdiction of choice within Europe, and to promote the awareness of Gibraltar as one of Europe’s premier financial centres. We promote this through regular dialogue with our members and cooperation with local government and regulatory bodies. On the election of the new executive committee, GFIA declared that “in an era of Brexit uncertainty, GFIA will venture to establish Gibraltar as the preeminent jurisdiction for funds and management of crypto assets.” 64 GLOBE MAGAZINE
GFIA plans a variety of initiatives designed to achieve these aims, key amongst which is the creation of a think tank which will analyse the funds and investment credentials of Gibraltar as a jurisdiction for funds and investment solutions, develop plans for Gibraltar’s further development as funds and investments business centre of excellence and to develop and share practical knowhow amongst its members. Appointed to the ‘Lawyer Committee’, Jonathan Garcia explained that he was looking forward to participating in the Executive Committee for the coming year and that he was “excited” about the potential that Gibraltar offers as a centre for funds business both generally and, certainly, specifically in the context of the burgeoning DLT/ wider fintech space.
IDO Vice-President Seamus Byrne at the 2018 World Tap Dance Championships IDO Vice-President Seamus Byrne represented Gibraltar at the 2018 World Tap Dance Championships sharing Master of Ceremonies duties together with IDO President and Organizer Michael Wendt. Over 2400 dancers from 25 nations and 5 continents took part. IDO Vice-President Seamus Byrne said: “I am delighted to have been able to represent
Gibraltar at these World Championships! The opportunity of been co-master of ceremonies, provided for much networking and promoting our country for the 2021 European Show Dance Championships that will be produced locally. It was an eye opener to see such a high standard of Tap Dance from 5 different continents, delivered with such technique, energy and enthusiasm.�
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Musical Legends and Artists from UB40 and Dire Straits Fly into the Costa del Sol to Unveil their New Exhibition
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UB40’s Brian Travers and Dire Straits’ John Illsley exhibit 20 artworks at the Kempinski Hotel Bahía until 10th January 2019 Musical legends and artists, Brian Travers from UB40 and John Illsley from Dire Straits, flew in to the Costa del Sol on Thursday 22nd of November to unveil their new exhibition of art works at the Kempinski Hotel Bahía. The exhibition was officially opened by the Mayor of Estepona, José María García Urbano, alongside over 100 invited art lovers and collectors for the last event of the hotel’s Art Series 2018. Guests enjoyed hearing stories about music and art from these two legends during an interview with Giles Brown, followed by the glamorous launch event in the Kempinski Hotel Bahia´s art gallery. As part of the exhibition of 20 eclectic pieces, they are exhibiting the artist proofs of their album covers of For the Many and Beautiful You for the first time. This exhibition will be on display at the hotel until the 10th of January 2019 and art lovers are welcome to pop in to the hotel at any time to enjoy these wonderful works. Guided tours of the exhibition can also be organized on request by contacting the hotel and booking an appointment. Featured works include the abstract piece by Brian Travers, from UB40’s new album ‘For the Many’ and is a tribute to the Grenfell Tower survivors. The album cover uses a section of this strong painting and Brian has created 40 limited edition prints to celebrate UB40’s 40 years in music, which will be on sale at the hotel during the exhibition. John Illsley, from Dire Straits, has also unveiled his artist’s proof of the painting, which was featured on the 2008 album ‘Beautiful You’. As well 68 GLOBE MAGAZINE
a founder member and the saxophonist of the reggae band UB40. He has spent over 35 years both recording and touring during which they have sold over 120 million albums. Brian was educated at Birmingham’s Moseley School of Art. After 20 years residing in the rural Worcestershire, he returned to his roots in Moseley where he now paints ‘abstract’ canvases, Perspex sheets, stainless steel and creates painted glass and ceramic objet d’art.
