The Gibraltar Magazine December 08

dining guide • business & finance • sport & leisure • property • history • community

gibraltar the

magazine December 2008 Vol. 14 No. 02 FREE

Gibraltar is Heaven on Earth

Colours & Magic Aurelia’s Passion for Life

Does Santa Exist?

Are People Talking About You?

Sea Rescue at Gibraltar

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and much more...

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2007

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Gib r a lta r A s s e t M a n agemen t L imi t ed S T O C K B R O K E R S

&

I N V E S T M E N T

M A N A G E R S

Gibraltar’s Member Firm of the London Stock Exchange www.gam.gi Telephone: +350 20075181 G I B R A LTA R A S S E T M A N AG E M E N T L I M I T E D , O N E I R I S H P L AC E , G I B R A LTA R AU T H O R I S E D A N D R E G U L AT E D B Y T H E F I N A N C I A L S E R V I C E S C O M M I S S I O N 30/04/2008

features 34 Gibraltar Lost Big Booster

38 42 44 46 48

Cover: yacht mooring, Queensway Quay Volume 14, Number 02 December 2008 The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by Guide Line Promotions Limited, PO Box 561, PMB 6377 Gibraltar Tel or fax (+350) 200 77748 E-mail: gibmag@gibraltar.gi www.TheGibraltarMagazine.com Editor: Andrea Morton Copyright © 2008 by Guide Line Promotions Limited. All rights reserved.

No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of The Gibraltar Magazine.

Subscriptions £35.00 per year.

Cheques, money orders or banker’s drafts should be made payable to: Guide Line Promotions Ltd and must be payable in Pounds Sterling.

50 60 70 72 80

Are People Talking About You? Christmas Miracle on the Road Does Santa Exist? € Joshua’s Journey Iconic Madonna Painted

by Gibraltar-born Artist Christmas Presents!

Home Decor with Flair The Jeweller € Aurelia Beiso — A Passion for Life History: Sea Rescue at Gibraltar

leisure & activites 40 The Wonderful 3 Kings

54 56 63 64 66 69 76 79

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in Big John

Cavalcade €

Colours & Magic And the Song Goes On Director of Culture Shopping & Beauty Portrait of an Artist € Leisure & Tuition Calendar of Events Behind the Scenes with the Sound of Music Clubs & Activities Guide

business & finance 8 Business & Finance Guide 9 Distance Learning for

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Professional Development

Having a Plan — STM Fidecs Pensions Experts € Gibraltar is Global Player Compensation Due IT Security — Secure your business A 1st for Construction Industry Into Africa for Local Law Firm Gibraltar is Heaven on Earth

regulars 58 Health & Medical Directory 62 Prize Puzzle 86 Gibraltar’s Wild Flowers € 108 Around Town food & drink 84-95 Wining & Dining on the Rock 86 Wine Column 88 Perfect Christmas Lunch 90 Canapes & Cocktails € 91 Restaurant & Bar Guide 92-94 Where to Eat and Drink information 52-53 City Centre Map 102 Gibraltar Information

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Comprehensive A-Z Index for the visiting professional or businessman and the discerning investor.

Detailed appendices on relevant Gibraltar Government legislation.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Marcus Killick European and Corporate Strategy Manager, The Open University, UK

by John Wilkinson,

business & finance profile development

Distance Learning

distance & work based learning for personal and professional development

Lifelong learning is a question of multiple choices. Why, what, where, when and how all have to be answered before you can decide whether you should entrust your next chunk of formal education or professional development to a university, college or other training institution.

As professional and personal lives become more complex and demanding, the attractions of modern distance learning are providing powerful alternative answers to these basic questions.

In an online age, this versatile style of education has new and appealing solutions to the where, when and how conundrums.

What does it mean today?

To paraphrase a Wikipedia entry, distance learning is the field of education that focuses on instructional systems delivering education to participants who can’t be, or don’t want to be, ‘on site’ or ‘on campus’. Rather than attending courses physically, teachers and students nowadays can communicate and interact when it suits them best through electronic media (like DVDs and course specific websites) and technologies (such as email, computer conferencing and virtual worlds). According to the subject and institution involved, the course delivery may be supplemented by any or all of the following: • printed material • group tutorials at convenient locations (or online equivalents) • seminars • computer marker assessments • examinations requiring attendance.

When a greater mix of delivery systems is used, the term ‘blended learning’ is often applied.

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The employer’s attitude If you’re thinking of taking a distance learning course, the advantages and disadvantages to you are outlined below. But before you make up your mind, it’s worth considering how your employer might react and how much support they might offer you. Every organisation like the European Commission that takes training and development seriously, judges training and education suppliers by their overall reputation.

The type and style of training is of secondary importance. All the world’s major universities offer some of their courses online or at a distance. They wouldn’t do that if they didn’t

When staff are supported on distance learning courses they feel better about their employers

believe their chosen form of distance learning wasn’t highly effective. Quality, therefore, isn’t an issue with distance learning per se, only with the institution delivering it.

Given that the supplier has international standing, there are many reasons why an employer would prefer a member of staff to continue their personal and professional development by distance learning.

Minimal disruption to work flow and managerial continuity Staff don’t have to take time out for professional skills development or years out to study for their MBA, for example.

Standardisation of business and management techniques Personnel in different locations can be trained to the same high standards.

Improvement to time management skills Many distance learning courses are not an easy ride and staff soon learn how to make the most of available time.

Evidence of high degree of commitment To complete a qualification by distance learning requires dedication and this can become an attitude to work in general.

Increases staff loyalty When staff are supported

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finance development

by Trevor Nichols

on distance learning courses they feel better about their employers.

Reduces recruitment costs Growing your own management by putting staff with recognised potential on distance learning management development courses is more cost effective and less disruptive than always recruiting from outside the organisation.

Relevance of work based learning See below.

Work based learning You may want to take a distance learning course simply because it interests you or it helps develop your mind but if you are doing to it to improve or update your professional and management skills, work based distance learning makes a lot of sense.

Like many general descriptors, work based learning is a loose concept capable of varying interpretations. Taken in the context of business and management education, its advantages are relatively clear. In this instance, work based learning benefits the individual, the work group and the organisation. Its learning outcomes are achieved mostly through work related activities and can be directly applied to improve current or future work practices. This immediate application of newly acquired skills or understandings is how the organisational value of work based learning is realised. Some of the strategies that might be used by members of a work based learning team include action learning, mentoring, seminars, focus groups, problem-based learning, reflection, critical and/or strategic questioning.

If you’re looking at management or business skills development, always consider whether a distance learning course framed around work based learning is your best option.

The individual perspective Your employer might thoroughly approve if you decide to take a distance learning course.

They might support you by paying some or all of the fees, giving you a little extra time off or by monitoring and mentoring your progress. In the final analysis, however, you’ll be doing all the study so you need to be sure that distance learning is the best fit for your individual circumstances and ambitions.

As with most things, there are pros and cons to distance learning. The generally accepted ones are listed below, not to persuade you either way, but to help you make up your mind about your next step in lifelong learning.

Distance Learning: Advantages Here are some of the benefits of distance education courses (while these factors are not relevant to every distance learning situation, they apply to most).

Convenience and accessibility You can fit your study around your professional and social life. Whenever you’re close to a computer with an Internet connection you can dip into your course. The use of email or web based submission can also allow you to send in your assignments at any time of day, which is both safe and convenient.

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Flexibility You don’t have to be anywhere at a set time so you have more flexibility about when and where you complete your readings, activities and assignments. You set the pace but usually within specified time parameters.

Availability There’s an immense choice of courses and qualifications available from highly respected suppliers who offer or specialise in distance learning. You don’t have to live in the same city or even the same country to take your preferred course at the learning institution of your choice.

You can fit your study around your professional and social life. Whenever you’re close to a computer with an Internet connection you can dip into your course

Cost Fees tend to be lower than for standard college or training courses and you don’t have to worry about the costs of relocating and living away from home or constant travelling.

Self-Directed Within the limits of the particular course, you control the learning environment and set your own pace.

Personality fit Distance learning, unless very basic, adapts to most personalities. It can also work with people who struggle with traditional teaching because they learn better through visual cues and experiential exercises or because they require more time, are language-challenged, or introverted.

No career interruption If you choose the distance learning route to personal or professional development, there’s no need to quit your current job or even take leave.

Networking Specialist distance learning organisations often introduce you to a diverse and worldwide network of fellow students and professionals and offer channels to maintain and extend your contacts. Another benefit of distance learning to students is the ability to work interactively between groups in different countries.

Transportability Distance learning offers more geographic flexibility. If you move house or work, your course moves with you.

Diverse faculty Distance learning institutions can draw on the expertise of faculty in many different locations.

Computer literacy Taking a distance learning courses is likely to increase your familiarity with technology Online focus With the continuing evolution of online communications, instructor-student and student-student contact can be maintained and strengthened. Students have the opportunity to correspond with others from different backgrounds and to liaise with fellow students around the world.

Resource access Access to experts and a tremendous volume of online databases is also a distance learning benefit. The major suppliers have online libraries which give you immediate entry to online journals and thousands of other online research resources.

Getting a taste for distance learning If you haven’t tried distance learning – and if you’ve read this far, it’s a fair bet that you haven’t –then you’ll want to find out how it works and, more importantly, whether it would work for you. There are three easy ways to dip your toe in the water.

Many distance learning suppliers offer samples or tasters through their websites. These help you get to grips with distance learning, which requires a different approach to study than on site courses.

My own institution, The Open University, offers free access to hundreds of learning units in many subject areas through our OpenLearn website.

Along with a number of universities in America, England and Ireland, The Open University also offers access to free chunks of learning via the apple iTunes General Store. If you aren’t already a member, you’ll need to subscribe to iTunes first.

So take the plunge — I think you’ll like it. ■

• www.oubs.open.ac.uk/gibraltar GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Quest Financial Services Ltd Peter M Bosbury BA (Hons), Cert PFS General Manager 260/262 Main Street PO Box 1338 Gibraltar Tel: + 350 200 52908 Fax: + 350 200 59731 Mobile: 54008767 Email: pete.bosbury@quest.gi www.quest.gi GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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finance

by Frankie Hatton

STM Fidecs’ pensions experts Jane Caulfield and David Erhardt

STM Fidecs – the Pension Experts

Having a Plan...

You and I are staring at the future. We’re young, middle aged, older but looking at the future because let’s face it we all do. If you’re like me you’re thinking; I’m at work got money, got a house, car and can do that holiday. Except I’m also looking to the future, see the difference? I’ve recently had a chat with a couple of ‘experts’, they are self styled but the expert tag comes from those who have already listened to them, David Erhardt and Jane Caulfield are becoming Gibraltar’s pensions experts.

Not the pension you are paying that paltry sum to the Government for which will keep an amount of coal on the fire and some bread and cheese in the pantry, for in the future that kind of pension may be in some doubt. This is the kind of pension which if you hook into sooner rather than later will keep you having that annual holiday and nice car well into your old age, so long as the eyesight allows you the licence to drive it.

It is a fact people are living longer — a recent survey revealed 85% of people born today will live to at least 65 years and over, this is unprecedented. Enjoying the same standard of living

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in retirement as you have during your working life generally requires an investment of at least 17.5% of your annual income into a pension plan throughout your career.

You want a number? The average annual salary according to Government figures in Gibraltar is around £19,000 that means you need to put over £3,300 per year into your pension (during your career) to achieve the standard of living you have at the moment but, hey folks, that doesn’t take inflation into account!

On top of this the loss of many defined benefit schemes (often called final salary schemes) and the belief state pensions will cease to exist in

future adds to the argument for individuals and employers to reassess their retirement planning and think now before you get that handshake, watch and walk to the door.

STM Fidecs recently formed a Pensions Division, Pensions Director David Erhardt has been part of the set up having arrived in Gibraltar via a rather circular route. Born in Manchester he took an economics degree and finding little work he went on to take his Masters.

After some jobbing he ended up in London working in Accountancy and Finance. It was here he met his wife, Susan who at the time was employed by the Foreign Office. After a couple of years she was posted with the FO to Oman and really wanted to take the post but they couldn’t go together unless, here’s the leap gentlemen, they were married. Six weeks later they married and three weeks after that Susan was off to Oman with David following nine months later after qualifying as a Chartered Accountant.

David admits to having a great time in the Middle East and they lived the lifestyle for three years until finally they had to come home. David went back to Gloucester where his parents lived to begin finding and setting up the home, and getting a new job.

He started back in accounts with a company specialising in Pensions Administration and two years later he was their Finance Director.

Five years on, following the arrival of two children, they moved to Tewkesbury. David was working in Bristol and doing very well, again doing the commute but pulling in a decent salary that afforded the family a good life in the UK. One day he began to think about the life — he was out all day hardly saw the family and he tended to be the night time father, getting in as the children were heading to bed, just not really one he relished so they sat and talked about it.

It was then he realised that way of life wasn’t what the family wanted — they saw little of him as a husband and father so they agreed to change things.

Dramatically they upped sticks and bought a very run down old property just outside Granada (I do mean run down). Renting while they renovated, which took six months, eventually it was a dream home away from the bustle of UK and in the tranquillity of Andalucía.

He and his wife tried their hand at owning and running a hotel and restaurant. They renovated a few properties but eventually decided that it was time to rejoin society. They didn’t want to leave this part of the world behind so in August 2007 he sent his CV to STM Fidecs in Gibraltar.

Jane Caulfield is the Pension Administration Manager at STM Fidecs and has been married for 32 years, has four children and seven grandchildren. Born in Brighton, England she qualified in Business Studies and moved to London at the tender age of 18 before moving back to Brighton within the finance sector.

Jane has been involved in financial services, tax and pensions for most of her working life having got into it by accident rather than design, mostly with independent financial advisers.

Because of this experience she has a vast amount of working knowledge in the pensions and insurance field having sold, talked and advised on it in the UK since 1978.

Coincidentally Jane also had that ‘Damascus’ moment where she realised life really ought to be more than work and paying taxes and after some discussion she and her husband Robert decided to leave the UK. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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finance They sold their home moved into a caravan in Sussex then very soon after bought an American style motorhome and headed for the continent.

After gently meandering their way through France and Spain working here and there to supplement the journey they finally settled in a campsite south of Granada, amazingly 10 minutes drive from where David lived though they never met, where they put down the symbolic tent pegs of their mobile home.

It was here they embarked on a series of property renovations before spending some time in Portugal and then finally deciding, like David, that it was time to return to the world of finance.

They lifted the pegs and headed for Gibraltar where she sent her CV to STM Fidecs a couple of months before David in May 2007.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Revill must have rubbed his hands with glee when he saw those CVs because although STM Fidecs had some pension schemes set up in Gibraltar they needed more resources. Both David and Jane were immediately snapped up and given the opportunity to create a range of schemes to suit all manner of savers. Suddenly in the space of three months the company had two highly qualified people with a wealth of tax, financial regulation, accountancy, pensions and insurance knowledge.

The first real job was to educate Gibraltar with regard to the type of pensions available to the UK market. Working side by side they achieved this by highlighting the failings of the current schemes available and suggesting alternatives.

Ultimately they decided to offer four types of scheme; Pension transfers (QROPs) – for those wishing to

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reinvest their pension scheme from the UK You may have had a pension set up in the UK for example and decided to live abroad permanently. Naturally you’d want to take your pension investment with you and reinvest it into a new scheme. David and Jane have been able to obtain qualification for their pensions so these transfers to a new fund from UK can be done tax efficiently. Why would you want to do that?

In some cases, if you don’t, the money you had already invested would be lost to the company.

There are tax reasons too. Although people over age 60 are liable to tax, pensions are taxed at a zero rate here and if you take a lump sum from your investment as you may when you retire these too are tax free in Gibraltar.

Global Pension Plan – for those living or working abroad This plan has a large range of solutions for you if you are one of the increasing number of people who are living or working in several different countries during their career and have

Both David and Jane were immediately snapped up & given the opportunity to create a range of schemes to suit all manner of savers

difficulty in taking care of business when it comes to investment for retirement.

Gibraltar approved schemes - for those employed by a company in Gibraltar The Gibraltar Government is increasingly encouraging its private sector employers to provide pension benefits for its employees. In the future this will, with involvement of trade unions, be enforced more strongly as the Government seeks to head off the reliance on the Old Age Pension.

Gibraltar Personal Pension Scheme - for people who do not have access to a occupational pension scheme in Gibraltar and want to save for the future Not everyone works for the Government or Ministry of Defence nor some of the ‘on to it’ companies that provide a pension plan. With this you can start your own and take personal charge of your retirement instead of relying on someone else.

Details on all four of these schemes can be obtained from the STM Fidecs website at www. stmfidecs.gi/international-pensions So whether you are one of the HNW individuals who want to transfer your already hard saved investment, a young 18 year old with a wiser head than most, in your 60s but still working and have realised you’ve not saved enough or simply agree with the need to invest towards a retirement income that will give you what you want, Gibraltar’s Pension ‘Experts’ David Erhardt and Jane Caulfield have already begun dishing out the information and setting up the schemes you will need. ■

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isola

business

Gibraltar is Global Player

by Selwyn Figueras

No amount of speak and rhetoric about change, or even the acute focus brought upon the American and worldwide financial crisis generated by the closing weeks of the US Presidential Election Campaign, seems to have done anything to allay the fears over the meltdown. In September, the US Treasury managed, just barely, to get an initiative through the American political process designed to bail out financial firms in crisis and in danger of folding, to the tune of seven hundred billions US Dollars.

With the American state’s shore-up of firms like Bank of America and American International Group, in the wake of the Lehmann Brothers collapse, pressure mounted on the now outgoing Administration to do all it could to bolster the US economy. By pumping cash into the country’s biggest lenders and relieving them of their over-leveraged and ‘bad’ assets, the hope was that credit markets would thaw and the big mortgage lenders would live to see another day and eventually rise up from the ashes of the sub-prime lending fiasco.

These moves were swiftly followed by a massive cash injection by other world central banks, including the European Central Bank and the Bank of England.

The Russian economy has not escaped the effect of the worldwide downturn, causing politicians and economists to come together and roll out their own salvage package. In frantic times over the last few months, as stocks markets around the world were crashing through the floor, Russia’s stock markets resorted to ceases in trading to protect the value of the Russian Stock Index, the RTS. Emulating other large economies, the Russian government too has moved to save its own from the uncertain and difficult consequences of the drop in share values and the freezing up of credit systems worldwide. The Russian state’s development bank, Vneshekonombank (referred to as VEB), chaired by the country’s Prime Minister, ex-President Vladimir Putin, announced its plans to pump fifty billion US Dollars into the Russian economy by way of loans to distressed borrowers. It has since entered into the first two of what is anticipated to be a number of finance arrangements with the

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country’s corporate big guns in an effort to assist these companies in avoiding the potentially severe financial consequences arising from their failure to observe their obligations under other finance arrangements with Western banks. VEB has moved swiftly enough to save a number of large Russian corporations, owned by some of Russia’s richest individuals, from losing key assets to western banks which had been offered as collateral for large finance arrangements.

One of the distressed Russian companies was VimpelCom, owned by well-known and well-connected, Mikhail Friedman and part of the Alfa Group of Companies. In a lending arrangement worth two billion US Dollars, VimpelCom’s refinancing of a debt owed to Deutsche Bank has rendered the 44% stake in the Company pledged to Deustche Bank as collateral, safe from western hands.

As is often the case in transactions of this nature, corporate entities from a number of jurisdictions play a part and a local law firm, ISOLAS, Acted for VEB in the $2 billion letter of credit from VEB to ECO Telecom Limited

Finance Centres like Gibraltar will continue to play a role in the financial arrangements of even the largest, most demanding and headline making clients

as borrower. Eco Telecom is also part of the Alpha group and the letter of credit rescued the most valuable asset in ALFA group’s telecommunications holdings, VimpelCom, from collapse. Vimpelcom is Russia’s No 2 mobile telephone operator and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. “We were instructed to act at extremely short notice and managed to get the matter to a close within a couple of very frantic days. The markets being as volatile as they are, getting the transaction completed in the shortest time possible was of paramount importance and we’re happy we were able to get the result the clients were hoping for,” said Christian Hernandez, partner in charge of the Finance team.

International Finance Centres such as Gibraltar continue to attract corporate work from financial institutions demanding the solutions, efficacy, dynamism and professionalism required in transactional work of this nature. As the weeks pass and the bigger picture of the global economic situation continues to reveal itself, the world will hope that such unprecedented state action in so many countries worldwide, will be enough to stem the flow of bad news and lead to the recovery of the world markets over the next 18-24 months. Barack Obama, the PresidentElect, takes command on 20th January 2009 of a country where 83% of its people believe it’s all gone wrong and he will certainly be hoping that he can help the world economy rally back to a state of health before long. There’s no doubt, however, that no matter how big the picture, Finance Centres like Gibraltar will continue to play a role in the financial arrangements of even the largest, most demanding and headline making clients. ■

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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www.gibraltarlawyers.com

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Still in business after a couple of years?

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ISOLAS Portland House Glacis Road PO Box 204 Gibraltar Tel +350 200 78363 www.gibraltarlawyers.com

finance

by Marcus Killick

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run, it was there to minimise the hardship of the small depositor. Hence its original limit of 20,000 Euros.

The scheme also restricted recovery to 90% of savings. This is referred to as co-insurance. The depositor is left with some risk. This was done to prevent moral hazard. To remove all risk from the customer means they need have no regard to the banks reputation or behaviour as they know that whatever happens, they will get their money back. Indeed it allows them to solely focus on the amount of interest they receive which in turn encourages banks to lend more riskily to be able to pay that extra interest.

The social hardship model is now dead in some parts of the EU. Some smaller jurisdictions outside the EU, even those without formal schemes, have maintained it. Currently in Jersey, the absence of a formal scheme has led to an interim, state sponsored measure, of promising compensation to Jersey residents only. Despite Jersey being an international banking centre with customers from around the world, the decision, whether for economic (i.e. affordability) or political (i.e. vote) reasons, was to discriminate in favour of the local population. If the promise is ever called upon, social hardship in Jersey will be minimised.

The Isle of Man has also kept, indeed enhanced its social hardship based model. Compensation now stands at £50,000, part state, and part industry funded. It applies to those outside the island as well as residents of it. However it excludes some categories of depositor and payment is phased over a considerable period.

Therefore it could never prevent a bank run.

Guernsey has neither a scheme nor a commitment to introduce one. Instead it currently relies upon its reputation as a banking centre to prevent a sudden and socially damaging run on one its banks.

This may well be true but some collapses are outside the control of a single national regulator, particularly the regulator of a subsidiary or branch. Also a third rationale for compensation schemes has arisen. The absence of a scheme may well make depositors less attracted to a jurisdiction.

As it is subject to the EU directive, Gibraltar operates a Banking Deposit Guarantee Scheme.

This covers all banks except those that are branches of UK banks which are under the UK scheme. As the scheme covers the higher of £18,000 or 20,000 Euros it is higher than the directive requirments. The nature of the banking industry and the types of banks here in Gibraltar makes a claim highly unlikely. The possibility has been reduced still further by the fact that a number of the leading banks here have funding commitments from the governments in their home jurisdictions.

Within the EU there has been a commitment to raise the level of compensation to 50,000 Euros and possibly 100,000. The element of co insurance is also due to be removed. This, in fact, preserves the social hardship model. As a measure it may help prevent a bank run as the level of compensation means the overwhelming majority of customers will be fully protected, therefore depositors’ confidence has increased.

However, the inevitable delay in their being

compensation No savers lost money when Northern Rock collapsed, yet, as the credit crisis became the death knell for more and more banking institutions, so depositors’ attention focused for the first time on what would happened if their bank went bust. Would they be compensated?

If so, how much? And how long would it take?

Deposit compensation schemes are a comparatively new concept (being first introduced in the UK in 1982) but what is their purpose? When your builder goes bust there is no compensation scheme. If you pay a deposit on a car and the seller then vanishes no one expects a state run scheme to exist to refund you. Why is banking and indeed other parts of the financial service industry so different that compensation is not merely available but seen as vital?

There were two traditional purposes for deposit compensation schemes. The first was to allow a bank to be closed by the authorities with less social hardship for the community that uses it. The second was to prevent runs by depositors.

Clearly the second objective also meets the first. However a run can only be prevented where depositors believe they will get all their money back and quickly. Offering them 90% or

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delayed repayment will not prevent a person from queuing in front of the branch waiting to extract their savings. The EU directive that made deposit compensation a requirement throughout Europe was never designed to prevent a bank

To remove all risk from the customer means they need have no regard to the banks reputation or behaviour as they know that whatever happens, they will get their money back

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 15:06:44

finance

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able to gain access to their funds means many will still choose to queue to get their money out as soon as they believe there is a risk. The removal of the co insurance will simply remove moral hazard without any beneficial effects to the stability of the banking system.

EU compensation schemes are not, as many suppose, state funded, they are funded by the industry itself. If one bank fails the others pick up the cost of refunding depositors. In normal circumstances this works effectively and taxpayers money is not put at risk. However, such schemes are unworkable in extreme situations.

Indeed they may result in the failure of one bank placing pressure on others so causing a domino effect of collapses.

Some EU countries, have, in light of this and in face of the unprecedented turmoil of recent months, simply chosen to abandon to social hardship model and opt for the bank run prevention approach. This has been achieved in the only way it can, by offering a full state backed guarantee that no depositor will lose if a bank collapses. Such a promise, as soothing as it sounds, is empty.

As we have seen, even by the banking collapse in Iceland, the ability of national governments to actually live up to their commitment is, to put it mildly, questionable. Certainly many governments have the capability to compensate the depositors of a medium sized institution, but none could afford to compensate in the event of a systemic collapse. The banks are simply too big.

So, how can governments prevent their blank compensation cheque from being cashed? The

only option available, is to prop up the banking system and make sure no one goes down. We have, in the UK and elsewhere, seen a string of mergers, takeovers and nationalisations. State money has flooded into the banking system. To date it has worked. Iceland did not have that capability and has seen a collapse. Such a massive financial lifeline has prevented a 1930’s style implosion with the catastrophic effects on the global economy which would follow.

So, where do we go from here? Ultimately if the state is to provide a guarantee they will have to take a tighter control on the banks themselves to ensure that the risk of collapse is minimised.

Effectively this will mean quasi state control with all the inefficiencies and contradictions that this entails. For example governments will want banks to continue lending at low rates to individuals and businesses, thus reducing the impact of the recession. However as bad debts mount, the banks, if acting prudently would significantly put up the costs to riskier borrow-

EU compensation schemes are not, as many suppose, state funded, they are funded by the industry itself. If one bank fails the others pick up the cost of refunding depositors

ers. Similalrly regulators would have to move faster to close unsound banks before the ran up huge losses. If the bank was in a deprived area, would government allow such a closure and the job losses that would result?

Indeed, even if government got most of the money it had paid to depositors back when elements of the closed bank were sold or run off, there would be a significant time delay and resultant taxpayer cost.

So, is there an alternative in the longer term?

Within the EU there is. As compensation levels rise and the cost of a collapse in smaller EU jurisdictions becomes more burdensome, the solution would be for a single EU scheme to be introduced. We have, after all, via the various EU directives establishing minimum requirements for banks and the supervision of them, got a level playing field in terms of their stability. This does not mean we need a single pan European regulator for banking merely the EU has to ensure all national regulators supervise to a common standard.

A single scheme can be industry, not taxpayer funded. It will be able to withstand the collapse of even the largest banking entity. Its size will also give the necessary reassurance to depositors. It will also allow the gradual weaning of the industry off government support. It would also prevent some of the inter jurisdictional race for assets we have seen.

Smaller centres outside the EU will inevitably, if they have schemes at all, have to revert to the social hardship model paying a level of compensation that either the industry, government or both can sustain. n

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data

IT Security Securing your Business From Facebook to the French President...

How to protect both yourself and your business.

Protecting your business and users from viruses, spyware, adware, spam and other threats can be a daunting task, but that does not need to be the case.

In today’s network environments threats are all around us. From web browsing, software security holes, malicious email attachments and unsafe downloads you have to be careful where you click.

Present day viruses, or malicious software we simply refer to as ‘malware’, are not designed to be noticed. They use up little system resources

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If the French President isn’t safe, how can you ensure you are?

and their purpose is to steal information, data and spread for illegal use.

Denial of Service (DOS) attacks against other company websites are a very common form of this. In a nut shell: extortion.

Online criminal activities such as this are simply referred to as ‘cyber crime’. Cyber crime is one of the fastest growing illegal activities in the world and the industry is estimated at billions of dollars.

Just recently it has been exposed the French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s bank account details were breached, (otherwise known as ‘hacked’). So far 6 people have been arrested in connection with this, but if the French President isn’t safe, how can you ensure you are?

Firstly a good anti-virus is essential. With regular updates most anti-viruses detect and remove most viruses, spyware and adware all in one. Secondly, always use strong passwords to protect your network security.

It is important for businesses to be responsible and protect their users. Not only does an Anti-virus and Anti-spam solution need to be employed, but it also needs to be configured and monitored accordingly.

In a business environment most of the threats are likely to be spread via spam attacks, storage devices (e.g. USB keys) and infected websites.

IT Security firm Sophos provides simple solutions to control all aspects of network security and is a popular choice for many business large and small in Gibraltar.

Sophos recently exposed the popular Adobe website was infected with malicious code, so it isn’t only the less popular websites being infected, but companies and brands we grow to know and trust.

Web filtering appliances can ensure user safety against these types of attacks, but these solutions are often advanced pieces of hardware designed for use in large companies. For small businesses it can therefore be useful to use an Anti-virus which has browser filtering included.

This should help to keep costs down as well as help protect your users browsing experience at no extra cost.

Facebook is one of the most popular community sites on the internet but has also been met with some security issues. Users often install applications which give full access to their personal information. These can be from un-trusted sources (private developers for example) and can be used for fraudulent attempts for loans, bank accounts or other activities associated with your name. It is recommended to hide as much personal information as you can.

To conclude, every business may come across malware from time to time. It’s not only Windows which is targeted for attacks, but there is a growing malware market for both Apple and Linux based systems.

It is a company’s responsibility to ensure the network is protected, computers have the latest security, software and anti-virus updates. It is also important to monitor the network with an Anti-virus solution to ensure any infection is dealt with straight away. The best cure is always prevention. ■ Phoenix Solutions can help safeguard your business network and offer free consultation. For more details email sophos@phoenix.gi or call 200 42578.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 15:05:50

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24-06-2008 09:35:57

business news

New Retail Outlet for CTS CTS will open its new retail outlet on the ground floor at Royal Ocean Plaza during the early part of December to offer its new range of Mobile Services and computer products.

CTS is the very first competitive mobile phone service in Gibraltar and is the latest offering by CTS, whose mission statement is “To bring down the cost of communications in Gibraltar”.

CTS have been hugely instrumental in signifi-

cantly reducing the cost of landline telephone calls and internet connections in Gibraltar and have completed a deal with Huawei Technologies to help them achieve this goal in the mobile phone marketplace.

Huawei Technologies are a global leader in providing next generation telecoms network solutions with products and services deployed in over 100 countries. Huawei serves 31 of the world´s top operators — like British Telecom — and have strategic partners such as Vodafone and Telefonica. Huawei Technologies is included in the world’s most respected 200 companies list compiled by Forbes Magazine in May in 2007 by the world´s leading mobile operator 2007 — one of six from the telecoms industry. — Vodafone.

