BOV Calendar 2013

2013

f r o m o n e g e n e r at i o n t o a n o t h e r

maltese street games

f r o m o n e g e n e r at i o n t o a n o t h e r

maltese street games

2013

Nowadays, it would be unheard of for children to play unsupervised or to wander off into nearby fields. But before the advent of television and computers, street games formed a big part of Maltese children’s lives.

In the pre-war era, children were expected to entertain themselves. Fortunately, streets were not yet taken over by traffic and could serve as the children’s playground.

JOE P. SMITH photographer Joe P Smith is a photographer and artist who is constantly in search of new and contemporary channels for expressing his photographic vision. He has a strong preference for architectural, environmental portraiture and performing arts photography and his photographs from the Malta Jazz Festival have left a strong impact on the local art

Games and toys were not merely a pastime but also served to develop the early concepts of teamwork, communication and co-ordination skills.

scene. A lover of social documentary, Joe published his first book in this genre in 2009.

The work, called “Survivors - The Ageing Population of Birgu” charts the colourful and sometimes poignant life stories of a handful of characters living in this medieval walled

Street games helped children to build their character and confidence and also instilled a neighbourhood sense of community, something which remains a core value for Bank of Valletta.

town. The publication was a huge success and it is now in its second reprint.

Joe has been the recipient of numerous local and international awards and he has lectured and judged extensively locally as well as in the international sphere. Last year he was

At Bank of Valletta we have always been interested in our heritage and culture in all its guises. This is central to our Bank’s ethos as a culture that values the individual and the community. As an active corporate citizen, the Bank is committed to supporting the community through a programme which is founded on seven pillars: arts and culture; heritage; environment; social; sport; education; and business strategic alliances.

The Bank is a leading patron of initiatives that brings together generations through their appreciation of historical artefacts. These photographs pay tribute to some of the traditional games and toys, captured in the same old streets and alleys which were the children’s playground in the past.

All photos were taken during the month of September 2012.

honoured to have been asked to be part of the judging panel of firsts edition of the HIPA photo awards in Dubai and next January, for the 6th time, he will travel to London to deliver masterclasses and be part of the jury at The Societies annual convention in London.

Joe holds the distinction of Fellow with the Malta Institute of Professional Photographers, The Societies (SWPP), the Master Photographers Association and the British Institute of Professional Photographers.

FSWPP FBIPP FMPA FMIPP ARPS AFIAP Dip. Artistic & Cultural Management Born 17.03.1959

guido l anfranco researcher GUIDO LANFRANCO, author of the game descriptions, was born in 1930 and spent a lifetime teaching in government primary, secondary and upper secondary schools. He was active in cultural societies and president of several of them. He has written numerous

cover photo Xixu A small length of wood (formerly used to be an odd wooden bobbin or reel) is placed on a rigid edge on

articles for various periodicals, and participated in local radio and television programmes.

He has published well over twenty books mostly about local nature, history and culture, one of them Logħob, Taqbil u Ġugarelli tat-Tfal Maltin specifically on children’s games.

the ground and with a stick or rod is hit sharply on one

He has won several literary prizes for his books and poetry. In 1969 he was awarded

end to make it fly as high as possible into the air.

the bronze medal of merit of the Federation of Civic Councils and in 1996 Medalja għall-

Location: Birgu

Qadi tar-Repubblika for his contribution to local culture and nature conservation.

Born 18.10.1930

ja n ua ry 2013 Żibeġ Various games could be played, where the children could compete for beads dealt out by each individual. The commonest game involves making a shallow depression in the ground (ħofra) into which beads are flicked by the fingers. In some games the colours of the beads have different values.

Location: Żejtun

tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed

BOV in the Community

thu fri sat sun mon Divine Grace Restoration projects - such as that of the titular painting of Our Lady of Divine Grace in Victoria, Gozo - are one way in which the Bank can protect Malta’s heritage for future generations.

tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

F EBRUARY 2013 Karretta u Skuter Like most pre-war toys, these were home made. A set of three or four metal ball-bearing wheels were needed for the cart. The rider controlled the steering block with slim ropes. The scooter used two or three wheels, was pushed by one foot which also pressed on a wooden, hinged flap over the hind wheels to act as a brake.

Location: Birgu

BOV in the Community

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu

Work/Life Balance The Bank treasures its employees and has numerous initiatives which help them balance life and work, also promoting their health and wellbeing. It also encourages corporate social respsonsibility, such as dress-down days for charity, blood donation sessions and tree-planting.

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

M ARCH 2013 Boċċi Several varieties and forms of games are possible with marbles.

Before the advent of glass marbles our children often played the same games using hazelnuts.

Pre-war Codd-Stoppered ginger bottles had a plain glass marble as a stopper and children often broke bottles to get it out.