About John Illsley
as this album cover, John has brought nine other works, including two beautiful new abstract pieces called Puglia and Headland. This exhibition has been brought to the Costa del Sol by Art Curator Adam Sargent and Paul Moynan CEO of Dragon and Founder of Dragon Art, a pioneering platform, which is connecting artists with buyers to allow them to reach new audiences, as well as, offering a modern day, secure method of purchasing art. The exhibition runs until the 10th of January 2019 and entrance is free. To find out more about the exhibition and how to get to the Kempinski Hotel Bahía visit: www.kempinski.com/estepona. To find out more about the art and purchasing the pieces visit www. dragonart.io
About Brian Travers Brian Travers is perhaps best known as being
John Illsley is an English musician who rose to fame as the bass guitarist of the critically acclaimed band Dire Straits. With Dire Straits, John has been the recipient of multiple BRIT and Grammy Awards and a Heritage Award. As one of the founding band members, with Mark Knopfler, his brother David and drummer Pick Withers, John played a major role in the development of the Dire Straits’ sound. During their time together as Dire Straits they sold over 120 million albums and toured extensively across the world. When Dire Straits took a couple of well earned breaks John released two albums; Never Told a Soul (1984) and Glass (1988). When Dire Straits finished touring in 1993, John became heavily involved in the Art world. Having carved a reputation for himself as a painter, John had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Sydney and across Europe. He is currently working on a new solo album, which will be released next year, entitled “Coming up for air”.
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Hosting a Christmas Dinner Party Entertaining friends and family in your home during the Christmas season is one of the most popular activities this time of year. Many people choose to host small, informal gatherings in their home, while others plan extravagant dinner parties which are destined to generate more than one urban legend in the community in which they are held. While many of us do not aspire to such heights as those held by the socialites in our community, we would still like to host an unforgettable Christmas dinner party that will be remembered fondly among our closest friends and family for years to come! If you are like me, and many are if they would admit it, the thought of all of the work and skill that goes into throwing a successful dinner party leaves you a little weak in the knees and wondering how in the world you are going to pull it all off. But don’t let the fear of juggling the tasks involved with putting on a dinner party keep you from hosting the event that your family and friends will talk about for a long time into the future. It’s really not difficult if you follow a few simple steps and guidelines for putting on a successful dinner party. Tips for Planning the Perfect Christmas Dinner Party: Make your list, check it twice, and invite, invite, invite. The first thing you need to do when planning a dinner party is to create your guest list. Keep in mind that not all invited will attend. So, if you want to have 50 guests at your party, you will have to invite quite a few more than 72 GLOBE MAGAZINE
that. Send out invitations no less of atmosphere you want to create. than three weeks in advance so that people will have a chance to RSVP. Remember that buffets are informal and a sit down dinner is more Plan to cook your own meal or plan formal. I’m not saying that you are for others to plan it for you. If you not capable of cooking a large meal are no Betty Crocker, admit it to for your guests. If you are and want yourself before signing on to make to take on the work load of cooking a large homemade meal. Having for multiple guests, then by all someone cater your dinner party means do so. Just keep in mind your or ordering takeaways is perfectly limitations and time constraints. acceptable depending on what type Doing so will save you a great deal
of headache in the end. Carefully plan your menu. When planning your individual dishes to serve at your Christmas dinner party, choose dishes that are both delicious and easy to make. Choose recipes that can be made ahead of time or that require just a little heating right before the party to be finished. The last thing you want to be doing during your dinner party is slaving over a hot stove sequestered away from your guests. Another important thing to remember when planning your menu is to never, ever attempt to cook a recipe for the first time. Trust me. Take inventory. Create a list of all of the supplies that you will need to host your dinner party. Items may include tables, chairs, service pieces, cutlery, plates, candlesticks, decorations, table cloths, etc. Do not forget your food items from your menu as well. Shop and clean till you drop. About a week before your dinner party, you should take the time to do your party shopping and give your house a thorough cleaning. Cook and decorate. Cook and prepare as many foods as you can ahead of time, preferable the day before the party. Save the day of the party for setting up your tables and adding the finishing touches to your décor. See, hosting a memorable Christmas dinner party is not so hard after all. In fact, I’m sure that you can do it. So, get out there and start planning, and if at any time you feel overwhelmed, simply hire a caterer!
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Santa and the ‘Shrooms: The Real Story Behind the “Design” of Christmas Most people think of Santa Claus and the cheery red and white we decorate with at Christmas as little more than lighthearted fun and pretty colours. But the real story behind that Christmas look that takes over the Western world at this time of year is a bit… shall we say, darker; or at least way, way more tripped-out! Read on to find out about the psychedelic and mystical roots of the Santa Claus myth and the traditional Christmas decorating scheme! When we think of Christmas, we invariably think of Santa Claus, a man in a red suit and pointy hat with white furry trim and tall black boots, and his accessories, a bag of goodies in a sleigh pulled through the sky by a team of eight flying reindeer. And it’s a clear case of the clothes making the man, for a Santa in any other outfit would most definitely not still be Santa. Would a fat, bearded, white-haired guy in cargo shorts and a Metallica
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even Coca-Cola can be found. The roots of Santa’s style, and his bag of goodies, sleigh, reindeer, bizarre midnight flight, distinctive chimney-based means of entry into the home, and even the way we decorate our houses at Christmas, seem to lead all the way back to the ancestral traditions of a number of indigenous arctic circle dwellers — the Kamchadales and the Koryaks of Siberia, specifically. So it’s true — Santa really does come from the North Pole!