Huawei were awarded a Global Supplier Award In its new retail outlet CTS will sell a range of mobile handsets as well as offering a cornucopia of “Never Before Seen in Gibraltar” innovative call and mobile internet plans at prices that will give everyone a Very Merry Mobile Christmas!

At the same time customers will be able to buy mobile accessories for Christmas and birthday presents as CTS are stocking a range of high tech, quirky gimicks that are ideal for gifts as well as low cost laptops, the latest PCs, memory sticks etc... and all at very low prices. n

In its new retail outlet CTS will sell a range of mobile handsets as well as offering a cornucopia of “Never Before Seen in Gibraltar” innovations

Makeover for Norwich & Peterborough Christmas has come early for the Norwich & Peterborough Building Society branch at198-200 Main Street, as it has been treated to a new look — plus it’s giving you the chance to win one of four cash prizes.

Gibraltar is the latest of Norwich & Peterborough’s branches to undergo a refurbishment to give it a fresh new look. As well as a more contemporary feel throughout, there are now three desks with private screening, in addition counter positions now have improved privacy with frosted screens separating each.

Celebrating the refurbishments free prizee draws have been held atthe branch from Monday 17th November through until Monday 15th December, with not one but four cahs prizes of £250 on offer.

All customers have to do is visit the branch to complete a flyer and hand it in to staff. Four lucky winners will be chosen by Tuesday 16th December, and they will have their prize money in time for some Christmas shopping!

Linda Cooper, Business Manager at the branch, said: “We are very excited about the fresh new look. The branch looks a lot better

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and the customer comments we have had so far have been very positive. With more private facilities and more space in the banking hall, we are looking forward to spending more time talking to our customers about how we can help them with their finances.” n

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business suggestions for improvements and motivate them towards assessment.

“Yes, it took some time and effort to implement — but business improvements generally do!” says Sally. “Its requirements basically mirror the business planning cycle — Plan, Do and Review. The Investors in People Standard can be viewed as a business improvement tool designed to advance an organisation’s performance through its people. It can help deliver a competitive edge in driving down costs by making the best of human resources.

It continues to stretch the people in the business with development and training as even the best still have something to learn!”

On the day of assessment each team member at Wyse Hire was asked to attend a short interview with the assessor, Janet Snowball, where they were asked for an honest opinion on what life was really like working for the business. Sally said “At first everyone was a little nervous but all were quickly put at ease

by Janet’s professionalism and friendly manner. It can be both daunting and exhilarating having a complete stranger walk into your business, talk confidentially to all its people and then tell you what they think! Finally I was the most nervous and worried my interview would let the team down. However the result was better than we could have asked for.”

The opening statement of the feedback meeting was that Wyse Hire was indeed a ‘Model’ small business in the eyes of the Investors in People Standard.

“I was so proud of that statement and couldn’t wait to tell the team; it really felt that not only had we been the first within our sector to achieve the standard but also that we were doing it very well.

“To be finally recognised as an Investor in People is really only the start. The challenge is to continue to ‘Plan, Do and Review’, keep it all live whilst remaining focused towards our business goals and to enjoy the success of achieving them. I would like to take this Once again this year Wyse Hire, the Tool and Skip Hire opportunity to personally thank the team at company in the South District, lay claim to fame — this Wyse Hire for all their efforts towards gaining this recognition — Danny Barrett, Jamie De La time for becoming the first organisation allied with the Paz, Aidan Scott, Kevin Peach, Chris Walker, Syb Carpenter, Liz Billington Flynn and Paul Gibraltar’s construction sector to achieve the Investors in Hendy. It always helps when everyone is movPeople Standard. ing forward together as then usually success Back in May this year some of the team look for that magic ingredient to ‘turbo charge’ takes care of itself!” ■ travelled to London where they were awarded their people making them more engaged, ‘Team of the Year’ from the Hire Association motivated, committed and flexible.

Europe. Although this was a complete sur“When I first learned about Investors in prise it provided a wonderful boost to the team people back in the late ’90s I recognised that based at New Harbours as behind the scenes achieving the standard could offer stimulathey were all working towards the company’s tion and a challenge. It does! In addition its recognition as an Investor in People. framework is flexible and straight forward, In August the International Quality Centre its focus is on action and results not endless based in Sunderland UK paid a visit to Gi- documentation.” braltar to spend a week on the Rock assessing The Government pilot scheme in conjuncboth the Royal Gibraltar Police and Wyse tion with Durham University Business School Hire. The following month both organisa- offered various businesses large and small, tions received the good news that they had public and private an opportunity to achieve been successful. this internationally and respected mark of “We all work in a hectic, fast moving and good practise. In addition to this the local rapidly changing world,” says the MD of facilitator of Investors in people Mandy Serra Wyse Hire, Sally Welch, “but in a competitive of ‘Bright learning and Development’ played world both commercially and in terms of the a major part in Wyse Hires success — she was labour market successful organisations must always there to listen to the latest ideas, make

A first in Gibraltar’s Construction Industry

Wyse Hire MD Sally Welch

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business

by Peter Schirmer

Cruz (2nd from right) with Spanish and Moroccan partners

Into Africa for Local Law Firm In a unique and significant venture local lawyer Nick Cruz has joined forces with the Spanish law firm Balms Abogados to set up a legal comany in Tangier, offering a broad range of legal, property and investment services to the growing number of British, European and Gulf states investors establishing companies or buying homes in Morocco. bished a traditional Moroccan town house.

“It has taken more than a year to transform and now combines both the old Riad style architecture and new technology — an appropriate mix which symbolises the massive strides towards modernity and a liberal outlook which the north African kingdom has made since independence in 1956,” says Cruz.

Though bad weather in the Strait meant more

Gibraltar Association of Stockbrokers and Investment Managers For information on the member firms of GASIM who provide investment and stockbroking services to private individuals, company managers, lawyers and accountants visit

www.gasim.gi

than 100 guests from Spain and Gibraltar could not make the ferry crossing from Tarifa and Algerciras, more than 40 did — including a 15-strong Gibraltar contingent.

“Gibraltar ’s relationship with the Arab world, and with Morocco in particular, is a long one,” Cruz said in an address to the gathering.

“After all Gibraltar was named Gib al Tarik after General Tarik in 711. Many Gibraltarians

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December 2008

In spite of the global credit crunch, the north African kingdom’s economy is continuing to expand and a significant number of wealthy British Moslems are acquiring holiday homes, or are planning to retire there, Cruz explains.

Last month at a function attended by more than 180 guests from Britain, France and Gibraltar — as well as local dignitaries — the firm’s luxurious new offices were launched in a refur-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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business have a long history with Morocco and Tangiers both with regards to business and friendships.

Quite a few of my friends were actually born in Tangiers and the older generation of Gibraltarian will remember Tangiers as a brilliant and vibrant city.

“Tangiers is blessed with natural assets none more important than its geographical position as one of the great crossroads of the world. Facing across the Mediterranean to the Middle East and beyond that to India, China and Japan. To the West across the Atlantic to the Americas. To the South, Tangiers is the gateway to the great African continent and obviously to the North Europe.

“Although clearly this natural asset is vitally important on its own in a competitive global economy this is not enough but when this is added to real and tremendous efforts of his Majesty the king in opening Morocco generally to foreign investment and his great effort and those of his government to promote Tangiers there can little doubt that Tangiers has a very promising future. Tangiers has its location, its history, its beauty and of course its most valued asset — its kind and entrepreneurial people.”

In recent years an improved transport infrastructure and ease of access — thanks to budget airlines — have transformed the desert kingdom into a popular tourist destination for Northern Europeans as well as wealthy Spaniards. And, because land and property in Morocco are substantially cheaper than on the Spanish coasts, there is also a growing demand for second holiday or retirement homes, Cruz explains. But Morocco and specifically Tangier offers much more than property investment, with huge commercial growth in shipping, port activities and tourism some of the pillars that are contributing to economic growth, he adds. Even in this downturn in global financial fortunes realistic growth expectations according to the Moroccan central Bank have been identified as being 8% for the coming year (reduced from a forecast of 10%).

Cruz who had spent several holidays in Morocco over the years, first looked at the possibilities of setting up representation seven years ago; however, he made no progress in spite of what he then saw as its “considerable potential”.

“The king has introduced what is actually a good strategic plan to attract foreign investment, and has liberalised laws in a way that is also attracting international capital — you can not only invest with few bureaucratic complexities to get in one’s way, but it is also easy to repatriate

profits and gains, thanks to the favourable tax regimes which Mohammed VI has introduced,” he points out. “And Gibraltar is a perfect launch pad for Morocco… indeed, the governments of both countries are keen on closer mutual cooperation — along with Spain — at this end of the Mediterranean.”

At independence Morocco opted for a freemarket economy and though in its first decades the young kingdom relied almost entirely on agriculture and mining — it is today one of the world’s largest exporters of phosphates — recent years have seen a massive expansion of tourism, as well as growing inward business investment from Europe, drawn by Morocco’s excellent social and economic climate. This has encouraged the setting up of hundreds of successful foreign companies — mainly from France, Spain, Britain and other European countries as well as those of the Gulf.

Their success has been facilitated by a Government policy of legislation and tax reforms along with a restructuring of the Moroccan administrative system to reduce bureaucracy.

Liberalisation of exchange controls so that investors are free to invest and withdraw their investment and profit (subject to comparatively low local taxation) has also contributed to the successful growth of foreign investment.

Morocco has also become one of the most important of the world’s emerging property markets. And, because it is a Muslim country, but with a more liberal approach to the faith, many British Muslims are looking to Morocco to establish holiday and eventual homes for retirement — rather in the way of the flood of Britons who flocked to the low costs and seemingly limitless sunshine of the Spanish Costas a quarter of a century ago. For many, Morocco has become that new ‘magnet’. n

Morocco has become one of the most important emerging property markets.

And, because it is a Muslim country, but with a more liberal approach to the faith, many British Muslims are looking to Morocco to establish holiday and retirement homes

Christmas at Gibtelecom Gibtelecom for the second consecutive year supported the Convent Christmas Fair by donating one penny for every fixed voice telephony minute made by the Company’s customers on the day of the event (27th November). The main beneficiaries are the local Down Syndrome Support Group, the Dyslexia Support Group and St Martin’s Special School, organisers are also looking to support panic buttons for the Elderly. Gibtelecom donated many panic buttons, and now supplies these at cost to the Senior Citizens Association for distribution to the elderly, and maintains all the equipment free of charge.

Gibtelecom’s CEO, Tim Bristow said “the Company is making this donation at Christmas time to various local groups through one single event, in place of distributing a Christmas card to many of its local suppliers and customers.”

Lianne Azzopardi from Sales & Marketing also gave a brief explanation of Gibtelecom’s commitment to supporting the community, through its sponsorship of many youth, sports, cultural and charitable organisations and events.

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Tel: 200 74352 Fax: 200 40304 e-mail: sales@beaconpress.gi web: www.thebeaconpress.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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finance

by Paul de Beresford

Gibraltar is Heaven on Earth

Many Gibraltarians and, increasingly, several outsiders are coming to see Gibraltar as no longer the dull grey jumbled and messy ex-military base, but a vibrant, bright, affluent, comfortable and safe place to live, in which to bring up children, enjoy a satisfying and rewarding career in and, finally, retire in or to.

The current gloom descending upon the World’s economy affects significantly those countries that have been boasting of their continued or emerging prowess. In particular, the United Kingdom’s government repeatedly reminds its now disillusioned populace of Britain’s ranking as the World’s fourth (now fifth) greatest economy. Anyone with a rudimentary grasp of statistics knows this is a meaningless figure without adjustment for size of population (either recorded or actual) and the relative amount of economic activity funded by debt (credit by another name). Otherwise one would see Norway, Switzerland and several middle-eastern oil-rich states ahead in that league table by far. And Argentina would have figured above some, before its own credit crunch homed in on it a few years back, causing many to emigrate.

The World is contemplating the possibility of high unemployment, less consumption, higher long-term debt, higher inflation, food shortage, fuel shortages, less mobility, future reductions in governmental capital expenditure, declining educational and health care provision and standards, lower net incomes, less travel and fewer holidays and leisure and either less happiness

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or, a return to basic appreciation of self, family, friendship and faith.

So small can be more than beautiful (even without cod, oil or natural gas stocks). Despite all the pundits, economists, politicians and global businesses arguing that size was and is might, and merger, integration and uniformity is the way ahead, this little haven of Gibraltar defies all the experts who would probably say (if asked) it just cannot survive, prosper and develop.

With its 12+% growth rate, full employment, low governmental debt, sensible strategic in-

Despite all the pundits, economists, politicians and global businesses arguing that size was and is might, and merger, integration and uniformity is the way ahead, this little haven of Gibraltar defies all the experts

fra-structural capital project expenditure and a relatively stress-free existence, the question is should Gibraltar be smug, arrogant even, or simply thank God and stop moaning (or confine it to the unnecessary amount of dog and other litter, mindless graffiti and anti-social behaviour of copy-cat fashion, imported from elsewhere)? If Gibraltar is to aspire to remain a tourist destination as a major part of its future economy, competing with the plethora of new destinations, then it must remember that a prime attribute of many favoured locations, as cited by its visitors, is their cleanliness, neatness or tidiness (sometimes expressed with unexpected surprise).

So to remind Gibraltar of its benefits for which many in the UK would possibly give up Oxford Street (or Knightsbridge), Notting Hill Carnival, a choice of seven supermarket chains, Habitat, Wembley, Hammersmith, National Theatre, Covent Garden, Hyde Park, Ascot, Epsom, Cheltenham, grammar schools, large gardens, lakes, mountains and country lanes slotted in between endless motorways, here is a reminder list: ✔ Cheaper petrol ✔ Cleaner, cheaper air-conditioned buses ✔ Non- parental income-assessed Student

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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finance maintenance grants, without tuition fees ✔ No capital gains taxes on second homes or rental properties ✔ No 40% tax on inheritances hitting the next generation hard ✔ Generous state retirement pensions and tax-free allowances ✔ No television licences ✔ No road fund taxes on cars ✔ No consumption charges for salt water ✔ No water charges based on value of homes ✔ High-level Mortgage interest relief and house purchase allowances ✔ No consumption taxes (VAT or duties) on property maintenance managing agents’ fees, lawyers’ fees, home carers’ charges, estate agents’ commission, telephone bills, services of plumbers, electricians, builders. gardeners, washing machine engineers and garages. ✔ No bureaucratic layers of school governors, local education authorities and Department of state, or primary care trusts, strategic health authorities and ministry. ✔ No parking meters ✔ Subsidized electricity ✔ No sprawling wind-swept distant council estates ✔ No endless suburban look-alike semi-detached housing ✔ No compulsory use of call centres, let alone ones located the other side of the world ✔ No compulsory use of web sites ✔ Cheap cigarettes and alcohol ✔ No insurance premium tax on top of premiums

✔ No environmental sewerage taxes based on consumption So to all those who complain at the extremely high cost of house purchase in Gibraltar, compared with much of central and northern England, remember it gives mobility to those with something to sell here who wish to relocate to southern England and could not do so if they could not otherwise sell here and buy there, at similar prices.

For those who find life here rather provincial, a comparison with, say, Salisbury in Wiltshire (being of similar size), they should remember its similar house prices, but some lower wage levels, its similar remoteness from sophistication and its subjection to all on the list above. And there are plenty of others and places. ■

With its 12+% growth rate, full employment, low governmental debt, sensible strategic infra-structural capital project expenditure and a relatively stress-free existence, the question is should Gibraltar be smug, arrogant even, or simply thank God and stop moaning

photo: JJ Wood

PAUL de BERESFORD has lived in Gibraltar for nine years, has recently retired from a leading law firm but continues part-time as a practitioner in tax, residence and domicile relocation. He can be contacted on 200 400 93 or 54004414 or by appointment at his Main Street office or by email at beresford@ gibtelecom.net

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business & finance

caring

customers

RBS International and NatWest have been holding a series of activities bringing Gibraltar businesses together to help develop excellence in customer service.

To celebrate National Customer Service Week the banks invited local leaders in customer service into the branches to join workshops with their staff to share ideas, insights and best practice, with the aim of improving overall service to customers.

General Manger of Marks & Spencer, Chris Walker, led a workshop with the NatWest retail team. “It’s surprising how similar the challenges both NatWest and Marks & Spencer face in trying to achieve the highest levels of Customer Service,” said Chris. “One of the main focus points for Marks & Spencer is at the till point as this is where we are personally dealing with the customer and this is the same for NatWest at the cash desks. It was very useful to share our experiences of serving customers in these similar yet different environments, and discover tips and strategies which each business uses which can be used in the other to enhance the overall experience for our customers.”

The overall message from each of the workshops was that being consistent is key and that the difference between good service and great service is the ‘experience’ we create for our customers. It was also clear that strong communication skills and attention to detail are paramount, so is non-tolerance of poor standards. Everyone agreed you had to be dedicated to the customers and customer

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service and this needed to be encouraged at every level within the organisation.

Kathy Walker, Service Quality Advisor at NatWest said “National Customer Service Week has been a great trigger for us to arrange a whole host of service improvement initiatives. The workshops with Marks & Spencer have been invaluable and have complemented a range of internal service themed events we have been running for staff. It encourages our staff when they hear other businesses set the same high standards for service, and this gives them the drive to ensure we provide a service to our customers

The breakfasts were an opportunity for business leaders to hear the bank’s views and ask questions relating to the current global financial situation

that is second to none. Individual service, attention to detail and good communication are paramount, and will continue to be a high priority at RBS International and NatWest as we strive to offer the very best service possible for our customers.”

The Bank also held a succession of Economic Briefing Breakfasts. Corporate customers were invited to attend and hear from RBS International specialist Treasury staff.

The breakfasts were an opportunity for business leaders to hear the bank’s views and ask questions relating to the current global financial situation.

Gerald Rodriguez, Director, Treasury and Investors Solutions, The Royal Bank of Scotland International, found the breakfasts invaluable: “One of the briefings was held on the day of the great storm so we were prepared for low turn out due to the extreme weather conditions. However, we couldn’t have been more wrong as everyone turned up. The breakfast went very well and there was a lot of interaction from everyone. At the end one of our customers said to me ‘it shows that RBS International cares, and that even in these troubled times, you are willing to stand up, be honest and try to help.’ I think that says it all really! There was such a good response that we have decided to do this much more regularly.” n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

21/11/08 09:29:01

BANKING

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community

1st Award for Shipping Agents Last month saw the first of what is to become an annual event, organised by the Caleta Hotel, for the year’s best performing shipping agent in Gibraltar.

This fun evening was organised as a thank you for business received and loyalty shown throughout the year to the Caleta Hotel from local agents.

The recipient of the first award was Inchcape Shipping. Archie and Jonathan representing Inchcape can be seen at the front of the group (pictured) proudly clutching their trophy. Well done on your achievement!

The second achievement of the night belonged to the Caleta, by the very nature of the shipping business it is almost impossible to organise an evening of full attendance and with over 70% of the shipping agents enjoying dinner and drinks in Nunos Restaurant, the success of the evening was an achievement in itself.

Pictured are the men and women of Gibraltar’s shipping industry together with Franco Ostuni, General Manager, and Marilyn Richardson, Sales & Marketing Manager, of the Caleta Hotel, the hosts of the evening. ■

Bonita Trust donates to Bruce’s Farm

Heritage Trust Calendar 2009 The Gibraltar Heritage Trust’s Heritage Calendar for the year 2009 is now available.

This year’s calendar contains a selection of prints, lithographs and paintings from the private collection of the Marrache Foundation Trust. The selection shows views of Gibraltar, her people and the hinterland which many will not have seen before. As is customary, brief historical notes accompany each image.

The Calendar is in its usual A4 size and comes with its own envelope, useful for those who may wish to send it abroad to friends and relatives.

The Heritage Trust Calendar is the ideal Christmas gift — it lasts the whole year and once the year is out, the pictures can be framed as prints.

The Calendar is priced at £5 and is available at the newsagents and bookshops, however paidup members of the Trust can obtain theirs at the member-price of £4 from the Trust’s office in The Main Guard, John Mackintosh Square, during normal office hours. n

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T

he Bonita Trust has donated a new gen era-tor to the Bruce’s Farm Rehabilitation Centre in the Upper Rock, for use during power failures. The old generator was only sufficient to power the small office area, and during a failure in supply earlier this year, Bruce’s Farm was left without any hot water or electricity for four days.

Centre Administrator, Audrey Borastero remarked, “It was a very difficult time for us all. We had to cook all the food on gas camping stoves and barbecues, and we had no hot water at all. The new generator will make a huge difference in the future, as it is powerful enough to cover the whole of the residents’ area. We are extremely grateful to the Bonita Trust for this kind donation.”

Moe Cohen of the Bonita Trust commented, “The Staff and Trustees of Bruce’s Farm per-

form a very valuable role, and the Bonita Trust is proud to be able to support their work in the rehabilitation of the service users.”

Receiving the donation on behalf of The New Hope Trust, which runs Bruce’s Farm, was Minister for Family, Youth & Community Affairs, the Hon. Jaime Netto. He remarked, “I am delighted to receive this cheque from the Bonita Trust, which has, once again, demonstrated its commitment to the betterment of the local community. My thanks go to all those involved in the decision making process”.

Since 1999, Bruce’s Farm has helped over 350 people struggling with serious problems of addiction through it’s twelve-week residential programme. The staff and carers are fully trained to deal with issues such as alcoholism, drug dependency, eating disorders and gambling. n

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profile

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the world at your doorstep

by Brian McCann

Tony Lara of Property World on the first floor of the ICC

“Most clients come back to us — that is our strength,” said Tony Lara of Property World Tony had been telling me of the example of a lady who had spent a full year looking at properties recommended by him before she eventually made her choice. She was very impressed by his patience and knowledge of the property market — a feeling that seems to be shared by many of his customers.

“We do give a very personal service, which is rare these days,” he said. “We try to help people — it’s not in my nature to do the hard sell, and I’m not driven by the need to make money.”

He explained that he has networked access to all properties and people who are looking for a home. “Many buyers think it is best to go to a lot of estate agents, but they end up getting confused by a range of conflicting statements.

We don’t mess about — we strive to establish a deal that is attractive for both sides. This is not always an easy process but I think clients appreciate our honesty.”

Tony is now the sole director of Property World Real Estate, which has been in business for the last six years. He had returned to Gibraltar with an honours degree and worked for a local developer for a year before helping to establish his present business on the first floor of the ICC.

At the end of the day, if you’re selling for less and also buying for less it is essentially the same thing 32

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The main thrusts of his company lie in sales and rentals — however, they also provide mortgage assessments and legal advice. “In some cases we have brought down mortgage repayments in Spain by up to 40%,” he told me.

All of this takes place in Gibraltar and in nearby Spain - usually as far as Alcaidesa — although he would, through his network, locate a special property for a customer who specifically wanted something further afield. Generally, though, he finds it more efficient to work within commuting distance of Gibraltar, and has many hundreds of homes on his books in this area.

I asked him if he had seen a downturn in the property market. “Gibraltar is small and not greatly affected by world market changes,” he told me; “although there is some stagnancy as people are unsure of what is going to happen.

But many people also now want to buy-to-let rather than leave their savings in the bank; by investing in rental property they are safeguarding their investment in the long term and in the meantime they are generating an income.

“In the last couple of months I have seen more buy-to-let transactions, and I have been able to help them find the right property and then the right tenants,” he added. “Many of my customers fear that interest rates will drop, and buying to let is always a safe investment in the long term.”

So how long does it take to sell a property at the moment? Tony told me that it varies considerably, a major factor being realistic pricing.

A sensibly priced house or apartment will sell relatively quickly, but sellers are often reluctant to adapt to market changes — in other words they still stick with their original asking price even though all around them are adjusting to the market. ‘Vendors need to adjust their prices;’

said Tony. “When prices are cut it makes it easier for the next person in the chain to reduce theirs, so everything is speeded up all down the line. At the end of the day, if you’re selling for less and also buying for less it is essentially the same thing.”

Property World Real Estate is at unit F2a on the first floor of the ICC; it’s easy to find as it is next door to Just Desserts. Open straight through from 9.30 to 5.30, Monday to Friday, the telephone number is 20049494, fax 20049995 or email tony@propertyworld.gi. You can also visit their website, www.propertyworld.gi.

This well organised comprehensive online tool gives direct access to the latest properties for sale and rent in Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol, and you can email direct to Tony from the site.

It also stresses the point I made earlier: that their principal aim is to give clients the best possible service and advice. n

Tony and his assistant, Nicole

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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personalities

by Reg Reynolds

Big John loved Gibraltar as much as anyone I know. A proud Royal Marine and member of the elite Special Boat Service, John had been stationed at Gibraltar in the ’60s and ’70s and ever since his retirement he and Shirley had been regular visitors

Gibraltar Lost Big Booster in Big John When Big John Dodd passed away suddenly in November the Rock of Gibraltar lost one of its biggest (both in size and spirit) friends.

It was early evening and Big John was doing the crossword with wife Shirley when he gave a sigh and died instantly of a heart attack. He was only 61 and there had been no outward signs of ill health. I had shared a drink with him only two days before and he was full of enthusiasm about his next trip to Gibraltar having already booked the hotel.

Big John loved Gibraltar as much as anyone I know. A proud Royal Marine and member of

CHARLES GOMEZ& COMPANY

the elite Special Boat Service, John had been stationed at Gibraltar in the ’60s and ’70s and ever since his retirement he and Shirley had been regular visitors to the Rock from their home in Portimão in Portugal’s Algarve.

At his funeral in Portugal SBS Administrator Tony Ward read the eulogy and told how Big John was so admired by his fellow servicemen and how, for his size — six-foot-six — he was incredibly agile. Ward related that when the

SBS were on maneuvers in Norway Big John had surprised all those incredibly fit and athletic men with his talent as a skier.

Big John enjoyed telling tales (he had a wicked sense of humour) about his compatriots’ exploits (often ribald) on the Rock. A few years back he helped me with a story concerning a tanker named Liverpool that was crippled by an explosion and was taken into Gibraltar for repairs.

He had taken photographs of the ship (which he kindly loaned to Gibraltar Magazine) and told me the hole blown in the side of the Liverpool was so large he and his mates had been able to paddle their kayaks right inside and around the massive hold.

Big John himself was Liverpuddlian having been born in Birkenhead in 1947. He joined the Royal Marines on 1st September 1965 and qualified for the SBS a few years later. He served for ten years in Norway and Borneo and all around the Mediterranean. Upon leaving the service he took on the lucrative but dangerous work as a diver on the North Sea oil rigs.

Although he died young Big John quit work in 1985 and so had a long and happy retirement.

He did work occasionally in removals, not for the money but to lend a helping hand and for the camaraderie.

Two years ago John and Shirley, their best friends Alfie and Linda, myself and Maggie and Allan (another friend and the only experienced sailor among us) sailed from Gibraltar aboard the 60-foot schooner Ocean Viking owned by André de Barr of Gauchos and Pusser Landing fame. We spent a week sailing the Mediterranean under the guidance of our skipper Ginger Sergeant, an ex-Royal Navy salt, who showed

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personalities

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If you are looking, thinking of looking, or just want to be notified of the latest vacancies then register online and create a Quad Career Seeker Account, allowing you access to: l l l l l

All of Quad’s latest vacancies Edit your availability Register for Career Seeker mail alerts Track the status of your applications View and edit your CV online

Our jobs are updated on a daily basis, the jobs you see on our website are all current. Our consultants are always available for an informal chat, so if you do have any questions please e-mail us for a call back. us the ropes and kept us safe.

It was a magic holiday that Shirley says was her best ever. Big John was a great companion and besides being handy to have around for the heavy work he and Alfie did more than their share of the cooking.

Just a few days before Big John’s death he, Alfie and I were talking about what a great time we had on that trip. Particularly memorable was one night when we sat up late on deck drinking John’s favourite Woods Old Navy Rum and listen-

ing to stories of his time on the Rock with the SBS. The last thing Big John and I talked about was his next trip to Gibraltar. Alas it won’t be happening now but we’ll be lifting a tot * (see below) of rum in his memory on the deck of Pusser’s Landing. n

www.quadconsultancy.com 00 350 200 44517

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1 The Boardwalk, Tradewinds Tel: 200 47777 info@brayproperties.com www.brayproperties.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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technology

gifts with a touch of technology Founded in 1934, the Alwani Group has flourished ever since and their flagship electronics shop, Carlos, at 89 Main Street is testimony to the fact.

With Christmas on our doorsteps, the team at Carlos has put together a catalogue, brimming with products across the board, with gift ideas starting from under £20, and although they are the local agents and distributors for Sony, Nikon, Toshiba and Sigma, the shop stocks many other familiar brands.

Carlos’ main business is cameras and the latest addition to the Nikon range has just reached the shop in the form of the D-700, a full frame DSLR with 12.1 M Pixels, 51 point auto-focus, live view, HDMI port and many more features to build on the success of other models — such as the D60, which the shop has an exclusive cash-back offer on for Christmas.

There are plenty of other items which jump out of the catalogue at you too, a wide range

Netbooks are looking like a top option for Christmas gifts this year

of LCD screens from £159 including a rather nice 32” Toshiba model which incorporates a multi-region DVD player too for under £400.

Netbooks seem all the rage this year and Carlos stocks a wide selection of these, and more powerful laptops too — one of the best deals we could see was the Toshiba 15.4 inch with 3GB RAM, dual core processor complete with webcam and microphone for only £439.

There’s a wide range of mobile phones, including the open version of the iPhone and the similar Samsung Omni. A further section of the shop covers the fun side of technology, with the Wii, Nintendo DS, iPod range, really interestingly priced kids video cameras and plenty of games accessories for stocking fillers.

In fact, you’ll find Carlos stocks just about anything you could wish for in electronic equipment. They’ve long been the first stop for many a client, whether it’s for their main lines or some of their less well known products, like the James Martin cooking range or just simple accessories such as SD cards, alarm clocks, car stereos, shavers and grooming products.

If you’re stuck for ideas this Christmas, it wouldn’t be a bad move to take a quick browse through the extensive catalogue, or pop into the shop where the team will point you in the right direction both for choice and your pocket. n

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www.open.ac.uk/gibraltar

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE – December 2008

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community

Yacht Terminal (Opposite Marina Bay)

GAM at Chamber Annual Dinner The Gibraltar Asset Management table at the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce Annual dinner, held in mid-November. n

Bonita Trust Sponsors Gibraltar National Dance Team

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The Bonita Trust has become the main sponsor of this year’s Gibraltar National Dance Team going to the World Showdance Championships to be held in Riesa, Germany, during the last week of November.

The Gibraltar National Dance Organisation (“GNDO”) will be taking a total of 41 dancers, who will be participating in the solos, duets, group and formation categories.

Speaking on behalf of the Bonita Trust, Moe Cohen remarked, “It is a pleasure to support the work of the GNDO in providing international cultural experiences for our local dancers. In previous years, the local team has been very successful in international compe-

titions, and we wish them all the very best for this year.”

Michael Prescott, the GNDO’s President and Founder, commented, “The GNDO is extremely grateful to the Bonita Trust and all the other local entities who have supported us in our fundraising for this year’s Championships.”

The Gibraltar National Dance Organisation is a non-profit making organisation, responsible for sending local dancers to represent Gibraltar at international events.

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Jewellery

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fashion

by Sonia Golt

are People talking about You?

Does your personal Fashion style receive glares, stares, cause sensation or admiration or even disgust?

