Globe Magazine December 2021

Beach Trash Making Beautiful Christmas Gift Treasure

WHAT COULD BE A more perfect gift to give this Christmas than zero carbon, 100% sustainable and locally handcrafted jewellery that cleans up our beaches and oceans at the same time? Mijas Costa based charity, Mi Moana, made up of mother and daughter Natasha and Nicky, have created the ultimate win/win form of plastic pollution eradication that’s great for the planet and locals alike – beautiful jewellery made from rubbish collected on the Costa del Sol’s beaches.

Ideal for both men and women this Christmas, Mi Moana’s collection of planet-friendly jewellery is proof that ocean trash can be turned into something gorgeous. Featuring coloured pieces of plastic suspended in a plantbased epoxy resin and encased in stainless steel, the jewellery is lovingly handcrafted, making each and every piece unique.

Mi Moana, which means ‘My Ocean’ in Hawaiian, is a non-profit charity started by Natasha and Nicky in 2019 with the goal of reducing ocean pollution. With the help of

over 1,000 passionate volunteers, they have so far collected an incredible 5.5 tonnes of plastic from our coastline.

As well as regular beach clean-ups, the mother and daughter team are dedicated to hosting environmental awareness education programs in schools and businesses, and conservation and regeneration programs to help protect our oceans and their inhabitants. They saw an opportunity that didn’t just remove rubbish from the Costa del Sol’s beaches, but could raise money for their charity and its continued efforts through the sale of jewellery made

using the multitude of plastic waste collected. With corporate offers also available, their range of ingeniously crafted and well-priced bracelets, necklaces and earrings would make an ideal Christmas present for a friend, family member or colleague. Each purchase provides the much needed funds for Mi Moana to achieve their mission of keeping our beaches and oceans free of rubbish, as well as offering vital conservation education to the next generations.

These days more than ever before we all want to do our bit to keep our beaches and oceans free of plastic; whilst we may not all have time to dedicate to beach clean-ups, this is one way we can help to support Mi Moana’s wonderful efforts at looking after our planet.

Visit their webpage at www.mimoana.org or follow them on Facebook to buy, donate, sponsor or join one of their upcoming beach and underwater clean-up events. Businesses are also welcomed to join the growing list of local enterprises in donating to or sponsoring Mi Moana’s wonderful efforts.

New Trends in Work Wear and Fashion

By Bespoke Menswear Designer and Tailor Oscar Udeshi

COVID has changed so much, in all aspects of our lives. What is deemed to be suitable office attire has changed too now that we’re back in our offices once more. But it has swung in an unexpected direction, and rather than making it more casual, more formal attire is now on trend.

We’ve been seeing the wearing of suits and even jackets diminishing steadily over the last decade in the workplace. However, with many of us working from home for one year or more, our approach has changed. We got so fed up with slippers and sweat pants and missed getting dressed up, that now people are eager to get back to the office attire that they previously may have thought to be overly formal.

The return to the office has seen bosses being less willing to accept shabby appearance at the workplace and everyone turning their back on the casual work-from-home clothing of lockdown. People are dressing up more and some are positively looking forward to wearing a suit again, even a tie, something I have not seen for a long time. Even if a suit and tie is a step too far, men want to wear a jacket, smart trousers, and a nice shirt at the very least. For women it is separates, more tailored, smarter clothing and even heels.

Clothing is being seen to be a way for people to rebel against the restrictions laid down on them during the pandemic. It’s great to see so many people embracing the beautiful clothing that has been languishing in their wardrobe since March 2020, if not before.

Here in Gibraltar I can see that people are choosing smarter trousers, more formal shirts, a skirt and a blouse, or a smarter dress and working harder to look a little more polished then before. Everyone has been looking forward to leaving the house and

going to work, to have a change of scenery and have that separation from work and personal life. The change in wardrobe helps with that separation.

Dressing up to go to work or to go out was part of the old normality. Putting on nice clothing triggers a switch in the brain. It makes the statement – “I am going to work”, or “I am leaving the house” and after so long not being able to do it, that feels really good.

Some clients are looking forward to putting on a dinner suit again and going out to paint the town red. It was great to see events return over the summer and people being so eager to get out there and socialise. Now that we’re in November and the vaccination programme has been such a success and travel and leisure restrictions have lifted, thoughts are turning

to the festive season. Traditionally a time for office parties and socialising, and sadly missed last year, I think that December will bring more glitz, glamour and gorgeous clothes and that will be so wonderful to see once more.

Another impact of COVID has been those pesky pandemic pounds and this has led people to try a change of style, in and out of the office. They are looking for lighter and softer pieces, with less structure than before. They want to look smart but without the weight and restriction.

My clients have been asking me for pieces that can be combined together to create a unified look, and will actually be worn. People have had a lot of time to evaluate their lives and their choices and will happily spend on something they will actually use and simplify their lives. This is good news for them and the planet as it is turning away from the destructive concept of fast fashion. It is a statement that you care about what you wear, but also of the impact it has on our environment and the people who live within it. Fewer pieces of good quality clothing, which will last you a decade or more and are made just for you, is a smart investment and one which more people are looking to embrace in the new normal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Oscar Udeshi is a truly modern tailor, who has brought his fashion brand, Udeshi, to the Costa del Sol and will be offering Gibraltar residents soft, lightweight, comfortable and exquisitely crafted clothing to take them from the beach to the boardroom and beyond. Visit www.udeshi.co.uk to find out more about the brand, the designer and to see a selection of the made-to-measure clothes. Or you can contact Oscar to arrange a fitting and consultation by emailing info@udeshi.co.uk or calling +34 671 789 771.

The Fire Brigade

‘Comparsa’ of Yesteryear

Text by Joe Adambery

ALAMEDA HOUSE, our old block in Humphreys Estate (Red Sands Road), neighbours the fire station (still) and the sound of happy festive cacophony reaches my ears. I was seven and the famous seasonal ‘comparsa’ (quite unmusical and random carollers and minstrels) from the fire brigade off duty watches were in fine form and well ‘lubricated.’ Nobody announced jollity and Christmas like the old ‘comparsas.’

The loud ‘Zambombas’, a small barrel with a skin stretched on top and a cane stalk tied to its centre (a Carriso or noise activator when wetted and rubbed up and down the stalk) would mark time and act as a rough bass and bass drum combined. The ‘Panderetas’ (skin topped tambourines) were rattling away and the hearty singing (can it be called that?) sent the echoes of ‘Noche Buena’ (Christmas Eve) around Humphries Estate.

Empty corrugated glass bottles of ‘Anis del Mono’ would provide a squeaking noise when a wine cork was rubbed along the sides. A lone guitar and a mandolin really stood no chance of being heard above all the cacophony and the traditional Spanish carols (‘Villancicos’) announced the imminent birth of baby Jesus, who probably wouldn’t have chosen to be born to that din when he had choirs of angels at his disposal!