Traditional Santa Claus
t-shirt make you think of Christmas? Certainly not!! But when you think about it, it’s a pretty special outfit, no? Santa’s pretty much the only one, who wears anything like it; a baggy suit with fur trim isn’t exactly stylish these days, and it wasn’t when Santa made his first appearance, either. His last known precursor, Father Christmas, wore a long red robe, sometimes with trim and
Popular legend has it that Santa himself, not to mention his outfit, was designed by Coca Cola, making his first appearance in their early-20th century ads and defining him for the ages by sheer force of commercial and advertising might. There’s a grain of truth in this: His generous shape and rosy cheeks came at the whimsy of The answer, according to anthro- Haddon Sundblom, the illustrator pological research from recent de- of so many of Coke’s well-loved cades, lies way further back than adverts from that period. Before sometimes without, like a cardinal, reflecting the link drawn between him and the historic Saint Nicholas, a Turkish cardinal in the 14th century, who was known for his kindness to children. But the pants? And the hat? And the boots? They’re nowhere to be found on him!
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1. Haddon Sundblom Coca-Cola Santa 2. Turkish St Nicholas 3. Thomas Nast Santa 4. Siberian Shaman at winter solstice 5. Amanita Muscaria Mushrooms 6. Vintage Holiday Card with mushrooms 7. Traditional Siberian Yurt 8. Chimney Sweep Fly Agaric Cards
Sundblom’s illustrations, Santa was commonly depicted as more of a gnome-like little man (editorial cartoonist Thomas Nast drew some of the best-known early dedications of him), often skinny and a little scary, but even then, wearing the same clothes he wears now. So the question is, where did that outfit come from? Where did Santa get such a unique sense of sartorial élan?
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And like so many other fantastical tales, it all originated with some really intense ‘shrooms. On the night of the winter solstice, a Koryak shaman would gather several hallucinogenic mushrooms called amanita muscaria, or fly agaric in English, and them to launch himself into a spiritual journey to the tree of life (a large pine), which lived by the North Star and held the answer to all the village’s problems
from the previous year.
(because their spores travel exclusively on pine seeds), so the shaman would often hang them on lower branches of the pine they were growing under to dry out before taking them back to the village. As an alternative, he would put them in a sock and hang them over his fire to dry. Is this starting to sound familiar?
Fly Agaric is the red mushroom with white spots that we see in fairy tale illustrations, old Disney movies, and (if you’re old enough to remember) Super Mario Brothers video games and all the Smurfs cartoons. They are seriously toxic, but they become less lethal when dried out. Conveniently, they grow most commonly under pine trees Another way to remove the fatal
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toxins from the ‘shrooms was to feed them to reindeer, who would only get high from them — and then ‘pee’, with their digestive systems having filtered out most of the toxins, making their urine safe for humans to drink and get a safer high that way. Reindeer happen to love Fly Agarics and eat them whenever they can, so a good supply of magic pee was usually ready and waiting all winter. In fact, the reindeer like Fly Agarics so much that they would eat any snow where a human, who had drank ‘shroom-laced urine had relieved himself and thus, the circle would continue. But how would he get into a yurt (traditional Siberian hut) whose door was blocked by several feet of snow? He’d climb up to the roof with his bag of ‘goodies’, go to the hole in the centre of the roof that acted as a chimney, and slide down the central pole that held the yurt up over the fireplace. Then he’d pass out a few ‘shrooms to each guest and some might even partake of some of the ones that had been hung over the fire. Clearly, this idea of using the chimney to get in and pass out the magic mushrooms (and other goodies) had sticking power. Interestingly, even as late as Victorian times in England, the traditional symbol of chimney sweeps was a Fly Aga-
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counterpart) or another great god going on a midnight winter solstice ride, chased by devils, on an eight-legged horse. The exertion of the chase would make flecks of red and white blood and foam fall from the horse’s mouth to the ground, where the next year amanita mushrooms would appear. Apparently over time, this European story of a horse with eight legs, united with the ancient Arctic circle story of reindeer prancing and flying around on the same night, melted together into eight prancing, flying reindeer!