We have been bombarded for decades with photographs in glossy magazines of models wearing the latest season’s trends. Women of all ages have copied these styles from the catwalk and millions of women around the world looked alike by wearing the styling and hairstyles. There was no individual personality. A few years back this stopped, and women began to create their own styles and show their personality much more. This meant many were admired and others were criticised or labelled eccentric by the more conservative — but their personal style outshone everything else. People have started to look more individual as each combine their ideas with the top designer styles of the season.

It’s also a pleasant surprised to see many of the women who advertise cosmetics and fashion are well into their 50s and 60s showing a more natural approach to advertising as manufacturers realise the over 50s are the women with money to spend.

The idiosyncratic influence of fashion has been celebrated from model to actress to the woman in the street. Top designers have come up with bizarre unwearable fashions on the catwalks to cause a sensation and surprise us, and they have! But they were also fantasising with fashion that could only be worn by the models or people in show business.

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Even ‘Prêt-a-porter’ clothing was loosing inspiration. ‘Haute couture’ takes over with the ultimate in way out gears. Can we call this an achievement or is it a way of telling us to stop copying them and start searching for our own individual style? If we cannot wear the “un-wearable” then we have to find a creative but practical day wear to dress in. Even a mix and match of trends or other season’s gears can be modernised to look individual and let the person’s personality shine through.

Does this mean we are being allowed to be ourselves? Can we really get away with wearing what we each like as individuals and not just follow the crowd? I think all generations are now taking fashion with a pinch of salt and each person is happy to utilise what is in vogue while at the same time showing their flair and personality. As we get older too we worry less about what others say but we still want to look good and feel fashionable.

The very popular television series Sex and the City (now a film) propagated the individual’s ability to create their own fashion wear. Each of the four actresses show their own style, both in clothing and in hairstyles — the result is they all look fashionable while wonderfully different. They, of course, create fashion for the rest of us but at least women have a wider choice of combining these styles to fit in with their

individual needs.

I remember in my teenage years walking around town and seeing all other teenagers wearing the same boots, same length of skirts, same haircuts, now this is not so. It takes ‘guts’ to be different — and it takes ‘style’ to be unique.

As we age people expect more sober dress, but it’s up to the individual to look good and if that means colourful clothes rather than sombre ones, go ahead, be different and prove to others it takes style and panache to get away with it!

Our own John Galliano has put Gibraltar on the style map creating a revolution in the fashion world, and we are very proud of him. Dorcas Hammond has also helped to make Gibraltar proud as she has created elegant wearable evening wear for special occasions. The good thing about Dorcas is that with her ideas and yours you can create a unique dress here on our doorstep for whatever function you are attending. Other names which come to mind when thinking of fashion locally are those of the late Johnny Pearce and Eduardo Viotto, Priscilla Sacramento, and in way out gears Mark Montovio comes to mind, amongst many other younger ones already climbing that ladder.

We live in a community that uses fashion to our advantage as we don’t all dress the same and we should be proud of being individual. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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esprit.com

partnership store 路 unit 2-8 ocean village promenade 路 gibraltar

festivites

b

photos of last year’s cavalcade by Johnny Bugeja

Our Wonderful 3 Kings’ Cavalcade Once again, the Comet of Bethlehem is about to lead the Magi all the way to… Casemates Square, where the traditional Three Kings’ Cavalcade kicks off for the 52nd time, at 7.30pm on 5th January.

One of the most anticipated events in the calendar, the Cavalcade attracts virtually the whole of Gibraltar to line either side of Main Street and watch the parade of floats, marching bands and beauty queens, opened by majestic Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar, riding their camels and showing off flamboyantly exotic regal costumes.

Like in past years, bafflement hopefully won’t put off younger supporters, longing for the waddling allure of real dromedary camels — they will have to settle for second best fiberglass ones, introduced on the 50th anniversary of the Cavalcade in 2007. The Three Kings’ Cavalcade Association, through its current President

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and Secretary Eric Abudarham (a member for approximately 25 years) explains that live semi-wild animals could pose a threat to participants and spectators, hence for safety reasons organisers have again opted for make-believe. At least these are an improvement in authenticity and mood-setting compared to the wheeled ‘shrines’ the Wise Men were previously enthroned on.

“Once we brought a camel from

“

Spain,” he reminisces, “but we had to withdraw it from the parade halfway through at the Piazza, as it had become unruly at the sight of flashing lights, and showed unrest for the loud music and cheering.”

Furthermore, importing live animals into Gibraltar, whether from Morocco or Spain, even for a couple of days, requires plenty of paperwork and funds, so it was decided to save the stash to support float making instead.

Once we brought a camel from Spain but we had to withdraw it from the parade halfway through as it had become unruly

”

Every year the floats see new additions to the scenery, like new animals and palm trees, and when not in use, it’s conveniently stored under tarpaulin at the Technical Services Garage — with many thanks to the guys there, Eric adds!

Organisational meetings usually start in September, but all gears are well oiled from years of practice and it is now routine for everyone involved to know their place: from those making sure that width and height restrictions are adhered to, or those checking Main Street prior to the ‘big day’ for scaffolding in the way, down to those arranging for trophy engraving or organising the after event party, with drinks,

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festivites

by Elena Scialtiel

COMMERCIAL INTERIORS SPECIALISTS canapés and the prize-giving ceremony.

Although all floats receive commemorative keepsakes no prize money is at stake, something even more precious is — prestige. And the Cavalcade can get very competitive as groups enter to win, which fuels their commitment to designing and building contraptions nothing short of professionalism which feature elaborate costumes, decorations and often acting or dance numbers.

Staple participants are the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and Sea Scouts, providing the ‘beat’ to the soirée, as well as Miss Gibraltar, her princesses and a wealth of other beauty pageant winners, interspersed amongst the junior and senior floats by youth clubs, dance schools, emergency services, just to name a few.

The gold anniversary edition saw a record participation of 21 floats, but an average of 10-15 provides variety and entertainment, without straining the attention span of the many toddlers in the public.

Despite being faced with practical challenges, like proper room to assemble their creation safely clear of sudden downpours, anyone can enter their walking or driving float, whether an association, a group of individuals, a family or an estate.

Ideally, they should contact the Committee in advance, to be issued some financial aid, plus guidelines on size etc, and perhaps check that their theme isn’t already entered by someone else — however, floats are allowed to turn up at Casemates on the very afternoon and just get in the queue!

But how does the evening unfold? Prominent people within the community are invited to play the Kings and if they accept, they will have to turn up early for dressing

and make-up. Then, taxi driver Keith Negron, to continue his late father’s role as ‘royal chauffeur’, drives them to the hospital, where they give presents to Rainbow Ward’s sick children and to the Maternity Ward’s newborns.

They also visit Dr Giraldi’s Home before returning to Casemates, where judging tasks are carried out by an honorary panel of local personalities, familiar with fair adjudicating and involved in other cultural activities during the year.

With their prize rosettes on display, the floats are ready to parade, making everyone dance, cheer and race to collect the sweets that rain down on the crowd from most floats. On this matter, Eric invites dispensers to do so gently and responsibly, avoiding transforming hard candy in hazardous projectiles and watching out for kids who in search of a treat get dangerously close to wheels!

Eventually, the Kings stop at St. Mary the Crowned on Main Street to meet the Mayor and enter the Catholic cathedral to visit its Crib and pay homage baby Jesus with biblical gold, frankincense and myrrh, before repeating their adoration at the Anglican cathedral along the way.

The Cavalcade in its present format was developed by the Gibraltar United Football Club members from John Ochello’s original idea to play Santa and distribute gifts to needy children.

Soon after, the GBC Open Day was created to fund it, so the committee managed to keep afloat — allow me the pun! — independently from any Government entity. n Anyone wishing to participate or help ‘backstage’ should contact Eric on 57586000.

With their prize rosettes on display, the floats are ready to parade, making everyone dance, cheer and race to collect the sweets that rain down on the crowd

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2 Crutchett’s Ramp, Gibraltar Tel: 00 350 200 73992 Fax: 00 350 200 41724 Mobile: 00 350 5400 6335 email: loraine@spaceinteriors.gi www.spaceinteriors.gi 41

20/11/08 17:57:46

by Dave Wood

christmas miracle on the road The editor of the Gibraltar Magazine, ever the romanticist, is searching for evidence that Father Christmas really does exist. I don’t know whether the following tale will prove the case to her satisfaction, but it is perfectly true, and most people who hear it end up believing in something. Christmas is, after all, a time for miracles.

A few years ago my wife and I had friends who were fortunate enough to live in a farmhouse in a remote corner of Provence. We were invited to spend Christmas with them. Surely the original offer impossible to refuse. It’s a long way from Gibraltar to Provence, and with another friend who I shall call Pat because, well, because that’s her name, we decided to drive.

I said that the farmhouse to which we were heading was remote. It stood alone in the Provençal countryside, and the closest villages were two miniscule dots on the map (and only the most detailed of maps at that) called Condorcet and Les Pils. The nearest place that could justifiably call itself a town was Nyons, another dot on the map, fifteen minutes drive from the house, which differed from the other dots only by virtue of the fact that in a good light it was just about visible to the naked eye.

It was a long drive, spread over two days, and looking for somewhere to spend the night, we found ourselves in the courtyard of a Forte Trusthouse motel a mile or two north of Zaragoza. Attached to it was a Little Chef restaurant.

We had hoped for a small, family run Spanish venta or pension, and the idea of bedding down instead at an establishment that would not have been out of place two miles north of Watford filled us with something uncomfortably close to shame. But we had been on the road a long time and we were very tired.

We rose the following morning at 6:30, and eager to be on our way as early as possible, headed for the Little Chef at seven to have

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breakfast. Unfortunately, although we were ready for the café, the café wasn’t ready for us.

There were people moving about in there, as we could see through the window, but the door was firmly locked and when we tried to push it open they waved us away and told us to come back later. Apparently, early rising among the motel’s guests was vigorously discouraged. Not a cup of coffee was served, not a single egg nor one rasher of bacon sacrificed on the hot griddle until the cook felt like it, which might be halfpast seven, might be eight o’clock. Brilliant, but temperamental. We decided to move on and seek our breakfast elsewhere.

We found it a few minutes later at a restaurant a half dozen miles down the toll road. It was a large, airy place, and apart from two ladies washing the floor, and three people waiting patiently for customers behind the bar, we had it to ourselves.

For about five minutes.

We had hardly started on our coffee and croissants when the doors flew wide and a horde of

Were we on the brink of an international incident?

Was he about to claim our table in the name of the French Republic?

French students burst in and filled every corner like marbles running from a suddenly ruptured sack. The tranquillity was shattered as the air filled with excited and impossibly rapid French chatter, which at least put us in the mood for our trip.

As we sat among the Gallic turmoil one of the leaders of the expedition approached us. He was clearly in charge, though he appeared to be hardly older than the children he was leading. I stiffened instinctively. Were we on the brink of an international incident? Was he about to claim our table in the name of the French Republic?

Had he overheard our English conversation and felt driven to deliver an insult to the Queen or comment disparagingly on the inadequacies of English football?

He spoke in English so broken that it reminded me of Humpty Dumpty after his fall.

“You spick Franche?”

I chose the path of caution.

“Un petit peu, nada más.” One foreign language was as good as another, it seemed to me.

“Onglish?”

The game was up.

“One tries.”

He became agitated in a demonstratively French sort of way and asked us in rough slivers of syllables if we were perhaps heading towards Barcelona. The coffee had loosened my tongue and, indiscreetly perhaps, for we were alone on the road and careless talk might cost us dear, I told him that not only were we heading for GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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seasonal something that fine city but beyond it and on to La Belle France itself.

His joy exploded in our faces like a grenade, fragments of which flew at us in the form of conversational shrapnel which with difficulty we reassembled into something resembling lucidity. He and his students were headed south on an educational quest for the culture of Spain.

However, one of his two coach drivers needed to return urgently to France for personal family reasons. Could we, perhaps, drop the man off in Barcelona, where he could catch a bus that would take him home?

“Tish, tosh and zut alors!” we said. We would transport him clear across the border and leave him standing gratefully on home soil.

On such small kindnesses is the peace of nations built.

The anxious driver’s name was Claude (he pronounced it “Clode”), and within seconds of our meeting I had exhausted my entire stock of sub-GCSE French.

“Bonjour, monsieur, je m’appelle David. Je ne parle pas Français.”

It wasn’t much, but it was a damned sight better than his English, which was restricted entirely to facial grimaces, shakes and nods of the head, flamboyant shrugs of the shoulders, and heavily accented grunts.

This was a shame, because it prevented us from learning the secret of his abrupt flight home. He didn’t appear to be ill, so what was it all about? Had he left the gas on, or a tap running in the bathroom? Maybe (he was French, after all), he had been caught in some indiscretion with one of the students? It was hard to imagine that an affaire d’amour could result in a Frenchman being banished in disgrace, but how else to explain Claude’s obvious anxiety to speak to his wife? At each stop along the way he tried desperately to telephone her. Was this an attempt to get in his side of the story before the gendarmerie, the school authorities or the

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to make matters plain I pulled out the notes I had made before we set out on our journey, and pointed to the name. His eyes lit up like magnesium flares and he almost jumped out of his seat girl’s father knocked on the door?

Or had he received word of her unfaithfulness while he was away? Was he calling to deliver menacing descriptions of the fate in store for her and her lover? No. In a case like that he would surely want his anger to ripen unspoken until the moment he burst in on them unexpected.

Unable to get at the truth, our imaginations were let loose and ran happily riot.

The psychiatrist, Carl Gustav Jung, pondering the riddle of coincidence, coined the term synchronicity to describe the mysterious web of interlocking events and experiences which surround us like a fine muslin net across which all of us crawl like blind ants, constantly colliding and moving on. So fine a mesh is it that for most of our lives we are unaware of its existence. Only at the moments of collision do we become briefly aware. And as collisions go we were about to experience the equivalent of a six-car pile-up.

Setting aside any consideration of the immense weight of improbabilities which had brought the four of us into existence in the first place, let alone led us to be on that road together on that day — musings which might take us

back, if we were so inclined, to the Big Bang itself — let us confine ourselves to events since we had left home the previous morning.

Our choice of the Forte Trusthouse for our overnight stop had been entirely random. Had we stopped thirty minutes earlier, or driven on for another hour, we would have stayed somewhere else. Had the Little Chef restaurant opened at a decent hour to provide breakfast for its travelling clientele we would not have stopped for breakfast where we did, and we and Claude would never have met. Similar ifs and buts could be used to demonstrate the equal unlikelihood of the French student expedition being where they were at that precise moment.

If they had started their journey 15 minutes earlier or later, if they had felt peckish sooner and stopped to eat at a previous halt somewhere up the line, and on and on. Synchronicity was silently at work here, but it hadn’t finished with us by a long way.

I tried to tell Claude where we were going, but in speaking of Nyons I made the mistake of dropping the final ‘s’, as I assumed the French would do, and pronouncing the word as if it was a gas —“Neon”. Claude thought I was saying “Lyon”, so to make matters plain I pulled out the notes I had made before we set out on our journey, and pointed to the name. His eyes lit up like magnesium flares and he almost jumped out of his seat.

“Ah, oui!” he shouted. “J’habite!”

On a toll road north of Zaragoza, thanks to a motel chef who couldn’t be bothered to fry eggs before eight in the morning, we had met a man who not only needed to get urgently home to France, but who lived in the very dot on the map to which we were headed. We dropped him a matter of yards from his front door.

I once read a science fiction story about a man who believed himself to be the most important man in the world. Every day he would find evidence to support his idea. His life ran like a well-oiled engine, never a hitch, never a problem. Clearly he was under divine protection, put on the Earth for a purpose. One day, as he drove his car out of a busy street, another car slipped smoothly into the newly vacated parking space. Five minutes later he skidded and hit a tree. He had fulfilled his purpose — saving a parking space on that preordained day at that preordained time for the most important man in the world.

After we had seen Claude safely home we drove on to Condorcet and Les Pils and out into the country. And we drove very, very carefully. n

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festive fun

Does Santa Exist?

Take a look round you during December and you’ll see evidence of Father Christmas everywhere.

Shop windows, Santa hats on merry party-goers at the hundreds of functions on the run-up to the big day, fairy lights and decorated trees: Christmas is here and Father Christmas with his red nosed reindeer will soon be in a flurry of activity delivering gifts worldwide.

Richard Dawkins, in his book Unweaving the Rainbow, has the interesting theory that Father Christmas is a Macroscopic Quantum Object, proving that particles can be in different places at the same time. In the famous Two Slit Test performed by physicists, they have been able to fire electrons at an opaque panel with two slits cut in. The diffraction pattern shown on the other side gives the impression that the particle does actually pass through the two holes at the same time. It further supports Father Christmas by the fact that in quantum physics, particles only act in this way as long as they are not observed and hence, if you ever did see Father Christmas his quantum wavefunction would collapse and he would immediately cease to be.

For those Scrooges and doubters amongst you, we’ve put together some comments from well respected personalities within the community to help you realise the truth that every child knows and which some of us seem to slowly forget over time.

Marcus Killick enlightened us: “I believe in Santa but I have a suspicion he is running Ebay now as that’s where all my presents come from. Perhaps the E stands for Elf?” And Nathalia Berkowitz from the Legislation Support Unit supports Santa whole heartedly: “Well someone is giving me Christmas presents! If you are talking about the man in a red and white suit? I saw him just the other day in the ICC.” Andrea of The Gibraltar Magazine said “Well, consider the main alternative theory, which is that your parents leave out your presents on

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Christmas Eve. Obviously this can’t be true.

My Mum lives 1,000 miles away, and has bad knees, so the idea she travels to my house in the middle of the night and climbs up on the roof (for which she would have to bring a ladder, since mine is too short) and then drops down the chimney to bring my presents, then is back in the UK by the time I call her in the morning, seems much more unlikely than the idea that Father Christmas does it with magic at his disposal.”

The easiest way to resolve this once and for all would be for somebody to wait up and take a photograph of the person delivering presents. However, since seeing Santa on the night would result in the photographer getting a sack of cinders instead of presents, no researcher has yet volunteered for the task.

Marielou Guerrero of HLB Gibro had much more business-like stance on the subject: “Belief in Santa Claus is economically necessary.

Without Santa to set an example of generosity, gift-giving at Christmas could go out of fashion. And once you take Santa out of Christmas, what else would be stripped away — Christmas trees, lights, tinsel, Christmas dinner?

Huge sectors of our economy depend on belief in Santa Claus, from the department store grottoes to the entertainment industry, from toy shops and manufacturers to the makers of wrapping paper, stockings, red hats with bobbles on, etc. Trust is the basis of all economic exchange, and the consequences of doubt in Santa Claus, in terms of bankruptcies, closures, unemployment and stock market and currency slumps are too awful to imagine.”

Whilst Brian McCann was quite shocked by the idea that the jolly, bearded man might not exist: “Of course there’s a real Santa Claus: look how many Santa impersonators there are — you can’t impersonate someone who doesn’t exist. Some people say he can’t exist because he couldn’t possibly get to every part of the world around midnight. Well, don’t judge him by standards of human speed — he moves at a supernatural rate.

“Mind you, as he grew older he did begin to find it a little harder, so he was delighted with the introduction of Time Zones throughout the world as they meant he had more time for travelling — at midnight in Australia he still had about eight hours before it was midnight in Europe, and then there was still another nine hours to the other side of North America. Other arguments against his existence are equally easy to refute.”

With the evidence piled up against pessimism, it only seems right that those of who are believers can set the record straight. It’s time to look forward to Christmas with a positive approach and with the happy assurance that at least there’s one person with job security for next year and that he’ll be working hard on Christmas Eve to make your dreams come true.

There’s even the rumour that he’s thinking of moving to Gibraltar to become more tax efficient, but he’s too busy to check emails and confirm the fact at this time of year and can only be contacted by snail mail. So don’t forget to post your wishes off to: Father Christmas, The North Mole. n

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history

Joshua’s Journey Joshua Slocum. He sounds like a character from a Victorian novel; a grim-faced mill owner perhaps, or a moustachioed villain bent on the ruination of some doe-eyed innocent maid.

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But Joshua Slocum was real enough, with a life story equal to any novel. 70 years before Sir Francis Chichester, Slocum was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world, and on the way he visited Gibraltar.

He was born in Mount Hanley, Nova Scotia, on 20th February 1844. His parents, John and Sarah Jane, had four children before him, and six more afterwards. The nights were long, and Scrabble was not yet invented.

His nationality is a matter of dispute. Most chroniclers, naturally enough, label him Canadian, but in 1844 Nova Scotia was not yet a province of Canada. It was a British colony, so the pedantic might dub him “British”, but as a descendant of Quakers who had fled America to avoid fighting in the revolutionary war, he always considered himself “a Yankee”.

The sea drew him like a powerful magnet from his earliest years. At 12 he ran away from home to work as a cabin boy, and later a cook on a fishing schooner. There is no evidence he was a precocious Jamie Oliver, so we must assume the fishermen’s dietary preferences were undemanding, and included a great deal of plainly prepared fish. For the next four years he ran off and returned on several occasions, but in 1860, when he was 16, his life changed forever. While delivering the tenth and last of his siblings his mother, to whom he was devoted, died. Joshua left home again, joining a merchant ship headed for Dublin. This time he was gone for good.

The years 1860 to 1895 were exciting ones for Joshua Slocum. It was clear the sea was his natural habitat. By the time he was 18 he was a fully qualified Second Mate. At 26 he became the youngest captain on the circuit.

In a 20-year period beginning in 1869, he captained eight different ships, and travelled everywhere from China to South America to the Dutch East Indies and all points between.

Incredibly, he also found time to marry. His wife, Virginia, accompanied him on most of his voyages, and though she couldn’t quite match the fecundity of his own mother, she did manage to bear him seven children. She died aboard ship in Buenos Aires in 1884. Two years later, according to some sources, the 42year old mariner married for the second time, taking as his new wife his 24-year old cousin, Henrietta Elliott. If true, this second marriage was far less successful. In his writings Slocum makes no mention of it, and by 1895, when our story really starts, Henrietta had to all intents and purposes disappeared.

Joshua Slocum was 51 years old — a veritable spring chicken by today’s standards, but almost venerable in the 19th Century. He could look back on almost 40 years of travel and adventure, and as his writings proved, he was a born storyteller. He might have settled down in his beloved Nova Scotia and idled away his life sucking on a pipe and spinning yarns, but that was not his way. Life without the sea, and life without a challenge was no life at all. If that was all the future had to offer he would rather go gently to his grave.

In Boston, Massachusetts, he was given a boat that was badly in need of repair: a 37-foot sloop called the Spray. So old was the virtual wreck some said it pre-dated the Ark and wondered aloud why Slocum was wasting his time and his nails on it. Slocum ignored them all.

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history On 24th April 1895, with jests and warnings ringing in equal measure in his ears, he left Boston alone aboard the Spray and headed for the open sea. “A thrilling pulse beat high in me,” he wrote. “I felt there could be no turning back, and that I was engaging in an adventure the meaning of which I thoroughly understood.”

Slocum was determined to do what noone had done before. He intended to sail his resurrected sloop around the world alone.

The assistance of those who had mocked him and called him a fool were not required. His “chronometer” was a cheap tin clock, and for navigation he intended to rely on the ageold method of dead reckoning. Oh — and another thing: he couldn’t swim. We should not make too much of this for, let’s be honest, if your boat sinks in the middle of the ocean a thousand miles from land, it hardly matters whether you can swim or not.

He was attacked by pirates, but managed to escape when Nature, the Almighty, or both, intervened to swamp the buccaneers’ vessel with a mighty wave. Even so, off the coast of Uruguay, the great adventure came close to premature disaster. The Spray ran aground and overturned as Slocum struggled with the anchor like Mr Bean. He crawled onto the beach sodden, exhausted, barely alive, and was revived by villagers. Uruguayan tradition teaches sympathy for the terminally witless.

Slocum, who knew about these things, decided further progress was impossible in a sloop, and re-rigged his boat as a yawl. A sloop, as my readers will scarcely need reminding, is a one-masted fore-and-aft rigged vessel with a mainsail and jib, while a yawl is two-masted with the mizenmast stepped far aft. Makes all the difference, I can tell you.

Refreshed, invigorated, and laden down with butter, milk and eggs he had shrewdly traded for a pile of unappetising ship’s biscuits, Slocum was off again.

After a series of memorable adventures, all vividly recounted in his famous book, Sailing Alone Around The World, Slocum sighted the Spanish coast on the morning of 4th August.

Noting a number of bonfires on the shore, he shrewdly deduced the country was inhabited.

A glance at any reputable atlas would have told him the same, but Joshua Slocum did nothing by the book.

Slocum had divided his intended circumnavigation into bite-size sections. He planned to sail first to Gibraltar, then to continue up the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, and from there head eastward and onward. As he neared Gibraltar, he congratulated himself on the successful completion of stage one.

“I found myself in excellent health, not overworked or cramped, but as well as ever in my life, though I was as thin as a reef-point.”

Again, for the sake of a handful of dullards, I must insult the bulk of my readers by explaining that a “reef-point” is a short piece of securing rope attached to a sail. Notoriously thin, reef-points.

At Gibraltar, the port doctor asked to see a bill of health from Horta, his last recorded port of call in the Portuguese Azores. Slocum did not have one, and a lively argument ensued. Oddly enough, this cheered the solitary mariner. After his solitude the renewed human

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Soon it seemed the whole of Gibraltar was doing its bit to get the Spray as seaworthy and spotless as possible before it resumed its voyage contact was enlivening, and as a Nova Scotian, he felt he knew the British. His philosophy was that in order to get on well with them it was first necessary to have “a deuce of a row”.

He was threatened with being quarantined in the fort, but eventually the doctor threw up his hands and bellowed, “…never mind. Free pratique, sir!” This was not, as may be imagined,

a final elegantly crafted insult. “Pratique” is the technical term for a clean bill of health giving a vessel the right to enter port and its crew to mingle freely in the town. Slocum saw nothing more of the doctor.

In his assessment of the British character, Slocum may have had a point, for after this opening spat relations rapidly improved. He had berthed the Spray among a flotilla of rough vessels clustered around the old mole. He was uncomfortable and unhappy, but the following morning Admiral Bruce, commander of a passing steam launch, offered his compliments and said there was a berth available at the new mole, close to the arsenal. The offer was readily accepted and the little yawl was soon in far grander company. Several British warships were in port, and Slocum was invited on board the Collingwood, the Cormorant, and the Balfleur.

Admiral Bruce went further. Not content with finding the old sea dog a convivial berth, he also asked what repairs his boat required, adding, “You must have knocked the devil out of her coming over alone in 29 days! But we’ll make it smooth for you here!”

He was as good as his word. Soon it seemed the whole of Gibraltar was doing its bit to get the Spray as seaworthy and spotless as possible before it resumed its voyage. Slocum declared that not even Her Majesty’s ship the Collingwood was better looked after on the Rock. Even the Admiral’s wife asked for and received permission to board the Spray and meet its now famous master.

However, in one particular detail, at least, Slocum is mistaken. He describes visits by a virtual stampede of the great and good eager to sign his log-book, including among them, “Sir F. Carrington, Governor of Gibraltar”.

Sir Frederick Carrington may have been both great and good, but he was never Governor of Gibraltar. The incumbent in 1895 was Sir Robert Biddulph. Sir Frederick was on the Rock as commander of the Infantry Brigade.

There are hints in Slocum’s masterwork he may occasionally have been the victim of some good-natured leg-pulling. When asked to join an afternoon “at home” aboard the Collingwood, he was initially told, with a straight face, that he was expected to wear “a stovepipe hat and a claw-hammer coat”.

Reluctantly declining the invitation since his wardrobe on the Spray did not include such exotic items, he was then told to wear whatever he wished.

He loved Gibraltar: “How could one help loving so hospitable a place?” He couldn’t get over the luxury of having vegetables twice a week and fresh milk every morning. During his stay he got to see most of the town, and dined with “F. Carrington” (or Robert Biddulph, or both) at Line Wall House.

He left on 25th August, and reached home after his epic adventure on 27th June 1898, almost three years since it began.

Sailing Alone Around The World, was published in 1900. It was an immediate bestseller, and remains in print to this day. But Slocum was not finished. In November 1909, aged 65, he set sail (alone, of course), headed for Venezuela and the Orinoco River. Somewhere en route he vanished, swallowed by the ocean like a carelessly tossed stone. Somehow, I think he would have wanted it that way. n

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20/11/08 14:57:05

art story

by Reg Reynolds

Madonna and Child of Soweto is one of the most famous works of art in South Africa and it was painted by Gibraltar-born artist Larry Scully.

Madonna painted by Gibraltar-born Artist 48

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Laurence Vincent Scully was born in Gibraltar on 12th December 1922 to an Irish father and a South African mother. He spent his early days in Gibraltar and Portsmouth but the family was so poor that he was forced to leave school at age 13 and take work in a grocery store. Two years later the family moved to South Africa where Scully would develop as an artist and live for the remainder of his life.

When war broke out in 1939 Scully joined the South African Permanent Forces. He had already developed sufficient skill with brush and pencil that he was employed as a draftsman. During this time he gained a high school degree through correspondence courses.

When the war ended he obtained a grant to study art at the University of the Witswatersrand in Johannesburg and attended there from 1947 to 1950.

In order to pay off student loans Scully qualified as a teacher and taught at the Polly Street Art Centre (one of the first schools to encourage African artists) and at the Pretoria Boys High School.

Inspired by African masks Scully developed his distinct style in the 1950s and ’60s, initially specializing in still life and landscape before developing a passion for abstract. He gained national prominence in 1962 with his one-man exhibition at Pretoria. Many more exhibitions followed and he won the prestigious Oppenheimer Painting Prize in 1965 and his works would represent South Africa at the Venice Biennale (the Venice Film Festival is part of this biannual celebration of the arts) and Sao Paulo, Brazil, Biennale.

When Scully and other South African artists organised an artistic ‘biennale’ for Johannesburg the then apartheid South African government ordered that only white artists should be represented but Scully refused and shut the project down.

It was soon after this principled stand that Scully was offered the project that would bring him lasting fame and a world-wide following.

The liberal Johannesburg Star commissioned Scully to paint a picture to raise money for an education fund for black South Africans.

The celebrated Madonna and Child of Soweto was the result. Scully was a giant of a man (six-foot-eight) who painted on a giant scale and the Soweto Madonna measures eight feet by five feet in size.

Harry Oppenheimer, one of the richest men in South Africa at the time (there is a diamond museum named after him) bought the

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 14:47:58

art story painting and donated it to the Regina Mundi Church in Soweto where it remains to this day. Every year thousands of art lovers and freedom lovers travel to Soweto to view the painting and pay their respects to the victims of apartheid.

Regina Mundi was the site of much antiapartheid activity and it was to this church hundreds of young African students fled after being fired upon by police in the infamous Soweto Massacre on 16th June, 1976.

Madonna and Child of Soweto was Scully’s own favourite work and he described it as representing his desire to “represent all sides on the difficult divide that was apartheid”.

Scully married pianist and teacher Christine Frost in 1959. They had twin girls in 1962 and I contacted one, Pamela, by e-mail, to find out if her father had ever returned to Gibraltar.

She replied that he had visited Gibraltar at least once but she didn’t know of any paintings he might have made of his birthplace.