We lived on the bottom floor and word had it that if they were tipped off, the ‘Comparsa’ would sing at your door until invited in to feed and drink from the modest table laid out in readiness for the family supper. The above pictures supplied by Mr Francis Mena tell of the great spirit of Christmas days gone by (1950s) when tables were laid and families left doors open for casual carollers and revellers to come in and sing.

Sixty years of Judo on the Rock

Text by Joe Adambery

CHARLES CONROY is the father of Judo and Jiu Jitsu on the Rock. Ever since the late fifties when he was based in the UK and was attacked by ‘teddy boys’ while on an escalator in Marble Arch London, he took up the sport purely for self defence and has since given his life to it. He has moved premises for his mats more times than he cares to count. Since 1981, the old TV studios at Wellington Front have been the home of Judo and where, on average, around four hundred children per year learn and practice this venerable form of martial arts. I sit there with him and his brother Peter (twenty years his junior) to trace some highlights of the years passed under their Black Belts.

Photo © Tyronne Davis

“The first club was situated where the boxing club is now at Naval Hospital and after a second move to an old tunnel we had to move again to the old band room at South Barracks (a stone’s throw from his former home). From there to Dockyard South Gate and then to the Police dog

compound, followed by a few more moves until finally we moved here in 1981.” Wellington Front was always notorious for flooding and there have been times when they might have given up but didn’t. Now the home of local Judo, the Federation has always hosted annual

international events as Charlie has kept up ties with the top names and UK clubs, who have come here to compete, to grade and to fraternise with our Judokas.

Charlie Conroy got his first Black belt in UK in 1967 and Peter, his younger brother, got his in 1982. “I had my brown belt for about eight years as my brother wouldn’t grade me until finally a UK instructor graded me.” Charlie had always dreamed big since he entered the sport, in an interview with my former colleague, the late John Sheppard, he spoke about his ambitions. “First I wanted a Black Belt, which I got, then I wanted my own club and centre, which I also realized and thirdly I wanted to make champions, which I have also achieved.”

At the moment in the club, they have four black belts but they have graded more over the years. The belts are graded as Dan and up to fourth Dan they are competitive. Above that they are conferred by the World Judo Federation as recognition for excellence in the sport but they are also related to seniority.

Peter takes up the story when we talk about the retention of juveniles “For every ten that start, we can normally hope to retain three, who will continue learning and become seniors, the problem is when they are 13 and begin to study at school they fall away and eventually we lose them to University like all the other sports in Gibraltar.” Another factor that affects retention is that when the juniors reach Black Belt standard in Ju Jitsu, they think that they have already achieved enough. “The fact is that once you are a junior Black Belt that is when you start to learn more”

The ratio of boys to girls in Judo has always been a problem and even in the old days when Charlie had a female section, which fizzled out after a while, girls have always been hard to attract. On average in a four hundred student intake each year, there can be around fifty girls. The club caters for any age and not only young children. Once the sport has taken a grip on an individual the commitment to it is long term in many cases. Indeed while I was there a sailor from a naval ship in port came in to say hello to the brothers, who had trained him some years ago. They embraced warmly and it is that special bond based on respect that the Judo tradition thrives on.

Charles Conroy Manager

Peter Conroy Senior Coach

Photo © Tyronne Davis

Photo © Tyronne Davis

Photo © Tyronne

Davis

Peter Conroy Receiving His BEM

“We train to the highest standards and do not tolerate breach of rules. If a member uses Judo in the street, he or she is suspended or even expelled. The moves and the throws are strictly for the Judo mats and we teach them first to break falls. There are very few injuries in the

sport compared to football for example”. When talking to Charlie and Peter I immediately get a sense of their passion for the sport, which has brought home medals to the Rock over the years. They both set a high benchmark for the club to achieve distinction here and abroad

and as Charlie gets older, the succession conversation seems inevitable.

Charlie is in his late seventies now and since the Pandemic has not been on the mats because of age vulnerability and he misses that terribly. Peter is the next obvious leader designated to take the reins of the club in the future (but not yet). Since there are eleven members of the Conroy family involved in the club; a stable transition and the future development of the sport is almost guaranteed. I for one cannot imagine the sport without Charlie as he is my contemporary but one looks at Peter and he is twenty years younger and has distinguished himself in the army Judo (over 23 years) and many other competitions abroad so the future looks secure.

As the father of the sport here, Charlie still holds on to the traditional values. “We teach discipline and respect. We also teach all the Japanese terminology of the throws and there is a mix of practical and theory. We start and end every session with a bow and a handshake and although the kids may take it as game but they are sponges and those values are imprinted in their minds for life”. The Judo programme ties in with the school calendar and like the schools, the club gives them annual grading and awards to distinguish top performers in all age groups and give them incentive to improve and compete. Life skills which complement full time education and can only help their development.

Looking to the future the local federation has now affiliated with an international group of twenty four nations, which hold events that may see competitions being hosted here just like the international darts and snooker televised events that we have seen over the last few years. The pandemic has temporarily slowed down those plans and it’s not clear how things will pick up again or even when that might be, but one thing is for sure, Judo will continue to grow here as indeed the sport is growing in popularity internationally.

Every Tuesday and Thursday is Judo day at Wellington Front and long may it continue to be so - led by the charismatic brothers Charles and Peter Conroy whose firm handshake as I leave confirms that it is their wish also.

Island Games 2019

Photo © Tyronne Davis

HMS Venturer

The only proven instance of one submarine sinking another underwater during combat

Text by The Late Francis Bado

Code enabled British code breakers to monitor these shipments and in December 1944 they became aware of what the Germans described as “Operation Caesar”.

PROLOGUE

There is an undoubted mystique about submarines and their ambience. Immortalised by Jules Verne’s Nautilus and the terrifying attack by a giant squid, so graphic in the Disney film “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea” (1954), war movie classics such as “Crash Dive” (1943), “Run Silent, Run Deep” (1958) and in the more modern era “The Hunt for Red October” (1990) and “Crimson Tide” (1995), have bestowed an aura of cavalier dare-devilness on a branch of the services which is as dangerous as it is lethal.

Submarines have torpedoed each other on the surface; submerged submarines have further also torpedoed other submarines on the surface. As an example of the former, in October 1914, HMS E3 had been torpedoed and sunk by U-27 near Borkum; an example of the latter was HMS Venturer herself, torpedoing U-771 in the Andfjord in November 1944.

But there is only one proven instance where one submarine has torpedoed another below the surface in combat. This occurred on 9th February 1945, when HMS Venturer torpedoed and sank U-864 off Bergen, in Norway.