Odin with Sleipnir-the 8-legged horse
ric mushroom — and many early Christmas cards featured chimney sweeps with Fly Agarics, though no explanation of why was offered. Interestingly, in addition to inducing hallucinations, the mushrooms stimulate the muscular system so strongly that those, who eat them, take on temporarily superhuman strength, in the same way we might be affected by a surge of adrenaline in a ‘life-ordeath’ situation. And the effect is the same for animals. So any reindeer, who’d had a tasty mushroom snack or a little yellow snow, would become literally high and mighty, prancing around and often jumping so high they looked like they were flying! And at the same time, the high would make humans feel like they were flying, too, and the
reindeer were flying through space. So by now, you can see where this is going: The legend had it that the ‘shaman’ and the reindeer would fly to the north star, which sits directly over the north pole, to retrieve the gifts of knowledge, which they would then distribute to the rest of the village. It seems that these traditions were carried down into Great Britain by way of the ancient Druids, whose spiritual practices had taken on elements that had originated much farther north. Then, in the inevitable way that different cultures influence one another due to migration and intermarriage, these stories got mixed with certain Germanic and Nordic myths involving Wotan (the most powerful Germanic god), Odin (his Nordic
That story then crossed the pond to the New World with the early English settlers and got an injection of Dutch traditions involving the Turkish St. Nicholas, who came to be called Sinterklaas by small Dutch children from the Dutch colonialists and found immortality in its current form in early 20th-century America, with Clement Clark Moore’s famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Before this poem hit the press, different immigrant groups around the U.S. each had their own different versions of the Santa Claus legend. Then in the 1930s, Coca Cola’s ad campaign gave Santa his sizable girth and sent him back around the world. And so in that spirit, a MERRYY CHRISTMAS to all, who celebrate it!
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Grand Opening of the Hall of Fame at Ragged Staff Photographs by Photofinish
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Nimrod Messeg Exhibition Unveiled at The Kempinski Hotel Bahia
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FOCUS ON: 13 Tattoo Palace Tattoos are the fashion these days...They’ve come back with a vengeance and creating a successful design in the right environment by a top tattoo artist is a must. Hygiene and an exemplary service to you, the client, are most important and you’ll find that at, 13 TATTOO PALACE... It’s the latest for the best creations!
Text by Richard Cartwright
Yes, personalised designs, 100% hygiene, a great service offered to the client and bookings attended to promptly! The exclusive ambience at the studio, situated at Calle Jardines 2nd on the left, is unique to the area where work on your tattoo – only with your approval - can be experienced by passersby through the studio’s window from start to finish! At 13 Tattoo Palace, you’ll find a very comfortable waiting area decorated in the vintage style in keeping with the rest of the original design of the studio where you can relax as you wait with a friend and where you can meet the professionals to discuss designs of your choice and being attended to promptly. At the studio their aim is to cut down on waiting lists by offering same day appointments or as soon as possible guaranteeing quality and professionalism as well as a high standard of hygiene. Consequently many clients are surprised by the service and facilities offered at 13 Tattoo Palace where they find what they seek in a trustworthy set up where excellence and im86 GLOBE MAGAZINE
portantly hygiene, are way up on their list of priorities and where they are guaranteed a tattoo they
can well be proud of and clients invariably show satisfaction with the work undertaken at the stu-
dio. Their price list is fair and very competitive ranging from a minimum of 50 euros to 70 euros an hour of tattooing time. Check ups are carried out 15 days after work done, where necessary and clients are advised strongly to follow the tattooist’s instructions for best healing results. There are suitable creams and advice available at the studio on how best to treat the healing process and future appointments related to the work done if required. Some coloured inks – especially red - can cause an allergic reaction in some clients. If it’s your first tattoo, it would be wise to test your particular pigmentation with a simple tattoo of a dot beforehand. A 24 hour wait or so, is all that’s necessary to produce any negative reaction to the ink. This would be free of charge and help to reassure you the client as well as the tattoo artist. Clients suffering from diabetes can be tattooed as long as you’ve consulted your GP. Healing can take a little longer but following the professional’s advice and healing procedure, you’ll be able to enjoy your investment in the tattoo.