Larry Scully was known for whipping out a paintbrush in mid conversation and starting to paint so I believe there must be abstract depiction of Gibraltar out there somewhere with his name on it.

Today Scully’s works, both paintings and photography, are held in galleries throughout South Africa and are on display at the Johannesburg International Airport, Pretoria Art Museum, San Francisco Museum and in private galleries around the world.

The Madonna and Child of Soweto has reached iconic stature and can been seen emblazoned on t-shirts all over South Africa. n

road safety

RGP Drink Driving Campaign

“

Artist Larry Scully was born in Gibraltar

Painting is for me visual music and visual thinking

”

The Royal Gibraltar Police Drink Driving Campaign launched on 24th November and will be running right through the Christmas period.

The two campaign posters depict your options after drink driving. The first advert asks which bed you’ll be sleeping in that night — your own, the hospital or the police cells, while the second asks what your next round might cost you — prison, hospital, your job or court fine and loss of licence printed clearly on the bottle lables.

So, as always, don’t drink and drive and look for alternative solutions such as an overnight stay in a nearby hotel. n

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20/11/08 14:48:27

festivities

Christmas presents

As with most things, I guess, trends change and Christmas is no exception. Has it become less of a family affair? Are we being any more or any less choosey about who we buy presents for at Christmas? Are we spending less on food? Has the Yuletide event become just another hassle that involves too much work in these busy times?

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by Richard Cartwright It has got to be said that having both mum and dad in fulltime work all year long and having to tighten purse strings because of heavy mortgages and other expenses, a rethink would be in order when it comes to what is probably the most celebrated and commercialised event of all... Christmas!

If you took a back seat and observed the days and even weeks leading up to the super event you would think that if anything, just as much or more is being spent, bearing in mind healthy shopping trends by many throughout the rest of the year. Shops stock up earlier in the run up to the 25th to catch their competitors dozing and you begin to see shoppers carrying more than just the customary carrier bag. But changes in traditions and trends are evident I’m assured.

I’ve been chatting to some businessmen and others and I think what emerges is a mixed bag. A variation of ideas is clearly on the cards for some but others stick to the same rituals it seems.

“It’s November, so we must start thinking about painting the flat for Christmas,” you used to hear some say. “That was something that was most definitely a must for many, if not all families,” Victor Mena of Decorex paint shop, tells me. “You see in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s even, Christmas was very much a family affair where family members and friends would visit each other during that time. Add to that the Christmas ‘combos’ or ‘comparsas’ who used to go around door to door, singing a song for a drink and a treat, and you can see how people would like to have their homes nicely painted and looking good.”

Victor goes on to point out all of that has died down quite a bit, especially since the frontier reopened and more and more individuals are going away for Christmas and the New Year celebrations so there’s no need to paint the family home every year at this time anymore.

“These days it is mainly down to selling paint only and the rush is no longer there although we do get a bit more business because of the festivities. In years gone by we used to sell floor and ceiling tiles, wallpaper and other bits and pieces but now it’s just paint. Don’t forget there is also more competition from Spain and locally also.”

Victor remembers his days as a food wholesaler too (F Mena Guillem) when the lead up to Christmas was madness. “During the closed frontier years all of our Spanish foodstuff would come via Holland — Spanish and Palma hams, polvorones, Albo products and so much more.

Everyone had to have everything; especially as those goods, unlike today, were only available at Christmas.”

From my experience, even today, I see many households still go for the full leg of Spanish ham and all the goodies their fridges and cupboards will bulgingly hold!

Giving gifts at Christmas is another custom I find is becoming so costly and wasteful. For a start, as I’ve mentioned in the past, many children enjoy ‘Christmas’ every fortnight. It really is ridiculous to the point no excitement is revealed come Christmas morning. As regards buying for adults, as with children, they have everything — the head scratching becomes more painful.

“There are so many!” you exclaim. “What do I get them?” “How much do I want to spend?”

I hear you declare.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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festivities Joe Garcia, of our famous Garcia outfitters in Main Street, has the answer. Your own children and spouse receive gifts in the traditional way, he tells me, but your brothers, sisters and their spouses are treated differently.

“Our family has, over the past few years, done this. We meet for lunch at one of our homes and during the meal organise a draw. We each pull a name out of the so-called hat and the name revealed is the only person you need to buy a Christmas gift for. That way there’s less outlay and less waste. It also cuts down on so many gifts given that individuals don’t like or need,” he explains. “You only need to buy one gift; you make it a good one, but it’s only one and you don’t have to go traipsing around wasting time and spending so much money buying for everyone.” Too true, it certainly is a great idea.

As regards shopping trends in the Main Street store? “I’ve found the concept of buying gifts has changed over the past 20 years or so. People are going for one good present like a jacket or coat and not buying as many small items as they did before,” Joe reports.

One or two other people I spoke to had their stories to tell. David Bentata, of TEO fame, remembered how, during the many years he was in the clothing business, he used to sell lots of dinner jackets and less formal suits.

“During the run up to Christmas, we used to treble our sales and suits were our best sellers then. I’m in the exclusive jewellery business now and things are different. I would say so far this year, as we approach Christmas and compared to other years, there’s a reduction in sales. Customers are beginning to watch their pennies with mortgages and all that’s going on

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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“

I’ve found the concept of buying gifts has changed over the past 20 years or so.

People are going for one good present... and not buying as many small items as they did before

”

to think about. I’ve also noticed this year they’re starting to Christmas shop later; having said that, there’s more buying power now. I would say Christmas for us now is comparable to some summer months when the cruise ship passen-

gers and coach tourists are around.”

Another of my casual chatting partners was musician Philip Valverde who has played the Christmas gigs for longer than he’s eager to recall. Philip says, “The reality of it is all the major clubs and venues that used to put on Christmas dances, no longer do. There were also gigs for all the messes and wardrooms that required our services, during those years when there was a greater military presence on the Rock. All of that has gone.”

The consequence is that if you’re a musician and in a group, you have to diversify a little and go with the flow. “What happens these days is there is work to provide live music at smaller parties, in restaurants or at hotels, for companies and firms who can’t afford groups and so you need to break up into smaller units and in that way get the work.”

Philip tells me sometimes even more money can be earned now by splitting the fee down the middle instead of having to share it between four or five group members and with an open frontier there is also the possibility of work in Spain.

So that’s one potential group of Christmas money makers which is not complaining too much. Evidently Christmas trends and traditions do vary and I guess it’s up to each one of us. In the case of the businessman to adapt and accommodate what’s available, and as it affects the individual to make the most of stretching our pounds as far as their elasticity extends, making the most of this and every Christmas.

Recall wonderful moments of Christmases gone and delight in the thought of this and ones to come... Have a good one. n

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20/11/08 15:24:56

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art file

by Sonia Golt

Musician.

With all this creative and artistic talent overflowing the sisters decided to do a joint exhibition in Kensington, when living in London. Years later, on returning to Gibraltar loaded with Carmen’s paintings and Yvonne’s scraper-boards it was only natural to do another exhibition here. It proved very successful and triggered the possibility of doing another if and when they had the time.

It has taken longer than they envisaged but due to Yvonne being ill and spending longer periods at home they had more time on their hands to prepare this exhibition and the wait will have been worthwhile for those who go to see their Christmas Exhibition at the John Mackintosh Hall this December.

Their exhibition will explore the artistry of collage, executed jointly by the sisters. Carmen paints the scenery or background of each collage, which as you can see in the photos depict many hobbies and professions, as well as children’s rooms full of colourful toys. Once Carmen’s paintbrush stops it is Yvonne’s turn to create the collage by making and sticking down the most original details to emphasise the topics chosen. The ladies enjoyed working in this Sisters Yvonne and Carmen Gmez genre, finding that creating is fun, especially if it can be shared not only between them but also with the general public.

At the exhibition there will also be a series of oil paintings by Carmen on sale at very reasonable prices. There is nothing to beat an original painting hanging on your wall at home.

“Hopefully the paintings and collage work Painters are creative people who have an ability to produce colour will sell as our prices will be very reasonable on canvas, the wonderful thing is that those pictures when hanging starting from £50 and not exceeding the £200 odd mark. We know there are many people out transfer colour and magic to the many others who see them. there who have interesting careers and hobAlthough a painting starts in the home or studio of a painter, bies and we are open to commissions to create a collage or painting — a gift of love maybe once the painting is finished the magic is shared from another family member for the Christmas with many others, especially if it is exhibited. season!”

Yvonne says, “I feel I have put in a lot of Yvonne and Carmen Gomez, are two sisters Yvonne’s Do BEE painted in the background imagination and brought out my inner child whose ability to produce magical paintings — there is also a fascinating array of photos which is visible in the works created, espeand collage work comes easily — don’t get me of Carmen as Miss Gibraltar and at the Miss cially those for the children’s bedrooms. I hope wrong, it is hard work, but their ability to create World Contest with important personalities of and their enthusiasm makes it seem as if the the film and music industry. Yvonne is a keen paintings appear with a magic wand! photographer and has many outstanding photos Carmen remembers that at one of her exhibi- on display too. tions someone once wrote in the visitor’s book Yvonne’s talent was spotted at school by “Thanks for the colours and the magic!” and her teachers and she was roped in to paint the that sums it up. backdrops for the school plays as well as having Carmen who is four years older than her sister one of her paintings chosen and exhibited in the was always painting and colouring books in Magistrates Court — strange though this venue her childhood and Yvonne soon picked up the may sound for a child’s painting! habit. On both their father and mother’s sides, Carmen’s first exhibition took place in Chelthere were family members who painted and sea with two well-known UK painters and although late in life, Carmen and Yvonne dis- sculptors — it was also at this time she wrote covered both their parents could paint too. and illustrated the children’s story The Happy When their mother had a fall that impaired the movement of her right arm they gave her a paintbrush and canvas to help her regain confidence and mobility, they encouraged her to paint and now some of her beautiful work hangs on the walls of their home, as does a oneoff painting from their father who emulated his wife to give her a sense of togetherness in the difficult moments of her illness.

Visiting Carmen and Yvonne at home is an eye opener, their creative spirit fills every room of their flat — paintings and collage cover every wall, the corridor is filled with wonderful photographs of Carmen’s days as Carmen Miranda, Yvonne and Carmen selling their or appearing in Romper Room on GBC tv with

Colours&Magic

Yvonne’s talent was spotted at school by her teachers and she was roped in to paint the backdrops for the school plays

paintings in London in the ’60s

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • decEMBER 2008

20/11/08 15:41:14

art file

”

pleasure of working in London’s West End with Anita Dobson wife of Brian May of Queen.

At Westminster Hospital hangs a colourful painting of mine I donated, for when I received

I feel I have put in a lot of imagination and brought out my inner child which is visible in the works created, especially those for the children’s bedrooms

“

youngsters come to see the exhibition so they can see that with imagination and many recycled things, it is possible to create a magical painting or collage.

“I’ve worked in restoration before because it is wonderful to bring something back to its original beauty. Many will remember my restaurant Yvey’s outside Landport Tunnel — this was a derelict building and I turned it around and made it into to a charming place that people enjoyed sharing with me, unfortunately due to my not being well it had to be sold. Now, if my health allows it, I will continue to create via this media as once I start my mind runs wild with ideas.”

Carmen says, “During my years in England I was fortunate enough to meet a cross section of people mostly in the arts. They have enriched my life. I have sold paintings to the very successful sculptor Lawrence Broderick and Sir Cameron Mackintosh and I had the

radiotherapy treatment many moons ago I was not impressed with the dullness of the place. I hope this piece of colour and magic has given others the means of forgetting what they came for... at least for a moment!”

Recently at the Bosom Buddies Fashion Show, in aid of breast cancer, Carmen donated one of her paintings for the auction and it now hangs at Heart’s Boutique in Main Street.

Gibraltar is full of talent in every field, most especially in the arts — we can never complain there is nothing to do, just pick up the paper and read ‘what’s on’ daily to see somewhere within this little community of ours talent comes to the foreground.

Do not miss this interesting exhibition which opens on 8th December for one week at the John Mackintosh Hall. With Carmen’s varied style and Yvonne’s attention to detail the ‘colours of magic’ will reflect in everyone’s mood this Christmas! n

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Jewellery

20/11/08 15:41:26

music

by Terry White

Local musicians, Ernesto and Philip

& the

song goes on

Philip Valverde and Ernesto Revagliatte, at first glance, may look like two ordinary Gibraltarians. However, Philip and Ernesto, as most of the citizens of Gibraltar know, have been an important part of Gibraltar’s live music scene for over 30 years.

56

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Gibraltar is, and always has been, rich in musical talent and Philip and Ernesto are at the very top of that talent seam. Both Philip and Ernesto were born in Gibraltar and have lived here all their lives. Music has always played a major part in their long friendship — they first met at nursery school and have remained close friends ever since. Philip comes from a very musical family, his brothers Hubert who now lives’ in America, and Frank, play the guitar and sing. His sister, Rosanne, plays the keyboard, while his two other sisters Elizabeth and Grace, and other brother Joe, like their parents sing and have very musical ears.

When younger, Philip performed with his elder brothers, Hubert and Frank, in England, and whenever he returned back to Gibraltar he would show his friend Ernesto the chords to the latest hits. As Ernesto explained: “In Gibraltar at the time there was no television, and no song sheets to study. Therefore, the only way to learn the chords to the latest songs was to listen very closely to the radio. Philip and I over the years were greatly influenced by the Beatles, Led Zeplin, Queen, and other giants of poular music.

Philip agreed, but added. “I love ryhthm. I suppose that is because of my Gibraltar roots, which over the years have had many influences and nationalities — English, Spanish, Italian and Maltese. So any music with good ryhthm and lyrics appeals to us, although my personal GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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music favourite artist is Santana.”

Although lifelong friends, during which time they have played together in different bands, it is only over the last 15 years they have actually performed musically together. Their musical partnership was cemented after National Day 1997 when, with three other Gibraltarians, the band Ovation was formed. Ovation soon became one of Gibraltar’s favourite bands, attracting great support. Unfortunately, due to personal commitments and lack of venues for a live band, they rarely perform.

However, Philip and Ernesto, as always struck up a musical understanding, and enjoyed playing together so much they decided to form a duo, and like Ovation soon built up a following. Asked what style and kind of music they provide Philip said: “To be honest, anything. Over the years we have built up a huge repertoire, from the ’50s right up to the present day. From Spanish and Gypsy orientated music, to, rock and blues music.”

Ernesto agreed adding: “Our songs range from, Volaire to Wonder Wall, and the Beatles to Boyzone. Even so, if we are approached by a member of the audience with a particular request we try to accommodate them.” Philip added. “With every song we have learned over the years, we have stuck very much to the original, but slightly adapted it to our own format.” Ernesto said enthusiastically “We are never complacent. Over the years even up to this present day, new songs and artists still surprise us with their fresh ideas.”

Though Philip and Ernesto have played in the majority of venues in Gibraltar, they have no particular favourite, as Philip explained.

Philip and Ernesto in the early days

we enjoy making music, and if the audience appreciate and enjoy what we do then it makes it that more special

“We enjoy performing in them all, but the most important thing to Ernesto and myself is that we enjoy making music, and if the audience appreciate and enjoy what we do then it makes it that more special.”

Ernesto works as a civil servant for the goverment, while Philip owns a music shop, The Studio, in Bomb House Lane, which is the unofficial meeting place for all the local musicians, where ideas and opinions flourish freely. Additionally, in conjunction with the government, each year Philip organises the evening ‘rock concert’ for National Day, and New Year’s Eve. Philip and Ernesto have been involved both singularly and together in different bands over the years, but these days when they appear at venues they simply use their Christian names, which captures their own closeness and that with the audience.

Ernesto has no particular explanation as to why he and Philip gel so easily. “When we are performing, a slight change in rhythm or a certain look from Philip, and l know exactly what is required.”

Besides playing at local venues, Philip and Ernesto also perform at private functions and weddings. Considering their long and vast experience, you would perhaps expect them to be aloof or a little distant, but nothing could be further from the truth. They are very friendly and approachable, and even perhaps a little too modest, considering their musical abilities.

So if you want an evening of varied and enjoyable music, or a party with a swing, be sure to watch out for two unassuming but very talented and gifted musicians, Philip and Ernesto.

STUDIO

RITUAL TATTOO

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health & medical directory

health& fitness Bell Pharmacy

CHEMISTS Bell Pharmacy 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989 Louis’ Pharmacy Unit F12, International Commercial Centre, Casemates.

Tel: 200 44797

McTimoney Chiropractor

Your Family Chemists

Gentle holistic treatment for all back or muscular problems and sports injuries Gillian Schirmer MA, DC, MMCA Clinic (Claudia’s), 1st Floor, 58 Main Street Tel: 200 41733 or after hours: 200 40026

Here to help you by answering all your pharmaceutical questions Consult us at 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989

Chiropodists John W Miles BSc (Podiatry), MChS College Clinic, Regal House Tel: 200 77777

ChiropraCtors

STEINER CHIROPRACTIC CLINICS

Chiropractic Health Clinic

Dr Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc DC

Dr Steven J. Crump B.Sc, DC, MCC Open: Mon - Fri 9.30am - 6.30pm

Member of the British Chiropractic Association

Back to better health with Chiropractic for headaches, dizziness, neck and lower back pain, sciatica, osteoathritis and sports injuries.

College Clinic, Regal Hse. Tel: 200 77777

PASSANO OPTICIANS LTD British Registered Optometrists

Treatment of Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Limb Pain & Sports Injuries Tel: 200 44226

Dr Steven J. Crump BSc, DC, MCC ICC F5C 1st Flr, Casemates.

Tel: 200 44226 Gillian Schirmer MA, DC, MMCA McTimoney Chiropractor, Clinic (Claudia’s), 1st Flr, 58 Main St Tel: 200 41733 After hours: 200 40026

ICC Suite F5C 1st Floor, Casemates, Gibraltar Member of British Chiropractic Association

38 Main St Tel: 200 76544 Fax: 200 76541 Email: passano@saphhirenet.gi

The Health Store

2nd Flr International Commercial Centre

Dr Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc, DC Steiner Chiropractic Clinics, College Clinic, Regal Hse Tel: 200 77777

Weekend and Public Holiday Opening Hours (use Irish Town entrance)

DentAL SURGEONS

5 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: 20073765 Suppliers of Glucosamine, Ginkgo Biloba and all vitamins.

Body Building Products (Creatine etc) Open: 9am - 1pm & 3pm - 6pm

For all your Pharmaceutical needs

Louis’ Pharmacy Open: 9 - 7 Monday - Friday, Saturday 10 -1.30pm, Closed Sundays Unit F12, International Commercial Centre, Casemates. Tel: 200 44797

Primary Care Centre

Saturday: 9am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm Sunday & Public Holidays : 10am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm GP Clinics: 8am - 5.20pm

Daniel N. Borge BDS MSc MFDS RCS(Eng) Borge Dental/Medical Centre 7-9 Cornwall’s Lane Tel: 200 75790 Mike Clark BDS The Dental Practice, Baudelaire House, 15D-1 Town Range Tel/Fax: 200 52882

completefitness Sports Massage Therapy & Personal Training

Keith J Vinnicombe BDS (Wales) LDS RCS (Eng) MFGDP (UK)

Unit F5B ICC, 2a Main Street Tel/Fax: 200 40747 Emergency: 200 78756

Unit G3, Eliott Hotel Gibraltar Tel: 200 51113

ORTHODONTISTS

JOHN W. MILES BSc (Podiatry), M.Ch.S

Clinical Analysis Laboratory

STATE REGISTERED CHIROPODIST Treatment of all Foot Problems • Ingrown Toe-nails including Surgical Removal • Biomechanical Analysis for Insoles / Orthotics including Children • Wart (Verruca) Clinic • Diabetics

• Microbiology • Hematology • Biochemistry • Immunology confidential service

Full Report Printout • General Health Checks: • Glucose levels • Cholesterol levels • Anaemia screens • Blood groups F19 ICC Tel: 42330 Fax: 45521 gibraltar@gib-lab.com

GUARANTEED

You pre-pay at today’s prices, we provide your chosen service whenever it is eventually required and whatever it eventually costs Brochures on Pre-Paid Funeral Planning Available from:

Tel: 200 77777

College Clinic, Regal House, Queensway ALSO AVAILABLE FOR HOME VISITS

11 Convent Place Tel: 200 75747

Codali Funeral Services

Dr Hasse Lundgaard DDS Borge Dental & Medical Centre 7-9 Cornwall’s Lane Tel/Fax: 200 75790

Physicians Dr Norbert V Borge FRCP (London) 7-9 Cornwall’s Lane Tel/Fax: 200 75790

Health Stores The Health Store 5 City Mill Lane. Tel: 200 73765

Opticians / Optometrists Gache & Co Limited 266 Main Street. Tel: 200 75757 L. M. Passano Optometrist 38 Main Street. Tel: 200 76544

PERSONAL TRAINERS

Need somebody to talk to? days a week 6-10pm

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Simon Coldwell Complete Fitness Unit G3, Eliott Hotel Tel: 200 51113 Isabella Jimenez BSc (hons) 3/8 Turnbull’s Lane Tel: 54002226 email: jimenez.isabella@gmail.com

GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• DECEMBER December 2008 2008

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health&welfare

dealing with

diabetes

Information adapted from the Diabetes leaflet available from the GHA

In the run-up to Christmas, the majority of us will be digesting more than our usual quantity of sugar and healthy, balanced diets will be going out of the window.

There’s always the excuse that we’ll lose the extra pounds with our new years’ resolution, but you may not be aware that there are dangers other than putting on a few extra pounds.

Diabetes, a condition where the body cannot use glucose (sugar) properly, doesn’t just affect the older generation, but can materialise at any point in our lifetime (although the older generation is more at risk), and if it goes unrecognised, or is poorly controlled or neglected then serious complications can develop.

Diabetes narrows the coronary arteries, causing heart attacks and about 10% of heart attack deaths are diabetes related. Furthermore, 11% of all blindness is caused by diabetes. Other complications can be kidney failure or nerve damage to legs and feet, which in drastic circumstances can lead to amputation.

Strokes can result in paralysis or even death and people with uncontrolled diabetes are more prone to infections such as boils, carbuncles and poor healing of wounds.

After pointing out the doom and gloom facts, diabetes is actually relatively easy to control in the majority of cases. The key facts are prompt diagnosis and correct control with medication which will arrest or slow down complications, although it is often not possible to undo damage which is already done.

Diagnosis is easy — a simple blood test will tell you if you are a sufferer and this can be arranged through your GP. It’s important to act quickly if you think you could

be at risk as early detection greatly reduces the possibilities of developing some of the more serious complications. Some of the warning signs are increased thirst, passing a lot of urine — especially at night, extreme tiredness, weight loss, genital itching and blurred vision, although these are not necessarily recognisable in Type 2 diabetes.

Yes, there are two types of diabetes and there is no such thing as “mild” diabetes either. Type 1 usually affects young people and requires treatment with insulin.

Type 2 diabetes usually occurs later in life in people aged 40 and above.

This is treated with careful diet control, exercise, tablets and sometimes with insulin. Both types are serious and can result in complications.

Your risk will be higher if there is a family history and it’s interesting to note that some ethnic groups are more prone to diabetes than others.

Preventing or delaying the onset is not at all difficult — just lead a normal, healthy life! Choose a healthy diet, particularly one rich in fruits, vegetables, fibre and cereals.

Eat to live, and only eat as much as you need, particularly avoiding overeating. Keep yourself physically active too and walk rather than drive. Take a swim rather than just lounge on the beach when summer comes. Above all, keep yourself informed and get yourself checked out by your GP.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Does your smile give away your age?

Discoloured and crooked teeth show their age.

We can help solve the problem using the latest in porcelain technology, with whiter shades to achieve that “Hollywood” smile.

A: This illustrates the pre-operative condition of the patient - discoloured, slightly crooked teeth, ugly old porcelain crowns on upper front teeth.

Porcelain Veneers Smile enhancement Whitening

B: The condition of the patient after preparation has taken place. There are temporary crowns on three upper front teeth, the other teeth have been minimally prepared for porcelain veneers.

Botox / fillers Dental Implants C: Shows the condition of the patient just 1 week after the treatment began.

We have a special interest in the management of nervous patients.

Non-surgical correction of wrinkles and lip enhancement now available.

www.mikeclarkdental.com Baudelaire House 15D-1 Town Range, Gibraltar Tel/Fax: +350 200 52882

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home decor

a flair for living Flair, in Bell Lane, is a shop where the old phrase “like an Aladdin’s cave” springs to mind.

Flair is simply packed with quality gifts and household items, all chosen for their value and their tastefulness and coming from many countries — especially Morocco, Germany, France, Italy, the Philippines, China, Spain, Britain and the Far East — the latter being the source of the exotic woods used in some of the items on display.

“I wanted a fusion of colonial and Mediterranean styles so as to add the Gibraltarian flair to people’s homes,” said Patricia. “I was inspired by the fact that Gibraltar is made up of people from very many origins, and that is what I set out to capture. Many of the items are from the same roots as the Gibraltarians.”

The range and beauty of all the goods at Flair has already seen it become particularly popular for wedding lists since it opened in May this year. Such is the interest shown in using the shop for these lists that Patricia is looking forward to the launch of her website in January, when the lists will be on show on-line and friends and relatives will be able to reserve their order from there. She is aiming to have the website running

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in time to coincide with her January sales.

Patricia’s motivation in opening a shop like Flair was that there was nothing similar in Gibraltar, and everyone had to go to Spain for furnishings, decorative items or special gifts, and the public response has proved her right.

“We provide all the bits to make a place your own, objects of beauty to help you stamp your personality on your home,” said Patricia. “And at this time of the year local people are coming as they are preparing to give their homes the traditional Christmas make-over. In Britain there is spring cleaning, but in Gibraltar Christmas is the time to renovate and renew everything.”

Style and quality apart, there is no simple way to sum up the contents on view at Flair — and everything that you see is for sale, there are no catalogues or delivery dates. If it’s on show it’s available to take away. Apart from Patricia’s overall description of the full-to-capacity shop as selling any gift or internal decorative item — some functional — I just have to give a general list of the main items: there are boxes and trays, cushions, occasional tables, glassware, GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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g

home decor lamps — some like chandeliers — clocks, photo frames, baskets, vases? A lot of the larger items have storage spaces built in, and styles range from shabby-chic to modern, whilst the materials include a lot of wood, leather, fabric and some aluminium.

And that is just to give you an idea. It really is the place to go when you are looking to add a classic touch to your home or for a gift for someone who is hard to please or who already seems to have it all — especially at Christmas in both cases.

The price range is as wide as the choice of goods: there is a lifelike ceramic snake for only £4.30, whilst nothing in the shop is over £300 — that would buy you one of the large modern chandelier-like ceiling lamps.

There is little need to worry about what you buy at Flair being too commonly seen — Patricia buys everything in very small quantities and she told me that there is nowhere else locally that sells the same sort of goods, so they are all close to being unique in Gibraltar.

Flair is in Bell Lane, just a little way in from Main Street. Open from 10 to 7, Monday to Friday and 10 — 2 on Saturdays, the telephone number is 20075257 and the new website address in January will be www.flair.gi. n

Patricia outside Flair on Bell Lane

We provide all the bits to make a place your own, objects of beauty to help you stamp your personality on your home

Office Refurbishments & Fitting Out

Christina at Miss Europe & World Jnr Christina Ainsworth, who was runner up at Runway 2008, recently returned from the Czech Republic after taking part in Miss Europe & World Junior which culminated with a six day Mediterranean cruise where the winners were selected during the stop over in Livorno in Italy.

Christina competed with girls from different countries aged 15 to 21. The competition took into account personality, runway style, beauty, creative talent and presentation skills.

“The competition was a great experience.

Overall I had a great time, made many friends and would jump at the chance to go to another contest. I have learned so much that I would advise anyone who has the chance to take it.

They would not regret it.” n

Home Renovations & Refurbishments

SOLUTIONS

PO Box 598 Tel: 57185000 Fax: 77041

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prize puzzle

by Alan Gravett

SUDOKU

2

1

3

4

5

7 6

8

7

9

10 11

12

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15

14

16 18

No prize for this one — you’ll be doing it for the glory!

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Send completed crossword to: FIRST PRIZE: The Cannon Bar, Lunch for 2 at Cannon Lane, Gibraltar.

The Cannon Bar One entry per person.

Winner notified in next issue of The Gibraltar Magazine.

Closing date: 2th December 2008

Across 1) Native of certain Pacific islands (10) 7) Nag; overbearing woman (8) 8) Possesses (4) 9) Narrated (4) 10) 9); of the same family (7) 12) In 3 copies (11) 14) Slight graze; withdraw from

competition; (7) 16) Metallic element (4) 19) 0 (4) 20) Performed in a set manner or according to

a set procedure (3,5) 21) Flower of the daisy family (10) Down 1) Length of intertwined hair (5) 2) Rhine maiden who lured navigators

to doom (7) 3) Naked (4) 4) Logical sequence of words; punishment (8) 5) Hawaiian greeting (5) 6) Certainly (6) 11) Captain Pugwash’s ship (5,3) 12) Piece of paper which permits admission (6) 13) Capital of Libya or a Lebanese city (7) 15) Pleasant smell (5) 17) Old word for a valley (5) 18) Piece of paper worth money; repute (4)

Jotting Pad ...

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Murder Case, Adam, Title, Northward, Platform, Swami, Enacted, Soluble, Leeward, Farrago, Asses, Outright, Rusticate, Feast, deed, Martial Law Down: Mate, Retaliate, Concord, Shrimps, Drama, Madrileños, Whistler, Real Madrid, Transfix, Beach Ball, Diorama, Fitment, Susie, Infra, Stew

Crossword Winner Voucher will be posted to you

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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events to help inspire our young writers.

What events are coming up in 2009?

We are still working on the programme, nevertheless, we can guarantee the spring and autumn festivals will be unforgettable. We shall see the arrival of some of the public’s favourite performances; Shakespeare 4 Kidz will return with Romeo and Juliet, the Zarzuela with La Revoltosa and La Tabernera del Puerto, The Young Americans, the RAF Band and, of course, firstclass local productions like Stagestruck, a play

by Group 2000 and GADA amongst others. Of course, I have to mention that we shall have for the third year running the “Calentita”.

Have you ever taken part in an event?

Not as a performer, I believe my strengths lie in the organisation, infrastructure and administration of events, although I must admit I would not mind trying being on stage one day.

What is the one thing that defines Gibraltarian culture?

In the arts, it must be the incredible talent and resourcefulness. As a community, I am proud of our multi-cultural heritage.

Cynthia Eagle:

DirectorofCulture It’s December, the autumn festival has past its sell by date as winter starts to tighten its grip. But even winter won’t deter us as we look for that certain je ne sais quois moment to make this year different. Several months ago we profiled the Minister for Culture (to give him a shortened version of his title) however he has a team behind him not often written about. With this in mind I dropped a few questions past Cynthia Eagle, Director of Culture to find out exactly how she fits into it all.

Cynthia, what is your role as Director of Culture?

Good question, being the Director of Culture is a very challenging and varied role and can frequently be incredibly stressful. Mainly, I plan and organise the strategic and operational framework for the development of cultural events in Gibraltar. As a senior manager, my role is also to administer manpower, resources and the operational costs of running a Government Department.

How do you decide what to do then?

One has to keep a very close eye on what is going on in Gibraltar, as this is an important factor when it comes to constructing our cultural memory and our identity. Therefore, I try to balance our events to try and include a full and varied programme for all our community to enjoy.