HMS Venturer, Pennant Number P68, was a V Class attack submarine launched in 1943. She was armed with four, 21-inch torpedo tubes and could carry eight torpedoes on patrol. At the time of the action, HMS Venturer was commanded by Lt James “Jimmy” Launders DSO & bar and DSC & bar, RN, who, although only 26, was already a veteran and respected submarine commander. Lt Launders possessed what can only be described as a mathematical brain and was idolised by his men.

U-864, commanded by Korvettenkapitän RalfReimar Wolfram, was a Type IXD2 U-Boat armed with four x bow and two x stern 21-inch torpedo tubes. She could deploy with twenty-two torpedoes.

OPERATION CAESAR

As the year 1945 dawned, it was clear to all, save perhaps Adolf Hitler, that Nazi Germany was going to lose the war. It was also clear that Japan would survive Germany in the struggle against the Allies (the terrible consequences of the Manhattan Project and the first atom bomb still Top Secret). Germany, therefore, supplied Japan with advanced weapons and technology in an effort to grind the USA down in the Pacific and keep them occupied. The advent of Bletchley Park and the cracking of the Enigma

The development of Allied airborne radar (thanks to the British invention of the magnetron) and enforced Allied supremacy at sea, meant that German shipments to Japan became viable only by submarine. U-864 began Operation Caesar in Kiel. Her cargo included 61 tons of metallic mercury (very scarce in Japan and required for bomb-trigger construction), boxes of engine parts for the Junkers Jomo 004 jet engine, which powered Germany’s new Messerschmitt Me262 jet fighter, and more boxes containing guidance systems for the V-2 rocket. Japan was being gradually devastated by B-29 Superfortress bomber raids and this materiel was of vital importance.

U-864 further carried four VIP passengers. Tadeo Yamoto was a top Japanese acoustic torpedo expert, who had travelled to Germany in an effort to develop the first guided torpedo. Toshio Nakai was a fuel expert and had been brought to Germany in the context of fuel systems for Japan’s jet fighter project. There were also two top Messerschmitt engineers on board.

U-864 was first delayed in departing Germany due to a faulty snorkel and then ran aground and was damaged outside Kiel harbour. Captain Wolfram was forced to the Bergan submarine pens in Norway to undertake repairs. Whilst there, the RAF’s famous 617 Squadron, the “Dam-Busters”, attacked and badly damaged the Bergan pens with “Tallboy” bombs (like the “Bouncing Bomb” they were invented by Barnes Wallis) and this further delayed U-864’s departure. Finally, on 6th February 1945, U-864 commenced her ill-fated voyage towards Japan.

HMS Venturer

As soon as they became aware of Operation Ceasar’s import, the Admiralty tasked HMS Venturer with a possible interception of U-864. Venturer departed her base at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands and began to patrol around Fedge, north of Bergen. Lt Launders decided not to use his ASDIC (at the time an advanced form of sonar); this would limit his detection range but would not give his position away. Instead, he would rely solely on Venturer’s hydrophone, a much less sophisticated, and passive, underwater sound-detection means. Lt Launders was not aware that U-864 had already slipped through prior to his arrival on station, but fate was now set to reverse this situation and give him his chance.

ACTION OF 9TH FEBRUARY 1945

Captain Wolfram was having problems with U-864’s engines. They occasionally misfired, causing considerable noise. Concerned about being detected or breaking down hundreds of miles from a friendly port, Wolfram elected to reverse his course and postpone the mission yet again, heading back to the pens at Bergen. Wolfram’s frustration would have turned to great consternation had he known that he was now sailing straight back towards Venturer’s imposed hunting ground.

Wolfram had signalled ahead for an escort before heading back towards Bergen. Launders had chosen not to use Venturer’s ASDIC so that the system’s ping would not give his positon away, but was already convinced that U-864 had slipped by him. Suddenly, on the morning of 9th February, he was informed by Venturer’s hydrophone operator that they were detecting a sound in the distance. The hydrophone operator believed the sound to be that of a fishing boat starting up its diesel engine. Launders was not convinced, believing that it was more likely to be a submarine recharging its diesel engines on the surface and immediately ordered an interception course. As they closed on the source of the noise, the officer of the watch aboard Venturer made periscope observations and reported sighting another periscope cutting through the water. What he had actually spotted was U-864’s snorkel, a revolutionary German development, which allowed the U-boat to run its diesel engines while submerged by feeding in outside air and ejecting the exhaust fumes.

Snorkels were a relatively new German invention, only recently deployed at this stage, hence the watch officer’s mistake. Launders now formulated a plan of attack. He realised that whilst the noisy diesel engines aboard U-864 were running, the U-boat’s

own hydrophone system would have a difficult time detecting his own vessel; the element of surprise was still on his side. He therefore planned to stalk the U-boat and torpedo-attack when it surfaced to recharge her batteries, exactly as Venturer had done in November 1944 when it sank U-771. He was as yet unaware of the advantage that the snorkel was now affording the U-Boat.

For several hours Venturer shadowed U-864, occasionally risking a periscope sighting. Eventually, two things happened: first, U-864 began to zigzag. This could have been because she had spotted Venturer or simply as a precaution; a common tactic to reduce an enemy submarine’s ability to acquire a potential torpedo firing solution. Secondly, time was quickly running out for Launders. Venturer’s own batteries were being rapidly depleted by the pursuit

and she would soon have to surface to recharge them. If this happened before U-864 herself surfaced, then Venturer would become a sitting duck. Launders was faced with a stark choice; abandon the pursuit or attack the German submarine underwater. Venturer was five knots faster on the surface and three knots underwater than U-864, but the latter had a test depth of 230-metres as opposed to the British submarine’s 91-metres.

Attacking another submarine underwater had never been attempted before, at least not by the Royal Navy. Submarines attacking a surface target have to allow for a two-dimensional computation; the speed and location of the target against the speed and location of the submarine. There were already analogue, computer-type, fire-control instruments available for such two-dimensional computations, but Launders would awe his men by calculating these off in his mind. Torpedoes further invariably rose to a pre-determined depth as dictated by the target’s draught, using neutral buoyancy.

In this case, Launders’ solution would also have to allow for depth. Further, he had to anticipate Wolfram’s actions as soon as U-864 realised that she was under attack. This manual computation of a firing solution against a three-dimensionally manoeuvring target was the first occasion on which such a technique was used and became the basis for modern computer-based torpedo targeting systems. Prior to this attack, no target had been sunk by torpedo where the firing boat had to consider the target's position in three-dimensional terms, with the depth of the target as a variable and not a fixed value. Launders knew that any attack, under these circumstances, would be a very long shot but his diesel engines were now seriously acting against him.

Launders believed that Wolfram would crash dive away from Venturer’s attack and devised a solution where he would ripple-fire his four torpedoes at 17½-second intervals. He had very little battery life left when this finally forced his hand at 12:12 hours that day. Shoot!!! Venturer immediately took evasive action against a possible counter-attack by diving away after the last torpedo left its tube 52½-seconds later.