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Tere Macias has been a tattoo artist for a number of years. She was attracted to this profession as a youngster, but for a number of reasons had to place her dream on the back burner. Circumstances were such that a decade later, she was able to get started and open up for business in her present establishment. “I worked hard,” She says, “Grabbed the opportunity, and after learning the initial skills - I set off to Seville in 2013 to learn more about the techniques and attain the qualifications required in hygiene, relating to the world of tattooing professionally through the Junta de Andalucia... after tattooing for more than two years in Sabinillas with an experienced tattoo artist, I decided to start my own business in La Linea, which has been running now for over six months. The idea of having my own business was floating around in my mind for some time until I took the plunge and in a few weeks set up this studio!” Hard work followed and Tere personally took charge of refurbishing her tattoo parlour, designing the decor and preferred style with ideas she drew for her previous studies in decoration and design. Family members and friends helped Teresa along the way which meant she was ready for business within a couple of weeks or so... since then, business has been great. It seems tattoos are very much the ‘in thing’ at the moment. Tere claims a tattoo gives each client a new lease of life and a great experience. Each client seeks a personal expression in their chosen design often relating to his or her life. Tere works in a variety of styles preferring a minimalist approach expressing attention to detail using fine needles, and likes to work in blacks and greys amongst other colours. “It’s good to learn about the client beforehand and 88 GLOBE MAGAZINE
get to know what he or she prefers to proudly exhibit on their body. It’s important to have good rapport with the client, inspire confidence through good communication and help them relax and
feel comfortable so that they enjoy the experience. I studied Coaching and NLP (neutral linguistic programming) some time ago and feel this helps me in my work, guiding me through the proce-
dure when dealing with clients. I feel I’m a patient worker which also helps in my creativity towards the client and the job being undertaken. I also feel having chosen this profession has helped me learn and understand more about my clients, people in general and myself whilst progressing as a better professional. Some tattoos can take up to six hours Tere claims, so communication with the client is very important. During some lengthy procedures, you need to guide your way through in an empathetic and sensitive way. Working for long periods on one’s skin can make the client emotionally and physically drained. It’s for this reason the equipment used for these drawn out procedures at 13 TATTOO PALACE is the latest and handled carefully, in that way reducing the trauma the client’s skin will endure. It has to be borne in mind, badly executed tattoos can leave unpleasant scars and discomforts. Hygiene again, is most important and at 13 TATTOO PALACE, they pride themselves in offering the best in hygiene services. Meanwhile, Tere and her team invite you to an unforgettable experience and enjoy a unique opportunity that stays with you forever and one that you may want to repeat! 13 TATTOO PALACE wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year – 2019. At the Palace, there’s ‘ink’ for all! 13 Tattoo Palace is situated at Calle Jardines, 2nd on the left, La Linea de la Concepcion. Appointments can either be made by WhatsApp : +34 635 427 822, by e-mailing: teretattooing77@ gmail.com or by visiting their website at www.13tattoopalace.com
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Christmas Festival of Lights 2018 Photograhs By Johnnie Bugeja
Gibraltar Cultural Services and the Gibraltar Electricity Authority on behalf of the Ministry of Culture organised the programme of events for this year’s Festival of Lights, which brought holiday cheer to a packed John Mackintosh Square on Friday 23rd November last.
Santos and started at 6pm. The official switching-on ceremony of the Christmas illuminations and a live show featured the Sea Scouts Pipe and Drum Band, St Joseph’s Middle School Choir, Yalta Dance Studio and the Gibraltar Youth Choir. The event also featured a special appearance from Father Christmas and his Elves!
The entertainment was presented by Christian
The switching-on of the Christmas Lights was
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at approximately 7.30pm with Santa’s Grotto and the Gibraltar Artisans Market opening at the Boulevard, Line Wall Road, straight afterwards. The lights will turn on every day between 5pm and 1am until the 6th of January, remaining on throughout the nights of Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve, as well as, on the 5th January.