Location: Birgu

BOV in the Community

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed

Culture The Bank’s support of prestigious festivals, in particular those at the Manoel Theatre (seen here), the Astra Theatre and the Aurora Theatre, have become part of Malta’s annual cultural calendar. It also promotes culture for children through innovative programmes.

thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

A PRI L

mon tue wed thu fri sat

2013 Ħabel Girls play with skipping ropes individually or in groups. In one popular game a girl calls out a series of possible attributes of an imaginary future husband as she skips and, when the rope hits her legs, she stops on the word assumed to predict the type of husband she would have.

sun mon tue wed thu

Location: Rabat, Gozo

fri

BOV in the Community

sat sun mon tue wed thu

Basketball The Bank is proud of its genderequality certification and this is reflected in its support to sporting initiatives, like the Malta Basketball Association where it supports competitions for both females and males.

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

M AY 2013 Tajra The traditional basic model is made from thin, light, coloured paper stretched over thin strips of cane disposed in a bow and arrow position. The paper used to be glued with starch or flour heated in a little water. The fancy tail is added for stability.

Location: Marsascala

wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

BOV in the Community

sun mon tue wed thu Football Bank of Valletta is today recognised as the leading financial partner in major sports disciplines. Its support of the Malta Football Association’s leagues rewards excellence amongst local footballers.

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

JUN E 2013

sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

TaĹź-Ĺťiemel Two boys play at horse and rider, one acting as the horse the other as the rider, exchanging roles at intervals. Children enjoyed making the reins themselves, weaving odd, discarded, coloured cotton-wool using pins on a wooden reel. Horse and rider couples often race each other.

Location: Dingli

BOV in the Community

sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue

Art The Bank regularly supports local artists in a bid to promote talent and foster greater appreciation of local artistic works. Apart from the George Fenech retrospective shown here, it hosts an annual exhibition at the BOV Centre at Sta Venera.

wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

JU LY

mon tue wed thu fri

2013 Passju The rough diagram with nine, numbered compartments scratched on the ground represents the nine months of pregnancy, with the ninth month section drawn with a bulge. Girls cast a stone from the starting point, hop towards it, to trip it on to the next number. Completing the set results in ‘having a baby’.

Location: Rabat

BOV in the Community

sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu

PV Panels The Bank’s presence in the community brings with it the responsibility to reduce its impact on the environment.

Over 300 photovoltaic panels were installed on branches, just one of many initiatives to make BOV a “green bank”.

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

august 2013

thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

ÄŠirku Any hoop, of any size, free from spokes and hubs, used to be seen frequently trundled along the ground with the help of a piece of wire bent at one end to guide the rim of the hoop. Boys usually played on their own but often organised hoop races.

Location: Birgu

BOV in the Community

sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue

Dar tal-Providenza Helping those less fortunate can be achieved in many ways.

The Bank supports numerous NGOs - directly or indirectly, as with the Volleyball marathon in aid of Dar tal-Providenza. Many times, BOV also helps without seeking publicity.

wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

SEPTEMBER 2013 Bżieżaq tas-Sapun These provided a pastime for all ages. A good mixture of soap in water blown slowly through a short length of cane tube produced beautiful, colourful bubbles.

Commoner than the cane is a page from an old exercise book rolled, taped and trimmed into a tube.

sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon

Location: Kunċizzjoni

tue

BOV in the Community

wed thu fri sat sun mon

Waterpolo Through its partnership with the Aquatic Sports Association of Malta, the Bank recognises the Maltese passion for waterpolo, supporting leagues, knock-out competitions and player awards.

tue wed thu fri sat sun mon

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

octo ber

tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu

2013 Żugraga To spin a wooden top children wound a string several times around it and learned to throw it sharply while holding on to the end of the string. This made to top spin for a short while.

Humming tops could be readily bought but others were homemade from wood, hollowed out and started with a string.

Location: Rabat, Gozo

BOV in the Community

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna The Bank’s collaboration with Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna resulted in the inauguration of the new Auditorium at the Lascaris WarRooms in Valletta, and makes possible many other projects that promote Malta’s rich history.

wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

NOV EM BER 2013 Pupa Mothers of most pre-war girls could not afford the luxury of buying dolls but made rag dolls from odd pieces of cloth and cotton-wool.

Girls played ‘mother’ with rag dolls and often recruited a boy to join them as the ‘father’ normally to be ignored, uninvolved or scolded.

Location: Kunċizzjoni

BOV in the Community

fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed thu fri

Dinja Waħda Dinja Waħda, a partnership with environmental NGO BirdLife, is a comprehensive educational programme aimed at teaching children about Malta’s diverse flora and fauna and instilling in them a love for nature.

sat sun mon tue wed thu fri sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

december

sun mon tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue wed

2013

thu

Bombos

fri

This popular game could be played in several styles but all involve a boy at the front, well bent forward, whilst the other vaults over him, using his hands, in leap frog fashion. The game continues by alternating leaps and bends. Sometimes two groups run parallel to race each other.

sat sun mon

Location: Dingli

tue

BOV in the Community

wed thu fri sat sun mon

L-Istrina L-Istrina, the annual fundraising campaign in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund, administered by the President’s Office, is one of the Bank’s main beneficiaries. The l-Istrina BOV Piggy Bank campaign raises money from school children across the islands.

tue wed thu fri sat sun mon tue

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31