U-864 must have picked up the sound of the first torpedo on her hydrophone and Wolfram immediately acted as Launders had predicted. He secured the snorkel, turned away and crash-dived. Time seemed to come to a standstill; Launders checked his stopwatch and knew that his first three

Lt James “Jimmy” Launders DSO & Bar, DSC & Bar, RN

Korvettenkapitän Ralf-Reimar Wolfram

torpedoes had missed. Suddenly, however, there was a deep booming sound from outside the submarine. A shockwave followed and Launders knew that they had hit their target; yet there was no jubilation. All aboard were well aware that the scenario could easily have been in reverse. Through the hydrophones Launders could hear the sound of popping rivets and breaking bulkheads, confirming the destruction of U-864.

The torpedoes’ running time to target was four minutes and U-864 had successfully avoided the first three but then steered right into the path of the fourth, which scored a direct hit on the conning tower. U-864 came to rest at a depth of around 150m on the sea floor, west of the island of Fedje. All hands were lost.

AFTERMATH

Lt Launders

For their actions, several crewmen aboard HMS Venturer were decorated by the Royal Navy, with Lt Launders awarded a bar to his DSO…"for gallantry, judgment and skill in a successful patrol." Launders became the first, and to date only, submarine commander to be publicly acknowledged as having

sunk another submarine in combat while both vessels were submerged. He continued to serve in the Royal Navy after WWII ended and retired a Captain in 1974.

HMS Venturer

With the end of hostilities in 1945, HMS Venturer was destined for disposal. Ironically, in 1946, she was sold to the Royal Norwegian Navy and was renamed ‘Ulstein’, after an area of Norway. She served with the Norwegians until January 1964, when she was struck from the Royal Norwegian Navy register. After her removal from naval service, the submarine was sold to a scrapyard and broken up; a sad end for such a historic vessel.

U-864

In March 2003, the Royal Norwegian Navy minesweeper KNM Tyr, alerted by local fishermen following high incidence of mercury poisoning in the area, located the wreck of U-864. An expedition to gather more detail of the wreck, by sonar mapping of the seafloor, was mounted in October 2003. The wreck was in two major separate sections, fore and aft, with the centre section missing, including the conning tower. A further search, carried out with a remotely-operated underwater vehicle in August

2005, located an additional 107 pieces of U-864 debris in the area, most likely parts of the exploded centre section.

The mercury originally carried by U-864, contained in 1,857 rusting steel bottles located down in the vessel's keel, was found to be leaking, posing a severe environmental threat from mercury poisoning.

It was calculated that some four kilograms of mercury per year was leaking out into the surrounding environment, resulting in high levels of contamination to cod and edible crab around the wreck. Fishing near the wreck was immediately prohibited and although attempts using robotic vehicles to dig into the half-buried keel were abandoned after the unstable wreck shifted, one of the mercury steel bottles was recovered. Its original 5-millimetres-thick wall was found to have corroded badly, down to 1-millimetre thickness in places.

The delicate condition of the 2,400-ton wreck, the rusting mercury bottles and the live torpedoes still on board would have made a lifting operation extremely dangerous. A three-year study by the Norwegian Coastal Administration finally recommended entombing the wreck in a sandbar, with a reinforcing layer of gravel or concrete over it to prevent erosion. There was much debate over this and at one point it was even mooted that the wreck could still be raised. This idea was ultimately abandoned as unsafe and impractical

In 2016, a supportive stone filling was created to secure the seabed area to the front part of the wreck, to prevent it from sliding. The whole seabed area was then covered with a layer of sand and then a further 160,000 tonnes of rock laid on top. U-864, her crew and her dangerous cargo had finally been laid to rest.

Aft Wreck of U-864

Plan for Entombment: U-864

Presentation of the book

'Objetivo Gibraltar. Entre la Operación Félix y el Plan G'

THE PRESENTATION OF the book ‘Objetivo Gibraltar Entre la Operación Félix y el Plan G’, written by Alfonso Escudera Sánchez, a prominent historian, who specialises in World War II and the author of numerous books from that era, took place at the ‘Sala Levante’ of the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones’ of La Línea de la Concepción on Thursday 2nd December last.

The event was hosted by D. Jesús Narciso Núñez Calvo, Colonel of the Guardia Civil

and holder of a Doctorate in History himself and was attended by high profile personalities amongst whom were the ‘Coordinador de la Administración General del Estado en el Campo de Gibraltar’, the ‘Subdelegada del Gobierno de la Junta de Andalucía’, the ‘Comandante de Marina de Algeciras’, the ‘Coronel Jefe de la Guardia Civil de Algeciras’, the mayor of the city of La Línea, D. José Juan Franco Rodríguez, the Counsillors for Culture and Tourism of the La Linea City Council, as well as, members of the ‘Instituto de Estudios

Campogibraltareños’, of the Gibraltar Heritage Trust and the Garrison Library of Gibraltar.

The host reiterated, throughout the event, on the quality and in-depth and detailed study of the work being presented which will surely mark a ‘before and after’ in the understanding of such a momentous event in our common history. At the presentation were a vast number of people interested in this relevant historical event which culminated with the signing of copies of the book by the author.

Alfonso Escuadra Sánchez

An audience with Gabriel Moreno

THE GIBRALTAR Cultural Services aired a number of talks by authors during Literary Week on their Face book channel, the last of which featured poet and musician Gabriel Moreno chatting to journalist Alice Mascarenhas. After a comprehensive intro, she asked the new cultural ambassador to sing from the couch before the hour long chat got seriously underway. ‘England all over again’ from his last album ‘Whiskey with Angels’ set the musical stage (there were three other performances at intervals).

Alice with her easy manner skilfully steered the conversation to trace the colourful story of the artist’s development from his early influences and musical infancy here to his at first, awkward time in Hull University where he studied philosophy and tried to fit in as a quirky Latin person who felt strangely ‘exotic’ in the English setting where his strong Latin

accent was thought to be at odds with their culture.

“It could be seen as a miracle or a mistake this identity of ours.” He referenced our previous cultural ambassador MG Sanchez who also explores our identity strands in his book. I know Gabriel well enough to confirm that he happily exploits the ‘quirky’ of our Latin roots and has earned himself a considerable following in the London poetry scene which he ably curates.

Gabriel Moreno studied Lorca and also published six books in Madrid and he discovered and studied South American poetry (Neruda and others) in Chile. His first poems were in Spanish and he took advantage of his ‘exoticness’ to both Spanish and English audiences as he gracefully straddled both cultures. “I always wanted to bring the order of English poetry and the Latin passion to my performances” He urges

Text by Joe Adambery

us to first find something that touches our soul and to first make an emotional connection with poetry before choosing to study it, only then will we get more enjoyment out of it.

“I try to write everyday and find shapes which I can then follow or discard. Someone said that when inspiration comes it should find you writing.” He needs to please his inner voice first and then compare his new writing to

previous efforts and see how it stacks up.