So can members of the public suggest an idea for an event?

Of course. I take public opinion very seriously GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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What or who is our most famous cultural export?

We all think of John Galliano and Albert Hammond, but I think it is every single group and individual that has spread their talent outside our borders.

What is the best moment you have had in your job so far?

Every day is a new experience and I have had many good moments, especially so when the whole team has worked very hard to make an event a success.

If the only way is up, where do you go next?

Fancy a shot at the political title?

My Senior Officer, the Principal Secretary of our Ministry will be retiring very soon, he has been a fine mentor and an excellent tutor and I believe he has trained me well. I think I am now confident to be able to lead the Ministry of Culture and hope to be able to “fill his shoes” next year.

On the political side, I have never been interested to that extent. I do however work as a civil servant for the government of the day. Although “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.” Pericles (430 B.C.)

and if there is a particular demand for a certain type of event, I will try to include it or take any recommendations. To be specific, that is how bringing back the Zarzuela came about.

Are there particular types of events that are looked at more favourably?

The Ministry takes all types of events very seriously however, it is an advantage if a par- Interesting quote, I might use that again. ticular event is in the educational arts or music Finally it is December what is the normal routine for you on Christmas Day and have category. you any particular plans for this year?

I hope to spend a quiet Christmas at home What’s the favourite event for you in 2008?

Most events take much time and considerable with my family. Usually, Christmas day is quite effort. Consequently, this is not a factor that hectic at first, with a big lunch to prepare etc. dictates a favourite event. Nevertheless, I was although now that my twin sons are older they particularly pleased with the results we had no longer wake up for Santa’s presents at 6am! with the Short Story and Poetry Competitions. This year I plan to spend the afternoon watching I found it personally disheartening that it was old films or reading a good book and indulging one aspect of culture that was considered quite in a big box of chocolates. outmoded. Nevertheless, the quality of work and interest we have had, especially with the And if you were on Santa’s knee what would very young, has made it very worthwhile for you ask for? the participants and encouraging for me. As a Health, wealth and happiness. What else is result, I hope to be able to do some more work there? n

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leisurewear

hair & beauty Mon - Fri 10am - 7pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

54 City Mill Lane Tel/Fax: 200 45966 Email: sandra4stichdesign@yahoo.com

We do Silk Screen Printing, Embroidery, Transfers on:

Polo-Shirts, T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, School Logo, Baseball Caps, Work Wear, Foot Wear, Sweets, Stickers, Chefs, Waiters + Domestic Uniforms, Umbrellas, Pens, Lighters, Key-rings, Stickers, Protective clothing, Uniforms and loads more promotional items too many to mention.

Tel: 200 79997 Mobile: 54022083 email: stitchandprint@gibtelecom.net

shopping & gifts

LADIES SALON & BARBER’S SHOP

Shopping &Beauty SUNRISE

shopping & gifts

Anuska

Pick ’n’ Mix Sweets & Chocolates

Flowers by

your interflora agent

Treasured memories require something truly special

Units G & H Don Arcade (next to the Breadbin) Tel: 200 44407

Tel: 200 73786

226 Main St, Gibraltar Tel: 200 77076 Fax: 200 74116

Matthew’s Jewellery Repairs For all your Jewellery requirements at guaranteed low prices

Gift Vouchers Available

Also Jewellery repairs, engraving, diamond setting, Jewellery appraisals

4/4 Crutchetts Ramp Tel/Fax: 200 50478 Open: Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

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the silver shop casemates arcade, gibraltar

84 Irish Town Tel: 200 71238

La alhambrA Mini Market Wine, Spirits, Tobacconist, Groceries, Indian Spices

To advertise in this section of The Gibraltar Magazine Tel: (+350) 200 77748 Email: gibmag@gibraltar.gi

hair & beauty H

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Gibraltar’s Longest Established Toy Shop

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LONDON HAIR DESIGNS 4 Horse Barrack Lane Tel: 200 70706 open 5 days 10am-5pm - late night Thurs & Fri

Renaissance

Health & Beauty Salon

at Don House Arcade Tel: 77311

• Aromatherapy • Sugar Waxing • Manicures • Pedicures • Facials • Eyelash/Eyebrow Tinting • Bodywraps for instant inch loss • Reflexology • Luxury Organic 2 hour face and body treatment Open: Monday - Friday 9.30am - 9pm

by Leslie Linares, Arthur Harper and John Cortes

Book on sale at Gibraltar Book Shops GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JULY 2008 GIBRALTAR MAGAziNE • DECEMBER

20/11/08 16:25:32

local books

John A. Blakey at the Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates

including the Rock of Gibraltar.

John A. Blakey is a regular visitor to Gibraltar with many connections with the Rock. He exhibited his works in the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates during November. His superb illustrations and delightful tale make this book a joy to read, whatever your age.

The hardcover version is available at Gibraltar book shops for £25.00, while a special limited edition leatherbound version, in dragon green, costs £1,000 from the publishers (Wee Hills). n

The Tale of Lundravar the Dragon

by John A. Blakey

This is a tale of a lost little dragon beautifully illustrated by its author. Lundravar the Dragon is a charming story of a journey of discovery, of love and hate, joy and disappointment and of being lost and being found. His adventures bring him into contact with wonderful characters who help him discover his true self, and take him to far flung places

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Paradise Bound

The Journey

Paradise Bound is a romantic novel which tells the story of 28 year old Jacqueline Gomez, a woman catapulted into starting afresh after breaking up with her boyfriend and closing her business. She travels to the Bahamas where life takes a turn... and so follows her story.

The Journey tells the true story of the author, Vinod Mahbubani’s travels around the world, taking in some 80 towns and cities across four continents over a staggering 40,000 mile journey.

by Sonia Golt

Author Sonia Golt says of the book “When I write I feel fulfilled giving reign to my fantasies. I am a romantic at heart and this is why I chose the genre. What I have learned from life is that you have to work at it day by day if you want to have a happy existence. I use the same philosophy when I write so I have worked at it page by page...

I have spent many hours in front of a computer living the life of the heroine...”

The result of all these long hours of work is an enjoyable romantic novel which will lighten a dark winter’s evening.

50% of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to Breast Cancer Research. Paperback versions of Paradise Bound are on sale at local book shops priced at £10.00. Buy it as a stocking filler for the women in your life to support this important cause. n

by Vinod Mahbubani

Across oceans, deserts and distant lands, there is a tale to tell, packed with adventures and experiences of a different kind. Whether it is the natural wonders of North America, the unique environments of Australia or the exotic islands of Asia and the Pacific, there is something for everyone in this epic journey of discovery and fun.

Packed with real life anecdotes and invaluable traveller’s tips, the book is a must for anyone who loves to travel. Following its recent global release, The Journey has received a 5 star rating on Amazon and has sold in over 20 countries, putting Gibraltar firmly on the world map.

Ideal for children and adults alike, The Journey is available in local bookshops and makes a great Christmas present! For a signed copy, pop into ‘Sapphiro’ at 158 Main Street (opposite Mothercare).

For more information, email: info. thejourney@gmail.com. n

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Art File

Bathsheba Peralta:

by Mike Brufal

of an

Portrait

Artist

Bathsheba Peralta is a rare combination of wife, mother and grandmother who is also gifted with many talents as she is also painter, sculptor, singer, writer, poet, musician and lyric writer.

She was born in Jamaica of a Catholic mother and a Jewish father and came to Gibraltar at the end of the Second World War. Her education started at Brympton school

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under Enid Simpson who was succeeded as head teacher by Cyril Prosser. There were only a handful of Gibraltarians at the school as it was primarily for the children of British expatriates.

Her cousins Willy and Sylvia Serfaty also went to Brympton and formed part of her extended family. After Brympton she joined the Loreto Convent school and became a Catholic. She had a happy and contented childhood living in the White House in Naval Hospital Road.

It soon became apparent that she had a great interest in art. Leon, her father, was a considerable influence and by chance was a wonderful draughtsman and so advised her to draw every day and brought her attention to all the beauty that surrounds one in the form of nature, design and architecture. For as long she can remember her ultimate dream was to become a successful artist.

Bathsheba met Louis Peralta, her husband to be, when she was in her last year at the Convent School when he had just been called to the Gibraltar Bar. Louis got on extremely well with her parents. It was an attraction of opposites — she an extrovert adventurer whilst he is a cautious conservative. They were engaged when she was 17, married at 19, and have two children, a girl and a boy.

Mother Oliver suggested that she should teach art and steered her towards Brother Hawkins who was looking for an art teacher to teach at the Christian Brothers school in Line Wall Road. It worked well and she taught art to boys up to the age of 11 after which they moved to the Grammar school.

During the years she spent looking after her family her art output was reduced. However with her two sisters, Jane and Willa, she still painted in studios in Giro’s Passage and later in Shakery’s Passage. After a few years she spent more time painting and exhibited for the first time in a collective exhibition with her sisters, Jane and Willa. Molly Serfaty was her first client.

Subsequently her paintings were shown in John Ramagge’s dress shop and Hanny Tobelem’s bar near the Rialto cinema.

Bathsheba decided to go into business selling carpets and furniture and as a sideline accepted commissions for interior design. In 1980, together with Hanny Tobelem she opened Stud at Main Street which eventually moved to 14A Cannon Lane. It was one of the first fashion boutiques on the Rock and amongst the brands on sale were those of Galliano, Escada, Frank Usher, Yves St. Laurent and Givenchy. The shop remained open until 1995. She always had faith in John Galliano and bought dresses from him long before he was famous. She organised a John Galliano fashion show at the casino and would go and buy from his studio on top of the service station in the King’s Road. During the ’80s she exhibited her paintings in the Osborne Studio Gallery in Cork Street, London.

In the meantime her daughter had got married and in 1987 presented her with a grandson which changed her life. She also started to paint seriously again and has not stopped ever since.

Her style has changed over the years.

“During the course of my artistic life as you mature you tend to be bolder and see things more geometrically and are not frightened how the colours communicate with each other. As art develops so does the mind and the artist has a sharper eye for colour and design. The artist can see what is a man in front of three palm trees but does not automatically look at the detail but rather looks at what might be called the block effect,” she said.

She has an exhibition every two years either

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Art File

Commissions to paint portraits are accepted but the eventual work will capture the spirit of the person rather than be a pretty picture. She accepts that sometimes the result can shock the sitter in Spain or Gibraltar. On the Rock these are held at locations such as John Mackintosh Hall, Sacarello’s Coffee Shop and the Casemates Art Gallery. She has now opened, with her sister, Jane, the Gibraltar Art Gallery at 14A Cannon Lane. Her other sister, Willa, eventually will be exhibiting in this gallery. She stresses that the gallery is not just for the sisters Serfaty but is intended to help and encourage all young artists and indeed enable all artists on the Rock to exhibit their work. It provides a showroom for all the artistic talent in Gibraltar. She wishes the art community to work together and not separate into divisive factions.

Her biggest commission to date was to supply a different picture for every bedroom and all the public rooms in the Custom House Hotel which is opposite the entrance to the Excel Exhibition Centre in London’s East End. Commissions to paint portraits are accepted but the eventual work will capture the spirit of the person rather than be a pretty picture. She accepts that sometimes the result can shock the sitter.

Bathsheba is also a successful poet, and some of her poems have been adapted into song lyrics. She finds poetry easier to write than the compositions of lyrics. But this is an artistic aside from her paintings. She works with Denis Valerga and to date their songs have won three major prizes.

Bathsheba reads music and plays the piano but, although possessing a pleasant voice, accepts that it is not suited to the pop audience.

Instead she has signed up a Spanish girl, Maria Eugenia, to sing the songs, ten of which are being recorded and will be released for the Christmas market. Profits will be donated to charity. Denis and herself are so certain of the commercial potential of this CD, especially the lead song Mentiras that it is to be marketed in

Irish Town Antiques Antiques & Collectables Irish Town Gibraltar Tel: 200 70411

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Art File New Opening

FARRINGTON CONTEMPORARY

AN EXCITING new gallery showcasing high end contemporary art opened in Gibraltar on Tuesday 25th November.

Situated in 26-28 Ocean Village Promenade, Farrington Contemporary is home to a wide range of contemporary art, sculpture and jewellery.

The gallery launched with two open evenings where guests and visitors were able to mingle over drinks and antipasti with painter Tom Rickman and ceramic sculptor Pauline Lee. The theme for the launch was ‘Sea and Sky’.

“I am very excited at being able to bring pieces of this kind to Gibraltar, the amazing talents of artists such as Tom and Pauline are a breath of fresh air,” says gallery curator and photographer Isla Farrington.

The gallery will be open for business Monday to Friday 10am–7pm, 1pm-5pm weekends, with late opening on Thursday until 9.30pm.

Preview evenings for each new monthly exhibition will be a regular feature where the artist, sculptor or jeweller will be in house to speak with.

As well as offering works for sale, the gallery will also arrange for special commissions. n

Mexico and Latin America.

Last year, one of their songs won second prize in the Andalucian festival and this year another song won the second prize in the same festival and three weeks later won the 12,000 euro first prize in the Tenerife song festival.

Another string to her bow is as author. She has written two children’s stories and naturally produced the illustrations. She is also writing a family history primarily at this stage for the members of her family.

Bathsheba is always ready to donate paintings for charity and recently drew some scenes of a garden in South Kensington which were turned into postcards and sold to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Hospital.

She thinks there is so much talent on the Rock

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in all the disciplines because “ we live in a bright colourful Mediterranean city, have blood lines from Spain, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Malta and Italy all of which are mixed together to produce the Gibraltarian”.

Her advice to parents of young children is “Buy your children drawing pads and pencils as their early efforst can start a life time of appreciation of art. If you see your child spending a large amount of time drawing, never say ‘Don’t waste our time drawing, get on with learning your tables’. Give a child all the space needed to draw: it will pay a wonderful dividend in later life. Also encourage a child to play any instrument.”

Bathsheba’s website address is www.gibartgallery.co.uk n

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pets&accessories Protect Your Dog Against Fatal Summer Diseases Heartworm, Leishmaniosis, Tickborne Diseases Phone Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic for details 200 77334 Emergency: 8977

newsagents

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HORTICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Tel: 200 43134 Fax: 200 50648 Convent Gardens, Convent Garden Ramp

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Sun Daily Mail Star Express Mirror Available Daily on the Rock Every Morning from

L. SACARELLO 96 Main St Tel: 200 78723 Fax: 200 78723 Booksellers, Newsagents & Stationers

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dating

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For newspapers, magazines, confectionery & more, visit the Sky Shop at Gibraltar Airport.

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lessons&tuition Frost Language Centre (Co. Registered in Gibraltar)

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Available at book shops and newsagents throughout Gibraltar GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE • • DECEMBER NOVEMBER 2008 2008

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photo by Prem Mahtani

the

by Jon Bull

Art comes in many forms, and as a designer myself I’m quite surprised that there’s so much I take for granted. Jewellery is a prime example. The shops down Main Street are brimming with thousands of items just waiting for us to pick the perfect Christmas gift, and from all this range we quickly assume they are mass produced by a factory — a bit of a commercial cheat which takes away the artesan, hand-made feel to the product.

What we forget is that someone, somewhere needs to make the moulds, and with computer technology slowly taking over every aspect of our lives, I’ve always assumed the process was all computer controlled and designed. Although this may be the case (and there is still an art form in this process too) with many commercial

jewellery designs, there are still those few who are dedicated to the artesan, hand-made process of jeweller design.

Eloy Piñero Moreno from EL Jewellery Repairs on Main Street is one of those few. Although his business concentrates on jewellery repair, his real passion is for design — working with painstaking care, carving wax blocks into complex designs for rings, pendants, earings and many other trinkets. Although his repair business keeps him busy to all hours, he finds time to work on his collection of original designs, now totalling nearly 300, and even with his busy schedule, he made time to talk us through the design process.

There are two ways to design a piece of jewellery, either you can take ideas from an existing design and modify them into your own creation, or you can start from scratch. The modelling process is in painstaking miniature, working to the exact size of the piece and is carved from a wax cylinder. 16 years of experience have honed his skills and working with tiny needles and hot

16 years of experience have honed his skills and working with tiny needles and hot scalples, the design is sculpted from the wax

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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professions scalples, the design is sculpted from the wax. I was assured that a small and intricate pendant took him around four hours of work to complete the wax model. Looking at the fine lines and tiny star shaped hole I would have expected many more hours of involvement.

In the second stage of the process, a range of finished models are attached to a wax cone, a little like a mini Christmas Tree before being placed in a cylindrical container and covered with plaster to make the mould. A centrefugal process eliminates air from the mixture and ensures the plaster is evenly and smoothly distributed on the wax. The mould is left to dry and and passed to another machine which heats the mould on one side and the metal of choice on the other. Firstly the mould is heated to 700°C and the wax is drained. On the other side, the chosen metal is heated to over 1,000°C until it takes on a glass-like clarity — if you take

into account that your normal kitchen oven only heats to around 220º, this is not a project you’ll be able to take home with you very easily. The mould is kept hot to avoid cracking, and another centrefuge process injects the liquid metal into the now empty mould. After cooling a second time, the plaster is cracked carefully and the brute pieces are detached from the tree ready for refining, polishing and stone setting. Many pieces of jewellery are made up of several different moulds, for example a ring may have the main ring and several separate parts making up the design and stone settings. Once the gold or silver pieces are made, they are finally soldered together into what can be an extremely complex piece.

At this point there is only one example of each piece of jewellery as the original wax model has been destroyed in the process, but this is the moment where the permanent cast of each example is made by heating the jewellery within a foam based case to create the negative image.

These new and individual moulds can be used time and time again by injecting them with wax, at which point the process can be repeated as

Tel: 200 41522

Exquisite Silver Jewellery made by Expert Craftsmen

JANGLES

eau B

123 Main Street (opposite the Post Office) Gibraltar

If you take into account that your normal kitchen oven only heats to around 220º, this is not a project you can take home with you easily

often as you like.

Although the process in itself is simple, there are many factors as well as artistic skills in creating these works of art in miniature. The types of metal used affect the heating processes and understanding their quality makes all the difference. Eloy holds Italian jewellery in high regard: “It’s the quality of the materials used which make them that much easier to work with,” he states. “It’s all down to having the right tools and materials to work with.” (And extremely skilled hands too!)

Once the basic pieces are made and where necessary soldered together, this is by no means the end of the work. The cast piece needs refining and glitches removed, including the stem which attached it to the tree. The items are then polished and the stones carefully selected and set in place, ready for the shop window and subsequently the lucky person who discovers a little box under the tree on Christmas Day with the simple lable: “Love from Father Christmas”. n Eloy can be found on the first floor, 77 Main Street or by phone on 200 79470.

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profile

by Mark Montovio

Aurelia Beiso, fourth from the left

a passion for life Should you ask anyone what they think they will be doing in their eighties many would think of cups of tea, television and a well earned love affair with the cosiest armchair. Aurelia Beiso, at the age of 88, however, continues to have a passionate love affair with life and she was a well deserving recipient of this year’s JM Memorial Award for making a difference to others.

21 years ago she asked businesses to help with provisions so she could prepare meals for the elderly, and that was how the first elderly day care centre started. A group of volunteers assisted with meals, spent time with many lonely people and helped in whatever way they felt they could.

“Now the Gibraltar Government provides the funds to be able to do this and I am happy to say that I still cook for them on a voluntary basis,” says Aurelia. “I feel I have to be active and doing things so I also continue with the bingo sessions at Mount Alvernia and visit the sick at the hospital or the home with the Legion of Mary. I also spend some time cleaning the church and helping with flag days.”

Her daughter, Helen Stagnetto, is justly proud of her mother.

“I can say that my mother has gone through

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a lot in her life, but she has always been a pillar of strength for herself and others. Always accepting everything as God’s will, she has never turned her back to anything, even if she has had to do whatever it was on her own. And amazingly she continues to be the life and soul of any party!”

Aurelia spent some time away from Gibraltar during the war years. When the Second World War broke out, her mother was a nurse working at the King George V Hospital and she was ordered to evacuate with the resident patients.

Aurelia and her sister volunteered to assist with the war effort as nurses but were turned down.

“I left Gibraltar with my then boyfriend’s family whilst he stayed behind in Gibraltar. We were evacuated to Safí and then to Casablanca in Morocco. When France gave in to Nazi supGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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profile pression we had to leave immediately, leaving all our belongings behind, and we were exchanged by the British for French prisoners of war. I remember being at the docks to catch the ship back to Gibraltar and crossing paths with the French prisoners.”

Aurelia disembarked in Gibraltar with the intention of moving along to the Azores but those orders were cancelled because of the ferocious bombings on vessels heading to that particular destination. She was then transported to Britain in the merchant ship Neuralia, where she settled down and was given the opportunity to work as a volunteer waiter at the Lancaster Hotel where the evacuees were residing. ”I took up several other jobs, including time at the Lyons factory and the Helen Stewart factory where I embroided the actress’s gowns. I also joined the Woman’s Voluntary Service, where I helped by rolling bandages and providing general first aid. It was there I met the present Queen and Princess Margaret, who were voluntary nurses. During my time there I was also the first

When France gave in to Nazi suppression we had to leave immediately, leaving all our belongings behind, and we were exchanged by the British for French prisoners of war

Gibraltarian evacuee to get married at the Maria De Los Angeles Church by our accompanying priest, Father Azzopardi.”

Ten months later Aurelia gave birth to her son. She remembers being in labour while the flying bombs were pounding the hospital. “I had to be taken down to the basement via the lift and imagine my state of mind when just as we reached the bottom of the building, a bomb exploded and the lights went out.”

As a result of the escalating German bombardment of London, Aurelia was then transferred to Ireland, and she still feels those were the worst years of the evacuation for her. “We lived in Nissan huts in the countryside, and I can still remember the bitter cold of the winter months. The only comfort available was the heat provided by the coal fires, the source of which we had to dig out of the frozen ground to keep them roaring.”

When the war finally ended Aurelia was sent back to Gibraltar. “We had difficulty finding a residence and we lived in a small washroom on the terrace of a building in Castle Road in the Upper Town. When the Government constructed the first Government housing project, Alameda Estate, I was given the flat at 25 Governor’s Meadow House. I had my daughter and I was a housewife until my husband passed away; I was 43 at the time. I then took over and managed my husband’s shop at Governor’s Parade.”

Aurelia has certainly given of herself for many years and her experiences must have undoubtedly led to much of this. “The satisfaction of having the service users at the elderly day care centre enjoying their meals and each others company, especially at Christmas parties

and annual verbenas, is priceless. In any case many are individuals I have known all my life and we spend considerable amounts of time talking about our younger days. I suppose the most important thing for me is to help those who need it and to carry on doing so no matter what because I know that God will give me the strength to fulfil what I need to do.” n

For all your home painting & decorating needs... all under one roof!

SPECIAL OFFER For the purchase of 2 x 5 litre cans of paint from our shop you will receive a free 9” paint roller set worth £7.00 or a choice of 3” or 4” paint brushes worth £6.00 POUND PER CAN For every 5 litre can of paint we sell until the end of the year we will donate £1.00 to RICC (Research Into Childhood Cancer)

60 Devil’s Tower Road, Gibraltar. Tel: 200 70100 Fax: 200 76018 Email: jratcliffe@gibtelecom.net GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Wild Flowers of Gibraltar text and photos by Leslie Linares ARPS

Cut Leaf Lavendar

profusions of flowers Wherever you walk along the Upper Rock during spring, you will find a profusion of flowers. The largest variety will be found along roadsides, clearings and particularly along footpaths. Some will be common and others less so. Some will catch your eye easily, whilst others are less noticeable either because they are small or because they don’t have brightly coloured petals.

One of the most common, large species found throughout the Nature Reserve is the alexanders, Smyrnium olusatrum. This member of the carrot family can grow up to 1.5m tall, and is very common along roadsides and clearings.

Sticky Mouse-eared Chickweed

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The tiny yellowish flowers have a strong scent, and grow in clusters called umbels of around 10cm across.

The bella-donna lily, Amaryllis bella-donna, is a native of South Africa. It is a common garden

plant, but it often escapes cultivation and becomes naturalised if the conditions are right. In Gibraltar it can be seen in large numbers in the Alameda Botanic Gardens, but also naturalised in North Front Cemetery. The large, pink, funnel-shaped flowers are up to 15 cm long. The flowers appear from September to October before the leaves.

Two species of mullein grow on the Rock. The rarer of the two is Verbascum sinuatum, the wavy-leaved mullein. The leaves of this grey-green, woolly-haired biennial have wavy margins, and form spreading rosettes flat against the ground. The yellow flowers are around 2 cm across, and form branched panicles. This species is often found on waste ground and derelict sites in scattered places around the Rock.

The heliotrope, Heliotropium europaeum, is a common species of sandy soil. It is found mainly

along North Front, the East Side and Europa Flats. The grey-green leaves are softly hairy, and the tiny white flowers are borne on the upper side of coiled, forked, spikes, which uncoil and elongate up to 18 cm in fruit.

Most people who like to walk along the Upper Rock will be familiar with one of the two species of wild lavender found there.

The toothed lavender, Lavandula dentata, is very common and widespread, but the cut-leaved lavender, Lavandula multifida, is not common at all. It is found from Jew’s Gate up to Mediterranean Road, and also along the Lower Slopes.

It is an aromatic, much branched, grey-green shrub, up to 50 cm tall.

The leaves are deeply cut, and the blue flowers form dense spikes 1 to 5 cm long.

The yellow woundwort, Stachys ocymastrum, is a rare plant only found along Mediterranean Steps.

The branching stems can be up to

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natural history

Succowia balearica

Bella-donna Lilly

The cut-leaved lavender is not common at all and is only found from Jew’s Gate up to Mediterranean Road, and also along the Lower Slopes 40 cm tall and the leaves are softly hairy. The pale yellow flowers are around 1.5 cm long, and form spikes up to 10 cm long.

The sticky mouse-ear chickweed, Cerastium glomeratum, is a very common plant of clearings, roadsides and footpaths. The plants are between 10 and 20 cm tall, and are covered with glandular hairs which make them sticky to the touch. The white flowers are around 1 cm long, and have five petals which are deeply notched.

Succowia balearica is a fairly common species on the Rock, but is quite rare in the region. As a result this species is listed in Schedule 3 of the Nature Protection Act, and is thus a protected species. The plant has long, flexuous stems up to 1metre long. The yellow flowers have four petals and are about 1 cm across. The fruit is quite distinctive: it is spherical, about 5mm across, covered in spines, and with the style protruding up to 8mm from it. n

Wavy-leaved Mullein

Yellow Woundwort

Heliotrope

Alexanders

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1st FLOOR 1

3

2

Stairs to Ground Floor

onthesquare

Gibraltar Museum (special exhibition rooms)

4

5

6

7

8

9 10

Traditional Pub Serving Traditional Pub Fare, Bass Beers, Wines & Spirits

• Pizza • Pasta • Salads • Fresh Juices • Cappuccino • Ice Creams

NOW OFFERING DAILY SPECIALS

Casemates Gates

Grand Casemates Sq Tel: 20044449

17 18 19

14

23 24 25

Casemates Square 29

Tourist Office

(See pages 91-94 for restaurant & bar information)

Q: From where does the name come?

The word Casemates, meaning a bomb proof compartment, usually of masonry, to house a magazine or troop quarters, comes from the Italian ‘Casamatta’ from the Latin ‘Casa’ (house) and ‘Matto’ (mad) originating from the Latin ‘Mattus’ (drunk)!

33 Visit us and step back in history

Line Wall Road

32 International Commercial Centre

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TAXIS

(shops, offices, health centre)

30

Main Street

➨

Full menu served inside or on our terrace including British Fish & Chips, Jackets, Salads, Burritos, Homemade Pizzas, our special Fresh Local Mussels and much more.

Visit us and buy yourself a souvenir, T-shirts, beer glasses, lighters etc Live music every evening, join our Jam Sessions on Wednesday or Sunday.

GLMS Music Venue of the Year.

Official Home to Gibraltar Rugby Club Free WiFi

27 28

PS

Fruit & Veg, Fish & Meat

15 16

SHO

Public Market

12 13

20 21 22

Casemates Tunnel

11

Casemates Arcade

Ground FLOOR

Main Entrance / Stairs

Casemates Square Tel: 200 72987

1-3. Arts & Crafts Galleries 11. Cafe Solo 12. All’s Well 14. The Tunnel 19. The Silver Shop 26. El Cottage 27. Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 28. El Patio Restaurant 29. Rock Turf Accountants 30. Baby Love (in ICC) 32. Solo Express

10 Casemates www.lordnelson.gi Tel: 200 50009

RESTAURANTE

El Patio

Basque & Continental Cuisine Speciality Fish

now also in Casemates

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11 Casemates Square Tel: 200 70822

Open: Monday - Friday 9am - 5.30pm Saturday 10am - 3pm Sunday 10am - 1pm Watergate House, Casemates Square Tel/Fax: 200 74982 Email: tourism@gibraltar.gi Website: www.gibraltar.gov.uk

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MAY2008 2008

21/11/08 09:38:51

WHAT’S ON December

19th November to 2nd December Photographic & Painting Exhibition “MH Bland Yesterday,Today & Tomorrow” at John Mackintosh Hall Gallery 10am to 9.30pm. Entrance free. For further information contact: 20079478 Email: administrator@mhbland.com Wed 3 & Thurs 4th December Trafalgar Theatre Group Annual Christmas Charity Concert “Christmas 1945” at Garrison Library 8pm.

Tickets: £6.00 (includes mince pies & mulled wine) available from the Garrison Library. For further information Tel: 20077418 Thursday 4th December Gibraltar Horticultural Society Christmas Flower Exhibition at John Mackintosh Hall Lower Exhibition Rooms.

For further information Tel: 20075669.

Entrance free.

Friday 5th December Mini Miss Gib at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8pm. Tickets: £10.00 (£7.00 children & pensioners) available from Blossoms - Unit 22 ICC Building. For further information contact Jackie on tel: 58298000 Monday 8th – 12th December Carmen & Yvonne Gomez Painting Collage Exhibition “A touch of magic” at John Mackintosh Hall Gallery 11am to 6pm. For further information Tel: 20074083 or 20075669. Entrance free.

Monday 8th to Fri 12th December Fine Arts Painting Exhibition by Davina Martinez at John Mackintosh Hall, Upper & Lower Exhibition Room.

For further information contact John Mackintosh Hall Tel: 20075669. Entrance free.

Friday 12th December The Art Trust Charity Concert at St Michael’s Cave. For ticket sales and further information contact Raija Email: raijatikkanen@hotmail.com Thurs 11th & Fri 12th December Tiny Tots Nursery Christmas Show at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 6pm.

Tickets £5.00 available from Tiny Tots Nursery, Grand Parade. For further information Tel: 20045895 Saturday 13th December Gibraltar Botanic Garden Tour meet George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade) 10.30am. There is no fee but donations are welcome.

For further information Tel: 20072639 Email address: alameda@wildlife. gib.gi

Tuesday 16th December The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society Charity Concert “Fete de l’Escalde” at St Michael’s Cave 8.30pm. Tickets: £50.00 available from Solomon Levy Estate Agent – Convent Place & Sacarello’s Coffee Shop, Irish Town.

For further information and credit/ debit card purchase contact Angelo Tel: 20072134 Email: tgpsociety@ gibtelecom.net Tues 16th – Fri 19th December Painting Exhibition by Simon Farrell at John Mackintosh Hall, Lower Gallery Exhibition Rooms. For further information contact John Mackintosh Hall Tel: 20075669. Entrance free.