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How The Beano survived War and th the Web to Reach its 80 birthday Text By David Anderson (Senior Lecturer in American History, Swansea University)
www.theconversation.com
The British economy was in a volatile state 80 years ago, as the world teetered on the brink of war. Business was tough for all, and yet printing and publishing was expanding with Dundee-based DC Thomson & Co, publisher of newspapers, magazines and comics, especially prominent. Spurred on by the success of weekly newspaper comic strips Oor Wullie and The Broons, and its “big five” action story papers for boys, Thomson decided in 1937
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to create another quintet of comics for boys and girls, this time focused on humour. The Dandy became the first of these comics to launch in December 1937, featuring characters Korky the Cat, Keyhole Kate, Hungry Horace and the enduring Desperate Dan. Under the editorship of the indomitable Albert Barnes (whom the square-jawed Desperate Dan is said to be modelled on), The Dandy introduced a new style of comic drawing
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inst chemical attack during air raids. Thrilling adventure stories, such as Tom Thumb, and Jimmy and His Magic Patch, enthralled war-weary readers with fantastic escapist tales in far flung, fairytale locations.
to generations of schoolchildren. Taking inspiration from existing British and American styles, such as the use of hand drawn speech bubbles, The Dandy’s team of experienced scriptwriters and talented artists developed a humour that celebrated slapstick and derided authority figures.
The war scattered Beano artists and writers far and wide, while paper rationing and ink shortages forced a smaller page count. Yet publication continued, albeit fortnightly, alternating with The Dandy.
The following summer, a “great new fun paper” arrived – The Beano. Now close to publishing its 4,000th edition, the very first issue of The Beano came complete with a free whoopee mask when it was released on July 30th 1938. Deriving its name from a 19th century colloquialism for celebration, party, or other merry occasion, The Beano was intended to be a feast of fun. The 28-page publication was a mixture of mostly black and white comic stories, short comic strips, and text stories. With characters such as Big Eggo (an inquisitive ostrich), Lord Snooty (and his pals), and Pansy Potter (the strong man’s daughter), The Beano enjoyed an immediate readership, with 442,963 copies of the first issue sold.
V for victory, B for Beano It wasn’t just about the laughs. During World War II, The Dan-
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A third pre-war Thomson comic, The Magic, which launched a few weeks before the outbreak of hostilities, ceased publication in 1941 because of paper scarcities. Thomson’s ambition to create another big five was never fully realized.
Dennis, the world’s wildest boy
dy and The Beano became important propaganda tools in the fight against Nazism and Fascism. Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göering, and Benito Mussolini were lampooned in each comic, and copies of The Beano were sent to soldiers serving overseas to boost morale.
Scripts and advertisements followed patriotic themes, too, urging readers to aid the war effort on the home front by gathering waste paper for recycling. Lord Snooty’s Storylines often reminded children of the importance of gas masks for protection aga-
After the war, The Beano staff returned with renewed energy and enthusiasm, successfully taking on new comics such as The Eagle (1950), also published in Britain, and the competing medium of TV. Circulation increased dramatically – in April 1950, The Beano reached the peak of its popularity, recording a weekly sale of 1,974,072, the highest to date, for issue 405.
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In 1948, Biffo the Bear ousted Big Eggo from the front cover after market research indicated children preferred their cartoon strip characters to more closely resemble people. It was an important moment in the comic’s history, when many of The Beano’s longest running stories, focused on child characters, full of tricks and tomfooleries, began to appear for the first time in all their mischievous, madcap magnificence. One such character was the “world’s wildest boy”, Dennis the Menace, who burst onto the pages of The Beano in 1951. In 1953, artist Leo Baxendale brought to life The Bash Street Kids, Little Plum, and Minnie the Minx, with Roger the Dodger, by Ken Reid, also debuting that year. In the 1960s and 70s, further new characters were introduced, including Billy Whizz (“the world’s fastest boy”) and Baby-Face Finlayson (“the cutest bandit in the west”). Since the 1980s, Beano storylines have increasingly reflected shifting social trends, and adjustments have been made to the language and look of characters. Dennis, for example, is no longer known as a menace and his nemesis, Walter, is no longer a “softy”.
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While the digital age has undoubtedly impacted sales, The Beano has, for the most part, embraced the challenges, and is now available online as well as in print. Now the world’s longest running weekly comic (following the de-
mise of The Dandy in 2012), The Beano has endured because it celebrates its past, while evolving to survive the future. The comic has entertained children and adults for more than
three generations, a riotous celebration of comic art, anarchy and absurdity. It is part of Britain’s individual and collective memory, part of the fabric of its social and cultural history. Happy Birthday, Beano!
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