Fatherhood has changed him in a positive way. He has a son of five. “I’m trying to impart this dual culture identity to him and he already has a sense of it.” A new album titled ‘The year of the Rat’ (to be released in February), was written and conceived during isolation and he thinks it’s a ‘cleaner’ (finer) album than his previous one

but he is also quick to point out that “The anguish is still there and that album gave me hope during lockdown.” The album was produced by London based local musician Christian Gadd.

To the new generation he has words of support in “You don’t need to be famous to make a living in the arts as long as you are passionate.” He finds that his connection to the Rock grows stronger with each visit and his band ‘The Quivering

Poets’ also love to perform here. A Spring visit is on the cards as we speak, when his new album will be launched here.

He finished his audience to Alice with an introspective song about London called ‘When the City wakes up’ and the lyrics explore the feelings of someone who doesn’t want the lockdown to end... I wonder if it might be about him, after all loneliness is a poet’s best friend.

Yanito: Blessing or Curse?

Text by Terence Moss

THIS YEAR’S GIBRALTAR Literature Week started on 8th November at the John Macintosh Hall. with a series of “An Audience With…” in conversation with local writers and culminated on 13th November with International Best-Selling Author, Lord Jeffrey Archer. The nine Audiences were a one-hour conversation with local writers discussing their recently published works of fiction, non-fiction, lifestyle, poetry, art and music. It was a great initiative organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services, as a result of the difficulty in bringing international authors because of the pandemic. There was also a bookshop where books published by local and international authors could be purchased, and, going by its popularity and sales, would indicate the need for a bookshop here in Gibraltar, where local writers could have their work on sale.

A week before the festival opened, one of the “Audiences with…” previewed that there would be a discussion on “If Gibraltar literature exists.” Giordano Durante in a yourgibraltartv. com blog outlined his opinion on Gibraltar literature, which I invite you to read for further information. Most of the points raised by Giordano were discussed at the “Audience with …Dr Jennifer Ballantine and Trino Cruz”. I do not wish to repeat Giordano’s article, but I will refer to some of the excellent issues he addresses. Giordano’s opening remark was that “the question felt like an academic mask for a deeper set of prejudices”. It did make me think about our Yanito and if that was an advantage or a hindrance.

Yanito is seen as working very well as a dramatic voice. It has no structure and no rules. It is a form of Andalusian Spanish which is heavily laced with English words, with a great deal of code switching, and has evolved

over the last one hundred years. It uses a lot of calques, which are words borrowed from another language by literal translation. As a novel, it would be incomprehensible to anyone other than a Gibraltarian but to include it as dialogue of characters within a novel would enrich the experience of reading about a story set in Gibraltar.

I fell in love with the Faroes Islands when I went there for a visit and was eager to read about them in stories. I found a detective trilogy written by an Englishman and whereas the novels were entertaining it did not give me the feeling that I was in the Faroe Islands. Unlike the excellent Commisario Brunetti set in Venice written by Donna Leone who is a resident of Venice or the

translated Commisario Montalbano, written by Sicilian writer, Andrea Camilleri, and set in Sicily. I then came across a detective story written by Jógvan Isaksen, Walpuris Tide, set during the annual whale-kill in Tórshavn, and that novel felt I was back in the Faroes. It was enriched with local politics, geographical detail, local traditions and customs. You could tell it was written by a Danish Faroese who knew his country well. Indeed, Stephen King, my favourite author, says in his book, On Writing, “Write about what you know”. Why then did local author, M.G.Sanchez, when interviewed by Humbert Hernandez, say that “somebody high up in the Gibraltarian establishment” had told him to stop being so ‘Gibraltar-fixated’? As Giordano Durante commented in his piece“this approach betrays a stunning ignorance of literature and literary history.”

In their discussion, Jennifer Ballantine outlined that literature starts in Gibraltar in 1925 with the first novel, written in Spanish. English obviously becomes more prominent post-war with schools following the UK curriculum. She felt that English kills other languages, which is apparent through the film industry and the internet. I feel that it is therefore more important not to lose our bilingualism and our conversational yanito. Trino Cruz suggested that yanito gives us ‘licence to be transgressive.’ One of the issues raised was there are three registers, English, Spanish and Yanito, and that somehow this is holding us back. I feel that the first thing a writer has to ask is who is your audience. If you are writing is very “Gibraltarcentric” it may be only to circulate in Gibraltar and become part of our national literature. It would define a national identity and provide a common reference for our country’s culture. It was mentioned that in 1957, a J.D. Stewart article concluded that there is no literature in

Clive Beltran author of Yodo Morao

Gibraltar because there was nothing published. The assumption was that it had to be English. Even further, in 1977, Philip Denis said that although there was material, it was not cohesive and therefore we were not a people.

I felt there was enough evidence during the week that there is a culture here and consequently a literature. The next step is to enable some of these works to enter ‘world literature’, beyond our boundaries, and the internet is an obvious medium for global circulation.

There is plenty of work in English, Spanish

and yanito in novels, historical books and our arts to support that the Gibraltarian culture exists, as a browse through the books on display at the bookstore during the festival clearly showed. The “In Audience with” sessions also reflected this.

• Clive Beltran speaking about his new book, “Yodo Morao and all that…”, which is a series of vignettes about life in Gibraltar in the 1950s and 1960s. He wrote it as a record for his grandchildren, and as he said, “It is about Gibraltar’s intangible history”. If you want a trip down memory lane, he suggests you make

it a family Christmas gift, as all proceeds going to Calpe House.

• Sam Benady discussed his literary journey with his historical and fiction works, particularly his seven Bresciano crime novels that he co-wrote with the late Mary Chiappe.

• Rosanna Morales’ “Ageing in the Garden of Vegan” and Justin Bautista’s “Mama Lottie’s Vegan Cookbook” talked about reconnecting with the natural world. Rosanna’s aim is to be a good ancestor and embrace a plantbased diet to tackle our global crisis. Justin’s

Dr Jennifer Ballantine & Trino Cruz

An Audience with Humbert Hernandez & Cecil Gonez

An Audience with Rosanna Morales & Justin Bautista

Rebecca Calderon

goal is to veganise traditional Gibraltar recipes, and get families to cook together as a family.

• Richard Garcia outlined his research into the civilian population from 1704, as part of his trilogy into the early history of British Gibraltar.

• Karl Ullger spoke about his art during lockdown and his involvement in an online community, Cane-Yo, where his personal Gibraltarian identity was exposed to a global audience.

• Rebecca Calderon’s “Ten Thousand Words” discussed her recently published collection of short stories where she emphasised how she used her mixed culture background for her stories. She wants us to “embrace” our literature in Gibraltar and is an example of how to take your personal ethnicity to mainstream levels.