Thursday 18th to 20th December Santos Productions Christmas Show “High School Musical” The Concert at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8pm (20th December - matinee performance at 3pm). Tickets: £10.00 available from The John Mackintosh Hall ticket office from 6-8pm. For further information contact 58008448 Wednesday 17th December GBC Open Day (In aid of Local Charities) 9.30am to 6pm – Radio road show at the Piazza followed by variety show live on GBC Television from 9pm. For further information contact Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation on Tel: 20079760 or email: openday@gbc.gi Sunday 21st December Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Midnight Mass. The blessing of the Crib & Midnight Mass 11.30pm Friday 26th December Polar Bear Swim. Tradition Boxing Day Polar Bear Swim at Catalan Bay Beach 11.30am. For further information contact the Caleta Hotel Tel: 20076501 Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Polar Bear Swim at GASA – 10 Europort Avenue 11am. For further information Tel: 20072869 Sunday 28th December Calpe Rambles The meeting place is the Spanish Side of the Frontier just to the right of the Aduana Vehicle Exit at 8am. For further information contact Ray on Tel: 20071956 or John on Tel: 20074645 Wednesday 31st December New Year ’s Eve Celebration at Casemates Square. For information contact the Ministry of Culture Tel: 20048063 Email: minculture@ gibtelecom.net

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behind the scenes with the Sound of Music The outstanding success of Stage One’s performance of probably the best known musical of all time meant the cast were asked to perform an extra night, we thought it would be fun to show a little bit of what they got up to behind the scenes

Michelle Tewksbury — Maria

Backstage Belles

Tony Lodo

James Neish, director with Davina Barbara

Elizabeth Bees, Danielle Danino and Rachel Bees

The Von Trapp girls

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theatre

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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the story behind...

HMS Agincourt at Gibraltar

Sea Rescue at Gibraltar

In October, at about the same time as the Gibraltar and Spanish emergency teams were rescuing the crew of the tanker Fedra grounded off Europa Point I happened to be reading about another famous sea rescue off Gibraltar.

This involved the grounding of the ironclad HMS Agincourt on Pearl Rock at the entrance to Gibraltar Harbour and its dramatic rescue

by HMS Hercules and dozens of smaller craft.

As in the case of the Fedra all hands were saved but unlike the Fedra the Agincourt’s grounding was not due to a horrific storm but to nautical negligence.

The weather conditions were good on 1st July 1871 when the cruiser HMS Agincourt ran aground on notorious Pearl Rock. For three days all available lighters and steam tugs in Gibraltar scurried back and forth between the great ship and the dockyard removing guns and shot to lighten her load. Another ironclad, HMS Hercules, lay alongside and on 5th July successfully towed her stranded sister off the rock.

When Captain Lord Gilford sailed Hercules into Gibraltar harbour there were shouts all round of “See the conquering hero comes,” and her crew received an ovation from the remainder of the fleet.

Throughout the ordeal rumours had flown around Gibraltar with tales of death and destruction. In reality there were no deaths and Agincourt was only slightly damaged. The Gibraltar Chronicle appealed for calm while the

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Times of London called for a trial.

Wrote the Chronicle: “There is however in consequence of the thousand rumours set afloat so much difficulty in obtaining reliable information that we should be sorry to vouch for anything, and we strongly recommend an utter disbelief in all reports.”

A later edition did relate “There had been no loss of life despite reports to the contrary.”

There was no obvious reason for Agincourt to have run aground; the weather had been fine

“There is however in consequence of the thousand rumours set afloat so much difficulty in obtaining reliable information that we should be sorry to vouch for anything”

and Pearl Rock was a well-known and charted navigational hazard. The Times urged that Agincourt’s Captain Beamish be put on trial along with Vice-Admiral Wellesley and Rear Admiral Wilmot.

The loss of a new (four years old) and costly warship like the Agincourt, would have been a serious matter, economically as well as strategically. The Admiralty hold an inquiry whenever a ship is grounded for any reason and in this case a court-martial was called.

The Agincourt had been leading the squadron out of Gibraltar at the time of the accident. ViceAdmiral Wellesely, aboard HMS Minotaur was commander of the squadron while Admiral Wilton was aboard Agincourt.

The Admiralty court ruled that Wellesley “…on leaving Gibraltar, conducted the squadron under his command so close to the western shore of the bay that, with the weather fine and clear, and the wind light, the leading ship of the inshore division struck on Pearl Rock, and was in imminent danger of being wrecked”.

Regarding Wilmot the court stated: “Had Rear-Admiral Wilmot paid more attention to the navigation of the ships under his immediate orders he would not have suffered his flag-ship,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

the story behind...

by Reg Reynolds leading the starboard division, to run on shore on a well-known shoal in broad daylight.”

The two admirals were relieved of their commands while Captain Beamish was severely reprimanded and warned to be “more careful in future”.

The two main ships involved, Agincourt and Hercules, went on to provide faithful service for many years to come. After repairs Agincourt returned to service at Gibraltar, flying the flag of the second in command. From 1873 to 1875 she served as flagship for the Channel Fleet.

In 1877 there was a war scare with Russia and Agincourt, now fitted with new armament, including torpedo launchers, sailed through the Dardanelles in a display of British naval power. When tensions died down she returned to the Channel Fleet where she served as second flag until 1889. For a few years after that she was used as a training ship and after a couple of name changes — Boscawen III and Ganges II — she ended her days as an oil hulk at Sheerness.

Hercules also ran into a spot of trouble. Less than a year after the Agincourt disaster she rammed HMS Northumberland near the island of Madeira. At least this time there was a valid excuse as the accident happened during a heavy gale.

Hercules was a state of the art warship for her time. A central battery ironclad she was the first warship to carry 10-inch muzzle loading guns.

These guns weighed 18 tons each and fired shells weighing 400 pounds. A well-trained crew could fire a shot every 70 seconds. Hercules also had a balanced rudder which reduced the effort of turning the wheel. Steam-powered

HMS Hercules, renamed Fisguard II, at the end of her life

In 1875 after a refit Hercules was posted to Gibraltar as flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, a position she held until 1878.

From 1905 to 1915 Hercules was back in Gibraltar but now a simple depot ship and renamed Calcutta

steering was installed in 1874.

In 1875 after a refit Hercules was posted to Gibraltar as flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, a position she held until 1878. Over the next decade Hercules served various duties around the Channel and made a tour of the Baltic before being put into a kind of semi-retirement. From 1905 to 1915 Hercules was back in Gibraltar but now a simple depot ship and renamed Calcutta.

In 1915, now Fisguard II, she was used as a training ship at Portsmouth and she remained there until 1932 when she was sold for scrap.

Living up to her powerful name HMS Hercules had served the Royal Navy for an astonishing 64 years. n

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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community

II Islands Blackball Association Pool Championships Nicky Correa takes first international win for GPA player

Tony Galea, Charlie de la Rosa, Tyrone Montovio (Underwriting and Reinsurance Manager Argus), Andy Baker (Chief Executive Argus), Paul Lennon (GTBA Vice President) Kelly Anne Turnbull, Julie Jackson

10 Pin Bowlers go to Belfast thanks to Argus Argus Insurance (Europe) Limited were this year the proud sponsors of the Gibraltar Ten pin Bowling Association for the IV Commonwealth tournament held from 23rd-30th November in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The tournament was hosted at the Dundonald International Ice Bowl, which in the past has also hosted the famous QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in 1996.

The Association was presented with a cheque for £1,600 in the beginning of November at the Kings Bastion Bowling Alley.

“At Argus, we pride ourselves in supporting

the local community and were delighted to assist in sending the Ten Pin Bowling Association to the Commonwealth Games.” commented Andy Baker, Chief Executive Argus (Europe).

“We’re sure that the team will be a credit to Gibraltar”.

The cheque was presented to the GTBA Vice president Paul Lennon, who with Julie Jackson, Tony Galea, Charlie de la Rosa and Kelly Anne Turnbull attended the tournament.

Both Julie and Charlie have attended Commonwealth tournaments before, but this is a first for Tony and Kelly Anne. n

The II IBA Pool Championships were held in Rosyth, Scotland, in late October with a total of 14 teams participating from Isle of Man, Orkney, Shetland and of course, Gibraltar. The Gibraltar Pool Association were well represented with a total of 23 players (one ladies’ team and two men’s teams).

The championships itself consisted of simultaneous events for the Ladies and Men with both a Team and an Individuals Challenge Trophy. The Gibraltar Ladies once again proved their high level of play on the green baize but unfortunately did not make it past the semifinal against Isle of Man ‘A’. The latter lost to Shetland ‘A’ who were the eventual winners of the team event.

The Gibraltar Men ‘A’ this year did not qualify to play the Semi-Final as last year and only managed 6th place out of the eight teams involved. Gibraltar Men ‘B’ received the ‘wooden spoon’ but surely could have ended in a moderate 7th position instead, due to Jesse Ignacio’s debut as an International, performing highly at just 14 years of age. Isle of Man ‘A’ again took the title this time against Orkney

Pictured above is the Gibraltar squad for the World Show Dance Championships which took place in Gerrmany at the end of November. The team will be returning to the Rock on 1st December and will now doubt have done Gibraltar proud.

DECEMBER 2008 Date Vessel ETA Mon 01 Azamara Journey 0600

Costa Atlantica 1200 Wed 03 Celebrity Century 0800 Sun 07 Spirit of Adventure Mon 08 Coral 1200 Thu 11 Callisto 0700 Fri 12 Callisto 0000 Tue 23 Costa Serena 1300 Wed 24 Balmoral 0800

Arcadia 1200 Wed 31 Coral 0700

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ETD 1700 1800 1800 0700 1700 2359 1800 1900 1700 1800 1200

Pass American Italian American 1300 International American American Italian British British International

Capacity From To 700 Cadiz Barcelona 2680 Savona Casablanca 1778 Cartagena Casablanca British 420 Motril Cadzi 756 Marseille Funchal 40 Malaga Tangier 40 Malaga Tangier 3800 Lisbon Alicante 1050 Dover Arrecife 1968 Lisbon Tripoli 756 Marseille Tangier

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

community ‘A’. Francis Becerra was outstanding in his performance throughout the Team event and the Men’s Individuals too, Francis could have very easily cruised through to the final, but was unlucky in his last game and was stopped in the quarter-final by Carl Tombs from Isle of Man ‘A’. Andrew Stout (Shetland ‘A’) was the eventual Mens’ Individual Champion.

2008 will always be remembered however in the history of the Gibraltar Pool Association, by being the first time ever that a lady won an Open Pool tournament in Gibraltar, and subsequently took on Amanda Cutt (Shetland ‘A’) to be crowned the II IBA Ladies Individual in Rosyth 2008. Nicky seemed not at all nervous in the final and witnessed by the whole Gibraltar contingent, she managed to maintain her nerve to conquer her first crown of many more to come. Also watching the final was ex President of the IBA now Vice-President, Paul Cartwright, making him extremely proud of what Nicky Correa had achieved for ‘English-Pool’ in Gibraltar and the International scene too. Sean Rumbado and Charlie Bear, also elected to form part of this ever growing organisation, were proud to see Nicky and the whole squad rejoice that a ‘first’ for Gibraltar had been achieved.

The Gibraltar Pool Association, would like to say a big ‘Thank You’ to all their sponsors, and to mention that only with their support is Nicky Correa now the current Islands Blackball Association Ladies Champion 2008-2009. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

Claudia Schiel of Claudia’s Clinic on Main Street presents Miss Gibraltar Krystle Robba with some Fake Bake tanning products before Krystle headed off for the Miss World finals in South Africa in November.

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food & drink

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Available for Private Functions • Party Menus from £4.95 per head

~ Full Sports Coverage on 3 Screens ~ Breakfasts (Full English to Egg or Beans &Toast)• Breakfast Baguettes (all day) • Baguettes / Sandwiches (Egg Mayo to Honey Roasted Ham to Steak & Onion) • Time Out Open Sandwiches

(Mozzarella, Basil & Red Pepper • Cajun Chicken • Honey Roasted Ham & Cheese • Chargrilled Chicken & Avocado • Tuna, Prawn, Lemon & Créme Fraiche) • Wraps (Chicken Caesar • BLT • Feta, Olive, Mint & Yoghurt Dressing • Chargrilled Chicken, Red Pepper & Onion)• Panini • Starters & side dishes (Onion Rings & Nachos to Potato Skins) • Mains (from Chicken Tikka Masala to Fish & Chips, Bangers & Mash or Quiche or Roast of the Day) • Salads (from Chicken Caesar or Greek to Ploughman’s)• Jackets (Chilli & Cheese to Smoked Salmon) • Desserts • Drinks etc

It’s Party Time Everyone loves a good party, especially at this time of year!

Annette of Cafe Rojo loves to host parties and she’s taken a couple of pics for us.

First up (above) is “G” and Tim’s family wedding supper — they actually tied the knot in Las Vegas but decided to have a bit of a celebration here too!

Nothing like an excuse to have

another bash.

And below is regular at Cafe Rojo, Greig Murray’s birthday bash. Here he is pictured with all his chums having a great time.

He didn’t let on as to how old he was but we are sure he is still a spring chicken (fortunately not a turkey at this time of year). Many happy returns, if a little belated, to him. n

Pickwicks on Governor’s Parade (opposite the Eliott Hotel)

The Best Sandwiches made especially for you as well as Jackets•Salads•Burgers and a whole lot more

open Monday to Friday from 9.30am

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food & drink

class Catering with a touch of Breakfasts • Lunch Afternoon Tea (£1.99) Vegetarian & Non-Vegetarian Menus Homemade Desserts Eat-in or Take-away SENSIBLE PRICES

Outside Catering Service Open: 8am - 4.30pm Monday - Friday

Tel: 200 48014 1st Floor ICC

The fabulous Just Desserts team ready to serve you breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea on the first floor of the ICC

THE NEW ROYAL CALPE

2 EVENING MEALS

£7.95

176 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: 200 75890 royalcalpe@gibtelecom.net

The Taste Indian Restaurant The girls from Solo Express on the Ground Floor of the ICC — Paula, Kerry, Anna and Anna — wish all their customers a very merry Christmas!

An Exclusive Eating Experience in Amazing Surroundings Reservations Advisable Tel: 00 34 856 12 29 18 / 00 34 626 88 40 38 Take-Away Service Private Dining Room Facility Big smiles from Yvette and Tony of Fancy That sandwich bar on the Ground Floor of the ICC - ready with their tinsle to get you in the festive mood

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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open: every day 5pm to late, Friday Saturday and Sunday 1pm to late Avda. del Ejercito, esq. Calle Gibraltar, 11300 La Linea - in front of the Frontier

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20/11/08 18:40:04

wine column

Reasons to be cheerful The popular perception of a struggling writer is of a lonely, gaunt figure sitting in a cold attic room scratching away at a grubby piece of paper by the light of a guttering candle. This image is, naturally, perpetuated

by J K Rowling and others who want to instil a bit of romanticism into the art of making money from words. However, even if struggling, the writer is unlikely to be using pencil and paper, nor cold, nor without electric lighting. But let us enjoy the popular perceptions.

First, the Christmas Season is one of goodwill to all men. There may be war, famine, pestilence and death all around us but that is no reason to be unpleasant to Granny or the neighbours. A smile works wonders. Open a bottle of South African Merlot (£3.99 from Morrison’s, so well

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within budget) and let its warmth seep through you. Just as reducing your carbon footprint by walking instead of driving will apparently cure global warming, so will a smile induced by a glass of wine add a little to the sum of human happiness. Worth a try, anyway.

Christmas cards are a splendid method of keeping in touch with old friends and wishing them well. Do not regard them as a chore which must be completed each year — and sending a round-robin e-mail is no substitute. The drawings and pictures are of general happiness. Do not let your mind feel sorry for the carol singers on the card who are gathered round the lantern in the snow. They are not freezing cold and longing to finish the last verse; they are all suffused with the inner warmth provided by the mulled wine consumed before setting out.

For proper mulled wine obtain a box of mulled wine tea-bags from Morrison’s and follow the instructions. This is much simpler than stuffing oranges with cloves, adding brandy, port and sugar, and a little lemon juice, and heating slowly in a large pot.

Cards also improve the state of the world by being sold in aid of charity. The charity supported reveals something of the sender, and the picture on the card reveals something of the charity as well as the sender. As often as not there are Dickensian scenes of carriages rolling through the countryside, a robin redbreast atop an iced Christmas pudding or a jolly Santa distributing largesse from his sack. These are almost invariably in aid of starving children. On the other hand, too close a representation of the charity’s work can be depressing. The Lifeboats (RNLI) one year produced a picture of ‘Trawler entering Lowestoft Harbour in a gale’. This was exactly what it said on the packet. It was all shades of brown and looked cold, wet and miserable. To this day I am mystified why they produced it – and I bought it to send. Time for a restoring glass of brandy from the cask round the St Bernard’s neck in the card produced for the Temperance Society. With luck it will be Remy Martin (about £25 from all retailers).

Spanish brandy is all very well, and can even be quite good at the expensive end, but nothing compares with a real cognac.

Christmas food and drink is most enjoyable.

This is not a myth perpetrated by producers of turkeys and sparkling wine, especially if you have nothing to do with either ingredient.

The turkey should be roasted carefully and then thrown away as good for nothing. The sparkling wine should have the same treatment (although the roasting can be omitted).

Sparkling wine can, however, be made palatable in a ‘champagne’ cocktail. Place a sugar lump in the bottom of each glass, soak it with a few drops of Angostura bitters, add a dessertspoon of brandy (Spanish will do) and fill with the sparkling wine. You will taste the bubbles and the fire in the brandy but avoid the usual sharp acidity of the wine. For proper food and drink at Christmas you need beef and claret. Source your own beef (most farmers will let a family ‘adopt’ a calf which the children can watch as it

Just as reducing your carbon footprint by walking instead of driving will apparently cure global warming, so will a smile induced by a glass of wine add a little to the sum of human happiness GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 18:41:48

good food

All Christmas presents are a joy to give and receive. Forget the ‘Bah, humbug’ brigade with their sad tales of queues at shops and yet another pair of socks from Auntie Lynn grows and is slaughtered to provide a superb fillet). If your own cellar has not got the right claret then Anglo Hispano can help. A Chateau Belleville ’97 (in the books as ‘drink soon’) is at £28 but Bella may wish to celebrate the birth of her baby by making you a special offer.

All Christmas presents are a joy to give and receive. Forget the ‘Bah, humbug’ brigade with their sad tales of queues at shops and yet another pair of unnecessary socks from Auntie Lynn. It does need a little bit of time and effort to find the right present for the right person, but this is more than repaid by the look of joy on the face of the recipient. If in doubt about a present, a bottle will usually fill the gap (but try to ensure that you don’t give the same bottle as you receive).

Children will appreciate (one day) a bottle laid down for their future.

Grannies and maiden aunts like sweet wines for reasons best known to themselves. Sweethearts can look longingly into each other’s eyes with a bottle of champagne.

Husbands and wives, with mortgages and babies to finance, can toast their future in a Rioja reserva 2003 (also ‘drink soon’). There is something for everyone, and you can avoid the queues by timing your visit carefully.

All these thoughts will cheer you up as you contemplate the unavoidable hard work that goes into making the festive season festive. But do not think of it as work.

It is bringing warmth and comfort to some poor fisherman entering Lowestoft Harbour in a gale. n

And just in case Morrisons have run out of mulled wine teabags ...

mulled wine If you want a simple warm-up with a little Christmas spirit, mulled wine is extremely easy to make, choose a good full bodied red wine such as claret, burgundy or Spanish Rioja as these blend better with the spices than other, younger wines and you’re away.

You’ll need: 300mls water 1 bottle full bodied red wine 4 cloves pinch of nutmeg 1 cinnamon stick

1 sliced orange 2 sliced lemons 115g castor sugar Berries, apple slices, orange or lemon rind to decorate

Modern

Relaxed

To Prepare:

Pour the water into a large saucepan, add the sugar and stir. Add the orange and lemon slices, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and bring to the boil stirring the mixture gently until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Remove from the heat and set aside for 10-15 minutes to let the lemon and orange infuse into the mixture.

Re-heat and simmer gently, adding the wine without letting it boil (so as not to lose the alcohol which will affect the flavour).

Remove from the heat and strain into a serving bowl or individual glasses. Add berries, apple slices or a little orange or lemon rind to decorate and add flavour. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Dining

Open: 10am - late Closed Sundays + Saturday lunch

Irish Town Tel: 200 51738 to reserve

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food & drink

by Jon Bull

The Perfect Christmas Lunch Menu Christmas lunch can be a nightmare if you don’t prepare properly, and it’s surprising to find how many people do actually have special dietary needs which need to be taken into account to make the meal a true success.

Just the other day a good friend was moaning about the problems he was experiencing organising an evening do. The RSVP date had gone by two weeks before and it was all happening that evening.

During the course of the morning he’d had four different phone calls.

One person requesting gluten free dishes, another who couldn’t eat eggs, two vegetarians and yet another who couldn’t eat pork — for religious reasons.

Guests with special diets don’t need to be a problem if you organise your Christmas meal properly, but it certainly helps to have a little advanced warning, and if you fall into this category either for medical, religious or just down-right fussy reasons, please don’t wait until the last minute to let your needs be known.

I can just imagine Christmas lunch this year, mouth-watering dishes, one after the other, on the

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slow build-up to the perfect siesta, only to be woken up by the new mobile phone I’ve been given for Christmas (again). I can see the baked salmon creams with lemon dressed salad leaves as the perfect start — except my brother-in-law is a vegan, so we’ll just have to scrap that and head straight to the main course. Roast Turkey, stuffed with spiced apples and prunes, giblet brown gravy, cranberry and orange relish all dished up with bread sauce. Whoops, gluten alert!

That’s my mother-in-law’s ailment and I suppose the turkey’s out too, come to mention it. At least the cranberry will go down well with my poor grandmother who’s always moaning about her urinary tract infection, so at least I’ve scored a point with her there. The rest of the guests will just have to have a glass of wine while I work out how to save the situation though (beer’s off the menu ­— yes, you’ve guessed

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 18:41:57

food & drink

enjoy relax relax

Contemporary Mediterranean Dining

enjoy relax Grand Casemates Square Tel:

u

200 44449

Check out our incredible New Year’s party Menu at

www.casemates.gi

Christmas Menu 2008 Selection of Bruschettas & garlic bread on arrival

enjoy relax christmas christmas Starters

Leek & potato soup

topped with toasted cheese & onion crostini

it, gluten content again).

I know I can’t go wrong with the roast potatoes and saffron, but I can just see the Brussels with Maple syrup and toasted almonds trying to tell me something though. Even if I could get my seven year old son to just try one, my brother’s allergy to nuts is just going to dampen the atmosphere even more. I’m actually starting to lose my appetite for the Parmigiana baked parsnips. My dad can’t stand them and there’s bound to be someone who’s forgotten to tell me they can’t handle dairy products (apart from the vegan that is). I can hear the awkward silence and quiet, expectant sips from wine glasses (apart from uncle Robert, who has been dry for the last six months) as my expectant guests wonder what disaster will follow next.

I really couldn’t go wrong with Christmas pudding and rum but-

ter, could I? No, nuts again, and the dairy products ­— oh, and my brother-in-law has just pointed out that Suet is made with beef fat.

And to tell the truth, I haven’t the heart to bring out the coffee and chocolate truffles — my sister will be moaning about her diet whilst the caffeine would just about kill my wife. Well, there’s always the wine left.

I’m still looking at all the food in the kitchen, just wondering how I’m ever going to finish it all over the next weeks or months, and smile: at least the wine still seems to be going down well, and there’s no need to load the dish-washer.

I’m just about to bring out the bubbly (which can’t go wrong) when the mobile rings again. Propping myself up on the sofa two thought cross my mind: I’ve eaten too much — yet again — and, we don’t have a dish washer. n

I can just imagine Christmas lunch this year, mouth-watering dishes, one after the other, on the slow build-up to the perfect siesta, only to be woken up by the new mobile phone I’ve been given for christmas (again) GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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King prawn cocktail

crisp iceberg lettuce juicy king prawns & marie rose sauce

Mediterranean Paté

homemade chicken liver paté, toasted ciabatta, mixed leaves & red onion jam

Smoked Scottish Salmon

served with gherkins, capers, hard boiled egg, sliced shallots & buttered brown bread

Goats Cheese Salad

grilled goats cheese on a tomato & mixed leaf salad, red wine dressing & basil oil

Mains

Peppered Fillet Steak

Prime fillet steak with black pepper, garlic, shallots, brandy, cream & mash

Roast Chicken

Oven roasted with shallots, pancetta & mushrooms, red wine jus & mash

Rack of Pork

Pan roasted, served with seasonal date & apple chutney, mash & pan jus

Feta & Vegetable Galette

Puff pastry tart filled with roasted mediterranean vegetables, feta cheese & oven dried tomatoes with balsamic dressed rocket leaves

Fresh Salmon Fillet

Baked in the oven & served with peas, pancetta, cream & mash

enjoy relax delicious£23.50 pp Desserts

Tiramisu Chocolate pecan tart with honey & mascarpone Lemon & raspberry ripple cheescake Banoffee pie & banana ice cream

10% service charge for parties of 10 people or more

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20/11/08 18:41:59

good food Oddly enough, the word Canape is derived from the Greek word konops, meaning mosquito.

The related word Konopeion is the Greek for the nets draped over beds to protect people from biting insects. Through history it has been modified by the French to eventually mean pieces of furniture, such as four poster beds which were protected by drapes or hanging curtains. The word’s entrance to the cullinary world as an appetiser with a bread or pastry base “draped” with toppings is the latest development which has

changed the way we perceive the Greek word.

Although an appetizer may be any bite-sized snack, a canape will always have a cracker, thin slice of bread or pastry as its base, making it easy and clean finger-food which has made it a hit in the entertainment circles. Toppings can be many and varied, with your own imagination the limit, here we portray just a few ideas to help you on your way.

sophisticated and fun

for the kids

&

Hedgehog Snackers

Feta & chives and cranberry crackers

For every 2 crackers, crumble 25g (1oz) feta cheese in a bowl and add finely chopped chives. Spoon on to crackers and press down lightly.

Top with cranberry jelly.

canapes cocktails

Thai Style Prawns

Spread a thick layer of cheese spread onto each Savoury Biscuit.

Cut a thick slice of cucumber in half and cut out 4 triangles from the edge to make spikes! Cut out shapes from your favourite ingredients to make the hedgehog‘s face — we used peppers and olives.

Cream Cheese

Place a dollop of fromage frais onto each biscuit, top & Chive Sandwich Spread a thick layer of cream with a cooked peeled prawn dipped in sweet chilli sauce cheese with chives on to a savoury and finish with thinly sliced red biscuit and sandwich together with a second biscuit. chilles.

Holiday Manhattan

Pour 2 shots Whiskey, 1/2 shot of sweet vermouth and ice into a shaker. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with red and green maraschino cherries to add a little bit of Christmas colour.

Red Mist

Pour 1 shot cherry brandy into a champagne glass, top up with champaigne and add 1 shot of cranberry juice. Stir gently, decorate with a cherry and serve.

Champagne Charlie

Pour 1 shot of apricot brandy into a flute glass, top up with chilled champagne, and just for a touch of class, decorate with a single rose petal.

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Vodka Creme Brulee

Mix 2 shots of vanilla flavoured vodka, 1 shot of Frangelico, 1/2 shot Cointreau in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into chilled martini glasses and garnish with a vanilla stick.

Egg Nog

8 large eggs 4 egg yolks 250g granulated sugar 1 litre whole milk 350ml cups dark rum 225ml whiskey 150g pure vanilla extract 75g freshly grated nutmeg 500ml whipping cream 30g castor sugar Mix the eggs, yolks and granulated sugar until smooth. Pour into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepand and stir in the milk gradually blending well with each addition. Heat over a very low heat until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of spoon.

Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla, rum, bourbon and nutmeg.

Let the mixture cool then cover with cling film and refrigerate until cold — at least 3 hours, but preferably one day.

Before serving, whisk the cream to soft peaks beating in the castor sugar as you go. Gently fold into the custard mixture and ladle into individual martini glasses and garnish with grated nutmeg.

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Birdie Bar Restaurant

Just A Nibble

& Chinese Food Takeaway

Licensed Cafeteria Let the ‘A’ Team serve you up a snack or a meal.

Daily Specials • Varied Menu

Open: Monday - Friday 10-3.30, 6.30-11 Saturday-Sunday 6.30-11.30

Open from 9am First Floor ICC, Main Street THE PLACE TO MEET

16 Watergardens II Tel: 200 72885

thyme

Sail 3B Ocean Village Promenade Ocean Village, Gibraltar Fabulous Food with a

Caribbean Flavour Delicious

Rum Cocktails

Pusser’s Landing Tel: 21622162 10am till late, 7 days Pusser’s CompanyStore Tel: 21642164

dining rooms

restaurant &bar guide

turn to pages 92-94 for full restaurant and bar listings

5 Cornwall’s Lane. Tel: 200 49199 Email: thymegib@hotmail.com

Ground Floor Bar open from 10.30 daily Pool Table • TV • Machines

First Floor ’Hoots’ open from 1pm

2 Pool Table s• Darts • Machines Tel: 20077446

2nd Floor ‘The Nest’ open from 5pm

American Pool • Card Table

Traditional English Pub with the best of English beers

Get Stuffed!

Marina Bay Tel: 200 42006

Sunny Terrace

WORLDWIDE SPORTS

Showing 4 digital channels on 5 TVs just off Main Street - 4 Cornwall’s Parade Tel: 200 59997

Piccadilly Garden Bar

Homemade Food Daily Specials

RESTAURANT • Sunshine Terrace

Big Screen TV live football Pig & Whistle Open: 10-midnight (Fri-Sat 11am-1am) Unit 18, Watergardens,

Gibraltar Tel: 20076167

THREE 60 Governor’s Street

English Fresh Fish Breakfasts Prawns Churros Squid Hamburgers Clams Toast Meats Take-away Rosia Rd. Tel: 200 75758 • Menu of the day £6

ROSES

Wembley Bar

Tel: 200 51614

10 South Barrack Ramp.

Tel: 200 78004

Fully Air-Conditioned with 3 Plasma TVs

The One and Only Scottish Embassy Open 7 Days a Week

• Hot & cold bar snacks • Function room

Indian Cuisine to Eat In or Take Away Unit 1.0.02 Grnd Flr, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711

Casa Pepe Open: Mon-Sat 11am-late 18 Queensway Quay Marina Tel/Fax: 200 46967

BUDDIES pasta casa

Come and enjoy real Italian meals in Gibraltar’s leading pasta house 15 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 40627 for reservations

Open 8-7 Mon-Fri, 10-7 Sat, 11-6 Sun 248 Main St - delivery Tel/Fax: 200 76699

BY DAY

BY NIGHT Made-to-order Lounge Bar Sandwiches, Soups, Happy Hours 7-9pm Salads, Wraps, Free Tapas Fridays Baguettes etc 5-7pm 5 Waterport Plaza - (Public Market)

SMITH’S

open: from 8.30am

FRESHLY BAKED

bread, brioche, rolls, bagels, croissants, cakes

HOME DELIVERY Open

FISH & CHIPS HADDOCK PLAICE • COD FRESH FRIED IN CRISPY BATTER

AMAR’S BAKERY & COFFEE SHOP

1a Convent Place (opp. the Convent) Tel: 200 73516 Wide variety of ready-made food now available for take-away or sitdown All food is Kosher

Take-Away, Sandwiches & Hot Food Different Special EveryDay salads, quiches, pastas, pies, muffins, all home made Open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat

57 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: 200 70625

295 MAIN ST Tel: 200 74254

7

days a week Glacis Estate

Tel: 200 71992

Wines, Spirits, Tobacco, Beers & Soft Drinks Distributors Est. 1839

35 Devil’s Tower Road, Gibraltar. Telephone: (350) 200 74600 Telefax: (350) 200 77031 e-mail: mail@sacspeed.gi A Member of The Saccone & Speed (Gibraltar) Group of Companies GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2008

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restaurants Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449 Modern Italian eatery set in the lively Casemates square.