• Humbert Hernandez discussed his new book, “A Time Remembered,” with Cecil Gomez, about the history and development of amateur drama from the 1960s. Elio Cruz’ plays were discussed with emphasis on the “yanito” plays that were so popular in the 1960s and 1970s.

• Gabriel Moreno provided an insight into his “pain and pride of being a Gibraltarian in London”, gave us a rendition of some of his tender verses.

• Trino Cruz spoke about his extensive work as a translator in English, Spanish, French and Moroccan Taringa Arabic.

We must also not forget the works of other well-known published writers, like M.G.Sanchez, the plays of Julian Felice, Paco Oliva and others. They all have a connection to Gibraltar, and as Giordano Durante says

Alice Mascarenhas interviewing

Dr Sam Benady

An Audience with Clive Beltran

Humbert Hernandez

Richard Garcia

in his piece, are “an embodiment of Gibraltar Literature.”

Jennifer Ballantine and Trino Cruz, in their Audience session, did address the question of the next steps. I did some research into world literature and discovered that in 2019, 3% of published works in the US are works in translation, whereas in Italy, it is more than 50% of titles. There is an annual book fair in Bologna and Frankfurt, where I am sure translating licensing agreements are made, so our “hang-up” with our Yanito expressions and our bilingualism could be resolved. Whereas both Jennifer and Trino agreed that there has been a growth of Gibraltar works in recent years, they felt there needs to be a pathway with editors and mentors to guide potential writers through the process of publishing. This begs the question. Why do we not have an effective and dynamic publishing house in Gibraltar? There is Calpe Press which has been inactive for years and the website was “under construction” when I researched it. We need a well-organised publishing house in Gibraltar to provide this pathway. It should be for works of fiction and non-fiction about Gibraltar. The Government currently provides a loan to prospective writers to get their work published or self-published. I suggest this grant be transferred to a new Publishing House, where they can assess the suitability of the work, that it is about Gibraltar, and that the person applying is a resident. They will also provide the support

to secure literary agents by attending these annual international book fairs.

In the Q&A part of the Audience with Ballantine and Cruz, H.E.Governor, Sir David Steele, suggested that we should be using English and the creativity of Spanish to enrich our works. Other prominent members of our community present also highlighted how in our school days, we were punished for speaking in Spanish, because of the Anglophilic school curriculum. Minister Cortes wished to see a move towards more Spanish speaking in schools, because nowadays we do not watch Spanish TV and Spanish films like we used to in the 1960s and 1970s. He also wanted to embrace “our positionality”, as Jennifer Ballantine talked about, by not forgetting our English, our Spanish, and for some, their Moroccan culture. I agree with his remarks. That is what makes us

Gibraltarian. It should be what we write about, and we should be proud of it!

Dr Sam Benady said “I think a community that doesn’t have a history isn’t a community. If you don’t know your history, you are not conscious of what came before you.”

When asked by a member of the audience whether he would include a local RGP to help his character William Warwick solve a crime, Lord Archer, after a little thought, replied “No.” However, at the evening dinner, he did promise guests that he would include a Gibraltarian London cabbie in a future novel and that his name would be John Cortes! Perhaps Lord Archer is telling us that we should be writing our own stories about Gibraltar instead of relying on a best seller do it for us.

Minister John Cortes could not have expressed it better in his speech at the evening dinner.

“Our culture reaches out into the world from the Rock-hard foundations, from a community whose identity has never been stronger.”

There is well known Moroccan saying about the storytellers in Marrakech, “When a storyteller dies, a library burns.” I sincerely hope that this initiative to include local writers in our Literary Week continues every year. We must not let our yanito, our bilingualism, our culture burn!

Giordano Durante

Behind the scenes at the

Behind the scenes at O.W.L. (Only Wear Love)

THE SCENES of

(Only wear

it

BEHIND

the participation of OWL

love);

was the last showcase for this year presenting at No. 1 Models Gibraltar annual production show held at the Inces Hall on Friday 12th November last.

O.W.L.

(Only Wear Love) at Inces Hall

LOCAL DESIGNER CHARLENE FIGUERAS showcased her Collection Rose Quartz from O.W.L “ONLY WEAR LOVE” a beautiful collection where 20 mature ladies walked the catwalk and made the

audience fall in love. It was the last showcase for this year presenting at No. 1 Models Gibraltar annual production show held at the Inces hall on Friday 12th November last.

Photographs by: Charlene Figueras, Shyanne Azopardi & Natasha Pisharello

Alex Hogg Bea Brzozowska Carmel Khalilian Elizabeth Lee

Jacqueline Ribeiro

Jenaika Casciaro

Jessica Palao Debono

Kimberly Bacarisa

Krystle Robba

Lois Soiza

Lyanne Valverde

Lyz Olivero

Natasha Pizzarello Ornella Serra Rebecca Figueras Shyanne Azzopardi

Sonia Lopez

Sueanne Avellano

Vanessa Saccone Recagno

Yael Williamson

The

Lamb with

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Fry the onions, garlic and ginger in the oil for about 15 mins. Add the lamb and stir-fry until browned. Add the spices, cook over the heat to release their flavours, then add the almonds. Pour in the stock and season to taste.

2. Cover the pan and simmer for 45 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, then simmer 15 mins more until the lamb is tender. Thin with a little water if the sauce starts to get too thick.

3. To freeze, cool, then pack into a freezer container or bags. Will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw for 6 hrs in the fridge, then reheat in a pan until bubbling hot.

BRAISED BEEF WITH PRUNES

Replace lamb with diced stewing steak and apricots with pitted prunes and some whole shallots. Omit saffron and cinnamon and add 2 tbsp red wine vinegar. Expect to simmer for about 30 minutes more until the meat is tender.

Dad's Kitchen

Stuffed Squid

Text and Photography by Mark Montovio

Mark Montovio shares some of his much loved local and world recipes opening up possibilities for making each dish to suit a variety of families, different tastes and particular dietary needs. Combining his love of different cultures and world cuisine he is also committed to preparing meals which are nutritious, tasty and good to look at, with minimum waste and using seasonal produce.

STUFFED SQUID can be prepared in a number of different ways, and usually in Gibraltar we tend to serve it as they do in Italy, even though it is a very Mediterranean dish, and there are popular versions in Greece and Spain, where they also use the squid ink in the stuffing.

Every Italian family seems to have their own combination of ingredients and way of preparing the dish, which makes it very versatile as even leftovers like risotto, couscous, bolognese and pesto can be used.

Although the origin of this dish is unknown there is reference to stuffed squid in one of the first cook books of the 14th Century written in Catalan. There are many however argue that the origin is Italian, either from Sicily or Naples, where there are a number of variations.

And diversity with the stuffing is the key as I said. A favourite of mine is from Liguria where they include cooked spinach in the stuffing.

Most of the recipes do require some preparation with the stuffing, but this can be done before hand, even a day ahead

and stored in the fridge. A great stuffing together with a rich sauce makes this a star dish and it can be served with rice, potatoes, or my favourite, which is pasta cooked in the same sauce.

I cooked a single squid, because of its size, in a rich tomato sauce made using fresh tomatoes, peppers, onion and garlic, although

you can use canned tomatoes to make it smoother, or ready-made Italian passata. The trick is never to overcook the squid, although you must make sure that the filling is cooked, and again care must be taken not to overfill it with the stuffing as the flesh can break easily when it starts shrinking. However, that is not so terrible because when the filling

leaks into the sauce, it is absolutely delicious!

So here we go… It’s very simple. I chose a rather traditional filling which included the squid tentacles, some bread dipped in milk, parsley, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, an egg to bind further and grated cheese.

The quantities again depend on the size of the squid and each person’s preference in terms of what the flavour each ingredient brings to the overall dish. As I said, with this anything goes.

Once the stuffing is mixed it needs to be introduced into the squid and generally I leave a two finger space to be able to seal it with toothpicks and to allow for shrinkage.

Thirty to forty minutes simmering gently usually does the trick but of course it will depend of the thickness of the squid. In this case because mine was rather large, I served a couple of slices together with rice and some mixed vegetables.

Stuffed squid is certainly a dish that takes me back to my childhood and its versatility is one of its strongest points.

What’s Happening Down Town?

Montegriffo

Q & A with Dr. Marco

Vricella, founder of Aria Medical Group

Describe Aria Medical Group

We are a boutique cosmetic surgery firm, addressing the needs of patients in Gibraltar and Spain. As a professionally trained and qualified Cosmetic and Aesthetic Reconstructive Surgeon, I am committed to providing high quality cosmetic surgery with bespoke, confidential, personalised service.

Some of Aria Medical Group’s most popular procedures include: Breast Augmentation, Breast Uplift, Breast Reduction, Tummy Tuck, Liposuction, Face Lifts, Eye bag Removal, Rhinoplasty.

Where do you offer consultations?

I offer free, private consultations at College Clinic, Gibraltar and operate at HC Marbella.

What differentiates your

approach?

Surgeon Consultations: All clients have a private consultation with me – a qualified specialist in cosmetic surgery, and reconstructive surgery, not with a nurse or a salesperson.

Specialist Surgeon: I am a qualified Doctor and qualified cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, registered with all the relevant medical boards and associations in Gibraltar, the UK, Spain, and Italy.

Private Hospital: All Aria Medical Group cosmetic surgery procedures are performed in a fully equipped private hospital,

service private, exclusive hospital, with state-of-the-art operating theatres and equipment together with a full complement of English speaking, round-the-clock nurses, and medical staff - all under the same roof.

Aftercare: All cosmetic surgery procedures include free postoperative consultations, and free revision surgery if necessary within the first year. I see all clients for post-operative consultations after the procedure and again at

2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and a year post surgery. We can be contacted 24 hours a day if a client requires help or advice.

What is your background in this field?

My professional surgical career has shown me the exceptional and positive impact that plastic and reconstructive surgery can have on people’s lives.

I was in medical school for 12

years, to qualify as a doctor and surgeon. During my last 2 years of study, I developed my skills in post-traumatic plastic surgery as well as surgery correcting major congenital physical defects.

I later completed a year’s residency in a large New York Children’s Hospital and went on to work for 4 years as an Aesthetic Reconstructive Specialist dealing with over 2000 cases a year. I have been working in Cosmetic Surgery for 25 years.

Do you have any special offers?

My team and I at Aria Medical Group are dedicated to Best Practice in Cosmetic Surgery, and that means we never use promotional or discount sales techniques. Choosing to have a cosmetic surgery procedure is an important decision that should only be made when you are fully informed and are deemed suited for the surgery.

We always try to offer accessible and fair prices, but quality and safety are our prime considerations,

Who should one contact for more information?

My Chief Patient Care Coordinator Louise Truelove is available to take telephone and email enquiries on (+34) 671 639 353

Web: www.ariamedicalgroup.com Email: info@ariamedicalgroup.com

HC Marbella. This is a full

The most influential climate science paper of all time

Text By Piers Forster (Professor of Physical Climate Change, Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds) www.theconversation.com

AFTER THE SECOND World War, many of Japan’s smartest scientists found jobs in North American laboratories. Syukuro (Suki) Manabe, a 27-year-old physicist, was part of this brain drain. He was working on weather forecasting but left Japan in 1958 to join a new research project by the US Weather Service to develop a numerical model that could be used to study the climate.

Dynamics Laboratory’s visionary first director, Manabe led a team of computer programmers to add missing physics to the lab’s weather model. Even the best computers in the world at the time were far less powerful than today’s mobile phones. So to get the model to work, Manabe needed to make the physics as simple as possible. This meant making a range of coding approximations to quantify how the air exchanged heat and water vapour with the land, ocean and ice.

Working alongside Joseph Smagorinsky, the Gophysical Fluid

This climate model development – the first of its kind – was an ambitious 20-year project that ultimately earned Manabe a share of the 2021 Nobel prize in physics. The key paper came midway through this period: Manabe and Wetheral (1967).

Manabe is typically modest about intentions behind the work and from reading its title, “Thermal Equilibrium of the Atmosphere with a Given Distribution of

Relative Humidity”, you might be forgiven for thinking it could be a bit dull. Yet the Nobel committee, myself and the hundreds of colleagues around the world that voted it the most influential climate science paper of all time, would beg to differ.

In trying to simplify the code, Manabe and his colleague Richard Wetherald wanted to know the minimum number of discrete levels to use in his model

atmosphere. They also wanted to know which greenhouse gases it was necessary to include in the model to adequately represent the way temperatures vary with altitude, as these gases absorb heat emitted from the Earth’s surface, but at different levels. Their three-dimensional climate model was too computerintensive to run these model tests, so they had to build a simpler one-dimensional model. They wanted to simulate how

radiation and clouds interact to redistribute heat and water vapour through the atmosphere. The bulk of the paper concerns itself with building the simple model and doing these tests. But they also do two other experiments in the paper to quantify how greenhouse gas might alter climate. And this is where the breakthrough occurred: they found they had built the perfect model to accurately estimate how human

activities could alter the Earth’s surface temperature.

Their first such climate-change experiment wasn’t to look at the role of carbon dioxide, but was to look at the effects of water vapour injected high into the stratosphere from a potential fleet of supersonic jets, as this and a possible nuclear winter were the immediate concerns of the time. However, their Table 5 goes down in history as the first robust estimate of how much the world would warm if carbon dioxide concentrations doubled. Manabe and Wetherald estimated 2.36ºC of warming, not far off today’s best estimate of 3ºC.