Everything from chicory and crispy pancetta salad with walnuts, pears and blue cheese dressing, or king prawn, mozzarella and mango salad to pastas(eg: linguine with serrano ham, king prawns and rocket; smoked salmon and crayfish ravioli with saffron and spinach cream) to pizzas (eg: Vesuvio spicy beef, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers and red onions; and Romana chorizo, black pudding, egg and pancetta) and pizzas (eg: Quatto Stagioni topped with mozzarella, ham, chicken, pepperoni and mushroom) and specialities such as salmon fishcakes, beef medallions and duck. Good daily specials menu on blackboard.

Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town. Tel: 200 51738 Sleek modern comfort in this relaxing little restaurant.

Red comfy arm chairs in separate area for a relaxing drink or coffee. Brunch menu (10am-12pm) includes ciabatta, granary, foccacia sandwiches with fillings such as pear and blue cheese, smoked bacon and brie, cheese and honey roast ham, delicious desserts (chocolate mousse in a must). Lunch 12 - 3pm and dinner 7-10pm includes salads of coconut coated langostines (deep fried in a coconut batter, sweet chilli and ginger dressing); and warm goats cheese & fresh spinach with sautéed mushrooms, croutons, basil & balsamic dressing; pasta dishes such as langostine pil pil; sautéed chorizo, chicken and langostines; and fresh salmon & spinach; and main courses including chargrilled fillet steak; wrapped chicken; lamb shoulder; and fresh salmon fillet with sesame crust.

Open: from 10am. Closed all day Sundays, and Saturday lunch.

Casa Pepe 18 Queensway Quay Marina. Tel/Fax: 200 46967 Email: casa.pepe.gib@gmail.com Situated right on the water front at Queensway Quay, Casa Pepe has a comprehensive a la carte menu which includes dishes such as melon & Serrano ham, stuffed piquillo peppers and filled mushrooms to start, followed by a choice of salads, rice and noodles and fish, poultry and meat dishes which include King Prawns Macarena (cooked with fresh ginger, tomatoes, mangos and bananas served with basmati rice, fried bread and bananas), Medallions of monkfish cooked with white wine and lobster sauce, duck breast Armanac-style (with Cognac, mushrooms and pine nuts), Medallions of pork loin cooked with Serrano ham and dry Jerez sherry, and fillet steak Malagueña cooked in creamy garlic mushrooms and sweet sherry sauce topped with prawns. Wide range of tapas/raciones also available.

Open: Monday to Saturday 11am till late.

the Chorizo Criolla de Argentina (spicy sausage grilled over coal and wood), or the Mariscos del Rio Plata or Empanada de Queso Azul (blue cheese oven baked in a black pepper pasty) to start, or for main course perhaps the Fillet de Salmon Chimichurri (salmon with grilled banana, mango and avocado sauce), or Crepe Argenteuil (with grilled asparagus and wild mushrooms), or one of the steaks (lots from Lomo de Alto, Solomillo, and T-bone to Corazon de Cuadril - tender heart of rump, well matured). There is lots more too — Parrillada de Gaucho (for two - steak, sausages, chicken, pork and lamb), salads (try the Remolacha Tostada con Queso de Cabra - tasty goat’s cheese salad) — and the desserts are to die for too! They say “this is a great experience for you to savour”.... give it a try! Call 200 59700 to reserve your table. Open: 7.30pm - late.

Laziz Sail 2.2 Ocean Village Marina. Tel: 200 40971 www.lazizrestaurant.com Laziz is a plush Indian cuisine restaurant right on the waterfront at Ocean Village (in fact it’s built over the water). This tastefully fitted out restaurant has two menus — evolved and traditional. Each dish is berautifully served and presented, and you will find lots of unusual and delicious dishes to choose from — a real pleasure for the taste buds. Seating is in comfortable booths or on tables at the waterside (the restaurant’s big glazed windows open right up in the summer for an outdoor feel).

Open: daily 11-midnight. Kitchen open: 12-3, 6-11.

Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay For a reservations Tel: 200 76501 E-mail reservations@caletahotel.gi Nunos Italian restaurant and terrace at the Caleta Hotel, overlooks the Mediterranean and is extremely popular with both hotel guests and the local market. Recognised for its eclectic interior, atmosphere and cuisine. Bread, pasta and desserts from the a la carte menu are all homemade and contribute to create a genuine and exciting dining experience.

Restaurante El Patio 11 Casemates Square Tel: 200 70822 Tucked in the corner of Casemates Square this classic fish restaurant specialises in fresh fish and Basque and Continental cuisines. Relaxed dining at the front next to the square, formal dining room to the rear - try the fresh caught specials.

Open: 1pm - 4pm, 8.30pm - 11pm Closed all day Sunday (plus Saturdays during August).

The Mexican Grill and Bar Unit 2B The Tower, Marina Bay Tel: 200 46668 14 on the Quay Brand new to Gibraltar and already proving popular, The Unit 14, Queensway Quay Tel: 200 43731 Mexican Grill and Bar serves all the favourite Mexican The latest addition to the beautiful Queensway Quay dishes from Nachos, Quesadillas and Chimichangas marina, 14 on the Quay is open for lunch, afternoon tea, (rolled flour tortilla with spicy chicken, chilli beef or cocktails and dinner. The fine dining includes lobsters vegetables, deep fried, served with Mexican rice and fresh from the tank, and the setting with its spectacular salad and guacamole, salsa or sour cream), to Burritos sunsets is perfect. (like Chimichangas but oven baked), El Gringos Chilli Open: 12.30 - 11pm (last orders 10.45pm) con Carne, or Cheese Holy Mole Enchiladas. Don’t forget Big Eat Homemade Burgers (5 to choose from) and from Gauchos the grill barbecue combos, steaks and chicken. Salads Waterport Casemates Tel: 200 59700 and sides to order. Decorated is warm Mexican colours Nestled just next to Waterport roundabout within the city with comfortable seating in the no-smoking interior or walls. Opened by renowned local restaurateur André of outside on the enclosed and heated patio, great for a the Tunnel fame, Gauchos offers some interesting dishes fun night out. with a tempting South American Gaucho theme. Try Open: lunch and dinner 12 noon to late

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Thyme Restaurant 5 Cornwall’s Lane. Tel: 200 49199 Email: thymegib@hotmail.com Open for 5 years, this modern wine bar serves refreshing cocktails and a wide range of New World and European wines in a cool lively atmosphere, and on the 1st floor above is the restaurant serving bistro cuisine with a menu featuring dishes from all over the world. Try one of these dishes from the wide selection: starters include Buffalo Mozzarella, Plum Tomato, Grilled Chilli & Landcress Salad, Basil Oil & Balsamic; Crab & Coriander Spring Roll, String Hopper Noodle Salad, Cucumber & Chilli Salsa; Steamed Mussels flavoured with ginger, Lemon Grass, Chilli & Coconut Milk; try main courses such as Grilled Salmon Darne, Crisp Pancetta, Thai Spiced Lentils, Cool Mint Yoghurt Dressing; Confit of Lamb Shoulder Shank, Warm Couscous Salad, Chickpea & Coriander Salsa, Onion & Sultana Chutney; or Open Ravioli of Slow Roast Squash, Basil & Ricotta, Roast Garlic Cream Sauce. Everything made on the premises using only the best, fresh ingredients. Two seperate dining rooms - smoking and non smoking.

Menu changed seasonally, daily specials.

Open 7 days a week. Closed Saturday lunchtimes.

The Waterfront Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 45666 The Waterfront is a very popular restaurant located right on the quayside at Queensway Quay Marina. There are different areas for drinks, the main restaurant (with mezanine level seating), a large covered terrace with chandeliers and a quayside open terrace. The food is served in hearty portions and includes starters of grilled goat’s cheese, crab with lemon mayonnaise, moules mariniere, and prawn and lobster salad. There is a barbecue in the summer month and grills which include 8oz fillet steaks. Favourites are pan fried chicken with wild mushrooms and Madeira sauce, beef and ale pie with a puff pastry lid, and whole lamb shoulder. Fish dishes from grilled swordfish to salmon and crayfish ravioli, and vegetarian dishes such as mushroom stroganoff, and vegetable wellington sit alongside the menu from the Orient which includes Madras chicken or vegetables, chicken tikka masala, and crispy duck with pancakes and cucumber.

Open: 7 days a week from 9am to late.

informaleating Al Baraka Take-away Queensway Quay. Tel: 200 46993 Take-away and restaurant. Tasty Middle Eastern food including falafels and kebabs plus Indian specialities.

Large covered terrace to the side of Queensway Quay with marina views.

Open: 7 days a week from 10am to 12 midnight.

Amar’s Bakery & Coffee Shop 1a Convent Place (opp. The Convent). Tel: 200 73516 Amar’s Coffee Shop and Bakery is just opposite the Convent, where it serves up a wide range of light lunch options. There’s jacket potatoes, fish & chips, pasta dishes with different sauces, burekas, pizzas, quiche, sandwiches, bagels, various salads and tortilla. All the food is made on the premises and the menu is fully Kosher. Bakery serves breads and bagels etc.

Open: Monday to Friday from 8.30am.

The Barbary Ape Boyd Street (near Cable Car) Tel: 200 44380 A restaurant situated right near the Cable Car is the ideal place to have lunch with perfect view of the Rock.

With local delicacies such as albondigas, calamares, and boquerones offered as raciones or tapas; and various options for main courses such as fish & chips, steak, burgers, sandwiches and salads, there is something for everyone on this menu including good Moroccan specialities.

Birdie Cafe/Restaurant No 16 Watergardens II. Tel: 200 72885 Owned by David, previously of the Hong Kong restaurant, this golf themed cafe/restaurant now serves all the Hong Kong favourites. Everything from Wan Ton Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Butterfly Prawns, Mix Veg

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picnics, and they make some great desserts.

Open: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Singapore Noodles, Pork Balls Sweetand Sour, and King Prawn Curry to Fish in Ginger Spring Onion Sauce, Mixed Chicken and Pork with Cashew Nuts, and Beef in Oyster Sauce. If you liked the Hong Kong, you’ll love this friendly little place. Full take-away available.

Open: Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, 6.30pm-11, Saturday and Sunday 6.30pm - 11.30pm.

Mumbai Curry House Unit 1.0.02 Ground Floor, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711 Home delivery: 50022/33 Good Indian cuisine for eating in or taking away, from snacks such as samosas, bhajias, and pakoras to lamb, chicken and fish dishes with sauces such as korma, tikka masala, bhuna, do piaza... in fact all you would expect from an Indian cuisine take-away. Large vegetarian selection. Halal food is available, as is outside catering for parties and meetings. Sunday specials include all Mumbai favourites such as Dosa and Choley Bhature.

Open: 7 days a week 11am to 3pm, 6pm until late.

Buddies Pasta Casa 15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 40627 Tasty Italian specials in pleasant ambience. Large selection of starters from garlic bread to calamari. Main courses include fettuccine de formaggio, spaghetti alla carbonara, fusilli al salmone, and entrecote al whisky to name a few. Tasty desserts and variety of wines.

Open: Monday - Wednesday 10am - 5pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am-4pm and 7pm-midnight.

Fancy That Sandwich Bar Ground Floor, ICC Tony and Yvette are the hosts at this pleasant little sandwich bar in the International Commercial Centre. The menu covers everything from hot rolls such as chicken tandoori and steak and cheese, to burgers, baguettes, all day8 breakfasts, sausage, mash and gravy, quiche, cold rolls, toasties, jacket potatoes sandwiches, and desserts.

Well worth a visit for the hungry shopper! And very resonably priced too.

Open: 9am - 3pm Fresh 5 Waterport Plaza (Public Market) Tel: 200 52611 By day Fresh is a sandwich bar serving all sort of delicious food from made-to-order sandwiches and hot and cold drinks to baguettes, wraps, salads, toasties and soups. Open early for coffees and toast. By night, (from 4.30pm) Fresh transforms into a cosy lounge bar with free tapas on a Friday from 5pm-7pm and happy hours daily from 7-9pm. Decorated for relaxation, this is a pleasant place to enjoy a drink and some conversation.

As if this isn’t enough Fresh offers outside catering for private parties, at home, or at the office, and you can book Fresh for private parties in the evenings.

Open: 8am-midnight Mon - Thurs, 8am-1am Fridays, 9am-1am Saturdays, closed Sundays.

Garcia’s Take-Away Glacis Estate. Tel: 200 71992 Open 7 days a week this good take-away also does home deliveries of tasty fish and chips, hamburgers, kebabs, donner kebabs and much much more. Make sure you have their number handy for a night in without the hassle of cooking!

Get Joost 248 Main Street & Casemates. Tel/Fax: 200 76699 Smoothies are vitamin packed super-food and increasingly popular for the health concious. Get Joost makes delicious fresh fruit juices and smoothies made from natural ingredients which are a meal in a cup. The top five smoothies they sell are wild strawberry; breakie on the run; energy blast; raspberry ice; and tropical surrender. Tel/Fax: 200 76699 for delivery.

Open: 8-7 Monday -Friday, 10-7 Saturday, 10-6 Sunday.

Get Stuffed Marina Bay. Tel: 200 42006 Take-away, sandwich bar and hot food. Serving all homemade sandwiches, salads, quiches, pasta, pies, muffins, plus hot and cold drinks and smoothies and a different special every day. Outside catering for corporate parties.

Open: 8am - 6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat. Just A Nibble 1st Flr International Commercial Ctr. Tel: 200 78052 Full licensed cafe serving English breakfast, vast range of toasties, rolls, and other snacks. Meals include, Bob’s famous chicken curry/chilli con carne, and a great new range of pies (from Bob’s chicken and leek to steak and kidney plus a whole range of tasty alternatives) plus all the old favourites; jacket spuds, burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, and daily specials. Ideal meeting place.

Open: Monday - Saturday from 9am.

Just Desserts 1st Floor ICC Tel: 200 48014 Comfortable bright, airy cafe serving vegetarian and nonvegetarian cuisine from breakfast and lunch to afternoon tea. Homemade desserts a speciality. Eat-in or takeaway at sensible prices. Outside catering.

Open: 8am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Khan’s Indian Cuisine Unit 7-8, Watergardens. Tel: 200 50015 Eat-in or take-away at this traditional Indian eatery.

Everything from onion bhajia and green pepperpakora to chicken tikka, tandoori king prawns, Khan’s special fish curry, chicken jalfrezi, lamb rogan josh, naan bread, rices, vegetable dishes and everything in between!

Many new dishes added to the menu, plus specialities every Sunday.

Maillo Take Away Unit F5A 1st Floor ICC Tel: 54002598 Homemade Spanish food is available at this cafe and take away in the International Commercial Centre near Casemates. Everything from sandwiches and panini, to soups, fish, salads, and mixed platters with pork and chicken options. Maillo will also cook for summer

Mumtaz Indian Cuisine Take-away 20 Cornwall’s Lane Tel: 200 4457 Good Indian take-away service serving all the favourites from masala naan and spinach bhajia to lamb biryani, chicken tikka masala, king prawn korma and tandoori chicken kebab roll. Sauces and vegetarian dishes plus speciality dishes each Sunday (all dishes reasonably priced).

Open: 7 days a week 11-3, 6-late.

Munchies Cafe 24 Main Street. Tel: 200 43840 Fax: 200 42390 A great sandwich bar/cafe offering an unusual range of sandwiches on white or granary bread, plus salads, baguettes, soups, desserts, homemade ice-cream and hot/cold drinks. Business lunches, parties and kids parties also catered for (for party and office platters phone or fax order by 5.30pm day before - minium orders for delivery £12).

Open: Monday - Friday 8.30-7, Sat 9 - 4, Closed Sun. Pusser’s Landing Ocean Village Promenade. Tel: 216 22162 Straight from the BVI, home of Pusser’s Rum, Pusser’s Landing has opened at Ocean Village and offers a wide range of Caribbean food and drinks. From Crab Cakes to Jerk Chicken Salad, Jamaican escoveitche Flying Fish and Bajan herb grilled Mahi Mahi imported especially from the Caribbean. The traditional burgers and sandwiches with a Caribbean twist are also on offer, plus a Dockside Grill selection of steaks, ribs and rack of lamb with different sauces as an option. And vegeterians need not worry, there’s plenty of offer such as Cap’n Danny’s Veggie Pastry Delight. A special mention must go to the different cocktails on offer, made with Pusser’s Rum, the Cherry Bomb and the different Martinis are definitely a selling point.

Open: 10am till late, 7 days a week Roy’s Cod Plaice Casemates Square. Tel: 200 76662 Roy’s genuine fish and chips are served up in the pleasant cafeteria style chip shop in Casemates Square, with lovely terrace area for sunny lunchtimes and warm evenings.

Open: every day - until late on Fridays (10pm) and for Sunday lunch 11am - 4pm.

Sacarello Coffee Co. 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625

Converted coffee warehouse, ideal for coffee, homemade cakes/afternoon tea, plus menu including excellent salad

Award winning breakfasts from 7.30am Great meals & snacks all day Evening Steak House menu Med Golf Clubhouse Tottenham Hotspur HQ Parliament Lane Tel: 200 75924

Indian Cuisine to Eat In or Take Away Unit 1.0.02 Grnd Flr, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711

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bar, specials of the day and dishes such as lasagne, steak and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, toasties, club sandwich and baked potatoes. Art exhibitions.

Available for parties and functions in the evenings.

Open: 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri. 9am-3pm Saturdays Smith’s Fish & Chips 295 Main Street. Tel: 200 74254 Traditional British fish and chip shop with tables/seating available or take-away wrapped in newspaper.

Menu: Cod, haddock or plaice in batter, Cornish pasties, mushy peas etc. Also curries, omlettes, burgers.

Open: 8am-6pm Monday-Friday. Breakfast from 8.

Located: Main Street opposite the Convent.

Solo Express Ground Floor, International Commercial Centre Solo Express, located right next to Pizza Hut, serves a good variety of salads and baguettes (white, brown & ciabatta) filled with a wide deli selection of things such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or hummous, avocado and roasted red pepper. The salads are fresh and tasty and include Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta, etc and are great value. Jacket potatoes, quiches, tea, coffee etc plus cakes (such as flapjacks and muffins) are also available throughout the day. Eat-in available. Soups in winter months.

The Tasty Bite 59a Irish Town. Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321 Tasty Bite has one of the biggest take-away menus around with home cooked meats, filled baguettes, burgers, chicken, kebabs and everything else you can think of!

Open: Monday - Saturday.

The Terrace WaterportWharf Right next to Gauchos and part of the same team, The Terrace is an outdoor cafe/eatery which serves all day breakfast, baguettes, toasties, wraps, salads, jackets, baguette pizzas plus The Ultimate Grill — fresh food grilled on a sword! Everything from Argentine beef, to Tandoori specialities. The Terrace is set against the old city walls and has a large wooden bar serving drinks and coffees all day — a great place for a snack or something more substantial. Open: 10am-late Time Out Café Bar 106 Eurotowers, Europort Rd Tel: 200 76044 Delicious food from full English breakfast to wraps, jackets, baguettes and sandwiches, plus main courses from fish and chips to banger & mash. Take-away service. Private functions. Full sports coverage on 3 screens.

bars&pubs All Sports Bar 4 Cornwall’s Lane Tel: 200 59997 This pub is geared up to televised sporting events when top sports are on TV, and when they are not there is always someone around to talk sports with. It’s not just for football fans either, and not just for one team — hung around the bar are flags from all the major teams and supporters of the smaller sides are also made very welcome.

Gaming machines. Terrace seating available.

Open: 11am-midnight Sun-Thurs, 11am -1am Fri/Sat. All’s Well Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987 Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area. Named for the 18th century practice of locking the Gates to the city at night when the guard announced ‘All’s Well’ before handing the keys to the watch. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast served all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod and chips and steak & ale pie are complimented by a range of salads and filled jacket

potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke every Monday and Wednesday until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

The Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 77288 Jane is still at the Cannon Bar — over 20 years now! Fish and chips voted the best in Gib by Lonely Planet. Terrace just off Main Street. Located between Marks & Spencer and the Cathedral.

The Gibraltar Arms 184 Main St. Tel: 200 72133 www.gibraltararms.gi Good food served all day at this typical pub right on Main Street. Everything from all day breakfast to Irish fillet steak roll, burritos, and the popular fresh local mussels. Draught lager, bitter, cider and Murphys plus free WiFi. Terrace seating right on Main Street to watch the world go by.

Open: from 8am (10am Sundays) until late.

The Horseshoe 193 Main Street. Tel: 200 77444 Right in the centre of town, the Horseshoe is a popular, busy bar. Good menu from full English breakfast, to burgers/mixed grills. Curry and chilli specials on Sunday.

Open: 9am to late, Sunday 10am - late.

Facilities: Main Street terrace.

Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Sq. Tel: 200 50009 www.lordnelson.gi E-mail: reservations@lordnelson.gi Attractive bar/brasserie in historic Casemates building.

Done out to respresent Nelson’s ship with cloud and sky ceiling crossed with beams and sails. Spacious terrace Menu: Starter & snacks include fresh local mussels, blue cheese and rocket bruschetta, Lordy’s potato skins, spicy chicken wings and calamares. Main courses cover a range from chilli con carne and chicken and mushroom pie, to crispy aromatic duck burrito and British fish and chips.

Try one of the salads or Nelson’s platters. Jacket potatoes, burgers and children’s menu. Credit cards accepted. Live music Venue of the Year, with live music on stage every night. Free Wifi.

Open: from 10am till very late.

Pickwicks Governor’s Parade. Tel: 200 76488

Run by well-known friendly face, Mandy, this small pub with a large terrace is situated in Governor’s Parade away from the traffic and safe for all the family. Good food available including the best freshly made sandwiches and jacket potatoes, salads and burgers.

Open: Mon - Fri from 9.30am Location: turn off Main St at Marks & Spencer, go up steps to Governor’s Parade (opposite the Elliot Hotel).

The Pig and Whistle Unit 18, Watergardens. Tel: 200 76167 A comfortable pleasant little pub with pool table and terrace on the quayside. Big screen television for all sporting events.

Open: 10-midnight (Fri-Sat 11-1am)

The Three Owls Irish Town The Three Owls is a traditional bar serving best of English beers. Three separate bars/floors: ground floor — big screen tv, pool table, poker machines, games machines, bar — open from 10.30am daily. First floor ‘Hoots’ — 2 match pool tables, poker machines, darts board, games machine, bar — open from 1pm daily. Second Floor ‘Nest’ — American pool table, poker machine, games machine, card table, bar — open from 5pm daily.

The Three Roses Governor’s Street. Tel: 200 51614

Now under the management of Peter and Ian, previously of the Coach & Horses, this bar is fully air-conditioned with 3 plasma TVs and pool table. Happy hours Mon-Fri 5-6pm. Home of the Esteporkers Golf Society.

Open: 7 days. Mon-Sat from 11am, Sun from midday.

Wembley Bar 10 South Barrack Ramp. Tel: 200 78004 Popular bar for hot and cold bar snacks, function room, in south district. Fridays 10am for breakfast. Air conditioned. The home of the Real Madrid Supporter’s Club.

Open: 11am - midnight Sunday - Thursday, 10am - 1am Friday, 11am - 1am Saturdays.

acrosstheborder The Taste Indian Restaurant Avda. del Ejercito, esq. Calle Gibraltar, La Linea Tel: 00 34 856 12 29 18 / 00 34 626 88 40 38 Very good Indian restaurant convenient walk from the frontier. All the favourites from chicken Madras to lamb channa, and king prawn vindaloo. Specialities include Chicken Tikka Krahi (chicken tikka topped with fresh chillies, herbs and spices), Bhindi Ghost (lamb with okra in a spicy sauce), and Special Mixed Balti. Lots of vegetable dishes, bread and rices. Pleasant service.

Open: every day 5pm-late, Friday, Saturday & Sunday 1pm-late.

Located: On the corner of Plaza de la Constitucion, which is about 400m straight across from frontier.

The Dog & Duck Next to Plaza de Contitucion, La Linea Tel: 00 34 956171375 Little pub on the square serving British beers at 3 euros a pint. Pleasant sun terrace and all live sporting events shown.

Open: 3pm-late Mon - Fri, 1pm - late Sat & Sun. Located: 400m straight across from frontier (next to Taste Indian Restaurant).

Royal Calpe 176 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: 200 75890 Email: royalcalpe@gibtelecom.net Named after Gibraltar’s Royal Calpe Hunt, the pub is situated opposite the Cathedral on Main Street. It boasts Gibraltar’s only beer garden and conservatory for a relaxing atmosphere al fresco to get away from it all or for that

Liverpool Bar 4 Avenida España. Tel: 00 34 956767770 UK beers served in this little pub along with full English breakfast and Sunday lunches, plus much more in a friendly atmosphere.

Open: 7 days a week 10am - late Located: 400m straight across from frontier.

Kitchen open all day Breakfast from £2.70 Sunday Lunch served from 1.30pm £4.95 open 9am till late opp. Ocean Village, Watergardens Tel: 200 44520

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The Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924

Reputedly the oldest bar in Gib, this small cosy bar opens early for breakfast (English or toast & cereal). Lunch/ evening menu includes fillet steak, fish and chips and salads. Home of Med Golf and Tottenham Hotspur FC supporters club.

Facilities: Outside seating.

Open: from 7am every day.

Located: first right off Main St (walking from N to S).

The Quarter Deck Unit 26, Block 2 Watergardens Tel: 200 44520 Located opposite Ocean Village, the Quarterdeck is a busy little pub with terrace seating and food served all day. Breakfasts start at just £2.70 and a hearty Sunday lunch (£4.95) is served from 1.30pm. Seating outside overlooking Ocean Village.

Open: 9am to late.

The Quarter Deck

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private function. Good food from traditional pub fare to salads is available throughout the day. Wide selection of draught beer and cider.

THE FIRST & LAST PUBS IN SPAIN ALL BRITISH BEERS E3.00 A PINT ~ sun terrace ~ ~ live sports ~ next to the Plaza de Constitucion & the Taste Indian Restaurant Tel: 00 34 956171375

Liverpool Bar open 7 days a week 10-late

UK BEERS FUll English Breakfast + much more Avenida España No 4 (400m from the Frontier) Tel: 00 34 956767770

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 18:44:20

food&drink

Chef Rachi’d takes over at the

The Barbary Ape Rachid, one of Gibraltar’s top executive chefs, has left other people’s kitchens and taken over The Barbary Ape.

Rachid is probably best known for having been the brains behind Latino’s three restaurants for six years and the head chef at Gatsby’s for almost ten years, but his experience goes all the way back to 1980 when he began his studies in Tangier, achieving in 1985 Diploma Technician Hotelier which led to his working as chef de partie at the famous Hotel Ahlen Village near Tangier and then at the four-star Rif Hotel.

Qualified and experienced, he then set sail for Gibraltar where he started as head chef at the then Gibraltar Beach Hotel (where Both Worlds now is) and, as well as Gatsby’s and Latino’s, he also worked in the same position for the MOD’s catering platoon.

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And shortly after he landed here he also met his wife Bettina Holgado, leading to the birth of Julian – who now works with Rachid at The Barbary Ape bar/restaurant a few metres from the Cable Car. Taking over this cosy long-established eatery in October this year was the culmination of Rachid’s dream of owning his own kitchen rather than working for others. ‘I now cook and serve a range of international dishes,’ he told me, after serving a couple of tourists fresh from the Cable Car. ‘That includes Moroccan, of course, such as tajine and couscous, but also all the English, Spanish, Italian and Tex-Mex favourites.’

By popular demand, he has also retained his

signature dish, the one everyone used to talk about – his peppered fillet steak, smothered with black peppercorns and cooked in a mushroom and brandy sauce. Sounds like £17’s worth anywhere else but at the informal Barbary Ape it’s only £10.95. All the prices are similarly attractive, set as they are by a man who is in it for the love of seeing happy customers as much as the need to make a living.

His devotion is as proven as his culinary skills, as is indicated not only by the praise he receives from customers but also by the fact that he works seven days a week from 10am to 11pm and shows no sign of tiring.

Other examples of the range of dishes and prices are: soup, £2.95; fish and chips £5.75; fajitas around £8; English breakfast for only £4.95 including coffee, and gambas pil-pil (sizzling prawns in olive oil, garlic and chilli) at just £5.50. Baked potatoes, baguettes and burgers are also waiting to be enjoyed as are the vegetable pancakes and spicy vegetable samosas.

There is plenty more, such as pork medallion a l’oporto for £7.75 and the very popular rack of spare ribs at £8.95; but I think it is accurate to say that there is something for everyone and all at reasonable prices, especially when there is absolutely no problem in asking Rachid to make up an off-menu dish wherever possible; so don’t be afraid to ask for your own mixture, nor about the three or four daily specials - Rachid is always genuinely pleased to help, and can do so in French, Spanish and a little German as well as his native Moroccan language.

The covered terrace restaurant also has a 42” plasma tv, mostly used for watching football – which is Rachid’s other passion after cooking and his family. The bar also has a television and you are welcome to just come in for a drink at any time - the beers include Amstel, Heineken and Cruzcampo as well as all the usual wines and spirits.

Always attractive to visitors because of its location by the Cable Car station, Rachid is finding that local people – particularly from the Alameda Estate – are discovering The Barbary Ape as an excellent moderately priced place to go for a drink, a meal or a takeaway.

In fact, as Rachid pointed out, even some tourists spending a few days or a couple of weeks on the Rock have become honorary regulars, coming in on every day of their stay. For them it’s due to all of the attractions mentioned, plus a good Gibraltarian and Moroccan ambience.

Many workers in the area are also in the habit of popping in for what Rachid calls his Quick Lunches, a selection of tasty fillers for only £3.95.

Experienced in arranging buffets and general celebrations as well as being a skilled menu designer, Rachid also caters for parties, either as a large tableful or having the whole restaurant to themselves. In just one month he has already provided memorable functions for small wedding parties and is taking booking for Christmas. In all cases the price range is from £19 to £21 per person, including a half bottle of wine.

‘A lot of people didn’t know I was here,’ Rachid said. ‘When they discovered me at The Barbary Ape, by chance or by recommendation, they have all been highly delighted and have already become regulars.’

The Barbary Ape is just before the Cable Car station at the Alameda Car Park. Open from 10am to 7pm every day, the number for any enquiry is 20044380. n

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A ro u n d To w n .. .

a light-he arte d look at Gibralta r soc iety

Well, we’ve made it! Christmas time and the end of another year. Kids are eagerly looking forward to Christmas and the Cavalcade, and the round of Christmas parties has begun. The Christmas lights have been lit (this year by 11 year old Francis Avellano) and the shop windows are sparkling with tinsel and lights. For some reason, Christmas catches me by surprise every year, even though it’s hardly a secret it’s on its way, and I am one of those people rushing around on Christmas Eve buying wrapping paper. So let’s start by talking about November, before the panic sets in...