Earlier attempts to estimate the warming from carbon dioxide increases had floundered, as scientists struggled to work out how water vapour, the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, would respond as the Earth warmed. Manabe and Wetherald’s simple model could accurately redistribute water vapour in a way that real deep clouds do, with water vapour broadly increasing in concentration up to a certain level of humidity. This increase was found to amplify the warming from carbon dioxide by around 75%. This water vapour feedback

estimate has also stood the test of time.

Manabe, working with various colleagues, went on to write many more seminal climate modelling papers. He set the foundation for today’s global climate modelling efforts. The physics was beguilingly simple so his models could run

on these early computers. Yet, by being simple, the results could be understood and tested. His application of these simple models to the pressing problems of today was insightful.

After graduating with a degree in physics over 30 years ago, I chose a career in atmospheric

science over particle physics. I always worried about how my applied physics was viewed by mainstream physics colleagues. With a Nobel prize in physics under our discipline’s belt, it gives me and climate modelling colleagues the credibility and recognition we have yearned for: climate science is real science.

No1 School of Models Production Show 2021

No1 School of Models held performance at the Inces Hall theatre where had over 95 models took part in the show

NO1 MODELS PRESENTED the No1 School of Models Production Show 2021, the show took place Friday 12th November at the Inces Hall theatre with over 95 models taking part in the show.

No1 School Of Models Levels 1,2,3 and 4 took part with amazing catwalk routines never seen before choreographed by Kelvin Hewitt; wearing clothing from a new local store R&S Boutique.

Local designer Charlene Figueras showcased her Collection Rose Quartz from O.W.L “ONLY WEAR LOVE” a beautiful collection where 20 mature ladies walked the catwalk and made the audience fall in love. The Gibraltar Youth.gi kids took part in the Fashion Show as ‘Rock Thrifters’ in conjunction with Club House Gibraltar, No1 Models will be donating £500 to Club House Gibraltar.

No1 Models Kelvin Hewitt thanked everyone, who made the show possible especially his No1 Models for working so hard throughout the Rehearsals, his backstage crew and front of house for continuously supporting him in all events.

‘Childline’ to Auction Kimi Räikkönen Signed Shirt

As every Formula One fan knows, Kimi, nicknamed 'The Iceman', is a Finnish racing driver, currently driving for Alfa Romeo Racing. He won the 2007 Formula One World Championship driving for Scuderia Ferrrari and he also finished second in 2003 and 2005.

As Kimi's yacht completed its arrival procedures, the crew presented Mark and team with one of his signed shirts and Mark has generously donated the shirt to ‘Childline’ to auction in order to raise muchneeded funds.

Childline will be auctioning Kimi Räikkönen signed shirt. To place your bid for the signed shirt, please email: info@childline.gi. All bids must be over £100 and placed by 5pm on 20th December. The winner will be contacted individually and announced on our social media platforms.

WHEN KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN'S yacht sailed into Queensway Quay Marina recently, marine operator Mark Williams was part of the team tasked with securing the vessel and making sure that the crew were familiar with all the Marina's procedures.

Artistically Ours Art Exhibition

THE MINISTRY of Equality and the Care Agency, in collaboration with the Gibraltar Disability Society, commissioned an art exhibition titled Artistically Ours.

The exhibition showcases the artwork of service users at St. Bernadette’s Resource Centre and Dr Giraldi Home and can be viewed at the John Mackintosh Hall.

The idea came from the Gibraltar Disability Society, who also sponsored the event by supplying canvases and paints. The art show was part of a week of events leading up to International Day of Persons with Disabilities organised by the Gibraltar Disability Society.

This exhibition was organised to highlight the different strengths of persons with disabilities in

Gibraltar. Each of the individual works of art is a representation of the skill, imagination and perception of the world of each artist involved in this project. A total of 40 artists took part.

The works of art are available for sale at the price of £100 each (or £50 if purchased by a member of the artist’s family). All the money raised from this exhibition went directly to the Gibraltar

Disability Society and will be re-invested in other projects. Anyone interested in purchasing the works is asked to contact the Care Agency by email tony. jurado@careagency.gov.gi.

Sadly, a reception to inaugurate the event had to be cancelled following Public Health advice, but the artwork could nevertheless be viewed by the public at the John Mackintosh

Hall exhibition rooms from the 29th November until the 10th December 2021. A book with all the works of art has also been published and could be obtained at the exhibition or by contacting the Care Agency directly.

Chairperson for the Gibraltar Disability Society, Debbie Borastero, said: “We are very proud to sponsor the 2021 Art Exhibition by the service users of St Bernadette’s and Dr Giraldi. It is fitting that the opening of the show “Artistically Ours” began a week of events, which led up to International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The artists can

be proud of their work which in 2016 was not only displayed locally but also in Milan. We are sure that this year’s exhibition will equal, if not surpass, their previous work.”

CEO for the Care Agency, Carlos Banderas, said: “In order to encourage and promote service users’ creativity and skills, the Care Agency and the Disability Society joined forces to support an art project for the Learning Disability Services. This was launched for everyone to express what inspires them, through a variety of techniques. This included various mediums,

sensory approaches and discussion. Some paintings portrayed the person’s emotions or character, whilst others represented a particular interest or reaction to music. A special thanks to Oscar Hidalgo, who utilised his passion and talent to guide everyone to achieve and realise their artistic potential.”

The Minister for Equality, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, MP said: “I am so extremely pleased with this art exhibition, it is the third of its kind for the Care Agency, the most recent one was in 2016 and was displayed in Gibraltar and also in Milan.

I am so impressed with the high standard of the works of art, the artists have done a brilliant job, I am very proud of them. I am very grateful to the Gibraltar Disability Society, the Care Agency and the Ministry of Equality for working together in making all this happen.”

The Lord Mayor of Gibraltar, Mr Christian Santos, who also visited the exhibition said, “I really enjoyed the artworks and the different styles used to create them. Come to the John Mackintosh Hall and enjoy this exhibition. You can also purchase some of the artworks”

The Land Rover

Invitational - The results

THANKS to our sponsor Land Rover/Capurro and the San Roque Club for hosting our final event of the 2021 Med Golf Season!

The weather was beautiful and the golf course was in superb condition! Can't beat some sunny golf in November! Thanks to all 88 players who played!

See below the results and a huge congratulations to all our winners!

1st - John Hunter- 39 points

2nd - Ramesh Samtani - 36 points

3rd - Denise Moodie - 35 points

Finally, we want to thank everyone, who participated

towards the closest to the pin charity putting competition. We managed to raise a total of €310 and we will be donating this to a local children's charity in La Linea. Well done to all!

With this being our final event of the 2021 season, we would like to thank all of our sponsors for their partnership and continuous support of Med Golf.

MansionBet, Bassadone Motors, Gedime Motors, Capurro Insurance & Investments, Land Rover, The Hunter Group and Venandi

Finally, to our Med Golf members. Thank you for your participation and being with us every step of the way.