May the Forces be with you...

Last month’s Forces Open Day was a huge success and raised over £6,000 with money still coming in as we went to press. In fact, the event was so well attended that the Forces ran out of burgers by midday and had to send out two lorries to find additional supplies... The face painting went well despite the Rotary volunteer’s inexperience (they had to charm the little ones into having the designs they could do). Rotary chairman Bea Adams reports they do the MOST fabulous chocolate cakes on board Ark Royal which went down well while on the bridge watching the air display hobnobbing with the great and the good! The Rotary competition ‘Name that teddy bear’ was won by Julie Pitchford — the bear was called Julie! Oh and just when they thought everyone was clear of Ark Royal it was discovered that Sharon and her son Stephen Whatley were still onboard looking over the aircraft in the hangar! He is only 8 years old but he had a chess display stand and played simultaneous chess games throughout the day!

Speed Dating Advice from Jon of the Gibraltar Magazine: next time you call someone to see if they are free for lunch, check you have the right number before you invite them. Jon had a rather embarassing situation recently when halfway through making lunch arrangements he realised he was speaking to someone he’d never met before... now that’s what I call Speed Dating.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Alistair of Cafe Solo who reaches the big five-zero this month (12th)... he tried to keep it quiet, but we weren’t taking hush money. Considerably younger is Marjorie of Fiduciary who also celebrates this month, as does Caroline Parrott, HR Barclays. Many happies to you all.

Steve Eccleston of RBS had a super birthday surprise last month — his wife, Amanda, bought him a brand new car... hidden on the top floor of the ICC with a huge ribbon on it and all fitted out with the best girly gadget extras (perhaps not for Steve!). If only the rest of us could be so lucky!

And congratulations of a different sort to Tom Galanis of bet365 who became engaged to the lovely Rachel in November.

Well done to Surianne and the band who came in the top three acts of the Jar Music “Maldives UK Breakout Festival” in the UK. Although they did not win, their support was superb, made up of regular fans and a large group of Gibraltarians who made their way to the gig!

Photos above: The launch of Shoe’s winter collection

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Bea face painting at the Forces Open Day GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

20/11/08 18:53:52

Sister Eileen Grant MBE, a member of the Farnborough Hill Convent, enjoys meeting some Gibraltarians during a holiday on the Rock

Smell those Camp Fires...

Charlie’s Tavern down at Marina Bay is now under the new management of Menno van den Broek from Holland, and it really is a pleasant place for a drink or something hearty to eat. There is low level music, new decor and nice touches like tea lights on the bar in the evenings. Gibraltar’s own Del Boy and Rodney (Lindsay and Chris) popped in for a drink recently and after ordering Lindsay absently held out a twenty pound note while chatting away... until he smelled the distinctive whiff of burning paper. He threw the smouldering twenty to the floor to stamp on it and managed to save enough for it to still be legal tender to pay for the drink... if he wasn’t Scottish he’d have doused it out in his beer.

Also under new management is the Barbary Ape restaurant now presided over by Chef Rachi’d. Rachi’d is serving all the favourites from peppered steak to barbecue ribs, but also has some great Moroccan treats to try from couscous to tagines.... yum yum!

Carol of Carol’s Bookshop in the ICC

Parental Supervision Advised Thomas Johnson, Gib Reg, has just braved the tattooist’s needle... in a break from tradition, the process was suitably photographed and filmed by his dear Dad who then posted the whole scenario on Facebook. Who said something about embarrassing parents?

Top Billing...

Illustrator and author, John A Blakey, was in Gib recently for the launch of his book about a little dragon (whose travels include the Rock). He brought over from Co. Cavan, Ireland, his publishers and printers for the launch and they all gathered around the TV in the Rock Hotel to see the GBC interview in the evening. They were a little disappointed to see they were ranked in order of importance just after the blocked toilets at the John Mackintosh Hall, but that did not dampen their Irish spirits and they recited poetry and sang until the early hours. The result of the GBC interview was, however, that John had to dodge schoolchildren in Casemates the next day as they wanted his autograph! Ahhhh the price of fame.

That’s it for this month. A very very happy festive season to all our readers and may 2009 be your best year yet! See you on Main Street...

The girls at Red

painting at s Open Day Taking the Chess Challenge GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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Gunther and Rosi cooking up a storm at the Carpenter’s Arms

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clubs&activities Arts & Crafts The Arts Centre, Prince Edward’s Rd. Art classes for children (5-6pm Mon, 5-6.30pm Tues, 5-7pm Thurs), adults (Mon - Tues 6.30pm-8pm, Wed 6.30pm-8.30pm, life painting Wed 7pm-9pm). Tel: 200 79788.

The Fine Arts Association Gallery 1st Floor above Gibraltar Crystal, Casemates. Open 11am-2pm, 4-6pm Mon - Fri, Sat 11am - 2pm.

Arts & Crafts Gallery (next door) opens Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5pm (summer) -6pm (winter), Sat 9.30am - 3pm.

The Poetry Society meets on 20th of each month. Tel: Audrey Batty on 200 44355 .

Board Games Chess Club meets in Studio 1, John Mackintosh Hall 8-10.30pm Tues.

The Gibraltar Scrabble Club meet John Mackintosh Hall Mondays. Bank holidays changed to Thursday same week. 7pm-11pm All welcome. Tel: 200 73660 or 200 75995.

The Subbuteo Club meets Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall 7.30 - 11pm.

Dance Modern & Latin American Sequence Dancing Mondays Catholic Community Centre 8.30pm (beginners 7.30). Over 15s welcome. www.gibnynex.gi/inst/cccseqdance/ Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at the Catholic Community Centre at 8pm, beginners at 7.30pm, Wednesday.

The DSA Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at Central Hall Fridays 8pm, beginners 7.30pm. Tel: 200 78282 or e-mail manvio@gibraltar.gi Everybody welcome.

Senior Citizens Teatime Dances at The Youth Centre, Line Wall Rd on Mondays 2 - 5.30pm.

All senior citizens welcome for coffee, tea and biscuits. Entrance free.

Classical Ballet classes for children 4+, Spanish dance and hip-hop at Liza School of Dance, 3rd floor, Methodist Church, 297/299 Main St. Classes Weds & Fri from 6pm at Chiltern Court (4Cs). Tel: 58111000.

Hip Hop classes for adults Mondays 6.15pm to 7.15pm, Hip Hop classes for boys and girls Tuesdays 4.15pm to 5.15 - Urban Dance, Jumpers Dance Studio The Gibraltar Pointes Dance School - R.A.D ballet, I.S.T.D modern and tap, jazz and contempory dance. Unit 19F Europa Business Centre. Contact Cheryll Bossino and Sabina Pitaluga at Studio: 200 45145, Home: 200 51187/ 200 46400.

History & Heritage The Gibraltar Heritage Trust Main Guard, 13 John Mackintosh Sq. Tel: 200 42844.

The Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association Dedicated to preservation of Rock’s transport/motoring heritage. Assists members in restoration / maintenance of classic vehicles.

Members/vehicles meet 1st Sunday of month, Morrison’s car park from 10am. New members welcome. Tel: 200 44643.

Music The Gibraltar Music Centre Trust Complete spectrum of instrument learning strings drums etc. Theory lessons- Five days a week 4pm-9pm. Tel: 200 75558 for details.

The Gibraltar National Choir and Gibraltar Junior National Choir rehearse on Monday & Thursday 7.30 - 9pm. New singers of all ages welcome. Tel: Lili 200 40035, 54006727 St Andrew ’s Music Academy Musical Monsters Club, musical workshops. Group musical activities for kids 3-7 years. Singing, rhythmic games etc. Tel: 200 42690 email: samagib@hotmail.com Outdoor Activities The Calpe Ramblers This group walks on last Sunday each month, except July and August.

Meeting place is the Spanish side of the frontier 8am just to the right of and opposite the Aduana vehicle exit. For any information contact co-ordinators Ray Murphy 200 71956 or John Murphy 200 74645.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an exciting self-development Programme available to all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world.

To date over 5 million young people from over 100 countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging ac-

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Don’t be bored... do something fun! tivities. Contact Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road, Gibraltar Tel: 200 59818 Reg. Charity No: 61 Quizzes Cannon Bar quizzes are held on Tuesdays starting with a warm up, then two other quizzes, including a theme quiz. Starts at 8.30pm, all welcome and prizes are given.

Free entrance but a donation to charity is requested. Tapas served after the quiz.

The Tunnel in Casemates has a pub quiz and entertainment on Sunday nights.

Social Clubs Scots on the Rock: Any Scots visiting the Rock can contact Charles Polson (Tel: 200 78142) for assistance or information.

Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (Gibraltar Province) meets RAOB Club, Jumpers Bastion on these days: Provincial Grand Lodge, 1st Monday/month, 8pm. Executive Meeting, last Mon/month 7pm. Knights Chapter, 2nd Mon/month 7.30pm. Examining Council, 3rd Mon/month 7pm. William Tilley 2371, Thurs 8pm. Buena Vista 9975, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm. Por Favor 9444, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm. Farewell 10001, Tues 8.30pm.

Goldacre 10475 (social) last Fri/month 8pm.

Tuesday Ladies’ Club meets 8pm, Queensway Club first Tuesday of month. For women who enjoy making new friends. Non-profit making, proceeds donated to charity. Tel: Anne 200 43869, or Margaret 200 70816.

Special Interest Clubs & Societies Gibraltar Horticultural Society meets first Thurs of month 6pm, John Mackintosh Hall.

Annual Spring Flower Show, slide shows, demos on flower arrangements and outings to garden centres plus annual tour of Alameda Gardens. All welcome.

The Gibraltar Photographic Society meets on Mon at around 8pm, Wellington Front.

Basic courses, competitions etc.

Harley Davidson Owners’ Club www. hdcgib.com UN Association of Gibraltar PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 200 52108.

Sports Supporters Clubs The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club meet at the Star Bar, Parliament Lane, when Spurs games are televised - call prior to matches to check the game is televised.

Great food for a lunch if the KO is early or an early supper if the game is later. For info call Mario on 56280000.

Gibraltar Arsenal Supporters Club meet on match days at the Casino Calpe (Ground Floor). Gooners of all ages are welcome. Tel: Bill 54010681 or Dion 56619000. Websites: ClubWebsite.co.uk/ArsenalGibraltarSC or GibGooners.com Sports & Fitness Artistic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Artistic Gymnastics Association club for beginners, juniors and squad at Bayside School in evenings. Tel: 200 Angela 200 70611 or Sally 200 74661.

Athletics: Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association holds competitions throughout year for juniors, adults and veterans. Two main clubs (Calpeans 200 71807, Lourdians 200 75180) training sessions at Victoria Stadium.

Badminton: Recreational badminton is available weekdays at Victoria Stadium (Tel: 200 78409 for allocations). Gibraltar Badminton Association (affiliated to IBA & EBA) has leagues and training for adults and secondary school. Tel: Ivan 200 44045 or Linda 200 74753.

Basketball: Gibraltar Amateur Basketball Association (affiliated FIBA) leagues/ training for minis, passarelle, cadets, seniors and adults at a variety of levels. Tel: John 200 77253, Randy 200 40727 or Kirsty (minis) 200 49441.

Billiards & Snooker: Gibraltar Billiards and Snooker Association (member IBSA) round leagues and competitions at various venues.

New members welcome. Tel: Eddie 200 72142 or Peter 200 77307.

Boxing: Gibraltar Amateur Boxing Association (member IABA) gym on Rosia Rd. Over 13s welcome to join. Tuition with ex-pro boxer Ernest Victory (200 75513 w, 200 42788 h).

Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association.

Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Eugene 58014000.

Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket Association (member ICC) runs leagues/competitions at Europa Point/Victoria Stadium. Junior/senior training.

Tel: Tom 200 79461 or Adrian 200 44281.

Cycling: Gibraltar Cycling Association various cycling tours. Tel: Uriel 200 79359.

Darts: Gibraltar Darts Association (member WDF) mens/ladies/youth leagues/competitions.Tel: Darren 54027171 “Secretary”, Dyson “Youth Rep” 54024149, Justin “President” 54022622 Email: info@gibraltardarts.com Football: Gibraltar Football Association - leagues/competitions for all ages OctoberMay. Futsal in summer, Victoria Stadium. Tel: 200 42941 www.gfa.gi. Senior Tel: Albert 200 41515, Junior Tel: Richard 58654000, Women’s Tel: Brian 200 52299. Recreational football for over 35s Tel: Richard 200 70320.

Golf: Med Golf tournaments held monthly.

Tel: 200 79575 for tournament venues/dates.

Gibraltar Golf Union has competitions through year, EGU handicaps. Tel: Bernie 200 78844.

Hockey: Gibraltar Hockey Association (members FIH & EHF) high standard competitions/ training for adults and juniors. Tel: Eric 200 74156 or Peter 200 72730.

Judo: Gibraltar Judo Association UKMAF recognised instructors for all ages and levels at Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front.

Tel: Charlie 200 73116 or Peter 200 73225.

Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Ju-jitsu Academy training and grading for juniors/seniors held during evening at 4 North Jumpers Bastion (Rosia Rd). Tel: Tony 200 79855 or club 200 47259.

Karate-do Shotokai: Gibraltar Karate-do Shotokai Association sessions for junior/seniors, gradings and demos at Karate Clubhouse, 41H Town Range Tel: Andrew 200 48908.

Motorboat Racing: Gibraltar Motorboat Racing Association Tel: Wayne 200 75211.

Netball: Gibraltar Netball Association (affiliated FENA & IFNA) competitions through year, senior / junior leagues. Tel: Moira 200 41795 or Suzette 200 41874.

Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association plays at Giralda Gardens, Smith Dorrien Ave. New members welcome. Tel: Francis 200 70929.

Pool: Gibraltar Pool Association (member EUKPF) home and away league played on Thurs through season. Tel: Linda 200 74753.

Rhythmic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Rhythmic Gymnastics Association runs sessions for 4 years of age and upwards weekday evenings.

Tel: Christine 200 74661 or 54015533.

Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby Football Union training sessions for Colts (14+), seniors and veterans. Play in Andalusia 1st Division Oct - April. Tel: James 200 72185 Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/senior competitive programme through season (April - Oct) Tel: RGYC 200 48847.

Sea Angling: Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers (members FIPS-M & CIPS) Superb calendar of events with four clubs participating. Tel: Mario 200 72622 or Charlie 200 74337.

Shooting: Gibraltar Shooting Federation over 14s only. Rifle, Europa Point range (Joe 200 74973); clay pigeon, East Side (Harry 200 74354); Pistol, near Royal Naval Hospital (Fidel 200 71990).

Skating: Gibraltar Skating and Xtreme Sports Association opens its Skate Park, Coaling Island, Queensway, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, from 5pm til 8pm Saturday & Sunday, from 2pm til 5pm Thursday & Friday, closedSat 26pm. State of art ramps for Xtreme/aggressive roller blading /skate boarding.

Leisure skating facilities provided within excellent rink (when not used for roller hockey training).

Tel: Eric 200 70710 (after 5).

Snorkelling & Spear Fishing: Over 14s welcome for snorkelling,

over 16s for spear fishing. Tel: Joseph 200 75020.

Squash: Gibraltar Squash Association, Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road (members WSF & ESF). Adult/junior tournaments/ coaching. Tel: 200 44922 or 200 73260.

Sub-Aqua: Gibraltar Sub-Aqua Association taster dives for over 14s, tuition from local clubs. Voluntary sports clubs: Tel: Phil 200 44606, Noah’s Dive Club Tel: Leslie 200 79601, 888s Dive Club Tel: Martin 200 70944. Commercial sports diving schools also available.

Swimming: Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association (member FINA & LEN) opens its pool for leisure swimming Mon - Fri 7-8.45am, 12- 4pm, 8- 9pm. Junior lessons, squad for committed swimmers, water polo (Rebecca 200 72869).

Table Tennis: Gibraltar Table Tennis Association (members ITTA) training / playing sessions, Victoria Stadium, Tues 6-10pm and Thurs 8-11pm with coaching and league competition. Lizanne 200 45071/54020477 or Eugene 58014000.

Taekwondo: Gibraltar Taekwondo Association classes/gradings Tel: 200 Mari 44142.

Tennis: Gibraltar Tennis Association, Sandpits Tennis Club, excellent junior development programme. Courses for adults, leagues / competitions. Tel: Frank 200 77035.

Ten-Pin Bowling: Gibraltar Ten Pin Bowling Association (members FIQ & WTBA) leagues at Ultra Bowl, training for juniors and squad.

Tel: Gary 200 42447 or Charlie 200 71125.

Triathlon: Gibraltar Triathlon Union (members ITU) Chris 200 75857 or Harvey 200 55847.

Volleyball: Gibraltar Volleyball Association (members W & EVF) training, leagues, competitions for juniors/seniors. Tony 200 40478 or Elizabeth 58306000.

Yoga: Integral Yoga Centre runs a full programme of classes from Mon-Fri at 33 Town Range. Tel: 200 41389. All welcome.

Theatrical Groups Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association Ince’s Hall Theatre Complex, 310 Main Street E-mail: gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 200 42237 www. geocities.com/gibdrama Trafalgar Theatre Group meet 2nd Wed of month, Garrison Library 8pm. All welcome.

Theatrix: Contact Trevor and Iris on Tel: 54006176 or email theatrixgib@yahoo.co.uk

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008

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support

roundup

Support Groups/ Associations Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues and Thurs at Nazareth Hse Tel: 200 73774.

A Step Forward support group for single, separated, divorced or widowed people. Meet 8pm Mondays at St Andrew’s Church.

Childline Gibraltar confidential phone line for children in need. Freephone 8008 - 7 days a week 7pm - 11pm.

Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Fri 9.30-4pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@ cab.gi or visit 10 Governor’s Lane. No appointment necessary, no charge.

Gibraltar CAB outreach clinics at St Bernard’s Hospital every Tuesday. Advisors available at 1st floor reception, Zone 4, 9am-3pm. Info and advice is free, confidential and impartial.

COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Formed to ease day-to-day challenges of individuals, families and care partner. Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thursday of each month.

Contact Sue Reyes Tel: 200 51469 Email: copeadsupport@hotmail.com Dignity At Work Now. Confidential support and advice for those who are being bullied at work. Tel: 57799000 Mon - Thur 8pm-9pm Families Anonymous Support group for relatives and friends who are concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioural problems. Meetings are held alternate Thursdays at 9pm at Nazareth House. For more details Tel: 200 70047 or 200 73465.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm at the John Mac Hall, except for July and August.

Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 3/8 Serfaty’s Passage Tel: 200 78509 Mobile: 54007924 website: www.gdsg.co.uk Gibraltar Marriage Care. Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 200 71717.

Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired. Tel: 200 50111 (24hr answering service).

Hope. miscarriage support Tel: 200 41817.

Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 200 70720 Overeaters Anonymous support group of those with compulsive overeating problem. Tel: helpline for details of meetings 200 42581.

Parental Support Group, helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and granchildren.

Tel: Richard 200 46536, Jason 200 76618, Dominic 54019602.

Psychological Support Group, PO Box 161, Nazareth House. Weekly Meetings Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays 8pm. Tel: 200 51623.

SSAFA Forces Help Gibraltar, is a national charity, to assist serving and exService personnel and their families. Tel: (5)5481. E-mail olivero@sapphirenet.gi With Dignity Gibraltar support group for separated, divorced, widowed or unattached people. Meetings Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities. Tel: Flor 54007181 or Marie 200 79957.

Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence.

Refuge available. Tel: 200 42581 (24 hours).

O’Reilly’s success in Portugal The Union of Irish Golf Societies held their Algarve Autumn Championships at Tavira, Portugal during the first week of November and because of the Irish connection O’Reilly’s Leisure Island was invited to send a team from Gibraltar. Launched in 2005, this was the fourth year the championships had been held and

achieve the final positions. After three very hard days golf, it was unfortunate they narrowly missed out on the silverware by just a couple of points when achieving a very creditable fourth place overall.

The O’Reilly’s team has been invited to next year’s championships where hopefully they can go one step better. n

IAU World Cup 2010 allocated to Gibraltar During its annual meeting in Seoul, South Korea, the IAU Executive Counsel, operating under the patronage of the International Association of Athletic Federations has assigned the 2010 World Cup for long-distance outdoor events (50km and 100km) to Gibraltar. The shortdistance track and field events will be held in Doha, Qatar.

The choice for Gibraltar comes only six weeks after the visit of IAU’s President Dirk Strumane to the Rock and his meeting with Ministers Holliday and Reyes. Whilst in Gibraltar the IAU delegation inspected the Bayside sports centre and other facilities, followed by an official dinner and rock tour offered

Religious Services Bahia Tel: 200 43637 for meetings.

Bethel Christian Fellowship Tel: 200 52002. 47 Queensway. Sunday service at 11am.

Church of England Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Tel: 200 78377. Sung Eucharist, Sunday 10.30am. Sunday School.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Suite 21a Don House, 30-38 Main Street. Tel: 200 50433. Sundays 10am.

Church of Scotland St Andrew’s, Governor’s Pde. Tel: 200 77040. Worship & Sunday School 10.30am. Bible Study

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what started originally with sixteen teams has now grown to where 24 teams from the UK competed in 2008 as well as Gibraltar.

The championships saw the O’Reilly’s team play over three days at Quinta de Cima, Benamor and Quinta da Ria in various competition formats, with each days results being carried forward to

by local businessman Albert Parody.

In a letter to event directors Alfred Chappory and Geert Camerlinckx, Mr. Strumane expressed his confidence in the project, stating he was particularly touched by the commitment, dedication and enthusiasm of the key people — this event will enable Gibraltar to leave its mark on the history of international sports.

Being chosen over major sports countries — other applicants were Taiwan, Brasil, Canada and the USA — Gibraltar will be the host for a minimum 46 competing nations, all sending up to 18 athletes. Apart from the World Cup, the event also includes the European Championships and subject

Tues 7.30pm.

Evangelical Bretheren Assembly, Queensway Quay. Sun 11am, Tues Bible Study 6pm, Thurs Prayer Meeting 6pm.

Hindu Engineer’s Lane Tel: 200 42515.

Jehovah’s Witness Line Wall Rd Tel: 200 50186.

Jewish 10 Bomb House Lane Tel: 200 72606.

Methodist 297 Main Street Gibraltar Tel/Fax 200 40870 email minister@methodist.org. gi Minister: Revd Fidel Patron. Sunday 11am Morning Worship, 8pm Evening Service. Prayer meetings Monday and Wednesday to Friday 7pm and Tuesdays

to negotiations with the competent governing bodies, the Commonwealth and British Championships as well.

After the designation of this worldwide event Gibraltar is believed to be one step closer to IOC-membership. As part of the agreement, the I.A.U. President from his side has promised to start lobbying towards the IOC President and fellow Belgian Jacques Rogge in order to get Gibraltar recognised as an Olympic nation.

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday 5th November, 2010, the race itself on 6th and closing ceremony on 7th. n

8pm. Communion celebrated on 2nd and 4th Sunday mornings of the month, and other special occasions. Alpha Course: held Thursdays 8pm. House Groups meet for Christian fellowship, prayer and study on a regular basis Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Sunday School meets Sunday mornings alongside morning worship.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned, 215 Main St Tel: 200 76688.

The Cityline Church 13 Castle St Tel: 200 75755 email: citylinegib@yahoo. com. Meeting: Tues 8pm, Sundays 11am.

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propertysales

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008 June 2004

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June 2004 MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2008 GIBRALTAR

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information

A

dmission 9.30am to 7pm by tickets (includes entrance to sites within the Park - St. Michael’s Cave, Monkey’s Den, Great Siege Tunnels, Military Heritage Centre, ‘A City Under Siege’ Exhibition and Moorish Castle).

(Facilities closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.) Adults £7/ Children 5-12 years: £4, Children age 4 and under free, vehicles £1.50. Private vehicles may be restricted at certain times and it’s advisable to take a Rock Tour by taxi/mini bus. The Natural History & Heritage Park is also reached by cable car (leaves Grand Parade 9.30am-5.15pm Mon-Sun. Last cable down: 5.45pm).

T

he flora and fauna on the Upper Rock are considered to be of great conservational value. It’s a perfect place for birdwatchers, as migratory species use Gibraltar as the shortest crossing between Europe and Africa, but botanists will also be interested to see over 600 species of flowering plants, including some unique to Gibraltar. Watch out for colourful lizards, non-venemous Horseshoe Whipsnakes, butterflies and pipistrelle bats. Info on flora and fauna is found at the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society’s information centre at Jews Gate.

St. Michael’s Cave: The cave comprises an upper hall with five connecting passages and drops of 40-150ft to a smaller hall.

A further succession of chambers, some at 250ft below the entrance, is reached through narrow holes. The Cathedral Cave is open to visitors and is used as an auditorium for concerts and theatre. The cave was prepared as a hospital in WWII, but never used. A further series of chambers ending in a mini lake is called Lower St. Michael’s Cave and can be visited with a guide.

The Monkeys’ Den: There are around 160 monkeys in the Park and around 30 can be seen at the Monkey’s Den. Often called apes, they are tail-less Barbary Macaques and Europe’s only free living monkeys. £500 fine for feeding the monkeys - don’t do it!

The Great Siege Tunnels: Tunnelling in the Rock began during the Great Siege (1779-1783) when France and Spain made an attempt to recapture the Rock while Britain was busy with the American War of Independence. Governor General Elliot offered a reward to any man who could tell him how to mount a gun on the north face of the Rock. It was a Sgt. Major Ince who suggested tunnelling and there are now over 30 miles of tunnels inside the Rock with various exhibitions inside the tunnels.

of the earliest British building on the Rock.

Original graffiti, drawn by duty soldiers to stop themselves falling asleep, is still visible, the earliest dating back to 1726.

The Moorish Castle: actually just part of a Moorish town and castle which was built up during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, spearheaded from Gibraltar in 711AD by Tarik-ibn-Zeyad (“Gibraltar” is a corruption of the Arabic words “Jebel Tarik” - Tarik’s mountain). The part we see today, The Tower of Homage, dates back to 1333AD, when Abu’l Hassan recaptured the Rock from Spain.

Natural History & Heritage Park Walks: Med Steps is a stunning walk with the steep climb at the end rewarded with spectacular views of the Rock and Spain.

Another recommended walk is St Michael’s Cave through to Charles V Wall but walkers should be relatively fit for both. It is also pleasant walking along the upper rock roads. Brochures available free from all Tourist Board offices.

Botanical Gardens: Opened in 1816, the Alameda Botanical Gardens fell into disrepair but are currently being restored to their former glory. Visitors can enjoy a stroll beneath pines, dragon trees and palms, and see many of Gibraltar’s native plants as well as exotic species. The shop sells environmentally friendly gifts, plants and seeds.

Tel: 200 72639/200 74022. Parking.

Nelson’s Anchorage: Rosia Road 9.30am - 5.15pm Monday to Saturday (last entry at 5pm). Closed on Sunday. Admission: £1.00 (free of charge with Nature Reserve ticket.

Tickets for the nature reserve can also be bought at this attraction).

Parson’s Lodge: Rosia Road. A narrow limestone outcrop with a labyrinth of underground tunnels surmounted by an impressive battery, which has witnessed the development of coast artillery over 300 years. Once housed three 18 ton 10-inch rifled muzzle loaders positioned behind a

unique sandwich of armour plate and teak, known as ‘Gibraltar Shields’. TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. Flat Bastion Magazine Flat Bastion Road, Geological Research Station and Lithology of Gibraltar. To visit contact: F. Gomez Tel. 200 44460, P. Hodkinson Tel. 200 43910.

Shrine of Our Lady of Europe (Museum within premises) Europa Road. 10am-7pm Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays. Closed 1pm - 2pm.

Trafalgar Cemetery: Trafalgar Road, open 9am - 7pm daily (admission free).

Business Information

Gibraltar Financial Services Commission ......Tel: 200 40283/4 website: www.fsc.gi Chamber of Commerce.......Tel: 200 78376 Federation Small Business.Tel: 200 47722 Company Registry...............Tel: 200 78193

Useful Numbers

Airport (general info.)..........Tel: 200 73026 Hospital, St Bernards..........Tel: 200 79700 Weather information.................Tel: 5-3416 Frontier Queue Update.......Tel: 200 42777

General Information

Gibraltar Museum.............Tel: 200 74289 18/20 Bomb House Lane Open 10am - 6pm (Sat. 10am - 2pm). Closed on Sunday. Admission: Adults £2/Children under 12 years £1. Special exhibitions also held at museum premises in Casemates gallery.

Registry Office...................Tel: 200 72289 It is possible to get married on the Rock within 48 hours of arrival. A fact taken advantage of by stars such as Sean Connery and John Lennon.

Rock Tours by Taxi............Tel: 200 70052 As well as offering normal fares, Gibraltar

Emergency Services Emergency calls only: Fire/Ambulance.......................Tel: 190 Police...............................Tel: 199/112 Emergency Number...............Tel: 112

The Military Heritage Centre: Housed in one of the Rock’s many historic batteries, the Military Heritage Centre displays information on the development of Gibraltar’s military defences through the ages.

A City Under Siege Exhibition: Exhibits depicting the lives of the civilian population during the many sieges, are housed in one

History Alive

Every Saturday morning the Rock’s past is brought alive by a troop of soldiers in 18th century period uniform. The soldiers march from Bomb House Lane at 12 noon to Casemates. At Casemates they carry out a “Ceremony of the Keys” and then march back up Main Street to the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned.

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Gibraltar Bus Company Routes

taxis provide Rock Tours taking in the Upper Rock, Europa Point and other sites of interest. It is the best way to see the Rock’s major features in a short time.

Tourist Board.....................Tel: 200 74950 Gibraltar Tourist Board, Duke of Kent House, Cathedral Square, Gibraltar.

UK Tel: 0207 836 0777 giblondon@aol.com John Mackintosh Hall.......Tel: 200 75669 Centre of Gib’s cultural life, includes a cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library.

308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends.

Bicycle Racks Bicycle parking is provided at the following locations: Europort Road, Casemates Tunnel, Land Port Ditch, Fish Market Road, Commonwealth Car Park, Reclamation Road (by English Steps) + Line Wall Road.

Public Holidays 2009

New Year’s Day 1 January Commonwealth Day 9 March Good Friday 10 April Easter Monday 13 April May Day 4 May Spring Bank Holiday 25 May Queen’s Birthday 15 June Late Summer Bank Holiday 31 August Gibraltar National Day 10 September Christmas Day 25 December Boxing Day 26 December Spain Fixed: New Year’s Day 1 January, Epiphany 6 January, St Joseph’s Day 19 March, Labour Day 1 May, St John 24 June, St James 25 July, Assumption Day 15 August, National Day 12 October, All Saints 1 November, Immaculate Conception 8 December, Christmas 25 December Moveable: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Corpus Christi Non-urgent calls: Ambulance Station..........Tel: 200 75728 Police...............................Tel: 200 72500 Gibraltar Services Police: Emergency Nos: ....Tel: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598

The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Guide Line Promotions Ltd, 1st Floor 113 Main Street, Gibraltar.

Tel/Fax: (+350) 77748

Natural History & Heritage Park

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